Colts vs Cowboys: Five Keys To Victory

This week, the Colts travel to the Lone Star State to battle Tony Romo and the NFL East-leading Dallas Cowboys. The Colts limp into AT&T stadium with injuries to key players on ball.

Despite having already secured the AFC South title, the Colts coaching staff has gone on record to say that they will not rest their starters for this afternoon’s AFC/NFC match up. With some players, they just might not have a choice. Colts lead receiver, T.Y. Hilton, is projected to likely miss the game with a hamstring, while pro bowl hopeful cornerback, Vontae Davis, is listed as probable with groin injury. Also expected to miss the game with injuries are offensive linemen Hugh Thornton and Joe Reitz.

Obviously, these absences are going to make it that much more difficult to compete with a good Dallas team that can put up a lot of points. Dallas, however, isn’t devoid of injuries either, with lead leading rusher, DeMarco Murray, nursing a broken hand.

What do the Colts have to do to seal a victory tonight in the Jerry Dome? Let’s take take a look:

1. Get Boom Herron in for more plays.

With two games remaining in the regular season, and half the Colts back field out for the year, it’s obvious that Herron is the better option of the two backs the Colts have left at their disposal. Despite showing some signs of improvement earlier this season, Trent Richardson is still failing to bring home the bacon. On roughly the same number of carries, Herron has about twice the yardage in the last two games. It’s time to stop having them share time and get the ball into Boom’s hands. He’s earned it. Furthermore, if I see Trent Richardson struggle much longer, I might have to start a GoFundMe.cm account to pay the rest of his contract off so the Colts can finally rid themselves of the mistake. Boom Herron > Trent Richardson, folks. Shout it from the rooftops so loud maybe Ryan Grigson can hear you. It’s worth a shot at this point, while I still have an ounce of sanity.

2. It’s time to utilize Moncrief and Nicks more.

With T.Y. Hilton likely out for the game, getting the ball into the hands of these two lesser used receivers may be crucial. Moncrief has shown steady progress throughout the year and has shown he’s more than capable of making plays, and despite having less than stellar stats this season, Hakeem Nicks is still a very talented big target for Andrew Luck. If the Colts make an effort to pass these two guys the ball, the Cowboys won’t be able to key in on Reggie Wayne all game, keeping them honest.

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3. Fleener and Allen both need to contribute.

Now that Dwayne Allen is healthy again, it’s crucial that the Colts get good play from their tight ends. Both are very capable playmakers. Let them make plays. Provided Coby doesn’t do <THIS> again, we’re in good shape.

4. It’s time for Pep Hamilton to be creative early.

It’s no secret that Andrew Luck has made his living with second-half comebacks. The Colts have managed – fourth quarter comebacks this season alone, good for #1 in the league. With an offense as potent as the Cowboys, the guys in blue cannot afford to spot points to their opponent. Pep needs to open up the play book early and often and let his franchise quarterback do what he does best, score points. A slow start in Irving, TX will spell disaster.

Pep, please don’t make me want to jump through the screen and choke you. You have all the weapons to score a lot of points. Use them, for crying out loud. The fans don’t need to go through a potential cardiac arrest like we did against the Browns. End of rant (for now.)

5. Control time of possession.

With guys like Dez Bryant, Jason Witten, and DeMarco Murray on their roster, the Cowboys are certainly capable of their share of big plays, but they’ve made their hay by winning the time of possession. Dallas is second in the league in that stat, hanging on to the ball an average of 32.50 minutes per game.

The Colts are also among the league leaders in that category, coming in ranked 4th at 32.19 minutes per contest. In a game posing to of the league’s most potent offenses against each other, something has to give. The team that keeps the opposing offense off the field will likely win the game.

Obviously, this also means finding a way to at least contain DeMarco Murray. Letting this guy go off for 150 yards would keep the ball out of Andrew Luck’s hands way too long, not to mention cause bad things to happen with my blood pressure.

This may also mean running a little more (more Boom Herron, please), completing a lot of slant routes to tight ends, and screen passes to the backfield. Tonight’s ball game might just become of keep away contest, and inevitably may come down to who has the ball last.

Final Analysis:

The Colts come in with the league’s third highest scoring offense, while Dallas comes in at #9. The two defenses are ranked 17th and 18th respectively. The telling stat might lie in the passing numbers. Andrew Luck is the league leader in passing yards, averaging 310 yards per game. The Cowboys defense comes in ranked 23rd against the pass. With as many targets that Luck has at his disposal, not having T.Y. Hilton may not matter, if he gets everyone involved early. As the Colts have proven time and time again this year, it’s hard to put a body on everybody when they #12 simply has so many options to pass to.

This will likely be the main factor in a game I fully expect to be close from start to finish, in an old-fashioned Texas shoot out that could likely shape up to be one of the most enjoyable games of the season to watch from a fan perspective. Let’s call it 38-35, Colts… Adam Vinatieri for the win…

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