Colts at Giants: Prediction and Keys to Victory
Aug 16, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) makes hand signals while at the line of scrimmage against the New York Giants in the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Following a tough loss, and a lackluster performance last Sunday against the Steelers, the Indianapolis Colts (5-3) will look to bounce back against the New York Giants (3-4) coming off of a bye.
A few weeks ago the Giants were surging after impressive wins win over Washington and Atlanta. However, the Giants have been in a slump after losing their last two games to Philadelphia and Dallas.
Here are the Colts keys to victory:
1. Indianapolis Pass Rush
At times, the Colts pass rush has been dominant, and at other times it has been nonexistent. Indianapolis ranks 5th in the NFL in total sacks with 21, however with Erik Walden out with a quad injury, the Colts are very thin at outside linebacker. The loss of Walden, coupled with the injury to Arthur Jones leaves the Colts with few proven pass rushers.
Without an effective pass rush, Eli Manning will have plenty of time to find an open receiver. If the Colts are able to bring pressure, Indianapolis may be able to force Manning into making quick decisions and turn the ball over. The Giants’ offensive line has been inconsistent this season. Eli Manning has only been sacked 15 times this season; however, the Giants have thrown the ball less than 26 times so far this season.
Indianapolis will need players to stand up. w=With Jones and Walden out, the Colts will have to rely on their depth Monday night. Zach Kerr and Ricky Jean-Francois will need to aid Cory Redding on the defensive line. Bjoern Werner has disappeared at times throughout the season; Indianapolis will need him and fifth-round draft pick Jonathan Newsome to step up and create havoc in the backfield in order to secure a victory.
2. Colts’ Offensive Line
Oct 9, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; View of the line of scrimmage as Indianapolis Colts center Jonotthan Harris (72) prepares to snap the football with the NFL pink breast cancer awareness logo against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. The Colts defeated the Texans 33-28. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Before the season began, many were questioning the ability of the Colts interior lineman, and believed that it would create problems for their offense. Eight weeks later, Indianapolis has shown that their offensive line is more than capable of both protecting Andrew Luck and creating holes in the running game.
To have success against the Giants, Indianapolis needs to have both a steady run game as well as time for Andrew Luck to find his weapons. Trent Richardson and Ahmad Bradshaw have been a two-headed monster for Indianapolis so far this season in both the run and passing game so far.
The Giants have only reached the quarterback 13 times this season and are in the bottom half of the league in sacks. Jason Pierre-Paul leads the team with 3.5 sacks while fellow starting defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka, has just 1.5. While the numbers are not impressive, the Giants have a rising start in second-year defensive end Damontre Moore. Pierre-Paul has missed practice early in the week due to a shoulder injury and is probable for Monday night’s game. If Pierre-Paul is unable to have an impact, expect the young Texas A&M product to see an increased role.
If the Colts offensive line can open holes for Richardson and Bradshaw, the game will tip into Indianapolis’ favor early. With an effective running game, Andrew Luck will be able to use the play-action pass to find T.Y. Hilton deep or Dwayne Allen in the red zone.
3. The Return of Vontae Davis
Dec 2, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Indianapolis Colts cornerback Vontae Davis (23) during the second quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Last week, Vontae Davis missed the majority of the game with a knee injury and a Colts defense that had recently shut down Andy Dalton and Joe Flacco, gave up 522 yards and six touchdowns to Ben Roethlisberger. The blame does not solely fall on the secondary. Pittsburgh’s offensive line, which had been inconsistent for the majority of the season, had arguably their greatest performance of the past two seasons. Roethlisberger had ample time to extend plays and find the open receiver downfield.
The return of Davis is one of the most important parts of Monday’s game. Despite the injury to Victor Cruz, the Giants still posses a couple of dangerous weapons. Odell Beckham Jr., a rookie out of LSU, has burst onto the scene since debut four weeks ago. OBJ is not the only weapon though; Larry Donnell has proven to be a matchup nightmare for linebackers and, at times, the Colts have had issues covering tight ends.
If Greg Manusky decides to have Davis shadow Beckham Jr. throughout Monday’s game, Eli Manning could have an issue finding open receivers. With running back Rashad Jennings still out with an MCL injury, the Giants turned to Andre Williams in hopes that he could have an impact in the run game, however Williams hasn’t been able to make an impact running or catching the ball out of the backfield.
Prediction:
The Giants will have had an ample amount of time in preparing for Indianapolis after a bye week. The Giants are going to need a big game from their secondary to slow down Andrew Luck. But after last week’s loss, expect the Colts’ defense to return to its previous form and repeatedly give the offense short field positions to work with.
Colts 34 Giants 17