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September 13, 2009

Colts win comes down to stellar defensive effort in fourth quarter

By Tom James

INDIANAPOLIS — After the first week of National Football League play, the Indianapolis Colts find themselves back in familiar territory.

Losses by AFC South rivals Tennessee (to Pittsburgh) and Houston (to the New York Jets), coupled with the Colts’ 14-12 win over Jacksonville on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium, puts Indianapolis alone at the top of the division for the first time since the end of the 2007 season.

The victory, though, didn’t come easily or cheaply. Despite rolling up 365 yards in total offense while limiting the Jaguars to 228, the win came down to a stellar defensive effort in the fourth quarter that continually put pressure on Jaguars quarterback David Garrard.

“It was a tough battle. We thought it would be a grind and it indeed was. Every time we face Jacksonville, it’s a tough, hard-nosed battle. I think our team certainly played tough, played hard and played with a lot of energy. We had some good things happen out there,” coach Jim Caldwell said afterward.

“Obviously the defense played well and certainly came up big at the end. We had some great performances. [Jacksonville’s] a tough team. That’s a hard team to battle and stop. Our team did a good job of doing that.”

There were plenty of positives in the game for Indianapolis: the first win as a head coach for Caldwell, quarterback Peyton Manning completing 28 of 38 passes for 301 yards and a touchdown, wide receiver Reggie Wayne hauling in 10 passes for 162 yards and a TD.

Throw in a defensive effort that held Jacksonville’s vaunted running game in check for the most part and limited running back Maurice Jones-Drew to 97 yards in 21 carries, a pressure-packed pass rush led by defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis and the punting of rookie Pat McAfee, who had two kicks downed inside the Jaguars’ 20-yard line.

But then there was the loss of wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez. Gonzalez suffered a right leg injury late in the first quarter and did not return. He was not hit on the play, which was a rushing attempt by rookie running back Donald Brown.

Missed opportunities very nearly cost Caldwell’s team in the early going. Indianapolis failed to score on its opening drive of the day after taking the football from its own 20-yard line all the way down to the Jacksonville 4-yard line. Rookie cornerback Derek Cox picked off a Manning pass in the end zone that was intended for Wayne.

Things didn’t get much brighter on the Colts’ second offensive possession, which started at their own 12-yard line and was stopped at the Jacksonville 26 when running back Joseph Addai fumbled, recovered by Cox.

The Jaguars took a 3-0 lead midway through the second quarter when placekicker Josh Scobee — who hit a 51-yard game-winner as time ran out a year ago in Indianapolis — connected from 24 yards out.

Indianapolis got its act together on its next possession, going 78 yards in 11 plays and ending with a 3-yard touchdown run by Addai. Manning hooked up with Wayne for a 39-yard reception down the left sideline and tight end Dallas Clark for 21 yards to key the drive.

Scobee’s second field goal of the day, from 46 yards away, narrowed the margin to 7-6 with 59 seconds left in the first half. The Colts scored their final touchdown of the day on a 35-yard pass from Manning to Wayne with just under seven minutes remaining in the third quarter.

Clinging to a 14-6 lead, Indianapolis missed another opportunity to put the game away later in the quarter. A short punt gave the Colts excellent field position at the Jaguars’ 34-yard line, but the Colts failed to capitalize. A 52-yard field goal attempt by placekicker Adam Vinatieri was no good, sailing wide left.

Jacksonville made things interesting in the fourth quarter, scoring on a 7-yard run by Jones-Drew to bring the Jaguars to within two points at 14-12. But the Colts defense rose up, stopping a 2-point attempt by Jones-Drew and coming up big to snuff out two more potential drives in the final seven minutes of the game. Freeney, Mathis and middle linebacker Gary Brackett all contributed to the final defensive series for Indianapolis.

“We had some great performances. Reggie Wayne was certainly outstanding out there. Our punting game was good and solid. [We] covered well. Our kicking game was solid. But you know we have things to work on,” Caldwell said.

The Colts will now have some time off before beginning preparations for a nationally televised road game at Miami a week from tonight. Jacksonville, meanwhile, will return home to face Arizona next Sunday.

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