My assumption on reading the thread title was that this was going to be a thread on how what won us this year's annual mid-season AFC title game (which is how people have started to look at this,) was the renewed ability to run the ball fairly reliably. With our D still young and growing in their roles, holding the Colts to 28 was in fact difficult, but greatly aided by playing keepaway. If it works for five series and not for seven, that's not a "fail." That's a "crap, that was close."
Manning "playing to win" is this year's slightly less dramatic equivalent of the BB 4th down call last year. He was desperate, he took a chance, and it backfired.
Why was he desperate? He was running out of time. Even if the Colts did storm back to get two touchdowns in three minutes prior to that point.
Why was he running out of time? We have rediscovered ball control.
I like how the D is developing. That's how you get to be a very good D - start out with playmaking when it counts, then clean up what isn't working and learn the fine points and the game's pace as you go.
I like that we got a little pressure. I like that Manning was uncharacteristically rattled at times. I especially like what happens to Manning when he is out of his comfort zone - e.g., when he and his receiver read the coverage differently.
Every play, every series, even every quarter isn't going to be full of win. This one was just full of win enough.
We need to get used to something: When Manning is on, he will make your defense look inept. He had a run there where he was carving us up, playing up-tempo (a Colts trademark,) pounding in that old deja vu feeling.
But just as all our jaws dropped against the 07 Giants, when it didn't just magically work our way, something tells me some Colts fans' jaws hit the floor, given their team's performance against the Pats for the last few years.
Two big improvements: we got some pressure on Manning, and we had the ground game to keep him off the field for good stretches.
W/the Colts, it's not a matter of whether they're going to sometimes march down the field in five plays or whatever. It's a matter of how many times, and how many you can answer with. Also seems like w/his tempo, you throw disguised defensive looks at him as much as possible, and when he adjusts, you have to cycle through new ones. Eventually you have periods where he is reading you right.
Makes you wonder whether there was something held in reserve to get Cunningham in his face that last play -- or whether that's just attribution error on my part.
[Shrug.] Either way - play keepaway, beat Manning. Did it Sunday.