Indy defense and their playoff opponents

[SoonerPatriot]

I'm not one who buys into the media annointed dominant Indy defense. I do think they are clearly playing better, but here's some numbers from their two playoff opponents:

KC
16th in the league in total offense at 321.4 yards per game
22nd in passing with 187 ypg.
9th in rushing with 133.9 ypg (lower than I thought but still good)
15th with 20.7 points per game

Baltimore
17th in total offense at 317 ypg.
11th in passing with 214 ypg
25th in rushing with 102 ypg.
12th in scoring with 22.1 pts per game

On the whole, these are two AVERAGE offenses. While KC is good running the ball, they are in the bottom 3rd in passing. Baltimore is 11th in passing but near the bottom in rushing yards per game. Oh, and by the way, Bob Sanders played in the first game this year.

 

[SoonerPatriot]

Forget the numbers because what we saw were two of the worst offensive game plans, and offensive play calling, and lack of change or adjustments that we have ever witnessed in post season play.

The offensive braintrust of the Ravens, and the Chiefs, should be hung out to dry, including Herman Edwards and Brian Billick.

NEM, that proves my point even more. These aren't impressive offensive teams in terms of numbers and coaching.

 

[BelichickFan]

For comparison :

New England
11th in total offense with 336 YPG
12th in passing with 213 YPG
12th in rushing with 123 YPG
7th in points with 24.1 PPG.

 

[CrazyDave]

This thread sums up what I've been thinking.
While the Indy D is certainly playing better than they did all season. I'm not ready to crown them just yet.
Why did'nt Herm give the ball to Johnson more?
I think we all would agree that the Pats O is significantly better then that of the Chiefs or Ravens. Maybe this is a game where the Pats run game really gets going. We can only hope.

 

[Oswlek]

This thread sums up what I've been thinking.
While the Indy D is certainly playing better than they did all season. I'm not ready to crown them just yet.
Why did'nt Herm give the ball to Johnson more?I think we all would agree that the Pats O is significantly better then that of the Chiefs or Ravens. Maybe this is a game where the Pats run game really gets going. We can only hope.

If anything he should have given the ball to Johnson less, at least in the beginning.

He could have gone back to Johnson after getting Indy to stop crowding the middle of the field with a few PAPs.

 

[CrazyDave]

If anything he should have given the ball to Johnson less, at least in the beginning.

He could have gone back to Johnson after getting Indy to stop crowding the middle of the field with a few PAPs.

In all fairness, I did'nt watch that game THAT closely, I just heard all week how they were gonna have a hard time with Johnson.
And then - nothing.
Either way, I like our O against their D. (I'm a homer).

 

[Triumph]

If anything he should have given the ball to Johnson less, at least in the beginning.

He could have gone back to Johnson after getting Indy to stop crowding the middle of the field with a few PAPs.

Thats what I thought too. Johnson looked flat and like he didnt even care to be there.

That KC vs INDY game was one painful affair to watch. Did you see those fools huddling up down by 2 scores with time running out? They made it easy for INDY to win.

 

[SoonerPatriot]

Incidentally, I didn't put this in the original post. Here's the Colts sack numbers from the first matchup: 0

 

[Oswlek]

Thats what I thought too. Johnson looked flat and like he didnt even care to be there.

That KC vs INDY game was one painful affair to watch. Did you see those fools huddling up down by 2 scores with time running out? They made it easy for INDY to win.

The other issue is that neither team attacked Indy's true weakness in run D, draws and runs off tackle. Both KC and Baltimore called over 80% of their runs straight up the middle. As poor as Indy has been all year, that is the one area that they hadn't been that bad.

But draws and runs off tackle had scorched them badly.

Edited to add that Baltimore's two long runs were runs where the middle was so dominated by Indy that Lewis broke outside almost immediately. And they still kept running right up the middle!

 

[Fixit]

The other issue is that neither team attacked Indy's true weakness in run D, draws and runs off tackle. Both KC and Baltimore called over 80% of their runs straight up the middle. As poor as Indy has been all year, that is the one area that they hadn't been that bad.

But draws and runs off tackle had scorched them badly.

Are you saying that the "run right at the spot where the most tacklers are" approach is a bad strategy?

 

[TripleOption]

Are you saying that the "run right at the spot where the most tacklers are" approach is a bad strategy?

"Run where they ain't"

---Old Coaching Axiom

 

[Oswlek]

Are you saying that the "run right at the spot where the most tacklers are" approach is a bad strategy?

Yes

But it goes beyond that. Indy overcompensated to flood the middle and neither team adjusted. It is not a sin to run up the middle looking for some shorter, more consistent runs. Teams do it all the time. But it is stupid when the opposing team has 8 in the box *and* the DEs move towards the middle on top of that.

 

[Fixit]

Yes

But it goes beyond that. Indy overcompensated to flood the middle and neither team adjusted. It is not a sin to run up the middle looking for some shorter, more consistent runs. Teams do it all the time. But it is stupid when the opposing team has 8 in the box *and* the DEs move towards the middle on top of that.

Also, Baltimore did nothing to keep Indy honest. Nothing.

 

[Oswlek]

Also, Baltimore did nothing to keep Indy honest. Nothing.

KC did less. If that is even possible.

 

[PatsFaninAZ]

I'm just a humble country football watcher so I ain't even know about all this fancy statistics stuff and game plans and whatnot.

But I know what my eyes tell me. And my eyes tell me that the colts were playing some pretty darned good defense. And they were hitting hard and playing physical.

Kansas City did not get a first down in the first half. They had like 6 possessions for a total of 24 plays, of which 6 were punts. I'm not going to argue that the Chiefs were a dominant offensive team this year. They had trouble scoring this year against good defensese -- scoring 10 or fewer points in most of their games against good opposing defenses. But they also were able to score in the 30s and once in the 40s against average defenses. And the bottom line is that whatever one wants to say about game plans or Herm, at some point, zero first downs speaks for itself.

I agree we don't need the annointing oil just yet, but they are much improved.

 

[SoonerPatriot]

I'm just a humble country football watcher so I ain't even know about all this fancy statistics stuff and game plans and whatnot.

But I know what my eyes tell me. And my eyes tell me that the colts were playing some pretty darned good defense. And they were hitting hard and playing physical.

Kansas City did not get a first down in the first half. They had like 6 possessions for a total of 24 plays, of which 6 were punts. I'm not going to argue that the Chiefs were a dominant offensive team this year. They had trouble scoring this year against good defensese -- scoring 10 or fewer points in most of their games against good opposing defenses. But they also were able to score in the 30s and once in the 40s against average defenses. And the bottom line is that whatever one wants to say about game plans or Herm, at some point, zero first downs speaks for itself.

I agree we don't need the annointing oil just yet, but they are much improved.

Nobody is saying they're not improved. However, when you're playing two average to poor offensive teams, you should improve. No? Against Baltimore, my eyes told me Billick was blowing the whole enchilada by designing his entire game plan around getting the ball to the Ravens' highly unathletic fullback for some strange reason.

 

[JR4]

I don't understand why many think Colts Defense is going to give
PATs offense such a hard time.

Yes they are fast ... but they are NOT big at all.
The Front 7 is the smallest I can remember.
A good TE like Graham could play Matthis and win those matchups.
He is not that big.
The biggest guy they got is McFarland and he's not close to Seymour, Warren or Wilfork.
The secondary is small and PATs 6'+ WRs look big next to them.

Speed is their advantage. So how do you beat small fast guys?
With a physical smash mouth football game. Right?
I could see PATs using 3 TE sets to have the power necessary but also
have the added speed for blocking assignments.
If PATs come out with a controlled physical game determined to power over
these guys ... I can't see how they don't have the advantge.
Play physical and win ... especially in 3rd and 4th Qs.

Does anyone not think BB is going to see this and game plan for it?

 

[hwc]

While the Indy D is certainly playing better than they did all season. I'm not ready to crown them just yet.

Go ahead. If you wanna crown dey ass, then crown dey ass.

 

[mosi]

I'm just a humble country football watcher so I ain't even know about all this fancy statistics stuff and game plans and whatnot.

But I know what my eyes tell me. And my eyes tell me that the colts were playing some pretty darned good defense. And they were hitting hard and playing physical.

Kansas City did not get a first down in the first half. They had like 6 possessions for a total of 24 plays, of which 6 were punts. I'm not going to argue that the Chiefs were a dominant offensive team this year. They had trouble scoring this year against good defensese -- scoring 10 or fewer points in most of their games against good opposing defenses. But they also were able to score in the 30s and once in the 40s against average defenses. And the bottom line is that whatever one wants to say about game plans or Herm, at some point, zero first downs speaks for itself.

I agree we don't need the annointing oil just yet, but they are much improved.

I agree 100%. Too many people think we are going to go in there and be unstoppable. The Indy defense has played really well at times. And generally, they play well at home. We have to pass to run. Treat this like vikings game. Also, Brady has to play a lot better. Another 3-4 INT game and we are doomed.

 

[Triumph]

Go ahead. If you wanna crown dey ass, then crown dey ass.

HAHAHAHAHA

Funny stuff indeed