You are talking about one game with the Patriots.
Saying the Colts have been playing mediocre to average football is watching the game. The Colts were outplayed by a bad Browns team with their better QB out of the game for most of the game. They played horrible defense vs. the Patriots. They nearly lost to the Texans twice. They should have lost to the Vikings.
There has been only a handful of games where I thought the Colts played good or great football. Otherwise, they played so-so to decent at best football with teams just allowing them to hang around and let them win. The team has a 0.6 margin of victory per game and in hindsight they haven't had the hardest schedule in the world. When you beat your competition for the season by an average of less of a point per game, that isn't good football unless you have one statistically anomally where one opponent won by 30 points or something like that.
The Colts deserved to lose the game yesterday and one play made the difference between them losing and winning. And they had about three to four other games where that happened. They could easily be 4-8 right now than 8-4 if it wasn't for a handful of plays. You could never say that about the Patriots of 2003 or 2004.
The Colts are playing good football based on this year's level of play I guess since no one is playing consistent football. But typically I would say it wasn't great football.
*How exactly were the Colts "outplayed" versus the Browns?? Statistically, it was similar for both teams. A Wayne catch and Addai getting one more nose hair, and the Colts were off to the races versus the Browns. Colts defense made the play to change the game. In this 5 game win streak, our O line has been a solid unit, giving up 2 meaningless sacks to the Steelers. Otherwise, Manning has been clean. As far as their "better QB" being out, says who? I would have much rather faced the rookie in Quinn than the "veteran" (who as at least tasted success).
*Horrible defense versus Pats? Yeah, we gave up the yards, but not the points. The horrible defense didn't let Moss and Welker get untracked. The horrible defense belonged to the Pats. Best drive of the year for the Colts was an absolute thing of beauty. 15 Plays. 91 Yards. 9+Minutes. I've never seen Manning more in control of a game and a defense like he was on that drive. They also had 4 players with at least 4 catches who averaged at least 12.5 yards per. No you tell me, WHO played horrible defense that game??
*They nearly lost to the Texans twice. The 17 point comeback was certainly a game where you have to say the Colts were outplayed for 52 minutes. The Colts are a team knows how to play 60 minutes. Texans didn't finish. Blame the coaches, blame the QB, but the Colts still had to score those 21 points. They didn't choke or press. Even on the FIRST of three quick TD's, Manning didn't press. He knew before they could score 17 points (to tie), they had to score 7. In the 2nd game, it was see saw, but the Colts finally made a stop, and took a two score lead. They should have ended the game on their last offensive drive, but they did force Texans into a "must TD" situation. I would not call that a near loss, and would not say they didn't deserve the win.
*Should have lost to the Vikes?? Finally, they don't drop a pass that they could have score on. They kept the Vikes out of the end zone (you want them to apologize for that, or for their stupid coach or organization, for going with Tavaris? NO WAY) Again. 60 minutes. Early in the season. Makeshift O-Line, with an immobile (still hurting QB). That was the absolute guttiest, MOST SATISFYING regular season win I have ever witnessed.
* So-so football, with teams allowing THEM to hang around? Absolutely the other way around. There has not been a team that they have not been able to move the football on, regardless of O-Line personnel. IMO, they have played down to their level of competition (not in every game)
*In hindsight, haven't had the hardest schedule in the world?? BEFORE the season, based on last seasons finishes, they were 1 game behind Pitt for the toughest W-L schedule. Their ROAD schedule (IIRC) eclipsed what the Steelers' road schedule presented. As of 12 games, Sagarin has them checking in with the SECOND most difficult schedule to date this season (Cincy is first). Sagarin might not be the end all be all, but he can't be THAT far off. Know who is slated with the 29th most difficult (4th easiest)? Your beloved Pats. Mircale they are 7-5 and in the hunt? Hell no. It's the SCHEDULE!
*Margin of victory has been slim. between 3 and 6 points in the last 5. While the games were not as lopsided as the scores, Chicago, GB, and Tennessee won by 16, 20, and 10. 46 points to make up in 9 games.
*Plenty of teams are a few plays a way from being upside down. The 4-8 Chargers are actually living proof of what the Colts COULD be. And to think you guys got waxed, 30-10.
Following comments not necessarily directed at you, but at other posters in this thread:
Indy is not close to being like any NE team. Silly comparison, IMO. They are still offense first. The D is not a shut down D. Although they have been awesome in the 4th quarter, securing many victories by thwarting final drives, I do not count on this team to be able to win consistently with D.
Polian and the Colts have not emulated squat from anything the Pats do. Polian is his own man, his own GM, and builds a team his way, and has done it with three different clubs.
Our team is still on of the youngest in the league, that might have it's best mix of seasoned veterans to date. Manning/Harrison/Saturday/Diem/Wayne/Clark have been around a long time, they are among the best players, and always have been, but now they have that "veteran" label. The defense, with Brackett/Sanders/Freeney/Mathis have their best players as veteran players as well. In this way, perhaps they are similar to Pats teams of old.
As far as injuries, Brady tops the list, but it ain't like the Colts have been clean. Plenty of guys IR'd (as noted), but plenty that have missed several games that were actually more crucial. The O-Line has finally been able to play together for this 5 game streak, with only Saturday missing the most recent game. No one mentions our starter on the D-Line (Ed Johnson) who was a major contributor last season-he can join that "IR" list (not IR'd, but a starter gone). Quit**** was slated as a DT starter this season, and was going to be counted on for major minutes. Had the organization known he was going to bail, they most likely would have planned better for it. Not looking for sympathy, but these guys are still gone, that is fact.
In the end, I think this team deserves a look as a gutty team who plays 60 minutes, who knows how to win, who still has plenty of skills, who is still a threat to any team. And the road has not been paved with gold. Plenty of adversity (with schedule and missing personnel/injuries) to contend with this season.
