Four downs: Just wait until 5-0 Colts get healthy

09.10.2007 06:00 Sport and Travel - Source: USA Today

FIRST DOWN: Injy Colts

The good news for the Indianapolis Colts? They have two weeks to get their injured players back. The bad news for everyone else? The Colts have two weeks to get their injured players back and they don't appear to need them.

The Colts head into their bye week on the heels of a 33-14 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in which they were without five starters. That list included Pro Bowl receiver Marvin Harrison and starting running back Joseph Addai.

Three receivers caught seven passes apiece from Peyton Manning and Kenton Keith rushed for 121 yards. The Colts canter into their bye at 5-0 for the third consecutive year.

They moved people around and tried some where they hadn't played before against the Bucs. Rookie Anthony Gonzalez, the slot receiver all season, started and caught seven passes with Harrison (knee) out and Aaron Moorehead (back spasms) a late scratch.

"When I got the idea that I would get more snaps than usual, I just studied to make sure mentally I had everything down from that outside position," Gonzalez said.

Success can be predicated on handling surprises and Manning got one interesting bulletin that took him by surprise.

"I didn't know Moorehead wasn't going to play until I was getting dressed to go out on the field," he said.

With Keith and Clifton Dawson in the backfield and Gonzalez in essentially a new position, Manning had to manage the game a little differently.

"You take it into account with the audibles and checks," he said. "You try to help them a little but you want to be able to run your offense."

No problem there. The Colts racked up 400 total yards. Absent run-stopping safety Bob Sanders, they held the Bucs to 17 ground yards. Some rookie will get stuck buying lunch today for the Colts and no doubt he will send out for subs.

SECOND DOWN: Panters

The drama could have left anyone breathless. The Carolina Panthers began the week considering defensive tackle Kris Jenkins' scathing comments about their lack of grit. Next came a team meeting to air grievances, followed by the news that quarterback Jake Delhomme would miss another game. Then Delhomme's backup, David Carr, was racked up during a tight and intense struggle with the New Orleans Saints.

So when John Kasay punched home a 52-yard field goal on the last play for a 16-13 victory, the Panthers could finally exhale. Carr (back) got knocked out in the first quarter, returned in the second. His backup, Matt Moore, was an undrafted rookie free agent acquired when the Dallas Cowboys cut him in early September.

The Panthers (3-2) needed more than talk to get them past the desperate Saints (0-4). They needed more than coach John Fox' streak of consecutive victories at the Louisiana Superdome (now six).

"We needed to get that winning feeling around here again," Jenkins said.

Ten unanswered points in the fourth quarter helped. So did rookie linebacker Jon Beason, Carolina's No. 1 pick. Starting in the middle for the injured Dan Morgan, he had eight solo tackles and five assists.

"We had the team meeting and everybody came out and responded," Beason said. "We played with a big heart and gave it up for each other."

THIRD DOWN: Swamp thing

No mention of the Panthers would be complete without a quick look at the Saints, their season peppered with self-made disasters and, on Sunday, Peppers-made one (as in Julius).

Here are some Saints achievements while managing to lose 16-13 to Carolina to bottom out at 0-4: Outgain the Panthers 341-243, score more touchdowns (two to one), run 75 plays to the Panthers' 48, dominate time of possession (35:13 to 24:47).

So there must be some bad oysters in here somewhere. We could focus on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Drew Brees to Aaron Stecker that was nullified by a penalty for illegal formation, causing the Saints to settle for a 28-yard field goal. Or this: a 24-play drive that covered 68 net yards but actually involved the gain of 93 (25 were lost to penalties). Longer than some Mardi Gras parades, it stalled at the 2-yard line and Peppers, the Panthers defensive end, blocked the 20-yard field goal try.

"In the grand scheme of things," Brees said, "we lose out on 10 or more points on a penalty or a blocked field goal or just stupid stuff."

The Saints play in Seattle on Sunday and maybe there's hope even in that tough venue. The Seahawks accrued only 144 yards and were shut out for the first time since 2000 in losing 21-0 in Pittsburgh.

FOURTH DOWN: Above and below the Lion

Go figure the Detroit Lions out. We'll wait.

Two weeks ago, they gave up 56 points on the road to the Philadelphia Eagles. Then they scored 34 in one quarter at home against the Chicago Bears. Sunday, at the Washington Redskins, they scored three and allowed 34.

"Our last two road games," quarterback Jon Kitna said, "have been debacles."

There's pique because of the valleys.

"The thing that I'm concerned with is our inconsistency. Up one week, down one week. That's not what I'm about and I've got to get that cleaned up," coach Rod Marinelli said.

Quick, grab the stain remover. But don't scrub with too much vigor.

The Lions go into their bye week at 3-2, and that's OK. Especially after a 3-13 season. Kitna predicted 10 victories and still sees a way with his team 2-0 at Ford Field.

"We need to take care of home field, win eight games," Kitna said. "We need to figure out a way to split on the road."

•Jarrett Bell wraps up Week 5 and hands out his weekly accolades in NFL Replay at nfl.usatoday.com.

  Add comment

Name:
E-Mail:
Comment:
Enter code: