INDIANAPOLIS (AP)—Indianapolis’ 16th straight regular-season victory will fit neatly into the Colts’ record book.
This week’s game tapes will show the Colts how imperfect they really are.
With Peyton Manning(notes) out of sync and the offense struggling to score touchdowns Sunday, the Colts turned to a former quarterback—Joseph Addai(notes)—for a 22-yard TD pass that gave Indy an 18-14 victory and its own version of a perfect regular season.
“We need these games if we’re going to push toward our goal, which is the Super Bowl,” receiver Reggie Wayne(notes) said. “We’re going to need these close games, we’re going to need to fight through a little adversity and push forward. We were able to do that today. It was a grinder. We figured out a way to win.”
Clearly, there’s plenty of work to do after Sunday’s sluggish offensive performance—despite all the accolades.
Jim Caldwell became the first rookie coach since the 1970 merger to win his first seven NFL games. Indy extended its franchise record and became the eighth team in league history with 16 straight wins. The Colts are now the last undefeated team in the AFC again, the fourth time in five years.
But this was not typical Indy.
While Manning finished 31 of 48 for 347 yards, he missed high, wide and even short, failing to match the incredible efficiency he had in Indy’s first six games. The three-time MVP also failed to throw a TD pass for the first time since Nov. 30, 2008, leaving that job to Addai, the high school All-American quarterback.
It was Addai’s first TD pass as a pro and the first by a Colts non-quarterback since Ken Dilger threw one in 2001. The result was perfect: Wayne lunging toward the end line, getting both feet on the ground to give Indy its first lead 7 seconds into the fourth quarter.
Wayne had a career-high 12 catches for 147 yards.
“I was just trying to get the ball out there,” Addai said. “In practice, I’m just kind of spotting up there, kind of looking, reading my keys. I don’t really have a key to read, but I kind of sit back there like a real quarterback.”
For San Francisco (3-4), it was another frustrating day.
The 49ers have now lost three straight despite getting a solid performance from Alex Smith in his first start in nearly two years. Smith was 19 of 32 for 198 yards with one TD and one interception. He was sacked four times behind a makeshift offensive line that may have sustained another devastating blow when left tackle Joe Staley(notes) went down on the first play of the game. The 49ers are already without right tackle Tony Pashos(notes) for the rest of the season.
Yet thanks to Smith’s steadiness, Frank Gore’s(notes) long run and the continual contributions of Vernon Davis(notes) and Michael Crabtree(notes), the 49ers controlled the game for most of three quarters.
It was good enough—almost.
“A couple dropped balls make the difference in a game like this,” 49ers coach Mike Singletary said. “Any missed opportunities in a game like this are going to bite you in the end. The only thing I can say is we came here to win the football game.”
The Colts’ defense had to keep Indy in the game after allowing Gore to slip through the middle, break two tackles and sprint 64 yards for a score on San Francisco’s second series. It was the first TD Indy allowed since Week 4. Gore finished with 13 carries for 91 yards and five receptions for 43 yards.
Manning, meanwhile, settled for field goals.
After the Colts closed to 7-6 early in the second quarter, the 49ers answered with Smith’s 8-yard TD pass to Davis with 33 seconds left in the half.
Two problems: They left Manning enough time to move back down the field and Davis’ celebration led to a 15-yard penalty that gave the Colts even better field position.
The Colts took advantage. Manning needed three plays to set up Stover for a 31-yard field goal to make it 14-9 at the half, and then Manning opened the second half by taking the Colts 52 yards for Stover’s fourth field goal of the day.
That’s how it stayed until the Colts pulled out the halfback option.
“I thought we weren’t quite as sharp as we have been at times,” Manning said. “There’s definitely some areas we can improve on.”
Even with 16 straight wins.
NOTES: Singletary said Staley sprained his right knee and cornerback Nate Clements(notes) had a bruised right shoulder. … Manning had been sacked twice all season coming into Sunday. The 49ers got him three times. … Colts cornerback Kelvin Hayden(notes) left in the third quarter with a knee injury and linebacker Tyjuan Hagler(notes) hurt his elbow in the fourth quarter.
Head to Head - Week 8
| Team | Total Yds | Pass Yds | Rush Yds | First Downs | 3rdD% | Pen./Yds | Turnovers | Time of Poss. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | 295 | 182 | 113 | 16 | 20.0% | 7/50 | 2 | 26:26 |
| Indianapolis | 410 | 349 | 61 | 20 | 42.1% | 5/38 | 0 | 33:34 |
Stampede Blue
Niners Nation
247 Comments
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The vikings will win the division BUT they will be 11-5 lose to the eagles or cowboys in the first round and you will be saying he we go again
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You sound so like the rest of the so called experts, they said that at the beginning of the season, and after the first week, after the second wee against Miami. Well sir, the Colts are still undefeated, and squeaking by with a win is still a win. U people kill me with Indy being in trouble. All you look for is a weakness in my Colts and how they are exposed every week, I certainly do realize that they may lose a couple of games, but until then Indy proves each week that they don't have to be explosive and score 42, and years ago scoring 18 would have certainly meant a loss, but these are the new Colts who are playing with a purpose son, and will continue to even with losses. So please just enjoy the game mr. fortune teller cause we still have a zero in the loss column. Peace!
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btw I have a college degree.
Faithful - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=un3B7Og-FS0
Bedlam.
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classic.
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Vikings 7-1
49ers 3-4
So........who is being the hater here? LMFAO LMFAO LMFAO
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rings ...
Jets 1-0
vikings 0-4
p.s. yopu wont see Get Edjumacated in here till next week, he likes to go around flaunting his fat ass and vikings in all the game blogs.
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49ers: 5-0
Vikings: 0-4
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Vikings - 7-1
69ers 3-4
MDK where are you??????
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So yeah, it will never be about the effort or heart that the 49ers play with. If the Niners could've pulled out the wins in Minnesota, Houston, and Indianapolis, the haters would still be chiming in with the "Oh they got lucky" nonsense. When the 49ers had their dynasty, it was "the Niners were lucky" or "they bought their championships" simply because back then they had a stacked team. Well then I guess they set the trend for today's NFL teams because almost all of the Super Bowl Champs have been stacked. The haters never give credit where credit is due and they never will. I'm only talking about the haters and jock-riding bandwagon fans, not the non-Niner-fans who show some respect. You may not be a 49ers fan, but thank you for at least showing some class. You true fans have all been at this point where your teams struggled, endured all the bullsh*t from rivals and haters, but you stuck with your teams to see them become great again!
I'll admit, for now it's hard to set high expectations from a team that has struggled for 6 seasons, which is difficult for me to say. However, I've been a 49er Faithful since I was 5 years old and for 25 years I've stuck with this team when they were at their highest, lowest, and I'll still stick with them as they climb their way back up the mountain. Yes, they let another potentially winnable game get away, but they are still a young team, and I believe they are moving in a positive direction in the long run. Still a lot more work to do before we can think about a Super Bowl run, but if they can keep the coaching staff long enough, let experience for Smith and the young team set in, and make smart picks in the draft, they will be able to close those gaps that cost them games. I also think that Alex Smith has a lot of potential. For his first 2 games starting after being on the shelf for over a year he's done better than a lot of people expected, including me. He's not throwing MVP or Fantasy numbers, but if he keeps up the momentum, he will be a serious force. The dude's only 25! That gives him plenty of time to develop into a better QB and I think he's making good progress.
I'm bummed about the loss to the Colts, just like any loss, but they played with more heart than the Atlanta and first half of the Houston games. Not taking anything away from Manning and the Colts, though because they are that damn good. But I don't think anyone expected this game to be within 4 points. And I'm sorry, but I'm not going to buy into the bullsh*t that Manning had a bad day. His performance isn't due to that he forgot to eat his Wheaties, wear his lucky socks, or a black cat crossed his path. His "bad day" came from the defense getting into his head early on. The defense was able to get him frustrated and take him out of his comfort zone. But like any great QB, he made adjustments and did what he had to, to win. That comes from 11 healthy seasons of experience. Other teams might actually be able to take notes from this game and use it to exploit the Colts. The key is to keep Manning guessing and frustrated throughout the games. Easier said than done, I know. On the other hand, this game might push the Colts harder and not take any team lightly.
And all you sh*t talkers are overlooking the other threats such as NO, DEN, PIT, and PHI (just to name a handful). Oh and one more QB that you're overlooking in the MVP race is Drew Brees. I think anyone who has him in their Fantasy League would agree...LOL! And haters, I know you're enjoying seeing our team struggle. So make the most of it because come January, when your team chokes in the Playoffs, you'll be wiping your puffy red eyes and have just one more reason be bitter and direct it towards the Niners who had nothing to do with your team blowing their shot, unless they spoil one of your Wildcard hopes. And despite how great he is, Brett Favre's age will show once again in Januray just like his last year in Green Bay (when he had an awesome season, but played like an old man in the NFC title loss to the Giants) and with the Jets where he couldn't get it done their either. I have a lot of respect for the guy, but he's not the Brett Favre from the 95-97 seasons. He may get them to the gate, maybe within reach of the Lombardi trophy, but sorry Viking fans. It might be too little too late when it comes to winning an NFC championship, let alone a Super Bowl title. And let's not forget the same year as Favre's last season with Green Bay when a certain team had an almost perfect season where the blemish of a loss happened to be a during most important game of the year. You know the ONE a week before the Pro Bowl. Just thought some people could use a dose of reality.
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