January 16, 2006

BAD PLANNING AND SLOW THINKING REASONS FOR COLTS UPSET LOSS

      The Indianapolis Colts went into Sunday’s playoff match against the Pittsburgh Steelers with the wrong game plan, and they ended up losing the game because it took them too long to change it.  Ultimately, they were fortunate to be in position to tie the game in the last minute but when Mike Vanderjagt’s field goal attempt went way wide justice was served.  The Steelers may have gone too conservative with their game plan in the second half but the Colts either refused to adapt or couldn’t change their philosophy in time and deserved to lose.  This was the best chance for the Colts, with their annual nemesis the New England Patriots having been eliminated the night before, and now they have to hope that their window for a title isn’t closing. 

      The major difference in this contest was the game plans.  Pittsburgh knew that the Colts would be looking at stopping the run, and with a smallish defensive unit the Colts would need to use an overload to stop the run.  The Steelers came out passing, throwing the Colts for a loop, and before the Colts could adjust defensively they were behind by two touchdowns.  Against a solid defensive unit such as the Steelers possess a 14-point disadvantage is incredibly difficult to overcome, even for a talented offensive club like the Colts.  And since the Colts continued to try and maintain their deep passing routes in the first half it played right into the Steelers’ hands.

       The Steelers plan on defense was to pressure the quarterback--to blitz, to trick, and to stunt—to ensure that Peyton Manning wouldn’t have enough time to find his deep receivers.  It took the Colts almost to halftime to realize that they needed to shorten their routes, and they needed to keep tight ends and running backs in to block.  Throughout the first half when Manning went back to pass he had “happy feet’.  He was feeling the oncoming rush more than he was looking for his targets, and this threw off their entire offensive rhythm.  The Colts should have immediately gone to more screen passes, draws, quick slants and quick outs to slow down the Steelers pass rush.  But the Colts stubbornly insisted on trying to get the ball downfield and found themselves almost out of the game by halftime.  The only thing that kept Indy in the game in the second half was that Pittsburgh suddenly went to an overly conservative offensive attack.  The solid passing attack that got the Steelers the lead was left in the locker room as coach Bill Cowher decided to try and run out the clock.  All the good that was done with his brilliant game plan in the first half was nearly lost by his horrendous game plan in the second half.

       Twice it looked as if the Steelers had won the game late.  An interception was suddenly ruled incomplete and the never fumbling Jerome Bettis fumbled with a little more than a minute left.  A key open field tackle by quarterback Ben Roethlisberger kept the Steelers in the lead, and it stayed that way when Vanderjagt missed his kick.  But it should never have gotten so close.  The Colts refused to use their timeouts when the team was struggling to get their plays in before the Bettis fumble, and then, when given another opportunity, the Colts, instead of trying to get first downs and make a last gasp kick more of a chip shot they went deep both on second down and two and third down. 

       In the end the Steelers won the game—and the Colts lost it.  The right team won because they planned properly, executed properly, and had the emotion befitting a playoff game.  It took the Colts far too long to change their approach, and if Indy wants to win the title they are going to have to do a better job of game planning, and of managing the field.  Too many times they hurried plays and threw low percentage passes.  In the playoffs it’s not necessarily the best team that wins, it’s usually the team that plans and plays the best that succeeds.