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Colts’ last game not without questions

kylecatarn — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 15:05:36 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS —
Are the Indianapolis Colts treating Sunday’s game at Jacksonville as the final game of the season or just the next game on the schedule?

Despite a 2-13 record, the Colts have plenty on the line – particularly when it comes to draft positioning as well as the future of several key players on the Indianapolis roster. And then there are the questions about what’s going to happen to coach Jim Caldwell and his coaching staff, if anything, once the season is over.

“It is the last game of the year, but also can be used as stepping stones to launch you into the offseason and those kinds of things,” Caldwell explained Monday.

“There are a lot of different things you can sort of talk about in terms of this ball game, but for us it is the next one. What we are trying to do, and [what] we have been trying to do, is get incrementally better, just a little bit better each and every week. I think our guys have been doing that, and this one will also be a challenge to get just a little bit better this week. I think that is indeed the key. And we are going to face an opponent that is doing the exact same thing.”

As for the questions about possible draft positioning, with Minnesota scoring an upset over Washington last Saturday, the Vikings have played themselves out of contention for the No. 1 pick in April’s National Football League draft.

It’s now down to the Colts and St. Louis Rams, who are also 2-13 this season. Due to the league’s tie-breaking procedure, which is strength of schedule, Indianapolis is still the leading contender for the top pick. NFL officials said over the weekend, though, that a Colts win and a St. Louis loss would give the selection to the Rams.

But, again, that could change depending on how teams on both Indianapolis and the Rams’ schedules fare in their games Sunday. According to team vice-chairman Bill Polian, who broached the topic during his weekly Monday night radio show, a final determination won’t be known until after this weekend’s games have been completed.

Caldwell said that the Colts aren’t concerning themselves right now about what might happen in the draft. Their immediate goal is the Jaguars.

Indianapolis has never been swept by an AFC South team since the division was created in 2002 and it doesn’t want to start any precedent now. The Colts are even in the season series with Tennessee and Houston after winning their last two games.

“I do not [worry about the draft]. My job is to win ball games, plain and simple,” the Indianapolis coach said. “[Being swept by a division opponent] hasn’t happened around here in a long time, and I think it is something that they’ve been really focused on and working hard to make certain that it doesn’t happen. That is the real challenge.”

• Injury list — No decision has been made as to whether tight end Dallas Clark (neck burner), weakside linebacker Philip Wheeler (foot), offensive guard Joe Reitz (ankle) or linebacker A.J. Edds (ankle) will be available to play against the Jaguars Sunday.

“I do know [Clark and Wheeler] are making good progress, but I’m not certain of their status at this point. If [Clark] is not healthy and ready to go, then we won’t (play him),” Caldwell said.

While there is a possibility that Clark could be placed on the team’s injured reserve list if he is unable to play at Jacksonville, no decision has been made.

“We have to do what we think is best for us to win this game, so we’ll look at all phases in that regard,” the Colts coach voiced.

The team is treating the season finale at Jacksonville like any other game in terms of injured players being available.

“There are certain individuals that may have borderline issues,” he said. “But the doctors typically, if [they are] borderline, they are going to rule against [them playing].”

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

Indianapolis Colts’ win throws Andrew Luck…

dxqidrickjamesxz — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 13:11:53 +0000

Andrew Luck (Getty Images file photo)

MINNEAPOLIS — All that good luck the Indianapolis Colts received on the field these last two weeks could leave them with no Luck when the NFL draft rolls around.

The Colts won two straight games to tie with the Vikings and Rams for the league’s worst record and the chance to take Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the No. 1 pick.

With Peyton Manning out for the year with a neck injury, the Colts lost their first 13 games of the season, and most figured Luck could start looking for an Indy-based realtor. Then a funny thing happened — the Colts started winning.

The Colts beat Tennessee two weeks ago for their first win of the season. No big deal, right? They still had a game on two-win teams in Minnesota and St. Louis and didn’t have to deal with the ignominy of going winless for an entire season.

Vikings fans were already dreaming of USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil coming in to protect Christian Ponder and clear a path for Adrian Peterson. With Sam Bradford under center, Rams fans were drooling over the prospects of bringing in Oklahoma State’s Justin Blackmon as a stud receiver.

Then the Colts went out and won on Thursday night against the playoff-bound Texans.

All of a sudden some Colts fans have an entirely different pain in their necks. Now all three teams are tied for the fewest wins in the league, with the Vikings and Rams still to play this weekend.

The Associated Press

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Addai says early results show Manning’s throws…

Tandtplmt — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 05:00:58 +0000

The Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS Indianapolis Colts running back Joseph Addai says the speed on Peyton Manning’s short throws last week was game-ready.

Addai was one of three players catching passes from Manning after last Wednesday’s team workout. Receiver Anthony Gonzalez, centre Jeff Saturday and a receiver from the practice squad also took part.

On Tuesday, team vice-chairman Bill Polian told reporters Manning was throwing “better” and responded “that’s correct” when asked whether Manning had decent speed on throws 20 to 25 yards down the field.

Manning has not played in a game since having neck surgery Sept. 8. He’s already been ruled out of the final two games and is not expected to participate in team practices before the season ends Jan. 1.

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Indianapolis Colts Vs. Tennessee Titans: Fan’s…

MrbolgarLub — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 23:45:00 +0000

The Indianapolis Colts are still in search of their first victory of the season in week 15. This is not what I expected to be writing about at the beginning of the season, but here we are. Indianapolis has only three games remaining to avoid finishing the season winless. This week they will face the Tennessee Titans at home on December 18.

This game will be the best chance for Dan Orlovsky to show what he can do against an average team. In his first two starts, Orlovsky faced the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens and was not terrible. He was clearly better than Curtis Painter and he actually moved the ball and helped the team score points on offense. There is no reason why he should not do significantly better against the Tennessee Titans.

Indianapolis needs to try to air it out downfield to Pierre Garcon and Reggie Wayne in this game. They have nothing to lose and need to be more aggressive in this game. As a fan of the team, it remains frustrating that the coaching staff refuses to do anything unconventional in an attempt to win. Why not go for it on every fourth down? There is no downside to it at all at this point. There is no reason why fans should expect anything different from Jim Caldwell this week though. It’s as if he has no idea that he is coaching for his job.

Colt fans early in the week appeared lucky enough to be facing rookie quarterback Jake Locker. Matt Hasselbeck now looks like he is on pace to start against the Colts. Whichever quarterback gets the start, they should have no trouble moving the ball against the Colt defense. One sign of hope is that Indianapolis generally does a very good job defending against running back Chris Johnson. If they can slow Johnson down, they may even stand a chance in this game. Tennessee does not have an explosive offense and should not be able to run away in this game.

I think this is a game where Indianapolis remains competitive and can put themselves in a position to win the game. They will likely fall short like every other game this year. At this point, fans can only hope that Dan Orlvosky will pull off his fourth quarter magic and make the game appear closer than it really is again. Orlovsky has shown that he is great at scoring points in the fourth quarter when the game is out of hand. Luckily, I think he’ll be able to do that and give fans hope that the game was actually closer than it really was.

Prediction: Titans 24, Colts 17

Kyle Rapoza is a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network and has been a lifelong fan of the Indianapolis Colts. He attended Super Bowl XLIV in Miami and follows the team closely. Follow him on Twitter @kyler11.

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My Week 15 Picks for the AFC South Division: A…

Ractalpadutty — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 22:19:00 +0000

In week 14, I posted a 3-1 mark with my picks for the AFC South Division. I correctly predicted that both the Indianapolis Colts and the Tennessee Titans would lose their games while the Houston Texans would beat the Cincinnati Bengals. It would have been a perfect week if not for the Jaguars pummeling the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 41-14. However three out of four is still respectable and I’m hoping to duplicate my success with the games for week 15.

Houston Texans vs. Carolina Panthers:

Last week, the Texans clinched their first playoff berth in team history with a 20-19 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Despite the rash of injuries during the season, the Texans have continued to roll. Rookie quarterback T.J. Yates played well last week, throwing for 300 yards along with two touchdowns. While Arian Foster (15 carries, 41 yards) and Ben Tate (8 carries, 67 yards) did not have great games last week, they did just enough to complement the passing game.

The Texans have also been playing pretty good defense this season and I think they will do a good job of containing both Cam Newton and Steve Smith. With that being said, I am picking the Texans to notch their 11th victory of the season.

Tennessee Titans vs. Indianapolis Colts:

Both teams are coming off losses in week 14. The Titans played the New Orleans Saints close before falling 22-17 while the Colts extended their losing streak to 13 games with a 24-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The Colts’ 0-13 record is the primary reason why I’m picking the Titans this week. The second reason is because of the play of quarterback Jake Locker. He picked up the offensive slack last week throwing for 282 yards and a touchdown, while Chris Johnson rushed for only 23 yards on 11 carries.

While the Colts have been competitive in a few of their games this year, their overall play on defense has been pretty bad. Based on that premise, the Titans’ quarterbacks should have a good game regardless of who plays and Johnson should bounce back this week as well.

Please note – this article was written following the Jacksonville Jaguars’ loss to the Atlanta Falcons, which is why this game was not included.

James Tillman is a resident of the Chicago-land area who has been an NFL fan for over 20 years. James is also a fan blogger on Yahoo Sports and NJFFL Dynasty. For interesting discussions about the NFL, NBA and MLB, follow him on Twitter @jtillman9693.

Sources:

Week 15 Picks and Predictions

NFL Scores and Schedules

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Jim Caldwell To Be Fired If Colts Go 0-16

TreadatafBoda — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 18:22:46 +0000

By Travis Miller

– Associate Editor

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Dec 15, 2011 – One of the reasons that the Indianapolis Colts have been so successful over the past decade is their amazing consistency. The franchise rarely makes rash decisions, but this season has been an aberration with Peyton manning out for the year. Indianapolis sits at 0-13, and naturally, coach Jim Caldwell’s job is in jeopardy. Reports are circulating that Caldwell will be fired this season, but strangely only if the Colts go 0-16:

According to Jason La Confora of NFL.com, should the Colts go 0-16 in 2011, head coach Jim Caldwell will be fired. La Confora reported this last night, and he cites ‘sources close to the situation.’ It’s also worth noting that La Confora just recently finished an exclusive one-on-one interview with Colts owner Jim Irsay, which aired last night on NFL Total Access.

At this point a win looks highly unlikely for Indianapolis. This weekend they host a Tennessee team trying to reach the playoffs, and next week Houston enters with one of the best records in the AFC. Indianapolis closes the year at Jacksonville, and the Jaguars already won with ease in Indianapolis.

Read More: Peyton Manning (QB – IND), Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars

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Peyton Manning is Throwing a Football Again: Fan’s…

Moseexpotte — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 09:17:00 +0000

Peyton Manning can still throw a football! As minor as this seems, this is big news for fans of Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. It’s been over three months since his last surgery and Manning recently got news that he is progressing. Coach Jim Caldwell announced on December 14 that Manning has begun throwing the ball again. He has yet to participate in practice but throwing the ball is a step forward.

The most important news will be whether Manning’s body responds well to increased activity. If he suffers no setback, Manning would very much be on pace to play at the beginning of the 2012 season. If he is in fact healthy, there is no doubt he should be playing for the Indianapolis Colts. Andrew Luck could also be in Indianapolis, but there is no doubt that Peyton Manning would be the quarterback.

As a fan of the team, it’s nice to hear any positive news on Manning. Indianapolis Colt fans have had very little positive news in 2011 and any progress for Manning is great news. Indianapolis is trying not to go winless after an 0-13 start to the season in 2011. Fans have had to suffer through seeing Manning watching the team from the sidelines this season.

For fans who questioned all year why Manning was still on the active roster, they may soon have an answer. If Manning is healthy enough and gets cleared to practice, he should. It will help a lot more to have him line up on the field and throw to the ball to Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark and Austin Collie than equipment managers and trainers. This is the reason Indianapolis has held out a roster spot for Manning in 2011. Owner Jim Irsay recently said that Manning is unlikely to suit up and play in games in 2011 at this point.

Even if they end the year 0-16, fans should all be encouraged if Manning is in pads and practicing with teammates soon. As a big fan of Manning, it leaves me excited and encouraged for the future.

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Colts have three more chances to win

jartantilia — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:26:40 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS —
The Indianapolis Colts may be 0-13 for the season, but the team keeps battling.

Two weeks ago, the Colts dropped a 31-24 road game to AFC East leader New England. On Sunday, Indianapolis battled to the end but came up on the losing side of a 24-10 decision to AFC North leader Baltimore at M&T Bank Stadium.

The Ravens’ defense proved to be just too much for Indianapolis to overcome, especially after the Colts — as they have done throughout this season — got off to a slow start offensively.

Baltimore’s defense set the tone early against an inconsistent Indianapolis offensive attack that saw quarterback Dan Orlovsky consistently harassed.

But there just might be some light at the end of a very long and frustrating 2011 season.

The Colts will wrap up the year with back-to-back home games with Tennessee (Sunday, 1 p.m., Lucas Oil Stadium) and Houston — on a Thursday night, Dec. 22 — before ending the year at Jacksonville on Jan. 1.

The final three games will be against AFC South rivals, giving coach Jim Caldwell’s team additional extra motivation. The Colts will have matchups with the Titans and Texans over an 11-day period.

“It’s tough. As a professional, to do what you do and to be winless right now, it’s tough,” tight end Jacob Tamme admitted after the Ravens game. “But we have three more [games] left and we’re going to go into [this] week trying to get better and come in with a good plan, try to execute it. But it’s tough. It stinks.”

Reasons for the Colts’ rough season are many. Losing the services of quarterback Peyton Manning to preseason neck fusion surgery certainly tops the list.

But also injuries to several defensive starters, such as middle linebacker Gary Brackett (shoulder), safety Melvin Bullitt (shoulder) and cornerback Jerraud Powers (elbow) have been crucial as well.

Manning (offense), Brackett (defense) and Bullitt (special teams) have been unit captains for the past several seasons.

“Regardless of what the records are, we want to win those [AFC South] games,” Caldwell said. “We’ve got to take them one at a time. It’s a competitive situation, obviously.

“We’re going to go after this next [game] as hard as we possible can and see if we can get a victory.”

And just how do the Colts go about doing that?

“We’ve got to find a way to be more consistent,” the Indianapolis coach said. “That’s one of the things we did a little bit better [against the Patriots] as opposed [to the Baltimore game]. We’ll look at the problems to see what we need to get straightened out and get back to work.”

• Facing the Titans Sunday — Familiarity won’t be an issue for the Colts as they close out the 2011 season.

“We’re coming up on a stretch where we have three of our division opponents in a row, and certainly we do know something about their personnel,” Caldwell previewed. “But there are some guys that we don’t know much about. Certainly we don’t know much about [Titans rookie quarterback Jake] Locker. We’ve seen him run around and play, but this will be an opportunity for us to get a little bit closer look at him.”

Locker has seen increased playing time in recent weeks due to injuries surrounding veteran starter Matt Hasselbeck. He is expected to start against the Colts on Sunday.

“I know he’s a very fine player and he runs extremely well,” Caldwell said. “There is some benefit to having played them once, but between the times that we’ve played one another, some things change in terms of personnel.”

• No decision on Caldwell — The fate of the Colts’ coach is not up for discussion, according to vice-chairman Bill Polian. Not now anyway.

“My fervent hope is that Jim’s job is not in jeopardy because my fervent hope is that we don’t go 0-16. And we’re doing everything we can to try and avoid that,” Polian said during his weekly Monday night radio show.

• Wheeler update — There won’t be an update on the status of strongside linebacker Philip Wheeler, who suffered an ankle/foot injury against Baltimore, until later in the week.

“[There is] nothing solidified as of yet,” Caldwell said. “He’s being evaluated and getting all of the exams that he needs, so we’ll have an idea shortly.”

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NFL Teams to Start 0-13 Since 1976

Inocrardusano — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 03:14:00 +0000

The Indianapolis Colts lost to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, December 11. The loss dropped the Colts to 0-13 on the season. The Colts are the sixth team since the league expanded in 1976 to start a season with 13 straight losses. Of the previous five teams to do it, two failed to win a game. Here is a look back at the five other teams to start the season 0-13 since 1976.

1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The expansion Bucs were a terrible football team. They ended up losing all 14 of their games in the 1976 season. Tampa Bay didn’t even score a point until their third game. They were shut out a total of five times in 1976 and only came within a touchdown of winning a game three times on the season. Tampa Bay went 2-12 the following season.

1980 New Orleans Saints

The Saints seemed to be making progress in 1979 when they finished 8-8. It was the first time the franchise didn’t have a losing season. However, it was all erased in 1980 when the Saints lost their first 14 games. New Orleans earned their first and only win of the season with a 21-20 win over the New York Jets in their 15^th game.

1986 Indianapolis Colts

The 2011 season wasn’t the first time the Colts started 0-13. They had the same start in 1986. The Colts had a couple of close calls but were unable to win any of their first 13 games. However, the team did win their final three games. Indianapolis beat the Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, and Los Angeles Raiders to close the season with a 3-13 record.

2007 Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins had the worst season in team history in 2007. Miami dropped their first 13 games and looked pretty bad doing it. They finally earned a win in their 14^th game when they beat the Baltimore Ravens in overtime. Miami closed the season with two losses after that.

2008 Detroit Lions

The Lions famously lost all 16 of their games in 2008. Most of the games were blowouts, especially later in the season. The Lions lost to the Green Bay Packers in their final game to become the first team to ever go 0-16. They went just 2-14 the following season.

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Ravens breeze to 24-10 win, drop Colts to 0-13

Motherloadcheatsw — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 22:26:53 +0000

By DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer

BALTIMORE (AP) – The Baltimore Ravens continue to win without their defensive leader. The Indianapolis Colts are running out of time in their bid to get a single victory without their offensive captain.

Terrell Suggs had three sacks and forced three fumbles, and the Ravens moved closer to securing their fourth straight trip to the postseason by defeating the winless Colts 24-10 Sunday.

Playing a fourth straight game without middle linebacker Ray Lewis, Baltimore (10-3) sacked Dan Orlovsky four times and allowed only 53 yards through the first three quarters. The Ravens are 4-0 while Lewis nurses a sore right toe, and the defense should get even better when he finally returns.

“Right now I think we’re all just doing our part holding the levee until the general gets back,” Suggs said. “That’s why I honestly think we’re playing the way we are.”

Joe Flacco threw two touchdown passes and Ray Rice ran for 103 yards and a score to help the Ravens improve to 7-0 at home. Baltimore is tied with Pittsburgh for the lead in the AFC North, but the Ravens hold the tiebreaker because of their two wins over the Steelers.

“We have control of our own destiny,” Rice said. “We’re in the driver’s seat. As long as we keep winning, we’ll be fine.”

The Colts, on the other hand, just keep losing. Indianapolis (0-13) has three games left to nab a victory and avoid joining the 2008 Detroit Lions as the only NFL teams to finish 0-16.

“We need to find a way to get our team better so we can get a victory,” coach Jim Caldwell said. “And not just one. We’re running out of time.”

The Ravens had lost eight straight to Indianapolis, but that was when Peyton Manning was healthy and at the top of his game. The 11-time Pro Bowl quarterback has yet to play this year because of a neck injury, and his absence has turned a perennial playoff team into a hapless, hopeless crew.

“It’s miserable. It’s not fun,” wide receiver Austin Collie said. “With the few games left, I don’t think we want to end the year on this note.”

Orlovsky, the third Colts quarterback to start this season, went 17 for 37 for 136 yards and an interception. He was sacked four times and hounded throughout the game by Suggs.

“He’s as good a pass rusher as I’ve played against,” Orlovsky said. “I can’t say anything bad about him as a football player.”

Suggs attributed Baltimore’s success to the schemes set in place by Chuck Pagano, who’s in his first season as Baltimore’s defensive coordinator. To emphasize the point, Suggs sarcastically made Pagano out to be clueless.

“If anybody trying to hire a head coach asks me, I’m going to tell them he (stinks),” Suggs said. “He’s a terrible coach and his players don’t love him. He don’t know what he’s doing when he’s calling a game.”

The game was far more lopsided than the final score would indicate. Baltimore led 17-3 at halftime and 24-3 in the third quarter, and the Colts drove 76 yards in the final two minutes in a drive that ended with Orlovsky throwing a 13-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Tamme as time expired.

It was quite a drop off after Indianapolis scored 21 points in the fourth quarter at New England one week earlier.

“We were hoping to pick up where we left off,” Tamme said. “But their defense is so tough. They always play well.”

The Ravens needed less than five minutes to take the lead for good. After the Colts went three-and-out following the opening kickoff, Lardarius Webb returned a punt 27 yards to the Indianapolis 40 and Flacco capped a six-play drive with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Torrey Smith.

Baltimore’s next march covered 66 yards over 13 plays and ended with a 36-yard field goal by Billy Cundiff for a 10-0 lead.

The first quarter ended with the Ravens holding a 111-10 advantage in yardage and an 8-1 lead in first downs.

Nothing changed in the second quarter. Baltimore forced a punt and Flacco went 5 for 7 for 54 yards in a 10-play drive that ended with a 6-yard touchdown run by Rice.

Indianapolis finally got into Baltimore territory when Joe Lefeged returned the ensuing kickoff 51 yards. Orlovsky then completed a fourth-down pass to Dallas Clark, and Adam Vinatieri kicked a field goal to make it 17-3 late in the half.

Baltimore went ahead 24-3 with 3:41 left in the third quarter. Flacco rolled to his right and was near the sideline when he threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Dennis Pitta in the middle of the end zone.

Flacco went 23 for 31 for 227 yards and an interception.

Notes: Suggs has a career-high 13 sacks. … The Colts have only six INTs this season. … Flacco went over 3,000 yards passing and Rice eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing. … Smith’s TD gave him six, tying Jamal Lewis for most by a Ravens rookie. … Indy’s Dwight Freeney had two sacks to go over 100 for his career.

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Ravens win fourth straight, send Colts to 0-13

dotgofLoteosy — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 06:24:48 +0000

BALTIMORE (AP) — As long as
Terrell Suggs
continues to go harass opposing quarterbacks, and if defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano repeatedly finds the perfect blitzes
to call, the
Baltimore Ravens
will keep on winning without
Ray Lewis
.

Suggs had three sacks and forced three fumbles as part of an overwhelming defensive performance by the Ravens, who kept the

Indianapolis Colts
winless with a 24-10 victory Sunday.

Lewis, Baltimore’s standout middle linebacker and longtime defensive leader, missed a fourth straight game with a right toe
injury. The Ravens (10-3) have won every one of those games.

“Right now I think we’re all just doing our part holding the levee until the general gets back,” Suggs said. “That’s why I
honestly think we’re playing the way we are.”

Baltimore limited the hapless Colts to 167 yards – just 53 through three quarters. Were it not for a touchdown on the game’s
final play, Indianapolis would have been held without a TD for only the second time since the 2003 season opener.

Baltimore didn’t recover any of the three fumbles that Suggs forced, but he harassed Colts quarterback
Dan Orlovsky
throughout the afternoon.

“We shut them down early, and then they had to start passing the ball,” Ravens defensive tackle
Haloti Ngata
said. “That’s when
Terrell Suggs
went crazy.”

Suggs, a movie buff, described the action this way: “It’s chaos out there. A lot is going on more than you see. It’s like
`The Matrix’ out there with a little bit of `Inception’. It’s a little bit crazy.”

Joe Flacco
threw two touchdown passes and
Ray Rice
ran for 103 yards and a score to help the Ravens win their fourth straight and improve to 7-0 at home. Baltimore is tied with
Pittsburgh for the lead in the AFC North, but the Ravens hold the tiebreaker because of their two wins over the Steelers.

“We have control of our own destiny,” Rice said. “We’re in the driver’s seat. As long as we keep winning, we’ll be fine.”

The Ravens had lost eight straight to Indianapolis, but that was when
Peyton Manning
was healthy and at the top of his game. He has yet to play this year because of a neck injury.

Orlovsky, the third Colts quarterback to start this season, went 17 for 37 for 136 yards and an interception. He was sacked
four times and hounded throughout the game by Suggs.

“He’s as good a pass rusher as I’ve played against,” Orlovsky said of Suggs. “I can’t say anything bad about him as a football
player.”

Suggs attributed Baltimore’s success to the schemes set in place by Pagano, in his first season as Baltimore’s defensive coordinator.
To emphasize the point, Suggs sarcastically made Pagano out to be clueless.

“If anybody trying to hire a head coach, if they ask me I’m going to tell them he (stinks),” Suggs said. “He’s a terrible
coach and his players don’t love him. He don’t know what he’s doing when he’s calling a game.”

The game was far more lopsided than the final score would indicate. Baltimore led 17-3 at halftime and 24-3 in the third quarter,
and the Colts drove 76 yards in the final two minutes in a drive that ended with Orlovsky throwing a 13-yard touchdown pass
to
Jacob Tamme
as time expired.

Indianapolis has three games left in the season. If the Colts don’t win, they will join the 2008
Detroit Lions
as the only NFL team to go 0-16 in a season.

“Losing (stinks), no matter what it is,” Orlovsky said. “Whether it’s football, if it’s rock-paper, none of us like to lose.
There’s nothing fun about losing.”

Colts coach Jim Caldwell said, “We need to find a way to get our team better so we can get a victory. And not just one. We’re
running out of time.”

The Ravens needed less than five minutes to take the lead for good. After the Colts went three and out following the opening
kickoff,
Lardarius Webb
returned a punt 27 yards to the Indianapolis 40 and Flacco capped a six-play drive with an 8-yard touchdown pass to
Torrey Smith
.

Baltimore’s next march covered 66 yards over 13 plays and ended with a 36-yard field goal by
Billy Cundiff
for a 10-0 lead.

The first quarter ended with the Ravens holding a 111-10 advantage in yardage and an 8-1 lead in first downs.

Nothing changed in the second quarter. Baltimore forced a punt and Flacco went 5 for 7 for 54 yards in a 10-play drive that
ended with a 6-yard touchdown run by Rice.

Indianapolis finally got into Baltimore territory when
Joe Lefeged
returned the ensuing kickoff 51 yards. Orlovsky then completed a fourth-down pass to
Dallas Clark
, and
Adam Vinatieri
kicked a field goal to make it 17-3 late in the half.

Baltimore went ahead 24-3 with 3:41 left in the third quarter. Flacco rolled to his right and was near the sideline when he
threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to
Dennis Pitta
in the middle of the end zone.

Flacco went 23 for 31 for 227 yards and an interception.

NOTES: Suggs has a career-high 13 sacks. … The Colts have only six INTs this season. … Flacco went over 3,000 yards passing
and Rice eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing. … Smith’s TD gave him six, tying Jamal Lewis for most by a Ravens rookie. … Indy’s

Dwight Freeney
had two sacks to go over 100 for his career.

Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.

Caldwell remains hopeful after Colts fall to…

ZedScacract — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 04:22:04 +0000

So too is Caldwell, whose job appears in jeopardy as the Colts try to avoid joining the 2008 Detroit Lions as the only NFL team in history to finish 0-16.

Even though Indianapolis has been without injured quarterback Peyton Manning for the entire season, the Colts’ problems extend well beyond that.

“I really don’t focus on myself. … There’s no self-pity or anything of that nature,” Caldwell said. “Really, I’m concerned about the men who play for us, making sure these guys keep their heads up, keep fighting to the end. Those are the things that really matter.”

From that perspective, the Colts at least made their coach proud Sunday. Despite being harassed by a relentless Ravens defense all afternoon, Dan Orlovsky directed a late scoring drive, throwing a 13-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Tamme on the game’s final play.

“The guys kept fighting,” Caldwell said. “But obviously, it’s little consolation in a game like this.”

Precisely. The Colts trailed 17-3 at halftime and had only 53 yards in offense through three quarters.

“Losing (stinks), no matter what it is,” said Dan Orlovsky, who was 17 for 37 for 136 yards. “Whether it’s football, if it’s rock-paper, none of us like to lose. There’s nothing fun about losing.”

Terrell Suggs had three sacks and forced three fumbles for the Ravens, who have won four straight without injured middle linebacker Ray Lewis.

“They’re one of the best defenses in the league statistically in every category for a reason,” said Orlovsky, the third quarterback to start this season for Indianapolis. “Are they the best defense in the NFL? I don’t know. But I’d like to watch one better.”

Joe Flacco threw two touchdown passes and Ray Rice ran for 103 yards and a score to help the Ravens win their fourth straight and improve to 7-0 at home.

Baltimore is tied with Pittsburgh for the lead in the AFC North, but the Ravens hold the tiebreaker because of their two wins over the Steelers.

“We have control of our own destiny,” Rice said. “We’re in the driver’s seat. As long as we keep winning, we’ll be fine.”

The Ravens had lost eight straight to Indianapolis, but that was when Manning was healthy and at the top of his game.

‘It just shows that you play as hard as you can until the end,” Colts center Jeff Saturday said. “You can’t give up. At least it shows we were still playing hard.”

The Ravens needed less than five minutes to take the lead for good. After the Colts went three and out following the opening kickoff, Lardarius Webb returned a punt 27 yards to the Indianapolis 40 and Flacco capped a six-play drive with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Torrey Smith.

Baltimore’s next march covered 66 yards over 13 plays and ended with a 36-yard field goal by Billy Cundiff for a 10-0 lead.

The first quarter ended with the Ravens holding a 111-10 advantage in yardage and an 8-1 lead in first downs.

Nothing changed in the second quarter. Baltimore forced a punt and Flacco went 5 for 7 for 54 yards in a 10-play drive that ended with a 6-yard touchdown run by Rice.

Flacco went 23 for 31 for 227 yards and an interception.

NOTES: Suggs has a career-high 13 sacks. … The Colts have only six INTs this season. … Flacco went over 3,000 yards passing and Rice eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing. … Smith’s TD gave him six, tying Jamal Lewis for most by a Ravens rookie. … Indy’s Dwight Freeney had two sacks to go over 100 for his career.

Gotta run!.

Colts Stay Winless with Another Loss: Fan’s…

laubbatlooche — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 04:10:00 +0000

The Indianapolis Colts are now 0-13 after a 24-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Indianapolis fell behind early and were never able to recover. Dan Orlovsky’s fourth quarter comeback fell 14 points short this week after he almost came back on the New England Patriots in a loss on November 4. The fact is that Orlovsky and the Colts are simply not playing good football. They very much look like an 0-13 football team.

I fully expected the Raven defense to put constant pressure on the Colts and they did just that all game. Orlovsky was sacked four times, fumbled three times and threw an interception in the game. This is not uncommon against the Baltimore defense though. Orlovsky can’t be faulted for his subpar performance. The offensive line was continually beaten by a superior defensive front.

Indianapolis abandoned the run early after falling behind and never got anything going on the ground. Donald Brown, Joseph Addai, and Delone Carter only combined to run 16 times for 50 yards in the game. Addai was used very little and fans have to wonder why he isn’t playing more. Addai began the season as the starter and has played hardly played in the second half of the season. Donald Brown has played well, but Addai deserves to get more work than he has lately.

As a fan of the team, this is just one of the many questionable decisions by coach Jim Caldwell this season. I can only hope that I am watching Caldwell coach the final three games of his career. It’s difficult to explain how poorly Caldwell has done this season. He has done nothing to prove that he deserves to keep his job.

To get an idea of how bad they played, Indianapolis only had 68 total yards of offense before the fourth quarter when the score was 24-3 and the game was out of reach. This is before Dan Orlovsky rallied the team to a last second touchdown that made the score appear closer than it was for the second week in a row.

For all their losses to injury recently, the Indianapolis defense was not terrible. They only allowed only 24 points to a very good team. They created a turnover, which has become rare, and had two big sacks by Dwight Freeney. You know times are tough when getting a single turnover in a loss is progress for a team.

The loss moves Indianapolis one week closer to the end of the season and the top draft pick for the 2012 NFL draft. The talk about Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck and what will happen with the quarterback position last year will only continue to grow. As a fan of the team, I’m just ready for the season to be over and the losses to stop.

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Ravens stifle winless Colts

advortita — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 02:32:45 +0000