INDIANAPOLIS — Like beauty, perfection evidently qualifies as one of life’s eye-of-the-beholder elements.
With 5:36 remaining in the third quarter on Sunday, it became painfully obvious which direction the high-dollar decision-makers within the Indianapolis Colts organization were leaning:
Super Bowl championship 1, perfect record 0.
Thanks largely to Indianapolis’ bigheartedness in this, the season of giving, the New York Jets manufactured 19 consecutive points for a 29-15 victory before 67,222 extremely agitated fans inside Lucas Oil Stadium, most of whom were starting their automobiles by game’s end.
Alive and well are the Jets’ AFC wild-card playoff chances; relegated to the scrap heap is Indianapolis’ opportunity to chase down the 1972 Miami Dolphins, the lone undefeated champion in Super Bowl history.
Now 14-1, the Colts, according to head coach Jim Caldwell, will be just fine if taking measures necessary to keep his starters healthy leads to a blue-and-white confetti shower the night of Feb. 7 in Miami’s Land Shark Stadium, host of Super Bowl XLIV.
“It’s something I had taken a real good look at in terms of keeping us sharp. The most important thing for us is making sure we’re operating on all cylinders when the playoffs start,” said Caldwell, whose squad locked up home-field advantage throughout the playoffs two weeks ago with a win over Denver. “Every guy out there, they want to go out there and go the distance. The most important season for us is the one coming up.”
Gauging by crowd reaction, a loss wasn’t supposed to be part of the 2009 equation. With the Colts ahead, 15-10, Caldwell pulled quarterback Peyton Manning and replaced him with untested rookie Curtis Painter, a move that ignited a hailstorm of boos.
“Our fans are going to express their feelings,” said Caldwell. “As I told the guys, (the booing) was more directed at me.”
Painter’s debut proved pleasantly memorable — for the Jets. On his fourth snap from center, the former Purdue signal-caller fumbled after being hit by blitzing outside linebacker Calvin Pace. New York tackle Marques Douglas scooped up the pigskin and tumbled in from a yard out, giving the visitors a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Painter’s final stat line read 4 of 11 passing for 44 yards, one pick, one fumble and a day he won’t soon forget.
“We tried to get as many points as we could while we were in there. We put Curtis Painter in a tough spot,” said Manning. “As a player you follow orders and you follow them with all your heart. Our orders were to win the game, but we didn’t follow that blueprint.”
The first evidence came with the second-half kickoff as New York’s Brad Smith covered 106 yards for a touchdown that put the Jets up, 10-9. Manning answered by moving Indianapolis 81 yards in 19 plays, the Colts’ final points coming courtesy of Donald Brown’s 1-yard run at 10:13 of the third stanza.
Caldwell at that point began substituting freely, Manning, who finished 14 of 21 for 192 yards, being the most obvious missing piece to the puzzle.
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December 27, 2009
Week 16: Jets 29, Colts 15
Jets manufacture 19 consecutive points
- xSeason Recap
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AFC Championship game: Colts 30, Jets 17
INDIANAPOLIS — Colts wide receiver Pierre Garcon said he hoped to use Sunday’s AFC Championship Game to raise the hopes of relatives in earthquake-ravaged Haiti. Sometime after he caught a 4-yard touchdown pass to give the Indianapolis Colts the lead in the third quarter and before he raised the Haitian flag on the postgame awards podium, he must have accomplished that goal.
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AFC Divisional Playoffs: Colts 20, Ravens 3
There's a price to pay for keeping the ball out of Peyton Manning's hands. Once he gets it, he doesn't give it back — at least not until he's gotten the Indianapolis Colts plenty of points and a playoff win. In his first game since winning an unprecedented fourth NFL MVP award, Manning threw for two touchdowns Saturday night in a 20-3 victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
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Week 17: Bills 30, Colts 7
Peyton Manning had a tough time appreciating Mother Nature's picturesque snow-globe backdrop from the bench after he helped ensure a couple of milestones. The Buffalo Bills got a 30-7 victory over the Indianapolis Colts to close a tumultuous season in an otherwise meaningless regular-season finale for both teams Sunday.
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Week 16: Jets 29, Colts 15
Like beauty, perfection evidently qualifies as one of life’s eye-of-the-beholder elements. With 5:36 remaining in the third quarter on Sunday, it became painfully obvious which direction the high-dollar decision-makers within the Indianapolis Colts organization were leaning:
Super Bowl championship 1, perfect record 0. -
Week 15: Colts 35, Jaguars 31
Peyton Manning completed every pass early and one big one late, exactly what the Indianapolis Colts needed to stay unbeaten. Manning threw for 308 yards and four touchdowns, including a 65-yarder to Reggie Wayne to go ahead for good, and the Colts beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 35-31 Thursday night to improve to 14-0 for the first time in franchise history.
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Week 14: Colts 28, Broncos 16
Sometimes it seems as if the Indianapolis Colts can’t stand prosperity. The Colts played well early but managed to squander a 21-0 second quarter lead. Indianapolis, though, battled back down the stretch in registering a record-setting 28-16 win over the Denver Broncos Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
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Week 13: Colts 27, Titans 17
A 24-point first half and two red zone stands by their defense led the Indianapolis Colts to a 27-17 victory over the Tennessee Titans, tying an NFL record with their 21st consecutive regular season victory. “Certainly it’s not something you take for granted,” Peyton Manning said after throwing for 270 yards and a touchdown against Tennessee.
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Week 12: Colts 35, Texans 27
The AFC South champion Indianapolis Colts have perfected the art of the comeback in their undefeated march into the playoffs. Peyton Manning threw for three touchdowns and the Colts rallied from a 13-point halftime deficit Sunday for a 35-27 win over the Texans, their 20th straight regular-season victory. Indianapolis (11-0) is one win shy of the New England
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Week 11: Colts 17, Ravens 15
The unbeaten Indianapolis Colts sidestepped another potential obstacle in their march toward NFL history. The Colts kept Baltimore out of the end zone Sunday and got the go-ahead field goal from former Ravens kicker Matt Stover in a 17-15 victory, their 19th straight win over two seasons.
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Week 10: Colts 35, Patriots 34
A stunning gamble by Bill Belichick set up a stunning win for Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. After the New England Patriots were stopped short on fourth down deep in their own territory, Manning took advantage by throwing a 1-yard touchdown pass with 13 seconds left that rallied the unbeaten Colts to a 35-34 win Sunday night.
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