Schein shoes the Horse some love.
That play, that sequence, is a snapshot of the difference between the Colts and everyone else. Indy rises to the occasion. If you give Manning and the Colts just one little sign of not being focused or ready, they will pounce and break your back, or, in this case, break Houston’s playoff dreams.
Indy, in theory, had every reason to lose. No Dwight Freeney. No Bob Sanders. No Kelvin Hayden. No Marlin Jackson. No Anthony Gonzalez. A ton of relative inexperience in the secondary and at receiver. And a double-digit deficit.
Caldwell himself deserves a ton of credit. Nobody knew what Indianapolis had in the rookie head coach replacing Tony Dungy. Frankly, I thought it was disrespectful to Dungy to expect there would be no drop-off. Instead, we are witnessing the most sensational neophyte effort in league history by a head coach.
Did Caldwell go nuts in the locker room when his team was down double digits? No. He just calmly reminded the Colts it was important to win the battles on the line. And Caldwell goes out of his way to praise his experienced and trusted assistants, especially Howard Mudd, Tom Moore and Larry Coyer, for getting his guys ready for these pressure fourth-quarter situations. If you follow the Colts, you know that isn’t coach speak. These guys, especially Moore and Mudd, have been staples and symbols of the brilliant coaching through the years.
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FANTASY FIX: FOXSports.com fantasy guru Mike Harmon explains why Saints RB Reggie Bush is a must-start against the Bucs. Get the complete inside lineup advice with this week’s Fantasy Fix. |
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