Five Thoughts: Colts 27, Redskins 24

1. The Redskins got caught vs. the run. The problem facing Peyton Manning is that you need to play for the pass and you want to give him different looks. So the Redskins would spent a lot of time shifting before the snap. It did cause problems at times but the reason Indianapolis could run the ball so well is that they caught the Redskins doing too much movement. That left some defenders unable to get to their gaps and Joseph Addai ran a little crazy because of it; he had too many clean holes. As Brian Orakpo said, “You have linebackers and defensive backs going against 315 pounders. You do the math.” Even I can add that one up and if you’re wrong, it’s a mismatch. But that’s the problem; if you play Manning straight up, he hits you with the pass all day. He does what he needs to in order to win. The Redskins did counter a little late in the game by using Kedric Golston in their dime package; sometimes he would stand up and rush. But it added a 300-pounder to help vs. the run.

2.   Missed opportunities. It’s obvious, but the Redskins aren’t good enough to drop as many interceptions as they did vs. Manning. It’s like facing a pitcher like Roy Halladay who feeds you a meatball down the middle and you swing and miss. You just don’t get that many chances. Carlos Rogers dropped a pick; and had his hands on another. Kareem Moore dropped two. The game changes on those picks. Moore covers ground back there, but he still has a long ways to go. He missed too many tackles – again – and didn’t make up for it with the big play. The Colts did not get a lot deep, save for the Pierre Garcon 57-yard touchdown. Moore is a work in progress.

3.   Manning is awesome. Another obvious statement. But there were times when the wideouts were turning and the ball is right on their hands. Once, safety Reed Doughty had Dallas Clark covered inside, but he turned it more inside and Manning read it, staying patient and delivering the ball sidearm to a perfect spot. It’s damn hard to defend a guy like that when he’s on his game. Manning also tired out the Redskins’ defense, and prevented a lot of substitutions, by keeping a fast tempo, whether from a hurry-up or quick huddles. He’s like a point guard in basketball who knows how to control the pace of a game. And yet the Redskins still had chances. Sometimes Manning’s throws are perfect, but that also means if he’s off a smidgen it’s an opportunity. Manning was a surgeon at times.

4.   The Redskins run game worked well. The Colts are a fast front, but Washington did a much better job of sealing the ends and also creating some good cutback lanes. But the real credit goes to Ryan Torain. Can’t wait to see how many times he made guys miss in the backfield. But when he turned upfield, the key is that his shoulders were square and that his feet were quick. He seemed to make the first guy miss all the time. He looks so different than the guy we saw this summer and it’s mostly because of how much lower he’s running.

5.   The Redskins really missed Albert Haynesworth. Jeremy Jarmon was not a good matchup vs. the Colts; he got driven out of his gap too many times. And Vonnie Holliday is a bit small for this matchup. They really could have used Haynesworth’s combination of size and speed. It would have given them someone who could have penetrated some gaps and maybe disrupted more plays. That said, I’m sure the Colts would have allowed him to penetrate to a side and hit them the other way. Still, he would have held his ground better than what the others were able to do. I wasn’t surprised that he was inactive; he’s someone who hasn’t yet learned all the nuances of this defense and he missed a day of work. Didn’t think he’d have a good grasp of the game plan. But he was missed.