The Indianapolis Colts flew to pigeon-infested Cleveland and teetered on the edge of disaster for three quarters before seizing a victory from the jaws of…well, you saw it. 25-24. With Andrew Luck and T.Y. Hilton, you’re (pretty much) never really out of the running.
Here are the game notes. Please excuse the typos and verb tense changes and just ride the waves of emotion – and sarcasm – with me. Here goes (sorry, it’s a bit longer than usual):
– The Colts defense forced a punt on the first drive. This would be the story of the Browns offense all day.
– Indy wound up punting too after trying to establish…Trent Richardson. You know that whole story. Luck’s third down pass came up short as Dwayne Allen was apparently trying on a new backpack that looked a great deal like a Cleveland defender. (If subtlety is lost on you, I’m saying there should have been a flag)
– Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer thinks his receivers are really, really tall. This has worked in the Colts’ favor thus far.
– Talking about a Jerrell Freeman blitz, Fox color commentator John Lynch used the phrase “up the pipe,” and I think we can all agree he should shelve that one.
– The Browns put together a nice drive, deep into the Colts’ red zone, before Hoyer, threw low to his tight end, trying to keep the ball away from Mike Adams, but not worried about Jerrell Freeman, who was trailing on the play. Freeman dove and tipped the ball to Adams for the interception. Nice play, gentlemen.
– Indy keeps trying to get their running backs involved, then depending on Luck and the receivers to bail them out on third down. Punt. Still 0-0. Also, the Cleveland stadium has a friggin’ multitude of pigeons. They keep working their way into camera shots. I don’t remember ever seeing so many pigeons at a game (They seem to have dissipated after the first quarter).
– We have a scoring play… Colts backed up near their own end zone. Jon Harrison lost his battle up front. Badly. Andrew Luck, trying not to take a safety, tried to throw as he went down and fumbled. Touchdown Browns. 7-0.
– Cleveland has been playing press coverage, staying physical well beyond the line of scrimmage (interpret that how you will), and Luck, after a Reggie Wayne drop (and throwing into coverage to Fleener), is 3/11 for 15 yards. The Colts offense, usually a turbocharged monstrosity, is limping along with the check engine light on. 17 plays, 22 yards.
– Luckily, the Colts defense has played well for the most part, while Hoyer has thrown the ball high, low, and occasionally, to no one at all.
– Harrison, clearly not himself today, is injured, and AQ Shipley has been subbed in to start the second quarter. You know Colts fans love Shipley. Results were largely the same: punt.
– Indy’s exhausted defense was on its heels late in the half only to be bailed out by Hoyer, who threw behind an open receiver on third down and Billy Cundiff, who missed a field goal WIIIIIDE right clear to Lake Erie.
– After the missed field goal (Stadium officials are still looking for the ball), Andrew Luck put the team on his shoulders, has he so often does, and marched them 70 yards for a touchdown. He hit Coby Fleener (18 yards) and Boom Herron (26) for big plays, ran for a first down, and eventually ran it in for the score from 11 yards out, juking some poor Cleveland defender out of his shoes. (https://vine.co/v/OriMYrILDad)
– The Browns followed it up with a 77-yard TD drive of their own for a 14-7 lead. Isaiah Crowell (number 34) ran it in untouched from 9 yards out. Crowell at the half: 8 carries for 42 yards and a score. Their 34 runs faster than our 34. #analysis
– This Browns defense makes no routine tackles, only brutal sledgehammer hits. Colts offense at the half: 117 total yards, 3.9 yards per play, 1-8 on third down. Luck is 9/22 at the half.
– ALL RIGHT IT’S THE SECOND HALF. LET’S GET SOMETHING GOI—–fumble. Browns ball. (looked like T.Y. Hilton’s knee was down)
– According to Fox, Indy now has 14 fumbles in the last three games. Yuck. The Colts defense, looking a little better rested, held them to a quick three and out to avoid letting the Browns capitalize.
– So far, it’s the tale of two halves, and both of them suck. Cleveland’s defense continues to play lights out. Luck, pinned deep in Colt territory, threw a pick six over the middle to rookie DB Justin Gilbert, and it’s 21-7 Browns.
– Next drive, Hilton should’ve been open deep over the middle, but he was held, grabbed, then gave the man a brief piggy back ride, no flag. Incomplete.
– Gosder Cherilus continues to struggle, unless he’s considering traditional bullfighting. Get that man a red cape and a weird hat.
– The Colts escaped another nearly disastrous drive with a field goal after Paul Kruger’s sack was ruled a blow to the head and personal foul. Hey, Krüg – mind if I call you Krüg? – all you have to do is tackle the guy, not try to kill him, but thanks for the extra yards. We’ll take any break we can get. 21-10 Cleveland.
– It’s also important to note that Adam Vinatieri, despite being 41 (that’s like 87 in football years) drilled a 51-yarder outdoors with ease. Still, don’t turn it over, and it’s 10-7 Colts, or 10-9 on what surely would’ve been a safety.
– Still the third quarter, pocket closing in, and Luck stood strong just long enough to power a heroic looking pass downfield to T.Y. Hilton, who reached behind to make an incredible catch, and juked two guys to the endzone. Great concentration and athleticism by T.Y., as usual.
– Going for two afterward (I like the aggression), Luck was intercepted. 21-16 Browns, but finally some unanswered points for Indy (followed by a three and out for Cleveland).
– Ensuing drive (things are beginning to actually happen in this game), Cleveland was called for their first defensive holding penalty OF THE GAME, despite grabbing, grinding, and nearly sexually harassing Colts receivers all afternoon (on two consecutive plays, actually, but the second was declined due to a completion to Moncrief). The complexion of the game changed very quickly, at least on the drive.
– Back to normal. Buster Skrine hugged T.Y. Hilton like a creepy relative at Thanksgiving well before the ball got to him in the endzone on 3rd and 8. No call. Vinatieri bangs home a field goal to make it 21-19. Of course, Greg Toler got away with grabbing Jordan Cameron on the following Browns third down. So, at least the officiating is consistently bad.
– Luck’s throw was too high for Hilton. Intercepted by Jim Leonard. That’s four turnovers. That this team has handed the ball away this many times and is only down three is mind boggling.
– 3rd and long, Darius Butler gets away with pass interference. Hey, if that’s how they’re calling the game, it plays to the Colts’ strengths on defense.
– Third and long after taking a sack in the shadow of his own goalposts (this game was all about third and longs), and Luck hits Moncrief deep over the middle. Then, miraculously, the referees called a pass interference on the very physical Buster Skrine on a deep pass intended for Dwayne Allen. It’s a 35-yard penalty. Clevelanders booed. With gusto. Of course, Skrine followed it up by putting his hands in Hilton’s facemask before the ball arrived in the endzone. I feel like this whole recap has been about rule enforcement.
– Commentator: “Luck…too much time…” Sounds like a bias, there. Maybe he’s rooting for the underdog to pull this one out?
– Pagano wisely held onto his challenge flag on an inconsequential catch, then threw it on a crucial third down, which turned out to be a huge, game saving stop.
– 3rd and 10 again, safety coming in unblocked (kind of a theme for the game), and Luck hits Fleener running over the middle, his flowing locks (and the defender) trailing behind him, for the first down with under a minute and a half left. Luck followed it up with a big run, taking a nasty hit near the goal line and nearly fumbling.
– 4th and inches. 44 seconds left (after Boom Herron apparently didn’t get the first down). Andrew Jackson reports eligible. Blocking breaks down. Herron made the finest spin move I’ve seen in a long time on a second effort for the first down.
– LUCK TO TY IN THE ENDZONE TOUCHDOWN! Somewhere, Bob Lamey, apoplectic for much of the game, is screaming into his mic. Hilton held on to the ball, while losing his shoe. It’s not especially relevant, but it was cool anyway.
– Two point conversion failed, and it’s 25-24 Colts.
– Hoyer airs it deep downfield for Josh Gordon, who appears open, when creaky, oft-injured Greg Toler closes on him to break up the play in spectacular fashion.
– 90-yard game winning drives are awesome. I don’t care how awful the rest of the game was. That was a beautiful ending. Four fumbles, weird calls, sacks, frustration. Still awesome. And a hard-fought 9-4.
– Weird stat: Indy has gone 4-1 against Cleveland since 2003 without breaking 20 points. They needed every bit of their 25 today to make it 5-1.
– Next up, the Texans.