|
|
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tony Dungy watched the Indianapolis Colts stagger, stumble and make a multitude of errors against Houston.
If they're not corrected by Sunday's first-round playoff game against Denver, Dungy knows the Colts could have another early postseason exit.
``It's a good feeling to be division champs, that's been one of our goals since training camp,'' Dungy said Monday. ``But we were not as sharp as we would have liked to have been or as we need to be to win in the playoffs.''
ADVERTISEMENT
Dungy expected the Colts to be crisper on offense, more consistent on defense
and, he hoped, they would produce a more convincing finish to earning their
first home playoff game since 1999.
Instead, the Colts (12-4) struggled to pull out a 20-17 victory against the second-year Texans and win the AFC South, their first division title since 1999.
There's reason for concern.
For the second straight week, the Colts hardly resembled the team that was one of the NFL's best for the first 14 games.
Their worst showing came Dec. 21 against Denver (10-6). The Colts ran just 37 plays, a franchise-record low, and allowed Denver 227 yards rushing in a 31-17 win. It was the most yards allowed by a Colts defense since Dec. 30, 2000 against Miami, and the Broncos didn't even have their best runner, Clinton Portis.
On Sunday, the Colts looked nearly as lackluster for three quarters.
The offense couldn't get in sync and Houston rookie Domanick Davis pounded the ball for 87 of his 99 yards rushing and two touchdowns, while the Colts managed only a 39-yard field goal from Mike Vanderjagt.
That forced Manning to rally the Colts for the third time this season. Indianapolis scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to salvage a win and a division title that seemed all but assured after a 29-27 victory at Tennessee on Dec. 7.
This week, the Colts know they must fix the problems.
``We have to have a good week of practice, change some things, correct some things,'' Manning said after the game in Houston.
It might seem odd to fault a team that has done so much right this season.
The Colts set a franchise scoring record (447 points); won three of four games in the season's final month; share the best road record in the NFL at 7-1; and have one of the league's top MVP contenders in Manning.
The plus-10 turnover margin was the club's best since 1987. The 20 giveaways are tied for the second fewest in the NFL. Only five teams had fewer penalties than the Colts.
What Dungy wants is better execution on defensive assignments, converting in short-yardage situations and hitting open receivers.
Against Denver, the Colts' offense never had a chance to work its magic. Against Houston, the defense forced seven three-and-out series, but in-between allowed the Texans to drive 78 yards and 63 yards for touchdowns.
Dungy struggled for an explanation Monday.
``We really need to put together a good home game,'' he said. ``We've got to come out and play well for 60 minutes.''
Now the Colts also must face a longtime nemesis -- the postseason.
They've lost five straight playoff games, dating to the 1995 AFC championship game at Pittsburgh, and have hosted only one other postseason game since 1977.
While they haven't won a home playoff game since 1970, the Colts have a chance to hang around in the playoffs -- if they can find solutions.
``We're not really playing
as well as we can,'' Dungy said. ``But I think there's some excitement on this
team and we're looking forward to starting the playoffs.''