Direckshun
01-22-2007, 03:37 PM
I don't know, I think an argument could be made that it did.
The major difference was that the Ravens and the Pats tried to play the Colts straight up, and surprise surprise, Wayne and Harrison were able to get open and put the defense on their heels against the run game and short yardage throws.
The Chiefs played back and forced the running game and the short yardage plays to beat them, and until the middle of the third quarter (and entirely due to our offense's incompetence), they got tired and the Colts were finally able to do something offensively.
They did the same thing against the Rams. The running backs and tight ends for the Rams and the Colts had huge games against us, but Bulger and Manning wanted to go downfield, and our defense gobbled up both quarterbacks when they tried.
Unlike Bulger, though, Manning kept testing us with long throws and got picked off. And unlike Bulger, Manning screwed up a few of the short throws as well. Pick, pick, pick. Two of them Law. Two of them giving our offense very good field position.
For all the criticism that "playing back" gets, I felt it got the best results out of our defense against Peyton, and perhaps the best defensive performance against the Colts this postseason.
I bet the Bears could pull this strategy off extremely well.
The major difference was that the Ravens and the Pats tried to play the Colts straight up, and surprise surprise, Wayne and Harrison were able to get open and put the defense on their heels against the run game and short yardage throws.
The Chiefs played back and forced the running game and the short yardage plays to beat them, and until the middle of the third quarter (and entirely due to our offense's incompetence), they got tired and the Colts were finally able to do something offensively.
They did the same thing against the Rams. The running backs and tight ends for the Rams and the Colts had huge games against us, but Bulger and Manning wanted to go downfield, and our defense gobbled up both quarterbacks when they tried.
Unlike Bulger, though, Manning kept testing us with long throws and got picked off. And unlike Bulger, Manning screwed up a few of the short throws as well. Pick, pick, pick. Two of them Law. Two of them giving our offense very good field position.
For all the criticism that "playing back" gets, I felt it got the best results out of our defense against Peyton, and perhaps the best defensive performance against the Colts this postseason.
I bet the Bears could pull this strategy off extremely well.