COLTS HAVE THE HORSES, BEAT BRONCOS 28-10

In a game dominated by defense, the Indianapolis Colts ran away from the
Denver Broncos to win handily, 28-10. The Colts were held to just 241 yards
of offense, but the Broncos fared even worse, gaining just 159. The Colts
raised their record to 9-0, while the Broncos, who got their first win of the
season last week, fell to 1-8 in the AFC East. Indianapolis now has a
five-and-a-half game lead in the AFC Central with just seven games to play,
having all but locked up their division, while the Broncos are playing out
the string. 

Neither team could move the ball on their first possession, but after an
exchange of punts, the Colts took over following a 20-yard punt return by
Clifton Smith at the Denver 42. It took Ryan Grant, who gained 130 yards on
28 carries, just two plays to score, after a five yard penalty moved the
Colts back to the 47. Running the stretch play effectively all day, Grant's
second carry of the possession produced a 42-yard touchdown run to give the
Colts an early 7-0 lead.  

That lead didn't last long, however, as the Bronco offense took a
three-and-out on the chin, and then Jason Allen blocked Jon Ryan's punt, with
the Colts taking over at the Bronco 14. An Aaron Rodgers to Ben Watson
touchdown pass of 12 yards on 3rd and eight made it 14-0 with less than ten
minutes elapsed in the contest. 

After another exchange of punts, the Broncos finally got a chance to strut
their stuff, matriculating the ball patiently down the field behind QB Rex
Grossman, with a roughing call against Richard Marshall the big gainer for
the Broncos in their 55-yard drive to a touchdown to cut the lead to just
14-7. It was Ricky Williams who gained the final 14 yards, with the score
coming on a short pass in the flat on a third and one midway through the
second quarter.  

The Colts attempted to retaliate, and moved it from their own 40 following a
Clifton Smith kickoff return of 32 yards to the Bronco 17, but a holding
penalty against guard Reggie Wells moved it back, and the Colts were stopped
on a third and 12 four yards short at the Denver 11. And then Ernie Sims
blocked the Matt Prater field goal attempt, with the Bronco special teams
keeping the Broncos in the game through the end of the half. 

But just as quickly, the Bronco special teams gave it all away to start the
second half, as Delanie Walker fumbled the kickoff return and the Colts
recovered at the 13. On third and six, Ted Ginn caught a quick slant from
Rodgers and scored, expanding the Colts lead to 21-7. It stayed that way
through two Denver three-and-outs, with the Colts taking over at their own 30
midway through the third quarter.  

The Colts took up all of the remainder of the third quarter and the first
minute of the fourth before scoring their final touchdown on a Rodgers to
Greg Jennings 16-yard pass. But most of the damage on the march was done by
Ryan Grant and Lamont Jordan, who combined for 11 rushes for 41 of the 70
yards on the drive. Rodgers third touchdown pass of the game gave the Colts a
28-7 lead, and there it stood until the final play of the contest, when
the Broncos ended a wholly ineffective drive (15 plays, 33 yards) with a
Mason Crosby 51-yard field goal to forge the final score of 28-10. It took
conversions on 4th and one, 4th and 10, and 4th and 10 again to move the ball
to the Colt 34.  

Game Notes: Rex Grossman played well for three quarters, but came apart in
the final five minutes. Grossman was 9 of 15 for 56 yards and one touchdown
for the majority of the game, but completed only two of 11 for 17 yards over
the last five minutes. He finished with a 62.7 rating. Aaron Rodgers finished
with just 11 attempts, but completed 8 for 89 yards and three scores (136.0).
Ricky Williams was the leading ground gainer for the Broncos with 62 yards on
the ground (5.6 avg), and added ten yards on two receptions, scoring once.
Limas Sweed, back from injury, caught three to lead the Broncos but gained
only 15 yards. Still, he led the Broncos in receiving yards as well. Rich
Camarillo led the Colts in receptions and receiving yards, with 3 for 36, but
was the only Colt receiver who caught a pass who did not cross the goal line.
That recognition went to Watson, Jennings and Ginn, who each scored once. Tony
Brown led the Broncos in tackles with 11, while Ernie Sims had nine for the
losers. Five different players had five tackles each for the Colts. The
Broncos face the 5-3 Saints next week in New Orleans, while the Colts travel
to Texas to face the 6-2 Houston Texan squad.