the key to this game is us being able to get pressure on manning.
You got that right.
Saying we should take away the run and make Manning beat us, is like other teams saying they should take away Miami's run and make Marino beat them (when Marino was around).
It's pretty foolish to go into a game with that game plan.
The key to beating the Colts is beating manning by bringing the heat. And that is by pressuring him early and often through the game by disrupting their timing and rhythm on offense.. That's how teams beat Marino.. Marino was pretty mediocre in games when he had immense pressure on him, just look at his playoff performances when we got beat. Marino made a ton of mistakes and errant passes in important games when he was consistently pressured.
And so does Manning. And Brady when we beat them 21-0 in 06 when we pressured him all game long.. Brady in the Super Bowl when he had a lot of pressure..... And yesterday when Brady was pressured through the game throwing errant passes.. That's how you beat high powered passing attacks who have a mediocre running game like the Colts do, and like the Dolphins had when Marino was around.
I would activate Cam Wake and have him, Porter and Taylor all on the field at the same time in passing situations, along with Merling and Starks etc. I would also bring Nate Jones on some blitzes. You have to bring people and not sit back. And have the corners play in tight coverage because the pass will be going off within 2.5 seconds.
That's how you shorten the field. That's what the Jets did yesterday by sending so many people and playing tight coverage in the secondary.. And that's why Brady only threw 2 passes over 20 yards in his 50 pass attempts. The jets shortened that field greatly....Brady and the Pats were dazed and confused not knowing what to do.
When the Bills sat back sending only 3 or 4 people in the last two possessions of the Pats game, and sitting back playing zone coverage , Brady picked them apart and threw 2 TD's in the last 3 minutes of the game.. When the Jets sent a lot of people at Brady yesterday having guys in his face with tight coverage in the secondary, Brady sucked and their timing and rhythm on offense was non-existent.
BRING THE HEAT ! We have plenty of people who can do it, so it would be silly not to. You must be in attack mode on defense when you face such passing offenses, and you have to shorten the field.. That's what other teams did to Miami and Marino in the playoffs. And what the Jets did to Brady yesterday.
And don't be afraid if the Colts run on draws or whatever when we blitz ....Because Miami has two of the best run stopping safeties in the NFL. Both Bell and Wilson combined for over 250 tackles last year.. And against the run on running plays, Wilson led the league in tackles against the run for safeties, and Bell was 2nd in the NFL for tackles against the run last year. We almost have 2 linebackers at the safety positions so you should not be worried if the Colts run draws when we blitz.... And it's not like the Colts have a scary running game to begin with with their finesse OLine.
Our safeties, who play like linebackers sometimes, and understand how to read the proper keys quickly for the run, will limit their running game even if we do blitz and send 5 or 6 people...That is a strength of our team. And it gives more reason to send people at Manning all game long making his life miserable.
