Week 2 in the NFL seemed to bring a sense of normalcy. In Indy, we saw the Manning Bowl II, which Peyton gladly dominated. Colts fans were relieved to see the team they expected take the field. The matchup between the Colts and Giants in week 2 truly showed the importance of playing to your strengths. In the NFL it is impossible to have the perfect team. The league is built for equality in order to keep all games competitive. In order to overcome that, each team must choose how to build their team, around their assets, and to cover for their weaknesses. In the Colts organization, the team is obviously at it's best when Peyton & Co. are on the field and having their way.
However, if you recall from week 1 against Houston, the formula for beating Indianapolis is pretty simple: Keep Peyton & Co. on the sidelines looking bored. If another team can run the football, control the clock, and basically waste the game away while slowly marching down the field, they can limit the Colts from scoring points. But the Colts are built to try and avoid this scenario. The Colts are built to come out firing, get a lead early, and as a result, force the other team to start passing the ball and trying to play catch-up in a more hurried manner. This plays right into the Colts defensive philosophy, where Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis tee off on the opposing quarterback. This is what we saw in week 2 against the Giants. Because they were behind early, the Giants couldn't use the Texan's formula for beating the Colts from week 1. They had to play faster, and more aggressive to catch up. The Colts defense is built to feast on that.
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