Coffee with the Colts: A next-day look at the Indianapolis Colts' 34-17 victory over Seattle

Indianapolis Colts LB Tyjuan Hagler (Darron Cummings/AP Photo)

Indy Football Report Editor John Oehser takes a next-morning look at the Indianapolis Colts' 34-17 victory over the Seattle Seahawks Sunday afternoon at Lucas Oil Stadium in Week 4 of the 2009 NFL season . . .

THE QUICK LEAD . . .

Times change in the NFL, and they change fast. Remember two weeks ago, when the storyline around the Indianapolis Colts was about yet another diffcult game stopping the run and how that difficult game necessarily would lead to yet another difficult season in the area?

Fast forward two weeks.

The Colts (4-0), after two weeks ago allowing the Miami Dolphins and their Wildcat formation 239 yards rushing in a game in which Miami held possession for more than three quarters, on Sunday turned in their second consecutive stifling performance, and for a second consecutive week the performance was not just about the defense's strength: a devestating pass rush featuring Pro Bowl DEs Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis.

The Colts, after allowing the Cardinals 24 yards on 12 carries, allowed the Seahawks 49 yards on 19 carries.

“I think we are gelling together very well," Freeney said. "Everybody is playing together, the defensive backs, linebackers and the line. We’re putting pressure at the right time, coverage at the right time, the play calls at the right times."

With the Seahawks struggling to run, and the Colts taking a 21-3 halftime lead, Freeney and Mathis combined for four of the Colts' five sacks.

"It is important because it allows us to use our speed rushers and things of that nature when they have to depend on the pass," Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell said.

"It’s going to be tough to beat us, if the offense and special teams play the way they are," Freeney said. "When we get points on the board, all of the sudden their (the opponents) game plan starts to shrink, and we start to stop the run, and it shrinks some more. We get it to a one-dimensional game, we do what we do.”

Said Mathis, "This is how this team is built. Our offense is very potent. Once they build a lead, we have a fast defense. A lot of guys just like to run around. These are the types of games we love to have. We like to get at them.”

Caldwell said the victory over Miami "served well for us."

"I think anytime you win a tough tight game under very difficult circumstances it is something great for you to build upon," Caldwell said. "It was an away game. It was a little heat and hostile crowd. I think those things really got us battle tested.

"We didn't perform very well in terms of stopping the run. Since that time our defense has done a good job for us in terms of taking care of that gap control and running to the football."

LINKIN'

* Seattle Times takes a look at RB Edgerrin James' reaction to a third-quarter video tribute honoring his time with the Colts. Here.

* Fox Sports NFL writer Alex Marvez says QB Peyton Manning has thrived despite changes. Couldn't have said it better myself. Here.

* Michael Marot of the Associated Press' game story. Here.

* Steve Kelley of the Seattle Times says the loss to the Colts shows how far the Seahawks have fallen. Here.

* ESPN AFC South blogger Paul Kuharsky takes a look at WRs Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon. Here.

* Kuharsky takes a look at the Colts' defense. Here.

* Phil Richards' game story in the Indianapolis Star. Here.

* Bob Kravitz's report card in the Indy Star. Here.

HOW THE COLTS STAND . . .

1. Indianapolis (4-0). The Colts maintained their two-game lead on the division Sunday. At this point, if the Colts win in Nashville Sunday, it will be difficult for any team to catch them in the South.

2. Houston (2-2). The Texans' two victories have come over Oakland and Tennessee. How real is Houston? It remains to be seen.

3. Jacksonville (2-2). Who would have thought before the season the Jaguars would be ahead of the Titans? About as many who thought the Jaguars would blow out Tennessee in the teams' first meeting.

4. Tennessee (0-4). There may be no bigger surprise in the NFL this season.

WHAT WE LEARNED SUNDAY . . .

1. The Colts are still very, very good in the final two minutes. The Colts have been good in this area for several years, and they continue to be this season. On Sunday, the Colts drove 78 yards on a nine-play drive that consumed 1:19 to score on a 21-yard touchdown pass from Manning to rookie WR Austin Collie with three seconds remaining in the half. "We try to work those situations each and every week," Caldwell said. "We try to put ourselves in the toughest possible situation. With nine seconds left we had another opportunity available to us so we took a shot at it. You may not try that with a more inexperienced quarterback, but this guy (Peyton Manning) has been around a long time. He knows how to take care of the ball. He certainly gave us a great opportunity to do well in that situation." Said Manning, "We spend a lot of time with the two-minute drill, working on it in training camp we work on it every week in practice. With a 1:23 (remaining) with one timeout you really are kind of thinking three (field goal), just because time wise. You sort of work it, you try to get to the 50 (yard line) and we got to the 50 pretty quickly and get out of bounds. From there you start being a little more aggressive. I appreciate Coach Caldwell’s trust in us in allowing us to go for the end zone. A lot of times the safe thing is to you kick the field right now and don’t risk a sack. If you get the sack there you are running out of time. You also can’t throw anything in bounds, short of the end zone. . . . I thought that was really critical getting that last drive before the first half.”

2. Manning still values WR Anthony Gonzalez. When Manning was asked Sunday about the development of Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie, he went out of his way to stress the value he believes third-year veteran Anthony Gonzalez still has and will have in the offense. Gonzalez has been out since Week 1 with a knee injury and Garcon has caught two touchdown passes in the last two weeks. Collie caught his first touchdown pass Sunday. “I still think that injury was significant," Manning said. "I still think it is as we start to get into our division and play teams that are a little more familiar with us. I know every game that we have two young receivers in there, there is never a moment in practice or a game where you can kind of relax or breathe and say, ‘Oh, he will know this.’ Pierre and Austin have not seen a lot of these looks, so every game is a learning experience. So we are still hoping to get Gonzo back soon and welcome him back and need him back."

3. Admiration for former Colts RB Edgerrin James runs deep. The video tribute to former Colts and current Seahawks RB Edgerrin James at the end of the third quarter Sunday was an emotional moment for Colts players. And for Manning: "I thought about Edgerrin James today. I don’t know if anyone has had an impact as a rookie more than he did back in 1999. I got a little choked up watching that highlight tape today. I have never forgotten how great he was. . . . What a pleasure to watch and hand off to him. My coaches were always on me about to carry out my fakes, carry out my fakes and I kept saying, ‘but I want to watch, I want to hand off and watch No. 32 run.’ I thought that was a really classy tribute on behalf of our organization. I knew the fans would react that way to Edgerrin. I got to believe that meant a lot to him and it was well done.” Said Colts WR Reggie Wayne, who played with James at the University of Miami: "That's the way it should be. I feel like the crowd did exactly what should’ve been done, a standing ovation. They all cheered. I’m just happy to see him smiling.”

WHAT WE DON'T KNOW . . .

1. How good are the Colts. Don't get the title to this entry wrong. The Colts are good, and at 4-0, they have taken control of the AFC South after four games, but the combined record of their four opponent is 5-10 and they have yet to play a team with a winning record. That won't change next week, and although it doesn't mean the Colts aren't season-long contenders, it will be an issue until they play a team with a quality record. That might not happen until mid-November.

QUOTABLES AND NOTABLES . . .

* Freeney on the Colts' defense: "I love this scheme. We are far from being where we need to be, but I definitely think we’re taking steps in the right direction. Guys are accountable and doing what they are supposed to do. The coaching staff did a great job of relaying what the game plan is for the week, and guys carried it out to a T. We have some things we do need to clean up, but it’s only week four.”

* Caldwell on next week's game at defending AFC South champion Tennessee (0-4): "Obviously next week is a big challenge for us. It is a team that was 13-3 last year. I don't care what anybody says and know what the score of their game is today, but they are a talented group. They are a hard nose group. We need to really get ready and go down there and play well."

* Colts RB Joseph Addai on wearing pink shoes as part of an NFL initiative to promote breast-cancer awareness: "It’s a different look, but it’s for a good cause. A lot of people talked about by my shoes because I was the first one to wear them in practice, kind of breaking them in. They all kind of laughed and said they were too pink, it’s hot pink. It’s a good cause. Don’t look at it because it’s a pink color, but (realize) what is going on and make people aware of what is happening.”

THE LAST WORD . . .

. . . goes to Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell . . . We just finished the first quarter for us so we will take a look at that and see where we are. We won't talk about it again until after we finish the second quarter. So we start all over again as if it is 0-0.

*** COLTS QB PEYTON MANNING CALLS 4-0 RECORD A GOOD START: INDY FOOTBALL REPORT EDITOR JOHN OEHSER'S GAME STORY. HERE

*** INDY FOOTBALL REPORT EDITOR JOHN OEHSER PREVIEWS COLTS-SEATTLE SEAHAWKS HERE

*** ON WHAT FORMER COLTS AND CURRENT SEAHAWKS RB EDGERRIN JAMES MEANT TO JOSEPH ADDAI HERE

*** COLTS QB PEYTON MANNING NAMED AFC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE MONTH HERE

*** COLTS QB PEYTON MANNING ON THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF FORMER COLTS RB EDGERRIN JAMES HERE

*** WR PIERRE GARCON AMONG FIVE KEY EARLY-SEASON DEVELOPMENTS FOR 3-0 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS HERE ***

*** REVIEWING COLTS PRESIDENT BILL POLIAN'S WEEKLY RADIO SHOW HERE. PART ONE

*** REVIEWING COLTS PRESIDENT BILL POLIAN'S WEEKLY RADIO SHOW HERE. PART TWO

*** WHAT DO THE COLTS HAVE TO DO TO WIN THE AFC SOUTH? READ IFR EDITOR JOHN OEHSER'S FIVE KEYS HERE

DWIGHT FREENEY NEWS

* Colts quiet on status of DE Dwight Freeney

* DE Dwight Freeney out 2-to-3 weeks