Coffee with the Colts (part one): Next-day look at Indianapolis Colts 17-15 victory over Baltimore

Indianapolis Colts TE Dallas Clark (J. David Ake/AP Photo)

Indy Football Report Editor John Oehser takes a next-morning look at the Indianapolis Colts' 17-15 victory over the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium in downtown Baltimore in Week 11 of the 2009 NFL season . . .

PART ONE OF TWO. PART TWO HERE.

THE QUICK LEAD . . .

Maybe Indianapolis Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell has something with this whole find-a-way-to-win thing afterall.

The Colts, after winning four consecutive games by double digits, have made such games a distant -- and for Colts fans undoubtedly, fond -- memory in recent weeks, continuing their march toward homefield advantage with four consecutive fourth-quarter victories. After tight victories over San Francisco, Houston and New England, Indianapolis once again made enough plays to win at the end of a game Sunday in a tight, 17-15 victory over the Baltimore Ravens at Baltimore.

And you know what? Close is OK. Really.

COLTS 17, RAVENS 15. GAME STORY. HERE

This is not to say close games are favorable. I don't particularly buy into the theory that a team needs a bunch of close games to get them playoff-tested. Some of the greatest teams in the last 25 seasons -- the 1985 Bears, the 1991 Redskins, the 1998 Broncos to name three-- flat-out put up numbers on teams, and continued rolling in the playoffs.

But close games don't necessarily mean fatal postseason flaws, either.

The 2003 Patriots, the second of their three Super Bowl title teams this decade, won twice in overtime and squeezed past several other teams, but they won their last 12 games of the season. The '86 Giants, the aged among us will recall, had numerous close calls, but won the first of their two Bill Parcells era Super Bowls that season, and ended up being dominant in the playoffs.

Come to think of it, that '03 Patriots team was fairly dominant in the postseason, too, beating the first of the really good Tony Duny-era Colts teams, 24-14, in the AFC Championship Game, 24-14, before beating Carolina on a late field goal in the Super Bowl.

The point here is this. There undoubtedly will be critics of the Colts this week. They'll look at an 18-14 victory over San Francisco, followed by a 20-17 victory over Houston and a 35-34 victory over New England. They'll package that with a three-turnover, far-less-than-perfect victory over Baltimore and point to other, more-impressive-in-recent weeks teams and point to other teams as the hot team. The blogosphere will express concern over the lack of a pass rush, and few may even refer to QB Peyton Manning's second consecutive two-interception game as a trend.

All of which is great, and none of which will go unnoticed or unaddressed around the Colts' Westside Indianapolis complex.

But it all misses the point, too, and the point is that the Colts are winning, and they have not only a four-game lead in the AFC South -- the stated preseason goal -- but a three-game lead for the unstated, just-as-significant goal, homefield advantage through the AFC Playoffs.

The point is nothing gets decided until the posteason in the NFL. Momentum is built in December, and there's no way of knowing yet if the Colts will have that then. But just because they're winning close games is no reason to think they won't.

In the NFL, it's fairly simple: good teams win games, in whatever fashion necessary.

And good teams with great quarterbacks are the sorts of teams that have a chance to win the Super Bowl come the postseason.

A FEW QUICK THOUGHTS . . .

* You can't help but like what you see from the Colts' running game. They never, ever have been a dominant running team, and they likely won't be this season. That's not the goal around the Colts, and it's not a concern now. What was a concern last season was that while the Colts weren't dominant, they too often weren't effective running, either. That can't be said anymore. Indianapolis has run effectively in the fourth quarter in recent weeks, and on Sunday, the Colts rushed for 3.0 yards per carry and 76 yards. Even beyond the numbers, there's a feeling you get watching this team run in recent weeks that they're on the right track.

* TE Tom Santi was on the practice squad to start the season, primarily because of an injury. On Sunday, he was a key part of a victory over Baltimore. You couldn't help watching Santi Sunday and think how once again, the Colts have become personified this season -- and past seasons -- by that familiar refrain, "Next Man Up." Mostly this season, it has been on defense that former reserves have played key roles when called upon, with Jerraud Powers, Jacob Lacey and others making huge contributions. On Sunday, TE Gijon Robinson was unavailable with a concussion and the Ravens took away TE Dallas Clark. Santi, a sixth-round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft, caught six passes for 108 yards.

* RB Joseph Addai rushed for 19 yards on 74 carries. Those aren't Pro Bowl numbers, but he has 11 touchdowns this season -- seven rushing, three receiving and one passing -- and he has proven beyond doubt that he is a valued, critical part of the Colts' offense.

* WR Pierre Garcon caught six passes for 108 yards Sunday. It was one of the most consistent games of the season for Garcon, who had had some ups and downs early.

PART ONE OF TWO. PART TWO HERE.

PART ONE OF "AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE" HERE

PART TWO OF "AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE" HERE

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COLTS FANS OWE RB JOSEPH ADDAI AN APOLOGY. HERE

*** CATCH UP WITH ALL THINGS COLTS ON INDY FOOTBALL REPORT. HERE

REVIEWING BILL POLIAN'S WEEKLY RADIO SHOW

Bill Polian’s weekly radio show | Part One | “If we run this way . . . we’ll be perfectly fine”

Bill Polian’s weekly radio show | Part Two | Defense executed when it mattered against Patriots

Bill Polian’s weekly radio show | Part Three | Victory over New England garantees nothing

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