|
Colts' much-maligned defense stuffs the Ravens
2007-01-13
The Indianapolis Colts rode an inspired defense and five field goals by Adam Vinatieri to defeat the Baltimore Ravens 15-6 on Saturday and advance to the AFC championship game. The Colts (14-4) will play the winner of Sunday's match-up between the San Diego Chargers and the New England Patriots for the right to play in the Super Bowl on February 4 in Miami. Indianapolis's high-powered offense took a back seat to its much-maligned defense, a unit that ranked last in the league against the run during the regular season. Led by eight tackles by cornerback Bob Sanders and seven by linebacker Rob Morris, the Colts stuffed the Ravens' offense all day, limiting normally prolific running back to Jamal Lewis just 53 yards on 13 carries. "This was a tough game for us," said Morris. "Jamal Lewis is a fabulous back and (quarterback) Steve McNair is one of my all-time favorite players. "Someday, after I retire, I will be proud to say that I played against him .... Anytime you hold the Ravens to two field goals and no touchdowns, you have to feel good." McNair completed 18 of 29 passes for 173 yards with two interceptions and was never able to lead the Ravens into the end zone. He also lost a fumble. "We could never find a rhythm," said Ravens receiver Mark Clayton. "It was always something." A 48-yard field goal by Vinatieri early in the second half gave Indianapolis a 12-3 lead. Baltimore's Matt Stover booted a 51-yarder early in the final quarter to slice the Colts' advantage to 12-6 but the Ravens' offense sputtered the rest of the way. Vinatieri kicked a 25-yard field goal with 23 seconds left to end the scoring. MAKE IT COUNT Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, who ranked first in the NFL with 31 touchdown passes and second with 4,397 passing yards, had a sub-par game against the NFL's top-ranked defense, completing just 15 of 30 passes with no touchdowns and two interceptions. "It's tough to get in synch against these guys," said Colts Coach Tony Dungy. "They don't let you. You know you are going to get a play here and there. When you get that opportunity, you have to make it count." Indianapolis forced four Baltimore turnovers, picking up two fumbles in addition to McNair's two pickoffs. Particularly costly to the Ravens was an interception by Antoine Bethea at the one-yard line with the Ravens at the Colts' four. "All I did was read the quarterback and I broke to the ball," said Bethea. "I got there first. It was a big play but this game was more than one play. This was truly a group effort by our defense." Ravens Coach Brian Billick cringed when discussing his team's turnovers. "You can't turn the ball over in a championship-style game," he said. "We can't make the mistakes we made. That's an awful lot to overcome." The Ravens, the AFC North Division champions, were just two for 11 on third-down conversions and conclude their season at 13-4. Vinatieri, who starred in three Super Bowl victories with the New England Patriots, kicked three field goals in the first half to stake the Indianapolis to a 9-3 lead. Field goals of 23 and 42 yards in the opening quarter gave the Colts a 6-0 lead but Stover booted a 40-yarder to trim the lead to 6-3. Vinatieri, however, countered with a 51-yarder late in the first half, the ball bouncing high off the crossbar before going over. Dungy said Vinatieri has "been exceptional all year." "You feel like you're going to make it every time he goes out there," he said. "In games like this, it's necessary."
| 
