ORIGINAL: Zim
I was on the Colts message board and some people are just dellusional. They keep spouting how much improved the Indy run stop has been since the return of Bob Sanders, but the stats do not indicate that at all. They gave up 4.1 YPC in the regular season and in the last 2 playoff games gave up...............4.1 YPC. Benson & Jones are averaging............4.1 YPC. The only difference is Indy's opponents only tried to run the ball 20 & 24 times compared to the Bears 34 & 46.
Go figure.
Bears will be bringing a steady diet of Benson/Jones and Turner will not give up on the run like Balt. & NE.
Should be a good game hinging in turnovers.
Im sure my friends at colts.com would be glad to know they are delusional now
You are a little off however. To suggest that Indys run defense has not improved is wrong. In the reg season they gave up over 5 YPC, not 4.1. In fact, they were one of the worst in the history of the league in that area. In the playoffs they are at 3.6 YPC which is actually better then Chicagos. Teams arent running as much on them becuase they arent having success,especially on first down. Larry Johnson couldnt do it and Jamal Lewis couldnt do it. NE did have better luck but still nothing like the reg season.
I look for Indy to bring an extra guy in the box( probably Bob Sanders), and bring another defensive back up closer to the LOS versus the Bears. It will be similar to how we played the Ravens and Chiefs. Stop the run first and then tee off on the QB. It will ultimately come down to Grossman making plays, just like it did in the KC and Baltimore game. Chicagos offense is not the Patriots offense, Grossman certainly isnt Brady so i dont think Indy has as much to look for versus them. Grossman didnt play well a few weeks back becuase "it was new years eve" as he said, so i can only imagine what the Superbowl will do to him.