Colts trample Bucs, 33-14

The Indianapolis Colts and Peyton Manning overcame a number of key personnel losses to put away the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers by a score of 33-14.

The Bucs' defense had no antidote for Manning's passing, and the Bucs' offense found itself facing a surprisingly stout Colts defense. The Colts forced at least five three-and-out possessions by the Buccaneers, making the 2007 Bucs look quite a bit like the 2006 team that won only four games.

As with last week's game against the Carolina Panthers, this was a team effort.

Offense:
The offense could not get the running game going at all against the Colts. About half the running plays lost yardage in the first half. Can Donald Penn be that much worse than Luke Petitgout? Did the Bucs miss Cadillac Williams' running style? Who knows, but if this game is a sign of things to come the Bucs will not make the playoffs. The team needs to run the ball effectively, and 20 yards isn't enough. Yes, the Bucs gained just 20 yards on the ground on 12 carries.

Jeff Garcia was a bright spot, completing 18 of 23 passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns in the losing effort. Garcia also toted the ball for seven yards, picking up a first down along with over a third of the team's rushing yardage.

Defense:
It seems odd to say it after giving up 33 points, but the defense played pretty well. Peyton Manning was the difference for the Colts. He three short, patient passes and placed the ball where the skill players could pick up yards after the catch. The Bucs could not make the quick jarring hit after the catch that had resulted in winning the turnover battle in the previous three games. One exception was a de-cleating job that safety Tanard Jackson did on Dallas Clark. Clark surprised me by only missing a few plays after the hit.

The pass rush was OK. Defensive linemen were getting close to Manning, but he did a great job of finding open guys and putting the ball on the money. Rookie Gaines Adams got close on at least two occasions.

It's pretty sad when I'm saying the defense played well while the Colts moved the ball almost at will, albeit in small chunks.

Special Teams
The Bucs had their worst day of the season on special teams. The return game was fair, but kick coverage broke down on two occasions, once on a punt and once on a kickoff. Former Florida State Seminole Craphonso Thorpe had a 29 yard punt return and a 35 yard kickoff return. Gaines Adams blocked Adam Vinatieri's second PAT try.

Overall, not much positive to take from this game. Michael Pittman left early with a sprained ankle, which certainly won't help the third down set. The Colts won the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball--though the defensive line for the Bucs did some good things.

Next up: The Titans at RayJay.

*****