Colts barely edge lowly Lions

INDIANAPOLIS – Whew.

That was almost embarrassing.

The Colts squeaked past the hapless Lions 31-21 in a game closer than the score indicated.

Maybe the Colts forgot just because the Lions were 0-13 doesn’t mean they don’t get paid to play, too.

Maybe the Colts really missed Joseph Addai and his 49.1 rush-yards-per-game average (puh-lease).

Or, maybe the Colts figured because Congress couldn’t give the Big Three a loan, Detroit could use a bailout.

Whatever the reason, it was unacceptable. And it can’t continue – not if the Colts want to make a run in the playoffs and make something of this season.

“Every game in the NFL is tough,” Colts coach Tony Dungy said after the game.
Sunday’s game against the Lions brought to an end a three-game stretch against the cellar-dwellers of the NFL.

Indy survived with a 3-0 record, but save for a blowout against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Colts didn’t look much better than the bottom-feeders.

They failed to score an offensive touchdown against the Browns – a game Indy won by four points. And they were tied in the fourth quarter against the 0-for-everything Lions.
The Colts lost two fumbles on punt returns against the Lions.

The Colts – for the 13th time in 14 games – could not muster a 100-yard rusher, even against the worst run defense in the NFL.

The Colts did not sack Lions quarterback Dan Orlovsky, even though the Lions have allowed more sacks than any other team in the league. Not only that, Indianapolis never even hurried Orlovsky, who is listed as the Lions’ fourth-string quarterback.

Those statistics don’t win championships.

Hell, they barely beat the worst professional team to ever walk into Lucas Oil Stadium.
But give Indianapolis credit. This entire year, the team found ways to win the game.

Down 15-0 with 17 minutes remaining against Minnesota, the Colts scored 18 points to win their first game of the season. Down by 17 with less than five minutes to play against the Texans, Indy forced turnovers to score 21 unanswered points. Against the Browns, when the offense couldn’t find the end zone, the defense did.

Football isn’t about winning pretty; it’s about winning.

But if you can’t do the former against a team like the Lions, how are you supposed to do the latter against anybody else?

Now, the road gets progressively tougher for Indy, who still needs to win a game to clinch a playoff spot.

On Thursday, the Colts head to Jacksonville for a rematch against the Jaguars, who narrowly beat the Colts in Indianapolis in September.

Then, it’s at home against NFL-best Tennessee.

Then the playoffs.

Maybe.