Colts Rout Saints in Season Opener
An improved Indy defense forced three turnovers against New Orleans.
INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 7, 2007 — -- Down by a field goal halfway through the second quarter on Thursday night, and with the offense noticeably struggling and out of sync, the Indianapolis Colts' defense took the field knowing it desperately needed a stop against a New Orleans Saints attack that statistically ranked No. 1 in the NFL in 2006.
And earning a stop was just what the once-maligned Colts defense did, forcing a three-and-out and a punt.
End of series and, essentially, the end of the game.
The Colts' offense caught fire, scored on its ensuing five possessions and suddenly a 10-7 deficit was a 34-10 runaway.
In a blowout in which the final score is 41-10, it's hard to identify a turning point, a precise snapshot where momentum charges inexorably in one franchise's direction. But for Colts coach Tony Dungy, there was no mystery about when Big Mo' moved to his sideline and established squatter's rights there.
"That was big," said Dungy of the second-quarter series on which his defense stoned the Saints. "If they take it down and score and go up 17-7, it's a completely different game. But the defense went out and made a stop and gave our offense a chance to get going."
That series certainly set the tone for an Indianapolis defense that featured four new starters and a rookie nickel cornerback. During the stretch in which the Colts' offense scored on five straight series, with Peyton Manning torching New Orleans cornerback and onetime Indianapolis teammate Jason David time and again, the defense held the explosive Saints to 24 snaps, 58 net yards and four first downs.
On four of its offensive series in the stretch, New Orleans got no first downs. On another possession, the Saints had just one first down.
In a game that was supposed to be an old-fashioned offensive shootout, it was the Colts' defense that played with the speed of a bullet. Last year, during the dismal period when Indianapolis could not stop the run, Dungy and defensive coordinator Ron Meeks kept emphasizing that the unit needed to play fast.
