Less spectacular, more efficient, same result

It wasn't highlight-show-dominating, field-stretching pass plays that propelled Indianapolis through a scare against a depleted Texans team that earned much respect, if not a divisional victory, in Week 3. True, Reggie Wayne had one huge pickup with his 64-yard reception in the third quarter, but that was the exception, as it was shorter gains by air along with steady amounts of ground progress that led to the Colts topping a resilient but outmatched opponent.Quarterback Peyton Manning's 110.3 rating for the day was typically impressive, but the most 2010 pro bowl Vikings 4 Brett Favre jersey
important component was his 69 percent completion rate, high even by his standards. The Colts accumulated 273 yards passing thanks to his 20-of-29 performance, gaining a modest amount per completion but a strong 9.4 yards per attempt. Basically, he didn't connect on many long passes but did connect frequently overall regardless of distance.Historically, Marvin Harrison moved up a spot on the charts Sunday, as he is now fourth all-time in receiving yards, having passed Cris Carter. He's 84 yards shy of James Lofton for third place, and he would have finished the day even closer with a more typically sensational Harrisonesque performance. He caught six passes for, by his standards, a meager 53 yards, functioning less as a genuine deep threat and more as an effective possession-style receiver through the entire contest.Of course, Harrison does just about everything related to his job well, and his willingness to put his route-running skills on display as opposed to his ability to break away from the secondary is one of the core reasons why the team is successful offensively virtually every week. He doesn't feel neglected if he's not racking up 100 yards or bursting straight downfield for scores, and selfless play means Manning can focus more on being functionally proficient and less on padding his main man's numbers. Also playing along with the workmanlike theme was Joseph Addai, who averaged only 3.3 yards per carry but still provided a reliable ground attack. While giving a premier back 22 attempts is not exactly indicative of a wishbone-style philosophy, Indy's willingness to stick with the run prevents each week's defending coordinator from dropping too many of his pieces into coverage.Of course, of more importance than a gaudy average is getting into the end zone twice, and Addai's pair of scores means that he finished the job when he needed to. Even though his longest rush of the day went for an underwhelming 9 yards, his ability to grind away at the line is tremendously crucial toward setting up passes.And, when the guy throwing those passes happens to be Peyton Manning, it's easy to cast the shadow of doom over the opposing sideline. This is true even if Manning largely wins with more precise 36 Bettis White Jersey
attacks directed underneath the coverage than through a constant succession of successful huge bombs.The same can be said for Addai, who pounded the ball steadily instead of focusing on searching for huge pickups. Plus, the extraordinary effort and force of will he displayed on his first touchdown as he gracefully arced over a defender into the end zone provided sports anchors with something fabulous to feature during the game's recap. It turns out the Colts can win without excessively extending defenses and still be exciting.