Indianapolis Colts vs. Cincinnati Bengals Ten In-Depth Observations
Jan 4, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton (13) cannot catch a pass while defended by Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Adam Jones (24) in the first quarter in the 2014 AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
3. Mohamed Sanu showed up well earlier this year when asked to be the team’s de facto No. 1 wideout without Green, but he could only catch three passes for 31 yards on seven targets. Although he struggles with drops, he’s a true playmaker, and Dalton did nothing to put Sanu in a position to make those kinds of plays. Green’s two recent injuries were the result of poor passes from Dalton, and it seemed like the Bengals QB did everything possible to get Sanu injured. He consistently led Sanu into trouble, even throwing it to his wideout when sandwiched in between two defenders (the result was predictably a poor one for the Bengals offense).
4. Although Hilton committed some drops and only caught six of the 14 passes thrown at him, he gave the Bengals plenty of trouble and finished with 103 yards. They just couldn’t contain him, and he was simply too quick, getting open with incredible ease. That said, Andrew Luck‘s best play of the night came on a pass to underused rookie Donte Moncrief, and I have a hard time believing that someone will top this pass.
Under pressure for one of the only times in the game, Luck scrambled towards the line of scrimmage and dropped an absolute dime into a “bucket” as he was getting hit. I don’t know how he managed to get enough strength to hit up Moncrief in the end zone, but that was an amazing 36-yard strike on one of the prettiest passes you will ever see.
Luck did a great job of finding the open receiver in this one, and he targeted Dwayne Allen, Hakeem Nicks, and Moncrief three times each, with all three catching all three of the passes thrown at them. Nicks looked motivated for one of the first times all season, showing off his athleticism, size, and ball skills by making an impressive catch on George Iloka for a big play down the field. Luck looked lively, to say the least, and his ability to hook up on the deep ball will be something for the Denver Broncos safeties to worry about next week.
Next: Backs in the passing game