The Colts’ 24-13 victory over the Broncos in Denver during the playoffs last season led to a new coaching staff for the home team and a lot of speculation about whether quarterback Peyton Manning would continue his playing career.
Helping to fuel that speculation was talk about Manning playing through a quadriceps injury that differed in severity depending on who was talking about it. There was less discussion about the play of the Colts defense that held the Broncos to 288 yards in the game, something that safety Mike Adams took issue with during an appearance on NFL Network.
“We got in his face and we did things that made him feel uncomfortable,” Adams said. “I remember how well we played as a defense. There was a lot of taking away from how well the defense played, saying he was hurt, and this and that. I think it was us. I think it was the defense and we executed our game plan.”
It’s a fair argument, although the Manning-centric focus is hardly a surprise in a league that turns the spotlight on quarterbacks every chance it gets. The Colts’ success in the last three seasons has been largely chalked up to quarterback Andrew Luck with the defense coming up for congratulations somewhere down the line. Changing that won’t be easy, but taking the next step in their progression this seasons would lead to plenty of compliments for everyone in Indianapolis.