Game 35: Lions 18, Colts 17

Getting ready now for the first game of a Saturday tripleheader with Indianapolis visiting Detroit. It'll be my first look at the Colts this preseason as I continue my trend of watching half the games of a given week. If the Lions play like they did in Cleveland last week, Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne will be able to beat them 2-on-11.

Kicks not being defended by the Rams continue to be as boring as hell so they're mostly getting left out of my recaps. Daunte Culpepper starts for Detroit after Matthew Stafford's awful start last week. From their 20, Kevin Smith bounces a run outside left for 9. Pass in the flat to Smith for 4 more, and Smith up the middle for a couple and 2nd-and-8. Melvin Bullitt (not played by Steve McQueen) blitzes in and blows up a draw play. 3rd-and-9, the Colts let Scott Linehan get away with a screen pass, Smith's fifth straight touch, for 9 and a first. Culpepper just overthrows Brandon Pettigrew open on a corner route. Daniel Muir drops Calvin Pearson for a large loss. He and I think John Gill really crushed the pocket there. But on 3rd down, Culpepper steps out of the pocket and dumps off to Smith, who gets free for about 20. Gosder Cherilus is called for a blow to the head the next play, which puts Detroit at 1st-25 from their own 45. Draw, incomplete screen and 11-yard pass to Calvin Johnson in his first preseason action send in the punting team.

NFL.com's rosters are STILL not up-to-date, by the way. Who's getting paid over there to NOT keep the team roster pages up to date? I mean, shit, take an hour every day and at least compare what you have to what the team websites have - can it really be that hard?

That was Josh Thomas making the play earlier, not John Gill. I had to go to the Colts website to find that out. NFL.com doesn't have numbers for like a quarter of the Colts roster. I'll just have to use the team websites from now on, though they tend to be resource hogs and don't play well with my old-fashioned dial-up connection.

Back in the 21st century, Peyton Manning starts the Colts from their 20 with an 11-yard pass to Anthony Gonzalez. Joseph Addai starts at RB, finds no room around left end for a loss. Screen to Gijon Robinson for 7. Pass to Dallas Clark on a shallow cross is good for 11 more. Clark eludes two tackles after a short catch the next play for 10 more. Detroit appears to have benched their starting secondary from last week, which is probably for the best. Just when I say that, William James commits brutal DPI on Gonzalez at the 6. Get your head turned, feller. Easy TD from Peyton to Clark next on a post pattern, and Indy is unsurprisingly ahead. If I were ever tempted to bet a preseason game, this might be the one.

Indianapolis 7, Detroit 0.

Smith gets a HUGE hole on the left side and gets 24 up the sideline to the Colt 47. Josh Thomas way overpursued at RDE and it was all downhill from there. Culpepper tries Calvin Johnson deep but Tim Jennings has the play blanketed. Defensive holding moves Detroit up to the 40. Culpepper throws downfield well over Casey Fitzsimmons' head for an incomplete. Play-action doesn't fool the Colts on 2nd down, but Culpepper dances his way free and hits Calvin for 13. Draw to Maurice Morris for 5. Getting PLENTY of time, Culpepper hits FB Jerome Felton on the sideline down to the 12. Huh, a Linehan offense using the fullback. Smith jukes about 8 times to gain 3 yards, then drives up the middle for a first-and-goal at the 2. Oh, those Lions. False start makes it 1st-goal at the 7. Indy pressures Culpepper into a throwaway. Smith works down to the 3, where it'll be third-and-goal when the second quarter starts.

End of first quarter: Indianapolis 7, Detroit 0.

Culpepper gets forever to throw before finding Bryant Johnson for a short TD. All Bryant had to do was run a curl into the end zone and wait for the Colt zone to uncover him. Football can be really easy some days. Colts paid that drive for failure to get to the QB.

Indianapolis 7, Detroit 7.

Colts' turn at their 20. After Addai gains only one, Clark slips a poor tackle by Louis Delmas, drafted by Detroit for his tackling, and gets up the sideline for 8. Reggie Wayne's first catch, a quick slant, is good for 5 and a first. Cutback run by Addai for 4-5. Larry Foote stuffs him off right tackle, and it's 3rd-and-5. Lions should bring the house here, and do. Manning has to play dead to avoid a big hit from Julian Peterson coming at him untouched.

Derrick Williams tries to fumble the punt back to Indy but one of his blockers recovers. Stafford, who I'm just now noticing looks surprisingly small compared to Culpepper, takes over at QB. Looks like he's giving up a lot more than 2 inches and 20 pounds to me. After a penalty Stafford fires a beautiful 3rd-and-9 laser to Calvin for 37 yards. Colts gave him ALL day to throw. Colts announcer interestingly pronounces Aveion Cason's name with emphasis on the last syllable, like he's French or something. After Cason gains deux, Stafford fires to Pettigrew at the Colt 30 for another first. Smoke to Calvin, who weaves through a couple of different missed tackles for 9. If the Colts are going to make Detroit look this good after last week, I'm really worried about their defense. Felton plows down to the 15 for another first down. Linehan had a fullback on the field in a short yardage situation? Morris cuts back right for 5 more. Colts aren't stopping the pass or the run. Morris jitterbugs down to the 6. Should be 3rd-and-1.

Stafford calls timeout, giving me time to mention that Goodwill is one of the sponsors for the Colts today. If business is so good for Goodwill in this economy that they can afford to advertise during football games, maybe the young MBAs of tomorrow had better be studying their business plan.

Felton plunges up the middle and apparently gets the first down. 1st-goal outside the 4. Felton again off left tackle for 2. Linehan had a fullback blocking for the fullback that play. That's two more fullbacks than he had on the Rams roster last year. Stafford overthrows a fade route for Calvin, who can't keep either foot in bounds. 3rd-goal at the 2. The Colts blitz Stafford big, and he barely gets a throw off with Marcus Johnson dragging him down, and Calvin nearly makes what would have been an amazing athletic grab. Apparently broadcasting their firs preseason game ever, the Colt announcers can't figure out the home crowd is booing because they want to go for it on 4th down. Jim Schwartz takes a page from Steve Spagnuolo's playbook and kicks the 2-yard FG instead.

Detroit 10, Indianapolis 7.

These are the Detroit Lions; they take a lead and then K Billy Cundiff boots the kickoff out of bounds. The Lions wish Cundiff well in his future endeavors. Peyton from the Colt 40, and we're already down to 3:19 until halftime. Donald Brown enters at tailback and does about as well as Addai, no gain off right tackle. 4 to Gonzalez over the middle. The Lions blitz Manning - always a bad idea, and he hits Gonzalez up the sideline with a perfect pass for about 35. Except it goes right through Gonzalez's hands. Punt bounces out of bounds at the five as we hit the 2:00 (actually 1:50) warning.

Colts try to help Detroit out with an offsides, but Linehan just calls the same draw play as the one the penalty called back. The Colts, not content with the happily blazing pace this half has moved at, then start calling defensive timeouts. Another draw; Aaron Brown bounces outside and out to the 19. They finally pass now, for a whole two yards to Fitzsimmons. Just think what Joe Klopfenstein would look like in this dynamic Lions offense. Chances are he'll get his shot. Colts blitz and blow up a screen pass. 3rd-11 at the 18, and Stafford hits Pettigrew over the middle for 14. 43 seconds left. These last two minutes may take longer to play than the 28 before them. Ron Winter and crew take forever to get a tripping penalty called on Steven (J.) Peterman, his second penalty of the half. Moves Detroit back to the 23, but then Aaron Brown sizzles off right tackle for a big gain - 17. Stafford hits John Standeford at the 46 for a first down. Hey, Linehan, get Dane Looker in there! Detroit uses their last timeout with 0:23 left. Stafford flicks a deep pass for Bryant Johnson at the 10 but Jerraud Powers jumps in and picks it off even though he's giving up 4 inches and 20 pounds. Detroit scoring threat over as Stafford probably put too much air under that pass.

Halftime score: Detroit 10, Indianapolis 7.

Colts have a whole two yards rushing at halftime. Colts color man IDIOTICALLY says "you cannot rely on Peyton Manning's arm to win this football game." The HELL you can't. Maybe he means Jim Sorgi's coming in? No, it's Peyton to start the second half, with a rollout screen to Addai for a big gain out to the 35. Huge hole for Addai to take a draw over the right side for 11. Dumpoff under pressure incomplete. They had the TE Robinson trying to block DE Jason Hunter. I HATE those schemes. Block a lineman with a lineman! William James breaks up a short hitch to Robinson. 3rd-10. The Lions rush 4, but Peyton steps up and hits Austin Collie, who has to run out of a first down to come back for the pass. 4th-inches, the Colts go for it, and Addai gets it up the middle down to the Lion 42. He's making people miss here after halftime. Play-action, and Clark is all alone down to the 19. Addai weaves around left end with a draw for 5. Short pass to Clark down to the 7. Clark has plenty of YAC today. Brown down to the 2 as the Colt RBs are finding plenty of running room now. Brown bounces off a hit at the 2 and spins into the end zone. Good thing the Colts could run and rely less on that awful Peyton Manning, huh.

Indianapolis 14, Detroit 10.

Nice block by Clark on the edge on that TD run. Lions begin at their 20. Aaron Brown pops through a hole on the right side for 12. Who had a good chip block there to set that up? MILFORD BROWN. That might have been the first good block of his career. Aaron drops a screen pass from Stafford. Smoke to Keary Colbert is good for 7. I'm just impressed he actually caught a ball. 3rd-3. What looks like a broken play comes at the absolute worst time for Detroit, as two Colts blitz in untouched, including Marcus Howard AGAIN, dropping him for a huge loss. Punting time.

CURTIS PAINTER takes the brush now for Indy at QB. Whither Sorgi? They'll work 1st-19 from their 10 after a penalty. Painter gets hit on 2nd-and-long but throws while he's flying to the ground, hitting Tom Santi for a first down. 21 yards on the play. Donald Brown around the left side for 8. Colts blocking is a lot better this half. About 8 to Jacob Tamme to the 48 for another first down. Painter rolls out of pressure and throws the next pass away. I wanted to draft Painter for the Rams, btw. Chad Simpson bowls his way off right tackle and breaks about 3 tackles for a 9-yard gain. Colts timeout with 3:35 of one of the fastest-moving preseason games I can remember. The Colts can't get Simpson around left end, though, on 3rd-and-1. Aren't you NOT supposed to run outside on 3rd-and-short? DeAndre Levy shoots through and drops him for a loss. Hey, there's Looker, in his defined role as near-goal-line punt returner, with a fair catch at the 10.

Indy blitzes Aaron Brown into a 1-yard loss, but Stafford hits Adam Jennings on an out route at the 20 for a first down. Sweet throw. Stafford takes advantage of the free play on an offsides call by gunning to Derrick Williams for 40. Serious arm power by Stafford there. Ball at the Colts 40. Drop by Jennings at the 20. I don't think that would have been a terribly tough catch. WHERE'S LOOKER? Short out to Williams leaves 3rd-and-short, which they convert with another short pass to Williams, who appears to do a retarded and showy celebration after every single catch he makes. Jim Schwartz needs to pull the plug on that, and why isn't that a penalty when bowing to your fans in the end zone after a TD is? Brown gets a huge hole off the left side with a draw play but Nick Graham makes a nice play to shut him down in the open field for just 5. That play had TD written all over it. The 3rd quarter's already over!

End of third quarter: Indianapolis 14, Detroit 10.

Both teams have really been able to sustain drives today. Let's see what Detroit does now with 3rd-and-5 at the Colts 20. THERE'S LOOKER, who the Colts announcer describes as a tight end, at the 9 to make it first and goal. VINTAGE LOOKER! Felton plows through the right side for 5. It takes three Colts to bring him down again at the 1. On 3rd-goal, Felton gets tripped up in the backfield for no gain. Lions going for it on 4th down. Steve Spagnuolo must think those Lions are crazy.

Spags is right. The Colts penetrate the backfield and shut Felton down again, before he can even get to the 1. The announcers credit LB Mike (All I's On Me) Tauiliili on both plays.

Colts will start from there, the 1-yard line, with LANCE BALL now at RB. Ball barely makes it back to the 1 on first down. Play-action pass to Pierre Garcon gets them out to the 20. No pressure on Painter at all and he made a nice throw. They recover from a false start with an 11-yard fetch by Collie and burning a 3rd-and-4 blitz BADLY, for 67, as Garcon got behind the safety, Painter spotted him with a nice pass and he went off to the races. They don't cash in on that, though. A hold on Eric Foster took away a Ball TD, and Darnell Bing knocked the 3rd-down pass away from Tamme at the goal line. The FG is accordingly settled for.

Indianapolis 17, Detroit 10.

Drew Stanton tasked here with pulling Detroit even with 7:26 left. Bomb for Colbert is a little long and incomplete. Inside handoff to Aaron Brown for a couple. 3rd-8 from the 26. Stanton gets hammered by a blitzer and his sideline throw is way off. I'm pretty sure that was the first 3-and-out by either team today.

Colts get a chance to eat up some clock now from their 26. Play action screen to Jamie Petrowski is good for 4. But John Matthews appears to take his eye off a quick slant pass and it bounces off his shoulder and high into the air for Marquand Manuel to intercept. Pretty sure that was the first turnover of the game, coming at an AWFUL time as it gives the Lions a chance to tie the game late (though Schwartz BETTER be going for two if they score).

Stanton to Williams on a quick slant for 8, down to the Colts 35. 5:00 left to play. Play action to Standeford for 13 more. Great play fake by Stanton, and a super throw, zinged to Dan Gronkowski at the goal line. He bangs through three Colts for the TD.

And Detroit does go for two, their legal obligation for preseason. Stanton is dealing, too, FIRING to Standeford at the back of the end zone to put the Honolulu blue and silver ahead with 4:13 left.

Detroit 18, Indianapolis 17.

Colts will attempt to answer from their 23. Matthews drops a pass on 2nd down and pressure forces a Painter pass into the dirt on 3rd down, forcing a punt. The Colts wish Matthews luck in his future endeavors.

3:19 left for the Lions at their 38. Do they even know how to run out a game with the lead? I mean, they were 0-16 last year, Linehan's 5-27 the last two years, they're probably throwing deep here! The Colts stuff two runs, as Tauiliili and Jamie Silva have had good games for them there, but Stanton hits Colbert near midfield for a first down and Tristan Davis gallops 11 more down to the Colt 37. That essentially wins it, as the Colts are out of timeouts and have to let the clock run down to 2:00.

Linehan freaking idiotically calls for a ROLLOUT PASS next, but it runs right into a Tyjuan Hagler blitz for a huge loss. WHY AREN'T YOU FREAKING RUNNING?!? The Lions finally do work the clock down to 0:27 before punting. The Colts announcer, who is possibly drunk, thinks the Lions are going to kneel on it in punting formation.

After the touchback, Indy gets 19 seconds to score. PUT IN THE STARTERS! Remember after the Colts' easy first TD, when I said this might be the one time I'd ever be tempted to bet on a preseason game? Never gamble on sports, kids. Orion Martin sacks Painter to end the game.

MVP: Drew Stanton (4-6-56) was sharp and led the Lions to the winning TD / two-point conversion.

What did we learn: There's better backup QB play around the NFL than many reckoned on. Stanton and Painter looked very good for their respective teams today. Stafford made a good recovery from his awful night in Cleveland, but I still think Culpepper's the starter there for now. The inability of the Colts' starting defense to stop a Scott Linehan offense is really bothersome, though. The Lion running game gashed them a lot. They look like they're in the same boat they were in last year.

Up next: Straight over now to Raiders at Saints.