Colts defense burned by Sproles
January 4 Indianapolis Star columnist Phillip B. Wilson
"Maybe the San Diego Chargers were better off without LaDainian Tomlinson.
For all the defensive plays the Indianapolis Colts made -- the four sacks, two key turnovers, and providing enough stops to preserve a playoff season -- they could not clamp down on the determined 5-foot-6 engine that stepped in when L.T. couldn't play anymore.
As he had done all Saturday night, Darren Sproles kept his legs churning until the end and scored a 22-yard touchdown run in overtime to slam the door on the Colts' season, 23-17 in the AFC wild-card game at Qualcomm Stadium.
A nagging groin injury forced Tomlinson to the sideline in the second quarter. But Sproles rushed for 105 yards on 23 carries with two touchdowns, caught five passes for 45 yards and added 178 yards on kickoff and punt returns.
It was as if he single-handedly sucked the life out of the Colts.
Colts defenders sat on stools afterward, many of them motionless, trying to absorb what had happened.
"Stunned. Surprised. Disappointed," said Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney, his voice a faint whisper.
Freeney and end Robert Mathis each had two sacks. Cornerback Tim Jennings came up with a timely strip of Sproles and end Raheem Brock fell on the ball in the end zone for a touchback in the third quarter.
Safety Antoine Bethea picked off a pass in the final quarter that, for a moment, looked like Chris Chambers could have caught for a go-ahead score. Instead, the Colts led 17-14.
"It's disappointing, you know?" said Colts middle linebacker Freddy Keiaho. "A lot of guys stepped up and played hard. I'm really proud of the defense. We just had a couple costly penalties and they were able to capitalize."
Three of the yellow flags came in overtime. The one the Colts took issue with the most involved Jennings, who was flagged for defensive holding on a third-and-8 Philip Rivers pass to Chambers.
"You've got to tap your hats off to those guys. They played well," Jennings said of the Chargers. "When it came down to making plays, they did and we didn't."Link
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