Parcells has beaten high-octane offense
Rick Gosselin: Parcells has beaten high-octane offenses
Bill Parcells might want to rummage around in his file cabinet of old gameplans this week and pull out the one titled, "Super Bowl XXV."
His New York Giants faced the NFL's most explosive offense that game with veteran Pro Bowl playmakers Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed and James Lofton.
To beat those Buffalo Bills, the Giants needed to play keepaway from the league's highest-scoring offense, thus limiting its opportunities to score. New York did just that, controlling the clock for more than 40 minutes behind a punishing rushing attack for a 20-19 victory over the Bills.
The Indianapolis Colts pose the same defensive problem for Parcells this week.
Quarterback Peyton Manning, running back Joseph Addai, wide receivers Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne and tight end Dallas Clark are all former first-round draft picks and play like it. The Colts rank second in the NFL in yards and fourth in points this season. They want to make every game a track meet.
The teams that slow the game down have had the best chance against Indianapolis. It's boring – but running the football winds down the clock on the Colts.
Last week, the Bills (31) ran the ball more than they passed it (13) against the unbeaten Colts, allowing them to make a game of it before falling to Indianapolis, 17-16. In Week 3, the Jaguars ran the ball 40 times and controlled the clock for almost 40 minutes to stay in the game with the Colts before losing, 21-14.
Keep it close and hope you get the ball on the final possession. It worked for Parcells in 1991 against the Bills and it can work Sunday against the Colts.
Bill Parcells might want to rummage around in his file cabinet of old gameplans this week and pull out the one titled, "Super Bowl XXV."
His New York Giants faced the NFL's most explosive offense that game with veteran Pro Bowl playmakers Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed and James Lofton.
To beat those Buffalo Bills, the Giants needed to play keepaway from the league's highest-scoring offense, thus limiting its opportunities to score. New York did just that, controlling the clock for more than 40 minutes behind a punishing rushing attack for a 20-19 victory over the Bills.
The Indianapolis Colts pose the same defensive problem for Parcells this week.
Quarterback Peyton Manning, running back Joseph Addai, wide receivers Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne and tight end Dallas Clark are all former first-round draft picks and play like it. The Colts rank second in the NFL in yards and fourth in points this season. They want to make every game a track meet.
The teams that slow the game down have had the best chance against Indianapolis. It's boring – but running the football winds down the clock on the Colts.
Last week, the Bills (31) ran the ball more than they passed it (13) against the unbeaten Colts, allowing them to make a game of it before falling to Indianapolis, 17-16. In Week 3, the Jaguars ran the ball 40 times and controlled the clock for almost 40 minutes to stay in the game with the Colts before losing, 21-14.
Keep it close and hope you get the ball on the final possession. It worked for Parcells in 1991 against the Bills and it can work Sunday against the Colts.
posted by The Gryphon at 8:54 AM
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