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INDIANAPOLIS (Oct. 11, 1998) -- The anticipated mismatch failed to materialize Sunday in the RCA Dome. After battling Buffalo defensive end Bruce Smith for four quarters, Indianapolis left tackle Tarik Glenn emerged unscathed. More important, Colts' rookie quarterback Peyton Manning exited the game without suffering a sack. "We protected our quarterback against a good pass rush football team," coach Jim Mora said after the Colts had been dealt a 31-24 loss by the Bills. "That's a positive." That's also rare for the Colts, who surrendered a franchise-record 62 sacks a year ago. They've now held opposing defenses without a sack in back-to-back games, the first time that's been accomplished since they kept their quarterbacks sack-less during a four-game stretch in 1988. Sunday, the focus was on Glenn, who was starting his sixth game at left tackle, and Smith, a 10-time Pro Bowl selection who ranks second in league history with 156.5 sacks. Smith was able to terrorize the San Francisco 49ers a week ago with one sack and six pressures against quarterback Steve Young, but managed only two tackles against the Colts. The Colts occasionally double-teamed Smith with a tight end or a running back, but Glenn had primary blocking responsibilities. "(Glenn) played well," Smith said. "They changed their protections up, and there were some situations where they left a lot of people in to block." One occasion where Smith slammed into Manning was costly to the Bills and could have been devastating to the Colts. Early in the second quarter, Smith broke away from Glenn and dove at Manning from behind after Manning had released the ball. Smith drew a 15-yard penalty for the late hit which that saw him drive into Manning's left knee. The penalty kept a drive alive that led to Mike Vanderjagt's 43-yard field goal and a 9-0 lead. But afterward, a reporter asked if the hit to Manning's knee could be classified as a "cheap shot." "I've never been a cheap player my whole career, so that shouldn't be a question," Smith said. Manning, who had his knee iced down after the game, said "it was a late hit, I guess, because they flagged him for it, but I doubt it was intentional. Bruce told me he wasn't going for the knee." Vanderjagt focused One consolation from the Colts' continued inability to score touchdowns is Mike Vanderjagt's ability to give the team something out of stalled drives. The Colts' rookie place-kicker knocked down four field goals against the Bills all in the first half. Vanderjagt now has hit 14-of-15 on the year. "Obviously I'm stroking the ball pretty well," said Vanderjagt. "The biggest thing is in the last six or seven years, I haven't been able to concentrate on kicking field goals. I've always had to punt and kick off as well." Vanderjagt handled all of the kicking duties for the CFL Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts the last past two seasons. Polian irritated A TV camera caught Colts president Bill Polian during an agitated telephone call from his suite during the second half of Sunday's game. At the time, the Bills were driving for a field goal that would mushroom build their lead to 31-12. On a post-game radio show, Polian said the incident "had nothing to do with football." Slippery stuff A clean emblem apparently is a slick emblem. During the first half, several players complained of slippery conditions on the Colts' helmet painted at midfield. Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and wide receiver Marvin Harrison slipped and fell while maneuvering in the center of the field, and Buffalo quarterback Doug Flutie talked to the officials about the situation when it affected the play of his teammates. RCA Dome officials said the slick area was because of excess moisture on the turf from cleaning the center logo on Saturday. Maintenance crews used hand towels and high velocity fans at halftime to remedy the situation. Notes With 23 yards on six carries, Thurman Thomas ran his career total against the Colts to 1,204 yards. That's the most yardage a back has rushed for against the Colts, eclipsing O.J. Simpson (1,197). ... The Bills' Antowain Smith (130 yards on 31 carries) became the fifth back in six weeks to rush for at least 100 yards against the Colts. ... Marshall Faulk's 40-yard run was his longest since his 45-yarder last year against Green Bay. ... Manning's interception in the third quarter was his 13th of the year and his seventh on third down. He suffered another interception (No. 14) his 14th interception early in the fourth quarter on a second-down throw. |