There's no other way to explain it other than to say the Indianapolis Colts walked face first into a buzzsaw in Week 15, and that's why they were soundly beaten, 34-7, at the hands of the New Orleans Saints. There couldn't possibly have been any more motivation that could've been hurled the Saints way for "Monday Night Football," needing to bounce back from a loss on their own field to the San Francisco 49ers one week prior that pushed them out of the No. 1 spot in the NFC, and to also have a chance for both Drew Brees and Michael Thomas to make history in the process.
And so, unfortunately for the Colts, all of those things occurred on what was nothing short of a perfect evening for Brees, Thomas and the entire Saints organization. Brees became the all-time leader in passing touchdowns -- surpassing Peyton Manning in the process and landing a fun reaction from Tom Brady afterwards -- with Thomas setting a team record by catching more than 125 passes in a single season.
Entering the game with a 6-7 record and clinging for dear life to a shot at a wild-card berth, the Colts were outclassed and out-motivated from the moment the coin flipped. Jacoby Brissett looked like a ball of nerves early, Marlon Mack was made a non-factor, and the Indy defense had no answer for anything head coach Sean Payton threw at them.
In the end, the Colts managed to score only one touchdown more than if they never got off of the bus in the first place, and that didn't even occur until their were down 34-0 with only four minutes left to play.
Ouch.
Week 15 is in the books and there's a lot to go over, including a record-breaking night for Drew Brees. Fortunately Will Brinson, John Breech, Ryan Wilson and Sean Wagner-McGough are here to break everything down on the Pick Six Podcast. Listen below and be sure to subscribe right here for daily NFL goodness fired into your eardrums.
Why the Saints won
What New Orleans did to Indianapolis was downright surgical, both offensively and defensively. At one point, Brees completed 21 consecutive passes and ended the day completing 29 of his 30 attempts, racking up 307 yards and four touchdowns in the process, and Thomas inhaled every pass thrown his way -- catching all 12 of his targets for 128 yards. It's key to note Thomas had those numbers in the third quarter, and could've easily put up 200 yards if he had been allowed to, by Payton. Even with a solid, but not eye-popping night from Alvin Kamara, the Saints offense put on a show, and their defense nearly pitched a shutout only seven days after allowing 48 points to the 49ers.
Why the Colts lost
It felt like the Colts never showed up to the Superdome, first mentally, and then in their play. Brissett made a couple of elite passes early, but those were outweighed by three throws that sailed over his receivers' heads and would've been first downs, plus more had they been placed correctly. Things still looked promising when the Colts defense held the Saints to a field goal on a short field on their first possession of the game, but even that was fool's gold, considering the field was only short to begin with because the Saints blocked the Colts punt. It was simply a bad night for Indy, to say the very least, which walks away having suffered its worst loss of the season, and one it couldn't afford.
Turning Point
Thomas' record-breaking reception wasn't simply a catch, but also a touchdown that pushed the score to 10-0, and put Brees two steps closer to making NFL history. The Saints never looked back after this score.
Play of the Game
There's only one play that could be deemed The One in this game, and you know which one it is. Brees makes history.
Bigger than rivalries
"As a football fan, you have to enjoy moments like this that transcend rivalries. Embrace what you're witnessing with these athletes. It's legendary. Bravo to Drew Brees. Who dat? Brees dat." - Me, via Twitter
What's next
The Saints and a record-setting Brees will now travel to take on the Tennessee Titans, while the Colts lick their wounds and host the Carolina Panthers in Week 16.