Super-Manning

Playoff Ticket Punched

2008-12-19T23:31:00.002-05:00

How about that? In all of the NFL, the first team to be locked into their seed is the Colts. Primarily because they were the early game this week, but still.

The Indianapolis Colts are the AFC's number 5 seed. Wild Card spot #1. They were (3-4) and now 8 straight wins later they're (11-4) and in the playoffs.

The hottest team in the NFL... who let the winless Detroit Lions comeback to tie the game in the 4th quarter.

The team nobody wants to play... who less than four weeks ago managed as many turnovers as points on offense (3) against Cleveland Browns.

Heck, even the Sports Guy ruined my day by claiming them (and the Steelers) as the prohibitive favorites at 1a and 1b in his power poll today.

Let's be honest and face some facts: this team has a lot of flaws and weaknesses. They can't run the ball. They can't stop the run. A couple of years ago they couldn't stop the run until the playoffs rolled around and then they caught fire. But even back then it was the usual suspects: defense and running the ball wins in January.

Last night was a clinic in defining the 2008 Indianapolis Colts. Their weaknesses were exploited. Jacksonville jumped out to a 14-0 lead. Mo-Jo Drew ran the ball pretty well. And it felt like on every 3rd and 1 hand-off the Colts were lucky when they only lost two yards.

But the biggest factor in the game, one for which Jacksonville had absolutely no answer, made all the difference in the game and has made the difference all season. If you haven't managed to guess it, here's a hint: His middle name is Williams.

This Colts team can be beaten. The trick to it? Blow them out. Build an insurmountable lead. Because, despite their many flaws, despite the injuries that have hampered the team, no one wants to face the Colts in a close game. Close games come down to the little things, veterans with smarts, youngsters with discipline. Consistent, effective execution of the exact same plays and patterns run all year long in both practice and games.

And that's when those close games are going to come down to one defining inescapable fact: The Indianapolis Colts have Peyton Manning. No one else does.

Thanks to Tom Brady jumping in front of Bernard Pollard, we don't even have an argument or comparison this year.

The year's not over yet and the stats don't even tell half the story but they can still be fun. In this supposed 'down' year, Manning's 12 interceptions are fewer than Brett Favre has ever had in a season. His passer rating of 93.8 is its lowest in six years, even lower than his career average, yet it's still higher than all but one season in Brady's career. His pedestrian 26 touchdown passes have him tied for third in the NFL.

Last night's game, he was making so many near perfect throws it was ridiculous. And unlike some of the Colts' games this season, the receivers were making the catches. Dallas Clark especially has been playing as good as I've ever seen him play.

Both Freeney and Mathis have double-digit sacks and have combined to force 9 fumbles. Bob Sanders is getting closer to healthy. All those role players and backups forced into action on the offensive line and all areas of the defense have experience that may be critical to a deep playoff run.

Peyton's just about taken this team as far as he can on his own. He's been making plays every time they've been needed. The question is who else on the Colts is going to be making plays? Because he can't do it on his own. The defense has to make stops. They have to hold teams to field goals and get the ball back in the offense's hands.

There are no favorites in the NFL this year. It's been wackier than usual. I'm still a little unsure on how I feel about the Colts odds but I can completely envision this scenario: It's the fourth quarter on the road. The Colts have clawed their way back to make it a one-score game. Defense holds on a third and long. Peyton's trotting back onto the field with three minutes to go.

Now picture the faces on the other sideline.

Do I feel good about the Colts' chances? Yeah, I do. But I may be a little worried we're going to score too fast.

Happy Tofurkey Day everyone!

2008-11-26T15:51:00.007-05:00

Whether you're going to be dining on a sweet, cute, cuddly delicious bird tomorrow or the extremely poor sponge-like substitute, I hope everyone's thanksgiving is filled with surprising upsets and wild NFL football games.

Because at first glance, all three games could be real stinkers.

Titans versus Lions? Well, at least it won't be an undefeated team against a wholly defeated team but when your records coming in are (10-1) and (0-11), it just doesn't seem like the game is going to come down to the wire. Dallas got Tony Romo back while the Seahawks got Matt Hasselbeck back. Only one of those returns carries any relevance. And while I like the idea of cardinals and eagles in a war on turkey day, this is an Eagles team that looks seriously lost.

Normally it's just Andy Reid on the sideline looking lost, but the past two games have been... well, hideous is the proper term since you won't find the word fugly in a dictionary.

Nevertheless, tomorrow's a football day!

As for the Colts the past couple of weeks, well, we've added a pair of wins to improve to (7-4) and are firmly in the driver's seat for a wild card.

But I'm really not liking the defensive intensity when Bob Sanders sits. It's the difference between knocking a guy down and dragging a guy down. It's the difference between making a tackle and not missing a tackle. It's the difference between stuffed at the line of scrimmage and an easy four yards.

On the plus side, as I understand it, he's not in that bad of shape. And by that I mean, if these were playoff games, or ones upon which the season's hopes ride, then I think he'd be playing through the pain. And if that's the case, then absolutely, let's save those legs for the playoffs.

But if they keep playing soft, giving up big runs (like to Houston's Steve Slaton) or too many long clock-eating drives, then we may find ourselves quickly in games upon which our season's hopes may ride.

Peyton Manning hasn't had the sort of statistical season we've come to expect from him, and it's easy to simply write that off due to the two knee surgeries he's had or the patchwork offensive line and barely there rushing attack. Jeff Saturday's going to miss another month or so, but I'm not as worried as I was at the start of the year. The offense is still rounding into form. He's obviously not as comfortable with his hands nestled between Jamey Richard's upper thighs as he is with Saturday, but I think we'll be alright.

There aren't any clever numbers I have to support that. Just a gut feeling. And anyone who's watched the Colts this season knows that if the game is close, you can't let Manning get the ball last. He's been fantastic at converting when the game is on the line. At taking what's there and making defenses pay.

The San Diego game, and those two fourth down calls, were incredibly satisfying. The touchdown to Rhodes after Rhodes was stuffed running was brilliant. The pass to Marvin on 4th and 1 with 20 seconds to go was a genius call. A bit scary and underthrown, but a genius call. San Diego, like Madden and Michaels announcing, weren't suspecting it in the slightest.

Games like this fill me with hope. Because this season, just about every time there's been an opportunity near the end, the offense has capitalized. And aside from the Jacksonville game, the defense has held up too.

Tennessee's going to win the division, but they've been playing at nearly the top of their game. The Colts can get better. And everyone knows it.

It's just going to be a question of finding the right rhythm in January when Sanders is playing and Saturday's back.

Super-Manning Lives!

2008-11-11T15:13:00.016-05:00

Indianapolis Colts (5-4)

1	CHI	L 29-13
2	@MIN	W 18-15
3	JAC	L 23-21
4	Bye Week
5	@HOU	W 31-27
6	BAL	W 31-3
7	@GNB	L 34-14
8	@TEN	L 31-21
9	NE	W 18-15
10	@PIT	W 24-20
11	HOU	11/16
12	@SD	11/23
13	@CLE	11/30
14	CIN	12/7
15	DET	12/14
16	@JAC	12/18
17	TEN	12/28

We're just past the midway point of the regular season and I think I'm finally figuring out this Colts team. For those who want the quick answer, fear not. This isn't the end of an era. The season isn't over and the Colts problems are fixable.

To be honest, it's not hard for me to picture NBC's dream matchup of Manning vs. Manning in Tampa Bay, February 1st.

The schedule the rest of the way looks like cake. So far we've beaten the Ravens (6-3), the Steelers (6-3), and the Patriots (6-3).

In order, the records of the next five opponents are (3-6), (4-5), (3-6), (1-8), and (0-9). If the Colts play mistake free, they can run the table from here on out. The only team with a winning record is Tennessee in the last week of the season. They'll probably have already locked up their playoff position by then and rest some starters.

Barring a complete and total collapse in Nashville, we're looking at a Wild Card. And those head-to-head wins over Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and New England could be crucial. We can even lay a couple eggs, going 5-2 over the last seven and still end up 10-6, which should be enough for us, because of those head to head wins.

And for those that missed it, in the last three years the Super Bowls have been won by a Wild Card team (Steelers), the Colts, and a Wild Card team (Giants). Everyone talks about wanting home field or a bye week, but recent history says otherwise.

Given how the Patriots did last year (yes, I still squeal with glee just thinking about it), it's all about who gets it together in January. And just think if Wayne and Harrison didn't drop so many passes. If Manning and his receivers started clicking again like we know they can. We saw them absolutely destroy the Ravens, and now even when it looks like they're still not firing on all cylinders, they've eeked out wins over the Patriots and Steelers.

There really are no powerhouses in the NFL this year. Tennessee's undefeated but doesn't scare anyone. The Giants are the closest thing in my opinion, but even little brother has looked shaky on occasion. And if the closest thing to a powerhouse this year lost by 21 to Cleveland, then it's safe to say there are no powerhouses.

If the Colts offense got to clicking, they could be a powerhouse. It appears like there are more problems with the offense than there really are. It's just a matter of finding that next level of rhythm between Manning and his receivers. That's it. If that starts happening, then look out.

The running game is failing because defenses are keeping an extra man in the box. They can keep a safety up, because they don't fear Manning's arm the way they have for the past four years. But his arm has been there more often than not. The passes are dropping in the tiniest of spots where only a Colt can make the play. His interceptions are slightly up, but it feels like most of those have been tipped passes. Not bad throws or bad decisions.

The defense has been agonizing at times. It's like the prevent defense is on for sixty minutes. Allowing small gains nearly every play, but avoiding the big play. Which means long drive after long drive and fewer opportunities for the offense to get into rhythm.

But the defense has held up more often than not. The only close game the Colts lost was on a better than fifty yard field goal in the closing seconds of one Bob Sanders missed. His importance cannot be understated. He's a Pro Bowl defender, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, but more than anything it's the attitude he brings to the team. The hunger to play defense and tackle someone. Without him, they always look a little more tentative. With him, they're more eager, daring offenses to beat them, not just trying to keep them from beating them.

That's the attitude we'll need if we're going on a deep playoff run. Dare the other teams to beat us. Because if Peyton and his receivers start clicking, I mean really start clicking like we know they can, then there's no team in the NFL that will be able to beat us.

But I'd love to see little brother try.

Chargers 28, Colts 24

2008-01-17T15:16:00.000-05:00

It's Thursday now and I still feel sick.

On Sunday the San Diego scrubs beat the most uninspired and lackadaisical looking playoff team I've seen in years. Seriously. Did no one on the Colts get the memo that this was playoff time?

Uninspired is definitely the word of the day. The Colts didn't play bad. But they certainly didn't play good either. There wasn't anyone playing with any sense of urgency at all.

I'll admit to being surprised to hear the Colts won the toss and wanted the ball first. I would have much rather seen the defense on the field first and gotten the ball to start the second half. You get better tempo for both halves that way.

There aren't really any words to explain away the sheer apathy of the Colts. We saw a lot of this during the season, but I assumed that was merely saving up the good stuff for when it counts. Defensive players playing back a step to keep everything in front of them. Tackling with gentle wrap-ups instead of trying to knock the guy's block off. Receivers missing routes, dropping passes, and shrugging it off with a 'We'll get 'em next time' attitude.

This is not conducive to playoff success.

Marvin Harrison was finally back but that fumble he had was just plain rust. Something we definitely didn't need in January. If he wasn't ready, as I must assume he wasn't considering the crucial moments of the fourth quarter he spent on the bench, then we should have brought him back in Week 16 and 17 and come to that determination then. I don't want to hear about "We'll see how he does" in a game that decides the entire season.

The Colts are a better team than that. I thought Manning did fine. He wasn't knock-your-socks-off great, but he did a decent job. Two interceptions, that both hit Colts' receivers in the hands, three touchdowns, and over 400 yards? For most QBs that'd be huge, but for Peyton it was pretty ho-hum.

Bob Sanders' taunting penalty was just dumb. He wasn't even taunting in the cruel way most are when they get called for that as much as he was chiding an old teammate. Still dumb on his part.

But no one seemed hungry. No one was fighting to hit harder. No one was pumped and yelling at teammates when they failed or praising them for succeeding. Quite frankly they weren't even playing with the enthusiasm that the second and third stringers had in week 17.

I'm disappointed. This Chargers team isn't as good as they were last year. But it's just as well because the way the Colts played on Sunday, they wouldn't stand a chance against the Dark Lord Brady and all his minions.

Where do we go from here? Well, the good thing is that everyone's locked in for next season. Freeney will be healthy and it'll be nice to have a pass rush again. Hopefully Sanders will be pissed at how this season ended and play like it. The offensive line and receiving corps will get healthy, and the others will get more experience hopefully. The only player of note up for free agency is Dallas Clark, and if Jim Irsay doesn't shell out a healthy contract then we can easily slap the franchise tag on Clark and keep him around.

The other big question mark is on head coach Tony Dungy. A coach I'd love to see stay. But after seeing how the Colts played last Sunday, I gotta admit, if Dungy left, it wouldn't bother me nearly as much as it would have a week ago. Because if there's anyone to blame for the lackluster and uninspired game the Colts played, it's on him. This wasn't a team fighting and scraping and putting it all out there like last year. This was a team going through the motions.

There's a point where you try to avoid bad plays so much that you forget to even attempt any good ones. This divisional playoff game against the Chargers was completely forgettable. But the best game this season, the one where you could see the most about these Colts, and in which they showed some life was the one played in San Diego, where third and fourth stringers were barely holding the line and Manning was throwing for his life. The team that lost that game I was proud to cheer for.

The team that lost on Sunday simply disappointed me.

Some playoff predictions...

2008-01-02T17:03:00.000-05:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

NFC

All the NFC teams are stumbling into the playoffs. Green Bay and Dallas both seem like timid teams playing to 'not lose'. I'd like to have faith in Brett Favre but it's been a long season and I don't know if he's got the gas to win in Texas stadium. The Seahawks and Giants are too inconsistent to keep it together for four quarters, let alone a legitimate playoff run. Tampa Bay is over-achieving as it is and the only NFC team with any sort of momentum right now are the Redskins, with Mr. Ten-Years-Between-Starts QBing for them.

Unless Dallas really gets things together (something I find exceedingly hard to believe with Wade Phillips at head coach), then whichever team emerges from the NFC is going to be chum for the survivor of the AFC slugfests. The Packers could go on a run but I can't see them matching up well enough with any AFC team.

AFC

The AFC looks to be far more interesting. Pittsburgh has looked shaken ever since the Patriots smacked them down without even needing fifth gear. Jacksonville beat Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh in a slugfest just a few weeks ago. I think Jax is going to do it again and I'm hoping they do. In my ideal scenario San Diego knocks off Tennessee, which San Diego should. Vince Young's slightly gimpy, but San Diego is shaky and Norv Turner is their coach. I'd never put it past Turner finding a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory ("You'd played a great first half, LT, but let's ride Philip Rivers' arm in the second, OK?").

Assuming San Diego doesn't make too many mistakes, they should win and they would then head to Indy to play the Colts. They'll lose in Indy and it won't be all that close. Philip Rivers still hasn't located the confidence the Pats knocked out of him this time last year.

If Tennessee were to beat San Diego, then they would play the Patriots, and the Colts would get the winner of Pittsburgh-Jacksonville. This would be disappointing because the Patriots would smite the Titans and not even have to push that hard. In this scenario the Colts play Jacksonville. The Colts will inevitably win that one because Jax has basically got the Colts in their head. I mean they've tried to create a rivalry out of close games and almosts but a playoff atmosphere in Indy? I've seen nothing to suggest Jacksonville can win that one. A close game and an almost, for sure. But not beat the Colts.

If the Steelers somehow wake up and beat Jacksonville (while the Titans upset the Chargers) then they would come to Indy. If Roethlisberger is on his game, and if the Colts come out rusty, then well, it's not that hard to picture a game somewhat similar to this time two years ago. I doubt the Steelers will get that focused or the Colts will be that rusty, but it's slightly more plausible than Jacksonville upsetting the Colts.

Both of those scenarios, with the Patriots eating Titans cake and the Colts toughing out a victory over Pitt/Jax, will put us exactly where we expect to be: A Pats-Colts AFC championship game to decide who gets the victory lap of beating up on a NFC team in the Super Bowl. But those options mean the Pats pasting of Tennessee gives them a nice warm-up and some postseason momentum while the Colts get pounded and banged up by either a rejuvenated Pittsburgh or the Sonny to our Michael, Jacksonville. (Yes the Titans are Fredo in this metaphor-gone-wild, and yes, if we actually play them again this year they're getting a boat ride in the first half guaranteed.)

But no one wants to see luck on the Patriots side.

No, the better option is for San Diego to beat Tennessee. Because then the Pats face either a very tough, hard-hitting, hard-running Jacksonville team unaffected by winter in Foxboro or a Pittsburgh team that managed to put the New England spanking behind them. Further tiring the Pats out while the Colts coast to a double digit victory over the Chargers.

Now it's a weary exhausted Patriots team versus a rolling and semi-healthy Colts team willing to put all the starters on the line. Marvin won't sit this one out unless his injury is a hundred times worse than we've been led to believe. This is the game we all should want to see. It's certainly possible losing Freeney to injured reserve will finally become a major issue here, but I'm not that worried.

You can usually spot the teams going deep in the playoffs just by watching their last few weeks. Some teams literally hit harder. They play hungrier. You can sense the electricity in the air as their offenses drive with confidence and their defenses stuff runs and defend passes.

Anyone watching Jacksonville or Indy lately has seen this a lot. New England's got it in flashes, but lately they've looked tired almost as often. Not like they're out of gas, just like they've used up more gas than they planned and aren't as confident they have enough in the tank. If New England has to slug out a tough one with Jacksonville before the Colts come to town, then I figure the Pats-Colts AFC championship is a coin flip. The Colts have a lot of faith in their players and their backups. And 16-0 was not without its costs.

Even if New England gets an easier road to the AFC title game, these Colts still have a better shot than anyone to beat them. We saw last year the Colts comeback from three scores down but I'd be surprised if they even have to comeback that much. This will be a close one.

The big letdown game...

I'm pretty sure if the Colts make the Super Bowl they will win, but I'm absolutely certain that if New England makes it, they're winning. For my official pick I'll say Colts over the Packers for the game I'd love to see, but if it's New England annihilating Dallas that would hardly be a surprise.

Titans 16, Colts 10

2008-01-02T16:59:00.000-05:00

Ye olde meaningless end of the season loss... that coincidentally broke a lot of Cleveland fans' hearts.

I gotta say Jim Sorgi is doing an excellent job of avoiding talk of a QB controversy. Way to go, Jim!

Bring on the divisional round chum! IT'S PLAYOFF TIME!

Colts 38, Texans 15

2008-01-02T16:58:00.001-05:00

Houston started with a heck of a nice opening drive to go up 7-0.

And then the Colts took their turn, but instead just hogged the ball and played stifling defense rattling off the next 38 points.

Yes, ma'am. These guys are ready for January.

Colts 21, Raiders 14

2008-01-02T16:55:00.000-05:00

A very typical game between the Colts and an inferior opponent. Peyton and the boys walked away with the win and the Raiders walked away feeling decent about the way they played.

(Reminds you more of those older Super-Bowl winning Patriots teams a lot more than this year's Team Evil version, doesn't it?)

Manning or Brady? The great debate...

2007-12-14T15:21:00.000-05:00

Alright. I suppose trying to claim myself impartial in comparing Tom Brady and Peyton Manning probably won't float too well. But I can't stand back when I hear people saying the debate is over now and Brady won it this season.

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

Scouts, Inc. ranked the top 64 current QBs here. They said "About the only thing we agreed on was that Tom Brady was No. 1 and Peyton Manning was No. 2." And in the listing for Tom Brady, they say "There is no longer a debate over who the best QB in the NFL is -- Brady has moved ahead of Manning."

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

It sickens me to hear any sort of authority claiming this. Admittedly, Tom Brady is having the best season of his life. Very possibly, the best season by a QB ever, a distinction that I previously gave to Peyton for his 2004 campaign.

In the argument for rings, it is 3-1. To many that's all that matters. Not me though. I look at more numbers than that. I look at more immeasurables than that.

The touchdown record is almost certain to fall. Why? Because the Patriots have never once made any effort to establish a running game. Comparing Brady's 2007 with Peyton's 2004, one of the biggest differences is Edgerrin James rushed for over 1500 yards that year. The Patriots leading rusher has 529 yards so far. I think it's safe to say they won't have a 1000 yard back.

The Pats playcalling is pretty much pass on every down. Yes, that includes when you're up by 30+.

And anyone who's watched the Patriots knows Tom's throws aren't all that improved this year, it's his receivers. If you put the ball within eight feet of Randy Moss, odds are, he'll find a way to come down with it. Some of his catches have been absurd.

Brady has all day to pass with excellent protection. And a majority of his completions are throwing the ball straight ahead right down the middle. He can just wait until someone opens up. With as many weapons as he has, eventually someone does.

This takes nothing away from Brady, but he hasn't changed any from the year before. It's not like he is that much better than every other QB.

Now looking at career numbers is where you can really see the difference. Brady's season this year is so much an aberration statistically, that in just 13 games this year, he has managed to raise his career passer rating to a level higher than any he's ever posted. His career rating at the moment is 93.1. Before this year, a 92.6 is the best he's ever posted in a single season.

Even still, his rating this year is at 123.5 and while I expect he will break Peyton's single season record of 121.1 set in 2004, it's not set in stone.

Comparatively, Peyton is by many people's estimations having something of a down year. As long as the wins are there, the pundits won't say anything, but fantasy football enthusiasts are well aware of this. How down is a down Peyton Manning year? Well, if you view the front page of NFL stats on espn.com, it's hard not to notice his absence from the top five QBs. He's having a very pedestrian 97.0 passer rating this year, which is the lowest it's been since 2002.

Consider that as compared to Brady, whose never posted better than a 92.6 before this year.

How about touchdowns? Well, Peyton's only got 27 so far this year. If anyone's curious, I'll tell you 26 is the fewest Peyton's ever thrown in his ten year career.

On the other hand, before this year, 28 is the most Tom Brady has ever thrown in a season. So the 45 and counting are somewhat surprising.

Well then what about interceptions? I mean we all remember Peyton tossing up six in a single mystifying game this year at San Diego. True, he's up to 13 for the season which is the most he's posted since 2002. But Peyton's only got one multi-interception game this year, just the same as Tom Brady. I find it extra sweet that Brady's came against the Colts, but still.

As for Brady? He's only thrown 5 interceptions all year, which is definitely remarkable. Every other season in his career he's thrown 12 or 14. Just further illustrating the abnormality of this year.

What does all of this add up to? Nothing definitive. Brady's having an amazing year. Statistically, the best we've ever seen from a QB.

But in a debate between Brady and Manning, the only thing Brady's added this year is an enormous year that looks like an aberration. Manning has posted 5 straight years now of numbers the pre-2007 Brady never approached.

Some stat-heads said that after Manning won his ring last February, it moved him ahead of Brady. Others hung up on the rings said it was still up for debate. Now that Brady's putting up some scary stats, we're supposed to say Brady has moved ahead of Manning?

What about the fact that we're also seeing Manning overcoming far more injuries, practice squad activations, and strange faces surrounding him than ever before? I mean we thought bringing in a rookie LT could cause problems and instead we can't wait until the rookie can get back. And yet Manning's numbers are still as good as ever.

Do I think Manning is better than Brady? Yeah, I do. But that's more to do with the fact that he's an Indianapolis Colt and he's my guy. Any Pat fan worth his salt will insist the same about Brady. I will admit that with this year, Brady is definitely keeping the debate alive. But to claim the debate is over and Brady is the best?

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

The debate remains alive and as lively as ever. At least until February and Manning's hoisting up the Lombardi again.

Then it may be just about over.

Colts 44, Ravens 20

2007-12-14T15:12:00.000-05:00

Wow. It's hard to notice just how well the Colts played because of how poorly the Ravens did. That was a beatdown from the word go.

In the second half, Peyton played a grand total of two snaps. He handed the ball off to Addai on first down. Then he hit Anthony Gonzalez for his second touchdown of the night and put the Colts up 44-7. That's it.

Ninety seconds into the second half and his night was over. And yes, the Ravens got the ball first and went not three and out, but two runs for three yards, followed by a third down sack and fumble.

The Eagles and Ravens both gave the Patriots tough games. And followed them up with pungent stinkers. The premiere Sunday night game and more than half the crowd had left at halftime.

But in the midst of it all, it should be noted, the Colts played a hell of a good game. They played as good as Baltimore did bad.

We're rolling now.

Colts 28, Jaguars 25

2007-12-14T15:08:00.002-05:00

Man those Jaguars are like Charlie Brown and we're Lucy. Statistically, it looks like they outplayed us and that this was a very close game.

It wasn't that close. The Colts were in complete control. I know one of these times the Jaguars will unleash a spanking like they did last year at a time when it counts. But for now, little brother stays little brother. And the alpha dog in the AFC South is still a step better than the puppies.

But Lordy, even the runts in this division could win the NFC South, NFC West, or AFC West.

Colts 31, Falcons 13

2007-12-14T15:08:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving. Cakewalk win. Nice to have those again.

Colts 13, Chiefs 10

2007-12-14T15:06:00.000-05:00

Back to our winning ways. But this game bothered me.

Freeney Out, Rice In

2007-11-15T13:16:00.000-05:00

Dwight Freeney's got a Lisfranc foot injury and his season is over. As a Colts fan, trust me when I say, that sucks.

I don't think people realize just what a terror he is, and how much the defense depended on him. Primarily because for a pass rushing end, sacks are the numbers they look at. But in a supposed down year with only 5.5 sacks, did you even realize that Freeney led the NFL in quarterback hurries? I know the rushing defense was weak but Freeney is a beast. Losing him for the season hurts.

But it's not over. These Colts are resilient.

And snagging Simeon Rice off waivers is a perfect, wonderful present dropping into our lap. The chance of snagging an all-time great speed rusher, someone Tony Dungy actively pursued and brought to Tampa Bay to coach, someone quite familiar with the Cover-2 scheme Dungy runs, is a sign of good fortune. Rice isn't Freeney. He won't replace the presence Freeney has, or the double teams Freeney muscles and spins through.

It's like we lost our wallet. And just found a fifty dollar bill on the ground. Of course we'd prefer to have our wallet, our identity, the things that make everything else work.

But on the other hand, we're not broke. And $50 might be enough.

Chargers 23, Colts 21

2007-11-15T11:52:00.000-05:00

That was no whale's vagina of a game... that was a GREAT game. I loved it. I know your sarcast-o-meter is probably redlining right now, but I'm serious. I loved that game.

It's like the team got together and the little devil on offense's shoulder skewered the little angel before the game, rallying the troops. "Alright guys, we're decimated on injuries, we can't even dress enough people, and even though this is a pitiful San Diego team, a practically empty shell of the exact same roster last year, WE ARE GOING TO LOSE THIS GAME! Now who's with me?"

The defense shook their heads and said, "No way. That's Norv Turner. We're not losing to Norv Turner. I mean... he's fricking Norv Turner!"

But alas, the special teams took up the proud call and got the game started off just right. Dodging and diving out of the way, ensuring no one would barely touch a man so tiny it's amazing he's in the NFL. They stood up proudly, and used this game to announce, "if you thought our special teams were scary bad before, you ain't seen nothing yet!"

And the game was afoot. Offense versus defense. Just in this case it was both sides of the Colts and they didn't quite share the field.

It's been a long time since we saw Manning put up a game like that. And perhaps a few haters out there will read way too much into it, but I think the general consensus will admit Peyton Manning's going to be just fine.

The offense and offensive line were playing like a gimpy, injured man with only a cane in the middle of a slick and shiny ice rink. Occasionally, you can put your weight on the cane and move, but more than likely, you're going down. Hard.

Forget the Crap-watch, this was a Crap-fest. I was quite pleased to see TJ Rushing had been let go and Craphonso Thorpe was handling return duties. He seems far more slippery and capable of finding a hole for a nice return (like his first one of the night that started the Colts at midfield). Rushing, thankfully hasn't exactly been coughing up the ball, but he's not impressed me with his returns.

I will be curious to see if Rushing or Thorpe is back returning kicks this weekend. (In case you're not as fervent a Colts follower as I, TJ Rushing was released before the San Diego game to make roster space, and has since been signed back to the team again.)

But alas, even Peyton Manning's six interceptions, even the Colts wretched special teams coverage, and even though just about every offensive tackle got injured, they still were in place to win a game that they had no reason to be in. It was almost like Peyton was calling out to the veterans, 'Please, someone, find us a way to lose this game! I can't do it all myself. Not anymore.'

Adam Vinatieri stepped up and patted Peyton on the shoulder. "I got your back."

Low and behold, the most clutch kicker of all-time... pulled a Vanderjagt. An easy, chip-shot to win the game was pushed wide right.

Not to be missed also was how even Head Coach Tony Dungy got in on the action, wasting a valuable timeout just to complain to the refs about a questionable 'false start' penalty. Which immediately preceded the 'Vanderjagt', and suddenly that timeout would've meant another 40 seconds of game time.

There were so many mistakes in this game, that not even I would want to count them. Reggie Wayne dropped some passes he should've caught. Peyton's second interception, after Shawn Phillips tipped the ball to himself, saw Reggie Wayne sprinting to catch the large defensive lineman and attempt to swat the ball free. It didn't work, but it's a nice hustle play to see from a receiver.

On the other hand, Peyton's third interception (or maybe fourth) was thrown short of Reggie Wayne, who didn't even seem to be expecting the ball and let up on his route. Maybe he was supposed to come back to the ball, but it was woefully underthrown, right into the arms of one of Peyton's most frequent targets and the one with the best hands of the night, Antonio Cromartie. Gotta love stats like Ben Utecht caught three passes from Peyton, Joseph Addai caught three passes from Peyton, and Antonio Cromartie caught three passes from Peyton. If only it weren't for the baby blue San Diego jersey Cromartie was wearing. But the most noticeable thing about that interception was the lack of response from Reggie Wayne. No hustle, no attempt to break up Cromartie's interception, just sort of standing there in confusion.

I realize with the injuries to receivers, we're running Reggie Wayne ragged. I mean half the time we call for him to run a deep pattern just to attract a safety or two and open up the middle for the tight ends. But I'd still like to see a little more hustle. He can certainly be forgiven here, but it's those sorts of hidden plays that make the difference in a game.

Peyton had a tragic game. Some bad picks, some simple miscommunications between what amounts to second and third stringers on offense. And he was certainly hassled by the pass rush as people from the stands were called down to play left tackle. But he played a lot better than the stats will show. And the defense played great. I mean seriously great. San Diego has some problems for sure, but we basically shut them down.

The drive chart for the Colts in the first quarter is just plain hilarious. I mean we start by allowing a kickoff return TD in the first play of the game. Then the offense drives a bit, ending with an interception at the goal line. Next drive? Interception. The drive after that? The Colts finally make it to fourth down and punt. Of course that punt was returned for a touchdown.

Maybe Peyton should have stuck to throwing interceptions and keeping the special teams off the field...

So, naturally, the next drive? Interception. Oh, we got another drive that started just barely in the first quarter? Can you guess what it ended with? Yup, that's right. An interception.

In summation, the start was:
Kickoff return TD.
Interception.
Interception.
Punt... return TD.
Interception.
Interception.

I'm telling you, this was a GREAT game.

How can I say that? Easily. I want to win the Super Bowl. And this was a step in the right direction. I know Dungy and Manning may sweat the Jaguars and Titans, they may be disappointed that the Steelers could have the inside track on the bye-awarded number two seed. But I will trade that for the karma and mojo the Colts have now. At this juncture, and the current state of the Colts health, I will temporarily concede the number two seed to the Steelers. I just want the Colts to have the number 3. Because I don't want to face the Patriots in Foxboro before the AFC championship. I've been maintaining most of the year that I foresee a (12-4) sort of season.

We need a few losses like this, and looking at a lot of the rest of the schedule, we won't have that many opportunities to lose games like this. This game was very similar to the one Dallas and Buffalo played on Monday night in week 5. Tony Romo equaled Peyton's six turnovers, Buffalo's only scoring seemed to come on returns (much like San Diego), and the Cowboys did not deserve to win that game. Against befuddling odds, the Cowboys did win it. And so they end up looking better, than everyone outside of Dallas knows they are.

The Colts had a similar sort of game and found a way to lose it. So now they end up looking worse, people are counting the Colts out, they're pointing out the glaring holes and deficiencies the numerous injuries have caused.

And all it takes, is getting everyone healthy come playoff time because in January, when everyone's focused on the Patriots, the sleeping giant will awaken.

San Diego Blues

2007-11-12T12:20:00.000-05:00

That was a whale's vagina of a game. Manning played in a field of kryptonite. Hopefully the Colts get it out of their system; the six interceptions the two missed field goals, and can start getting healthy in december. Despite the poor play, Indy found themselves only a missed 29 yard chip-in field goal short of stealing a victory. The defense was again pretty stellar, conceding only a touchdown and holding LT to under 100 yards. The interception by Clint Sessions was spectacular and if not for the inadvertant whistle by the ref who might be on the Chargers payroll, the offense would have been set up in the red zone. Even though defensive players were missing, there was a solid pass rush throughout the game. The special teams of Indianapolis was well, special. It is hard to believe that a defense that relies so much on speed and youth, has no answer on kick coverages and continues to be the achilles heel of an otherwise great team. Some ideas for improvement: 1) always punt the ball out of bounds and 2) kick away from the returner or squib it. Vinateri does not have the leg to put the ball in the end zone outside of the dome and even there its rare to see a touchback.
Seems like every season has its ups and downs. This year the downturn has come a little early (Indy went 9-0 in '06 before losing a game at Dallas, finishing the regular season 3-4) and while losing two consecutive games is never good, the point differential has been only six in the last two games. The season prior the Colts seemed to peak early and then run out of steam towards the end of december and were unable to win a home playoff game against eventual super bowl winning Pittsburgh. More so than in other major sports, the winner of the championship in the NFL is rarely the best team and is more often the team that gets hot and builds momentum throughout the playoffs. The best regular season record does not even guarantee a playoff win as evidenced by the '06 Chargers 14-2 (lost to Pats) and '05 Colts (lost to Steelers). In the past 5 years the team with the best regular season record has played in the Superbowl only once- the '03 Patriots.
It is significant that although the Colts lead the division by one game, they are 3-0 without having played a division game at home (Jax and Tenn are both 2-2). They are also playing in arguably the best division in the league and with a schedule that lightens up the rest of the way, are in a good position to clinch another division title. The Colts are a team with a tremendous amount of mental toughness and character. The offense put together nice drives last night and there was no hangover syndrome from the interceptions. In the post game news conferences it was refreshing to hear both the coach and qb taking full responsibility for the loss, with no hint of blame directed at any teammate or even the officials. This is what the Colts have come to represent and is why they are so easy to support. They win with class and humility and lose with grace and sportsmanship. The discipline and professionalism that is such a mark of the Colts means that no matter what tribulations arise they can overcome them. The evolution of this team in the past 4 years or so has less to do with a great influx of talent and depth, and more to do with the solidification of a belief that winning is probable every week, everywhere. The Colts believe they are a great football team that occasionally underachieves instead of thinking of themselves as a good team that can be exceptional if the wind blows the right way.

Patriots 24, Colts 20

2007-11-09T14:31:00.000-05:00

The Colts have shattered the aura of invincibility of the Patriots. They have proven that even a god-king can bleed. And to borrow some highly quotable NFL press conference words, "They are who we thought they were! If you wanna crown 'em, then crown their ass. But they are who we thought they were! And we let 'em off the hook!"

I maintain that this season is the movie Shaolin Soccer translated to the NFL. The Patriots are taking their roles as Team Evil a little too seriously though. Particularly, it was when Wes Welker caught the game icing first down, turned around, and quite clearly swore at the cornerback tackling him.

That was when I realized what was really happening. These Pats want to destroy everyone. Not just win. Not win gracefully, or show any sportsmanship. But they are embracing their villain status. And for THAT reason, every single regular season game counts. They want 19-0.

The Colts had no such aspirations of that, which they made quite clear before kick-off. By sitting Harrison, Ugoh, and both questionable linebackers, they were conceding that this game isn't half as important as health come playoff time. The Patriots don't have that luxury.

It's stupid and a shame. And I'm almost disappointed that it will likely be the reason they lose in the playoffs. We'll hear excuse after excuse then, but it's just not smart football. Randy Moss is going to pull a hamstring. Tom Brady is going to get his shoulder separated. Something is going to happen. And as good as the Patriots are, they aren't THAT much better than everyone. Certainly not that much better than the Colts.

Instead, when the pundits raised a perfectly legitimate question, the Patriots flew off the handle. People openly wondered what effect Spy-gate/Camera-gate had on their Super Bowl runs. No one came out saying they didn't deserve to win. No one of any value has legitimately claimed their legacy has been tarnished. But to even question if it had an effect is unacceptable? Please. The only tarnishing of the Patriots legacy is the way they have responded.

The complete lack of decorum in their attitudes and treatment of other teams. They don't want to win. They want to embarrass. And that's what people will remember. They're basically turning into what the University of Miami was to college football for years. Extraordinarily talented -probably moreso than any other team- but cocky, brash, and classless. Making everyone see them as the villain and thus inclined to root against the Patriots. Making their inevitable defeat seem so much bigger and more important than it will be.

When the truth is it'll just be a team that was trying too hard in a league where everyone should be acting like professionals.

And it's put me in the odd position of rooting against them going 19-0, not just because that would mean the Colts lost, but because the way they play now is not how I want to see pro football played. And so many people would simply remember them as assholes, not as champions.

By the way, the Colts lost. And I'm a little bummed. They lost because they didn't have Harrison for quick-slant touchdowns despite having first and goal twice (leading to chip-shot field goals). They lost because the defense couldn't get any pressure on Brady in the 4th quarter. And they lost because an undrafted lineman thrust into protecting Manning's blind-side couldn't keep up with a rabid Pat's pass rush for four quarters. The first drive stalled and a field-goal was deflected. Reggie Wayne dropped some key passes. Aaron Moorehead needs more hands. Anthony Gonzalez needs to keep his legs healthy. And Manning can't make those mistakes if he expects to beat a team of the Patriots caliber. No matter how many bad calls go the Colts way.

But like any good movie, fairy-tale, or David vs. Goliath type story, the good guys never win in the middle of act two. They don't win in the regular season. They need to face even more daunting and difficult odds. Like Foxboro in January, in the cold and snow. Refs always looking the other way as receivers get jobbed. Hidden cameras in every seat in the stadium. Wireless headsets tapped so that Team Evil knows all the play calls. And it's when the game counts. When you put all your players on the line. The ones who play through the hurt, because this is what matters most.

That's when the good guys win and everyone outside of New England will cheer.

Colts 31, Panthers 7

2007-11-03T22:49:00.000-04:00

Is it possible to play an ugly, undisciplined game, make several mistakes, and still beat a division leader by 24 points?

Check those stats. The Colts are the third highest scoring team in the NFL and they're allowing the second fewest points. Only Pittsburgh has given up less. And the team allowing the least passing yards per game? Yup. That's your Colts. And it's not like these teams aren't forced to throw as they're down two, three scores.

7-0. And cruising.

Recap.

Colts 29, Jaguars 7

2007-11-03T22:48:00.000-04:00

That was a whooping. Monday night, Oct 22.

Recap.

Indiana Pacers: They just may be... not too bad

2007-11-03T22:36:00.000-04:00

"He tooted out his tush and impeded the defender. And that's a foul."

Man Clark Kellogg is a heck of an announcer.

That said, I can't believe I'm watching the Pacers start their season (3-0). Though I'd appreciate it if the cameraman quit zooming in on Dunleavy's upper lip and what appears to be a herpes outbreak.

This might be a worthwhile season for the Pacers after all. Oddly enough, I think I'd like to see Jermaine O'Neal traded too. I could be wrong, but I think I may not hate Tinsley anymore either. Granger and Dunleavy have looked good, as has Tinsley.

Colts 33, Bucs 14

2007-10-09T17:38:00.000-04:00

Oh my buckin' ears. Holy Crap.

Man that was a great game. Could it be true? This Colts team has depth!

I will echo most of Gordon's comments. When I first saw the hit on Dallas Clark, my impulse was to not call for the sideline but the coroner. I would've bet anything he cracked a rib or two, especially considering the way he was obviously in pain as he rolled around on the ground.

Of course next series he was back on the field. I guess he was just winded. But Tanard Jackson laid him out. And then picked off Manning on the next play. Nothing like an undrafted rookie to surprise Manning (and from the looks of it, Clark).

How about that AFC South! Like Gordon said, they're 14-4 as a conference. But three of those losses are divisional games, so really they're 11-1 against the rest of the NFL. Man, if the Colts weren't in this division, it could be a real slugfest.

But the Colts are. And I think that's part of why there's been an AFC South resurgence of sorts. All three teams, Texans, Titans, Jaguars, have to be built to play the Colts twice a year. Want further proof of the AFC South dominance? The Texans are alone in last place in the division. In the NFC South, NFC West, or AFC West though, they would be in first place.

Truthfully, I don't think any of the three division rivals are as good as they look. But I may just have been spoiled watching the Colts for the last few years.

CRAP WATCH: Yes that's right. I'm on Crap watch. Could it be that the Colts have a returner who doesn't run as though he's scared? It looked like he had lots of time, but Craphonso Thorpe I thought looked like a decent return man. He impressed me more than Rushing has so far this year.

And for god's sake people, his name is Craphonso! There really aren't words for how much this delights me. I had to double check that one and sure enough his ESPN bio page. No bio page has provided me so many snorts of laughter since I saw that Albert Pujols bio page had an explanation on how to pronounce his last name.

Yes, I am that juvenile. GO COLTS!

Week 5-0

2007-10-08T00:28:00.000-04:00

First things first. The hit Dallas Clark took over the middle in the second quarter was without a doubt the most violent shot I've ever seen. We were sitting about thirty yards away and the pop from the collison of the helmets was horrific. He stopped like he'd been hit by a truck and then hit again from behind by a train, smacking up off the ground with the same velocity with which he was slammed down. It seemed his head might roll off his shoulders after losing momentum from the snap of his neck. How in the name of all that is holy did he get up from that? Then come back in the game? At first I thought seeing the hit live might have added more drama to what would have been a normal clip of Boomer's 'jacked up' on NFL live. Then I watched the highlight on television. That was nasty. That was 'where the !*@& am I', momma take me home, wicked. I guess it was clean but lord man after knocking someone back to the womb have the common courtesy to not cleat him in the head during your celebration. On one of the late night sports shows Clark said that while he was rolling and writhing around he couldn't breathe which was freaking him out (as it should, air is important) and he thought maybe he should get up and go to a hospital.

That aside, the Colts were impressive this October sunday. The defense played with poise and urgency. What they may have lacked in talent or depth they made up for with spirit. Their enthusiasm and fire produced the best effort of the season, this without two starting linebackers (Morris and Keiaho) and arguably the best safety in the league on the sideline. Nice to see.

Offensively, Kenton Keith's performance should give all Colts fans reason to smile. Some depth at running back and more evidence (although none is really needed) that the offensive line of the Colts is one for the ages. Seems as if any back in the NFL or even CFL (as Keith is a five year man from up north) can be successful if they can maintain possession. They are and have been that good. Mister Ugoh is no exception. After a few early hiccups he has been spectacular and there is no doubt the he can fill the mighty agile shoes of Tarik Glen.

Possession football throughout the second half eventually made it a no contest. The runs opened up and short passing routes yielded a clinically dominant Colts home victory. Although power rankings are not at all relevant, the Colts have only faced one opponent with a nonwinning record, the inexplicably winless saints, who came in 0-0 and then decided that the playoffs are overrated and a long offseason might be nice. The Colts have not peaked, which is great and can now take the next fifteen days to get healthy and rested for a Monday night game in Jacksonville. I agree the Colts are similar to last year, although they are undefeated in division road games (0-3 in 2006), a division that has more collective wins than any other (combined 14-4).

Back to that hit. Dallas Clark should get a medical clearance or something in the next couple of weeks. Just make sure his spleen isn't bruised or punctured. Go ahead and check the other organs to, just in case his intestines are in his legs. And check the heart. The heart should be in the thoracic center, not in his neck like when he was airborne about to smack the turf. If he comes to practice wearing a Mexican wrestling mask and carrying a fishing pole, then lets go ahead and sit him out. For a while...

How about that parity in the NFL?

2007-10-05T17:37:00.000-04:00

Last year's top four teams in the regular season, the four teams who got byes the first week in the playoffs... are awful.

San Diego? 1-3 and they're still coached by Norv Turner and Ted Cottrell.
Baltimore? 2-2 with both losses in their division and a defense aging right before your eyes.
Chicago? 1-3 and their quarterbacks are still the gross and greasy combo.
New Orleans? 0-3 and only because they can't have a negative number in the win column.

Other playoff teams in the AFC?
The Jets at 1-3 because they squeaked past 0-4 Miami.
The Chiefs at 2-2 and averaging a sweet 14 points per game.

And then there are the big two.

The Colts are looking an awful lot like the team of last year, which is great for Colts fans.
The Patriots are looking an awful lot like Team Evil from Shaolin Soccer, which is not so great for Colts fans.

We squeaked past them last year. And now we're playing with more poise and confidence. But it sure looks like this Patriots team has improved from last year. And somehow, they've improved A LOT.

It'll be interesting.

Colts 38, Broncos 20

2007-10-05T17:11:00.000-04:00

There's almost a formula to the average Colts game now.

We usually start slow. We're not making mistakes, but we're not exactly executing on all cylinders. In this case, the Broncos jumped out to a ten point lead.

I don't think anyone, Broncos fans and Mike Shanahan included, ever really smelled upset.

This time, it was by halftime that the Colts had erased the deficit. It had been 10-0 at the start of the second quarter and it was 14-13, Colts on top at the break.

And then, as always, the Colts came out hot to start the third quarter. It seems like every game, the Colts come out of halftime on a roll. That's when they pull away and these games appear closer than they really are. This game too. Even though the final score was by 18, this one felt every bit as close as the Titans by 2 and Texans by 6.

I have no worries about this Colts team. But if I did, I would worry they become too complacent. Two or three years ago, when the Colts would literally blow teams out of the water with frequent three score leads by halftime, they were firing on all cylinders from the starting gun. And when the playoffs rolled around, they were tense, tired, and fell disappointingly short.

Now the Colts carry themselves with a cool confidence. Peyton knows he can count on this defense when we need a stop. And the defense knows Peyton's going to put up enough points without even sweating it.

The Colts will be ready to play the Pats come November 4th. And I am very much looking forward to that game. But it's games like this weekend's Tampa Bay game that the Colts are more likely to lose.

The Colts will make the playoffs. They're without question one of the three best teams in the NFL right now (yes the Packers are 4-0 but the Pats, Cowboys, and Colts are a level above them). So it almost becomes a question of what do the Colts have to gain by killing themselves week in and week out, when health come January is way more important than being 14-2 instead of 12-4.

It's always fun to watch. But whereas a few years ago, I lived and died by the Colts winning every game. This season, and even most of last, taking a loss hasn't scared me. Because even in defeat, these teams aren't better than the Colts. They just want the win more. And the truth is, winning the game really is more important to them. Beating the Colts can put them on pace to a 9-7 or 10-6 season and playoff berth. A sound thrashing can send them into a tailspin.

Win or lose though, we know how the Colts will play next week. And we know they're going to be playing in January.

So if Bob Sanders is out a few weeks because his motor only has fifth gear and park, then no sweat. If the run defense takes a few weeks off and we look as horrendous as last year, that's great.

Because I'm feeling a repeat of last year. And I think we can all live with that.

Colts 30, Texans 24

2007-10-05T17:08:00.000-04:00

Another game started with a kickoff return. Our coverage is pretty bad.

But the usual well-oiled machine came back quickly, held a comfortable lead, and sat on it.

It's a good year for the Colts.

Some generic NFL thoughts heading into the weekend...

2007-09-21T11:35:00.001-04:00

Vince Young is a freak of nature. He is deceptively fast and runs like a high-stepping gazelle. Madden Curse or not, you don't have to be Nostradamus to see 'season-ending knee injury' on the horizon.
I was planning out a blog-posting all about how Tom Brady is basically just Trent Green in a better situation. Not Trent Green today, but Trent Green before his injury at the start of last season. Go ahead. Compare their stats from 2002-2005, and think about who surrounds and coaches Tom Brady and who surrounded and coached Trent Green.

I know there is some mysterious unmeasurable, some chutzpah or moxy, that QBs just need to have and winning 3 super bowls in 4 years pretty much gets yours bronzed, but I felt I could make an argument.

Then I re-watched highlights of the infamous 'Tuck Rule' game. And I couldn't do it. Say what you will about chutzpah, I can't see Trent Green making that drive in the snow, especially running it in himself.
My fantasy teams kinda suck this year. And they're all so varied, I can't even pin the blame on anyone in particular. MoJo Drew hasn't shown up yet. The Chiefs are so bad they're not even using Larry Johnson. Brandon Jacobs' knee lasted all of about 20 minutes. Now Andre Johnson is hurting.

Although if I'm pointing the finger anywhere, it didn't exactly help to listen to the experts on suggesting the Cincinnati defense against a horrific looking Browns offense. Still too early to tell, but losing all your head to head matches in week 2 isn't a good sign, that's for sure.
As much as I love laughing and pointing at the Patriots as cheaters, some of the columns and responses have been ridiculous. The parallels to steroids in baseball are all there: the story breaks so pundits try and pin it all on the ones publicly shamed by the commissioner, despite many, if not most teams, doing their own forms of "cheating." I doubt the Patriots are the only ones taking their own very loose interpretation of 'competitive balance' but I will agree that when you're using technological advancements that are clearly prohibited, you deserve the spanking you get.

It's like watching and trying to guess signs is one thing. Using a uni-directional microphone to listen in to play calls after a camera in a blimp with a 10,000x digital zoom takes a picture of their play-chart is another thing entirely. The sport should not be about who's got the best toys.

On the plus side, we'll have mics in the helmets for the defensive leader starting next season for sure now. And this sort of cheating shouldn't be a problem ever again. Of course there will be all sorts of different cheating still. It's just a question of where trying to gain an advantage crosses the line into bad for the sport. Speaking of...
In light of a certain HGH report, Rodney Harrison's leading the team in tackles against the Colts, or grabbing an interception, and some of his other amazing plays in the playoffs just look like juiced up cheating. And so many of those games were so close, you have to wonder if things really would have been the same...

I mean I rag on Shawne Merriman for being a steroid using evil human being that I truly despise, but the fact is he was one of the best defensive players without the unfair chemical advantage. With it, he was almost off-the charts ferocious and vicious (17 sacks in 12 games last year? Without the 4 game steroid suspension that extrapolates to 22.67 sacks for the season and the NFL record is 22.5). Though I was a bit disgusted at how little people cared, especially since it came out right as Sporting News put him on the cover and called him a monster. How fitting.

And now as you remember how the Titans almost beat the Pats in January of 2004 but were stopped short, and then the Colts, well, okay, it wasn't a one-score game but it was still close. All these what ifs... to me the Rodney Harrison with HGH is ten times the cheating story Belichick is. That was schoolyard tattling, where he's getting in trouble because an old assistant is peeved his team got walloped.
GO COLTS!
And just because... GO YANKEES!
In case you doubt my juvenile humor, you can thank Chad for the picture. (You'd think those two would know not to sit by each other... though someone gave them consecutive uniform numbers anyway.)

Colts 22, Titans 20

2007-09-21T11:23:00.000-04:00

I know I'm several days late on this one, but it was a pretty darn unremarkable game.

On the plus-side, it looked a lot like the Colts of last year. And most championship Patriots teams too. A game where it's clear who the better team is just watching it, watching the way the teams act, how rushed or poised they seem. How angry or frustrated they are. This wasn't the sort of Colts team that blows away a division rival, but played at a competitive level and had all the small stuff break the Colts' way.

It's not luck that that things broke their way either. That's confidence, that's intangibles, that's complete and unwavering faith in your defense, in your QB, in your coaches. Whoever would be needed to make a play, would make a good enough play.

And they did.

Some questionable play-calling there at the end. (Why were we passing inside of two minutes to go in the fourth? I thought we knew to rush for a yard and take the thirty seconds off the clock we could.) But it fell to the defense to come up with the big play and stop Vince Young.

That's exactly what they did.

Giving the Colts an unremarkable 22-20 victory. It feels like last year. And it feels like this year's Patriots are last year's Chargers. It's nice not being the favorite. Because, though there were a few spots that looked suspect in the game against the Titans, it feels like it's easy to point out the Colts' deficiencies. And it feels like this year's Colts are like last year's Colts.

Cheaters

2007-09-11T19:39:00.000-04:00

In light of the recent overwhelming evidence that confirms what most of us knew (that the New England Patriots are a bunch of cheats that have no business being mentioned in the same breath as Our Beloved Colts), I feel it is imperative that we as fans of the NFL come up with some type of punishment, or better yet series of punishments, to protect the integrity of the game and assure that this kind of criminal behavior does not happen again...Some suggestions:

Make Tom Brady throw left handed. Lets see how golden the golden boy is with the other arm and maybe take away his left tackle every other play. Peyton could do it. 18 would still be a top five quarterback as a southpaw. Believe it.
Take away the no-contact rule for Patriot receivers after five yards. (This slight rule change would not affect Marvelous Marvin. You can't touch greased lightning, just watch the blur he leaves in his wake).
Force the Patriots to forfeit the 2004 championship. That season they beat the Colts because they cheated and taped that defense. Since the AFC would have won the Superbowl anyway, the Colts are now the 2005 world champions. Two superbowls in three years. Outstanding. Go Blue! (For those counting at home thats- Superbowls in the last ten years: Colts(2), Patriots (2).
Ban Belicheck (thats probably not how you spell it but I won't look it up on principle and lecherous crook will suffice) from any type of coaching except at the pop warner level. This way he wont have to deal with any more annoying news conferences and his pay scale will be more reflective of his real talent as a coach. Maybe Little Johnny can teach Billy B about the importance of fair play and maybe they can carpool.
Force the Patriots to forfeit the 2003 championship. That year they barely beat the Colts in the AFC championship game. Had they played fairly and had no illegally acquired tape of the defense the Colts would have represented the AFC in the superbowl and beat the Panthers. (SEE REASON 3). This brings a Superbowl tally (in the last decade) to 3-1 in favor of the Colts.
Make Patriots fans wear Yankee hats to all home games. No hat , no entry.
Tear down Gilette Stadium.
Make New England school kids watch the 06 AFC Championship game every Friday and write a five page report (single spaced 1 inch margins) on why the Colts offense is unstoppable.
Make the Patriots play the Colts this season, a team that even with a defensive script, will leave New England in the dust. (okay so this punishment will be enforced.) As for the previous eight, I trust that Commisioner Goodell will take them into account and enforce at least most if not all of the sanctions listed above. After all, the purity of the game is whats at stake, and those who mock the sanctity of its rules through their actions shall not go unpunished. Especially when they are the Patriots.

Colts 41, Saints 10

2007-09-07T15:46:00.001-04:00

Man, what a great way to kick off the season. Put up that Championship banner and then put the smack down on a Super Bowl contender.

First half there was a little rust on the offense, but it wasn't too bad. A few moments of classic Colts firepower, even if it was with the bizarro look of Marvin Harrison lined up on the left side.

The first thing Colts fans need to realize is that this is week one. And only one game. All teams usually need a couple games to find their identity before you can really tell just who they are and in particular how good they are. The Saints are better than they looked and in a weak NFC I still figure they're making the playoffs.

But it sure looked like the Colts only needed one half before they found their identity. Manning was carving up the defense there. A miscommunication or two had a few balls going to where no receiver was. Our Super-Manning though quickly found his groove and rattled off two nice touchdown drives right out of the gate in that second half.

Harrison had two big catches, one for a TD, the other setting up a short rushing TD. Wayne had two big TD catches. Clark was all over the place setting up so much of everyone else. And Addai was right on top of things, hitting the holes, protecting the ball, fighting for those extra yards.

Let's not talk about that first play of the game. My heart can only take so much.

It was classic Colts football. The running game opening up mismatches for the passing game. The passing game forcing the defense on their heels and opening up running lanes. Manning play-faking and freezing the linebackers, giving the Colts receivers that one extra step... That's just too easy.

That wasn't even the defense picking how they wanted to get beat. That was Manning picking how he wanted to beat them.

But the performances that impressed me the most and have had a smile plastered on my face all day were the work of the defense as a whole, and the stellar job Tony Ugoh did.

That defense was swarming. They were faster than people expected, and they were sniffing out the ball. First man there would stop him or slow him down enough, often holding the ball-carrier up. Practically putting them on a tee as the next man or four would then knock them down hard as the gang-tackle just smothered them.

I think it's the fact that we lost so many players, these are the eager young guys getting their chance right now. Ed Johnson, an undrafted rookie, had a great pre-season and it doesn't look like we're going to miss Booger McFarland at all. The linebackers were making the right reads, the corners and safeties all in position. And playing with more certainty and confidence than anyone expected.

I wonder if it's an accommodation to the system. Before it was as if the players knew their roles, and they did everything they could within their own little box in the system. Be here, stop the big play if it gets there. Don't let them beat you in this spot. Only now it's like they're trusting their instincts more. They're still covering their spots, but they're quicker to helping out the guys next to them. It's still the same zone sort of coverage, but they're not just playing the zone, they're playing the ball as well now.

Whatever it is, it's working.

Jason David though was a victim of circumstance last night. I almost felt bad for him. He left the Colts as a restricted free agent, which for those that don't know, restricted free agents are players who other teams can sign, if they want to overpay. The Saints signed him to an offer sheet, and the Colts were unwilling to match it. While the Saints are paying to get a decent cornerback, they are also paying for the Colts to not have that same cornerback.

The thing about David is that by leaving through free agency, just after winning the Super Bowl, he's leaving friends behind. So he's not got that angry chip on his shoulder. He knew the Colts wouldn't match that offer sheet. It wasn't ever going to happen. So leaving the Champs was his choice.

The Colts knew exactly how to exploit him too. David's a respectable corner, though you wouldn't believe it watching last night. He's not great. But Dungy's system is about the system more than the players. And David's spent the last few years playing the Tampa-2 Dungy designed. A system where in just about all of those times he got burned, he would have had over-the-top help from the safeties. The Colts wouldn't have ever left their corners on an island like that. Especially not against receivers of the Harrison and Wayne quality.

That was simply route-running pitch and catch. A good move inside and they're past untouched wide open streaking to the end zone. It's too easy.

With that help from the safeties, or against a lesser QB, he could get away with looking back at the QB. But Jason David isn't Champ Bailey. He's not Asante Samuel. And Peyton just needs to look off the safeties and he's got one-on-one coverage.

The Colts will destroy defenses who make it that easy.

For me, the happiest surprise was definitely Tony Ugoh. He looked so much better than I expected him to be. I think he needs to hold some of those blocks just a bit longer (Peyton did get knocked down a few times), but for a rookie thrown into that situation, he was fantastic. No sacks from a guy who was drafted with the intention of getting a year to learn the system.

He's not as big bodied as Tarik Glenn, the left tackle whose shoes he's filling. But did you see how mobile he was? How many blocks he released, only to run down field making another key block? This isn't the exact same offensive line with Ugoh in place of Glenn, and it looks like the Colts are actually turning that into something they can work with and add on to rather than just trying to replicate what they did last year.

They used a number of different formations and started to mix up their traditional playbook. Marvin lined up left and caught a touchdown. There was that false start on some play with a three receiver bunch formation. And Dallas Clark taking an end around? I don't know where that came from but it was good for 14 yards.

As if it wasn't hard enough on defenses before. A more complicated offense with Peyton at the helm, calling audibles is the sort of thing that'll crush a defensive coordinator's spirit.

These Colts looked about as impressive and scary as they ever have.

Barry Bonds is all the rage...

2007-08-08T12:11:00.000-04:00

Barry Bonds is the greatest baseball player of all time.

Okay, so the pundits are just saying he’s the best of his era (while hinting at the idea that the entire era is a giant crock of poopoo and Bonds is the poopoo king). But I say he’s the best of all time.

I mean if the darn pitchers weren’t juicing, pitching harder, and feeling like spring chickens on 3 days rest in October then who knows what could have been. If the darn outfielders weren’t all hopped up on andro, able to climb the fences and steal home run after home run then maybe, just maybe.

But no. A victim of circumstance after watching McGwire accidentally walk up to the plate with the syringe still in his bum, and Sammy Sosa accidentally walk up to the plate with his ‘corked’ batting practice bat… the greatest player of our lifetimes saw these inferior people cheating and getting rewarded for it. He saw them get glory he knew they didn’t deserve. And then he saw the offices of baseball look the other way and foist these people up on their shoulders. Cheering them for dirtying the noble game that for so long was whites only, the game that made chewing tobacco a national sensation, with more spitting and crotch-grabbing than any other profession, a game where a manager will yell out his pitcher for *not* plunking a guy and instead getting him out, and where it’s so much more about business than the game that we take time out to recognize and applaud someone like Craig Biggio for the fact that he stayed with the same team his whole career. I mean I’ve got no problem with the guy but it’s sad that *that* is such a rare and noteworthy occasion. It was this noble game that all those evil evil people dirtied with their drugs and juice.

Then, after everyone else was doing it, the greatest player of all-time gave in to the peer pressure and started playing the same game everyone around him was. Only now was it apparent just how much better he was than everyone else. And he started putting up numbers we’ve never seen before and probably never will again. A 61 percent on-base percentage? Managing 45 HR, 101 RBI, while getting walked 232 times? His slugging percentage that year of .812 wasn’t even within 50 points of his career best.

And yet all many of us can see when we look at him is that he’s black. Wait no, I mean he cheated. Here’s the fun part of it though: while everything in the world seems to indicate that he had to have cheated, ask yourself this: If he never cheated, and let’s say put up normal numbers that blended right in among the best of all the others who were cheating (Palmeiro tested positive, Sosa corked his bat, McGwire used andro before it was illegal), would any of us believe he wasn’t cheating? Would any of us believe that his numbers were real in the midst of all the similar numbers of cheaters? I think we’d condemn him just the same because he’s unlikable to begin with. Griffey’s likable. He tells us he never cheated and we believe him. Frank Thomas says it and we believe him. Barry Bonds says it and nothing will ever convince us it’s true.

Barry Bonds was never the problem. It was baseball that had, and to some degree still has, a drug problem. Barry Bonds may be the vein in baseball’s arm, but you can’t pin the blame on the vein. And it just goes to show how delusional baseball fans are and have been that it took a Jose Canseco book to get them to admit they have a drug problem. I’ve no clue what they expect to uncover with Mitchell’s investigation or the Senate ‘hearings’. There was a problem and they need to clean it up. They’re doing that now with testing and suspensions. But they know what happened. I can’t see anything really surprising being uncovered by the investigation. They just keep shining the spotlight on their own screw-up and picking at the scab rather than moving on. It wasn’t really against the rules, it certainly wasn’t enforced, there’s nothing concrete they can determine years later, and even if they could there’s nothing they could do with that knowledge anyway. They just keep reminding the world ‘hey we’re baseball and we have a drug problem.’

It’s a sad state of affairs where Jason Giambi is a lone voice of reason. I mean this guy actually stood up and admitted “Yes, I took…” then he stopped and realized no one was standing with him and the front office was looking to crucify someone rather than take the blame everyone knows the commissioner and MLB deserve. So he finished “…something I shouldn’t have.” And even still they’re trying to pin all of baseball’s “steroid era” onto him and onto the greatest baseball player of all time.

Never mind the culture of the game that forced everyone wanting to keep up to do the same thing as everyone else.

I don’t particularly like Bonds as a person. He’s not friendly, endearing, or a joy to be around. He doesn’t epitomize everything right about baseball, and he’s not the best teammate or locker room presence. He’s not the best leader or most clutch player around. But he is the greatest player I’ve ever seen and more than likely will ever see. And for that reason I get excited every time he comes up to bat, every time you see the entire defense shift for just this one mercurial player. Why I want to boo every time the count goes to 2-0 and he’s going to get walked out of intimidation unless he actually chooses to chase a bad pitch. Why I cringe when the batter before him gets a double, knowing that Bonds is getting a pass to first.

I mean, is there anyone out there who thinks that if these sorts of performance enhancing drugs were available during Babe Ruth’s era, Ted William’s era, Hank Aaron’s era that a massive portion of major league baseball wouldn’t have been using them? Of course they would have. Gaylord Perry put every substance he could find onto the ball to try and “cheat” his way to getting an out. Ty Cobb played about as dirty as you could. Heck, Babe Ruth’s head would have been as big as his gut if they had developed the drugs back then. So don’t preach about the sanctity of baseball. That’s like applauding the guy in prison who didn’t get addicted to heroin. If you could get heroin in prison, trust me, he probably would have developed a habit.

It is what it is. And Barry is the greatest.

Marvin Harrison is the 2nd greatest receiver of all time

2007-07-11T10:48:00.000-04:00

It's a bold statement, I know. But it's true. Marvin Harrison is the second greatest wide receiver of all-time. He's never had the me-first attitude that so many of today's wide receivers have. He won't be writing any books demanding you give him the damn ball. Nor will he ever welcome reporters to his front lawn to watch him work out. And far and away his most frequent touchdown celebration is to calmly hand the ball to a referee.

Over the past eight years, his lowest totals have been 82 receptions, 10 touchdowns, 1,113 yards, and 15 regular season games. Those aren't his averages but the lowest numbers he's put up since 1999.

That kind of consistency is unheard of. Double-digit touchdowns, over a thousand yards, and staying healthy for the better part of a decade?

But take a look at the whole career. Consider the level he's been playing at. Looking at just the stats, it's clear he's the number two all-time. If he gets only 80 catches, 9 touchdowns, and 1,238 yards then he will be alone with the second most all time in all three of those receiving categories.

Torry Holt has had a similarly impressive run for catches and yards but he can't sniff out the end zone the way Marvin can. And for several of Holt's years, he was the number two option to Isaac Bruce.

Reggie Wayne has developed into a legitimate number two, but there were four years during which Marvin carried the bulk of the receiving load by himself. No other receiver has ever had four consecutive seasons of at least 100 receptions. And the record for receptions in a season has three people tied at third with 122 catches in a season, in second is Herman Moore's 123 catch season, and at the top at a level we may never see again is Marvin Harrison's 143 reception 2002 campaign.

I know naysayers will insist he's never been feared the way Randy Moss or Terrell Owens were. Or that some other receivers have put up single seasons that are more eye-popping than any of Marvin's. But we're talking all-time here. We're talking careers not lightning in a bottle. And while Jerry Rice is without question the greatest receiver of all-time, Marvin Harrison is the second greatest.

Give me another half dozen years of this steady production from Marvin and we'll actually have an argument for first.

Indianapolis Colts offseason thoughts...

2007-05-21T15:43:00.001-04:00

Indianapolis Colts.

Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts.

I'll never get tired of hearing that.

But as we move deeper into the offseason, past the minicamps, and nearing actual training camp, I'm still unsure what to make of the Colts' offseason.

I know the Colts don't splurge on free agency. They build through the draft, nurturing talent, and replacing players from within. They snagged Adam Vinatieri, who while being the most clutch kicker in NFL history, was even more notable because he left the Patriots to join the Colts. I don't care how little impact kickers have on the game, we went from an albatross around our neck (Hey Dallas, how'd you like Vanderjagt?) to having the most dependable, good luck charm around. That was a nice pickup.

The only other recent free agent of significant note was Corey Simon, who I'm pretty sure is actually still listed on Injured Reserve in May. When their run defense was leaking like a sieve, they traded a draft pick and snagged Booger McFarland. Not the best defensive tackle in the world, but hands down, the best Booger in the NFL.

Now, here's my problem: the Colts so far have lost both starting cornerbacks, their best linebacker, another frequent starting linebacker, a safety, their veteran running back (who started every regular season game), and their number 3 slot receiver who is only two years removed from a ten TD, thousand yard season. That's Nick Harper (Titans), Jason David (Saints), Cato June (Buccaneers), Gilbert Gardner (Titans), Mike Doss (Vikings), Dominic Rhodes (Raiders), and Brandon Stokley (Broncos) for those scoring at home.

That's a lot players who made a lot of important plays this season. No back-breakers on their own in that list but I don't know how many straws we can take.

But the thing is... they are the Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts. Everyone in the league knows Peyton is their golden ticket and it's impossible to imagine that he will ever wear any uniform other than the Colts. And the Colts front office managed to surround him with all the right pieces. After four straight division titles, once the Colts were finally the underdog and not the favorite, they managed to break through.

This is the offseason just after the win. So even though the Colts are just sitting back while their cupboard is being raided, it's hard to criticize them. Whatever they've been doing worked last January.

I know that AFC championship was only by a smidgen. The Patriots had a horrible corps of receivers. Since then they have added arguably the best free agent in linebacker Adalius Thomas, as well as a whole slew of new receivers including Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Donte Stallworth, and Kelley Washington.

So do I think the Patriots got a smidgen better? Yes.

Do I think the Colts got a smidgen worse? Yeah, at first glance it appears that way.

The majority of NFL experts all seem to have the Patriots as the prohibitive favorite to win it all now. Most people put the top four teams in the NFL all in the AFC (Colts, Pats, Chargers, Ravens). The Ravens are getting old and I expect them to take a step back from last season. The Chargers have probably the most dangerous team, but thankfully the General Manager, Dark Lord A.J. Smith, shook things up and let both offensive and defensive coordinators escape to other teams before firing a Hall of Fame coach for going 14-2. Unless Shawne Merriman can get some good untraceable stuff and goes on another out of control 'roid rage, I see them taking a SIGNIFICANT step back.

Which leaves us in familiar territory. The Pats and the Colts.

Am I worried the Colts haven't done enough? No.

Am I worried the Pats have gotten too many good players? Nope.

If anything, I like the idea of the Colts as underdogs.

I just can't help to think though, that if I weren't blinded by the glory of that Lombardi trophy in the Colts' hands, then I'd be worried over such a lackluster offseason.

Just because I'm an Indy fan doesn't make me emo

2007-05-21T12:04:00.001-04:00

Welcome to Super-Manning.

My new blog and general place to vent about sports.

Yes, I am another arrogant blogger and a massive fan of the Sports Guy from ESPN.com's Page 2. But this is my pledge to you: I will NOT stand for excessive wrestling pop culture references. No more. It's time to take back the web.

And I tried to come up with a better name for this blog. But frankly Super-Manning's Pal, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen just didn't quite feel right. I'm open to suggestions and I'm even more open to comments.