Bleacher Report - Indianapolis Colts

The Reason for This Season: Indianapolis Colts Rookie Review

James Secoloff — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:05:06 -0500

At what point could we have it? The conversation that every diehard Colts fan salivates for?

Is Peyton Manning the best?

...Ever...to throw footballs...on Sundays...?

Right now it’s too early; in fact, I wouldn’t be too surprised if I was chastised for jinxing the Colts and their Golden Boy.

However, there is one reason Colts fans should be especially excited this year. These Colts might be banged up, but they are playing with an energy never before seen in Indy.

For the first time in my memory, the Colts are young—very young. Sure Manning is still there holding everything together while steering his team to a so-far unblemished record. But Colts rookies are contributing in ways unseen since, maybe, 2006, when the Colts had their last money draft .

All these players have contributed or are still contributing, with Antoine Beathea being arguably the best bargain Bill Polian picked up in the seventh round. He had a perfect read on Tom Brady in the Colts-Pats game for a nice interception, by the way.

This year the Colts are again getting the type of production they need out of their rookie studs. Austin Collie has been a consistent contributor and Pat McAfee is a good punter who should improve as time goes on. Donald Brown has also been good on offense and, barring a Week Seven injury against the Rams, I think he’d have received more carries lately. (His injury was especially brutal since I started him in fantasy and he ripped off a 40-yard run on the play he was hurt...)

However, the two rookies I am most impressed with have to be Jacob Lacey and Jerraud Powers. Yeah, I know they got torched by Brady and Randy Moss, but they came out strong in the second half and helped the defense take away the big play. This was key to the win on Sunday. The defense only let up 10 points in the second half, something which has been somewhat overlooked this week. I would also like to point out that most rookies get blown up by Moss.

On the 4th-and-2 play that will live in infamy, guess who had the big stop on Kevin Faulk to turn the ball over? Powers, stepping up on the biggest play of his young career.

At the end of the day, I would have to say that maybe the thing that I’m happiest about right now, even with Manning playing at his most incredible, is the play of the Colts' rookies. They are the guys who could be key if Manning and the Colts do what they should do this season...

Win the whole thing.

And at that point...

You can start the conversation about that Peyton guy.

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NFL Injury Update: Anthony Gonzalez Could Be Back for Week 12

kevin roberts — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:24:56 -0500

NFL.com's Jason La Confora is reporting that Indianapolis Colts' receiver Anthony Gonzalez could be nearing a return to the field.

After having surgery on his knee just three weeks ago, Gonzalez has been ruled out for Week 11's game against the Baltimore Ravens, but has been given the green light to begin practicing with the team next week, and could see action as early as next Sunday.

The Colts have been and should continue to be extremely cautious with their young receiver, as his return is not necessarily needed with the offense operating at a high level, while two other young receivers, Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon, have performed admirably

Fantasy Perspective: The return of Gonzalez means very little for your fantasy playoff hopes, other than makes you look a little less foolish for keeping him on your roster for this long.

Regardless, the fact that he'll be returning next week (possibly) could mean he could be inserted back into the starting line-up as early as Week 13, which could have him playing effective football by the time most fantasy league's begin their playoffs.

Stay tuned for more information regarding Gonzalez's status and fantasy value.

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Sun's 'Top Ten Football Players in Baltimore History'

Jarrett Carter — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:18:29 -0500

The Sun has put together a list of the top ten football players in Baltimore history . And aside from the glaring omission of Matt Stover, I have no problem with it.

What do you think?

1. John Unitas : The greatest quarterback to play the game. Father of the two-minute drill led the Colts to two NFL championships and defeated the New York Giants in 1958 for the title in what has been dubbed “The Greatest Game Ever Played.”

2. Ray Lewis : The master of mayhem for 14 years in the middle of the Ravens’ defense. A tackling machine in his prime, with the ability to change games by himself. Revered around the league and willing mentor to all who seek his advice.

3. Gino Marchetti : Captain of the two-time world champions, he was one of the most feared pass rushers in NFL history. Lightning quick, No. 89 was named the best defensive end of the NFL’s first half-century.

4. Lenny Moore : Had unparalleled success as both flanker and running back, making All-NFL at both positions. “Spats” scored a touchdown in 18 straight games, an NFL record that stood for 40 years.

5. Raymond Berry : Unitas’ favorite target, he set an NFL record for career receptions. One of football’s all-time clutch receivers, he ran perfect routes and caught 12 passes in the 1958 title game.

6. Jim Parker : His crushing blocks launched Moore’s runs and saved Unitas’ skin. He made All-Pro eight straight times—four at guard and four at tackle—and started 139 consecutive games.

6. (tie) Jonathan Ogden : First draft pick of the Ravens’ era, cornerstone of the offensive line as an 11-time Pro Bowl left tackle. Among the greatest players of all time at his position.

8. John Mackey : An explosive receiver who could turn a short look-in pass into an 80-yard touchdown, he revolutionized the role of the lumbering tight end. His biggest catch was in the 1971 Super Bowl, a 75-yard TD in a 16-7 victory over Dallas.

9. Ed Reed : An improvisational wizard in the secondary with an uncanny ability to decipher plays at the snap based on his film study. The Ravens’ all-time interception leader, the gifted safety has scored touchdowns off interceptions, punt returns, blocked punts and fumble returns.

10. Art Donovan : Anchored the Colts’ storied defensive line of the 1950s for nine years. “On trap plays he has no equal,” coach Weeb Ewbank said of No. 70, the first Baltimore player elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Technorati Tags: Baltimore Colts , Baltimore Ravens , Baltimore Sun

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Colts vs. Ravens Preview: Ray of "Lite"

Jeffrey Boswell — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:02:31 -0500

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

With an assist from Bill Belichick, the Colts are 9-0 and two games ahead of the Bengals in the race for playoff home-field advantage. A loss to the Patriots was nearly in the books until the Patriots eschewed a punt on 4th-and-2, and instead went for the first down. Tom Brady's pass to Kevin Faulk was stopped short by defensive back Melvin Bullitt.

"Unlike Faulk," says Peyton Manning, "we dodged a 'Bullitt,' and in turn gave Belichick a 'Melvin.'"

"But that game certainly told us a lot about ourselves, especially the fact that the Patriots are much more adept at stopping themselves than we are of stopping them."

"Now, I don't think Baltimore's Jim Harbaugh would duplicate Belichick's decision. I'm sure Harbaugh would punt it and rely on his defense. But should he?

The Baltimore defense isn't what it used to be. In fact, if a shutout can possibly be underwhelming, then the Ravens' 16-0 blanking of the Browns was just that. This isn't the suffocating, Ray Lewis-led defense of the Ravens Super Bowl year. This is the Ray of 'Lite' defense."

It's been a frustrating year so far for the Ravens, made even more so on Monday night when Brady Quinn's cut block injured linebacker Terrell Suggs, a play that had Ray Lewis and his teammates seething.

"Son of a whore," quoth the Raven. "Son of a whore. I don't think we have to worry about Manning cheap shots. First of all, Manning is not at all known for his blocking skills. Second of all, the Colts would never put him in a position to even attempt a block . That's what's so ironic about the Quinn/Suggs situation. Obviously, Eric Mangini called a play in which he knew Quinn would meet Suggs, with the intention being that Quinn would get laid out, and therefore not meet playing time bonuses. Instead, Quinn got lucky, and laid Suggs out. It's just another example of another Mangini plan going awry."

Do my eyes deceive me, or are the Colts actually underdogs ? If a certain Washington running back named Ladell was currency, you can best believe I'd be placing my "Betts" on the Colts. Or should I? Is this that game that happens every year in which the Colts run defense is exposed for a quarter-mile of rushing yards?

Manning picks apart the Baltimore defense, throwing for 258 yards and three touchdowns. Reggie Wayne catches two of those, and the Colts overcome a lackluster defensive effort to win, 31-27 .

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Did You Hear: The Patriots Went For It on 4th-and-2?

Ben Rosenbaum — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:58:02 -0500

This is breaking news, I can't believe this: Did you know the Patriots went for it on 4th-and-2 against the Colts this past Sunday? I sure didn't. This has to be the most incredible news story ever! SportsCenter should dedicate a whole week of coverage to it!

By now, unless you live under a rock, you are well aware that Bill Belichick chose to go for it on 4th-and-2 with 2:08 left in the game on his own 28-yard line with the Pats leading by six.

Tom Brady threw to Kevin Faulk who was quickly hit by Colts safety Melvin Bullitt. The officials made the call that Faulk did not pick up the yards necessary for a first down.

Peyton Manning and the Colts then took over and methodically drove down the field, topping it off with a game-winning touchdown scored by Reggie Wayne.

Here I am telling you things you already know. The amount of media coverage this game has received has been absolutely disgusting. ESPN is treating this story like there has been no greater story ever to occur.

Today is Thursday, Nov. 19, the Colts-Patriots game was played on Sunday night, Nov. 15. Even days later, the guys at ESPN still cannot get enough of Belichick's blunder.

I hate Belichick and his "I don't need to shake hands if I lose" demeanor. So when SportsCenter decided to broadcast his weekly press conference, I just about lost it.

For 10 excruciating minutes Bill Belichick mumbled answers and barely looked up from the podium. What added more to my fury was the fact that there was not one question about the play.

So let us review: SportsCenter comes up with the idea of covering his press conference without knowing what questions will be asked (Because when I think of exciting TV I think of a grumpy man answering questions with a dissatisfied sigh before answering), leaving all of their viewers to suffer through probably the worst 10 minutes of television history.

Yesterday, one of the anchors for SportsCenter made a joke about the amount of coverage the play is getting. As they went into the story the anchor joked:

"I promise this is the last time we are talking about this".

Really? Well, let's see if ESPN is keeping that promise. At 11 a.m. here is where you can find coverage from major media outlets on the infamous play:

On ESPN.com there is a story at the bottom of the home page titled: "Belichick's Call Just the Latest in Pats' Troubles."

On NFL.com you can watch a video of Mike Mayock analyzing the play, entitled "Anatomy: Belichick's Gamble."

What more is there to analyze? Faulk doesn't pick up the first down, Manning drives down field, Colts win, Jim Caldwell continues not to smile, Belichick doesn't look at Caldwell when he sort of shakes his hand.

Anyway, now for the big test: Will SportsCenter go into more coverage of this God-forsaken play?

After watching SportsCenter for two hours the answer is wonderful no.

SportsCenter anchors and analysts did not make one peep about the 4th-and-2 play. It is about time if you ask me. However, while SportsCenter kept their promise to no longer discuss the play, ESPN still put stories up analyzing it.

I have never seen so much fan-fare over a play. I understand that there is some strange fascination with Belichick and his weird sleeve-cut sweatshirts, but at the end of the day he is a human (even though some don't believe it) and he made a call that many coaches said they would have made in that situation.

That should have been the end of the media frenzy right there. I didn't need to hear all the "what ifs," I didn't need to hear Herm Edwards' take on it five different times, and I certainly did not need Woody Paige and Skip Bayless' take on the play.

This play spent more time covered than Paris Hilton spent in jail. I am deeply sorry if I anger anyone by writing this article and continuing the abundance of coverage this play has now received.

On the bright side, if you were looking for something to be thankful for this Thanksgiving you now have it: Be thankful that the coverage of "Pats lose on 4th-and-2" is officially over.

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Top 10 Funniest Moments (and Comedians) in NFL Football

Greg Riot — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:23:15 -0500

Too many goofy things happen on the football field. So, in order to get a list together that’s below infinity, I’ve decided to stick to the NFL or former or current NFL players.

After all, when kids screw up, it’s funny. When professionals screw up, it’s downright hilarious.

Let’s get to the list.

10.) Chad Johnson, Chad Ochocinco or Terrell Owens - - Please, don’t get on my case for not paring down the list regarding this ridiculous threesome…err, pair. Remember Chad Johnson’s Mohawk hairdo? Chad Ochocinco is just, well, the man’s name is Ochocinco after his number, and Terrell Owens? How about the popcorn incident or the signing the football incident or the crying because the media was picking on his quarterback, Tony Romo incident…again, you choose the best idiotic thing with these guys.

9.) Funny football dances - - I love this one. Just go onto youtube and put in “funny football dances”. This actually isn’t #9 per se, more like #10A because most of the funny football dances are done by the two funniest men in football history, Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens. There’s the cabbage patch, running man, hula hoop dance, and good old fashioned football scoring spike the ball, jig. Oh, I forgot…Magic fingers! Magic fingers!

8.) Streaker Gets Belted - - Better to show you than describe to you. Watch here. Did you watch? Did you? Ouch.

7.) Whiffed Punts, Kicks and the Bad Snaps - - There’s also the ball falling out of the quarterbacks hand and the QB throwing the pigskin onto the back of one of his players. Whatever the case may be players just can’t seem to keep the ball in their hands sometimes. My favorite? The 1986 Giants vs. Bears playoff game where G-Men punter Sean Landeta loses the ball because of a gust of win, it gets picked up by Chicago’s Shaun Gayle and he marches into the end zone. A funny moment and yet so, so sad.

6.) Phil Luckett Coin Flip Call - - We've witnessed a lot of bad call this 2009 NFL season, like the embarrassing calls in the Ravens vs Patriots game, but this one takes the cake. Sure, it’s not Adam Sandler funny, more like Frasier funny, but it’s funny. I will always try to find a place for Phil Luckett’s bad con flip call in the 1998 Thanksgiving overtime game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Detroit Lions. Phil, Jerome said, “Tails.” Tails, Phil. Tails. That was one of the worst NFL calls of all time.

5.) Leon Lett Gets Funky and Looks Like a Fool in the Super Bowl - - Double L makes the list twice. The first is for his ridiculous I’m going to put the ball over the goal line before I get into the end zone move that cost him a touchdown in the 1993 Super Bowl when Don Beebee stripped it from him. Big Bad Leon wanted to get cute and, instead, looked like a fool. Of course…Double L wasn’t going to let one stupid thing stop him from ever doing another stupid thing, right?

4.) Leon Lett and Snow Are Enemies - - Man, I miss Double L! In a snowy game in 1993 against the Miami Dolphins, yes, in the same year, the Cowboy block a field goal and seemingly have the game won, but Double L decides to chase down the ball and scoop it up only the ball slipper because, like, it’s snowing, and like, Double L has these massive, uncoordinated hands, and like, well, like, the Dolphins recover and like kick the field goal because after Double L touched it the ball was live. Yep. The Dolphins won the game.

3.) Gus Frerotte Gets Manhandled by Padding in the End Zone - - Gus Frerrotte, a graduate of Tulsa University, scored a touchdown in a game in 1997 against the New York Giants when he was with the Washington Redskins, head butted the padding at the back of the End Zone, and injures his neck. Check out the video: “Yeah, baby! Touchdown! Oh…man..that stings…”

2.) Broadway Joe Wants to Get It On with Suzy Kolber - - I love Joe Namath. Want to succeed in New York, Mark Sanchez? Played as Joe played, but don’t do as Joe did off of the football field. Well, maybe, that’s not such a bad thing. Somehow, I think pretty boy Sanchez would have more luck with Suzy Kolber than Skid Row Joe. Click here to watch.

1.) Peyton Manning…Comedian - - This is for real, folks! Petyon Manning is freaking hilarious. The man is a comedian. Check out his commercial work in the video below. Or, how about his work on SNL. Peyton does comedy almost as well as he plays on the football field. “Funny moments? I’ll give you funny moments? I am a funny moment!”

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Indianapolis Colts: Is This a Pro Bowl Season For Dallas Clark?

Eddie Garrison — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:13:06 -0500

The Indianapolis Colts believe Dallas Clark is a Pro Bowl caliber player, even if the voters disagree with them and their fans.

The pride of Livermore, Ia., doesn't even seem to mind either.

"It would be cool to go," says the seven-year veteran after being passed up on the honor the past several years. "I've just come to a point where I'm not basing a successful year on that. But it would be a great honor."

The once linebacker, who converted to tight end at the University of Iowa, already has a Super Bowl ring, the Colts' single-season records for a tight end and most importantly, the utmost and unfettered respect of his teammates.

Clark has also twice bettered Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey’s best single-season mark for receptions at the position.

Besides, he's getting the paychecks of the best tight end in the league these days.

But to me, there is more to this than meets the eye. Yes the AFC has had its old standbys at the position with Antonio Gates and Tony Gonzalez. But this season is different, with his trade to the Falcons; Gonzalez is now in the NFC and not a variable in the AFC voting for Pro Bowlers.

In recent years, Clark has put up better numbers than Gates, yet still has been passed over as a Pro Bowl selection for the AFC. Let’s look inside these numbers shall we.

Last season [2008] Dallas Clark had 77 catches for 848 yards with six touchdowns and provided the Colts with 41 first downs.

Antonio Gates grabbed 60 catches for 704 yards, eight touchdowns and gave the Chargers 39 first downs.

On paper through, it would appear that Clark had the better year overall but was still not voted to the Pro Bowl.

One thing I believe Clark has going against him is that he is surrounded by Pro Bowl players in Indianapolis. Both Gonzalez and Gates have piled up their numbers as the top receiving options for their respective teams.

The Colts ask Clark to play a different kind of role than other tight ends like Antonio Gates and Tony Gonzalez. He does the "dirty work", he's asked to block, go on the underneath or over the middle on routes and except the fact the wide receivers he has surrounding him will see the ball more.

It must be tough for Clark at times, more in the past with Reggie Wayne and then Colts wideout Marvin Harrison seeing the majority of the looks from Manning. But he still manages to get his catches when the time came and he made the most of them.

Yet, still with his great combination of speed, versatility and his hands make him a big matchup problem for the Colt's opponent’s every week.

It’s tough for linebackers to cover him and you can’t put a cover guy on the line to shadow him as you would have to worry about the Colt's receivers, now with one-on-one coverage to the outside.

Team president Bill Polian said of Clark, "He has been an integral part of our offense for a long, long time, and when you talk to other teams, they tell you that he’s the first guy they have to defend."

Big praise from other teams with the likes of Reggie Wayne, Anthony Gonzalez (when healthy), Perrie Garcon and Austin Collie to contend with as well.

Now I digress back to the point of this article. With the combination of Tony Gonzalez now playing in the NFC and Dallas Clark already this season having yet another Pro Bowl caliber type performance, isn’t it time for voters to recognize the talent and contribution he gives to the Colts and the NFL?

I say it is.

Dallas Clark deserves to be a Pro Bowl selected player, more so this season than ever.

One bad thing could come if Clark is selected to the Pro Bowl this season. however. The NFL, for whatever reason, will have the Pro Bowl played before the Super Bowl.

It is to be played one week preceding the Super Bowl in Miami and that could quite possibly create an issue for Clark and the Colts. With their 9-0 start to the season, they are once again one of the favorites to represent the AFC in the big game.

If they were to make it to the Super Bowl in Miami, I would believe all the Colts selected to the Pro Bowl would not go due to the fact they will be preparing for the Super Bowl.

I do however believe that Dallas Clark, and of course all of his Colt's teammates, would much rather skip the Pro Bowl for a shot at another championship.

It would be bitter sweet this season for Clark, if voted to the Pro Bowl, to actually have to miss the game he well deserves to play in.

But I’m sure he would much rather play for another Super Bowl ring and have the honor of being a Pro Bowler all in the same year than missing out on a chance to be a world champion again.

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16-0: Colts Vs Saints

WhatIfSports.com — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:11:17 -0500

The New Orleans Saints needed to hold on against one of the NFL's worst teams. The Indianapolis Colts took advantage of a gift from one of the game's best.

The league's two remaining undefeated teams each avoided their closest scares of the season in Week 10. Will it be the closest the Saints and Colts come to losing this year? Which remaining week presents the biggest hurdle? Is there any chance we see two undefeated teams in one season?

With seven weeks remaining, we try to tackle all of those questions.

The St. Louis Rams seemed like the least likely team to give New Orleans fits. After all, the Saints had won six of their eight games by two scores or more. But the Rams held tough and were only defeated when Marc Bulger’s last-ditch heave went unrewarded.

Now the Saints, who have tied a franchise record with nine straight victories, are seven weeks away from a perfect season.

The good news for Drew Brees and New Orleans is that they face four teams that currently have losing records. The bad news is that they've still got New England (the team that had Indianapolis beat last week until a late-game blunder) still on the schedule.

Based on 10,001 simulations of each game left on the NFL schedule (see below), the Saints have an 89 percent chance of setting a franchise record with a 10-0 start against Tampa Bay this weekend, but there's little doubt that their stiffest remaining test will come in Week 12 against the Patriots.

New Orleans gets New England at home and, according to our current numbers, the Saints take down the Patriots nearly two-thirds of the time and by about a touchdown.

If New Orleans makes it past New England, it will almost certainly get by Washington to go 12-0 in Week 13. Then it's on to back-to-back weeks against NFC playoff contenders. Still, at this point, they win three of every four matchups at Atlanta and hosting Dallas, beating each team by about a touchdown as well.

And if they get through that gauntlet, they could be smooth-sailing to 16-0 with a better than 80 percent chance of taking down Tampa Bay again,and Carolina to close out the season.

The Saints never have lower than a 65 percent chance of losing any individual game. But winning all seven of those in a row is another thing. While favored in every game, New Orleans has just a 22.0 percent chance to duplicate New England's 2007 feat and finish the regular season unblemished.

With regards to the individual statistics we project as part of our fantasy football analysis , Drew Brees finishes the rest of the season with 2,021 passing yards, 17 TDs and six INTs to give him a season total of 4,580 yards, 38 TDs and 15 INTs. The team scores 229 points and allows 142 to finish the year averaging exactly 35 points a game and giving up 21.8 a contest.

New Orleans Projected Results in Remaining Games:

Week	Opponent	Win%	Avg Score
11	@Tampa Bay Buccaneers	89	33-18
12	New England Patriots	66	32-25
13	@Washington Redskins	89	32-17
14	@Atlanta Falcons	76	30-23
15	Dallas Cowboys	76	34-22
16	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	89	36-15
17	@Carolina Panthers	82	32-22

The Patriots had the Colts dead to rights on Sunday. And if not for the fourth-down decision heard round the world, Indianapolis might not even be included in this discussion. Instead, Peyton Manning took advantage of New England's turnover on downs and turned it into a 9-0 start.

The toughest part of the Colts' challenge of getting to 16-0 might really be getting to 12-0. And they face their toughest remaining hurdle right away this week as they travel to Baltimore. The Ravens are 5-4 and trying to find themselves after a strong start.

Based on 10,001 simulations of each game left on the NFL schedule (see below), Indianapolis wins 65 percent of the time by an average of five points.

If the Colts can get by the Ravens, they get another road test at Houston where they win 74 percent of the time and by just six points. Then they'll host the up-and-coming Tennessee Titans, where they win 75 percent of the time.

The difficulty of Indianapolis' schedule certainly comes in the next three weeks. If the Colts can survive three more games, they could be in the clear.

With the Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets and Buffalo Bills on the slate over the final five weeks, the Colts are not projected to lose more than 20 percent of the time in 10,001 computer simulations against each of those teams.

While that daunting three-week stretch looks brutal, Indianapolis actually has a better chance of going 16-0 than New Orleans, by mere percentage points.

The Colts never have lower than a 69 percent chance to win any of their remaining games individually, but putting a seven-game streak on top of the nine-game roll they've already put together only occurs 22.2 percent of the time (just slightly more likely than the Saints).

According to our fantasy football projections , Peyton Manning finishes the rest of the season with 1,858 passing yards, 15 TDs and four INTs to give him a total of 4,730 yards, 45 TDs and 11 INTs. The team scores 202 points and allows 123 to finish the year averaging 28.4 points a game and giving up 16.6 a contest.

Indianapolis Projected Results in Remaining Games:

Week	Opponent	Win%	Avg Score
11	@Baltimore Ravens	69	25-20
12	@Houston Texans	74	26-20
13	Tennessee Titans	75	28-19
14	Denver Broncos	88	30-15
15	@Jacksonville Jaguars	83	28-19
16	New York Jets	89	34-14
17	@Buffalo Bills	89	31-16

Never have two teams ever gone undefeated in the same season. Don't expect it to happen this season, either. But as with anything, there is a chance.

The Colts and Saints finish a combined 32-0 just 4.88 percent of the time. With each team having just over a one in five chance of ending the regular season without a loss, there is about a one in 20 chance that both teams do it.

Want to know where these teams rank in NFL history? Try our free NFL SimMatchup tool to play any current team against any team since 1940.

Eric Schmoldt is a writer and Paul Bessire is the Product Manager of Content and Quantitative Analysis for WhatIfSports.com, a division of FOX Sports Interactive specializing in NCAA Matchup analysis and college football sim games . With any comments, questions or topic suggestions, Paul and Eric can be reached at BtB@whatifsports.com . Thanks!

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Saints, Colts, and Patriots Top Week 11 Power Poll

Todd McGee — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:06:48 -0500

Despite losing to Indianapolis on Sunday night, the Patriots held on to the No. 3 spot in my weekly Power Poll. The Saints and Colts remain No. 1 and 2, but the Colts are quickly narrowing the gap.

This Power Poll combines three statistics. The first is a team's adjusted win-loss record, which is computed by adding the number of wins of each opponent a team has beaten and the number of losses of each opponent that a team has lost to. To achieve the adjusted winning percentage, I divide the number of wins by the numbers of wins plus losses.

For instance, the seven teams Cincinnati has beaten have combined to win 30 games, while the two teams they have lost to have combined to lose seven games, giving them an adjusted win-loss record of 30-7, which equates to a winning percentage of .811.

The second statistic compares a team's scoring against the average points allowed by the teams it has played. This is an attempt to measure a team's offensive efficiency.

For example, New England is averaging 28.8 points a game, while the nine teams they have played are allowing only 21.6 points per game, giving New England an offensive efficiency rating of 7.2.

The third stat compares a team's defensive points allowed versus the average points scored by the teams it has played. This measures a team's defensive effectiveness.

For example, Indianapolis is allowing only 15.8 points per game while their opponents are averaging 21.8 points a game, which gives Indy a defensive effectiveness ranking of -6.0 (negative numbers are good for the defensive ranking).

To achieve the final calculation, I multiply the adjusted winning percentage by three, then subtract a team's defensive effectiveness from its offensive efficiency, and then divide that by 10. I then add that number to the team's adjusted winning percentage number for the final ranking.

Without further ado, here are the results through Week 10 of the NFL season:

Rank	NFL Team	Total
1	New Orleans Saints	4.200
2	Indianapolis Colts	4.110
3	New England Patriots	3.372
4	Minnesota Vikings	3.220
5	Cincinnati Bengals	3.213
6	Arizona Cardinals	2.712
7	Baltimore Ravens	2.686
8	Pittsburgh Steelers	2.685
9	Atlanta Falcons	2.669
10	Dallas Cowboys	2.435
11	Denver Broncos	2.299
12	San Diego Chargers	2.241
13	Philadelphia Eagles	2.108
14	Houston Texans	2.079
15	New York Giants	2.059
16	Miami Dolphins	1.945
17	Green Bay Packers	1.840
18	New York Jets	1.722
19	San Francisco 49ers	1.559
20	Carolina Panthers	1.157
21	Chicago Bears	0.907
22	Jacksonville Jaguars	0.890
23	Tennessee Titans	0.661
24	Seattle Seahawks	0.607
25	Buffalo Bills	-0.045
26	Washington Redskins	-0.180
27	Kansas City Chiefs	-0.409
28	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	-0.544
29	Oakland Raiders	-0.738
30	Detroit Lions	-0.799
31	Cleveland Browns	-0.890
32	St. Louis Rams	-1.319

If I were a betting man...

I would go with No. 16 Dolphins (plus three-and-a-half according to the Las Vegas Sunset Stations) over the No. 20 Panthers, the No. 9 Falcons (plus six-and-a-half) over the No. 15 Giants, the No. 30 Lions (minus three-and-a-half) over the No. 31 Browns, and the No. 19 49ers (plus six-and-a-half) over the No.17 Packers.

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NFL Power Rankings: Week 11

Jordan Schwartz — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:37:46 -0500

Parity returned to the NFL for one week as six underdogs pulled off upsets on Sunday. But the two biggest Super Bowl favorites - the Colts and Saints - managed to avoid falling from the ranks of the unbeaten by the slimmest of margins. So where does this all leave the Power Rankings?

1. (2) Indianapolis Colts (9-0)

Peyton Manning just might be the best quarterback ever.

2. (1) New Orleans Saints (9-0)

For the fourth consecutive game, the Saints failed to hold the lead at the end of the first quarter, but they overcame three turnovers to avoid an embarrassing loss at St. Louis and remain undefeated.

3. (4) Cincinnati Bengals (7-2)

The Bengals won at Pittsburgh without scoring an offensive touchdown to sweep the Steelers and take sole possession of first place in the AFC North.

4. (6) Minnesota Vikings (8-1)

Sidney Rice's 201 receiving yards were the third most in a game this season behind Miles Austin's 250 and Roddy White's 210 - both in Week 5.

5. (3) New England Patriots (6-3)

I thought there was nothing wrong with Bill Belichick's fourth and two decision .

6. (5) Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3)

The Bengals held Ben Roethlisberger without a touchdown for the first time this season.

7. (9) Baltimore Ravens (5-4)

I was wondering why ESPN would schedule the Baltimore/Cleveland game for Monday night until The Network started doing in-game promos for The Blind Side , a movie about Ravens offensive lineman Michael Oher opening on Friday. Because that's how NFL games should be scheduled.

8. (11) Arizona Cardinals (6-3)

The real Cardinals have stood up. They've won five of six and are tied for the third best record in the NFC.

9. (13) Green Bay Packers (5-4)

The Packers are 5-0 when they hold their opponents under 30 points. Seems like an easy enough formula.

10. (8) Dallas Cowboys (6-3)

The Cowboys were done in by three costly turnovers, including one that should've been reversed if not for the latest NFL Made Up Rule of the Week when the referee revealed that the recovery of a loose ball in the field of play is not reviewable.

11. (7) Denver Broncos (6-3)

On Sunday at Washington, the Broncos not only lost their third straight, but they might have also lost quarterback Kyle Orton for next week's game against San Diego.

12. (14) San Diego Chargers (6-3)

The Chargers are 27-7 in games played after Oct. 19 over the past four seasons.

13. (10) Philadelphia Eagles (5-4)

The Eagles lost their second game in a row despite 450 yards from Donovan McNabb.

14. (15) New York Giants (5-4)

Things don't get any easier for the G-Men, whose next four opponents all have winning records.

15. (12) Atlanta Falcons (5-4)

The Falcons have lost five of their last six on the road.

16. (17) Miami Dolphins (4-5)

The Dolphins nearly knocked me and 330 other people out of my huge double elimination pool. Luckily the Bucs' defense is terrible.

17. (16) Chicago Bears (4-5)

Matt Forte is averaging just 3.4 yards per carry, which ranks him 40th in the NFL.

18. (26) Jacksonville Jaguars (5-4)

I don't agree with the Jags' decision to have Maurice Jones-Drew kneel on the ball at the one yard line in the waning moments of the game against the Jets. That's a good move if you're up one, so that you don't give the ball back to the opposition, but when you're trailing by one, you need to make sure you get the points. There's a better chance of the Jags botching the short field goal than there is of the Jets scoring a touchdown with no timeouts in the final minute.

19. (18) New York Jets (4-5)

Gang Green was 3-1 before Braylon Edwards arrived. They are 1-4 since.

20. (19) Houston Texans (5-4)

Coming off a bye, the Texans face their entire division over the next three weeks

21. (21) Carolina Panthers (4-5)

Jake Delhomme has gone three straight games without an interception for the first time since since Weeks 11-13 of last year.

22. (22) Tennessee Titans (3-6)

When Chris Johnson carries the ball at least 23 times, the Titans are 3-0.

23. (23) San Francisco 49ers (4-5)

It makes me feel better when games I miss because they're on the NFL Network wind up being 10-6 snoozefests.

24. (20) Buffalo Bills (3-6)

No Bills running back has rushed for more than 71 yards in a game since Week 2.

25. (24) Seattle Seahawks (3-6)

Second-year running back Justin Forsett had a break out game rushing for 123 yards and a touchdown, but the Seahawks lost to the Cardinals, 31-20.

26. (28) Kansas City Chiefs (2-7)

This is how bad the Raiders are: the Chiefs have now beaten them seven consecutive times in Oakland.

27. (29) Washington Redskins (3-6)

Ladell Betts' 114 rushing yards against the Broncos were the most by a Redskin since Clinton Portis ran for 126 on Oct. 26, 2008.

28. (25) Oakland Raiders (2-7)

JaMarcus Russell's 67-yard effort against the Chiefs was not even his worst of the season. He threw for just 61 vs. Denver in Week 3.

29. (30) Tampa Bay Bucs (1-8)

Before Josh Freeman took over as quarterback, the Bucs were averaging just 13.7 points per game. Since his arrival, they're putting up 30.5.

30. (31) St. Louis Rams (1-8)

The Rams came within five points of pulling off the biggest upset of the year.

31. (27) Cleveland Browns (1-8)

"The Big Bang Theory" must've seen a spike in ratings on Monday night.

32. (32) Detroit Lions (1-8)

The Lions haven't had a 70-yard rusher since Week 3 against Washington, incidentally, their only win.

Follow me on Twitter at JordanHarrison .

Jordan Schwartz is Bleacher Report's New York Yankees Community Leader. His book "Memoirs of the Unaccomplished Man" is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and authorhouse.com.

Jordan can be reached at jordanschwartz2003@yahoo.com

Read more Indianapolis Colts news on BleacherReport.com

Dime Package: Pats Bobble Game, Colts Steal Victory

Nick South — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:34:04 -0500

Forgive me if I ramble at times. I'm working on four hours of sleep. I got back home about 12 hours ago and simply couldn't sleep. Normally, I have the basis of a column worked out toward the end of the game. With the Colts trailing 31-14 after Randy Moss caught his second touchdown from Tom Brady, I had a pretty good idea of what a majority of my questions would be about. By the time the frantic fourth quarter ended, I was left with on one question.

10. What the heck was Bill Belichick thinking by going for it on fourth down from his own 28?

I have a friend that does this type of silly stuff playing the video game Madden. Once he's down, he'll go for it no matter where he is on the field. Might explain why he has a lifetime record of something like 6-389.

As for Belichick? It's inexcusable. I'm trying to think of any scenario where it would be acceptable to go for it when your team has the lead. I can't think of one.

Think about all the reasons they should have kicked.

Yes, Peyton Manning had lead the Colts on two touchdown drives in the quarter, but Manning had hardly looked Manning-esque for most of the game.

The Patriots defense had played decently well the whole game. Manning had found holes at times, but also was forced into horribly bad decisions at other times.

In his post game press conference, Belichick talked about how he thought they could get the yard. Maybe that was his problem. The Patriots needed two yards, not one. The play he called did get one yard. So, theoretically, he succeeded.

Seriously, though, Belichick should know that converting the two yards was not a certainty. In fact, the Patriots had just dodged a bullet on the previous play. Brady was nearly picked off trying to hit Wes Welker on a quick out. Belichick should have seen it as a sign to play it safe, and not try for the conversion against a defense that was playing with emotion and emergency.

Instead, Belichick gambled and lost.

9. Can just one play have a lasting impact?

It sure can.

What bothers me the most about the decision is the message it sends to the Pats' defense.

Sure, Brady defended Belichick. He commented on how much he likes his coach being aggressive. There are some that have defended Belichick for challenging his offense to win the game.

But what did the defense take away from this? Belichick essentially told them "you can't win this." I'm sure they'll be a lot of team speak in the wake of the loss, but don't forget that this is a young Patriot defense. There's bound to be some mental baggage.

There was also a huge impact on the Colts defense. The defense was abused in the first half, but played significantly better in the second.

Still, the Patriots' fourth down attempt was seen as a sign of disrespect to the Colts' defenders. A lot of credit for the win has to go to safety Melvin Bullitt, whose hit on Kevin Faulk gave Manning and the offense a chance to win.

The standings may be where the call ends up hurting the most. Home field advantage in the playoffs is probably a pipe dream now. The Patriots will need a strong finish to try to earn the second seed. If the teams meet again, it'll definitely help the Colts if the game is in Lucas Oil Stadium.

Finally, the one person that may feel the least long term affect is the guy who made the guy. If Lovie Smith or Rex Ryan had made this call, there's a good chance they'd be unemployed in the near future, but Belichick has such an impressive resume as a coach it's likely this play will be nothing more than a footnote on his career. Albeit a very bad one.

8. Let's look at the first half. New England, at one time, held a 24-7 lead. What was the Patriots' offense doing to expose the Colts' passing defense?

The game plan for the Patriots was to obviously spread the Colts out and try to expose gaps in the cover two system. It worked, primarily, because the Colts defensive backs failed to make adjustments.

On Moss' first big catch, Moss had lined up in the slot. He had a free release because there wasn't a defensive back lined up opposite him.

Several times throughout the game, a Patriot receiver went in motion. Often, the Colts' nickel defender would be set for a blitz and that would leave the motioned receiver on a linebacker. The Patriots exploited this, and Brady carved up the secondary. It helped that the combo of Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis was held in check during much of the game's first 30 minutes.

7. Why were the Colts unable to keep pace offensively?

The Colts looked sharp on an early drive that resulted in the game's opening touchdown. After that, the offense got completely out of sync.

At first, it was the Colts' young receivers that struggled. Pierre Garcon caught just one of the five passes targeted to him during the first half. Austin Collie dropped what was sure to be a decent gain.

It didn't take long for the erratic play to spread around the offense. Manning would look good on one pass, then one hop the next. Dallas Clark's production evaporated for half the game. He had only one pass thrown his way the entire second quarter even though the Patriots weren't doing anything special to take him out of the game.

When the Colts did show signs of life, it was because Manning would hook up with Reggie Wayne. The 20 yard strike to Wayne late in the second quarter kept the Colts alive.

6. What about adjustments going into the second half? What happened to the Patriots offensively in the third quarter?

If the Patriots made a mistake in their game plan, it was letting their foot off the gas in the second half. The Patriots seemed content to go back to the draw play and short passes in an attempt to control the clock. They still spread the field, but not nearly as much as they did in the first half.

The Colts' defense also stiffened quite a bit in the second half to prevent the Patriots from scoring a decisive blow.

First, Antoine Bethea picked off Brady in the end zone. Uncharacteristically, Brady stared down Moss on a post route. In the replay, Bethea can be seen breaking on the ball before Brady releases it.

Next, impressive young linebacker Philip Wheeler striped Laurence Maroney a yard out from the end zone. The ball bounced into the end zone and was recovered by Gary Brackett.

The third quarter was a series of missed chances for the Patriots. They didn't look as sharp as they did in the first place, but more importantly, they weren't nearly as fluid as they were earlier in the game. Had the Patriots scored just once in the third quarter, then the miracle ending may never have happened.

Even though they failed to score, the Patriots did dominate time of possession in the third, which limited the Colts' opportunities.

5. Why couldn't the Colts capitalize on the Patriots' third quarter mistakes?

The third quarter was the low point for the Colts offense. Only twice did they get the ball. Their first possession was killed when the ball seemed to slip out of Manning's hand. It floated and was easily picked off by Leigh Bodden.

The second drive never got into a rhythm. The Colts were forced to punt and that set up what looked to be the final nail in the coffin.

4. Welker's return set up New England's last touchdown. At this point, who was the main Colts killer?

When most people think of the Patriots, they think of Brady, Moss, and Welker.

Brady is Brady. He seems cool under fire. I thought he played a very good game, but I also thought he missed some opportunities when the Colts seemed out of position. Any quarterback can put up decent numbers if given the time. A player of Brady's quality can kill you, which is what he did for most of the game. He wasn't the difference though.

Welker, in my opinion, may be one of the league's most overrated wide receivers. Only once did Welker make a quality play, which was the punt return setting up the last of the Patriots' touchdowns. But even that play was helped by a missed holding call (which was probably the only bad call on what was a really well officiated game otherwise).

Welker's game plan is simply find a spot in the zone and get open. Welker is a quality, consistent receiver, but he's not the superstar he's hyped to be.

That's because the real superstar on this team is Randy Moss.

As good as Brady was, it was Moss that made the Patriots go. Often it was Moss, not Welker, that Brady would go to on a key play. Moss did it all. He went deep. He went over the middle. He caught key third down plays. Both of his touchdowns were classic Moss. The first was simply out muscling Bethea for the ball before going into the end zone.

The second was a jump ball that only Moss could catch. That play gave the Patriots what seemed to be an insurmountable 31-14 lead.

3. What prompted the comeback?

At first, I thought the Patriots had simply decided to play vanilla defense, but after seeing several replays I don't think the Patriots changed what they did much, though they did drop their safeties a little deeper than usual.

That helped the Colts finally establish enough of a running game to keep New England guessing. From there, Manning entered his fourth quarter mode we've seen out of him in recent weeks. His lone mistake, an interception trying to hit Wayne deep, was caused by miscommunication more than a mere pass by Manning.

Seemingly feeding off Manning's energy, the offense came alive. Garcon and Collie, who looked frighteningly inexperienced early on, each came up with big plays. Clark finally ended his catching drought, and Wayne continued coming up big when needed.

The Patriots managed a lone field goal after the Manning interception, but it was mostly the Colts that dominated the fourth quarter.

2. After the failed fourth down conversion, what was the key to snatching the win from the Patriots?

Once the Patriots failed to secure the first down, I don't think anyone in the building doubted that the Colts would score a touchdown. The big question is how much time would be left for Brady to create some heroics of his own.

The impressive part of the drive was the clock management. The Colts didn't score too soon. They ran the ball. They were patient. By the time Wayne made a fabulous finger tip catch to tie the game, the Patriots had only 13 seconds to respond. Matt Stover's extra point would seal the win.

1. Both teams seem like the class of the AFC. Would a rematch be any different?

A lot was said about how the Patriots could have easy had a 48-14 lead had the ball bounced a little differently. While that is true, I am certain that a rematch of these teams would produce the same result, another close game. Both teams will undoubtedly adjust some things from this game. The Colts' youngsters wouldn't play nearly as hesitantly next time around. Belichick may even play it more conservatively.

In the end, I'm sure a lot of people are hoping for a rematch. It'll be hard to top this game though, which will surely be remembered as the game of the year.

Read more Indianapolis Colts news on BleacherReport.com

Manning, Colts continue streak thanks to Gift-wrapped TD from Belichick, Brady

Casey Mabbott — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:53:28 -0500

Bill Belichick can no longer handle being a head coach in today’s NFL.

The stress has clearly gotten to him.

You never want to see a coach wild eyed and wringing his hands in the waning moments of a crucial game.

If you have won three superbowls in the course of 10 years, it really doesn’t matter what you do after that—but it is still in your best interest not to embarrass yourself or derail your legacy.

That is why fans and haters alike are able to forgive the spygate/eff you season of 2007.

Belichick and his assistants set out to embarrass every single opponent they faced, and could not make good decisions in the most critical moments of the biggest game on the biggest stage.

The Patriots coaching staff made many of those same mistakes last night, and were it not for a talent laden roster, I am not sure Bill (one of the best defensive minds in the game) is able to compete with the way defenses are built now.

His schemes are no longer confusing opponents, and his players are getting younger each season.

At the peak of their dynasty, the Pats would employ a veterans-only roster, compiled of all-pro linebackers and some of the nastiest corners and safeties to play the game.

Those days are long gone.

Never wanting to pay one of his own defenders what he is clearly worth, Belichick always used free agency to bring in other veterans, choosing experienced and intelligent players over youthful and inexperienced players.

It was as if the Patriots had a sign at the players entrance that read "Must be leaning towards 30 and possess a laundry list of nasty hits to apply".

The current defensive roster is comprised of youthful, inexperienced players that seem to tire too quickly and fail to live up to the expectations the “grey-beards” have set for them.

During all those championship runs, the Patriots employed a much different offense.

The job of the quarterback was to manage the game, control the clock with lots of run plays, and complete short and intermediate passes.

My oh my how the times are changing.

The Patriots seemingly went from a run first, team-first offense to a pass first, me-first attack.

Watching and listening to Tom Brady the last few seasons, it's clear the success of the offense has boosted his ego beyond control.

As a QB, he obviously loves to throw the ball. But he lacks many of the game changing dynamics that make Peyton Manning a coach on the field.

Faced with 4^th and 2 on his own 29 yard line, coach Bill opted to go for it.

He sent the offense back on the field, with the ever dependable Kevin Faulk lined up in the backfield as a check down option for Brady.

How many times has Faulk bailed the offense out by turning short throws into long gains?

Countless.

So you can see why Belichick thought the gamble would work. He shouldn’t have taken the gamble, but you can see why he did it.

What he did not count on is that Brady would fail to check down to the right route.

The Colts loaded the box, clearly showing an all out blitz. Brady watched them do this, and failed to audible to a better play.

You only need two yards.

Throw to Welker or Moss on the outside and let them lean over for the first.

Waiting for Faulk to get out of the backfield and cross the marker took too much time against a blitz. The pocket fell back, and Brady was forced to rush his throw.

This caused Faulk to try and make an awkward catch falling backward, which rendered the play useless.

No one in the stadium doubted that Peyton Manning would capitalize on such a reckless gamble.

He had just taken the offense 80 yards in little more than a minute and a half to score. Did anyone think 29 yards were going to stand in his way of sticking it to his biggest rival?

By the looks on Brady’s and Billichick’s faces, even they knew the inevitable.

It was the same look you saw when younger brother Eli threw the game winning touchdown in the 2007 Superbowl.

Side note- The Patriots lost that game by three points and had gone for it on fourth down deep in Giants territory that basically took points off the board. Yet another moment Billicheck will have to live down.

So much for comparing Walsh-Montana or Knoll-Bradshaw to Belichick-Brady.

I have never seen a Coach-QB combo blow this many big games with bad decisions.

Brady should have made a higher percentage throw.

Belichick should have punted.

Moss and Welker should have been furious.

They were both brought in to be big-money playmakers and game-changers. And yet on the most critical play of possibly the most crucial game of the season (in the last several years this matchup usually determines home-field advantage) they were demoted to non-factor status.

You have God’s gift to football standing on the field and you don’t trust him enough to throw his way.

You have arguably the best slot receiver ever in the game, and you don’t even look his way.

You have a career backup at running back, and he is your first and only read.

Game-set-match, Manning.

This whole argument of who is the better QB can be shut down.

Manning is trusted and encouraged to make all the necessary adjustments at the line of scrimmage, and he rarely makes costly errors.

So which is it? Is Brady not allowed to adjust the play or did he simply fail to make the right call?

Either way, it is clear the Manning has the trust and ability to single-handedly change the outcome of a game.

It is also clear that Brady is a much more effective QB when he is relegated to game manager.

In the early parts of this season, the Pats tried to employ their pass first offense, and were burned by the Bills and Jets, two teams that rarely gave them problems in the past.

Right after those contests, Belichick saw the warning signs and simply reverted back to a run first, team first gameplan that saw the Patriots turn around a season heading towards decline.

I can only guess that against an injury depleted Colts secondary and facing a rookie head coach, good ol’ Bill liked his chances.

Mouth watering, he went right back to his “eff you” gameplan.

One-nothing Colts. Since they seem to be the only team equipped on all sides of the ball to compete against the Pats and Randy Moss when he has 176 yards and 2 scores, Bill may not learn the lesson he needs to. Not until an inevitable matchup in the playoffs that is.

Great coaches constantly change plans and adjust to what they are faced with. They usually bring in talent on both sides of the ball to create a gameplan that gives them the best chance to win.

Decent coaches use an “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” gameplan, and ride the coattails of talented players. They will usually ignore the wants and needs of the players they have deemed “replacable” and state that the system is far more important than any one player.

From 2001-2006, Bill Belichick was a great coach. No one questioned his methods, because he would always find a way to beat you when it really counted.

From 2007-present, Belichick is a decent coach, who too often gambles and loses. He has not made the proper adjustments, and an argument can be made that he has failed to bring in the proper personnel to make his system effective.

Switching from a stalwart, eat you alive defense and a ball control game plan to a pass first offense and a young, tired, and ineffective defense has clearly slowed his sprint to the hall of fame.

He is wandering away from the Walsh comparisons, and getting ever closer to the Seifert comparisons.

Walsh built a dynasty and left during his prime, having changed the way football is played today.

Seifert seemingly rode Walsh’s coattails, assisted by the talented offense run by west coast deciple Mike Holmgrene.

Seifert won two superbowls with the 49ers, both times shattering the record for biggest winning margin in a game.

He took over the Panthers in 1999, and was fired in 2001 after leading the team to a 1-15 record.

Billicheck seems to be riding the waves Parcells created, and it is starting to show.

Everyone has to hang it up eventually, perhaps it is time for the Patriots to start looking for an heir to the throne.

Brady only has 5-6 years left, doesn’t he deserve a coach that cares about what his players can do, not trying to control every single thing they say and do?

Losing Josh McDaniels may be the biggest loss the Patriots suffer all season, and that could cripple their hopes for another championship this decade.

The Patriots need a new head man, not a coach who isn’t quite finished giving the collective sports world “the finger”.

Bill Belichick is a good enough coach.

In the win-now NFL, good enough just isn’t good enough any more.

Read more Indianapolis Colts news on BleacherReport.com

Colts:Running Back Joesph Addai Gets Little Credit For Big Contributions

Eddie Garrison — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:59:07 -0500

A lot of Colts fans lately are quick to unload on Joseph Addai, as they think he is the issue with the Colts running game this season. But I believe it has more to do with the offensive line and play calling than with Addai himself.

Oh how quickly fans turn on a player if he does not live up to his body of work in the past. But I believe Addai gets little credit for the big contributions he has made this season for the Colts.

Let’s just look at what he has done for Indianapolis so far this season through nine games.

First off, the most important contribution in my opinion, he has racked up 10 touchdowns for the Colts. He has six rushing, three receiving and has thrown for another one.

That attributes to 60 points this season for Indy, and it actually puts Addai behind only running backs Maurice Jones-Drew, Adrian Peterson, and tied with Michael Turner for most points scored towards their respective teams. (Other than kickers and quarterbacks)

Not bad company to be in, wouldn't you say?

Addai is also averaging a touchdown a game (six points) for the Colts this season with two of those being the game winning scores. One against the Texans in a close divisional game where he had a 2-yard run to win it and the other a 22-yard passing touchdown to Reggie Wayne to help the Colts defeat the San Francisco 49ers. Again, the game winning score for Indy.

He may not be averaging what he has been known to run for, but then again, the Colts have not exactly been a running team so far this season either.

They have attempted 357 passing plays to only 201 rushing plays with Addai seeing 126 of those carries so far this season. That is 156 more passing attempts than rushes, meaning the Colts only run the ball a mere 36 percent of the time.

With his 126 carries of the Colts 201, Addai is only running the ball 23 percent of the time in the Colts offense this season. This is a big drop off to what they and he are use to.

That makes it very hard for a running back to get the yardage the fans think or rather expect him to get after what he produced in his rookie season in helping Indy all the way to a Super Bowl victory over the Bears in 2006.

The Colts that season had a much more balanced offensive attack than they do so far this year. That season (2006) they ran the ball 439 times or 44 percent of their plays with Addai seeing 226 carries for 52 percent of the carries.

A far cry more than his averaging this year and will most likely see as the Colts have been throwing the ball more than they normally have in the past.

Still, the fact remains Joseph Addai is a very important piece in the Colts offense this season. Not only does he get the job done when he is called upon to run the ball in most of the first and goal situations, but he is also one of the better receiving backs in the NFL.

He is averaging over 6-yards per reception out the backfield on his 36 catches this season, adding to the three receiving touch downs he has.

Addai is also a key player in the pass blocking for Peyton Manning. He is very good about picking up the blitzers and still finding a way to get open underneath or out in the flat for an easy check down target for Manning to use as an outlet.

So Colt's fans, how about cutting Joseph Addai a little slack this season, what do you say? Not only is he averaging those six points per game for the Indy this season, other than Peyton Manning's 120 points scored on 20 touchdown throws, he leads the Colts in scoring with those 60 points he has accounted for.

As the season wears on it seems one of the sure fire players the Colts can count on is and will be number 29 in the backfield.

He may not get the pub run Manning, Wayne, or Clark get on the Colts or even anywhere near the run Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson, or Ronnie Brown get. No. He just has more TDs and points than almost all of the players I just mentioned.

So next time you feel the need to bash the running game or the running back, take a look at the facts before you cast the first stones at him. You may find he is the reason the Colts pulled out some games and are where they are sitting now in the league.

Read more Indianapolis Colts news on BleacherReport.com

Peyton Manning Wins It for Colts, NOT Bill Belichick

Genevieve Whitbourne — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:28:31 -0500

In a Football Night In America segment, former Patriot Rodney Harrison was asked what coach Bill Belichick would be telling his players as they suited up for this fierce rivalry.

The answer ran something like this; “He’s telling them to play all 60 minutes, to really finish the game.”

In the highly anticipated showdown between what may be the two best quarterbacks to ever run out onto the field, that’s exactly what the Patriots failed to do.

The meeting between Indianapolis and New England has been circled on every football fan’s calendar since September. As last year’s meeting was sans Brady, there may have been even more excitement leading up to the game as the rivalry was renewed.

And while many highly anticipated matches disappoint (remember that Giants vs. Saints “battle of the unbeatens?”) the Colts/Patriots clash managed to deliver.

It might not have been exactly the game we expected, but what looked like a rout early on turned into a down to the wire battle with a stunning finish.

Yet in this back and forth, intense game, a single call by Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has stolen all the thunder from the Colt’s comeback win.

Brady and the Patriots began the game by putting up a lot of offense fast, scoring twenty four unanswered points over the first half.

As Brady’s 63-yard touchdown pass soared over the heads of Colts defenders and into the hands of Randy Moss, the Patriot offense looked as though they could score at will.

If the Colts couldn’t stop the Patriots offense, they would have to put up points of their own if they wanted to stay in the game.

With Peyton Manning at the helm, scoring wouldn’t seem like a problem. But while Brady missed last year’s game, at some points it looked as though Manning didn’t show up for this year’s showdown.

After scoring early, Manning and the Colts were uncharacteristically sloppy. Manning threw an unprecedented two interceptions as well as a few wobbly passes.

But there was a reason Harrison stressed finishing as a key to the Patriots victory.

There was also a reason why former Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy said he would take Peyton Manning over Tom Brady with little time left on the clock and the game on the line.

Even though they were trailing by seventeen at the start of the fourth quarter, the Colts were never out of the game.

The Colts came alive on both sides of the ball in the second half. They finally got some pressure on Tom Brady, coming up with two sacks and a crucial interception in the red zone.

The Colts D also held New England to a field goal with roughly four minutes to go in the fourth quarter, keeping the game winning touchdown within reach for Manning.

Trailing by 13, Manning led the Colts down field with the cool efficacy we’ve come to expect from him. His scoring drives took roughly two minutes each.

Still, the Patriots had the lead, and the ball, with 2:23 to go in the fourth. If they converted on third down, the game would essentially be over. The Pats could run out the clock, or at least hand the ball back to Manning with too little time even for him to score.

But the Patriots failed on third down. Then came the decision that everyone has been picking apart. With a little more than two minutes to go, Bill Belichick went for it on fourth down.

This is the call that has become central to analyzing this game. The Patriots didn’t get the first down as Brady’s pass to Kevin Faulk was bobbled and he came up short.

That gave Peyton Manning the ball with two minutes to go and a short field. It seemed inevitable then that Manning would lead his team into the end zone. In a few seconds, the Colts went from holding their breath to not wanting to score too fast, purposely delaying their victory to burn down the clock.

After a bullet from Manning found Reggie Wayne in the end zone for the winning TD, there was approximately 13 seconds left for Brady to try to make a comeback. Even for a future hall of famer, that wasn’t enough time.

When the clock expired, the Colts were on top by one, winning the highly touted match 35-34.

Yet in the aftermath of the game, the call to go for it on fourth down has received much of the attention.

Granted, it was an important decision, and in retrospect it doesn’t seem to be a good gamble. It gave Manning a very short field to work with, and since he had gone 79 yards in two minutes, going 28 in the same amount of time would be easy for the reigning NFL MVP.

At the same time, Belichick’s decision seems to show a lack of confidence in his defense.

However, Belichick has a history of going for it on fourth down against the Colts, and in the past it has paid off.

In their regular season meetings, Belichick has done this 12 times, and eight times out of those 12 they have converted on fourth down.

In the postseason, Belichick has gone for it four times. All four times the Patriots have converted.

If it had worked this time, the Patriots most likely would have won the game. If it didn’t work, the New England defense would still have a chance to stop the Colts. It didn’t go his way this time, and exactly what he feared would happen did; Manning marched down the field and scored the game winning touchdown.

This one call has drawn most of the attention, but it should be remembered that outside of this fourth down decision, there were about 57 minutes of good football played, and the outcome of the game was largely a result of what transpired in that time.

Forget Belichick’s call. How about Peyton Manning having an off game (for him) but still being able to put together a win facing his arch rival?

The mental toughness of the Colts is coming through week after week as they are able to come from behind to win. Even though they haven’t all been playing together long, and they are under the leadership of a rookie coach, this Colts team has gelled together into a cohesive unit.

It is also clear that these Colts players believe if they can keep the score close, Peyton Manning will win it for them in the end. And Manning is delivering.

As for the Patriots, they played well enough to win this game. Tom Brady looks like he’s all the way back from his injury, and he and Randy Moss seem to have their old chemistry back.

The Patriots defense managed to get pressure on Peyton Manning and even picked him off twice.

But the Colts aren’t 9-0 because they are a bad team. The Colts have won 18 straight regular season games because they are a great team.

That is why this rivalry is what it is, that is why a meeting between the Colts and the Pats is so exciting. It is because these teams are so well matched, and a close game should be expected.

This time, Manning and the Colts had what it took to win out. They played well enough to put themselves in a position to win, and in the end they were able to do just that.

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Peyton Manning's Colts Edge Past Tom Brady's Patriots in Historic Fashion, 35-34

Ryan Michael — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:08:48 -0500

It was one of the most satisfying victories I've experienced as a fan.

Not since the Colts' 18-point comeback in the 2006 AFC Championship game have I experienced the kind of excitement that Sunday's Colts vs. Patriots game delivered.

Much like had been the case back during that 2006 AFC Championship game, the Patriots jumped out to a substantial lead early in the game.

Logic had to tell you as a fan, the game is over. But the magic of Peyton Manning and that Indianapolis Colts' offense is rarely logical.

How can you come back from a 17-point deficit while Tom Brady is shredding Indianapolis' first ranked defense? How can you win when injuries become contagious for all three of your running-backs? How can you win when, despite all of this, you still effectively have no running game?

And how can you win when the ball is in Tom Brady's hands with under three minutes left on the clock?

Sometimes Colts fans, miracles just happen.

We needed a few breaks, a couple of first downs, an inspired defense, a little Peyton Manning, and a whole lot of luck.

Thankfully, we were blessed with all of the above.

Standing calmly in the eye of the storm, Peyton Manning fired the game winning touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne with only 16-seconds remaining on the clock.

And so marked the 40th time that Peyton Manning has led the Colts to a fourth quarter comeback or a game winning drive (the most by any quarterback since he became active).

It should come as little surprise, but he didn't do it alone.

The Colts defense attacked Tom Brady and created just enough pressure to give the Colts offense one last opportunity to come through at the end.

It wasn't the cleanest victory by any means, but it was a win.

Now the Colts stand right at the top of the NFL with a 9-0 record and a two-game advantage over the second place Cincinnati Bengals (7-2) who deserve an immense amount of credit for defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier Sunday afternoon.

This also brings the Colts regular season winning streak to 18 consecutive games, tying the Patriots for the second longest streak in NFL history (the Patriots also own the number one spot with 21 consecutive victories).

Also worthy of note is the fact that Peyton Manning eclipsed the 350-touchdown pass mark with his first touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne. After tonight's game, he brought his career total to an astounding 353.

He also became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw over 300 touchdown passes in a single decade (he became the first quarterback to throw for over 40,000 yards in a single decade last week).

Colts' head coach Jim Caldwell also became the first head coach to start his career by winning his first nine games.

It certainly was a historic night for the Indianapolis Colts.

But walking away from watching this game hasn't left me without respect for the enemy.

I hate the Patriots. As a matter of fact, I despise them.

But they played one hell of a football game.

Tom Brady was very sharp, and Randy Moss...what can I say? Randy Moss is a beast who should be kicked out of every game after he eclipses 150 years, he's simply to dangerous for words to describe.

As for Bill Belichick, whom I consider to be the worst of the bunch, he is about to take a huge load of criticism for deciding to have his offense go for it on fourth and two.

Before the decision was made, I told myself that I would much rather New England punt the ball because I felt as though they would make the conversion if they decided to go for it.

If they did convert, everyone would have praised Belichick for making such a cut-throat decision that might have very well won his team the game.

He decided that he'd rather put the ball in Tom Brady's hands than Peyton Manning's.

In most cases it would have worked but sometimes the other team manages to make one more play than you did.

I could write an entire book about things to criticize Belichick for but this Sunday's fourth down decision isn't one of them, pick on something else.

And as for Tom Brady, I have to give him credit for going and speaking with Manning after the game because I know Manning would have done the same had the situation been reversed.

Even though Brady looked about as disappointed as I've ever seen him, he decided to show sportsmanship instead of running off the field —kudos to you Mr. Brady.

Now, as I spit out a bit of the vomit that came up after my small amount of Brady-praise, I'll simply conclude this article by giving credit to both teams for playing yet another outstanding game.

I hope we have the chance to meet up with them again in the postseason.

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Bill Belichick's Gamble May Haunt the New England Patriots

Lloyd Vance — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:54:09 -0500

The Colts’ improbable 35-34 win over the Patriots was a great game. But all everyone will be talking about Monday was Patriots head coach Bill Belichick’s incorrect decision to go for it on fourth down deep in his own territory.

Super Bowl XLIII ½ is over as the New England Patriots (6-3) and Indianapolis Colts (9-0) met for the seventh time this decade in a game that will immediately be called an “Instant Classic.”

The game came down to the last seconds with the two teams combining for 69 points and 884 combined net yards.

But this game will be remembered most for one play that very well may have ended the dynasty of the team that has dominated this decade in the NFL.

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick with the situation of a 4th-and-2 at his own 28-yard line and the Patriots clinging to a 34-28 lead with 2:08 left on the clock, decided to go for it.

That’s right from very deep in his own side of the field, coach “Arrogant” decided that his defense was not good enough to stop Colts QB Peyton Manning from scoring a touchdown from about 70 to 80 yards away after an “obvious” punt.

But Belichick, being Belichick, looked across the field and figured that Colts rookie head coach Jim Caldwell’s crew didn’t have the “brass” to stop his superstar quarterback Tom Brady from gaining the two yards that would seal the game.

Well Belichick…you now look like the 2009 reincarnation of former Cowboys head coach Barry Switzer after gambling and losing.

On the crucial play, Brady threw to RB Kevin Faulk and the Colts defense stopped him short from converting the first down.

Manning (28-44, 327 yards, 4 TDs, and 2 INTs) then quickly hit WR Reggie Wayne with a 1-yard touchdown strike with 13 seconds on the clock for the game-winning score.

The score ended up 35-34 as the Colts came back from a 17-point deficit for the most improbable of victories. Caldwell came across the field for a hearty congratulations and a warm handshake, but all he got was a quick slap on the hand from Belichick, “The Great.”

Belichick then ran off the field, but he will never be able to outrun making a foolish arrogant decision that showed that the New England Patriots are no longer the same team that has won three Super Bowl Titles this decade.

After the game, former Colts head coach and current NBC football analyst Tony Dungy said, “In that situation…You have to punt the football.” I totally agree, Coach, and I know in hindsight, Belichick does, too.

Lloyd Vance is a Sr. NFL Writer for Taking It to the House and an award-winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)

Posted in 2009 NFL Season, Belichick Gambles, Bill Belichick, Indianapolis Colts, Peyton Manning Tagged: Belichick Gambles, Bill Belichick, Football, Indianapolis Colts, Jim Caldwell, New England Patriots, NFL, Peyton Manning, Sports

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Saints Vs. Colts: Two Undefeated Teams in the Super Bowl?

Brian Tuohy — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:41:11 -0500

Is it possible? Could not one, but two teams go undefeated in the regular season and then each make a run to the Super Bowl?

It would be the NFL's perfect scenario. After witnessing the ratings boon that was the 2007 New England Patriots during their near perfect run, the stage is being set for the NFL to double its pleasure with the 9-0 New Orleans Saints and the 9-0 Indianapolis Colts.

The Colts are lucky to be 9-0 at this moment, having survived what seemed to be a certain loss on Sunday night at home against their archrival, the New England Patriots. Peyton Manning pulled yet another rabbit out of his hat, leading the Colts back in the fourth quarter for a 35-34 win.

Of course, such a miraculous comeback rarely occurs without some controversy. Leading by six with barely two minutes left in the game, the Patriots decided to go for it on 4th-and-2 from their own 28-yard line rather than punt. The play, a quick pass to running back Kevin Faulk, was complete but ruled short of the first down despite forward progress.

The Colts had the ball, needing only 29 yards to score the go-ahead touchdown.

Clearly, had the Patriots converted on fourth down, the dagger would have been driven into the Colts. The game would have been over. Instead, Faulk was ruled less than a yard short of the first down. The Colts went on to win.

Why didn't the Pats punt, forcing Manning and the Colts to drive the length of the field to win, rather than giving them an extremely short field with which to work? It is a decision that will be debated for the rest of the season.

What this victory does for the Colts is set the team up to run the table on the remainder of their schedule. The games left for the Colts are @ Baltimore, @ Houston, vs. Tennessee, vs. Denver, @ Jacksonville, vs. New York Jets, and @Buffalo.

Meanwhile, the undefeated Saints survived a scare against the St. Louis Rams on Sunday. But a scare is not a loss. This leaves the Saints with a schedule of @ Tampa Bay, vs. New England, @ Washington, @ Atlanta, vs. Dallas, vs. Tampa Bay, @ Carolina.

That is slightly more difficult of a schedule than what the Colts face, but the Saints' monstrous offense could swallow any of those foes—even the Patriots, especially if Bill Belichick continues to make strange decisions as he did Sunday night.

So let's play the what-if game. What if both the Colts and the Saints win out? Both would have home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Coupled with a first round bye, that may be all either team needs to walk through the playoffs. Then what?

What if each team does exactly that? What if not one, but two undefeated teams win their respective conferences? What if the Super Bowl features a match in which one team is not only guaranteed to be crowned the world's champion but can be the first team in NFL history to go 19-0?

How happy would the NFL be? How huge would the hype be? How would this not become not just the most watched football game in history, but the most watched televised program in world history?

There are still seven weeks left in the regular season and a lot of playoff football left to be played, but the surviving members of the 1972 Miami Dolphins can't uncork that champagne just yet.

The NFL may be spinning its ultimate dream season right here in 2009.

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Peyton Manning Leads Indianapolis Colts in Comeback Over Patriots, 35-34

Tyler Stimson — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:07:31 -0500

It was early in the fourth quarter. Peyton Manning had been stymied by the Patriots defense yet again.

He had been outdueled by Tom Brady.

Trailing by 17 points, the Colts bid at perfection looked over. But then Peyton Manning happened. He led three fourth quarter TD drives to win 35-34.

Peyton Manning hit Reggie Wayne on a two-yard TD pass with :12 remaining, which made the difference.

Bill Belichick made a very controversial decision, deciding to go for it on fourth and two with 2:00 minutes to go, instead of making Peyton Manning drive 60-70 yards.

But I think he made the right call.

Hindsight is 20/20. I like the Patriots chances of winning more with the decision than without. If they get it, the game's over.

If they punt, I like Peyton Manning's chances of driving down the field with a full two minutes and a timeout.

Never bet against Peyton Manning at night. Even against the Patriots.

Bill Belichick made the right decision, he put the game in Tom Brady's hands. And they came up just short.

This was the largest fourth quarter comeback against the Patriots in the Bill Belichick era.

The Colts move to 9-0. They are one step closer to securing home field advantage.

If you need a dramatic comeback in the fourth quarter, there is no other QB I'd rather have than Peyton Manning.

There is no other quarterback I'd rather have, period. He makes first and second year receivers, like Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon look like seasoned veterans.

This was a big step towards securing home-field advantage, and therefore a chance at a second Super Bowl for Peyton Manning and the Colts.

What a game.

What a comeback.

It's game's like this, which remind me why I love football.

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Indianapolis Colts Stun New England Patriots with Miraculous Comeback

Fred Richani — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:04:57 -0500

Indianapolis 35

New England 34

At one point in the fourth quarter, the Indianapolis Colts were down 34-21. All hope was lost, right?

WRONG.

Peyton Manning and his offense came roaring back with two touchdowns: one on the ground via running back Joseph Addai and another courtesy of receiver Reggie Wayne.

With two interceptions, it definitely wasn't Peyton Manning's best day, but his four touchdowns, 327 passing yards and Indianapolis' incredible defense in crunch time more than made up for it.

Not to be outdone, Pats QB Tom Brady threw for 375 yards, three touchdowns, and one pick. Both teams played extremely hard, but what did New England in were two inexplicable timeouts in the fourth quarter that were unlike Bill Belichick.

One was right before a new set of downs. The other was during a Fourth and Two situation, where the Pats could have punted the ball and attempted to defensively stuff the Colts at their own goal line.

So much for that.

Instead, the Pats gave the ball up on downs and eventually lost the game. Next Sunday, the Patriots, now at 6-3, will face the New York Jets (4-5), who have lost five of their last six games.

As for the undefeated Colts (9-0), they hope to continue their amazing momentum against the Baltimore Ravens, who are still a very dangerous team at 4-4.

Regardless of what occurs next week, the real winners tonight were the fans. There's only two words that truly describe this game: INSTANT CLASSIC.

Fred "The F-Bomb" Richani is a columnist for The Sports Courier , 411Mania.com , and everythingyntk.com . Richani founded The Sports Courier in 2009. His work has been featured on CBS Sportsline , Pro Wrestling Torch , GOOGLE News , and USAToday.com .

He has also interviewed Platinum-selling bands Blue October and OneRepublic . Richani currently resides in Freehold, NJ, just an hour from New York City and Philadelphia.

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Relieving Sports Memories: 2006-07 AFC Championship Game

Joe D. — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:03:56 -0500

I happen to be a Colts fan in South Jersey. Front-runner you ask? Depends on how you define it.

My mother went to high school—where I too am a recent grad—with Franco Harris, and since then my family has been Steelers fans.

To be different from my family, I liked the Super Bowl Champion Dallas Cowboys—though looking back it was a jerk move. My first favorite athlete was Mark Brunell and I also had a significant Jacksonville phase.

So how do the Colts jump into this?

I loved the Phillies, who will always be my favorite sports franchise and I was a huge Flyers fan. I am mildly interested in the NBA, but to call myself a fan would be a disrespect to real fans. I never felt an association with the Eagles other than thinking Ricky Watters was a beast.

Again, as a seven-year old or so, I was really into sports.

I followed ESPN as much as I could and my only real moment of academic brilliance was knowing the starting QB for every team. I was a sports whiz, and though such feats aren' very impressive; I'm happy to toot my horn for a moment.

Enter Peyton Manning.

When watching ESPN one day, I remember seeing a highlight for the Tennessee Volunteers and Peyton Manning—the star junior QB of the team. I vaguely remember him throwing a bomb to Marcus Nash and it sold me immediately.

I remember his press conference announcing he would stay for his senior season. I hated seeing the losses to Florida and I can still recall the Heisman Trophy commercials consisting of Manning, Michigan's Charles Woodson, Marshall's Randy Moss and Washington's Ryan Leaf. Then the draft commercials.

I told my dad, wherever Petyon is drafted , I'd be a fan of forever.

I'd hopefully keep with that and have a reason to like an NFL team. I can see my dad saying, "well it's either the Colts or the Chargers for ya" and getting all excited to see which it would be. All I knew about the Colts was that Jim Harbaugh was the quarterback and was a pretty tough guy.

Lo and behold, the Colts drafted Manning and this is where the story starts.

The first season for Manning in Indy was rough. I didn't have the mental capacity to understand if he was actually having a good season, but later I was excited to see the Colts in the playoffs consistently.

My earliest playoff memory was getting ready to go to a recreational league indoor soccer game and seeing Mike Vanderjagt miss a field goal against the Miami Dolphins.

Basically, from that point on, every year brought promise, expectations, and then a let down.

Close but no cigar is not a fun thing to relive every year. Then there was this whole, "can't beat the Patriots" stigma following the team.

When the Colts actually made it to the AFC Championship Game after great performances against the Chiefs and Ravens, I thought they had it.

Then, after an Asante Samuel pick six I nearly gave up.

I remember sitting in my room, stunned to the point of silence in front of my TV. I didn't have the heart to turn it off. I went to hang out with my now deceased dog and tried to convince myself it was just a game.

I felt helpless, an emotion usually reserved for those who have experienced a death in the family.

Sure, it was just a game but are there any other things in this world that can skyrocket our blood pressure other than an NFL game? Unless it's an immediate blow-out, you are usually taken on a roller-coaster of emotions: either elation or murderous thoughts.

Even after the Colts marched down the field to make it 21-13 on a Peyton Manning sneak, I was convinced the game and season were over. I was still in "I'm watching only because I won't see them again until August" mode, when the Colts forced a punt.

Then I faced an all-too familiar feeling.

The dreaded optimism.

Usually optimism is followed by reality in which you realize you should never be optimistic with football.

Sure enough, optimism was followed by...hope.

Dan Klecko, our makeshit fullback of all people scored (quickly followed by one of Peyton Manning's best passes on a 2-pt conversion) and then hope was replaced by reality when Hobbs nearly went the distance on a kickoff.

I was in a state of disbelief, there's no way a comeback like that could be all for naught could there?

I remember talking to someone on my sports message board and mentioning that there was no way this could be it. He, a Patriots fan, said "remember Manning isn't clutch" just as Stephen Gostkowski nailed a field goal to make it a 3-point ballgame.

Jim Nantz of course sounded excited as he wondered if this could be the main chapter in Peyton Manning's career, while Phil Simms doubted that a Belichick team would lose in the playoffs.

We all know what happened here.

Manning led the team down to inside the ten when Joseph Addai capped off an impressive rookie campaign by running up the middle for a TD. I clapped a few times but still thought, "one minute is too much to give to Tom Brady."

Then Marlin Jackson successfully picked off Brady and I was in such a state of shock that I am convinced it has not yet worn off.

That game completely changed my outlook on sports. Even during the Phillies, Flyers, March Madness or Wimbledon; I still think back to that game. As the two teams face tonight, I am eagerly awaiting another chapter in what may be the best rivalry between two quareterbacks in a long time.

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Should The Pats and Colts Break The Bank For Brady and Manning?

Nick Signorelli — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 12:25:36 -0500

When speaking of the greatest players in the NFL today, there is no way either Tom Brady or Peyton Manning can be left out of the conversation. Love them, or hate them, no one can argue they are future first ballot Hall of Fame entrants.

Peyton Manning is on pace to earn most of the individual records for quarterbacks, while Tom Brady is compared to Joe Montana as the best ever.

Both Peyton Manning and Tom Brady have one year remaining on their current contract, meaning after NEXT season, if they are not resigned by the Colts and Patriots, respectfully, they will become unrestricted free agents.

There is no way that is going to happen.

Both Brady and Manning are going to be their teams top priority this off season. With the large contracts being handed out to the class of 2004, Adam Schefter reports that both Manning and Brady are set to sign contracts in excess of $16.25 million per year.

The question is not, "are they worth the money?" My question is how long will they be worth the money?

Peyton Manning was born on Mar. 4, 1976, which means he will be 35 when his contract is set to expire in 2012.

Tom Brady was born on Aug. 3, 1977, which means he will be 34 when his contract expires.

Should either of these two men demand a contract that lasts six years, it will run until after they turn 40.

I know the largest argument will be: Look at Brett Favre.

Do either Colts or Patriots fans believe that their guy will be playing at the level of Favre when they turn 40? Manning and Brady are not the kind of player that Favre is.

Not that they are less good—in their prime years, I would take Manning and Brady over Favre, but they are not the gun slinger that Favre is, and their game relies strictly on the strength of their arms, and their ability to read the defenses.

Once their arm strength begins to diminish, which normally starts to happen around 34-35, they are not going to have the scrambling ability that Favre does have.

For argument sake, lets say that each of them has two years of playing at their current level on their new contract (that means for three more years).

What happens then? You are still on the hook for four more years, at over $16 million dollars per, which translates to $65 million dollars less to spend on other players.

The reality is, to keep these players once they are past their prime, could seriously hinder the chances of success of their current teams, neither of which has had a "bad" season since they have been members of their teams.

So, my question to Colts and Pats fans, what do you want to do with your QB?

Keep them until they are no longer any good, and hurts your teams cap and your teams performance, or let them walk away for a first-round pick after next year?

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Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady: Why Colts Fans Can't Stand the Patriots

Ryan Michael — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:31:29 -0500

On the eve of what might very well be the game of the year, the debates continue to sizzle in regards to the classic "Manning vs. Brady" situation.

And just when you might feel as though you've read 10 too many articles of this nature, I figured this would be the perfect time to shed some light on an old debate from a different perspective.

It is no secret that fans of each respective team don't have much love for one another.

Some of us respect each other (I can think of a number of brilliant Patriots fans on this website alone) and I'm sure there are also plenty of us who can’t stand each other.

But before I get into the specifics, I'm going to break down the comparison between Manning and Brady as it pertains to this 2009 season thus far.

Peyton Manning:

221 of 313 (70.6 percent) for 2,545 yards (8.1 YPA), 16 touchdowns and five interceptions. 105.2 quarterback rating.

Tom Brady:

204 of 310 (65.8 percent) for 2,364 yards (7.6 YPA), 16 touchdowns and five interceptions. 99.2 quarterback rating.

Without question, both players have played at a very high level this season.

Manning should be credited for playing so well while having to throw to a number of back-up receivers and Brady should be credited for playing so well coming off of a devastating knee injury.

I could split hairs as to which set of circumstances might be more difficult to play under, which might seem unfair, but I'm going to anyway in the interest of fairness no less.

People LOVE to make things seem as trade-offs.

For instance, we often hear Manning is the "big numbers guy" while Brady is the "winner" so they are both so close that it is impossible to choose between the two.

While this is certainly not the perspective of everyone, I hear it enough that it certainly warrants mention if nothing else. But for now, I'm going to focus my attention of the various sets of circumstances that both Manning and Brady have faced this season.

Peyton Manning has played with back-up receivers in light of Anthony Gonzalez's week one injury. Yet still, Manning has managed to be THE most productive quarterback in the entire league.

He has been backed by one of the worst rushing offenses that pro football has to offer and despite this, he has thrown only five interceptions when every defense walking earth knows that his only chance to advance on the football field is through the air.

Brady hasn't exactly been backed by a HOF-caliber rushing attack, but his team has managed to out-rush the Colts offense 914-yards (4.1 YPC) to 683-yards (3.7 YPC).

I'd mention also the fact that Manning is playing with a rookie head coach compared to Brady who is playing with Bill Belichick (whom he has spent his entire career with) but that seems to be pretty self explanatory.

What I find to be disturbing is to watch TV and hear those points mentioned in passing as though they have little impact upon each quarterback's playing situation.

To be fair though, we have to look at Brady's post-surgical situation.

He has managed to play at a very high level despite having missed almost a full year of football while recovering from a serious knee injury.

This is impressive, no doubt.

But to me, not nearly as impressive as what Carson Palmer did in 2006.

He had all three ligaments in his knee torn up with a dislocated kneecap to boot, only he had half of the recovery time to work with.

Palmer did manage to come back, and he came back playing at a Pro Bowl level.

Only Palmer didn't receive half of the attention Brady did because no matter how well he played, you sprinkle in a little bit of that 17th-ranked Bengals defense and you end up 8-8 instead of 12-4.

But I suppose that everyone is going to have their own views as to who has been playing under more difficult circumstances this season, so to each his own.

Now I'd like to get into why fans of both the Colts and Patriots tend to dislike one another (expanding upon the obvious fact that they support rival teams).

I'm going to explain why I feel that Patriots fans don't like Manning and the Colts, but I expect most of them to disagree with my assumption.

When it comes to fans of successful teams, it is in their nature to take pride in the accolades they have achieved as well as the championships they have won.

The next logical step is to assume or feel as though their team is the absolute best that the NFL has to offer. After all, they would have to be given the fact that they won the Super Bowl.

Funny how this concept goes right out the door when talking about the 2007 season.

The New York Giants were NOT the best team that year, neither were the Colts for that matter.

The New England Patriots were by far the best team during the 2007 season and my opinion in that regard would not have changed if they won Super Bowl XLII.

They were the best regardless due to how well they played for the great majority of the entire season.

But back to where I was going with this.

If you are a fan who believes that your team is the "creme de la creme" of the NFL, it is only natural to feel as though your quarterback is also the league's finest.

Since the quarterback is the most important position in pro football, it would only be logical to assume that the league's best quarterback would just so happen to play right along side the league's best team.

For many fans, simply winning the Super Bowl is not good enough.

If the league's best quarterback isn't winning as many championships as the guy next to him, how could he possibly be as good?

It's a shame that so many people think this way.

The logical answer being team support.

The support of your entire team, offense, defense, special teams, coaching staff, etc. is all going to impact your quarterback's chances of winning.

You often hear that since Manning has better receiving targets to throw to, that Manning and Brady's chances of winning championships seem to be something of a trade-off.

Never mind the fact that the Patriots as an entire team (I'm not talking about a lone stud running back) have run for more yards, more YPC, and more touchdowns while Brady has been their quarterback compared to a Colts rushing attack (usually featuring a lone stud running back) who have ran for fewer yards, fewer YPC, and fewer touchdowns.

Then you take the defensive side of the ball (which last time I checked comprised about 50-percent of your chances of winning) which has been so much greater in the Patriots favor, it's not even really worthy of debate.

People remember the few good Colts defensive squads (or should I say, few awesome players) and throw out the seven years of very poor defensive support, in the same way that they remember the three years (2004-06) Manning has multiple productive receiving targets (Harrison & Wayne) and ignore the fact that he's been throwing to one lone 1,000-yard plus receiver for eight of his 11 seasons.

This is the kind of generally adopted perspective that upsets Colts fans.

People often turn a blind eye to the reality of a player's given support in favor of something that simply sounds right.

I cannot tell you how many times I've heard someone say that Peyton Manning has played with a defense that has boasted Dwight Freeney and Bob Sanders, therefore Colts fans have no reason to complain.

We have improved a lot this season but all one has to do is go back and watch games from years prior to understand exactly what I'm talking about.

Then go back and watch some of the Belichick-coached Patriots defenses of the past decade to determine just how much impact both defensive squads have on the game's eventual outcome.

But back to the quarterback position.

You often hear, Peyton Manning is the "big numbers guy."

If you have ever heard someone say this, you should take immediate notice of the insult masked within the statement.

"Big numbers guy" to me implies something negative.

That is why I use the term "production" because that's what it really is. "Big numbers" is simply a simplistic way to state an aspect of much greater importance than the speaker chooses to give it.

Production accounts for how often you move your team up and down the field and how many points you put on the board.

If a quarterback like Tom Brady can move his team up and down the field less while putting fewer points on the board and still end up winning more often then the guy who moves his team up and down the field more while putting more points on the board, what does this tell you?

Think about the past paragraph for a moment, and think seriously about it.

Fans try to credit less productive players with attributes that cannot be quantified.

Why, you might ask?

Because logically, if one player is less productive than the other, you have to create reasons for which you feel him to be better than the guy who is doing more on the football field.

You can glorify "clutch" plays all you want but the reality is that a touchdown counts as six points be it in the first quarter or the fourth.

That is not to take away the value there is in coming through when you need to win the game, it’s just the degree in which people value those moments, even if the quarterback failed to produce during the rest of the game (look at Brady’s performance in Super Bowl XXXVI for a perfect example).

Think about this…

You have two quarterbacks. Both throw for three touchdowns and one interception.

One quarterback throws his lone interception in the first quarter but closes the game throwing three touchdown passes, the final one being the eventual "game-winner."

We call this quarterback clutch.

The other quarterback throws his three touchdown passes earlier in the game but finishes the game with an interception that ended his team's chances of victory.

We often call this quarterback a choker.

Why?

Both quarterbacks put an equal amount of points on the board.

The difference between each team's eventual outcomes lies in the performance of other aspects of the game. The running game, the defense, and special teams.

Yet we as people tend to glorify one side and criticize the other simply because that is how the reality "seems" to most people.

To many people, it just has to sound right. It doesn't have to be right.

It's not that people are looking to intentionally deceive themselves; they simply know only what has become natural over a lifetime's worth of fan-hood.

But back to the Manning vs. Brady situation.

If Tom Brady could win more while producing less, to make it seem as though the quality of support was somewhat equal is simply ridiculous.

If Peyton Manning were to suddenly throw for fewer yards and fewer touchdowns during all of these years, the Colts would have simply lost more games.

Colts fans dislike the Patriots not out of jealousy (we’ve won five out of the last six games), but because of the absurd double-standard that exists in regards to the two teams, especially in regards to the quarterbacks.

Flash back to 2007 for a moment.

Manning goes 33 of 48 for 402 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions (97.7 rating) in a losing effort to the San Diego Chargers. As a result, people say that he "choked" in a big playoff game.

The next week, Tom Brady goes 22 of 33 for 209 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions (66.3 rating) in a winning effort for which few people criticize Brady's performance.

Yet Manning is the choke-artist while Brady is the same clutch quarterback that he had always been known for?

Heck, Manning's team couldn't beat a Chargers team without Philip Rivers while the Patriots faced and defeated the starting quarterback.

If Manning is moving his team up and down the field more, putting more points on the board and turning the ball over less frequently, why is it that he loses when a quarterback who moves his team up and down the field less, puts fewer points on the board and turns the ball over more frequently wins?

Again, the logical answer being team support.

Yet instances like this either in individual cases or in regards to the years that both quarterbacks have played have tended to go generally ignored in the favor of blind generalizations.

It's easier that way.

Colts fans don't like how the Patriots could steal signals for seven seasons only to be slapped on the wrist.

Their head coach can be crucified by the media while their quarterback (who obviously benefited by knowledge acquired through illegal means) is not even questioned by the media at all.

When was the last time anyone heard of Tom Brady having to answer for six seasons of stealing signals?

It's not so much that it was Tom Brady's fault as it is the fact that his legacy appears to be un-effected by the magnitude of what Spygate was.

And for every fan who has given the general "Well, every team does it" excuse, allow me to be logical for a moment.

Every reporter on the planet (even Bleacher Reporters) would love to break the next big Spygate scandal.

Especially for Patriots fans, proof of any other team doing the same would only help to better their legacy as they would no longer be the lone violators.

And it wouldn't be hard to prove if "any" other team did it, much less “every” other team.

NFL Films records every game played every Sunday. If any other team besides New England had a camera-man pointed where he shouldn't be, it would show up on film time after time.

Yet, two years after the Spygate story broke; even those who have been searching have failed to find evidence to support the irrational claim that "every team does it".

So again, I'm not blaming Tom Brady for what his coaching staff did, I just feel that it is clearly relevant in regards to the context of his career.

The Patriots run if nothing else, a brilliant organization. To think that they would hire anyone to do anything that would be of "zero value" is absurd, much less hire someone to break a rule which is pretty difficult to mis-interpret (and would have been very easy to find out if one cared to check).

But I don't want to end all of this on such a negative note.

This Sunday's match-up looks to be promising.

Colts/Patriots games are usually filled to the brim with excitement, and this year looks to be no different.

Both Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are playing at an elite level and it is rare that we get the opportunity to see two fine quarterbacks of this caliber face off.

For what it is worth, Tom Brady appears to be getting better year after year. He is in my opinion, a far greater quarterback today than he was back when he was winning championships.

Which just goes to show that there is much more to winning championships than just your quarterback.

Even if their names are Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

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