Bleacher Report - AFC South

NFL Week 13: My Three Wishes

Richard O'Hagan — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 04:50:57 -0500

1. I wish the Colts would change the script

Does anyone else feel like Colts' games are getting to be like a bad movie plot? There's only so many times a side can allow themselves to go in well behind at half-time, only to come out and steal the match in the second half, surely?

Apart from being the storyline to every sports film ever made, it is also starting to look a bit like they stole the idea from Ali's "Rope a Dope" strategy, allowing their opponent to burn themselves out and then hitting them when they are beat.

Whether they put together an unbeaten season or not is a matter of supreme indifference to me. All I care about is that they find a different way to win matches, as I'm now bored of this one.

2. I wish Jerry Jones had thought to put some turf in that stadium

Did you see the state of that pitch on Thanksgiving? I know that every modern stadium suffers from the same malaise, whatever the sport—it is hard to get grass to grow where there is so little natural light—but that surface looked shockingly bad.

The fact was only emphasized when Tashard Choice took a snap in the Wildcat formation, ran left, then slipped and fell behind the line of scrimmage with no opponent near him. If your own players can't make the plays they need to, it's time to do something about the playing conditions, otherwise what is the point of playing on your home field?

3. I wish that Play60 film was more realistic

Are they seriously expecting me to believe that Drew Brees was allowed to take a snap and then dink a little screen pass to Barack Obama, whilst DeMarcus Ware just stands in the backfield and watches? If you want to get kids playing sport, you have to do it properly and there's just no way that, if you do that, Ware doesn't come in and flatten the President before he's taken a step. What kid wouldn't want to have the chance to do that?

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Vince Young: Playoff Pickup or Passable Projections?

Jacob Sloan — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:00:23 -0500

Sports Data Hub recently investigated the usefulness of Vince Young for the rest of the season, but that analysis was optimistically given before his come-from-behind fourth-quarter drive for the win against the Cardinals. Those last-second heroics capped off a fantasy day that had him throwing for almost 400 yards.

If you watched VY doin’ work against the Cardinals, you might just be a believer now.

I’ll make no claims to being unbiased about Young. I’m a Longhorn, and thus have a higher level of respect for him and his abilities than the average NFL fan. That said, I’ve done the research and looked into what he might do during the fantasy playoffs thanks to an email from a reader (just like you).

Originally, I was asked to compare the potential of Kyle Orton and Vince Young as a match-up play during the fantasy playoffs , filling in from a more promising fantasy starter during his bad weeks.

I’m not sure what to think of Orton on his way back from an ankle injury, but his schedule comparison side-by-side with Young puts Young's upside in perspective.

Orton fell off the charts last season when an ankle injury struck, which makes me want to avoid him, but he has been a solid backup fantasy quarterback for many teams this year. Against the Giants, the Broncos got it done by leaning on Knowshon Moreno, and that could continue to be the way they win.

Orton’s upcoming schedule looks a little rough at first sight…and again at second sight. The number in parenthesis is the opponent’s rank in fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks from FF Today . Obviously, the lower the number, the more points they give to fantasy quarterbacks.

Orton – Week 13: @KC (4), 14: @IND (25), 15: OAK (21), 16: @PHI (17), 17: KC (4).

Young’s schedule is better, but can we count on him to deliver like he did against the Cardinals even in these cupcake match-ups?

Young – Week 13: @IND (25), 14: STL (12), 15: MIA (6), 16: SD (26), 17: SEA (9)

Let’s drop Week 17, assuming that you play your championship game in Week 16, and average those ranks during the fantasy playoffs , Weeks 14-16. In this case, the lower number would indicate be a more favorable schedule.

Orton : 21
VY : 15

That’s enough of a difference for me to project that Young would be the better start through Week 16. You could argue that Orton is a more traditional passer and a safer pick, but I just think the upside is there for Young to succeed.

No, I wouldn’t want to be forced to rely on Young in a pinch. But if your starter has a terrible match-up in the playoffs , or if you just lost Kurt Warner or Ben Roethlisberger for an unknown amount of time, Young wouldn’t be bad playoff insurance. He may even be worth spot-starting in Week 14 against the Rams.

So there you go. Detailed analysis with the Longhorn bias held back. Hook ‘em.

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NFL Power Rankings Week 13: Indianapolis Colts Clinched into Playoffs

swethail Jints — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:36:20 -0500

It was going to be hard to upstage Vince Young's late game heroics. Not to mention Peyton Manning leading the Colts back from down 13 on the road. Somehow the New Orleans Saints did all of that. Week 12 has done it's best to set up the most exciting five weeks in football. Here are my NFL Power Rankings For week 13.

1. Indianapolis Colts (1) I'm very aware that the Colts are undefeated and just recorded another come from behind victory. Yet Peyton said it best, spotting another team 17-points is no way to prove how good you are in the NFL.

2. New Orleans Saints (2) Thirty-eight points on Monday night, they could have scored 58. The Saints offense exploded on New England, then their defense turned around and broke down Brady & Co. With injuries to their secondary the Saints didn't miss a beat and have made one thing very clear: No one is better.

3. Minnesota Vikings (3) After slamming down Jay Cutler and the Bears, we've got to understand one thing. Favre's Vikes aren't Favre's Jets, they've got loads more talent. Two running backs, four receivers, and a quarterback who isn't getting sacked!

4. San Diego Chargers (5) Forty-two days removed from their last loss, the Chargers have won six straight including four division wins. The Chargers can taste it at this point, they know that no team is playing better in the AFC.

5. New England Patriots (4) There isn't a game remaining on their schedule they shouldn't win. However, they do have three remaining road games and after a 1-4 start on the road maybe doubt starts to enter their mind as they travel away from Foxborough. Outcoached by both the Colts and Saints has got to be a tough pill to swallow.

6. Cincinnati Bengals (6) They were only able to manage 16 points against the NFL's 31st ranked defense this weekend, on that same note they completed a sweep of their division opponents. After they play Detroit next weekend they face real tests against both Minnesota and San Diego on the road.

7. Dallas Cowboys (9) This may just be too high for the 8-3 Cowboys but hear me out. While their offense has struggled, the defense has allowed just 16.5 points per game this season. You may not like Wade Phillips, but his defense is pretty nasty and the Raiders got a piece of that on Turkey Day.

8. Philadelphia Eagles (10) When Andy Reid asked his kicker to open with an onside kick against the Redskins this weekend, I became convinced: No coach is more detrimental to his team winning than Reid is to the Eagles. Why have the Eagles never won a Super Bowl under Reid? You answer that!

9. Baltimore Ravens (8) Yes, they move down after that victory against Pittsburgh. It's pretty simple, they had a home game against the third string Pittsburgh quarterback with just one snap under center in his professional career and needed overtime to win it. Much like Atlanta, at some point you have to start showing people just how good you are.

10. Pittsburgh Steelers (7) Now the Steelers are going to have to fight to get into the postseason. At 6-5 the Steelers play five very winnable games but are going to need a healthy Ben Roethlisberger to get by those. Without Big Ben, they aren't getting to the playoffs.

For Complete NFL Power Rankings For week 13

11. Tennessee Titans (15) A last second win to give the Titans their 5th straight victory is impressive. Vince Young dropped the game manager from his title this weekend, putting 387 yards passing on the Arizona secondary. Wow! Could they really beat Indianapolis?

12. Denver Broncos (17) After four straight losses the Broncos rebounded in great fashion. A 26-6 thrashing of the New York Giants on Thanksgiving night is just what Denver needed. At 7-4, three of their next five games are very winnable and 10-6 should get them a Wild Card .

13. Arizona Cardinals (12) If Kurt Warner can't come back soon, the Cardinals are in trouble. Backup quarterback Matt Leinart and the Cardinal offense had a tough time getting in the endzone this weekend.

14. Green Bay Packers (14) What? You think you should get style points for beating up the Lions on Thanksgiving? However, hat goes off to Charles Woodson who just donated $2 million dollars a University of Michigan children's hospital.

15. Houston Texans (11) You are exactly what you've always been Houston. Not good enough! A huge opportunity with a 13-point lead against an undefeated Colts team and you folded up like a chair. That is a season changing loss right there.

16. New York Giants (16) After a Turkey Day loss to the Broncos, the Giants are learning Eli may be playing injured and they play three straight division games. To make matters worse, they'll be traveling to Minnesota to wrap up the season, the Giants may have to win out.

17. Atlanta Falcons (20) The Falcons avoid going 5-6 with their late comeback win this weekend. Quick celebration before realizing quarterback Matt Ryan and running back Michael Turner will both be week-to-week after suffering injuries.

18. Miami (13) The 'Fins aren't as good as I thought, and losing by giving up a 24-point fourth quarter to the Buffalo Bills shows that. Not having Ronnie Brown is a bigger problem than anticipated. The Dolphins have to finish with five teams looking to make the postseason; Patriots, Jaguars, Titans, Texans, and Steelers.

19. San Francisco 49ers (21) The 49ers are still alive at 5-6. They'll have to win out but they can do that. Against Arizona and then @ Philadelphia will be their toughest games, but win and the 'Niners could sneak in this thing.

20. Jacksonville Jaguars (19) The Jaguars had an opportunity this week to really make a move and put distance between themselves and the others competing for a Wild Card spot in the AFC. After their loss to the 49ers, they are back to square one.

21. New York Jets (24) For a team that began the season with such promise, it must feel good to get their first win since October 25th. While the Jets offense continues to struggle, their defense forced Jake Delhomme into four interceptions.

22. Washington Redskins (27) For the past three weeks the 'Skins have played their tails off. Washington missed opportunities to win in Dallas and in Philadelphia but came out fighting. They know their head coach will be changing next season, they know they started off 2-6, but they are far from quitting.

23. Carolina Panthers (18) It's a disappointing team. On November 15 the Panthers had played their way back into beating Atlanta and sitting 4-5 with plenty of time left. Fifteen days later they've lost two straight and played their way right back out of it.

24. Chicago Bears (22) How much worse does it get for Jay Cutler and the Bears? Not only did Cutler throw his 19th and 20th interceptions this past Sunday, his defense gave up 537 total yards. Eeek!

25. Kansas City Chiefs (23) You knew the Chiefs would have a let down after their big overtime win over Pittsburgh, but to get blown out 43-14? That's just embarrassing.

26. Buffalo Bills (28) Brought in Terrell Owens, fired their offensive coordinator before the season opened, and then fired their head coach after a terrible start. Ho hum, somehow the Bills are 4-7?!?!?!

27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (25) Sure, they've played well against Atlanta, Miami, & Carolina in the past six weeks. Oh, and I can't forget their upset win against Green Bay. But how high can you possibly rank a 1-10 team?

28. Seattle Seahawks (30) It's been established, the Seahawks are better than the St. Louis Rams...but that's about it. On a positive note Justin Forsett has rushed for over 100 yards in two of the last three weeks, something to build on.

29. Oakland Raiders (26) Watching them play on Thanksgiving was eye opening; They've managed to compile more one-dimensional players than any team in the history of the NFL. Good luck with that.

30. St. Louis Rams (29) It's bad enough Kyle Boller has to start, but asking him to throw the ball 46 times and your asking for trouble.

31. Detroit Lions (31) Matt Stafford has left an impression on his teammates and Lions fans alike this season, now get healthy and come back strong in your second NFL season.

32. Cleveland (32) The Browns managed just 169 yards of total offense this week, shocking that they're the 32nd ranked offense in the NFL.

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Last-Minute Remarks on SNF Week 14 Picks

Morgan Wick — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:18:46 -0500

Week 14 (December 13):

Tentative game: Philadelphia @ NY Giants
Prospects: It’s an NFC East game (always=ratings), and while it doesn’t currently have the NFC East lead on the line it’s still a battle of playoff contenders. Still a pretty good shot to keep its spot—the Giants’ troubles might help it in the long run if the game would have become lopsided as opposed to 7-4 v. 6-5. However, there are strong flex contenders…
Protected games: Chargers—Cowboys (CBS) and Packers-Bears (FOX).
Other possible games mentioned on last week’s Watch and their records: Bengals (8-3)—Vikings (10-1); Broncos (7-4)—Colts (11-0); Saints (10-0)—Falcons (6-5), and Jags (6-5)—Dolphins (5-6).
Impact of Monday Night Football: The prospects of Saints—Falcons depends on whether the Saints are still unbeaten. After tonight, that’s probably the Saints’ best chance for a loss.
Analysis: The Broncos got back on track to stay ahead of the Falcons, and the Colts are still unbeaten, but picking them would shut NBC out of the Colts the rest of the year, although that’s not as much of a problem as it sounds given the only half-decent team the Colts face the rest of the way is already scheduled for NFL Network. With the Favre factor, Bengals-Vikings looks mighty compelling with both teams winning and appears to be the current favorite (but it would probably mean three straight weeks of Favre-mania and limit NBC’s ability to flex the Vikings in again later). The Giants’ loss makes a flex much more likely, and the NFL can’t go wrong with either Broncos-Colts or Bengals-Vikings.
Final prediction: Denver Broncos @ Indianapolis Colts.
Actual selection: Philadelphia Eagles @ New York Giants (no change). Not terribly surprising, given the problems with the other games and the NFL’s reticence to pull the flex, but still a bit less than what NBC could have gotten.

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Gary Kubiak May Take the Fall After Houston Texans' Latest Collapse

Robert Vega — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:03:44 -0500

The recipe was familiar. Play one good half and one bad half. Mix in a few questionable throws from Matt Schaub, plus a heartbreaking fourth-quarter performance, and stir.

When finished, garnish with a handful of reasons why this team can beat anyone, and you have the Houston Texans' 2009 season.

Yes, the Texans once again found ways not only to lose a football game, but also to embarrass themselves and their fans.

After the game, there was a lot of talk around the NFL about the Colts' impressive streak of winning five consecutive games when trailing after four quarters.

There was much less talk, however, of the Texans' streak of having been either tied or leading in the fourth quarter of 10 consecutive games—probably because the team has failed to prevail in half of those contests.

No, the majority of the talk regarding the Texans revolved around whether this is the final straw that broke the back of Gary Kubiak's employment as the Texans' head coach.

It's a rather intriguing question that has been fueled by the Texans' recent streak of inconsistent play and the rumor that the team is on Bill Cowher's short list.

Whatever happens to Kubiak, I will always have a soft spot for the fact that he is greatly responsible for taking the Texans from "bottom-feeding joke" to "relevant."

Still, after what is now three straight seasons of mediocrity, despite a continuous improvement in the talent base, one has to wonder whether the problem lies in leadership.

Furthermore, the team has yet to finish with a winning record within the division, and is a pathetic 1-15 against the Colts.

In the team's short seven-year history, they have yet to play a meaningful game in December. That streak may end this year, as the Texans are still technically alive for a playoff spot, but the excitement that should accompany such games is noticeably lacking.

During the bye week, I wrote that the Texans had a legitimate shot to reach the playoffs but would likely need a 10-6 record. To accomplish this, they would need to go 1-1 against the Colts/Pats, 2-1 against the Titans/Jags/Dolphins, and 2-0 against the Seahawks/Rams.

Technically, it is still possible, but the team is hardly playing with the momentum and energy needed to make a playoff run.

The players seem to be lacking the confidence to either sustain a lead or cap a comeback—attributes essential to kicking off the requisite five-game winning streak to finish the season.

The games are, in fact, all winnable. The only game against a top-tier opponent is the final one against New England, and it is possible that the Patriots will have nothing to play for that weekend.

Still, one has to wonder whether they can rebound from five fourth-quarter collapses.

If they can't close out a game, what would make us think that they can close out a season?

Football coaches like to look at a season in quarters—like a football game.

Despite the myriad of mistakes this season, if the Texans can win next week in Jacksonville, they will enter the fourth quarter needing a strong performance to be victorious.

The similarities are frightening.

If the rest of the season continues to mirror the on-field performance, however, we will once again be looking at an early offseason, and possibly a new coach.

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Con-Vince-ing Performance: Vince Young's Leadership of Titans Cannot Be Denied

Lloyd Vance — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:13:37 -0500

After Vince Young’s breakout career-high 387-yard passing performance in the Tennessee Titans' last-second 20-17 win over the Arizona Cardinals, including throwing the game-winner with no time left on the clock, everyone needs to a look back in time to a crucial moment earlier this season.

Let’s go back to Week Seven of the 2009 NFL season. The Titans were on their bye week after enduring probably the most humiliating loss in the NFL this season in Week Six, a 59-0 pummeling by the New England Patriots.

In the disastrous loss that took the former 2008 AFC South champs (13-3) to the depths of being called “The Most Disappointing Team in the NFL”—sixth straight loss to open the season—a possible light switch clicked in the head of Titans head coach Jeff Fisher.

After former Titans starting quarterback Kerry Collins had one of the worst performances of any starting quarterback in NFL history (finishing with passing numbers 2-of-12 for minus-seven yards, one INT, and a QB rating of 4.9—probably the lowest ever), late in the game, Fisher decided to insert the 2006 NFL Rookie of the Year, QB Vince Young, into the game.

Young had not played much before that game in the snow because he had lost his “swagger” in 2008 due to some well-documented problems during and after the Titans’ season opener and quickly became a footnote as the Titans rose to the playoffs under Collins. All during the 2008 season, Young had endured arrows that he was too sullen and selfish to be the leader of the Titans again.

But in the cold, ice, and snow of New England that day (Oct. 18), Young clearly started to heat up. He became a team-first player as he swallowed his ego and pride to enter a no-win situation in a blowout game gone awry. He finished with pedestrian numbers: 0-of-2 for zero yards and one INT plus two rushes for minus-one yard.

V.Y.’s numbers in New England that day didn’t even matter after he showed some long-awaited maturity. With questions swirling around the Titans’ sinking ship at the time and Collins underperforming, before the cameras in the locker room after the humiliating loss, Young basically said “I will do anything that the coaching staff and team asks of me.”

Those words sounded very cliché at the time, but Young was very serious that he just wanted the opportunity to show that he was still the same player who led the University of Texas to the 2005 National Championship. The third overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft just wanted a chance to show that he was still a playmaker in the NFL and not the perceived malcontent potential bust that many were painting him to be.

While many pointed to his 2008 struggles and poor performance against the Patriots as signs that Young would soon be on another team in 2010, a small contingent, including yours truly, said give the former college football legend a “legitimate” shot to prove he could still lead the Titans once again.

During the Titans' time away to heal during their Week Seven bye, many were wondering when Fisher would give V.Y. a chance to give the team a much-needed spark. To be honest with you, why not, considering that many NFL talking heads had predicted that the Titans’ 2009 campaign was already over.

However, Fisher continued to be coy and still talked about Collins (completed 54.8 percent of his passes with five TDs and eight INTs) as the Titans' man under center.

Then stepped in the one man whose opinion matters more than Fisher’s when it comes to the Tennessee Titans. Owner Bud Adams made it clear he wanted Young to replace Collins.

“I have been wanting (Fisher) to play Vince Young more because Collins has been having his problems out there,” Adams said. “I just think we need to find out how well (Young) can do.”

Fisher finally relented when he saw that the new and improved Young was looking like his former mentor and hero, the late Steve McNair, in practices and in the locker room. Young had his head in the playbook and his feet firmly on the ground as he embraced possibly his last chance to be the Titans' starting quarterback.

Some doubted Young, but I knew the player that I had interviewed way back during the 2005 Heisman presentation—competitive fire burning in his eyes —had the gumption to show the world that he was still a “winner.” Young had won at every level he had ever played in from high school to college to the NFL (18-11 in 29 starts at the time), and now it was time to remind everyone.

Even after the Houston, Texas native led the Titans to a 30-13 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week Eight for Tennessee’s first victory of the 2009 season, there were no “I told you so” moments from the now humble quarterback. Young stayed grounded and kept marching on from there, and it didn’t matter that he had just endured 22 games without starting.

Fast-forward to Week 12 in Tennessee. The Titans are down by a score of 17-13 late in the fourth quarter to the NFC West-leading Arizona Cardinals and have 99 yards to cover with only two minutes and 37 seconds left on the clock.

Sure, Young had led the Titans to four straight wins over the past four weeks, including a Monday night thriller over the Houston Texans in Week 11, but this was too much of a daunting task for V.Y....right.

In the final moments, Young answered his critics with not only his legs, but his arm and mind as well. Young (27-of-43, 387 YDS, one TD, and no INTs) capped off an 18-play, 99-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to leaping rookie receiver Kenny Britt in the back of the end zone as time expired.

The impressive part of the game-winning drive was the determination of the Titans’ starter. Young (23-11 as an NFL starter) completed 10 of 16 passes for 94 yards and ran for another five while converting three fourth downs on the drive, including the winning touchdown on fourth-and-goal from the Cardinals’ 10.

It must have been deja vu all over again for Cardinals starter Matt Leinart, who had lost the 2006 Rose Bowl to Young when they were both college hot shots for USC and Texas respectively, as No. 10 left the field with another comeback victory in his hands.

Young had just won his ninth consecutive start going back to 2007, and he is now a perfect 5-0 as the Titans' starter this season. But as the Titans’ new unquestioned leader pointed out after the game, it was a huge “team” win.

“As the Tennessee Titans, I feel we fought to the finish,” Young said. Indeed, it was a miraculous win for a franchise that has seem some great finishes.

An almost stunned Fisher said in his post-game press conference, “You guys don’t mind if I sit down and do this, do you? OK. WOW! What a great finish! We’ve had some finishes around here, but I can’t remember one like that. Just a tremendous finish.”

The Titans are now 5-6 and right in the middle of the AFC’s wild card hunt—remaining games @IND, STL, MIA, SD, and @SEA—after almost no one but themselves thought they were still in the race.

Young, RB Chris Johnson (his performance during the Titans’ five-game winning streak cannot also be forgotten—on a pace for over 2,000 yards rushing), and a rejuvenated defense have led the Titans back into contention, and it will be an interesting finish in Nashville.

However, you won’t hear Young pounding his chest over the last-second win over the Cardinals or any of the other Titans’ four wins during their current winning streak. I will for him...“Ha, ha, ha...told you so.” But you cannot deny the spark and energy that V.Y. has provided a team that was formerly on life support this season.

“I thought Vince played great,” Leinart said after the game. “He made plays in that last series, so hats off to him. I thought our defense played phenomenally; he just made some plays.”

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).

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Indianapolis Colts Could Have Won Super Bowl XLIII

alex jung — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 03:37:41 -0500

Yeah, I know what you're thinking. What? The Colts? No way. They couldn't run, their defense was bad, and the team just wasn't the same Colts we were used to seeing throughout the decade.

During the 2008 NFL season the Pittsburgh Steelers were truly the best team. There was really no competition in the NFL during that season if you think about it.

To me the Steelers won just like how the Houston Rockets won those two titles when Michael Jordan was retired during those two seasons—just like how the Knicks finally beat the Bulls in the playoffs without Jordan on the team.

Now the Steelers won that year without Tom Brady and Peyton Manning at their best. Yes, I said Peyton Manning.

Even though Manning played throughout the 2008 season unlike Brady, he had to go through knee surgery and miss the entire training camp and preseason. We all know how Manning loves training camp and can't go through a season without it. He needed his training camp to get in sync with his players and his rythem with them. You can tell at the beginning of the season that the surgery had affected his performance and didn't have that chemistry with his players.

Teams were also taking advantage of the Colts. Knowing that Manning wasn't the same that year they were always blitzing and putting him under pressure. I also believe that they coudln't get the run game going and have that balanced offense were used to seeing because he had to throw many times because they were down in most games.

Now compare the 2008 Indianapolis Colts to this year's team. They had a healthy Marvin Harrison, a veteran wide receiver and one of Peyton's best weapons throughout his whole career. You had a healthy Anthony Gonzalez playing the slot position, and you had an experienced back in Dominic Rhodes who was part of the 2006 championship.

What would have happened if Manning had not had his knee surgery and was completely healthy and in training camp during the 2008 season?

I believe if Manning were healthy and had gone through training camp, they would have won the Super Bowl that year. If Manning were healthy, the team would not have gone through that horrible start; they wouldn't be struggling to win their division or make the playoffs.

They had better weapons that year compared to this season. Come on now: Donald Brown, Pierre Garcon, and an injured Gonzalez—yeah, nothing more needs to be said.

Also, if Brady were healthy during the '08 season, I think the Colts still could've beaten them because they had just gone through that tough loss to the Giants, and I think it would have taken them some time to get that bitter funk out of their system.

It's obvious now that Manning and Brady are completely healthy for the 2009 season, the Steelers are not doing too well. Even though the Steelers didn't play the Colts or Patriots this year, who would you take in the playoffs?

Also, Tony Dungy was still their coach. It would have been great if he had retired with another championship.

Can you imagine if they had the same players from last year?

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Déjà Vu: Indianapolis Colts Stymie Houston Texans on the Road Again

Nick Mordowanec — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:34:08 -0500

Is it just me, or do you expect the Indianapolis Colts to always come back from big deficits?

Whether you do or you don’t, it always seems to happen. Sunday’s contest between the still-undefeated Colts and Houston Texans was even more entertaining to watch than last year’s game.

You remember last year’s game in Houston, don’t you?

The Colts were down 17 points in the second half and seemed to be on the edge of losing to their young AFC South rivals. But Peyton Manning threw a touchdown, Robert Mathis forced a fumble on then-quarterback Sage Rosenfels and Gary Brackett ran back a Rosenfels fumble caused by a helicopter-like hit in mid-air.

It was a near-epic collapse…until now.

The Colts came out Sunday as if they were sleepwalking, going through the motions and making Matt Schaub look like the next Fran Tarkenton. The defense was struggling as well, giving up more points in the first quarter (14) than they usually give up in entire games.

The Colts fell down 20-7, making people in Houston and all around the country wonder whether this would be the day in which Indianapolis was going to lose their first game of the season.

And then something funny happened in the second half–an almost identical recreation of last season’s game between both teams.

Manning charged back by firing a touchdown pass to his favorite receiver, Reggie Wayne. Manning then found Dallas Clark on a short pass to make it 21-20 game.

And with Houston still with a chance to redeem itself and take back the game, Clint Session stepped in front of a Shaub pass and took it the house. Pick-six, eight point game and hopes and dreams shattered.

The Colts’ Chad Simpson even added insult to injury, shedding a group of tacklers and scampering for a touchdown. Simpson’s effort made it a 35-3 run and sealed the Colts’ 11th consecutive victory.

Still undefeated and still finding ways to win, it was almost as if Martin Scorcese himself was writing the script. The only question which remains is how long Indy can continue to come out of its periodic slumps and still win games.

They did it against New England, and now they have done it to Houston for the second straight year. A team with a no-panic coach and a veteran quarterback continue to defy the odds.

This is nothing new for a franchise which has won at least 11 games for an NFL record-seven straight years, and good teams know how to win close games.

And as long as Manning is at the helm, the Colts will never be counted out.

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