Tag Archives: Peyton Manning

March 8, 2012 · 10:18 AM

So Long Horseshoe Peyton Face

No more horseshoe Peyton face

It really is the end of an era. Colts vs. Patriots was a lock on the schedule every year. I remember watching Peyton Manning and the Colts decimate the Pats on a Monday night game that had us so frusterated that we left at halftime (or maybe a little into the third).

The press conference was definitely emotional. I you can understand why. I mean, he’s been with the organization since he was drafted. For all the fumbling by the owner with his “ums” during the press conference, the message was very clear. He will always be a Colt.

So now what? Well, personally I think that him going to the Jets or Dolphins is a scary prospect.

For all that there are question marks on his health, I think the Jets were a decent quarterback away from the Super Bowl two years ago. But I don’t think that they’re that team anymore. I think there are more pieces missing than there were a couple years ago and this would blow up in their face like the Favre experiment (minus the sexting).

The Dolphins wouldn’t scare me as much as the Jets. They’re franchise is in a greater state of disrepair.

I’ve heard the Texans. Nope. With a healthy Shaub they had a chance to go pretty deep last year in the playoffs. His injury was the only thing that derailed their chances.

If I’m Peyton, I’m looking at the NFC West. You have your choice of jobs and you have to imagine that all of those teams would be calling (maybe not St Louis).

The Cardinals and Larry Fitzgerald seem like the smartest place. With Beenie Wells in a reduced roll as just a compliment to Peyton and the passing offense, I think the overall offense would flourish.

The Seahawks I think aren’t as close as the Cardinals are. Sure they won their division two years ago, with a 7-9 record, but I think if Peyton wants to win, he’d go AZ over Seattle.

Then there was the rumor of the 49ers. I just don’t see it. I mean sure Alex Smith isn’t Peyton, but he brought that team to the NFC Championship last season. They’re working on a deal with Smith so you’d have to imagine that Peyton wouldn’t be their priority.

Bottom line on the whole thing, it will be interesting. But we all know it won’t be the same, even if he brings Reggie Wayne with him. The rivalry with Brady and the Pats is over with the Colts. It will be missed.

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January 18, 2012 · 7:18 AM

The Demise Of A Franchise?

Tons of hype this week about the Pats AFC Championship game on Sunday against the Ravens. But there’s other news going on that I’d like to address.

By the headline you’re likely thinking this is a Celtics column. I mean they’ve lost five straight, Garnett can’t jump anymore, and now teams are inquiring on the availability of Paul Pierce. Of course if you saw the picture in your Facebook preview, you know it’s not.

Nope I want to take a moment and talk about the demise of our friends in Indianapolis.

Ah Peyton face.

A lot of people want to point to the Pats and say that if Brady went down the same thing would happen. Well the thing is, Brady did go down. When Brady went down the Pats still finished 11=5 (sure they missed the playoffs) and did it with a quarterback that hadn’t played competitive football since high school.

Meanwhile in Indy, they just capped off a 2-14 season. A record many didn’t think they’d be able to pull off as many predicted 0-16 when they were mired in their losing ways.

The day after the season ended the team fired vice chairman Bill Polian. Polian who basically built the Colts. With Polian being the vice chairman, his son Chris was the GM. Also fired after the season ended. Then yesterday the team finally fired head coach Jim Caldwell.

Talk about putting all your eggs in one basket. It was apparent that they were going to ride the Peyton train till it hit its last stop. Why else would they have a backup QB in Curtis Painter that sucked as bad as he did? Or is it a more likely case of Peyton being an egotistical asshole and not showing Painter anything. Peyton taking all the reps in practice and not helping at all? I’m more prone to the latter.

The team wasn’t this bad since Peyton’s rookie season when they finished 3-13. The worst they’d finished after that was a 6-10 season highlighted with one of the greatest coaching blowups ever. You remember.

For all that I said I won’t drink the Kool Aid from Foxboro, they’ve proved that one player isn’t the team. Here’s hoping that this effects the Colts for a long time.

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November 22, 2010 · 6:14 AM

Peyton Face

As I was sitting on my couch basking in a comfortable 17 point lead I hear Jim Nantz remind us that the Pats also had a 17 point lead last year in Indianapolis.

Thanks Jim.

So for all that I was very confident and was feeling good, that brought me crashing back to reality.

And then the Colts started doing it again. They started chipping away at the Pats lead and when the Pats got the ball on offense they weren’t able to do a thing. This had disaster written all over it.

Following the Pats field goal that put them up 31-14, Peyton and the Colts marched down the field. 73 yards in just seven plays. Just like that a 17 point lead became 10.

But this offense is different than last year’s offense, right? They won’t sputter. They’ll be able to piece together a drive that will end in a touchdown and this is as close as Peyton and the Colts will get to New England.

Or not.

Three and out for the Pats offense.

Ball back to the Colts and I’m literally cursing Jim Nantz at this point as Phil Sims and his gravel guzzling voice points out what Jim had pointed out moments earlier about the Colts coming back.

Next drive, Colts down the field again. Seven plays, 58 yards and another touchdown for Manning. 31-28.

At this point I’m on the edge of my couch. My fantasy team is going to lose because the Pats are allowing my opponents quarterback (Manning) to light them up just like Big Ben the week before.

Pats get the ball with 4:46 left on the clock and clinging to a three point lead. Not a three and out because Green-Ellis managed to get a (singular) first down. But a three and out right after. Pats manage to burn another two minutes or so off the clock.

Colts get the ball with 2:25 left in the quarter. My hat is bunched in a ball in my hand and I have a giant knot in my stomach. I don’t know why I care so much that it would make me ill, but to see this happen two years in a row is devastating.

Peyton starts at his own 26 and marches. They get all the way to the Patriots 24 with about 40 seconds left on the clock. You’re hoping at this point that they just try and rush it a couple times in the middle and bring on Vinatieri for the game tying field goal.

But what’s this? They’re passing? Oh no…wait. Jermaine Cunningham coming off the edge gets a piece of Manning’s arm as he’s getting the throw off (something he didn’t even acknowledge in press conference after the game) and the ball is floated up for…JAMES SANDERS who picks off Manning to end the game.

Two Brady kneel downs and it’s over. Why did the Colts call a time out? To piss off Brady? Seemed to work as he was fired up.

Amazing win for the Pats. Suck it Jim Nantz. Your Joe Buck attempt to curse this team failed.

Onto Detroit on Thursday.

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November 19, 2010 · 7:16 AM

I Remember…

My buddy Matty became a backup season ticket holder for the Pats. He would get tickets that another guy was splitting that he eventually inherited full time on the split. He called me back in 2005 and said he had tickets for the Monday night Colts and Patriots game. I was pretty psyched.

I left work a little early and then met Matty in Boston and headed down to Gillette. We got there so close to game time that we really didn’t have a ton of time to tailgate. We killed a few Coors Lights in the parking lot and headed into the game. That’s about where the fun ended.

Peyton and the Colts laid a beat down on the Pats. So bad that we didn’t even stay for the whole second half as the Pats went down 34-14 and couldn’t mount anything. We decided to leave in the third and catch the rest of the game on the ride home. Well, traffic was so horrible that we ended up listening to the end of the game while still in the parking lot waiting to get out of there. So not worth getting 5 hours of sleep before work on Tuesday.

Needless to say it sucked. A few years later when the Pats were riding an undefeated season, they went into Lucas Oil Stadium and kicked the door in. Well maybe didn’t kick it in but they certainly got the bitter taste out of their mouth as they beat the Colts 24-20.

A Brady-less Pats lost a low scoring game in 2008 18-15 at Indy and of course we all remember 4th and 2 from last season.

Now this week they face off again but this time is in Gillette.

The Pats of course riding high following a great game Sunday night at Pittsburgh. Indy is fresh off a win against the Bengals. Indy has three losses this season against Philly, Houston, and Jacksonville. The Pats of course have that ugly Cleveland loss and the Jets loss in week two.

So how is this going to play out?

Well, Vegas thinks the Pats are going to win. They’re favored by 3.5 or 4 depending where you’re getting odds. Vegas also has the Pats as the favorite to win the Super Bowl after last week’s win.

Well, I think that the Colts have a very potent offense. Their defense, not as potent. In fact the games they lost they Colts were run all over. The problem with that stat is that the Pats don’t have a rushing attack. Sure the Law Firm and Mighty Mouse Woodhead are decent compliments but neither is a full time back and I wouldn’t trust either to run all over the Colts.

I’m thinking the Pats win but it will be like the win the Colts had two years ago; low scoring where the home team comes out on top. Here’s hoping for a lot of Peyton face.

Back Monday with a recap.

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February 8, 2010 · 6:43 AM

Who Dat Indeed

I wrote on Friday for everyone to bet the Colts but root for the Saints. I also wrote to take the over. Anyone who knows anything about betting should know to not listen to me. Despite a stellar Divisional Round and Championship round, I dropped the ball, big time, in the big game.

And I’m happy about it.

With Peyton driving his team after a successful two point conversion put the Saints up seven, you had to think that the Colts were about to tie the game. All season Peyton had heroics like this. Drive his team down the field for the tying score, then the defense holds the other team, finally Peyton and the offense drive to the winning score.

Not last night.

Nope. Peyton had a Brett Favre moment and was picked off for six points. That put the Saints up 14 with about four minutes left in the game and from there you had to think maybe Peyton could still drive the team. Well the Saints defense that had been dogged all week as the piece that was the weakest, stepped it up and held Peyton out of the end zone.

What was the turning point of the game? How about an onsides kick by the Saints coming out of the half. Who does that? It definitely caught the Colts off guard and from there it was the Saints game to win.

Great game. I really enjoyed it. A Peyton touchdown on that last drive would have made it a little closer and interesting, but I’m not complaining. So happy for New Orleans, the team and the city.

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