I must say, i keep saying it...this game can go either way and i really have no expectations and am avoiding be over confident or talking too much trash to my friends (who are fans of other teams and bust my balls). but I've never had an internal feeling like I do now about any of my other sports teams. The one thing though that stands out...is peyton manning's playoff record and td/int numbers. he's been dominant during the regular season but he's not as unstoppable... and the colts minus 2006(thanks to that unreal comeback against the pats), always come close but can never win the big game. For a team that's won the most games this decade to have only 1 superbowl appearance shows their vulnerability, and they had MUCH better teams back when Harrison played and was healthy along with sanders. I think the chargers could have beat them this year honestly again just based on the match up. I think given our recent success and peyton's back to earth playoff performances we should feel very confident despite the "aura" of the colts. I'm usually a nervous wreck during and before playoff games or those with playoff implications, but this is the rare time i'm not. of course we'll see if that comes to fruition sunday, but it's unusual
Its that look on Peytons face that I want to see. We have seen it many times. Too much for such a great qb. Its the look of frustration. I can remember back against the Pats when BB's confusing schemes put that "look" on his face. The look sometimes comes from not being on the field enough (can you say time of possession?) The difference between Peyton then and Peyton now is that the years have made him a bit more patient. Look at the games this team won this year. How many times they were down in the second half and won. The Colts on defense have a smaller but faster defense. That tells me we can dominate them later in the game on the ground. We have done that now for 3 straight games...but will we able to be there when its our time to dominate? Thats the question. This has the potential to be a very frustrating day for Manning. A mistake early and then a nice 7 minute drive is just what the doctor ordered. That can snowball into a long night. A very hard game to read...but a very easy way to figure out how to win it.
Funny thing is the Colts could probably light up the jets if they decide to come out and run the ball. Because the ENTIRE jets game plan is going to be built around stopping the pass. Then they could air it out a little and who knows whatll happen. Too bad for indy they have chose to ignore the run all season long, and probably wouldnt even know how to run it.
They have been the Atlanta Braves of the NFL... (I'm stealing this from somebody else). How can they be so succesful and not have more rings?
How about this scenario: The Colts never win it all when resting their starters, so they lose. The Vikings are the Bills of the NFC. So they lose. The Saints have never been to a SB, so they lose. Jets win.
Well obviously we run the ball... Once the Jets go nickel or dime, PM will call the run... I consider the RB outlet pass a run as well... When Pm likes the defensive match-up, beware!! With the no huddle, he can stop any defensive changes unless you burn a time out or give the 5 yards/free play... Rivers has skills but he's dumber than a box of rocks.... He's not the field general, Peyton has become... PM will take what you give him and there's NOTHING he hasn't seen before... Lastly, the old Colts didn't know how to finish... Our defense, now, doesn't let teams get back in the game... Its common knowledge, our offense has a 4th quarter killer instinct... I called the Jets/Chargers game over a few times, but the Jets couldn't finish the game... Unlike the Chargers, we score TDs given the opportunity...
Jumping in on this conversation I can tell you the COLTS would LOVE to run the ball better but their O line is just not a good run blocking line,wasn't last year and isn't this year. They thrive on pass protection. They missed on two second round draft picks O line Ugoh,Pollack they are both backup players now. Polian is terrible with second round picks while damn good with first rounders and later. The corner Tim Jennings was second rounder horrible, if he sees the field other than special teams Sanchez will know to throw toward him,and this years second round DT from USC Fili Moala jury's still out but doesn't look good so far. COLTS rely on short pass for their running game mostly.
Marino, Fouts, Kelly, Boomer, and many older guys never got the ring... Manning will have 2 in 4 years... The AFC has been so competitive over the past decade, but maybe the Jets fans missed it... The Braves comparison is old hat and was dispelled 4 years ago, besides baseball is a joke...
Its an interesting point about the o line for the Colts being so good at protection and poor in the running game. Probably because with Manning..its hard to get in a groove. The Jets are a perfect example of that. Both the Bengal game and the Charger game...we did not run the ball well until late second early 3rd quarter. So it wouldnt shock if the Colts handle the running game early. Everybody has lately. The bottom line is...are the Jets able to stay in the game by the time they start running effectively? Thats the whole game in a nutshell. IF...A BIG IF...but if the Jets come out running the ball in the first quarter well...not to be a smartass..but that would be the perfect scenario and would pretty much guarantee we have ourselves a game.
I'm not basing it on one player because if I was guys like Mark Rypien, Brad Johnson and Trent Dilfer have as many rings as Manning and that's disrespectful to Manning if I was. Funny the Steelers and Patriots haven't had too much issue getting more then one ring. Actually it hasn't been dispelled, one ring being the most succesful team for the decade doesn't dispell that myth. Atlanta won 1 ring with 14 straight division titles. Very accurate comparison.
The AFC has been a 3 horse race this past decade... The Steelers lucked out on the Vanderskank against us and well the Pats are tainted... I wouldn't trade 1 ring for New England's tainted 3... If we win our second ring this season, that would put the totals as 3*,2,2 for the decade...
I believe it was INDY STAR columnist Bob Kravitz who always used the ATLANTA BRAVES line. Until the COLTS won a Superbowl I agreed with him. We've had a lot of one and dones. Great regular seasons but below average playoff success. If I'm a JETS fan I'd like all the tv talking heads picking against my team. I've watched the majority of these guys pick us to beat the CHARGERS two years in a row in the playoffs only to lose. The JETS got the short yardage Sunday to end the game that we couldn't get last year playin the BOLTS. We needed one first down to end the game last year couldn't get it. That BOLTS punter Ciphers(spelling) absolutely killed us last year. We were pinned the whole game it seemed like.
You can say spygate has tainted what the Pats did for the last decade. They beat everyone with talent and great defensive schemes. San Diego had your number a couple of times and that Steelers game came down to the hand of Ben making a miraculous tackle.
You can't be serious? Bob Sanders was drafted in the 2nd round, Kelvin Hayden was drafted in the 2nd round. I am pretty sure those guys weren't terrible picks. Let's not generalize things by a few players.
He's always been great in the reg season, he has a million close wins and late comebacks in the reg season. Something changes in January, even Saturday he wasn't sharp. He did a great job at the end of the 1st half when they kind of put that game away but he wasn't sharp. Not in January outside of the great 2nd half vs. NE in 2006. It hasn;'t been the defense holding back Indy in postseason, it's been the high powered offense that has averaged less than 14 PPG in their 8 playoff losses. Manning has a long way to go to get that 2nd one so it's foolish to count it now. The AFC has been really competitive but Indy has had SB caliber talent around Manning for about a decade and he has just one SB app. He should have about 3-4. Marino made a SB but he never had half the talent around him that Manning has had(relative to the era), kelly made 4 SBs, Boomer made one and nearly knocked off the team of the 80s. I compare peyton to Steve Young in that they both had SB caliber talent around them and both underachieved w/ just one SB win but at least Steve was great in SF's SB run in 1994 while Peyton was along for the ride in 2006. The great thing for Peyton is he has time, IF they win this year all the playoff failures kind of get forgotten but he has alot of work to do. Alot of that has to do w/ Manning knowing the D's so well and knowing where he is throwing so quickly, you don't have time to get to him. The Steelers lucked out? Please. That game was only close b/c of a few gifts given to Indy such as that Polamalu INT which would have ended the game but they reversed it somehow and gave it back to Indy then after a 4 and out and Pitt getting the ball inside the 5 to end it Bettis fumbles and they bring it back near midfield and peyton STILL couldn't get that game to OT. Blame the K all you want, that was on Manning. Don't forget the Braves won a SB and unlike Indy they made numerous appearances in the Championship series/game. Indy only has 1 SB app, the Braves in the 90s made 5.
To answer the question are these the same old Colts? I would have to say no. Teams now play the Colts so much different than they used to. The Colts used to play action teams to death and then hit Marvin or Reggie with deep ball. Now the Colts don't really run the Stretch or Outside Zone play as much and Defenses are playing two high safeties against them almost every down. This leads to the question that will decide the game. Will the Jets still blitz as much as they usually do and gamble in coverage? Or will they play two deep safeties and keep things in front of them. This is where the game will be decided.
Bobzilla - Baseball is a joke? Are you kidding? Maybe if my only other option for sports was THE PACERS I'd feel the same way.
Hayden was drafted in the second round good pick I agree but I'll take Melvin Bullit over Bob Sanders anyday. Bob Sanders never sees the field and can't hold up to the NFL pounding. Defensive player of the year once yes,great player I guess but he can't stay on the field and a lot of COLTS fans agree. I think he's played in only half of the possible games since he was drafted. Not a baseball guy myself and yes the PACERS stink! Horribly mismanaged.
actually, the jets gameplan (and this has always been rex's gameplan) is to stop the run and force you into situations where you have to pass ... then he can come with his exotic blitzes and lean on the strength of this d, the secondary
