So, last night we sat down to record 18 Plays, and spent a good 50 minutes rehashing the Steelers game. When I went to edit the recordings, I found they were worthless. For some reason, it recorded Demond talking over me, so the whole thing was a mess. Since we went to all the effort, I decided to transcribe the 18 Plays (mostly). Here's the result. We'll try the podcast one more time next week, but a three hour time difference between BA and Indy is making it hard. I have to wait until midnight to start recording, so it's safe to say the future of the podcast is in doubt. 18 Plays may have to become a regular feature on the site. We'll see.
Links:
Tony Dungy appears on Mike and Mike. He rooted for the Jets last night because of 'tiebreakers'.
John Lynch got hit in the head one too many times. Retiring as a Buc AND a Bronco? Um, that's just called...retiring.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Numbers I find interesting...
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Anyone want to guess the mystery QB whose stats are listed below Cassel's? It's interesting. That's all I'm saying.
I also forgot to post the yardage totals:
Yards
3911 (Cassel projected)
3,529
4,110
3,692
3,620
3,764
2,843
Demond Sanders: Could it be this animal lover?
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Ted Thompson's Day Off-A MMTTB Report
Since we last visited the bosses of Cheeseville, the Pack has dropped two games AND resigned Aaron Rodgers through 2014. This has to be one of the most baffling moves of the reign of Thompson and McCarthy. On one hand, they draft Brian Brohm in the second round, and now, before the halfway mark of his first season, the ink Rodgers to a massive deal, despite only being one game over .500 at the time. I realize that there is some cap advantage to doing this deal before the end of this season, but ultimately, it makes the Packers brain trust seem eerily similar to Ferris Bueller's pal Cameron of whom Ferris said,
"Cameron has never been in love. At least, nobody's ever been in love with him. If things don't change for him, he's gonna marry the first girl he lays, and she's gonna treat him like s*** because she will have given him what he has built up in his mind as the end all be all of human existence. She won't respect him, because you can't respect somebody who kisses your ass. It just doesn't work."
Thompson and McCarthy jumped into bed with Rodgers too soon, and now they married him. Since then, the Pack has dropped two games including losing to the Vikings in a game in which Rodgers couldn't win despite a defensive and special teams score.
Oh, and Brett Favre? He's been uneven but the Jets are 6-3 and looking to claim a division title if they can beat the Pats tonight.
This week, it seems that the collective MMTTB IQ is about on par with a kid who would steal his dad's vintage Ferrari. Let's place them at about 110, but with a low self-esteem that makes them do really stupid stuff.
"Cameron has never been in love. At least, nobody's ever been in love with him. If things don't change for him, he's gonna marry the first girl he lays, and she's gonna treat him like s*** because she will have given him what he has built up in his mind as the end all be all of human existence. She won't respect him, because you can't respect somebody who kisses your ass. It just doesn't work."
Thompson and McCarthy jumped into bed with Rodgers too soon, and now they married him. Since then, the Pack has dropped two games including losing to the Vikings in a game in which Rodgers couldn't win despite a defensive and special teams score.
Oh, and Brett Favre? He's been uneven but the Jets are 6-3 and looking to claim a division title if they can beat the Pats tonight.
This week, it seems that the collective MMTTB IQ is about on par with a kid who would steal his dad's vintage Ferrari. Let's place them at about 110, but with a low self-esteem that makes them do really stupid stuff.
Links: Big Sexy hates on some coaches, including Mad Jack.
CHFF thinks the Colts are rolling
Mike Tanier had a great line today:
Texans at Colts: Sage Rosenfels wants to redeem himself for his fourth-quarter fumble against the Colts in Week 5. And his other fourth-quarter fumble in Week 5. And his fourth-quarter interception in Week 5. And the interception he threw in the red zone at the end of the third quarter against the Vikings. And all of the passes he threw right into Ray Lewis' chest last week. And ... well, he'd like a mulligan for all of 2008, if that could be arranged. Colts.
The Sports guy is back. Honestly, he's been pretty weak for a while now, but I laughed out loud 5 times reading this column. His platform for Czar of Sports is flawless. Pieces like this are why people bothered to read him in the first place. He still seems to act like he wants to get fired, but I'll hand it to him...he was on his game today.
A Make-up Gift
Sorry about no post yesterday, in addition to the MMTTB report which is coming shortly, I wanted to treat you all to this gem from 2003. I just found it in a stack of magazines I had saved. I just want to say an extra thank you to my buddy Nate (the same one who has been letting me watch the games on his sling box) for giving this to me 5 years ago. Needless to say, that's getting framed and going on my wall. Don't take my questioning of Marvin the last few days as a statement of how I feel about him as a player. You find few people who are bigger 88 fans and supporters. I hope he makes me look like a fool. Here's to 50 catches and 6 scores over the last seven games.
And no matter what...this site will ALWAYS be 18to88.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
The Train is Leaving the Station
The Peyton Manning for MVP Express is just getting revved up. Today we had the first serious mention of Manning as an MVP candidate. I realize that it was just Peter King and not a serious journalist, but still. We'll take what we can get.
This may seem a little far fetched given the offensive struggles this year, but now that the toughest games on the Colts schedule are behind them, the odds of Manning throwing together a very credible statistical season seem strong. The media is funny about these things. They'll start talking about rhythm and timing and healing, and some of those will be factors. The main reason the Colts offense will 'get better' will be that they aren't playing as good of defenses. Manning may not actually play any better from here on out, but it'll look like he is. Ultimately, if the Colts make the playoffs with 11 wins (or more?), it will be hard for voters to look off a QB who lead some daunting comebacks and has a Hall of Fame pedigree.
Don't misunderstand me, I think the Colts are improving on offense. But I think the results will appear out of line with the actual improvement. Indy will probably have several 30+ games the rest of the year, making it appear as if they've hit some new plane of being. In reality, the improvement will be slight but magnified by a string of really weak teams.
This chart shows a couple of things. First, all the Colts have seen slight drops in production over previous years. It also shows that Harrison has been horrible. He's gotten 10 more passes than AG, but Gonzalez has more catches and yards. I know that it has appeared like Peyton has missed Harrison on some deep balls, but his number are so much worse than the other two WRs that it is impossible to place all the blame on Manning. Harrison may be getting open deep, but he's not getting open short. Marvin has been the weak link. If he indeed is just 'out of sync' with Manning, fine. That had better show up fast. He's drawing a lot of passes from Peyton and simply not catching them. His catch rate is 14% worse than Wayne's, and an amazing 24% worse than Anthony Gonzalez's. This is astounding because AG has dropped at least 5 significant passes this year. AG gets open. Marvin doesn't. He's always had catch rates in the middle to high 60s or better. This was even during seasons when his #2 was Jerome Pathon, and he was double and triple teamed on every play. I hate to say it...but he's seriously not ok. It can't be all Manning's fault. It can't be MOSTLY Manning's fault. The other guys are posting solid numbers. Marvin isn't. Same QB. Same line. Different results.
Demond Sanders: I disagree with your take. I think Joseph Addai's play is a bigger problem right through 9 games than Marvin. Harrison has struggled, but he is one of four playmakers through the air (Wayne, Harrison, Clark, Gonzalez). The Colts aren't struggling on offense because of him, and I think he has already been deemphasized to a degree. I think Addai's lack of production has had a much greater impact. He's already missed nearly three full games with an injury. In the games he has played he has looked less capable than his older, less talented backup, Dom Rhodes.
I think both Marvin and Joe will improve as the season goes on. There is no way 18 and 88 will continue to miss on deep balls. I promise you that. But the offense will improve even if that classic connection does not. The run game is the bigger problem, and as you say it will get better as the line gels. This will also help Marvin because DBs will have to be more aware of what is going on in the backfield. At Addai's current production (3.1 yards per rush) safeties and corners don't have to give a second thought to helping out against the run.
Besides if you are blaming Addai's play on injury and the line, can't the same be said for Marvin? He's coming back from a major injury and Peyton's timing on deep routes is clearly being effected by the O-line. It is getting better and I expect a breakout game from those two on Sunday.
DZ Responds:
Marvin has played under all the same conditions as Wayne and Gonzo. He has played dramatically worse. Addai and Rhodes have NOT played under all the same conditions (the line was much, much worse earlier in the year). Even still, their performance has been nearly identical. The Colts lost two games that Addai didn't even play, so it's hard to argue that Dom provided some kind of boost to the offense. Marvin was the intended target of 57 passes. He caught less than half of them. That's about thirty times he produced no gain on a play. Add in the back breaking fumble week one, and it's really not even an argument as to who has played worse.
Addai has been essentally at replacement level this year. So has Dom. Marvin has been WAY below it. He is hurting the team right now. He has to get better.
LINK: FO says DZ is right.
The linked to article on the game is great too
The Colts are leaping up in DVOA. Even the D is above average for the year. They've played the 2nd hardest schedule, but have the 3rd easiest the rest of the way.
Demond Sanders: You have quoted FO non-stop to support your argument, but there's always more to it than stats can tell us. Here is FO's conclusion, "Until Harrison can start making more big plays, the Colts will not recapture their traditional dominant form. Given his age, we might safely say that the Colts offense will not recapture its dominant form this season." Well, the Colts rarely blow out good defensive teams and that's mostly who they've been playing. They make their hay against the Houstons and Detroits (see 2004). I think the Colts are about to go on the offensive and Marvin will be a big part of it. My wife can't believe we spent several hours debating this, but it happened. We'll have to agree to disagree. Here is a transcript of our final jabs:
Demond Sanders(7:01:44 PM) : i don't
For those who missed my comment yesterday, Manning's slate of pass defenses is about to get incredibly attractive. He has a very real shot at 30-35 TD passes the rest of the year. Should the Colts go 6-1 and get to 11 wins, Manning will have to be seen as a front runner for the MVP award. To get to 30, he'll have to throw just over 2 a game.
This may seem a little far fetched given the offensive struggles this year, but now that the toughest games on the Colts schedule are behind them, the odds of Manning throwing together a very credible statistical season seem strong. The media is funny about these things. They'll start talking about rhythm and timing and healing, and some of those will be factors. The main reason the Colts offense will 'get better' will be that they aren't playing as good of defenses. Manning may not actually play any better from here on out, but it'll look like he is. Ultimately, if the Colts make the playoffs with 11 wins (or more?), it will be hard for voters to look off a QB who lead some daunting comebacks and has a Hall of Fame pedigree.
Don't misunderstand me, I think the Colts are improving on offense. But I think the results will appear out of line with the actual improvement. Indy will probably have several 30+ games the rest of the year, making it appear as if they've hit some new plane of being. In reality, the improvement will be slight but magnified by a string of really weak teams.
The key to true elevation of the offense isn't the run game. I think that will happen naturally as Addai gets healthy and the line continues to gel (which it has shown signs of doing). The real key will be Harrison. He will have to either start making plays or be deemphasized in the offense. Demond and I have been debating Marvin for two days. Here's how his FO stats look compared to the other Colts WRs (through 8 weeks):
| DYAR | Rank | YAR | Rank | DVOA | Rank | ||||||||
87-R.Wayne | IND | 163 | 8 | 139 | 12 | 15.90% | 21 | ||||||
| 11-A.Gonzalez | IND | 147 | 11 | 140 | 11 | 28.00% | 7 | ||||||
88-M.Harrison | IND | -42 | 69 | -42 | 70 | -22.00% | 69 |
| VOA | Passes | Yards | Eyds | TDs | Catch Rate |
| 11.70% | 71 | 569 | 705 | 5 | 61% |
| 26.00% | 47 | 412 | 512 | 3 | 72% |
| -21.90% | 57 | 320 | 303 | 4 | 47% |
This chart shows a couple of things. First, all the Colts have seen slight drops in production over previous years. It also shows that Harrison has been horrible. He's gotten 10 more passes than AG, but Gonzalez has more catches and yards. I know that it has appeared like Peyton has missed Harrison on some deep balls, but his number are so much worse than the other two WRs that it is impossible to place all the blame on Manning. Harrison may be getting open deep, but he's not getting open short. Marvin has been the weak link. If he indeed is just 'out of sync' with Manning, fine. That had better show up fast. He's drawing a lot of passes from Peyton and simply not catching them. His catch rate is 14% worse than Wayne's, and an amazing 24% worse than Anthony Gonzalez's. This is astounding because AG has dropped at least 5 significant passes this year. AG gets open. Marvin doesn't. He's always had catch rates in the middle to high 60s or better. This was even during seasons when his #2 was Jerome Pathon, and he was double and triple teamed on every play. I hate to say it...but he's seriously not ok. It can't be all Manning's fault. It can't be MOSTLY Manning's fault. The other guys are posting solid numbers. Marvin isn't. Same QB. Same line. Different results.
In other news, Jack Del Rio is hilarious. He acts the fool right before his team plays one of the worst clubs in history, and then uses the win to justify himself. Classic.
Links:
FO looks at the divisions by DVOA
Links:
FO looks at the divisions by DVOA
Demond Sanders: I disagree with your take. I think Joseph Addai's play is a bigger problem right through 9 games than Marvin. Harrison has struggled, but he is one of four playmakers through the air (Wayne, Harrison, Clark, Gonzalez). The Colts aren't struggling on offense because of him, and I think he has already been deemphasized to a degree. I think Addai's lack of production has had a much greater impact. He's already missed nearly three full games with an injury. In the games he has played he has looked less capable than his older, less talented backup, Dom Rhodes.
I think both Marvin and Joe will improve as the season goes on. There is no way 18 and 88 will continue to miss on deep balls. I promise you that. But the offense will improve even if that classic connection does not. The run game is the bigger problem, and as you say it will get better as the line gels. This will also help Marvin because DBs will have to be more aware of what is going on in the backfield. At Addai's current production (3.1 yards per rush) safeties and corners don't have to give a second thought to helping out against the run.
Besides if you are blaming Addai's play on injury and the line, can't the same be said for Marvin? He's coming back from a major injury and Peyton's timing on deep routes is clearly being effected by the O-line. It is getting better and I expect a breakout game from those two on Sunday.
DZ Responds:
Marvin has played under all the same conditions as Wayne and Gonzo. He has played dramatically worse. Addai and Rhodes have NOT played under all the same conditions (the line was much, much worse earlier in the year). Even still, their performance has been nearly identical. The Colts lost two games that Addai didn't even play, so it's hard to argue that Dom provided some kind of boost to the offense. Marvin was the intended target of 57 passes. He caught less than half of them. That's about thirty times he produced no gain on a play. Add in the back breaking fumble week one, and it's really not even an argument as to who has played worse.
Addai has been essentally at replacement level this year. So has Dom. Marvin has been WAY below it. He is hurting the team right now. He has to get better.
LINK: FO says DZ is right.
The Colts are leaping up in DVOA. Even the D is above average for the year. They've played the 2nd hardest schedule, but have the 3rd easiest the rest of the way.
Demond Sanders: You have quoted FO non-stop to support your argument, but there's always more to it than stats can tell us. Here is FO's conclusion, "Until Harrison can start making more big plays, the Colts will not recapture their traditional dominant form. Given his age, we might safely say that the Colts offense will not recapture its dominant form this season." Well, the Colts rarely blow out good defensive teams and that's mostly who they've been playing. They make their hay against the Houstons and Detroits (see 2004). I think the Colts are about to go on the offensive and Marvin will be a big part of it. My wife can't believe we spent several hours debating this, but it happened. We'll have to agree to disagree. Here is a transcript of our final jabs:
Deshawn Zombie (6:59:44 PM) : why are Marvin's numbers so much worse than the other WRs?
Demond Sanders (7:00:22 PM) : he's 36 and coming off an injury and playing against great Ds
Deshawn Zombie (7:00:35 PM) : so he sucks
Demond Sanders (7:00:44 PM) : is that what i wrote?
Deshawn Zombie (7:01:31 PM) : I'm saying he's not playing well because he was hurt and old. You are saying he's not playing well because he's hurt and old
Deshawn Zombie(7:01:34 PM) : what's the difference
Demond Sanders (7:01:43 PM) : you think he is done
Demond Sanders (7:01:49 PM) : i guess that would be it
Deshawn Zombie (7:02:05 PM) : I think the evidence shows he's done, and he's going to have to play a ton better to convince me otherwise
Deshawn Zombie (7:02:57 PM) : I'm saying I have no reason to believe he can be a good #2 in the league
Deshawn Zombie(7:03:03 PM) : nothing he's done indicates that
Monday, November 10, 2008
Aftermath
I'm still flying high from the win last night. I can't remember a game that I thought the Colts had less chance to win, only to see them pull it out. Honestly, it's probably been 10 years since they had a win quite like that one. Here are my observations about yesterday:
- It was nice to get some breaks. There were tipped balls that fell just right yesterday, but the Colts have been on the wrong side fumble/everything else luck all year. The Colts didn't deserve to win this game because of the bounce of the ball? Fine. Give us back the Jacksonville game and we'll call it even.
- The season is officially saved, because as Phil B pointed out, if you can go into Pittsburgh and win, you can win anywhere in the AFC. This team won't win the division, but you have to feel good about another 10 (11!) win season and a playoff berth.
- This team played really well for the first time since Baltimore. We were all pessimistic last week because only one thing worked against the Pats (#18). Yesterday, the run game was useful. Bare in mind that the Steelers have the best defense in football. The numbers are going to be down against a team like that. The key is if there were useful plays. The Colts ran well on third and short. They had plays in the passing game, and if anything, it felt like they underachieved there. On Defense, there was pressure from Freeney, turnovers, and solid run stopping. When Hayden comes back, the pass D will get that much better. This was the first game this year that I doubt the 2006 or 2007 Colts would have fared dramatically better.
- Tim Jennings. That pick he made was a legitmate NFL caliber play. This wasn't Joe Flacco airmailing a ball down 40. This was Ben Roethlisberger trying to pick up a first down to all but ice the game. Jennings was draped on the reciever and ripped the ball from his hands. We've begrudgingly admitted ever so slightly that Jennings has been improving. There is now no question about it. Mr. Jennings, I apologize. You've worked hard and can now be considered a viable NFL corner. As long as you don't pick up any more delay of game calls, I'm officially off your back.
- Can we officially call off the dogs on Tony Dungy? This team has played one true 'stinker' this season. Since then, Dungy's boys have taken Tennessee to the fourth quarter tied, beaten NE and Pittsburgh. Whatever problems the Colts have had and continue to have are injury related, not coaching related. Three huge comeback wins (and should have been a fourth against Jville) aren't possible if a team quits. Dungy has his guys hanging on until the end. By the way, check out Kravitz's GREAT line under the coaching section of his report card. Calling the Jags "a dumpster fire" cracked me up. I can't believe I just said nice things about Tim Jennings and Bob Kravitz on the same day. That's what happens when you win in Pittsburgh for the first time in 40 years.
- It was great to see the Colts throw to the running backs. Once that reappeared, the offense started to click. I truly believe that's a function of improved line play. There was also a lot more play action. This offense is very close to being 100%. Remember that I didn't say that after the Baltimore game. That was a lot more about hitting a few freaky big plays. The Colts offense is right when it can run and move effectively AND hit huge plays.
- God bless Rutgers
- The debate on Marvin is really starting to rage, and I understand his defenders. I know that on some of those balls, it looks like Peyton might be the one not hitting him. I'm not buying it. Marvin is a shadow of his former self. Manning has played absolutely great football in multiple games this year. Marvin hasn't. His catch rate is awful, and even when Peyton does find him, he drops the deep ball (more than once this year). I love Marvin Harrison. I'm obviously a HUGE fan. I think he's done. I want to be wrong about this. I wouldn't be surprised to see him rack up 100 yards this weekend. That won't change my mind. The old Marvin caught 65-70% of passes thrown his way. He caught short and deep balls. He was rock solid money all the time. I miss that Marvin. If he has three or four really good games from here to the end of the year, I'll back off saying he's done. At some point the numbers don't lie anymore. His are in the toliet.
- The line has really rebounded. At first glance, I saw Ugoh get beat on a couple of plays (including a sack). Pollack got knocked back 5 yards to kill a run, but mostly Peyton had time to operate. Pittsburgh thrives on getting pressure. They couldn't yesterday. One of the sacks was on Manning for not unloading the ball. Pittsburgh had amazing coverage yesterday, but the line gave Manning time to find guys. Great job all around.
- I'm not sure what to make of the play of the Gonzo. He is devestating in so many ways, but he has to cut out the drops. I know he got killed on that third down pass, but that's fourth big third down he's flat dropped this year. He's got to hang onto the ball.
- My internet connection rules. At one point, I was watching the slingbox, chatting, and talking on a Vonage phone with no breakdown in service on any of them. All this to say: 18 Plays: The Podcast will be returning this week.
Links:
Peter King loooves to jump on the Colts bandwagon
FO audibles the game. Sounds like an Any Given Sunday is coming our way
Stat of the day: Through 9 games, Peyton Manning has faced 5 of the top 11 defenses in terms of defensive passer rating. In his last 7 games, he'll face 5 of the 10 worst defenses in terms of passer rating. My prediction: Manning throws for 35 TDs, posts an aggrate 110 rating for his last 7 games, and makes a serious run at MVP. Ironically, the health of the team will only be part of the reason for the revival. The schedule will just simply get easier. The Colts have only one bad weather game left (at Cleveland). The offense is about to get healthy real quick.
Vic Carucci says the Colts ground one out
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Clawing out of the Coffin
Colts 24 - Steelers 20
Oh, and by the way...that's three times this season Peyton has brought the Colts back.
On the road.
After being down by at least 10 points.
Oh, and by the way...that's three times this season Peyton has brought the Colts back.
On the road.
After being down by at least 10 points.
Links:
Chadia says help is coming from everywhere
Colts Steelers Live Game Blog
We'll be here live at 4 pm to talk about the game. I hate the Steelers. It would be oh so nice to win today. Let's try a new tact today. If you choose to participate in the chat, try to limit yourself to comments about the play. If we limit the number of exclamations, the chat may flow better. Thanks.
If you are a regular participant and would like to be pre-approved, email 18to88@gmail.com. We'll give out a very very limited number of panelist invitations. This helps us free up spots during the chat. If you ask for an invite and don't get one, don't be offended; we have a limited number. Just join in like normal, and we'll clear you.
If you are a regular participant and would like to be pre-approved, email 18to88@gmail.com. We'll give out a very very limited number of panelist invitations. This helps us free up spots during the chat. If you ask for an invite and don't get one, don't be offended; we have a limited number. Just join in like normal, and we'll clear you.
Why we hate them
1.) Kordell Stewart was playing wide receiver for the first time, and it showed.
2.) It's as simple as two names: Lamont Warren and Quentin Coryatt. So much pain.
3.) Aaron Bailey.
4.) Nick Harper.
DZ Comments: Don't forget how they broke Harbaugh's jaw in the 96 game. We couldn't figure out why he played so bad until we got in the car after the game. Then we obviously forgave him.
2.) It's as simple as two names: Lamont Warren and Quentin Coryatt. So much pain.
3.) Aaron Bailey.
4.) Nick Harper.
DZ Comments: Don't forget how they broke Harbaugh's jaw in the 96 game. We couldn't figure out why he played so bad until we got in the car after the game. Then we obviously forgave him.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Hide Your Eyes
I was busy moving into my new place today, so Eyes in the Backfield is a little late. Sorry it's such a bleak one this week, folks, but I can't see the Horse winning this game. Honestly, I'll be encouraged if it's even close. Here's a taste:
Last week we came up with a big win. This week, the Horse comes up against a tough team playing at home. The Colts and Steelers haven't met since that awful day in January a couple of years ago. The stakes aren't quite so high when the two teams meet at Heinz Field on Sunday, but it's a big game nonetheless. This week:
1. Watch for Roethlisberger to shoulder the load. He had to leave Monday night's win with a bum wing, and didn't practice all week. He came back to practice today, and will probably start on Sunday. With Willie Parker already out, a gimpy Roethlisberger is going to have tough it up. If he isn't effective, the Colts may well have a chance to win.
2. Watch for total domination. The Steelers are 18-5 against the Colts all time. The Colts franchise hasn't won a game in Pittsburgh since the 60s. This series has been utterly one-sided. The surprising thing is that the teams have only played 23 times. Considering that neither Indianapolis nor Baltimore is that far from Pittsburgh, it's odd the conference rivals have met so infrequently.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Slump Buster
Colts 26 - Steelers 20That's what I'd love to post this Sunday around 7:30 pm Eastern. The Colts badly need a statement win to kick start the 2008 season. I think the odds are currently at or below 50% that Indy will make the playoffs. A win at Pittsburgh would dramatically change their fortunes. I'm curious how the rest of you see this going. Feel free to post your final score predictions here.
The Worst Possible Theory
Don Banks wastes virtual paper today writing about the Colts coaching situation and positing that it might be a reason for the team's struggles.
Can I be clear about something? Unless Jim Caldwell has been clubbing players in their sleep and ripping their hamstrings and popping their ACL's, he has had NOTHING to do with the Colts struggles. Unless Jason Garret took a shovel to Tony Romo's finger, I doubt he has either.
If the Colts were healthy and intact along the defensive and offensive lines, there would be no discussion about this team. There was only one game this year they looked unready to play (Green Bay). Several times, they've come out strong with their season on the line, and seem to still respond to their coach. Even in the Tennessee game, no one can argue that Dungy didn't have those guys up for the game. They folded late, but were toe to toe for three quarters.
The Colts problem is a lack of healthy talent. Some guys are playing hurt; others are just coming into form. If enough guys get healthy and in a groove, this team may yet be good. As for right now, 4-4 isn't bad considering some of the combinations they've had to run out there.
I think the media just gets bored sometimes.
Can I be clear about something? Unless Jim Caldwell has been clubbing players in their sleep and ripping their hamstrings and popping their ACL's, he has had NOTHING to do with the Colts struggles. Unless Jason Garret took a shovel to Tony Romo's finger, I doubt he has either.
If the Colts were healthy and intact along the defensive and offensive lines, there would be no discussion about this team. There was only one game this year they looked unready to play (Green Bay). Several times, they've come out strong with their season on the line, and seem to still respond to their coach. Even in the Tennessee game, no one can argue that Dungy didn't have those guys up for the game. They folded late, but were toe to toe for three quarters.
The Colts problem is a lack of healthy talent. Some guys are playing hurt; others are just coming into form. If enough guys get healthy and in a groove, this team may yet be good. As for right now, 4-4 isn't bad considering some of the combinations they've had to run out there.
I think the media just gets bored sometimes.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
What we talk about
Demond and I started this blog oh so many moons ago because we figured we should have an outlet for the kinds of conversations that take place on IM between us every day. Here's an example:
DZ
he rips on people saying the Browns should have dealt Derrick Anderson
last year
calling it 'Revisionist history'
no Peter. That's called paying attention
Demond
DZ
and a very mediocre/poor last 8 games
GM Phil Savage said, "He saved all our jobs!"
um, then you shouldn't have one
Demond
DZ
Vic admitting that maybe trading up for Harvey made no sense
Demond
DZ
Demond
and b. if there is the coach and GM won't be around
DZ
they just extended Mad Jack though
Demond
DZ
although if the sale goes through, he's gone
Demond
DZ
Weaver ain't payin anybody 1 penny more than he has to
he sold about 6000 season tix to the Jags by going for 2 from the 10
Demond
DZ
Tomlin isn't the best coach in terms of game strategy
I read Phil B's chat,Colts' fans are retarded
Demond
DZ
the stuff they ask him is so stupid
they all like to kill Joe Addai (who shouldn't have played on Sunday)
as if Dom has great numbers
Dom's numbers aren't very good either
that line is pretty bad
here's the thing about the Pitt game...
it'll turn on turnovers
and the Pitt style passing game should play into our hands
they don't run the short route crap
the last three teams have played
Demond
this just in: the colts suck
DZ
they don't suck, they are just average
Demond
DZ
Demond
DZdon't worry, I'll predict a blowout when the time comes
Demond
DZ
big blue shoe is a riot
he posted the other day about how the Colts aren't an average team
I'm just like, whatever dude. They are 4-4 and average in every category.
They may have talent...but they are incredibly average.
They may have talent...but they are incredibly average.
Demond
i don't get it
DZ
big hands, small t***, and a weird moleJust becuase she puts out sometimes doesn't make her a catch
Anyway, pardon the pessimism. These conversations are more indicative our mood at any given moment rather than how we actually feel about the team. It's just how we felt this morning. About half of America woke up celebrating a new dawn of peace and harmonic convergence. The other half is scared spitless and immediately went to the gun store and bought generators to prepare for the coming apocalypse. Us? We just woke up pissed that Tim Jennings is playing corner, and we have the worst run offense in football.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Linking up
I'm frantically scrambling to get our new house ready to move into, so my days (and energy) are shot. I may be without regular internet for as many as two weeks as I wait for installation, so if I'm AWOL a lot in the next several days, you'll know why. On the bright side, I have been told I have a fighting chance of having the Sunday Ticket ready this weekend. I'll take it.
Here's some links:
Peyton tops Quick Reads. The comment is dead on.
The Colts move up slightly in DVOA. Note the schedule has been brutal, and it's going to get easier. This team may start to look a lot better just because they are playing worse teams.
PK shares Jim Fassel's thoughts on Colts Pats
CHFF says the Colts are on an insane pace. Too bad MJax is done.
Ask Vic is a hoot today.
Here's some links:
Peyton tops Quick Reads. The comment is dead on.
The Colts move up slightly in DVOA. Note the schedule has been brutal, and it's going to get easier. This team may start to look a lot better just because they are playing worse teams.
PK shares Jim Fassel's thoughts on Colts Pats
CHFF says the Colts are on an insane pace. Too bad MJax is done.
Ask Vic is a hoot today.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Thoughts on the "win"
DZ is crazy busy today, so I'm going to try to sum up our thoughts on the win last night against Bill Belichick's Patriots.
1.) Bill probably lost his team the game by not going for it on fourth down. That was weird. The only other time I've seen poor coaching out of him was in Arizona last February when he punted inside Giants territory.
2.) The defensive line is struggling right now. The lack of pressure turned a potentially easy win into a tossup game. I know Cassel threw underneath, but he still held it long enough to get sacked at least once.
3.) We should be proud of the patchwork defensive backfield. They didn't get beat deep by Moss and helped hold Welker to 37 yards on 7 catches. Not sure why the Patriots didn't try to go up top, though. I guess they were happy running the ball and shortening the game and not getting into a shootout. It almost worked.
4.) Peyton played a great game. They rarely looked deep, but the receivers had plenty of room underneath. I think it is telling that even though Manning was excellent the team still struggled. Indy's problems are much deeper than rust or a nagging injury.
5.) The poor running game made #18's play all the more impressive. It was strange because they usually run well against New England at home. And they ran the ball well at times versus the Titans last week. Is Ugoh healthy? Is Addai missing holes? This seems like a solvable issue, but I'm not seeing a lot of answers.
6.) Marvin is the most controversial part of the team right now. Why is he returning punts? Is he done? The answer is who knows. At this point we just need to try and enjoy him. This is possibly his last season.
7.) This team is average on offense, average on defense, and average on special teams. It is no surprise that they are 4-4. It's really tough to find 6 wins left on the schedule, even assuming they sweep the rest of their home games. They aren't that good, but there is a lot of pride left on this team. They won't go out quietly. There could be some real joy in watching Peyton rally an undermanned team into the playoffs.
8.) Adam Vinatieri shamed me last night. I've been down on his ability to hit long field goals. I was wrong.
9.) Feel good about this: Anthony Gonzalez is heating up. His second touchdown came on third down against tight coverage. Clutch.
10.) It is better if we try not to think about the Steelers game on Sunday. My heart says they can pull an upset if they score a lot. My head says the Colts should lose by two or three scores.
11.) If your politician wins on Tuesday, congratulations. Our readership is purple, so if you want to gloat please post about it somewhere else.
LINKS:
Don Banks learns stuff from the game. Obvious stuff.
Ross Tucker hates on Mad Jack. Hee hee.
PK still likes the Colts waaaay too much. Pats too. Figure it out Pete. This team has a great QB and NOTHING else right now.
Scouts Inc sees stuff. Sort of
CHFF loves on AV
They also have Indy in first in their meaningless standings
FO talks about last night's game
Gregg Doyle wants to be in AV's shoes
Clark Judge liked seeing Peyton back. I thought he was back three weeks ago. There was nothing wrong with him recently but two tough defenses on windy days.
1.) Bill probably lost his team the game by not going for it on fourth down. That was weird. The only other time I've seen poor coaching out of him was in Arizona last February when he punted inside Giants territory.
2.) The defensive line is struggling right now. The lack of pressure turned a potentially easy win into a tossup game. I know Cassel threw underneath, but he still held it long enough to get sacked at least once.
3.) We should be proud of the patchwork defensive backfield. They didn't get beat deep by Moss and helped hold Welker to 37 yards on 7 catches. Not sure why the Patriots didn't try to go up top, though. I guess they were happy running the ball and shortening the game and not getting into a shootout. It almost worked.
4.) Peyton played a great game. They rarely looked deep, but the receivers had plenty of room underneath. I think it is telling that even though Manning was excellent the team still struggled. Indy's problems are much deeper than rust or a nagging injury.
5.) The poor running game made #18's play all the more impressive. It was strange because they usually run well against New England at home. And they ran the ball well at times versus the Titans last week. Is Ugoh healthy? Is Addai missing holes? This seems like a solvable issue, but I'm not seeing a lot of answers.
6.) Marvin is the most controversial part of the team right now. Why is he returning punts? Is he done? The answer is who knows. At this point we just need to try and enjoy him. This is possibly his last season.
7.) This team is average on offense, average on defense, and average on special teams. It is no surprise that they are 4-4. It's really tough to find 6 wins left on the schedule, even assuming they sweep the rest of their home games. They aren't that good, but there is a lot of pride left on this team. They won't go out quietly. There could be some real joy in watching Peyton rally an undermanned team into the playoffs.
8.) Adam Vinatieri shamed me last night. I've been down on his ability to hit long field goals. I was wrong.
9.) Feel good about this: Anthony Gonzalez is heating up. His second touchdown came on third down against tight coverage. Clutch.
10.) It is better if we try not to think about the Steelers game on Sunday. My heart says they can pull an upset if they score a lot. My head says the Colts should lose by two or three scores.
11.) If your politician wins on Tuesday, congratulations. Our readership is purple, so if you want to gloat please post about it somewhere else.
LINKS:
Don Banks learns stuff from the game. Obvious stuff.
Ross Tucker hates on Mad Jack. Hee hee.
PK still likes the Colts waaaay too much. Pats too. Figure it out Pete. This team has a great QB and NOTHING else right now.
Scouts Inc sees stuff. Sort of
CHFF loves on AV
They also have Indy in first in their meaningless standings
FO talks about last night's game
Gregg Doyle wants to be in AV's shoes
Clark Judge liked seeing Peyton back. I thought he was back three weeks ago. There was nothing wrong with him recently but two tough defenses on windy days.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Colts Pats Live game Blog
Gotta win it boys. Join us back here tonight just before kickoff. DZ actually gets to watch the game on a real TV this time!
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Nice Start
The Boston-fest that is this weekend got off to a good start as the Blue and Gold hopped up off the mat with a rousing win over the defending champion Celtics tonight. Apparently the NBA season started without anyone realizing it. The Pacers also resigned Danny Granger to a long term deal this week. All of this is significant for two reasons:
1. It puts Boston fans in a bad mood. The Celts are the only team they have left right now, as many have written off the Pats.
2. It fulfills our obligation to talk about the Pacers for a few weeks. Look, we love the guys, but there's only so much energy to be invested, and until the football season is out, they are second fiddle. On the bright side, the Hoosiers will lose 20 games this year, so they have a chance to gain traction in our lives again. Now we've reminded you all that we do love the Pacers so no one can charge us with being bandwagoners when they pull it together and get good again. We paid to see a game last year. That indemnifies us. Anyone who paid to watch the 07-08 Pacers gets a life time pass on the Pacers wagon.
Speaking of IU, which I was ever so briefly, how long is it before we start to see LYNCH LYNCH t-shirts. Good lord, man. Losses to Central Michigan and Ball State at home in the same season? Forget 'Defend the Rock'. Just call it, "Come in and piss all over the rock, please! We do it on a weekly basis!". Note to self: NEVER HIRE THE INTERIM COACH PERMANENTLY.
1. It puts Boston fans in a bad mood. The Celts are the only team they have left right now, as many have written off the Pats.
2. It fulfills our obligation to talk about the Pacers for a few weeks. Look, we love the guys, but there's only so much energy to be invested, and until the football season is out, they are second fiddle. On the bright side, the Hoosiers will lose 20 games this year, so they have a chance to gain traction in our lives again. Now we've reminded you all that we do love the Pacers so no one can charge us with being bandwagoners when they pull it together and get good again. We paid to see a game last year. That indemnifies us. Anyone who paid to watch the 07-08 Pacers gets a life time pass on the Pacers wagon.
Speaking of IU, which I was ever so briefly, how long is it before we start to see LYNCH LYNCH t-shirts. Good lord, man. Losses to Central Michigan and Ball State at home in the same season? Forget 'Defend the Rock'. Just call it, "Come in and piss all over the rock, please! We do it on a weekly basis!". Note to self: NEVER HIRE THE INTERIM COACH PERMANENTLY.
Here's Looking at You...
Eyes is done and I found a great stat that should make us all feel a lot better about this season on offense. Without further ado, here's this week's taste:
Links:
JC sends in a picture of his Halloween exploits. Why so serious?
Bob Sanders may well have fathered this kid. Holy crap. Thanks Shake for the link.
Last week's Eyes wasn't far off, on anything but the score that is. But why dwell on the past? Especially when the most hotly anticipated game of the year is coming up tomorrow night. It's finally here! Colts vs Pats, let the hype...just sort of peter out. This season hasn't gone the way fans of either one of these once dominant teams have wanted, but with one eye on the past and the other on the future, it's easy to miss seeing just what will happen this week. Be watching for:
1. Points. Neither one of these teams is really clicking right now, although the Pats have had a couple of solidish games in a row. The big weakness on both clubs is in the secondary, where the Pats got old fast and the Colts got injured. Now New England has also lost cheater/thug/team leader Rodney Harrison forever and the Colts lost the only viable nickle back on the roster in Marlin Jackson. Wes Welker and Reggie Wayne may be in for huge games.
2. Watch for a course correction. Everyone has been questioning why Peyton Manning has had such low numbers. Some of that is due to injuries to himself and the offense culminating in a massive loss of practice time. Some has to do with a brutal schedule of pass defenses. In just 7 games, Manning has played 4 of the top 5 defenses in terms of passer rating. In fact, he's played the three best in consecutive weeks. Both the Titans and the Packers allow opponents under 60. The Ravens and Bears join the Bucs in the top five. The truth is that the Colts ran into the worst kind of opponents at a time when the running game was struggling and the passing game was out of sync. New England's opponent passer rater is almost 90. Manning is going off this week.
Links:
JC sends in a picture of his Halloween exploits. Why so serious?
Bob Sanders may well have fathered this kid. Holy crap. Thanks Shake for the link.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Tape Worm
Here are my observations after watching the tape from the Colts Titans:
1. ESPN did a terrible job with replays. Way too many tight shots on replays. I guess they are 'dramatic', but they don't tell you anything. They never replayed the key fourth down incompletion to Harrison. Awful.
2. Mike Pollack really did play poorly. He was dominated all night. Ugoh struggled a bit early, and there were a couple of plays where either he or CJ failed to block the right guy. Ugoh played better as the game went along. Pollack is the weak link right now. (Horray for CJ! He's off the bottom of the totem pole!)
3. Darrell Reid completely missed blocking the guy who tackled Rhodes in the backfield on the key fourth down play. If he makes that block, Dom has a chance. He didn't, and he didn't.
4. Manning actually played significantly better than I initially thought. He was off on a couple of throws, and the Titans made a play or two, but mostly he was ok. There were a lot of plays on early downs where Pollack would miss a block and Manning would quickly dump off. The line was better in the sense that Manning at least had time to unload. It was not better in the sense that he tons of time. I never had a good look at the Clark pick until I just saw it. Yikes. The ball hits him in the hands and then in the shoulder. Gotta make that play, 44.
5. Clint Session played GREAT on run D, but struggled in coverage. On the key 3rd down with the Titans up 17-14, the Colts actually put Bethea in at linebacker, but he made the same mistake Session did. Neither guy got deep enough in the zone to take away the out route to the WR. In all, the linebackers were wonderful. It was easily their best game of the year.
6. On the Titans key drive to tie the game they converted three big third downs. One was on an illegal contact foul (which ESPN never showed). The second was converted on Dante Hughes and Matt Giordano. The third was completed on Hughes and Bullitt. Tell me that injuries in the secondary haven't killed the Colts. There was also a pick on the second third down play that the officials missed. It should have been offensive PI. Mostly, the officiating was clean from what ESPN showed (which wasn't much).
7. The score at the end of the third quarter was 14-14. Somehow I forgot how close that game was. It made watching it all the more frustrating. They should have won this game. Now we know why Tim Jennings is the #3 CB...because Kerry Collins completed A LOT of throws on Dante Hughes. The holes in the zone were just too big.
Mostly, I was encouraged by the tape. This looked like a team ready to break out. If so, it had better happen fast. There are some tough games on the back half of the schedule, and 5 losses at the half way mark might be too many to overcome.
1. ESPN did a terrible job with replays. Way too many tight shots on replays. I guess they are 'dramatic', but they don't tell you anything. They never replayed the key fourth down incompletion to Harrison. Awful.
2. Mike Pollack really did play poorly. He was dominated all night. Ugoh struggled a bit early, and there were a couple of plays where either he or CJ failed to block the right guy. Ugoh played better as the game went along. Pollack is the weak link right now. (Horray for CJ! He's off the bottom of the totem pole!)
3. Darrell Reid completely missed blocking the guy who tackled Rhodes in the backfield on the key fourth down play. If he makes that block, Dom has a chance. He didn't, and he didn't.
4. Manning actually played significantly better than I initially thought. He was off on a couple of throws, and the Titans made a play or two, but mostly he was ok. There were a lot of plays on early downs where Pollack would miss a block and Manning would quickly dump off. The line was better in the sense that Manning at least had time to unload. It was not better in the sense that he tons of time. I never had a good look at the Clark pick until I just saw it. Yikes. The ball hits him in the hands and then in the shoulder. Gotta make that play, 44.
5. Clint Session played GREAT on run D, but struggled in coverage. On the key 3rd down with the Titans up 17-14, the Colts actually put Bethea in at linebacker, but he made the same mistake Session did. Neither guy got deep enough in the zone to take away the out route to the WR. In all, the linebackers were wonderful. It was easily their best game of the year.
6. On the Titans key drive to tie the game they converted three big third downs. One was on an illegal contact foul (which ESPN never showed). The second was converted on Dante Hughes and Matt Giordano. The third was completed on Hughes and Bullitt. Tell me that injuries in the secondary haven't killed the Colts. There was also a pick on the second third down play that the officials missed. It should have been offensive PI. Mostly, the officiating was clean from what ESPN showed (which wasn't much).
7. The score at the end of the third quarter was 14-14. Somehow I forgot how close that game was. It made watching it all the more frustrating. They should have won this game. Now we know why Tim Jennings is the #3 CB...because Kerry Collins completed A LOT of throws on Dante Hughes. The holes in the zone were just too big.
Mostly, I was encouraged by the tape. This looked like a team ready to break out. If so, it had better happen fast. There are some tough games on the back half of the schedule, and 5 losses at the half way mark might be too many to overcome.
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