SB Nation - Brandon Meriweather

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:00:20 -0000

Happy Tuesday, friends. It's a short week, with another game on Thursday night, so there's no time to mope or feel sorry for ourselves. In their scheduling wisdom, the NFL took away our right to do so - and I, for one, am glad. The Giants can be beaten, with sound play, but we'll get to that eventually. For now we'll put this week to bed and move on quickly. Ready.... BEGIN!!!!

1. I am approaching one full year as a staff contributor to MHR, having joined at the beginning of December 2008. It's been quite an interesting year, and my relationship to the team has kind of changed in an unexpected way during that time.

I first discovered MHR in April 2008, right before the draft. It, and SBNation, have come a long way since then, but the basics were the same; MHR is a respectful, knowledgeable community which discussed all things about their team. I was inspired to join such a community, and I started posting some FanPosts (which were still called Diaries only a year and a half ago).

Unlike a lot of staff members, I wasn't asked to fill a specific role, so I had to figure out what mine would be. I had always done some around the league stuff, but I wanted to find a delivery formula that would work well on a Broncos site. I debuted ST&NO on January 12, 2009, with the following opening:

As we enter the re-loading season, I felt like I needed to establish a fun new recurring feature. HT has MHR University, and Broncobear has the always excellent Tales from the Sunny Side. Styg is heading up some great draft coverage, which has a fun name, which you'll be hearing about very soon. Nick has some statistical analysis pieces which will be coming, and Zappa will continue to be Zappa, intermittently unleashing jolts of Broncos fan brilliance. And the Guru, when we form like Voltron, the Guru is the head.

So where does that leave me? Well, I was thinking a couple days ago, as I listened to Enter The Wu-Tang and shoveled a foot of snow, that two things I can consistently provide are shallow thoughts, and nearsighted observations. Since this is a Broncos blog, I'll focus on our team, but I'll also include some league-wide thoughts, for keeping-up-with- the-Jones purposes. Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations. What else could be needed on top of that? Maybe just some more cowbell.... Did anybody bring a cowbell?

Well, ST&NO has grown, and I have too. As I was sitting on my couch Sunday, watching the debacle against the Chargers, I realized that I wasn't yelling and cursing as much as normal. I didn't get that excited, and I have to say, upon some reflection, that I have been less excitable about the Broncos this season than ever. For the first 6 games, I had a hard time finding new ways to express my pleasure with the situation, and for the last 4, I have had trouble doing the opposite thing.

All I can figure is that my role in writing for this site has subtly and gradually forced me to become more of an objective analyst, and less of a passionate fan. I think the change largely has to do with my relationship with and attitude toward reporters.

I like to beat up on NFL reporters, because I think that most of them only have a surface-level knowledge of what is going on in a football game. The Broncos have a couple of good reporters, in Lindsay Jones and Jeff Legwold, and I never take any shots at them. I actually have tended toward staying away from taking deserved shots at the Denver-area Woody Paige bloviator class, because I don't want to spend the site's goodwill with the Denver media; it's John's to spend, not mine, after all. (Woody going after Kyle at BroncoTalk made me briefly lift my moratorium in the comments section of Horse Tracks the other day.)

Here's a summary of my general attitude toward football reporting. I think there is relatively little value in the reporting of news, at the national level. When Lindsay Jones reports on what happened at the facility every day, there is value in that. When Chris Mortensen hears 10 minutes before Jay Glazer that Chris Simms will start, who cares? Everybody was going to find out soon enough anyway, so what's the difference who had it first?

The real value, to me, is in the analysis, which is why I devote my time and effort to being a good analyst. While I am not a journalist, I do admire the journalistic principle of objectivity, and I think that in reconciling my criticism of national NFL reporters with my long-held policy of non-hypocrisy, I have become more objective. If I am going to beat them up for not knowing the technical aspects of the game as well as me, I can't be less objective than them. Something like that.

I remember last spring sitting in a bar with some co-workers for a happy hour, and seeing Woody's face come on Around The Horn. I told this girl I work with, Trudy, that I competed with him in the marketplace of ideas, and that I kicked his butt, on the merits. Well, I really don't think of Woody as my competition anymore, for a lot of obvious reasons. (Like, for example, he can't compete with me.) Due to the established nature of my content, I feel like I am competing with national guys, like Peter King and Gregg Easterbrook, even if this platform is Broncos-specific.

So, the point of this is that I was struggling with what to say in a general way about Sunday's game, when I don't have the deep feelings that most of you do, and that I would have had a year ago. I feel like I imagine Tom Jackson to feel; I'm very disappointed at the result for my affiliated team, but at the end of the day, I have the rest of the football landscape to worry about, too, and I have to get on with the business of being an objective analyst. I am still coming to grips with this change, and I am not really sure what the ancillary implications are for me. This may be one of these existential crises like we're seeing with Team Edward or Team Jacob. (I have a lot of 20-something women among my Facebook friends, so, trust me, I know.) See here for a funny breakdown of that Twilight sitch-ee-ation.

(Big up my man Justin Dazet for finding that. Justin writes a blog that gets into gaming and other stuff, and a San Diego area column on Geek Culture. Check him out if you're into that sort of thing.)

Momentarily, I will get back to the business of breaking down the game details, like I always do, but I thought I should at least explain why there was no impassioned, emotional screed today about the Broncos.

2. Information From My Eyes - Chargers at Broncos

a. First things first. I am going to tell you why Kyle Orton didn't start the game. He couldn't take snaps from under center and drop back effectively. It's that simple. The injury that he has prevented it. If you can only play in the shotgun, your running game is severely limited, from the perspective of the direction you can run. Josh McDaniels said this without really getting detailed, but this is what he meant.

Orton took a few snaps under center, but he really labored with his footwork, and it hindered the timing of the running game, and the Broncos could only really run to the A and B gaps. When the QB is playing slow, it makes the whole offense play slow, unfortunately.

b. The Broncos came out running the ball like they meant business. They could do that with Chris Simms under center, but Simms obviously never held his end of the bargain as a passer. When Orton came into the game, it wasn't conducive to running the ball, and neither was Orton's ability to retreat from center.

c. Knowshon Moreno scored a Touchdown, and ~~Ron~~ Nuclear Winter's crew blew the call. When I saw who the referee was, right after kickoff, I tweeted;

I am sure Moreno's play was a TD by virtue of relative positioning. To wit, Russ Hochstein's knee was across the goal line, and if his knee caused the fumble, which it clearly did, then the ball had to be across the goal line. That play was an absolute killer, because with a TD at the end of the half, the Broncos are right back in the game at 13-7. The energy of the game had momentarily shifted to the Broncos, and just like that, it was gone.

d. I was very disappointed with the defensive scheme, as I have been the last several weeks. The Broncos have really changed from an aggressive defense to one which is reading and reacting, and I don't like it at all. In the game at San Diego, the Broncos had great success pressuring the A gaps, and I saw very little effort to do that Sunday. They also got Elvis Dumervil in favorable matchups against the terrible Jeromey Clary, and again, there was none of that. Clary was even injured, and they didn't seem like they wanted to go after him. The Broncos need to get back to what made them tough on defense.

e. A little noticed good thing about Sunday was kickoff and punt coverage. The Broncos never let Darren Sproles hurt them in the return game, and both Josh Barrett and David Bruton made outstanding plays in downfield coverage.

f. The Chargers defensive backs got away with playing through the bodies of Denver receivers several times. The Broncos were a lot sloppier than San Diego, but not to the point where the penalty disparity should have been as wide as it was. It seems to me that teams which have "physical" labels like San Diego, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore get away with mugging a lot of WRs, and not just with crappy officiating crews like Nuclear Winter. It's like how you might call a foul playing an indoor basketball game at the Y, but you wouldn't call the same thing playing streetball.

g. Speaking of penalties, I want to know what the unsportsmanlike conduct was against Marcus Thomas and Ronald Fields on those two kicking plays. It seemed to me that they just hit the long snapper, though it was hard to tell from the TV angles on the recorded Short Cut. Those seemed like Nuclear Winter ticky-tack calls.

h. Andre' Goodman had a hard time dealing with the size of Malcolm Floyd on Sunday. Chris Chambers has done very well in Kansas City, but Floyd is a much tougher matchup for a guy like Goodman.

i. I put a great deal of the Broncos' recent offensive struggles on the absence of Ryan Harris. They haven't been able to protect nearly as well as they did in the first six games. That's not exactly meant to be an indictment of Tyler Polumbus, who is fine as a backup OT and special teams player. It's just recognizing the fact that Harris is one of the best RTs in the game. The timing of the offensive struggles aren't coincidental. It looks like Harris is still hurt, but let's hope he can play on the other side of the Giants game.

j. Again, the gap discipline took a vacation in the second half of the football game. Peter King thinks the defense of the first six games was a mirage, which is dramatically oversimplifying the case. They have still been quick and active for big stretches during the losing streak. It's just been less common to see them sustain it for 60 minutes lately. D.J. Williams (again) and Andra Davis both had pretty bad days in the gap discipline department.

k. I was fine with the onsides kick call, even if it didn't work. It was a good situation for it, because the Broncos were going to lose anyway without a big play.

3. Information From My Eyes - Other Games

a. Again, Thursday seems like it was a long time ago. I was very impressed with the play of Ricky Williams in the absence of Ronnie Brown. I haven't liked the play of Williams so much, maybe ever. The Dolphins didn't do much of their Wild Cute Marine Mammal stuff, but they ran very well from traditional formations, against a Carolina defense which is usually stout against the run. The direct snap stuff is good because of Brown, who has a rare instinctiveness for the options it provides. The Dolphins were smart to go back to the handoff game with Williams.

b. I still don't like Chad Henne's tattoo, but he had a very steady game. He's improving as a player every week, and I give the Dolphins a lot of credit for taking it slow with him, and developing him in an intelligent way. Tony Sparano doesn't receive a lot of acclaim, but I have been very impressed with the coaching job his staff has done for two years now.

c. The Dolphins have started ST&NO Favorite Sean Smith at RCB all season, and are now starting Vontae Davis at LCB. They have done a great job, and they really more than held their own against Muhsin Muhammad and Steve Smith last Thursday. Both guys are very talented, but again, it's a testament to the coaching they are getting from Todd Bowles, the Dolphins Assistant Head Coach and Secondary coach. I fully expect Bowles to get a head coaching job this offseason, even though nobody in the reporter-o-sphere is talking about him.

d. I criticized Joey Porter's play last week, but the benching seems to have motivated him. He was dominant, with two sacks and two other tackles for losses. It helped that Jordan Gross was hurt, but Porter looked much better than I have seen him this season, regardless of the matchup.

e. I watched a great deal of the Green Bay-San Francisco game, and I came away thinking that Aaron Rodgers has it better than Alex Smith from a protection standpoint, which isn't saying much at all, obviously. San Francisco has a pretty good LT in Joe Staley, but he's been hurt for a few weeks now. Smith couldn't do anything at all for most of the game Sunday, because he was getting hit the second he got to the top of his drops.

In the second half, with the score getting lopsided, the Niners smartened up and just put Smith in the shotgun, where he is most comfortable. He responded with 3 TD passes and made the game look like it was closer than it was. I continue to think that Smith is more than good enough to win with, if he gets protection. When you evaluate what he does in a vacuum, he's doing the right things way more often than not.

f. I have heard a lot of criticism of Aaron Rodgers lately, but he continues to look like a top-notch passer to me. He is gaining 8.2 yards per pass attempt, with 19 TDs and 5 INTs this season. He has also run for more yards than any QB in the NFL, and 3 TDs. I also tend to think you have to evaluate Rodgers in a vacuum, and other than holding the ball a little too long sometimes, he doesn't do much wrong. The last couple weeks, he's been getting the ball out quicker, too.

g. The loss of Al Harris is really going to hurt the Packers badly. It severely limits their ability to use Charles Woodson in the wide variety of roles that they liked to use him in. Woodson has often covered TEs and is a great blitzer. He's played as well as any defensive player in the NFL this season, and now the Packers may need to use him more on the outside.

I actually think the loss of Aaron Kampman is pretty negligible for them, despite his big name. He hasn't adjusted well to playing OLB, and his tallness has hurt him. By coming from a standup position, Kampman hasn't gotten the leverage he used to play with. He needs to move on to a 4-3 team where he can play on the strongside again. He's about the best in the NFL at that, after Mario Williams.

h. I can't believe the Jaguars are 6-4, but they are. When they win, they have been getting good play from David Garrard and Mike Sims-Walker, which they did on Sunday against Buffalo. Garrard is an interesting guy, because he seems young, but he isn't. He's actually 31, and he's probably reached the prime of his career. He's good enough to take a team to the playoffs, obviously, but do you build around him? I kind of feel the same way about Garrard as I did about Jake Plummer at the end of 2005, though I think Garrard is a little better player than Plummer was.

i. A guy who has been an outstanding player for a few years, without getting any credit, is Kyle Williams for the Bills. He was dominant on Sunday. Williams is kind of a short, stout DT, who does a great job getting penetration from a 3-technique position. He's never been a big sack guy, but his ability to shoot gaps has disrupted a lot of running games.

j. It's funny how many ST&NO favorites become really good players in the NFL. Percy Harvin hasn't gotten a lot of credit, because the media is busy loving on Brett Favre, but he's become a good NFL receiver quickly. A lot of Mel Kiper's said Harvin didn't run a lot of routes at Florida, but he was always open when he did. It was clear to me that he'd be able to separate with quickness as he learned NFL technique. His technique is improving quickly, and he's a handful. Along with Sidney Rice and Bernard Berrian, he's part of a really dangerous receiving corps. I can't think of a lot of groups I'd take over them, actually.

k. Joseph Addai has never been a favorite of mine, but he's playing better than ever lately. I still think that Donald Brown is going to be the better player, but Addai seems to have found some confidence and toughness that I never perceived in him.

l. The AFC has had a lot of outstanding safety play this season, but if I had to pick two starters for the Pro Bowl, they'd be Melvin Bullitt and Bernard Pollard. Bullitt got some notice for stopping the 4th and 2 last week, but he has been terrific in replacing Bob Sanders. Tampa 2-teams need a quick safety who can get from a cover-2 shell to the box very quickly, and Bullitt has done it as well as Sanders ever did.

Pollard was cut by Kansas City, and I just didn't get it. Maybe Scott Pioli was paying him back for last season's hit on Tom Brady? Pollard has been spectacular at times for the Texans, and has really been the star on the back end that they've never had. (No, Dunta Robinson is not a star; he's only paid like one.)

Brian Dawkins, Ed Reed, Jairus Byrd, Antoine Bethea, Kerry Rhodes, Brandon Meriweather, and Reggie Nelson would be battling it out for the last Pro Bowl spot, but I am sure about the top 2, as of today.

m. Laurence Maroney is doing a decent job of re-establishing his reputation as a solid RB. He has had the knock of not being particularly tough, kind of like Addai, but Maroney has been picking up a lot of tough yards lately. Take away the goal-line fumble against he Colts, and he's been really good.

n. Mark Sanchez looked confused almost the whole game on Sunday, against a New England team that knows how to confuse a QB. Sanchez is a classic example of what happens when teams get some film on you and know what you're going to do. I don't think it's time to bench him, like the average Peter King is calling for, but it would definitely behoove the Jets to figure out what Sanchez is comfortable doing, and sticking to only that stuff.

o. I can tell you right now, the Lions had a fantastic draft in 2009. Matthew Stafford, Brandon Pettigrew, and Louis Delmas all look like future Pro Bowlers. MHR favorite Sammie Lee Hill has been a solid starter at DT, and DeAndre Levy has been solid starting at WLB, since Ernie Sims as lost for the season, too. The guy I might like best, actually, is sixth-rounder Aaron Brown, a RB from TCU. He caught a TD pass on Sunday, but where he looked really dangerous was on kickoff returns. He's very explosive looking. I think Derrick Williams will eventually be a useful player too, and that makes 7 hits in one draft class. It's exactly the kind of performance that their opponents from Sunday (the Browns) need.

p. Speaking of he Browns, I have some thoughts. It sucks to lose like that, on an untimed down, but if I was a Browns fan, I would feel a lot better than I did a week ago. Brady Quinn had his best day as a pro, with 4 TD passes, and a 5th one dropped. Sure, he wasn't pressured a lot, when Detroit didn't blitz, but he looked like he was in command, and the offensive game plan looked like Brian Daboll trusted Quinn, finally. Mohamed Massaquoi and Chansi Stuckey did a very nice job making plays down the field.

I mentioned that the Browns need a good draft; they have 11 picks as of right now, and they need to hit on the majority of them. If I were their new football czar, I wouldn't draft a QB in the first round. I would give Quinn a full year with better talent (and coaching), and see what I have. My target would be Russell Okung, an OT from Oklahoma State, who I'd play on the right side. The Browns' current right side is flat-out awful. I'd be bringing in 2 good RBs, since they have zero right now. They need a Correll Buckhalter-type of free agent, and a second-round pick like a Jonathan Dwyer from Georgia Tech. One of their 3rd-round picks would go for a TE who can catch, like Ed Dickson from Oregon. With 2 new RBs, a TE, and a RT, all of a sudden, you have a solid group of players on offense.

Offense has to be the priority, because their 5 TDs on Sunday matched their previous total in 9 games. They aren't really that far away from being league-average, and I only used 3 of 11 picks in this hypothetical situation. The Browns could be 8-8 or 9-7 next season, if they make the most of their offseason opportunities. I can see it now; Todd Bowles wins coach of the year for them, after going from 2-14 to 9-7.

q. The Texans just continue to lose heartbreakers. Matt Schaub made plays, again, and gave his team a chance to win, again. And then Kris Brown blew it, again. I feel really bad for guys like Schaub, Andre Johnson and Mario Williams, who bring it every week. I'd hate to see these circumstances cost Gary Kubiak his job, but they just might.

r. I was going to talk about how everybody needs to slow down on the Vince Young hype train, but he justified the hype Monday night. Repeatedly, he picked up 3rd downs with his legs, and his throwing was pretty good too. He particularly threw a pretty ball that Nate Washington didn't come down with. He looked like he did at the University of Texas. You heard it here first; the Titans are going to beat San Diego by 2 TDs in a few weeks.

s. Trent Dilfer is a really terrible analyst, and I don't get the Steve Levy and Matt Winer combination with him. Usually, there's one anchor type to serve up softballs to the analyst. It's a weird setup. Back to Dilfer, I think the guy is just about always wrong.

t. Right after I typed that, ESPN went back to the Stuart Scott-Matt Millen-Steve Young set, and they proceeded to blame Matt Schaub for Kris Brown's missed field goal. Epic FAIL. All the guy could do was what he did. He moved his team down the field in 45 seconds, and set them up with a shot at a makeable kick. How in the world does that fall on the QB that they lost the game? That is just too idiotic for words

4. As promised, here is the rationale for why the Broncos can win on Thursday night. The Giants are extremely susceptible to getting beaten down the field, since they lost their starting Free Safety, Kenny Phillips. They are getting Aaron Ross back into the swing of things at CB, but he hadn't played all season, prior to this past Sunday.

With their shakiness on the back end, the Giants have blitzed a bit less than in past years, particularly in the A gaps. Tyler Polumbus will need some help on Justin Tuck, when they're matched up, but I expect the Broncos to be able to protect Kyle Orton reasonably well.

The Giants, meanwhile, aren't getting much from their running game lately. I also believe that their WRs don't pose a huge threat against Champ Bailey and Andre' Goodman. David Diehl will almost certainly struggle against Elvis Dumervil, because he's a natural LG playing LT. I feel pretty good about the defensive matchup, really.

This game is no lock, obviously, but it's one which the Broncos can win if they execute, stop taking bad penalties, and take care of the football. John Bena had it exactly right Sunday night. The Broncos can't beat good teams if they make mistakes, and the Giants are a good team. A victory is very plausible, though, if they do what they need to do.

5. I have cited several reasons lately for cutting ST&NO a little short, and I have another one. I got a bit sidetracked from writing, because of some big news in my family, which led to some calling, texting, and emailing, but not much writing.

On Monday night, my brother Chris911's wife Ana gave birth to their first child, Elizabeth Danielle Bartlett, at 7:36 Pacific Time, in Los Angeles, CA. Elizabeth weighed 5 pounds, 12.5 ounces, and was 17 1/4 inches long. Mother and baby are doing well. It occurred to me that I was in a good position to write the first birth announcement. Please join me in congratulating Chris and Ana on the birth of the newest little Broncos fan.

Since I am decidedly not in the having kids business, I took some time to live vicariously through them, and try to feel their excitement. Now, I am going to get back to living vicariously though myself, though. Y'all know how I do...

6. I am hitting the road for Connecticut on Tuesday, right after this story posts, to go eat some turkey, take a hellified tryptophan nap, and find a bar with NFL Network. My main reason for going, though, is to play in the 38th Annual Erb-Orsini Bowl in my hometown of Norwich, CT. I am only 32, so it predates me, but I have played in a number of them over the years. I said I would try to go back east for it last year, but it was snowing all across Pennsylvania, and I decided at the last minute to stay in Cleveland. I wasn't feeling 600 miles of driving in snow. This year, I wanted to show up and play, and the weather is cooperative. I have too much work to do to take the time, but I am going to work on Wednesday from a Tim Horton's restaurant.

The Erb-Orsini Bowl is a touch game, but it's been pretty physical and competitive in the past. The picture below is from the 2004 game. I am on the left. On the right is my brother John. He laid out for a pass early in the game, and was shaken up. His shoulder hurt, and he said that he didn't want to catch any more passes, and that he'd just stay in and pass-block, so he did just that. Thirty-six hours later, after not saying anything more about the topic, he decided to go to the hospital. Turned out, he had broken his shoulder. It's kind of the Bartlett way to suffer in silence, really, which is owed to being half Irish.

The keeper of the flame is the guy in the midde, my long-time friend Tony Orsini. Tony, as it happens, is a huge Giants fan. He's such a huge fan, actually, that he and his dad spent thousands of dollars to go to Arizona and get tickets for Super Bowl XLII against the mighty Patriots. Against that 16-0 team, i would have never spent that kind of coin, but he did, and he was rewarded. (To me, when I heard about it, it sounded like that time in 7th grade when I bet Pete Lacombe 5 bucks that Denver would beat San Francisco, straight-up, in Super Bowl XXIV, even though my allowance was $2 per week at that time. That was an all-time dumb call.)

On Thursday morning, I am hoping for a good Erb-Orsini Bowl, where I make some big plays, and on Thursday night, for our Broncos to beat Tony's Giants. Do any of y'all have good Turkey Bowls to play in? Let's hear some tangential Thanksgiving football stories. You might as well get with me on this meandering, because you never know where we might end up when the carousel stops.

7. Retired for John Elway.

8. The Buffalo coaching search is interesting. We know they've reached out to Mike Shanahan, and word materialized Monday night/Tuesday morning that Bill Cowher was contacted, and that he declined to be considered. Ralph Wilson is 91, and he wants to win now. Unfortunately for Buffalo, he is relatively cash-poor, and the team probably doesn't stay in his family when he dies, due to estate taxation. If it leaves his family, it almost certainly leaves Buffalo, which is a rapidly declining city.

If I were a coach looking for work, I would consider Buffalo unattractive for those reasons, as well as for the fact that they don't have a QB or any real quality on the O-Line. They have 2 good RBs, the fantastic Lee Evans, some good CBs and a good young safety in Jairus Byrd and pass rusher in Aaron Maybin. Paul Posluszny is solid, and Kyle Williams is very good, as I mentioned. The cupboard is not totally empty talent-wise, but it's a serious personnel challenge in a boring, economically depressed cold-weather town. The only thing they have on Cleveland, in terms of attracting free agents, is marginally better-looking uniforms. I expect that the Bills end up hiring a first time Head Coach, after being spurned by Shanahan and others.

That's all I have for this week, friends. I am off to get on the road for the East Coast. I won't see any comments until 10 or 11 hours from now, but I will check them out when I get where I am going, and will answer the ones that need answering. Have a great week, a great holiday, and a great Football Thursday. Go Broncos!

Established media clearly did not like the outcome of Patriots v. Colts Sunday night

BigBlueShoe — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:07:25 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

about 1 month ago: Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning reacts after he threw a touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009. The Colts won 35-34.(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Browse more photos »

This is one of the rare times I link to a Cold Hard Football Facts article. I find many of their writers there pen pieces that read more like a third grader's show-and-tell essay rather than informed sports media. One of their particular points of annoyingly ignorant emphasis is to state that the play of Peyton Manning in the playoffs has been consistently sub-par throughout his career. Despite a myriad of statistical evidence that simply does not back up their claim, some of them still hold onto the dated notion that Manning "folds" in crunch time. And I'm sure that some of those people are likely dismissing Manning's fourth quarter brilliance against the Patriots Sunday as just another Manning moment in the regular season.

They're just haters, and they don't like being wrong. Sad, if you think about it.

However, CHFF did make a great observation after the Patriots v. Colts Sunday night thriller, and it is something we here have noticed: The established media is clearly annoyed the Colts won the game.

Contrary to popular belief, corporate media houses like ESPN come into games with a set story, or narrative, that they plug from beginning to middle to end. They hit this narrative time, and time, and time again, and if the game shows even the slightest inkling of their narrative's "truth," they hit it even harder after the game.

For example, lots of people said the Patriots would attack the Colts injured secondary, which they did. By quarter three, the narrative was in place. The Patriots had attacked Indy's secondary, scored a bunch of points, and thus a "W" for New England was guaranteed.

Then, the fourth quarter happened, forcing all these lazy media jackals to change their pre-written stories, sit through a late night of football, and watch the Colts beat the Patriots despite the fact that New Engalnd did exactly what they wanted to do... and yet still lost.

When the game doesn't go as the established planned it to go, when their "analysis" is shown up for the massive, stinking pile of manure it usually is, that tends to kind of annoy the big media powers. This is why you are seeing so many columnists and media personalities essentially dismiss the Colts beating the Patriots (again), and blaming the Pats loss not on the team folding in the 4th quarter (which they did) but on Bill Belichick's terrible coaching decision on 4th and 2.

I mean, the loss cannot possibly be explained as the Colts simply being better than the Patriots. I mean, HA! That thought is ludicrous! I mean, forget that Indy has now only beaten New England five of the last six meeting, with three of those meetings being 4th quarter comeback wins. Peyton Manning and the Colts offense have absolutely torched the Patriots defense in literally every game since 2005. Defensive end Robert Mathis has given Tom Brady fits. And even without Brady Bane Bob Sanders playing, his replacement (Melvin Bullitt) played an outstanding game, especially on the now infamous 4th and 2 play.

Here's the truth about this game, whether big media or Patriots apologists want to admit it or not:

The Colts, right now, are better than the Patriots. No debate. No question. Indy outscored them 21-10 in the fourth quarter and smothered their offense for much of the second half.
Randy Moss disappeared in the 4th quarter while Reggie Wayne made big catch after big catch. If you are going to tell me Moss is better than Wayne, I will have no choice but to laugh in your face and insult your mother. Great players show up in the 4th quarter. Moss had one catch for 8 yards in quarter four following his very early 5 yard TD grab at the 14:18 mark.
The Patriots are flat out scared of Peyton Manning. The only thing that motivates the 4th and 2 call is not "guts" or "stones" or "unconventional coaching." It's fear. Belichick had no faith in his defense late in the game, and why should he. Brandon Meriweather had only one tackle for the whole game and Jerod Mayo's name was never called in the 4th. Manning had worked two TD drives, each taking roughly 2 minutes and going the length of the field. Whether giving Manning a 28 yard field or a 65 yard field, Belichick felt he would score a TD on his defense. Thus, 4th and 2. If you try to sell me or anyone else with at least two marbles in their head, you are barking up the wrong tree. If you didn't see that call as anything other than fear, you're blind.

The last point there is likely why so many schmucks are having trouble understanding this game. The narrative out there is that Belichick fears no one. He's a "genius" after all. For years, he "owned" Peyton Manning. He could just whip up any defense and it would be enough to stop the supposedly "great" QB.

Again, I don't think people who really think this nonsense have been paying attention.

Peyton Manning has dominated the Patriots and their defense for the better part of four years. Whether it is coming back to win in the 4th quarter, or dropping 41 40 points on them in their house, they simply have not found a way to stop him. Hell, they can't even slow him down!

So, please excuse me when I say that those who think Belichick isn't afraid of Manning need to STFU already! The guy is terrified of Manning! And he damn well should be. And despite the fact that the Colts are 9-0 and have beaten better quality opponents than the Saints (who nearly friggin lost to the Rams this weekend), we still have some idiots, like Yahoo's Charles Robinson, who do not consider the Colts the best team in football right now. Hell, Robinson thinks the Bengals are better!

When it is all said and done, power rankings and media opinions mean nothing. At least one of the teams playing in the Super Bowl will likely be a club people will go "Huh?" about. What frustrates me is that after winning in impressive fashion, beating a tough opponent at their own game, and standing (currently) at 9-0, no one is talking about the Colts as an dominant football team. They just won their 18th straight regular season game, which broke a record set by (guess who!) the New England Patriots. Yet, no one is talking about the Colts? AGAIN! Hell, in Vic Carucci's little mind, the 9-0 Colts are not good, just lucky (Tip to t thebossuzzi). I mean, WHAT! 18 straight wins via blind, stinking luck?

It's sad. It's head scratching. It's typical big media hate for the Colts.

If our team were the Cowboys, Ravens, or (hell!) even the Raiders right now sitting in the same position, you'd see a lot more coverage. The sad reality is that no one gives a turd about a great team from Indianapolis. Even with the best football player on the planet playing on our team, no one in big media gets excited about Indy.

And because of this bias, thus we have blogs like this one and sites like CHFF.

Recap Week Ten: Colts 35 - Patriots 34

BigBlueShoe — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:48:21 -0000

More photos » by AJ Mast - AP

about 1 month ago: New England Patriots running back Kevin Faulk (33) is tackled by Indianapolis Colts cornerback Melvin Bullitt (33) on fourth down during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009. Indianapolis won 35-34. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

Browse more photos »

Few games live up to pre-game hype.

Patriots v. Colts buck the trend.

Billed as the best game of the regular season, the thrilling come-from-behind win by the Indianapolis Colts, who were down 31-14 at one point in the second half, lived up to its expectations. This game had the feel and intensity of a playoff game. Hell, it had the intensity of an AFC Championship Game. Hats off to the Patriots for playing a great game, and to the community at Pats Pulpit, for blogging and commenting during the game.

We in the blogging community labeled this game The War of 1812, and both #18 (Peyton Manning) and #12 (Tom Brady) certainly came to battle. 702 combined passing yards for 7 TDs and three turnovers (one for Brady, two for Manning) for the QBs, who completed 66% of their combined passes.

All the respect in the world to Drew Brees, but there is a reason 18 and 12 are the best in football. Last night showed you the reason.

In the end, the game came down to some clutch play by both Peyton Manning and the Colts defense. There was also a rather arrogant, silly coaching decision made by someone we all know and loath; a decision that likely cost the Patriots the game. I am, of course, referring to Bill Belichick's erroneous decision to pull his punt team on 4th and 2 from his own 28 yard line and go for it with nearly 2:00 minutes left in the game.

But bigger than Belichick's decision was the clutch play of the Colts. Big media (aka ESPN, or ESPNBoston, whichever label you prefer) will hem and haw about how the Patriots "dominated" the game, and that the reason they lost it was because of Belichick's near-moronic decision.

Um, no.

The Patriots were dominant in the first half of the game, scoring 24 points while using a game plan that attacked Indy's injury-riddled secondary. But, as we Colts fans know all to well, it is not how you start. It's how you finish. In the fourth quarter, the Patriots disintegrated like wet tissue paper right in front of our eyes. The Colts outscored them 21-10 in the fourth, striking with TDs on two very quick drives. Also in the fourth quarter, with a 31-14 lead, the Patriots ran the ball only 6 times for 16 yards (2.6 a carry). And on the offensive drive following Joseph Addai's TD to cut the Patriots lead to 6, the vaunted Pats offense stalled after Jerraud Powers nearly (and likely should have) picked off Tom Brady's sideline pass and returned it for a TD.

It was after that third down play that Belichick opted to go for it, and the Patriots did not convert.

So, while mindless drones debate Belichick's silly decision to go for it on 4th and 2, the real reason the Patriots lost the game is because they folded in the fourth quarter. It's as simple as that. Imagine if the tables were turned and the Colts had lost the game in the exact same fashion the Patriots did. The talking heads would not be yacking about 4th down coaching decisions. They'd be talking about how "clutch" the Patriots are. How their quarterback "finishes" ballgames. How they "rise to the occasion" when they face adversity.

Yet, when the Colts play clutch football, all we hear about is Belichick, Belichick, Belichick.

I'm not reading any of "OMG! The Colts are so amazing!" stories this morning, and that's unfortunate. If that story is good for the Patriots in victory, it should be for the Colts. Indy has proven for ten years they are the equal to the Patriots. Since 2005, the Colts have a 5-1 record over their rivals, and they have won those games mostly by coming back to beat the Patriots in the fourth quarter. Yet, despite yet another resilient performance by a Colts team that simply refuses to quit, even when some of their "fans" were leaving Lucas Oil Stadium 10:00 minutes into the fourth quarter (side note: If those were season tickets holders, their tickets should be revoked; no "fan" leaves a Colts game with 10 minutes left), I'm not seeing a national media scene lauding the "clutchness" of our beloved team. Hell, even Indy's local columnist thought they had no chance to win, and knowing him he probably had is story written up and spell checked by the end of the third quarter, sitting back in his press box chair with a smug told-you-so look on his face.

And that, my friends, is why blogs like this one exist. After the jump, we start breaking it down the best game of 2009 thus far.

Melvin Bullitt (33) stops the Patriots Kevin Faulk on fourth down

(AP Photo)

Before we begin, let's dispel any notion that the Patriots were "robbed" of this game by forces outside their control.

The 31 yard pass interference penalty called on the Patriots at the 3:03 mark was indeed a penalty. The defender is pulling on Austin Collie's arm before the ball is there. That's a penalty. It says so in the rule book. Pass interference is pass interference if it is in quarter one or quarter four, and a flag for the foul is warranted regardless of down, distance, or situation. Glad the refs called it. That's what they are paid good money to do.
Kevin Faulk did not convert the 4th and 2. Replay showed he bobbled the ball before he landed a good yard short. Forward progress means nothing if you are bobbling the football, and the reason Faulk did not have full control of the ball when it landed in his hands was because Melvin Bullitt crushed him right as it was delivered.

So, any nutbag (NFL Network's Deion Sanders) who is suggesting the Patriots were robbed of this game (NFL Network's Deion Sanders) needs a good kick in the testicles (please, NFL Network's Deion Sanders).

This game came down to clutch play by the defenses. For all the love and laurels the quarterbacks deserve for this stellar match-up, the real keys to the game were the defenses for the Patriots and Colts. MaPatsFan and I talked during our podcast last week, and one of the keys to the game we agreed upon was the play of the defenses. My worry was Indy's secondary. His worry was New England's pass rush.

Our podcast was prophetic.

For much of the first half, Tom Brady and Randy Moss took a ruler to the rear end of Indy's pass defense. Moss finished the night with 9 catches for 179 yards and 2 TDs. They were also running the ball effectively, with Colts killer Kevin Faulk leading the way with 79 yards rushing. Much of the Pats success had to do with moving Moss around in different formations, utilizing him in the slot, or using motion to have him drive right at Antoine Bethea, who Moss burned for a 63 yard TD in the second quarter.

Randy Moss (left) gives some props to Colts rookie corner Jacob Lacey

(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Brady went through much of the first half untouched by the Colts pass rush, with rookie Sebastian Vollmer and his double-teaming friends focusing a lot of attention on Indy's Dwight Freeney. Despite a brilliant first half by Peyton Manning, who threw 2 TDs to keep the game close, the Pats looked like world beaters entering halftime up 24-14.

The second half told a much different story than the first.

The third quarter started with Indy stopping the Pats in the endzone on an Antoine Bethea INT. Brady was staring down Randy Moss in the endzone, and Bethea read his eyes all the way for an INT. The Colts did not capitalize on the Brady mistake because of a costly Manning INT on the following drive, which looked like a wounded duck when it left Peyton's hand bound for the eventual arms of the Patriots' Lee Bodden. But, despite the setback, the Colts were undeterred by the Patriots offense, which drove the field again only to turn the football back over to the Colts again on a goal line fumble by Laurence Maroney. However, even with another gift from the Pats, the Colts still couldn't score.

The fourth quarter began with the Patriots seemingly sealing the "win" with a 5 yard TD pass from Brady to Moss. At that point, the score was 31-14, and with the Colts offense stalling it's very likely Bob Kravitz already had his story for Monday morning emailed to his editors. However, the Colts responded to the Pats TD with one of their own, hooking up on a 29 yard TD strike from Manning to Pierre Garcon. The drive took less than 2 minutes. The Colts scored a TD on another two minute drive in the fourth; Joseph Addai capping the drive with a 4 yard TD run.

It was after this drive that the Colts defense shut down the Patriots offense, stopping them on fourth down with Bullitt's excellent tackle of Kevin Faulk. The Colts then burned out the clock as they marched 28 yards, winning the game on a one yar TD pass from Manning to Reggie Wayne.

So, for all the praise everyone is heaping on Brady and Moss for "dominating" the first half, the real dominant players were Manning and Reggie Wayne, who caught 10 balls for 126 yards and 2 TDs, including the game-winner. In the fourth quarter, and especially on the game-winning drive, Reggie Wayne was money. Absolute money. Contrast this with Moss, who caught only one pass for 8 yards in the fourth, and when the Patriots needed to convert 3rd and 4th down, Brady did not go to his "dominant" wide receiver. He threw it to Wes Welker and Kevin Faulk.

So, say whatever you want about Randy Moss, but Reggie Wayne is a better wide receiver than him. I will defiantly shout that from any mountain top, and unlike the Moss backers I have actual games to back up my claim. Maybe Wayne doesn't have Moss's skill, his speed, or his playmaking ability. What Reggie does have is guts, grit, and an ability to rise to the occasion when the chips are down. We have never seen that, EVER, from Randy Moss, who puts up gaudy numbers but often folds in the clutch?

Gee, where have we heard that line before?

Reggie Wayne. Clutch.

(AP Photo)

Also notably absent from the fourth quarter, and really from the entire game, were great young players Jerod Mayo (5 tackles, 1 sack) and Brandon Meriweather (1 tackle). Mayo's name was not called at all in quarter four, and on the Addai TD run he was blocked out of the play by the interior of Indy's o-line. Meriweather, on the other hand, might as well have not suited up. One tackle. ONE! Contrast this with Antoine Bethea and Melvin Bullitt, who played amazing football in the second half after getting toasted in the first. I think Mayo is a stud and Meriweather has some great ability, but these two guys did not bring it during the money time.

Despite their fourth quarter meltdown, the Patriots do deserve a lot of props. They are a damn fine football team. These two teams were so evenly matched that the game literally came down to one yard. And while everyone is screaming that Belichick's decision cost New England the game, I beg to differ:

Indy's defense holding NE out of the endzone in the third quarter cost the Pats the game.
Randy Moss disappearing in the fourth quarter cost the Pats the game.
Indy stuffing the run in the second half cost the Pats the game.
Philip Wheeler forcing a Laurence Maroney fumble on the goal-line cost the Pats the game.
Robert Mathis harassing Brady in the second half to the tune of two sacks and a forced fumble cost the Pats the game. Mathis was able to get free in part because the Patriots had so much of their attention focused on Freeney.
The Pats offense stalling on third and fourth down with nearly two minutes left cost them the game.

Blasting Belichick is easy to do, but it is not accurate. It does not give justice to what was a a truly great fourth quarter comeback. The Colts won because they played better than the Patriots during the "money time." They did not quit. They did not fold. They battled and fought their way back into the game, and when the moment of truth occurred on fourth down, the Colts executed. The Patriots didn't.

Special thanks once again to Pats Pulpit. Their team is impressive and their QB is a future Hall of Famer. It is because they are so great that this rivalry might be the best one in sports. Forgot Red Sox v. Yankees. Forget Man U. v. Chelsea.

Patriots v. Colts. Nothing comes close.

Go Colts!

Pats Pulpit

Patriots vs Colts coverage

Poll

Week Ten game ball?

QB Peyton Manning: 63% for 326 yards and 4 TDs, including game-winner with 13 seconds left

273 votes

WR Reggie Wayne: 10 catches for 126 yards and 2 TD, including game-winner

346 votes

RB Joseph Addai: 10 carries, 41 yards, 1 TD, 1 catches 27 yards, 1 TD

36 votes

SS Melvin Bullitt: 8 tackles, one a key stop on fourth down

183 votes

FS Antoine Bethea: 6 tackles, 1 INT

3 votes

DE Robert Mathis: 2 sacks, 1 FF, 8 tackles

252 votes

1093 votes | Poll has closed

Silly untruths about the 2009 Patriots at the mid-season point

BigBlueShoe — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:12:04 -0000

More photos » by Winslow Townson - AP

about 1 month ago: New England Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo (51) celebrates a stop as Miami Dolphins center Jake Grove (64) and quarterback Chad Henne look on during the fourth quarter of New England's 27-17 win in an NFL football game in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

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Yesterday, we had the unthruths about the 2009 Colts. Now, we close out with untruths about the 2009 Patriots.

False

Tom Brady will take three years to fully recover from his injury, which means that he won't be "great" for a while now.

True

This year, Brady is completing 65% of his passes for 2364 yards (third best in AFC) and has 16 TDs to 5 INTS (same TD to INT ratio as Peyton Manning). Early this season, Brady did look "out of sync" with his receivers, and the Patriots are lucky they did not lose their first game of the year to the Buffalo Bills. However, Brady has recovered his form and is playing very well. In fact, it is shaping up to be one of his best statistical seasons ever.

Much of the "it will take three years" talk comes from using Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer as an example. Palmer suffered a somewhat equally horrible knee injury to Brady's in 2006, and it is only now that Palmer looks to have returned to form. This example is very misleading and flawed though. Palmer was "ready" to play the next season after his injury, but the Bengals roster in 2007 was not the Patriots roster in 2009. Flaws in the Cincy roster, bad coaching, and poor ownership factored more into the Bengals struggling since their last playoff appearance; not Palmer's injury.

False

The Patriots have lost too many important players to be a contender anymore.

True

Gone are Tedy Bruschi, Rodney Harrison, Mike Vrabel, and Richard Seymour. These players were the foundation of three championships. However, new players like Jerod Mayo and Brandon Meriweather have the Patriots allowing only 14.5 ppg (#2 behind the Colts). So, statistically, this is one of the better defense the Patriots have ever had. When you have Tom Brady, and you give him a defense that is only allowing roughly 2 TDs a game, you ARE a contender.

False

The Patriots basically have only two receiving weapons on offense: Randy Moss and Wes Welker. Double those two guys and you should be able to shut down this offense.

True

Um, if things were that easy, the Patriots would be 0-8 now. They aren't. When teams double those two WRs, tight end Benjamin Watson has stepped up and made some big plays. He is on his way to a career year, currently with 19 receptions for 271 yards and 4 TDs.

Like with all great teams, lots of silly, incorrect information gets thrown out there and just accepted as fact (like when people say Peyton Manning "struggles" against 3-4 defenses). When morons spew this kind of lazy garbage, it is up to us bloggers to kick them in the nuts, laugh in their face, and yell "WRONG!"

Beating the Patriots just got a little harder

MaPatsFan — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:57:40 -0000

More photos » by Steven Senne - AP

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As you may have seen in shake's injury report post (now updated with the Pats report -shake), we see a number of Patriots "returning" to practice. I take this with a grain of salt as the players were noticed at the media portion of practice; the rest of practice is closed to all but team personnel, so whether or not they're playing is STILL anyone's guess. Maybe they're return to practice is Hoodie's way of making the Colts prepare for players who may not be there. Maybe they really WILL play. At any rate, I'll run through the returns as if they're playing and get some conversation going on their impact.

WR Julian Edelman - Edelman earned his stripes when Wes Welker missed a few games earlier in the season. He came up to speed quick and displayed Welker-like quickness and good hands. He "could" work well as our third receiver or rotate in and out with Welker. Given the choice, I'd want Welker on the field, but it's nice to have Julian on board.
RB Sammy Morris - Morris adds depth and can be a better fit when Laurence Maroney is having trouble. He also has good hands and can serve as a checkdown option when needed.
LT Matt Light - Sebastian Vollmer has been filling in for Light and doing a fine job. However, LT lines up against Dwight Freeney. Belichick will have to make a choice: the experienced veteran just coming back from an injury or the fresh rookie who's been doing well. Ultimately, I think they'll start Vollmer, see how he handles Freeney, and use Light if the rookie is in trouble.
C Dan Koppen - This is big, especially against Indy. I'd much rather have the experienced guy swallowing up Indy's defensive linemen.
S Brandon Meriweather - Another positive return. I was concerned when he ended up on the injury report as he's one of the Patriots more productive safeties. Brandown McGowan will most likely take FS duties and be assigned Dallas Clark while Meriweather gets SS.
LB Eric Alexander - Alexander is not a game changer, but he adds depth when needed. It's good to have him on board.

Week 10: Friday Colts-Pats Injury Report

shake n bake — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:31:37 -0000

New additions to the list were safety Aaron Fransisco missing part of today's practice with a shin injury and Tony Ugoh getting the day off. Jim Sorgi returned to practice on a limited basis while Vinny, Gonzo and Hayden missed practice for a 3rd day.

OUT: Kelvin Hayden (knee), Adam Vinitieri (knee), Anthony Gonzalez (knee)

Questionable: Aaron Fransisco (shin), Jim Sorgi (shoulder)

Colts.com

Over on the Pats side a wave of players returned to practice, all listed as limited participants.

OUT: DE Jarvis Green, RB Fred Taylor, WR Brandon Tate

Doubtful: LT Matt Light

Questionable: LB Eric Alexander, TE Chris Baker, LB Tully Banta-Cain, NT Ron Brace, WR Julian Edelman, C Dan Koppen, S Brandon Meriweather, RB Sammy Morris, S James Sanders, DE Ty Warren

Probable: QB Tom Brady, CB Shawn Springs, TE Ben Watson

Patriots.com

Preview Week Nine: Patriots at Colts

BigBlueShoe — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:00:33 -0000

Now that I own this blog, and all the souls of the people currently reading it (which kind of makes me sound like the Freddy Krueger of sports bloggers), I'll dump on you what I dump on my own readers every Thursday during the NFL season: My game previews.

Welcome to primetime, b*tch!

If you don't get the Freddy Krueger reference, just keep your mouth shut or you will make MaPatsFan and I feel very old.

For this preview, I am required to (ugh!) do it from the POV of a Patriots fan, which basically means I cannot insert snide comments about Bill Belichick's sleep-inducing press conferences, or state that players "suck" just because I don't like them. For me, this takes all the fun out of writing a preview. I mean, what good is a preview if I can't make YET ANOTHER joke about Spygate, the Pats choking in the Super Bowl, and the laugh-rot-comedy-musical-review that is a Bill Belichick's post-game handshakes, which for Belichick seem less about sports congeniality and more akin to getting water boarded in a tank of gasoline.

Someone is NOT enjoying this handshake

Nevertheless, I will saunter forth with this preview, which (both on paper and seemingly in practice) might pit the two best teams in the NFL against each other this Sunday.

While the surprising Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints are getting much of the "WOW!" headlines, the bigger story is the play of the New England Patriots. Gone from last year's defense, which ranked #8 in scoring at 19 points per game, are Richard Seymour, Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, and Rodney Harrison. More so than Tom Brady, the foundation of three championships was built on defensive players, who always had a knack for coming up HUGE in big games (don't... think about... that damned Rhodes fumble...). This year, with all those players gone, with Adalius Thomas seemingly declining before our eyes, the Patriots sport the #2 scoring defense in the league, giving up 14 points per game.

They are second only to the Colts, who give up 13 points per game.

Again, Denver and New Orleans are getting the headlines for defense, but the real story (aka, the one more interesting to people who actually know football) is the play of the Pats and Colts defenses. No one expected these two teams to have such outstanding defenses in 2009. With Indy losing longtime head coach Tony Dungy to retirement and letting Ron Meeks go (rather unceremoniously, I might add), the feeling from many was Indy's defense would regress even further from the mess it was last season.

Not so.

The Colts and the Pats continue to prove that excellent pass defense, coupled with smart pressure packages that maximize the risk of the opponent making a mistake, are the best practices to stopping NFL offenses.

So, for me, this game is actually less about the legendary quarterbacks (Peyton Manning and Tom Brady... perhaps you've heard of them) and more about the defenses for the Pats and Colts.

Patriots Defense

For Peyton Manning, players like Vrabel, Brushi, and Harrison used to give him fits. No defense bothered Peyton like the Patriots defenses from 2001-2004. Now, with those players gone, can new faces like Jerod Mayo and Brandon Meriweather provide equal frustration to "Perfect Peyton"? Currently, Peyton is well on his way to winning his fourth NFL MVP, a feat no player has ever done. A "bad" day for Peyton now is "only" throwing for 350 yards, completing 65% of his passes, and no turnovers.

Again, that's "bad."

If the Patriots want to have any hope of winning this game, they must attack and frustrate Peyton. They must confuse, disguise, and rattle him. That is, by no means, an easy feat. In fact, no team has really been able to "rattle" Peyton since, maybe, the 2004 Patriots in the playoffs.

Colts Defense

For the Colts defense, they hired longtime Brady nemesis Larry Coyer as their defensive coordinator. Pats fans remember coyer as the "real" mastermind behind the Denver Broncos defense from 2002-2006. Coyer coached their defense during Denver's playoff win over the Pats in 2005, which saw Tom Brady throw an INT for a TD. From 2002-2004, Coyer was instrumental in keeping the "Holy Trinity" of the AFC intact (Patriots would beat the Colts, Broncos would beat the Patriots, Colts would beat the Broncos).

Now, Coyer is in Indy, and he has their defense playing as well as it has ever played. Dwight Freeney will own an NFL record if he sacks Brady this weekend, which would give him a sack in ten straight NFL games (going back to last year). Though Indy's secondary is beat up, losing longtime Patriots boogeymen Bob Sanders and Marlin Jackson for the season, the Colts do sport some impressive safeties with Antoine Bethea and Melvin Bullitt. Colts rookie corner Jerraud Powers is a legit Rookie of the Year candidate, and Jacob Lacey (another rookie) has looked impressive as well. Despite their youth, this group has indeed been tested against passing attack from the Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans. They have passed with flying colors.

Final Pontification from Resident Blogging A-hole

Like all great Patriots v. Colts games, this one will likely go down to the wire. And while the QBs will likely get all the jeers and glory, it will be the defenses of these two NFL giants that will decide the game. While neither team runs the ball well (numbers-wise), both defense want to opponents' QB to throw more than they want to. The pass defenses for both clubs are their strengths. Look for both to find ways to pressure the QBs and force them into short-field mistakes.

Likely, the team with the fewest mistakes will win.

Week 10: Wednesday Injury Report

shake n bake — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:19:44 -0000

The Wednesday report is mercifully short with 4 players injured and a day off. Unsurprisingly Anthony Gonzalez, Kelvin Hayden and Adam Vinitieri sat out injured. The very odd addition to the report is Jim Sorgi, who managed to injure his right shoulder in some way, despite not having played in 2 weeks. Getting the day off was Dwight Freeney. He was hobbled a bit after taking a chop block Sunday so I'll be watching for him on report tomorrow.

Colts.com link

A long list over on the Pats side. Missing practice were;

LB Eric Alexander (Groin), WR Julian Edelman (Forearm), DE Jarvis Green (Knee), C Dan Koppen (Knee) T Matt Light (Knee), S Brandon Meriweather (Foot), RB Sammy Morris (Knee) WR Brandon Tate (Knee), RB Fred Taylor (Ankle), DE Ty Warren (Ankle).

That's two starting linemen, a starting RB and one of his backups, both starting DEs, the teams 3rd and 4th WRs and a starting safety. That looks like the kind of report the Colts usually take into big games.

Oddly Randy Moss is listed both as sitting out practice for non-injury reasons, and as fully participating in practice with a shoulder injury along with Tom Brady (Right Shoulder), and Shawn Springs (knee).

Pats link

Sunday Fish Fry, Part I: This Chowda not "Dolphin Safe," but pulling in the nets no easy task

JohnHannahRules — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:00:34 -0000

More photos » by Stephan Savoia - AP

New England Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather (31) with a pick-6 in London two weeks ago. Disciplined play from the safety position will be a key this week against Miami Dolphins. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

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Well friends, we're in it now. With the bye week in our rear-view, the true meat of the schedule is here. In what promises to be an absolutely brutal five week stretch, New England will face, in order: Dolphins, Colts, Jets, Saints and Dolphins. If that doesn't look like a sphincter-clenching run through the briar patch of the AFC, then you must know something about football that I don't. Or you're clueless and at this point I'm prepared to go with that. Other than the Steelers, the Pats will have played the class of the Conference by the time all is said and done, plus the best the NFC has to offer. Right now, we're 1-1 against better teams, with a squeaker over Baltimore and an overtime heart-breaker at Mile High (I hate playing in Denver).

High School, college or pro, the best teams discipline themselves to focus on only the next game. It is for the fan to agonize and prognosticate over what the future holds. But that's all part of the fun and the media are more than happy to help us along. Below the fold, I've swiped wholesale Tim Graham's first half/second half graph, analyzing the relative strength of schedules for the AFC East. Under the heading of "it figures," the 'Phins have the easiest road the playoffs. The hardest row to hoe belongs to your New England Patriots.

Take a gander, but this week we face the first game of our annual series against Miami. Since that's what's on the menu, let's get out our tartar sauce and lobster bibs and look at how to catch some Phish. Part I is a look at the Dolphins on offense and some of the challenges they pose.

(Note: Part I may also be the only part I get to, as I need to be on the road this weekend. But if it isn't, I'll be taking a look at the Miami defense in Part II.)

AFC strength of schedule: Weeks 9 through 17
Team	Opp. record	Opp. win pct.
New England Patriots	38-28	.576
Indianapolis Colts	38-29	.567
Kansas City Chiefs	35-31	.530
New York Jets	30-27	.526
Baltimore Ravens	34-31	.523
Houston Texans	29-28	.509
Oakland Raiders	29-28	.509
Denver Broncos	32-33	.492
Buffalo Bills	28-29	.491
Tennessee Titans	32-34	.485
Jacksonville Jaguars	32-25	.478
San Diego Chargers	31-34	.477
Pittsburgh Steelers	30-35	.462
Miami Dolphins	30-35	.462
Cleveland Browns	25-32	.439
Cincinnati Bengals	29-38	.433
AFC strength of schedule: Weeks 1 through 8
Team	Opp. record	Opp. win pct.
Cleveland Browns	38-20	.655
Miami Dolphins	33-19	.635
Tennessee Titans	32-19	.627
Oakland Raiders	34-25	.576
Cincinnati Bengals	29-22	.569
Baltimore Ravens	29-22	.569
Kansas City Chiefs	27-24	.529
Denver Broncos	26-25	.510
New York Jets	29-30	.492
Buffalo Bills	28-31	.475
San Diego Chargers	23-28	.451
Pittsburgh Steelers	23-28	.451
New England Patriots	22-29	.431
Houston Texans	25-34	.424
Jacksonville Jaguars	21-30	.411
Indianapolis Colts	17-33	.340

The two-headed monster: Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. Coming out of Auburn, Ronnie Brown weighs 230 pounds. He's not slow, he doesn't shy away from contact and he's smart with the football. That's a good thing, because in the catPhish offense, he's the guy that makes ballhandling decisions. He'll throw, too. He's only 1 of 4 this year, but that one went for over 20 yards.

Unlike a team might do if it were running the 'cat as a gimmick, Miami will frequently pull quarterback Henne off the field altogether, rather than splitting him out wide. They do this for a couple of reasons: first, it discourages the corner blitz -- a quick way to stuff up the 'cat if you're asking a QB to get in the way. Second, because they trust Brown to throw the occasional pass, defenses can't load up against the run. They have to honor the pass at least a little bit.

That puts Brown on the field with Ricky Williams along with a full compliment of blockers.

The attraction of the single wing for most amateur teams that run it is the misdirection piece. It lets you move the ball effectively against bigger or faster defenses by using their superior ability against them. You can line up with a smaller line, or slower backs, and still grind out yards by getting defenders to chase players instead of staying home and playing their assignments. That's one way it works.

The other way it works is by taking that misdirection piece and complimenting it by smashing you in the mouth at the same time. That's what Miami does. As Vince Wilfork said, "They're not trying to trick you. They're going to try to run the ball." Their two-fisted, body-blow approach to running the ball is balanced with the much-maligned Ricky Williams.

I will say straight out: I am a fan of Ricky's. There are two reasons for this: First, when it came about that Ricky likes the reefer, the cry that went up condemning him was so loud and so strident that you'd have thought that he beat his girlfriend. Or obstructed a murder investigation. Or broke a teammate's jaw. Except all that he did was a) smoke weed and b) admit that maybe football isn't the most important thing in the world. In fact, it might not even be the most important thing in Ricky's world. Second, Ricky fought with and overcame social anxiety disorder, in public. So anything he does in the way of paying back the 'Phins on his contract, rehabilitating his image, or being a success, I'm willing to celebrate.

via blogs.philadelphiaweekly.com

Plus, he brings the wood. Ricky is averaging 5.4 yards per carry right now, more than he ever has. He's also catching the ball, with 15 receptions for an average of 12.3 yards per catch. As Belichick said, "I think either one of those backs could be the back for anybody." The Jets, the Saints and the 'Phins are the only teams that run more than they throw. They aren't fooling around.

The obvious implication is that you have to stop the run. At times, the Jets and the Saints had eight men in the box to do that. Can the Patriots follow suit, and will that work?

Phlying Phish: We all know Chad Henne is young. He's starting at least a year ahead of schedule, and he's struggling a little bit. But one thing that he has which Chad Pennington does not is a cannon. Henne can air it out if he gets the chance. We know our pass rush has been anemic, and we know that Miami has a good offensive line. Who is catching Henne's passes?

The Patriots match up well, in my opinion, against the Dolphins pass-catchers. The Dolphins' two leading receivers are Davone Bess and Greg Camarillo, with Ted Ginn Jr. in the number three slot. Ginn's troubles with route running and catching (you know, the two things receivers do) have been mentioned before. He's probably the most explosive return man in the East, though. Bess has had similar trouble of late, with two fumbles and a dropped ball in the last two games. Still, if Henne has a go-to wideout, it's probably Bess.

Don't sleep on Brian Hartline. He's only got 10 catches, but they've gone for 157 yards -- highest average on the team. He's the kind of gut-punch white slot receiver that always seems to kill us (see, Stokley, Brandon).

Patriot Pride: Defense used to be the name of the game in New England, forget what you heard from the press. During the second Super Bowl Run in 2003, New England enjoyed one of the finest defenses to play the modern game. That unit grew old as the offense matured and later days have seen lots of fireworks, but no championships. I believe the defensive side of the ball is on the way back.

There has been an enduring impression, created over the past few years, that the Patriots defensive backfield is weak. That is no longer true. I expect to see Brandon McGowan playing close to the line -- perhaps getting a "shadow Ricky" assignment -- in his key run support role. The Patriots will rotate corners through according to matchups, down and distance, and who seems to have the hot hand. I'm going to predict that UConn's own Darius Butler pulls down another pick and that Brandon Meriweather does at least one thing that blows your mind (in a good way).

That leaves the front of the house, and what is still something of a soft underbelly. I hope that someone shows that to the fellas, 'cause they're going to have to man up this week. If you grew up watching the Dolphins of Dan Marino, as I did, you'll remember a team with a questionable running attack and an erratic defense. Well, this is not your father's Miami Dolphins. These guys aren't going to carry the fight with the pass -- they want to run it down your throat.

The Patriots have been good against the run, but only when they're concentrating. The front 7 have yet to put together a complete game in that way, and every team we've played has seemingly had at least one drive where they ran through, over and around our guys. We can't have that this week, which makes it an even tougher time to lose Jarvis Green. Pryor, Wright and probably Brace are going to have to step up and match Wilfork and Warren.

I'm not worried about Mayo, but I am worried a bit about our outside linebackers. There isn't one among the five of them (Banta-Cain, Burgess, Ninkovich, Thomas and Woods) who hasn't had some trouble setting the edge this season. I think Ninkovich and Banta-Cain have been the most consistent in that regard, but maybe this is finally Thomas's week to show us the real deal. I hope so, because you don't want to see Ricky Williams get into the flat.

Special Note: Tyler Thigpen can throw and run, and Pat White can run and throw. If you're looking for the Dolphins to launch a surprise on the league by slashing the Pats like they did last year, I'd look for more passing out of the catPhish. White could be dangerous on some of Williams' sweep-style plays, particularly if he pulls up and chucks it. Vice versa for Thigpen out of Brown's customary slot. He's not averse to running outside the tackle.

Overall, I think this game will come down to our safeties. The Dolphins are going to break off their share of runs. The key will be to limit big plays and that goes to discipline in the middle of the secondary. Run-force is a critical role for the secondary as a whole, but a misdirection running attack is a great opening act for play-action passing. If Meriweather and McGowan can keep everybody on the same page while making their own correct reads, the Dolphins will eventually screw up. You can't win it all with a run game -- since the invention of the forward pass, no one has. Dan Henning has shown that he won't stick with it anyway, even if it's working. If our safeties have solid outings, we'll be able to keep the score down.

Then it will be up to our offense to hang up some points.

(For the record, I hadn't yet read Bruschi's Breakdown when I wrote this up. In it, he tips safety play as a key.)

Dolphins vs Patriots: Game Capsule

Matty I — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:30:31 -0000

MIAMI DOLPHINS (3-4) AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (5-2)

SERIES

	DOLPHINS	PATRIOTS
SERIES LEADER	48-36
STREAKS		3 of past 4
COACHES VS. OPP.	Sparano: 1-1	Belichick: 11-9
LAST WEEK	W 30-25 at Jets	Bye (Wk. 7: W 35-7 at Buccaneers in London)
LAST GAME	11/23/08: Patriots 48 at Dolphins 28. New England QB Matt Cassel passes for 415 yards with 3 TDs - his 2nd straight 400-yard game - & adds 8-yard TD run.
LAST GAME AT SITE	9/21/08: Dolphins 38, Patriots 13. Miami RB Ronnie Brown accounts for 5 TDs (4 rush, 1 pass) as Dolphins halt New England's NFL-record 21-game regular-season win streak.
BROADCAST	CBS (1:00 PM ET): Greg Gumbel, Dan Dierdorf. SIRIUS: 153 (Mia.), 122 (NE). XM: 108 (NE).

STATS

PASSING	Henne: 74-124-771-4-3-78.4	Brady: 179-273-2,032-15 (T2C)-4-99.9
RUSHING	R. Brown: 120-518-4.3-7 (T2C)	Maroney: 61-265-4.3-2
RECEIVING	Bess: 30-206-6.9-0	Welker: 46 (T2C)-484-10.5-4
OFFENSE	305.4	406.0 (1C)
TAKE/GIVE	-2	+9 (1C)
DEFENSE	328.4	285.7 (3C)
SACKS	Taylor: 5.5	Wright: 4
INTs	W. Allen: 2	Butler (R), Meriweather: 2
PUNTING	Fields: 46.5	Hanson: 39.5
KICKING	Carpenter: 50 (20/20 PAT; 10/11 FG)	Gostkowski: 60 (2C) (21/21 PAT; 13/16 FG)

NOTES

DOLPHINS: Head coach TONY SPARANO is 7-2 vs. AFC East...Dating back to 12/07/08, club aims for 6th consecutive win against AFC East...In 3 career starts against division opponents, QB CHAD HENNE is 3-0 & has completed 46 of 69 passes (66.7 pct.) for 468 yards with 4 TDs vs. 0 INTs & 105.2 passer rating...In last game at NE, RB RONNIE BROWN gained 113 rush yards & set franchise record with 4 rush TDs. Has scored 7 TDs in past 6. RB RICKY WILLIAMS averages 5.4 rush yards per carry in '09 (78 att., 423 yards). Brown (7) & Williams (5) are only teammates with 5+ rush TDs in '09...TE JOEY HAYNOS recorded 1st TD rec. of '09 last week...DE JASON TAYLOR leads active players with 126 sacks. Has 12 career sacks against Patriots...LB JOEY PORTER aims for 5th consecutive game w/sack vs. Patriots & has 8 in past 4. Tied career-high w/4 sacks vs. NE on 9/21/08...KR-WR TED GINN JR. is 1st player in NFL history w/2 TDs of 100+ yards in same game & is 8th player in NFL history with 2 KR-TDs in game. Also became 1st player w/2 KR-TDs in same quarter since Packers' TRAVIS WILLIAMS in 1967...

PATRIOTS: In past 5, QB TOM BRADY has completed 117 of 173 passes (67.6 pct.) for 1,438 passing yards w/13 TDs vs. 2 INTs & 113.3 passer rating. Brady aims for 3rd consecutive game w/3 or more TD passes vs. Miami & has 9 TDs vs. 2 INTs & 124.2 passer rating in past 2 against Dolphins...In last game RB KEVIN FAULK became 26th RB in NFL history with 400 rec...WR RANDY MOSS posted 8 rec. for 125 yards (15.6 avg.) w/3 TDs in last meeting vs. Mia. Since '07, WR WES WELKER leads NFL with 269 rec. Aims for 6th consecutive game with 6 or more rec. (46 total in those 5). Seeks 3rd consecutive game with 100+ receiving yards (150, 107)...Pats have forced turnover in 15 consecutive games...S BRANDON MERIWEATHER registered career-high 2 INTs & posted 1st career INT-TD (39 yards) last game...Rookie CB DARIUS BUTLER (Round 2, Connecticut) aims for 3rd consecutive game with INT...LB JUNIOR SEAU has won 24 consecutive games w/NE.