SB Nation - Marlin Jackson

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.

BigBlueShoe invades your mind and scrambles your brains with all things Patriots v. Colts

BigBlueShoe — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:00:52 -0000

Manning v. Brady... on a more "local" level.

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Hiya Patriots fans! Once again, we are in November. Once again, we have the Patriots v. the Colts. Once again, your headmaster has been ~~stupid~~ gracious enough to hand me the keys to your blog. Once again, I plan to poop on your living room carpet, leave the toilet seat down, and drink all your booze before I leave... so to speak.

For roughly seven years, we fans were blessed to have one of the best rivalries in the history of pro football played out annually even though the two teams in this rivalry did not reside in the same division. This year, the rivalry is still the same. The key ingredients are still simmering. However, what is a bit different is the flavoring.

Gone are Tedy Brushi, Marvin Harrison, Richard Seymour, Bob Sanders, Mike Vrabel, Marlin Jackson, Rodney Harrison, and Tony Dungy. These men helped build this rivalry up into something unique and special. Cowboys v. 49ers never reached our peak, nor did Giants v. 49ers. Patriots v. Colts is a special grudge match that, in many ways, is the envy of rivals who play each other twice a year. While Giants fans, Cowboys fans, and Eagles fans all love to boast about the NFC East rivalries, I can say with absolute confidence that they people have no idea what rivalry REALLY is until they experience Patriots v. Colts.

This rivalry has produced some of the greatest game ever in NFL history, be they playoff or regular season. No offense to the NFC East, but their games do not come close in terms of magnitude, awe, and sheer football OMFG-did-you-see-that-play!-ness.

So, yeah, Patriots v. Colts is a big deal. Anyone who dismisses it is a hater of football, or what is sometimes referred to as a "Jets fan" (calm down Jets fans, it's a joke; here's another beer you can throw at a toddler's head). Like all games going back in this rivalry, I hope this one is an all-timer as well. Hope you enjoy my "takeover" of Pats Pulpit for the next two days. Please comment to your heart's content.

Armaggedon 2009 (or, the War of 18 and 12) : Just how evenly matched are the Patriots and Colts

BigBlueShoe — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:16:43 -0000

More photos » by AJ Mast - AP

about 1 month ago: Indianapolis Colts linebacker Clint Session runs the ball after intercepting a pass from Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009. The Colts won 20-17. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

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For all the hoopla the New Orleans Saints are getting (and rightly so) for their 8-0 start, the reality is that, statistically, the Patriots and the Colts are more impressive. And while it is no en vogue for people like Buccaneers coach Raheem Morris to proclaim "Statistics are for losers," the reality is stats tell us an awful lot about how good a team will likely be moving forward.

Small side note: Anyone else find it both pathetically and ironically funny that Morris, who is 1-7 as a head coach, would proclaim that "statistics are for losers." Speaking of losers, Morris will be lucky if he keeps his job at the end of this season.

The Saints sport the league's best offense, averaging nearly 38 points per game, which is, of course, INSANE! However, their defense is surrendering 21 points per game, ranking them 19th in the league. But while the Saints appear free-wheelin' and high-flyin', the Patriots and Colts seem much more balanced as football teams and, therefore, much more dangerous.

New England sports the #2 scoring defense in football, surrendering 14 points a game. Their offense scores 28 points per game (#3 in the league). Indy trots out the #1 scoring defense, giving up just 13 points per game, and an offense that scores 27 points per game (#6 in the league).

If we Colts fans know anything it's that great offense with mediocre-to-bad defense can only take you so far in this league. Eventually, you will run into a team that will stall your offense. When that happens, your defense must have the talent and the coaching to win the game for your team. For the Pats and Colts, they seem to have the kind of defensive talent to stop opposing teams, which is incredible considering the Pats are without Mike Vrabel, Tedy Bruschi, Rodney Harrison, and Richard Seymour this year. Meanwhile, the Colts are without Bob Sanders, Marlin Jackson, Ed Johnson, and Tyjuan Hagler. Yet, they still shut people down.

Again, balance on offense and defense can make a football team dangerous, and this Sunday two very dangerous teams will face off in what hopefully will be a great game.

For more, check out Marima's FanShot.

Pour Some Sugar On Me - One More Year For Zorn Edition

Sugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:00:27 -0000

by John Amis - AP

A member of the Washington Redskins training staff whispers into Clinton Portis' earhole, "I don't know what you're doing after the game, but can we maybe go somewhere and get a cup of coffee? I can't be the only one feeling these feelings."

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We are now through Week 2 of the Sherm Lewis experiment. In two weeks, we have managed 17 points per game. Hmmmm...that strikes me as EERILY similar to our offensive output for the last few years. You guys mentioned it yesterday and it bears repeating--the adjustments that were made at halftime were reminiscent of the kind of adjustments that made previous teams in this town famous. Sherm Lewis put something together in the second half that resembled a legit offense. His play-calling skills are sharpening to be sure. Part of my problem with this setup though is that it adds yet another category on the Spin-the-Wheel of excuses that every TV analyst on ESPN and Fox is using for their explanation for why this team continues to struggle. So no matter how successful Sherm is, it becomes impossible to separate his role as "consultant" from the circus that is our front office. If we started winning, it would be easier to ignore that aspect. But that leads me into my other issue with this whole setup. At 2-6, is the Sherm Lewis experiment more about saving our season or saving Vinny Cerrato's job? Nobody wants this team to win more than me/us. But I am seriously conflicted with regard to my rooting for Sherm Lewis. The complexity of this soap opera is hilarious. One character in this thing though that I find myself more and more drawn to is Jim Zorn.

Partly because I believe that Jim Zorn is the kind of man that is worth giving every chance to and partly because I don't think a quality coach is going to come here with genuine intentions I just want to say that Jim Zorn should be our coach next year. First let's talk about...well, the first part. It is not Jim Zorn's fault that Dan Snyder hired a guy who may have been a little raw to be the head coach here. In fact, the one thing everyone knew was that Jim Zorn was raw. If Dan Snyder saw something in Jim Zorn that made him think Zorn could be a future successful head coach, then he simply has to be patient. You can't be right about something like that immediately every time. We have come to know since he was hired that Jim Zorn is a man of character and integrity. If Snyder learned anything from Joe Gibbs, it is that character and integrity are the most important things to build a team around. It is what a man does when things aren't going his way that you learn the most about him. To put it mildly, things aren't going his way these days. Zorn is not running from the challenge. Do any of us honestly blame Zorn for the offensive line problems? Cerrato rolled the dice big time and it cost Zorn any chance to get his offense going. Finally, we have fired coach after coach after coach. At some point it is not the coach (although at multiple points in our past...it was the coach...hehehe.)

As for my assertion that no good coach is going to come here with genuine intentions, I think what I mean is that with the amount of money it is going to cost Snyder, it will be very, very difficult to discern the true motives for anyone stepping into this situation. There are only 32 head coaching jobs in the league. One thing the Raiders have taught us is that even though there is a scarcity of opportunities, qualified candidates can and will decline to enter into a situation that seems problematic (is that putting it nicely enough?) So, here is a press conference I will not buy at all:

Mike Shanahan: "I am excited to work with Vinny Cerrato and Dan Snyder to put this franchise back on the map in the NFL. I think the way they do things here makes a lot of sense and I look forward to participating in the decision-making process."

So whether I am way off on this thing or not, one thing I think I would really like to see is Jim Zorn be given a chance to grow into his job...perhaps with a different guy pulling the strings on the personnel side.

Now on to our award-winning league notes:

Ten Yard Fight: 10 Chances To Make One Good Point

1) You don't go undefeated in this league without some close calls to some teams that have no business playing you tough. That is why you have to circle Sunday, December 6th on your calendars. The Saints travel to Washington, D.C that day, likely with a perfect record. You heard it here first: Skins over the Saints 28-27.

2) Something about Tom Brady that continues to bother me is his insistence on telling people that him and his teammates are motivated by comments made by their opponents leading up to a game. Really? You mean you otherwise wouldn't have done everything in your power to win? You mean you don't expect guys like Joey Porter to forever be running his mouth? In a game where if you give less than 100% for even a second you could end up in a hospital, I simply find it hard to believe that Tom Brady actually cares what guys like Joey Porter says. Just say what you mean...I would buy this:

Tom Brady: "Beating that son of a bitch is so satisfying, given the amount of trash that dude talks."

3) I am wrong about so much...really, I am simply wrong constantly. But not about the Bengals! I have taken so much heat from Steelers and Ravens fans in recent weeks for expressing my belief in Marvin Lewis and Carson Palmer. This week I'd like to thank Brian Leonard for always seeming to know where the 1st down marker is and for playing the way you wish everyone on your favorite team played all the time.

4) Now on to my wrongness...fine, I made the Redskins 10-6 in my preseason predictions. I guess all I can really say now is...THE SKINS ARE GONNA RATTLE OFF 8 STRAIGHT WINS!

5) Who has a better shot at the playoffs? Chicago or Green Bay? I am going with Green Bay because like an idiot, I still think that defense will come around.

6) When Kris Brown missed that field goal against the Colts, I felt like this team might actually be destined to go undefeated. The loss of Bob Sanders and Marlin Jackson should be too much for the Colts to overcome--from a "going undefeated" standpoint. But one thing you always know you can count on...Peyton Manning is capable of outscoring any opponent at any time. He doesn't even need a lot of time to do it. Remember the Dolphins game? Their defense was roundly beaten, but in the 15 minutes he had, Peyton put up enough points to win.

7) Is anyone more quietly in the playoff race than the Jacksonville Jaguars? At 4-4, they are in thick of the AFC playoff race. I just don't know if I buy into that offense fully, but the Garrard/Jones-Drew/Sims-Walker battery is winning me over.

8) Watching the Giants lose is normally so much fun. But when Norv Turner is on the other sideline, some of the joy is sucked out of the experience. Who would you rather have: Eli Manning or Philip Rivers?

9) Tough loss for Mike Singletary and the 49ers. A win would have gotten them to .500. That division was squarely in their sights but now at 3-5 (after starting 3-1), they have a lot of work to do in the second half of the season. They came in with one of the stingiest run defenses in the league. Chris Johnson got his though didn't he?

10) If Matthew Stafford would have thrown only 2 or 3 interceptions, they might have won. But FIVE? I have Stafford on my fantasy team and I had to play him because mark Sanchez was on a bye (yeah, my team sucks). Every time the Lions had the ball, I would think, "OK, a chance for some points." Then the graphic would come up that it was Seattle's ball. Really? No...another pickle? You're killing me dude.

Give Me The Numbers, Stat!

In case any of you missed it on the Monday Night Football telecast, here are the last 7 first round picks by the Pittsburgh Steelers:

2003 - SS Troy Polamalu
2004 - QB Ben Roehtlisberger
2005 - TE Heath Miller
2006 - WR Santonio Holmes
2007 - LB Lawrence Timmons
2008 - RB Rashard Mendenhall
2009 - DE Ziggy Hood

It should be noted that for the most part this team picks late in the 1st round, so maybe that explains the lack of a top offensive tackle selection. Their line is certainly in good shape though.

Last week's picks: 2-2

This week's picks:

49ers over Bears

Jets over Jacksonville

Colts over Patriots

Bengals over Steelers

Colts Hobbled? Old Foe Indianapolis has a full infirmary

JohnHannahRules — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:00:49 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

This way to the hospital! Indianapolis Colts safety Bob Sanders is among the several Colts suffering with injury as Indy heads into the meat of its schedule. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)

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Back in early October, New England squeaked out a home win over the Ravens when a Joe Flacco pass bounced harmlessly to the turf off the chest of his receiver. Looks like the Colts had their Baltimore.

This past Sunday in Indianapolis, Texans' kicker Kris Brown missed a field goal as time wound down. The miss preserved a Colts' home victory in which Peyton Manning had to engineer yet another late-game scoring drive to overcome a furious Houston rally. After taking a 13-0 lead early in the second quarter, Indy surredered 17 unanswered points and the lead. Manning engineered an 8-play 60-yard drive midway through the fourth to go ahead and they survived with Brown's miss to keep their record pure.

Just as New England has hit the serious part of the year, so has Indy -- or what passes for it. Their early season schedule ranks as the easiest in the AFC and the Colts have treated it accordingly in racking up the wins. Nevertheless, losses have been suffered. Indianapolis will play host to New England with many of its most important players holding down the fort in the infirmary.

Veteran cornerback Kelvin Hayden is expected to miss the next 2 - 3 weeks with a sprained knee.

Cornerback Marlin Jackson is now on injured reserve after re-injuring his ACL last week in practice.

Defensive mainspring Bob Sanders has been placed on injured reserve with a torn biceps from the 49ers game.

Receiver Anthony Gonzales had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. A return date has not been specified, but it won't be next week.

These are the recent additions. Other denizens of the IR list include DB Nick Graham; OLB Tyjuan Hagler; DB Travis Key; backup TE Jamie Petrowski. Indy has been trotting out Matt Stover to kick as Vinatieri has undergone knee surgery and his return date is unknown.

WR Austin Collie left Sunday's game against the Texans with an injury.

No one playing in week 10 is at 100%, but it's worth noting that linebacker Gary Brackett and pass-rushing great Dwight Freeney have both struggled with actual hurts this year and are perhaps less fit than most other week-10 NFLers.

Of course, the obvious big hit is Sanders. Bob is an interesting conversation piece for connoisseurs of safety-play. You hear "for a player his size" a lot in those conversations, but it is undeniable that the Colts are a defense of a different character when he is on the field. Like Harrison used to do for the Patriots and like Belichick evidently hopes Seau will do now, Sanders has an electrifying effect on the Colts. Without him they are notably less dynamic.

None of this should in any way be thought to imply that the game will be easier. Peyton has his starting line intact and is making much hay with his recieving corps -- notably old friend Reggie Wayne and new toys Collie and Pierre Garcon. Oh yeah -- Dallas Clark still plays for Indianapolis, meaning Brandon McGowan has another peach of an assignment this week.

It is nice not to be the team with everyone hurt, however. A win at the Oilcan is always a slippery proposition.

Know Your Colts History: Thank You, Marlin Jackson

JakeTheSnake — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:00:33 -0000

Among the Colts' many casualties this week was Marlin Jackson, who tore his ACL in practice. As you probably recall, Marlin tore his other ACL in practice last year. Several athletes have gone on to have very successful careers after losing both ACLs, including one-man rebounding machine DeJuan Blair, but there aren't too many exceptions to the rule. Given how much Marlin Jackson struggled to regain his pre-injury form, odds aren't good that he'll be one of the exceptions either.

Granted, Marlin can still go on to play a few more solid years of football, but odds are that those years won't be played in Indianapolis. Marlin will be entering free agency this season and we all know the track record for players, especially defensive ones, entering free agency under Bill Polian: If you're not producing near or at Pro Bowl level, you better start packing your bags, because you will be replaced by someone younger, cheaper, and odds are, more talented than you. We've seen it happen with Nick Harper, Marcus Washington, Jason David, David Thornton, Cato June, and a slew of others and it's hard to see why Marlin Jackson will be any different.

Since he probably won't be coming back next year, let's take a look back at Marlin Jackson's greatest moment as a Colt. If you're having any problem trying to remember what it was, you should probably just stop reading now.

We can sit and argue all day about where Marlin Jackson's interception ranks among the best plays on the Colts' run to Super Bowl XLI and where it stands among the best plays in Colts' history. If nothing else, I think most of us can agree that it did more damage to the history of another team's history than any other play in Colts history.

Without Marlin's pick, who knows what would have happened in those final seconds. Yes, the Patriots only had about 20 seconds left and they would have had to go 45 yards in order to win the game, but even the most blatantly biased fan can admit that Brady is pretty spectacular when it comes to late-game situations. If Marlin Jackson hadn't stepped in to steal that pass away, maybe Brady would have added to his legacy and removed the second-biggest scar on his legacy and the Patriots could have been on their way to a 4th Super Bowl title this decade. If you think that Patriots fans are insufferable now, just imagine what it would have been like if a nickel back in his second year had picked a different moment to have the biggest play of his career.

Marlin Jackson epitomized the spirit of the team that won the Super Bowl XLI championship team: Every player on the team, regardless of their role, had a moment where they were asked to deliver and each player answered the call during that playoff run. Now that it appears his time in Indianapolis is done, let's take some time to sit back and appreciate the contributions that he and the other role players on that team brought during that magical year.

Dear Bill Polian: Please sign Jack Williams ASAP

BigBlueShoe — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:08:00 -0000

More photos » by Chris Schneider - AP

Former-Denver Broncos' Jack Williams (AP Photo/Chris Schneider )

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The Denver Broncos decided that a 35-year-old washed up corner who has been out of football for over a year (Ty Law) is better than their 2008 4th round pick out of Kent State: Jack Williams. This means Williams will need to pass through waivers before he can become a free agent. If he makes it through waivers, Bill Polian and the Colts very much need to sign him.

We did a write-up on Williams back in 2008, just prior to the NFL Draft.

Williams has started since his sophomore year, and his production has remained consistent year after year. The other thing you learn from skywalker's diary is Jack Williams is ALWAYs around the football. He recorded 4 recovered fumbles, 4 pass break-ups, 4 INTs, and 3 sacks his senior year. Williams also played a lot of special teams at Kent State, earning him the team's award for Defensive Back of the Year and Special Teams Player of the Year.

Williams is very much suited to playing corner in a Tampa-2. He is strong in run support and seems to tackle well. Last season, he only had 13 tackles. Through seven games this year, he already has 14 tackles and 3 passes defended. With Marlin Jackson on IR and Kelvin Hayden out until December, Jack Williams is exactly the kind of DB the Colts need for nickel and dime defenses. He would also boost an already excellent special teams group.

So, yeah. Indy should sign him already.

Tip to 18to87

Report: Peyton Manning quits on season, tells team it is OK to "coast" until technology allows us to clone non-brittle Bob Sanders

BigBlueShoe — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:31:35 -0000

Hi. I'm BigBlueShoe, and this is your

Friday Night Open Thread!!!

My job this fun-filled Friday is to inject a little humor into the news cycle, especially in light of all the WONDERFUL injury news we've gotten today. In case you've been living under a rock, or are too lazy to scroll down the blog frontpage, here is a quick recap of the wounded:

Tyjuan Hagler, done for the year; biceps
Marlin Jackson, done for the year; knee
Bob Sanders, ~~likely~~ done for the year; biceps
Anthony Gonzalez, out until December; knee
Kelvin Hayden, out until December; knee

All these injuries were reported to us in less than 24 hours. As a result, Peyton Manning, Dwight Freeney, and Jim Caldwell have declared that it is OK to quit on the season. All players, fans, and bandwagoners can officially stop thinking about football and focus on Thanksgiving travel plans, Christmas shopping, and whether or not an animated Jim Carrey "playing" Ebenezer Scrooge on the big screen is worth a $10 investment.

Season over. Quit now. We'll see you next year for our pre-draft coverage. Pack it up. Bye-bye season. Bye-bye happiness. Hello off-season loneliness. I think the 2009 season's gonna die.

Or...............................

We can look at the team depth chart, take a breath, and look at this logically and intellectually.

Bob Sanders and Marlin Jackson barely played a lick this season, and the Colts still had the #1 scoring defense without them.
Anthony Gonzalez's injury is not season-ending, and like Brandon Stokley in 2004, Gonzo could come back and make a big late-season difference. His injury also hastened the development of Pierre Garçon and Austin Collie, which was a big positive.
Tyjuan Hagler was playing well, but the Colts have Philip Wheeler waiting in the wings. If Wheeler isn't ready, then that's on him and the Colts will simply plug into another backer.
Kelvin Hayden is expected back.

So, before you slice a razor blade across the throat of the Colts 2009 NFL season, know that the Colts have sustained injuries that are on par with injuries other teams have had to deal with.

The Bears lost Brian Urlacher in Week One. Half of the Packers offensive line is gone. Injuries to the Vikings secondary have made their defense swiss cheese. The Texans lost Owen Daniels. The Giants lost their safety as well. The Chargers lost Jamal Williams, the best player on their defense. The Steelers lost Aaron Smith.

Welcome to the NFL, fellow football fans! Injuries are as much a part of the game as the pigskin ball, the field goal bars, and stupid pontificating from idiot TV announcers. Before you give up, take a look around the NFL and look at the injury reports for other teams. Shockingly, I bet you'll see their situations are the same as ours.

Go Colts!

Click after the jump to see the text from Bullard47's open thread, which I have combined with this thread to make your disco-tastic Friday night as injury-free as possible.

From Bullard47's thread, which was combined with this one:

For a week leading up to a game against a common opponent that nearly everyone expects us to beat, this one has been just about as stressful as you can ask for. Let's recap the stupidity first:

Tyjuan Hagler somehow ruptures his bicep(again), out for the season

Marlin Jackson hurts his other kneee, out for the season

Bob Sanders hurts his elbow, out for the season

Anthony Gonzalez goes under the knife, out for at least 3 more weeks

Hayden aggravates a previous injury, out for about a month

Jackson's injury happens in a practice that according to the Colts, he didn't participate in

So, with that out of the way, there was some good news. Let's take a second to recap that:

Donald Brown practiced, looks healthy

We have great cornerback and safety depth

Hank Baskett has yet to get acclimated to the offense, and could shine as the year moves on

Kyle DeVan is more than likely going to get more playing time

The Star wrote a really great story on the awesomeness of our O-Line

The media thinks we are done for

With all of that said, I think that should be a lot to talk about. This might even be a majority-on-topic open thread, but the usual open thread shenanigans are welcome. I will be running a few errands for a bit, but should be full on into the conversation later tonight.

WAAAHHHH!!!

I can hardly concentrate at work today – not good. But ultimately, we’ve really only lost 1 player who had been contributing, and 2 who hadn’t made it back to contribute significantly (yes, I know, what about Bob’s INT? that was a tipped ball that he happened to catch).

Just hoping that Gonzo and Hayden can complete the journey back and that the only reason their return is meaningless is because we’ve already got the #1 seed locked up.

NEXT MAN UP!

How can you not love a team that does this?

by LovinBlue on Nov 6, 2009 4:33 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

To open this on a lighter note

Captain O’Hagan: I swear to God I’m going to pistol whip the next guy who says, " Shenanigans."
Mac: Hey Farva what’s the name of that restaurant you like with all the goofy shit on the walls and the mozzarella sticks?
Farva: You mean Shenanigans?
Mac: OOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
Thorny: OOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
[as they hand the Captain their pistols]

I also wish I had time and motivation to blog at Speed Blue Nation

by Bullard47 on Nov 6, 2009 4:33 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Their next movie's due out in early Dec. I can't wait.

by vintagephoenix on Nov 6, 2009 4:44 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

They're making another one?!?!?!?!?!?

Freakin sweet!

As long as we have Peyton we will always have a chance to win.

by skywalker on Nov 6, 2009 4:46 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Overcoming the "bump": How great teams keep winning despite setbacks

BigBlueShoe — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:09:06 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

FILE - In this Nov. 1, 2009, file photo, Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell, left, will have to focus his team and not allow injuries to be an excuse. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)

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Every NFL teams experiences a point in their season where something happens to disrupt their flow. Things are going well. The team is winning. Players are happy, flying around, looking to make plays, etc. Coaches are jovial in press conferences. Media are anointing the club, calling them "the best ever." Yippee-yippee-yay-yay!

Then, something happens.

Usually, it comes in the form of an injury. Or, sometimes, it's a team tragedy or some kind of disaster. Last season, we all saw the Houston Texans' "bump" come in the form of a hurricane that damaged their stadium, their facilities, and (for many players) their homes. The Texans never recovered from that "bump," and missed the playoffs because of a bad start.

In 2007, the our own, beloved Colts looked like they would repeat as world champions. They were 7-1 and flying high. Then, they lost Dwight Freeney for the season. They limped along for the rest of 2007, managed to finish the season 6-1 after the Freeney injury, but lost in the playoffs to the Chargers due in large part because of a lack of pass rush. In 2008, Peyton Manning's knee problems, coupled with the disasters at the defensive tackle spot, provided Indy with their "bump" very early in the NFL campaign. The team fumbled and bumbled their way through a 3-4 start. Though Indy managed to close the season on a 7-0 run, they lost in the playoffs again to the Chargers due in large part because of problems they had as a result of their "bump" early in the season (poor DT play).

Bumps for teams can sometimes be too much to handle. They can throw an entire season off track. However, it is the truly great teams that incur these bumps and, somehow, manage to win games in spite of them.

For my money, no championship team in recent memory was as injured as the 2006 Colts. They lost Brandon Stokley, Mike Doss, Corey Simon, James Mungro, and Montae Reagor for the season. Their secondary was a list of walking wounded. Bob Sanders missed virtually all the 2006 regular season (shocking, I know). Yet, despite the injuries, they persevered and won the Super Bowl.

Last season, we saw the Pittsburgh Steelers lose both their first and second round picks in the 2008 draft (Rashard Mendenhall and Limas Sweed, respectively). They also played games in 2008 without Willie Parker, using castoff Mewelde Moore as their feature back. They lost Casey Hampton and Heath Miller for long stretches of time. Starting offensive guard Kendall Simmons was lost for the season with an Achilles injury. Steelers starters missed over 31 games in 2008 due to injuries. In Week Sixteen, they were dominated by the Tennessee Titans, and many wondered if the Steelers were as good as others said they were.

Yet, I distinctly remember seeing the Steelers hoist the Lombardi trophy this past February.

Obviously, too many injuries, or one devastating injury, can kill your football team. But just because you loose a few starters, or because some other players are down for a while, does not mean that is an excuse to lose. The great teams win despite injuries, and even though the 2009 Colts have lost some players this week, this roster is still good enough to win it all.

More importantly, with this current roster, I expect them to win it all.

I love players like Marlin Jackson and Tyjuan Hagler. But this is the NFL. Injuries happen. For eight weeks, this team has been able to get by without having a serious injury smack them upside the head. Now, they have two. We'll see how tough they are overcoming this "bump" in the coming weeks. Personally, I think they will be fine.

Marlin Jackson done for the year, again

BigBlueShoe — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:11:28 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

Indianapolis Colts defensive back Marlin Jackson (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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I'm waiting for my ride last night. So, I take out my handheld (Sprint Palm Pre, but I still hold love for the iPhone), go to Stampede Blue, and see ctnyc's FanPost that Marlin Jackson tore his ACL in practice on Thursday and that he is done for the year. For Marlin, this is the second year in a row he has done this, and it comes at an unfortunate time for him. After this season, Marlin will either become a free agent (if 2010 has a salary cap) or he will become a restricted free agent is there is no cap in 2010. What this also does is give Marlin two major ACL injuries in only one year's time. Surgeries and rehab today are much, much better than they were even five years ago, but it is very tough for a starting cornerback to recovery fully from two ACL injuries. Marlin had seemed to not fully recovered yet from last year's ACL injury, which might have been why he lost his starting job to Jerraud Powers. The Star's PhilB elaborates:

Jackson had told me after the bye week that his most recent injury was to his left knee, that favoring his right knee put more strain on his left. That evidently led to this tear. Media member or fan, it's an understatement to say you just hate to see this.

So, from Marlin's own lips, last year's right knee injury directly contributed to this year's left knee injury. Both kness. Both with ACL tears in only one calendar year. That's not good for Marlin.

The other disturbing thing about this is Marlin was listed on the Thursday injury report, which is the official report sent to the league office, as NOT practicing. Yet, we see Marlin was hurt while practicing.

Aside from losing another great guy who had worked so hard to come back and contribute to this team -- starting SLB Tyjuan Hagler was lost for the season to a torn biceps this week -- it will be interesting to see the Colts' explanation on Jackson's injury. He got hurt in practice, or so he says. Yet the injury report listed Jackson as "Did not participate."
The Colts could say he was working out on the side, that his injury happened outside the framework of practice, I guess. But the way this was reported, first by ESPN and now confirmed by The Indy Star, certainly suggests the injury report was inaccurate.

The Colts have some explaining to do, and if they did try to fudge the injury report, or hide the fact that Marlin was hurt in practice, I hope Roger Goodell fines them. I just spent the first few days of this week blasting Mike Singletary for cheating, and falsifying an injury report (if indeed the Colts did that) would be in the same boat as players faking injuries during games.

So, if the Colts did fake that report, they cheated, and we fans should hold their feet to the fire on that. Bill Polian loves to lecture fans and press during his radio show about "the integrity of the game." Well, if they just got caught falsifying an injury report, Bill Polian and the Colts are hypocrites.

We will see in the next couple of days if anything comes out of it.

Moving forward, Marlin was in and out of the lineup all year, and yet the Colts have still managed to have a great pass defense. Jacob Lacey and Jerraud Powers have come on, and Tim Jennings (despite his haters) is still a quality player. Like with the Tyjuan Hagler injury, it hurts to lose such a great person and tough-minded player, but the depth on the team is good enough to move forward.