SB Nation - Pat McAfee

Recap Week Fifteen: Colts 35 - Jaguars 31

BigBlueShoe — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 17:36:49 -0000

5 days ago: Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne catches the go-ahead touchdown pass in the fourth quarter during an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Thursday, Dec. 17, 2009, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phil Coale)

Browse more photos »

After a while, the numbers start getting scary.

When you see them placed before you, in black and white with pretty charts to bracket their authenticity, you cannot help but stare at them as if they were an alien language unearthed somewhere in the Gobi desert by wandering nomads. They seem too fantastical, too unrealistic. Yet, they are reality. They are happening.

When the dust settled on the Indianapolis Colts 35-31 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, the numbers from the game, and the accomplishments for certain individuals and the team, began to crystallize.

Only three team in NFL history have started a regular season 14-0: The 1972 Miami Dolphins (undefeated, won Super Bowl), the 2007 New England Patriots (undefeated regular season, lost Super Bowl), and now our Indianapolis Colts.
The win was Indy's 23rd straight win in the regular season.
It was the 7th fourth quarter comeback win of the year, also an NFL record.

And when you start looking at how the game, and the individual accomplishments in that game (Dallas Clark having the best season of any TE in NFL history, Reggie Wayne passing Raymond Berry for #2 all-time in Colts receiving, etc.), the numbers truly ring home just how special and talented this group of Colts really are.

But more impressive than the numbers and the stats was the drive, the passion, and the determination to win a game which, quite frankly, "meant nothing." All week long, we had wondered who was going to play, and for how long. Would Peyton Manning sit after a few series, or a quarter? By halftime, Manning was 12-12 with two TDs and the Colts up 21-17 on the road against the desperate and determined Jaguars team.

Though "meaningless," the Colts certainly did not play and coach this game as if they were simply looking to rest. The fought to win; truly win. And win they did. And after Jacob Lacey put the finishing touches on another brilliant come-from-behind victory, the win provided yet another bold claim for Peyton Manning to win his NFL record 4th MVP award.

(AP Photo/Phil Coale)

Before we start jumping into all the wonderful positives that came out of this game, let's get some of the concerns out of the way. First off, concern-trolling, or hand wringing, about the defense at this point is silly. For fourteen friggin weeks, we've seen them play like a top 5 group. One game should not offer cause for concern, especially when you consider that this game was played only four days after the defense had one of it most physical challenges in ages against the Denver Broncos. The D was hurt, tired, and playing against a tough, physical opponent whose game plan was to take advantage of the Colts fatigue. Factor in that Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis only played on passing downs, and that Indy was without Jerraud Powers, and the performance through the first three quarters was not all that surprising.

Also, consider that in quarter four, the Jaguars were shut down and shut out by this fatigued defense, and that Maurice Jones-Drew was virtually a non-factor in the final quarter when his team needed big plays to win the game.

Then, there were the field conditions. Last night, they were in piss poor shape. Colts announcers Bob Lamey and Will Wolford commented on the conditions all evening, saying how how patches of field were getting ripped up all over the place. Players slipped and fell all game long. The field contributed to Pat McAfee's "meh" punts and kick-offs, and likely contributed to both teams doing a sub par job covering on special teams (with the Jaguars looking much worse than the Colts).

So, while some might moan and complain that the 31 points will hurt Indy's defensive scoring average, or others might fret that this game "exposed" the Colts defense, my response is to calm down, stop being such a stats loser, and look at the game with the proper perspective. This was a game of attrition. The opponent wanted to wear the Colts down, and beat them senseless in the fourth quarter. They failed, and a big reason why they failed is the Colts defense.

(AP Photo/Phil Coale)

Last night's game saw several players step up and deliver in the clutch, something the Colts have seemingly re-written the history books doing this year. Much maligned by Colts fans this season, the game was a bit of a coming out party for Colts strongside linebacker Philip Wheeler. Wheeler was handed the starting job during OTAs, but after pre-season he was benched due to ineffective play in favor of Tyjuan Hagler. Several weeks ago, Hagler was placed on IR with a torn biceps muscle and Wheeler, one again, was the starter. While we have definitely seen flashes of improved play (like the forced fumble on the goal line again Laurence Maroney and the Patriots) overall Wheeler's play has been sub-standard.

That was, until his 11 tackle effort last night, with several of those tackles key plays to stop human-wrecking-ball-Jones-Drew.

There was also Eric Foster, who played at both DE and DT last night. Foster notched two absolutely HUGE sacks in the game, with one causing a Garrard fumble on the Jaguars opening drive that should have been recovered by Gary Brackett. It wasn't, and the Jags kicked a 50-yard FG. Foster earned his second sack with 3:03 left in the 4th quarter, ending a Jaguars drive as they tried to reclaim the lead following Peyton Manning's 65 yard TD bomb to Reggie Wayne, which ended up being the game-winner.

(AP Photo/Phil Coale)

Speaking of Manning, this game, just like last year's contest in late December (almost to the day) against the Jaguars, might have locked up another MVP award for the best QB in the NFL. Other than Dallas Clark bobbling a sure first down that hit him square in the hands (with the deflection getting picked off by Daryl Smith), Manning was virtually flawless. For the second game in a row, he threw 4 TDs. His 134.4 QB rating in the game, against a playoff-caliber team on the road, is the kind of performance that locks up MVP awards. All the voters watched that game, and if they did not come away impressed they should have their voting rights stripped from them while a midget kicks them repeatedly in the nuts.

Unless Drew Brees looks equally impressive this Saturday (at home, not on the road like Manning) against the Cowboys, Manning likely has gained enough support to win his NFL record 4th MVP award.

Overall, I cannot shower enough praise on Colts coach Jim Caldwell, who managed this game exceedingly well. Freeney and Mathis are nursing injuries, and you have to think that if Tony Dungy were still coaching that both players would not have played. Caldwell placed the two stud pass rushers on a "pitch count," using them only on passing downs and in the fourth quarter. The result was David Garrard playing rather poorly.

Yes folks. He played poorly overall.

When you average 5.6 yard a completion, and 4.9 yard per passing attempt (as Garrard did), that is indeed playing poorly. 40 attempts and only 223 yards is pretty "ugh." Garrard also had a near disastrous fumble and he threw three INTs. The game was close because the fumble was not recovered by the Colts and two of Garrard's three INTs were dropped by Antoine Bethea and Kelvin Hayden. As many of you know, I'm not a Garrard hater or anything. I personally think he is a fine QB. But last night, he got lucky on several key plays. His luck ran out in the fourth quarter, where Garrard was simply pitiful. He had three chances to help his team score and possibly retake the lead, but instead was forced to punt once, took a key sack on the next drive, and on the final drive threw an INT to Lacey at the Colts 33 yard line.

To Garrard's credit, he is indeed a tough guy. He took a vicious hit from Eric Foster late in the game, and it seemed that for a couple of series, Garrard might have thought his name was "Batman." However, he didn't leave the game and didn't call a timeout to deal with the injury. Again, serious tough guy. Major props.

When all is said and done, you have to tip your hat to the Jags. We joked this year that they were "dumpster fires," but last night they played all out, guns blazing. They had fire, sans dumpster. They played the way a team desperate for a playoff spot should play. Special thanks to the Jaguars fan community at Big Cat Country for a fine week of blogging.

With the Colts 14-0 for the first time in franchise history, the discussion now will shift to "going for perfection." Myself and several of our writers here will pontificate on this subject for the next few days, and I'm sure many of you readers out there have your own strong opinions one way or the other. But, for me, after watching last night's contest, and seeing how this team has played all season long, my opinion now has changed somewhat.

The games "mean something" now, and I think the Colts should not rest any starters for Weeks Sixteen and Seventeen. This is a special group, and the deserve have the best players out there for four quarters these next two games.

Go Colts!

Pro Bowl Fan Vote: Absolute Joke

shake n bake — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:49:13 -0000

Paul Kuharsky has posted an update of the Fan Vote results for the Pro Bowl and results are disturbing. If the fan voting was over today, and decided the Pro Bowl invites alone Mike Pollak and Adam Vinatieri would be Pro Bowlers, Ryan Diem would be the first alternate at tackle. This while Gary Brackett would be left out yet again, Bethea would be fighting for the 3rd safety spot and Clint Session isn't in the top 5 among AFC OLBs. Brett Favre has more Pro Bowl votes than Peyton Manning!

I'd credit the fans with putting Dallas Clark atop the voting and showing appropriate love for Mookie Johnson (5th among AFC DTs) and Pat McAfee (3rd among AFC Punters), but the Pollak and Vinatieri results makes me think that it's just the IND next to their name that's drawing the votes.

Bad sports journalism gets bashed a lot around here, and at least to me the reason isn't because dumb sportswriting needs to be bashed on it's own merits, it's because bad sports journalism (and bad journalism in general) leads to a badly misinformed public. This is a result of the bad sports journalism that we bitch and moan about.

Monday "Practice Estimation"

shake n bake — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:20:19 -0000

Thursday night game means that to comply with the leagues requirement of 3 injury reports teams need to give a "Practice Estimation" on Monday, reporting which players they'd expect to hold out of practice if they were conducting a practice today. As you'd expect for the day after a game, the lists are long. Really it's more telling to look at who isn't listed. In the Colts case that list is actually shorter and we'll start with that.

Players Not Listed (count on them playing)

Curtis Painter, Mike Hart, Jacob Tamme, Gijon Robinson, Dallas Clark, Austin Collie, Hank Baskett, Micheal Toudoze, Mike Pollak, Jeff Saturday, Ryan Lilja, Antonio Johnson, Fili Moala, Erwin Baldwin, Philip Wheeler, Freddy Keiaho, Ramon Humber, Cody Glenn, T.J. Rushing, Jaime Silva, Devon Hall, Justin Snow, Pat McAfee, Matt Stover

Players that would've rested (likely playing)

Dwight Freeney, Antoine Bethea

The Injured (who knows?)

Joseph Addai (knee), Gary Brackett (foot), Raheem Brock (back), Donald Brown (chest), Melvin Bullitt (shoulder), Keyunta Dawson (knee), Kyle DeVan (shin), Ryan Diem (hamstring), Eric Foster (back), Aaron Francisco (ankle), Pierre Garçon (knee), Anthony Gonzalez (knee), Kelvin Hayden (knee), Tim Jennings (ankle), Charlie Johnson (foot), Jacob Lacey (Biceps), Peyton Manning (glute), Robert Mathis (quad), Daniel Muir (hamstring), Jerraud Powers (Hamstring), Jamey Richard (Shoulder), Tom Santi (hand), Clint Session (calf), Chad Simpson (back), Tony Ugoh (hip), Adam Vinatieri (knee), Reggie Wayne (foot).

Colts.com link

Colts re-sign Mike Hart and sign Ervin Barwin to active roster; Kelvin Hayden expected to return this week

BigBlueShoe — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:35:58 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

Indianapolis Colts cornerback Kelvin Hayden (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Browse more photos »

There has been a flurry of news on new (and old) players added to the active roster along with injury status updates. Much of the news is filtering in from an outstanding new widget on CBS Sports' website. It is essentially a "live ticker" of team specific information which CBS refers to as "Rapid Reports." The ticket is maintained by none-other-than John Oehser of IFR. So, unlike other supposed information ticker services, the content from here is legit and accurate. We've added the widget to the site, along the right hand column (scroll down).

Anyway, back to the updates.

Well, to start, even though they worked out Dominic Rhodes yesterday, the Colts opted to re-sign Mike Hart to the active roster. Hart has been battling back from last year's knee injury, and has been cut and re-signed to both the active roster and practice squad at various points this season. The Colts also signed defensive end Ervin Baldwin to the active roster. Baldwin (6'2, 260 pounds) was drafted in the seventh round by the Bears last year. He's familiar with Tampa 2, and his signing seems to suggest what PhilB wrote about earlier today: Dwight Freeney might not go again for the second week in a row.

Again, with Freeney, it seems to be a wait-and-see situation. A lot of this is precautionary, and does not seem the kind of thing that could screw-up his play moving forward.

The Colts also signed center Keith Gray and guard Drew Radovich to the practice squad.

Also, we have an Adam Vinatieri update! It seems Vinatieri is progressing quite nicely and could return to kicking very soon. According to Oehser:

K Adam Vinatieri (right knee) is closer to returning, Colts coach Jim Caldwell said. Caldwell said a decision will be made on keeping K Matt Stover if and when Vinatieri returns.

Personally, and this is just my gut instinct and not based off any info I've gotten, I think Indy might consider keeping both Adam and Matt on the roster going into the playoffs. Vinatieri is the Colts current and future kicker. So, any talk that Stover or Pat McAfee will replace him is just nonsense. However, Stover has been very reliable this year filling in for Vinatieri, showing that even at age 41 he can still hit the big kicks. If Indy is not 100% certain that Adam is completely healthy by the playoffs, they may keep Stover on the active roster just in case.

There were a ton of FanPosts and FanShots that many of you placed up on the site updating everyone on the the news. Thanks (and a special tip) to those that did so.

Recap Week Eight: Colts 18 - 49ers 14

BigBlueShoe — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:44:42 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

about 1 month ago: Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell looks on during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009. Indianapolis won 18-14. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Browse more photos »

Fans and media have grown accustomed to seeing the 2009 Indianapolis Colts blowing out teams left and right on route to a 6-0 start, winning 15 straight regular season games (dating back to last season). Against the San Francisco 49ers, we were promised some "real" competition.

And the game did not disappoint.

The 49ers jumped out to an early 7-0 lead, the result of a 64 yard Frank Gore TD in the first quarter. The Colts struggled to respond on offense, scoring only field goals rather than touchdowns when their team was in the redzone. And because we are all so very, very SPOILED this year, with offense exploding out of nearly every game the Colts have played, there were many Colts fans who spent halftime wringing their hands, wondering if the Colts were as good as advertised. Some fans were ready to "jump off the ledge" after Alex Smith drove the 49ers offense 89 yards in 1:11, capping the drive with an 8 yard TD pass to Vernon Davis with roughly 30 seconds left in the half.

However, at the end of the TD, Davis was flagged for excessive celebration, and 15 yards was tacked onto the end of Indy's kick return. In 25 seconds, Peyton Manning drove the Colts to the 49ers' 13 yard line. Matt Stover then kicked a FG to cut the lead 14-9.

From that point on, the Colts shutout and shutdown the 49ers, and exposed SF's coach Mike Singletary for the petty, immature bum he really is.

The 49ers did not score a single point in the second half. Their running game was stuffed and their passing game smothered. Frank Gore ran for 91 yards on 13 carries. That's 7 yards a carry. But, this is one time where the stats really lie to you. 64 of those 91 yards came on one play, which featured normally sure tacklers Jerraud Powers and Antoine Bethea attempting to "hit" Gore rather than "tackle" him. After that play, the Colts held Gore to 9 carries for 20 yards. To put it mildly, Gore got lucky on his 64 yard run. The rest of the game, he was stuffed. The Colt then turned their pass rushers loose on Alex Smith, who was decent on one series and terrible throughout much of the game.

In a nutshell, this was a game that really showcased the Colts defense, who helped make up for the lack of cohesiveness from the offense. Again, these are the new Colts. These Colts don't just play defense.

They dominate with it.

Let me first say the obvious one more time: Mike Singletary is a bum. I said it in my quick recap. I say it again. BUM. For all his silly talk of "playing tough" and being "tough minded," this schmuck is nothing more than a poser. In the third quarter with the Colts driving to gain the lead, Indy started gaining success by running a hurry-up offense. From the booth, Colts radio announcers Bob Lamey and Will Wolford noted that 49ers players were receiving signals from 49ers coaches to "go down" and "fake an injury" in order to stall the Colts offense. This was a tactic used by Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots years ago, and it was dusted off and used liberally by Mike Singletary and his cadre of puppets on the sideline. The tactic designed to stop the game, rest the defense, and disrupt the Colts offense all while not sacrificing a time out.

In other words, it's cheating.

Mike Singletary. Bum.

Image: 4.bp.blogspot.com

The strategy didn't work, as Indy scored the go-ahead TD on a 22 yard pass from Joseph Addai to Reggie Wayne to start the fourth quarter. Yes, I did type that correctly. On first and 10 from the SF 22, Addai ran left and threw to a wide open Wayne in the endzone. The score gave Indy the lead for the first time in the game, and they would hold on to win.

Later on in the game, with the Colts driving in the fourth quarter, looking to run out clock or (possibly) pad the lead and ice the contest, they went hurry-up again. The 49ers countered with signals from the sideline, and down went Takeo Spikes. Spikes complained of "cramps." He was helped off the field by training staff after a significant delay. A few plays later, Spikes was back out on the field, making tackles and seemingly a-okay.

Despite the cheating, the Colts drove the length of the field, converted a fourth and inches deep in 49ers territory, and ran out the clock. Ball game. Colts win.

When the chips are down, when things look bleak, when the game is getting out of hand, some teams and their head coaches respond with guts, determination, and courage. When the game was getting out of hand for Mike Singletary, he opted to cheat. Tells you something about the man.

For all of Singletary's bravado, all his speeches and all his pants dropping antics to motivate grown men who make millions of dollars playing a game, Singletary is nothing more than a coward. When you have to resort to cheap tactics in order to win, you are not "tough." You are not a "winner." You are a "cheater." And for all of Singletary's shenanigans, for all his last minute defensive adjustments, for all of his tricks... his team surrendered 410 yards of offense and lost the game. They are now 3-4 and have lost three in a row. Nice work, Mike. Keep it up, ya bum!

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne celebrates a fourth-quarter touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers in an NFL football game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009. The Colts defeated the 49ers 18-14. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Switching gears from the fake head coach to the real won, for the first time since the NFL merger, a rookie head coach has started 7-0. That coach is Jim Caldwell. And unlike Singletary, Caldwell did not have to resort to cheating in order to extend Indy's regular season winning streak to 16 games. He didn't even need a TD pass from Peyton Manning. What he needed was some outstanding defense, some excellent special teams play, and a little flare from Tom Moore, who made a brilliant play call on the Addai to Wayne TDs. Here are some more observations:

Once again, the Colts struggled to run the ball consistently against a tough run defense. However, when the Colts needed some tough, short yards, Joseph Addai came through. He carried for 21 of Indy's 22 carries. The only other carry not made by Addai was done by Chad Simpson, who lost a yard on the carry.
Where was Mike Hart? I saw him on some passing downs, but he did not carry the ball at all Sunday.
The Colts held the 49ers to 5.1 yards a pass.
With the Broncos losing to the Ravens 30-7, the Colts are the lone undefeated team in the AFC. They also will likely have the #1 scoring defense after 8 weeks.
Matt Stover was 4-4 on FGs, and Pat McAfee was outstanding using his big leg to reverse field position. In the past, former-Colts punter Hunter Smith would not be able to make the kinds of kicks McAfee is making.
Peyton is the fastest player ever to 4,000 career completions.
Reggie Wayne tied a career high with 12 catches. He also gained 147 yards and 1 TD. He did it all on a gimpy leg. Reggie Wayne is the best WR in football. Period.
Dwight Freeney recorded a sack, which is now at least one sack in 8 straight games. The sack came when the 49ers were driving to re-take the lead. It came on third down. It knocked them out of FG range. It was a big time, clutch sack.
Bob Sanders got an INT. Welcome back Bob.
Mike Pollak was replaced in the second half by Kyle DeVan. I think the Colts have given up on Pollak.
After the game, Bill Polian praised Jamie Silva for "hanging in there" as a kick returner, which is "not his strong suit," according to Polian. Silva was excellent on kick coverages, registering 4 tackles.

Many thanks to Fooch and the 49ers fans at Niners Nation. While I'm sure some of them will not take kindly to me calling their coach a bum, I'll just say that Singletary is not good enough for the storied franchise that is the 49ers or their great fans. They deserve a classy coach. Not a cheating punk.

Back to the game, for me personally, I think these kinds of games are important. The 49ers are not a bad football team. Even though their coach is a laughable faker, they have a good defense and some solid pieces to build on with their offense. So, for the Colts to overcome their offense's problems and win the game shows me something. It should also show YOU something, and to the people complaining at halftime that the Colts "should be winning," shame on you. This is the NFL. Nothing is guaranteed. Anyone can beat anyone, any given Sunday. One week you're great. The next, you suck. The key is not getting caught up in the hype or the hate.

This is an excellent Colts team, and if you are too spoiled to enjoy wins like this, then watch something else. I LOVE wins like this. I LOVE watching our defense eek out a gutty win. I LOVE watching two, key late game drives to ice a game. I love it. I Love it. I LOVE IT!

And you should too. Go Colts!

Quick Recap: Colts 18 - 49ers 14

BigBlueShoe — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 21:32:09 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

about 1 month ago: Indianapolis Colts safety Bob Sanders (21) reacts with defensive end Robert Mathis following an interception during an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Browse more photos »

At halftime, half of this community was ready to shoot themselves as the Colts entered halftime down 14-9. The San Francisco 49ers, using exotic blitzes, were confusing Peyton Manning and the Colts offense in the first half. For much of the entire game, it was a field position battle. But, in the end, the Colts managed to scrape together a few clutch plays near the end to scratch out the win.

The first half saw the 49ers capitalize on poor tackling, with Frank Gore scoring a 64 yard rushing TD. However, the rest of Frank Gore's carries (12) went for 27 yards. The Colts defense was stellar, save two series: The Gore TD and the drive before halftime, which resulted in a 8 yard TD play from Alex Smith to Vernon Davis. Aside from those two series, the Colts dominated the 49ers offense. Smith threw for only 198 yards. He was sacked 4 times and threw a costly INT in the first half.

The key play of the game was the score that gave Indy the lead for the first time, which was a 22 yard TD pass from... wait for it... Joseph Addai to Reggie Wayne. That's right! The only TD pass the Colts scored in this game did NOT feature Peyton Manning. Addai threw a very good lob to Wayne, who tied a career high with 12 receptions for 143 yards and a TD. Dwight Freeney also recorded a HUGE fourth quarter sack, which gives him a sack in 8 consecutive games. Matt Stover was also 4-4 on FGs, and Pat McAfee was outstanding punting the ball.

BTW, Matt Stover in post-game interviews was awesome. He kept talking about how impressed he was with the Colts defense.

One more thing: Mike Singletary is a bum. A total and complete bum of a coach. As Bob Lamey and Will Wolford noted during the Colts radio broadcast, the 49ers were doing their best New England Patriots impersonation by faking injuries in order to slow Indy's no-huddle offense. The radio announcers noted players were receiving signals from 49ers coaches to "go down" when the Colts tried to go hurry-up. It was disgusting. It was vomit-inducing.

It didn't work.

So, congrats Mike! Your team is 3-4. You've lost three in a row, and when the chips were down, you tried to cheat. Oh, and all those defensive changes you did this past week? Yeah, they didn't work either. Manning threw for 347 yards, completed 64% of his passes, and the Colts won. Utter and complete tool = Mike Singetary. 49ers fans deserve better than this dirty schmuck. I hope they don't think my disgust at Singletary is disgust for the 49ers. Nothing but respect for the 49ers as an organization, and I love the community at Niners Nation. But Singletary's coaching today was both vile and un-becoming an NFL coach.

The Colts are 7-0, sans attempts to cheat, and did so in a scrappy, hard fought game. Go Colts!

The 2010 Draft - Where We Stand in Chart Form

Jeremy Bolander — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:37:57 -0000

[Editor's Note: This is a draft order chart based completely off of the current standings. Tiebreak rules were used to establish order of playoff teams, and then playoff "wins" were awarded to the team with the best record, or whomever came out ahead in tiebreaks. For those who are wondering, Denver topped Indy in the #4 tiebreak scenario, "strength of victory" (.504 to .305). Obviously, this chart will change drastically from week to week, and I will update it as time permits to keep us abreast of developments.]

#	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
1	TEN	STL	TB	¹⁰TEN	STL	TB	TEN
2	TB	⁷NE	STL	TB	TEN	STL	TB
3	STL	TB	TEN	STL	¹⁷CLE	TEN	STL
4	KC	CLE	KC	CLE	KC	CLE	²⁶MIA
5	CLE	KC	CLE	KC	CLE	KC	CLE
6	DET	DET	DET	DET	DET	DET	DET
7	WAS	OAK	¹⁰~~WAS~~	OAK	WAS	²¹CAR	WAS
8	OAK	WAS	OAK	WAS	OAK	²³MIA	OAK
9	SEA	CAR	MIA	SEA	¹⁸KC	MIA	SEA
10	MIA	SEA	CAR	MIA	SEA	CAR	MIA
11	¹SF	MIA	⁹PHI	CAR	¹⁹KC	SEA	CAR
12	BUF	BUF	BUF	BUF	BUF	BUF	BUF
13	SF	BAL	CHI	JAX	SD	SF	BAL
14	SD	SF	BAL	CHI	JAX	SD	SF
15	JAX	SD	SF	BAL	CHI	JAX	SD
16	²DEN	⁶NE	SD	SF	BAL	CHI	JAX
17	BAL	⁵TB	JAX	SD	SF	BAL	CHI
18	HOU	HOU	HOU	HOU	HOU	HOU	HOU
19	DAL	PHI	DAL	PHI	^13,11NE	²²BUF	DAL
20	PHI	DAL	PHI	DAL	PHI	DAL	²⁸NE
21	NYJ	NYJ	NYJ	NYJ	¹⁶CLE	NYJ	NYJ
22	ARI	GB	ARI	GB	ARI	GB	ARI
23	GB	ARI	GB	ARI	GB	ARI	²⁵GB
24	NE	NE	⁸OAK	NE	¹⁴TB	NE	²⁷NE
25	ATL	⁴KC	ATL	ATL	ATL	ATL	²⁴STL
26	NYG	PIT	CIN	NYG	PIT	CIN	NYG
27	CIN	NYG	PIT	CIN	NYG	PIT	CIN
28	PIT	CIN	NYG	PIT	CIN	NYG	PIT
29	MIN	MIN	MIN	MIN	MIN	MIN	MIN
30	IND	IND	IND	IND	IND	²⁰PHI	IND
31	NO	NO	NO	NO	¹⁵PHI	NO	NO
32	³SEA	DEN	DEN	DEN	¹²DET	DEN	DEN

First round

1. Carolina to San Francisco. Carolina traded its 2010 first-round selection for San Francisco's 2009 second-round selection (43rd overall, used to select Everette Brown) and its 2009 fourth-round selection (111th overall, used to select Mike Goodson).

2. Chicago to Denver. Chicago traded its 2010 first-round selection, its 2009 first- and third-round selections, and quarterback Kyle Orton to Denver for quarterback Jay Cutler and a 2009 fifth-round selection.

3. Denver to Seattle. Denver traded its 2010 first-round selection for Seattle's 2009 second-round selection (37th overall, used to select Alphonso Smith).

Second round

4. Atlanta to Kansas City. Atlanta traded its second-round selection to Kansas City for tight end Tony Gonzalez.

5. Chicago to Tampa Bay Chicago traded its second-round selection to Tampa Bay for defensive end Gaines Adams.

6. Jacksonville to New England. Jacksonville traded its 2010 second-round selection and its 2009 seventh-round selection to New England for the first of New England's 2009 third-round selections (73rd overall, used to select Derek Cox).

7. Tennessee to New England. Tennessee traded its 2010 second-round selection to New England for the third of New England's 2009 third-round selections (89th overall, used to select Jared Cook).

Third round

8. New England to Oakland. New England traded its third and a conditional pick to Oakland for defensive end Derrick Burgess.

9. Seattle to Philadelphia. Seattle traded its third-round selection in 2010 and its fifth- and seventh-round selections in 2009 (137th and 213th overall) for Philadelphia's third-round selection in 2009 (91st overall, used to select Deon Butler).

10. Washington (forfeit). Washington will not have a third-round selection in 2010, as it used a third-round pick in the 2009 Supplemental Draft to choose defensive end Jeremy Jarmon.

Fifth round

11. Dallas to Denver. Dallas traded its fifth-round selection to Denver for guard Montrae Holland.

12. Denver to Detroit. Denver traded its 2010 fifth-round selection and a 2009 seventh-round selection (#235 overall, used to select Zack Follett) to Detroit for a 2009 sixth-round selection (1st selection in round six, #174 overall, used to select Tom Brandstater).

13. Denver to New England. Denver traded its fifth-round selection to New England for defensive lineman Le Kevin Smith and New England's seventh-round selection, which was later traded back to New England.

14. New England to Tampa Bay. New England traded its fifth-round selection to Tampa Bay for tight end Alex Smith.

15. New Orleans to Philadelphia. New Orleans traded its 2010 fifth-round selection and a 2009 seventh-round selection (#222 overall, later traded to Indianapolis) to Philadelphia for a 2009 fifth-round selection (#164 overall, used to select Thomas Morestead).

16. New York Jets to Cleveland. New York traded its fifth round pick, as well as a conditional third-round pick, WR Chansi Stuckey, and LB Jason Trusnik, to Cleveland for WR Braylon Edwards.

17. Tampa Bay to Cleveland. Tampa Bay traded its 2010 fifth-round selection and its 2009 second-round selection to Cleveland for tight end Kellen Winslow II.

18. Carolina to Kansas City. Carolina traded its 2010 fifth-round selection to Kansas City for defensive end Tank Tyler.

19. Miami to Kansas City: Miami traded its 2010 fifth-round selection to Kansas City for quarterback Tyler Thigpen.

Sixth round

20. Indianapolis to Philadelphia. Indianapolis traded its 2010 sixth-round selection to Philadelphia for a 2009 seventh-round selection (#222 overall, used to select Pat McAfee).

21. Oakland to Carolina. Oakland traded its 2010 sixth-round selection and a 2009 seventh-round selection (#216 overall, used to select Captain Munnerlyn) to Carolina for a 2009 sixth-round selection (#202 overall, used to select Brandon Myers).

22. Philadelphia to Buffalo. Philadelphia traded its 2010 sixth-round selection and 2009 first- and fourth-round selections to Buffalo for tackle Jason Peters.

23. Washington to Miami. Washington traded its 2010 sixth-round selection and 2009 second-round selection to Miami for defensive end Jason Taylor.

Seventh round

24. Atlanta to St. Louis: Atlanta traded its 2010 seventh-round selection to the Rams for Tye Hill.

25. Green Bay to New York Jets (returned): Green Bay traded its 2010 seventh-round selection and quarterback Brett Favre to the Jets for the Jets' 2009 third-round selection. The Jets acquired this pick as part of the conditional agreement of the trade in which Favre's performance resulted in the Packers receiving the Jets' 2009 third-round selection, coupled with Favre retiring after the 2008 season. However, this pick has been returned to the Packers.

26. Kansas City to Miami: Kansas City traded its 2010 seventh-round selection to Miami for Miami's 2009 seventh-round selection.

27. New England to Denver (returned): New England traded its 2010 seventh-round selection and Le Kevin Smith to the Broncos for their 2010 fifth-round selection. Denver then traded the selection back to New England for offensive lineman Russ Hochstein.

28. Philadelphia to New England. Philadelphia traded its 2010 seventh-round selection and wide receiver Greg Lewis to New England for New England's 2009 fifth-round selection.

Conditional/Undetermined

29. Carolina to Cleveland: Carolina traded a conditional 2010 selection to Cleveland for DT Louis Leonard.

30. Jacksonville to Tampa Bay: Jacksonville traded an undisclosed 2010 draft choice to Tampa Bay for quarterback Luke McCown.

31. Kansas City to Miami: Kansas City traded an undisclosed 2010 draft choice to Miami for offensive linemen Andy Alleman and Ikechuku Ndukwe.

32. New England to Baltimore: New England traded a conditional 7th round 2010 draft choice to Baltimore for LB Prescott Burgess. Burgess was placed on the Patriots' practice squad, but was claimed by Baltimore after their game against the Patriots, thus nullifying the trade as Burgess did not meet the condition for playing time.

33. New York Jets to Philadelphia: New York traded a 2009 fifth-round selection and a conditional 2010 selection to Philadelphia for CB Lito Sheppard. Depending on Sheppard's playing time in 2009, the selection could be in the second, third, or fourth round.

34. New York Jets to Cleveland. New York traded a conditional third round pick, as well as a fifth round pick, WR Chansi Stuckey, and LB Jason Trusnik, to Cleveland for WR Braylon Edwards. The third-round pick can become a second-round pick based on Edwards' performance with New York.

35. San Diego to Houston: San Diego traded an undisclosed 2010 draft choice to Houston for defensive lineman Travis Johnson.

Why Matt Stover was brought in to sub for Adam Vinatieri

BigBlueShoe — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:24:34 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

2 months ago: FILE -- In this Oct. 4, 2009, file photo, Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri kicks against the Seattle Seahawks in the first quarter of an NFL football game in Indianapolis. Vinatieri is out four to eight weeks after having arthroscopic surgery on his right knee to remove a piece of cartilage. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)

Browse more photos »

Indy Star's PhilB has a good blog entry up talking about Matt Stover and what he brings to the Colts while kicker Adam Vinatieri heals up from surgery to remove loose cartilage in his knee. Like Vinatieri, Stover is a humble, hard-working guy who has a knack for delivering big kicks in the clutch.

After everybody had their questions answered, and Stover made it perfectly clear he just wanted to help this team win a Super Bowl, that a kicker like Adam Vinatieri can't be replaced, we chatted again. The recorder was off. And what a rush of enthusiasm, to hear him talk about how happy he was to still have a chance to kick. More to the point, to be in this situation, stepping in for a good friend, on such a good team.
I'm guessing if any of us couldn't do our jobs for whatever reason, and a good friend had to step in and help out, well, we would be grateful. Stover is prepared to go the distance with the Colts. It was reported that he kicked 53-yard field goals in his Tuesday workout. He is ready. And, like Vinatieri, missing clutch kicks is unacceptable.

Now, I know some here are suggesting that it is a "waste" to have three kickers and three quarterbacks on an active roster. The cries for "Adam to IR" or the even more ridiculous "Let Pat make all the kicks" really need to simmer down.

Like me, PhilB believes Vinatieri is still a clutch kicker. Without him, the Colts do not beat the Minnesota Vikings and San Diego Chargers last season, which would have meant no playoffs. And like me, Phil believes that Vinatieri will kick long after he recovers from surgery. Stover is 41. Vinaiteri is 36. I also believe the Colts feel Vinatieri is a key veteran whose presence is necessary in developing consistent special teams play. When Ray Rychleski barks out orders to do this and that, those orders carry more weight with players when someone as well-liked and well-respected as Adam Vinatieri nods. Remember, the team voted Adam and Melvin Bullitt co-captains of Special Teams.

So, when you lose someone as vital as Vinatieri, it is important to replace them with someone who others respect. Enter: Matt Stover.

Now, for some of you, there is this rather silly notion that the Colts should use rookie punter Pat McAfee as the field goal kicker. McAfee, a kicker in college at West Virginia, is able to kick FGs, but to ask him to punt, kick-off, AND kick field goals is a bit too much. McAfee has punted the ball great and his kick-offs are outstanding. However, even if he could hold up physically to handling all three jobs, would you trust a key, high pressure, big time kick to a rookie or to a veteran who has been there, done that a hundred times over? For me, I go veteran.

Others here are wringing your hands about about Stover's leg distance on kicks. Folks, if you need your kicker to consistently make 50-plus yard FGs, your team's offense stinks. I know lots of people around here go ga-ga for Rob Bironas and his bionic leg, but the reason the Titans have Bironas attempting all those long FGs is because their offense can't get the ball in the damned endzone. Also, Bironas has missed some important kicks this year, some of which cost them in their Week One loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

So, if you are still on the fence about the important of carrying three kickers, get down already! I personally want Adam Vinatieri back as healthy as possible for December and January, where he has etched his mark on the NFL and secured his bust in Canton. While he heals, I have full confidence in Stover handling pressure kicks; not so much in McAfee. If injuries occur and there needs to be some roster shuffling, I'd rather see players like Chad Simpson cut than a veteran kicker like Stover.

Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri out six weeks, per ESPN's Adam Shefter

BigBlueShoe — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:54:42 -0000

New Colts kicker Matt Stover. Image: masnsports.com

View full size photo »

Twitter is a great, great thing these days when it comes to getting important NFL news quickly. Here's Adam Shefter, via Twitter:

Looks like Indianapolis will be without kicker Adam Vinatieri for about six weeks -- or five games with the bye -- due to knee surgery.

Tip to ihateshrimp. Also fro Shefter's Twitter page, the Colts have signed veteran kicker Matt Stover.

Stover, who is six years Vinatieri's senior, has kicked in the NFL since 1990. Last season, he played for the Baltimore Ravens and kicked a 43-yard game-winning FG to defeat the Tennessee Titans in a playoff game in Nashville.

With the Colts releasing Ed Johnson yesterday, the Stover signing does not prompt the release of another player from the 53-man roster. It seems the Colts will leave Vinatieri inactive for roughly six weeks. With rookie Pat McAfee handling kickoffs, all the Colts require from Stover is he kick field goals. In the past, Stover (like Vinatieri) has shown a knack for making big kicks in the clutch. Also like Vinatieri, Stover has a workman-like personality, and he seems respected as a kicker where ever he plays.

Key to the Colts making any kind of post-season run is the health of Adam Vinatieri. When on his game, no kicker in NFL has shown such a consistent level of clutchness when it comes to kicking important FGs. The next game we may possibly see Vinatieri is November 22nd against Matt Stover's old team, the Baltimore Ravens.

[UPDATE]: Colts.com has more on Vinatieri's knee [via shake n bake]:

Adam Vinatieri has undergone successful arthroscopic surgery to his right knee to remove a piece of cartilage. Vinatieri is expected to miss four-to-eight weeks.

Colts working out Matt Stover, possible concerns over Adam Vinatieri's knee

BigBlueShoe — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:38:30 -0000

All kinds of speculation are swirling around the Colts complex at West 56th Street today concerning Adam Vinatieri. We saw Adam Shefter on the Monday Night Football pre-game show last night say the Colts are having Vinatieri's knee re-examined after Indy's 31-9 victory over the Tennessee Titans. I can't find any link to this story on ESPN.com, and Shefter's Twitter page seems to make no mention of this.

What does seem fairly certain is the Colts are bringing in veteran kicker Matt Stover for a workout today.

The Stover workout could possibly corroborate the concerns about Vinatieri, or it could be a "back-up" plan due to the fact that Shane Andrus, Indy's kicker during pre-season while Vinatieri healed up from off-season knee and hip surgery, signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week.

If Adam is significantly hurt, we should hear something about it pretty soon, likely in the form of Adam getting placed on IR and Stover getting signed. It is entirely possible that Stover could be signed and Adam would just be inactive until he heals up. The Colts did that in 2006, using Martin Gramatica as the kicker for several early season games.

The key here is the health of Vinatieri. Regardless of what some of you think, the Colts need him healthy if they want to push deep into the playoffs. However, if Adam cannot go, Stover is a very solid replacement. With Pat McAfee booming kickoffs, the place kicker's job is to make big, clutch, money field goals. Like Vinatieri, Stover has shown that ability.