SB Nation - New England Patriots

Chiefs QB Cassel Familiar With Former AFC East Foe Bills

Joel Thorman — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:23:06 -0000

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Before Matt Cassel became 'Kansas City Chiefs QB Matt Cassel' he was 'New England Patriots QB Matt Cassel'. Residing in the AFC East, the Buffalo Bills are still a familiar opponent of the former AFC East quarterback.

Cassel has started and beaten the Bills on two occasions and admits that he's a little familiar with them.

"I definitely am familiar with them being in New England and being a division opponent the last four years," Cassel told reporters today. "A lot of what they do on defense hasn’t changed much, so from that standpoint, I’m familiar with them."

In Cassel's 8th start as a NFL quarterback, he and the Patriots beat the Buffalo Bills 20-10 in Foxborough. His numbers are solid completing nearly 70% of his passes on 32 attempts and throwing for over 234 yards. He had no touchdowns and no turnovers.

In the final game of the 2008 season, Cassel and the Pats traveled to Orchard Park, NY in one of the windiest games in recent memory. Because of that wind, Cassel only attempted eight passes, completing six, for 78 yards. Again, he had no touchdowns and no interceptions.

While Cassel admits his familiarity with the Bills because of his time in New England, he also said that the rest of the Chiefs team may not be as familiar as he is.

"Then again," Cassel said today, "our team itself is not very familiar with them so it’s always a challenge to get up to speed with a new opponent you’re not familiar with that you don’t play much."

Late-Gate: Adalius Thomas Sounds Off; Personifies Why Guaranteed Contracts are a Bad Idea

Marima — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 20:51:11 -0000

Adalius Thomas was dumbfounded at being sent home yesterday, and has no idea what Belichick was thinking. No idea? Really?

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Adalius Thomas was the first of the infamous four late Patriots to talk to the media about yesterday's disciplinary measure taken by the head coach. He was clearly agitated by it and professed to be "dumbfounded" at the heavy consequence of being nine minutes late on a snowy New England morning.

As he said separately to Albert Breer, "I mean, I could've been in a ditch. They really don't give a damn. Hey, as long as you aren't in that meeting, they really don't give a (bleep)."

There was a lot of talk about the weather, how the forecasters get it wrong half the time, how he thought it might rain instead of snow, and how once he was stuck this wasn't the Jetsons where he "jump up and fly." Hey, we've all been held hostage on the road somewhere when we were supposed to be somewhere else. It happens. But certain situations are more important than others and for the the team this was one of them.

What A.D. failed to mention to reporters was what Belichick told the team on Monday, the last time they were in the building before their day off Tuesday.

It's going to take more commitment for us to get where we need to go. More film work. Coming in a little early. Leaving a little later. Not running out of the building.

Forget about only being nine minutes late, Thomas should have been in there an hour early. He must have said something to the effect of "I just do what I'm told" a dozen times, but that's not true. He was told to come in early just two days ago and didn't make the effort to ensure that he would be.

Thomas' purpose in talking with the reporters was to clear his name, but all it did was make me realize that I liked him better when he kept his mouth shut. I don't regret giving him the benefit of the doubt amidst the criticism aimed at his under-performing years in New England, but you'll now find me firmly lodged in the official "he's a bust" camp.

He can sack everyone in his path from here to Miami in February but it would still be too little too late to make up for his lousy attitude. He talks about being a professional, but is that what you'd call tweeting his friends in other clubs around the league about what happened inside the locker room? A.D. can tell himself he's a professional all he wants but actions speak louder than words - and his words have done him in enough without them.

As if that wasn't enough, he wanted to make sure reporters knew that he isn't to blame for the Patriots poor pass rush either. It's the fault of he coaches and defensive schemes in case you were wondering. He's "just an indian, not the chief" and has to roll with whatever plays are called. Sheesh. While the bus is rolling, might as well throw everyone underneath it.

Here is the complete transcript of Adalius Thomas' Q & A with the media. You can listen to it here.

KSK's Christmas Ape sends us a lovely holiday card

BigBlueShoe — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:45:23 -0000

Washington DC; land of KSK's writers, politicians, and monuments that look like giant penises. Image: via freedom.greatnet.us

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Word of warning: This post is a tad juvenille in humor and nature. So, if you are not interested in reading about dick jokes, Kissing Suzy Kolber, or images of a blogger masturbating on a horse, I suggest reading mgrex03's excellent stat breakdown instead. For everyone else...

One of my favorite writers at Kissing Suzy Kolber is Christmas Ape, aka Michael Tunison. Michael founded KSK and wrote a hilarious book called The Football Fan's Manifesto (nice gift idea for those of you with family and friends who like beer pong, strippers with fresh stitches in their face, and watching the classic flick Real Genius naked with a bowl of jello in their lap).

Over the years, Michael has systematically attacked and destroyed just about every sacred football tradition you could ever think of. Along the way, he also managed to get his ass fired from the Washington Post, after revealing to his then-employer that he was indeed the co-founder of the now-infamous KSK. Michael is funny, witty, and has an impressive talent for taking a giant, steaming, chunky crap on the things we all know and love.

And when he does this, we thank him for it because it makes us laugh our 400 pound, cheeseburger and Natty Light infused asses off.

Recently, Michael and I have had a little back and forth. He stupidly bought into the false story that the Colts piped in crowd noise against the Patriots in 2007 (I'm assuming Michael owes Ed Werder a favor, and the usual "Will you sit on my mustache?" payment Werder expects for such favors simply wasn't enough). I called him a schmuck because of the false claims, which has now grown into an affectionate term I apply to all writers on the Internet who talk football. Michael didn't like being called the term schmuck. So, he lashed out again, making a lot of funny but silly claims about the Colts 2008.

Then, just recently, Michael decided to create a new "character" in line with Drew Magary's hilarious Tommy from Quinzee satires. This new character is Derek from Muncie (I'd have suggested DeWayne, but Derek works). Derek is fat, lazy, self-important, self-righteous, and likes to hear himself talk.

I can only assume Michael modeled the character after himself, as all Pittsburgh Steelers fans seem to fit the bill of a "Derek from Muncie." The only difference is Derek doesn't seem to have a 12-inch yellow ~~dildo~~ vibrating pleasure device shoved up his anus, as most Steelers fans are known to have. But, we won't kill Michael too much if he doesn't model every great character after himself.

Anyway, the post was funny, and we here at Stampede Blue (per verbal "we," as shake n bake was too busy stealing Michael's old job at the Washington Post to care about what Michael has to say about Colts fans) decided to shoot back by playfully making infected dick jokes at the expense of Dan Snyder and taking shots at anyone who insults the great city of Indianapolis, especially when the insulting party hails from the hairy taint so often written about in the fine political blogs that litter the Internets: Washington DC.

DC just happens to be the home of Michael and Drew. This, of course, explains why they hate life, Jesus, authority, black people, and movies that do not have at least one close-up shot of Harvey Keitel's penis.

However, in our little "war of words" between KSK and Stampede Blue, I've always viewed it as tongue-in-cheek (or, perhaps so Michael can better visualize my meaning, tongue-in-Werder-Stash). KSK is funny. I am not. When KSK bashes my team, my favorite head coach, my QB, my mother, whatever... I use the opportunity to write articles that feature jokes about syphilis. It's my opportunity to write funny, even if I'm the only one laughing at my funny.

Recently, Michael has assumed that my rants back at him and KSK are indeed serious. In a new article, Michael's tone has changed a bit. He seems just a little pissed off that some silly little Colts blogger DARED to shoot back with some humor (or, lack thereof) of his own. When one of his readers called out Michael on his silly anger on the subject, asking him "So you made fun of them, but they aren’t allowed rebuttal?" Michael's response was a bit... well, assholish. I mean, more assholish than usual for Michael:

Did I make fun of Stampede Blue in the first post? If they wanted to rant about/respond to the Colts fan post, they could have done so in the comments. Besides, the point is this the third time they’ve taken some random thing I wrote about their team way too seriously.

Well, first off, um.... yeah, Mike. You did make fun of Stampede Blue in your first post. This is a Colts blog, which is run, written on, and read by... (wait for it...) COLTS FANS! So, when you insult Tony Dungy, make false claims about piped in crowd noise, call us an "extra virulent strain of retardery,"and call the great city of Indianapolis "The Land of Sh*t," I'm pretty certain that doing all this just about insults and makes fun of every corner and square inch of Stampede Blue, an Indianapolis Colts blog.

After most of these lovely and well-written insults, we've responded in kind. And, if I do say so myself, I think our responses have been pretty good, especially when you consider that we are just a bunch of dumb Hoosiers who love to screw farm animals and smoke crank with our 10-year-old nieces. I mean, other than KSK, where else am I going to receive the treatment I personally dish out to Peter King, Bob Kravitz, and the entire NFL Network studio? Don't get me wrong. I love writing articles about injured players, the press ignoring an undefeated football team, and trying to constantly fend off people who get upset with me when I call them out.

But when else do I get the chance to cut loose and write an article that is the equivalent to a fart joke?

Why Michael would get all pissy about us responding to his insults, I don't know. I figured he wanted such a response. And because these KSK-thrown insults are so well crafted and funny, I figure that a featured article on my site is the best forum to respond. I mean, no offense Michael (OK, yeah, there is offense here, but you're a man and you can take it), but your commenting system at KSK sucks donkey nads and your site looks like Sal Paolantonio's rectum (don't ask me how I know that; long night, lots of Patron; I vaguely remember someone looking like Vince Young there). Your content is great at KSK and you guys are mini-geniuses (because full-fledged geniuses have bigger penises and don't live in friggin Washington DC), but commenting on your site is like trying to jack-off in a wind tunnel.

Meanwhile, our commenting system here at Stampede Blue is, of course, magnificent! Yet, despite our clear technological advantage, I have yet to see Michael, Drew, or anyone else from KSK comment here. If they have, they've done so anonymously.

I guess my whole point in this rant is that I like KSK, and if Michael or any of them over there have taken me seriously in my responses to the KSK insults (which are indeed directed at me and other Colts fans), I humbly apologize. I figured that if you could sling dick (jokes), you could take a few back at you.

If Michael feels that the only true way to respond to his greatness is to comment on his own site using his crappy commenting tools that are circa 2006 (back when Edgerrin James was a high priced free agent and Jason Campbell was considered someone with "potential"), then my counter is that Michael get off that high horse he is masturbating on and realize that that there are other asshats in the world (me) who get and truly appreciate his humor and who also enjoy dishing right back at him.

As always, cheers (aka, go f*#k yourself) Kissing Suzy Kolber. Please continue to insult us. Just please don't get all pissy when we insult you back.

Special thank to this KSK commenter for accurately "getting" what I'm about. At least there is one of you out there. And no, shake n bake did not steal Michael's old job. That was a joke, even though I'm the only one who thinks it is funny.

[UPDATE]: Christmas Ape kinda acts like a douche in his response to this post. It's still cool, I guess. Maybe next time he'll pick a fight with someone who doesn't bite back.

New England Patriots Links 12/10/09 - Message Sent Loud And Clear

Marima — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:16:36 -0000

Tom Brady leading by example, shows up at Gillette after the birth of his son.

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Albert Breer notes the players are getting the message, from Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.

"I think it would’ve been laid down at any time of the year, regardless of whether we lost. That’s not acceptable here," linebacker Tully Banta-Cain told me, after I presented him with the news of the day. "That’s Bill’s deal, and I think in general, everyone’s sense of urgency is a little higher now. We’re in that part of the season where it’s a four-game season. "The antennas are way up. I think if anything it just brings the sense of urgency up even higher."

"Even more guys are coming in, watching more film," Banta-Cain continued. "We’ll see what we can do in practice today, and I think everyone’s got that gameface on right now. They’re not waiting til Sunday to put it on. I think Tom is a guy we definitely look to for that type of leadership, and I’m pretty sure everybody will respond to it."

Tom Brady was asked about overcoming adversity, showing fight and if the team can do it over the next 4 weeks.

Well, I think a lot of it, you know, you've got to bring awareness to what we, as leaders, and what our coach thinks are issues on the team - issues that we face as a team, individually, collectively. It's not about playing hard on Sundays. I mean, we do that. That's three hours a week that you have to show up and really commit yourself to. I don't think that's too much to ask of anybody and guys do that. It's not like we think we're not fighting out there in the game. I think what coach tells us and what I was alluding to was probably more of just the other six days of the week. We've got to make the commitment to each other. And if it's Monday and it's Tuesday and coach wants us to come in on Monday and work or stay for a two-and-a-half-hour practice on Wednesday and Thursday, then with no bitching and complaining, just doing the job.

I think at times we all feel a little bit sorry for ourselves an you're beat up and you're tired and you're sore and it's the end of the year and you go, ‘Why is he doing this?' But in the end, you're either gaining ground on a team or you're losing ground, and I always prefer to be gaining ground and getting ahead and staying ahead over the course of the week through walkthroughs, through meetings, through post-practice film, through you're film study on Tuesday, through all of the treatment that you've got to do. There's a lot that goes into it. I think that if we can keep adding that 10 percent, 20 percent, whatever it may be - probably everyone's got to look at themselves differently. I know what I need to add, and that's obviously what I need to commit to do for myself and for this team.

TEAM TALK

Patriots sign DL Titus Adams, place DB Bret Lockett on IR.
Erik Scalavino Bleary-eyed Brady engages in baby-talk; Wed notes from Gillette.
Wednesday Pressers: Bill Belichick (15 min. video), Tom Brady (14:23 min. video). Plus Transcripts.
Patriots locker room quotes.
Patriots Today: Back to work on a Wednesday (9:04 min. video).
Patriots-Panthers Wednesday practice participation and injury report.

LOCAL LINKS

Karen Guregian feels the late players may have been the proverbial straw that snapped Belichick, as the last player to get high-profile discipline from him was Terry Glenn.
Christopher Price notes Kevin Faulk's reaction to Belichick's disciplinary action and Brady's statement. Faulk has his own leadership role on the team, keeping Tom Brady accountable.
Shalise Manza Young writes it's yet to be determined if Belichick's stand with the players will inspire or backfire.
Monique Walker reports the players understand why Belichick did what he did, and why Brady said what he said, and know they have to practice better to play better.
Eric Ortiz says not even a note from the Pope could have saved Moss, Thomas, Guyton and Burgess from the wrath of Belichick. They were late, and Belichick wanted to send a message to the rest of the team.
Chris Gasper notes the Patriots defensive problems aren't so much a personnel failure as a system failure, and Belichick's two-gap scheme is outmoded for today's NFL.
Shalise Manza Young says Moss is obviously a big part of New England’s air attack, but wonders if teams have figured out how to shut him down.
Ian Rapoport wonders why the tight ends aren't seeing the ball more, especially with recent opponents focusing on shutting down Moss and Welker.
Albert Breer reports the Patriots added QB Jeff Rowe and WR Darnell Jenkins to the practice squad.
Adam Kilgore says Steve Smith understands what Randy Moss, Adalius Thomas, Gary Guyton, and Derrick Burgess are feeling today, and John Fox understands where Bill Belichick is coming from.
Monique Walker notes Brady welcomed his new baby son into the world and then reported to Gillette after being up all night.
Ron Borges hunts down ex-Patriot Richard Seymour to pound home how his presence would have helped New England's anemic pass rush. "They wish it was that easy to replace me, but it’s not."
Mike Reiss breaks down the weekly Patriots penalty leaderboard, with Logan Mankins and Tom Brady tied with 7.
Mike Reiss looks at the Patriots record when leading at the half. This year is way, way off the norm.
Boston Herald Patriots Notebook: Panthers' WR Steve Smith is having a quiet year; QB Jake Delhomme didn't practice yesterday (broken finger) and the Panthers might go with QB Matt Moore again; Tully Banta-Cain had the team's one and only sack Sunday and knows they have to try harder.

NATIONAL NEWS

Tim Graham (ESPN) Michael Smith calls the New England Patriots a 'team in crisis'. (1:25 min video).
Tim Graham (ESPN) How will Patriots respond to trouble?
Tim Graham (ESPN) Did stress of new baby affect Brady's play? I noticed he was carrying kind of low.
Alex Marvez (Fox Sports) NFL's biggest rip-offs.
Ross Tucker (SI) Teams should follow Bengals' example in utilizing practice squad.

VIEW FROM CAROLINA

Charles Chandler (Charlotte Observer) For QB Matt Moore, the job is all about trust.
Darren Gantt (Rock Hill Herald) Panthers' Moore focusing on making better choices, trusting himself.
Charles Chandler and David Scott (Charlotte Observer) Smith says he'd "probably get in trouble" if he spoke out about the passing game.
Darren Gantt (Rock Hill Herald) Panthers' Peppers draws glowing praise from Belichick.
Steve Reed (Gaston Gazzette) Delhomme still unable to grip the football.

Oakland Raider Quick Hits: He's Baaaack...Randy Hanson Is Back On Board

saint — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:03:20 -0000

More photos » by Anonymous - AP

In this undated file photo provided by the NFL, Oakland Raiders coach Tom Cable, left, and defensive assistant Randy Hanson are shown. Hanson, who accused Cable of assault after a training camp scuffle, has returned to work in the team's personnel department. Says Cable, "Put em Up Put em UP!!!"(AP Photos/NFL, file)

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- That's right, Raider Nation, Randy Hanson has rejoined the team without Tom Cable's knowledge. Yes, the same Randy Hanson that claimed to be punched in the face by The Big Teddy Bear is back in the Alameda Complex.

Hanson will be working in personnel and is sure to cross paths with Tom Cable. Which, by the way, I would love to see. I wonder if Tom will pull off the old flinch move when he sees him. You know the one where you stick your hand out toward someone who is walking past you and then run your fingers through your hair. If they flinch, why wouldn't Hanson, then you get to give them two shots in the arm for flinching.

On a more serious nate. Why? I know that Al loves this guy, but, why after the biggest win in 7 seasons would you bring in a distraction? We all know that Al hates wasting money, but I don't think that the team needs this right now. Maybe IF he is the film rat that we've heard about, he could have been eased back into the fold in the off-season. Just Not now!

- It looks like losing three of the last four games has gotten to Randy Moss and Derrick Burgess. They showed up late for an 8AM meeting and were sent home by the Patriots. Wow, I never saw that coming, they were BOTH such model citizens around here!

I am so glad that Derrick isn't here anymore. He was a terrible distraction to the young guys. He was a two time Pro-Bowler who wanted more money and wasn't happy with not winning so he sat out "Injured" most of his final two seasons here. Good Riddance!

Jets Flight Connections 121009

dvdvil — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:15:55 -0000

HC Rex Ryan decided that QB Mark Sanchez will not play this Sunday. Rich Cimini reminds us that he thought of it first.

Fellow rookie and first round pick QB Matthew Stafford will not start either.

Fellow rookie and first round pick QB Josh Freeman is getting ready for the Jets game.

The Buccaneers have their work cut out for them, and having WR Michael Clayton might help.

The state of the upcoming opponent had nothing to do with the Sanchize being inactive. Attached to Dave Hutchinson's article are videos of Rex, Mark and back-up QB Kellen Clemens.

Hofstra product and Tampa Bay HC Raheem Morris knows the Jets just plan to run the ball anyway.

Clemens will get another chance to start, possibly his last shot to show what he can do. WR Braylon Edwards compares Kellen's situation to Browns QB Derek Anderson's experience.

The Jets and the Giants are keeping New York somewhat optimistic.

Former Giants RB Tiki Barber thought Mark would be okay to play.

Speaking of RBs, I once again urge you to vote early and vote often for Thomas Jones for FedEx Ground Player of the Week.

And again, you can send CB Darrelle Revis and other Jets all-stars to Miami by voting them in the ProBowl.

More connections after the jump.

Here is a nice summation of the Jets' clearest path to the playoffs.

ESPN.com says the Jets are in good position with their running backs.

RB Leon Washington is a big bargain. Browns HC Eric Mangini thinks highly of him.

Do the Jets actually have "the best front seven" out of the top five defensive teams right now?

This article names Darrelle Revis as Defensive Player of the Week.

This blogger compares Revis to 1994 Defensive Player of the Year Deion Sanders.

This blogger, for some reason, compares and contrasts the Jets to the Cowboys over the years.

Even K Jay Feely should have a productive Sunday for fantasy football. Pick Thomas Jones for your running back this week, as well as the Jets defense.

This article mentions Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew's no-TD play against New York, as well as his experience with Jets fans.

University of Washington QB Jake Locker looks at Mark Sanchez's decision to turn pro.

Even though Patriots QB Tom Brady recently became a daddy, he still made it to work on time, unlike these guys.

New England activated DL Titus Adams, who used to be on the Jets practice squad.

San Diego activated DT Antonio Garay, who used to be on the Jets practice squad.

Miami LBs Jason Taylor and Joey Porter did not practice.

Bills WR Terrell Owens says, "Just shoot me."

And lastly, here is a video of the Jets defensive players talking about their squad:

Arrowheadlines: Chiefs News 12/10

NJ Chiefs Fan — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 12:47:23 -0000

via KansasCity.com

Here it is, your daily dose of Chiefs news from across the internet.

Cassel has 26 games as a starting quarterback in the NFL. That’s 15 in New England last season and 11 this year. His record as a starter is 13-13. That’s better than most.

For all those who have already decided Cassel isn’t capable of being the franchise quarterback for the Chiefs, I’m here to tell you that assessment is premature. And, for all those who think Cassel is the man to eventually be the replacement for the long retired Len Dawson, I say not so fast.

Any evaluation of Cassel at this point has to take into account many factors, some of which are out of his control. The hardest part of divining whether a young quarterback is capable of leading a team is the team itself. Who is he playing with? What kind of situations is he asked to handle? What type of game plans is he given? What’s the coaching staff like? How much patience does the organization have?

Problems In Evaluating Cassel … Thursday Cup O’Chiefs from Bob Gretz

Unless Santa Claus shows up by noon today and buys the remaining 3,500 tickets for Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills, it will be blacked out within a 75-mile radius of Kansas City, including satellite services at sports bars. That would end a streak of 155 consecutive Chiefs games, regular-season and postseason, that have been televised locally.

It’s possible the Chiefs could ask the NFL for a 24-hour extension in an effort to preserve the streak, but it most certainly would end next week when even more tickets will be available for the final home game of the season against the one-win Cleveland Browns.

During the last few years, as the Chiefs’ fortunes on the field have faded and the season-ticket base waned, corporate sponsors and either KCTV-5 or Fox-4, whichever station had the local rights to the game, would pick up the remaining seats to assure a sellout when needed.

Chiefs' streak of sellouts appears doomed from KC Star

Ryan Fitzpatrick will start at quarterback for the Buffalo Bills in Sunday’s game against the Chiefs, but if not for a twist of fate, it could be him and not Matt Cassel playing for Kansas City.

Fitzpatrick played in college at Harvard, near Boston, and spent the days leading up to the 2005 draft thinking the hometown Patriots would draft him.

"I’d just had a tryout with the Patriots," Fitzpatrick said. "I was thinking that the Patriots, they had three seventh-round draft picks and they were going to pick me. Then all of a sudden I see Matt Cassel’s name pop up. I had no idea who he was. That was the clincher that I wasn’t going to get drafted (by New England)."

So it was Cassel and not Fitzpatrick who was with the Patriots last season when Tom Brady was injured. Cassel filled in ably for Brady and was traded to the Chiefs this year.

Chiefs notes: Bills QB Fitzpatrick could have been a Chief from KC Star

Roster overview: The Bills roster is a hodge-podge of draft picks and free agents. There are 25 Bills draft choices on the current active roster, including five first-round picks and nine choices from the second round. Eight of those 15 picks are in the starting lineup. Buffalo has signed plenty of free agents, including nine this year that are still on the roster. Those names include WR Terrell Owens, DT Marcus Stroud, CB Drayton Florence and QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Bills have 14 players on the injured-reserve list, including four offensive linemen.

Opponent: Buffalo Bills from Bob Gretz

Fourth-quarter failures have left the Buffalo Bills virtually out of playoff contention. In a matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs last season, they had more than enough breathing room to ease up in the final 15 minutes.

The Bills scored more points against the Chiefs last year than any team ever has, but hardly seem capable of a similar effort Sunday as they try to bounce back from yet another late-game disappointment.

Buffalo beat Kansas City 54-31 on Nov. 23, 2008, taking advantage of five turnovers. The previous high for points scored against the Chiefs was 51 by Seattle on Nov. 27, 1983.

Chiefs vs. Bill from CBS Sports

The lowly Kansas City Chiefs are one of the best in football when it's time to put foot to ball.

Yes, the team that's 5-32 in the last 37 games has discovered something it's good at. Under the direction of first-year special teams coach Steve Hoffman, the Chiefs (3-9) have made giant strides in both punt and kickoff coverage, ranking in the top 10 in both.

They're pretty good in returning kickoffs, too, at ninth in the league with 25 returns of 20 yards or more.

Found: Something the KC Chiefs Do Well from Sports Illustrated

Some of the biggest names in Kansas City football packed the gym Tuesday at Olathe North High School for the 27th annual Simone Awards celebration.

Former Kansas City Chiefs star and 12-time Pro Bowl selection Will Shields was there. Current Chief and three-time Super Bowl champion Mike Vrabel was, too. So were about 20 other former Chiefs, including Tim Grunhard who just led Bishop Miege to a Class 4A state championship, and legendary Olathe North coach Gene Wier who led the Eagles to six state titles before moving to Richland, Texas.

All were there to pay homage to the top high school football players in the Kansas City metro area.

Top ‘Cat among KC’s best from The Basehor Sentinel

The Chiefs have won three AFL titles and one Super Bowl in their 50 years of existence. But they retired their 10th jersey number last weekend, taking 58 out of circulation in tribute to 2009 Hall of Fame enshrinee Derrick Thomas.

The Chiefs now have retired 3 (Jan Stenerud), 16 (Len Dawson), 18 (Emmitt Thomas), 28 (Abner Haynes), 33 (Stone Johnson), 36 (Mack Lee Hill), 58 (Thomas), 63 (Willie Lanier), 78 (Bobby Bell) and 86 (Buck Buchanan).

Retiring types: Championship-to-jersey ratio from The Dallas Morning News

On Tuesday night, the Chiefs announced that 3,500 non-premium seats remain for Sunday's home game against the Bills. Failure to sell those tickets by Thursday at 1:00 p.m. ET would trigger the first local blackout of a Chiefs game since December 1990.

We assumed at the time that the local CBS affiliate, KCTV, would step up and buy a chunk of the seats in order to ensure that the game would be televised locally.

As it turns out, 3,500 remained even after KCTV wrote its check.
Nineteen years later, another Chiefs blackout seems inevitable from Pro Football Talk

It has been a quirky season. Once Oakland got JaMarcus Russell out of the lineup, it began to play much better. He is such a waste. After being in Kansas City last weekend, I can't see how the Chiefs have beaten anybody. Todd Haley is a waste. It hasn't been, in my opinion, that the AFC West is that tough. The other divisions have some lousy teams. Look what's happened to Pittsburgh since the victory in Denver. Even though I think the Giants will win their division (in a tiebreaker), they've been very average, and the Eagles are up and down. The elites are Indianapolis (see above), Minnesota and, of course, those Saints marching in. I haven't seen the AFC West beat any of those teams. Of course, the AFC West doesn't play them, and nobody else is beating them, anyway.

Woody's Mailbag: A 'Barrel' of fun from The Denver Post

Focus on Carolina: Panthers @ Patriots

MaPatsFan — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 03:31:31 -0000

More photos » by Steven Senne - AP

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Bill Belichick is aggravated. After a dismantling in the Big Easy and dropping a squeaker in Miami, he's miffed, PO'd, in a bad mood, grumpy... you name it. None of it's good, especially for the players. Like I've discussed before, Bill Belichick didn't suddenly have a brain fart and forget how to coach. As some of you have posited, it's possible there's some coaching issues with the OC position and Bill might be taking on too much, but I think we have a talent issue here. Looking specifically at our defense, they're young and lack the experience to keep points off the board, especially in the second half. The offense? They're simply not scoring enough points. That and some blown 4th and whatevers, but we've beaten that to death.

Moving on to the Panthers...

Belichick's peaved, so peaved he sent four players home. He's upping the ante and making sure players are listening. This is it right here, I tell you what. We need to win out to prevent Miami from crawling all over us:

Here's where the issue is -- The Patriots have four games left. If the Dolphins run the table, and it's not outrageous to think they could, then New England can't afford to lose another game. Because then, Miami will hold tiebreakers, as it did last year, and repeat as division champs.

We can't let that happen, which is why it's is so important to set a tone after 2 losses on the road. This Sunday at 1pm ET, we face off against another NFC South team, the Carolina Panthers. We know our AFC rivals far better than those from the NFC. Matching up every 4 years, it's hard to get a handle on the Panthers as a rival.

Looking at their last game against the Bucs, Matt Moore struggled to establish an air game against a decent Buccaneers passing defense, going 14/20 and 161 yards, no TD's and one pick. Rookie RB Jonathan Stewart picked up a significant number of yards, 120 and a TD, against a bottom-of-the-barrel Tampa Bay run defense. Looking at Carolina, they're 6th in pass defense and 26th in run defense. What does that say?

Bill, if you're listening, DO NOT ABANDON THE RUN GAME. Pound the rock and pound it hard. Send Laurence Maroney in as point and keep the ball on the ground. Carolina has a very good passing D and it simply doesn't make sense to try and exploit something that may give us trouble, especially when it hasn't been one of our strong suits of late.

There'll be more to come. For now, let's start learning a bit about this team. Look for more info in the coming days and make sure to use the Q & A FanPost our fine rival blogger has setup.

A little discussion about the 2009 Most Valuable Player Award

BigBlueShoe — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:59:06 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

24 days ago: Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning reacts after he threw the game-winning 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. Indianapolis defeated the New England Patriots 35-34. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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I'm a Colts blogger. So, naturally, I'm going to tell you that Peyton Manning is the 2009 NFL MVP. And while there is the rather annoying sentiment out there that "They could give it to Peyton every year," the truth of the matter is the MVP award often goes to the best player in the NFL who also happens to be making a playoff run. If the MVP goes to any other sort of player, it cheapens the award; makes it nothing more than a popularity contest on par with the Pro Bowl, American Idol, and a local bar's wet tee-shirt contest.

And when you look through the numbers, the wins, and the overall play of the candidates, there is absolutely no doubt that, right now, Peyton Manning is the league's Most Valuable Player.

When judging candidates, you must first ask the following question: Are the players everyone is blabbing about making a playoff run? MVP candidates must make the playoffs. It's embarrassing if they don't. If you disagree, fine. You're clearly in the minority. In the history of the modern NFL, no MVP winner has missed the playoffs.

This means that if you are considering a player like Titans runningback Chris Johnson, the answer is no.

The Titans are done for 2009. If by some miracle they get in, it's because some other team choked and the Titans were lucky enough to back-in to post-season play. Doing this suggests that the faults of another team were the reason why the candidate is in the playoffs, and not the play of the candidate himself. Plus, in a monster game against the Colts last weekend, with a chance to climb out of a 0-6 hole and get back to .500, Chris Johnson was held out of the endzone all day with his longest run only accumulating 11 yards. That's not MVP play.

Thus, Chris Johnson (who is still the best RB in football, I might add) is out.

(AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

The second thing you absolutely must cut out of the equation is sentimentality. This is an award for athletic excellence, not a lifetime achievement award. This is why I got so frustrated and annoyed with my own colleagues at SB Nation last year when half of them voted for Chad Pennington as Most Valuable Player.

Chad Pennington? Really?

The term "value" is not divorced from the term "good." And while Chad Pennington is certainly not a bad quarterback, you are a moron of truly epic proportion if you think Chad Pennington is as good a QB as Peyton Manning. In the case of my SB Nation colleagues, I think they forgot to include the "good" in with the "valueable."

This year, the sentimental pick is Brett Favre. Big Whigs like Peter King practically have their vote for Favre cast, regardless of what they are publicly writing. But even before his little stumble Sunday night in Arizona against the Cardinals, Favre was not a true MVP candidate. While there is no doubt that Favre's numbers are some of the best of his truly great career, the fact of the matter is the Vikings have played the kind of schedule that would make the UFL champion Las Vegas Locomotives look like world beaters. The Vikings have played the 25th toughest schedule in the league, with teams like the Lions (twice), Browns, and Rams all counted as wins on their schedule. Against two potential playoff contenders, the Steelers and the Cardinals, Favre has played some of his worst football. Both those games were on the road, and an MVP candidate must show that he can help his team win big games on the road.

Thus, Brett Favre (who is a truly amazing player, regardless of what the haters think or say) is out.

(AP Photo/Paul Battaglia)

This leaves us with two truly viable candidates, and only two: Peyton Manning of the Colts and Drew Brees of the Saints.

The MVP "race" is between these two gentlemen, and anyone suggesting otherwise is just wasting your time. Both are putting up amazing numbers. Both are QBs on teams that have yet to lose a game. But when you truly compare both candidates, the argument for Brees shrivels up and dies rather quickly.

Now, before we get into the details, please note that all of this goes out the window if and when the Colts start resting Manning once their playoff position is locked up. If the Colts start resting people going into the playoffs while the Saints continue to play starters in meaningless games, Drew Brees will indeed win the MVP. The press will love the Saints for "Going for Perfection" and reward them with an MVP vote for their QB.

(AP Photo/Rob Carr)

Does this kind of thing cheapen the MVP award? Yes, and the main reason why is the Saints (like the Vikings) have played a cupcake schedule. Also, with three of their last four games against the dreadful Buccaneers, the sorry Panthers, and the disappointing (and injured) Falcons, the prospects are very high of the Saints building big leads against these clubs early only to (shock!) rest starters in the second half of those games. Meanwhile, the Colts play the Broncos and Jaguars in back-to-back weeks. Both teams are currently in the playoff picture, but need to keep winning if they want to remain in. Following the Jags game, the Colts play the desperate New York Jets, who are still in playoff contention, but are on the outside looking in. So, that's three games against potential playoff teams with one or two of those games being utterly meaningless for the Colts.

However, regardless of whether the Colts will rest starters or not, Peyton Manning should indeed win his fourth (and NFL record setting) MVP award. The Colts have played the 7th toughest schedule in the NFL. The Saints have played the 24th toughest. Indy also plays in the NFL's toughest division, with all four teams potentially ending the season with .500 or better records. In games against quality opponents like the Patriots, Ravens, Cardinals, Titans, Jaguars, Dolphins, and Texans, Peyton Manning has thrown for 2,750 yards, 20 TD, and 10 INTs.

Consider those numbers and then compare them to Brees, who has feasted on teams like the Bucs, Panthers, Bills, Rams, Redskins (who the Saints almost lost to), and Lions. Now, obviously, Brees cannot control the teams on the Saints schedule. However, when comparing candidates, especially two quarterbacks playing extremely well for two undefeated teams, you absolutely must take into account who they have played. So far, Manning trumps Brees in this area.

Manning is also currently leading the league in passing yardage (3,685 yards) as well as completion percentage (70%). The fact that Manning is doing all this with the #32 ranked rushing attack and (essentially) two rookie wide receivers is nothing short of astounding.

Overall, the MVP race should be an exciting one as we head into the home stretch for the 2009 regular season. And, unlike last year, laughably bad candidates (like Kurt Warner) are not polluting the competition for the award. But, at the end of the day, this award is Manning's. He has played better than Brees against better competition, and has shown an uncanny ability to do more with less around him.

If you have thoughts or other ideas on the MVP candidates, please add them to the comments below.

[UPDATE]: Be sure to check out DevilsReject's FanPost on the MVP race as well.

The Dude Abides...The Stats That Don't Lie, Week 13

TJ Johnson — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:30:13 -0000

More photos » by Ed Zurga - AP

4 days ago: Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall (15) is chased by Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Travis Daniels (34) while running for a short gain during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

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"Stats washed over The Dude...darker than a black steer's tookus on a moonlight prairie night..." Sam Elliott

In almost every Hollywood movie there is a moment that comes, about three-fourths through the movie, in which the hero or heroin appears defeated. This moment is called the "dark moment," and if you're paying attention, it appears in almost all stories. The great mythologist, Joseph Campbell, wrote a book called The Hero With a Thousand Faces, in which he described the hero's journey, and briefly, the dark moment:

Beyond the threshold, then, the hero journeys through a world of unfamiliar yet strangely intimate forces, some of which severely test him...(page 246)

For modern day storytellers, this is the moment in which everything appears bleak and all is lost. In the greatest movie ever made, The Big Lebowski (Citizen Kane, stay down), the dark moment occurs when The Dude is drugged by Jackie Treehorn (don't ask me for the rest of the plot, or you'll be here for hours).

Why all this talk about dark moments? Week 13 of the NFL. Aside from the normal unlucky-number reference, week 13 in the NFL was a dark moment for many teams. Some of them still have the ability to break through this dark threshold (Ravens, Cowboys, and Patriots). Others are headed for the abyss (Titans, Texans, and Falcons).

In what could have been the darkest moment of the Broncos' season, they decided to summon some inner-strength, face their own December demons, and emerge battle-tested on the other side.

Welcome to another edition of the Stats That Don't Lie, your own weekly Hero With a 1,000 Stats. These are the stats that won't refuse the hero's call. They are your statistical elixir. As always they include Turnovers, Field Position, Time of Possession, and 3rd-Down Efficiency.

A little note before our we enter the fray. I've been asked why I use these stats and why not other stats that have an even higher correlation to winning, like passing yards/drive or point differential. Although I do spend time on these other stats, and they are extremely useful and predictive in nature, I'm not as interested in them at the individual game level as markers or plot points. That's because I'm still interested in a good story. And I've found the four stats that I keep track of--when told together--weave one hell of a story in a language most fans understand. And in the rare instances in which they don't, I'm even more interested in telling that compelling narrative. And it's during these times I can bring in other stats.

The View From High Up

Here I usually put up a graph showing the turnover margin from each game, but let's do something a little different this time. Let's also see what the games would have looked like if we included turnovers on downs:

The orange bars represent the recorded turnover margins. These are the turnover margins that include fumbles and interceptions. Notice that only the New England game did the Broncos lose the turnover margin and win the game. Previously, I "normalized" Orton's Hail Mary from that game to show an even-turnover margin. I decided to leave it in this week since a few comments have been made that I could just as easily "normalize" other types of interceptions like tipped balls, etc. While I think everyone would agree that a Hail Mary is in a different category altogether, there is some validity to the point. So I let it ride. It doesn't materially change the point, however. When the Broncos lose the turnover battle, they generally lose the game.

The blue bars represent the turnover margin to include turnovers on downs. This changes things only slightly, but it's an important distinction, and worth a few words. Some stats geeks have argued for decades that turnovers on downs should be included in the turnover statistics. The thinking is that no matter the method of turning the ball over (fumble, interception, or downs), it still has the same basic result: the drive is dead. Clearly, there is a higher value in an interception or fumble because of the inherent possibility of a score, but a turnover on downs stops your drive just the same.

Why do I bring this subject up this week? Because it helps explain the Denver-Kansas City turnover margin. From the box score, the turnover margin looks even. But everyone who watched the game can tell you that, in reality, the Chiefs came out in the 2nd half, in their own territory, and on 4th down, attempted a fake punt (which was open, by the way). There was a turnover on downs and Denver was sitting pretty inside the opponent's territory. This would have been no different than if an fumble or interception had occurred.

Later in the game, the Chiefs again went for it on 4th down and failed. When you add these two additional "turnovers" to the total, Denver came out of the game plus 2. This explains a lot (not all), and certainly helps to explain the larger margin of victory. As Paul Harvey would say, "And now you know the rest of the story."

There are other issues in the Broncos-Chiefs game to discuss, but we'll put those aside for the moment to get into the meat of the rankings.

Team Rankings

Here's where the Broncos stack up against the rest of the league after week 13. Keep in mind these are averages/game:

You will immediately notice I added another boon this week for your amusement and education (what else is there?). This week I included average turnover margin/game. There was a reason for this. I wanted you to be able to see the discrepancy between a good team and a team masquerading as a good team.

Two examples will drive the point home. First, notice New Orleans. While they are ranked only 14th with respect to giveaways/game, the are ranked 2nd when it comes to turnover margin. What does this mean? Simply that, although they are giving the ball away regularly, they are getting the ball back in spades. Conversely, let's look at the Dallas Cowboys. They are ranked 8th in giveaways/game, but 17th in turnover margin/game. So we can say the exact opposite about the Cowboys. They aren't giving the ball up (on average) as much as the rest of the teams are, but their defense isn't creating opportunities either. America's team? Only if Americans like facades.

The Broncos continue to get by with a rather pedestrian 3rd-downconversion rate, at 35.12%/game. The league average for all teams is through 13 weeks is 37.80%. While this will beat the Chiefs and the Raiders (maybe), it simply will not get it done against the Colts (more on this later) or in the playoffs--unless the defense simply dominates and turnovers continue to come Denver's way.

On the positive side, Denver is doing a better job with field position and their time of possession average increased since they played ahead the entire second half and killed the clock by running Moreno.

Notice who have taken over the top stop in giveaways. It's the team quarterbacked by Philip Rivers. Want to start a 7-game winning streak? Don't turn the ball over. Want to win some close game that you shouldn't? Don't turn the ball over. Want the mainstream media to anoint you a contender (go ahead and crown their @#%!) for the 100th time? Don't turn the ball over. After week 5, San-Diego was ranked 22nd in giveaways, averaging 1.67/game. Now they are ranked 1st with .91/game. They aren't measurably better all of the sudden (no one in the NFL is). They aren't David Blane or Criss Angel, or even Siegfried and Roy (well, perhaps they are that). It's just that they have stopped turning the ball over.

Also, please stop thinking that the Jacksonville Jaguars are a playoff team. Right now they are simply playing one on TV. Their average turnover margin/game is -.33, and let me pull out another stat on you--points differential. Jacksonville's current point differential is -48. That's right. A team with a winning record is -48. This trend can't continue. Their points/points allowed ratio is .83. Historically (over the last 25 years), this ratio suggests they are a 6-10 team. Since they already have 7 wins, they are playing with house money. I believe they are--in the immortal words of one of the finest poets of our generation--Kip Winger, "headed for a heartbreak."

Picking Super Bowl teams isn't really fun until Indianapolis and New Orleans lose, so let me throw out a few more controversial choices. How about the Green Bay Packers and the New England Patriots. Both teams rank very well in all four categories, and speaking of points differential, the Packers have a points/points allowed ratio of 1.41. The Patriots, despite all of the crying by the main stream media, have a ratio of 1.46. There have been many Super Bowl Champions that have ratios at or below this ratio, including the 2007 Giants, the 2006 Colts, and 2003 Patriots. The highest ratio of points/points allowed in the last 25 years? The 1985 Chicago Bears with a ratio of 2.3.

Speaking of the Bears, it's now time I get in my weekly obligatory Jay Cutler blast. Once again I'd like to point out that Chicago is ranked 1st in field position. Imagine the kind of damage they could do if they had a QB who wasn't chain smoking interceptions.

Week 13 Summaries

There are a few games worth mention in week 13, but let's exhaust our analysis of the Broncos and Chiefs first. Already, we've noted that the turnover margin wasn't reflective of the true turnover margin in the game, since KC had two additional turnovers on downs. We can also look at the context of each turnover as well.

Denver turned the ball over on its first possession. Statistically, they were down minus-1 in the turnover battle early in the first quarter. Big freakin' deal. As we know, a turnover committed early in the game can be easily overcome. In this case, the first drive was simply 1 out of 15 drives that Denver had in the game. They scored on 7 others.

But it was even more interesting was how quickly Denver scored. Denver's average number of plays per scoring drive was just 6 plays. And Denver's average yards gained/play on these scoring drives was 6.5. Most of this was done on the ground. They were shredding the Chiefs--in a hurry. Combine this with Denver's points off of turnovers, 13 (including turnovers on downs), and you have the makings for a nice victory.

This does helps all of us swallow the 3rd-down efficiency pill a little easier. Even though Denver was only 30.77% on 3rd downs, they only had a total of five 3rd downs during their 7 scoring drives. They were making quick work of the Chiefs' defense.

Also of note is Denver's total domination with respect to the time of possession. Don't let this fool you. Much of this stat came in the 2nd half as Denver was simply killing the clock. In the 4th quarter alone, Denver dominated the time of possession 11:32 to 3:28. In this case, the time of was truly a reflection of Denver having the lead going into the 2nd half.

There are two other questions remaining from week 13. How did the Saints escape with a win in Washington? And how did Oakland beat the Steelers? Both questions have the same answer, and let's just be honest, stats won't make you feel any better about it.

But let's point out the obvious. First, the Steelers and Redskins did lose the turnover battle. In addition, the Steelers and Redskins were pitiful in the Red Zone. The Steelers were 2 for 5 and the Redskins were 3 for 7. Neither of these stats helped either team. However, with the game on the line, each team had the ability to win the game. And here's where one of the truths of football rears its ugly head:

Sometimes crap just happens.

That's right. How else do you explain what happened at the end of both of these games? Players make plays? Well, I guess if we are being technical. I was listening to the post game radio show on the Raiders' radio network (a mortal sin), and Gradkowski essentially said he was just throwing the ball up for grabs and knew it had a good chance of being picked off . Then a few plays later, the refs call a personal foul penalty on a seemingly normal hit, giving the Raiders 1st and goal. I suppose we should all be happy, for it it helped the Broncos in their quest for the playoffs, and it put the Raiders one step further away from being able to draft Ndamukong Suh. Still one has to wonder if the Raiders would be smart enough to draft him if he was available. Perhaps they would need to see a 40 time. It's always good to know the Raiders are not on the hero's journey.

The Redskins didn't fair much better. An interception-fumble-TD return by the Saints on 3rd-and-26? Seriously? A missed 23-yard field goal? Sometimes crap just happens, but it seems to happen to the Redskins a little bit more often, although after the game, Drew Brees credited Karma. Oh, well, one man's Karma is another person's crap.

2-Turnover Rule (Explained Here)

4 teams had 0 turnovers. 4 won (100%); For the season, 60/74 (81%)
10 teams had 1 turnover. 7 won (70%); For the season, 64/109 (59%)
10 teams had 2 turnovers. 2 won (20%); For the season, 48/110 (44%)
6 teams had 3 turnovers. 3 won (50%); For the season, 16/56 (29%)
1 team had 4 turnovers. None won (0%); For the season, 4/25 (16%)
1 teams had 5+ turnovers. None won (0%); For the season, 0/10 (0%)

Week 13 - Big Picture

The team that won the turnover battle won 13 of 16 games played (81%).
In the previous category, remove the ties (1 game) and this changes to 75%
The team that won the time of possession battle won 9 of the 16 games played (56%).
The team that had better third-down efficiency won 12 of the 16 games played (75%).
The team that had better average starting field position won 10 of the 16 games played (63%).
There were 3 games this week in which a team won all four categories. In all 3, the same team won on the scoreboard (100%). For the season, this stat is 62 out of 67 games. In only 3 games, however, has a team won outright in all four categories (no ties in the turnover battle) and lost.
The winning teams this week averaged 1.25 turnovers, 31:43 in time of possession, 40.45% on 3rd downs, and their average starting field position was the 30.23-yard line.

Top 5 in Week 13:

Top 5 in giveaways: New York Jets, Oakland, Philadelphia, and San Diego tied with 0.
Top 5 in time of possession: 1.Dallas 2.Jacksonville 3.Cincinnati 4.Denver 5.Green Bay
Top 5 in 3rd downs: 1.Indianapolis 2.Washington 3.Dallas 4.New York Jets 5. Tennessee
Top 5 in avg. starting field position: 1.Saint Louis 2.Denver 3.Cincinnati 4.Green Bay 5.Pittsburgh

Running Totals, Season (through 13 weeks):

192 games have been played this season
80.73% were won by the team with less turnovers (counting ties as wins)
66.67% with a better time of possession
66.67% by the team who won on 3rd down
70.31% by the team that won the field-position battle.

13-week League Averages:

13-week running average/game, turnovers (all teams): 1.70

13-week running average/game, time of possession (all teams): 30:11 (thanks to numerous OT games)

13-week running average/game, 3rd down efficiency (all teams): 37.80%

13-week running average, starting field position (all teams) 29.73 yard line

The Look Ahead

Looking ahead to Indianapolis, here is how the two teams stack up in the four statistical categories (keeping in mind these are averages/game):

Team Turnovers/Game Time of Possession Field Position 3rd-Down Efficiency

Denver 1.50 30:04 28.74 35.12%

Indianapolis 1.33 28:21 28.42 49.96%

I don't need to tell you what you already know, but Denver is going to struggle to win this game. Indy's speedy defense is built for 3rd downs. Peyton Manning and the Colts don't need time of possession and field position to win. They are last in the league in number of drives, but first in the league in yards/drive. The last thing the Colts do is waste time. Additionally, they are deadly running the no-huddle offense, which has vexed Denver to no end this year.

Most impressive is the Colts on 3rd down. There was really only one game this year in which the Colts had a bad day on 3rd downs. It was in week 3 against Arizona, and the Colts still won 31-10. However, the game is instructive. The Cardinals did a pretty good job in the first half of not giving away their defense at the line of scrimmage and stacking their linebackers to hide their blitzes. Manning had a bit of difficulty calling his audibles properly. Later in the game, Manning started using quick counts to counteract this strategy. Still, the tape would be useful to the Broncos so that they don't stand stationary in their standard 5-2 sets.

If there ever was a time for heroes, it is now. This will be an important test for the new Broncos and their new 3-4. In past years, Denver has been destroyed by the Colts--except the year the Colts decided to rest Manning. But just like winning in December in Kansas City, this Broncos' team could care less about what happened under Mike Shanahan. Perhaps this version of the Broncos will continue to buck the trends and return to Denver after slaying the monstrous Colts' offense.

It would be a great story, indeed. And the dark moment of Denver's 4-game losing streak would simply fade into myth.

Hail, Kyle Orton!!

Last stat: 50% (percentage chance that you can beat Dallas Clark in a 40-yard dash).