Ok, I'd like to throw out a couple disclaimers before I begin:

First off, I have off the wall opinions and ideas sometimes, so if you disagree with anything I say that's cool.  Do I care?  Not in the slightest.  However, if you're interested in discussing my point or arguing against it/them, I'm game.  Just don't tell me what I think is stupid otherwise I'll berate you.

Secondly, don't take what I say literally.  I incorporate a lot of irony and sarcasm in what I write.  That and I'm in a crabby mood right now because Peyton is FUBARed for the season pretty much and this new Opeth albums sucks.

Anyway, that's pretty much it.  Here we go.

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This may sound like a crazy idea, but ever since Maurkice Pouncey (Steelers starting center) went down with this ankle injury, there was a lot of talk about how well his backup Doug Legursky would fill in for him.  A lot of people were worried that B.J. Raji was just going to man-handle him considering Super Bowl XLV was Legursky's first NFL start (granted he played in the AFCCG and did well too though).  In the end, Legursky filled in admirably for Pouncey, so good in fact that a lot of people didn't even notice a dropoff at all, myself included.

Ok, now that I've set that up well enough, Legursky is set to be an exclusive-rights free agent this season.  Considering he was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2008, his stock isn't that high.  I'd be willing to part with a 4th-6th round pick for him.  My reasoning for this move is as follows:

1. Everyone knows the o-line is horrible and needs upgraded everywhere, including center.

2. If he didn't play center, perhaps moving him to guard would work out.

3. Even though he's not that sexy stud OT of the future, the interior part of the offensive line is the weakest and most vulnerable in my opinion.  So I think it's worth a shot to bring someone in who has proven himself that he can handle pressure and perform well when the time comes and wouldn't cost all that much.  This is a much better option than pulling the trigger on an unproven prospect in the draft.

Either way, it's an interesting idea to talk about so let's hear your thoughts.

P.S. Who wouldn't want a lineman with the name Legursky?  It just sounds so...right.  Right?

After getting into it with shake, I decided to take his challenge of picking a couple Colts players to a different level.

Let me say now that I despise mock drafts and I can't believe I just wasted 2 hours of my life making this stupid ass thing, but whatever.  Yes it's only one round, I'm a wuss, meh.

Btw I made the layout as simple as possible, you all know who these guys are by now anyways.  Cheers.

Rams - Sam Bradford
Lions - Ndamukong Suh
Bucs - Gerald McCoy
Redskins - Russell Okung
Chiefs - Eric Berry
Seahawks - Jimmy Clausen
Browns - Rolando McClain
Raiders - Taylor Mays
Bills - Bruce Campbell
Jaguars - Joe Haden
Broncos - Dez Bryant
Dolphins - Dan Williams
49ers - Bryan Bulaga
Seahawks - Derrick Morgan
Giants - C.J. Spiller
Titans - Brandon Graham
49ers - Sergio Kindle
Steelers - Kyle Wilson
Falcons - Sean Weatherspoon
Texans - Brian Price
Bengals - Jermaine Gresham
Patriots - Golden Tate
Packers - Anthony Davis
Eagles - Carlos Dunlap
Ravens - Earl Thomas
Cardinals - Jerry Hughes
Cowboys - Mike Iupati
Chargers - Ryan Mathews
Jets - Jason Pierre-Paul
Vikings - Jahvid Best
Colts - Devin McCourty
Saints - Jared Odrick

This isn't exactly news worthy so a fanpost will suffice.

Back in April of 2009 I wrote a breakdown of the Colts' 2009 schedule.  I analyzed each game and attempted to predict the record for the Colts this season.  Earlier this morning I just happened to remember I made that article and was curious to see what kind of dumb stuff I said.  I had a feeling I was pretty close on some of my predicitions and analysis, but to my amazement, I was dead on.

You can see the article here, and if you're interested in wasting a few minutes of your day I'd suggest looking at the last two games on the post.  Oddly enough, many of you Colts fans were highly pessimistic concerning the outcomes that I laid out, saying that the Colts winning their first 14 games wouldn't happen, or even going 14-2 wouldn't happen, basically calling me a homer, which is fine.  But let me ask you a question, where was your faith back then?  Everyone believes now that this Colts team is virtually unbeatable, but back then no one seemed that confident.  I'm interested in hearing what your thoughts are on that and why you had a change of heart (if at all) with this team's ability to be dominant.

Lastly, if you pay attention to the comments at the bottom of the article, you'll notice that it is completely void of any 16-0, restgate uproars that became some popular when Caldwell pulled the plug on the Jets game.  Interesting.

For the third time this decade, the Indianapolis Colts find themselves playing in the AFC Championship game.  This season, the Colts are the AFC's #1 seed and arguably the best team in the league this season.  Unlike the two previous conference title games the Colts participated in, it won't be the New England Patriots with whom they will have to vanquish in order to advance on to the Super Bowl. If history has taught us anything, this should come as a major relief.  Needless to say, any game against the Patriots is anything but a walk in the park.

As for the other big rival of the Colts, the San Diego Chargers, they'll also watch the AFC Championship game from home, much to the amusement of we the people of Colts Nation.  I suppose that's what happens when you're more interested in flapping your gums instead of concentrating on playing football, eh San Diego?

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No one likes the mainstream media, except for the mainstream media.  No fan of any team is ever satisfied with the amount of coverage their team receives or doesn't receive.  Here's a perfect example: Patriots fans think the Colts are ballwashed more than the Patriots.  To us Colts fans, it's the opposite, and the same applies to players as well.

Peyton Manning proved years ago that he is the best quarterback to ever step foot on a football field, but the mainstream media is unwilling to give him his due credit.

If you were to go back in time to when Peyton was still in college and read the press clippings or watch ESPN, you'd see that even back then Peyton got no respect.  He was a highly touted prospect leaving college, a possible #1 pick in the draft.  Instead of talking about his measurables and production on the field, the media was enamored with the fact that Peyton couldn't beat Florida, and by extension couldn't win the big game.  While it's true that he went winless against Tennessee's biggest rival, that's not what the media should have been focusing on in the first place.  They should have been talking about how good of a football player he is.

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It's the divisional round and the real playoffs are finally about to begin.  It's been a long three weeks as the Colts are coming off of their much needed, and much welcomed bye week healthy, rested, and ready to go.  Their opponent: The mighty Baltimore Ravens.

The Ravens are coming into the divisional round riding high after their 592556-14 drubbing of the New England Patriots in Foxboro.  That game was over before the Ravens even suited up.  The Patriots looked completely lost during the opening moments of the game, and for the most part I felt bad for them.  Ok, not really.  The only reason I felt bad was because of the massive hit my ego took for picking those hacks to win the game.  What the hell was I thinking?  I knew better.  The Patriots have played like utter crap against anything that resembles an NFL caliber team this season, but yet for some reason I fell into that trap of thinking, "Well it's the Patriots and they don't lose at home in the playoffs blah blah blah."  Ugh.  After coming to grips with what I had done, I began to thoroughly enjoy watching Tom Terrible jog off of the field after being strip-sacked, intercepted, and then intercepted again.  Much to my amazement though, he didn't bust out his patented temper tantrum, screaming at anyone who would listen.  Maybe he finally realized that he isn't the Superman everyone makes him out to be.  It sucks not having a great defense huh Tommy boy?

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For some reason I found myself listening to Dumb and Dumber, er uh, I mean, Mike and Mike this morning on my way to work.  I generally don't listen to those guys because after listening to Mike Golic stumble over his own words and make circular arguments for more than five minutes, I tend to get a little nauseated and that's never a good thing while you're driving.  Nevertheless, one of their guests this morning was former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy.  They did their normal Q&A session, however there was a one question in particular that caught my ear.  Mike Greenburg, maybe it was Golic I don't remember, asked coach how he thought the Colts would rebound from the apparent apocalypse they survived and produce on the field come next Saturday.  Now Tony Dungy is a very smart man, I don't think anyone here would debate that.  There are a plethora of analogies he could have pulled out of his hat to use as an answer to this question.  So it's ever-intriguing, almost puzzling, that he chose to answer it thusly:

"The fallout may actually help them," Dungy said on ESPN Radio of the way the Colts will react to the criticism. "It may be kind of a Spygate thing where everybody says, 'Hey, they're ripping our boss, they're ripping our owner, they're ripping our coach. We need to go out and play and show people this was the right decision.'"

Hold the fackin phone!  Did Tony Dungy say what I think he said?  Yes Colts fans, Big D did indeed just say he thinks the Colts will react similiarly to how the Patriots reacted post-Spygate.  But wait a minute, is it really all the shocking that he used this event as an example?  Let's be honest, Mike Florio was absolutely correct when he said that the Pats came out guns blazing in that game against the Chargers, humiliating them on national television while simultaneously giving the whole world a massive middle finger for their efforts.

The question that should be running through your head right now is whether this is a good or a bad thing.  Meaning, does what Tony Dungy said mean that the Colts are going to use the world against us mentality that the Patriots are so famous for,  which is nothing more than a figment of their imagination, or will the come out of the gate super motivated and ready to kick the snot out of anyone who is in their path?

Personally, I hope it's the latter.

One of my biggest beefs with the Colts over the past few years is not whether they rest their starters, or how they handle injuries, or any of that stuff.  While I'm the last person in the world who would claim that the Colts are mentally weak, you have to admit sometimes that they seem to be expressing a bit of nonchalance in the opening quarters of certain games.  The thing I always thought they lacked during the Dungy era was that killer instinct.  The Patriots have it.  They've always had it.  As much as I detest any and everything New England Patriots, that's one thing I've always admired about them; no matter the circumstances, they've got one thing on their mind and that's winning.  Obviously we learned a couple years ago it was more of a win at all costs mentality, but you get the point.

For the sake of every Colts fan's psyche, I certainly hope they show up next Saturday with a chip on their shoulder.  They've been told they're great all season and have had little to no adversity to deal with throughout the season.  Perhaps this little bit of adversity will light a fire under their butts and propel them to win another championship.  How they perform in the wake of this controversy, I think, will determine just what type of team this Indianapolis Colts team really is.  If it's the Indianapolis Colts team we all think it is, then you should have nothing but good feelings for what the future holds.

Another regular season is in the books my friends.  As we look ahead at the playoffs, here are two comforting facts regarding the Colts that I think you should be reminded of in case you have forgotten:

1. The Colts are the #1 seed in the AFC and have home field advantage throughout the playoffs.  Meaning, the road to Super Bowl XLIV will end in Indianapolis for the two unfortunate teams who have to play the Colts.  No matter who it is, may our opponent be damned because as Mr. Raheem Brock so eloquently stated, the Colts are on a mission.
2. The Colts are as healthy as a team can be going into the playoffs.  Aside from a few minor bumps and bruises, no player sustained a devastating injury in the past two meaningless games.  And there is no player being hampered by an injury that will prevent them from performing at his best when the Colts take the field against their opponent.  All of the key starters who give the Colts the best chance of obtaining that coveted Lombardi trophy are healthy and are focusing on kicking some serious tail.

If that is not comforting enough for you, then what are you doing rooting for the Colts?  Forget all of that nonsensical YouKnowWhat and 0 talk, it's time for the playoffs!

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I'm shopping around for some playoff tickets.  If you have any up for sale lemme know in this thread.

Hopefully by now you've vented your frustrations to the point where we can finally move on.  The only thing the Colts and us fans should be concentrating on is the playoffs.  However, until that first playoff game rolls around, let's look back at some of the good news that came out of this week 16 game against the New York Jets.

• Peyton Manning became the 4th, and youngest, quarterback in NFL history to throw for 50,000 yards.  He accomplished this feat in only 191 games (2 fewer than Dan Marino), which is an average of 261.8 yards per game.  That's insane.  Congratulations Peyton, and here's to many more!
• Donald Brown made his return from injury today and looked good.  He had a few tough runs including a very impressive rushing touchdown, bouncing off of three defenders.  With Brown's return comes the big play ability in the running game, which is always good to have.  Brown showed off his good hands as well, making a catch out of the backfield for a 12 yard gain.  While Chad Simpson and Mike Hart filled in admirably for Brown in his absence, this is one player that I desperately wanted to see back on the field before the playoffs rolled around.
• Adam Vinatieri also made his return from knee surgery and didn't seem to miss a beat.  His 22 yard field goal attempt split the uprights and looked good from about 50.  His one and only PAT attempt was blocked however due to a blown blocking assignment.  It will be interesting to see what happens with Matt Stover still on the roster.  Obviously if we have to choose between a healthy Vinatieri and a healthy Stover we have to go with Vinatieri.  Hopefully we get to see a bit more of him next week up in Buffalo.
• Some of you may not look at this as good news but I'll say it anyways.  The Colts' regular season winning streak ended today at 23 games.  This record didn't really matter to me, well most regular season accolades don't mean anything to me including all that YouKnowWhat and 0 talk.  No one cares about the regular season.  I take that back, I don't care about the regular season as long as the Colts make the playoffs.  I'll take 12-4 every season knowing that the Colts have a chance year in and out to win another Super Bowl title.
  
• And in other good news, much to the chagrin of 95% of this readership and Colts fans all over the world, all of the key Colts players left the game just as they entered it; unscathed and getting healthier for the playoff run.

With the regular season coming to an end, I think we have a large enough sample size to objectively grade certain aspects of the team.  This is not a two way conversation, I'll be the judge.  However your insults and comments are more than welcome.

The areas to be graded have been narrowed down into the following categories: pass offense, pass defense, run offense, run defense, special teams coverage, special teams returns, and last but not least, coaching.

I prefer to leave the categories more broad than say breaking down the defense by groups like secondary, linebackers, etc, for the simple reason that the defense plays as a unit, not idividual sects.  Everyone on defense plays the pass, not just the secondary.  The secondary relies on the defensive line to smash quarterbacks when able, and the defensive line relies on the secondary to at least try to cover people (I'M PEERING INTENTLY IN YOUR DIRECTION TIM JENNINGS) so that they have ample time to smash said quarterback.  Basically what I'm saying is, this is a team grade as it should be.  Also, there are no plus or minus grades because those are lame. If someone can explain the difference between an A and A+ without making me laugh I'll consider it.  Good luck with that.

Let's begin!

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Don't even asking me if I'm joking, because I'm not.

As if you weren't aware, the Saints beat down the Patriots Monday night without Reggie Bush.  But what does that really say?  Is Reggie Bush extremely overrated, or are the Saints just that good on offense that missing a dynamic player like Reggie Bush wouldn't cripple them?

I think it's the latter, and how could you argue with that?  The same could be said about the Colts on both offense and defense.  Don't believe me?  Just look at the injury report.

Reggie Bush is due to make $8 million next season.  That's a huge jump from his current $2.585 million he's making this year.  And according to some sources, Reggie Bush's days in New Orleans may be coming to an end.

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