This is all speculation based on a few twitter users and don't attack me for starting a rumor, I am just relaying what someone said (not sure how credible they are)...I just thought some people may want to know what is being said in twitter land -

coltsinsider Dan Graham @ @LovinBlue Dinner with the family, yes, that is what I have been told and be a reliable source. I have not confirmed, best I got! #GoColts 16 hours ago coltsinsider Dan Graham @ @JimIrsay I just heard that the doctors cleared Peyton to throw, and to begin practicing. Confirm? #Colts 18 hours ago coltsinsider Dan Graham @ @jgc82985 @18to88 @LovinBlue @PancakesPodcast@espn_afcsouth I am hearing that he's been cleared to throw and practice. #Colts

18 hours ago Favorite Retweet Reply

As the clock hit 0:00 in the 4th quarter of yesterday afternoon's game, I put down my 5th ice-cold Jack & Coke and thought to myself, "Oh shit, we basically have 3 winnable games left in the season...we are not winning on the road nor are we beating Houston at home; I just can't see it happening.

I am not a believer in Suck4Luck...and for those of you who are, and those of you who think it's funny for a bunch of ass-clowns to show up to Colts games with Luck jerseys, well, with all due respect, f*ck you.  I am one of those fans that have coughed up $250 to watch every Colts game on DirectTV here in Cincinnati.  I am one of those Colts fans that watches every second of every game no matter what the scoreline.  I am one of those Colts fans that drinks heavily during celebrations, and during trying-times.  I am one of those Colts fans who do not want the Colts to join the Detroit Lions 0-16 club for the sake of drafting an unproven QB to replace the greatest QB of all time.  We all know the name Ryan Leaf right?  Although I wish nothing but the best for Luck in the NFL, he will never be a Peyton Manning.  He will not disguise the shit team we currently field.  And he has not proven anything to anyone in the NFL...so, dear Luck-jersey wearers...F*ck you.

The fact that there are so many people out there who claim to be Colts fans yet cheer on the team to get the #1 pick next year is absolutely disgusting....you have shat on the head of the greatest player you will ever see in your lifetime.  You have bitch-slapped the man who has single-handily led you to to 2 superbowls (1 of which we lost).  You have nutsack tapped the man who has insured you didn't know what a losing season felt like for 9 years...and while this guy stands frustrated on the sideline by this inept team, you have the balls to wear a  Luck jersey to a stadium that he built...you have the audacity to sit at home and cheer for a #1 pick instead of pulling for a team that needs all the help it can get?  

0-16 would be an absolute embarrassment....I would rather win 2 games and get the #3 pick, than go 0-16 and get Luck.  And for those of you Suck4Luck clowns, what happens if we get the #1 pick and Peyton is healthy to play again for the next 3-4 years?  Do you think Luck is going to want to sit on the bench for that long?  This isn't an Aaron Rodgers type ordeal...this isn't a QB drafted as the #25 pick...he is drafted #1, which means he is the franchise QB which means he wants in NOW.  Personally, if Manning is proven to be healthy and good to go, I trade the #1 pick for some proven veterans (preferably on defense) and take a few more shots at a Superbowl...if Manning is done, then yes, go get Luck and see what happens...just don't expect the Colts to not miss a beat.  Luck is not Manning...no one is.

 

GO COLTS!

Kerry Collins - 2 TD drives in about 170 minutes of football...both of which were in garbage time and game was completely out of reach.

Curtis Painter - 1TD drive in 10 minutes of football...which was a game-tying drive in the 4th quarter against one of the top defenses in the NFL

http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/player/_/stat/passing/sort/quarterbackRating/qualified/false

Clearly neither of these guys are good (see the QB Rating), however, it appears that Painter has better timing with the receivers than Collins does, and this is under the circumstances that Collins takes the first team reps in practice...Painter had some terrible terrible throws, but I think this was caused by some jitters.  I don't fault him for the strip-sack fumble returned for a TD...that was just garbage pass protection on that play.  If we are not going to go out and try to pick someone up, I say we role the dice with Painter...

 

COLTS 2011 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
WK	DATE	OPPONENT	RESULT/TIME (ET)	RESULTS
1	Sun, Sep 11	@ Houston	1:00 PM CBS	Loss
2	Sun, Sep 18	vs Cleveland	1:00 PM CBS	Win
3	Sun, Sep 25	vs Pittsburgh	8:20 PM NBC	Loss
4	Mon, Oct 3	@ Tampa Bay	8:30 PM	Win
5	Sun, Oct 9	vs Kansas City	1:00 PM CBS	Win
6	Sun, Oct 16	@ Cincinnati	1:00 PM CBS	Win
7	Sun, Oct 23	@ New Orleans	8:20 PM NBC	Loss
8	Sun, Oct 30	@ Tennessee	1:00 PM CBS	Loss
9	Sun, Nov 6	vs Atlanta	1:00 PM FOX	Win
10	Sun, Nov 13	vs Jacksonville	1:00 PM CBS	Win
11	BYE WEEK
12	Sun, Nov 27	vs Carolina	1:00 PM FOX	Win
13	Sun, Dec 4	@ New England	8:20 PM NBC	Loss
14	Sun, Dec 11	@ Baltimore	1:00 PM CBS	Loss
15	Sun, Dec 18	vs Tennessee	1:00 PM CBS	Win
16	Thu, Dec 22	vs Houston	8:20 PM NFL	Win
17	Sun, Jan 1	@ Jacksonville	1:00 PM CBS	Win

Colts Record - 10-6

Division Record - 4-2

TEXANS 2011 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
WK	DATE	OPPONENT	RESULT/TIME (ET)	RESULTS
1	Sun, Sep 11	vs Indianapolis	1:00 PM CBS	Win
2	Sun, Sep 18	@ Miami	4:15 PM CBS	Win
3	Sun, Sep 25	@ New Orleans	1:00 PM CBS	Loss
4	Sun, Oct 2	vs Pittsburgh	1:00 PM CBS	Loss
5	Sun, Oct 9	vs Oakland	1:00 PM CBS	Win
6	Sun, Oct 16	@ Baltimore	4:05 PM CBS	Loss
7	Sun, Oct 23	@ Tennessee	1:00 PM CBS	Loss
8	Sun, Oct 30	vs Jacksonville	1:00 PM CBS	Win
9	Sun, Nov 6	vs Cleveland	1:00 PM CBS	Win
10	Sun, Nov 13	@ Tampa Bay	1:00 PM CBS	Win
11	BYE WEEK
12	Sun, Nov 27	@ Jacksonville	1:00 PM CBS	Loss
13	Sun, Dec 4	vs Atlanta	1:00 PM FOX	Win
14	Sun, Dec 11	@ Cincinnati	1:00 PM CBS	Win
15	Sun, Dec 18	vs Carolina	1:00 PM FOX	Win
16	Thu, Dec 22	@ Indianapolis	8:20 PM NFL	Loss
17	Sun, Jan 1	vs Tennessee	1:00 PM CBS	Win

 

Texans Record - 10-6

Division Record - 3-3

 

TITANS 2011 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
WK	DATE	OPPONENT	RESULT/TIME (ET)	RESOURCES
1	Sun, Sep 11	@ Jacksonville	1:00 PM CBS	Loss
2	Sun, Sep 18	vs Baltimore	1:00 PM CBS	Loss
3	Sun, Sep 25	vs Denver	1:00 PM CBS	Win
4	Sun, Oct 2	@ Cleveland	1:00 PM CBS	Loss
5	Sun, Oct 9	@ Pittsburgh	1:00 PM CBS	Loss
6	BYE WEEK
7	Sun, Oct 23	vs Houston	1:00 PM CBS	Win
8	Sun, Oct 30	vs Indianapolis	1:00 PM CBS	Win
9	Sun, Nov 6	vs Cincinnati	4:05 PM CBS	Win
10	Sun, Nov 13	@ Carolina	1:00 PM CBS	Win
11	Sun, Nov 20	@ Atlanta	1:00 PM CBS	Loss
12	Sun, Nov 27	vs Tampa Bay	1:00 PM FOX	Win
13	Sun, Dec 4	@ Buffalo	1:00 PM CBS	Win
14	Sun, Dec 11	vs New Orleans	1:00 PM FOX	Loss
15	Sun, Dec 18	@ Indianapolis	1:00 PM CBS	Loss
16	Sat, Dec 24	vs Jacksonville	1:00 PM CBS	Win
17	Sun, Jan 1	@ Houston	1:00 PM CBS	Loss

 

Titans Record - 8-8

Division Record - 3-3

 

 

Jaguars 2011 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE
WK	DATE	OPPONENT	RESULT/TIME (ET)	RESOURCES
1	Sun, Sep 11	vs Tennessee	1:00 PM CBS	Win
2	Sun, Sep 18	@ New York	1:00 PM CBS	Loss
3	Sun, Sep 25	@ Carolina	1:00 PM CBS	Win
4	Sun, Oct 2	vs New Orleans	1:00 PM FOX	Loss
5	Sun, Oct 9	vs Cincinnati	1:00 PM CBS	Win
6	Sun, Oct 16	@ Pittsburgh	1:00 PM CBS	Loss
7	Mon, Oct 24	vs Baltimore	8:30 PM	Loss
8	Sun, Oct 30	@ Houston	1:00 PM CBS	Loss
9	BYE WEEK
10	Sun, Nov 13	@ Indianapolis	1:00 PM CBS	Loss
11	Sun, Nov 20	@ Cleveland	1:00 PM CBS	Win
12	Sun, Nov 27	vs Houston	1:00 PM CBS	Win
13	Mon, Dec 5	vs San Diego	8:30 PM	Loss
14	Sun, Dec 11	vs Tampa Bay	1:00 PM FOX	Win
15	Thu, Dec 15	@ Atlanta	8:20 PM NFL	Loss
16	Sat, Dec 24	@ Tennessee	1:00 PM CBS	Loss
17	Sun, Jan 1	vs Indianapolis	1:00 PM CBS	Loss

 

 

 

Jaguars Record - 6-10

Division Record - 2-4

 

 

Colts win the AFC South via tie-breaker over the Texans.  Manning makes a miracle return on 12/18 (I wish) to take over and lead the (7-6) Colts to 3 straight wins and earns the #4 seed in the playoffs.  BAM!

via sportributor.com

 

How about a pre-Texans discussion to get away from all the Peyton Manning talk for a bit...after all there are 53-men on the active roster right now that deserve some of the attention - 

1.  Who do you think stands out this game on offense and defense?

2.  What do you think it will take to beat the Texans in Houston?  We lost to them with a healthy squad last year; what adjustments need to be made?

3.  Final score predictions? 

4.  Other discussion points, etc.

Let's keep in mind that we have a slim shot at the playoffs...Collins is not terrible if he is utilized properly.  I honestly don't think that the Colts (sans Manning) are going to beat any high-octane offenses or stellar defensive teams.  In the past, we have seen Manning having to simply outscore opponents such as the Patriots and the Texans; If our defense shows up the way it has on the road over the past few years, I just can't see our team winning in a shootout.  Here is a little bit of good news and the reason I think that the Colts can make the playoffs if Manning misses no more than 6 weeks - 

@Texans

Browns

Steelers

@Bucs

Chiefs

@Bengals

Okay, so we see that we have 3 games on the road and 3 at home.  Here is why I think we can escape 6 games with at least a 4-2 record.

@Texans (0-1)

I think that we end up losing this game for a few reasons - 1) I don't think our offense and Collins have had enough time or game-day experience to gel quite yet.  I think that although the Texans are learning a new 3-4 system, the Texans defense will simply overwhelm our revamped offensive line...too much pressure on Collins.  2)  I think that our defense will be carved up by the deep threat of Andre Johnson.  Not only do I think our secondary will be punished time and time again, but the Texans star wideout will demand too much attention, and with our front office making ridiculous move like cutting Tommie H, the RBs will have a field day.

Likely outcome - We will be outscored and lose the time of possession game and Collins will be forced to throw before he is set and ready.

Best case scenario - We take a chance on defense by pressing receivers, playing 1 safety rolled over-the-top to Johnson's side and using the other safety as an extra body in the box and to protect vs. dump-off passes.  High risk, high reward...but I think if we sit back and play vanilla Colts defense, we give up 7+ minute drives and get scored on anyways.

Browns (1-1)

I think we end up winning this game simply because the Browns are much more 1-dimensional...stop Peyton Hillis, stop the Browns.  I think the Browns defense can be underrated at times, but I think we end up winning this one in a low-scoring grind it out type game.  I predict a surprise resurgence of our running-game here!

Steelers (1-2)

I think the Steelers defense is going to be too much to handle (especially if Polamalu is still healthy at this point). Offensively, Ben finds a way to get it done most of the time and Mendenhall is the that downhill type running back with good blocking receiver (hate to admit it, but Hines Ward)...We just don't bode well with these types of backs, and mix in a passing attack and play-action...this would be a tough one.

Best case scenario - Colts, go back to last year and watch the Pats domination of the Steelers...like the Pats, we have two stellar tight-ends in Clark and Tamme...let's use Garcon to spread the field and hit these guys using short/intermediate routes down the middle.  Also, 2TE formation on offense might actually allow us to get some yards on the ground...this is also at the LUKE, so never count the 12th man out.

@Bucs (2-2)

I think we can get this W if we are willing to mix it up on defense; this is a young team and bring some different looks to this game, we can possibly get it done by confusing the O-line and Freeman...again, we deal with a bruising type running back, and if we can force them into 3rd and long situations by limiting the ground yardage, we could be in good shape.  Stop the run first.  Offensively, we need to get Talib out of the frame...Garcon, Collie and our TE's should be able to handle their guys in man-to-man or find some soft spots in the zone.  Wayne is probably going to be tied up with Talib.

 Chiefs (3-2)

Same thing as the Browns really; an above-average quarterback, with some decent weapons (nothing spectacular) and a great running back in Jamal Charles...stop the run, win the game.  On the other side of the football, protect Collins from Hali...simply place a TE or RB in the backfield at all times..this guy is a game changer.  With Eric Berry at safety, I would also suggest steering clear of throwing to his side unless appropriate.  I think we can win this game with our defense....I feel this will be like the 49ers game from a few years ago where an Addai trick played got us the W, but the defense kept us in the game until that point...Punting will be okay here...our defense can hold its own against this team.  I also think our RBs will do well on the ground here!

@Bengals (4-2)

I believe that at this point, Peyton will be ready to go if need be...however, management will give him an extra week of rest for precautionary purposes; also, the Colts should be able to beat the Bengals (barring any surprises).  The Bengals are starting a rookie QB who will not be ready to avoid the Mathis/Freeney tandem...press the receiver and force Dalton to hang on to the ball for just a 1/2 second longer, and turnovers will be inevitable.  Benson is a good running back, but once again, we can afford to focus on him a little more so than having to worry about the passing game.  I also think the loss of Joseph is going to hurt the Bengals on defense...Collins should be able to attack that LB group and utilize mismatches with our 2TEs and our great slot receivers (when healthy).

 

Now please note that this is all speculation (obviously); Peyton might be back week 2, or he might be shut-down for the season....I just think our first 6 games are manageable simply because only 2 of the teams we play have solid run and passing attacks (Texans & Steelers); the other 4 teams are more run first.  I also think the other 4 teams do not have explosive offenses, therefore our defense should be able to keep us in games and allow us to win by putting up 17+ points.  I think the Texans and Steelers will put up over 24 points, and that might be tough for an offense with a new QB to match.  I am 100% sure I will be wrong about these speculations, but, I know it has been a tough few days, so I thought I would share that a 4-2 record during the first 6 weeks might be doable.  I think the schedule gets tougher from there on out, and if Peyton is not back by then, the playoffs are very bleak.  If heaven forbid, #18 misses the whole season, I think an 8-8 record is probable, a 9-7 is a stretch.

Poll

Assuming that the length of Peyton Manning's absence is 6 weeks, is this outcome possible?

50%

Yes, there are 53 men ready to go!

28 votes

25%

Maybe

14 votes

23%

No, Z.Pain, stop being an optimistic idiot

13 votes

55 votes | Poll has closed

Obviously, all parts of the defense will need to be clicking in order to slow down Brady and the dink-and-dunk offense that looks very similar to the one they ran during their Superbowl runs.  This offense put up a ton of points, on the road, vs. the Steelers, which is extremely impressive.  The Steelers not only have a better defense than the Colts do, but also a clock-eating type offense (power running game) that actually give their defense the chance(s) to rest up before the next series.  Simply put, the first step in our defense succeeding is insuring that our offense can stay on the field and start putting up points early on, cuz as we all know, or defense playing with the lead is pretty diesel.  However, excluding the dependency of our offense performing well and keeping Mrs. Brady on the sidelines, the defense must step up their game at a position-by-position level to succeed as a whole.  Below is a breakout (in order) of who needs to step it up most - 

Antonio Johnson & Dan Muir - The tone will be set with these 2 big guys; this means stopping the run game, nullifying Brady's prolific play-action game.  As we know, the Pats will use short passes and the run game and all of a sudden throw a bomb to Tate, catching the secondary cheating to stop the run/short-pass.  More importantly than stopping the run, it starts with these 2 guys getting pressure on Brady.  I know, Freeney and Mathis sound like the obvious answer in terms of pressure, but keep in mind, much like Peyton, Brady has incredible pocket presence and is tough to sack with the outside rushers; he hates pressure coming down the barrel, because there is so little room to work with and step into his throws, and if he decides to move outside the pocket, this is where our 2 DE's will get their sacks...Pressure Down the Middle all day...even if it means leaving our secondary a little more vulnerable by blitzing between the middle gaps.

Freeney & Mathis - The question is, "Who wins the battle between these 2 exceptional Ends and 2 of the best Tackles in the league?"  Simply put, it has to be our 2 defensive ends.  I love the spin moves, I love the outside rushes, however, these 2 guys cannot lose contain on the RB's by taking themselves out of the play.  I'd love to see more inside moves and bull rushes unless the situational down is 3rd and long...outside rushes against a team that can utilize a screen pass like no one else in the league and an incredible offense line can lead to our defense giving up big chunks of yards at a time and keeping Manning on the sideline...we cannot afford to do that, because the Patriots will put up points.

Our LBs - I cannot tell who will be playing based on the injury report, however, these guys will have a huge task in containing 2 very good tight-ends.  As we saw last week, Brady abused an aggressive Steelers defense by getting his TE in one-on-one match-ups time and time again....Although Angerer is significantly smaller than the 2 TE's, I feel that he does have the speed to keep up with them, and seeing that none of our LBs are big enough, I'd rather see someone who is in position to make a play, and if they get outjumped, then we have to live with it.  However, if the D-line can get the pressure necessary, then we might see Brady making throws off his back-foot and not stepping into his passes which might enable our speedy LB's to undercut routes and make breaks on the ball.  The other important assignment here is defending against the screen pass...whichever side the running back is lines up on, the OLB must keep contain first and foremost and fight off any blocks to minimize gains on the screen passes.  An additional rusher in the form of a LB blitz can also help our secondary be in position to make plays, however, it is crucial that whoever is blitzing gets to Brady and does not get caught up in the mash-up of O-Linemen vs. D-Linemen...a failed blitz against the Pats is pretty much a big play waiting to happen.

Powers & Hayden - Tough match-ups against 2 very skilled receivers in Branch and Welker; as a matter of fact, I emailed Powers a few days ago regarding who the toughest receiver in the NFL to cover was, and he said Welker...so, it will be interesting as to how these match-ups pan out.  These 2 receivers will get their catches, but the most important part of our 2 CB's game is going to be tackling right away....Pats kill teams in getting their guys to make more yards with YAC...this simply cannot happen...tackle well and tackle hard.

Bethea and Francisco - Our safeties will need to use balance between run/screen support and the deep ball threat in Tate.  Brady is going to try and get them to start creeping closer to the LOS, and once a few dumps work, you will see a play-action pass down the field with one of both of these guys biting...they have to play incredibly smart to avoid this...Tate isn't the deep ball threat that Moss was, however he does have speed to burn our secondary; we just need to make sure he is accounted for while still being in position to make tackles on the shorter passes and the run game.

In conclusion, I think everyone else's job will be made a whole lot easier if Johnson and Muir can dominate in the trenches....I know we always say Freeney and Mathis need to get pressure, but Brady's es-capability by taking a step in or out of the pocket to avoid the outside rush is phenomenal, however, as the Giants showed in the Superbowl, the pressure coming up the gut is where this elite QB starts getting rattled.

Poll

Who has the most important job on Sunday for the Colts defense to out- duel the Pats offense?

27%

Johnson & Muir - Pressure down the middle will allow everything else to click.

27 votes

24%

Freeney & Mathis - Make Brady run and scramble away from the outside rush and hope Freeney or Mathis catch him off-guard.

24 votes

26%

Linebackers - Big tasks in eliminating check down passes thus helping the D-line obtain coverage sacks. Also crucial in eliminating the screen game and large rushing yards

26 votes

13%

Hayden and Powers - Take away the sure handed receivers and make sure to tackle right after the catch is made. Make Brady throw to the other guys to beat us.

13 votes

7%

Bethea & Francisco - Utilize a balanced game in run/screen support as well as maintain discipline on over-the-top coverage. Not biting on play-actions might end up leading to the turnovers from forced throws.

7 votes

97 votes | Poll has closed

Here is my take on the Defense based on what I saw yesterday and this season - 

• As long as the officials are refusing to call holds on offensive linemen who are just short of sexually molesting Freeney and Mathis, the Colts defense will not be able to stop anyone:

1. The Colts have invested their resources in Freeney and Mathis on the defensive side of the ball; honestly, I don't think there are any Pro-Bowl caliber players on that defense with the exception of these 2 guys and Bethea.  Our LB group is mediocre, our DT's are decent, our CB's are mediocre (with the exception of Powers, who is a stud when healthy) and one of our Safeties appears to be a non-factor.
2. I am not talking about Freeney and Mathis getting held occasionally, it is damn near every play; I understand that these guys are beasts, but based on the fact that these 2 guys are the reason the Colts D can function, Refs need to stop overlooking how bad these guys get held and stop cutting the Offensive Linemen a break.  Both these guys utilize moves that require speed, an uncanny amount of balance, setting the O-linemen up and mixing up attacks.  Hell they even discuss with each other as to what each one will be doing in a pass rushing situation..."Mathis you take your guy inside, force the QB to get out of his pocket, I will take the outside and catch him from behind".  As soon as one of these 2 guys are held for a split second, the pass rush is crushed....an arm bar when a club-over is used will result in an absolute loss of momentum and balance, thus buying the QB far more time than they should be having.  A simple tug on the back of the jersey when a spin move is executed will throw off the timing of the spin as well as the ability for the DE to use his elbow to shield to O-linemen off because the balance coming off the spin move is completely shot.

Now I am not proposing the Colts file a complain here, but if nothing is said and these officials continue to allow this foul play to go on, then the Colts will be unable to stop anyone...our secondary is not made to cover for extended periods of time (hence the reason we play with such a soft cushion).  Our LB's cannot hang with big TE's, because with the exception of Session, I feel that they are far too small.  Basically, the way we are built to succeed on defense is to insure the QB is forced into throwing the ball prior to the receiver breaking on his route....we have the speed to jump these routes for pass defenses and interceptions.  We do not have the size, athleticism or Defensive Back skill-sets to shut down receivers while our 2 DE's are getting groped.
Let's take a look at some good defenses and how they succeed...
GB - Clay Matthews & Charles Woodson - Woodson is responsible to shut down the #1 receiver, while Matthews is responsible to get pressure on the QB from that 3-4 scheme.  Why this works?  Well, the opportunity to hold a rushing LB in a 3-4 is significantly decreased because Clay is able to obtain full speed prior to being contacted by a lineman and in the event there is a hold, the incident is so secluded as it is separated from the other linemen that it becomes incredibly obvious to the officials; there isn't a cluster f*ck of offensive linemen and d-linemen going at in which a hold can be overlooked...LB's attacking in a 3-4 scheme tend to stand out on their own.
Jets - They are able to succeed by having 2 shut down corners which opens up a blitz happy playbook as they can afford to lose the over the top help since Revis Island tends to handle things on his own.  They succeed by the pressure created from the blitz, not necessarily their D-line.  This forces the opposing QBs to throw errand passes in hopes of avoiding the sack/fumble.
Now, the Colts took a different approach - playing the 4-3 defense, Polian built this D to create pressure from the end position without needing to blitz...this offers us the opportunity to allocate more resources to our coverage in the linebacking/secondary group as additional pressure does not need to be brought.  However, as soon as one or both of our pressure creating D-ends are held, the play is pretty much done; I don't feel that our line has the ability to obtain "coverage sacks" as I don't think that our secondary can hang with good receivers for as long as is expected.
The game yesterday showed exactly all of this...added with the scrambling ability of Michael Vick, our D was pretty much doomed.  Mathis and Freeney got mauled time and time again, the quickness of the Eagles receivers was too much to handle, and without being able to get the quick pressure from the end positions (thanks to the holds), Jackson appeared to be in complete separation time and time again.  
Refs, please open your eyes to what is happening on the Line of Scrimmage...this should have gotten easier for you to see by lining you up behind the last offensive player...get on a prescription plan, or I might just consider putting you on mine.