SB Nation User Blog: peytonsthebest

Kravitz picks Pats and Brady

peytonsthebest — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:07:01 -0000

Kravitz picks Pats and Brady

I really didn't think it was possible to hate this douche any more that I already did. My disgust has increased this morning exponentially.

This dude needs to move out of Indy and cover another team - NE, perhaps?

Power Rankings - Week 10 - Updated

peytonsthebest — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:45:08 -0000

via cdn2.sbnation.com Graphic by Indy Lori (aka "The Awesome")

Average Ranking to date: 2nd

Fox Sports ranks us 2nd (nc): FIRST-HALF BLESSING: Even mostly without perennial All-Pro safety Bob Sanders, the Colts have been benefactors of the NFL's best scoring defense in the first half. And oh yeah, that Peyton Manning fellow ain't too bad, either. Yeah, I think he's a keeper.

Associated Content ranks us 2nd

Pete Prisco @ CBS Sports ranks us 1st (nc): They're finding ways to win, but they aren't playing great. The offense is moving the ball, but not scoring touchdowns. That can't happen this week against New England. Ya think?!

Walter Football ranks us 2nd (nc): Huge game between the Patriots and Colts coming up. To get an inside look, let's go to Keyshawn Johnson, who had this to say about Peyton Manning recently: "He's quarterback human like all the quarterbacks in the NFL." Apparently, when we weren't paying attention, some people evolved into something called a quarterback human. So kids, if you're reading this, just know that you have no chance of becoming a quarterback in the NFL unless you've evolved into a quarterback human. If you haven't, too bad. There's always baseball. Keyshawn, C'mon, man!!!

Vic Carucci @ NFL.com ranks us 2nd (nc): Are injuries starting to catch up with the Colts? Sunday night vs. the Patriots should be very telling. Yes, my blood pressure is already high. btw, he gives both Dallas and Caldwell some love.

Michael Silver @ Yahoo Sports ranks us 2nd (nc): Don’t you get the distinct feeling that the next passer to throw for 40,000 yards in a decade will also be Peyton Manning? I like his thinking this week! That's some Kool Aid I could get used to. D-Free gets some love in this article!

WEEI in Boston ranks us 2nd (nc): Two straight weeks of mediocre play from the Colts. However, they still were able to pull out the win in each game. It will be interesting to see how the injuries on defense will affect them.

ESPN ranks us 2nd (nc): Let the hype begin for another giant Patriots-Colts game in November. (Kuharsky) Is it just me, or is Kuharsky a tad slow...like "short bus" slow?

PFW ranks us 2nd (nc): Have to wonder if defensive injuries will catch up with them. Notice a reoccurring theme, here?

NFL.com ranks us 2nd (nc)

Sporting News ranks us 2nd (nc): Next up, the Patriots: Another midseason duel between Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

National Football Post ranks us 2nd (nc): The Colts may have survived at home, but that is what playoff teams do when they are on the ropes.

WhatIfSports ranks us 2nd ( nc)

Peter King @ SI ranks us 2nd (nc): Dates of the last five Pats-Colts games as the November sweeps continue to dictate the scheduling of this big game: Nov. 7, 2005; Nov. 5, 2006; Nov. 4, 2007; Nov. 2, 2008; Nov. 15, 2009. And the hype has begun...

FanHouse ranks us 2nd: Only one team in the AFC has a higher point differential and it's by a single point. That teams? Their Week 10 opponent, of course. Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. The Colts already have a stronghold on the division and a win here would give them a similar grip -- at least temporarily -- on the AFC. -- Matt Snyder

CHFF ranks us 2nd (nc): Last week: 20-17 win vs. Houston. Amazing fact of the millennium: Of Indy's 11 current starters on defense, only rookie Jarraud Powers and DE Dwight Freeney were drafted higher than the fifth round.

USA Today ranks us 2nd: CBs will get big test vs. Tom Brady, Randy Moss and Patriots.

Don Banks @ SI ranks us 2nd (nc): Though neither quarterback will probably ever admit it, I've always wondered if Peyton Manning and Tom Brady get a bit weary of having to face each other every year in such a Game of the Century hype-fest? It's always about the quarterbacks and who's better and who's more valuable and who would you rather have? Blah, blah, blah. It's like having the exact same argument with family members each and every Thanksgiving, right after dinner. My hunch is they enjoy it to a certain degree and endure it to a certain degree. Brady probably even missed it some last year when Matt Cassel took over, but I'll bet it didn't spoil Manning's day one bit to beat New England 18-15 without No. 12 in the New England lineup. Frankly I love how the MSM complain about the "hype fest" while they hype it up.

Covers.com ranks us (to be updated 11.12)

Power Rankings - Week 9 - Final Update

peytonsthebest — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:50:57 -0000

via cdn1.sbnation.com (graphic by Indy Lori)

Average Ranking to date: 2nd

Fox Sports ranks us 2nd: Speaking of perfect teams thus far, the Saints' mirror-images in Indy have silently won their last 16 regular-season games dating back to last season. Of course, this year's competition has been right up there with the Big 10's non-conference schedule — the 4-3 Cardinals are the only winning team to face Peyton Manning.

Associated Content ranks us 1st (?): They are sooo screwed up they did their rankings Sunday. There is an addendum here which includes some rant about Peyton not being a good choice for MVP and the Colts playing crappy teams. They are so contradictory, moving forward they will no longer be a part of these rankings. Remaining at #1, the Indianapolis Colts continue their undefeated season with an 18-14 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. The Colts continue to have one of the better scoring offenses and defenses in the league. They have been winning games with offense and other games with defense. Peyton Manning is the NFL's best in the clutch. In addition, they did NOT have us ranked at the #1 spot last week.

Pete Prisco @ CBS Sports keeps us in 1st: They didn't look great against the 49ers, but they found a way. That's what good teams do. It has to be good having Bob Sanders back again.

Walter Football ranks us 2nd: Peyton Manning somehow threw for 347 yards amid a pretty poor performance. At one point Sunday afternoon, I posted the following in the Live In-Games Thread on the forums: "Manning playing like a drunk. No offense to drunks." Forum member Wraith immediately responded: "Manning playing like Kerry Collins. No offense to drunks." Very true, Wraith, except that Collins would have been dishing out racial slurs as well. And because I have a sick and twisted sense of humor, I found that funny.

Vic Carucci @ NFL.com keeps us in 2nd: For the third time this season, the Colts actually had to work for a victory. Once again, they proved they can handle the pressure.

Michael Silver @ Yahoo keeps us in 2nd: If Jim Caldwell quit today, would he go down as the Rocky Marciano of coaches? Grrreaat. A boxing metaphor.

WEEI in Bahston keeps us in 2nd: The Colts seem to be able to find a way to win whether it looks good or not. Despite Peyton Manning having zero TD passes against the 49ers, the Colts still managed to win the game. Great teams will struggle at times but always find a way to win.

ESPN drops us to 2nd (-1): Is the toughest month of the 2009 schedule about to begin with a visit from the Texans? (Kuharsky) Ya think, Paul?

Pro Football Weekly keeps us in 2nd: Caldwell's last loss as a head coach was in 2000 at N.C. State.

NFL.com's Collective Brain Trust keeps us in 2nd

Sporting News also keeps us in 2nd: If they beat the Texans in Week 9, the AFC South race will be over — if it's not already.

National Football Post keeps us in 2nd: The Colts found a way to win with the winning TD pass coming from someone other than Peyton Manning.

What If Sports keeps us in 2nd

Peter King @ SI keeps us in 2nd: I wouldn't be too alarmed about the so-called struggling Colts on the heels of their narrow win over San Francisco. Thirty other teams in the league wish they were struggling like this. Lots of teams are going to be up and down against the San Francisco defense. One other little clue about Indy's four three-and-outs against the Niners -- NBC compatriot Tony Dungy said he was fairly sure the 49ers offensive line coach, Chris Foerster, a Colts assistant in 2002 and 2003, shared a few clues about Peyton Manning's play-calls and fake-play-calls at the line during the San Fran practice week leading up to the game.

Fan House keeps us in 2nd: Squeaked out a home win over the Alex Smith-led 49ers. Still, a win's a win, and that's what the Colts do. That is now 16 straight in the regular season, giving them a 82-21 record since the beginning of 2003. -- Matt Snyder

[Updated 11.4.09]

CHFF keeps us in 2nd: Last week: 18-14 win vs. San Francisco. Peyton Manning threw for 347 yards but no scores against the Niners. Since the start of 2006, he’s thrown at least one TD pass in 50 of 55 games.

USA Today bumps us up to 1st (+1): They make a good point at the same time: Colts have started 7-0 despite not having a 100 yard rusher.

Don Banks @ SI keeps us in 2nd: It's all so crystal clear now, right? Two undefeated teams remaining, and nice and neatly, one from each conference. It's going to be the Colts-Saints in Miami in early February. Thanks for playing, but we have our winners. Please drive home safely. Then I remember that last year at this time, the Super Bowl matchup was equally clear: The 7-0 Titans were destined to play the 6-1 Giants. Case closed. Only thing is, neither one wound up actually winning a playoff game. Year before it was Patriots-Cowboys, and that turned out being only half right. Get my point? Things can change in the league known as (N)ot (F)or (L)ong. I'm not sure why our team was graced with that rambling.

Covers.com keeps us in 3rd: The Colts can pretty much lock up the division with a win against Houston, but their 30th ranked schedule has us wondering how good they really are.

"A lot of quarterbacks try to fool you. They'll use their hard count and try to get you to show...

peytonsthebest — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:04:19 -0000

"A lot of quarterbacks try to fool you. They'll use their hard count and try to get you to show your hand, show your blitz," Goldson said. "But when you've been in the game for a while, you can tell when a bluff is called."

49er's Safety with the green dot, Dashon Goldson

We shall see, Dahson. We shall see.
The writer of this article hearts Peyton Manning, btw.

Power Rankings - Week 8 - Final Update

peytonsthebest — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:41:16 -0000

via th00.deviantart.net

Average Ranking to date: 2nd

Fox Sports keeps us in 2nd: As cool as the Saints are these days, Peyton Manning has been frightening opposing defenses for a decade now. Despite their light schedule thus far, the Colts have been cruising on offense by averaging over 400 yards and nearly 30 points every Sunday.

Associated Content ranks us 3rd (+1): You can't move a team up in the rankings when they simply beat the Rams. They gave up 134 yards rushing to Steven Jackson. That could be a problem later. And yet they did.

Pete Prisco with CBS Sports ranks us 1st (+1): When will they be challenged? Maybe when the Patriots visit in November. Until then, they will keep this thing going forward with Peyton Manning leading the way.

Walter Football ranks us 2nd (nc): Did the Colts beat the St. Louis Rams or the St. Louis Billikens yesterday? Must be the Rams because the Billikens don't have a football team, but I still wouldn't be surprised if it was the Billikens.

Vic Carucci at NFL.com keeps us in 2nd (nc): After pounding on a bottom-feeder, the Colts could face a slightly tougher challenge vs. the 49ers -- but they're still going to be 7-0 when it's over. About Peyton (who's #1): He continues to be machine-like in his ability to keep his game in the stratosphere.

Michael Silver at Yahoo keeps us in 2nd: Of all the amazing things Dwight Freeney (notes) has accomplished in his eight-year career, is his current streak of seven consecutive games with at least one sack the most impressive?

WEEI in Boston keeps us in 2nd: 6-0-0 Peyton Manning is playing better than he ever has in his career. Since Manning has been playing so well, the Colts defense has fallen below the radar. Indy’s D is giving up just 12.8 points a game. That’s the second-best in the league. I suspect they are going for the reverse-jinx as well (as is Bill Simmons.)

ESPN keeps us in 1st: Can the 49ers and Frank Gore provide more of a challenge than recent opponents? (Kuharsky) I hope we don't end up missing Ed.

Pro Football Weekly bumps us up to 2nd (+1): Their next outdoor game is in Week 11 at Baltimore. YAY!

NFL.com Collective Brain Trust ranks us 2nd: I'm not doing the math on this one this week. I'm also thinking our buddy Joe got my message from LT.

Sporting News ranks us 2nd (nc): Ready to play every week, they have won their last four games by at least 17 points.

National Football Post keeps us in 2nd: The schedule is laid out for Indy to rest their starters in December. Should we or shouldn't we? /ducks

What If Sports bumps us up to 2nd (+1)

Peter King @ SI ranks us 2nd (+1): The only remotely alarming thing I saw out of their 15th consecutive regular season victory was safety Bob Sanders leaving the field with 14 minutes to go, presumably to ice up for the 10-game schedule ahead. When that's the worst thing to happen, you're a very good team.

FanHouse ranks us 2nd (+1): You get the feeling that the Colts like all of the attention being paid to the league's other remaining unbeaten teams as they stealthily fly under the radar all season. Attention will be paid at some point, if only because Peyton Manning might be having his best season ever. This was added only because I liked what they had to say. If I don't like it next week, they're out. I love having this power. heh heh heh

[Updated 10.28.09]

CHFF ranks us 2nd (nc): Last week: 42-6 win at St. Louis. What do you give the team that has everything? How about three straight home games (SF, HOU, NE). The Collts haven’t played any of the other current top 10 teams in the rankings, and has only Denver and New England to come. That’s a nice setup for a team that’s 6-0 for the fourth time in five years.

USA Today ranks us 2nd (nc): Jim Caldwell can be first rookie head coach to start 7-0.

Don Banks @ SI ranks us 2nd (nc): With six of Indy's next nine games at home, we're going to start hearing plenty of speculation about the Colts' latest run at a perfect season. So here goes: There's the annual showdown against New England on tap in Week 10 at Indy, a Week 11 trip to Baltimore that could be tricky if the Ravens defense rebounds, and a Week 14 visit from Denver. But those look like the only remaining challenges of the first order. I don't want to hear any talk of a perfect season, you hear me? It's bad mojo.

Covers.com ranks us 3rd (nc): The schedule starts getting tougher after three straight layups. The good news is that the next three games are at home.

GO COLTS!!!!

A very special thanks to Indy Lori for creating this awesome artwork! I can't even draw a stick figure. I asked for her help yesterday and I had so many awesome graphics to choose from this morning in my email! Thank you Lori!

Power Rankings - Week 7 - Final Update

peytonsthebest — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:45:51 -0000

Average Ranking: 2.1739

Fox Sports bumps us up to 2nd (+1): RPI UPDATE: While they haven't played any of the NFL's top teams yet, four of their five opponents thus far can be considered legitimate opponents, with only winless Tennessee as Peyton Manning's only cupcake victim.

Associated Content drops us the 4th (-1): They have no comments here. How in the world do they rank the Minnesota Favres ahead of our Colts?

Pete Prisco @ CBS Sports ranks us 1st (+1): They come off the bye at the top of the rankings. They really shouldn't be challenged for another couple of weeks. The bye helped their injured players and we know Peyton Manning is on his way to an MVP. He thinks the Colts are the best because we've won without key players who are coming back. See his interview here.

Walter Football moves us up to 2nd (+1): No Colts related comments.

Vic Carucci @ NFL.com keeps us in 2nd: These guys are the AFC's version of the Saints. Or is it the other way around? Either way, they're one of the most dominant teams in the league and are poised to go 6-0.

Michael Silver @ Yahoo.com is slightly less of an idiot this week and ranks us 2nd (+2): Am I just imagining things, or did Peyton throw four more touchdown passes during the bye week?

WEEI in Boston keeps us in 2nd: 5-0-0 Chalk up another win for the Colts this coming Sunday. They get to play the worst team in the league, the Rams. If that wasn’t enough, they also expect to get safety Bob Sanders, cornerback Kelvin Hayden and tackle Charlie Johnson back from injuries. With Peyton Manning not having to worry about who is protecting his blind side, the Colts will continue to march through their schedule. The Colts will only get better and continue to strengthen their weak links.

ESPN keeps us in the #1 spot for the third week: Looking at the Colts' schedule, it is difficult to come up with many real tough games the rest of the year. A 14-2 record looks very attainable. (M. Williamson)

ProFootball Weekly bumps us up to 2nd (+1): Get basically another bye this week when they visit the Rams.

NFL.com's Collective "Brain" Trust ranks us 2nd (+.5375)

Sporting News ranks us 2nd (nc): A bye in Week 6, followed by the Rams, which is almost like having another bye.

National Football Post ranks us 2nd (+1): Indy comes off the bye week and we still don’t see a team in the AFC South that can challenge them.

What If Sports keeps us in 3rd

Peter King @ SI ranks us 3rd (+1): The schedule-maker's nice to the Caldwellmen when they return off their bye: at St. Louis, then a three-game homestand (Niners, Texans, Pats).

[Updated]

USA Today ranks us 2nd (nc): First up after bye: Rams. Does St. Louis even have a chance?

Cold Hard Football Facts ranks us 2nd (+1): Last week: bye. The Colts are 7-4 (.636) after the bye during the Manning Era, which sounds pretty good until you realize that they’re 117-59 (.665) overall under Peyton.

Don Banks @ SI moves us up to 2nd (+1): Let me preface his quote by saying he is indeed an a-hole imo. I know, you guys had no idea, right? What was I thinking forecasting a non-playoff season for the Colts in 2009? With the Titans self-implosion continuing unabated, there's absolutely no scenario -- baring a Peyton Manning injury -- in which Indy won't be playoff-bound for the eighth year in a row, and 10th time in the past 11 seasons. That's a remarkable run of excellence in the regular season, but you have to admit, with just one Super Bowl win in that span, the Colts have essentially become the NFL's version of the Atlanta Braves during their glory years.

Covers.com ranks us 3rd (-1): Indy had a bye and dropped one spot to the Saints. Of the Colts' defeated opponents only Arizona looked good this week.

And for all of you stat geeks out there (thanks One.Cool.Customer)

John Saragin @ USA Today ranks us 3rd

FO ranks us 3rd - Shake keeps us updated with detail for this one.

Advanced NFL Stats ranks us 1st in efficiency with our Offense at 2 and our Defense at 4

NFL Power Ranks has us in 2nd

GO COLTS!!!

Vanden Bosch fined $5K for hit to Peyton

peytonsthebest — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 21:28:07 -0000

Vanden Bosch fined $5K for hit to Peyton

Power Rankings - Week 6 - Updated

peytonsthebest — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:03:45 -0000

Average Ranking to date: 2.5375

Fox Sports keeps us in 3rd: THE BRIGHT SIDE: Both sides of the ball have peaked lately, with Peyton Manning looking unstoppable in throwing for 300+ passing yards in every game and the defense holding four of five opponents to 17 points or less.

Associated Content ranks us 3rd (+2): I can see why people have the Colts as number one in their NFL power rankings. I just don't see it as much of an insult placing the Colts beneath the Giants and Saints. They have a bye this week so Indy will be ahead one of those teams a week from today.

Pete Prisco at CBS Sports ranks us 2nd (nc): The scary thing is they really haven't been healthy yet. The bye week will help in that area. Peyton Manning is on his way to another MVP.

Walter Football keeps us in 3rd: 1. Peyton Manning is playing out of his mind right now. I've been covering the NFL for this Web site for 10 years and watched pro football for many seasons before that as well. I've never seen a quarterback perform at Manning's level. When he threw an interception in that Tennessee game, he shook his head, and you just knew that he was going to come back and slaughter the Titans' secondary. Of course, Tennessee's senseless personal fouls didn't help either. 2. Speaking of Manning, Jay Mariotti stated on Around the Horn, "It's time America to notice how great Peyton Manning is." Sorry Mariotti, we have a tough time noticing Manning because he doesn't have any endorsements. He's rarely on TV! Maybe if more companies chose him as their spokesman, we'd actually start talking about him. 3. Can someone please kidnap Joseph Addai and return him to the Colts in 2010? Donald Brown is the better running back and needs to be on the field more often. And I'm not just saying that because I own Brown in a few fantasy leagues - I swear! 4. How shady was Reggie Wayne's dropped touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter? It looked like Wayne didn't want anything to do with it. A conspiracy theorist would tell you that Wayne dropped it on purpose so the game would go over the total. And because I am a conspiracy theorist, I'd like to agree with that assumption.

Vic Carucci at NFL.com keeps us in 2nd: Can we just crown the Colts champions of the AFC South now? And says we have answers: The Indianapolis Colts, because they aren't just a team that piles up yards and points courtesy of Peyton Manning's magical passing arm. They also play pretty good defense, as evidenced by the way they thoroughly shut down the Tennessee Titans. Keeps our QB at #1: He continues to reside in his own universe, well on the way to yet another MVP award.

Michael Silver at Yahoo Sports is an idiot and ranks us 4th: Is Austin Collie (notes) already better than Anthony Gonzalez?

WEEI in Boston ranks us 2nd (+1): The undefeated Colts head into their bye week playing at a high level. They will use the time off to rejuvenate and get some key players in the lineup. The rich get richer when safety Bob Sanders and cornerbacks Kelvin Hayden and Marlin Jackson all return in Week 7. On a personal note: The Angels SWEPT the Redsox!!!!

ESPN keeps us #1: They're coasting into their bye week making a strong claim to being to being better than everyone in the league. (Kuharsky)

Pro Football Weekly ranks us 3rd (nc): Defense amazes given litany of injuries.

NFL.com's Brain Trust ranks us 2.625 (Avg)

Sporting News keeps us in 2nd: A bye in Week 6, followed by the Rams, which is almost like having another bye.

National Football Post keeps us in 3rd: Another win, and another 300-yard day from Peyton Manning. Too easy.

What If Sports drops us to 3rd (-1): With a win % of 76.1 (-1.8%). I don't get this one. NO didn't even play and stays in the #1 spot.

Peter King @ SI drops us to 4th (-2): Three road night games in the past 21 days. What team has played three road night games in a four-game span in NFL history? Doubt it's ever happened. I only bring it up because teams that play early road games return home at 8 or 9 p.m. Sunday. The Colts have returned home from their three road games at about 4:30 a.m. Tuesday (from the Miami Monday-nighter), about 5 a.m. Monday (from the Arizona Sunday-nighter) ... and I'd guess they got home this morning about 2 a.m. from Nashville. They've got a Week 10 Sunday-nighter at home against the Patriots and a Week 15 Thursday-nighter at Jacksonville, and I expect one of their interesting games in the second half of the season (they host the Broncos and Jets) will be moved to a Sunday night game by NBC. The Minnesota Favres have moved up to the #1 spot. Whatever.

[Updates]

Cold Hard Football Facts (ha!) ranks us 3rd (+2): Last week: 31-9 win at Tennessee. Reggie Wayne is like Marvin Harrison without the gunplay and sullen silence, yet the guy gets no credit. Over his career, 48 percent of all passes targeted to Wayne have gone for first downs. Compare that to the 40-42 percent numbers of Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Isaac Bruce, Larry Fitzgerald, Hines Ward and old teammate Harrison (42 percent), and maybe it’s time to start giving this guy some due as the greatest chain mover of his generation.

USA Today keeps us in 2nd: The notes aren't even worth copying.

Don Banks @ SI ranks us 3rd (+2): The Colts are a relentless team that knows how to step on the neck of a struggling team, and snuff out all hope, as they proved against desperate Tennessee last week. Two more weeks and we've arrived at the anniversary of the Colts' most recent regular-season loss: A 31-21 Week 8 defeat at Tennessee last year. Indy is 14-0 since then and needs wins at St. Louis and home against San Francisco to complete its "perfect" season. Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. The only thing that makes a season perfect is a friggin' SB win.

Covers.com ranks us 2nd (+3): Another impressive win for the Colts increased their lead in the division to three games. They have a bye this week before three more games that should not pose a challenge. Denver #1? I don't think so.

GO COLTS!

Power Rankings - Week 5 - Updated

peytonsthebest — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:53:08 -0000

Average Ranking: 2.647

What If Sports ranks us 2nd (+1) Win % of 77.9

Fox Sports keeps us in 3rd (nc): WHAT A SURPRISE: The consensus was that WR Anthony Gonzalez would be the guy to make up for the void of future Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison in this lineup. When Lil' Gonzo suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1, Indy fans got nervous. Season-ending? Really? And you guys actually get paid for that kind of cracker jack reporting? I had to re-read that line a few times, I thought I was just high on cold meds...

ESPN moves us up to 1st (+1): Back to prime time Sunday in Nashville, where a shaky secondary awaits Peyton Manning. (Kuharsky) Read on down for the comment regarding the Pats, it's priceless.

Associated Content keeps us in 5th (nc): Denver has moved into #4

Walter Football ranks us 3rd (+2): Nothing I write about the Colts can beat Chris Berman's comments about them:
"They have a waiter... a dog... and a color." Classic Berman (referring to Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie and Donald Brown). Makes me miss the old NFL Primetime that much more. Don't worry; there will be another NFL Primetime/anti-ESPN rant on my NFL Picks page this week.

PFW ranks us 3rd (+2): Pup receivers Collie, Garcon both showing some bite.

Vic Carucci at NFL.com ranks us 2nd (+1): The way the Colts' offense is rolling, the only thing that looks capable of stopping it is the NFL schedule, which gives this team a bye in Week 6. Regarding our QB (who's #1): Seattle coach Jim Mora put it best when he said his team "played greatness" Sunday. Regarding D-Free (who's #5): Apparently, he didn't get the message that he was supposed to miss two weeks with a quadriceps injury. Seattle's Seneca Wallace sure wishes he did. He overlooked Mathis, which is a shame, imo. And, finally some love for our coach (who's #2): So much for all of those concerns about a first-year coach being able to replace the legendary Tony Dungy.

Pete Prisco at CBS ranks us 2nd (nc): They are quietly off to a fantastic start. Peyton Manning has thrown for more than 300 yards in four games to open the season. And the defense is playing well with the lead. Those pass rushers are good. I like the quietly part.

Peter King @ SI drops us to 3rd (-1): The art of the strip-sack aided and abetted the Colts once more. Robert Mathis told me it's something defensive line coach John Teerlinck has the Colts work on every day during practice, in almost all pass-rush drills. The Colts are riding a more aggressive defensive front to a good two-way team right now.

Sporting News ranks us 2nd (nc): It would be any wide receiver's dream to play with Peyton Manning.

The National Football Post ranks us 3rd (+1): Peyton Manning has thrown for over 300 yards in every game to start the season, and he looks to be playing the best football of his career. Boy, these guys don't miss anything. So much for "the beginning of the end", "the window closing" and "the decline" to quote a few msm iggits.

Michael Silver of Yahoo Sports ranks us 4th (+2): Is Robert Mathis (notes) the NFL’s most underrated defensive end? Um, yes. Duh. I still don't get Philly being ranked higher than us.

WEEI of Boston ranks us 2nd (+1): Peyton Manning and the Colts offense are at the top of almost every offensive statistic possible. They rank first in passing yards, passing touchdowns and receiving yards. The Colts are firing on all cylinders.

[UPDATE)

Don Banks @ SI ranks us 3rd (+1): Peyton Manning hasn't lost in his past 13 regular-season games. His little brother, Eli, is 4-0 this season with the Giants. And two of Archie Manning's three old teams, the Saints and Vikings, are also 4-0 and sit atop the NFC South and NFC North, respectively. It must be good to be a Manning about now.

NBC Sports (PFT) ranks us 2nd (nc): If Peyton Manning misses any time, the Colts could be sliding through the top twenty quickly. Ya think?!??!?

CHFF ranks us 3rd (+2): Last week: 34-17 win vs. Seattle. Colts DEs Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis each have five sacks this year. Since the start of 2004, the less-heralded Mathis has more sacks (55-51) and forced fumbles (30-23).

USA Today ranks us 2nd (+1): Too early to think Peyton Manning might with fourth MVP award?

Note: NFL.com hasn't changed their "expert" rankings from last week. When they do, I'll throw them up, so to speak.

GO COLTS!!

Power Rankings - Week 4 - Updated

peytonsthebest — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:37:02 -0000

Average Ranking: 4.02

ESPN ranks us 2nd (+1): The Colts seem to be in their traditional early season form, which means they are hard to beat.(Kuharsky) We're behind Baltimore, which I have no problem with...so far.

Fox Sports moves us up to 3rd (+6): RECORD IS JUST RIGHT: Watch out for Peyton Manning this season. He only needed 15 minutes with the ball to beat the defending AFC East champion Dolphins in Week 2 before carving up the reigning NFC champion Cardinals in Week 3.

WhatIfSports has us in 3rd (+5): Our win % has increased to 75.7 % And we're 2nd in "confidence" against Seattle - they predict a 32-18 final score.

Pete Prisco at CBS Sports keeps us in 2nd (nc): They have to be thrilled with their 3-0 start because they haven't been close to being full strength. Watch out when they get their players -- see: Bob Sanders -- healthy. I think he's a closet Colts fan anyways. He includes a nice little write-up also.

WEEI ranks us 3rd (+2): The Colts have proven a lot over the past two weeks. They’ve played in two primetime games on the road and have come out victorious in both. Not to mention they went from Miami to Arizona and prepared on a short week. Peyton Manning and the Colts are a tough team to beat.

Associated Content drops us to 5th (-1): No comments here, but am I the only one who isn't completely sold on New Orleans?

Walter Football keeps us in 5th (nc): Donald Brown needs to be in the game more. His ability to break long plays is something the Colts have lacked out of the backfield since Edgerrin James had knee surgery. However, I can see why Brown is getting about 40 percent of the work; a few times during the game, Peyton Manning had to move Brown around and get him in the right place for a play. Once he learns everything, he'll be the starter.

PFW ranks us 5th (+1): AFC South back to yawner status; Colts two up after three. Well, I'm glad THEY'RE bored - I, on the otherhand, couldn't be more excited.

Michael Silver at Yahoo Sports bumps us up to 6 (+4): How insane was that one-handed touchdown catch by Reggie Wayne (notes) in Arizona – and is any wideout being asked to do more for his team right now? That catch was insane!

Vic Carucci at NFL.com moves us back into his top 5 at 3rd: We know quarterback Peyton Manning is great. But how does this team go from getting pushed around on defense all night in Miami, traveling all the way home, and then traveling all the way to the desert in a short week and shutting down the explosive Cardinals? Hm...maybe with the help of a guy named Coyer? I'm so glad Meeks is in Carolina! He also has the intelligence to place Peyton his #1 Offensive Player: The steady and reliable one keeps the Colts' offense humming, even with guys like Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie catching passes. AND D-Free is the #4 top Defensive Player: He was unstoppable vs. Arizona, although he reportedly will miss the next two weeks with a quadriceps injury he suffered in the game. Its a good thing Caldwell didn't make his Top 5 Coaches, I don't know what I would have done with all that love in one place.

NFL.com's Collective (lack of) Brain Trust moves us up to 4.5 (avg): Is Theisman really that much of a hater? He has Philly (sans McNabb, plus an iffy defense) ahead of us. Can someone get me LT's (Lawrence Taylor) number? I think I may have a job for him....

Don Banks at SI adds us to his "elite" class: If there's a preseason prediction I'd like to have back, it's that the Colts would finally slip out of the 12-win neighborhood into the nine-win range and miss the playoffs. Indy just keeps rolling, and I thought their dismantling of the Cardinals on Sunday night was the sure sign of a team that's starting to figure out what it does best and how to attack its opponent. The Colts haven't lost a regular season game since last October (12 in a row), and Peyton Manning continues to be the single biggest difference-maker for his team in the NFL. Bar none.See that, folks? He's admitting he was wrong. Enjoy it. Savor it. Love it. It will probably be the only "apology" we see.
• Early season playoff potential: With the Titans, Texans and Jaguars inspiring no confidence, who else but the Colts could represent the AFC South?

Peter King @ SI moves us up to 6th (+3): Tony Dungy's dissertation on Football Night in America on what Peyton Manning digests at the line of scrimmage, and how he calls up to three plays per snap, and how he decides which play to use, was a great piece of television. Personally, it was a great piece of television I would have preferred to have lived without. I don't like what Dungy's been doing. I could be paranoid, but I think he's giving way too much away lately. Stop it, Tony. I love you and all but I will hunt you down.

Sporting News keeps us in 2nd (nc): Peyton Manning looks capable of dissecting whatever a defense throws at him.

National Football Post ranks us 4th (+1): Peyton Manning made it look easy against the Cardinals on a short week.

[Update]

Covers.com moves us up to 5th (+8): Indy had no problem against the Cards after winning its first two games by a combined six points. The Colts amassed 505 offensive yards against 'Zona. Check out the picture of Matt Fargo in the upper left hand corner - guy looks just a tad too intense...makes me laugh.

Cold Hard Football Fiction ranks us 6th (-1): Last week: 31-10 win at Arizona. Including last year's postseason, Peyton Manning has produced only one game with a passer rating under 90 over his last 13 starts. Over that span, he's thrown 26 touchdowns and five interceptions. The Colts through three games average a stunning 9.88 Passing Yards Per Attempt, even using our formula that counts sacks among team attempts. If they can keep up that pace over the course of the season, it would easily smash any modern records for passing production. Check out the Broncos in 5th.

Don Banks @ SI ranks us 4th (+1): Yeah, that Colts passing game really misses Marvin Harrison. Or the injured Anthony Gonzalez for that matter. Indy leads the league in passing through three weeks, with 322.7 yards per game. I'm starting to think Peyton Manning could consistently beat you throwing to three guys from the local plumbers and steamfitters union. But knowing Peyton, he'd want to choose the guys himself.

GO COLTS!!!