I knew it was coming eventually, but I tried denying it.  Slowly but surely, sites like Facebook, Myspace, and YouTube have been blocked by my employer.  Believe it or not, even other SB Nation blogs were blocked, but not Stampede Blue.  Until today. 

Today was the day I got the dreaded Webwasher notification.  I knew it would happen eventually, but I wasn't prepared for it.  I was lost all morning.  I missed reading the new posts and takes from various fans.  Due to the advances in Internet usage with cell phones, I was able to view it... but it's just not the same.  Eventually I remoted into my home computer to view it but I have an uneasy feeling about tomorrow morning.  What will work be like without Stampede Blue?

On to Colts related thoughts, how could you not be excited for the start of the season?  Our entire team is essentially returning.  We now have the best backfield in a long time.  If Marvin comes back healthy, and not suspended, we'll have the best group of receivers in the NFL.  The young defense will have one more year of experience to build upon.  Don't you just want to play the games now?  The Bears visit in exactly four months, and I can't wait.

Congratulations to BlueVol03 and shake n bake , on being co-winners of the Mock Draft Challenge #1.  Each of you "mocked" 4 correctly in the 1st round.  Unfortunately, none of the 2nd round picks worked out, but it would be a hard draft to do well in, considering all of the trades.

As for the Colts Mock Drafts, there were only 8 entries... and you managed to get a whopping zero picks correct.  The only player drafted from any of our boards was Marcus Howard, and most people had him going in round 3. 

Honestly, I couldn't be more disappointed.  I felt I was ready for this year.  BigBlueShoe, shake n bake, and a ton of others on this site provided access to more information on prospects than I've ever taken the time to research.  We analyzed our needs, came up with draft boards, researched what other teams would do and what do we come up with?  Nothing...  That's why we write about football, and Bill Polian runs the draft room.  He is better than us.

I think it also illustrates a key reason for the rising popularity of the NFL draft and the insane increase in the amount of coverage.  No matter what the "experts" say, and no matter how much you analyze the information available... you still have no idea what's going to happen in the draft.  There are always surprises, and once you get past the first pick or two... usually anything can happen.

Regarding my thoughts on the draft... we had some very key players fall to us in the later rounds, and that's how you win championships.  As BigBlueShoe discussed earlier , the Colts did an excellent job of shoring up some key areas that have been our downfall in recent years.  A lack of depth along the offensive line, mainly due to injury... a backup RB who can block AND catch... and another guy who can rush the passer.  It's also possible that we found someone who can add some depth to the WR corps, along with our potential kick/punt returner for 2008.  If we can get Roy Hall to progress this year, I'd like to see some new formations so Peyton can utilize all of his weapons.

I personally want to thank everyone who posted here on draft day.  It was great getting to live blog with all the contributers and discussing the picks.  Now we get to move to the offseason summer school program.

Well one of my favorite days of the year is here.  The real beginning of the season as far as I'm concerned.  We'll get a couple of weeks to discuss the draft.  Minicamps will be starting soon, and before you know it... summer's here and we're ready for the start of training camp.

I haven't received a ton of entries for the mock draft challenge , so I'll give you until the start of the draft to email your pics to me.  If I don't receive them by 3:00pm (the start of the draft) then they don't count.

[edit] - In fairness to those who have already entered, I won't accept anymore entries per the original deadline.

AIlso, I'll be around the site for most of the day adding my comments to the draft.  I'll post a thread when it starts so we can all comment in one location.

Welcome to the 2008 season.

I don't think it's necessary to write a huge story about this, but...

In case any of you were wondering, or disillusioned by the Injury reports coming from the Colts Complex, Dwight will "no doubt " be ready for the Colts opener at Lucas Oil stadium

"The bottom line, he reiterated, is a complete recovery is expected, which includes regaining his rare speed. The most recent battery of X-rays and magnetic resonance image tests confirmed "everything is perfect'' structurally, Freeney said."

As mgrex03, metalmilitia and others posted earlier, the NFL announced the 2008 schedule today.  

The first couple of games are going to be most likely Colts victories.  This is going to give our young guys a chance to gel.  We'll have the week 4 bye.  Anyone hurt in training camp should be ready to come back for the playoff run stretch.

After the bye, we don't really have any opponents that scare me until we hit New England.  Unfortunately we'll play them on a short week, since the Colts play at the Titans the previous Monday.  At least the Colts and Patriots will get to play the late game Sunday and should be more than ready to take down the Patriots.  After the Patriots, we have a couple of tough games at Pittsburgh and San Diego.  If we can win 2 out of these 3 games, we'll be sitting in good shape for a playoff bye.

After the Chargers, we'll head to Cleveland where hopefully we'll play Jim Sorgi and beat the Browns just to spite them.  Home games against the Bungles and the Lions should prove to be snoozefests, and then we'll head for a week 16 showdown at Jacksonville on Thursday night.  This could prove to be the game of the year as it could decide the AFC South Division Champ as well as determine playoff seeding.  We'll finish the season with a visit from the Titans.

I think we have a decently favorable schedule.  Much like last year, if we can just get through the middle of it, we'll be in good shape.  What I'm not happy about, is having two less Monday Night Football games than the Browns.  We don't even have a home MNF football game!  How many did we have last year? Zero!  The Browns play on MNF 3 times this year, and they didn't even make the freaking playoffs last year.

That being said... overall, I think we're in good shape for the 2008 season, and we haven't even had the draft or signed any UFA's.  I couldn't be more excited for 2008.

Don't forget to e-mail me your Colts mock drafts or your 2 round full NFL Mock Drafts.

What if I told you that your quarterback, through the equivalent of the first 4 games of his career, completed 61% of his passes, throwing 6 touchdowns and only 1 interception.  What if those games were played with 2nd and 3rd team offenses and receivers who shouldn't be allowed to look at a football.  What if the opposing team were playing their starters in hopes of winning the game?

Ladies and gentlemen... Jim Sorgi.

I've seen a lot of "Sorgi sucks" comments around here the past few months and I just don't get it.  Is everyone pissed that we lost to the Titans?  Do you really think that was on his shoulders?  We gave Peyton a free pass in the New England game when he was throwing to Moorehead and Aromashodu, so why is Sorgi blamed?  The guy has thrown 126 passes in his career and we're ready to evaluate him?  We're ready to get rid of a QB who's only lost one fumble and thrown one interception in his entire career????  I'm just struggling to figure out what he's done wrong.

Now, I'm not saying he's the 2nd coming of Peyton Manning, but who are you going to get that's better than Sorgi?  You can waste a draft pick on a QB, but why?  He'll be 32 before Peyton retires.

Would you really feel comfortable with anyone else under center besides Manning?  Honestly, it doesn't matter who's back there if Manning isn't.  I say we use the draft to build depth at positions who might actually have a chance at making the active roster.

If you disagree... don't forget to enter your own Mock Draft in the challenge.

http://www.stampedeblue.com/story/2008/4/8/05910/12707

I know more than you

No purchase nessecary.

It's amazing how the coverage of the NFL draft has expanded almost exponentially over the past several years.  We used to be stuck with one "uniquely haired" draft analyst.  Now you can go to any number of dedicated draft websites and read full bios of potential draftees along with mock drafts.  I've done some straw polling, and the number of people creating their own Mock Drafts in the last year alone has risen over 72%.

Since several of you already have been working on mock drafts, I thought it would be fun to have a challenge to see who's mock draft faired the best.  We'll actually have two contests.  The first will consist of the Colts draft only.  The second challenge will be to create a 2 round full NFL Mock Draft.

Feel free to post your mock drafts, but I must receive them in my email to be official.

Please let me know if something wasn't clear, or if you have any questions.

Good Luck!

As Colts Homer posted, the preseason schedule was announced today.  

Part of me wants to be there for the first game ever played in the new stadium... but part of me would rather it be a sold-out packed house in a game that actually means something.  I mean, do I really want the outcome of the game riding on Jim Sorgi and Josh Betts?  Do we ever win preseason games?  

I'm just curious to see what you guys thought, especially season ticket holders.  I think I'm leaning towards going to the Bills game.  I'm afraid I'll miss something if I'm not there.

ESPN's John Clayton is reporting that several rule changes for the upcoming season have passed including:

The rules regarding players hair covering name plates or jersey numbers has been tabled until the May meeting.  Another proposal involving reseeding the playoffs allowing wild card teams to host a playoff game has also been tabled.

Update [2008-4-2 15:3:41 by the21eraser]: - Oops... Note to self: Don't write stories when you get a 20 minute lunch break.

Just wanted to let everyone know where the Stampede Blue Bracket challenge stands heading into the Final Four this weekend.  I, as always, have done terrible but I'll hold out hope that Kansas can pull it off.

I'll just list the bracket names.  Some of them are obvious as to who they belong to, and some I don't even know.

Now that we're almost done with the NCAA brackets, it's time to get those Mock Drafts polished up.  More details to come...

Dear Santa Polian,

In just 4 short weeks you'll make the yearly slide down the chimney of the Colts complex with our shiny new draft-picks and undrafted free agents.  It seems like only a couple of days ago I was asking myself, "Ugoh who?"  

I know you're really busy and probably get tons of letters, but please hear me out.  All I want for Draftmas is a new STARTING LEFT DEFENSIVE END.  

Everybody just settle down... I know you're all big Robert Mathis fans, but just hear me out.  Robert Mathis is not a full-time starter in the NFL.  He generally plays well, but he is what he is... a situational pass rusher and a mediocre full-time defensive end.

In the two seasons prior to him becoming a full time starter (2004 and 2005) he registered 22 sacks.  In his two seasons since becoming a full-time starter he's only registered 16 1/2.  Now I already know what you're thinking, "This guy's crazy!", "Mathis is a great defensive end", "Stats lie", but just listen.  The problem is, he's worn out by the time we reach a passing down and he's not effective as he could be coming off the bench.  Since starting he hasn't been able consistently beat the single coverage that Freeney's presence creates for him.  

Speaking of Freeney, before his injury many people were wondering why the best pass rusher in the NFL wasn't generating very many sacks.  Well it's pretty hard when Mathis is tired and you can double and sometimes triple Freeney.

Santa Polian, it's time to go back to the days where the Colts pass rush was feared.  When teams would run the ball down by 21 points because they were too scared to throw.  You remember the days, when we were leading the NFL in sacks?  When Byron Leftwich and Steve McNair's backups knew they were going to play due to injury?  

If we've learned anything from the 2007 season, it's that you can't ever have enough talent on the Defensive Line (See Colts season down the drain, Giants win Super Bowl with amazing pass rush for further reference).

Honestly, I don't care who you get.  Get someone who can stop the run.  Someone who can step up and play at a high level if an injury occurs, but more importantly, someone who can give Mathis and Freeney a breather during the game without a drop-off in production.

The Super Bowl could depend on it.

P.S. - Bring back the days of the 2 headed monster at Running Back.  Get us someone who's not afraid to make a block on a linebacker, and someone who isn't afraid to catch the ball.

Enjoy the milk and cookies,

Mr. Eraser.

That's right.  It's the 2008 Stampede Blue NCAA Bracket Challenge.  We may be a NFL Football/Colts blog, but there is no denying that almost every sports fan in America will fill out a bracket.  We might as well see who has the wits when it comes to NCAA Men's Basketball, and who couldn't match up with Peggy in Accounts Payable.

All you need is a free Yahoo.com account to participate.  All normal Yahoo.com Fantasy Sports rules and scoring applies.  It's pretty simple; you pick the most games and score the most points, you'll win.

All you need to do is CLICK HERE to join in the challenge.  Please identify your Stampede Blue user name somewhere so we can congratulate, or make fun of you.

Winners get bragging rights.  Hey, we're cheap!

ESPN.com and Foxsports.com are both reporting that Favre has informed the Packers he will not return for the 2008 season.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7870944

Update [2008-3-4 10:9:30 by BigBlueShoe]: The report is from Jay Glazer, who is usually right when he sticks his name behind a story. He's claiming that Green Bay's legendary QB Brett Favre is retiring:

Update [2008-3-4 11:0:36 by BigBlueShoe]: Here's an image circa 1997:

Eleven years later, I think we can safely say that because of these two men football does indeed matter.

I'm not dead.  Contrary to popular belief, I'm alive and well.  After getting busy at work, being forced to take time off due to illness, and going away with the girl for a weekend (payback for making her watch 21 consecutive weeks of football, 4 nights per week), I'm back.  Thanks to internet on my mobile phone -insert cheap Mike Florio commercial- I've been able to follow along with the craziness that is NFL Free Agency.  After the first few days of free agency, the news dies down and everyone sets their sights on the NFL Draft. I'm working on a series of blogs leading up to the draft on what I think the Colts are going to do, and what they need to do.  I'll try to post these on Saturdays and Sundays to give the site something on the weekends and give BBS a much deserved break.  I did have a couple of thoughts to share with you all regarding the Colts offseason.

If you haven't realized this over the past few days, it's a great time to be a Colts fan.  Granted, it can get a little boring this time of year around Coltsland... but you're used to it by now.  It's a common theme for the Colts to let overpriced free agents walk, and sign their best players to long term contracts.

Adding to the boringness, you don't even have a chance to guess who the Colts are going to pick in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft.  Yea, the Colts traded the 29th pick in the 2008 NFL Draft for a franchise left tackle, arguably the most important position on an NFL Team.  

Don't even think about free agency .  Most of the time, when the Colts sign a free agent, you're thinking to yourself... who???  If you're looking to overpay for an overrated, mediocre player... then you're not a fan of the right team.

Yea, your Indianapolis Colts are boring... and I wouldn't have it any other way.  It's amazing to be a fan of a franchise that consistently makes the correct decisions that are good for the franchise both in the short term and the long term.  The Colts aren't afraid to go after a key free agent, or make an important trade, but more than likely they'll stay the course.  Take solace in the fact that the Colts have someone on their roster at every position that is capable of being an NFL Starter, and we haven't signed any free agents, drafted any players, or signed any undrafted free agents... arguably one of the better traits of the Colts scouting department.  

One thing is for sure, I wouldn't want to be a rookie coming into the Colts training camp this summer.  I don't think anyone, whether they're drafted in the 2nd round or undrafted, is guaranteed a spot on the opening day roster this year.  If the Colts are healthy, this could be the most talented Colts team we've ever seen... better than 2004 and 2005.

Enjoy the boredom, and know that the Colts are on the path to another Super Bowl victory.  Just remember that it doesn't matter who wins the offseason , it's all about playing the games.

Bring on the draft....

The Colts have issued One Year Tenders to the following players:

Dylan Gandy
Matt Giordano
Darrell Reid
Ben Utecht
Bryan Fletcher

They were all issued the $927,000, 4th round pick tender.

Looks like we'll have all but a few starters and most of our key reserves returning in 2008.

Extensive blogging coming this weekend...

Update [2008-2-28 16:4:14 by the21eraser]: - If someone were to offer these players a contract, and the Colts declined to match, The Colts would receive a draft pick equivalent to where the players were drafted. That means we'd only get a 4th round pick for Gandy or Giordano. Thanks to shake n bake for clarifying.

It's been 4 years since the 2004 draft and it's about time we take a look at how that draft class turned out.  We'll also take a brief look at how the rest of the NFL faired.

I believe the 2004 Draft is what started all of the hype that has made the it what it is today.  This is due mostly to the controversy surrounding Eli Manning and the San Diego Chargers.  It was expected San Diego would select Manning with the number 1 pick.  The only problem... Eli didn't want to play for San Diego.  Eli and Archie made this very clear.  San Diego, smartly, drafted him first and promptly traded him to the Giants for Phillip Rivers and extra draft picks, which allowed them to select Shawne Merriman and Nate Kaeding, both of which have been Pro Bowl players for the Chargers.  Overall the trade worked for both teams.  The Giants got their franchise QB, and the Chargers were able to add the depth needed to become a good team.  The irony?  Manning's decision to snub San Diego helped to build them into one of the more dominant AFC teams.

As for the Colts, I can remember watching on TV.  We had just lost the AFC Championship game,  and I couldn't wait to see who we got in the 1st round.  Although we weren't picking until 29th, I just knew we were going to get a stud.  Someone who could help us get over the hump and make it to the Super Bowl.  Who did we draft in the 1st round?  No one!!  Bill Polian traded down. Then he traded down again.  By the time we had our first pick, we got some no-named safety from Iowa.  Bob Sanders.  Bob?  I thought, "Yea... teams are going to be real scared going over the middle against someone named Bob."  Boy, was I wrong.  Sanders turned into the best Safety in the game since then.  We were able to locate a couple of keepers in that class.  When you don't even start drafting until the middle of the 2nd round, that's pretty good.

My initial thoughts of Bob were incorrect.

• Round 2 - Pick 44 - Bob Sanders (S, Iowa) - Without question, the stud of the 2004 class.  He's a Pro Bowl safety.  NFL Defensive Player of the year.  Most importantly, he is the leader of the defense.  You can't measure his impact on the field in any stat.  The legend.  The eraser.  Mr. Bob Sanders, everyone.  If you can find one special player like this in the draft, then it's successful.  If you don't over pay to get him, you're a genius.
• 
  
• Round 3 - Pick 68 - Ben Hartsock (TE, Ohio State) - He played 7 games for us in 2005.  Caught 2 passes for 8 yards.  He was then released and signed with the Titans.  He's played there two years, and hasn't caught a TD pass in his career. I don't know if you can be a bust without any expectations, but Hartsock never panned out.
• 
  
• Round 3 - Pick 69 - Gilbert Gardner - (OLB, Purdue) - Polian would have been better off if we had declined to select anyone rather than picking Gardner.  I don't think it's a big secret how we feel about him around here.  The Titans picked him up for the 2007 season, and he sucked there too.
  
• 
  
• Round 4 - Pick 107 - Kendyll Pope (LB, Florida State) - I'd love to evaluate him, but he spent more games suspended for violating the Substance Abuse Policy than actually playing.  Good riddance.
• 
  
• Round 4 - Pick 125 - Jason David (CB, Washington State) - Jason David is a testament to the defensive coaching staff and scheming of Ron Meeks.  Jason has always been terrible, but it was covered up well by our defensive schemes.  I think once everyone saw Jason play a few games for the Saints, we realized how lucky we were that he was ever able to cover a NFL Wide Receiver.
• 
  
• Round 5 - Pick 141 - Jake Scott (OT, Idaho) - Started 9 games in 2004.  Started all 16 games in 2005, 2006, and 2007.  He is a good guard for the Colts.  Has the ability to play tackle.  While he'll probably never make the Pro Bowl, Jake has the ability to have a solid NFL career.
• 
  
• Round 6 - Pick 173 - Von Hutchins - (DB, Ole Miss) - Played 19 games for the Colts in 2005 and 2006 without much impact.  Has played the last two seasons with the Texans.  
• 
  
• Round 6 - Pick 193 - Jim Sorgi - (QB, Wisconsin) - Has been Manning's backup for the past 4 years.  He is 77/126, 751 yards, 6 TDs, 1 INT.  He hasn't been on the field in enough situations to determine whether he has a future as an NFL QB, but he's almost as good as any backup QB out there and he knows our offense.  Polian has to see something in this kid.
• 
  
• Round 7 - Pick 229 - David Kimball - (Kicker, Penn St.) - This one makes you scratch your head.  
  BIO: Kickoff specialist who hit on two of five field goals as a senior. Did not attempt a field goal as a junior campaign though 83 percent of his kickoffs were resulted in touchbacks.
  
  I know that Vanderjagt sucked on kickoffs, but looking back I think we were just weak on special teams.  We could have done a lot more with this pick.  Oh yea, that Kimball guy?  He hasn't attempted a kick in the NFL.
  

Overall the Colts drafted 9 players.  Only Sanders, Jake Scott and Jim Sorgi remain with the Colts.  Sanders, at his current pace, could make the Hall of Fame.  Scott could have a nice NFL Career, and Jim Sorgi is still an unknown.  Of the players who have moved on to other teams, I don't see any of them making an impact on the NFL.

It's unreasonable to expect that all of your picks to pan out, but ideally you'd like to have a few contributors out of a class.  We definitely achieved this with the 2004 class.  Bill Polian traded down to get one of the best safeties in the NFL, and a key member of the offensive line.

Interesting 2004 Draft Notes

• Of the 32 picks from the first round, 13 have been named to the Pro Bowl.  Two quarterbacks taken in the 1st round have Super Bowl rings.
• Bob Sanders is the only person from the 2nd round to be named to the Pro Bowl.
• Tight End Chris Cooley was drafted 13 picks after Ben Hartsock, and 12 picks after Gilbert Gardner.
• 
  
• Players who went undrafted include: Jordan Babineaux, Randall Gay, Willie Parker, B.J. Sams, and Wes Welker

The New York Post, among other outlets, is reporting the NFL is considering changing the playoff seeding for Playoff Teams.

Under the new proposal, divisional winners wouldn't automatically be awarded a home playoff game.  If a wild-card team has a better record than the divisional opponent, they would be awarded the home game.  

The idea behind this is to spice up the competition in the final weeks of the season... encouraging more games like the Giants/Pats, and less like the Colts/Titans game.  It also helps in situations like the AFC South.  Some would argue the Jaguars (12-4), even though they won, shouldn't have had to travel to Pittsburgh (10-6).

I really like this idea, as it encourages more teams to all-out compete throughout the season.  The only problem?  It possibly takes away the reward for winning the division... a home playoff game.

Although I think it's a long shot to get this passed, what do you think.  Do you think teams should be encouraged to play all out, every game?  Should teams who are on fire the first part of the season and lock up their seeding be rewarded with the ability to rest players?

What do you guys think?  As a Colts fan, it's always nice to be able to rest players at the end of the season.  Unfortunately, the past two times we've rested players it hasn't worked well for us.    While I'm not convinced that resting our players had a negative effect, I'm all for any initiative by the NFL to increase competitiveness.

One aspect that isn't mentioned is the effect that resting players has on Fantasy Football.  If you have a week 15, 16, and 17 playoff system... you might as well forget about drafting Peyton.  He almost always sits in week 17.  Trust me, there is nothing more frustrating to make it to the final game of the Fantasy Season, only to have some of your key players ride the pine.

All of the signs were there, we just missed it, but the better team won last night.  I know, it's much easier to write this following a loss by the Patriots, but they were not prepared to win this game.  Some pundits are claiming a "choke" job by the Patriots, but that isn't true.  The Giants deserved this victory, and I'll tell you why.

The 2007 Patriots will go down in history the same as the 2004 Colts... a bright shiny fishing lure and everyone took the bait.  An offense so great it covered up deficiencies, like an aging defense and the inability to run the ball.  We sat through it in 2004.  We couldn't be stopped.  We didn't even need to have the punter active on game day and then it happened.  We went to New England for the AFC Championship game and got punched in the mouth.  They were physical with Harrison, Wayne, and Stokley. They brought pressure at the right times.  Peyton spent most of the day on the turf.  Many people claimed the Colts choked.  Manning couldn't win the big one, etc.  The truth is, he didn't have time to throw. When he had time his receivers were covered.  We couldn't run the ball with Edge either.  We just couldn't get our offense going and the game slipped away.  They were the better team and deserved to win, just like the Giants did last night.

We learned a lot about how to make up a championship team from that game.  In my opinion there are several key things that must happen in order to win Playoff games.  You can skate through the regular season by only accomplishing a few of these, but if you don't bring you're "A" game in the playoffs, you're going home.

• Running the Ball - The Patriots basically gave up.  The Pats ran the ball 16 times, versus 26 times for the Giants.  The Giants averaged 3.5 yards per carry, the Patriots averaged 2.8.  One of the key plays in the game, and one that will be overlooked, was the Giants stopping Maroney on 3rd and 1.  After that, the Pats gave up on the run and the Giants tee'd off on Brady.  While coaches often want to stick to what they know, i.e. the Patriots passing... you simply can't do that against a versatile defense.  It's one thing to line up and throw 50 times against the Vikings defense in the regular season.  They have no pass rush, but can stop the run.  The Giants can do both, and when they know Brady is dropping back every snap, you're going to run into some trouble.  One of the main reasons for the Colts Super Bowl success was the ability to run the ball when we needed to.
• Getting off the field - Normally this is the spot where someone would say "stopping the run", but there is much more than that.  It doesn't matter if you stop the run if you can't get off the field on 3rd down.  The Colts did a great job limiting the Chargers running game, but we couldn't get off the field when it counted.  The Giants had 3 3rd and long conversions on that first drive.  As the game wore on, the Giants were able to start running the ball a little better.  This opened up some things for Eli and slowed down the Patriots pass rush.
• Offensive line play - Probably the most overlooked, and arguably the most important aspect of playoff football.  It doesn't matter who you have at QB.  If he doesn't have time to throw the ball, he's going to look ordinary.  Surprisingly the Patriots O-line played terrible throughout the game.  They were beat consistently. The coaching staff and failed to leave a TE or RB in to chip the Giants D-Line.  It doesn't matter how many Patriots receivers are running routes if Brady doesn't have time to see them.  If I were the Patriots, I'd gladly leave an extra guy or two to block for Brady and trust him to find the open receivers.  The Giants on the other hand played well.  For the most part they won their individual battles, and picked up the blitz well. It took the Patriots way too much time to adjust to the Giants pressure.  When they finally started throwing short passes, the offense couldn't get into a rhythm.
• Efficient QB Play - Too often we're caught up in the Tom Brady's and Peyton Manning's of the world.  These two are so far beyond everyone else, it's hard to think of Eli Manning, Ben Rothelisberger,  Trent Dilfer, etc as "Super Bowl Quarterbacks".  The truth is, if your team is good then your quarterback has to be serviceable.  You need someone who can manage the game.  Someone who can come out and get the offense going and get those nerves out.   Someone who can make plays, but doesn't try to make every play.
• Luck - Yea that's right.  You need luck, and lots of it.  What if Samuel had caught the interception.  What if New England had recovered a couple of the fumbles that the Giants did?  We're talking about two plays that completely changed the outcome of the game.  When two good teams play, often it comes down to the way the ball bounces.  You can play a near perfect game, but if the ball bounces the wrong way just once, you're on the outside looking in.

It's easy for me to sit here and tell you what needs to be done to win the Super Bowl, but as you know it's a completely different beast to go out and get it done.  Last night, the Giants were prepared for New England and they did what they had to do to win.  I'm not sure the Giants have more overall talent than the Patriots, but they looked like it last night because they made these 5 things happen.

Congrats to Eli and the Giants.  Last night you were the better team.  As for the Patriots, I thought most of the players were rather classy.  They gave credit and were sincere to the Giants, including Moss.

As for Belichick... grow up.  Show some class.  Congratulate the winners.  I'm sick of your attitude.  I understand you aren't a "people person", but that's part of the job description of today's NFL Head Coach.  If you can't face the media after a loss, then you don't deserve to be a Head Coach.  You act like the general public strangled your puppy, and I'm sick of it.

Sanders may not play, but at least we'll have one safety in the Pro Bowl!

The honor continues a run of success for the second-year player, who last season was a rookie starter for the Colts' Super Bowl champions.
"It's a great feeling,'' Bethea said in a statement released by the team. "It's just a continued blessing for me. Last year playing in the Super Bowl and now this year, my second year, being selected to go to the Pro Bowl.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080125/SPORTS03/80125037

That has been Dungy and the Colts motto for the past several years now, and you know what? It sucks...

I'm a strong believer in Dungy.  I think he's a good coach, but he's a little too patient for my taste.  That motto can only take us so far.  "Doing what we do" isn't good enough.  I'm sick of sitting back in deep zones and giving up plays to the offense.  Our hope is that if we make the opposing offense drive all the way down the field, then they'll make mistakes.  Instead of trying to force mistakes like other teams do, we just hope.  Well it works a lot of times, but when it doesn't, we sure look like we're getting our asses beat out there.  

Our defense works great when we A.) Play with a lead, and B.) Have Freeney and Mathis to rush the passer.  When we play against a good offensive team, we need to pressure the QB.  I saw one Blitz that worked effectively, and any other attempt was just pathetic.  We gave Phillip Rivers enough time to cook freakin breakfast back there in between throwing to wide open receivers.  If we're going to sit back in soft zones all day, then we need to generate pressure.  If we can't generate pressure, you would think someone would realize that it's time to man up and pressure him.  We didn't adjust to losing Freeney.  Josh Thomas couldn't rush the counter at dunkin' doughnuts.  

As far as the offense goes, sometimes I just don't know what the hell is going on out there.  I think Peyton is too analytical sometimes.  He is so smart before the snap, that he already "knows" who is going to be open prior to snapping the ball.  When something doesn't work out, he gets happy feet and doesn't complete the pass.  When you watch Tom Brady, he sits back there calm, flat footed and scans the field for the open guy.  I think Peyton needs to be a little more patient and look for the open guy instead of predetermining who to throw it to.

While I'm on the topic of offense, WTF happened to the running game?  There were several posts prior to the game about this, but honestly I wasn't really concerned.  Did we just forget to run the ball?  It wasn't like we were playing from behind.  Last year we won the Super Bowl because we ran when we needed to, and we stopped the run.  Today we didn't do particularly well at either.  And what was the deal with all of those weird formations, especially at the goal line towards the end of the game?  Why did we have a Trips-Left formation.  Why a 5 wide with Amorasho (Ahmad Rashad is what we call him) and Addai?  I don't think that was the time to start trying new formations.  We could have used a little pass protection in that situation.  What happened to the 2 tight end set that Peyton was so good at?  At least we were a little deceiving when we used that because you didn't know who would stay in and block and who would release to run routes.  Lining up 5 wide at the goal-line is stupid.  It's a perfect time to blitz because you're not going to give up a big play, and you limit the amount of time Peyton has to throw the ball.

On a side note... does anyone else get the feeling that Marvin is done?  Maybe all of those "career threatening" reports were true.  He hasn't been the same, and I think it's safe to say that Wayne is the new #1 in Indy.  

Sorry for the rambling post, but I'll try to sum it up.  We don't gameplan very well for opposing teams.  We have all of the talent in the world, but when teams stop us from "Doing what we do", we don't have anything else to fall back on.  San Diego came up with a plan to attack us, and they executed.  They couldn't run very well, so they threw the ball. We couldn't stop them on 3rd down, and we couldn't convert our own 3rd downs.  This game wasn't Peyton's fault, and it wasn't the defenses fault... it was the coaching staffs.

Now it's on to an uncertain off-season.  Do we resign Jake Scott and/or Lilja?  Does Marvin come back next year as the same player he was in the past?  Do we cut McFarland? Does Rob Morris return? Do we re-sign Dallas? Does Dungy retire? Do I cut Kenton Keith's hands off since he doesn't need them???

Lucas Oil Stadium... here we come.

I posted this as a comment in another Diary, but I wanted to offer my prediction for the rest of the season:  

Here is how the Playoff seeding for the AFC will shape up.

1. Patriots
   
2. Colts
   
3. Steelers
   
4. Chargers
   
5. Jaguars
   
6. Titans

We'll beat the Chargers at home, then we'll beat the Patriots in Foxboro, avenging both regular season losses and advancing to the Super Bowl.

After that, we'll beat the Cowboys in the Super Bowl, forever giving us power to shut Terry up.  

Bill Polian is a genius.

He was sort of second guessed after taking a WR in the 1st round, and then trading a 2008 pick for a LT in the 2nd.  Everyone thought, "We have 2 good WRs and two good Tackles, why would we waste our picks on them?"

Now look.  Imagine a Colts team without Gonzo or Ugoh.  You really know how much you need someone when they're out for a few games.  Glad we'll have these guys back for Jacksonville.

It's time to make the Playoff Push.

It seems like there has been a lot of negativity and discussing things that aren't really productive, so I'd like to promote a discussion about the Colts.  I've been wanting to write this for a couple of weeks, but I finally had time tonight.  

Back in March BigBlueShoe and some other contributers came up with the 5 Things the Colts must do to repeat as Champions.  We're slightly past midseason, but after 2 consecutive losses, I'd say it's time we take a look at our preseason and predraft priorities for this team.

Here is the list of things from the article the Colts must do to repeat:

1. Replenish linebacker corps.
   
2. Fix special teams coverage units.
   
3. Reliable third receiver.
   
4. Development of the offensive line.
   
5. More playmakers along the defensive line.

I'll offer my assessment, but I'm curious to see what you guys think as well.

1. Replenish linebacker corps. A+
I would give this a resounding thumbs up.  Even though we've suffered our share of injuries at the position, people have stepped up.  Hagler did decently when Morris went down.  When Keiaho went down Session came in and performed well.  Have any of you ever thought during a game, "Man, I sure wish Cato June was out there"?  Absolutely not!  This group has been fantastic, and are one of the better linebacking corps in the NFL when healthy.

2. Fix special teams coverage units. F-
Absolutely not.  Let's put it this way:

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/2007/11/14/extra-points/5757/ -17.7 points the 3rd worst in the time they have stats for (since 1996) that's 2 worse performances out of 5,776

3. Reliable third receiver. D
We tried.  I think Gonzo was about to get into a rhythm with this offense, but then Harrison went down and Gonzo got hurt right afterwards.  The truth is as far as wide receiver goes for our team, once you get beyond our starters there is a huge drop-off in talent.  It's hard to believe that we don't have a viable veteran that can act as a possession guy in the slot to take the pressure off of Dallas and Reggie. We need Marvin back to make a serious run deep into the playoffs.

4. Development of offensive line. A
Keep in mind this was written BEFORE the retirement of Tarik Glenn.  We thought we'd be developing the backups, but little did we know we would be replacing a PREMIERE Left Tackle.  Ugoh has been probably the most underrated pick of the 2007 draft.  Can you think of any rookies performing as well as him at the 2nd hardest position in the league?  It's a good sign when you cringe that a Rookie LT is not playing.  Right now we're pretty banged up, but if we can get Diem healthy we'll have our starting unit entact.  I haven't been as confident about our line and our ability to run the ball and protect Peyton in a long time.

5. More playmakers along the defensive line. A-
Absolutely!  It's very unfortunate that we lost Freeney, but we have to move on.  I think we're extremely lucky to have Simeon Rice.  He may not make an immediate impact, and as someone else put it, he won't make us forget about Freeney, but I think he'll be an adequate replacement.  Ed Johnson has performed very well as a starter.  We originally said we couldn't repeat if something happened to Booger, but something did happen and I think we have the talent to overcome that.  As with Cato... it's not often that you think "Man, I wish Booger was in there."  If our D-Line doesn't get it done, the Linebackers do.  If they don't, then the secondary does.  For the first time, all of our defense groups compliment each other.  Defensive line takes care of the rush.  Linebackers are stopping the run, and our secondary is stopping the run and pass.  It's going to be a defensive season this year, and I'm looking forward to it.

Overall:
If we fix the special teams and get Marvin and Gonzo healthy we can make it deep into the playoffs, and maybe make it two in a row.  If not, we have our work cut out for us.  One thing is for sure:  this team is scrappy.  I'm not trying to make excuses, but this team has been shorthanded the past few weeks, and they've fought until the end.  Ultimately they couldn't overcome and lost to better teams.  I don't think this will be a trend, and as we get healthier, we'll return to the dominant form that we're used to as Colts fans.

What do you think?

Just kidding, but Sorgi did sign a 3 year extension according to the Extreme Patriots Suckup Network.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3084852

"It's nice to have some security," Sorgi said following a mop-up stint in the Colts' 31-7 victory over the Carolina Panthers, in which he completed one of two passes for nine yards. "It's a good situation for me."

I'm sorry, but I can't stop myself.  All I hear about is the Patriots, so naturally that is what i'm thinking about.

Does anyone else here see that the 2004 Colts and the 2007 Patriots are completely reversed?  The Pats won the 03/04 SB, and were defending champions in 2004.  The Colts didn't get off to as good of a start, but Peyton caught fire and we started lighting teams up, much like the Patriots are doing.  The media couldn't stop talking about Manning and the Colts all season.  We all know how that season turned out for the "unstoppable" Colts offense that went to New England and put up 3 points on the board in the AFC Divisional game.

Here's to hoping the roles really are reversed.

Also an interesting stat was put up on ESPN last night.  85% of our opponents passes are thrown 10 yards are less. 10% are thrown 10-20 yards, and only 5% are thrown more than 20 yards downfield!!!  The Colts lead the league in the final 2 categories.  This speaks a lot about our pass rush and the strength of our secondary.  Brady isn't going to be able to stand in the pocket for 10 seconds and launch a 50 yard pass in double coverage to Moss and expect him to come up with it.  If they're going to beat us, they're gonna to have to run the ball and sustain drives...  I hope :)

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071005/SPORTS03/71005057

The Colts took a step at addressing depth at wide receiver by signing Craphonso Thorpe to the active roster. He had been on the practice squad. That might be an indication that Harrison will not be available. Thorpe also could be insurance in the return game if Rushing aggravates a hamstring injury.

Also some injury information, but nothing groundbreaking.

I have to say, I was extremely disappointed in the RCA Dome crowd on Sunday.  I was kind of eager to see Stokley return to the Dome, but I didn't anticipate the crowd reaction.  Every time he touched the ball, the crowd booed.  What the hell did Stokley do to any of them besides get hurt and then CUT from the team?  He never said anything bad while he was here, or when he was released.  He was always a professional, and was a part of the most memorable offensive season in Colts history.  He caught number 49 for God's sake!!!!

If you don't like Stokley, then I don't think you really like the Colts.  It's a business, and if you think Stokley would rather be playing with Jay Cutler than Peyton Manning, well you're an idiot.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmonspreview/070907&sportCat=nfl

This is probably the nicest thing he's ever written about Manning and the Colts.  He actually acknowledges that Manning is likely better than Brady.  

My favorite quote: "Given Manning's new ring and Brady's uneven performances in New England's last two playoff exits, even the biggest Patriots homer on the planet (you know, someone like me) can't blindly make the "If my life depended on one big game, I'd choose Brady over Manning" argument anymore without feeling like an enormous homer. Brady can grab the "Lord of the Flies" QB conch back by winning his fourth Super Bowl, but for now, it belongs to Manning."

I know what you're thinking.  It's about time!  Well here are the details.

http://football.fantasysports.yahoo.com/league/stampedeblue
League ID: 130510
Password: bigblueshoe (clever, huh?)

Live Draft: Sunday September 2nd 8:30pm Eastern Time
Max Players: 12 (we can expand to 16 if needed)

We will have the playoffs week 15, 16, and 17.  If the league has 12 teams, 6 will make the playoffs, if the league has 16, then 8 will make it.

Roster Positions:
QB
RB (x2) (If we have 16 teams, we may only have 1 RB)
WR (x2)
TE
K
Defense (Team)
Defense (Player) (x2)
Bench (x6)

The following people have expressed an interest already:
BigBlueShoe
ppr314
PaytonManning
ctnyc
bsanders37
beester
markv0327
ramanohri@gmail.com
joerip
Farris6659
shonuff

The scoring will be pretty standard.  Feel free to take a look and offer any suggestions about improving the league.  I used basically the same settings last year and it was very competitive and seemed to work out well.

I do ask that if you sign up for the league you take it seriously.  I'm not saying you have to make it your life, but it makes it fun if everyone participates and updates their rosters.

I did get an email from someone who is interested in joining the league.  They thought it would be fun to have an actual live draft.  I know a lot of sports bars advertise having FF drafts, but I've never been a part of a live one.  I know not everyone is from Indianapolis, but it could be fun for some of us to get together and talk Colts before the season.

Again, Feel free to sign up and offer any suggestions on improving the league.  We'll make it a democracy.

ppr314
 

I was just wondering if this site has had a league in the past, and if not would you guys be interested in starting one?  I've been a commissioner the past few years for leagues and if no one else wants to take the lead, I'd be more than happy to do it.  Its pretty early, but I like to plan ahead.  I usually try to have the draft between the last week of preseason and the start of the regular season.  Nothing worse than seeing your #1 pick go down for the season in a meaningless game.

BBS and others, let me know your thoughts...