Stampede Blue

Gijon Robinson (concussion) staying home

2009-11-22T04:11:55Z

Gijon Robinson (concussion) staying home

Oesher at IFR reports that Gijon Robinson is not traveling with the team to Baltimore and will not play due to a concussion suffered against the Patriots last Sunday.

He will be kept company by Kelvin Hayden, Anthony Gonzalez, Adam Vinatieri and Dan Federkeil who were previously ruled out.

Tom Santi remains on the roster and may see his first action of the season.

Winning Stats Power Rankings: Week 11

2009-11-22T01:18:54Z

The Colts 35-34 victory over the Patriots last week made some movement at the top of our rankings, as both teams moved up a spot in the Adjusted Rankings. The Colts moved up to #3, and the Patriots now take the top spot, with the 2nd best Offense, and 8th best Defense.

As in previous weeks, I have both the Adjusted and Raw rankings, as well as the Adjusted Strength of Schedule and Future Schedule. Let's get to the rankings:

Here are the rankings for Week 11 (click on headers to sort):

Team	Power Rankings
	Non-Adjusted			Adjusted
	Offense	Defense	Total	Offense	Defense	Total
Patriots	1	12	2	2	8	1
Saints	3	1	1	3	4	2
Colts	2	15	3	1	14	3
Bengals	12	8	9	10	1	4
Steelers	4	13	7	4	13	5
Ravens	5	10	6	7	10	6
Packers	10	4	5	12	6	7
Giants	11	5	8	11	7	8
Vikings	7	7	4	9	12	9
Cowboys	6	19	12	6	22	10
Dolphins	15	18	14	13	16	11
Cardinals	19	6	13	19	5	12
Texans	14	11	11	14	18	13
Eagles	16	2	10	16	9	14
Jets	22	3	15	21	2	15
Broncos	17	16	16	17	11	16
Falcons	9	30	19	5	28	17
Chargers	8	27	18	8	31	18
49ers	27	9	23	27	3	19
Redskins	18	14	17	20	20	20
Bears	20	21	21	18	24	21
Seahawks	21	17	22	23	15	22
Panthers	23	22	24	22	19	23
Jaguars	13	29	20	15	30	24
Titans	25	24	25	25	17	25
Bills	30	20	26	28	21	26
Lions	26	31	28	26	29	27
Buccaneers	28	26	29	29	26	28
Chiefs	29	23	27	30	23	29
Rams	24	32	30	24	32	30
Browns	32	28	32	31	25	31
Raiders	31	25	31	32	27	32

Some thoughts:

The Colts are pretty even between Raw and Adjusted numbers, which means they've played pretty close to a league-average schedule. It's great to see the defensively numbers up as high as they are.
The Bengals are just as good on paper as they are on TV. Look for them to continue winning, as they have the easiest schedule going forward.
Five of the top 6 teams are in the AFC, including 3 teams in the AFC North. The team who makes it out of there should be favored against any team in the Super Bowl.

Here's the schedule strengths:

Team	Strength of Schedule
	Past			Future
	Offense	Defense	Total	Offense	Defense	Total
Browns	1	1	1	32	26	30
Bengals	4	2	2	31	32	32
Broncos	20	3	3	29	22	27
Dolphins	8	4	4	25	13	15
Buccaneers	7	9	5	7	3	4
Lions	15	5	6	2	25	10
Falcons	9	7	7	5	21	19
Titans	10	6	8	28	16	18
Ravens	6	13	9	20	8	4
Bears	3	16	10	8	11	6
Rams	11	12	11	3	30	25
Patriots	12	10	12	11	15	12
Jets	21	14	13	14	6	8
Bills	5	18	14	17	4	7
Steelers	16	15	15	18	23	21
Panthers	27	8	16	1	2	1
49ers	25	11	17	19	29	28
Chargers	18	23	18	26	27	29
Vikings	22	28	19	4	20	16
Colts	13	24	20	13	19	23
Seahawks	24	19	21	12	28	26
Cardinals	17	22	22	23	31	31
Texans	2	31	23	27	14	20
Packers	29	20	24	6	24	17
Raiders	23	21	25	9	7	3
Cowboys	19	24	26	21	10	13
Saints	26	26	27	30	12	22
Giants	28	29	28	16	5	9
Chiefs	32	17	29	22	18	24
Jaguars	14	32	30	9	17	11
Eagles	30	27	31	15	9	14
Redskins	31	30	32	24	1	2

A couple things here:

The Colts have played slightly tougher-than-average defenses, and some mediocre offenses, New England notwithstanding. It will be more of the same for the rest of the season, making the Colts' schedule very manageable.
The Titans play a very easy offensive schedule the rest of the season. I fully expect them to keep Vince Young next year, as long as he continues his current play. I'm ok with that.
A couple weeks ago I thought the Ravens would be a cinch to get to the playoffs. Now? Not so much. They'll have to win at least once against either the Colts or Steelers, and still have to go to Lambeau Field. I'm thinking they'll be on the outside looking in.

College Football- Open Thread

2009-11-21T17:22:15Z

Hello everyone! The college games have started already, and as there were no open threads as of 12:18 PM EDT, I decided to make one(Shake, if you post an open thread, feel free to delete this one). Please talk about today's football action(and maybe LOLcats) here. Some of the early games include:

Minnesota @ 13 Iowa

10 Ohio State @ Michigan

Duke @ 10 Miami

and Chattanooga @ 2 Alabama

Iowa needs a win to lock up a berth in the Capital One Bowl, while a win over the Buckeyes would ceratinly help Michigan's chances for a bowl game.

Know Your Colts History: The Answer in Indy

2009-11-21T16:32:13Z

The recent discussion about whether or not LeBron James would make it as an NFL player, got me thinking about how another NBA player could have had an impact in the NFL, specifically for the Colts.

As we all remember, the 1998 Draft forced Bill Polian to choose between Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf. We all know in hindsight that picking Peyton was the right move, it wasn't such a sure bet at the time. The only thing that could have made that decision more difficult is if there had been a third option for Polian to mull over. If it hadn't been for one player who decided to take his skills to the hardwood, this three-way battle could have occured. The player in question grew up in the Newport News area, home of Mike Vick and Aaron Brooks. Many who live in the area will tell you he player was better than both of them. Of course, we'll never know what kind of football career he could have had, because Allen Iverson decided that he had a better career in basketball.

If Iverson had decided to go into football, he would have graduated in 1998, the same year as Manning and Leaf. Maybe it's silly to propose that Iverson would have been in the discussion to be the top pick, but it's hard to say anything is silly when you're trying to choose between Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf. Once you really take a look at NFL climate at the time, envisioning Iverson as a top NFL draft pick isn't as far-fetched as you might think.

You can look at his size and say that he never would have cut it on the pro level, but as BBS has pointed out many times here, size doesn't matter. Size hasn't stopped Drew Brees, it hasn't stopped Darren Sproles, and it sure didn't stop Barry Sanders. Michael Vick isn't much taller than Iverson. Did his height stop him from being the top pick in 2001 NFL Draft? If you can play, you can play. Clearly, Iverson could play.

You can say that he wouldn't have had the smarts to be a QB at the pro level, but I would counter that by saying that Iverson would have entered the league right as the scrambling quarterback revolution was starting to explode. Kordell Stewart had just finished his first season as full-time starter at quarterback and he guided the Steelers to an 11-5 record. That was good enough to win the AFC Central and the team only lost by a field goal to the eventual Super Bowl champions. Those eventual Super Bowl champions were the Denver Broncos, who were led by a quarterback who could still make plays with his feet. Other scramblers like Steve Young, Tony Banks, Steve McNair, and Mark Brunell also made scrambling quarterbacks hot commodities. More than at any other moment in NFL history, general managers would have been willing to overlook some deficiencies passing the ball in order to get someone who could make plays on the run.

Even if you want to dismiss that Iverson would've been taken seriously as a quarterback in the NFL, he certainly would have possessed the speed and ability to be a shutdown cornerback in the NFL. A defensive back had beaten out Peyton for the Heisman. Who's to say that another one couldn't have taken the top draft spot away from him as well?

Of course, all of this is conjecture. Manning, Leaf, and Iverson all went down separate career paths that made them famous in different ways. For Colts fan, it certainly worked out for the best that things went the way they did. Thinking about any scenario where Peyton Manning doesn't end up in Indianapolis is a scary one, but it is good for making us stop to appreciate what we have and how glad we are that things worked out the way they did. That's what Thanksgiving is all about, right?

Week 11 Colts-Ravens Friday Injury Report

2009-11-20T22:07:49Z

Colts

OUT: Kelvin Hayden, Anthony Gonzaelz, Adam Vinatieri, Aaron Francisco, Dan Federkeil,

Questionable (days of pratice): Dwight Freeney (1), Antoine Bethea (0.5), Eric Foster (1), Pierre Garcon (2), Gijon Robinson (0), Jim Sorgi (0),

Probable: Hank Baskett, Justin Snow

Colts.com

Ravens

OUT: DE/OLB Terrell Suggs, RB Matt Lawrence

Questionable: TE Todd Heap (no practice), DT Haloti Ngata (limited all week)

Probable: C Matt Birk, LB Tavares (T-Good) Gooden, QB Joe Flacco, LB Jarrett Johnson

BaltimoreRavens.com

Colts v. Ravens- Friday injury report

2009-11-20T21:39:54Z

Colts v. Ravens- Friday injury report

Did not participate – OT Dan Federkeil (concussion, out), DB Aaron Francisco (ankle, out); WR Anthony Gonzalez (knee, out), CB Kelvin Hayden (knee, out), TE Gijon Robinson (concussion, questionable), QB Jim Sorgi (right shoulder, questionable), OT Tony Ugoh (not injury related-rested), K Adam Vinatieri (right knee, out).

Looks like Dwight Freeney and Antoine Bethea will play.

NFL Network's RedZone Colts stat of the week: Week Eleven

2009-11-20T21:13:41Z

This post is sponsored by Comcast and their NFL RedZone channel, a new NFL Network channel. Want to see every touchdown from every NFL game as it happens as well as live look-ins to all of Sunday's games in key situations? Then you need Comcast's NFL RedZone.

From Football Outsider's Mike Tanier (via 18to88):

The Colts have the best goal-to-go defense in the NFL according to DVOA.

Even though Indy's pass defense dropped from 9th in yards to 16th in yards following the War of 1812, they've still only allowed 7 TDs. Factor in that the Colts have intercepted 10 balls and forced 10 fumbles, the old tried-and-true Tampa-2 method of forcing teams into mistakes and making them work for TDs continues to work.

Also, for the first time in I don't know how long, Indy's run defense (ranked 14th) is better than the pass defense (16th) in terms of yardage. This means teams have stopped trying to "control the clock" by running the ball, because they know the Colts are good at shutting that down. Also, factor in that New England's passing attack did much of their damage in the first half. After a strong halftime adjustment, the Colts did much better containing Brady and the passing game, forcing them into two turnovers (one an INT in the endzone, another a rather famous turnover-on-downs).

Considering they are doing all this without Kelvin Haden, and I'd say the pass defense is just fine, thank you.

Update on Anthony Gonzalez offers hope he will return soon

2009-11-20T18:59:01Z

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

FILE -- This is an Aug. 4, 2009, file photo showing Indianapolis Colts receiver Anthony Gonzalez during the NFL team's football training camp in Terre Haute, Ind. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)

Browse more photos »

The silver-lining for Anthony Gonzalez's injury in Week One was the rapid, forced development of wide receivers Pierre Garçon and Austin Collie. And while many have expressed frustration that both Garçon and Collie have been erratic throughout the year, the reality is that inconsistency is the hallmark for all young receivers, good and bad. Also, factor in that it usually takes a receiver three years before they finally start looking like they are worth something. Call it the Reggie Wayne Scale, if you must. I remember from 2001-2003, Colts fans (stupidly) applied the "bust" label to Reggie Wayne, maintaining that the Colts should have taken a defensive player (Kyle Vanden Bosch, maybe?), or not traded down to get Wayne and taken a defensive tackle like Ryan Pickett.

This is why fans are fans and Bill Polian is god.

Today, I'm one of the leading schmucks on the Internets who thinks Reggie Wayne is the best wide receiver in football. And if you compare Pierre Garçon's second year numbers (26 catches, 403 yards, 3 TDs) or Austin Collie's rookie numbers (38 catches, 408 yards, 3 TDs) with Reggie Wayne's second year numbers (49 catches for 716 yards and 4 TDs) you see that both young receivers are well on their way to developing into good players.

Again, this kind of development likely would not have happened had Anthony Gonzalez not gotten hurt.

In a recent Mike Chappell article for the Indy Star, we get an update on Gonzo, who is recovering from surgery earlier this month to help heal his injured knee. Gonzo aggravated the injury (which he initially sustained against the Jaguars) during his rehab process. Now, Gonzo is saying he feels "close" again:

"I felt like I was close the last time," Gonzalez said. "So in that sense, it's a little hard to say. I do feel the 'scope I had helped a lot. Now it's just a matter of getting a little flexibility back and all my strength back.
"But I think I'm close."

In yet another season where key components of the team have gone down with injury, such as the oft-injured Bob Sanders (done for the year), the addition of an important cog like Gonzo to an offense as impressive as the Colts could provide a serious jolt during the December push for playoff seeding.

However, we Colts fans have been through this injury roller-coaster before with another wide receiver, Marvin Harrison. The constant "Will he? Won't he?" for Harrison in 2007 drove me nuts from week to week after Harrison sustained a seemingly career-ending knee injury. With Gonzo, I have no wish to relive that torture. If he does come back, he offers another potent weapon to stretch the field for Peyton Manning.

But, it is important to point out the Garçon and Collie have played well enough (overall) to retain their roles. These two guys have grown up as players right before our eyes. It will be interesting to see how the Colts work with them once Gonzo gets back into the fold.

Tip to Z.Pain

Week Eleven Preview: Colts at Ravens

2009-11-20T16:23:22Z

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

Indianapolis Colts quarterback and supposed John Unitas clone Peyton Manning (18) uses the Vulcan head touch to sap the knowledge from Senior Offensive Coordinator Tom Moore's brain. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Browse more photos »

(Warning: This Colts v. Ravens preview is sans Mayflower trucks because, quite honestly, we've been there and done that. Most rational, civilized, well-adjusted people are over it already. Those that aren't need a life).

We made a big brew-ha-ha earlier this year about Baltimore native Barry Levinson's well produced but painfully flawed ESPN documentary titled ~~The Band That Wouldn't Let It Go~~ The Band That Wouldn't Die. The doc's story centered on the old Baltimore Colts marching band and their efforts to keep the spirit of football alive in the city of Baltimore after the Colts left town in favor of Indianapolis in March of 1984. ESPN probably should have waited until this week to air the doc, as it would have likely stirred up the fanbases in both Baltimore and Indy just in time for the now-seemingly annual Colts v. Ravens showdown.

Since 2004, the Colts have played the Ravens at least once a year. With this Sunday's game, the Colts will have played in Baltimore four times while the Ravens have traveled to Indy twice. In all the previous contests, the Colts have flat out owned the Ravens. Whether under the night lights of primetime TV, or in the pressure-packed moments of the playoffs, the Colts have consistently put their foot on the throats of the Ravens and strangled the life out of them each and every time.

Yet, despite the seemingly annual match-up, there does not seem to be any sort of animosity or hatred between the two teams. The reason for this: Peyton Manning. Baltimore fans and players seem to respect Peyton Manning more than any other QB in the league. I've heard more than a few fans from the "City of Firsts" say that Peyton Manning is as close to a clone of Johnny Unitas as they've ever seen. He even walks like unitas did, they say. There is also mutual respect from Colts players towards greats like Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, and Ravens coach John Harbaugh (brother of former-Colts quarterback Jim Harbaugh, a longtime fan favorite).

With this year's match-up, the rivalry now has the added dimension of a potent Ravens offense, led by a very impressive QB named Joe Flacco, and a Colts defense that, right now, is playing better football than the Ravens defense has this season.

John Unitas; quite simply, THE man

Image: pictopia.com

First and foremost, I'm a huge Joe Flacco fan. He's a better QB than Matt Ryan, absolutely no question about it. While Ryan is a cool customer who shows an impressive knowledge of the game of football, there is nothing Ryan does better than Flacco. In fact, from what I have seen, Flacco has a better arm and has been able to do more with less than Ryan has.

The Ravens offense is one of the best in football, averaging roughly 25 points per game behind a passing attack from Flacco that has generated 12 TDs and only 7 INTs. The Ravens also boast an impressive ground game behind (arguably) the most under-rated RB in all of football: Ray Rice. Baltimore's rushing attack averages 4.3 yards a carry and has scored 12 TDs. Just like when the Colts had to travel to Tennessee earlier this season and shut down all-world runner Chris Johnson, stopping Rice and the Ravens ground game will be top priority for the Colts defense.

Raymond Berry, one of my favorite players of all time

Image: www.profootballhof.com

What has been odd of late has been the play of Baltimore's defense. Though they are only surrendering 17 ppg (ranked 5th in the league), there have been some games this season where the Ravens D has fallen way short of the high expectations we fans set for them. They lost three in a row in October, allowing teams like the Patriots and Vikings to score seemingly at will on them. They righted their ship by defeating the then-undefeated Broncos, but have been a bit erratic ever since. The recent loss of Terrell Suggs will hurt their D, and while they certainly miss the play of departed linebacker Bart Scott (who signed with the Jets this past off-season) you absolutely cannot discount a defense with Lewsi, Reed, and all-galaxy defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, who is the cousin of Colts rookie Fili Moala.

Keys to the game:

Stop the run. In the Ravens two loses to their division rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore's running game was limited. While Flacco is certainly capable of flinging the football around with the best of them, if you take away the running game and force him to throw more than he is comfortable, the results are often turnovers.
Robert Mathis v. Michael Oher. Oher's story is certainly worthy of a movie, but even if he did not come from abject poverty, Oher's story as an impressive rookie is very much worthy of respect on its own. Still, with Dwight Freeney likely to get loads of attention, Mathis must beat Oher and pressure Flacco. Mathis' play Sunday night was a big difference, flustering Tom Brady and hurrying his throws. Mathis must have a similar impact against Flacco.
The Patriots focused their defense on Dallas Clark, and the Ravens might do the same. Ed Reed might glue himself to Clark in an attempt to take away Peyton's ace. The Colts must counter this by either moving Clark around (playing him outside, in the slot, or as an H-Back), dictating to the Ravens how they should cover him. Clark is currently third in the league in catches with 64 and 5th in the league in yards. Clark's a tight end, folks. I don't know if I've ever seen a tight end have these kinds of numbers.
Ray Lewis is a student of the game, and he is correct in his praise of the Colts running game. Indy has made it a point to stick with the run, especially in the fourth quarter. The results speak for themselves. For three straight games, the Colts have used good, smart, hard running to close out games in the fourth. With rookie Donald Brown back from his shoulder injury and Chad Simpson flexing his muscles a bit as a running back (36 yards on 4 carries last week), Joseph Addai might finally get some help carrying the load for this team. Also, the decision to start Kyle DeVan at right guard over Mike Pollak has made a difference. Running plays to the right are no longer the lost cause they were earlier in the year.

Gino Marchetti (89) was Dwight Freeney long before Dwight Freeney was Dwight Freeney

Image: assets.espn.go.com

Sunday's game will also feature the return of Ravens legend Matt Stover, who spent 13 seasons in Baltimore as their kicker. The Ravens let him go this past off-season, and it was a decision they now openly regret. Stover has been damn impressive filling in for an injured Adam Viantieri. Meanwhile, the Ravens cut the kicker they replaced Stover with, and are now handing the kicking job to journeyman Billy Cundiff.

After a whale of a comeback against the Patriots last week, traveling to Baltimore will prove another tough physical and mental hurdle for the Colts to overcome. They've done this kind of thing before this season, winning a thriller against the Dolphins and then going on the road to face the Cardinals, who they spanked in their house. This will be Indy's first road game in nearly a month. You could really say this is Indy's first road game in almost six weeks. Their last "road" game was at St. Louis against the Rams, where it seemed there were more Colts fans in the stands than rams fans. Indy's last true "road game" was Week Five at Nashville against the then 0-5 Titans.

This road test will likely prove a strong one for the Colts as the Ravens are a very good football team. For more insight into the game, please visit Baltimore Beatdown, SB Nation's outstanding Ravens blog.

Thursday Night Football Open Thread

2009-11-19T23:53:55Z

Well, this will probably be rolled into something on the front page (right you are -shake), but I'm bored now so I wanted to start the open thread now. Please feel free to talk about basically anything, even football if that's your fancy. Some people might ask that you limit pictures of cat's and other memory killers. I'm not one of them. We have one of the best open thread communities in all of SB Nation and therefore anywhere, so let's stick with what got us here.

It'll be up to Sticky Ricky and Pat White to run the Phins wildcat with Ronnie Brown IR'ed

Also on the docket are our game against the Baltimore Ravens this Sunday, and there seems to be plenty to talk about. Injuries, matchups, smack talk, Baltimore whining about losing a team they acted like they cared about but really didn't, Mayflower trucks, and more.

So guy's, let's get ready for some ~~LOLCats~~Football!

Thursday Colts Injury Report

2009-11-19T22:28:57Z

Thursday Colts Injury Report

Hank Baskett, Pierre Garcon and Justin Snow returned to practice after missing yesterday. 9 players (Bethea, Federkeil, Foster, Fransisco, Gonzalez, Gijon, Hayden, Sorgi and Vinny) remained sidelined with injuries.

Dwight Freeney who was given yesterday off, missed today with a hip injury and Austin Collie missed practice for non-injury reasons.

Stampede Blue Prediction Contest Results Week 10, Link for Week 11

2009-11-19T17:27:41Z

Week 10 was a real struggle this week, thanks to quite a few unexpected winners:

Only 1 person picked the Redskins to win (shake n bake, that bastard).
Twelve people (out of 53) picked the Packers to beat the Cowboys.
Fourteen people picked the Panthers, and only 14 picked the Jaguars.

As a side note, our "experts" from USA Today and Yahoo! were almost unanimous in picking the Patriots (only Skip Wood being smart). I'm sure they also still think the Patriots are better, regardless of the final score. And they get paid to think these things...

This week in the Against the Spread contest, we had one winner, sandsaver01. He/She got 12/15 games correct, which is unbelievable (especially to me, who only got 4 right). Great week. Our leaderboard after 10 weeks looks like this:

Against the Spread
Name	Week 6	Week 7	Week 8	Week 9	Week 10	Total
shoein	8	7	6	6	7	82
bluegirl	6	8	7	9	8	81
TouchdownMonkey	6	10	9	6	9	80
bobzilla3	9	9	6	5	7	80
zkmavz	7	10	7	6	6	80
The Lawn Wrangler	7	7	7	6	7	80

In the Straight Up contest, we had four people get 12/15 games correct! They are:

bluegirl
chano14
EnSsRex
enjyinlife

Congratulations! The leaderboard for the Straight Up contest looks like this:

Straight Up
Name	Week 6	Week 7	Week 8	Week 9	Week 10	Total
shoein	11	9	10	8	11	105
Gmachine!	9	9	9	10	11	105
JustinPugh	9	10	10	9	11	103
bluegirl	7	9	10	9	12	102
emiller17	9	8	8	9	9	100

shoein still has a share of the lead in both contests, but he's falling farther behind Bill Simmons, who has bounced back from his horrible Week 8.

After the jump you'll see the full leaderboard. Remember there is a game tonight, and you can place your picks either in the comments here, or in the FanShot I posted yesterday. I'm not sure what my availability will be on Sunday, but I'll to get the link posted for everyone's picks before the games start.

Stampede Blue Prediction Contest Picks Week 10

Stampede Blue Prediction Contest Week 11, open until 1:00 ET Sunday

Against the Spread:

Name	Week 6	Week 7	Week 8	Week 9	Week 10	Total
Bill Simmons - ESPN	9	7	4	8	9	87
Dave Richard - CBS Sports	9	8	7	8	9	83
shoein	8	7	6	6	7	82
bluegirl	6	8	7	9	8	81
TouchdownMonkey	6	10	9	6	9	80
bobzilla3	9	9	6	5	7	80
zkmavz	7	10	7	6	6	80
The Lawn Wrangler	7	7	7	6	7	80
Road	9	9	8	9	6	77
PB	10	9	6	8	8	76
Clark Judge - CBS Sports	7	7	6	5	7	76
torontocoltsfan	6	8	4	6	8	76
MrNFL	4	8	5	6	6	75
Underdogs	9	2	7	10	9	74
sandsaver01	9	10	5	8	12	73
emiller17	8	8	5	6	7	73
peytonsurdaddy	7	6	6	6	6	73
mgrex03	5	6	7	7	4	73
Power Ranking	5	10	4	3	6	73
ColtsFanNChiTown	5	10	2	7	6	72
shake n bake	8	5	6	9	7	71
Orren's Boy	6	11	4	5	8	71
Harmon Predictor - CBS Sports	6	10	2	6	6	71
Cassieper	3	9	8	5	6	70
Favorites	5	11	6	3	6	70
Spin Predictor - CBS Sports	5	9	5	6	6	68
Shimn	8	10	6	3	6	67
UnofficialPants	6	6	6	3	10	67
Pete Prisco - CBS Sports	4	8	5	6	7	67
Home	5	4	5	4	9	67
burncruisin	8	9	7	0	0	65
KingRichard	8	6	4	0	0	64
PeytonUL18	6	7	6	5	7	63
Peter Madden - CBS Sports	5	9	4	5	4	61
kubladawn	9	0	8	6	0	61
ColtsFanFromHawaii	6	6	7	8	5	60
Darth Ventura	5	7	7	6	5	58
Memphis Red Dogs	9	8	8	0	0	54
marvinindy	6	9	6	9	5	51
passdinho	4	8	0	7	4	49
slckrsmitty	7	7	5	0	0	49
JV1241	0	9	7	9	5	46
Dave	4	8	0	0	0	45
bohephus	5	9	3	9	5	44
misterC	0	9	3	8	9	44
SpazMo	8	6	6	0	0	42
scottishcoltsfan	6	0	0	0	0	39
costragas	8	10	5	9	5	37
Daveinindy	0	9	0	0	0	34
enjyinlife	6	7	0	0	0	28
shag dog	0	8	6	0	0	22
CarmelKevin	0	9	4	0	7	20
Power Ranking Adj	0	0	0	5	6	11
bigred	0	10	0	0	0	10
lolo	0	9	0	0	0	9
BlueU	0	8	0	0	0	8
bohica	8	0	0	0	0	8
Disco Stu	0	8	0	0	0	8
Dodd53	8	0	0	0	0	8
jammer6303	0	0	0	8	0	8
justin37013	0	8	0	0	0	8
Mark Lempke	0	0	8	0	0	8
diagenesis	0	0	0	0	6	6
banhouse	0	0	0	4	0	4

Straight Up:

Name	Week 6	Week 7	Week 8	Week 9	Week 10	Total
shoein	11	9	10	8	11	105
Gmachine!	9	9	9	10	11	105
JustinPugh	9	10	10	9	11	103
bluegirl	7	9	10	9	12	102
emiller17	9	8	8	9	9	100
Merrill Hoge - ESPN	8	9	8	10	11	100
Michael Silver - Yahoo!	10	10	10	9	10	98
oldecoltsfan	9	8	8	9	10	98
Sean Leahy - USA Today	9	8	8	9	9	98
TouchdownMonkey	6	9	9	8	10	98
Pete O'Brien - USA Today	9	10	7	9	6	98
zkmavz	9	11	7	9	8	97
shake n bake	6	11	6	9	11	97
Accuscore - ESPN	8	10	10	7	8	97
Adam Schefter - ESPN	8	11	6	8	9	97
Chris Mortensen - ESPN	6	8	9	8	8	97
Nate Davis - USA Today	11	9	8	9	7	96
Charles Robinson - Yahoo!	10	10	7	8	8	96
Shimn	10	9	8	7	9	96
Coltsdude1000	8	11	8	7	8	96
tim55	8	9	8	8	9	96
Mike Golic - ESPN	7	9	10	10	8	96
Mark "Stink" Schlereth - ESPN	9	8	8	10	8	96
jammer6303	8	10	8	9	9	95
Favorites	8	11	9	7	9	95
Coltsfaninoklahoma1	8	8	9	7	11	95
Cassieper	5	8	8	10	11	95
peytonsthebest	6	8	8	9	10	95
piojocuau	8	8	9	6	10	95
Seth Wickersham - ESPN	6	10	6	9	11	95
Ufanforreal	8	10	9	8	10	94
Jarrett Bell - USA Today	8	8	9	10	9	94
sandsnake	8	10	8	8	10	94
Gary Mihoces - USA Today	7	10	9	9	7	94
The Lawn Wrangler	9	9	8	8	8	94
Tom Pedulla - USA Today	7	8	9	10	8	94
sanders_murks_cats	9	10	8	9	11	93
skywalker	8	9	11	8	10	93
Jason Cole - Yahoo!	8	8	10	8	8	92
MrNFL	8	8	9	7	9	92
Eric Allen - ESPN	8	9	9	10	9	92
Power Ranking	6	10	7	7	7	92
peytonsurdaddy	8	8	9	8	8	91
PB	7	9	8	8	9	90
mgrex03	6	6	10	7	10	90
coltsgirl81	9	8	6	5	8	90
Jim Corbett - USA Today	8	8	9	7	8	89
Pythagorean	8	8	7	8	8	89
Ron Jaworski - ESPN	8	8	7	6	8	89
bobzilla3	9	10	10	9	9	87
Skip Wood - USA Today	9	6	7	8	7	84
Coin Flip	6	7	6	10	8	83
chano14	9	8	8	6	12	82
PeytonUL18	7	8	8	8	9	82
Home	8	4	8	8	10	82
Indy Lori	6	10	8	7	10	81
roggae	8	9	6	9	8	80
kubladawn	10	0	9	8	0	80
KrouseingTiger	7	10	9	5	9	77
jedye	0	11	10	0	10	77
i9x	6	7	6	8	9	76
EnSsRex	0	9	9	7	12	75
Marshall Plan	9	7	5	6	8	75
JakeTheSnake	6	6	0	8	11	75
Memphis Red Dogs	10	8	10	0	0	74
KingRichard	12	9	0	0	0	72
JV1241	9	10	7	9	11	70
marvinindy	7	8	9	9	8	69
payne	4	7	9	11	10	69
vintagephoenix	10	9	9	0	0	69
James Buchanan	10	8	0	0	0	69
honeybear	9	8	8	0	0	68
gizzardfanny	9	10	7	0	0	67
shelbyjames	10	12	0	0	0	66
DFWColtFan	8	9	8	0	0	65
Road	6	9	5	5	5	62
bohephus	7	8	8	10	9	61
burncruisin	9	9	9	0	0	58
SpazMo	9	7	8	0	0	55
Mavericky	9	8	7	0	11	53
ANGELSFAITH	9	9	8	7	10	52
misterC	0	8	8	8	9	52
Underdogs	6	2	4	6	6	49
costragas	9	8	9	10	9	45
hahasound	8	8	0	0	0	42
Daveinindy	0	10	0	0	0	42
Dave	6	8	0	0	0	41
onearmedboxer	0	10	0	0	11	40
DnastyDM	0	9	9	0	0	40
enjyinlife	0	0	6	8	12	36
bluemagic	6	0	0	0	0	33
diagenesis	5	9	6	8	0	28
jkwright6504	8	10	0	0	0	28
kdgriffith	0	7	8	0	0	27
Teddybear78	0	10	7	0	9	26
Heeringa	0	0	7	8	9	24
anitrimi	0	0	0	10	11	21
cwill111	0	9	0	0	0	21
szquirrel	8	11	0	0	0	19
shag dog	0	9	8	0	0	17
Z.Pain	8	9	0	0	0	17
specopskid	0	8	0	0	0	17
arizonajason	0	0	8	8	0	16
dDogg	0	0	6	0	10	16
BigBlueDawg	7	0	0	0	0	15
Power Ranking Adj	0	0	0	7	7	14
colts_and_cavs_in_09!	0	10	0	0	0	10
dclark#44	0	10	0	0	0	10
Disco Stu	0	10	0	0	0	10
MVPeyton1887	0	0	9	0	0	9
PacersColtsWSox	0	9	0	0	0	9
medicblue	0	0	0	0	9	9
bradherold	0	0	8	0	0	8
patndan	0	0	0	8	0	8
jabux13	0	7	0	0	0	7

I mean, I can’t say enough about Reggie Wayne,’’ Belichick said. "That guy is the best receiver we c...

2009-11-19T13:53:02Z

I mean, I can’t say enough about Reggie Wayne,’’ Belichick said. "That guy is the best receiver we cover every year and it seems like he just keeps getting better. I thought the routes he ran and the catches he made were nothing short of spectacular, with the go route, the two touchdown catches, the third-down conversion on the corner route in front of our bench. He’s a tremendous receiver and he had some production against us.’’

Bill Belichick on Reggie Wayne, who is better than Randy Moss, in my not-so-humble opinion.

Wednesday Injury Report

2009-11-18T23:33:27Z

Troublingly long injury report today. Kelvin Hayden, Anthony Gonzalez, Adam Vinatieri and Jim Sorgi are still out. They were joined by Hank Baskett (Illness), Antoine Bethea (Foot), Dan Federkiel (concussion), Eric Foster (back), Aaron Francisco (ankle), Pierre Garcon (ankle), Gijon Robinson (concussion), Justin Snow (elbow).

Colts.com link

Gee, you think the Ravens regret letting Matt Stover walk?

2009-11-18T16:46:10Z

More photos » by AJ Mast - AP

6 days ago: Indianapolis Colts kicker Matt Stover (3) kicks the game winning extra point during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009 in Indianapolis. Colts beat Patriots 35-34. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

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Yesterday, the Baltimore Ravens cut kicker Steven Hauschka . Hauschka was handed the starting place kicker job during the off-season after Ravens management decided not to re-sign longtime, legendary kicker Matt Stover who, like Adam Vinatieri, has made a career making big, money, clutch field goals.

Gee, you think Ravens football guru Ossie Newsome regrets that stupid decision?

Prior to getting cut, Hauschka was hitting only 3-5 field goals between 40 and 49 yards and had missed two FGs from less than 39 yards. Against the Cleveland Browns Monday night, Hauschka missed a gimme FG from 36 yards out. Apparently, that's was all Newsome needed to see.

Stover, meanwhile, has found a temporary home with the team that used to play in Baltimore, the Colts. With fellow legend Adam Vinatieri on the shelf for a while recovering from surgery, Stover has come in and been his usual, automatic self. He is 6-6 on FG attempts, hitting all four tries in the 30 to 39 yard range. While sTover likely does not have the leg power to blast a 53-yarder through the uprights, he does do what every good kicker is paid very handsomely to do: Make the gimme FGs.

This is why, for my money, kickers with "big legs" are over-rated. Give me the clutch kickers any day; the guys who make the FGs when the game is on the line. Sure, even the great ones miss one or two here and there, but more often than not they are the ones who propel your team to wins by hitting the big money FG.

Guys like Stover and Vinatieri have made their careers doing that. This weekend, the Colts and Stover will return "home" to Baltimore. Hopefully, he can provide the Ravens with even more regret for letting him walk away from their franchise.

Stampede Blue Prediction Contest Link, Week 11

2009-11-18T16:15:13Z

Stampede Blue Prediction Contest Link, Week 11

I'm in DC working so results will come tonight/tomorrow, but wanted to get a link for next week up. Feel free to put your Thursday night picks in this thread, if you don't want to pick all the games before Sunday.

Established media clearly did not like the outcome of Patriots v. Colts Sunday night

2009-11-18T16:07:25Z

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

5 days ago: Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning reacts after he threw a touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009. The Colts won 35-34.(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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This is one of the rare times I link to a Cold Hard Football Facts article. I find many of their writers there pen pieces that read more like a third grader's show-and-tell essay rather than informed sports media. One of their particular points of annoyingly ignorant emphasis is to state that the play of Peyton Manning in the playoffs has been consistently sub-par throughout his career. Despite a myriad of statistical evidence that simply does not back up their claim, some of them still hold onto the dated notion that Manning "folds" in crunch time. And I'm sure that some of those people are likely dismissing Manning's fourth quarter brilliance against the Patriots Sunday as just another Manning moment in the regular season.

They're just haters, and they don't like being wrong. Sad, if you think about it.

However, CHFF did make a great observation after the Patriots v. Colts Sunday night thriller, and it is something we here have noticed: The established media is clearly annoyed the Colts won the game.

Contrary to popular belief, corporate media houses like ESPN come into games with a set story, or narrative, that they plug from beginning to middle to end. They hit this narrative time, and time, and time again, and if the game shows even the slightest inkling of their narrative's "truth," they hit it even harder after the game.

For example, lots of people said the Patriots would attack the Colts injured secondary, which they did. By quarter three, the narrative was in place. The Patriots had attacked Indy's secondary, scored a bunch of points, and thus a "W" for New England was guaranteed.

Then, the fourth quarter happened, forcing all these lazy media jackals to change their pre-written stories, sit through a late night of football, and watch the Colts beat the Patriots despite the fact that New Engalnd did exactly what they wanted to do... and yet still lost.

When the game doesn't go as the established planned it to go, when their "analysis" is shown up for the massive, stinking pile of manure it usually is, that tends to kind of annoy the big media powers. This is why you are seeing so many columnists and media personalities essentially dismiss the Colts beating the Patriots (again), and blaming the Pats loss not on the team folding in the 4th quarter (which they did) but on Bill Belichick's terrible coaching decision on 4th and 2.

I mean, the loss cannot possibly be explained as the Colts simply being better than the Patriots. I mean, HA! That thought is ludicrous! I mean, forget that Indy has now only beaten New England five of the last six meeting, with three of those meetings being 4th quarter comeback wins. Peyton Manning and the Colts offense have absolutely torched the Patriots defense in literally every game since 2005. Defensive end Robert Mathis has given Tom Brady fits. And even without Brady Bane Bob Sanders playing, his replacement (Melvin Bullitt) played an outstanding game, especially on the now infamous 4th and 2 play.

Here's the truth about this game, whether big media or Patriots apologists want to admit it or not:

The Colts, right now, are better than the Patriots. No debate. No question. Indy outscored them 21-10 in the fourth quarter and smothered their offense for much of the second half.
Randy Moss disappeared in the 4th quarter while Reggie Wayne made big catch after big catch. If you are going to tell me Moss is better than Wayne, I will have no choice but to laugh in your face and insult your mother. Great players show up in the 4th quarter. Moss had one catch for 8 yards in quarter four following his very early 5 yard TD grab at the 14:18 mark.
The Patriots are flat out scared of Peyton Manning. The only thing that motivates the 4th and 2 call is not "guts" or "stones" or "unconventional coaching." It's fear. Belichick had no faith in his defense late in the game, and why should he. Brandon Meriweather had only one tackle for the whole game and Jerod Mayo's name was never called in the 4th. Manning had worked two TD drives, each taking roughly 2 minutes and going the length of the field. Whether giving Manning a 28 yard field or a 65 yard field, Belichick felt he would score a TD on his defense. Thus, 4th and 2. If you try to sell me or anyone else with at least two marbles in their head, you are barking up the wrong tree. If you didn't see that call as anything other than fear, you're blind.

The last point there is likely why so many schmucks are having trouble understanding this game. The narrative out there is that Belichick fears no one. He's a "genius" after all. For years, he "owned" Peyton Manning. He could just whip up any defense and it would be enough to stop the supposedly "great" QB.

Again, I don't think people who really think this nonsense have been paying attention.

Peyton Manning has dominated the Patriots and their defense for the better part of four years. Whether it is coming back to win in the 4th quarter, or dropping 41 40 points on them in their house, they simply have not found a way to stop him. Hell, they can't even slow him down!

So, please excuse me when I say that those who think Belichick isn't afraid of Manning need to STFU already! The guy is terrified of Manning! And he damn well should be. And despite the fact that the Colts are 9-0 and have beaten better quality opponents than the Saints (who nearly friggin lost to the Rams this weekend), we still have some idiots, like Yahoo's Charles Robinson, who do not consider the Colts the best team in football right now. Hell, Robinson thinks the Bengals are better!

When it is all said and done, power rankings and media opinions mean nothing. At least one of the teams playing in the Super Bowl will likely be a club people will go "Huh?" about. What frustrates me is that after winning in impressive fashion, beating a tough opponent at their own game, and standing (currently) at 9-0, no one is talking about the Colts as an dominant football team. They just won their 18th straight regular season game, which broke a record set by (guess who!) the New England Patriots. Yet, no one is talking about the Colts? AGAIN! Hell, in Vic Carucci's little mind, the 9-0 Colts are not good, just lucky (Tip to t thebossuzzi). I mean, WHAT! 18 straight wins via blind, stinking luck?

It's sad. It's head scratching. It's typical big media hate for the Colts.

If our team were the Cowboys, Ravens, or (hell!) even the Raiders right now sitting in the same position, you'd see a lot more coverage. The sad reality is that no one gives a turd about a great team from Indianapolis. Even with the best football player on the planet playing on our team, no one in big media gets excited about Indy.

And because of this bias, thus we have blogs like this one and sites like CHFF.

Week 10: Inside the Numbers

2009-11-18T04:00:34Z

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

Manning asking Brady if he likes apples. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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I, much like shake, had already started the "This is why the Colts lost" edition of Inside the Numbers in my head. They had too many 3 and Outs. They turned the ball over twice. The drive stats, without actually seeing the numbers, felt bad.

I'm glad I didn't have to write that.

Instead, I get to write about how the Patriots "outplayed" the Colts, in terms of the Winning Stats, but didn't score more points than the Colts, and that's really all that matters in the end. Some notes from the game:

NBC flashed a stat at the end of the game...This was the first time in Bill Belichick's career as a head coach he surrendered a 13+ point lead in the 4th quarter. The previous record was 12 points in 2000 against the Jets.
They also flashed a stat that Tom Brady was 25-2 when throwing for 300 yards, which is well above average. Well, he's 25-3 now. Peyton Manning, for the record, is 34-21 in his career, and 8-0 this season. As an aside, if you want a historical look at all QB's records when they pass for 300 yards vs. 100 yard rushers, check out the PFR blog from today.
Dwight Freeney's consecutive games with a sack ended at 9, one short of the NFL record. That rookie came to play, and on the couple plays he did get beat, he had some help. Thems the breaks, but I don't think Freeney is too upset today about it.
The farther I get from the 4th and 2, the more I think Belichick was correct in his decision. The play call, however, was a classic Brady staple. Remember in 2007, when Brady went to Troy Brown on 3rd and 4, with just over 2 minutes to go? Bob Sanders knew (as did I) who Brady was going to, and what route he was running, as he almost picked off the pass and took it to the house. I had little doubt, when I saw Faulk motion out of the backfield, that that was where he was going with the ball, and the same route. Thankfully Melvin Bullitt was on top of things, and made the play of the game.

Let's get to those numbers...

Here are the stats from Week 10:

Statistic	Offense	Rank	Defense	Rank	Off/Def Above	Off/Def Below	Record
DSR	76.9%	5	73.7%	19	N	N	3-0
ANPY/A	6.800	11	8.614	26	N	N	6-0
Turnovers	2	15	2	6	N	N	8-2
Yds/Drive	29.07	16	34.07	19	N	N	3-1
ToP/Drive	1:47.0	30	2:30.1	14	N	N	5-0
Yds/Play	6.460	7	6.625	27	N	N	3-0
First Downs/Drive	1.79	12	1.71	17	N	N	4-1
3rd/4th Down	41.7%	12	46.7%	22	N	N	4-2
Avg Start Pos	23.6	26	32.1	23	N	Y	5-2
3 and Outs	5	16	5	9	N	N	3-1
RZ Eff	100.0%	1	64.3%	15	Y	N	6-3
Plays/Drive	4.500	27	5.143	10	N	N	3-4
Penalty Yds / Play	0.317	3	1.000	13	Y	N	5-3
RB Success	61.1%	3	42.9%	12	Y	N	3-6
Yds/Carry	5.06	8	4.04	11	Y	N	4-4
Net Punts Yds/Game	31.71	29	44.00	25	N	Y	1-5
Ranking - Week (30)	14		20		21
Ranking - Season (288)	137		176		173

Some thoughts:

It is true that the Patriots "outplayed" the Colts in many facets of the game, but didn't "outplay" them in the one stat that truly counts. This is the 2nd time this season the Colts have won a game that the Winning Stats have said they shouldn't have (Dolphins). The Patriots have also had a game of their own where they were "outplayed" but won (Ravens).
Drive Success Rate was much better for the offense than it looked on TV. I think I got my view skewed by the fact it was either a 3 and out, or a TD drive. The offense did well in this.
The offense was worst in the league this week in Time of Possession / Drive. You can take that with a grain of salt, as the last 3 TD drives took 2:04, 1:49, and 1:47. And the last one clearly could have been a lot quicker.
Here's what I said about Red Zone efficiency on Sunday Morning:

I think today's game will come down to which team scores Touchdowns in the Red Zone, and which one kicks Field Goals.

The Colts were in the Red Zone 3 times, and scored 3 Touchdowns. The Patriots were in the Red Zone 6 (!?!) times, came away with 3 Touchdowns, 2 FGs, and a fumble. I'm getting good at this game.
Check out the Rushing Stats, both offensively and defensively! It doesn't win games on its own, but it certainly helps. They keep getting better by the week.
The Patriots were only above average on both sides of the ball in 2 stats (Avg. Start Pos. and Net Punt Yds), while the Colts were in 4 stats. Maybe the Patriots didn't "outplay" the Colts as much as "experts" said they did.

Here are the season stats:

Statistic	Offense	Rank	Best	Defense	Rank	Best	Record	Win %
DSR	78.2%	1	Colts	68.2%	12	Jets	59-5	0.922
ANPY/A	7.891	2	Saints	4.464	5	Bills	74-5	0.937
Turnovers	1.11	4	Packers	1.89	6	Saints	65-15	0.813
Yds/Drive	38.40	1	Colts	29.33	19	Giants	63-8	0.887
ToP/Drive	2:44.5	16	Steelers	2:51.1	25	Saints	62-18	0.775
Yds/Play	6.356	2	Saints	4.914	7	Jets	61-11	0.847
First Downs/Drive	2.13	2	Patriots	1.70	21	Giants	53-12	0.815
3rd/4th Down	49.6%	2	Dolphins	44.8%	29	Cardinals	52-12	0.813
Avg Start Pos	28.0	25	Vikings	27.0	9	Ravens	68-15	0.819
3 and Outs	2.67	2	Cowboys	3.89	18	Texans	44-16	0.733
RZ Eff	71.4%	5	Buccaneers	61.5%	11	Steelers	42-24	0.636
Plays/Drive	6.043	3	Patriots	5.970	29	Giants	48-24	0.667
Penalty Yds / Play	0.618	2	Jaguars	0.865	11	Seahawks	75-52	0.591
RB Success	48.7%	10	Dolphins	47.3%	20	Steelers	50-26	0.658
Yds/Carry	3.85	25	Titans	4.27	15	49ers	31-36	0.463
Net Punts Yds/Game	38.92	19	Raiders	42.38	30	Patriots	32-32	0.500
Overall	2		Patriots	15		Saints

A couple things here:

Eleven of Sixteen stats the Colts are in the top 5 offensively, including the top 4. Half of them they are in the top 2. That's pretty awesome.
Defense keeps slowly getting better. Check out Yards / Carry, as the defense is now in the top half of the league! That is completely unexpected, and I'm thrilled
ANPY/A is winning at 93.7% this season, best of the stats. I'm also impressed with the RB Success Rate, winning almost 2 of every 3 games.

The end is nigh for Tony Ugoh and Mike Pollak

2009-11-17T17:28:22Z

In possibly the biggest game yet for the 2009 season, Colts coach Jim Caldwell left 2007 second round pick Tony Ugoh and 2008 second round pick Mike Pollak inactive for the game. They were not hurt. They were not disciplined for an off-the-field incident. They seemed to be left inactive because... well, they just plain suck right now.

Their replacements on the line (Charlie Johnson and Kyle DeVan, respectively) allowed only one sack and blocked for a running game that averaged 5.1 yards a carry during the game.

While most of you know that Charlie Johnson is a 6th round pick from 2006 while Kyle DeVan was playing Arena Football in Boise last year, the fact that essentially two "nobodies" can beat out two highly drafted young players speaks volumes as to how well managed the Colts are as a team. Yes, Ugoh and Pollak are busts. They are stains on an otherwise Hall of Fame drafting resume for Bill Polian. Their lack of production has cost this football teams wins in the past, and with them both being healthy scratches for the biggest game of the year (so far), I'm pretty confident in saying their futures with the Colts stand at "Not For Long."

Sunday night, there was a noticeable difference with Kyle DeVan on the right side blocking on run plays. Chad Simpson had some hard runs, and (once again) Joseph Addai was masterful running the ball hard in the 4th quarter against a gased Patriots defense. Addai's 4 yard TD run and his 9 yard run to the goal line prior to Reggie Wayne's game-winning TD grab are the kinds of runs a team needs to beat a squad like the Pats.

By the way, the Addai TD run was to the right, with DeVan providing an excellent block on Vince Wolfork and Jerod Mayo.

In his weekly Monday press conference, Jim Caldwell confirmed that DeVan has won the starting job over Pollak, and then went on to praise DeVan's work ethic and ability to "fight" as a lineman. Clearly, Pollak did not play with the consistent toughness and tenacity DeVan has played with. This lack of toughness and fight is the same thing that cost promising tackle Tony Ugoh is starting job in Training Camp.

So, while I'm sure you all are upset like me that, essentially, two very high round draft picks were wasted on these two crappy players, the positive is we root for a team that (as Jim Caldwell states) will put ego aside to honestly evaluate their roster. As a result, the people who are playing the best actually play, as opposed to the people drafted the highest.

Yahoo! Sports Dan Wetzel is a whiny cry baby

2009-11-17T14:41:23Z

More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP

5 days ago: New England Patriots NFL football head coach Bill Belichick walks from the podium after speaking about his decision not to punt late in their 35-34 loss Sunday to the Indianapolis Colts, at a news conference in Foxborough, Mass. Monday, Nov. 16, 2009. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

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Seriously Dan? I mean, seriously?

The worst call of the final 2:08 of the Indianapolis Colts’ 35-34 victory over the New England Patriots on Sunday wasn’t made by Bill Belichick.
It came courtesy of head linesman Tom Stabile, who on the now-infamous fourth-and-2 attempt, ruled Patriots running back Kevin Faulk(notes) was juggling the pass until he landed on his back inside the 30-yard line.

Replays show Faulk had jumped in the air and initially batted the ball up. Stabile could see that. Faulk, however, then cradled it into his chest as he planted one foot on each side of the 30 before being pushed down.

Whether replay would have been conclusive enough to overrule Stabile’s call is unknown. The NFL may claim the call on the field would’ve stood, but who knows what would’ve been determined.

Since Wetzel is too dense to see just how pathetic he looks writing this stupid, seemingly redundant "the refs blew the game" love letter to Bill Belichick, I'll just state the obvious for him and anyone else who thinks along the same lines.

Wetzel is wrong in his replay assessment. Completely, flatly, and blatantly wrong. Tom Brady's pass hit Kevin Faulk in the hands. He was then met hard and driven back by Melvin Bullitt, forcing Faulk to bobble the ball. Bullitt drove Faulk back and by the time Faulk had complete and total possession of the football, he was a yard short. Using the TV "line" is not official. It is where the stick are on the sidelines, and from the vantage point of just about every possible TV angle, Faulk had possession when he was one his back, one yard short. That was the call on the field, and after about a billion replays, that is what we viewers saw.

But even if Faulk did make the first down (he didn't, but let's speculate just so we can make Wetzel look even more ridiculous), the Patriots were unable to challenge the play because Belichick and Brady had blown all of their second half timeouts. Now, what's funny about this is Wetzel acknowledges that:

Since the Patriots had blown their timeouts and the play came just outside the two-minute warning, which would’ve triggered an automatic review, it’s all a moot point.

Um, OK. If it's a moot point, THEN WHY DID YOU WRITE THIS STUPID ARTICLE BLASTING THE CALL!

I mean seriously, you got paid to write this, Dan? Paid actual money?Good grief. The article is nothing more than a hit piece on the refs, but even in that Wetzel falls short, pathetically trying to frame how "hard" it is to call NFL games.

you can't have it both ways, Dan. You are either blasting the refs about the call, which would make you look like the Patriots homer you so obviously seem to be, or the call was right on the field and you dispel any suggestion that the refs spoiled the game for Belichick and the Patriots.

Bottom line: The call was right. Replay backed up the call, and even if it didn't the Patriots couldn't challenge it because they mis-managed the game.

So, in a nutshell, Wetzel's article is just a quick hack piece he "mailed in" without thinking about how stupid it reads.

Dan Wetzel = lazy and overpaid.

[UPDATE]: Apologies to the self-important grammar Nazis for the spell check adding a "r" to Wetzel's name. I'll also add that "bad journalism" isn't poor grammar or a lack of spell checking. That's being "human," especially when your site doesn't have a gaggle of interns or proof readers to double-check that stuff. Bad journalism is getting the story or the facts wrong, which ~~Wretzel~~... er, Wetzel did.