Tag archives for indianapolis colts

The Gay Man’s Guide to Super Bowl XLIV

2nd February 2010 by SportsFags under NFL     

Super Bowl Sunday 2010 is almost here and although some of us gay sports fans may be tuning in just for the commercials, we at SportsFags offer up some talking points so you can speak with authority at that lame-ass Super Bowl party.

Colts' TE Dallas Clark looks for his second Super Bowl trophy

Colts' TE Dallas Clark looks for his second Super Bowl trophy

Super Bowl XLIV (44)
New Orleans Saints vs. Indianapolis Colts
Line = Colts -4
Sun Life Stadium, Miami
Sunday, February 7 @ 6:25 PM ET on CBS

Mix two prolific offenses, one decent defense, the two best quarterbacks in the game, controversial commercials, alcohol and lots of casual sports fans and you have a recipe for disaster. Rarely does the Super Bowl turn out to be truly super, yet we hold out hope for a repeat of Pittsburgh’s thrilling come-from-behind win in last year’s Super Bowl.

I must admit that I am somewhat of a sports’ snob, meaning I can’t watch important games with casual sports fans. There’s a greater than zero percent chance the drunk-ass kid yelling ‘Defense Girl’ during Super Bowl XL is directly responsible for my preference to watch big games at home. Plus, I can rewind on a hottie.

On Offense
Choosing between Colt’s quarterback Peyton Manning and Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees is like trying to choose between 7.5 or 8 inches, they’re both great but you gotta respect one more. Manning is facing one of the worst pass defenses, ranked 26th during the regular season, in the NFL, so expect a huge game from the current NFL MVP.

Brees will get his chances as well, but with the re-emergence of Reggie Bush at running back I expect the Saints will put more emphasis on the ground game in an effort to keep Manning’s ass on the sideline.

Both teams are loaded with great pass catchers but a slight edge goes to the Colts because of their depth.

On Defense
The Saints porous defense is best known for creating turnovers. Just like they did against Minnesota in the NFC championship game, for New Orleans to have a shot at winning Super Bowl XLIV they must finish on the plus side of the turnover margin.

On the road to the Super Bowl the Colts’ defense registered second-half shutouts against the Ravens and the Jets. I’ll take the unit that shuts offenses down versus the unit that relies on turnovers.

Prediction
Indianapolis Colts 30, New Orleans Saints 24

Hottie Watch
Indianapolis Colts’ Wide Receiver Austin Collie

Colts WR Austin Collie speaks with media

Colts WR Austin Collie speaks with media


Austin Collie's glamour shot

Austin Collie's glamour shot

New Orleans Saints’ Running Back Reggie Bush

Reggie relaxes, I cut the skank out of this photo.

Reggie relaxes, I cut the skank out of this photo.


Reggie Bush shirtless

Reggie Bush shirtless

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AFC and NFC Championship Game Preview

22nd January 2010 by SportsFags under NFL     

AFC Championship Game
New York Jets at Indianapolis Colts
Sunday 3:00 PM ET – CBS

Last week I boldly predicted the Chargers would put the Jets away before the sun set in So Cal, boy was I wrong about the Jets, again. Why don’t they just succumb to popular opinion and lose like everyone predicts? Because Rex Ryan’s defense hasn’t given up more than 15 points in one game since November, that’s crazy good.

Can they keep that streak intact against the Colts and four-time MVP Peyton Manning? Probably not. But can they keep this game close? Absolutely.

A maturing young quarterback, managing an offense showcasing a punishing ground game, allowing the NFL’s top-rated defensive unit to tilt the field in their favor, have we seen this script before? In 2006 a young Ben Roethlisberger relied heavily on running back Jerome Bettis and a suffocating defense in the Steelers’ Super Bowl run.

The Colts other 1000-yard receiver Dallas Clark

The Colts other 1000-yard receiver Dallas Clark

Winning on the road in the playoffs is certainly noteworthy but winning on the road in a dome is extremely difficult, just ask the Cowboys how the dome crowd impacted their offense in Minnesota. The Colts defense is faster and just plain better than either of the Jets first two playoff opponents.

The Jets beat the Bengals and Chargers because cornerback Darrelle Revis shut down Chad Ochocinco and Vincent Jackson. If Revis shuts down Reggie Wayne, Peyton’s favorite target, expect Manning to spread the ball around to his other 1000-yard receiver, tight end Dallas Clark. If Clark isn’t available Manning, has two other dependable options in wide receivers Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon.

Manning has too many weapons at his disposal.

Prediction
Indianapolis Colts 31, Ny Jets 17

NFC Championship Game
Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints
Sunday 6:40 PM ET – FOX

Minnesota has lost four games this year, all four of them being on the road and the injury situation doesn’t look good.

Saints running back Reggie Bush is healthy

Saints running back Reggie Bush is healthy

On Thursday defensive tackle Kevin Williams and defensive end Ray Edwards missed their second straight practice due to knee problems and Percy Harvin, the AFC Rookie of the Year with over 2000 return, rushing and receiving yards combined, did not practice today after he got another migraine, a problem that has plagued him all season.

Vikings’ running back Adrian Peterson’s reputation for fumbling will be put to the test against a Saints defense that thrives on creating turnovers. Now that Reggie Bush is healthy, Saints quarterback Drew Brees, like Peyton Manning in the AFC, has too many weapons at his disposal.

Prediction
New Orleans Saints 38, Minnesota Vikings 24

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NFL Divisional Playoffs Preview

14th January 2010 by SportsFags under NFL     

I can hardly believe there’s only three more weekends of ‘real’ football left, notice I’m not counting the Pro Bowl as actual football.

Preseason predictions: For the record my preseason Super Bowl picks, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, are done. Also for the record, SI’s Peter King predicted the Patriots and Bears. Ha! What an idiot.

Divisional diversity: It rarely works out this way but one team from each of the NFL’s eight divisions fill out the remaining eight-team field.

A word about momentum: Who has momentum? Who cares? Tell me who’s playing well and how the teams match up and I’ll tell you who’s gonna win. Talking about who has momentum is such a beat down.

The NFL’s Divisional Playoffs Schedule

Arizona Cardinals @ New Orleans Saints (-7)
Saturday 4:30 PM ET – Fox

Is Kurt Warner the best playoff quarterback in the history of the NFL? I wouldn’t argue against it.

Last week Arizona eliminated the Packers, who most experts agreed was the best team in the NFC during the second half of the season.

Saints receiver Marques Colston

Saints receiver Marques Colston

New Orleans isn’t playing well, and I’m not just talking about their 3-game losing streak when things may or may not have been of the utmost importance at the end of the season, but also struggling against Atlanta and Washington prior to the losing streak. The Saints haven’t played well since facing the Patriots on that Monday night game in November.

Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin, who sat out last week’s game to nurse a left ankle and knee injury, is expected to return, giving Warner another offensive weapon against a defense that has given up more points than any other team remaining in the playoffs.

Prediction: Arizona 38, New Orleans 34

Baltimore Ravens @ Indianapolis Colts (-6.5)
Saturday 8:15 PM ET – CBS

Ok, so he hasn't played but Colts WR Samuel Giguere is huge.

Ok, so he hasn't played but Colts WR Samuel Giguere is huge.

The Colts chose to rest their starters down the stretch so it’s hard to get a feel on how they’re playing. The Ravens, winners of 6 postseason road games since 2000, will present a formidable challenge with a power running game and a bruising defense that held the Colts to just 17 points in a loss at Lucas Oil stadium in November.

It’s strength vs strength and weakness vs weakness, so I’ll take the guy who threw for over 4,500 yards and 33 touchdowns, and the organization who has a lot to prove after giving up on a perfect season in favor of a better shot at playoff success.

Prediction: Indianapolis 24, Baltimore 13

Dallas Cowboys @ Minnesota Vikings (-3)
Sunday 1 PM ET – Fox

Vikings running back Adrian Peterson

Vikings running back Adrian Peterson

This games got the story lines; Tony Romo vs Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson vs the Cowboys defense and America’s team vs America’s Mall.

The Vikings run defense suffered a huge blow when they lost middle linebacker E.J. Henderson, their leading tackler and signal-caller, to a broken leg in November, forcing Minnesota to rely on their All-Pro defensive lineman Jared Allen and Kevin Williams to create stops and put pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

The Cowboys counter with two Pro Bowl blockers and a healthy stable of diverse running backs that average a playoff-best 4.8 yards per rush.

Dallas’ defense appears to be coming together nicely under the direction of head coach Wade Phillips but shutting down sub-par running backs like Clinton Portis, LeSean McCoy and Leonard Weaver in consecutive weeks doesn’t mean much when the assignment is Vikings’ running back Adrian Peterson.

As strange as it sounds to say, I think Favre will struggle against the Cowboys secondary.

Prediction: Dallas 28, Minnesota 27

New York Jets @ San Diego Chargers (-7)
Sunday 4:40 PM ET – CBS

This is the week we will be reminded of how the Jets backed into the playoffs as the beneficiaries of fortuitous scheduling. The Chargers, winners of 11 straight, will be in control of this game before the sun sets.

Prediction: San Diego 34, NY 10

NFC Championship – Cardinals @ Cowboys
AFC Championship – Chargers @ Colts

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Patriots Can’t Put Colts Away

16th November 2009 by SportsFags under NFL     

The most hyped game of the weekend, Colts versus Patriots, lived up to its BILL-ing, partly due to coach Bill Belichick’s controversial decision that may have cost the Patriots more than just this game. Leading by 6 points, facing 4th and 2 at their own 28 with just 2:08 left in the game, Belichick decided his team’s best chance to win the game was to go for the first down. The Patriots weren’t able to convert and Peyton Manning, working with a short field, hooked up with Reggie Wayne on a slant route for a game winning touchdown with just 13 seconds left to go, that capped a 17-point fourth quarter comeback for Manning and the Colts.

Tom Brady can't hide his disappointment

Tom Brady can't hide his disappointment

I think you can credibly argue that Belichick’s decision to go for the first down versus punting in that situation cost the Patriots the game. However, I think you can also argue that his decision put his team in the best position to win the game.

Traditional football wisdom says you punt the ball and make the Colts go the 60-70 yards to beat you. Yet, with Peyton Manning in charge of an offense that was rolling, Belichick decided to do what he thought gave his team the best chance to win. We can all argue whether it was the right decision, but the reality is, Belichick is a genius if the Patriots convert. In my opinion, the odds of Peyton Manning leading the Colts down the field to victory with 2 minutes and 3 timeouts left is somewhere north of 70%, no matter where they’re on the field.

If the Patriots were my favorite team in that situation I would have wanted them to punt BUT I understand what Belichick was thinking. Whether or not the right decision was made is totally dependent on the outcome and thus Belichick is under fire for his decision because Tom Brady and the Patriots failed to convert.

Long-Term Implications
The long-term implications of this one decision may reverberate within New England’s organization for quite some time, or it may not have any impact at all. I’m not a Belichick apologist at all, in fact I think he’s an asshole who deserves more criticism for illegally taping opponents during the teams Super Bowl years but he did what he thought gave his team the best chance to win.

tom brady shirtlessHow this will impact the Patriots will play out over the course of the season. The big news here that is getting over looked, is that the Patriots, with a recent team history of making plays to put teams away, couldn’t put the Colts away and now find themselves with almost no chance at all of getting a home game against the Colts in the playoffs.

Hottie Watch – despite not being able to convert on the last play, Tom Brady had a good game going 29 of 42 for 375 yards with 3 TDs and 1 INT.

Next up for Indianapolis, a road game versus the inconsistent Ravens while the Patriots return home with a chance to avenge an earlier season loss to Mark Sanchez and the Jets.

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Five pivotal football games with five big questions

6th November 2009 by SportsFags under College Football, NFL     

Five games across the football world this weekend will go a long way in separating the good from the mediocre and each game has a big question that must be answered.

Can LSU keep the ball away from Mark Ingram?

Can LSU keep the ball away from Mark Ingram?

Can LSU run the ball effectively enough to upset Alabama?
Both teams have first year quarterbacks, in Jordan Jefferson and Greg McElroy, who’ve struggled at times. The key to this game will be whether the surprisingly ineffective LSU running game, which finally broke out last week against Tulane, can keep the ball away from Mark Ingram and the Crimson Tide’s powerful rushing attack. I’ve had LSU all year as my surprise team all year so I can’t jump off the train before it rolls into Tuscaloosa.

Can Terrelle Pryor prove himself in a big game?
Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor has the lowest pass completion percentage amongst all Big 10 QBs at just 54% but the Buckeyes, along with Iowa, have over come his struggles and are in position to win the Big 10 should they win out. A loss at Penn State, who’s getting better defensively, would be another disappointing loss for Pryor and the Buckeyes.

Are the NY Giants for real or real bad?
By elevating the status of this week’s game against San Diego to that of a must win, New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin put some serious pressure on his team. The Giants issues must be bigger than a three game losing streak if the normally even-keeled head coach is resorting to pumping up a mid-season game to get his team motivated.

Can the Eagles defense force Romo mistakes?

Can the Eagles defense force Romo mistakes?

Who’s the team to beat in the NFC East?
Sunday’s night Cowboys vs. Eagles contest is the NFC’s marquee matchup and will go a long way towards determining the winner of the East. Both teams have rolled up some big numbers offensively with some non-marquee players. The difference here will be who’s defense will be able to force more turnovers to keep the ball away from the other team’s offense.

Can the Colts overcome injuries to remain unbeaten?
Earlier this week the Colts lost CB Marlin Jackson for the rest of the season with a torn ACL and late word today is that Safety Bob Sanders will have season ending surgery on his torn bicep. Add that to CB Kelvin Hayden’s knee injury which is expected to sideline him for a month and the Colts have big issues in the secondary. The Texans have been pointing to this game as a chance to prove themselves.

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