Patriots/Colts
 

Is this a matter of the Patriots getting better again or have the COLTS lost their window of opportunity?

Sure does seem that this game is close to a blowout if this trend continues....What trend you say?

Answer: Pats passing game has too many guys playing like "All Pro" type receivers that can making a secondary look old awfully fast.

aren't the colts missing 3 def starters today?

Injuries certainly color achievement but all teams have them. The Pats have mixed in some youth on defense that seems to be changing their core....

The results of this game aside, The colts have yet to groom a tailback or a receiver opposite Wayne that can consistently make plays. Offensively, they can be stopped for periods of time where as in the middle of the decade, it took superhuman defensive efforts to slow them down.

Interestingly, the colts have a defense that no longer relies on Bob Sanders. You take away a couple of big plays to Moss and the Indy defense didnt play poorly.

What defines not playing poorly...

3rd quarter stats...

NE

Rushing Yards 105

Passing yards 315

Colts

Rushing Yards 40

Passing Yards 208

Not counting the long punt return of 70 yards......of yeah a 3rd TD by Moss.

I don't know man the Patriots seemed to have bitch slapped the Colts tonight. There's still a quarter to play but 31 points in 3 quarters with a TD thrown away by the fumble 5 minutes ago seems to demonstrate total control.....I would have to ask what would you like to see to demonstrate domination??

I wrote that at half time. I take it back. New England is killing them.

Actually the quick TD by Indy made it a game again....

Manning is too good to fold this one quite yet. He's feeling it after the last score hopefully he doesn't have enough time.


WTF.......Is Duck hunting season in Indy early this year. I have never seen Manning throw balls like this. What a strange game?

I don't think we're watching two Super Bowl contenders. I'd take the Steelers even though they lost today.

I keep waiting for the ravens to get on a roll.

What a strange game? Dominant to dummies in minutes....

Crinkle Crinkle trash can..........thump!!

wow...belichick will certainly get it for that end game.

Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah ahahahahaha. Etc.

Guessing signals isn't as fun. :rolleyes:

Belichick was a genius tonight!

That was a pretty bad call on the spot, but the Patriots blew it by wasting their time outs and not being able to challenge. Also, if that is the best play you have on 4th and 2, you should probably punt.

That must have been an intentional strategic loss on Belichick's part. Maybe trying to set them up for later. Or, that was just stupidity.:rolleyes:

maybe he knows his defense stinks

[quote=dagolfer33That must have been an intentional strategic loss on Belichick's part. Maybe trying to set them up for later. Or, that was just stupidity.:rolleyes:[/QUOTE]


This went through my mind as well but the way BB looked at the press conference was like he just got caught with his pants on his ankles......WEEI in Boston will be classic today.

Bills, Jets, Dolphins.

The Patriots are still going to the playoffs.

Yeah it's a turrible division.

Agreed.....but this was Bucknerlike last night.

I cant believe so much is made of "the decision" and not the blundered catch that should have been an easy one for him. Would have been game over and Belichick would have looked like a genius. Just dont juggle the ball and you have a win. Its really that simple.

Possibly that pass shoud've gone to a TE or FB that wouldn't be tossed around like that?

Cmmon, it wasnt that hard of a catch, and it couldnt have been thrown more perfectly. Geez, these are professional athletes. Its delightful seeing this team lose, but it shouldnt be blamed on the coach. He did his job, Faulk didnt.

True, but you never know in this day where the refs are gonna spot the ball!

The refs did botch it though. He clearly had possession beyond the 30. Even so, the Pats deserved to lose that one.

Its kind of close to the point where at the very least, should have been challenged. I dont think he had possession enough to warrant him forward progress, but its not clear cut.

You're right, the Patriots deserve to lose.

Peyton is something else. Best I have ever seen.

Once you establish possession, that is the forward progress, and he CLEARLY had possession after the 30. The Pats couldn't challenge because they wasted timeouts.

That is correct on all accounts and the fact that they DIDNT have timeouts should have been weighed when making the decision in the first place.

If you had to break this down into a chess analogy, the Patriots opened perfectly, gained a huge advantage in the middle game and then blundered a two piece advantage in the end game.

I dont see why everyone wants to heap so much praise on Manning for that performance. Yes...he took advantage of the blunders. But in key points in the game, he got rattled (as he often does) and let a game get very nearly out of reach.

I thought he made a bad throw on the ball where there was a miscommunication with Wayne but other than that I didn't really see him start to let the game get out of control. The Pats squandered too many opportunities, that I certainly agree with and it was their eventual demise.

NT

They were down 24-7 and 31-14. The offense managed to put up but 14 points until a good way into the fourth quarter despite having ample possessions to put up more. Manning threw two picks that looked pretty bad as well as a couple of ducks that should have been picked. He was confused and frustrated for good parts of the game and Indy simply couldnt move the ball.

The Pats wore down and they no doubt blundered the game and Indy should get all of the credit in the world for taking advantage. At the same time, to me this wasnt a game that should go into the file of Peyton Manning's greatest hits.

Totally agree. I was cussing at Manning most of the night. I'm not sure how much was him and how much was the rookie recivers, but he sure was erratic. We got a long way to go to beat NE again if we ever get to that.

During the Eagles/Dallas game they were talking about forward progress.. and they said once you establish possession, you must be touched by a defender to have forward progress. I never heard of that before but that is why Shady McCoy didnt get the first down, because he clearly had possession about two yards past the first down, was not touched though, and momentum carried him back across the line of scrimmage and than he was tackled.

Actually I believe they questioned whether he truly caught the ball when he was past the marker, subsequent bobble gave him a catch but he was not past the sticks at that point. Pained as I am, the correct call was made.

This is correct and why they didnt give him the first down. I agree, the correct call was made.

Antitrust, I am not sure what you are talking about. The whole issue was the fact the ball was not caught cleanly. After watching the play again, I think the correct call was made and even if it was reviewed, it would have stood. Notice no Patriots were arguing at all.

I didnt watch the play.. I was refering to the Eagles / Dallas game last week where there was a very similar situation and that is what the announcers had said (must have contact made for forward progress to be called)

This isnt the question in issue. It was a pass not caught cleanly, rather bobbled and not fully in control until after he was pushed away from the first down line. It was a close one, but the Patriots deserve to lose for letting this game get decided by something like this. Plus they still had a chance to stop Peyton and the Colts from the 30 yard line. All this crying about how the defense was never given a chance to do their job is Bullshit. They were out there and if they stopped the Colts they would have won the game. Sure, its easier to stop the Colts from 70 yards away than 30, but I have seen a lot of defenses step up and win games stopping offenses from scoring from 30 yards and less away.

by the way.. i really cant stand mcchoke. I know he threw for 400some yards on Sunday in our LOSS to SD.. but this guy is a total tool.



"Veteran leadership is something that we don't have that much of," McNabb said. "For the guys that are out there, we're trying to get the young guys going a little bit. But the young guys have to step up at this time."



LOL @ no veteran leadership... McChoke, you've been here 11 years. BE A DARN LEADER ALREADY. Maybe, just maybe, McChoke "has to step up at this time." would be nice to get like one 4th quarter come back outta him... and the young guys are the best guys on the team based on how they are playing! funny how he throws them under the bus.. now I know why the team looks 100% different with Kolb or another guy under center.. the other players actually WANT to play with Kolb.

please please trade McChoke and the ConVick. 11 years of this is enough. We will never win that 19th game of the season with him under center.