Uneasy Lies The Crown

by Coltsfan58 on Dec 30, 2007 8:24 AM EST

I begin by reminding myself (and reminding you I am aware) this is a Colts site, not a Patriots site. Please indulge me with this diary about the Colts' archrival. The Patriots' success only makes me hope more strongly that the Colts eviscerate them.

Remember the Seattle Mariners team that won 116 games a few years ago? Off the top of my head, I couldn't even remember the year they won all those games. That's because they spit the bit in the playoffs, failing to even reach--let alone win--the World Series.

Winning a record number of games in the regular season isn't meaningless. The Patriots could only play who the league scheduled them to play, and they beat everyone. That "everyone" includes all the AFC playoff teams except Jacksonville (if Cleveland makes the playoffs) plus NFC playoff teams Dallas, New York and Washington (if Washington makes it). However much we detest them (remember, THEY CHEAT), they deserve credit for what they've done, particularly since no team had done it in a 16-game season before.

Crowning the Patriots the best team ever (this means you, Cris Collinsworth) is wildly premature, as surely the Mariners would tell them. For the Pats to win the Super Bowl, they have to likely beat--if San Diego is the 3 seed by beating Oakland on Sunday--Jacksonville (assuming the Jags beat Pittsburgh), the Colts (assuming they beat SD) and probably Dallas. Running that gauntlet (in consecutive games) would be more impressive than going unbeaten in a schedule where six of the games were against the Jets, Dolphins and Bills. So, for the Patriots really only the preliminaries are done. New England has to win in the post-season to earn the right to be discussed among the '85 Bears, the Niners of the 90s and the '06 Colts.

When a team goes unbeaten in the regular, it seems odd to say it won't go all the way, but that's how it looks right now. The Giants--perhaps the 9th or 10th best team in the league, destined to lose to Tampa Bay next week--should have beaten New England. Yes, the Pats seem endlessly resilient. But, they face the part of their schedule where resiliency may simply not be enough. The Jags are the bigger, (much) better version of the Giants. David Garrard is superior to Eli. I doubt the Pats can hold MJD and Fred Taylor to 18 yards in the first half. Being down 12 in the third quarter to Jacksonville is a prescription to have Taylor run them over and end their season.

Even if they get past Jacksonville (or, to be fair, Pittsburgh) an even tougher test awaits. If it's San Diego, they'll be getting the hottest team in the league coming off a road win in Indy with revenge (for last year and the embarassment of Week 2) on its mind. Much more likely is a rematch with the Colts. Yes, it will be in New England, and this site has endlessly discussed how that favors the Colts. The Giants only sacked Brady once, with moderate pressure otherwise. The Colts can do at least that, and the Colts' secondary is immeasurably better than the Giants'. More significantly, Peyton isn't Eli (thank God) and will not waste time with the clock ticking down, throw a pick into obvious over-and-under double coverage and create a three-and-out with a chance to put NE away with a snap fumble and a far too short completion on third down.

No one should be surprised if New England wins the Super Bowl. The point is, however, that no one should be surprised if they don't, either. For me, I will be wearing my M's cap and rooting for history to repeat itself. And hoping the Colts are the vehicle for that repeat.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Stampede Blue's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Stampede Blue's writers or editors.

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jags in foxboro

my money is on the jags going to foxboro in bad weather and running all over the pats... final score jags win

21-17....

and they have to come to our house to face us once again in the AFC championship game.....

by bluegirl on Dec 30, 2007 8:49 AM EST 0 recs

Tough choice

Isn't it funny that we might wish the Colts to play the unbeaten Patriots in New England, rather than face the Jags at home? In the end, I want the extra home game, regardless of opponent, but it's fascinating to me to even consider the Pats might be a better draw.

The fault, dear Brutus, lies not in the stars, but in ourselves.

by Coltsfan58 on Dec 30, 2007 8:56 AM EST up 0 recs

lets be serious

what could possibly indicate that there is even a remote chance that the patriots would lose to jacksonville in foxborough? they could end up beating 7 of the 11 other playoff teams. they've beaten indy and dallas on the road. they have scored the most points in NFL history.

i know the jags are hot, but if they were able to knock off the pats that would be the biggest upset in NFL history.

i hate the patriots as much as the next guy, but colts fans prediciting jacksonville to knock them off is completely ridiculous.

by schultz950 on Dec 30, 2007 10:35 AM EST up 0 recs

Why?

Why would you say that?

NE has CLEARLY shown since the Colts game that their D is suspect, especially against the run.

Why is it that people (even if they don't like NE) refuse to see reality? This is a team that in the last 8 games (including the Colts game of course) was LUCKY to win 4 of those. LUCKY. The Colts blew that 4th qtr lead, the Eagles did the same, the Ravens (with the help of a blown call and a bad time to take a TO), and then last night with the Giants. These are games that the other team handed to New England by mistakes. Throw the HORRIBLE Jets into the mix where they were close to beating NE 3 games ago and it is clear to see that the Pats are playing with fire. The only impressive game the Pats have played in the last half of the season (I don't count shitty Miami and Bills wins since both teams are awful) was the win vs the Steelers but the Steelers are clearly over rated and all they did in that game was pick on that Smith safety dude. If Troy was playing I highly doubt the Pats would have done half as well as they did since Troy knows how to play the game.

The problem it seems is people are simply going by how NE started the season with blowing through teams in the first 8 games...well big deal because that was then and this is now. History in the nfl and ANY sport has shown that how you start off usually isn't how you finish. 05 Colts anyone? The Mariners that were mentioned? 95 Red Wings with their record 62 wins? The list goes on and on.

The reason it is easy to see that the Jags could beat them is because jacksonville has the deadly run game and a good D. If the weather is lousy then the Jags are clearly the favourites. Did you forget how they outplayed Pittsburgh in the snow?

All I know is that it is perfectly believable that NE may win the SB but it is also pretty clear they may not because it is obvious to me they aren't as good as their record indicates, especially now as their old ass D is wearing down.

What I am curious to see is IF they lose will all these media morons declaring them God's gift to sports then say they had the biggest choke job in nfl history or will they flip their opinion and say that 16-0 didn't matter and that the Pats had flaws that were shown in the last half of the seaosn and that they were lucky to go 16-0? Knowing the media's CLEARCUT bias to be pro-Patriots (it is funny how the mainstream media hypes up NE and Brady like everyone likes them when the majority dislike both) I fully expect them to rationalize it and say it wasn't a collapse AND they will still feel the Pats are the best team ever. They will simply refuse to criticize their precious team. This season it seems clear to me that the SB winner is meaningless to the media UNLESS it is the Patriots which will just make the media jizz on them even more. It is pretty pathetic.

It's funny that in 05 when the Colts were making the run almost all said that they may go 16-0 but if they went undefeated in reg season but didn't win the SB it'd be the biggest collapse in nfl history. Even with them not going undefeated and then losing to the steelers MANY said it was one of the bigger collapses in history.

Will we see the same crap said about NE? I doubt it.

by Rob L on Dec 30, 2007 11:01 AM EST up 0 recs

re:

"The reason it is easy to see that the Jags could beat them is because jacksonville has the deadly run game and a good D. If the weather is lousy then the Jags are clearly the favourites. Did you forget how they outplayed Pittsburgh in the snow?"

no i didn't forget. i also didn't forget watching the jags give up 41 points and 500+ total yards to the saints a few week ago. their D couldn't stop peyton (43-66, 500+ yards, 5 TD) in their two meetings this season, what makes you think they can stop tom brady? he threw 50 TD passes this season, i don't think he'll be affected much by the weather.

im not saying that the pats are sinch Super Bowl champs, i'm just saying that the colts are the only team in the AFC (and probably the entire League) that have a chance of beating new england, period.

by schultz950 on Dec 30, 2007 12:08 PM EST up 0 recs

in the cold

passing is harder, as evidenced by the 2nd jets game. In the snow in Foxborough, seeing/catching the ball will be very difficult, and it will be difficult to get a good grip on the ball to throw it deep as the pats are wont to do. Maroney won't be able to do much against the Jags staunch D, and mighty mouse and frightening fred will run all over the pats Old D.

by Ed OG on Dec 30, 2007 2:50 PM EST up 0 recs

which is why i'd take the jags

.. in the weather in foxboro in january... moss isn't going to be making those amazing catches and the jags front four will get pressure on brady and the patriots don't run the ball well... and 4 quarters of taylor and the power of jones-drew will be brutal...

either way though i hope those two teams do meet and beat each other up before we would have to play either one...

by bluegirl on Dec 30, 2007 6:45 PM EST up 0 recs

and jack del rio

will out-coach bill belichick right? give me a break.

by schultz950 on Dec 30, 2007 8:07 PM EST up 0 recs

It's clear ...

your team doesn't play them twice a year. Jacksonville comes to play, son.

by PaytonMenning on Dec 31, 2007 2:13 AM EST up 0 recs

Other Teams

Let's look at the Patriots games against those other playoff teams.

Week 2 - San Diego: San Diego's early season slump is well documented. Since then, they've gone on a tear, won their last 6 games, and are probably the hottest team heading into the playoffs.

Week 5 - Cleveland: Cleveland needs help to make it into the playoffs. I think it's safe to say that they're not exactly difficult competition.

Week 6 - Dallas: The Cowboys have no excuse for this one. They had the Pats on the ropes and let em off the hook. Did I use too many cliches for that one?

Week 8 - Washington: Same general league as Cleveland. Wild card, but not destined to go anywhere with it.

Week 9 - Indianapolis: It took a pair of 4th quarter TD passes, a dropped interception, and Manning throwing to a JV receiving corps for the Pats to win by 4. If they play again, the Colts are going to have a lot more ways to score, and I don't think you'll get so lucky with dropped INTs again.

Week 14 - Pittsburgh: Pitt is fading down the stretch. They'll be an easy out in the playoffs. Plus that stupid safety had to make a guarantee. What a moron.

Week 16 - New York: The Giants had nothing to play for except pride. They too had the Pats on the ropes, and let em off the hook. Seems to be a trend for NFC playoff teams. I mean, honestly. Wilfork should have been ejected for that finger in the eye crap. They were getting lots of help from the refs.

This is a team that hasn't really been tested yet. The Ravens had them beat, and if it weren't for a crap penalty, a really bad timeout, and sheer dumb luck, they would have won. If the AJ Feeley hadn't tossed up the dumbest interception in recent history, the Eagles would have won. If Manning were throwing to someone that could catch the ball, the Colts would have won. And if Eli had any semblance of decision making skills, he wouldn't have tossed that INT to Ellis Hobbs, and we might not be having this conversation.

"Hey, if you want me to come here, I want to come here. But if you don't, I'm going to beat your butt for 15 years playing in the AFC." -Peyton Manning-

by MonkeyBusiness on Dec 30, 2007 12:56 PM EST 0 recs

i hate this

i hate having to defend new england but you need to bury your homerisms a bit.

"This is a team that hasn't been tested yet"
- You mean besides when they beat #2 team in the AFC on the road and the #1 team in the NFC on the road? What do you want them to do? Go into a time machine and play the '85 Bears?

If, but, would've, could've....those don't mean anything. Just be objective. Do the Colts have a chance of knocking the Pats off in the playoffs? Without a doubt they do, they are still the defending champs and they'll have some of their big guns (most notably Marvin) back for that game. But to pick apart a 16-0 regular season, something that NO team has ever accomplished before is stupid. If it were the Colts and not the Pats that were on this streak, you would be crowning them the greatest of all-time.

by schultz950 on Dec 30, 2007 8:20 PM EST up 0 recs

that BBS is one of the best posts

you ever authored. They will not be one of the all time great teams unless they win 3 more games, which we be very difficult. They are already starting to feel the pressure.

The only thing I don't agree with obviously, is that I'm hoping we knock them off instead of you guys.

by Terry on Dec 30, 2007 2:44 PM EST 0 recs

haha oh terry...

It figures that the one time you compliment BBS's writing its not actually his post.

by Ed OG on Dec 30, 2007 2:53 PM EST up 0 recs

that is funny

I didn't even bother to look who wrote it, I just assumed it BBS, although I shouldn't have because it was too logical. LOL!

by Terry on Dec 30, 2007 2:55 PM EST up 0 recs

LOL

Gee, thx a lot Terry. ;)

Please make an account and post a diary, add some comments, and make some noise. Accounts are free, and only require an email address.

by BigBlueShoe on Jan 1, 2008 8:27 PM EST up 0 recs

Too early to quote the Bard

In looking to see any comments on this post, I noticed I mangled the quote that I used for the title. The actual quote from King Henry IV, Part II, Act 2, Scene 1 is "Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown". Chalk my error up to the early morning post or to my continuing exasperation with Eli failing to get a play off between 1:40 and 1:23 or so down on the goal line at the end of the game.

The fault, dear Brutus, lies not in the stars, but in ourselves.

by Coltsfan58 on Dec 30, 2007 2:57 PM EST 0 recs

I'm sure we all knew what you meant

BTW, great post, sorry to initially give BBS the credit.

by Terry on Dec 30, 2007 2:59 PM EST up 0 recs

I agree

Jax is a good team, but not explosive enough to beat the Pats. You're right, you have to score a lot to beat the Pats, your QB has to constantly make plays, all game long, not just for 2 or 3 qtrs.

I agree, in the AFC, Manning is the only qb capable of doing that. Should be another great game in the long line of great games between them.

by Terry on Dec 31, 2007 1:08 PM EST 0 recs

Pat Nat

I hate to say it but, I think you've got a point. We Colts fans sound envious and more than a bit defensive. You've heard of penis envy? ..it seems we've got a bad case of Patriots envy. Anyway...

The Colts are a very good football team, the Patriots are an excellent football team. They beat us in our own yard, it appears we will have to do the same to them.

If the Patriots hadn't beat the Colts this year, we could argue that their undeated season is suspect. The hard truth is the Pats beat us and everybody else they played. The Chargers beat us and we gave up the game to the Titans. The fact is, the Patriots are the toughest team to beat in the league, that cannot be questioned. They always find a way to win.

I hope the Colts win next week and I hope the Patriots do as well. I too am looking forward to another epic battle with New England.

by horseofadifferentcolor on Dec 31, 2007 1:37 PM EST 0 recs

See you then...

by horseofadifferentcolor on Dec 31, 2007 2:26 PM EST 0 recs

I think any defensiveness

comes from feeling under-appreciated (which is the term I prefer fwiw; if I hear one more "disrespected" I'm gonna puke all over Randy Moss' bong).

You seem to have a rational and healthy appreciation of the rivalry, as do many of us blue people. But after about 14 weeks of national media speculation about the Pats going undefeated and perhaps being the BEST TEAM EVER!!!!!, it's getting a little old. Seriously, a recent NFL.com poll wondered if the Pats were the best team ever. Nice question to ask before the playoffs even start. The current poll on that site asks which team has the best chance to defeat the Pats. So the league's site has pretty much crowned NE top dog. And don't get me started on ESPN.

The Pats are damned good. Scary good. Their season has been historic. But ask any pitcher who throws a no-hitter or perfect game: to be perfect you need a lot of luck. The Pats could/should have lost at least a couple of times this year. The Ravens game (with one ill-advised timeout providing the difference) and the Colts game are the 2 most obvious examples. And given that the Colts were without 5 starters, I like the chances of a healthy Colts team in January.

Not trying to "disrespect," just saying that perhaps the media hype is (and has been all season) a little out of control. The Pats deserve tremendous accolades for what they've done this year. But I'm of the school of thought that says that winning the Super Bowl is the most important goal. And on that, the jury is still out. And I like my team's chances.

Lastly, the Pats ARE cheaters. I believe that perhaps too much was made of the cheating in the national press, but the facts are the facts. They were caught cheating and given the most severe fines ever meted out. Maybe other teams do the same things, maybe other organizations are more dishonest, maybe a lot of things. When Belichick was caught he went into full spin mode (what was his own personal "interpretation" of the rules again?) This does not diminish what the Pats have accomplished (without cheating as far as we know), but it is there. It doesn't go away because NE fans want it to or because NE had a great season.

On a cheating side note: is it really appropriate for MVP-candidate Randy Moss' web site to be resurrecting the "Colts pump in crowd noise" claim that has been thoroughly debunked by the league? Just saying, cheating allegations have been levied against both teams; the league has determined that only one of these teams were actually cheaters.

All in all, I'm ready for another epic battle myself. Throw out all the crap about cheating and records and history and play one game for a chance to go to the Super Bowl. I'll be glued to my seat when it happens, and jumping for joy when the Colts punch their ticket to Arizona.

by ctnyc on Dec 31, 2007 4:17 PM EST 0 recs