What? THERE'S A GAME!

by BigBlueShoe on Sep 13, 2007 1:10 PM EDT in Analysis

Bob will flip ya. Flip ya fa real.

With all the swirling news involving the Patriots, Belichick, and their passion for video surveillance, it's been easy to forget the there is a game this Sunday. And it's not just any game folks. It's a division game; a game against an opponent that averaged 200 rushing yards against the Colts last year, the Tennessee Titans. We Colts fans have had a lot of fun at the Titans expense this off-season. Their fans certainly let us have it when Rob M-M-M-My Bironas hit a 60 yard FG to beat Indy last December. Their fans saw it as a precursor to future success. The Colts had owned them for three years prior, humiliating them numerous times in their stadium and at the dome.

The Titans have overhauled their roster the last three years, and during that process they've added pretty much every Colts player Bill Polian has discarded since 2004. I half expected them to sign Mike Vanderjagt just for gits and shiggles. Even Dungy is amused by the number of former-Colts dressed in powder blue and white:

"I see a bunch of former Colts on the Titans team," Dungy said. "It's going to be a nice homecoming for us to be able to get together with those guys on Sunday."

This is the second week in a row that the Colts will face one of the starting CBs from last year's Super Bowl team. Last week it was Jason David. This week it's Nick Harper. Former-Colts David Thornton, Ben Hartstock, and Corey Simon are also Titans. Simon is the most interesting. He's now listed as a reserve behind Albert Haynesworth. Folks, Albert Haynesworth stinks, and has stunk for some time. If Corey is playing behind him, that does not bode well for Corey.

Former-Colts aside, the Titans have a very strong offensive line and two very solid pass rushers on defense. My feelings about Vince Young are well documented. He can't throw accurately from the pocket. Because of this, he has a tendency to run. In fact, he's more comfortable running than throwing. Because of this, why defend him like a REAL quarterback? Seems to me that Tennessee is a prime candidate to get Cover 3ed, or as I like to call it: The Bob Sanders Beatdown Defense (BSBD).

BSBD involves the Colts employing a Cover 3 defense rather than the standard Cover 2 (or tampa 2), very similar to the one used against the KC Chiefs in the playoffs. Bob Sanders steps down into the box and essentially becomes another linebacker. Antoine Bethea plays center field. Since we know Vince can't throw the ball, and since the Titans are likely to run the ball out of a spread formation (maybe even the shotgun), this allows Bob to basically zero in on the ball carrier and knock him into Never Never Land. This includes Vince Young. Remember, Vince never had to face a healthy Bob Sanders last year. That game Tennessee won on Rob M-M-M-My Bironas' FG, Bob ~~didn't play~~ was hurt in that game and didn't play much. Hell, the Colts didn't have any healthy safeties in that game.

The basic gist of the BSBD is that Bob gets to punish anyone who crosses the line of scrimmage. If Vince Young tucks it and takes off, Bob hits him. HARD! If the Titans spread everyone out, fine. Still keep Bob in the box. Vince Young simply cannot throw the 15 yard out pattern. Vince will instead try to hit slants, or if they are covered, he'll run. With the BSBD, Bob can either jump the slant route and intercept the ball, blitz the QB, support the run if Vince hands it off in the shotgun, or simply annihilate Vince if he crosses the line of scrimmage.

Will the Colts use this defense? Probably not. I mean, Tony Dungy is a defensive guru, and I'm just a schmuck with a blog. I do think the key to the game is Bob Sanders though. The Colts were very banged up both times they played Tennessee last year. Now, they are healthy. This is Tennessee's home opener coming off an impressive win over Jacksonville. They are pumped. Their fans are pumped. They want to destroy Indy in this game. It's up to the Colts to respond, and lay the kind of whooping on the Titans we know the Colts SHOULD give them.

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hey, schmuck with a blog

http://www.nfl.com/players/bobsanders/gamelogs?id=SAN287153&season=2006

note that bob sanders did play in that colts loss. healthy, maybe not. but he played.

by longtitan on Sep 13, 2007 1:19 PM EDT 0 recs

Thank you

Thank you for that lovely retort. I do believe he played very little in that game because he was hurt still; tried to come back to early.

I assume you are a Titans fan, right?

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 Sep 13, 2007 2:00 PM EDT up 0 recs

You'e welcome

Clearly.

You play loose enough with your opinions, no need to do the same with facts. I have no idea how much he played, but he did have 4 tackles and a forced fumble so he must have been somewhat healthy. I'm not disagreeing that he's a bad ass.

by longtitan on Sep 13, 2007 5:09 PM EDT up 0 recs

Opinions

My opinions are my own, and you're happy to disagree. Acting like an ass in correcting a simple fact screw-up (Sanders didn't play in the earlier game) is a bit uncalled for, and certainly no need for that either. But whatever.

And speaking of facts, yes he was hurt. Sanders played that game and never saw the field again until he playoffs. Prior to the Titans game, I believe Sanders played in only three previous games. But if I'm wrong on that, I'm glad I can count on you to correct me.

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 Sep 13, 2007 6:47 PM EDT up 0 recs

No Problem

Seemed called for to me. VY is the king of all morons when he doesn't know this shit, right?

by longtitan on Sep 13, 2007 7:09 PM EDT up 0 recs

No

Vince Young is just a "moron" when he tries to punch a teammate in the head with his throwing hand. Vince is "the king of all morons" when that teammate is wearing his helmet.

Messed up stat < Punching teammate wearing helmet.

Cheers.

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 Sep 13, 2007 8:16 PM EDT up 0 recs

And

what's this?

by longtitan on Sep 13, 2007 9:07 PM EDT up 0 recs

Vince Young

wouldn't make the Colts practice squad.

by will on Sep 13, 2007 9:21 PM EDT up 0 recs

It's...

a website showing Vince Young acting like a idiot.

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 Sep 14, 2007 11:05 AM EDT up 0 recs

From the stats...

it looks like Haynesworth was second in tackles in the Titans/Jags game. Kind of unusual for a DT. I'd say he pretty much shut down the run in the middle for them by gorilla-ing two OL-men out of the way. I thought last year Thorton was pretty good at stopping that stretch play. I think the Colts are going to have their work cut out for them getting the run going. They're going to need a great defensive showing in this game because I think the offense will need some time to figure out what is going to work.

by will on Sep 13, 2007 4:07 PM EDT 0 recs

I'm not even

a schmuck with a blog and I was waiting for a discussion of the game to suggest the same thing. It's obvious, the Titan WRs can't beat Jackson or Hayden and Young can't get them the ball deep. They are going to have to run the ball. Bob Sanders in the box is such an obvious solution that they can't not use it some. They might not go with a exclusively because it's so obvious.

by shake n bake on Sep 13, 2007 4:24 PM EDT 0 recs

Careful

If Bob is healthy and kicks the crap out of Vince Young, I'm sure some Titans fan will invade and provide ample excuses as to why their team got smoked.

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 Sep 13, 2007 6:48 PM EDT up 0 recs

Are you ready for some football?

Tonight the greatest season of the year kicks off with one of the most anticipated opening weekend matches in recent

years. The NFL kick off the 2007-2008 season with the defending Super Bowl champions, the Indianapolis Colts hosting

last year's Cinderella story, the New Orleans Saints.

In my opinion, no other sporting season can compare to the excitement and anticipation of an NFL game week. College

football falls short with the lack of a playoff. The other three majors' regular seasons are too long for my short

attention span.

I am really psyched for tonight's game. I almost have playoff chills just thinking about it. I can't think of

another kickoff game in recent memory other than the Colts-Patriots a few years ago that had this amount of build up

to it.

Most preseason "experts" have predicted that these two teams who are meeting in the season's first game will

ironically play in the last game of the season, the Super Bowl. If it were that easy, Vegas wouldn't be in business

and I may as well just skip the regular season.

Looking at tonight's game the Colts come in as a 6 point favorite according to the latest odds. Breaking it down,

three automatically go to the home team so even up Vegas thinks they are three points apart in talent.

Looking at the last few seasons, the Colts always start off the season hot. The last few years the Colts were more

than halfway towards a perfect season before losing their first game. However the dream season wasn't far off from

turning into a nightmare last year.

Last season the Colts started out 9-0 and went on to win the Super Bowl. The Colts were hardly the dominant

juggernaut that most people think they were through the season.

Even during their 9 win run, the Colts only blew out two teams which were Washington and Houston which were both bad

teams. Five of the nine games were won by four points or less, two by seven points. At home the Colts would start

out slow coming on strong in the second half.

Don't forget that the Colts were one Tom Brady drive away from never going to the Super Bowl altogether in the AFC

title game.

The Colts run defense was terrible throughout the season but tremendous in the playoffs. In the off-season the Colts -Colts
tickets - lost a ton of defensive players with no high profile replacements. This is something rarely acknowledged in

pre-season predictions. As a matter of a fact the only off-season acquisition I think who will make any kind of

impact is rookie WR Anthony Gonzelez.

The Saints like the Colts weren't the juggernauts that they are remembered from last year. 4 of their 10 wins were

won by seven points or less. Like the Colts, the defense of the Saints gave up a lot of points. Unlike the Colts,

the Saints did improve their defense and kept the majority of the defense in place coming into this season.

The entire Saints team theoretically should come into this season more comfortable with Sean Payton's offense, and

that includes an upgrade at tight-end. Ironically the biggest off-season to make an immediate impact for the Saints

would be a rookie WR. Lookout for Robert Meachem in 2007-08.

What does all of this mean to tonight's game? There is something to be said when matching up two dominant teams from

different divisions. Can the best of the NFC hang in with the best of the AFC? Not likely.

Last season the Saints not only went 1-3 against the AFC, but were seriously blown out in two, and gave up 38 points

in the third. The Saints lost four of eight on the road. However, the Saints did start hot 3-0.

The Colts last season went 3-1 against the NFC only losing one to a Dallas team that was red hot at the time. The

Colts went undefeated at home throughout the regular and post season.

Taking into consideration last season's records, off-season moves, and other intangibles the six points seem about

right for the Colts. I think the Saints are going into halftime with a lead. I can see the Saints running it up

early and the Colts coming back and dominating in the second half. The Saints are dangerous with a lead as they don't mind running it

up. However, my prediction tonight is to take the Saints plus the points, the Colts straight up, and definitely the

over.

by britneyasbourne on Sep 14, 2007 9:50 AM EDT 0 recs

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