So, some of you are 'complaining' that I'm not writing enough positive stories about a 7-6 team fighting for its playoff life this Sunday. Truth of the matter is that I've looked for positive things to scribble about, but there aren't many. I could write another story about how Peyton Manning is awesome and how he has done so much with the garbage talent Bill Polian has drafted the last four years, but I've done that already.
And while I'm very pleased guys like Javarris James, Blair White, and Jacob Tamme have stepped up and played their guts out this year in relief of injured players Joseph Addai, Austin Collie, and Dallas Clark, I have a hard time getting over the underwhelming play of players like Philip Wheeler, Donald Brown, and Jerry Hughes (just to name a few). When undrafted talent outplays 'first round' talent, I don't see positives there. I see a personnel department that f*cked up.
Still, despite the negative clearly outweighing the positive so far this season, one of the very few bright spots for this team in 2010 has been the return of Adam Vinatieri.
During pre-season, some folks here actually thought Garrett Lindholm (who?) would take Vinatieri's job. All 'Vinny' has done this year is hit 20-f-22 FGs, include several beyond 45-yards, a feat Matt Stover struggled with all last season.
Other than the Titans Rob Bironas, who has made 21-of-22 FGs, no other kicker in the AFC is playing better than AV. Bironas also gets the nod over AV because he kicked a 55-yarder this year. The longest AV has made this year is 48.
The Indianapolis Star wrote a little piece today on how Adam Vinatieri wants to stay with the Colts after this season. Personally, I feel letting him go would be a mistake. AV is a 'money' kicker, and with offensive and defensive line (once again) being the priority for this upcoming off-season, running around looking for a new kicker should be the last thing on the minds of Colts management.