Monday, October 3, 2005
I Hate Mondays: Colts on Pace For Super Bowl
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You were wondering where that potent Indianapolis Colts offense was?
After their stomping of the hapless Tennessee Titans, where Peyton Manning had four touchdown passes, you can wonder no more.
In the past two weeks, they only scored a total of 23 points. On Sunday, they racked up 31.
Up until this point in the season, it was the defense that was uncharacteristically carrying the team to victory while the offense did not dominate, but did just enough to win.
The Colts defense has taken strides forward this season and entails the NFL's best defensive line. They have yet to allow more than 10 points in any game and opponents have only totaled 26 in four games.
But now that those temporary anxieties that lingered in the back of our minds about the Colts offense are quelled, it is pretty clear that they are the Super Bowl favorites.
The New England Patriots are the current champions and were the preferred choice heading into the season, but they don't look to be in good shape for a three-peat. Injuries have mounted with stalwart safety Rodney Harrison, shifty running back Kevin Faulk, and reliable offensive lineman Matt Light all out for prolonged periods of time.
Those injuries compounded with the losses of Tedy Bruschi and Ted Johnson in the offseason have forced the Patriots away from their signature 3-4 style of defense.
More injuries = less experience = less defensive scheming for the Patriots.
Peyton Manning has rarely stumbled against the 4-3 since a defense with four down lineman and only three linebackers is more static.
The dynamic, ever-changing, and confusing defense of the Patriots, which used to feature three down linemen and four versatile linebackers is not the same without the proper personnel.
If there's no kryptonite around, then the Colts are Superman.
But Manning has feigned the characteristics of Superman before only to turn back into Clark Kent each and every visit at Foxboro. His career record there is 0-7.
Even though victories have been hard to come by at either Foxboro or Gillette Stadium, this year, if these two rivals do meet in the playoffs again, the Colts will likely be the host.
They have yet to lose after four weeks in the season and with San Francisco (1-3), St. Louis (2-2), and Houston (0-3) on tap in the next three weeks, it's not a stretch of the imagination to envision Indy at 7-0 heading into the bye week.
After their vacant week, they face even more flimsy opponents in the second half of the season with Arizona, Seattle, and both Houston and Tennessee again.
But don't forget about Bill Belichick quite yet. Yes, the Colts are impressive at this point in the season, but you can still expect to see the Patriots in the playoffs.
They are in a weak division with the New York Jets, a team riddled with key injuries, the Miami Dolphins, a team that is rebuilding, and the Buffalo Bills, a team that is both.
Belichick still has another 12 games to prepare his new faces, but if they are not ready, if they are not capable, or of they cannot play their shifty 3-4 defense, Manning and the Colts will be your Super Bowl champs.
The Colts and the Patriots mix like Mondays and me.
Don't miss next week's installment of "I Hate Mondays," sponsored by CyberSportsbook.com, a great sportsbook for horse racing and casino action!
This article is an interesting one. Being a Pats fan I just sit back and watch how people seem to in essence write off the pats defense after the loss of harrison and Bruschi, who actually might be coming back but for lack of info on that I will refrain from using that in this message.
" More injuries = less experience = less defensive scheming for the Patriots."
That is true, but to an extent. Do you remember last year at all? The pats 'patchwork' defensive backfield was able to hold manning to 3 points while the Pats schemed their way to the superbowl. I do see your point, again, to an extent. The linebacking corp right now is hurt and they don't look like johnson and bruschi but they don't need to look like them. They need to look like a Brown and Biesel, if they can play to the best of their ability (which isn't THAT great) they should be able to hold the pats defense afloat.
Enough about the patriots winning, I am beginning to sound like a true homer, which I am...just a tad. I do think the Pats will lose this year, in the playoffs. The loss will come to pittsburgh either in foxboro or in pittsburgh but most likely in pittsurgh. I just can't see the Colts winning the superbowl, I'm sorry but I just can't see it. Peyton manning when facing great defenses folds. You mention their record now and their opponents, then you mention their next 3 opponents. They will have yet to challenge themselves, not that they pick the schedule, but when you are in such a weak division and get some cake out of division teams on your schedule you will have a ton of sports columnists foaming at the mouths, much like you! If you look up Peyton Manning's playing from behind stats and pressure stats they are good, but thats because who he plays. Just look at the last two playoffs to get a sense of how their offense will fair against the pats or steelers...moreso the steelers though because I don't think the pats will be able to over power him.
I enjoyed your column, I hope to read a lot more from you.