Game Time!!!! Patriots vs Colts!!!!

[hcjilson]

Well, November 7th is soon approaching. No doubt the Colts are a team to be reckoned with. Even Belicheck said yesterday, they are the the best team in the NFL...........till Sunday anyway. Pete's been waiting long enough for revenge......question is will he get it? Can Manning win in Foxborough? We're pretty banged up but the Patriots still have plenty of heart, and THATS what wins football games. Let the bashing begin!!

[Spexvet]

Well, November 7th is soon approaching. No doubt the Colts are a team to be reckoned with. Even Belicheck said yesterday, they are the the best team in the NFL...........till Sunday anyway. Pete's been waiting long enough for revenge......question is will he get it? Can Manning win in Foxborough? We're pretty banged up but the Patriots still have plenty of heart, and THATS what wins football games. Let the bashing begin!!

Uh, Harry, I hate to tell you this: November 7th is Monday. Go Colts (still not over the Eagles Superbowl loss):p

[Mikef]

Right behind you Harry!

Manning becomes a rookie whenever he gets to foxboro! I just hope we get some football weather by then. Snow would be nice!

Brady will step up and throw for about 450 yards and ride the colts into the ground.

Sorry Pete Perfect seasons ends at the Razor!

:p

[hcjilson]

OOP's I guess I was getting ahead of myself.....Go PATS!

[Night Train]

Every time this matchup happens, I get all excited thinking "This year is fianlly the Year that the Colts will win" and then Manning becomes Brady's *****. This year, I will just approach this game with cautious optimism. No trash talk from this Colts fan.

[hcjilson]

I don't think you're hearing much trash talk from us either. We're too busy biting our nails! In spite of our depleted secondary, we are cautiously optomistic as well. Strangely, Pete is absent, except in our thoughts! It will be fun to watch, whatever happens.

[Night Train]

Pete is on a secret mission to sabotage the game.

[Pete Hanlin]

Pete has actually been on a secret mission to the future... (just one more technology being developed in the secret laboratories here at Essilor).

I don't want to disrupt the space-time continuum, but I'll go as far to say that New England's 10 year reign of inexplicable overacheivement ends on Monday evening!

Of course, if time travel has taught us anything it is that there are several parallel universes out there- and some of them result in some really weird outcomes. How else can you explain the fact that the Patriots- who have oft fielded an inferior team to the Colts- have managed to walk away victorious? Perhaps it is the foul New England air, which oppresses the poor souls of that region and turns them mean, who really knows?

Needless to say, unless a rip in the cosmos causes the entire planet to fall into some alternative course, it should be quite obvious to all that the Patriots are but a sorry, half-hollow shell of their former selves. They have struggled to get by such powerhouses as the Buffalo Bills and the Atlanta Falcons, needed 61 minutes to gain the only quality win of their season (against the Steelers), and come into Monday's game surprisingly only a 3.5 point dog (note from the future... lay the points, Colts fans).

PS- I have to admit, even I didn't see the marriage of former President Bill Clinton and Alec Baldwin in 2009 coming (lovely ceremony in The Hamptons, though).
__________________________
End of ridiculous and intentionally incendiary smack... As a Colts fan, all I'm asking is that the Patriots play with the same level of ineptitude that has marked their first 7 games.

With all due respect, the Pats just don't have it this year- so perchance the football gods could see fit to not have the Pats pull some unbelievablely great game out of their posteriors and allow the better team to win. There's no snow to hide behind this time, and Freeney has to be simply polishing his cleats as he prepares to line up against a five game rookie.

If the O-line of the Pats is really as sieve-like as it appeared during last week's contest, Brady looks to get sacked (hard) at least five times. Meanwhile, Peyton is due to break out with a five or six TD performance sometime this season, and I can think of no better time than this Monday night (going against a secondary that allowed Moulds to run all over it- Harrison and Stokely should be sitting beside Freeney with their cleats as well).

Warning- returning to smack...
So, for the Pats fans out there, I would approach this game like a trip to the dentist when you know you have a cavity. You know its going to hurt, but you also know you've had this coming for some time now. You've snacked on the sweet spoils of success- perhaps even when you ought not have (still trying to figure out the tuck rule)- and now its time for the drill. If it helps, I'm sure Dungy has instructed Freeney to try and not disable Brady for the remainder of the year- so maybe he'll be gentle! Of course Mathis and Simon may decide to partake in a Brady sandwich as well (in the words of Happy Gilmore, Uh-ohhhh, looks like Indy learned how to play defense!).

Sorry I haven't been around much, but I try to make up for lost time when I do post...
:)

<-- Brady during Monday Night Football
<-- Belichek (sp?, aw who cares) at halftime
:shiner: <-- Brady after Monday Night Football...
:cheers: <--Colts fans everywhere during the fourth quarter
:drop: <-- Foxboro residents gathered around the water cooler Tuesday morning

[hcjilson]

:drop: <-- Foxboro residents gathered around the water cooler Tuesday morning

Yeah.....And theyre all saying the same thing ........." I can't believe we beat the Colts with half our team on injured reserve".....And I'll bet even money that Peat.....(excuse me) Pete, wouldn't be talking like that if it were the FIRST game of the season when we were mostly all heathy!

GO PATS!!!!!!

[T Holmes]

You think New England is hurting now ,wait until the Colts kick their "come uppance" to them.However,everything is not bleak for the Pats...I see they just signed Gino Cappelletti and Sam Cunningham. If anyone out there in Patriot nation knows a Dr. Derek Guarino from the Boston area,tell him this is one Colts fan that has a horshoe to pick with him.
Sincerely,
Bert Jones and the ghost of Johnny Unitas

[Pete Hanlin]

Ah, Bert Jones... A true Colts fan indeed (do you remember other Colt QB greats, like Jeff George, Mike Pagel, Gary Hogeboom, Chris Chandler, Jack Trudeau, and my personal favorite- after Peyton Manning, of course- Jim Harbaugh). Oh, and who could forget John Elway- oh yeah, may his soul rot in hades forever!

Yes, the longsuffering Colts fans of the world have suffered through many long years of mediocrity. Sure, there were brief brushes with greatness (if that last pass against the Steelers would have simply been caught, the Colts would have gone on to defeat the Cowboys in Superbowl XXX (is it coincidence that this will be Superbowl XL? I think not).

This year, however- it will be different (which is the annual chant taken up by the faithful). Defeating the evil and hated New England Patriots is just the first step towards that end!

The outcome would be no different if the Patriots were healthy (although you are correct, Harry, the battered condition of your team does give this Colts fan an extra jolt of confidence). The fact is, the Colts have a longstanding coaching team in place- whereas the Pats have lost their assistant coaches.

Don't you see? The Colts simply HAVE to win this Monday, they have to, they just have to... (brief pause while Pete takes his meds). If for no other reason so I can stop throwing things at my TV every time ESPN shows that silly clip of Law intercepting a pass on that snowy day two years ago!

Face it- it was a nice run, but its over. Its time for the team everyone WANTS to win goes on to greatness (and when they do, I have all the moth-eaten Indy AND Baltimore Colts garb to prove that the wait has been worth it).

PS- The pic is circa 1972 or 1973, I believe...

[hcjilson]

Ahhh! the years have not been good to you Pete! :):):) Trash talk aside, good luck on Monday.I am a John Unitas fan myself, as well as Y.A Tittle,Charley Connerly, and Sonny Jurgenson.....Thats when quarterbacks were REAL football players.While you are mentioning Colts heros, does the name Earl Morrel ring a bell??

[Mikef]

Ah the Clots are just a bunch of Nancy boys.

GO PATS!!

[Pete Hanlin]

While you are mentioning Colts heros, does the name Earl Morrel ring a bell??
Not to play the "age card," but he's a bit before even my time- Harry.

However, I did have a chance to personally meet another player from that era by the name of Tom Matte (who was a RB, but subbed as a QB when Unitas and the backup QB, possibly Morrel, was injured in the playoffs). I actually had the chance to wear his Superbowl ring- a real rush!

We had a series of seminars with Varilux distributors with a football theme- we would have a retired football player speak after each event. I had the chance to meet Harry Carson (Giants), Dan Hampton (Bears), and Matte... Unfortunately, I missed the one with Franco Harris (who went to a great college). One thing I'll never forget was Dan Hampton's fingers- none of them pointed in the same direction (the abuse an NFL player's body takes is just tremendous). Gives one a new respect for what these guys do.

That said, I still can't believe Pass dropped that ball when he pulled his hammy (he's on my fantasy team- that little bit of wussy-ness cost me 2 points!).

[T Holmes]

Pete,is that you in the picture or a young Jim Harbaugh? (talk about a player with heart) I believe Gary Cuozzo was Unitas' back up when Matte filled in.He was a QB at Ohio State and my favorite Colt growing up.Long live#41! How far do you think that idiotic fan that took the ball out of Brett Fahrve's hand would have gotten if Mike Curtis was on the field?Looking back my "all time dream job" would be to be the guy that spelled out C..O.. L .. T..S..with his body as all the great fans of Memorial Stadium chimed in.

[Pete Hanlin]

That is yours truly in the photo. Growing up in Central Pennsylvania, I'll admit my affiliation as a Colts fan began when I was 5. It was time for a new winter coat, and this was the first time I was going to have a say in the decision (a momentous occasion for a 5 year old).

Anyway, Sears & Roebucks had a section of the standard felt-with-the-vinyl-sleeves coats sporting football logos. My dad was a Redskin fan- but there were no Redskin coats in my size. The Eagles stuff was green (ewwww), the Steelers stuff was yellow (which didn't look good in vinyl). Finally, there was the blue and white stuff that looked very similar to my grandfather's stuff (my grandfather went to every Penn State home game for decades)...

Anyway, been a fan ever since. Night Train- who lurks here now and then- is also of the faithful and we've attended numerous Colts games (Philly, Baltimore Ravens, Cinncinati). I only attended two games in Baltimore before those evil Mayflower trucks stole the team away in the snow flurry, and I've yet to attend a game in the RCA Dome (though that is a goal).

Jim Harbaugh may well be one of my favorite all time Colts- I have an autographed photo of him in my office. My favorite Colts game was their victory over the Chiefs in 1995 (I beleive it was '95). There was a huge snowstorm outside, the Colts were the Cinderella team of the playoffs, and I still remember Zack Crockett breaking one big. Second favorite victory would be the Tampa Bay comeback on Monday Night (I watched that in Tampa).

Basically, if they win tomorrow night (I mean "when they win," football- like the Great Pumpkin- can sense doubt ;^) I'll go ahead and reserve a hotel room in Detroit. I already have a Superbowl fund socked away to procure a scalped ticket when the Colts finally make it to the big one.

[Mikef]

Deja vu! Deja Vu ending

[Pete Hanlin]

Colts 38
Patriots 10

[Mikef]

This Is Peyton's Best Chance to Beat Pats
Indy's Star Quarterback Is 0-6 Against Nemisis From New England
By JIM ARMSTRONG, AOL Exclusive



Sports Commentary

I see where the Colts are giving three to the Patriots in Monday night's long-anticipated rematch at New England.

Three points or three touchdowns?

Normally, any time the Colts play a team with a lousy defense, a ton of injuries and a coach who dresses like a homeless person, they're favored by a lot more than a crummy field goal. But then, this is the Patriots we're talking about. Doesn't matter who's wearing their uniform. All they have to do is show up and the Colts shrivel up like a dot.com stock.

What, you thought Archie Manning was Peyton's daddy? That's only in the off-season. During the season, Bill Belichick is Peyton's daddy. And every time the Colts play the Patriots, the NFL's two-time MVP gets sent to bed without dinner.

Most people gave up on Manning ever beating the Patriots last January, when the Colts rolled into Foxboro, Mass. with an offense as unstoppable as Charlie Sheen in a massage parlor. Manning had thrown for a league-record 49 touchdown passes, whereupon the Colts blew out the Broncos in their first playoff game.

So what happens in the AFC championship game? The weather turns nasty and the Colts, who play their home games in a cushy 72-degree dome, have as many turnovers (3) as points.


The loss was Manning's sixth straight against Tom Brady and the Patriots. Or was it his 16th straight? Doesn't matter, really. You get the picture. New England is Manning's black hole, his Bermuda Triangle, his Little Big Horn. He's like Wilt Chamberlain in the '50s and '60s: Great player, no hardware, thanks to that confounded team from Boston.

At least that's the common perception of Peyton Manning. Me? I'm sticking with him through thick and thin. I predicted the Colts would win the Super Bowl last season, prompting most of America to laugh at me and call me unmentionable names. What those people didn't realize was that, as usual, I was a man ahead of my time.

Seems I was half-right: right team, wrong year.

It's November and the Colts have yet to break a sweat this season. They're 7-0, making them the NFL's last unbeaten team, and have allowed a league-low 77 points. If Manning isn't the league's MVP, any one of two or three other Colts players could be.

Game InfoTV: ABC | Time: Mon., 9PM ET

Site: Foxboro, Mass. - Gillette Stadium
2005 Records: IND (7-0) | NE (4-3)
Line: Colts by 3
Last Meeting: Jan. 16; Patriots, 20-3.
At Foxboro, Mass., Manning completed 27 of
42 passes for 238 yards and an INT, giving
him a quarterback rating of 69.3 - about half
his regular-season record-setting mark of
121.1.
More Info: <A href="http://aolsvc.weather.aol.com/main.adp?location=USMA0146" target=_blank>Weather | Schedule

Now they head for Foxboro, where they've got some unfinished business to tend to. I'm not going to guarantee a win or anything like that. What I will say is this: If the Colts can't beat the Patriots this time, under these circumstances, with nothing more than an early November regular-season game on the line, they never will.

Strange stuff always seems to happen when Manning is on the field against the Patriots. He's 2-10 against them during his career. In those 12 games, the Colts have committed 34 turnovers, the Patriots 11. But if he can't beat them Monday night, he might as well take his ball and go home for good.

If Manning loses this one, he ought to quit on the spot and become mayor of Indianapolis. Lose this one and Rush Limbaugh will become Hillary Clinton's campaign manager before Manning beats the Patriots. Lose this one and Keith Richards will do a Got Milk? commercial before Manning beats the Pats.

If you're Manning, the good news is this: Beating the Patriots figures to be easier done than said. Why? Because these Patriots aren't those Patriots. Not the ones who've won three of the last four Super Bowls.

Truth is, this year's Pats are one of the worst defensive teams in the league. And no, the return of linebacker Tedy Bruschi, who was on the field last week nine months after suffering a stroke, isn't going to change anything.

The Patriots are 26th in the league in defense and 24th in turnovers. Their secondary, once the best in the business, has been decimated by injuries. Their offensive line is offensive and their running game has slowed to a crawl. Not only that, their offensive and defensive coordinators have been hijacked by an NFL owner and a university president thirsty for a taste of the Pats' formula for success.


Add it all up and the Patriots are in big trouble. Not just this week, but every week. They caught a break late in the game last Sunday to beat Buffalo, enabling them to surpass the .500 mark at 4-3. Now for the big news of the day: They had an interception. Nothing out of the ordinary there except that it was their second of the season in seven games.

This is the team that's going to beat the Colts? The team that's going to hand Peyton Manning, the best quarterback of his generation, his first loss of the season? Like the cowardly lion said in the Wizard of Oz, not no way, not no how.

If it does happen, though, I'd like to say something right here and now, before the fact.

Nice knowing you, Peyton.

[hcjilson]

Mikey- That strange sound in your ears.....Its ME! Cheering! Great Post! harry

[Pete Hanlin]

The monkey has left the building... Peyton Manning manhandled the Patriots 40-21 on Monday Night Football (he looked like a man playing sandlot football with a bunch of boys).

'Twas a particularly satisfying game to watch (particularly after the second Long Island Iced Tea). The only thing missing was Dandy Don singing "Turn Out the Lights, the Party's Over" in the fourth quarter. The Colts got a bit classless (IMHO) by going for two in the fourth quarter (and the Patriots reciprocated by sending in Doug Flutie and refusing to take a knee).

My Manning jersey (with the white Varilux long sleeve T-shirt underneath) has finally broken the jinx- this has been the combo I've worn for both playoff loses- and now the Colts prepare to take home field advantage through the playoffs.

Now the question is, will the Colts go 16-0? Ironically enough, I ate in Shula's restuarant in Tampa before watching the game, so we'll see.

[hcjilson]

Congratulations to Pete, and to the Colts! Both have waited long enough for the right to strut a bit. Will they go to 16?? Time will tell.......can they get to the Patriots record of 19? Doubtful.....very doubtful.Its a shame the entire roster of the Patriots couldn't have been on the field last night. I'm not sure it would have changed the result but the score would have been a lot closer. Who knows what the Colts will be like the next time we meet.Time has a way to level the playing field. Me? I'm going out to shop for a Colts hat for the picture!

[Spexvet]

Congrats, Pete. Harry's right, to win straight through to the Superbowl, they'll need 19 in a row.

My Eagles are falling into a different trend:
Three of the last four teams to lose in a Super Bowl did not make it back to the playoffs the following year.

Uh-oh

[Mikef]

WOW! SO that is what crow tastes like! It's been so long I forgot!


The scary thing is the Pats will win the AFC East and make the playoffs. It's the worst division in football right now!

So See you this winter Pete!

[Mikef]

Harry

Don't buy that hat yet. That's only for the Superbowl!

If the Colts win the Superbowl I will buy a Manning shirt and a hat!