http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200880109010 BOB KRAVITZ This time, Chargers are in over their heads First, three bold predictions about Sunday's divisional playoff game between the Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers: • Peyton Manning will not throw six interceptions, as he did when the teams met earlier this year. Maybe one, since San Diego has caused more turnovers than anybody else in football. But not six. • The Colts' special teams, which figure to be bolstered by several starters as coach Tony Dungy once again re-tools his kickoff- and punt-coverage teams, will not give up both a kickoff return for a touchdown and a punt return for a touchdown. One or perhaps the other, but not both. • Adam Vinatieri will not miss a 29-yard field goal attempt with the game on the line. Maybe a 52-yarder. But 29? Never again. What I'm trying to say in my adorably circuitous way is this: The Chargers are going to be in over their heads. Yeah, they've won seven in a row, which qualifies them as the hottest team in the playoffs this side of the New England Patriots. Take a moment, though, to look at those seven victories: Over Baltimore. Over Kansas City. Over Tennessee. Over Detroit. Over Denver. Over Oakland. And, last weekend, over Tennessee again. So in this stretch, they've beaten only one team with a winning record (Tennessee), knocking them off twice. And through this entire season, they've won only three times against teams with a winning record (Tennessee twice and the Colts once). While it's true the Chargers have had the Colts' number the past three years -- if two victories in three years qualifies as having a team's number -- it's also true the midseason game between Indy and San Diego was a complete aberration. Remember, the Colts were coming off the epic, Game of the Millennium loss to the New England Patriots. They invested heavily into that game, physically and emotionally, then were left to take their battered remains across the country for a game in San Diego. Remember, too, the Colts played that game without Tony Ugoh, Dallas Clark, Marvin Harrison, Anthony Gonzalez, Freddy Keiaho, Tyjuan Hagler, Raheem Brock and Charlie Johnson, all of whom are expected to be available Sunday. And during that game, the Colts lost their other tackle, Ryan Diem, and their all-world pass rusher, Dwight Freeney. Diem is expected to be ready Sunday. Freeney, of course, won't return until next season. All that -- the Manning interceptions, the injuries, the special-teams buffoonery -- and still, if Vinatieri makes a kick that he makes the other 99 times he tries it, the Colts are flying home from San Diego with a victory. "I don't think we'll play a game like we played out there (San Diego),'' Dungy said. "But I think San Diego is playing better, too. (Earlier) they were in the process of finding themselves, but they're pretty grooved now with a seven-game winning streak and knowing what they do well.'' There's no question, San Diego has some phenomenal individual talent on both sides of the ball. They still have LaDainian Tomlinson, merely the best running back in the league and maybe the best in the past five years. They still have Shawne Merriman, former Purdue standout Shaun Phillips and a 3-4 defense that rattled Manning the last two times these teams have met. That said, if the Colts can do a decent job of protecting Manning and keeping Tomlinson under some kind of control, this ought to be a two-score game. What? You're afraid of Philip Rivers? Especially if tight end Antonio Gates can't play? There's a reason the team with the bye week and home-field advantage has won 108 of 148 divisional playoff games since 1970, a 73 percent success rate. To start, it is usually the better team, having proven so through the course of the regular season. But the bye week is a huge factor. The Colts are as healthy as they've been all year, with only Ben Utecht viewed as a question mark. And they dedicated a lot of the bye week to attacking 3-4 defenses, understanding they would probably play Pittsburgh or San Diego. "I don't know that we've had difficulty with the 3-4,'' Dungy said. "I think we've had difficulty with good 3-4 teams that have good players. That's the difficulty of it when you're blocking Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips and Jamal Williams. Whether they're in a 4-3 or a 3-4, they're going to cause you problems. "The 3-4, you have four guys who can come at any time. You've got to know who's coming and who isn't. They can get you with your backs blocking those guys at times. Just having four different guys who can come without having to blitz and be in man-to-man coverage. It's a system with a lot of variations.'' Again, today's bold prediction: If Manning doesn't throw six picks, if the special teams don't give up two touchdown returns, if Vinatieri makes the kicks he usually makes in his sleep, the Colts win by 10. Click the link for the rest (not alot more).
I'm beginning to enjoy this crap-in rather perverse sort of way. The punditry are treating the Chargers the way they did Hillary Clinton. That was blamed on the media pissing off the voters. The Sports guys will blame this on their hype lulling the better teams asleep and jacking up the Chargers. :icon_tease::icon_tease::icon_tease: Don't forget to photograph Rivers good side with the trophy, buttheads.
I think this is the same douche that was featured in the video blog someone posted earlier this week. The Indy pundits and fans really know nothing about football. It's astonishing. Their analysis of this game amounts to, "Manning is a HOF QB. Harrison is a HOF receiver. Rivers sucks."
Well Rivers and the Bolts can shut them up in a few days. If the Chargers are what I believe they are, they will start a new dynasty for the NFL talking heads to follow this season.
Not sure if it has anything to do with anything but there has been talk of Dungy retiring after this season.
Same old rhetoric. Rivers sucks, Manning won't throw 6 picks, they won't give up 2 ST TD's, our last 6 games were against a bunch of high school teams, yada, yada, yada.:icon_evil: Let's have a look at their last 6 games shall we? Titans Houston Turds Ravens Jags Falcons Pretty fricken similar schedule if you ask me. But since this is Lord Peyton's team that doesn't matter. As every day goes by I want to smash these guys more and more.
5 of our last 7 games were against common opponents. The Colts get lauded for beating up on crappy teams, while we get criticized for it. :icon_shrug:
I don't think the Titans get enough credit as being a very tough team to beat. They punched us in the mouth, we took it and punched them back even harder. I love us being the underdog.
Feels good, feels right. Last year we were in the limelight. This year, we're the dark horse - hell, we're the INVISIBLE freakin' horse. Horse kicks a colts ***. :icon_twisted:
Last year this prick probably said the Chargers can't lose, this year let's flip the script, fine by me... ...but he is a miserable douchebag.
Word. Earlier in the year, when the Colts were at full strength, they narrowly defeated the Titans, 22-20. The Titans are not pushovers. With the exception of a couple tough games in the middle of the year when Haynesworth was hurt, the Titans played everybody very tough. They won at Jacksonville. They lost by a field goal at Tampa.
With the exception of last season, the postseason Colts have sucked azz. Manning continued to suck in last year's playoffs, but his teammates played well enough to get him the Lombardi. We should not be afraid of the Colts. Respectful, yes. Afraid, no. Last year's Colts were among the more mediocre champions in some time. This year's team is better defensively, but they have yet to show how they will play in the playoffs. Historically, the Colts have played worse in the playoffs than in the regular season. Until last year, Dungy and Manning were choke artists that failed to show up when it mattered most.
Now we know what the Titans felt like last week! God they must have been pissed! Just heard Reggie Bush picking the chargers to pull off the "upset" on Sirius Radio! I can't wait until Sunday!
Welcome to the forum. I wish I would have heard that, but Reggies roots in SD are still strong, so I would expect nothing less.
The other guy that picked us without flinching was Jared Allen. He might have just been staying loyal to the AFC West, but I doubt he has much love for the Bolts. He said our defense was going to work over Manning.
Thanks for the welcome. I've been reading these blogs for the entire season but never joined in. You guys are hilarious!
I can't even watch tv anymore because of all the "experts" sayin this and that about the game! Blow Out My ***! It will be a close game with us pickin Peyton off to seal the W!
I heard him today on Sirius also! Sounded pretty pissed when he heard that Herm Edwards said that KC would franchise him if no long term deal was done this year.
Fair enough. But your assertion that the Colts play twice as hard in the playoffs is unfounded. Last year in the playoffs, the Colts beat: The double whammy of Trent Green and Herm Edwards (as Manning threw three picks), The Ravens quarterbacked by a decrepit Steve McNair (as Manning threw a couple more picks and didn't lead the team on a single TD drive) The Patriots thanks in large part to a Reche Caldwell drop in the end zone(Why couldn't you have done that against us Reche?). Manning threw a pick six to put his team in a 21-3 hole. The Bears quarterbacked by Rex Grossman. :icon_rofl: Manning had yet another mediocre postseason game.
I use to lurk alot and thought all of this stuff was useless and the posters were idiots. 3 years later, my sentiments have not changed. :lol: Welcome aboard.:icon_toast:
Thanks, and welcome to the board. FWIW: Most of these guys here are funny without meaning to be. :icon_smile:
