This AFC title is better

Peyton Manning’s half-interested smile said it all.

Peyton contained his excitement, but Sunday's win was better than '06.

The Colts quarterback hoisted his second Lamar Hunt Trophy amid a flurry of confetti after Sunday’s 30-17 AFC Championship victory over the New York Jets. But his unenthusiastic lift of the hardware made it immediately obvious that to him, simply booking a return trip to Miami for Super Bowl XLIV isn’t enough.

He wants a different trophy.

Flash back three years. The Colts had just shocked the New England Patriots 38-34 for the AFC title in the whirlwind of noise that was the RCA Dome. The team’s postgame reaction was anything but subdued. That victory at the time was a career-defining win for Manning, who until that point had been widely labeled as a quarterback who chokes when the stakes are highest. It was such an improbable comeback — against the hated Patriots, no less — that it made the Colts’ victory over the Bears in Super Bowl XLI seem almost anticlimactic.

Sunday’s win over the Jets was more impressive.

Say what you want about New York being a No. 5 seed, but any team with the No. 1 ranked rushing attack and defense is tough to beat. For nearly two quarters, that Jets defense shut down Manning. For nearly two quarters, rookie QB Mark Sanchez showed Brady-like calmness under pressure, tossing a perfect 80-yard TD strike to Braylon Edwards and staying in the pocket long enough – getting obliterated by Raheem Brock in the process — to hit Dustin Keller for 9-yard touchdown to put the Jets up 14-3.  But in the second half it was like Manning had just solved a Rubik’s Cube. The Colts out-rushed the NFL’s No. 1 ground attack, Manning was interception-free against the dangerous Darrelle Revis, and young recievers Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon went off for more than 100 yards apiece. The Jets did not score again. 

The Jets had a more dangerous team than the ‘06 Pats. With Edwards, Keller, Jerricho Cotchery, and the one-two backfield punch of Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene, Sanchez had more weapons than Brady. The Patriots had a washed up Corey Dillon and perhaps the two worst wide receivers ever to start an AFC Championship game — Reche Caldwell and Jabar Gaffney.  

There’s also the pressure factor. The Colts definitely faced more Sunday. Lose to the Pats in ‘06? Manning’s reputation is re-affirmed — he can’t win the big one. Lose to the Jets? Fans storm Lucas Oil Stadium with torches and pitchforks, furious over the momentum-killing decision to rest the starters in Week 16.

So why did Sunday’s win over the Jets get a business-like reaction while the 2006 AFC Championship seemed like Mardi Gras?

Simply put, the Colts had been there before. Believe it or not, Indianapolis was the Super Bowl veteran of this year’s final four, having reached the game much more recently than Minnesota (1977), New York (1969), or New Orleans (never). After their best performance in a conference championship game of the Indianapolis-era, they’re one win away from the trophy Manning really wants.

A lump of coal for Colts fans

Former NFL coach Herman Edwards’ infamous “you play to win the game” tirade never seemed more relevant than it does now.

Rex got one more Christmas present Sunday.

The Indianapolis Colts should have followed Edwards’ advice Sunday against his former team, the New York Jets. Instead, they sabotaged their own perfect season by essentially waving the white flag of surrender in the second half.

It was enough to make any Colts fan sick.

When coach Jim Caldwell pulled Peyton Manning and threw Curtis Painter into the fire late in the third quarter, fans at Lucas Oil Stadium voiced their displeasure — and rightfully so.

Their team had just transformed from arguably the league’s most potent offense led by a three-time MVP, to a practice squad, led by the likes of Painter, Tom Santi, Jacob Tamme, and Kendra Baskett’s husband. Against a hungry, top-ranked Jets defense still scrapping for a playoff spot, those guys had no chance.

Though many fans would now disagree, I’m not suggesting Caldwell has gone from genius to Isaiah Thomas overnight. Giving the starters rest is not a bad thing. Everyone knows that if the Colts want another Lombardi Trophy, they’re going to need a healthy Manning.

But why shut it down at that point of the game?

The Colts led 15-10 with 5:36 left in the third quarter when Manning and the starters were pulled. Why not go for a few more points to at least give Painter a realistic chance to protect the lead? Were the Colts really that scared of Manning going down? The Jets never sacked him, and he was virtually untouched in the pocket. 

If the Colts were that concerned about injuries, why not spare the home fans and sit the starters during last Thursday’s meaningless game at Jacksonville?

Caldwell’s decision was unfair to Painter, unfair to the team’s starters who’d worked so hard to get to 14-0, and most of all, unfair to the loyal Colts fans. Many of them are lucky to have jobs, but continue to drop hard-earned cash on high-priced seats at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Sunday’s preview of the post-Manning era was a slap in the face.

Tanking a very winnable game, arrogantly tossing aside a very attainable perfect season, and handing a very beatable Jets team a late Christmas present is an unforgivable offense to every Colts fan who wasted a Sunday at Lucas Oil. 

This one will sting for a while, no matter how the rest of the season plays out. If the Colts go one-and-done in the playoffs, the Jets game will be remembered as the turning point, when things started to go south. I’m sure no fan will care should the Colts win the Super Bowl, but you can’t help but wonder what might have been.

If you’re going to go down, go down swinging. In 2005, the 13-0 Colts tried to beat the San Diego Chargers, but suffered their first loss in Week 14. Those Colts at least played to win the game. If winning wasn’t the objective Sunday, then why play?

Colts must pursue perfection

AFC South title? Check.

First-round bye? Check.

Home field advantage throughout the playoffs? Check.

The Colts have a shot to do what the 18-1 Pats couldn't.

Welcome to the bench Peyton, Jim Sorgi saved a seat for you.

With a 28-16 win over Denver on Sunday, the Indianapolis Colts’ regular season once again ended three weeks early. They moved to 13-0, posted an NFL-record 22nd straight victory, and ensured the road to the Super Bowl will run through Lucas Oil Stadium.

That means the annual debate of whether or not to rest the team’s starters down the stretch has officially begun. While no one outside of the organization knows for sure what the Colts will do, it’s easy to see them returning to the rest-the-starters philosophy of the Tony Dungy years.

That would be a big mistake.

Everyone knows shutting down early didn’t work out so well for the 14-2 Colts in 2005, or the 13-3 team in 2007.

But that’s not the reason the starters should play.

The Colts could have easily beaten the Steelers in that 2005 divisional playoff game, were it not for Ben Roethlisberger’s fingertip tackle of Nick Harper on a potentially game-winning fumble return. Oh, and I think Mike Vanderjagt missed a field goal in that game.

The ‘07 divisional loss to San Diego was also winnable, but the Colts simply couldn’t put together a drive in the final minutes.

The Colts should go for a perfect season simply because it’s a rare opportunity.

How often does a team find itself in a situation where perfection is within its grasp? The Colts must pursue it. If they drop a couple regular season games, finish 14-2, and end up winning the Super Bowl, I’m sure no one will care about those two marks in the loss column.

But don’t forget about the bigger picture. If the Colts take their second Super Bowl of the 2000’s or zero-zero’s or whatever we call this decade, they’ve simply matched the Pittsburgh Steelers and pulled within one Lombardi Trophy of New England. 

It’s one thing to be the best after one particular season, but this team — and the still unbeaten New Orleans Saints – has a chance to be the NFL’s best ever. To be the first team to go 19-0 and ensure the corks are never popped on the 1972 Miami Dolphins’ champagne would make a Colts — or Saints — victory in Super Bowl XLIV infinitely more meaningful. As if any extra motivation is needed, how sweet would it be for the Colts to achieve a feat that their archrivals, the 18-1 Patriots, failed to do in 2007?

The remaining schedule isn’t too intimidating. Indianapolis has already beaten far tougher teams than the Jaguars (7-6), Jets (7-6), and Bills (5-8). Anything can happen in the playoffs, but with no trips to frigid Foxboro or Pittsburgh this year, the AFC postseason is more favorable than its ever been for the Colts.

They just need Manning on the field.

Colts finally get an easy win

With the Tennessee Titans in town Sunday, the Indianapolis Colts were presented with a dangerous opponent.

The Titans are back to being losers.

At 5-6, the Titans were playing with (almost) nothing to lose. They had already lost the division, their playoff hopes were on life support, and any expectations they had for the season were thrown out the window, thanks to an 0-6 start.

But led by quarterback Vince Young, who has resurrected his career with — surprisingly — his arm instead of his legs, the Titans had won five straight. Off the field, Titans coach Jeff Fisher’s stunt of wearing a Peyton Manning jersey and saying, “I just wanted to feel like a winner” may have enraged fans in Nashville, but must have lit a fire under his players.

They did their best Manning impersonation — winning —  and all of a sudden seemed primed to be that dangerous dark horse nobody wants to play at the end of the season. The Titans seemed just the team to take down the 11-0 Colts, who have been squeaking out close games all year. After all, the Colts’ last regular season loss — on Oct. 27, 2008 — came to these same Titans.

So much for that theory.

The Colts finally made it easy on themselves Sunday, finally winning one that didn’t come down to a game-saving tackle, field goal, or Bill Belichick debacle on fourth-and-two.

They did it in unlikely fashion.

Manning threw for 271 yards and a touchdown, which by his unbelievably high standards might actually count as an “off game”.

Instead, the ground game delivered.

Joseph Addai ran for a season-high 79 yards, but more importantly punched in two touchdowns to help the Colts build a 14-3 lead in the second quarter. Addai is no Chris Johnson, he won’t burn you for big plays. In fact, he hasn’t broken a run longer than 23 yards in the last three seasons. But with nine touchdowns this season, he’s on pace to crack his career high of 12 scores set in 2007.

Thanks to Addai and receiver Pierre Garcon’s career day, the Colts found all the offense they needed to build a lead on the Titans. The defense did the rest. It may have given up 17 points, but the Titans’ final touchdown on a pass from Young to Bo Scaife came in garbage time.

This one was over much earlier in the fourth quarter.

Colts fans, finally, were able to breathe.

Caldwell making case for Coach of the Year

Before the season began, I wasn’t a believer in new Indianapolis Colts coach Jim Caldwell.

His hiring was the NFL “buddy system” at its finest.

Caldwell is no Dungy clone.

He was promised the job a full season before Tony Dungy rode off into the sunset. The stubborn Colts didn’t interview anyone else, Caldwell was their guy. Imagine if another candidate handed them a resume that featured a college head coaching record of 26-63 — like Caldwell’s at Wake Forest?

It would have gone straight into the trash.

So the Colts’ arrogant move of treating their head coaching position like a hand-me-down sweater was bound to blow up in their faces, right?

Wrong.

Caldwell is no Dungy clone. He has put his own stamp on the franchise, and led it to an 11-0 start and sixth AFC South title in the last seven years.

Caldwell started by showing he isn’t afraid to shake things up. He dumped two Dungy-era coaches in defensive coordinator Ron Meeks and special teams coach Russ Purnell.

The results have been drastic.

Using blitzes unheard of in years past, the Colts defense allows just 16.7 points per game — fourth-best in the NFL. That statistic is even more impressive considering they’ve lost starters Bob Sanders, Marlin Jackson, and Tyjuan Hagler for the season and at times have been without Dwight Freeney, Kelvin Hayden, and Gary Brackett. The Colts’ underrated defense has held three opponents out of the end zone this season.

On special teams, kick returners used to feast on the Colts’ lack of coverage. That hasn’t been the case this year, as Indianapolis hasn’t allowed a single return touchdown. The Colts still can’t return kicks themselves, but as long as opponents aren’t torching them on special teams, I’m sure most Colts fans will take it.

Caldwell even seems to be having more luck throwing the red challenge flag than Dungy.

His successful challenge of Texans running back Ryan Moats’ fumble out of the end zone during the first game against Houston saved a touchdown and helped the Colts to a 20-17 victory.

The transition from Dungy to Caldwell has gone just as smooth as the Colts’ front office predicted, but will Caldwell win the NFL’s much-talked about, but meaningless Coach of the Year award?

Probably not.

Having a player as talented as Manning, Caldwell will probably be overlooked in favor of coaches who’ve found success with less to work with. Cincinnati’s Marvin Lewis and Denver’s Josh McDaniels come to mind.

But so far, so good for Caldwell, a rookie head coach many — myself included — didn’t give much of a chance just four months ago.

Coaching blunder helps Colts beat Baltimore

Just one week after Bill Belichick’s now-infamous 4th-and-2 blunder lifted the Indianapolis Colts past the New England Patriots, another coaching gaffe played a key role in another Colts victory.

Thanks, John. Your genius two-time-outs-in-one-play move helped the Colts go 10-0.

This time, thank John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens.

With the Colts leading 17-15 late in Sunday’s game, the Ravens were still within reach but desperately needed a stop. On 3rd-and-1 with just over two minutes left, Peyton Manning found Reggie Wayne for a short completion, and Wayne stretched just past the first-down marker.

Harbaugh called his second time-out, then challenged the spot.

He lost the challenge, his third time-out, and any chance the Ravens had at preserving precious time. 

Oops.

Harbaugh’s bewildered reaction to an official explaining to him that he had just burned two time-outs in one play was priceless.

With Baltimore unable to stop the clock, Manning milked it down to 28 seconds. Ravens punt returner Ed Reed fumbled the ensuing kick, and just like that, the unbeaten Colts escaped with a 17-15 win and moved to 10-0.

Instant replay was a factor all day.

It mostly worked in the Ravens’ favor, as Harbaugh was able to challenge — and successfully reverse — two Baltimore fumbles. The first came early in the game, after a quick strike by the Colts had already made it 7-0. Ravens returner Lardarius Webb fumbled the ensuing kickoff, but Baltimore avoided disaster when the officials later ruled Webb’s knee down.

The second challenge reversed a Willis McGahee fumble in the third quarter, but the Ravens were unable to capitalize and missed a field goal.

While Harbaugh’s two-time-out blunder certainly helped the Colts kill the clock, several Indianapolis players had key performances in the win. Tight end Tom Santi emerged from practice squad obscurity, nabbing a career-high six catches for 80 yards. Pierre Garcon continued his rise up the depth chart, posting a team-high 108 receiving yards and burning the Ravens with a 66-yard catch on the fifth play from scrimmage. Linebacker Gary Brackett had a huge interception of quarterback Joe Flacco on the Ravens’ final drive.

But one of the toughest things to do in football is kill the clock when you’re ahead, and Harbaugh’s time-out disaster certainly made it easier on the Colts.

Colts’ offense gets a bailout

Plenty of excuses are available for why the Indianapolis Colts’ offense didn’t perform up to par in Sunday’s 18-14 win over the San Francisco 49ers.

Blame it on practice — something key players Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, and Tony Ugoh mostly did not do last week.

Thank the defense for this one.

Blame it on an unfamiliar opponent. The Colts haven’t seen the 49ers since 2005, and last played them at home in 2001 — when former coach Jim Mora famously questioned the team’s playoff chances.

With the sun poking through the roof and into the eyes of Colts receivers, you can even blame it on Lucas Oil Stadium.

Whatever the reason, the timing was simply off, especially between Manning and Wayne.  Passes were overthrown. Receivers zigged when they should have zagged. Usual receptions were dropped. On that note, does anyone else think preseason performer Taj Smith would have been a much better option at fourth receiver than Hank “butterfingers” Baskett? Baskett sure didn’t help his cause Sunday, dropping two catchable passes — one on third down.

It took a trick play to crack the end zone. Joseph Addai’s wobbly halfback pass to Wayne may have provided the game-winning points, but it was the Colts’ defense and special teams who deserve credit for the win.

While the Colts settled for four Matt Stover field goals, the defense never let the 49ers make them pay.

Take away Frank Gore’s 64-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and the Colts shut him down, holding him to just 27 yards the rest of the way. The Indianapolis pass rush harrassed San Francisco quarterback Alex Smith, knocking him down seven times and recording four sacks.

But the Colts’ defense was most impressive when it was on the sideline. That’s because it was finally able to do something that’s haunted it all season — get off the field. San Francisco converted just 2-of-10 third downs, and had its final drive killed by a Freeney sack on 3rd-and-10.

Don’t forget the special teams.

Jamie Silvia undoubtedly made Colts fans cringe each time he caught a punt, but the rest of the unit — including Silva on kick coverage — was fantastic. The 49ers never started a drive further than their own 30. Rookie Pat McAfee averaged 46.3 yards per punt, and is quickly making Colts fans forget about Hunter Smith.

So the Colts are 7-0, the last unbeaten team in the AFC for the fourth time in five years. They have the defense and special teams to thank.

James will be a Hall of Famer … eventually

A future Hall of Fame running back took the field Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium, but he didn’t have a horseshoe on his helmet.

It might take a while, but Edge will make it to Canton.

Now a back-up with the Seattle Seahawks, he’s a guy Indianapolis fans haven’t seen since arguably the lowest point in franchise history, in a 2005 playoff loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

That was nearly four years ago, and that was the last time Edgerrin James touched Indianapolis turf.

A lot has changed since James last donned his blue and white No. 32.

The Colts won a championship without him. Featured running backs, which James was during his seven years in Indianapolis, are extinct in today’s two-back NFL. At age 31 — 81 in running back years — James is obviously in the twilight of his career, which should end in a year or two.

But give it another five or six years, and James’ gold teeth should be on a bronze bust at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

Should, but probably won’t for a while.

That’s because each year, there are simply more deserving players than available spots in Canton. More than 100 retired players and coaches are picked as preliminary candidates, then the list is whittled down to 17 finalists. Of those finalists, there’s no set number that get in, but between four and seven get the honor as new members.

Good luck, Edge.

The Hall of Fame’s arbitrary maximum of seven inductees is exactly what leaves candidates like James on the outside looking in. If 10 deserving players are nominated in a given year, why can’t they all get in? If there’s only one or two another year, so be it, only allow one or two.

The voting system is as flawed as college football’s BCS.

You’d think stats would be the deciding factor, but that’s not always the case. Former Buffalo Bills running back Thurman Thomas, the 13th-leading rusher in NFL history, was snubbed in 2006 before being inducted the next year. In an even more heinous decision, the voters passed on former Minnesota Vikings receiver Cris Carter not once, but twice.

Come on.

Say what you want about Carter being a “possession receiver” who lacked big-play ability, but the numbers don’t lie. Carter ranks third all-time in receptions (1,101), fourth in receiving touchdowns (130), and seventh in receiving yards (13,899).

James’ stats aren’t quite as lofty, but there’s no doubt he’s deserving.  

Not only is he the Colts’ all-time leading rusher, but he ranks 11th all-time in the league. A mere 132 yards separate James from eighth-place Jim Brown, which means Edge has a legitimate shot of becoming the league’s eighth-leading rusher just by gaining meaningless yards during garbage time in Seattle.

James didn’t do it with speed, he was a bruiser. Outside of a 72-yard run during his rookie season, he hasn’t broken one longer than 43 yards the rest of his career.

He was also a major reason the Colts won an unheard of 80 games during his tenure from 1999-2005. Indianapolis had one losing season in that span, going 6-10 in 2001 — the year James blew out his knee.

James was also incredibly durable.

Outside of that injury year in 2001, James only missed six starts as a Colt. In 2002, he had reconstructive surgery on his knee, injured two ankles, a rib, and a hamstring, and still rushed for 989 yards in 14 starts.

But will all that be enough to sway the voters when he’s eligible in 2014 or 2015?

Good luck, Edge.

‘09 NFL Picks

Starting tonight in Pittsburgh, football is finally back. No more suffering through Major League Baseball and no more stupid NASCAR races. With just hours until the ‘09 regular season gets underway, I figured now’s a good time to make some pointless picks.

Jevon Kearse made some picks of his own with the Terrible Towel. Should be a good one tonight.

AFC EAST: New England
Brady is back, and apparently so are the Patriots. But with defensive veterans Richard Seymour, Tedy Bruschi, and Mike Vrabel all gone, New England is going to have to rely on Brady more than ever before. No problem, he’ll pick apart the pitiful East. Buffalo is a mess. Miami and New York should be decent in a few years, but are too young to do much damage in ‘09.

AFC NORTH: Pittsburgh

Baltimore will be good again, but this division’s champ still resides in the Steel City. Pittsburgh returns virtually its entire league-leading defense and has plenty of offensive threats in Willie Parker, Santonio Holmes (Super Bowl XLIII MVP), and Hines Ward (1,043 rec. yds, 7 TD in ‘08). I still think Ben Roethlisberger is an idiot for his motorcycle stunt, but all he has done on the field is win. Almost forgot… Cincinnati and Cleveland will suck.

AFC SOUTH: Tennessee

Just can’t pick the Colts here. Too many coaching changes, several key injuries, and the run defense still can’t stop a high school team. That doesn’t add up to a title in the toughest division in football. The Titans should drop off a bit from last year, but should be good enough to take the South. RBs Chris Johnson (1,128 yds, 9 TD in ‘08) and LenDale White (15 TD) will tear up AFC South run defenses that range from weak — Indy (ranked 24th in ‘08) and Houston (23rd), to mediocre – Jacksonville (13th).

AFC WEST: San Diego

Move along, nothing to see here.

NFC EAST: Philadelphia

With three different division champs in the last three years, the NFC East is always a tough one to pick. Well not really, the race is only between Philly and New York for the title. Washington is rebuilding, and Tony Romo will choke away any shot Dallas had. The Eagles and Giants both have strong defenses, but I’ll give the edge to Philly for actually having receiving threats in DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. Who does New York have?

NFC NORTH: Minnesota

The Vikings should benefit from the league’s second-weakest schedule. Opening against Cleveland, Detroit, and San Francisco, 3-0 is basically a lock for the Favres. The Packers are better at quarterback, but the Vikings have the edge in run defense (ranked 1st in ‘08 to Green Bay’s 26th) and at running back (Adrian Peterson to Ryan Grant). Chicago is going nowhere, and for Detroit, just winning a game is a successful season.

NFC SOUTH: Atlanta

I don’t follow this division as closely as others, but I know one thing for sure — Tampa Bay sucks.  That leaves Carolina, Atlanta, and New Orleans as contenders, and I’ll take the Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, and the Falcons. Why not?

NFC WEST: Seattle

Jim Mora leads the Seahawks back to the PLAYOFFS?!? This pick isn’t so much about how good Seattle is, but how terrible the 49ers and Rams are. The Cardinals should be OK, but they lost several defenders and RB Beanie Wells is an injury waiting to happen.

Boring preseason still beats anything else

I’m sitting in the press box at the Indianapolis MotoGP race, waiting for it to start. Since I could care less about auto racing — and even LESS about European motorcycle riders whose names sound like pasta dishes — I decided now’s a good time to dust off the blog and start talking some good old (American) football.

The preseason is in full swing.

Are you ready for some meaningless football? Curtis Painter is.

Outside of the Brett Favre and Michael Vick media circus, not much has happened on the field. There are usually several compelling position battles in the preseason, but this year, it seems most teams are just sifting through their bench fodder, deciding who gets to stand on the sideline with a clean uniform each week.

There have been a few notable position battles at quarterback — Matthew Stafford vs. Daunte Culpepper in Detroit, Byron Leftwich vs. Luke McCown in Tampa, and Derek Anderson vs. Brady Quinn in Cleveland. But you can’t help but feel that each of those “battles” is a little pointless, as it’s only a matter of time until the Lions, Bucs, and Browns turn to their young quarterbacks — Josh Freeman, in Tampa’s case.

For the Indianapolis Colts, this preseason marks the beginning of a new chapter in the team’s history. With a new coach, several first-year coordinators, and plenty of new faces on the roster, it’s obviously going to be a season of change. But with three glorified scrimmages down and one to go Thursday at Cincinnati, it’s obvious not that much has changed with the Colts.

The Peyton Manning-led passing game still looks sharp. The run still needs work — both stopping it and creating it. Bob Sanders and Adam Vinatieri have been, and still are MIA.

With a 1-2 record, it’s a poor preseason as usual in Indianapolis. But there have been a few surprising exceptions. This year’s rookie class — especially RB Donald Brown, CB Jerraud Powers, WR Austin Collie, and punter Pat McAfee has looked solid. Brown could make Colts fans quickly forget about Dominic Rhodes, and Powers is making a strong case to put Tim Jennings out of a job.

So even though the preseason is mostly just a bunch of fourth-stringers grasping for a roster spot, I’ll still watch it. What’s the alternative?

The chase for stupid points in auto racing? No thanks.

Late-August baseball? Wake me when it’s October.

Luckily, college football is days away. But for now, the meaningless NFL preseason beats anything else going on in sports.