Peyton Manning

ourse, the AFC South is controlled by the next team...

Indianapolis Colts

Last year quarterback Peyton Manning won his fourth MVP award, setting the stage for the massive contract headed his way, even after a Super Bowl loss to the Saints. He's the machine (literally, dude's a robot) that makes the Colts go and the reason they win at least 12 games every season. Reggie Wayne is still a top 5 receiver, but he was slowed by injuries at the end of last year, which hampered the Colts in the playoffs. Getting receiver Anthony Gonzalez back and healthy will help Manning out, as if he needs it. Let's not forget the always dangerous Dallas Clark (who is a wide-out, no matter what the depth chart says) as well as the emerging Pierre Garcon. Unfortunately, Joseph Addai looks slower at the running back spot, necessitating the drafting of Donald Brown last year. If he falters in the first 5-6 weeks, look for Brown to garner a significant amount of carries. The Colt offensive line must get more physical this season if the running game is ever to be considered a real threat. Well... even if they don't,

Continue reading "Joe's 2010 NFL Season Preview: AFC South"

On a night thought by many to be Peyton Manning's coronation, Drew Brees ended up at the post-game podium as the MVP of the night after a 31-17 victory. Sunday's championship contest didn't get off to the most exciting of starts, but it sure finished with one.

Continue reading "Saints take advantage of Manning's ..."

Can't bet against the point spread? Feel too much pressure when deciding between your heart and your head? Vegas has you covered with these completely ridiculous prop bets, covered by Esquire. Here's a few choice selections and my useless advice.

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Super Bowl 44 Prop Bets"

Behind Drew Brees and Peyton Manning, these offenses are always threats to hit the big play. That gives defensive coordinators headaches. Each defense will look to pressure the opposing QB early and often. Whoever best achieves that goal has the best chance to take home the coveted Lombardi Trophy.

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Super Bowl 44"

As we grow closer to the Super Bowl, all eyes are on Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts as they chase down a legacy. After starting the season 14-0, the organization turned off the gas for the final two games as they rested their starters for the post-season. After shutting down the Ravens and putting a 30-spot on the Jets, we will finally see if shunning history will pay off for Indianapolis.

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They want to repeat that result against Peyton Manning.

For all Payton's offensive genius, the man that makes the Saints who they are is quarterback Drew Brees. Barely six feet tall, Brees is accurate, unselfish and has no favorite targets. If you're open, he'll find you. Ten different receivers caught touchdown passes this season, making every Saint not part of the offensive line a threat to score. He may not be

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive of Super Bowl ..."

Don't mess with Peyton Manning. That's what the number one ranked Jets defense learned Sunday afternoon, as they saw their 11-point second quarter lead evaporate under the intense heat of the Colt offense on the way to a 30-17 loss.

Continue reading "Manning crushes Jets' Super Bowl ..."

Conference Championship Sunday is here and isn't lacking for drama. From Brett Favre and Peyton Manning's legacy to the Jets' dominating defense or the surge in New Orleans, every team is a great story. Who do I think will make it to the Super Bowl in Miami? Read on in this edition of the Opening Drive!

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Conference Championship ..."

Against a lesser foe, they could have mounted a comeback. Against Peyton Manning and the Colts, they had no chance.

While the first quarter saw each squad produce a lengthy drive, neither could punch it into the endzone.

Continue reading "Manning's Colts prove too much for ..."

Now they travel to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indy to meet Peyton Manning. QB Joe Flacco's hip injury was overblown, so he'll be ready to sling it downfield if he has to. However, I won't be surprised if the Ravens come out with the same gameplan as last weekend, running the ball 52 times and only attempting ten passes. Lewis and safety Ed Reed keep their emotional defense in check and disciplined against Manning or it could be a long day.

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Divisional Saturday"

The Colts head coached pulled Peyton Manning and other starters out of the game in the third quarter of a game they were winning, giving up on a 19-0 season. It was clear on the sidelines that Manning had no love for the decision as he watched Curtis Painter come in and turn the ball over twice, giving the Jets easy scores and the easy win. Shame on you Jim Caldwell. You owed it to Manning and those players to at least try for perfection. If you lost or were getting blown out, then rest your players. I can't possibly believe this strategy will pay off for the Colts because it hasn't worked for them before. Caldwell should know that.

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 16"

quarterback off their practice squad this week, a possible sign of Jim Caldwell's intentions to sit Peyton Manning at some point. The question is: when will he do it? When the Colts are up 30 in the third or at halftime no matter what? Meanwhile, the Jets sure hope he wears a baseball cap for most of the afternoon as their playoff lives are on the line. Keep an eye on the Darelle Revis / Reggie Wayne match-up on the outside. Don't you mess this up Caldwell... I want perfection. I think they keep it going. Colts in a close one.

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Week 16"

Standing in their way is Peyton Manning: Crusher of Dreams, Destroyer of Worlds.

Jacksonville Jaguars (6-4) at San Francisco 49ers (4-6)

This game has the recipe to be ugly. Jacksonville and Tennessee both love to mercilessly pound the ball at their opponent. The difference will be at the quarterback position. Between Alex Smith and David Garrard, the quarterback that makes the least mistakes will walk away with the win. To me, that means a Jaguars victory as Alex Smith hasn’t shown he’s dependable at all. Keep an eye on these Jags; they’re right in line for a wildcard slot.

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: week 12"

vens

After what we saw last Sunday night, do you think the Ravens offense could match output with Peyton Manning and a team of high-schoolers? Manning was shut down for three quarters before exploding in the fourth frame. The Ravens can't afford to forget about Ray Rice and the running game, or they'll simply have no chance. Keeping Manning on the sideline is the only way to win.

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Week 11"

-14 in the second half, I’ll admit I thought the game might be too far out of reach, even for Peyton Manning. But Bill Belichick’s idiotic call to go for it on fourth and 2 from his own 29 was too much of a gift for Manning to send away! That just says “My defense won’t stop them from 70 yards out so I might as well only give him 30 yards. Maybe I’ll get the ball back quicker.”  

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 10"

Still, they’ve got Peyton Manning and they’re at home. So they have a chance. A lot of folks are picking the Patriots to walk away with a victory, but I’m still not convinced their defense will hold up against Manning’s onslaught.  

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Week 10"

Still, I’ll believe they can beat them in Indy when I see it, not before. Peyton Manning is at the top of the NFL quarterback heap yet again, but he’ll need his defense to hold up down the stretch to make it to another Super Bowl. Now that former defensive player of the year and safety Bob Sanders is out for the season with a torn biceps, that D won’t have any room for mistakes.

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Week 9"

By the way, Drew Brees and Peyton Manning are pretty good. *cough*Favre won*cough* Let’s wrap the week eight in the NFL with the Final Drive!

(5-2) Dallas Cowboys 38
(2-5) Seattle Seahawks 17

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 8"

Oh, and Peyton Manning is still awesome. I wrap up week five in the NFL in the Final Drive! 

(1-4) Cleveland Browns 6
(1-4) Buffalo Bills 3 

Ugliest. Game. Ever. Derek Anderson goes 2 for 13 in a WIN. Mangini should have stuck with Brady Quinn. In Buffalo, things could be even worse after signing T.O. in the offseason. Dick Jauron will lose his job during this season. You can almost lock it in. 

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 5"

ee Titans (0-4) 

Two teams at opposite ends of the AFC South will face off on Sunday night. Peyton Manning is MVP of the first four weeks, (alongside Drew Brees I say) leading his Colts to a 4-0 start yet again with his aerial assault. Tennessee is a disaster, with a porous secondary and middling pass rush. That spells death from above for the Titans on NBC. This one could be over by halftime.

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Week 5"

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(3-0) Indianapolis Colts 31
(1-2) Arizona Cardinals 10 

What primetime hangover? Peyton Manning, destroyer of worlds and crusher of dreams, left another team in his wake as he tore apart the Cardinals secondary for 379 yards and four touchdowns. Kurt Warner was harassed all night looked older than he really is.   

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 3"

n get.

Indianapolis Colts (2-0) at Arizona Cardinals (1-1)

Can you say “shoot-out?” Peyton Manning versus Kurt Warner, suspect defense against suspect defense. Sunday night should be plenty exciting. Of course, now that I’ve said that, it’ll be a defensive struggle. Indy looks prime to stay unbeaten.

Continue reading "Joe's Opening Drive: Week 3"

ory. The Colts defense just couldn’t get off the field on third down, but they still had Peyton Manning. With few opportunities, Manning made the most of his time and put up 27 points with under 15 minutes in time of possession. Still, he scores too fast.

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 2"

Matt Ryan has only thrown 11 interceptions all year. Two years ago people were going nuts because Peyton Manning threw only 10 picks. Granted Manning threw 49 TD’s to Ryan’s 16, but when you have the horses Atlanta does, let them run.

Continue reading "Thin-slicing Week 1 of the NFL Playoffs"

lis @ Detroit:  (WIN) The Lions gave the Colts all they could handle for most of the game, but Peyton Manning was able to lead his team to victory.  The Colts are now 10-4, after winning seven games in a row.  Their 3-4 start cost them the division title, but they will be a dangerous team in the tournament.  This game ended up being a lot closer than I thought, so I will give Detroit credit for not quitting on the season.  But they are 0-14, and it doesn’t look any better the next two weeks either.  0-16 is surely their destiny…what a disgrace!    

Continue reading "Week 15 Review"

with a laundry list of injuries…too bad!  The Colts took advantage of the situation, as Peyton Manning hooked up with Anthony (don’t call me Tony) Gonzalez for two TDs.  It was a hard fought game…a game the Colts desperately needed!  In the end, Adam (yeah, I used to be a cheater but now I’m not) Vinatieri kicked a 52-yard FG with 8:09 left in regulation.  The Colts defense then preserved the victory with back-to-back takeaways!  Cheaters…never prosper!  

Continue reading "Week 9 Review"

The Colts are on play-off life support…can they get off the respirator?  Yes!  The Peyton Manning led Colts will be in full force this Sunday night in primetime.  Being at home will lift the spirits of an unemotional, uninspired team thus far.  The Pats have been getting by without Brady, but look for Matt Cassel to come back down to Earth and throw a pick-6 in desperation late in the game.  Indianapolis 31, New England 17.  

Continue reading "Predictions Week 9"

  

The newly acquired crystal ball went 3-1 in its debut week, which leaves me 4 games under .500…we’re getting there!  That’s an impressive start for a young and naïve crystal ball.  It performed well in its new role…many people are relying on it…that’s a lot of pressure!  It clearly has better prognosticating skills than its predecessor.  Maybe the new mahogany base it sits on, gave it a sense of prestige.  Well, for whatever reason…I’ll take it!  Now let’s review what happened this past week:  

Continue reading "Week 8 Review"

 

           Each week, on Friday, I will look into my (never wrong, just misinformed) crystal ball and give my predictions for that weekend games.  I will always prognosticate on the Eagles and Cowboys games and then pick two more games of interest (to me, that is, not necessarily to you).  Keep in mind, that this is for entertainment purposes only, and that I do not endorse any sort of legal or illegal gambling.  That being said…let’s see what’s in my crystal ball!  

Continue reading "Predictions Week 8"

een Bay:  Indy finally broke out of its slump and put a hurting on the Ravens last week.  Peyton Manning finally got into a grove and had his best game of the year.  The bad news for the Colts is that Addai is out for a few weeks, but Rhoades should be more than capable of holding down the fort!  Green Bay will give their fans something to cheer about early in the game…but

Continue reading "Predictions Week 7"

 

Once again, Adam don’t call me “Pac-man” Jones has made the headlines.  And when Mr. Jones makes the headlines, it usually isn’t good news!  Early Wednesday morning, Pac-man allegedly got into a “scuffle” with one of his security guards at a hotel in Dallas (read more here).  The police were called, but no charges were filed.  Is this much ado about nothing…or is Adam facing a possible suspension! 

Continue reading "Rush To Judgment"

inned in the corner.  Sage…say it ain’t so…hold on to the damn ball!  Peyton Manning and his posse came from behind with a miracle win!    Indy escapes disaster and maybe they can salvage their season?

Continue reading "Week 5 Review"

Giants 33. 

Indianapolis @ Houston:  Indy is really hurting this year.  Peyton Manning is struggling.  Tony Dungy is a “lame duck” coach (retiring).  Maybe it’s the end of their run…the door is shutting…the window of opportunity is closing…I think not!  Houston is awful.  This will be Manning’s coming out party for this year.  In a laugher, Indy will win big!  Indianapolis 35, Houston 12.  

Continue reading "Predictions Week 5"

          

           Bill Belichick, Head Coach of the New England Patriots, was accused by Al Davis of “tampering” with Randy Moss prior to their trade a year ago.  The Raiders received a 4th round pick as compensation in the deal.  Davis alleges that the Patriots had a secret workout with Moss prior to the negotiations, which would violate NFL rules.  Bill (here’s a surprise) denies the accusation. 

Continue reading "...Then It's Probably A Duck!"

           This week two head coaches were relieved of their duties…fired!  First, Scott Linehan of the St. Louis Rams, and now, Lane Kiffin of the Oakland Raiders, why?  Jim Haslet replaced Linehan.  What’s the difference, the Rams are horrific!  Kiffin is being replaced with O-line coach, Tom Cable…who?  Yeah, that’s right, I never heard of him either! 

Continue reading "Instant Gratification"

           Once again, my crystal ball failed me.  I don’t understand what happened…I shined it up last week.  I even purchased a stand for it…so now it sits on top of the mantel.  I’ve treated it with the utmost respect.  For who?  For what?  (Yes…that was a shot at Ricky Watters!)  Once again, I was one up and three down last week…not good…awful…embarrassing even!  I have to do something different for next week…maybe I will punish it…have it stand in the corner…or give it a time-out!  Something has to give…and I’m not backing down!  Let’s take a closer look and see what went wrong: 

Continue reading "Week 4 Review"

           The other day, Rashard Mendenhall (Rookie RB for the Pittsburgh Steelers) sent his buddy, Ray Rice (Rookie RB for the Baltimore Ravens) a text message.  So why is that football news?  Because LB Bart Scott of the Ravens made it so!  Mendenhall’s text was only intended for his buddy Ray.  It claimed how great of a day Rashard was going to have against the vaunted Raven’s Defense.  Ray Rice took it upon himself to let his defense know about the text message…Bart Scoot took offense.

Continue reading "Bulletin Board Material"

           Each week, on Friday, I will look into my (never wrong, just misinformed) crystal ball and give my predictions for that weekend games.  I will always prognosticate on the Eagles and Cowboys games and then pick two more games of interest (to me, that is, not necessarily to you).  Keep in mind, that this is for entertainment purposes only, and that I do not endorse any sort of legal or illegal gambling.  That being said…let’s see what’s in my crystal ball!           

Continue reading "Predictions Week 4"

           Today I am taking my lumps, and licking my wounds.  I was 1-3 on my predictions for Week 3.  Though I take great pride in my prognosticating skills, I must blame the crystal ball for this one.  Granted, I should have known better, because I purchased it at Dollar Tree…what do you expect for a dollar?  Maybe I will “Windex” it before this week’s prediction, so it isn’t so cloudy and hazy.  Lets take a closer look at what happened: 

Continue reading "Week 3 Review"

They are the Indianapolis Colts lead by the poster boy of the NFL, Peyton Manning. Last season ended in misery for the Colts as they lost in a shocker to the San Diego Chargers. A Chargers team that did not have star running back Ladainian Tomlinson and starting quarterback Phillip Rivers playing at the time. The Colts are looking to not let that happen this year.

Continue reading "32 Teams in 32 Days, Team #9: The ..."

(Repost from another place in December)

Fantasy Football.

I like it. I play it. I read Matthew Berry's columns. This is my ode to him while trashing the guys in my league. Enjoy.

Continue reading "Fantasy Football Mid-Season Post"

I was wrong!

Of course, he is not his brother Peyton Manning but is quite a formidable player that deserves respect. When he ripped my heart out by not committing his then-signature turnovers when he played against my Tampa Bay Buccaneers, I was forced to take notice. I did not remember seeing him play so well before that.

Continue reading "I stand corrected!"

As you sit there in your Peyton Manning or Tony Romo jersey, why not lighten up your day and play a little drinking game when you watch the rest of the season unfold?

I like to call this the “Innuendo Game”. The prime broadcasts for this are those with the team of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman or the ever-phallic John Madden and Al Michaels duo. I am not sure whether John and Al are calling any more games this season, but I know Joe and Troy are on this weekend.

Continue reading "Playoffs and Super Bowl Drinking Game"

Besides being an exceptional athlete, Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning is totally in on the fact that he can play a very believable dork. He may come across as a simple, laid-back country boy - but this guy is as smart as they come when it means marketing himself. Did you see him host Saturday Night Live? His United Way spoof was absolutely hysterical! Again, I am not an Indianapolis Colts fan by any stretch of the imagination. I just can’t help finding Peyton to be a truly side-splitting character!

Continue reading "The 5 Best Peyton Manning Commercials"

Shawne Merriman and Antonio Cromartie were key in the defense against Peyton Manning, both making big plays when it really counted. I was truly worried when LaDainian Tomlinson went out of the game and even more pessimistic when Philip Rivers had to be sidelined – but the rest of the team made me a believer! I take back every less than flattering statement I have ever uttered about Norv Turner!  He really is an NFL coach that deserves respect.  

Continue reading "Go Bolts!"