DZ’s running game blog

PREGAME:
I’m sick today. I’ve had a horrible cold all weekend, but I’m going to man up enough to type (yeah, I know, save your crap for someone else). Before the game let’s be clear about some things:
1. I think Indy wins and easily. I don’t think the Pats get to 25 points.
2. No matter what happens today my opinion about the following issues will not be changed:
A. The Pats won’t beat Indy in January even if the game is played in NE
B. Peyton Manning is a better QB than Tom Brady
C. New England is a great team who I hate
Don’t try arguing about these things with me. I don’t want to hear it. Today’s game is meaningless either way, and I’ll say that again after we blow these guys out.
3. I’m more worried about Tony Ugoh’s health than Marvin Harrison’s.
4. THE PACERS ARE 3-0! Hey, let’s celebrate while we can. I think that teams respond to coaching changes, but that effect is often temporary. O’Brien has his players ears for now. I hope it lasts.
5. They sunk Notre Dame’s battleship! I’m Irish and from Indiana, so I at least passively root for ND usually. Not yesterday. I don’t know if it is the joy of watching Weiss lose or what, but that was fun.
6. Demond just informed me that Harrison and Ugoh are both out. That sucks, but doesn’t really change my opinions about this game.
7. Vince Young is 14/20 for just 110 yards and 2 picks. But Carolina’s O is horrible, 13-0 Titans. He just wins games doesn’t he? Barf.
8. The J-holes and Chargers both suffer bad losses. Does anyone want to be #3 in this conference? Adrian Peterson is a freak of nature. That game could have been 50-10.
9. That last point sounds like Peter King wrote it. That’s a bad thing.
10. Demond called to say, “It’s loud as hell in here”. I could barely hear him
IT’S GAME TIME!
QUARTER ONE:

• Colts won the toss. That sucks. I love starting the 2nd half with the ball.
• Getting Addai involved early is awesome. I’m shaking so hard I can barely type. I hate being sick.
• Big drop by Wayne. He makes that play in his sleep.
• Watching Charlie Johnson block on the edge was encouraging.
• Manning gets them with hard count. Not in the stats, but a sign of his greatness.
• The challenge slows the game down and puts the Colts rhythm at risk. Can they overcome a 2nd and 10 plus the slow down? I’m commenting every play. Must slow down.
• Never mind. I forget about how I’ve been saying for weeks that the Pats can’t stop the run.
• Huge first down run by Addai. The Pats whiffed by drafting Marooney.
• Great play by Seymour. Forces a tough third and long. Johnson’s choke job forces the Colts into a give up play. AV yanks the kick. That’s a rough start. We all know they can move the ball easily on the Pats; points are what count.
• Mathis (aka the Invisible Man) shows up large early. 3rd and longs are must stops in this game.
• Great job by the cover two. No points for the Pats. Good pressure by the line kept Brady from looking downfield.
• Addai shows why I think we’ll win in January regardless of location. THE PATS CAN’T STOP THE RUN.
• Pass int saves a TD for the Pats. AG beats his man like a drum.
• Does Keith fumble…if he did I’ll kill him
• No fumble, 3rd and goal. RUN THE BALL AGAIN.
• AG loses the ball. Settle for a suck FG. Should have been 6.
• Hey! There’s our sucky kick coverage! Glad you’re back boys…we missed you.
• Moss hears footsteps but makes the catch
• A Big 3rd and 1 for the Pats is coming up. But that’s next quarter. This quarter saw Indy dominate but let the Pats off the hook, due in large part to a horrible false start that pushed the field goal attempt back. The Pats were held off the board for a quarter which helps dispel the myth of their ‘unstoppable’ offense. The kick coverage really hurt them on this drive, giving Brady a short field.

QUARTER TWO:

• No QB is as effective when under pressure.
• No surprise that NE is running the draws. The Colts are down to some really crappy LBs. It’s hurting their ability to stop the run. This isn’t the same defense without Keiaho OR Hagler
• Let’s see if the Pats WRs are more sure handed than AG…yup, Moss beats Tim Jennings (WHY IS TIM JENNINGS-aka worst corner ever-on Moss)
• The difference in this game is a missed FG and a dropped TD pass. Frustrating start, but it still seems unlikely that the Pats put up more than 24 points, unless the kick coverage goes to hell a few more times.
• Big play for Addai catching the ball. You feel like he’s going to break one long today.
• Nice block Charlie.
• Addai is a beast. Yet more reason he kicks Marooney’s ass-he can catch the ball
• Terrible, terrible pass int call. Payback is awesome. I hate that fade route to Morehead.
• Good coverage on 3rd and 5. I hate wasting a down on that first down fade.
• This next drive will decide what type of game it’ll be. If NE scores, it might be an up and down game. A stop…and I think we are looking at 30-20
• SOME JACKHOLE IN MY BUILDING JUST TOOK OUT THE CABLE!
• Ok, it’s back just in time to watch Moss get scared of catching a ball in traffic.
• 3rd and 7, play of the game right here and Moss beats Jennings. Someone needs to stop putting Jennings on Moss. I heard that would be the matchup all week, but it makes no sense. Jennings is the worst corner on the team.
• We really miss the linebackers.
• I’m done till halftime, I’m missing too much by blogging.
• Ok, I lied. First off, Cold Case made 100 Episodes? The only thing more improbable would Shark making 100 eps.
• Also, Indy needs to use timeouts on D here. This is why I hate losing the toss. NE has a shot of getting the dreaded two straight possession. The Colts need to preserve the clock for a 2 minute FG drive regardless of what NE does here.
• Um, that crap doesn’t work against good teams, Tommy.
• I think the Pats must have taken that timeout, there Jimmy (unless that happened to have been a first down).
• Not a bad little half drive by the Colts. You can’t be too aggressive or risk giving them the ball back with great position and lots of time.
• JOE MAHFREAKING ADDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAI

Half time comment: This game should be 20-7. A dropped TD and a missed FG, or NE would be in dire straights right now. Let’s go and win this bad boy. Demond called. He’s already hoarse. He’s been screaming for an hour and a half.

Third Quarter:

• Marlin Jackson is a real man. Great p
  lays by Hayden and Jackson force a punt. Look, NE is good, but they’ve played some horrible teams. Let’s just bury this ridiculous “unstoppable offense” crap about NE. They are good, and they might win this game, but Indy has proven that even down a handful of LBs, that NE can be controlled. This is a good, even great team, but they are not some invincible force of nature.
• That was a bad pick. Very Bradyesque, Peyton.
• Mathis destroys Brady again. Huge play coming on 3rd down.
• Wow, sucks to play on the road boys. Pats can’t even score when in FG range to start a drive. Bullet…consider yourself dodged.
• Both offenses look out of sync. But the Colts do an amazing job of covering a huge punt despite flags against NE for unsportsmanlike conduct. The D needs one more big stop to hold the momentum.
• What an absolutely amazing game. The Colts almost get the stop, but Brady escapes the heat, and then Bob Sanders blows up a 3rd and 2. That was a great drive by NE, and Moss’s catch was superlative. I think I’ve settled back into calm appreciation for the teams playing. These are the two best teams in the NFL and nothing definitive will be decided today. NE had has some tough calls go against them, and Indy is down 5 starters. That’s life. There shouldn’t be any excuses today.
• To end the third quarter Wayne drops a TD pass and Welker rips off a long return. I think we are all worried about the stamina of the defense in the fourth quarter, but they end the third quarter in fine fashion, stopping the run.

FOURTH QUARTER

• GARY MAFRICKIN BRACKET!!! Amazing play. That’s how he made the Pro Bowl two years ago. The Pats implode with a personal foul call.
• Horrible play calling. HOLY CRAP WHAT A CATCH BY CLARK. Manning avoids the hit and delivers a huge first down.
• Manning and Addai are huge as the Colts pull ahead by 10 under 10 to play. This game feels like it’s being played in 1957. It ought to be watched in black and white. It’s old school all the way.
• Tough break as Bethea doesn’t get deep enough on Moss. Bob Sanders getting hurt is both devastating and sort of predictable. I bet he comes back. If he doesn’t, it’s because he’s out for the year.
• I know two guys are hurt in the secondary, but they are also the best tacklers out there. If the Pats run the ball twice, it’s a 3 point game.
• Demond calls to say Bob is back in the game.
• Great catch by Welker. This barn is officially burning.
• It’s time for a “Baltimore Drive”
• I fear Lilja just killed this drive. Oh wait, Diem just helped! Hey, Charlie Johnson helped too! Nice job O line. Way to kill that drive.
• Yeah, I don’t like our chances right now.
• Big mistake not challenging the Stallworth catch. He bobbled it when it was OB. Well, there are the 24 points for the Patriots. Might it be that Brady FINALLY had a game winning TD drive? Our line is playing so bad…I like his chances.
• Ugh, watching Morehead drop that pass was almost hilarious.
• And so ends a pretty frustrating game, assuming the Pats get a first down. The line play was just not strong enough at the end. This goes back to what I said hours ago. I saw nothing here today to change my opinions of these teams. AV missed a FG, AG drops a TD, Wayne drops a TD. This game could have gone the other way just as easily. NE will lose games this year, and will lose in January. I think a healthy Indy wins this game going away. That’s not an excuse; NE did what they had to do and they won, but they didn’t convince me they were the better team. Just the better team at the end today.