Twas the night before New York

Twas the night before New York, and all through the city,

Not a Colt was a stirrin’, it was such a pity

The playoffs were set with a bye all secure,

But the fans all felt 16-0’s great allure

The DEs were resting, all snug on the sidelines

And Peyton was sitting, just biding his time

While visions of MVP just wouldn’t fit my rhyme.

My kids in their jerseys and I in my cap

Watched Painter on the field, taking a crap

Up on the scoreboard, our hopes took a batter

As Ugoh and Toudouze left Painter to splatter

Away from the game, I clicked like a flash

As my post holiday cheer started to crash

A pall set in on the crest fallen crowd,

As defeat covered the Luke like a burial shroud

When what to my wondering eyes did appear,

Santa Jim Caldwell yelling for all to hear

“On Peyton, on Reggie, on Saturday and Joe!

Off Painter, off Baskett, off, Simpson and Ugoh!”

As dry leaves before the hurricane must fly,

When met with a deficit, mount to the sky!

So up over Revis, the passes they flew

And instead of trailing by 9, it was cut to just two!

Then Freeney arrived with with bone jarring crack

And left poor young Sanchez stripped with a sack.

Brackett tumbled toward the ball without tarry,

and scooped it up quick, like a yummy Christmas cherry.

He had a broad face, and a little round belly,

and rumbled for 15 yards like bat out of helly.

The crowd spoke not a word as Manning went to his work

To leave Ryan crying, that loud mouthed jerk.

As he fit in one more pass to Frenchy right on the nose,

Everyone’s undefeated hopes at once all rose

He found Clark at the twenty on a pretty route

And turned to the ref to burn the last Indy timeout

Stover’s kick split the uprights and passed from our sight

It’s a nice dream I keeping having, night after night.