| Authored by Christopher Reina - 16th January, 2006 - 4:28 am
 Peyton Manning is now 3-6 in the postseason and Colts fans should be about an inch away from giving up on the notion that this club will ever achieve the greatness that they think they are entitled to. Listen to Pete Townshend before placing those August bets on Indy to win Super Bowl XLI.
"Let's just say we had some problems in protection," said Peyton Manning after Sunday’s loss to Pittsburgh.
Let’s just say that this team has been overrated ever since the media began hanging their hat on them after their Week 9 win over the Patriots, when the light at the end of a 16-0 season began rearing its engorged head. The distaste that so many members of the media have for the obnoxiousness of the ’72 Dolphins is so prevalent, that they can overlook the obvious flaws of a club that has never won and will never win.
The bigger shock shouldn’t be that the Steelers knocked the Colts from their road to Detroit, but for the presumption that this Colts team was anointed at one point not only to waltz to win the Super Bowl, but to go undefeated.
The facts are that their 13-0 start was a soft 13-0, if a soft 13-0 can possibly be soft.
Week 1 at Baltimore was a 24-7 domination, but they barely escaped a Week 2 scare at home versus the Jaguars. They were shut out for the first three quarters, finally scoring on a Ran Carthon run with 9:12 left in the 4th. This was a true defensive victory, as Manning threw for just 122 yards.
Were they dominant the next week when they beat the Browns 13-6 at home with another fine defensive effort?
Their next two wins were against Tennessee and San Francisco, not exactly teams that nearly missed the playoffs, like the one they faced during that fateful and ultimately terribly tragic week of December 18th.
Monday night at home versus St. Louis? They were down 17-0 after the first quarter! Sure, they outscored them 45-11 during the final three quarters, but championship teams do not go down 17-0 to clubs that get swept by the 49ers. If Mark Bulger doesn’t get hurt, you are looking at a very possible loss.
Then the much improved defense gave up 20 points to the Reggie Bush-less Texans, and were even tied at the half.
They then had the gift of a bye before going to New England on a beautiful November night. A very impressive performance in a meaningless game against a version of the Patriots that was very different from the one we saw in December.
Next was the shootout in Cincinnati, which may have actually been their most impressive performance of the season. The Bengals were the most legit opponent of the season and they handled this challenge with vigor.
Then came a Monday Night 26-7 pounding of the Steelers who were without Big Ben.
Another embarrassment of the Titans. Nice to play a team that goes 4-12 twice, and oh, that team has twice as many wins as that other divisional ‘rival.’
Again another narrow win over the Jaguars, but actually impressive, far more impressive than the Week 2 escape.
Then they were finally officially exposed at home against San Diego. The Chargers defense made the pocket uncomfortable for Manning, sacking him four times and forcing two interceptions, while also limiting Edgerrin James to just 25 yards rushing on 13 carries, which wasn’t even as good as that sounds, as he had one carry for 13 yards.
This is how a good, but not championship team went 13-1.
Manning looked like a champion on the 4th and 2 at the end of the 3rd quarter when he waved off the punting team, but a champion doesn’t squander the gift of a Jerome Bettis fumble after the game has been virtually cinched. He doesn’t leave his kicker with a 45-yard attempt that, sure he should make, but is far from a gimme.
A champion makes an open-field tackle on a guy that was stabbed by his wife a few hours earlier.
Memo to Dan Marino, Jim Kelly, Barry Bonds, Karl Malone…etc. prepare a seat for Peyton.
Next week:
Broncos 17-10 in what will be one of the quickest games in AFC Championship history, as both clubs will make concerted efforts to keep the ball on the ground.
Seahawks 28-24 on a sloppy Seattle day as Steve Smith’s three touchdowns aren’t quite enough. |
