pul.se results for Pierre Garcon

Stampede Blue

BigBlueShoe — 2010-03-11 20:27:05 GMT

The 2009 season was a coming out party for young Colts wide receiver Pierre Garçon.

When veteran Anthony Gonzalez went down in Week One with a knee injury, Garçon stepped right in and made the kinds of plays we fans have literally never seen before from a Colts wide receiver. The stiff arms and yards-after-catch plays Garçon made in 2009 made you leap out of your chair and go "DAMN!" And while some people like to blame his dropped competition on third down as the reason the Colts lost Super Bowl 44 (it wasn't, and people who blame Garcon for the loss are silly people), Garçon might have made THE play of the entire Colts post-season two games prior to the Super Bowl when he chased down Ed Reed after a Peyton Manning INT and forced a fumble that was re-recovered by the Colts.

For a sixth round draft pick out of Division III Mount Union, Garçon has done very well for himself and the Indianapolis Colts. He is another one of those draft picks that solidifies Bill Polian's status as a genius at building great rosters.

Since the terrible earthquake that befell Haiti, the place Garcon calls his homeland, Garçon has used his status as an NFL wide receiver to raise money and bring awareness to the Haitian earthquake relief. While at the Super Bowl, reporters were often asking questions of Garçon about his Haitian heritage. In many areas of Haiti, and in Haitian neighborhoods in and around Miami, residents were very open in their rooting for Garçon and the Colts in the Super Bowl.

Since the earthquake, Garçon has worked with several radio stations to raise money for the country to rebuild. Those efforts earned the praise of President Barak Obama, who invited Pierre to Washington. Yesterday, Garçon visited the White House for an event to promote Haitian relief that featured the president of Haiti. Needless to say, the young wide receiver was a bit excited. From his Facebook page:

This was a tremendous year for Pierre Garçon, and it seems the Colts have one more "good guy" on a roster full of very classy, cool people. Here's to hoping Garçon's next visit to the White House is with the Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts.

Footballguys.com Forums: The Shark Pool

2010-03-09 09:57:15 GMT

DHB was a huge reach and colossal mistake as the #7 pick in the draft. Everyone but Al Davis knew it at the time. He has always been a better physical specimen than football player and his production has never matched his talent level. I'm not going to suggest that he's a superstar in waiting. At the same time, I've done a couple dynasty startup drafts in the past month and I'm wondering if his value has slid to the point where he might actually be a good buy low candidate.

I just got him as WR72 (including rookies) in a 14 team PPR startup. He went at WR77 in my other draft. He's ranked at WR89 in the current FBG staff dynasty rankings, below such luminaries as Brian Hartline, Nate Washington, and Patrick Crayton. I'll be the first to acknowledge that Heyward-Bey looked dreadful in his rookie year, but isn't it a bit premature to bury his career after one terrible season?

I'm a Bay Area guy. I watched DHB play in the preseason. I watched him play in the regular season. He never showed me any glimmers of potential. On the other hand, that's not entirely unexpected from a rookie WR. Lots of great WRs didn't even see the field in their rookie seasons. Here are Heyward-Bey's rookie stats:

Darrius Heyward-Bey - 9 catches, 124 yards

Pretty ugly. These numbers don't offer much hope...or do they? Here are rookie stats for some other prominent WRs:

Robert Meachem - 0 catches, 0 yards
Miles Austin - 0 catches, 0 yards
Santana Moss - 2 catches, 40 yards
Donald Driver - 3 catches, 31 yards
Vincent Jackson - 3 catches, 59 yards
Pierre Garcon - 4 catches, 23 yards
Jerricho Cotchery - 6 catches, 60 yards
Steve Smith (NYG) - 8 catches, 63 yards
Steve Smith (CAR) - 10 catches, 154 yards
Derrick Mason - 14 catches, 186 yards
TJ Houshmandzadeh - 22 catches, 228 yards
Hines Ward - 15 catches, 246 yards
Brandon Marshall - 20 catches, 309 yards
Plaxico Burress - 22 catches, 273 yards
Roddy White - 29 catches, 446 yards

Darrius Heyward-Bey had a better rookie season than Miles Austin, Santana Moss, Donald Driver, and Vincent Jackson. That's a pretty stunning truth, but of course it's not that simple.

Many of the players on the above list were low profile prospects when they entered the league, meaning they weren't handed the opportunities that a first round pick typically receives. Miles Austin was undrafted. Donald Driver and TJ Houshmandzadeh were 7th round picks. Pierre Garcon was a 6th round pick. Derrick Mason, Jerricho Cotchery, and Brandon Marshall were 4th round picks. Hines Ward and Steve Smith (CAR) were 3rd round picks. Chad Ochocinco, Vincent Jackson, and Steve Smith (NYG) were 2nd round picks. By and large, these players weren't expected to be contributors on opening day. Many of them had to battle just to make their team's roster as rookies. It shouldn't be a big surprise that they were slow to impact because their respective coaching staffs had no impetus to force them into action before they were ready to play. But what about the first round WRs on my list?

Robert Meachem, Santana Moss, Plaxico Burress, and Roddy White all had poor rookie years. All of them were considered busts at one point in time. All of them turned it around. Why did these guys start so slowly? Meachem and Moss struggled with injuries, but both were healthy enough to play at least a little bit. Moss averaged less than 10 yards per game in his rookie year and Meachem didn't record a single catch. Burress played 12 games and averaged 23 yards per game. He was ineffective, he dropped too many passes, and everyone thought he was a huge bust. White fared substantially better than this trio with a respectable 446 yards as a rookie, but his production and results still had fans crying bust early in his career.

None of this proves that Darrius Heyward-Bey is likely to become a productive pro player, but the numbers suggest that it's entirely possible for a WR to emerge as a superstar after humble beginnings. Are we being too quick to write off DHB? Is there any explanation for his poor rookie performance? I think there might be.

The first thing working against Heyward-Bey is something we'll call "The JaMarcus Factor." The Raiders were a terrible football team in 2009. The majority of their passes were thrown by JaMarcus Russell, arguably one of the worst long term starting QBs in the history of the NFL. JaMarcus completed less than 50% of his passes, averaged 5.2 yards per attempt, and threw just 3 TDs against 11 INTs. Oakland's leading receiver was TE Zach Miller. He had just 805 yards, which is a paltry total compared to the top pass catcher on most NFL teams. My point here? Oakland's passing game was putrid. Some of the blame probably falls on Heyward-Bey, but I think everyone can agree that his supporting cast didn't put him in position to succeed (as opposed to Harvin in Minnesota or Maclin in Philadelphia).

And was it really reasonable to expect a good rookie year from Heyward-Bey in the first place? Even before the Raiders drafted him, DHB was described as a raw project who needed lots of refinement. In this regard he's similar to Brandon Marshall, Chad Ochocinco, Vincent Jackson, and Robert Meachem. All of them were considered compelling physical specimens who lacked the polish to make an instant impact. It wasn't a terrible surprise to see them slow out of the gate. No one called Vincent Jackson or Chad Ochocinco a bust after their rookie years. Yet everyone has already given up on Heyward-Bey. Why? Expectations.

DHB was a top 10 draft pick. To make matters worse, he was picked ahead of more polished talents like Michael Crabtree, Percy Harvin, and Hakeem Nicks. As a result, his rookie performance tends to be evaluated in relation to that of his peers. That's unfortunate because all of the other first round rookie WRs selected last year had excellent seasons. If we take a step back and realize that DHB was really a late first-early second round project who was picked a round too high because one delusional team owner fell in love with his speed, I think his rookie season performance looks more palatable. While we hope that every rookie will make an immediate impact, we don't panic when 2nd round project types like Devin Thomas, Vincent Jackson, and Chad Ochocinco fail to become instant stars. In that context DHB's performance is much more acceptable.

Heyward-Bey had a terrible rookie year, but it's premature to close the book on his NFL career. His situation was terrible last season and unrealistic expectations magnified his poor performance because he was viewed as a high first round WR when in reality he was a project who had very little hope of making an instant impact even before the Raiders took him.

He's not without talent. In highlight reels like this one you can see glimmers of speed and playmaking ability. My main concern (aside from the fact that he looked horrible as a rookie) is that Heyward-Bey never dominated in college whereas guys like Santana Moss, Vincent Jackson, and Plaxico Burress were immensely productive at the NCAA level. It's possible that Heyward-Bey simply doesn't have the football skills to ever become a quality NFL player. Time may justify the current level of skepticism, but his story isn't over yet. If we view him as a project WR who was doomed to fail as a rookie because of his toxic situation and his lack of polish, we should be much more forgiving of his early struggles.

Bleacher Report - Front Page

John Zaktansky — 2010-03-08 03:48:14 GMT

Several weeks ago, I seemed to ruffle some feathers when I suggested that owners of Adrian Peterson in dynasty fantasy football leagues should consider trading him for maximum return value .

Again, I wasn’t saying that Peterson wouldn't be a solid fantasy option in 2010, just that he is in a position, especially now that Chester Taylor has moved on, where he could start to see a statistical decline.

Now it is time to stoke the pot again. Perhaps not as controversial of a selection for my trade-now campaign, I still think it is time you seriously consider moving Reggie Wayne , who is coming off his best season since 2007.

Here’s why:

First, Reggie Wayne’s statistics have been fairly inconsistent. He has scored double-digit TDs only three times in his pro career, and none of those seasons happened consecutively. The most scores he's had in a single season was 12 in 2004, when he had 77 receptions for 1,210 yards.

Three years later, Wayne had his best season, catching a career-high 104 passes for a career-high 1,510 yards, along with 10 TDs.

Two years after that (last season), he had 95 catches for 1,243 yards and 10 TDs in 15 games.

Between each of those three elite campaigns, Wayne’s total yardage and touchdowns took significant hits. In 2008, even through a full 16-game schedule, Wayne caught 20 fewer balls for 400 fewer yards and four less touchdowns from the season before.

What concerns me even more was his statistical roller coaster in 2009. Sure, his season-ending numbers were more than impressive. He had an outstanding start to the season, notching two games with more than 130 yards through the first three regular season contests of the year. He had five games during the regular season where he went for over 100 yards, and scored in nine different games.

But look at the final six regular season affairs. Outside of a five catch, 132 yard game against Jacksonville in Week 15, Wayne averaged just 3.8 receptions for 32.8 yards per game.

During this time, young receivers Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie emerged as legitimate threats in the passing game. Combined with tight end Dallas Clark , the two formed reliable options for Peyton Manning.

In 2010, Reggie Wayne will be 32-years-old and will find himself on a roster with multiple receivers that Manning has grown accustomed to. No to mention that fact that the talented Anthony Gonzalez figures to be a part of the equation, too.

While I don’t expect Reggie Wayne to fall off the fantasy football table in 2010, ala former teammate Marvin Harrison , I do expect his career pattern of peaks and valleys to continue, especially with the weapons surrounding him in that offense. Consider Wayne a sell-high candidate in dynasty circles, and see if you can snag a younger player with a higher ceiling, such as Roddy White or Miles Austin , while improving yourself elsewhere in your starting lineup.

Read the rest of this article here .

For all your hard-hitting fantasy football and baseball anaylsis, advice and debates, go to www.chinstrapninjas.com

NFL news

PFW staff — 2010-03-03 14:59:43 GMT

Fifth in a series of analyses of team needs, by division.

Houston Texans

Quarterbacks: The Texans might re-sign backup QB Rex Grossman; if he signs elsewhere, expect head coach Gary Kubiak to sign or draft someone to push Dan Orlovsky, a disappointment in his first season in Houston.

Running backs: Big changes are likely coming here. The Texans are expected to draft a back, and perhaps early, which is out of character for them, but the running game was a major weakness a season ago, and Kubiak believes in the importance of a balanced offense. A shoulder injury ended Steve Slaton's season prematurely, and he experienced fumbling problems, leading Kubiak to conclude he might be better-utilized in a complementary role. UFA RBs Chris Brown and Ryan Moats could be back, but neither has a serious chance at the starting job.

Receivers: If there's no salary cap in 2010, TE Owen Daniels will be a restricted free agent who can be retained by a one-year tender offer; expect Houston to do just that. The Texans would like to re-sign UFA WR Kevin Walter but won't get into a bidding war to keep him, with Jacoby Jones waiting in the wings.

Offensive line: Owner Bob McNair said improving the depth along the "center" of the line was necessary, which likely means the Texans will be looking to upgrade at guard and center. OLG Chester Pitts, who's coming off a season-ending knee injury, could depart in free agency.

Defensive line: The Texans will be looking to bolster their ranks at defensive tackle and would be open to adding a young, disruptive interior lineman in the draft or free agency. The versatility of DE Antonio Smith might give the Texans some options; he also can play inside effectively.

Linebackers: MLB DeMeco Ryans will be a restricted free agent in an uncapped year and likely will be given the highest tender. With Ryans and SLB Brian Cushing top-caliber playmakers, linebacker isn't a need early in the draft or in free agency, but the Texans might want to improve their depth.

Defensive backs: So much depends on whether CB Dunta Robinson is re-signed. If he departs, which is a very real possibility considering his asking price and injury history, the Texans will have to add a cornerback in free agency or the draft. They also could use a playmaking free safety.

Special teams: The Texans have a lot to think about here. They will bring in competition for PK Kris Brown, who struggled last season. Also, P Matt Turk is an unrestricted free agent, and he turns 42 in June.

Summary: The Texans' most pressing need is at running back, but if Robinson signs elsewhere, there will be a gaping hole at cornerback, too. The good news: The Texans have fewer glaring problems to fix than in past seasons.

Indianapolis Colts

Quarterbacks: Four-time league MVP Peyton Manning has gone out of his way to remain in tip-top shape, but he turns 34 in late March, and the clock is ticking on his illustrious career. Neither Curtis Painter, who struggled mightily late last season when given the opportunity to start, nor Jim Sorgi seems like anything more than a serviceable career backup at best.

Running backs: The Colts appear satisfied with hardworking Joseph Addai and promising Donald Brown, from whom they expect a lot more in his second season. But while the blocking of the offensive line might have had a lot to do with it, the team ranked last in rushing yards and 30th in average gain per rush last season, and a promising back who consistently can get to the second level might be hard to resist.

Receivers: The Colts always have believed that the more inviting targets for Manning, the merrier in their highly successful pass-happy offense, and there could be some concerns regarding former first-rounder Anthony Gonzalez, who went down for the count with a season-ending knee injury in Week One last season. The Colts would no doubt love to pick up a few more quality pass catchers like '09 rookie Austin Collie and second-year pro Pierre Garcon, who combined to do a terrific job compensating for the loss of Gonzalez in '09. The Colts are quite comfortable with their TE trio led by Pro Bowler Dallas Clark.

Offensive line: Team president Bill Polian singled out the offensive line as a major reason behind the Colts' loss to the Saints in Super Bowl XLIV. Considering the Colts' continued problems running the ball, especially in short-yardage situations, it's believed the team might begin to put more of an emphasis on drafting bigger, stronger linemen who can do a better job of run blocking. Charlie Johnson did a commendable job taking over the starting OLT role last season, but he is not considered a natural left tackle. C Jeff Saturday remains solid but will turn 35 in June.

Defensive line: Starting DTs Antonio Johnson and Dan Muir are both restricted free agents. Even though they were both surprisingly consistent up front, providing an inside push that helped free up Pro Bowlers Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis to make sacks from the edges, as well as doing a nice job against the run, the Colts still could use another big, athletic tackle. It could be less of a problem if Fili Moala gets more comfortable with the team's defensive system in his second season, but there are no guarantees that will happen.

Linebackers: Polian has mentioned the re-signing of underrated UFA MLB Gary Brackett as a top priority this offseason. But Brackett is looking for a big payday, and the Colts have a history of avoiding hefty contracts for linebackers. In addition, starting SLB Tyjuan Hagler is a restricted free agent coming off yet another season-ending injury, and the future of reserve Freddy Keiaho (also an RFA) remains up in the air. A few reinforcements who could also fortify special teams wouldn't surprise anybody.

Defensive backs: The Colts have six RFAs in their secondary (starting FS Antoine Bethea; CBs Marlin Jackson, Tim Jennings and T.J. Rushing; and safeties Aaron Francisco and Melvin Bullitt) and might find it difficult to keep all of them. In addition, the unit has had trouble staying healthy, with starting SS Bob Sanders, who could be looking at a restructured contract, and Jackson ending the '09 season on injured reserve.

Special teams: With Adam Vinatieri failing to stay healthy in '09 and UFA Matt Stover's future looking cloudy at the age of 42, the Colts very well could consider drafting a placekicker, The team also could go out of its way to draft replacements for mediocre kick returners Chad Simpson and Rushing.

Summary: It would appear that one of the league's more solid teams needs only some tweaking here and there, with primary emphasis expected to be put on upgrading the offensive and defensive lines. But a new contract for Manning could make it more difficult for the Colts to hang on to all of their free agents — a factor that could have a direct bearing on their 2010 draft strategy.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Quarterbacks: Jack Del Rio called David Garrard a "middle-tier quarterback" following Garrard's up-and-down 2009 campaign. The Jaguars have not drafted a QB since Byron Leftwich in '03 and likely will be on the lookout for Garrard's eventual replacement.

Running backs: Maurice Jones-Drew was electric in his first year as the club's bell-cow back, earning his first Pro Bowl selection. Second-year RB Rashad Jennings should see more touches, and FB Greg Jones is one of the league's better blockers.

Receivers: This group was much improved in '09. Mike Sims-Walker had a breakout year, and Mike Thomas made strong contributions as a rookie. Torry Holt was released, but Troy Williamson and Jarett Dillard return from injury. Marcedes Lewis is a very good blocking tight end.

Offensive line: OTs Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton will only get better. Vince Manuwai's knee should be back to 100 percent, and Uche Nwaneri continues to impress. The team may start to look for C Brad Meester's replacement after Meester struggled in '09.

Defensive line: DT Terrance Knighton and DT John Henderson are stout in the middle. Lack of production at defensive end is the team's biggest weakness. The 14 sacks the team totaled in '09 ranked 32nd. Jacksonville doesn't currently have a legitimate pass rusher on the roster.

Linebackers: WLB Daryl Smith and MLB Justin Durant were two of the more consistent performers on defense last season. Strong-side 'backer Clint Ingram was disappointing, however, and the team will look to improve at OLB.

Defensive backs: Cornerback should be a strength if Rashean Mathis can stay healthy. Derek Cox was impressive as a rookie. Free safety is an area of concern, with Reggie Nelson having been benched toward the end of the year for poor tackling.

Special teams: PK Josh Scobee and P Adam Podlesh are both reliable performers despite down years in '09. Thomas showed nice flashes in the return game.

Summary: After improving the talent level on offense in the '09 draft, Jacksonville must upgrade personnel in several areas on "D." A dynamic pass rusher at end is the No. 1 priority, but improvements also must be made at outside linebacker and safety.

Tennessee Titans

Quarterbacks: The Titans will have to decide whether to pay Kerry Collins starter's money to be their No. 2 quarterback. If that doesn't appeal to them, they will have to find a veteran passer to back up Vince Young, who has yet to prove he can string two good seasons together on the professional level.

Running backs: The Titans are set here in an uncapped year. Top backup LenDale White likely will be retained with a restricted free-agent tender, third-string back Javon Ringer is waiting in the wings to eventually replace White, and first-stringer Chris Johnson is coming off a record-breaking season.

Receivers: The Titans could add a receiver in free agency or the draft. They looked at ex-Jaguars WR Matt Jones before he signed with the Bengals, and the WR corps, while much improved over past seasons, still needs some playmaking punch. The Titans have good TE depth.

Offensive line: At age 39, Pro Bowl C Kevin Mawae is poised to test free agency, and the Titans appear set to move Leroy Harris into his starting spot. The Titans' big move in this position group came before free agency when they re-signed OLG Eugene Amano.

Defensive line: The Titans are looking for better play out of this group after a disappointing 2009 season. UFA DE Kyle Vanden Bosch could test the market; he's not an elite pass rusher, but he gives outstanding effort and sets a good example. UFA DE Jevon Kearse will not be retained. DT Tony Brown can be retained with a restricted free-agent tender in an uncapped year, and the Titans would probably like to keep him long term.

Linebackers: The big question is whether the Titans will re-sign OLB Keith Bulluck, who is coming off a knee injury. While Bulluck is getting up in age, he's still an effective starter when healthy. However, the Titans could use a fresh face or two at outside linebacker.

Defensive backs: The Titans are unlikely to re-sign CB Nick Harper and will have to find another starter to play alongside Cortland Finnegan. The lack of quality CB depth hurt the Titans early last season, and Tennessee must consider adding at least one corner, if not more, to the existing group.

Special teams: The Titans got little out of their return game in 2009 and must address the problem in the offseason. Longtime P Craig Hentrich elected to retire, and ex-Bronco Brett Kern is the favorite to replace him.

Summary: The Titans' major needs are on the defensive side of the ball, and adding playmakers throughout the front seven should be a priority. However, cornerback is also a position needing to be bolstered, too — the Titans simply couldn't match up with dynamic passing games when their reserve corners were pressed into service because of injuries last season.

NFC South team needs
AFC North team needs
NFC West team needs
AFC East team needs

For the most authoritative NFL draft news and free-agency analysis, visit ProFootballWeekly.com.

18 To 88 - An Indianapolis Colts Blog

18to88@gmail.com (Deshawn Zombie) — 2010-03-03 11:20:52 GMT

Much is being made right now out of Jeff Saturday's comments about the offensive line.

The whole hullabaloo started when Polian made disparaging comments about the line's play in the Super Bowl, despite some evidence that they had a decent enough game.

While I totally understand Saturday's desire not to see his brethren be made the scape goats for losing the Super Bowl (especially when Caldwell and Hank Baskett are so readily available), I think people are missing the point behind what Polian said originally.

The only play the line can clearly be faulted for was the 3rd and 1 debacle at the end of the first half. Granted that was a huge, game changing play but the O line was only half responsible for it. The real blame falls on Caldwell for making his first massive tactical error of the day. Some wackos acted like Polian was trying to protect Manning by blaming the line. He wasn't. Manning needs no cover. He played great. By blaming the offensive line, Bill Polian was covering Jim Caldwell's butt essentially saying, "it was a good call to run, but the players didn't execute". The Colts have handled this entire offseason by placing a deflector shield around Caldwell. He didn't answer questions after the game. He hasn't talked about his massive brain cramp in sending in Stover yet. He hasn't had to answer for anything he screwed up that last night. That tells me that he must have taken the loss pretty hard. Maybe he blames himself, I don't know. I certainly blame him.

Moreover, I took Polian's comments about both the offensive line and the special teams as a signal that change is coming to those units. Was it fair to say the O-line cost Indy the Super Bowl? No, absolutely not. Is it fair to say the O-line is mediocre at best and was one of the weakest units the team has had for the past two seasons? Without a doubt. Other than Saturday and Lilja, the Colts have no linemen that could be considered even slightly above average. Every statistical analysis shows that quarterbacks are more responsible for sacks than linemen. So given the fact that the Colts line is awful at run blocking, I'd say it's safe to say it's a problem area.

Anyone analyzing the Colts right now would put offensive line and special teams as the two biggest priorties for improvement heading into 2010. That makes it unsurprising that Polian would single those units out. It is unfair, but he's preparing the ground emotionally for changes to come. The Colts can't do anything about the real reason they lost the Super Bowl. They aren't going to fire Caldwell for being too conservative, and obviously Reggie Wayne and Pierre Garcon are safe. What they can do is fix the special teams (which were a massive problem: bad return, missed FG, failure to recover onside kick), and the offensive line.

Essentially Polian was throwing players under the bus who aren't going to be playing (or at least starting) for the Colts next year. It's unfair in the specific sense and sort of heartless, but it keeps him from having to kill his coach or his star wideout or a young good player like Garcon. By blaming the O line, Polian gets his scape goat AND when the Colts open up 2010 with a new left tackle or a new right guard he can say, "we fixed the problem!".

And he'll be right. The offensive line IS a problem.

Just not in the final game.

Bleacher Report - Front Page

Adam Rosenfield — 2010-02-25 04:08:15 GMT

Today, special teamers, place kickers, offensive lineman, and tight ends arrived in Indianapolis for the biggest job interview they’ve ever been to.

In all, 330 potential NFL players will lift, run and Wonderlic test their way into what hopefully turns out to be a spot with one of thirty-two NFL teams come April 22-24 in New York City.

To add to this, the NFL Network (don’t get me started on that channel) plans to televise the Combine in its entirety.

I have but one word to describe this nonsense: Seriously?

I understand the need for the combine: Brett Favre’s season is over, and ESPN needs a way to divert attention from their next sexual harassment lawsuit on the horizon (kidding). Since the AFL is out of a TV deal, the only way for fans to continually live and breathe football is by watching college-age men run through a variety of drills that stimulates both their mental and physical capabilities.

Before I get started on the mundane physical drills, I feel like it necessary to rant about the Wonderlic Test. As many scouts have figured out, it is an absolutely worthless test to judge a potential NFL player’s relative intelligence. When one of the questions asks a combine participant to use algebraic knowledge, you know the test is a joke.

Seriously, most of these guys were part-time students in college, with a wide range of tutoring available to them, so that they could make just above the 1.8 GPA necessitated by the NCAA. Vince Young scored a six back in 2006. He is doing just fine now. Ryan Fitzpatrick scored a 48. The Bills are still terrible.

After the standardized test, participants are put through a rigorous set of drills designed to measure speed, agility and awareness. After a recent article I read about people training for the combine, I find these drills less and less relevant. If I was John Skelton (QB-Fordham) yes, I would love to bench 225 a reputable amount of times, and yes, I might want to have a mediocre 40 yard dash time.

However, I would be more worried about working out for these teams who are keen to pick me in the fourth, fifth, or sixth rounds and question the level of competition I played against, the offense I ran at Fordham or my overall football makeup.

Yes, the Combine produces some stars. Chris Johnson ran a 4.24 in the 40 a couple of years ago, and Joe Flacco made teams salivate with his relative arm strength. Granted, Tony Romo and Pierre Garcon were also discovered by scouts, but it has become increasingly irrelevant. Guys like Wes Welker and Osi Umenyiora were not invited, and they have had relatively productive NFL careers.

The real question is: how does a player perform after he gets drafted? When the millions start pouring in, athletes can become different people. Some do not quite understand the consequences that go with stardom and the 24-hour news media and fall off the face of the NFL after a couple of years.

For others, their work ethic, or lack thereof, shows up after the Combine. The prevailing attitude is “ok, done with this, now time to party,” and they never recover. With all the combine-focused training done by private athletic firms, scouts are finding it tougher to unearth flaws in a combine participant during the actual event.

All this being said, I say do away with the Combine. It is an absolute waste of time and money. Figure out a way to improve the Pro Days, or fly prospects in. Conduct interviews on a whim; maybe use Skype, or a cellular device. Do away with a standardized test—us college students have found out how useless the SATs are in predicting a prospective college student’s actual GPA in college. Heck, some colleges even did away with them.

I guess if you are really that desperate, the NFL combine might make for some riveting TV. But hey, it could be worse. You could be watching LOST.

Bleacher Report - Front Page

Michael McNeil — 2010-02-24 18:18:07 GMT

In just two days this week, two major NFL running backs have gotten the axe.

I can only imagine what is going to happen today.

A day after the San Diego Chargers cut future Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson , the Philadelphia Eagles have announced that they, too, will sever ties with do-it-all running back Brian Westbrook. Just like with Tomlinson, there has been plenty of reaction around the web regarding Westy’s imminent departure:

Brian Westbrook will be released by Eagles [FFToolBox]
Eagles Release Brian Westbrook [The Fifth Down]
Westbrook has permission to talk to other teams in advance of release [ProFootballTalk]

All of this action got me thinking: Including Jamal Lewis, three of the league’s most prominent running backs during the last decade have been released from their respective teams this offseason. Their numbers, as follows:

LaDainian Tomlinson : 12,490 rushing yards, 138 touchdowns; 3,955 receiving yards, 15 touchdowns

Jamal Lewis : 10,607 rushing yards, 58 touchdowns; 1,879 receiving yards, four touchdowns

Brian Westbrook : 5,995 rushing yards, 37 touchdowns; 3,790 receiving yards, 29 touchdowns

What surprised me most about this compilation is how few rushing yards Westbrook has compared to the other two. For as long as it seems he has been around and how much we have heard about his “greatness”, he does not even have half of the rushing yards of Tomlinson and just a little more than half those of Lewis.

Of the three, Tomlinson is the only lock for the HoF. Without looking at the numbers of other HoF running backs, I am going to speculate that neither Lewis nor Westbrook earn a bust in Canton.

Here are today’s great reads:

In advance of the NFL Scouting Combine: Classic videos of combines past . The perfect gift for the person in your life who cannot get enough football, which is probably you. [The Big Lead]
Chad OchoCinco — I gave in and stopped calling him Chad Johnson long ago — continues to lobby on behalf of Terrell Owens this offseason. It would be quite entertaining to see these guys on the same team, and what better place than Cincinnati. [ProFootballTalk]
When Anthony Gonzalez went down with a knee injury early in 2009, the Colts did not miss a beat thanks in large part to the emergence of Pierre Garcon. Now that he added a stellar postseason to his resume, Garcon is an intriguing fantasy football prospect heading into the 2010 season. [FanHouse]
If you play in a keeper league, fantasy football is a year-round activity. That is what makes blogs like The Hazean viable all year long, and lists of potential keeper candidates for the 2010 season relevant even in late February. [CBSSports.com]
Ole Miss running back Dexter McCluster has speed to burn and looks like the next Reggie Bush-type to hit the NFL. Less pressure on McCluster than was heaped upon Bush, thanks in part to Bush’s tepid success as a pure runner. But what is going good for McCluster is how the Saints have shown teams to use a player of his skill-set in an efficient and productive manner. [Shutdown Corner]

Bleacher Report - Front Page

Ismail Aijazuddin — 2010-02-23 21:10:06 GMT

It has just been announced that Brian Westbrook was released from the Eagles. This won't mean much on the field at this point. However, he will be missed in the locker room.

Westbrook is a great leader, and for most of the last decade has been one of the cornerstones of the franchise along with Donovan McNabb. Like all aging running backs, he is in a state of rapid decline aided by multiple injuries.

The Eagles' offense is full of young talent. LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson, and Jeremy Maclin are some young players who will have a huge role in the future of the organization. Like all young players, they have and will continue to benefit from veteran presence and leadership.

Westbrook and McNabb were a large part of the veteran presence. Now Westbrook is gone; therefore, McNabb must stay.

Donovan McNabb can make a big difference in the development of the young players. It's obvious Kevin Kolb has learned a thing or two from him. McNabb can help his teammates learn the intricacies of the system and be a coach on the field for them.

McNabb will turn 34 in November. After a great year, he has shown he has a few solid seasons left in him. Like Peyton Manning did with Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon, he is doing a great job with Jackson and Maclin.

When McNabb finally leaves, Kevin Kolb will be ready to take over where he left off. For now there is no reason to end the marriage between him and the Eagles too soon. He is invaluable to his team in his last few years.

With Westbrook gone, let McNabb pass on the torch when he's ready.

Bleacher Report - Front Page

Brian Carson — 2010-02-23 21:32:26 GMT

The human meat market known as the NFL Scouting Combine will kick off its 28th year Wednesday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Over 300 players will be poked, prodded, interviewed, and tested as NFL coaches and general managers start to solidify their draft boards for April.

Wonderlic tests will be given, forty times established, and bench press reps totaled.

This will go on for six days.

Six days of meaningless information spewed out to the masses by so-called draft experts and football gurus.

Why meaningless?

Because the NFL Scouting Combine is all hype and zero substance.

It was the mass media that created this frenzy and made the Combine more important than it actually is.

The NFL Combine started back in 1982 for one purpose only—to check out medical information of the draft-eligible players. A secondary element was to ascertain any character issues a player might have.

For those two reasons, the Combine is a good thing.

But when the NFL deviated from its original goals to placate the rise of cable TV, the minutiae of meaninglessness began.

Seriously, does anybody really believe a player who gets high reps on the bench press is a better football player than someone who doesn't?

Let's look at the top three players for most 225-pound reps since 1999:

1. Justin Earnest, Eastern Kentucky, 51
2. Mike Kudla, Ohio State, 45
3. Leif Larsen, UTEP, 45

Anybody hear of these guys lately?

How about the good old 40-yard dash? Is that an indicator of a great player?

Not really.

With the exception of Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson—who ran a 4.24 in 2008—the rest of the top three since '99 featured Roland Melendez (4.24) and Jerome Mathis (4.28).

Larry Fitzgerald ran a 4.54 and shiny new Hall of Famer Jerry Rice was in the 4.5, 4.6 range. Both were considered to be too slow by some scouts and draft experts.

Look how wrong they were.

Bench press reps and 40-yard dash times mean nothing—what's between the ears does. Is the guy a football player on the field, in pads, facing competition? That's what matters.

Here's some more proof the Combine isn't the be-all, end-all it's made out to be.

Below is a list of players who weren't drafted or not invited to the Combine since its inception:

John Randle (Hall of Fame)
Rod Smith
Warren Moon (Hall of Fame)
Tim Krumrie
Karl Mecklenburg
Wes Welker
Jay Ratliff
Tony Romo
Osi Umenyiora
Pierre Garcon
Wayne Chrebet
Kurt Warner

Not bad, is it? A list that features two Hall of Famers, with Smith and Warner certain to go in as well.

The next list is players who were invited to the Combine but didn't impress and fell in the draft:

Terrell Davis, sixth round
Shannon Sharpe, seventh round
Curtis Martin, third round
Matt Birk, sixth round
Jamal Anderson, seventh round
Jay Novacek, sixth round
Adam Timmerman, seventh round
Jason Taylor, third round
Brad Johnson, ninth round
Tom Brady, sixth round

Brady is the poster child for how the Combine is overhyped. Remember his workouts? They were terrible. The guy could barely run.

All he's done is win three Super Bowls and become one of the best quarterbacks of his generation, along with Drew Brees, who was considered too short to be an everyday starter, and Peyton Manning.

Let's wrap this up by looking at some of the Combine's workout warriors. These guys were supposed to be sure things:

Tony Mandarich
Akili Smith
Tim Couch
Cade McNown
Ryan Leaf
Brian Bosworth
Andre Wadsworth
Charles Rogers
Lawrence Phillips
Keith McCants
Heath Shuler
Andre Ware

That's just off the top of my head. I'm sure there's plenty more.

These can't-misses...missed.

Can you believe people were even debating who should be taken first in 1998—Manning or Leaf?

To sum it all up, watch the Combine if you want to, but don't take the numbers the pundits shout out so seriously.

Attitude, desire, and heart make an NFL player—not his time in the three-cone drill or 40-yard dash.

Remember this before falling into the hype that is the NFL Scouting Combine.

Footballguys.com Forums: The Shark Pool

2010-02-23 20:57:48 GMT

I was messing around on the site Bleacher Report last night. I ended up vomiting out an article on this topic. I thought I would post an abridged version here to generate some discussion:

Last year saw several low-profile wide receivers like Miles Austin, Sidney Rice, Steve Smith (NYG), and Mike Sims-Walker emerge from relative obscurity to become reliable every week starters for fantasy teams. Which current low-profile wide receivers might follow their lead and become impact players in the 2010 NFL season?

In order to answer that question, I think it's important to analyze why the aforementioned players were successful. Looking at that group, I think we can identify a few key factors that contributed to their emergence.

Miles Austin - A talented player with a strong combination of size and speed, Austin was held back by a lack of opportunity until the release of Terrell Owens vacated a starting position opposite Roy Williams. Austin won the job and never looked back.

Sidney Rice - The former second round pick out of South Carolina flashed a lot of ability in his rookie season. Many people expected a breakout in 2008, but minor injuries and poor quarterback play held Rice back. Once the team added Brett Favre into the mix, Rice exploded.

Steve Smith - The release of Plaxico Burress and the decline of Amani Toomer created an opportunity for someone to step up and become the top receiver for the Giants. Smith, a former second round pick out of USC, capitalized with a major breakout season.

Mike Sims-Walker - The former third round pick out of Central Florida generated a lot of buzz early in his NFL career for his impressive play in practice, but injuries and a lack of opportunity held him back until the 2009 season. With Reggie Williams and Matt Jones out of the way, Sims-Walker emerged as the top target on the Jaguars.

Noticing any trends? Three of these four players were high draft picks and all four of them benefitted from a sudden increase in opportunity, whether it was through the departure of a high-profile teammate or the addition of a quality quarterback.

If we want to figure out which wide receivers will break out next season, I think we should focus on former high draft picks and players who will benefit from an improved opportunity. Here's a list of candidates by team:

Bills: James Hardy, Steve Johnson
Dolphins: Davone Bess, Greg Camarillo, Brian Hartline, Patrick Turner
Patriots: Julian Edelman, Brandon Tate
Ravens: Donte Stallworth, Mark Clayton
Bengals: Andre Caldwell, Matt Jones
Browns: Mohamed Massaquoi, Brian Robiskie, Chansi Stuckey
Steelers:
Texans: Jacoby Jones
Colts: Pierre Garcon
Jaguars: Mike Thomas, Jarett Dillard, Nate Hughes
Titans: Kenny Britt
Broncos: Eddie Royal, Kenny McKinley
Chiefs:
Raiders: Darrius Heyward-Bey, Chaz Schilens, Louis Murphy
Chargers: Malcom Floyd, Legedu Naanee, Craig Davis
Cowboys: Kevin Ogletree
Giants: Hakeem Nicks
Eagles: Jeremy Maclin
Redskins: Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly
Bears: Devin Aromashodu, Johnny Knox, Devin Hester
Lions:
Packers: James Jones, Jordy Nelson
Vikings:
Falcons: Harry Douglas
Panthers: Dwayne Jarrett
Saints: Robert Meachem, Devery Henderson, Adrian Arrington
Buccaneers: Sammie Stroughter
Cardinals: Steve Breaston, Early Doucet
Rams: Donnie Avery, Laurent Robinson, Brandon Gibson
49ers: Michael Crabtree, Josh Morgan, Jason Hill
Seahawks: Nate Burleson, Deon Butler

If we narrow our search to former high draft picks (top 100) who should have improved opportunities in 2010 (either through a vacated starting job or an improved situation), we get the following list:

Brandon Tate
James Hardy
Andre Caldwell
Matt Jones
Jacoby Jones &
Eddie Royal
Darrius Heyward-Bey
Devin Thomas
Malcolm Kelly
Devin Hester
James Jones*
Jordy Nelson*
Harry Douglas
Dwayne Jarrett
Donnie Avery
Laurent Robinson
Early Doucet

& assuming Kevin Walter is not re-signed.
* assuming Donald Driver does not return in 2010.

This is a pretty good initial list. I'm not counting Britt/Maclin/Nicks/Crabtree because they were essentially starters last season and their high profile will make them difficult to acquire at a reasonable price. I also think there are some names that should be added by virtue of their situation and/or displayed potential even if they don't fit all of the criteria.

Julian Edelman
Pierre Garcon
Mike Thomas
Jarett Dillard
Louis Murphy
Chaz Schilens
Devin Aromashodu
Johnny Knox

Combining the two lists gives us:

Brandon Tate
James Hardy
Andre Caldwell
Matt Jones
Jacoby Jones &
Eddie Royal
Darrius Heyward-Bey
Devin Thomas
Malcolm Kelly
Devin Hester
James Jones*
Jordy Nelson*
Harry Douglas
Dwayne Jarrett
Donnie Avery
Laurent Robinson
Early Doucet
Julian Edelman
Matt Jones
Pierre Garcon
Mike Thomas
Jarett Dillard
Louis Murphy
Chaz Schilens
Devin Aromashodu
Johnny Knox

There's a good chance that a few of these guys will make some waves next season. The hard part is figuring out who. My guess is that at least one Bears WR will break 1000 yards. Aromashodu seems like the trendy pick, but he has been a journeyman up to this point in his career. I think Malcolm Kelly, Brandon Tate, Early Doucet, Pierre Garcon, Donnie Avery, Jordy Nelson, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Eddie Royal, and Jacoby Jones all have either the raw talent and/or situational improvement to emerge. I would look to take some cheap gambles on those guys with late draft picks.

Buc 'Em

Craig T — 2010-02-21 20:00:22 GMT

More photos » Chris O'Meara - AP

Who will be standing with Mark and Raheem this year?

Browse more photos »

With one week and counting until the NFL Combine gets rolling from Indianapolis, now is as good a time as any for our first mock draft. Since trades are virtually unpredictable, I'm not going to try to guess them. It'd be kind of like trying to guess what the weather will be like in 2 months. Instead, I will try to make my best estimate of what each team might do from their current draft slots.

Of course, things are certainly subject to change once we see who wows us with their 40 times, who can throw up 225 30+ times....and who can leap over a small car on youtube! Like it or not, and although I don't think peripheral combine exercises necessarily equate to success in the league by any means, it does give players some attention and bump their stock up. However, this is where I see things right now.

I encourage you all to submit your own comments/changes/mocks in the comment section. Without further ado.......

1. St. Louis Rams - QB Sam Bradford, Oklahoma. Suh or Bradford....Bradford or Suh. So much of the draft is dictated by what the Rams do here. Will the Rams select a QB #1 and pay all that guaranteed money? They'd probably love to trade down a spot or two, but it could be more difficult than folks imagine. Given the lack of assets and extra draft picks they have to engineer a pre-draft trade for a viable starting QB, and with Keith Null and Kyle Boller as possibly the only incumbent signal callers come draft time, this could be a decision they have to make for their future. Of course, like all picks, this could change drastically based on combine and individual offseason workouts. If they take Bradford, they could target a guy like Terrence Cody at the top of the 2nd round. If they select Suh, they could go for a guy like Texas QB Colt McCoy or Cincy QB Tony Pike at the start of the 2nd round. So many options for the Rams...

2. Detroit Lions - DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska. Although the Rams might give Okung a serious look, you've got to start adding stars to that defense at some point, right? There might be no one more talented and with more all-pro potential in this draft than Suh. It's possible, with the second pick of the second round, to nab a first-round talent on the offensive line.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - DT Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma. The Bucs get their guy in McCoy, who should thrive in the Tampa 2 system. S Eric Berry and ILB Rolando McClain are very attractive options, but improving the defensive line is a bigger area of need.

4. Washington Redskins - OT Russell Okung, Oklahoma State. Pressure was a significant part of the reason behind Jason Campbell's struggles, so he might get some help. Skins undoubtedly looking for their next Chris Samuels. Jimmy Clausen could get consideration as well.

5. Kansas City Chiefs - ILB Rolando McClain, Alabama. Not a complete no-brainer with talent like Joe Haden and Eric Berry on the board, but the Chiefs need an overhaul on defense and McClain would bring a physical presence and attitude in the heart of that defense.

6. Seattle Seahawks - QB Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame. The Seahawks have to take one of the remaining two stud QBs if one is still there, so Clausen would be a steal for them here. The battered and bruised Matt Hasselbeck is on his last leg and Seneca Wallace has shown next to nothing. Clausen could be the future in Seattle.

7. Cleveland Browns - S Eric Berry, Tennesssee. The Browns, like many teams near the top of the draft, have many holes to fill. A guy like Eric Berry gives them an incredibly diverse defender who can step into any position in the secondary and perform well.

8. Oakland Raiders - DE Derrick Morgan, Georgia Tech. Greg Ellis isn't getting any younger and a long-term deal with Richard Seymour isn't in place. Morgan could be the top-rated pass rusher by draft day and, if so, would be a good value pick here.

9. Buffalo Bills - OT Bryan Bulaga, Iowa. They need offensive line help in the worst way, especially after the sudden retirement of RT Brad Butler, and a physical, run-blocking OT like Bulaga would upgrade one side of the line for the Buffalo offense and give the running game a big boost. OTs Trent Williams and Anthony Davis are also possibilities.

10. Denver Broncos - DT Dan Williams, Tennessee. May be a bit of a reach here, but Williams has the size (around 330 lbs) to clog interior running lanes and slow down opposing rushing attacks. He should help anchor the middle of a Bronco defensive front that got trucked over the last part of the 2009 season.

11. Jacksonville Jaguars - CB Joe Haden, Florida. Althought DE still remains an area lacking production, the Jags may look to give ends Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves a little more time to blossom. Haden, as the top-rated cover corner, would be good value here. Perhaps not the Gator that some want to see Jacksonville take in the first round, but he should step into the starting spot immediately at corner in a secondary that allowed the 6th-most passing YPG in 2009. This could push Rashean Mathis to safety and improve two positions at once. A need pick when facing Manning-to-Wayne/Garcon and Schaub-to-Andre-Johnson a total of four times per year. DEs Carlos Dunlap or Jason Pierre-Paul are possibilities.

12. Miami Dolphins - WR Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State. The Ted Ginn, Jr. experiment has failed and the Fins lack a playmaking, go-to WR in an otherwise decent offense. Bryant would step right in and be that lifeline for Chad Henne.

13. San Francisco 49ers - OT Anthony Davis, Rutgers. They need offensive line help, and a mountain of a man like OT Anthony Davis (who's dropped to around 325 pounds from 368 at one time) would do well here.

14. Seattle Seahawks - OT Trent Williams, Oklahoma. A great year for offensive tackles lends well to teams in the top half of the draft, and Seattle more likely will take advantage as well by snaring Williams. I think CJ Spiller is also a significant possibility here, but Forsett's emergence may convince the Seahawks to first seek protection for Hasselbeck or whatever young buck they run out there.

15. New York Giants - ILB Brandon Spikes, Florida. With safety and linebacker as such pressing needs, the Giants could go a number of directions here. OLB Sergio Kindle is a distinct possibility, and DBs Earl Thomas and Taylor Mays could be in play. However, the departure of Antonio Pierce creates a gaping void in the middle of that defense that will have to be replaced by an inspiring, physical, playmaking presence. Brandon Spikes appears to be the perfect guy to fill that position.

16. Tennessee Titans - DE Jason Pierre-Paul, South Florida. Could go Carlos Dunlap here, but Titans had enough off-the-field headaches with Pacman Jones. Pierre-Paul might have the most All-Pro raw potential out of all DEs in the draft. Question is....can they get it out of him?

17. San Francisco 49ers - RB CJ Spiller, Clemson. Dynamic player that could run between the tackles and split out in routes, giving the Niners a formidable thunder-and-lighting RB combination with Frank Gore. Would also be a lethal return man.

18. Pittsburgh Steelers - S Taylor Mays, USC. The Steeler defense hit the skids last year when the oft-injured Polamalu missed significant time to injury. Mays, while certainly not considered to be the safety with the best ball skills in this draft class, is an outstanding hitter that could be a redux of Polamalu in run support . O-line is also a possibility here...perhaps a multi-positional guy like Mike Iupati.

19. Atlanta Falcons - DB Earl Thomas, Texas. The Falcons seriously need depth on their defensive line, but Atlanta can't pass on adding a versatile player like Earl Thomas , who they can plug in anywhere in their shaky secondary.

20. Houston Texans - G Mike Iupati, Idaho. Texans need a boost to their 30th-ranked running game, and, rather than add yet another back to their overstocked roster, they could upgrade the interior of that line with arguably the best interior linemen in the draft, big offensive guard Mike Iupati. At 6-5, 325 pounds, Iupati would give the Texans the flexibility of moving him to tackle in a pinch if needed.

21. Cincinnati Bengals - TE Jermaine Gresham, Oklahoma. The top-ranked tight end would fit with the Bengal offense like franks and beans. He'd be a great weapon for Carson Palmer in the middle of the field.

22. New England Patriots - OLB Sergio Kindle, Texas. An explosive player with a nose for the ballcarrier, Kindle should become the heir apparent to Adalius Thomas on the edge of that 3-4 defense.

23. Green Bay Packers - OT Bruce Campbell, Maryland. OT keeps flying off the board, and after the Packer offensive line's porous play nearly put Aaron Rodgers in the hospital multiple times last year, getting better on the line is a must for Green Bay. Campbell carries a few less lb's than the previously-mentioned tackles and he has less experience than other tackles (17 career starts at Maryland), but he's got the quickness to become a good pass-blocker, which is a premium in the Packer offense.

24. Philadelphia Eagles - DE Brandon Graham, Michigan. It's all about pressure and getting in the backfield with the Philly defense, and the defensive MVP of the senior bowl, who led the nation last year in tackles-for-loss, can do just that and would be an ideal threat opposite Trent Cole. DE Carlos Dunlap also worth consideration.

25. Baltimore Ravens - WR Golden Tate, Notre Dame. The total package at WR...incredible hands, solid routes, good speed. He will become a solid NFL player and give Flacco a reliable target.

26. Arizona Cardinals - OLB Ricky Sapp, Clemson. With a possible exodus of Cardinal LBs taking place in the next couple of years, Sapp could step in and take over in at the OLB spot flanking Calais Campbell, giving the Cardinals an explosive left side of their defense.

27. Dallas Cowboys - ILB Daryl Washington, TCU. Logical long-term solution in the middle with Keith Brooking on the backside of his career and Bobby Carpenter only being used in passing down situations. Washington is an impressive specimen that can cover well and hold his own against the run.

28. San Diego Chargers - RB Jonathan Dwyer, Georgia Tech. With LT almost certainly on the way out of town, Dwyer is, at worst, an excellent insurance policy for Darren Sproles and could certainly win the starting job. CB is also in play here due to Cromartie's potential departure (perhaps FSU CB Robinson?).

29. New York Jets - WR DeMaryius Thomas, Georgia Tech. Thomas would move Cotchery into the slot, giving the Jets a formidable receiving trio. Moreover, Thomas is a physical, hard-nosed run-blocker who's used to spending the majority of the game blocking, which is what he would be expected to do in Rex Ryan's offense.

30. Minnesota Vikings - S Chad Jones. May not have the one-on-one man cover skills of Earl Thomas, but is very fast, has good ball skills, and can hit hard. Could end up being the second-best safety in this class when all is said and done.

31. Indianapolis Colts - OLB Sean Meriweather, Missouri. Could replace Philip Wheeler and give the Colts a volatile LB trio of Meriweather, Gary Brackett, and Clint Session.

32. New Orleans Saints - DT/DE Jarid Odrick, Penn State. A versatile player who could adapt to Gregg Williams' versatile defensive schemes. Has an explosive first step that could put him as a 3-4 defensive end. Also, as the Saints employ some 4-man fronts, he has the size to step in at the tackle position next to undertackle Sedrick Ellis.

Bleacher Report - Front Page

Kendrick Marshall — 2010-02-17 18:06:34 GMT

With the 2010 free-agent class offering little to no punch when it comes to available wide receiver options, the Chicago Bears would be best served to cultivate their in-house talent.

Much of the last two campaigns have been spent on lamenting the Bears lack of pass catchers to supplement an offense seemingly stuck in neutral since the 2006 Super Bowl run.

The names of Terrell Owens, Antonio Bryant, Derrick Mason, Vincent Jackson, Miles Austin, Brandon Marshall, Braylon Edwards, Malcom Floyd will surface as targets of the Bears. Owens would appear to be too big of a risking as one factor in an all or nothing year for head coach Lovie Smith, general manager Jerry Angelo and team president Ted Phillips.

Bryant was a target of the Bears in free agency at the end of the 2007 season, but the 29-year-old decided to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers instead. He, however, is not the top tier wide receiver the Bears are looking for. Floyd, Edwards, Austin and Marshall would also be solid options, but that quartet figures either to sign with their current organizations or seek lucrative contracts elsewhere.

Recently released Dante Stallworth and Torry Holt are currently on the market. Holt, 33, would figure to fit perfectly in offensive coordinator Mike Martz's complex attack due to their relationship with the St. Louis Rams. Stallworth would come cheap after going through legal troubles that led to a season long suspension. He might be a serviceable complementary target.

Chicago has not gotten a bang for its buck in production from veteran wide outs in recent campaigns. Before the 2008 season, Angelo signed Brandon Lloyd and one-time Bear Marty Booker as stopgaps to assist then quarterback Kyle Orton.

Both turned out to be tremendous disasters combining for 575 yards and just four touchdowns. Booker was clearly playing on borrowed time, and was done by the end of the season. And Lloyd, who was playing on a one-year deal saying he had something to prove after under performing with the Washington Redskins a year earlier, only started five games and missed six due to injury.

How did the team try to fix the glaring hole on offense?

The Bears attempted to address the need at the position in 2009 by not really addressing it all. Fourth-year specialist Devin Hester was cast as the de facto No. 1 target for quarterback Jay Cutler.

Never mind that heading into training camp the team was going to rely on second-year Vanderbilt wide receiver Earl Bennett who caught one pass in 2008, rookie Johnny Knox who was a fifth-round draft pick acquired as part of the Cutler trade with the Denver Broncos.The team also banked on Cutler and former first-round selection Greg Olsen developing into one of the NFL’s best tight end-quarterback duos.

While the plan seemed good on paper, considering Cutler was coming off a 4,500-yard season and a Pro Bowl trip in Denver before landing in Chicago, there were plenty of bumps in the road along the way in a up and down season.

Hester led all receivers with 757 yards, and Knox was a pleasant surprise after scoring five times and totaling 527 yards. Bennett, who played with Cutler in Vanderbilt, recorded 717 yards and two touchdowns. Journeyman Devin Aromashodu came on at the end of the season to catch four touchdowns in six games.

Olsen led the team in total touchdowns with eight. However, the year was filled with miscommunication issues, learning curves, and 26 interceptions along the way.

The patchwork receiving corps performed well at time, but far from the consistency needed to compete for a playoff spot.

With no true number one target in the Bears' price range available the team needs to develop Knox, Bennett, Aromashodu and Joaquin Iglesias. No more redshirt seasons for first-year players.

It is difficult enough to win in the NFL with working components. It is even more of task to be competitive when early round draft picks are unable to step on the field due to inability to grasp the offense or master route running.

Chicago brought in Cutler with the hopes that he would solve the quarterback riddle that has stumped the franchise for nearly five decades. It was believed a quality quarterback covers up for less talented skill position players.

It turns outs that an offense needs both a steady signal-caller and reliable receivers. Smith can't afford to place himself behind the eight ball again by failing to develop young receivers to help their franchise quarterback.

That is how teams like the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints have won over the years. The Deion Branches, Marques Colstons, Santonio Holmes, Austin Collies and Pierre Garcons of the world did not come into the NFL with great pedigrees. They were groomed by keen coaching staffs to eventually be placed in positions to succeed.

Wholesale changes were promised by Bears brass after a disappointing 7-9 season.

It should start at the wide receiver position.

SB Nation - Indianapolis Colts

John B — 2010-02-17 14:00:29 GMT

More photos » Nick Wass - AP

Browse more photos »

It was an up and down year for Lito Sheppard. The start was very slow. He missed 5 of the first 8 games of the season due to injury. It was that kind of fragility that kept the Eagles from making a large investment in the former Pro Bowl corner. He came back and quietly played a strong second half of the season. Things ended poorly, though. Sheppard lost his starting spot for the AFC Championship Game and was burned deep by Pierre Garcon.

It's become a popular refrain among Jets fans that the team needs to upgrade the cornerback spot opposite Darrelle Revis. I'm inclined to disagree. This team is probably not going to find another corner as good as Darrelle Revis. Most teams aren't blessed to have one shutdown corner. Sheppard was a starting corner on the top pass defense in the league, one that lacked an elite pass rusher. Rex put a lot on the secondary this year. The Jets couldn't get to the passer rushing 4. Lito was very good in coverage during the second half of the year. What this team needs is a pass rusher so it doesn't have to rely so much on the blitz and can take some pressure off the corners.

Sheppard has faults. I don't feel particularly comfortable with him playing against somebody with blazing speed, but he's still an excellent number 2. I've seldom seen one player take such a hit for his team's performance against the greatest quarterback of a generation as fans have soured on Lito since that Colts game. Don't forget the way he shut down Lee Evans and Laveranues Coles in critical games late in the year.

Bringing him back at his current contract with a $10 million roster bonus would be crazy, but I think the Jets should try to either restructure or cut him and bring him back with a new contract. I'm getting vibes Sheppard is a likely goner. The benching for the AFC Championship may be a sign. I'd still like to see him back in 2010.

I vote stay with an altered contract.

How do you vote?

Poll

What should the Jets do with Lito Sheppard?

Fantasy Football Librarian

noreply@blogger.com (Fantasy Football Librarian) — 2010-02-17 02:54:00 GMT

If you're a regular reader and haven't caught on to the schedule switch going on here on FFLibrarian, just a quick heads up that I'll mostly be posting at night now for awhile as I get adjusted to my new job schedule. Also my posts might slow down a bit in the offseason, but never fear my fantasy football fiends, there's always something to write about!

So right now I'm taking a break from the Olympics (and staring at Dick Button's absolutely immense shoes) to get some links up for you...nah, who am I kidding, there's no such thing as a break from the Olympics, not when you're playing fantasy Olympics...I even watched curling at the gym today, that's how into the Olympics I am.

Let's jump right into tonight's link wrap-up:

I remember reading Rotoworld's thoughts on small schools in past years - always appreciated since there are gems that come out of smaller programs and we'd all be a little better off knowing their names: Small School Prospects.
Other thoughts about this year's draft class come from CBSSports.com's Combine preview: What to watch for at Indy show.
If your mind is on the draft then you'll want to swing by FFToolbox - they do a great job of providing mock drafts basically constantly from now until the big weekend, like this one from Ben Standig, one of my favorite FFToolbox writers.
I also highly recommend Sports Buff's look at IDP updates if you're playing in a league with individual defenders and you're trying to sniff out some early 2010 defender dudes.
If you're looking for some other 2010 insider scoops, head on over to FanHouse's The Next Miles Austin - head on over to see who they have pegged for a big breakout season in 2010.
More breakout dudes, this time of the QB variety, from Rotoworld's Dark Horse QBs?
Or see why Hatty Waiver Wire Guru has Pierre Garcon in his top 15 WRs next season.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL - Google News

2010-02-16 03:30:52 GMT

College football recruiting fair searching for uncommitted players
Sun-Sentinel
Coaches from Mount Union College, a Division III school in Alliance, Ohio, will be in town this week searching for another Pierre Garcon. ...

Bolts From The Blue

John (obviousman) — 2010-02-15 21:00:20 GMT

More photos » John Russell - AP

about 1 month ago: Miami Dolphins wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. (19) grabs the face mask of Tennessee Titans' Lavelle Hawkins (87) as Ginn returns a kickoff in the third quarter of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Russell)

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Happy Monday everybody. I hope you all enjoyed your first non-football weekend in about 5 months and are ready to get a jump on the offseason. I have a theory that I'd like to share with you, which will undoubtedly be proven wrong by somebody in the comments, that might make the next six months a lot more fun for all of us.

You know how the Chargers (A.J. Smith, really) are typically boring in the offseason? They don't sign many free-agents and stay away from the big names. They don't go after glamor picks in the draft. They typically spend their offseason renegotiating contracts and signing certain players to extensions. What a boring time to be a Bolts fan. My theory is that the 2010 offseason may be one of the most entertaining ones in recent history because of the ramifications of there not being a new CBA agreement in place between the players and owners.

Follow me here. Owners are going to be completely unwilling to give long-term contracts to any free agent that is not "elite" this offseason. Why? Because they have no idea what the salary cap situation is going to be in 2012 and beyond. Whereas battles between teams for free agents in the past mostly revolved around "Who was willing to pay the most money and risk getting the least value?", it has now added the question of "Who is willing to pay the most money and possibly screw their entire team up in two years?" In addition to not knowing what the salary cap will be, or if there will even be one, teams have no idea what the penalties for going over the salary cap will be in the future as well. That'll keep guys like Daniel Snyder from saying "Screw it" and signing free agents to big contracts.

So why does this make for a more entertaining offseason for the Chargers? Because while A.J. Smith has shown to be shy about signing free agents, he is one of the best and most frequent traders amongst NFL GMs. Almost nobody values the draft and relatively unknown players more than Smith, and in trades he can get rid of a headache or a soon-to-be-rich player and get picks and/or unknown players with potential in return. That not only makes his cap situation easier (younger players get less money, typically), but it gives him a chance to do what he loves to do: scout for talent.

Here's a list of the Chargers Unrestricted Free Agents, Restricted Free Agents and Exclusive Rights Free Agents for this offseason.

UFA	RFA	ERFA
Alfonso Boone	Jeromey Clary	Antwan Applewhite
Brandon Manumaleuna	Tim Dobbins	Mike Tolbert
Dennis Norman	Malcom Floyd
Kassim Osgood	Antonio Garay
Jon Runyan	Eric Ghiaciuc
Ian Scott	Marques Harris
Kris Wilson	Vincent Jackson
	Marcus McNeill
	Shawne Merriman
	Darren Sproles
	Dontarrious Thomas
	Charlie Whitehurst

Let's break down a couple of possible scenarios by position.

OLB: Two words: Joey Porter. In the past I thought it'd be silly to trade to get him, because you'd probably be giving up equal value to get him and not really gaining anything. Now that he's been released though, and is pining to play for a team on or near the west coast, it makes total sense.

Joey, even at 32, is every bit as good as Shawne Merriman is right now. He may only have a year or two left, but it's not like the Chargers are even thinking about signing Merriman to a long-term deal. What the Chargers could do is slap a 1st round tender or even a 1st & 3rd on Merriman and then starting fielding calls. Let it be known that you'd accept a 2nd & and a 5th from the right team (outside the division, high picks, etc.). I'd be willing to bet that somebody like San Francisco or Cleveland would be willing to pay that. Now what you've done is replaced Shawne Merriman (who may or may not be a headache in the upcoming season due to his contract situation) with Joey Porter and two valuable draft picks. You've also probably saved yourself a little money and possibly a headache. A OLB group of Porter, Shaun Phillips, Larry English, Jyles Tucker, Antwan Applewhite and/or Marques Harris is better than the one they fielded in 2009.

WR: The rumors about the Dolphins' love for Vincent Jackson are already swirling. Hey, I love what VJ does for the offense as much as the next guy, but A.J. Smith can get back more than what Jackson is probably worth....you have to make that move. Here's a few reasons why it would make sense to start talking trade with Miami:

-Depth. I know a lot of people don't want to hear it, but Buster Davis is talented. Every time he steps on the field, he runs good routes and makes tough catches. His issue up until this post has been about health, not about talent. It's the same issue that Malcom Floyd had coming into the 2009 season.

Buster (24) is two years younger than Vincent Jackson (26), but will have a hard time getting time on the field if VJ, Floyd and Legedu Naanee are all in front of him next year. The team knows he has talent, and they know they're paying him good money....they would love to see results. My theory is that the team essentially gave Buster a year off to give him confidence and to get fully healthy....during that Redskins game he certainly showed off both.

I'm not saying Buster should take over the #1 WR spot. Far from it. I just think a WR group of Floyd, Naanee and Davis could be every bit as good as Jackson, Floyd and Naanee were in 2009. Also, recent history has shown that it's the QBs that make the passing game and not necessarily the WRs, which is why players like Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon have become well-known by NFL fans.

-Value. You could argue that Vincent Jackson's value will never be higher than it is right now. There's no guarantee that Antonio Gates (29) and Malcom Floyd (28) will be as good next year as they were this year. If the Chargers get a successful running game working in 2010, that's less balls coming VJ's way and possibly less TDs as well. Jackson just went through a season where him and the QB were the centerpiece of the offense, and that may not happen again. Also, there's another big reason that VJ's value may be dropping soon....

-Suspension/Trouble. Oh boy. I'm not going to really dive into this, but we all know that A.J. Smith keeps a folder on each player that's filled with issues that they've had off-the-field. Vincent Jackson's second DUI case is coming up this offseason, and by now we've all heard about him getting handcuffed for driving with an expired license on his way to the Jets playoff game. Also, we can't ignore the silly personal foul penalty that he got in the game after kicking the challenge flag back at Rex Ryan.

In a nutshell, Vincent Jackson has been a constant source of off-the-field trouble (and it gets worse during the playoffs, apparently) and is most likely facing a suspension at the beginning of the 2010 season. Do the Chargers, a team that is trying to break the habit of getting off to slow starts each season under Norv Turner, really need to be missing their offense's biggest weapon for the start of the season....just to have to worry about him getting in trouble come playoff time again?

So, the Dolphins are in love with Jackson, huh? I have an idea that A.J. Smith might like. Why not offer Miami Vincent Jackson in exchange for Ted Ginn Jr. and a 2nd round draft pick? Ginn would serve to replace Darren Sproles' kickoff returns, as well as providing WR depth. In the offense the Dolphins run, it's not as if he'd be getting any more snaps than he'd get here. The Chargers could then have Floyd/Naanee/Davis as the main WRs and let Buster return punts (which he's always had a knack for). They'd also have three 2nd round picks (probably the best value/dollar round) to play with. They could even use those picks to move up and get essentially any player they wanted.

I like both of these ideas. Replace Merriman with Porter, add two picks. Replace Jackson with Ginn, add another pick. Save a ton of money in the process if you want to try to lure in Chester Taylor. Isn't this essentially what the Patriots did during last years draft that had everybody raving about how smart they were? Smart teams buy low and sell high, and that's exactly what the Chargers would be doing. I think it's worth looking into.

Bleacher Report - Front Page

David Geller — 2010-02-15 17:13:20 GMT

Many believed that had Plaxico Burress not shot himself at a club in late November, the Giants would have been shoo-ins to make the Super Bowl, and favorites to hoist the Lombardi for the second straight year.

That may be so, but the reality is that despite the boom of passing yardage, so-called No. 1 receivers are unable to take over playoff games as they had the previous 16 weeks.

This trend started to become apparent in January of 2008. Randy Moss and Tom Brady spent the 2007 regular season shattering records enroot to being the most prolific single-season tandem the league has ever seen. Naturally, all eyes were on those two as the 16-0 Patriots attempted to solidify their legacy as the greatest team of all time.

But a weird thing happened when the calendar flipped to January. The over the shoulder bombs we had been so accustomed to seeing on a weekly basis were non-existent. Instead, Tom Brady methodically carved the Jaguars for 262 yards and three touchdowns, only missing on two of his 28 attempts.

Very rarely did Brady uncork the ball down the field. And Moss’s numbers paid the price; he only caught one ball for 14 yards.

With the Super Bowl on the line against the Chargers, Brady threw three interceptions. The weather conditions weren’t ideal, but the Chargers managed to neutralize Randy Moss as the Jaguars did, and held the passing game in check for the most part. It wasn’t enough to carry them to victory, but it proved the mortality of a supposedly unstoppable passing tandem.

Moss was able to catch a touchdown in the Super Bowl, but the Giants pass rush was relentless and did not allow Brady to even think about throwing it down the field. He finished with five catches for 62 yards.

As evidenced in the past two post-seasons, Moss’s performance was not a fluke but the beginning of a development.

In fact, the real fluke may be Larry Fitzgerald during the Cardinals’ magic carpet ride. Despite being the clear go-to-guy in an offense that lives and dies with the pass, Fitzgerald still managed to compile one of the great post-seasons a receivers has ever laid claim to.

Given the production elite receivers have had in the playoffs the last three years, Fitzgerald’s performance is even more remarkable. Former Cardinals offensive coordinator Todd Haley deserves credit as well. Opposing teams knew the passing game revolved around Fitzgerald, and he was still occasionally isolated with a lesser cornerback.

Before the 2010 playoffs kicked off Peter King wrote a column for Sports Illustrated projecting great performances from freshly anointed No. 1 receivers.

Mentioned in the article were Miles Austin, DeSean Jackson, Sidney Rice, Robert Meachem, and Vincent Jackson. Of that group, only one receiver finished in the top five for cumulative receiving yards in the post-season. Only one other “elite receiver” finished in the top 10, and that was Reggie Wayne.

This is not meant to discredit King but rather emphasize the defense's focus on not being beat by the offense's best player coupled with the growing need for playoff teams to have reliable secondary options. The Colts made it to the Super Bowl because of Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie’s ability to play like veterans in situations they have never come close to experiencing.

So why are No. 1 receivers nowhere to be found in the playoffs? One would say that weather conditions would play a role, but that was not the case this year. Only three playoff games were played outdoors this post-season, two of which in San Diego and Miami.

Another popular explanation is that defense’s clamp down in the playoffs. This would also be false; only one defense finished the post-season without allowing 30 or more in a game: the Baltimore Ravens.

The reality is that there is no true reason, but rather a combination of them. Teams may be hesitant to throw the ball around the field with their season on the line. With that being the case, they neutralize their own downfield threats.

The Patriots aren’t going to run Randy Moss on quick slants and curls every down even if they want to have a conservative game plan. The game plan will be designed for him to run by cornerbacks as he usually does and draw the safety. Brady may be inclined to throw him a jump ball between two defenders in a game against the Bills, but not with everything at stake. So instead of a huge play, he settles for his underneath options.

After a long season big plays make all the difference. They force other teams to press on both sides of the ball and can either electrify the crowd or take them out of it. In the playoffs, the top priority is to prevent that from happening. And how do you take away the big play? Make their playmaker a non-factor.

The NFL is always evolving. This trend is emerging more quietly than others, but it’s time for teams to adapt. A flashy number one receiver can get a team to the sweepstakes, but it won’t take them to where they want to go. For that, they have to have reliable targets all around the field.

Look at the Saints receiving corps. Do they have a bona-fide No. 1 receiver? No, but they have the one thing that every single team covets the most: the Lombardi.

Bleacher Report - Front Page

Ian O'Brien — 2010-02-15 02:33:38 GMT

1. St. Louis Rams—Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska

Suh had a spectacular Big 12 Championship and Holiday Bowl performance. In the Big 12 championship, he notched four-and-a-half sacks on Colt McCoy, who was saved by Hunter Lawrence. He also got invited to New York as a Heisman finalist and finished fourth in the voting.

In the Holiday Bowl, Arizona went nowhere and lost 33-0. Suh finished the season with 12 sacks, and he can play in either a 4-3 or a 3-4 scheme, which will benefit him in the NFL. Many draft experts have compared him to Kevin Williams.

Some fans would argue that the Rams would be making the same mistake here as they did in 2007 and 2008 with Adam Carriker and Chris Long, and they need a franchise QB. I agree with this consensus, and if it were up to me, I would draft Sam Bradford, but I can't see the Rams resisting Suh.

Other Possible Picks: Jimmy Clausen, QB; Sam Bradford, QB

2. Detroit Lions—Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma

The Lions should take Russell Okung, but their management is incompetent and failed to take a tackle last year with the No. 20 pick.

The Lions' offensive line coach George Yarno is somehow happy with Jeff Backus' performance in 2009, and head coach Jim Schwartz believes that he should have been to the Pro Bowl despite allowing eight sacks.

QB Matt Stafford suffered injuries in his rookie year with no protection. Michael Oher would have been an excellent pick, but the Lions foolishly passed on him.

They need help on defense, too. McCoy is possibly the best DT in the draft. DT Sammie Lee Hill had a solid rookie year, and McCoy and him together would be a significant force. The Lions' linebackers performed well too. Julian Peterson and Larry Foote were both great, and DeAndre Levy showed promising talent. S Louis Delmas had an excellent rookie campaign with four interceptions and would have been a Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate on a winning team.

The Lions could go either way with McCoy or Berry here. McCoy and Hill would be a powerful DT duo, and Berry and Delmas would be a powerful S duo, but maybe the Lions will wake up and smell the coffee and take a tackle. If Okung is taken, Backus could move to right tackle, and Cherilus could move to right guard.

Other Possible Picks: Eric Berry, S; Russell Okung, T

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers—Eric Berry, S, Tennessee

Berry may be the most talented player in the 2010 NFL Draft. He is often compared to Ed Reed.

The Buccaneers would rather have Suh or McCoy fall to them, but there's a possibility they will both be gone. If they are, the Buccaneers have a pretty obvious pick here since Berry is too much of a value to pass on, and S Sabby Piscitelli wasn't very good and is a free agent.

Defensive end can't be ruled out though since the Buccaneers need a lot of help at defensive line.

Other Possible Picks: Russell Okung, T; Derrick Morgan, DE; Jason Pierre-Paul, DE

4. Washington Redskins—Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma

I have decided to mock Bradford to the Redskins over Clausen because I heard Mike Shanahan express interest in Bradford on profootballtalk.com, and Shanahan is looking to draft a QB even if Jason Campbell re-signs.

There are concerns surrounding Bradford regarding his season-ending injury in 2009 and his ability to play under center since he played out of the shotgun in Oklahoma. However, Drew Brees played in a spread offense at Purdue, and now he's the best QB in the NFL. Bradford has a great work ethic and has amazing upside that's too good to pass on.

Other Possible Picks: Russell Okung, T; Jimmy Clausen, QB

5. Kansas City Chiefs—Russell Okung, T, Oklahoma State

The Chiefs may have the worst offensive line in the NFL, and Matt Cassel went through a nightmare of a 2009 season. Branden Albert would be better served with moving to left guard.

Okung was dominant at Oklahoma State, and he started all four years and was a two-time First-Team All-American. He has great leadership skills and draws comparisons to Joe Thomas.

Other Possible Picks: Anthony Davis, T; Trent Williams, T; Bruce Campbell, T

6. Seattle Seahawks—Trent Williams, T, Oklahoma

Offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates said that he was pleased with QB Matt Hasselbeck and RBs Justin Forsett and Julius Jones and has plans with them for his new offensive scheme, so we can pretty much rule out Seattle using a first-round pick on a quarterback or a running back.

Tackle is a huge need for the Seahawks since Walter Jones wisely retired, and Sean Locklear isn't suited to protect the blind side. Since Okung is taken, the Seahawks aren't getting the best, but there's plenty of other tackles.

Williams anchored Oklahoma's offensive line after Phil Loadholt and Duke Robinson went pro and was a 2009 Third-Team All-American.

Other Possible Picks: Bruce Campbell, T; Jimmy Clausen, QB; Anthony Davis, T

7. Cleveland Browns—Joe Haden, CB, Florida

The Browns' pass defense finished 29th in the NFL, allowing 247.9 yards per game. Their cornerbacks are unreliable, and Haden is easily the best cornerback prospect. He led Florida's dominant defense, and if this scenario happens, this pick is easy.

Browns fans are fed up with Brady Quinn, but it appears as though Mike Holmgren and Eric Mangini are sticking with him and Derek Anderson for now.

Other Possible Picks: Derrick Morgan, DE; Rolando McClain, LB

8. Oakland Raiders—Bruce Campbell, T, Maryland

Al Davis loves players that run fast 40 times. He has proved that by drafting Darren McFadden and Darrius Heyward-Bey.

The Raiders have one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL, and Robert Gallery, who was supposed to be a Pro Bowl tackle, is a mediocre guard.

Campbell can run a 4.9, so Davis will be excited by him.

Other Possible Picks: Anthony Davis, T; Bryan Bulaga, T; Jimmy Clausen, QB; Derrick Morgan, DE; Rolando McClain, LB

9. Buffalo Bills—Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame

Trent Edwards had a tough year in 2009, and Ryan Fitzpatrick is nothing more than a backup. The offensive line is to blame mostly, and Edwards is a solid QB, but since Clausen falls here, there's no way the Bills pass on him.

Other Possible Picks: Derrick Morgan, DE; Anthony Davis, T; Bryan Bulaga, T; Jason Pierre-Paul, DE

10. Jacksonville Jaguars—Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech

The Jaguars have terrible rush defense, and Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves are both busts.

Morgan is an excellent 4-3 defensive end, and he led Georgia Tech with 12 sacks.

Tim Tebow is definitely out of the picture here since he struggled at the Senior Bowl, so the only way the Jaguars take him in the first round is if they trade down.

Other Possible Picks: Rolando McClain, LB; Jason Pierre-Paul, DE; Dez Bryant, WR

11. Denver Broncos(from Chicago)—Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State

Brandon Marshall has as good as waved goodbye to Denver, and assuming he leaves, the Broncos will want to replace him with a No. 1 receiver, and Bryant fits that mold.

Other Possible Picks: Rolando McClain, LB; C.J. Spiller, RB; Dan Williams, DT

12. Miami Dolphins—Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama

The Dolphins have a hole at inside linebacker since Akin Ayodele isn't the answer, and McClain played in a 3-4 defense at Alabama, just like the Dolphins do.

Other Possible Picks: Dan Williams, DT; C.J. Spiller, RB

13. San Francisco 49ers—Anthony Davis, T, Rutgers

The 49ers had a terrible offensive line, and Adam Snyder allowed 9.5 sacks, and Tony Pashos had a career-ending injury. The depth is extremely thin, so Davis would be a great pick to take the pressure off of Joe Staley.

Other Possible Picks: Bryan Bulaga, T; C.J. Spiller, RB

14. Seattle Seahawks(from Denver)—Taylor Mays, S, USC

With Pete Carroll and Jeremy Bates in Seattle now, the Seahawks won't blow off this opportunity. Mays is a former Trojan, so Carroll knows what Mays is capable of, and the Seahawks need a safety badly, as evidenced by their 30th-ranked pass defense. Mays struggled in the Senior Bowl, but that won't rattle Carroll since he has a lot of upside.

Other Possible Picks: C.J. Spiller, RB; Earl Thomas, S; Jason Pierre-Paul, DE

15. New York Giants—C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson

The Giants need depth at running back since Ahmad Bradshaw is a free agent, and Brandon Jacobs is too fragile to handle the carries alone.

Spiller draws comparisons to Chris Johnson since he can run a 4.2 and has a similar type of explosiveness.

Other Possible Picks: Dan Williams, DT; Earl Thomas, S; Brian Price, DT; Jason Pierre-Paul, DE

16. Tennessee Titans—Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida

The Titans have a lot of free agents at defensive end, including Kyle Vanden Bosch, who only had 3.5 sacks in a contract year.

Pierre-Paul is a dark horse who plays in a 4-3 scheme, and the Titans won't be able to resist anyone with as much upside as Pierre-Paul.

Other Possible Picks: Dan Williams, DT; Brian Price, DT; Brandon Spikes, LB; Everson Griffen, DE; Carlos Dunlap. DE

17. San Francisco 49ers(from Carolina)—Earl Thomas, S, Texas

Thomas was a big part of Texas' defense. He had eight interceptions for 149 yards, and two of them were returned for touchdowns.

The 49ers have awful pass defense, and Mark Roman was subpar at safety.

Other Possible Picks: Brandon Graham, DE/LB, Jerry Hughes, DE/LB; Kyle Wilson, CB

18. Pittsburgh Steelers—Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee

Williams had an excellent Senior Bowl, and he can play in a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme. The Steelers need a NT to replace Casey Hampton.

Other Possible Picks: Bryan Bulaga, T

19. Atlanta Falcons—Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Missouri

Mike Peterson is nothing more than a veteran rental, and he will retire soon, so the Falcons will need a linebacker to replace him.

Weatherspoon had an excellent Senior Bowl, and he showed a lot of leadership and personality. A guy like him could turn around the Falcons' struggling defense.

Other Possible Picks: Donovan Warren, CB; Kyle Wilson, CB; Carlos Dunlap, DE

20. Houston Texans—Brian Price, DT, UCLA

The Texans have solid rush defense, but Mario Williams and Antonio Smith carry it with no reliable interior presence. Amobi Okoye is a bust and needs to be replaced.

Price led UCLA's defense, and he had 23.5 TFL and seven sacks. He played in a 4-3 defense like the Texans have.

Other Possible Picks: Golden Tate, WR; Toby Gerhart, RB

21. Cincinnati Bengals—Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame

The Bengals need a receiver badly, and they had bad luck with Chris Henry's death. Chad Ochocinco was shut down, and Carson Palmer had nowhere else to go against the Jets.

Tate was a First-Team All-American and played in a pro-style offense at Notre Dame. According to The Sporting News , the Bengals have scouted Tate heavily and expressed interest in him.

Other Possible Picks: Jermaine Gresham, TE; Damian Williams, WR

22. New England Patriots—Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma

Ben Watson only had 404 receiving yards on the season and one catch for three yards in the Patriots' playoff loss to the Ravens. What better way to end a contract year?

Gresham is an injury risk, but he was the most dominant tight end in college football and has the tools to succeed in the NFL. If the Patriots can handle Tom Brady getting injured, they can handle anything.

Other Possible Picks: Brandon Graham, DE/LB; Jerry Hughes, DE/LB; Brandon Spikes, LB

23. Green Bay Packers—Bryan Bulaga, T, Iowa

The offensive line struggled in the first half of the season. It improved later on, but Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher are both free agents in their 30s.

Bulaga was the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year and named to the First Team All-Big Ten. This pick would be a steal for the Packers since Bulaga has top-10 talent.

Other Possible Picks: Brandon Graham, DE/LB, Charles Brown, T; Jerry Hughes, DE/LB; Kyle Wilson, CB

24. Philadelphia Eagles—Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida

Victor Abiamiri has been struggling, and Andy Reid loves drafting O-linemen and D-linemen.

Dunlap has character issues with a DUI arrest and alleged laziness. He has a lot of upside though, which alone will put Dunlap in the first round.

Other Possible Picks: Mike Iupati, G

25. Baltimore Ravens—Damian Williams, WR, USC

The Ravens need a receiver badly since Derrick Mason will likely retire and Mark Clayton drops passes for a living. Joe Flacco struggled this year, and the receiving unit is mostly to blame.

Other Possible Picks: Kyle Wilson, CB; Brandon LaFell, WR

26. Arizona Cardinals—Brandon Graham, DE/LB, Michigan

Graham was the Senior Bowl MVP, and his draft stock has skyrocketed since. He is often compared to his Michigan predecessor LaMarr Woodley.

Bertrand Berry retired, and 34-year-old Chike Okeafor is a free agent, so the Cardinals need a rush linebacker badly.

Other Possible Picks: Jerry Hughes, DE/LB, Charles Brown, T; Tim Tebow, QB

27. Dallas Cowboys—Mike Iupati, G, Idaho

Iupati had an excellent Senior Bowl, and the Cowboys have an aging offensive line. Iupati showed that he can play both guard and tackle, and the Cowboys announced they are keeping their No. 27 pick, so this more than likely means Iupati will be a Cowboy.

Other Possible Picks: Terrence Cody, DT

28. San Diego Chargers—Terrence Cody, DT, Alabama

Cody had an embarrassing Senior Bowl weigh-in at 370 pounds, and this may cause him to drop to Round 2, but the Chargers need a nose tackle to replace the aging Jamal Williams.

Other Possible Picks: Toby Gerhart, RB; Jahvid Best, RB; Brandon LaFell, WR

29. New York Jets—Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State

Lito Sheppard is terrible, and he constantly allows receiving yards and gets penalized for pass interference. Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon did great against him in the AFC Championship. Darrelle Revis needs someone across from him to take the pressure off him.

Wilson had a great Senior Bowl and proved to be a vocal leader and an explosive cornerback and return specialist during the season.

Other Possible Picks: Brandon LaFell, WR; Patrick Robinson, CB; Brandon Ghee, CB

30. Minnesota Vikings—Donovan Warren, CB, Michigan

Warren had a solid junior year at Michigan with four interceptions, and the Vikings need a cornerback since Cedric Griffin tore his ACL and will be out for the 2010 season.

Other Possible Picks: Brandon Ghee, CB; Tim Tebow, QB; Jared Odrick, DT

31. Indianapolis Colts—Brandon Spikes, LB, Florida

Gary Brackett is a free agent, and if he is re-signed, the Colts could still use depth at linebacker.

Spikes had 283 career tackles and six career interceptions at Florida, and he was another major part of their defense. He has character concerns surrounding him because of the Georgia eye-gouging incident though.

Other Possible Picks: Lamarr Houston, DT; Navorro Bowman, LB; Charles Brown, T

32. New Orleans Saints—Navorro Bowman, LB, Penn State

The Saints are the Super Bowl champions, but they still need to focus on this offseason if they wish to repeat. They need an outside linebacker.

Bowman is a strong linebacker who has the skills to succeed in the NFL, but maybe not the character since he was busted for disorderly conduct and smoking marijuana. These concerns may drop him to Round 3. Sean Payton shouldn't be afraid though since he is a great disciplinarian and a hard coach. Bowman has a lot of upside, so don't be surprised if the Saints draft Bowman.

Colts Chatter

brooksbusch — 2010-02-15 02:55:35 GMT

This season Anthony Gonzalez was expected to step-up and fill the void left by Marvin Harrison. Instead Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon were the two receivers that ultimately provided the needed boost in production, and both solidified spots on this deep and reliable receiving core. Now coach Jim Caldwell will be faced with the difficult [...]

Stampede Blue

mgrex03 — 2010-02-13 21:32:41 GMT

I apologize for taking so long to get the Results for the Playoff FFL Challenge up, but it took me a couple days to actually look at the box score to get the results. Pair that with work being busier than expected, and it takes me until today to announce the winners.

For just the Super Bowl, our winner was nicjohns, who had 103 points. Congratulations! As far as our overall winner, we had a runaway contest. Congratulations to coltsfan13256, who won by 24 points over Yurifla. I hope everyone had fun doing this, even though the results on the field didn't turn out for all of us here.

Here's what the best team would have been:

Player	Team	WC	DIV	CC	SB	Total	Best
Drew Brees	NO	0	27	25	23	75	1
Peyton Manning	IND	0	19	33	17	69	1
Kurt Warner	ARI	45	6	0	0	51	1
Pierre Thomas	NO	0	10	23	20	53	1
Ray Rice	BAL	27	19	0	0	46	1
Shonn Greene	NYJ	19	19	4	0	42	1
Adrian Peterson	MIN	0	8	33	0	41	1
Pierre Garcon	IND	0	8	32	17	57	1
Sidney Rice	MIN	0	38	14	0	52	1
Austin Collie	IND	0	15	25	12	52	1
Early Doucet	ARI	25	14	0	0	39	1
Larry Fitzgerald	ARI	24	13	0	0	37	1
Dustin Keller	NYJ	18	10	18	0	46	1
Jason Witten	DAL	6	19	0	0	25	1
Jay Feely	NYJ	6	6	6	0	18	1
Shawn Suisham	DAL	11	3	0	0	14	1
Vikings	MIN	0	19	3	0	22	1
Cardinals	ARI	17	0	0	0	17	1
Best		198	253	216	89	756	18

In the standings I included a column called "Best", where it says how many players from the best team you chose. It's not surprising our winner had half of the best team (and I had 8, boo ya!).

After the jump you'll see the complete standings. You can see your team here (in alphabetical order). Please let me know if you see an error, and I'll make sure it gets fixed.

Standings (click headers to sort):

Name	Wild Card	Divisional	Championship	Super Bowl	Total	Best
coltsfan13256	134	248	143	88	613	9
Yurifla	181	189	144	75	589	6
sandsaver01 3	120	173	193	101	587	7
Big Daddy	183	168	149	84	584	6
jkwright6504	100	253	152	72	577	7
akuma32	167	205	129	76	577	7
mgrex03 3	156	196	135	89	576	8
Pngwin	150	197	145	78	570	7
coltmanblue22	147	174	157	83	561	6
trOOly 3	161	190	130	79	560	5
shoein	85	219	165	91	560	5
sroha	176	180	138	64	558	5
diagenesis	132	184	143	99	558	6
nicjohns	125	184	145	103	557	5
jamievavala15@yahoo.com	145	190	143	75	553	6
Daveinindy	110	209	143	91	553	7
Popular	156	193	138	64	551	6
Shake2	144	175	139	93	551	5
NYKings 3	173	150	130	98	551	6
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costragas 01	117	195	152	84	548	8
01boxster	128	170	146	99	543	6
Anthony's Place	68	224	164	86	542	7
Merr	131	218	111	80	540	6
Touchdownteufel_2	105	228	142	64	539	5
piojocuau	224	154	119	41	538	5
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MarkFive05	108	189	136	95	528	5
Denn	181	183	107	56	527	4
ColtsFanFromHawaii 2	187	155	111	74	527	6
thedarktower19	138	215	117	56	526	5
Denny Crane	100	217	127	81	525	6
Zach Attack	137	185	126	73	521	5
ColtsFanFromHawaii 1	181	175	109	55	520	5
slash196	135	150	147	83	515	5
Airbarto1	148	178	124	64	514	5
bluegirl 1	191	173	88	61	513	6
Bacalao 3	131	175	135	72	513	6
kiefsmom	123	199	130	60	512	7
twostrick	169	149	118	76	512	6
True Blue Colts 3	125	193	116	78	512	5
thejoshbaker 1	165	173	103	70	511	5
colts9318rock	108	232	112	56	508	5
ColtsUK	119	196	107	86	508	5
pjdonald	79	180	150	93	502	4
costragas 03	101	180	125	96	502	2
Gmachine 2	136	179	106	80	501	6
Spazmo	153	177	90	81	501	3
Spazmo	153	177	90	81	501	3
ANGELSFAITH 1	147	166	123	64	500	6
Divinov	167	156	111	65	499	6
Colts Homer	210	156	58	75	499	4
medicblue	84	187	151	75	497	5
PB	88	180	134	95	497	5
avalveman	136	189	117	54	496	6
PeytonUL18	160	189	104	41	494	7
JustinPugh	129	204	117	41	491	4
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True Blue Colts 1	93	162	113	84	452	5
Yachts On The Reg	124	184	100	43	451	3
Hoosier Guardians	108	156	123	64	451	3
ace100golf	48	190	130	83	451	3
Shake1	66	156	142	84	448	4
kpetty82	126	131	124	64	445	5
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trOOly 2	142	140	95	66	443	4
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bluegirl 3	144	148	91	59	442	4
Ya_Ne	135	154	81	72	442	4
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Darth Ventura 2	176	168	70	24	438	3
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ogdenduner01	120	152	100	65	437	4
Passdinho	144	155	94	41	434	5
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Stampede Blue

BigBlueShoe — 2010-02-12 14:32:58 GMT

More photos » Darron Cummings - AP

2 months ago: Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning throws against the Tennessee Titans in the first quarter of an NFL football game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Browse more photos »

We’ve had several days to digest and mourn the Super Bowl. Just like the Seahawks, Bears, Patriots, and Cardinals the last few years, we now know what it feels like to lose a Super Bowl. However, unlike the many other teams in this league, we also know what Saints fans are experiencing right now. And when it is all said and done, if someone handed me a list of teams and told me something like "We’ll everyone you’ve ever loved unless you make the Colts lose a Super Bowl to one of these teams," the team I’d pick would be the Saints.

For decades, the Saints were utter garbage. Now, they are world champions. The power of NFL parity and THE reason the NFL is so great can be summed up by the last five Super Bowls, which featured the Seahawks, Colts, Cardinals, and Saints. These teams were the doormats of the NFL for many, many years prior to these recent Super Bowls.

For us Colts fans, after a week of shoveling through all the mindless crap thrown at every Super Bowl loser, it is time to take stock of the 2009 season. While our guys weren’t able to take home their second Super Bowl in four years, the season was a tremendous success, especially when you consider all that happened this year and how the team dealt with it.

It’s pretty chic these days for people to attack Jim Caldwell and second guess his decisions in the Super Bowl, but the reality is the people bashing him simply don’t know what they are talking about. Caldwell had the Colts focused and prepared for the Super Bowl. Hell, he had them focused and prepared all season. If Hank Baskett fields that onside kick; if Dwight Freeney’s ankle isn’t injured; if the Colts defense gets the Saints off the field on third down, Caldwell would have completed one of the greatest rookie head coaching jobs in NFL history. So please, Caldwell bashers need to pull their heads out of their collective anal cavities. The guy is a good coach. Ask the Seahawks how their head coaching situation went after their future Hall of Fame coach retired. Also, consider that two years ago Sean Payton was considered an utter bum for not getting the Saints back to the playoffs with virtually the same team from 2006.

One year you’re garbage; the next, you’re gold.

For me, the 2009 team really showed me the Colts could find ways to win football games even with the odds stacked against them. They set a record for fourth quarter comebacks (7). They set an NFL record, winning 22 straight regular season games. They played brilliantly on offense despite a less than standard running game. Their defense was stellar throughout most of the playoffs despite not having Bob Sanders.

Think about that: No Bob Sanders (arguably one of the best safeties in football), and the Colts made the Super Bowl. Ask Steelers how their favorite team did minus their All-Star safety, Troy Polamalu.

Indeed, with players like Marvin Harrison gone, and with Anthony Gonzalez knocked out of the season in Week One, the Colts managed to win anyway while, at the same time, develop receivers like Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie. We saw Dallas Clark develop into the best tight end in football. Reggie Wayne, the perennial #2 receiver, developed into a #1 receiver. When was the last time that happened? Did John Taylor, Mark Duper, Alvin Harper, or J.J. Stokes ever become "great" receivers after their #1 receivers left or retired? How’s T.J. Houshmandzadeh doing minus Chad Ochocinco?

On defense, look at someone like Philip Wheeler. The guy went from starter in camp to benched to starter again because of an injury to becoming a pretty good SAM backer. Guys like Jerraud Powers (rookie) and Jacob Lacey (rookie) have helped set a solid foundation for the secondary in the future, while established vets like Kelvin Hayden and Antoine Bethea became leaders.

Re-signing Bethea is HIGH priority for the Colts this off-season.

In many ways, I disagree with 18to88 on their ideas for improving the team. Adam Vinatieri is the kicker for this club, like it or not. He can get the job done and has performed well in the clutch when healthy. If Vinny were OK last Sunday, he would have drilled that 51-yarder. Count on it. If he is healthy for 2010, and all signs I saw at the Super Bowl suggested he would be, the Colts are fine at kicker. Vinny is 37, which is still a fine age for a kicker. I trust a 37-year-old Adam Vinatieri kicking my FGs over some unproven 22-year-old rookie.

Pat McAfee was a tremendous find in last year’s draft, and Ray Rychleski has the special teams coverage units playing with more consistency than Russ Purnell ever did. Again, I just think 18to88 is wrong on the "coaching means nothing" in the special teams department. They covered well all season, and contained a very dangerous Saints return game in the Super Bowl. The area that very much needs improving is returns.

Then again, the Steelers had a horrid return game in 2008 and won a Super Bowl.

For me, the #1 priority for this team this off-season was the #1 priority last year: Offensive line. Bill Polian has whiffed recently with linemen like Tony Ugoh and Mike Pollak. Missing on those picks has set this area back. Charlie Johnson is a fine utility player, but he isn’t a long-term solution at tackle. The Colts must inject some youth and talent into this group.

When all is said and done, 2009 was a tremendous success. I mean, I could do the bullets listing all the positives that came form this season:

Developed young receivers
Set NFL records
Won AFC South when no one expected it
Won AFC
Peyton Manning got his 4th MVP
New defense developed into a force

The Colts managed to win in the playoffs despite having a bye week. They set numerous NFL records. They played the right way and were able to overcome distractions created by their own management. They showed heart, guts, and a willingness to do what it takes to win. It’s tough not to be proud of them. All of them.

Did the whole thing end on a happy note? No, but the symphony that was the 2009 season was, overall, very sweet. And unlike previous Super Bowl losers, this team is built to win for a while now. So, if people are thinking this team is done because they lost Super Bowl 44, they are in for a good, swift kick in the nuts. Go Colts!

NFL news

eedholm@pfwmedia.com (Eric Edholm) — 2010-02-12 08:05:10 GMT

It seems to me that Bill Polian's criticism of his team's play in the Super Bowl left out some key factors.

Polian essentially threw his offensive line and special teams under the bus for the loss, but I think he's ignoring some key factors.

No question the onsides kick was a big momentum switch, but the team regained the lead after that fact. In my mind there were other issues that cost them the game.

I know a lot of this is not timely, seeing as how the game is now a few days old, but in light of Polian's comments I wanted to point out what I thought were some egregious mistakes that can't be overlooked in the loss.

Pierre Garcon's drops — Lest we forget that in addition to the second-quarter drop that Garcon had that might have cost his team three or seven points, he also couldn't come up with a catchable pass on the first drive that might have turned three points into seven. That play came on 3rd-and-5 from the Saints' 20-yard line. It was very early in the game, but a touchdown would have been a big statement on the opening drive, more so than three points.

Mike Hart twice from inside 10-yard line — I understand the Colts' thinking, wanting to run out the clock. But if they truly believe Peyton Manning is the best QB in the world, why are they not giving him a chance to throw with almost two minutes remaining and two timeouts. The Saints had all three timeouts left, so running the ball on first down — a four-yard run by Hart — to give the Colts room to operate and force the Saints to burn one is great. In fact, it works towards the Colts' strategy of stopping time after a run play. Now let Manning go to work. Instead, they give it once to Addai for five yards and once more to Hart for no gain. Since when are you wanting Hart (at fullback, no less) to handle the ball? A real head-scratcher that cost the Colts three points when the Saints came down and scored right before the half, shifting the momentum back in their hands before ...

The onsides kick — Enough has been said about this. Everyone knows how big this was, Polian included. For your sake, we'll assume you know all about it and move on.

Colts' pass defense and DL play — Part of it was unavoidable, as Dwight Freeney and Jerraud Powers clearly weren't healthy. But the Colts had to know not to expect four full quarters from either guy, and yet they played a super-soft defensive scheme and had no answers for the Saints' passing attack. The corners played way off and had few chances to make plays on the ball. But I think that not enough has been said about the failures of the defensive line. The starting group of Freeney, Antonio Johnson, Daniel Muir and Robert Mathis combined to make only four tackles and the one sack, courtesy of Freeney's incredible effort in the red zone. The entire DL group combined for only eight of the team's 45 tackles, and though part of that was because the Saints threw so much, it's still inexcusable. It also combined for no other hits on Drew Brees, no real pressures in the second half and no batted passes. Mathis registered zeroes across the board. It was a major factor in the loss, hurting the play of the banged-up and shorthanded secondary.

The possession at the end of the third, start of the fourth quarter — I didn't like it from the start when Chad Simpson decided to take the ball out of the end zone from four yards deep in his end zone, only getting to the 11. He cost his team critical field position. Manning got into a groove, though, hitting Austin Collie twice and Reggie Wayne twice for his biggest impact on the game, including the 14-yard catch on 4th-and-2. But the short pass to Collie for a three-yard loss was a curious play call, and the third-down call struck me as even worse. Even though Collie had a chance to catch the ball on the post pattern towards the end zone, with the Saints probably playing the defense Manning wanted (Vilma in deep coverage), I would have had Manning look for something shorter in the middle of the field. A coach has to decide whether he's kicking a field goal before the third-down play, and Collie's route cleared out a lot of space underneath. Even if you don't get the 11 yards needed for the first down, you put yourself in much better field position to kick a field-goal attempt in Matt Stover's range or possibly go for it on fourth down again. Either way, it didn't happen and Stover was left to attempt a 50-50 kick at best.

Manning, Wayne on interception — I have written about this already, and I blame Wayne for running a sloppy, lazy route. Let's not take anything away from Tracy Porter here; he made a great read on the ball on one of the Colts' favorite plays, one they had run earlier in the game. But Wayne needs to cross Porter's face and at least have a chance to knock the ball down if it's not catchable. He didn't, and the interception — which Polian didn't think was as much of a game-changer as the onsides kick — ended up being the final nail in the coffin, even if there was a slim chance of tying the game up.

Red-zone possession on final drive — Manning gamely drove his Colts into scoring range, in large part because of a gorgeous toss over Malcolm Jenkins to Collie for 40 yards. I forgot how much time was left when I looked back this morning, but the Colts had a 1st-and-goal on the 3-yard line with 1:26 remaining. If they score on the next play or two, they have two timeouts and a minute left if they can recover the ensuing onsides kick. Hey, even though the Saints would know it was coming (and that they practiced against it all week long), you just never know how the ball is going to bounce. Instead, Garcon finished off his terrible game (even with his TD catch) with an offensive interference call in the endzone, pushing the ball back to the 13. And on third down, the Colts made the oddest call of them all: a draw to Addai. This one stunned me. Even if the Saints were playing pass 100 percent, there had to be a better option. A Manning throw not only stops the clock if it doesn't work, but in my mind it gives them a chance to score easier. Instead, the run play went for a loss, and Wayne dropped the fourth-down pass in the endzone. Game, set, match.

Maybe I am not putting enough of the blame on the Colts' O-line here, but maybe Polian is putting too much on that group. I don't know. But I do know these other factors appeared to be far more troublesome.

Check out Eric Edholm's "Around the NFL" blog, updated frequently.

PFW has launched its brand-new NFL Draft Newsletter series, with the third issue focusing on underclassmen and how they've panned out over the years to be published next week. Produced by PFW's player personnel department under the direction of Nolan Nawrocki, the series consists of four information-packed issues. For more info or to subscribe — click here for PDF e-pub or here for print format. You can also find details about other draft-related publications in the PFW store.

Bleacher Report - Front Page

Kendrick Marshall — 2010-02-12 03:56:22 GMT

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre cost his team a potential Super Bowl title.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning did not.

Before I go any further in this analysis, I am not a Favre hater or a Manning apologist. I respect both quarterbacks tremendously, and they deserve to be mentioned among the best ever to play the position.

But Favre's fourth quarter NFC Championship Game against the New Orleans Saints was a much more deadly mistake.

The Vikings were driving down the field for the game-winning score. With the offense on the fringe of field goal range with seconds left in regulation, Favre did what he seemed program to do: Try to make the big play even when there is no need for it. The play call by Vikings head coach Brad Childress was one meant to be safe, to reduce the risk of a turnover.

Favre rolled to the right after taking the snap. It appeared his options were to hit Bernard Berrian on a short pass along the sideline or hit tight end Visanthe Shiancoe across the middle. A third option presented itself in running for a few yards. If all else fails, Favre could have thrown it away.

However, the gunslinger selected "other" option and threw across his body over the middle with the intention of hitting Sidney Rice further down field. The pass was picked off by Saints defensive back Tracy Porter. Favre and the Vikings never got the ball back, and their season ended. For Favre, it was a horrible decision by a veteran quarterback with the game on the line.

Now to Manning.

He was presented with a similar situation as Favre, driving the Colts down the field late in the game for a game-tying touchdown. It was 3rd-and-5 in Saints territory. The Colts called their favorite play. Two receivers to the left (Reggie Wayne and Austin Collie) and tight end Dallas Clark lined up on the right side of the formation next to the right tackle. Wide of him was Pierre Garcon far to the right.

The Saints countered with their blitz package overloading the right side of the Colts formation with defenders. Manning sees this coming a mile away and believes Wayne will be open on the slant for the first down.

However, Porter, knowing the defense is sending pressure, and recognizing the play the Colts were going to run, jumps the route and intercepts the Manning pass for a touchdown.

There was much debate about who should take the blame for the interception. Was it Wayne for cutting the route short? Was it Manning for making a poor read?

In my estimation, it was a great play by Porter, who said after the game that film study assisted him in reading what the Colts were doing in that situation.

It also dispels the notion that Manning cracked under the pressure or choked in another big game. Porter simply made a wonderful play. He outsmarted one of the smartest athletes in the NFL. Porter should garner more praise than Manning or Wayne should be riddled with blame.

Favre was reckless with his team's fate in the balance. Manning was beaten by a defensive scheme. Manning and the Colts died with dignity. Favre and the Vikings died on a wing and a prayer.

Kissing Suzy Kolber

Christmas Ape — 2010-02-10 20:15:44 GMT

Before we name our Meast and Least of Super Bowl XLIV, allow us to bestow the first-ever Larry Fitzgerald ~~Memorial~~ Honorary Meast of the Playoffs on – who else? – Tracy Porter, who singlehandedly saved a grateful nation from a Favre Super Bowl appearance and a second Fetushead championship. It is silly for us to think we could pay tribute to Porter commensurate with his deeds, but we have tried with the video above. Felicitations, good sir. We are forever in your debt.

Your Meast of the Super Bowl is Saints head coach Sean “Riverboat Rumpher” Payton.

Onanism

Not all of Payton’s gutsy calls were necessarily smart ones. The 3rd and 4th down running plays in the red zone late in the second quarter were highly questionable, but it took serious stones to come back from that and attempt an onside kick to open the third quarter. In fact, his strategy seemed diametrically different from that of the Colts, who turtled on their final drive of the first half then relied on the same obvious calls they made all year when they had to make a play late. Their only daring move was also one of the more idiotic: trying a Matt Stover field goal beyond 50 yards. The Ravens let Stover go because he lost his range. The guy is still reliable inside 40, but he hasn’t made a kick of that distance since 2006. You might as well have called a designed rollout for the first with Peyton. Diptard Colts fans have tried to defend the Stover call by saying he was making kicks of over 50 in pregame, because that’s certainly no different than trying it during a game. Sean Payton hits on 20, Jim Caldwell stays on 11.

Finally, after they campaigned for it for an entire season, we’re pleased to inform Colts fans that Peyton Manning is the Least of the Super Bowl.

Naturally, Peyton Manning apologists and Colts homers are laying blame for the second quarter stalled drive and the Peyton pick-six respectively on Jim Caldwell and Reggie Wayne. And Pierre Garcon dropping a pass. True enough, Caldwell may have made the call to run on 3rd and 1. But isn’t it always belabored by pretty much everyone that Manning is the de facto offensive coordinator on the team, and that he is free to audible when he sees fit? Moreover, at that point in the game, the Colts had been running at will against the Saints. Peyton saw no reason to change out of the play, just as he didn’t go for pass plays on the previous two downs. He accepts some of the blame. As for the pick-six, Peyton the genius got outsmarted by a 23-year-old second-year cornerback. Three plays either, one of his passes was jumped and nearly intercepted by a Saints defender. Do you respond to that by going to a route you’ve been trying not only all game, but all season? Well, that’s what Peyton, who’s supposed to be five steps ahead of the defense, did.

All year Peyton thrived on pulling out the last minute win, made it look effortless. Had you asked any Colts fan what would happen if Manning got the ball back with five and a half minutes left down a touchdown, they’d bet a tureen of meat sauce that Peyton would absolutely drive down the field and score. Except he didn’t. Is it unfair to hold him to a different standard? I would argue it’s not, given that’s the expectation that everyone, even Peyton himself, holds him to. Pey-Pey played an overall solid game, no doubt, but he sucked when it mattered most. He threw a pick-six with three and half minutes left. He failed when he had a 1st and goal inside the five on the following drive.

He choked.

Hail Mary Jane

Simply Kateasa — 2010-02-11 18:00:49 GMT

Top 5 reasons why the Colts lost the Super Bowl: 5. Crucial Dropped Passes Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie were the heroes of the AFC Championship, but the two players dropped big 3rd down passes. Garcon’s came near the end of the 2nd quarter, which could have led to a 2-TD lead before the half. Instead, Indy [...]

Deadspin

Drew Magary — 2010-02-11 19:20:27 GMT

Drew Magary's Thursday Afternoon NFL Dick Joke Jamboroo runs every Thursday during the NFL season. Find more of his stuff at his Twitter feed.

The following is a very loose account:

-The snow began here in DC on Friday afternoon, with TV and radio stations all across the mid-Atlantic warning everyone to stay inside and not try driving in the snow, because people in the mid-Atlantic can't drive for shit.

-I live in a house that is susceptible to the occasional power outage, which is fine. They usually don't last long. But I fucking dread blackouts with every fiber of my being. On Friday night, the snowfall totals made a blackout all but inevitable. During the course of the night, I kept waking up every two hours to check to see if my alarm clock was still glowing. At 1AM, it was still glowing. At 3AM, it was still glowing. At 5AM, it stopped glowing. Fuck.

-There is a certain mental protocol I go through with any blackout. Perhaps yours is different. But here is mine:

ONE MINUTE IN: Oh, fuck! Blackout! Maybe it's one of those quick ones where the power comes back on five seconds later.

FIVE SECONDS LATER: Shit.

FIVE MINUTES IN: Call the power company. The bitchwhore auto voice asks for my account number. "It's right on your monthly statement." WELL I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE FUCK THAT IS, LADY. OPERATOR OPERATOR OPERATOR. Did you people know we have no power? I may not be able to watch TV tonight, and that would be a fucking tragedy. I DEMAND YOU PRIORITIZE MY HOME OVER ALL HOSPITALS AND FIRE HOUSES.

TEN MINUTES IN: Call everyone else. Mom, do you have power? Yes? I fucking hate you. Jack, do you have power? No? Oh, thank God I'm not alone in my suffering. This sucks, am I right?

HALF HOUR IN: It's a law of blackouts that my phone will always be juuuust on the verge of running out of power at the precise moment the blackout hits. What will I do when there are no more illuminated screens to stare at anywhere in the house? HERE COMES THE DRINKING.

ONE HOUR IN: Okay, power won't be back for a while. Whatever. This'll be fun! We'll light candles and carry around flashlights! And drink wine! And eat fine cheeses! And we'll talk about the kind of things that college professors surely talk in their TV-free homes at night! It'll be romantic, just like Amish living!

TWO HOURS IN: This fucking blows.

THREE HOURS IN: Power flickers back on for exactly one second, then goes back out. Worst tease ever. I'd rather be punched mid-coitus.

FOUR HOURS IN: What kind of batteries does this flashlight take? D? Oh, Christ. D's. The freak batteries, occupants of the lower rung of battery hell, along with the goddamn 9-volt. There's nothing but AA's in this fucking house. I'll be damned if the remote runs out of juice.

FIVE HOURS IN: There's always that moment during a blackout where you're annoyed that the power hasn't come back, and then you feel like both an asshole and a pussy because you can't go five hours without power while some poor guy in Haiti is trapped underneath seven stories of rubble. They don't even have power in Rwanda, you know. I can suck it up. I really can.

SIX HOURS IN: NO I CAN'T! GAHHHHH!!! After a few hours of any blackout, I begin to have those daymares of the power NEVER coming back. This is it. Civilization has come to an end. The grids have failed, and we are all on our own now. It won't be long until we must begin foraging for ourselves out in the open, like wild beasts. Soon, we shall all join roving hordes, eating beans out of tin cans found in dumpsters, feasting upon other humans who cross our path and feel the sting of our blades. The time of man has begun its rapid decline. WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE.

SEVEN HOURS IN: There comes a point in any blackout where you feel the same way you feel when you're at work late. If you're at work late enough, you eventually just accept your fate and stop giving a shit. You're not going to go out drinking. You're not going to be able to watch a movie. You're just trapped and fucked. This is about when I hit that wall.

EIGHT HOURS IN: I ask the Mrs. if she'd rather go without power for 24 hours or me for 24 hours. She says power. She is SO full of shit. Honey, I'd trade you for a working microwave in five seconds flat.

NINE HOURS IN: Better move everything in the fridge and freezer into the snow. If the ham goes bad, I'll never forgive myself.

TWELVE HOURS IN: Okay, let's do the whole romantic wine with candles thing while we eat cold soup out of can. This will be fun!

FOURTEEN HOURS IN: This is not fun. This house is getting really fucking cold. It's amazing how a normal, warm home can assume Baltimore crackhouse ambience within mere hours of losing power. WE ARE LIVING LIKE FUCKING VERMIN HERE.

POWER FINALLY BACK ON: Thank fucking CHRIST. Sometimes, the power will go back on during your little romantic candle thing, and you'll happily cast aside that bullshit to turn the TV back on. Regardless of when it goes back on, I'm always eternally grateful I have power to begin with, and then go back to taking it for granted five seconds later.

-So that's the mental protocol. Only our power never came back on last weekend. We spent Friday night sleeping in eight layers of clothing and wool hats. It made me feel like a hobo, in kind of a cool way. I totally wanted to start a fire on the floor of the bedroom.

This blackout me put my family and I in grave danger… of not being able to watch the Super Bowl. And that would be horrid. I was never going to let that happen. So I said to the Mrs., "We have to get out of here. FOR THE KID'S SAFETY." Or something made up like that. And so, on Sunday morning, we made the decision to make a break from the powerless house and try and get to my in-laws' home ten minutes away. They had power, and television, and hot food. All good things.

-After getting stuck on an unplowed road roughly 73 times on the way to the in-laws, we finally make it. Power. Warmth. Hot chocolate. FUCK AND YES.

-Mere hours after reaching our in-laws, both my wife and I come down with the single worst case of stomach flu I've ever had. In fact, a little research of the symptoms after the fact reveals the formal name of gastroenteritis, the same illness you get when you're stuck on a cruise ships with a bunch of filthy old people. You do not want gastroenteritis. Every trip to the bathroom presented me with the delightful choice of either pissing my insides out of my ass, or heaving until my throat was dangling out of my mouth. There's no real way you can win with that decision. Either way, it's going to be unpleasant. And it was! My wife, for her part, went to the bathroom, got sick, and fainted. I heaved and shat 900 times and began violently shaking. Usually, throwing up makes you feel better, as when you are shitfaced. You feel bad, throw up, and then PRESTO! You're a new man. You could still hook up tonight! Not so with this. More vomiting just induces more vomiting. My father-in-law, a very good man, walked by the bathroom and saw me, in my boxers, crumpled on the floor, shaking, the toilet rimmed with my filth.

HIM: You don't look good, Drew. Maybe you should go to the hospital.

ME: Super Buhhhhh. Super Buhhhhh…

-My father-in-law looks up home remedies to help cease vomiting, because I cannot stop and have not stopped for hours. He finds that hot water with a teaspoon of cinnamon is said to work. He gives it to me. It seems to work. Thirty seconds later, I throw it all back up. It gives my vomit a pleasant, coffee cakish scent. Nice change of pace.

-Due to the fact that I was shoveling snow most of Sunday morning, and vomiting most of Sunday afternoon, all of the muscles in my limbs cease working. Quite literally. I lack the power to stand. My hands and feet feel like they are vibrating, which is kind of cool. I cannot decide if I am freezing to death or burning to death. It seems to alternate.

-My daughter also begins throwing up. Sunday was her birthday. Happy Birthday, kid. I got you East African deathworm. There are three toilets in my in-laws home, and they are now all occupied with people puking and shitting their guts out. Now, imagine taking in house guests and seeing them immediately blast fluid out of every orifice of their bodies in your home. That would be unpleasant. And I vomit LOUD. Sounds like I'm going down a roller coaster. HUNHWAAAAAAAAA!!!!! OH GOD HERE COMES ANOTHER ONE HUNHWAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!

-There is a point in any stomach flu in which all you can think about is how fucking sick you are, and that just makes you even more sick. I started throwing up and then I just kept thinking about throwing up, then I thought about shit that would make me want to throw up, like artichoke dip, or aspic, or reading something on Bleacher Report. And thus the cycle continued. You need distractions. You need something to take your mind off of your own twisted insides. And, while I would prefer to never have stomach flu, it's a nice stroke of luck to contract it at the precise moment that the biggest sporting event of year - a broadcast in which even the advertisements, while overrated, make for compelling viewing - is taking place for the next four hours.

-I drag myself on my big fat belly down the stairs to the basement and put the game on. I should be having chili with this game. But that's likely a bad idea. I call Ufford on the phone and he says I sound like I just ran 200 yards. You would think, given my girth, this is how I usually sound when indulging in any physical movement. But this labored breathing is a bit more severe than my usual shit.

-The game begins and I can barely make out the teams. My father-in-law places a bucket near me on the couch. I don't remember much about the first half, except that the Go Daddy ad was a piece of shit, because it's always a piece of shit.

-I fall asleep during The Who. I am told this was not unusual among even the non-ill.

-The third quarter begins and I'm still feeling like driftwood when Nantz's voice cracks on the onside kick call, and my eyes blast open. At first, it seems like the Colts were going to recover. Then the Saints turn out to have the ball, and I do the most pathetic little fist pump ever seen. They score, and suddenly a game which started out 10-0 and appeared destined to end boringly and exactly as most everyone predicted, begins to kick ass.

-I started drinking water. Shitloads of it. Even if it came back up, I felt like I needed to do it, lest I pull a Korey Stringer. My body had nothing in it. I keep drinking. I stop puking. My rectum finally retreats back into my body. I'm feeling better just as the game is starting to get really good.

-By the time Tracy Porter picks off Manning and seals the game, I can finally jump to my feet and say HOLY FUCKING SHIT. The storm in my body has passed, and the Saints are about to become Super Bowl champs. Also, I can go the fuck to bed now.

At last I am fully recovered, my ass no longermaking like a fire hydrant. And so, as we bring this NFL season to close, you will find few folks out there more appreciative of the restorative effect the NFL has both on one's soul and one's digestive tract than I. I thought I was about to fucking die on Sunday. This is because I am a pussy. But, thanks to one kickass final football game of the year, I did NOT die. And I got to see Peyton Manning suck it. So thank you, NFL. Once again, your powers know no bounds. Thank you. A million times, thank you.

Now come back fucking soon, or I'll be really mad. With all that said, let's close down the Jamboroo.

The Games

None. Time to pack the throwgasms away. Oh, how I will miss you, dear throwgasms. There is only one real plus to the Super Bowl being over, and it is this: No more radio interviews with old assholes who won the Super Bowl for another 51 weeks. God, how I hate that. Every year, all these old pricks descend on radio row to try and claw back into the public consciousness. It's horrible. "Welcome to the program, JEFF BOSTIC! LET'S TALK WITH JEFF BOSTIC FOR AN HOUR! HOW ABOUT THAT SUPER BOWL YOU GUYS WON A ZILLION YEARS AGO, JEFF?" Guhhhhhh.

In fact, when I listen to sports talk radio, I never want to hear anyone interviewed. Ever. Not players. Not coaches. Certainly not old and crippled players I no longer care about. Interviews are a waste of fucking time. If you're a sports talk radio station, please stop interviewing people and go back to your regular schedule of arguing about sports movies, ranking quarterbacks, and doing all the pointless shit you usually do. That's all I ever want out of a sports talk radio station.

Last Week: 1-0 (1-0 vs. spread)
Postseason: 6-5 (5-6 vs. spread)

Song To Get You Through The Offseason

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"California," by Low. No more running through brick walls for a while. One day, when I have a billion dollars and the Jamboroo rights have been licensed in Borneo and 57 other countries, I will spend the entire NFL offseason somewhere warm and pleasant all year round. There, I will drink, eat grilled meats, and smoke pot until my butler tells me it's time to start watching football again.

Electric Boys Video Of The Week

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"All Lips And Hips," by Electric Boys. Few bands can pull off using a sitar successfully. Electric Boys were not one of them. Anyone ever go to a place where there's a belly dancer and get pissed after five minutes that the belly dancer isn't a real stripper? I get like that.

Open Mailbag Tuesdays
If you want to get into the Deadspin Tuesday Mailbag, a couple pointers. One: Try not to bring up topics from the last mailbag. It's already been covered. Two: Keep it relatively concise, unless you're that dude who knew everything about toilet testing. Three: Keep emailing. Sometimes, shit doesn't make it in simply because I don't have time to get to it. That may seem hard to believe given that my entire life consists of wasting both my time and yours, but it's the truth. Four: Using proper spelling and grammar as best you can. I'm too lazy to capitalize "I" for you. And thank you to all the emailers who have pitched in to that column. It's been a blast, and it'll be here all year round.

Player That Deserves To Die A Slow, Painful Death
Pierre Garcon. Nice drop, fucko. And could you maybe try using a condom next time? Paul Shirley doesn't want his tax money paying for your filthy, ball-dropping offspring.

Nazi Shark's Vegas Futures Lock Of The Week
Lots of sports sites, to demonstrate the arbitrary nature of gambling, like to have animals like monkeys pick games to see if they can outwit their human counterparts. There's no reason we at Deadspin can't also get in on the fun. So we've asked National Socialist German Workers' Party member Rolf, who also happens to be a shark, to pick one game a week. Take it away, Nazi shark.

"Next year, I like the Dolphins at 40-1 to win Super Bowl 45. There is a new biography of Eva Braun coming out, and I think you will find it illuminating. Did you know both Eva and the Fuhrer loved architecture? It's true! So the next time you go on and on about how badddd Dachau was, maybe you should take a look at the flying buttresses and rethink your opinion."

2009 Nazi Shark Record: 9-11 (1-3 playoffs). 9-11? EERIE.

Great Moments In Poop History
Fear not. Great Moments in Poop isn't going away. It'll be back next week in the Jamboroo's replacement column.

From reader Sam comes a story I call THREE O'CLOCK POOP:

In 8th grade typing/computer class, all of the computers were situated at the perimeter of the room, which is where we spent most of every class; though usually the first and last 5 minutes or so of each class we'd sit at our desks in middle of the room, like any other normal class.

We'd just got back to our seats in the middle of the room with a few minutes left in class. Everyone's talking, waiting for the bell to ring, when the kid right next to me let out a really loud fart, which a lot of us sitting around him heard, and laughed about. I remember the kid sitting right in front of the farter turning around and exclaiming how utterly nasty the smell was, and said something like, "you better check your pants". A few of us around him then smelled it and it was truly godawful and we let him know about it. Farter then joked, seemingly at least, about how maybe he should check his pants. We thought he was kidding.

Farter then walked up to the teacher's desk at the front of the room and I heard him mutter something to our female teacher about going to the bathroom, and I remember the teacher shaking her head and sternly saying, "please take your seat, the bell is going to ring in a minute". Farter then must have quickly whispered something or made some gesture to her, because he quickly left the room with her permission. Moments after he left, the kid next to me yelled, "OH MY GOD, HE SHIT ON THE FLOOR", while pointing to a huge pile of diarrhea sitting right in front of the teacher's desk where Farter had just been standing. Making matters worse, there were 2 other smaller, but substantial, piles of diarrhea in the aisle between the desks, one of which was a mere few feet from me. Our teacher was at a loss for words, her face beet red, as she tried to calm the students, but to no avail. Bell or not, we all bolted for the door, screaming our heads off. As all the other classes soon emptied out into the hallway, I recall most of us running around to the nonwitnesses, exclaiming how our classmate had just shit his pants/the floor.

8th grade has to be the worst grade ever to do something like that. Kindergarten? No big deal, it happens. 4th grade? Kids would've forgot, forgiven, moved away, etc. Senior year in high school? Classmates would've probably handled it more maturely, and graduation would've been around the corner. But the end of 8th grade? A mere few months before high school begins? When the girls are all starting to put out? When everyone, me included, couldn't be any more immature? Bad timing to shit yourself for sure, as the poor kid was never able to let this down throughout the next 4+ years.

I suppose had he been wearing tighty whities and/or long pants, he would've been able to keep this accident "in house", so i guess the moral of the story is that if you're going to shit yourself in class, don't wear boxers and shorts.

A sage bit of wisdom from Sam. All you eighth graders out there best heed his words, lest you dribble a trail of poop out of class like some kind of poopy Hansel and Gretl.

Offseason Warming Soup Of The Week

Chicken soup. Warm. Inoffensive. Saved my ass this week. My actual ass.

During my bout with stomach flu, my mother-in-law baked a birthday cake for my kid, and the smell of it wafted through the house, making me feel even sicker. Such a cruel world when even the smell of golden, delicious cake is enough to turn your stomach.

Offseason Cheap Beer Of The Week

Blue Diamond! Described on its website as "Above average". Well, with that kind of endorsement, who are you to resist? From reader DZ:

Your toothpicks story reminds me of a game I used to play in college involving beer and potentiality for major injury/death. We called the game Blue Diamond after the beer we drank. Essentially there was a liquor store in St. Paul on Marshall Ave., the only place in the city you could get the beer. We lived across the street, so copious amounts of Blue Diamond were drunk during our college days.

Anyways our friends rented a house and in their backyard they had a trampoline. The backyard was tiny and basically consisted of this gigantic trampoline and about 10 yards by 4 yards for chairs, grills, hanging out.

One day we invented a game where about 5 of us were jumping on the trampoline some one would shake up a can of Blue Diamond, toss it into the middle of the trampoline and then 5 drunk and high college kids would jump around trying to avoid getting hit by the can. If you got hit you had to immediately roll off the trampoline grab the beer and slam it. Lots of strategery and lots of hilarity.

Also this trampoline was conveniently located next to a very old rusty fence which probably gave us several staph infections.

I would play that game. Look at that beer. Man, that looks like shit. I MUST HAVE IT. Bonus: Blue Diamond is also the name of the folks who make those delightful smokehouse almonds. I could eat a barrel of those.

Robert Evans' MVP Watch!
Time to start thinking about who the leaders are for the NFL's MVP award in 2010. Legendary Hollywood producer Robert Evans joins us to give us his assessment. Take it away, Mr. Evans.

"Baby, my favorite for the NFL's MVP next year is… Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys! Feisty? You bet! A taste for blondes? Only to match ol' Evans here!

"Well, the season is over. Time for me to retire to my vacation abode on the exotic island of Mallorca! There, my good friend Jon Voight and I will take in the fresh air, have a game of tennis, enjoy fresh manchego cheese with quince paste, and make love to some of Spain's finest young offerings! Oh, you should see Voight around a young Spanish woman. LIKE AN OWL! Focused? You bet! Vigilant? Always!

"Sometimes, Voight will tell me about his relationship with his daughter, the superstar Angelina Jolie! They don't talk much. I think that hurts him deeply. You can see it in his eyes when he says her name. His whole face just appears to sag. It's like there's a piece of his life that he knows is missing, that he set out to sea long ago that he'll never retrieve. Such a sad thing. I'll never have the heart to tell her I shtupped her during the casting process for Sliver. She didn't make the cut. Not as much of a wildcat as you might think. GIVE ME JENNIFER TILLY ANY DAY!"

Sunday Afternoon Movie Of The Week For Everyone

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The Year Of Living Dangerously. Linda Hunt plays a man in this movie. She even won an Oscar for it. I assumed, while watching the entire film, that there was going to be a scene where Hunt's character would be outed as a woman. Because it was a woman playing the character of a man. But no, she plays a little dude the whole way through. I am really, really glad that there was no such scene. "Linda Hunt nude" is about the only phrase that is NOT in my Google search history.

Gratuitous Simpsons Quote
"Oh, Smithers, let's not be so cold. His spirit is my collateral."

Halftime Masturbation Kit
-For the guys: Reader bearfan24 wanted to send in the thong shot of Lisa Loeb available online. Hard to complain.
-For the gals: This guy. He's shirtless. Do with it what you will.

Enjoy the offseason, everyone. And a very, very warm congrats to the Saints and their fans. It's easy to be Mr. Cynic and say anyone who believes a football team can give needed hope to an area devastated by a natrural disaster is a fucking idiot. But a lot of people down there believe exactly that, and who am I to argue? They're the ones who have lost so much. They're the ones who believe the Saints have helped save them. Works for me. See you at the draft Jamboroo in April.

SB Nation - Minnesota Vikings

saints-nation — 2010-02-10 19:00:23 GMT

More photos » Mark J. Terrill - AP

3 days ago: New Orleans Saints cornerback Tracy Porter (22) scores a 74-yard touchdown after intercepting against the Indianapolis Colts during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl XLIV football game in Miami, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Browse more photos »

Below are the last players grades I'll do this season. Thanks for all the great feedback and comments you've given me, it's been a lot of fun doing this. I look forward to doing it again next year, though the time away from studying game film will be nice. The letter grade represents the players performance in the game, whereas the GPA in parentheses represents the player's cumulative effort for the season. You'll also notice that because I'm taking Tracy Porter as the player of the game defensively as a given, the poll will be for your special teams player of the game. Lots of great options to choose from there. Sidenote, was anyone else shocked that no roughing the passer calls were made all game? I'm not saying that any hits deserved that designation at all, but I am saying that with pressure being a major part of the gameplan for both teams and all the rules that favor the quarterback's health: I am shocked we never saw a roughing call.

Saints vs Colts coverage

Saints vs Colts recap

Saints vs Colts boxscore

Will Smith: C (2.75) Very quiet day for Smith. As always, the effort was very evidently there. It's no secret he's by far the Saints' biggest pass rushing threat, especially when they only send four. Everyone knows by now: you neutralize Smith and you have time to throw the ball. That's exactly what happened, which is why Gregg Williams dialed up the blitz incessantly. Will Smith ended with 1 tackle, and his best pressure was on the very last Colts offensive play of the game where he hurried Peyton Manning into throwing the ball incomplete on 4th and goal. The Saints are going to have to get Smith some kind of help in the offseason because the Saints can't just count on one player on their front four to consistently get to the quarterback. Sidenote, on Tracy Porter's interception runback for a touchdown, the Saints were very fortunate that Smith didn't get flagged for a block in the back on Manning. Peyton's back was turned to the play as Porter cut inside of him, and Smith felt free to give him a shove and knock him to the ground. The referee missed that call.

Bobby McCray: B- (2.07) Maybe the answer to Smith getting help is a healthy Bobby McCray? He's still a far cry from the performances he had a year ago, but the two weeks off seemed to help his aching back. McCray finished with 2 tackles and was able to get to Manning and force hurries a few times. He also put a nice hit on the Colts' QB at one point. For what it's worth, I do feel like McCray has made some strides against the run because in the pass he's been a bit of a one trick pony. The less of a liability he is against the run, the more the Saints will trust him on running downs. Give McCray credit for also causing the Colts' right tackle to jump early.

Anthony Hargrove: B (2.43) Hargrove was actually very solid against the run, and put good pressure up the middle. He finished with 3 tackles. I was surprised to see the Saints even use random blitz packages where they'd drop Hargrove into zone coverage over the middle, and he handled himself well in that capacity as well. I think the Saints adopted that option because Manning was dumping the ball off over the middle to Joe Addai so much. I don't remember having seen that defensive wrinkle this season, so I think it's fair to say Gregg Williams gave Manning looks he wasn't expecting. The only reason Hargrove's grade isn't higher is the completely idiotic personal foul penalty he got near the end of the game for spearing Addai. Totally unecessary.

Sedrick Ellis: B- (2.72) The Saints are completely and utterly reliant on Ellis to stop the run. If he didn't get push inside and pressure at the point of attack, Addai usually ripped significant runs. If he did, Addai was usually stopped dead in his tracks. He finished with 3 tackles, including one for a loss. While Addai did hurt the Saints for a massive 5.9 yards per carry average, give Ellis credit for his good play in short yardage situations. I will say, though, that I've seen Ellis tackle much better than he did in this game.

Scott Fujita: B- (2.74) Fujita was sent blitzing a lot, and the Colts were ready for it. As much as we praise Drew Brees for how quickly he gets the ball out of there, Peyton Manning was getting the ball out of his hands quicker. Fujita was able to get to Manning and hit him just once. He finished with 4 tackles, but allowed a few to slip past him. He was decent in this game, but nothing special.

Scott Shanle: B (2.69) Shanle was the player most responsible for covering Dallas Clark, and he was victimized often. More often than not, his coverage was actually exceptionally good. Clark would often have Shanle draped all over him, only for Manning to fit his passes into the tightest of windows and Clark to make very sure catches in traffic. Very tough assignment for Shanle, who wasn't able to help as much in run support because of his duty in coverage. I can't really blame Shanle for getting beat as often as he did, because I'm not sure Ray Lewis would've fared much better. When a quarterback is that accurate and a tight end is that good, there only so much you can do. Shanle did have 6 tackles and made a lot of beautiful open field stops. He was sure in his tackles and coverage, so I thought he was pretty solid overall. I can't give him too good of a grade because of the amount of times he was beat, but let's not forget he also had two defended passes with textbook coverage and a big hit on Manning on a blitz.

Jonathan Vilma: B (2.93) I think that perhaps Vilma would've handled the Dallas Clark assignment slightly better than Shanle did, but it's clear Gregg Williams trusted that task to Shanle because he wanted Vilma free to roam the middle of the field to make open field plays with Darren Sharper playing so deep. Vilma finished with 7 tackles, 2 of them for a loss, and a defended pass. When he shot upfield and into the backfield he was able to make a couple of sick plays. He did a nice job, especially late, in pass coverage as well. My only complaint is that he whiffed badly on a few running plays, especially early. Addai made him look pretty silly on a few running plays where Vilma assumed a play action and was late to respond once he realized the play was actually a run. Part of the Colts' success running the ball was Vilma's bad angles and poor tackling at times. Still, the good outweighed the bad.

Jabari Greer: B- (3.28) Greer was covering Pierre Garcon for a large majority of the evening, and he did fine. Greer finished with 4 tackles and no defended passes. He got banged up at one point, came out, and Garcon immediately caught a 19 yard touchdown pass, if that gives you any idea how valuable Greer's coverage is to the Saints. Give him credit for a couple of terrific open field tackles, too. That said, Greer's coverage wasn't the usual blanket shut down style we've all grown accustomed to. Many times his coverage on Garcon was entirely too soft, though he never allowed the speedster behind him. On the big third down drop by Pierre Garcon, Greer was beaten badly. Not only would that catch have been a big conversion to keep an important drive alive for the Colts, but Garcon could have gained significant yardage after that catch. That drop was a huge play in the game. I'm not saying the Saints lose if Garcon makes that catch, but it wasn't good coverage at all by Greer and the complexion of the game would have changed.

Tracy Porter: A (3.15) I just can't say enough about the game Tracy Porter played. Forget the game winning 74 yard interception return for a touchdown that might just be the biggest play in Saints' history, the guy was on his game all night. Is it possible Porter ended this season as the Saints' best cover corner over Greer? It's possible. Either way, the Saints have a dynamite tandem and if these two stay healthy then our pass defense will be very good for a long time. Porter ended the game with 4 tackles, and the only minus was I saw him miss a couple of tackles that he's capable of making. I know Reggie Wayne was battling a sore knee, but to hold him to 5 catches for 46 yards in the biggest game of the season is a monster performance. Tracy Porter might get my award for the Saints' player of the playoffs ahead of Drew Brees and Pierre Thomas. Can you guys remember the last time we had a young cornerback that was this good? I can't.

Randall Gay: B- (2.64) Like Shanle, Gay was victimized a couple of times despite textbook coverage. That's what happens when you play Peyton Manning, I suppose. Any other quarterback for any other team and those passes probably fell incomplete or got intercepted. The Saints missed him when he left the game with an injury, because Usama Young struggled in the slot before giving way to Malcolm Jenkins. Gay finished with 2 tackles.

Malcolm Jenkins: A- (2.46) What a game by the rookie cornerback. Wow! I was so pumped to see Jenkins come up and finally put together a very composed and legitimate performance. If not for Tracy Porter, Jenkins would have a case for the defensive player of the game. Maybe he's turning a corner, no pun intended, but I felt pretty reassured that Jenkins is very capable in the slot. He finished with 5 tackles, including one for a loss. Keep in mind these tackles came mostly in the second half once Randall Gay left with an injury which increased Jenkins' workload. He was all over the field. He made big hits, sure tackles in the open field, and was mostly great in coverage. Jenkins did get beat deep once by Austin Collie for a 40 yard pass on the Colts' final drive. That's been a bad habit of his to allow receivers behind him, and his biggest liability continues to be his speed. He just doesn't have the catch up speed to make up for his mistakes, so they are magnified when he makes them. The thing about Porter and Greer is that they make less mistakes, but they're also so fast that they can get away with more than Jenkins. Anyway, Jenkins played a whale of a game, and he almost got himself a pick by masterfully jumping an out route but Manning's pass was just outside of his reach. He also put a monstrous hit on Dallas Clark late that let the tight end know "if you keep hurting us, I'm going to start hurting you". Love it.

Roman Harper: B+ (2.74) Harper was the secondary cover guy on Dallas Clark, when Shanle was sent blitzing or left to help in run support. Like Shanle, he had a couple of times where terrific coverage led to nice breakups and a couple of times where nice coverage could do nothing to stop a completion. Harper was around the box and making tackles all day. His coverage was overall much better than usual. He finished with a team high 8 tackles, and minus a few slipped tackles I thought he had a very solid performance. I will say that his help over the top on the touchdown pass to Pierre Garcon, though, was terrible.

Darren Sharper: C+ (2.86) Did any of you see how far back Sharper was playing all game? It was like Gregg Williams was saying: "you can do your underneath stuff all you want all game long, I'm not going to let you beat us deep over the top". That strategy worked for the most part, because besides the 40 yard Collie reception late (where Sharper provided poor help over the top to Jenkins) the Colts didn't have any success throwing deep. In fact, they hardly ever tried to. Overall Sharper did a good job of taking that option away from Manning, but he finished with just 3 tackles and didn't do a great job in run support when he'd come up to back a play. It was a quiet day for Sharper overall, but the gameplan was partly to blame for that.

Pierson Prioleau: B- (2.50) Prioleau was solid in coverage the few times he was asked to come in and play defense. He was also solid on special teams. Small sample size, but I thought I'd recognize that I liked what I saw. He finished with 1 tackle.

Usama Young: C- (2.80) Young was good on special teams, too, but when he came in to replace Jabari Greer on defense, Peyton Manning immediately went after him. His coverage on the 19 yard touchdown pass to Pierre Garcon was not good and he was burned badly. He finished with 1 tackle and wasn't really allowed to see the field again on defense after that play.

Jeff Charleston: C+ (2.33) Like Smith I saw a lot of effort and he put decent pressure on Manning, finishing with 1 tackle. Too many times, though, it just seemed like anytime Charleston was on the field I saw him running after the play as oppose to making it.

Thomas Morstead: A- (3.12) I was surprised to see that his kickoffs were a lot shorter than usual, as he never got one to go for a touchback. That's the only negative, because the kickoff coverage units were on it. Chad Simpson averaged just 22.2 yards per kick return and was tackled at least behind the 30 on almost every return but one that I could remember. He also averaged a healthy 44 yards per punt, again getting one inside the 20, and the other punt was returned for no gain. So that means his net average was also 44 yards. What else can you say about the guy? Hands down the Saints' rookie of the year. Give him credit, too, for hitting that onside kick to start the second half perfectly.

Courtney Roby: A (2.91) Roby is clearly the Saints' best gunner, and he's turning himself into arguably one of the best gunner's in the league. That no gain punt return I spoke of was T.J. Rushing getting obliterated by Roby right after he caught the punt. Hey T.J., you should've fair caught that one buddy. Roby was also the man that downed the punt inside the 20. His 4 kickoff returns also went for a solid 25.5 average, including one for 34 yards. Give Roby props for coming back from an apparent leg injury just two weeks prior in the Vikings game. The guy is a stud.

Garrett Hartley: A+ (3.17) Hartley was perfect on 3 field goals and 2 extra points. Every kick he hit went right down the middle. He was the first kicker in SuperBowl history to connect on three kicks from 40+ yards. None of those kicks were easy chip shots, and there was absolutely no doubt when they left his foot that they would be good. He's got a case for SuperBowl MVP, in my opinion, just like Brees and Porter. In summary, he carried out his job to perfection. He deserves an A+, because literally, he couldn't physically have performed his duty any better than he did. It's funny because I heard an ESPN analyst say in the pregame that the kicking game was a major advantage to the Colts because of Matt Stover's experience, but look who missed the big time kick and look who was solid all game long.

Chris Reis: B+ (2.50) He didn't do much in this game, but he recovered the onside kick and his GPA was hurting prior to this game, so I decided to give him a little boost. Upon review, the ball was trapped between his hamstring and his hand. I'm not sure how he came out of the pile with the football. Give him credit for great strength. That recovery was one of the biggest plays of the game.

My Saints' Defensive Player of the Game: Tracy Porter

My Saints' Special Teams Player of the Game: Garrett Hartley

Poll

Who Was Your Special Teams Player of the Game?

SB Nation - Indianapolis Colts

Saintsational — 2010-02-11 12:00:28 GMT

The results of our final prediction contest are in and it's time to pick the winner of our Super Bowl edition.

This week we have two members with perfect scores and one who is borderline. I'm including that third member and I'll just leave it up to you guys to weigh in on the situation by voting. In the end, I have a feeling this one's gonna come down to the score prediction. It was close.

Nobody correctly guessed the final score but one of our finalists was actually probably the closest.

Polls are now open!

*CSC Member*	*Predictions*	*Analysis*
nolanative	1. Saints win by two scores. 2. Three different Saints score. 3. Drew Brees’ passer rating is over 110.	Yes Yes Yes *Score Prediction:* Saints 31-21
Rocks	1. Brees zero INTs. 2. Dallas Clark no TDs 3. Brees not sacked in second half	Yes Yes Yes *Score Prediction:* Saints 31-27
cbkao	Brees is MVP Bush has 2 key plays but has less than 100 total yards Manning has 300 plus yrds with 1 int	Yes Define key. Yes *Score Prediction:* Saints 38-30
saint-sly	1.Saints score one defensive TD 2. Shockey gets one TD 3 Reggie gets over 150 combined yards	Yes Yes No
Ace Venom	1. Manning gets sacked 2. Brees throws at least two touchdown passes 3. Pierre Thomas gets a rushing touchdown	No Yes No
LA_No1_SaintFan	SAINTS get two takeaways Reggie gets 150+ combined yards SAINTS get at lest two sacks	No No No
saints-nation	1. Colts score the first points of the game 2. Brees gets the MVP 3. Both teams’ offenses are above 50% 3rd down conversion rates.	Yes Yes No
Dan Kelly	1. Pierre Thomas has 2 TD’s 2. Reggie has 1 TD 3. Defense gets 3 turnovers	No No No
gunning4_7	1.) Reggie Scores a pair of TD’s 2.) Sharper intercepts Peyon 3.) Tony Dungey swallows his pride or at the very least his gum when Brees collects the MVP and the Saints win the Lombardi Trophy!	No No Nope!
nanvinnie	1. Reggie Bush has 1+ TDs 2. Manning gets sacked 3+ times 3. Greer gets 1+ INTs	No No No
Mr. Indianapolis Colts	The Colts rack up 500+ yards of offense: Peyton throws for 350 yds, 4 TDs 1 INT (MVP) Reggie Wayne and Dallas go for 100+ and a TD each	No No No
skinnykinney	1. Brees throws for 3+TDs and 250+yards. 2. The D hits Manning 3+times, gets at least 1 sack, and create 2+TOs. 3. Reggie Bush and Colston both have at least 1 TD	No No No
TAYDIGGA	1. Brees is throws for over 300 yards 2. Reggie has his first 3-td game in a while-wins MVP 3. We make Peyton Manning look like stifled for most of the game, 4th quarter comes and he starts moving but we get a big TO and keep them down by 11 points.	No No No
jamaican drew brees	1. Peyton and Drew throw for 300 yds each 2. Saints special teams scores 3. Saints hit Peyton at least 5 times (blocks included)	No No No
10up	Drew Brees = Super Bowl MVP Peyton Manning= 1+ interception(s) Colston = 2+ TDs	Yes Yes No
Rickey Jackson's left nut	1. Saints win the turnover battle 2. Lord Brees has 350+ 3. PT rushes for at least 1 TD	Yes No No
Grumps	1. Brees does not get sacked once. 2. Lance Moore has 5+ catches and a TD. 3. Saints D gets "lucky" and forces 3+ turnovers.	No No No
chicago cajun	1. Manning is sacked at least twice 2. Brees throws for over 325 yds 3. Vilma gets at least one interception	No No No
satchmo26	1. Manning gets sacked at least twice 2. Brees throws at least 2 TD passes 3. Meachem scores a TD	No Yes No
whodatone	1. Brees passes for at least 200 yards. 2. Reggie has at least 2 TD’s. 3. Three different Saints score TD’s	Yes No Yes
BlackandGold4ever	1. Brees throws for 250+ yards and 2+ TDs 2. Brees completes passes to at least 7 receivers 3. Malcolm Jenkins forces a turnover on special teams (just like early in the year)	Yes Yes No
Ponysaints	1. Brees throws for at least 3 TDs. 2. Saints win turnover battle. 3. Saints get more sacks than Colts.	No Yes No
DwideSchrude	1. Drew Brees throws for 2+ TDs 2. Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush each have a TD 3. Saints D with interception on colts final drive to seal the victory	Yes No No
bondcrash	1) Saints Red Zone Defense forces at least two FG’s instead of TD’s 2) Brees scores more TD’s than Manning 3) Moore, Shockey and Bush combine for more than 150 receiving yards	No Yes No
jack_casse	1) Brees wins MVP 2) Pierre has over 100 yards from scrimmage. 3) Bush catches TD pass.	Yes No No
bstetiger	1) Brees has passer rating over 110 2) Manning is sacked at least twice 3) Dallas Clark has 100 yards receiving	Yes No No
nofear	At least 2 Peyton takeaways At least 5 different Saints offensive players score The game is in hand before the half	No No No
Nabb1	Brees has 4 TD passes Shockey has 1 TD catch Bush has over 120 all purpose yards	No Yes No
saint boss hog	1.brees will be on fire with atleast 3 tds 2.bush will earn that contract and have atleast 2 tds 3.PT Cruiser will have over 100 yards rushing and atleast 1 td	No No No
SaintsFanMD	1. Brees throws for 250+yds and at least 3 TDs. 2. Shockey, Colston, and Bush will each score a touchdown (rush, rec, or return.) 3. Saints at least +2 in turnover ratio	No No No
horp the reckless	1) Brees wins MVP 2) At last 5 times, Manning wil be mentioned as the greatest QB ever if he wins his second ring 3)Katrina will be mentioned at least 15+ times	Yes Don't know. No idea.
FuSoYa	1) At least three different running backs break a 25+ yard run at some point(either team). 2) This game features most offensive yards of any Super Bowl ever. 3) Manning and Brees’ ratings combine for more than 210.	No No No
WhoDat_OH	1) PT has rush & receiving TD 2) Colts lose fumble on kick return 3) Saints have 120+ yards rushing	No No No
FrenchFreak	1) Lance Moore gets the MVP. 2) Reggie runs over 100. 3) Manning throws over 300 and 3 TDs.	No No No
Joseph William Stern	National Anthem is less than 1:42 long. Drew Brees hit no more than three times. Jonathan Vilma creates a turnover (either by interception, forced fumble, or fumble recovery)	No Yes No
Saint2010	Brees throws for 6 touchdowns and over 300 yards Manning is picked off 2 or more times Reggie Bush has 2 rushings and 1 recieving touchdown	No No No
Alex Saints	1)Saints 160+ rush yards 2)Colts Under 120 Rush Yards 3) Meachem and Colston have more TDs than Wayne and Garcon	No Yes No
jamesyyyboyyy	1. The Colts will go up by 10 points 2. Manning leaves the game due to injury 3. The Saints will score 55 unanswered points	Yes No No
saintsbrasil	P.Manning passes the ball more than 45 times saints D has 2+ takeaways M.Bell scores 2 tds	No No No
jeremysherwin	1. Brees 3 TD > 275 passing yards,> 105 QB raiting 2. Saints will force 2+ turnovers 3. Manning gets hit more than 8 times	No No No
PanheadCatahoula	1. Hartley field goal is the difference 2. Lance Moore converts 4 third downs. 3. Mike Bell starts, Pierre Thomas returns KO’s and scores twice, one pass, one run.	No No No
GSO Saints Fan	1) Brees: 300+ yards, 3 TD, 0 INT, 0 sacks, MVP 2) PT: 100+ yards, 1 TD 3) Manning: under 250 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 2 sacks	No No No
Philinwood	1) Dwight Freeney plays less than 1/4 the game 2) Meachem, Colston, Henderson and Reggie combine for over 250 yds receiving 3) PT gains 100 yds or more on the ground	No? No No
Bens4vcobra	1. Reggie has 150+ all purpose yards 2. Shockey scores a TD 3. Colston has at least 6 catches, 100+ yards and a TD	No Yes No
lovingmma25	1. Sharper scores on 1 of 2 INT 2. Colts will have only 3 third down conversions 3. Brees will score 4 touchdowns	No No No
arcuate	1. Drew Brees completes 10 passes in a row. 2. Jabari Greer does not give up a TD to a WR. 3. No Colts receiver exceeds 100 yards.	No. At least 10 or 10+? Yes. Yes Yes
saintsdevotee	1) Painter or Sorgi take snaps at QB (Manning misses time due to injury/equipment malfunction due to pressure) 2) PT will average over 5 yards per carry 3) Brees wins MVP	No No Yes
ArithMattic	1. Manning gets picked off at least twice. 2. Colts running backs fumble more than Saints running backs. 3. At least two Saints score wide open TD’s that leave the announcers wondering aloud how in the world those guys got that open.	No No No
saintsfan77	Peyton is hit all day but sacked only once Dave Thomas has a key drive sustaining catch for a first down Pierre Thomas knocks an already hobbled Freeney out of the game	Yes No No
saints fan in cowboyland!	Meachem scores PT scores Running back throws a td for da saints!	No Yes No
Anthony_JK	1) Sharper picks Peyton Manning twice, returns one for a TD or near TD. 2) Pierre Thomas gains over 100 yards rushing. 3) Reggie Bush breaks off over 150+ yards of total offense.	No No No
Breesus Christ Superstar	1. At least 1 questionable(B.S.) defensive personal foul penalty called against Saints. 2. Saints rush for over 100 yards 3. Brees is MVP	No No Yes
BigCountryLV	1. Brees has 5 TD passes to 5 different receivers. 2. Pierre Thomas rushes for 100+ yards. 3. Garret Hartley will not miss any point after or FG attempts.	No No Yes
PilneyPark	1. Reggie Bush gets over 150 total yards and scores at least twice. 2. The Saints set some kind of Superbowl record. 3. Saints’ D or ST score at least twice.	No Yes (Hartley's three FG's) No
benm316	Drew throws for at least 3 TD’s Mike Bell rushes for at least 60 yards I’m calling it here – Reggie Bush will be the Super Bowl MVP	No No No
Quibbler	1) Brees throws 4 TD, 300 yards, no interceptions 2) Robert Meecham 120 + receiving yarts – 2 TDs 3) Pierre Thomas & Reggie Bush 100 yds (all purpose) each.	No No No
jgshocker22	1) Dwight is a non factor in the game 2) The saints rush for more yard then the colts 3) Drew has a higher QB rating than peyton	No No Yes
Irishman2	1. Peyton is never sacked; he spends 35+ minutes on the bench while the Saints grind it out 2. Drew never has to throw a pass over 15 yards; running backs dominate 3. Peyton throws 2+ interceptions trying to force the ball down field	No No No
jray2000	1. SAINTS WIN SUPER BOWL XLIV. 2. I smile and cheer a lot on Sunday. 3. Saints score on at least 7 possessions.	Yes Yes No
Big Bru	1. Brees goes over 300 w/ 3 TD’s 2. Saints rush over 150 yds 3. Saints Razoo Colts w/ 3 TO’s	No No No
MtnExile	1. Reggie Bush has over 100 yards each rushing and receiving 2. Peyton Manning will throw more TDs than Drew Brees 3. Saints defense gets a TD	No No Yes
Scott2417	1. Freeney plays, but is ineffective, possibly not finishing the game 2. Saints get at least 10 pts. off turnovers. 3. Saints defense has a field day against Colts offense, cause commentators to wonder where has THIS defense been all season.	No No No
hakimdropstheball	1. Saints outrush the Colts. 2. Dave Thomas catches at least two passes. 3. Reggie Bush scores at least one touchdown.	No No No
117decibels	1. Hartley gets another game winner. 2. Someone on defense gets MVP. 3. Darren Sharper cries out of pure joy.	No No No
bobinva	1. Colston leads the Saints in receptions, yds. & TDs 2. Drew is near flawless and is the Super Bowl MVP. 3. Bush scores go-ahead TD late in the game (most likely on a punt return)	No Yes No
sernycrusher	1. pt gets superbowl mvp 2. brees leads winning touchdown drive 3. someone picks off peytons last pass	No Yes No
Urine Trouble	1 Saints get 3+ Turnovers 2. Peyton Manning throws at least 1 Int. 3 Reggie Bush has either a TD return, run or reception for 40+ yards.	No Yes No
Malsby	1. Pierre Thomas has at least 100 yds from scrimmage 2. Dallas Clark scores at least 1 TD 3. Teams combine for no more than 2 sacks	No No No
DrewBreesManCrush	1. def/st td 2. sharper gets an int 3. brees qb rat 120+	Yes No No
gavin31785	1. Drew Brees throws for 300+ yards 2. Peyton Manning throws 1+ interception 3. Saints score 2+ rushing TDs	No Yes No
WarWolf	1 Saints TD’s by Thomas, DeVry, Colston, Meachem, Bush, Shockey and Moore 2 Colts TD’s by Collie, Brown, Addai, Wayne, Garcon, and 2 by Clark 3 Colts win coin toss in OT – Manning is picked by Vilma for game ending TD	No No No
carolinasaintsfan	1. Reggie B has a TD of at least 25 yds. 2. Bobby Mc sacks Manning at least once. 3. The Saints D gets at least one TO.	No No Yes
saintfever09	1. Pierre Thomas scores the first Saints’ touchdown. 2. Drew Brees will have at least 3 TD’s 3. Peyton Manning throws at least one interception and gets sacked at least once.	Yes No No
Monkey Poop Battle	1.) At least 5 different Saints get in the endzone. 2.) Saints rush for more yards than Colts 3.) Saints recover 2+ turnovers	No No No
HansDat	1) Hartley’s closest "clutch" moment is the last XP, which puts us up 4, and forces the Colts to need a TD to beat us, and comes after… 2) Reggie gets another pylon-popping goal-line dive for a TD late in the 4th, that leads to a final Peyton drive… 3) In which Vilma knocks down a 4th down pass intended for Dallas Clark that effectively ends the game except for two "victory formation" snap and kneels by Brees to run out the clock.	No No No
mississippisaintsfan	1.Pierre Thomas score 2+ times 2.Shockey scores 1+ td’s 3.Johnathon Vilma is superbowl MVP	No Yes No
CoachofEarl	Saints get 2 turnovers 3+ Saints get TDs Brees QB rating > Manning QB rating	No Yes Yes
metryman	1,Brees 250+ and @ least 2 TD’s. 2.Pierre and Reggie @ least 1 TD ea. 3.Indy @ least 1 TO.	Yes No Yes
Divinov	1 Saints has 2 takeaways 2 Brees better passer rating than Manning 3 Colts still comeback to win in the fourth quarter	No Yes No
David.	1. Porter Gets a Touchdown 2. Manning throws an interception 3. Both Colt New Orleanians score a touchdown. (Wayne and Manning)	Yes Yes No
alcoholic_insight	1. Reggie brings the wood, scores on punt return 2. Dave Thomas gets TD 3. Game ender is key defensive play by Randall Gay?!?	No No No
slumD	1. DSharp has a pick 6. 2. Reggie has 150+ all purpose yards. 3. Lance Moore has a TD	No No No

Poll

Who had this weeks most accurate predictions?

Stampede Blue

BigBlueShoe — 2010-02-11 19:00:33 GMT

More photos » Lynne Sladky - AP

3 days ago: New Orleans Saints safety Chris Reis (39) recovers an onside kick during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl XLIV football game in Miami, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010. Teammate Roman Harper (41) and Indianapolis Colts linebacker Cody Glenn (52) and Hank Baskett (81) dive in. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Browse more photos »

John Oehser continues to transcribe The Bill Polian Show and have it up and visible on the net long before Colts.com does so. Here is Polian on the reasons why the Colts lost Super Bowl 44:

Polian said while many have pointed to [wide receiver] Pierre Garcon's dropped pass in the first half or QB Peyton Manning's fourth-quarter interception as poorly-executed plays, he considered two plays far more indicative.

One was the inability of WR Hank Baskett and the Colts' special teams to recover an onside kick on the first play of the second half, and the other was the inability to gain one yard on 3rd-and-1 late in the first half. Those plays led to 10 points that turned a 10-3 Colts lead into a 13-10 deficit.

"You can say, 'Well, Pierre should have caught the ball,''' Polian said. "It would have been a tough catch. I don't think every receiver ought to catch every ball. They're going to drop one or two every now and then. You're going to throw an interception now and then. But when you can't gain a yard when you have to gain a yard in order to go into the locker room ahead, 10-3, with all the momentum on your side, then you didn't execute.

"When you fail to handle an onside kick when there are four positive things you can do to handle it to make it go in your favor and you don't do it, then you didn't execute. That's not a question of preparedness. That's not a question of mental acuity. It's not a question of what hotel you're staying in. It's simply a question of simply executing when the play is to be made and it's in your hands to do it. We didn't do it. It's that simple. The Saints did."

Again, Pierre's dropped pass and the onside kick are not the reasons the Colts lost, in my mind. After the onside kick, the Saints drove the length of the field and scored a TD. Sorry, but why didn't the defense, you know, STOP THEM! And even after that, the Colts took the next possession and scored a TD off that, making the game 17-13. So, all that "momentum" from the onside kick? Yeah, pretty much crushed.

However, after that point, the Saints offense would score another TD, a two-point conversion, and a FG to go up by seven with 5 minutes left in the game. The Saints controlled the clock, gained first downs at will, and scored TDs in the red zone. That's a lock down formula to beat the Colts, and the reason they were able to do it was because the Colts defense could not get them off the field.

A big reason the Colts could not get them off the field in the second half was a lack of pass rush. Dwight Freeney told a group of us after the game that his ankle had tightened up at halftime, limiting his effectiveness in the second half. Injuries happen and they are part of this game, but Freeney's injury was huge.

All that said, with how Polian described "the team" not executing on the onside kick, that is a subtle knock at Hank Baskett, who had the onside kick fly right into his hands only to drop it. Baskett was a good contributor on special teams all season, but right there he wasn't able to make the big play in the key situation. I doubt he returns next year.

Bleacher Report - Front Page

Samuel Bell Jr — 2010-02-08 22:34:25 GMT

After tossing the pick-six that all but ensured the New Orleans Saints their first Super Bowl win in franchise history, Peyton Manning looked defeated.

Beat down. As dejected he has ever appeared in a loss.

After all, it's not like Manning has never lost a big game before. He boasts a 9-9 playoff record, one of the knocks against him being the best quarterback of all time.

Something about the way he looked Sunday night just reeked with defeat and pain as he wasted no time getting off of the field once it was over.

Many saw Super Bowl XLIV as a chance for Manning to solidify his legacy as the best of all time. With his gaudy statistics, two titles may have just done it.

What Sunday's 31-17 Saints victory ended up as is a forum for Drew Brees to make a great legacy of his own.

It helps Brees immensely that he is the leader and best player on a team that went through the most catastrophic storm in recent American memory, just to emerge as world champions four years later.

No matter what Brees does from this point, he will be firmly entrenched on a pedestal in New Orleans as the man who led their beloved Saints to a title post-Katrina.

Nobody believed that Brees would outperform the Mighty Manning and actually be the MVP in a resounding win.

Even more improbable was the misread Manning made in throwing the interception that sealed the game. For as good as Manning is, that throw made little sense.

On a route he and Reggie Wayne have connected on a million times, Wayne took it too deep, didn't give enough effort, and Manning overthrew it a bit.

In other words, it was both Manning and Wayne's fault.

Wayne came into this game playing against two average corners in Tracy Porter and Jabari Greer, and he was outperformed by Pierre Garcon.

Something about the Porter pick and Wayne's drop on fourth down to end the game appeared that maybe he was a beaten man a little before everyone else.

As this Super Bowl stands, Manning has to deal with questions about his postseason record and losing a game that he was heavily favored entering.

It was almost like Manning switched roles with his brother Eli for his upset of the heavily favored Patriots and Tom Brady just two years ago, but Peyton didn't toss the winning touchdown.

At just 33 and turning 34 soon, Manning still has time to win another title. In the NFL, going to the Big Game multiple times is extremely difficult.

If there is a quarterback to do it, Manning would be the one.

After this loss, he will have to. In a sports culture that thrives on championships, to be considered the best you have to win on the biggest stage multiple times.

Steve Young did it. Troy Aikman did it. Terry Bradshaw did it. Peyton was on the cusp of doing it Sunday night, but his interception derailed him from a title his legacy needed.

Oh, and a little guy by the name of Drew Brees.

Footballguys.com Forums: The Shark Pool

2010-02-08 22:01:07 GMT

Given a choice of the two, and Anthony Gonzalez's scheduled return, which player holds better future value and why?

Bleacher Report - Front Page

Kristian Siuta — 2010-02-08 21:40:43 GMT

On America's virtual football holiday, the fans sitting at home in the comfort of their living room received everything they could have asked for and more from the performance and spectacle that was Super Bowl XLIV.

There is nothing quite like sitting back on a lazy Sunday afternoon and watching wall to wall entertainment. The Super Bowl brings football fans, common sports fans, and the typical, "what just happened" fan all to the same gathering to rejoice in excitement and pout in bitter defeat.

However, during the Super Bowl, it was wall to wall excitement. Just the fact that the entertainment value displayed through both teams production and performance, was enough for the average sports fan to be left craving more.

Even during designated drink refills, seconds, thirds, and sometimes even fourth helpings of pizza, burgers, hot dogs, and all the other cliché finger foods, the commercials kept the audience laughing and fully locked into the total performance of the Super Bowl.

Even before kickoff, the hype started to build between the two teams. No one needed an extra boost to perform at the highest level, when we are talking about the Super Bowl. On the other hand, Saints' defensive coordinator Gregg Williams had a shot or two aimed towards the Colts' MVP quarterback, Peyton Manning.

Not only did the hype of this game live up to everything that fans could hope for, but as always storylines developed within the big game to keep the average fan enticed.

The game did not start with fireworks, at least on the field, but it was the Indianapolis Colts who struck first. It was not a touchdown; however, the Colts earned the first leg up in this contest, as the oldest player to ever participate in the Super Bowl, Matt Stover (42 years old) kicked the Colts into the lead.

And just when things started to heat up, the Indianapolis Colts looked to take control of the game late in the first quarter. Peyton Manning engineered a tremendous 96 yard drive capped off with a 19-yard touchdown to Pierre Garcon.

But you didn't think that the Saints were going to go down lightly did you?

Of course not. The Saints were the aggressors all night, and with the case being what it was, a 10-0 score, now more than ever was the time when the Saints had to play their best.

The Saints gave the Colts a little taste of their own medicine, to fight their way back into the game. With Drew Brees at the helm, New Orleans’ confidence level soared as the Saints marched down the field, but the drive was stalled by one Dwight Freeney.

Freeney had much speculation surrounding his health heading into the game, and especially his injured ankle. Well Drew Brees could attest that the defender's ankle was just fine in the first half, as Freeney reached out with his arm and through Brees down on a crucial third down.

A field goal was all the Saints could muster; however, it was time for Gregg Williams' defense to stifle Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts offense.

Whether it was conservative offensive play calling or hardnosed defense, the Saints got the job done in the second quarter relinquishing zero points as well as keeping Manning off the field.

Their only job was to close the gap even further between the Colts, and the Saints did just that. Well, maybe not as ideal as they would have liked, but in the end, the Saints cut the score to 10-6 following a ferocious goal line stand by the Colts, and another three and out by Manning. It was Garrett Hartley that split the uprights for the second time in the game, and it would not be his last kick either.

Could you feel the momentum starting to shift? Well if you didn't, the opening play following The Who's electrifying set coupled with the firework show that followed, got every fan right back into the excitement of what the Super Bowl had in store.

Sean Payton, the Saints head coach did not rely on luck or fate, he and the Saints set their sights on forcing the momentum to swing their way, or in this case, kick the momentum in the Saints direction.

Without a doubt, the second half had a totally different feel and intensity following the Saints impromptu onside kick to start the second half. Sean Payton fought to create and regain their own luck, and the Saints played mistake-free football for the entire game.

The second half seemed like big play after big play, by the Saints and Drew Brees. However it was not just Brees, the production came from eight different receivers, a solid offensive line, and a lockdown defense.

Offensively, the Saints took their first lead of the game when Drew Brees connected with Pierre Thomas for a 19-yard touchdown to cap off the Saints opening drive of the second half.

But sitting back, taking in the Super Bowl, one had to think in the back of their minds that Peyton Manning is going to have an answer. Why? The reason why is because it is Peyton Manning, arguably the best quarterback in the league, both mentally and physically, and the Colts have so much firepower on offense to be stopped.

Sure, you thought right, big number 18 walked onto that field with a quiet confidence and a calm demeanor, and started to drive the Colts down the field. Manning engineered a very balanced drive using his arm, as well as utilizing the ground attack with Joseph Addai. The final result on the drive was a four yard scamper by Addai to make the score 17-13 in favor of the Colts.

And you thought that The Who and all the laughable commercials were the best performances of the Super Bowl! Not so fast my friend, the action was just starting to heat up in Miami!

Nearly instantly, the Saints drove down the field in attempt to regain the lead late in the third quarter. However, another Garrett Hartley field goal was in the cards.

Hartley kicked his third field goal of the contest, as well as kicking himself into the record books, as the only kicker in Super Bowl history to make three field goals of forty or more yards. But Hartley's night would get much sweeter following his field goal.

New Orleans' defense was adding the finishing touches to their script of destiny, while Drew Brees was proving just which quarterback was more deserving of the MVP trophy.

At this point it was still up in the air, but as a fan, you had to think that the Saints were in fact a team destined for greatness.

The Saints offense had their usual playmakers step up, Brees, Pierre Thomas, Marques Colston, Devery Henderson, although when the going got tough, Jeremy Shockey, and Lance Moore were the catalysts on the Saints game-changing drive.

Jeremy Shockey, who missed the Giants Super Bowl win in 2008, caught the go-ahead touchdown pass from Brees with just under six minutes left. The predominantly pro-Saints crowd rejoiced at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, but following Lance Moore's acrobatic two point conversion reception, Saints fans were awaiting the nail in the coffin.

Whether it was a nail in the coffin or a dagger in the chest of Colts fans around the world, Saints fans rejoiced!

In the end, the game came down to one mistake and believe it or not, when the Super Bowl was on the line, one Peyton Manning was the performer with the spotlight on him. Manning was the quarterback that was intercepted, not Brees.

When Saints' cornerback Tracy Porter intercepted Manning with three minutes left in the game, it was almost a case of, "did that really just happen?" Only to blink your eyes, shake your head and listen to Jim Nantz say, "Tracy Porter is going to take it all the way to the end zone. Touchdown New Orleans!"

They say that, legendary performers make legendary plays on legendary stages. In American sports, there is no larger stage than the Super Bowl. And as fans, we thought that Peyton Manning was going to elevate his name and his career amongst the many Hall-of-Fame and elite players in NFL history, with his performance on Sunday.

It was Drew Brees, who exuded himself as a legend during the Super Bowl. As a player, Brees had a nearly perfect performance completing 32 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns. Brees placed his name amongst other elite Super Bowl performances like Phil Simms and Tom Brady.

As a person, Brees did everything right. Before the game Brees talked about how much a win would mean for the city of New Orleans and the State of Louisiana, and refrained from talking about the great accomplishments that the Saints achieved this season. Brees and the rest of the Saints knew that if they prepared and played their game, as a team, they could all rejoice and celebrate, as a nation on the grandest stage of them all.

What a way to cap off an excitement filled extravaganza known as the Super Bowl! And for me, the best image of the Super Bowl was not the commercials, the half time show, the action packed play, but a true sight to see: Drew Brees holding his one year old son in his arms with tears flowing from his eyes. That is the sight of something legendary!

Bleacher Report - Front Page

Andrew Brining — 2010-02-08 19:30:11 GMT

Here's a little courtesy nudge for those Indianapolis Colt and Peyton Manning fans still in denial after yet another tortuous ending to the season for both.

Listen to almost every single ex-National Football League player and coach. They'll tell you the same thing.

Right or wrong, you must win Super Bowls and perform in the postseason to be considered THE greatest quarterback of all time.

Not ONE of the greats, THE greatest.

Stat geeks and faithful fans will argue for this and that qualifier because they have good reason—football is a team game and no single player or coach wins/loses the contest.

But perception can (and should) become reality if it endures for enough time.

In the NFL, for as long as I can remember, the perception has been that the team rides or dies with its signal-caller. There are most certainly exceptions, but they are rare.

That's why QBs are taken No. 1 overall in the draft so frequently. That's why most teams at the bottom of the pack are desperately looking for the elusive "franchise quarterback."

It's also why Peyton Manning will never go down as THE greatest quarterback in the NFL's history until he rights his postseason wrongs.

A list that's now 74 yards and six points longer thanks to Tracy Porter.

As always is true of a professional football game, there is plenty of credit to spread around the New Orleans Saints' locker room as there is blame to spread on the Indianapolis Colts' side of the ball.

However, the history books tell us that's the lesser part of the story.

If you want proof, just check the pre-Super Bowl XLIV hype—here , here , here , here , here , here , here , or here . You get the picture; this was Manning's game to win even if the Colts did it as a team.

You know that, had Indy won, it would be No. 18 surrounded by microphones, cameras, and the unabashed adulation of the country. Just look at what's now happening to Drew Brees and rightly so.

Still, there were other invaluable contributions from Saints on the gridiron Sunday.

Brees got excellent protection, timely contributions from a savage defense (when they made the play, which wasn't always), a great game from his place kicker, and typically unappreciated work from the wrecking ball otherwise known as Pierre Thomas.

Yet the Most Valuable Player of the game was a foregone conclusion due to the record-tying blinder authored by the Saints' quarterback.

Going forward, the details will fall away for the majority of fans and Brees will stand alone. Quick—tell me something remarkable about Super Bowl XXIX other than Steve Young's liberating day.

I'll wait.

Sadly, the same will be true of Manning on the other end of the spectrum.

Yes, Pierre Garcon and Reggie Wayne had brutal drops (so did Marques Colston). Yes, head coach Jim Caldwell got thumped by his New Orleans Saint counterpart, Sean Payton. Yes, Matt Stover pulled the 51-yard kick to the left. Yes, Hank Baskett triggered the onsides debacle.

Yes, you can point to a thousand other details that help explain one of the larger upsets in recent memory and none of them feature the word "Peyton" or "Manning."

But that's partially the point—assessing THE Greatest of All Time doesn't take a fine-toothed comb, insider info, or a degree in sabermetrics (or whatever you'd call the football equivalent).

When you're THE best to ever play a game, you resonate with casual fans and experts alike.

And you do it on all levels—not just statistically and during the regular season.

If you take a numerical magnifying glass to the National Basketball Association, you can find more names eligible for THE greatest of all time than just Michael Jordan and Bill Russell. Take the same to Major League Baseball, and you can also open the discussion beyond the usual suspects (Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, etc.).

These are the top fraction of a percent of the athletes to compete on their chosen field; the gaps between the top and the bottom pro just aren't that big in an absolute sense. Consequently, you look closely enough at any elite player in any sport and you can probably make an argument that he is THE best to ever play based on contextual deficiencies.

That's not to dismiss intricate, complex analysis in all or even the majority of situations—just this one.

Because THE greatest of all time is a title earned from the experts and the bumbling, drunken masses—not one or the other.

Manning's latest postseason failure and his most excruciating (even for some of us who don't fancy ourselves fans of his) will be yet another brick in the wall preventing most observers from seeing him as THE greatest of all time.

The pick-six can never really be washed away; it's gotta be a QB's worst nightmare.

Porter deserves credit for the interception because it was a cerebral move and an athletic feat. Perhaps more impressively, he turned Manning's most dangerous weapons—that slant/stick route, Reggie Wayne, and excessive film study—against the future Hall-of-Famer.

But Manning still threw the pigskin.

More importantly, it's another indelible image on the wrong side of the scale against which the New Orleans' native has little of postseason substance to counter.

Think about Manning's most memorable games in the playoffs—you've got the comeback he engineered against the New England Patriots in the American Football Conference Championship in 2006-07, a bunch of early round burners, and the Super Bowl MVP that he won for the comeback against the Pats.

Not much depth or weight to go against even the Porter pick-six.

Forget about the one-and-dones, the precipitous drops in performance (both actual and statistical), and the 9-9 record.

Worse, would THE greatest of all time get outplayed on the biggest stage by another quarterback? No matter how excellent.

Joe Montana didn't.

Tom Brady didn't—he was at least as good as Eli Manning in defeat.

Those are the two names I've got clearly ahead of Manning. Though the distance between Peyton and Brady closed considerably this year—in fact, absent the INT, I'd have vaulted the Manning Face over Tom Terrific.

Furthermore, would THE greatest leader of all time in THE most team-oriented game share the blame?

Says here "no" because, even though he did have a culpable defense, special teams, and receiving corps, it was Manning's gaffe that put the game out of reach.

Yet during his press conference, Manning did just that.

He wasn't wrong and he wasn't overly critical, but it sounded eerily similar to when he dumped his offensive line under the bus following the 2005-06 AFC Divisional Playoff loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

A quarterback who revels in the attention when things go well can't suddenly start deflecting the spotlight when it goes wrong. If you're gonna take all those interviews, all those endorsements, all those television spots, all those cameos, all that money, and all the other perks that accompany "The Man" honors, you must also take the flip to its coin.

That means swallowing your pride and taking your lumps for the team, even if they're unwarranted.

Because all the positive individual attention is unwarranted, too.

Even in the wake of Super Bowl XLIV, his apologists are flopping down Manning's statistical dominance and regular season exploits as proof of his claim to the throne.

Conveniently, they make the opposite side's argument almost perfectly—that the middle Manning is the greatest regular season QB of all time is beyond doubt.

You can point to his four Most Valuable Player awards and take the argument in one swoop. Or you can mix in his per-game statistical brilliance, consistency, winning percentage, fourth quarter comebacks, and severely beat the dead horse.

Nevertheless, the brighter the shine on the quarterback's regular season, the darker his postseason numbers look by comparison.

This was true before the big game and it's truer in the aftermath.

Which means Super Bowl XLIV doesn't cast a pall over his legacy, it just deepens the shadow already there.

Happily, there's still plenty of time for Peyton Manning to bring out the Sun.

**www.pva.org**

Bleacher Report - Front Page

Kendrick Marshall — 2010-02-08 19:32:02 GMT

In every game, there are hidden moments that determine victory or defeat that don't get mentioned in the boxscore or during the immediate breakdown following the contest.

While New Orleans Saints defensive back Tracy Porter's 74-yard interception return for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter was ultimately the deciding play in Super Bowl XLIV, there were four plays that had a more significant impact.

Pierre Garcon's second quarter drop.

Every wide receiver drops a pass in a big game. It happens. However, Garcon failing to secure a perfect Peyton Manning third-down delivery near midfield with 8:23 in the second quarter halted the Colts' momentum. The drop also led to a New Orleans score to cut a then 10-3 lead to 10-6 by halftime when it appeared the Saints were playing on their heels during the early stages of the game. Following the incomplete pass the Colts only ran six plays the remainder of the first-half as New Orleans offense controlled the clock and gained confidence.

Indianapolis failing to convert on third-and-one late in the first-half.

After the Colts' defense stoned the Saints on four downs just feet from the endzone, Indianapolis took over with three timeouts and a chance to at the very least make New Orleans use their compliment of timeouts leaving them little time to score. Getting the ball back with 1:49 left in the second quarter the Colts ran three plays only running 46 seconds off the clock. The final play was a run by little used running back Mike Hart that netted no gain on third down.

A 46-yard punt by Colts punter Pat McAfee to the New Orleans 44 was just the field position Drew Brees needed to march the offense down the field in five plays that setup a Garrett Hartley 44-yard field-goal.

Mike Jenkins fourth quarter touchdown saving tackle.

With the Colts in possession of the ball to start the final quarter, and on the cusp of adding to their 17-16 lead, Manning dialed up a second down wide receiver screen to Austin Collie at the Saints 30. With Garcon securing his defender down field, a big gain was in the making. But Mike Jenkins evaded an offensive lineman to break up the play in the backfield resulting in a loss of three yards.

Manning's fourth quarter incomplete pass to Collie.

Following the three-yard loss on an attempted wide receiver screen the previous play creating a third-down-and-11 at the New Orleans 33, Manning tried to hit Collie on a seam route in the endzone. The pass was broken up by Saints' linebacker Jonathan Vilma who chased Collie 30 yards down field as part of his Cover-2 responsibility to break up the pass. Colts kicker Matt Stover then missed a 51-yard field goal attempt that would have given his team a 20-16 lead. The Saints went onto score the final 15 points of the game to seal a Super Bowl win.

Bleacher Report - Front Page

Zach Bolen — 2010-02-08 17:44:03 GMT

After watching last night's Super Bowl performance by the Indianapolis Colts, I had to put some things in perspective. As it is a disappointment to all Colts fans that they team was unable to secure their second Super Bowl win in four years, some rays of light came out and became very apparent to me.

The first thing is that the Colts still have a very good team to build on. Being the best in the AFC this year just shows that while there is still room for improvement, the Colts are still the standard in football's elite. Taking a team riddled with injuries (mainly Bob Sanders, Marlin Jackson and Anthony Gonzalez) and replacing them with young, under-developed talent (Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie, Melvin Bullitt and Jerraud Powers) shows that this team has the fortitude to make it back to this stage several more times before Manning hangs the cleats up.

Secondly, it showed that the Colts can be outplayed. I am not sure of the actual mentality of the players coming into this game, being that the last Super Bowl they won was against a VERY overrated Chicago Bears team led by the awesome-less power of Rex Grossman. Now, it is true that the Colts held the tempo on both sides of the ball in the first half, but coming out after their first drive in the second half and scoring a touchdown, they lost their sense of rhythm on defense and it showed. This is something that the coaches will want to work on in the off season to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Next is motivation. This loss is going to leave a nasty taste in the mouths of Indianapolis players. They are going to work harder and longer to make sure that they reach this pinnacle again, and they will have a hunger to win the next Super Bowl. With the majority of the Colts players coming back to Indy next season, they will be able to skip all of the learning aspects you get with new players and focus on improving.

Lastly, I have to say it was inspiring. I am talking about certain players, well one player really that came to play, even though it was questioned whether or not he would. Dwight Freeney's ankle injury was obviously bothering him throughout the game, but he still gave it 110 percent, and even recorded a sack, despite being double teamed most of the night. With determination like that, you can see that the team will use that sort of mentality for next season. If it's for the team, you do what it takes. Cheers Dwight.

Now I must congratulate the New Orleans Saints. They played an amazing game last night, and even with their gambles, it paid off big. Hopefully the city of New Orleans can use this as a motivating factor to help get them back on their feet, and help put this whole Hurricane Katrina issue behind them. I will tell you what, despite what I have said in previous articles, this win was truly deserved. I also would really like to congratulate Purdue great Drew Brees on another record setting performance. We hope to see you in Super Bowl XLV, the rematch.

"Who Dat?"

SBNation.com - All Posts

Andrew Sharp — 2010-02-08 18:18:39 GMT

Bill Haber - AP

about 15 hours ago: New Orleans Saints fans celebrate the Saints' 31-17 NFL football Super Bowl victory over the Indianapolis Colts in the French Quarter in New Orleans, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Bill Haber)

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SB Nation's Andrew Sharp emerges from spending Super Bowl Sunday at a Las Vegas sportsbook, where he bet big on the Saints and rode a roller coaster of emotion with hundreds of other "diehard" New Orleans fans.

Las Vegas is a city where the rhythms of the place almost perfectly match the landscape. Deep, depressing valleys that seem to go on forever, and then out of nowhere, these majestic, skyscraping hotels that seem too good to be true. Emptiness and excess, side-by-side, a staging ground for dreams and desperation in equal measure.

We're talking about gambling, of course. Ruminations of Nevada's landscape aside, sit long enough at a blackjack table, and you'll see the same neverending valleys and too-good-to-be-true, "I can't believe my luck" peaks. Over and over again this happens. Every day, new tourists show up, and go through the same motions. Sweeping from high to low or, if they're lucky, vice versa. Usually it's amateurs like me that produce the most melodramatic swoons, but even from the grizzled Vegas veterans, you'll see hiccups of giddiness or despair as they momentarily lose their poker face on a streak gone hot or cold. Peaks and valleys. It happens to everyone.

That's Vegas. The rhythms of the place match the landscape. But only if you look closely, will you see that much. Only if you spend a few hours at the blackjack table or in the poker rooms or the craps table. Rarely do you see it all distilled into one, three hour orgy of adrenalin, where everyone's fortunes hinge on the same game. Then, the subtle rhythms of a blackjack table take a backseat to a thousand people shouting at the top of their lungs, high-fiving strangers, and riding the waves of a game for three hours straight.

That's Vegas on Super Bowl Sunday, where I was yesterday. And God it was awesome.

From 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., I spent most of my Super Bowl Sunday wandering around the Mandalay Bay Sportsbook in Las Vegas. And forget any larger statements on the rhythms of Vegas or any other meaning that might be derived from my experience this. If there's anything essential to be taken away from my experience, it's this: A Sportsbook is a fan's paradise. If you haven't been, go. And if you have been, you should probably go again. It's the environment that every fan tries to cultivate when they build their dream home theater. Multiple TVs, plush chairs, bars all around, crappy food. This is what we want. GET TO VEGAS NOW.

But that's not even the best part. What puts the whole experience over the top are the people. Even if you don't gamble, there's nothing better than watching a game with a roomful of sports gamblers. Because there's no fan that's more hardcore than a guy that just laid big money on a big game. Even if they don't like the team they just bet on, come gametime, they'll root just as hard and just as loud as any diehard you know. It's awesome.

Maybe I was in the wrong casino, but there weren't many Saints or Colts fans at Mandalay Bay on Sunday, and it didn't make the slightest difference. All the years of emotional investment that make fans go nuts for a big game, at least in a practical sense, can be bought. Bet enough money to make your palms sweat, and before you know it you'll be screaming WHO DAT, high-fiving a bunch of rough look Hispanic dudes that also bet on the Saints, and steering clear of that Colts fan who kicked you out of his reserved seating once he realized you were a Saints fan. And yeah, maybe that was just me, but I'm telling you, this is what happens.

In a matter of minutes, and without any previous allegiances to a given team, people become the best kind of sports fans—living and dying with every success and failure, and forming bonds with strangers over teams that neither person will care about a few hours later. It's truly awesome to watch. Cheering for laundry, yes, but cheering 'till their voice gets hoarse.

For me, it was sort of like that, but with a personal twist. I wagered an irresponsible amount of money on the Saints to win outright (as opposed to the 5.5 points they were getting with the spread). This made me a pretty big Saints fan for the day, but it was exacerbated by an external factor. Not only did I bet on the Saints, but I did it out of pure spite. We'll get to that later, but it bears mentioning that as the game unfolded, it felt even more personal for me. But, anyway... Let's talk about the game.

People began gathering in the Sportsbook as early as 10 a.m. There were a bunch of people in and out throughout the day, but from what I could see, 10 a.m. was when people showed up with plans to stay 'till the end of the game. Considering the game didn't start until 3:40 in Vegas, that's pretty impressive dedication. That, and the line to place bets at the Sportsbook was never less than 50 people long, and must have been stretched longer than a 100 for most of the early afternoon. So early on, it was clear pretty that this was an Event, even for the gamblers that are normally nonplussed by this stuff.

The buzz had been building all day long, and surprisingly, things hit a crescendo when CBS played that Jay-Z, "Run This Town" introduction. How many different networks have licensed that song? 3? 5?10? I feel like I've heard that song used a thousand different times the past few months, but given the reaction in Vegas, I guess it's still new to some people. From that point on, there was a nervous energy that overtook the place.

(At this point, I was just nervous. Not for the game, but about using my cell phone, which I do as a reflex, wherever I am. In a casino's sportsbook, that's not looked upon kindly. At one point there was an announcement: "The use of cellular phones is strictly prohibited if you are in line, or at the betting counter. If you are using a cellular phone, you have three seconds to put it down, or you WILL be electroshocked." Were they joking? Probably. But then... Have you seen Casino? A healthy fear of casino managers is never a bad thing.)

And just as the place was pulsating with nervous energy and kickoff was getting closer, the Sportsbook announced they'd be broadcasting the Super Bowl on tape delay, in favor of a "really great WNBA highlight tape." Because any joke about the WNBA is a good and necessary joke, this made me laugh out loud. But it was also just an admirable attempt from the casino to screw with the keyed up audience, most of whom were too distracted to actually get the joke. A small moment, but it put me in a good mood.

Then came the coin toss, and let's put it this way: If you're the type of person that travels to Vegas to watch the Super Bowl in a Sportsbook, you're the type of person who bets on the coin toss. When it came up heads, it was easily one of the top five cheers of the night, and a sign that, well, sh** just got real.

From here, we could go through everything that happened in the game and the reactions, but given the deluge of analysis today, you probably don't need any more recaps. Instead, I'll just mention four moments that really stood out for me on Sunday.

The First Punt, 42 Yards From Thomas Morstead. Like any good interloper in Vegas, I decided early on that I had to indulge in at least a few bets that were designed specifically for gambling addicts. And with that goal in mind, "Over/Under On First Punt of the Game" seemed right up my alley. I took the over on 42.5, thinking the Super Bowl adrenalin would translate to big kicks. And wouldn't you know it? Thomas Morstead kicked it forty-two. And if nothing else, this was an indication of just how terrifying Vegas is. Like, really? They can get it within half-a-yard? Jesus. I'd be terrified to have Vegas put lines on things in my life. Like, do I really want to know where they'd put the over/under on sexual partners? Or, "odds that Sharp will use a Wire reference in his NBA article: 9/5." It would haunt me to no end. And with Vegas, it's just routine. All in the game.
The Colts Made Me Hate Vegas. It's impossible to state how overconfident the Colts fans were after the Pierre Garcon touchdown put Indy up 10-0. It was otherworldly, it was suffocating, and... It was all prelude to how insufferable they became after Indianapolis stopped New Orleans on fourth-and-goal late in the first half. At that point, I just wanted to go to the airport and get on my flight out of town. Imagine being surrounded by flashing lights, cigarette smoke, and Colts fans shouting about Gary Brackett. This was a serious, serious valley—hopelessly depressing, and with no end in sight. At that point, a redeye flight to snowed-in Washington D.C. seemed shockingly appealing. The worst part: Who could argue with them? At that point, the Colts had made things look effortless. A few miscues on offense had kept them from getting points in the second quarter, but going into the half an onslaught seemed no less inevitable than it had all week long.
Who Dat Hits A Fever Pitch. Speaking of inevitable outcomes, it was amazing how reluctant the celebrations were when the Colts scored their go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. People went nuts, don't get me wrong. But not until New Orleans won that challenge—and the Saints had a seven-point lead—did things go really crazy. At that point, what sounded like the whole casino broke into a "WHO DAT" chant, and you almost forgot that half the people there had bet on the Colts. The whole place was unhinged from that point forward.
Jesus, That Onside Kick... The most surreal moment of the night for everyone, not just the degenerates in the sportsbook. But good lord. In case you forgot exactly what happened, the Saints went for the onside kick, and then there were a solid three minutes when nobody had any idea who had the ball. You can imagine how that played out in the sportsbook. Just everyone in the place screaming at the top of their lungs for like five minutes straight, half panicked, half excited. And then afterward, Colts bettors in disbelief, while I, along with all the others who'd bet on the Saints, suddenly had new life. Just... Amazing.

And clearly, whatever happened to the Saints fans at Mandalay Bay, it happened to the Saints, themselves. They were a different team afterward, and that was the game. Instead of backpedaling on defense and settling for field goals, the Saints became the aggressors, and everyone—fans in the casino, players on the sideline—suddenly believed that New Orleans would win the game. The next hour or so was a blur of spontaneous yelling and Who Dat chants that, again, I'll remember for the rest of my life.

When the game ended, everyone who'd been stupid enough to bet on the Saints rushed the counter, chanting at the top of their lungs, exchange high-fives with everyone they saw, and generally reacting like their favorite team had just won the Super Bowl. For most of them, that wasn't true, but then... That's the magic of Vegas. Sunday night, everybody that'd bet big on the Saints made themselves temporary members of Who Dat nation. This was true of most Americans, yes, but to the people that'd actually had faith enough to put money on New Orleans, there was heightened investment, and even more of an emotional reward when they won.

And I, myself, felt a particular satisfaction.

The reason I bet on the Saints wasn't because I thought they could win or because "the city of New Orleans really deserved to win." It was far less noble. Basically, I put a lot of money on the Saints, solely to spite Colts fans that'd pissed me off weeks before. It all started with a brief article where I mentioned that Chris Johnson had a legitimate case for NFL MVP. Go and read the comments. I was called "retarded" and "kind of a hack" by the head writer of SB Nation's Colts blog, to say nothing of inane comments from other Colts fans.

A few weeks later, when I had the gall to point readers toward a good article in GQ, I received a few personal e-mails from that same head writer, Big Blue Shoe, basically insulting me and my work.

For a young writer, it was actually a great experience. We later met in person and he explained himself by saying he's "very impulsive" and "prone to overreaction" and that really, it's all part of his persona. In other words, it's sort of his schtick. And that's fine. He never actually apologized, but I understand. It's his schtick. It's just that I don't have much respect for schtick of any sort.

And on Sunday, that's what compelled me to bet on the Saints to win outright. Not because I thought New Orleans would really win, but because even if they lost, it was the right thing to do. The Colts were a juggernaut, and I didn't have high expectations for the Saints defense, but sometimes you just have to roll with your principles.

And then this happened...

And it became clear that the Saints were going to win. Score one for the good guys, at least in my book. For one night, Vegas and a few Colts fans had turned me into a hardcore Saints fan. And after experiencing the valleys in the first half, the peak felt better than ever. Pausing every few minutes to count the stack of hundred dollar bills I'd just won, I spent the rest of the night on air, bouncing around while people played "Saints Come Marching In" on the piano over and over again, the whole casino cheered the Saints, and of course, chanting their trademark.

WHO DAT SAY DEY GON BEAT DEM SAINTS?

SB Nation - Indianapolis Colts

John Bena — 2010-02-08 17:38:28 GMT

More photos » Mark J. Terrill - AP

about 15 hours ago: New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees celebrates with his son Baylen and wife Brittany after winning the NFL Super Bowl XLIV football game against the Indianapolis Colts in Miami, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010. The Saints won 31-17. after winning the NFL Super Bowl XLIV football game against the Indianapolis Colts in Miami, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010. The Saints won 31-17. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints, winners of Super Bowl XLIV. I have seen the spectrum so far, from people calling this a great Super Bowl, to others saying it was boring. I've talked many times about not being a prisoner to the present. To me, there is no need to immediately look to to try and place this Super Bowl into historical reference with the other 43 games, just because the 24 news cycle says we should. I like to let it sink in for a bit. I can say that it was an entertaining football game and at no point was I disappointed with the action on the field.

Now for some reactions to the game, with some Broncos-centric thoughts for good measure.

Play of the Game - There are plenty of options, from the On-Side Kick, to Peyton's interception. To me, I always look for something a bit more subtle that changes the momentum in a game. That play was the Pierre Garcon drop in the 2nd Quarter, with the Colts leading 10-3. It was 3rd and 4 from the Indy 28 yard line. The Colts hadn't been stopped yet. Garcon ran a 10-yard crossing route and Manning hit him right in the hands with a pass that would have picked up the first down, and likely much more. Instead, it forced the Colts to punt, and allowed the Saints defense to exhale just a bit.

It's always plays like that, moments in a game that few remember that actually change the momentum. The Saints offense had finally loosened up a bit the possession before, getting a field goal. The defense was still struggling a bit, trying to figure out how to slow Peyton Manning down. The best way to do that, as we all know, is to keep the ball out of his hands. That drop took the ball out of his hands, and gave it back to the Saints. The Saints had the ball for 13:00 of the 2nd quarter, in large part because of that play.

Momentum is a funny thing. It can swing back and forth like a pendulum until someone grabs a hold of it. For me, the Saints grabbed the momentum from that point forward. It showed on the scoreboard as well - The score before the drop was 10-3 Colts. The Saints outscored the Colts after the drop 28-7. You do the math.

Clock Management Clinic - The Saints players and coaching staff was on top of its game yesterday - impressive for a group that was making it's firsst trip to the Super Bowl. Case in point? The 4th and Goal decision late in the first half. Down 10-3, the Saints went for it on 4th and Goal from the 2. The Colts stopped the Saints in what many people thought could be the back-breaker. The 2nd-guessers were flooding in, questioning Sean Payton. Why take points off the board?? Simple - situational football.

With just under 2 minutes to go in the half, the Saints had essentially put all their cards on the table. Jim Caldwell had a choice - go all-in or fold his hand. With the lead, and the ball at his 1 yard line, Caldwell chose to run it 3 straight times. Payton had gambled that this is how the Colts would do it - think about it. If Payton goes for 3, he's kicking the ball to the Colts with 2 minutes to go. Realistically, the worst case for the Colts is the ball at the 20 yard-line, 3 timeouts and 2 minutes on the clock. Manning is one of the best in the business in that situation.

In other words, the situation called for Payton to go for it on 4th down. In essence, the risk of losing 3 points was less than giving Manning the ball in a 2-minute situation. The Saints executed, stopping the Colts on defense, then driving into field goal range. In the end, they got everything they had hoped for, minus a touchdown. In some ways, you wonder if Sean Payton preferred to be down 10-6, and in the locker room, than tied at 10, with 2 minutes to go and Peyton Manning on the field.

What Officials - How nice was it to watch a football game without a constant barrage of yellow flags every other play. Scott Green, officiating his first Super Bowl, and his crew, did an outstanding job of letting two great football teams determine the outcome on the field. We all know that some penalties, like holding, happen on every play. Calling a host of penalties, like the crews of Jeff Tripplet or Ron Winter, ruin the flow of a game, especially the offenses.

Even the one challenge, on the 2-point conversion, was handled perfectly by the officials. The line-judge made the correct call, saying it was incomplete. He can only call what he sees. In that instant, it appeared that the ball was incomplete, that Lance Moore did not have possession.

Of course, Scott Green was correct to overturn that call as well. Thanks to double the camera angles of a regular game, Green had several great looks at it. He saw that Moore did, indeed, have possession when the ball crosses the plane of the goal-line. At that point, since Moore when to the ground on his own, the rest of the play is moot.

Great job by Green and his crew of NOT becoming part of the game!

The On-Side Kick and Stealing Possessions - For many, the play of the game was Sean Payton's decision to start the 2nd Half with an on-side kick. It was a ballsy call made by a coach that is not afraid to take chances. He has faith in his football team, faith in his players, and confidence in his preparation. He also knows what we all know too well - to beat Peyton Manning you have to keep the ball away from him, steal a possession if you can.

Rewind to mid-December when the Broncos traveled to Indianapolis to face the Colts. The Broncos won the toss and elected to defer, thus giving the Colts the first possession of the game. The Colts promptly went down, scored a Touchdown, and fans everywhere bashed Josh McDaniels' decision to give Peyton Manning the ball. Of course, a little situational football analysis will tell you, deferring actually gives you an extra possession - statistically, the team that defers will end up with the ball at the end of the half, then receive the opening kick-off of the 2nd Half. An extra possession. MHR's own T.J. Johnson looked at this scenario back in December.

In that game, the Broncos did have the ball to end the half, and did receive the opening kick-off of the 2nd half. In fact, the Broncos had numerous chances in Colts' territory in the 3rd and 4th quarters after Manning threw 3 interceptions. The Broncos just didn't execute and capitalize on their chances.

Back to the Super Bowl. Many people thought Payton might defer after winning the coin-toss, but his motives turned out to be much sneakier than that. Taking advantage of the long halftime - and the fact that no team had tried an on-side kick earlier than the 4th Quarter - Payton essentially did what McDaniels was trying to do to the Colts - steal a possession. The on-side kick worked, yes, but more importantly, the Saints TOOK ADVANTAGE of the recovery by scoring a Touchdown on the drive - exactly what the Broncos COULD NOT do.

What's the point to all this? Execution. Coaches can have all the numbers, they can know all the situations. Players, however, are the ones that make a coach look like a genius or a goat. In this situation, the players executed. Think back to how many times the Broncos didn't convert a 3rd or 4th and short. Those plays, those small failures, are the difference between 12-4 and 8-8. The playcalls aren't incorrect. Given the situations, Josh McDaniels made the right decisions more often than not. It was the players - be it lack of talent or lack of preparation - that were to blame.

That still falls to the coach, of course, but remember. The Saints weren't built in a day. They were in the NFC Championship Game a 3 years ago and have been building their defense. The Broncos are on the right path, but need to continue the process.

Drew Brees, Super Bowl MVP - I have to admit. Watching Brees holding his son - headphones and all - after the game was pretty touching. And somewhere, Chargers fans have to be wondering, "What If?". What if Brees hadn't gotten hurt in a meaningless game to end the 2005 season? What if Brees had stayed in San Diego? Brees, from Purdue, was a late bloomer. It was part of the reason the Chargers ended up drafting Eli Manning with the #1 pick in the draft and trading him to New York for Phillip Rivers. They had essentially given up on Drew Brees. Remember, the only reason Brees was starting in 2004 was because Rivers held out too long to viably compete for the job.

Perhaps this is why I'd like to give another Purdue grad, Kyle Orton, a legitimate shot as the starting quarterback of the Broncos. Orton put up the best numbers of his career - and if he doesn't get hurt against Washington who knows how the season unfolds. He has more than proven his toughness - anyone remember that finger injury - and he can put up the numbers. The Broncos are not a finished product, and I think starting over at the QB position would be a step backwards - not a step forward. Who knows, we could have another late bloomer on our hands!

Peyton Manning, Chokester? Many people are saying Peyton Manning choked. I disagree. The New Orleans Saints are a really, really good football team. To say Manning choked is to take credit away from what the Saints were able to accomplish. A bad pass? Certainly. Give the Saints, and Tracy Porter, credit however, for making a play. While Manning was able to pick the Saints defense apart, his feet never looked comfortable. I always look at a quarterback's feet to gauge if he is comfortable in the pocket. Brees looked comfortable because his lower-half was calm. Manning's lower half was not.

The Saints have been living this way for much of the season. They give up yards, they give up points, but they make the big play when they need it, more often than not. They did against Arizona, then against Minnesota. The same held true against Indianapolis as well. Think about that for a moment - to win the Super Bowl, the Saints beat Kurt Warner, then Brett Favre, then Peyton Manning. Talk about earning it. Those are three Hall of Fame-caliber quarterbacks.

So no, Peyton Manning didn't choke any more than the Saints defense did what it has done all year - make a play when it had to.

In the end, Super Bowl 44 was an outstanding football game. Maybe not the "best athletic event in the history of the galaxy" or whatever people will say, but an excellent football game. The Saints were deserving winners and have lifted the spirits of a city, and region. Hopefully the attention paid to New Orleans over the next couple of days will help the rebuilding process. Several parts of southern Louisiana are still uninhabitable. Let's hope the Saints' win helps to change that.

As for the Colts? Well, like I said to them, 30 teams are jealous of where they are today. They'll be back, and Peyton Manning might even be more motivated now, now that he has tasted defeat.

A scary thought.

Broncos Forums

admin — 2010-02-08 16:40:01 GMT

ProFootballTalk: Tony Dungy: Pierre Garcon's drop was game's turning point http://tinyurl.com/y9hwhbz #NFL More......

Blogging The Boys

Rafael Vela — 2010-02-08 16:26:02 GMT

More photos » Julie Jacobson - AP

Sean Payton beat the Colts in a game of possession tennis. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

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We see head coaches in the NFL mangle clock management at the end of halves on a weekly basis. Too few coaches can think tactically, getting the play call for the down and distance correctly, while simultaneously getting the strategic aspect of play calling right.

Last night, Saints honcho Sean Payton made a series of calls which turned a potentially losing possession sequence in his favor. It's a case study in how thinking small won big.

The Super Bowl on Centre Court

New Orleans problems started when they won the coin toss and then promptly flopped on their first possession. The Colts methodically drove 11 plays and kicked a field goal. The Saints gained one first down the next time out but had to punt after Marques Colston dropped a deep in on the Colts side of the 50. Manning again led an eleven play drive, this time reaching the end zone.

At the end of the first quarter the Colts had 149 total yards and ten points. Saints DC Gregg Williams' game plan was to make Manning play slow-ball; he ran a lot of 3-3-5 fronts, and was changing his coverages behind his line. Williams' quickly learned that neither of his outside linebackers, Scott Fujita or Scott Shanle, could provide pressure as edge rushers. (Manning would leave the game unsacked, and was rarely pressured.) If the Colts were going to be stopped, the Saints secondary would have to make plays. Some help from the Colts would also be welcome.

At this point, the Super Bowl looked like a tennis match, where the Saints had twice been broken and the Colts had held their first two serves. New Orleans' offense found its legs on its third series, grinding for its own 11-play field goal drive, but Payton knew he had to get back on serve, or Manning would simply stay one possession ahead of him. Think of Indy's win over the Chiefs in the '04 divisional playoffs, a 38-31 shootout where neither team punted but a lone Chiefs turnover left them one score short of the Colts all day.

Pierre Garcon gave one possession back to New Orleans when he matched Colston's drop of a first down pass. New Orleans again moved methodically down the field and looked ready to tie the game when a twisting 27 yard catch-and-run by Colston put New Orleans at first-and-goal on the Colts 3. Here, Payton showed that how you score means as much as getting the points.

The clock showed just over 4:00 when Colston made his play. A quick Saints score could have pushed pulled New Orleans even, but Manning would have roughly three and a half minutes to put his team back in front, and there was little evidence the Saints defense could stop him at this point. What's worse, the Colts were due to get the second half kickoff. The Colts were anticipating two consecutive possessions. It was quite possible that Manning could put them up 20-10 or 24-10 or 24-6 and leave the Saints gasping for life. Nobody would find surprise with such an outcome.

Payton went for the quick score, throwing to Lance Moore on first down. He was stopped for no gain. Then, the Saints got a happy accident, one which appeared awful at the time. Backup lineman Zach Strief, a situational short-yardage blocker, was flagged for a false start, moving the Saints back to the eight.

Payton then called a run for Pierre Thomas, which gained seven yards. Just as important, it moved the clock to the two-minute warning. The Saints called a second run, which was stuffed at the line. The Colts called time out at 1:55, setting up a 4th-and-1 decision for Payton.

He could take the easy field goal, and cut the lead to 10-6, but he would give Manning the ball after the kickoff somewhere in decent field position, with around 1:45 left and two time outs. The same two-straight-possession situation would apply. Payton decided to go for the touchdown, figuring that even if he failed, he would leave Manning at his own one, and lessen the odds that he would throw down the field.

Indianapolis again stuffed a Saints run, but Payton's field-position gambit worked perfectly. Starting at his own one, Manning called three consecutive runs, trying to get one first down before stopping the clock. The Colts don't run well when you know runs are coming, and a key 3rd-and-1 stop by the Saints D got New Orleans the ball at their 48 with 35 seconds left in the half. Drew Brees found Henderson in the middle for 19 yards on the very next play, setting up Garrett Hartley's 44 yard field goal. The Saints went to intermission down 10-6.

New Orleans still got points from the end-of-half sequence. The Saints would have preferred a touchdown, no doubt, but by pinning Indy at its one, Payton took the ball out of Peyton Manning's hands. The coach did it again when he called a gutsy -- and successful -- onside kick to open the second half. New Orleans found the end zone on that drive and the Saints had a 13-10 lead.

The wisdom, and perhaps the necessity of Payton's moves was demonstrated on Indy's opening 2nd half drive. Manning led the Colts on their third double-digit play scoring drive. This one covered 76 yards in 10 plays. Instead of putting the game away, however, it merely answered the Saints' touchdown.

Sean Payton had stopped two Colts series, one with field position passing shot and the second with a special teams ace. Add Garcon's double fault and the Saints were back on serve. When the Colts continued to blow possessions, missing a field goal, throwing an interception and turning the ball over on downs, the Saints rally was complete.

This Super Bowl was a ball-control affair. New Orleans finished the game with nine possessions. The Colts had eight. By negating the last Colts 1st half possession and stealing their anticipated opener in the 2nd, Sean Payton turned a tight game into a runaway. He took strategy from a game which doesn't have a clock and ran out the time on the Colts' title hopes.

Game, set and match to New Orleans.

Bleacher Report - Front Page

Noah — 2010-02-08 15:08:45 GMT

Much like two weeks ago, an errant throw against the Saints by one of the icons of the league appears like it will dominate postgame discussion, moving most to ignore some critical sequences that helped swing the game in favor of the Saints.

The onside kick will receive its proper due. It was an unconventional gamble that led to a touchdown and the Saints' first lead. The last two minutes of the second quarter, however, may have been just as important in shifting momentum over to the Saints' side and setting the stage for the second half.

Timeout. It was the two minute warning, and Indy treaded precariously with the Saints one yard away from capping a six minute Peyton-free segment with seven points. For the Saints, the score would complete their recovery from a 10-point deficit and put Lady Momentum squarely in their corner.

At this crucial moment, though, the undersized and oft-maligned Colts run defense held its ground. Well, don't give them too much credit on the first play. Mike Bell simply slipped on the grass (amazing, they're still playing with that stuff in a Super Bowl) trying to make a cut. Colts timeout with 1:55 remaining.

The second play, however, was a great team effort by the linebackers and line as Pierre Thomas' multiple efforts were stopped cold at the one yard line. With that, it looked like Indianapolis would go into the second half with momentum and the rock in Peyton Manning's thus far unblemished arm.

With 1:49 on the clock, Indy took over at their own one yard line holding onto their seven-point lead. Up to this moment in the game, the Colts had moved the ball consistently with their only unsuccessful drive stalled by a Pierre Garcon drop.

The first play of the drive was a sensible run for Mike Hart to move the Colts out of the shadow of the end zone. The run also afforded Indy the opportunity to run down the clock to around a minute.

At this critical point, the Colts went vanilla, seemingly content with their seven-point lead and the assumption that they would get the ball back at the start of the second half. Indianapolis called for two straight runs from their league's worst running attack against a Saints defense that stacked the middle in the hopes of getting the ball back.

It would be asinine to fail to note that the strategy almost worked at preserving the status quo—the second down run nearly picked up the first down, and if it had, Indy subsequently could have kneed out the half. The third down play, though, was not even close with Mike Hart sandwiched by Saints defenders a full yard short.

Yes, against a Saints team with two timeouts, excellent field position, and a hot kicker the Colts leaned on the third-string running back from the league's worst rushing group in an obvious rushing situation(third and one). Not to mention, the ball was taken out of the hands of Peyton Manning, perhaps the most prolific quarterback in league history.

The clock situation made little sense as well, adding more mystery to the decision. With around a minute to go before the third down, the run/pass clock situation likely had little to no bearing on the Saints' drive. Even if the Saints retained their second timeout following an incomplete pass, they would have to drive 50 yards with 50 seconds and two timeouts. For a team that had no big plays nor any successful plays down the sideline all game, "settling" for three would likely have been the case, anyhow.

Additionally, it was the Colts that stopped the clock on the Saints' prior possession. With the most dynamic quarterback the league has to offer in the last two minutes of halves at the helm, the decision made sense. While the timeout surely was intended primarily for the scenario of a Saints touchdown, the Colts had driven the ball 96 yards earlier in the game.

After their first down play, they had one minute to go and around 60 yards for a field goal with two timeouts. That type of drive was not out of the realm of possibility. Had they rushed to line following the first down play they could have saved another twenty seconds.

With the potential to take a 13-3 lead with the ball coming back in the second half, presumably, and momentum firmly on their side following the goal-line stand, rolling the dice made a lot of sense.

Instead, Indianapolis did not even pass on third down and gave the Saints the football back with a very short field. Any points would partially atone for their goal-line failure just minutes before. New Orleans jumped on the opportunity and got three points to cut the lead to a manageable four. With that, the Saints seized the momentum back and entered their locker room without a sour taste in their mouth.

The Colts, of course, should have known the pitfalls of taking a shrinking four-point lead into the half against an offense that was heating up. After all, the roles were reversed just two weeks before when the Colts offense had reawaken at the end of the first half and cut the lead to four against the New York Jets and then dominated the second half.

The song remained the same, and with only a four point deficit to start the second half the Saints were likely more inclined to attempt the game-altering onside kick. Had the score been 10-3 or 13-3, the Saints' risk would have been heightened. An unsuccessful onside kick with that deficit would likely lead to a two possession deficit against a great front-running team that had methodically moved the ball all game. Instead, the Saints pulled off the onside kick with gusto and, well, we all know the rest.

The Tracy Porter pick six, and the onside kick will receive their proper due, but without the Colts' missteps at the end of the first half, perhaps none of it would have happened.

The team that both stockpiled points at the end of halves and passed the ball as well as any other team, attempted to do neither in the most important game of the year. And in a game that rewarded risk, that type of conservative play is enough to keep a team's Super Bowl hopes firmly on the ground.

Stampede Blue

BigBlueShoe — 2010-02-08 15:00:32 GMT

More photos » Mark J. Terrill - AP

about 15 hours ago: Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Pierre Garcon (85) is shoved by New Orleans Saints cornerback Usama Young (28) after making a touchdown reception during the first half of the NFL Super Bowl XLIV football game in Miami, Sunday, Feb. 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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From Peter King:

I can't get over the Pierre Garçon drop in the second quarter. Might have been the biggest play in the game.

I don't know about that. For me, giving up two TD drives in two key, critical moments in the game were the key "plays" in the game; the TD off the onside kick, and the TD after the missed Matt Stover FG. Again, you pay defensive players to come up with critical stops at critical times. Those were two critical times, and the Colts didn't stop them.

I'm not throwing the defense under the bus or anything. I'm just saying that if the Saints are stopped on any of those drives, the Colts win. Harping on a dropped ball in the second quarter is a bit much, especially since Garçon played so well for much of the game. The play of the game was the onside kick. Before that, the play of the game was the Colts stuffing the Saints on the goal line. The Colts just didn't make enough plays on defense to win. That is, really, the bottom line, and part of the reason for that was because Drew Brees played brilliant football.

Man, it's weird disagreeing with Peter and not calling him a "douchebag." I think he used some kind of Tibetan mind control on me as we sat in the hotel bar a few nights ago and talked football.

Oh, and if you haven't read our interview with Peter King, here it is again. I'd like to thank him again for taking the time to talk. Remember, King blew off Tunison, (because, you know, Tunison is a schmuck and all) but said yes to me. Yet another reason to not insult Peter King. In fact, we will praise him. Yay PK!

Pats Pulpit

Brady's Revenge — 2010-02-08 10:55:53 GMT

1. All Heart. Garret Hartley should have been Co-MVP with Drew Bress. 3 40+ plus field goals on the biggest stage of the year to keep his team within reach was big.
2. Robert Who? Great job by Jon Stinchcomb in shutting down Robert Mathis. I don't believe I heard Mathis's name called once all night.
3. Who has got the biggest balls of them all? Sean Payton's on-side kick to start the second half was the biggest play of the game. This set the tone for the second half and showed that Sean Payton was going to roll the dice no matter what the price was.
4. Question. If Sean Payton was not successful with his on-side kick, would he have been as criticized as Bill Belichick and his fourth and two decision?
5. Pierre Garcon was a beast. Garcon looked more like the #1 receiver than Reggie Wayne did. Coverage may have dictated Wayne being obsolete, but Garcon could not be covered last night.
6. Hey Greg, this Buds for you. Gregg Williams shut the Colts down in the second half with an array of defensive looks and timely blitzes. Tracy Porter timed perfectly where Manning was going to throw on that third down conversion that was intercepted.
7. Reggie Bush finally looks like the number two pick in the 2006 draft that the Saints drafted and expected.
8. Has anyone seen a more in tune combo than Dallas Clark and Peyton Manning? Some of the throws that Manning threw on the run to Clark were amazing.
9. Karma has won at last. Losing the Super Bowl could not happen to a better guy. Sleep tight Polian.
10. Sorry Peyton. When it comes to stats you are the best, hands down. When it comes to Super Bowl rings, Brady beats you out. Winning number two and three are harder than you thought.

RealClearSports

2010-02-08 10:04:52 GMT

Bob Kravitz, Indianapolis Star
The Colts didn't give this Super Bowl away.Were there mistakes? There are always mistakes, and the Colts made a couple they don't normally make. Pierre Garcon's first-half drop gave the Saints a chance to catch their breath after a slow start. Hank Baskett's bobble of the onside kick provided the turning point in a game that had the makings of an offensive shootout. Indy's defenders failed to tackle, and Dwight Freeney's and Jerraud Powers' injuries came back to haunt them in myriad ways.

Bleacher Report - Front Page

Rory Brown — 2010-02-08 08:18:18 GMT

Peyton Manning screwed up.

He threw the worst pass of his career, at the worst possible time, and now he'll have to live with it forever.

But as the media landscape begins to tear Manning apart, question his legacy, and collectively knock the dust off the "Reasons Why Peyton Manning is a Choke Artist" file, maybe we're all missing the point.

Maybe we're forgetting that this is a guy who lost his long time top receiver (Marvin Harrison) two years ago, but didn't miss a beat.

Maybe we're forgetting that this is a guy who lost his No. 2 wideout (Anthony Gonzalez) a few snaps into the current season, and still took his team to 14-0, and a Super Bowl.

Maybe we're forgetting that statistically, pick-six and all, Manning is unquestionably the top QB of his generation, and one of the best many of us have ever, and will ever, see play the position.

And maybe we're forgetting that Manning isn't just a QB...he's a coach, of sorts, for this Colts team, and has been for some time.

In the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately world of sports, Manning will get absolutely crushed over the next 48 hours. We'll watch his interception looped on SportsCenter, and former players and coaches, all far less talented in their prime, will tell us what No. 18 did wrong, and wonder what the hell he was thinking.

And then they'll revisit San Diego in '09 and '08, Pittsburgh in '06, and New England in '05 and '04.

For his critics, and a system built to feed on the failures of January and February football games, Super Bowl XLIV will be another piece of evidence in the case many like to build against Manning.

And I'll remember the pick-six, too. But I'll also remember the ball Manning got to Dallas Clark in quadruple coverage. And I'll remember that this team was a third-down Pierre Garcon drop away from inching closer to a 17-0 first half lead against the best the NFC had to offer.

Granted, Manning's nine playoff losses mean a lot more to many than his Super Bowl win or his slew of other accomplishments. And different people have different methods of measuring greatness.

But if the best you have on a guy is that he gets his team to the playoffs too often to not win it all more frequently, well....I could think of worse faults to have as a person.

Besides, in a world where Kurt Warner's a hero, and Brett Favre's an iron-man, Peyton Manning probably deserves a little bit better than "choker," don't you think?

Deportes. Noticias, vídeos y fotos de Deportes en lainformacion.com

lainformacion.com — 2010-02-08 08:27:00 GMT

Si Brees logró conectar con Jeremy Shockey con un pase de dos yardas para lograr el "touchdown" que les dio la ventaja definitiva cuando restaban 5:46 para el final, Tracy Porter se encargó de sellar el triunfo al hacer un regreso de 74 yardas tras una intercepción hasta la zona de las diagonales a falta de 3:24 del tiempo reglamentario.

Los Saints, que hicieron su primera aparición en un Super Bowl y que no llegaron como equipo favorito entre los expertos y el mundo de las apuestas, sorprendieron a los Colts, que buscaban su segundo anillo de campeones en el Sun Life Stadium, de Miami, en los últimos cuatro años, después de haberlo ganado en el 2007.

El equipo de Nueva Orleans tuvo que remontar el marcador 0-10 al principio del partido, y lo consiguió en el segundo con una gran estrategia del entrenador jefe Sean Payton, que sorprendió al novato Jim Caldwell, de los Colts, con un saque de inicio a su propio campo para capturar la posesión del balón.

A partir de ese momento, los Saints que iban a conseguir su primer "touchdown" del partido, cambiaron la inercia del juego y comenzaron a abrir el camino del triunfo.

Para los Saints el partido empezó a tomar forma en el tercer cuarto cuando pudieron conseguir su primera ventaja en el resultado, pero fue en el último periodo cuando su ofensiva fue superior al cuadro defensivo de los Colts, que había dominado la primera mitad del juego.

Bress terminó con 288 yardas con dos envíos de anotación, para dirigir el triunfo de los Saints, y empató la marca del quarterback Tom Brady, de los Patriots de Nueva Inglaterra, en pases completos durante un partido de Super Bowl.

El mariscal de los Saints se fue perfecto en una racha de 7-7 para ayudar a su equipo a remontar el marcador y conseguir su primer envío de touchdown a Jeremy Shockey, de dos yardas.

La defensa de los Saints, considerada como una de las más débiles de la liga, logró detener y dominar la ofensiva de los Colts, que no tuvieron una dirección eficiente de Manning, el cuatro veces nombrado Jugador Más Valioso (MVP).

Los Colts, que empezaron con una presentación dominante, poco a poco fueron cediendo en la defensa y su ataque dirigido por Manning tampoco mantuvo su constancia y efectividad.

En el Super Bowl del 2007, los Colts derrotaron en esta misma ciudad 29-17 a los Bulls de Chicago, en un partido que se les complicó debido al clima lluvioso, pero esta vez, sin lluvia, no pudieron ante los Saints.

Manning terminó con 31 de 45 pases para 333 yardas con un pase de touchdown y uno interceptado, que permitió a los Saints sellar la victoria.

Las acciones del partido las inició el pateador Matt Stover, que se encargó de darle movilidad al marcador con un gol de campo de 38 yardas en el primer cuarto para darle una ventaja temprana a los Colts.

El equipo de Indianápolis se encargó de enviar un mensaje de poder ofensivo desde el principio del partido y su mariscal de campo Peyton Manning dio muestra de ello con un envío de 19 yardas a Pierre Garcon para el primer touchdown, en el primer cuarto.

Los Saints respondieron en el segundo cuarto con dos tiros de 3 puntos desde 46 y 44 yardas y su pateador, el tejano Garrett Hartley, se encargó de acercar al equipo de Nueva Orleans en el marcador, que se fue al descanso con números de 10-6 en favor de los Colts.

Después del descanso, la táctica ofensiva de los Saints cambió y dirigidos por Brees, pudieron remontar el marcador, al acertar con todas las acciones decisivas.

En el tercer cuarto, uno de los más intensos del partido y que era la antesala de lo que sucedería en el último, Brees hizo conexión con su receptor Pierre Thomas con un pase de 16 yardas para superar la desventaja y ponerse por delante con un 13-10.

Sólo cinco minutos después los Colts recuperaron el control del marcador a través de su corredor Joseph Addai, que consiguió cuatro yardas para poner el balón en la zona de las diagonales y hacerse nuevamente del liderato con marcador parcial de 17-13.

Pero los Saints no estaban dispuestos a perder la única oportunidad que han tenido en una Super Bowl y dos minutos más tarde Hartley nuevamente hizo su presencia con su tercer gol de campo, de 47 yardas, para acercarse a sólo un punto de los Colts, que iban ganando 17-16.

Posteriormente Brees consiguió su segundo pase de "touchdown" para marcar la ventaja definitiva y Porter la selló con una intercepción de 74 yardas, que regresó hasta la zona de anotación para que los Saints se proclamaran campeones y comenzasen la celebración por su gran e histórico triunfo.

SacBee -- Sports

2010-02-08 08:00:00 GMT

First quarter: Colts take control early with 96-yard drive

What happened: The Colts drove 96 yards in 11 plays and took a 10-0 lead on Peyton Manning's 19-yard touchdown pass to Pierre Garcon.

What it meant: Indianapolis hogged the ball in the first quarter (10 minutes, 29 seconds in time of possession) and kept the Saints' high-powered offense off the field. As well as the usual assortment of Manning passes, the Colts also were able to run on the Saints, as Joseph Addai had a 26-yard scamper on the touchdown drive.

Second quarter: Colts jolt gambling Saints with goal-line stand

What happened: The Saints went for the touchdown on fourth and goal from the Indianapolis 1-yard line, but Pierre Thomas was stuffed by Indy's Clint Session.

What it meant: New Orleans could have limped into the locker room at halftime trailing 10-3, but its defense forced a quick three-and-out. The offense took over at the New Orleans 48 with 35 seconds left and moved 26 yards to set up Garrett Hartley for a 44-yard field goal on the last play of the first half.

Third quarter: Saints pull a trick with an onside kick

What happened: Never before had a team tried an onside kick before the fourth quarter in a Super Bowl. The Saints did it to start the second half and recovered.

What it meant: New Orleans kept the ball out of Peyton Manning's hands to start the half and promptly drove 58 yards to a go-ahead touchdown, a 16-yard strike from Drew Brees to Pierre Thomas. The Colts then drove 76 yards to regain the lead, but another long Garrett Hartley field goal pulled the Saints within one.

Fourth quarter: Given the opportunity, Saints go for the throat

What happened: New Orleans went for two following its go-ahead touchdown, but Lance Moore's attempted catch was ruled incomplete, then overruled on a challenge, which gave the Saints a 24-17 lead with 5:42 remaining in the game.

What it meant: The deficit put Indianapolis in full panic mode, and Peyton Manning, after driving the Colts into New Orleans territory, threw an interception that was returned 74 yards for the clinching touchdown by Tracy Porter.

Bleacher Report - Front Page

Gabriel Taylor — 2010-02-08 07:02:03 GMT

An exhilarating second-half surge helped the New Orleans Saints win Super Bowl XLIV, but the force that powered the franchise to its first championship was a willingness to risk it all to win it all.

The Saints rolled the dice and notched the biggest win in team history, a 31-17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, the five-point favorites led by 2009 NFL MVP Peyton Manning.

New Orleans head coach Sean Payton and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams used a high-risk, high-reward strategy to catch the Colts by surprise and caused Indianapolis to make huge, uncharacteristic mistakes and lose a game that the Colts at one time led by 10 points.

Payton Outwits the Colts

It’s official.

Sean Payton is an offensive mastermind—at least for the 2009 NFL season—and his Drew Brees-led unit is unstoppable.

The Saints averaged 35.6 points in three postseason wins, while Brees threw eight touchdowns and no interceptions in the playoffs.

Yet in the first half of the Super Bowl, Payton was outmatched by the Colts’ coaching staff and their quarterback Peyton Manning.

In the second quarter, Brees was sacked on third down during one drive, and a reverse to wide receiver Devery Henderson also resulted in a seven-yard loss.

The Saints couldn’t score in four downs from the Colts’ three-yard line, and the highest-scoring offense in the NFL this season was failing to live up to expectations.

Luckily, kicker Garrett Hartley—the Saints’ NFC title game hero—made two field goals to keep it close with the score 10-6 at halftime.

Payton’s poker face during halftime didn’t reveal his scheming conscience that would carry his team to a comeback victory.

First, the Saints successfully shocked Colts special teamer Hank Baskett with an onside kick that was recovered by New Orleans’ Jonathan Casillas to open the third quarter and give Brees and the Saints offense another opportunity to score six points.

The message was clear: Payton was putting the game in the hands of his No. 1-ranked scoring offense.

The gamble paid off as Saints running back Pierre Thomas scored six plays later on a 16-yard touchdown reception to put the Saints up 13-10.

Payton had seized the moment; the momentum shifted in New Orleans’ favor, and the Saints would remain relentless in their quest for glory for the rest of the game.

The Saints scored on every possession in the second half except their last one, when the team lined up in victory formation to celebrate an NFL championship.

With five minutes left in the game and the Saints down 17-16, Payton called a passing play from the Colts two-yard line.

New Orleans tight end Jeremy Shockey hauled in the touchdown reception, and the Saints wouldn’t relinquish the lead again.

Brees would earn Super Bowl MVP honors with 288 passing yards and two touchdowns. He was 32-of-39, a magnificent 82.0 completion percentage.

Meanwhile, the intimidating Colts offense was held to seven points in the second half. Manning threw an interception to Saints cornerback Tracy Porter, who returned the ill-fated pass 74 yards to put the game out of reach.

Instead of panicking when his team was down 10-0 in the first half, Payton stayed calm, followed his well-crafted script and ended more than forty years of heartbreak for the New Orleans Saints.

Williams’s Aggressive Tactics Subdues Colts

Gregg Williams’s first season as defensive coordinator of the Saints featured a remarkable turnaround for a defense that couldn’t stop anyone and couldn’t complement the team’s high-octane offense in an 8-8 campaign in the 2008 season.

The Saints’ defense—which was just as aggressive as its offense, blitzing Manning several times and usually making quick, sure tackles to limit Manning’s effectiveness—has been quite resourceful this season scoring eight touchdowns on defense in the regular season and making big plays at key moments throughout the postseason.

While many teams have attempted to garner the nearly impossible quarterback sack against the four-time MVP, the Saints pressured Manning but also played deeper in their back seven to keep the Colts in front of them, preventing the game-breaking play and creating opportunities for New Orleans’ defensive.

Williams’s unusual approach helped keep the Colts out of the end zone most of the game and paved the way for Porter’s historic romp.

The Colts’ offense outgained the Saints offense by 100 yards, 432 to 332, but the only numbers that mattered in the end were 31 and 17.

Colts' Questionable Play-Calling

Colts head coach Jim Caldwell and offensive coordinator Tom Moore extended plenty of play-calling authority to future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, but none of the decision-makers could figure out how to move the ball better against the Saints defense.

The Colts haven’t run the ball well all season long, finishing last in rushing yards per game in the regular season. The team didn’t have a single 100-yard rusher the entire season—including the postseason—and Indianapolis averaged a paltry 80.9 rushing yards per game.

Although New Orleans was successful by maintaining their offensive consistency from previous games, Indianapolis should have mixed in more running plays and adjusted its offensive game plan.

The Colts registered 45 passing plays and only 19 running plays in the Super Bowl, not a big surprise for a team that scored one rushing touchdown and six passing touchdowns in the postseason.

Yet, the Saints biggest weakness was their run defense.

Other teams took advantage of the Saints’ accommodating run defense during the postseason as Arizona Cardinals running back Tim Hightower had a 70-yard touchdown run on the opening play of the divisional playoffs and Adrian Peterson walloped New Orleans for 122 yards and three touchdowns.

Colts running back Joseph Addai scored the team’s only second-half touchdown and gained 77 yards on only 13 carries—an incredible 5.92 yards per carry average.

As a team, the Colts rushed for 99 yards on 19 carries, an excellent 5.2 yards per carry average.

With the Saints clearly playing back in anticipation of a pass, Addai could have been entrusted with a few more carries considering his nearly six yards per carry average.

Manning finished 31-of-45 for 333 yards with a touchdown to Pierre Garcon and one interception.

Great stats, but when one includes the pick six to Porter and the fact that the running game had been so successful, the imbalance of the Colts’ offense is baffling.

Disregarding the Colts rush attack, Saints Pro Bowl linebacker Jonathan Vilma was free to roam in the defensive backfield and his pass defense and team-leading seven tackles was crucial in New Orleans’ victory.

It's Not a Gamble If It's Successful

The New Orleans Saints took a lot of chances to win their first NFL championship since arriving in the league in 1967.

Saints owner Tom Benson bought the team and kept the franchise in New Orleans when there were rumblings that the city’s only professional sports organization would move to another metropolis.

New Orleans hired Payton in 2006, overlooking his lack of head coaching experience.

Then the Saints acquired Brees from the San Diego Chargers when the Pro Bowler was fresh off surgery on his right (throwing) shoulder.

New Orleans made the brave decision to use its second overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft on running back Reggie Bush.

The Saints signed Vilma after he suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2007.

New Orleans signed the undrafted Hartley as a mid-season replacement in 2008, and he became a key contributor this season with two game-winning field goals in overtime—one in the playoffs—and three field goals in the Super Bowl.

Each choice was considered risky, illogical, and unpopular by many, but there are few regrets now that the Saints are at the top of the mountain.

Their bite was as just as dangerous as their bark, and now the underdog Saints are Super Bowl champions.

Deportes. Noticias, vídeos y fotos de Deportes en lainformacion.com

2010-02-08 06:09:00 GMT

MÃ¡s deportesEl mariscal de campo Drew Brees se convirtiÃ³ en la pieza clave de los Saints de New Orleans y, al superar al estelar Peyton Manning, los dirigiÃ³ a un triunfo por 31-17 sobre los Colts de IndianÃ¡polis para acreditarse el tÃtulo de campeones del XLIV Super Bowl. Si Brees hizo conexiÃ³n con Jeremy Shockey con pase de dos yardas para el "touchdown" que les dio la ventaja definitiva cuando restaban 5:46 minutos para el final, Tracy Porter se encargÃ³ de sellar el triunfo al regresar 74 yardas una interceptaciÃ³n hasta la zona de las diagonales a falta de 3:24 del tiempo reglamentario. Los Saints, que hicieron su primera apariciÃ³n en un Super Bowl y que no llegaron como equipo favorito entre los expertos y el mundo de las apuestas, sorprendieron a los Colts, que buscaban su segundo anillo de campeones en el Sun Life Stadium, de Miami, en los Ãºltimos cuatro aÃ±os, despuÃ©s de haberlo ganado en el 2007. El equipo de Nueva Orleans tuvo que remontar el marcador 0-10 al principio del partido, y lo consiguiÃ³ en el segundo con una gran estrategia del entrenador en jefe Sean Payton, que sorprendiÃ³ al novato Jim Caldwell, de los Colts, con un saque de iniciÃ³ de acciones a su propio campo para capturar la posesiÃ³n del balÃ³n. A partir de ese momento, los Saints que iban a conseguir su primer "touchdown" del partido, cambiaron la inercia del juego y comenzaron a abrir el camino del triunfo. Para los Saints el partido empezÃ³ a tomar forma en el tercer cuarto cuando pudieron conseguir su primera ventaja en el resultado, pero fue en el Ãºltimo periodo cuando su ofensiva fue superior al cuadro defensivo de los Colts, que habÃa dominado la primera mitad del juego. Bress terminÃ³ con 32 de 29 pases para 288 yardas con dos envÃos de anotaciÃ³n, para dirigir el triunfo de los Saints, y empatÃ³ la marca del quarterback Tom Brady, de los Patriots de Nueva Inglaterra, en pases completos durante un partido de Super Bowl. El mariscal de los Saints se fue perfecto en una racha de 7-7 para ayudar a su equipo a remontar el marcador y conseguir su primer envÃo de touchdown a Jeremy Shockey, de dos yardas. La defensa de los Saints considera como una de las mÃ¡s dÃ©biles de la liga, logrÃ³ detener y dominar la ofensiva de los Colts, que no tuvieron una direcciÃ³n eficiente de Manning, el cuatro veces nombrado Jugador MÃ¡s Valioso (MVP). Mientras que los Colts y Manning, que buscaban su segundo tÃtulo de Super Bowl en los Ãºltimos cuatro aÃ±os, y que de acuerdo con los pronÃ³sticos eran el equipo favorito para ganarlo nuevamente, no pudieron cumplir las expectativas y fueron ampliamente superados en el Ãºltimo cuarto. Los Colts, que empezaron con una presentaciÃ³n dominante, poco a poco fueron cediendo en la defensa y su ataque dirigido por Manning tampoco mantuvo su constancia y efectividad. En el Super Bowl del 2007, los Colts derrotaron en esta misma ciudad 29-17 a los Bulls de Chicago, en un partido que se les complicÃ³ debido al clima lluvioso, pero esta vez, sin lluvia, no pudieron ante los Saints. Manning terminÃ³ con 31 de 45 pases para 333 yardas con un pase de touchdown y uno interceptado, que permitiÃ³ a los Saints sellar la victoria. Las acciones del partido las iniciÃ³ el pateador Matt Stover, que se encargÃ³ de darle movilidad al marcador con un gol de campo de 38 yardas en el primer cuarto para darle una ventaja temprana a los Colts. El equipo de IndianÃ¡polis se encargÃ³ de enviar un mensaje de poder ofensivo desde el principio del partido y su mariscal de campo Peyton Manning dio muestra de ello con un envÃo de 19 yardas a Pierre Garcon para el primer touchdown, en el primer cuarto. Los Saints respondieron en el segundo cuarto con dos goles de campo de 46 y 44 yardas y su pateador, el tejano Garrett Hartley, se encargÃ³ de acercar al equipo de Nueva Orleans en el marcador, que se fue al descanso con nÃºmeros de 10-6 en favor de los Colts. DespuÃ©s del descanso, la tÃ¡ctica ofensiva de los Saints cambiÃ³ y dirigidos por Brees, pudieron remontar el marcador, al acertar con todas las acciones decisivas. En el tercer cuarto, uno de los mÃ¡s intensos del partido y que era la antesala de lo que sucederÃa en el Ãºltimo, Brees hizo conexiÃ³n con su receptor Pierre Thomas con pase de 16 yardas para superar la desventaja y dejar en 13-10 los nÃºmeros. SÃ³lo cinco minutos despuÃ©s los Colts recuperaron el control del marcador a travÃ©s de su corredor Joseph Addai, que consiguiÃ³ cuatro yardas por tierra para poner el balÃ³n en la zona de las diagonales y hacerse nuevamente del liderato con marcador parcial de 17-13. Pero los Saints no estaban dispuestos a perder la Ãºnica oportunidad que han tenido en partidos de Super Bowl y dos minutos mÃ¡s tarde Hartley nuevamente hizo su presencia con su tercer gol de campo, de 47 yardas, para acercarse a sÃ³lo un punto de los Colts, que iban ganando 17-16. Posteriormente Brees consiguiÃ³ su segundo pase de "touchdown" para marcar la ventaja definitiva y Porter la sellÃ³ con una interceptaciÃ³n de 74 yardas, que regresÃ³ hasta la zona de anotaciÃ³n para que los Saints se proclamaran campeones y comenzasen la celebraciÃ³n por su gran e histÃ³rico triunfo.