And after 16 weeks the Colts have finally wrapped up the number three seed in the AFC! It sure as hell wasn’t easy. San Diego is a lot better team than I thought they were. The final, in overtime was 34-31 with a Vandy kick.

I’ll break down the game in a good, bad and ugly way.

The Good

Peyton Manning became the all time leader for TD passes thrown in a season when he hit Brandon Stokley for number 49 on the season. Earlier in the game he threw number 48 to James Mungro on a shovel pass. Peyton was good Sunday, not great. He did end up with 383 yards on 27 of 44 passing and his two TD’s. With his game he appears certain to break Steve Young’s passer rating of 112.8. Peyton is still over 120.

PM threw to 8 receivers in the game. Edge rushed for 86. The Rock was the real hero though. With the game hanging in the balance at 31-16, Rhodes returned the San Diego kickoff 88 yards for a TD which seemed to really deflate the Chargers. The score was 31-23 with 6 minutes to go and the game was truly on. The Colts got the ball back again and after P’s record setting TD pass, Edge ran the ball in for the two point conversion. In OT a 35 yard pass to Reggie Wayne set up Vandy’s 30 yard FG for the win.

One thing the game really showed was that the Colts are learning how to deal with the pressure and not fold. In the past this team may have wilted, but this week the team rose up, never quit and won the game. One beautiful byproduct of the game was that it rendered the Bronco game completely meaningless!!

Defensively Morris did have a pick that preserved the tie and Dwight Freeney got another sack. Other than those two things, the D falls in the next category.

The Bad

Defensively this was the worst game of the year for the Colts. Brees looked like Tom Brady out there. He was a surgeon. Problem was, he didn’t throw enough. Of course they were in the lead most of the way and let Tomlinson handle it; He ended up with 81 yards.

PM, for all of his yards had a pretty bad first half. He was off. Now, like the Chiefs game, I am not going to pin all of this on him, but he is the one making the big money and can’t have halves like he did Sunday.

The Ugly

We won, and that is good, but for three quarters Sunday we looked about as ordinary as I have seen this team in a couple of years. The Chargers came out loaded for bear and really took it to us. For 50 minutes we had no answer. Great teams will kill you do that. Look at what the Colts have done to teams who have done that to them. They kill them!

Anyway, a win is a win and the Chargers are a good team. My hat is off to them. But seriously, the comeback by PM and subsequent win were just storybook.

Here is a look at this weeks top 10:

1. Indianapolis (12-3) Gutsy call down the stretch against a good team that had the Colts on the ropes. The last 10 minutes is what makes the Colts number one and probably Super Bowl Champion.

2. Pittsburgh (14-1) Manhandled the Ravens 20-7 to clinch homefield. Big Ben and Bettis is a helluva combination.

3. New England (13-2) In big showdown with the Jets at the Meadowlands, the Pats just outclassed their division rivals.

4. San Diego (11-4) That is a good team in San Diego. Brees doesn’t make mistakes and they get decent pressure on the pocket. Tough loss for them Sunday.

5. Philadelphia (13-2) They looked pitiful last night without TO and without some starters who were resting. Still, I think their momentum might be gone.

6. NY Jets (10-5) Ten win season still has to be a disappointment the way they played against the Pats on Sunday. Are they coming apart at just the wrong time?

7. Atlanta (11-4) Vick didn’t play and they lost.

8. Buffalo (9-6) Bills have won 6 straight but need help to get in to the playoffs.

9. Baltimore (9-7) Back-to-back devastating losses have put the Ravens on the brink of not making the show.

10. Jacksonville (9-7) Inexplicable 21-0 skunking by the Texans at Alltel Stadium makes me wonder if this team has any heart.

As for the playoffs, they are nearly set. Denver can get in with a win over the Colts, who may or may not play many players on Sunday. Buffalo can get in if they win and Denver loses. JAX and BWI need lots of help to get in. In the NFC, Minnesota can get in with a win, everyone else need help. Seattle has a playoff spot, but the Rams could win the division.

Good morning Colt fans and any of you other dopes who are fans of other so-called “teams”!! Just kidding, hello to all, no strings attached. Week 15 is in the books and the Colts are a lofty 11-3 going into what, surprisingly is the biggest game of the year for the Shoes! The Colts face the Chargers in what will most likely seal the number 3 seed in the AFC.

Sunday night the Colts beat a desperate Baltimore Ravens team 20-10. Folks, that Raven D is all it is advertised to be, but unfortunately for them, it’s not as good as our offense. On top of that the Colt D played pretty well down the stretch as well. PM only threw one TD pass and remains 2 away from the record, but the win is what matters.

The Patriots proved human last night by getting beat by the Dolphins and the Steelers had a near miss against a tenacious Giant team on Saturday. Now near misses are not going to get the Colts to that number 1 or 2 seed, but with games against Baltimore and Buffalo, the Steelers could lose twice and with a roader against the Jets this week, the Pats could lose, leaving a three way tie which would give us the number one if we win out.

Realistically we will end up with the number 3 as long as we take care of the Chargers this week. That would possibly give us another game against the Jaguars. At least as it stands now. Baltimore, Denver and Buffalo who all have the same record are on the outside looking in at this point.

As for the game Sunday it was a wild one. My usher was back, which was good. We had Raven fans in front of us. Real ones from Baltimore. They were pretty obnoxious but still friendly, if that makes sense. It was a tense game and I think I yelled as much if not more than ever before. I still hate those late games. They’re nice for the city and all, but I can do without.

The big news though came with the announcement that the city and the team have come to an agreement on a new financial deal which will include a new stadium and boy does it look nice. Retractable roof, opening windows on the ends. State-of-the-art!!! What else would you expect? It also give us the flexibility of increasing the convention center as well as holding Final Fours and such. Expected costs look to the range of $750 million for the entire project. The Colts will pay $100 million and they are solely responsible for filling the dome and naming rights. The mayor wants pull tab gambling to pay for it. This time I think it will probably go through the general assembly.

30 years is the new deal. Non-cancelable and binding from both sides. The city builds and any revenue to be generated is to be done by the team. It should be a really good deal for both sides in a beautiful new stadium that may even attract a Super Bowl!

Let’s take a look at this weeks Top 10!

1. Indianapolis (11-3) Is there really any team playing better football right now than the Colts? I mean honestly, this is not just a homer thing. Passing, running, opportunistic D. It’s all good!

2. Pittsburgh (13-1) Big Ben looked human Saturday against the bad Giants, but just as they have done all year, they found a way to win.

3. Philadelphia (13-1) TO is out for the season, or at least until Super Bowl. This really hurts the Eagles chances, although they still probably have enough to get to the big game.

4. New England (12-2) Puzzling loss last night at Miami has me wondering if this team isn’t starting to (finally) hit the wall.

5. San Diego (11-3) The Chargers are hot right now. They manhandled the Browns in a driving, cold snowstorm Sunday.

6. Atlanta (11-3) Maybe their best game of the season. A real barn burner against the hot Panthers Saturday night and the Falcons beat their nemesis in OT.

7. Baltimore (8-6) That D is every bit as good as advertised. Lewis seems fine, but Boller is not much.

8. NY Jets (10-4) The Jets are just kind of there. They don’t kill anyone, but they do play good ball on both sides. CuMa is back on top of the NFL in rushing.

9. Jacksonville (8-6) The Jags have bounced in and out of my Top 10 this year, but to go into frigid Lambeau on Sunday and get the win was a good argument to have them here.

10. Buffalo (8-6) The 0-4 start may have doomed them, but they are one of the hottest teams in the league right now.

I’m sure it is not lost on anyone that the NFC has but two representatives in the Top 10 this week. It’s been a long lean year for the National Conference. The West is the worst division in football and not by a little. Seattle will probably win it, but only because the Rams suck. And I still stand by my statement that the Rams will be moving to LA.

Congratulations to the Indianapolis Colts who are the 2004 AFC South Champions. For the first time since the Colts have been in Indianapolis they are division champions two years in a row! Sunday’s 23-14 win at Reliant Stadium, or the quagmire as it has been practically called, over the Texans secured the team a first round home playoff game at least. While it appears as though the number 1 or 2 seed is out of the question, there is still work to be done to make sure we get the number three seed.

First to the game. The Colts came out smoking hot. Jason David stepped in front of a David Carr pass on the Texans opening drive for the interception and the rout seemed on. Several runs by Edge got the Colts to the 3 when PM threw number 45 to Marv for the TD. Following a punt by the Texans and more gouging runs by Edge P threw a TD strike to Reggie. It was PM’s 46th of the season leaving him but three shy of breaking Dan Marino’s 1984 record of 48 TD passes in a season. By the time it was all over Manning had thrown for 298 yards and had completed more than 78% of his passes. He was very workmanlike as was the offense in general. I did think he ran some questionable plays where he played right into the teeth of the Houston D. Nonetheless, Edge gained 105 on 28 carries and along with his TD, Reggie Wayne had 96 yards receiving for the second straight week.

The defense was opportunistic, but it still rankled to watch a guy like Dominick Davis tear us apart. He ran for 128 yards on 23 carries for a 5.6 per carry average. That is too much. However, the Colts did cause two fumbles to go along with David’s pick. They also sacked Carr 5 times and hurried him repeatedly.

It was really a good game for the Colts. They had been blowing people out and this time it was a three point game going into the fourth quarter. Two Vandy field goals made up the final difference as the Colts stopped all three Houston fourth quarter drives.

Speaking of Vandy, this guy was at it again. Oh it wasn’t what he said, it was what he didn’t say. Let’s face it, this guy is a fantastic FG kicker, best ever by the stats. He also can not kick off worth a crap and that is why David Kimball was drafted, Matt Baker was hired and now Martin Grammatica is on the team. Grammatica by the way did a hell of a job Sunday. Vandy had no comment about anything. He is just a spoiled little brat and I look for him to be out of here next year.

With that here is this weeks top 10. There weren’t many changes this week. San Francisco did go on the road and get a win and Miami held Denver down until finally succumbing late, but they don’t really matter anyway!

1. Indianapolis – Call me a homer if you will, but the Colts are playing great football right now. Offense, special teams and even the D are heating things up.

2. New England – The Patriots struggled at home versus the Bengals, but as usual, they found a way to win.

3. Pittsburgh – Nice win over a very tough Jet team.

4. Philadelphia – Struggled against lowly skins. The fact that they are in the NFC may be their downfall.

5. San Diego – Win against surging Bucs proved this team is for real. Week 16 matchup v. Colts may decide the AFC 3 seed.

6. NY Jets – Tough loss at PIT, yet this team still is the odds on favorite for that 5th seed in the AFC.

7. Atlanta- The Birds wrap up the NFC South. Too up and down for my taste but still a solid team.

8. Baltimore-You just never know which team will show up. Boller is a roller coaster and the injuries have hurt their D.

9. Carolina-The Panthers have won 5 straight and in the NFC they may have enough to get in. That’s all they have right now.

10. Buffalo-They may be on the verge of elimination but they are better than those not above them.

So far, only Cleveland, Miami and San Francisco have officially been eliminated from the playoffs. However, conventional wisdom tells us Tennessee, Houston, Cincinnati, Oakland and Kansas City are virtually locked out in the AFC. In the NFC, New York, Washington, Detroit, Chicago and Arizona might was well give up.

Another wild and wacky game in the books for the Colts Sunday and despite the fact that we almost got killed on the way to the game and then the Titans tried to onside kick three times in the first quarter, the Colts prevailed 51-24.

First off the near death. Well not really, but we did have a harrowing moment as Neil drove us right out onto Keystone without stopping. We in the back did a nice slide to the front, but everyone was alright. Maybe a little whiskey spillage, but otherwise okay.

The first quarter of the game was insane. It was 24-17 after 15 minutes. It didn’t look good for the home team, but the D stiffened and never let Tennessee near the end zone the rest of the day. In fact, after Bennett’s 48 yarder at the end of the first quarter, the Titans got to the 25 once only to have a FG attempt blocked and returned for a TD by Morris, but they only managed 2 trips into Colt territory in the second half, the deepest, to the 20 was ended with a Volek INT.

The refereeing was a little off. They missed an obvious pass interference on Stoke and there was a fumble by Volek that was ruled a sack since they blew the whistle. Regardless the Colts prevailed.

Manning was his usual brilliant self. He threw for 425 yards and 3 TD’s. Marvin and Stoke were all over 100 yards and Reggie had 96. Edge ran for 105 and is now on pace to crack 1700 for the season.

The corners made backup Billy Volek look like Joe Montana in the first quarter. Joe Jeff was burned twice and Jason David once for long TD’s to Drew Bennett. However, after that, Volek settled down and looked positively human. He was sacked 7 times.


Meanwhile, our offensive line was solid. They allowed one sack. Jeff DeMulling replaced Jeff Saturday at center and the rookies Scott and Lilja played excellent games again.

This team is rocking! The Dome was a wild scene on Sunday. The Peyton meters were out, tracking 18’s progress as he closes on Dan Marino’s TD record from 1984. PM is just 5 away and could break it in Houston this week, although I think most of us would like to see it at home the following week against the Ravens.

With that, here is this week’s Top 10 and then some stuff about playoffs…

1. Pittsburgh-They had a close game in JAX, but just found another way to win. 10 in a row and look like they will clinch their division this week.

2. New England-Killed Cleveland.

3. Philadelphia-Killed Green Bay. In the rematch of last years divisional playoff matchup the Packers brought their C game.

4. Indianapolis-5 straight games scoring over 40 points and a 51 and 49 thrown in to boot. We may be watching the greatest offense to ever play.

5. San Diego-A tough, no nonsense win at home against the Broncos. They have seized first place in the west as Brees just keeps on going.

6. NY Jets-With Pennington back this team will be tough to beat. They play smart and have a nice offensive balance.

7. Minnesota-They look poised to run the table and win the NFC North. Of course, to paraphrase Pork, that is like being the chess champion Hazzard, KY.

8. Atlanta-Poor performance against Tampa Bay Sunday. These guys are pretenders.

9. Jacksonville-Tough loss to Steelers Sunday night. Still have inside track to playoffs if they can get to 9-7.

10. Baltimore-Any number of teams could have grabbed this slot. These guys have a real uphill battle to get to the dance with games at PIT and IND left on their schedule.

All of the teams in the top 10, except Baltimore will probably make the playoffs. In fact right now I will predict that the Pats, Steelers, Colts and Chargers will win divisions in the AFC with the Jets and Jags in as Wild Cards.

In the NFC, it appears as though Philly (already clinched), ATL, Minnesota and St. Louis will win their divisions while GB and Carolina (by virtue of several depths of tiebreakers against the Bucs) will win Wild Cards.

I’ll have more on this as the week progresses!

It’s December and it is time for all of the talking heads and fans to really heat up the MVP issue. This year however, no one is really talking about anyone but Peyton Manning. Oh sure, you have your haters like Bryan Cox who has no sense, but every news and sports outlet has pretty much handed the award to number 18.

Is it deserved? Well you make the call. PM leads the NFL with 41 touchdown passes. That’s the stat everyone seems focused on right now. And they should be. PM is on pace to shatter Dan Marino’s TD mark of 48 set back in 1984. 18 also leads the league in passer rating with a gaudy 126.6. Steve Young finished with a 112.8 in 1994 which is the current mark. PM is also on pace for another 4000 yard passing season. His sixth consecutive, which is also a new mark. He is currently second in passing yards behind only Marc Bulger in pass happy St. Louis.

Then there are the intangibles which every MVP is graded on. The work ethic, the toughness and the will to win. These are attributes that 18 has in abundance. No one studies film, stays late to work out and with players and prepares like PM. As for toughness, well consider that he has missed only one snap in his career when the game was on and that was when he broke his jaw. He was in the next play. Sure, Jim Sorgi has come on in the last two games, but only in mop up time. I get so sick of hearing about what a warrior Steve McNair is, when PM is as tough if not tougher. And will to win? Already this season we have seen PM snap his team to attention because he simply refuses to lose.

As for the competition, well Michael Vick is having a nice season, but he only throws to Alge Crumpler and if the big TE isn’t open he hoofs it. Just not MVP stock. Duante Fumblepepper had nice season going until Randy Moss went out for a few games and then the fumbler was exposed. Maybe Moss should get some run for the MVP. In Philly, one has to wonder if it is all Soupy McNabb or a combination of him and TO. The only other one who really deserves any run is Drew Brees in San Diego. Brees, nearly benched after a week 3 loss has reeled off 7 of 8 wins since. His 108 QB rating is third in the league and he is primarily responsible for the surprising Chargers being in first in the AFC West.

But when it comes down to it, how can it go to anyone but PM? I don’t know what else he could possibly do to ensure it, but as long as there are blowholes like Bryan Cox, there will be talk.