Ask BigBlueShoe: Week Nine

by BigBlueShoe on Oct 30, 2008 4:16 PM EDT in Opinion Comment 19 comments

It is Week Nine, and the Patriots will face the Colts in Lucas Oil Stadium, proving once again that the NFL schedule makers are about as arbitrary as the OJ Simpson murder trial jury was. Coincidence that the two most popular teams in the NFL with the league's two biggest players are meeting AGAIN in the regular season even though they don't play in the same division?

Hmmmmmmm.

Well, anyway, our rival teams will meet this Sunday night, and I am here to answer any questions you Pats fans have about the Colts. Fire away!

0 recs | Comment 19 comments | Share

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

"...are meeting AGAIN in the regular season..."

OK, you sound like Bill Polian…

;)

Seriously, the schedule makers hammered out the matchups plan back in 2001, and it’s been in effect since the 2002 season. The Colts and Pats are meeting this year because they both came in first in their divisions last season. Just like we’ll both place last season’s first place teams from the AFC North and AFC West. Here’s the breakdown..

6 games against your division (3 home, 3 away)
4 games against another AFC division (2 home, 2 away), rotates each year so you go through the other 3 in 3 years.
4 games against an NFC division (2 home, 2 away), rotates each year so you go through all 4 in 4 years.
2 games against the teams in the other two AFC divisions that came in the same standings position as you did last year (1 home, 1 away).

The home vs. away thing is sort of screwy, but that’s why the Colts came to New England three years in a row, and now 3 years in a row we’ve gone to Indy (or maybe next year will be the 3rd – I forget and am too lazy to look it up).

No bias, no underhanded dealings. We just keep matching up because we both keep winning our divisions.

I live in Indiana, so I hear a lot about the Colts, but how likely are Sanders and Addai to return, and which one will have the greater impact?

by tarrkid on Oct 30, 2008 5:26 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

he's right

There’s a simple formula at least for the schedule to keep the games more competitive and give bad teams a chance to get more wins, and provide good teams with blockbuster matchups. It will likely stay this way until they add more teams…or games. Same reason we keep playing the Steelers and Chargers. We won’t play the cowboys and giants in the reg. season again until 2011 for example.

"These players, a lot of other people didn't believe in them, but they believe in themselves. And that is all that matters."- Bill Belichick

by Mainiac on Oct 30, 2008 7:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Answers

Good points on schedule. Thanks.

Addai and Sanders are both expected to play. They are practicing this week. Sanders offers the greater impact. He is the reigning DPOY and the Colts just lost their starting CB for the season. They need a boost to their secondary.

SB Nation's Indianapolis Colts blogger at Stampede Blue. Please make an account and post a diary, add some comments, and make some noise. Accounts are free, and only require an email address.

by BigBlueShoe on Oct 30, 2008 7:59 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

DPOY?

Does that stand for “Dirtiest Player of the Year”?

"Pain heals. Chicks dig scars. Glory...lasts forever."-Shane Falco, "The Replacements"

by Ironman63 on Oct 31, 2008 12:07 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I’m kidding. I know it means “Dumbest Player of the Year.”

"Pain heals. Chicks dig scars. Glory...lasts forever."-Shane Falco, "The Replacements"

by Ironman63 on Oct 31, 2008 12:09 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wait.

That’s still not right. He was the ‘Defensive Player of the Year." Yeah, that’s it!!!!

I kid because I care.

Sanders is a helluva player and your D will definitely be better with him, even with the loss of Jackson. Especially against the run.

"Pain heals. Chicks dig scars. Glory...lasts forever."-Shane Falco, "The Replacements"

by Ironman63 on Oct 31, 2008 12:14 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I thought you were right on your first guess

Keep the faith!

by Marima on Oct 31, 2008 9:14 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

question for you

how will the colts defeand wes welker with the latest injury to your secoundary

by billygus on Oct 30, 2008 6:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Answer

It depends on how the Patriots use Welker. Hell, with one of the best secondaries in the league last year, the Colts had trouble defending him. The key is not necessarily running with Welker (because the Colts play zone coverage), but instead getting consistent pressure on Matt Cassel.

SB Nation's Indianapolis Colts blogger at Stampede Blue. Please make an account and post a diary, add some comments, and make some noise. Accounts are free, and only require an email address.

by BigBlueShoe on Oct 30, 2008 8:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

To me this game is up in the air. If the colts come with their A game, we won’t have a shot. If they’re play as usual for this year, we will own.

No one is consistent this year, which really bothers me.

by Paydirt on Oct 30, 2008 7:09 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

This has been a whacko year thus far.

SB Nation's Indianapolis Colts blogger at Stampede Blue. Please make an account and post a diary, add some comments, and make some noise. Accounts are free, and only require an email address.

by BigBlueShoe on Oct 30, 2008 8:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

oline

Which is more banged up. The Colts Oline, or Peyton?

"These players, a lot of other people didn't believe in them, but they believe in themselves. And that is all that matters."- Bill Belichick

by Mainiac on Oct 30, 2008 11:04 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

You get different answers from different people

I think Peyton is fine and the issues are him being out of sync with his WRs and injuries on the OL. Peyton has been off. There is no question about that. He’s underthrown some deep balls and just flat out missed Marvin on stuff that should be automatic. He’s been forcing passes and that’s why he’s been getting so many passes tipped and then intercepted.

Ryan Lilja who has been a starting guard for the Colts is still on the PUP and may not be coming back so even if you think Peyton’s knee is still a problem I think Lilja is equivalent to a knee.

Shonn Greene for Heisman
144 yards per game
6.5 yards per carry
08 TDs per game > 06 GPA

by shake n bake on Oct 30, 2008 11:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Answer

I think both are now finally healthy.

SB Nation's Indianapolis Colts blogger at Stampede Blue. Please make an account and post a diary, add some comments, and make some noise. Accounts are free, and only require an email address.

by BigBlueShoe on Oct 31, 2008 8:27 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

How long does Tony Dungy have left on his contract?

He’s not a lame duck like Mike Holmgren, is he? If so, could that have something to do with how the team is playing, along with the injuries?

"Pain heals. Chicks dig scars. Glory...lasts forever."-Shane Falco, "The Replacements"

by Ironman63 on Oct 31, 2008 1:13 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Answer

Dungy has, I think, two or three years left on his contract. The team is playing inconsistently because of injuries, not unlike the 2005 NE Patriots.

SB Nation's Indianapolis Colts blogger at Stampede Blue. Please make an account and post a diary, add some comments, and make some noise. Accounts are free, and only require an email address.

by BigBlueShoe on Oct 31, 2008 8:28 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Regardless of what Dungy's actual contract says,

he contemplates retiring after each year. I’m not blaming him for the way the team plays, but how do you feel that affects the players and the fans?

Keep the faith!

by Marima on Oct 31, 2008 9:17 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

They are planning on replacing him with

Jim Caldwell the QBs/assistant head coach who has Dungy’s attitude and it’s like to make any immediate changes, so I think it’s less concerning to the players than most other situations where they don’t know who is taking over or whether the new guy will change anything.

Shonn Greene for Heisman
144 yards per game
6.5 yards per carry
08 TDs per game > 06 GPA

by shake n bake on Oct 31, 2008 10:31 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs