Hey gang, here's your Sunday early games open thread.  I will be at my daughter's cheerleading competition where spirit fingers will be involved, but that's another story.  I will at least have a few other dads to commiserate with.  I think I'm going to start a business with a mobile bar and big screen TV for events like these.  I'd make a fortune.  Talk to you tonight.

by Stephan Savoia - AP

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Here we are.  Week 10 and it's the Colts.  This is a critical game, but not because we want to beat up on one of our biggest rivals.  Unless both teams implode in the second half of the season, it's a forgone conclusion that they'll win their respective divisions.  What's the first thing looked at when determining home field advantage in a playoff scenario?  Head to head record.  If seeding works out and we happen to face Indy in January, we want them in Foxboro.  Take Peyton Manning out of his dome and put him in the snow, that's what I way.

But there's still the emotional part of beating Indy.  We're 2-1 in the post season against Peyton and the boys, but we're 1-4 overall in our last 5 matchups.  As a fan, me no likey.  At about 11pm ET, I really want to see this face:

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More photos » by Winslow Townson - AP

about 1 month ago: New England Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss hands the ball to a fan after catching a touchdown pass against the Tennessee Titans during the second quarter of a NFL football game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

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This was one miserable day weather-wise.  Marima and I happened to be at Gillette Stadium prior to the game for an event (more on that in another story) and we caught the freezing rain portion of the day.  Lots of fun.  As one player said, snow you can handle.  Freezing rain just makes you wet, cold, and miserable.  It took me an adult beverage and a couple of hours to warm up and dry off.  But heck, this is New England and if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

<rant>

I'll get going on the recap in a few, but first - a rant.  To the rival fans who keep labeling the Patriots as a classless organization for "running up the score", you should come up with another hobby because this just ain't cutting it; you know jack about football.  Other than having Laurence Maroney or BenJarvus Green-Ellis tackle Tom Brady, what would you have the team do?  Maybe knee the ball for the second half?  Or just throw interceptions for 30 minutes.  Yeah, that'll do it.  Throw interceptions.  At any rate, the classiest group of rivals have been the very fans most affected by this game, the Tennesse Titans' fans, specifically the crew at Music City Miracles.  The vast majority are pinning this on their team and taking a tough loss with dignity.

</rant>

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The 1-3 Dolphins take on the 3-1 Jets at home.  This is an important, early season matchup as a Miami win would put New England in a tie with the Jets for first place.

Uhmm... go Dolphins?

It's Fivehead and the TractorPullers vs. The Other Chad and the Crazy Kitties.  Yes folks, Monday Night Football descends on our living rooms with none other than the Indianapolis Colts duking it out with a division rival, the Miami Dolphins.  I hate...HATE...to root for the Colts, but an 0-2 Miami might be less bad than a 2-0 Colts, knowudimean?

At any rate, drop on by if you have something to say and even if you don't have something to say.  8:30 is the time and ESPN is the place.

There's plenty of football today, folks.  Use this thread to drop some comments.  That is, if you not too depressed about our 9-16 loss to the Jets.

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It's the outspoken Ryan against the calculating Belichick.  It's the 3 ring veteran QB against the upstart rookie.  Two huge inactives, one on each side of the ball: Wes Welker and Jerod Mayo.  Joey Galloway will likely see more tosses come his way while Gary Guyton steps in for his buddy.  Protect Tom Brady.  Rattle Mark Sanchez.  Lookout for Leon Washington.  Is it 1:00 PM yet?

ticket

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As I've written before, weird stuff crosses my Inbox on a regular basis.  Some, I simply discard and a few merit further investigation.  Like, "Please sit through an hour demo and we'll give you food and a ticket to the season opener."  Uhhmm, what?  It could've easily been a hoax, but through more correspondence, I felt like it was legit.  So, I thought about it for all of, I don't know, like 3 nanoseconds and said, "Yeeessss!!" while trying to maintain my cool, Editor-in-Chief demeanor.

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