Man, that was way tougher than I wanted it to be. I have to say that the Colts defense was pretty impressive through the first 3 quarters but Brady tore 'em up in the 4th.

I agree! I think I wore out the edge of my seat. Both defenses kept the two best quarterbacks in the game in check. All in all a terrific football game. of course I am extremely pleased with the result.

It was a GREAT GAME in my opinion led by both defenses. Each team had it's big plays and as usual it came down to the fourth quarter. There is no doubt these two teams will see each other again in January. I was very impressed with the speed of the Colts defense.

Now with a bye week, the Pats have left:

@ Bills 4-4
Eagles 3-5
@ Ravens 4-3
Steelers 5-2
Jets 1-8
Dolphins 0-8
@ Giants 6-2

Now the big question, is the Dolphins undefeated
14-0 regular game season record in jepordy?

Dave

It was another great game by these two teams. Both Ds played outstanding. I hope the playoff game is just as good. This time it will be at Foxboro.

quote:

Originally posted by bkreigh:
It was another great game by these two teams. Both Ds played outstanding. I hope the playoff game is just as good. This time it will be at Foxboro.

Let's hope it will be in Foxboro. The Colts season isn't done yet so they can still win out and force the PATS to have to do the same. With Philly, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh coming up, the PATS have to stay focused.

Sorry, I can't hear ya over the "piped in" crowd noise-JRC

quote:

Originally posted by shua_b:

quote:

Originally posted by bkreigh:
It was another great game by these two teams. Both Ds played outstanding. I hope the playoff game is just as good. This time it will be at Foxboro.

Let's hope it will be in Foxboro. The Colts season isn't done yet so they can still win out and force the PATS to have to do the same. With Philly, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh coming up, the PATS have to stay focused.

I have that feeling. I dont see the pats loosing 2 games the rest of the year even if the colts go unbeaten the rest of the way. Hell i think loosing 1 is a stretch as well. The pats have a few more testers but i think they will handle their business. The bills are playing some good ball as well. That might be a closer game than what people might think.

The Colts division is tough and i think they will lose another one or two. Either way if both teams meet each other in playoffs look for anther barn burner!!!!

Great game, even if though it was disappointing to see the team that dominated most of the game lose in the end.

quote:

Hell i think loosing 1 is a stretch as well.

I agree. As I've predicted, the Patriots will finish the season 17-1.

Good game another 4th quarter Tommy comeback. Who cares if they go undefeated as long as everyone stay's healthy and they get homefield advantage.
Here's a good article to read about the so called classless Pats. Drives me crazy hearing that this year. This guy's Wicked Smaht....
Home > Sports > NESN > Eric Wilbur
Four score and several more
By Eric Wilbur, Boston.com Staff

How's this for a four-game stretch of NFL greatness?

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Sign up for: Globe Headlines e-mail | Breaking News Alerts W, 49-14

W, 41-10

W, 41-9

W, 51-24

That quartet of one-sided scores comes to you courtesy of the 2004 Indianapolis Colts from a November-December period during which Peyton Manning and Company annihilated the Texans, Bears, Lions, and Titans, respectively. And, you know it's funny, I don't remember one person whining about them running up the score.

In fact, quite the opposite happened. The Colts were celebrated as the bright and shining star of the NFL. Following the 51-24 win over Tennessee, the Indy Star's Bob Kravitz wrote, "At this point, we're not just watching football anymore. We're watching history. Every week, the Indianapolis Colts' offense uses the football field as its canvas, and every week, it creates an art form that is distinct from everything else in the copycat NFL."

Flash forward almost three years, and the very same Kravitz wrote about the juggernaut New England Patriots, "In the last three weeks, New England has scored 48, 49, and 52 points, inspiring inquiring minds to wonder, 'Did the Patriots pile on?' And every week, the obvious answer is, 'Duh.'"

Whether the Patriots are needlessly running up the score on a weekly basis is open for debate of course, but not much. Tom Brady and Company are pounding teams to the brink of humiliation. At this level of the game, what's the problem with that? I get the feeling much of the national media would rather witness Bill Belichick coddle the opposition with concern for their feelings, stroking them with a false sense of concession compassion.

I can only imagine what Greg Easterbrook and the like might have written the morning after Wilt Chamberlain poured in 100 back in 1962, probably demanding an explanation as to why Wilt didn't sit out the fourth quarter against the poor, poor Knicks.

In any case, you might have noticed there's quite a clash on tap for Sunday in the new, touchy-feely National Football League, where bodies and spirits are demolished and demoralized on a weekly basis, but with the unwritten rule, apparently, that coaches shall exhibit empathy for the opponent, lest things get too embarrassing. It is the first time in league history that two undefeated teams have met this late into a season, and is likely a game of major importance in determining which team gets home field advantage in January's AFC Championship Game, a.k.a. the de facto Super Bowl.

It's the 8-0 Patriots against the 7-0 Colts, or "Good vs. Evil" as both ESPN and Fox have touted the past week in identical headlines.

Such a tired double standard exists when it comes to the Colts and Patriots. When it is the Patriots and Tom Brady that threaten the record-performances put up by Manning and the Colts in the past, folks start to get nervous. The love-fest that exists for Madison Avenue's favorite son extends to his coach Tony Dungy, a nice, congenial man who takes the time out every Sunday morning to bake for the team on the opposite sideline. Or so, we should think.

On the other side this weekend will be Bill Belichick, the gruff, maniacal genius who tends to videotape the opposition, gives curt answers at press conferences, and had his resume come into question when spy-gate broke earlier this season. The man hates cookies.

If you could predict any one statement to backfire this season, it would be when pundits began to question the past Super Bowl triumphs of these Patriots in the wake of spy-gate. You might as well have just handed them Mr. Lombardi's trophy right then and there, because it virtually guaranteed a perfect season. These are the same Patriots who take the slightest dig and turn it into a rallying call that William Wallace would envy. Question the validity of their crowning achievements? Like there wasn't going to be a price to pay for that.

But because the Patriots are the team – and coach – everybody loves to hate, there's something inherently wrong with winning big-time. After plain embarrassing the Redskins on Sunday at Gillette, 52-7, the hue began. "The Patriots are running up the score." "The Patriots show no class." "The Patriots are showing the game disrespect."

Please. As Gary Shelton wrote in the St. Petersburg Times, "Scoring 52 points doesn't disrespect the game; giving up 52 does."

You don't like it? Fine. Stop them. Do something to slow down the steaming, oncoming train that is New England. Can't do it? Tip your hat and call it a day. Or, whine about it into the ensuing days when you really should be preparing for your next opponent. Your call. But please do not try to make the argument that what the Pats are doing is bad for the game. It is certainly up for debate, but anyone who celebrated what the Colts did in 2004, then turns around and points the reproach finger at the Patriots isn't invited to the argument.

For the record, during that aforementioned four-game stretch for the Colts, backup quarterback Jim Sorgi threw exactly four passes. Patriots backup Matt Cassel, the man everyone argues should be in the game for junk time, lest the Pats further embarrass the opposition in the fourth – OK who are we kidding, second – quarter, has thrown five the last two games.

Remember that angry demand nationwide for Sorgi when Manning and Company were out there -- not embarrassing -- but showing good sportsmanship against their opponents with 30-plus point differentials?

Of course, everyone's complaints about this running up the score nonsense comes when the Patriots and Colts are set for another showdown, their first since last January's AFC title classic, the game that essentially prompted Belichick to award Brady with the toys he's never been privy to in the game. You got a problem with Caldwell, Tom. OK, here's Moss. Have fun, kid.

I fear what might happen if they run it up on the beloved Colts. There might be an investigation into whether Kraft legally bought the team 13 years ago. Maybe Indy will get another rule change instituted.

After beating the Texans, 41-9 on Nov. 14 three years ago, ESPN's Eric Allen addressed the issue as to whether or not Manning should have been pulled in the fourth quarter. "I don't think they should have for two reasons. One, right now Manning is extremely hot and has the opportunity to break a few very hard to reach records. It's nice to see a guy in the zone that much still on the field making it happen for his team."

That was then. That was Manning. When it comes to Brady and the Patriots, the story completely changes. For the Colts, it's history, and special. For the Patriots, it's smug and disrespectful. And for those waiting for Belichick's comeuppance, well, let's just hope you're comfortable.

Great game… both teams played great and showed what they are made of. Too bad that the refs had such a large impact against the Pats. The refs nearly took the result of the game from the players and determine it themselves! Moss did not commit pass interference. Neither did Hobbs. Faulk got frigging mugged and the Pats drive stopped because NO penalty was called. I told my daughter that I though that the ‘fix’ was in. The sports talk people (even in NY where I was) were saying that that game had some horrible penalties called ONLY against the Patriots. There were at least four terrible calls. But the Pats screwed up by blocking a guy out of bounds, spiking the ball at center field (didn’t like that a bit).

Metal, that’s why they play the whole game! The Pats made adjustments that worked REALLY well for the last eight minutes of the game. The Pats are the only team to come back in Indy after being 10 down in the 4th. Now they are 65-1 when leading after 4 by 10!

And who have they beaten now? The 7-1 Colts… beaten in Indy and the 7-1 Cowboys. Now I know you don’t like Coach Bill, but you gotta give them credit sooner or later.

I certainly liked the end result but I think except for the last 7 minutes the Pats were out played,out coached and out penalized (not legitally) They certainly kept me on the edge of my chair

Let’s see. The Patriots were leading until Addai ran that little dump pass 70+ yards for a TD. Before that, the score was 7-6 Patriots. After halftime, the Colts were up 13-10 and then 20-10. That does not appear to be being outplayed and out coached. True, the Pat’s offense was not running up and down the field but the Colts have a strong defense. But the mighty Colts offense was held to two field goals after being close three times. I agree that the Colts were getting the better of the Patriots until the Pats scored those two TD’s but it was not a runaway. And I say that the poor officiating helped the Colts score and ended at least one Pats drive prematurely. Too bad that such a good game had high school referees

Anybody else get the impression that these refs put a few hundred down on the Colts to win? (or do they just suck at their job?)

Oh, I recall the 4th bad call now. Remember that the Pats were forced to waste a challenge because two refs (that were right on the out of bounds marker) missed the fact that a receiver’s entire foot was out of bounds! A rookie ref should have seen that fact! How could TWO pro’s miss it?

That was the one that really had me questioning their neutrality. Odd that Asante Samuel was there defending the play and arguably would have been more keyed in on the ball than the guys feet yet he clearly saw the guy caught it out of bounds and quickly ran to the sideline to tell them to throw the challenge flag. Agreed that piss poor officiating marred an otherwise toughly contested match up. Who knows, maybe the officials were keeping the same company as the NBA refs...

http://www.sportsline.com/nba/story/10276221

quote:

Originally posted by metallicatz:
Great game, even if though it was disappointing to see the team that dominated most of the game lose in the end.

Agreed! I had hoped that Marvin Harrison could have played. If so, those first two field goals might have been PAT's (point after touchdown). I think they beat themselves more than being beat by NE. A couple of key passes dropped comes to mind.

Great game. Maybe next time.....

I also wish Harrison would of played too, it would of been even better. I wonder if you would be complaining about these calls if it went the other way? People miss calls and when he caught them ball at real speed, it looked like he came down in bounds. Its simple there humans and make mistakes thats why there is instant replay in this league.

Funny Asante Samuel was there viewing it at full speed and immediately went to Belichik and told him to throw the red flag. From the very first look at that play at full speed from my couch I could tell he was out of bounds and yet the pro referees on the spot, not one but two of them, both didn't see it? Come on, man. As far as the calls going the other way, well, that didn't happen did it? That's a specious argument. Pats, not usually a heavily penalized team, set a franchise record for penalties in the game and the Colts saw a whopping 4 for 20. My issue is let the teams decide it on the field not the referees trying to put their stamp on the game.

Had the Patriots lost, I would not have brought up the terrible job done by the refs. It would have sounded like sour milk. But the Patriots won in spite of the terrible ref-ing. Even the guys on SportCenter (ESPN) have stated that the refs sucked. I am not saying that the sucky ref-ing was intentional… just that they sucked (against the Pats). Look at the stats… look at the plays… look at the calls… the refs sucked! And that stained the game a little bit.

Heck, both teams showed that they are strong. Both teams played their games at certain times and could not at other times. The Colts impressed me even though I thought that they should have been favored. On Sunday, the Pats were the better team. Deal with it…

9-0… that still doesn’t get you a Super Bowl ring!

quote:

I wonder if you would be complaining about these calls if it went the other way? People miss calls and when he caught them ball at real speed, it looked like he came down in bounds. Its simple there humans and make mistakes thats why there is instant replay in this league.

It was a phantom interference call that gave the Colts a win in the AFC Championship game last year. There were 3 phantom interference calls Sunday against the Pats. However, the most blatant screw up was when two officials 15 feet apart called a play a catch when the Colts receiver was clearly out of bounds. This happened early in the game and cost the pats a challenge which could have but did not play a big factor later.

I have officiated sports and realize how easy it is to miss a call but I was not a pro and there were only a couple of us not a full crew. Umpiring in baseball has gotten more notice as well. Perhaps it is the improved coverage of the games that exposes the previously unnoticed mistakes.

Cowboys are getting to be equal to the Pats?

Of course i wish Harrison was playing as well. Having him on the bench hurt more than i thought. The Colts passing game was shut down for the most part (except that 70yarder to Addai). It seemed that the colts were unable to spread the field at all. The only decent receiver we had Wayne and i guess Clark as a TE/WR. Gonzalez gone as well hurt. He would have added antother weapon for Manning.