NFL 2009

[GhostMachine]

Chase, I kind of see what you're saying in your post before Be's, but I disagree.....to a point (agree totally with your more recent post, though....except for the part about respecting the Patriots; I don't respect cheaters). You could tell by their faces that Peyton and some of the other Colts starters were pissed that they were yanked from the game and not put back in when the Jets got ahead.

If the Jets end up playing the Colts in the playoffs and the Jets manage to win, someone on the Colts should go punch Caldwell in the mouth, since he essentially handed the Jets a playoff spot if they make it in.

And how the hell is Curtis Painter a backup QB instead of being on the practice squad? I understand he hasn't played in any games at all this season until this one, but he was absolutely lousy and that interception was one hell of a boneheaded pass to throw.

Edited December 29, 2009 by GhostMachine

[SeanDMan]

How many games had Brady missed injured before last year? It only takes one play. Are you going to call for the Steelers to fire their coach when he refuses to play Big Ben during the preaseason next year?

[Lowerdeck]

If the Colts win the SB and go 18-1, 17-2... they'd still be a champion and a great team. And people would know that they took it easy against the Jets (Bills probably too). That would be debated throughout history, so it's not like it won't come into question.

Of course if they lose in the playoffs - this is all irrelevant.

[Meacon Keaton]

Well, this game sure has gotten a hell of a lot more exciting over the last thirty minutes.

[Pizza]

Everyone knows who won the Superbowl in 1972. Will anyone remember who wins this year's Superbowl 27 years from now? They would have if the Colts went undefeated. Fucking pussies.

[Evil Chase K]

How many games had Brady missed injured before last year? It only takes one play. Are you going to call for the Steelers to fire their coach when he refuses to play Big Ben during the preaseason next year?

You play to win the game. Playing scared has never won anyone anything.

Tomlin let Ben play in Week 17 against the Browns last year and Ben was taken off the field on a stretcher. My reaction was "I hope he's okay. We need him." I never once threw a fit or asked why Tomlin had him out there.

Ben never usually plays well after a long layoff. I wanted Ben and the starters to play so they wouldn't be like the Colts are every single year and come out rusty and flat in their first playoff game because they haven't played a meaningful football game in weeks.

If the Colts win the SB and go 18-1, 17-2... they'd still be a champion and a great team. And people would know that they took it easy against the Jets (Bills probably too). That would be debated throughout history, so it's not like it won't come into question.

Of course if they lose in the playoffs - this is all irrelevant.

Being a champion and being a great team is nowhere CLOSE to being the only team to EVER go 19-0. They'd have one up on those hated Patriots and well...everyone else in the league. It's about pride.

Bill Polian made a call that someone who is scared would make. Whether he's scared of success or failure I don't know, but fear is the absolute worst quality someone in pro sports can have.

Colts fans seem to be agreeing with me as well...

Bill Polian called out by Colts fans on his call-in radio show, gets defensive, seemingly ends show early

by BigBlueShoe on Dec 28, 2009 7:29 PM EST in Colts News 219 comments

Ifyou were a Colts fan within range of an Indianapolis or an Internetconnection, you likely listened to the Bill Polian Show this evening.This show is a regular for Bill, where he takes calls from fans from6pm-7pm on local Indy station HANK FM. However, if you tuned in thisevening, what you heard were some very irate but thoughtfullyarticulate Colts fans essentially tell Bill Polian that his excuses forpulling starters against the Jets were unacceptable to the Coltsfanbase (our open thread for the show is here).

One caller claimed Polian and the Colts had run from the win.

Anothercaller, a polite but obviously agitated lady, brought up the point thatit was unfair to charge fans high ticket prices during a recession onlyto see the team pull starters.

Another fan, which happened tobe the last caller of the show, challenged Polian by stating theobviously: The Colts did not put forth a maximum effort to win becausethey pulled their starters at a critical time in the game.

Allof this resistance to Polian, the Colts, and their excuses for nottrying to win the ballgame seemed too much for the Colts president.Midway through the final caller, with about ten minutes to go in theshow, the show was cut-off. The station immediately threw in music andcommercial filler, and thus, the Bill Polian Show was abruptly ended.Perhaps there was a technical failure. Perhaps a major FM radio stationin a somewhat large metro area lost their feed. Perhaps one day flamingmonkey will shoot magically from my butt.

To put what happenedin a proper context, just like pulling the starters Sunday, Bill Polianseemed to pull himself out of the show early to avoid further injury.

Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable.

Source: StampedeBlue.com Read the rest of that story at the link provided.

[mystikz]

fuck glad I picked the Bears, Cutler finally showed up and Aromashadu or whatever his name is had a great game. things aren't looking good for the vikes losing 3 out of the last 4.

[The Brian J]

It's ok, everyone...we're good.

We here in Chicago are now good.

We had a bad season, but now, we can look back and go "Yeah...hell of a game we had against the Vikings though, huh?".

We had our moment. That's all we needed after this season. It wasn't a Superbowl moment, but dammit, it was one hell of a moment. We're good now.

[gunnar hendershow]

The end of that game on Monday night is why the Bears, for better or worse, will be starting with Cutler behind center for the next few years. I still believe that if they can get him a better line and better wideouts then his interception numbers will drop and his other numbers will go up.

My input on the Colts. They went 2-4 down the stretch in 2006, and as a result couldn't rest their starters. Guess what happened that year?

[Cactus Drags]

Well, that's a little for hope for next season, I was beginning to despair of the Bears. Still plenty of work to do, mind.

[Evil Chase K]

My input on the Colts. They went 2-4 down the stretch in 2006, and as a result couldn't rest their starters. Guess what happened that year?

Exactly. They had to fight until the end and they got hot at the right time and won it all. The last #1 seed to win the Super Bowl was 2003's New England squad.

And after that, no team receiving a first-round bye won the Super Bowl until last year when the Steelers did it.

[Syrjis]

Pro Bowl selections ready:

http://www.nfl.com/probowl/story?id=09000d5d8155c2fa&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true

[Evil Chase K]

James Harrison gets in on reputation alone (just like Ray Lewis). Harrison's spot should've gone to LaMarr Woodley.

And I think Ben Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes got screwed over. But I'm sure I'll be labeled a homer for that.

[GhostMachine]

And I think Ben Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes got screwed over. But I'm sure I'll be labeled a homer for that.

Santonio Holmes I agree with you on, but not Ben Roethlisberger. All 3 QBs picked deserved to get in more than he did this year (and it kills me to say that since I think Tom Brady is overrated by most of the media...and EVERYONE on ESPN, which should be the called the "Lets All Verbally Suck Brady Off Channel").

[mystikz]

meh I would of taken Ben over Brady, I hate the Steelers and Patriots, but there's no way Brady wouldn't get in just because he's Brady. Glad to see Rivers get his recognition this year, awesome year for him. I don't think Jason Witten really did much either this year.... not for my fantasy teams anyway.

[Red Devil-Taker316]

meh I would of taken Ben over Brady, I hate the Steelers and Patriots, but there's no way Brady wouldn't get in just because he's Brady. Glad to see Rivers get his recognition this year, awesome year for him. I don't think Jason Witten really did much either this year.... not for my fantasy teams anyway.

Tom Brady has had the overall better year though.

Brady: 28TD, 12INT, 4,212 yards, his team is 10-5 and Division Champions.

Roethlisberger: 23TD, 12 INT, 4,108 yards, his team is 8-7, and might make the playoffs.

[HailtotheYo]

88 receptions and he'll hit 1000yds in the last game barring something idiotic ... only 1TD though ... but Witten has produced (the TD's aren't necessarily a reflection of him)

[Tits McGee]

Schaub should have got in the Pro Bowl over Brady.. also Jon Beason or London Fletcher should have got in over Vilma.

[gunnar hendershow]

How the hell has London Fletcher not played in a Pro Bowl yet? Seriously, he's been one of the best linebackers of this decade.

[Blaze09]

Ben will get in when one of the other three make the Super Bowl...

and watch it not happen now.