NFL parity is bizarre these days. We are almost midway through the season and there are only a handful of teams who are true 'contenders' at this point. Those teams in no particular order are: Atlanta, Houston, New York Giants, San Francisco, and Chicago. There are another handful of teams who are pushing those top teams; like Green Bay and New England. Then there are a TON of teams in that middle-of-the-pack category where Miami firmly fits. Indianapolis also finds themselves in there. So now for the mystery behind this game...... _________________________________________ 1. WTF happened to Vontae Davis? ANSWER: (And I am not talking about his face) Who cares?? Look, I for one was a little puzzled by the trade, but given the sitch and the value given for him, Vontae's grandmother would've pulled that trigger all day, everyday, and twice on Sunday! *Just to be clear, I do hope he pulls through whatever mysterious knee thing he has going on. At least he won't have to spend extra dough on a Halloween mask. Vontae is certainly going "au naturale" at this year's costume extravaganza! 2. Is Miami's starting QB going to wear a Ryan Tannehill or Matt Moore mask? ANSWER: I had to consult my Magic 8-ball and Ouija board for this one. My Magic 8-ball managed a, "Reply hazy. Try again later." Now, I do not know if it was because I had several shots of Jack before asking, but I will take it as it is. My Ouija board began a trembling of sorts (presumably because of my DTs). The reality is, the less we know, the better. For whom do the Colts prepare: Tannehill or Moore? There is a difference, and that extra preparation the Colts might give in figuring this out might be that difference in winning the game. If Tannehill does start, I DO NOT want this to be a Tannehill vs Luck game. This does not bode well for Miami if it leads to that. Luck is a much more polished passer at this point in their careers, and I just do not want Tannehill getting into a "me versus him" mindset. It is an "us versus them". Just for transparency purposes, I did poop my pants a little when Tannehill did not look like he was coming back into the game. Since I am a big proponent for recycling, I saved all of the Tootsie Roll wrappers (after hoarding the candy in my fat mouth) I had initially purchased for the neighborhood trick-or-treaters and, well.......let's just say some children will get a tummy ache from more than just "eating too much candy". I love children. 3. Is it the jack-o-lantern on the front porch? ANSWER: Indy has played pretty tough at home, beating teams like Green Bay and Minnesota (respectively). Now I do not know if Andrew Luck's jack-o-lantern likeness scares little kids, but it sure scared those two teams out of town where he has 5 TDs and 1 INT collectively in those two games. He also butt-raped Green Bay for 362 yards in the air. Teams typically play well at home, and the Colts are doing just that with a 3-1 record at the palace Peyton Manning built. Miami's secondary has been playing well lately, so this will be an interesting matchup. Reggie Wayne has been playing great, and is Luck's favorite target. He is everything savvy and is still a top-notch receiver who currently leads the league in reception yards and is second in receptions for 20+ yards only behind Demaryius Thomas. Scary. The Colts can give up rushing yards, but oddly, statistically have a pretty stout pass defense. Does Miami finally get it's running game back? Looking at the stats, it seems that Daniel Thomas really has not done much, but he has shown some promise in receiving and seems to be running better. I think Miami has to run in order to keep this team down. I also think that if the ST play continues on it's meteoric rise, it could mean a 'W' in the win column. Unfortunately, if Miami gets out early, it might mean that Luck throws a plenty. Good and bad thing. Luck has been sacked 14 times in the last four games, and has fumbled in all of those last four (losing two). But Luck is pretty good, and is averaging 41 pass attempts/game. On another note, Luck is leading his team in rushing TDs. 4. Why this ridiculous post? ANSWER: I do not know, but I just wanted to post some thoughts with a little pre-Halloween twist in order to make it fun. Although Miami showed great promise last game, THIS will be the real test in Miami's season. The Colts are still very much in the mix. They are playing with a heavy heart at a place that embraces their team to the fullest. THIS will be the game where we find out what defines this team. Does Miami stand up and pull out the fisticuffs? Or do they lay a turd to later be recycled in a cruel trick to the neighborhood kids? Well find out Sunday.....
I don't think so.. Luck's ball placement has been subpar. I've watched 5 Colts games and he leaves something to be desired with his ball placement. Receivers are always having to adjust to his passes, more often than you'd like anyway. Tannehill has been better with ball placement and leading his receiving targets properly.
I'll give you that. Luck is more polished at passing would probably be more accurate, meaning he has more time behind center. Luck has more experience. Tannehill makes some damn good throws, for sure. I watched Luck in college. He was pretty good there, yeah? I admittedly have only watched one game, and save for some highlights on NFLN, I will defer to you regarding his ball placement. Luck is doing pretty well in a new offense with new coaches. Tannehill has been lucky to be playing in a similarly-styled offense as he did in college along with the same coach. Say what you want about Luck, his receiver is leading the league in receiving yards. Yes, there is a huge disparity between Reggie Wayne and the rest of the team's receivers (regarding reception yards), though, it probably should be that way anyway.
No it won't. The "real test" if there is such a thing, was last week against the Jets. Jet's are a division rival and were home. That alone puts them ahead of the Colts... Who're the Colts... The same will apply to Buffalo and NE. At 4-3, the margin of error is slim. We need to win at least 5/9 from here on out to even have a shot at the playoffs. Every game matters. Every game is going to feel like a must win. Which is why NFL > Every other sport.
Yes it will! I fully understand the importance of the Jets game, but the motivation to win was because of the history between them. We do agree on this, yes? Will the team be wearing their jockstraps or their panties this game? Where is the motivation? This will be MORE of a measuring stick to this team's progress than with the Jets game because this team must go on the road to a tough venue and play a team who is playing with a heavy heart for Chuck Pagano. Certainly, the Colts might be all depressed and lose focus, but they might play their asses off. I think the importance (up to this point in the season) of this game is significant in where the Dolphins go for the rest of the year. This could be the catalyst to a good thing or a grind it out type of year if Miami loses; hence, being the REAL TEST up to this point. Miami had motivation against the Jets. Was it real or just a facade? But thanks for the reminder that "every game matters"......
I am not on the same page with your assessment that Smith should have success with Wayne. Wayne is a savvy vet. And Smith has not always been known for his change of direction and catch up speed. This is a very good test for Smith because the Colts rely heavily on Wayne.
My point is, you're assigning arbitrary reasoning for why this game against Indy is a true test. This game is no more important than anyone that came before it (or will come after it). We need to win for winning's sake. And no, the smack talk between the Jets had nothing to do with the stakes... The stakes were 4-3 (1-1 division) or 3-4 (0-2 division). Division > All other teams. The smack talk just made it sweetened the pot.
It makes me sad when people bag on Vontae for calling his grandmother. He was raised by his maternal grandmother because he doesn't know his father and his mother suffered from addiction. He and his brother (Vernon) have started the "Family Foundation," which supports parents in those types of situations. His brother was arrested for murdering people with a hammer. The man just found out, on camera, that his entire life was going to be uprooted in an instant and that he'd be leaving his friends and his established life to move to Indianapolis. That moment didn't make me laugh, it made me feel sick to my stomach for him. I support the trade, but I think he deserves some slack and respect. /rant off
No matter the justification it still boils down to a 'I want my mommy' moment which is why he gets ridiculed. Goes right back to his maturity issues. The thing that scares me about this game is Luck is good at explosive plays of 20+ while our D is prone to giving those up. Could make for a long day if we don't harrass him.
Should be a lot of fun to watch. Finally get to watch us compete against a decent quarterback. This game is meaningful for both teams because of record. Both teams could consider this a trap game due to the relative unfamiliarity between teams.
You simply have to do a scouting report or at least some trends and observations from the Colts. I hate not knowing what to expect on Sunday.
Sure, but that is not what I was thinking when writing the post. There was no self-query on whether I assigned "arbitrary reasoning" to the comment. I basically felt like this game is more important given the circumstances. There is no false bravado from the Colts. But it certainly will give a better idea as to where this team and staff lies once the final whistle blows. The thing I like about this team is that there seems to be improvement from different areas of the team in just about every game. Maybe save for the rush offense, but I could argue that, regardless of stats, Daniel Thomas looks better than when the season started. He seems to have the knack for getting that important first down to keep drives going. He obviously is pretty good in pass blocking. Lamar Miller, though more exciting, is a one-trick pony right now. If he is in, the key is on him. Maybe that is why he has not played lately. I would like to see Miller used more in the passing game; but why, since Miami has Reggie Bush who is a legitimate star in this league? They have holes just like Miami. Miami is 27th against the pass. The Colts are 9th in passing yards. The Colts are passing, no doubt. But why? Are they relying on Luck's arm to come back from deficits? Maybe it points to a poor running game, but they actually have a higher yard per attempt average than Miami. Also, they have a higher percentage of runs going for first downs (about 21% more). This is a little bit circumstantial, but 1st downs keep drives alive. Let's see how Miami's defense plays them.
Luck has been getting sacked quite a bit in his last four games (I think the highest sack total over that span), so let's hope Miami can keep the trend going. I also hope he continues his fumble streak.
I'm going to be at this game, 8th row in the endzone, going to be awesome. Being from Indy here I'm forced to see a lot more from the Colts than I really want to see. On that note, they use the play action perfectly. They have actually been getting the running game going really well, then playing the pass after that. I think if we stop the run like we have done all year we really turn them into a one dimentional team and that wins it for us. On our offensive side, I think we should dominate the line of scrimmage and the running game should be working well. Hopefully Tannehill is back, but even with Moore I dont think it hurts or helps our chances. I just selfishly want Tannehill to play since I have a Tannehill jersey. Should be a really interesting game, should be exciting, should be close. I just hope to god we win, nothing worse than Colts fan boasting after a win. Well I'm sure Jets or Bills fans are worse, but nothing worse that I have experienced.
Personally, I think we need to stop looking at specific opponents as a test. If we play our best, we can play with any team in the league. That's why I say instead of opposing teams being the test, its situations that are the test. For example, we have the talent to beat Indy. We may or may not. The test is how we win or lose based on coming in with 3 wins in a row. That to me will be more indicative of the direction of our team. The scenarios that are possible (barring a tie): 1. We destroy Indy 2. We win a close one 3. They destroy us 4. They win a close one 3 out of 4 of those bode well for our long term future. As long as #3 doesn't happen, we're ok, because it means Philbin is controlling the team. We have 3 wins in a row and with a lesser coach that could spiral into Rex Ryan level cockiness. That's bad. The Jets had talent and had schemes and they didn't get over the hump because they lacked discipline & focus. The Pats on the other hand, always have discipline and focus and are always at the top of the league even if all they have is Brady, Gronk, Hernandez and Welker. I say that because I don't think our accomplishments in terms of W-L record are all that important this year. I'm in long term view here and believe THE most important part of this year is establishing the coaching staff and Tannehill. Everything else is gravy.
I wholeheartedly agree. This particular situation is a good test for the team. As with every game, we have seen some improvement in some facet or another. This is good stuff. I admit that I was a bit skeptical about a few players going into the year, but some of these guys have surprisingly been playing good ball. This points to good collective coaching. There is also a sense of team spirit, but with a buyer's attitude (unlike with the last regime). Under Sparano, the team really loved the guy and I think they played hard for him (it's hard not to like him on a personal level), but I think he was out of his element a bit. But with Philbin, there is a sense of leadership there that goes beyond just being likeable. The guy seems to have 'head coach' tattooed to his ***.
That "I want my mommy" moment is exactly why he was mocked. People get fired all the time. Adults don't ask to call their parents or whomever raised them from the boss's office. Adults handle it and if they need emotional support, call when they leave. Not being able to handle it for even a few minutes on his own is a maturity issue. I kind of see this game as being a close one even though it shouldn't be. I think we're the better team but lack the offensive firepower to blow teams out unless we get a bunch of turnovers. I was really hoping that Gaffney or Moore established themselves as a third receiving threat and that opened up our offense. If Moore plays I could see us having more long passes, but also more three and outs.
On paper we should mash the colts. I can pretty much guarantee they won't run it on our front 7, and their OL is shaky in pass pro. Their best bet is to spread the field and attack thru the air, which is also risky bc it exposes Luck to taking a lot of hits. Wayne is their only dependable target and he'll see a heavy dose of Sean Smith. If Ss can hold his own they will struggle to put drives together. On offense we will run on them all day unless they put safeties in the box to help. But their DBs are zone guys and they will struggle if they have to play a lot of man or single high zone. Freeny and Mathis are both a little banged up which should help our tackles keep them under wraps. My only real worry is a let down following the jets game. I agree with all who said this will be a test if the team's mental strength. If we show up ready to play we'll be ok. If not we could see a rams game redux. Miami 20 Indy 13
As opposed to the person who just puts a one line zinger with no explanation. If your going to resort to personal attacks...at least have the decency to come up with a proper retort as to why I would be wrong in my response to infil. I don't think at this point anyone can deny that one of the big flaws with Davis is his maturity.
I'm far from a V. Davis apologist, but do you realize he likely doesn't posses the life skills necessary to be an "adult" in that situation? I'm sure he didn't grow up with a mother and a father and a white picket fence. So criticizing him for how he handled the first and only situation in his life he was told he wasn't wanted or wasn't good enough seems a little harsh.
Whether you call it life skills or maturity and whether that failing was the result of some disadvantage is irrelevant. What is relavent is whether he can be a professional, adult football player. His inability to handle that firing situation as an adult would is a pretty good indication that Philbin made a good decision.
Perhaps I missed something, but unless I'm mistaken, the OP stated, In simply referring to her (rather than his mother) for having raised him, I see nothing that suggests anything other than light hearted humor at Vontae's trade value, based on his recent contributions to the Colts. How does this infer any disrespect toward Vontae's relationship with his grandmother, or even point out any maturity issues? I did find the maskless, or "au naturale" quip puzzling, but hardly condemnable, and otherwise a very creative, well written post.
I think this is just as tough a game as last week. I think both teams have a lot to lose, other than the game itself. Both have to prove, once again, that they are 'real' in this league. Whoever does not win, is just another team in the league. Whoever does win is a team to be reckoned with as the season goes on...As important as it was for us to beat the jests, it's that much or more important to beat the colts... And as I said, it's just as important for them...
The stakes do appear as high as last week, and if given the choice, would absolutely prefer a loss to the Titans next week, if it had to be one.
Gotta give Irish his props, that VD trade looks better and better every week..... For the record as well I was never against it.....again I am about the business of the organization and I believe the TEAM always comes first..... A) free agent to be B) emotional issues C) play wasnt added up to the high pick he was drafted at D) cap relief all wins..... I just wish they would do the same with the other FA's to be namely Long and Bush (provided they KNOW 100% if they want them or not)....either extend them or deal them... I just dont get the point of letting him HIT free agency and then trying to work a deal out....
Yup, thats what was to be anticipated, but not what we've seen in real life. If Luck has an advantage on Tannehill its awareness. As far as strictly passing is concerned, Tannehill looks to be the best of this class so far. Strength,accuracy, while on the run, off balance... RT throws the best ball.
