If the Colts Do Finish 19-0, Are They the Team of the Decade?

As early as even 2006, the media had already dubbed the New England Patriots the team of the decade. After all, they had won three Super Bowls earlier in the decade and pretty much the only way they could be usurped is if a team basically won three of the last four Super Bowls of this decade.

But the Indianapolis Colts are a unique case. If they can pull off the monumental 19-0 perfect season that eluded the Patriots in 2007, does that change things? You can add on top of that that they already do have a Super Bowl. They do have more wins than the Patriots this decade. Their star quarterback has more MVP awards. So how would you rank them?

It pains me to say it, but I would pick the Patriots for the reason that they have kept the same personnel for their championships, i.e., quarterback, coach, multiple players, etc. The Colts on the other hand, are playing this season with a brand new head coach and without their Hall-of-Fame receiver Marvin Harrison.

Plus, to earn the title of team of the decade, you have to have at least one back to back Super Bowl-winning dynasty. The Packers had it in the 60’s. The Steelers did it twice in the 70’s. The 49ers did it with their last two championships in the 80’s. And the Cowboys did it in the 90’s.

It’s ironic to note that these two teams used to play each other twice every year because they were both members of the AFC East before realignment. It seems they play each other every year (which they do) but that’s due to finishing within the same place in the division.

It’s also ironic to note that these two clinched their respective divisions every year from 2003-2007 and then both finished in second place last season which assured they’d play again this year.

Now, head to head competition can also be looked at. The rivalry really didn’t ignite until 2003. That season and the next the Patriots beat the Colts in the regular season as well as in the playoffs. In 2005 and 2006, the Colts won both regular season meetings as well as the conference championship game in the latter year. The Patriots beat the Colts in 2007 and then the Colts returned the favor last season and then beat them this season.

That would put the series at 5-5 unless they meat again in the playoffs. The Pats do have the better head to head record in postseason play winning 2-1. But if they do meet in the playoffs and the Colts win, that destroys that possible tiebreaker.

So how can we decide? Is it most victories, or the timing of the victories? Is it overall wins, or simply wins against each other? Is it statistics or is it championships? Of course, if the Colts do not win the Super Bowl, much less go 19-0, this all becomes moot. But if they do become the greatest team of all-time, does that mean they’re the greatest team of this decade?

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Brett Favre Calls the Shots

We shouldn’t be surprised to learn that Brett Favre has been changing plays and giving orders for the Minnesota Vikings. After all, what kind of impression of leadership is left on a team when the head coach picks up the star player from the airport? I would be surprised if head coach Brad Childress ISN’T picking up his dry cleaning and delivering his lunch.

Childress really has no choice in the matter. He recently got a contract extension because of Brett Favre’s play. Going into this season he was already on the hot seat, despite a divisional title last season. At the very least, Childress should give a commission to Favre.

But what happens when Favre retires (again)? What veteran will Childress coax back into the NFL? Does he have John Elway on speed dial?

If I were him, I would definitely start planning on whom to take over for next season so he doesn’t have to wait until after the first preseason game to get his man.

It seems obvious that Childress just names the lineup and Favre does the rest. When Favre leaves and Childress has to return to coaching the team, Vikings management will regret that extension.

But sometimes this kind of thing just happens. I’ve now realized that the reason Eli Manning gets called for so many delay of game penalties is he’s forced to change up offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride’s horrible play calling.

And much has been made about Colts head coach Jim Caldwell having the best start of any rookie head coach in history. Well, those other coaches didn’t have Peyton Manning and an already established team in place.

But Favre and Childress seem different. Perhaps only Bill Belichick and Tom Brady have a bigger codependent relationship. But I doubt Bill Belichick ever taxied Brady from the airport.

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New York Giants in Prime Position for Playoffs Despite Recent Struggles

Okay, so they won’t win the division which means the last game at Giants Stadium WILL be the last scheduled game against Carolina on December 27. And yes, right now the G-men are on the outside looking in. But the sweep of division rival Dallas will be the key to them returning to the playoffs for a fifth straight year.

The Dallas Cowboys play the Saints this week in New Orleans, which almost guarantees a loss right there. If the Giants win there last three and if Dallas loses just one game, the Giants will qualify.

Now of course, the Giants have to do their part. If they don’t take care of their own business, none of these tiebreakers mean a thing. But look at their schedule. They travel to Washington to play the suddenly pass happy Washington Redskins. But the Giants haven’t lost a game in Washington since 2005 Jason Campbell will hit reality soon.

After that is the Carolina Panthers who seem to have problem playing no matter who is their starting quarterback. And finally they travel to Minnesota, who at that point may have already clinched everything they can and rest their starters (ironically, it was the exact other way around last season).

If they do win out, that will put the Giants at 10-6, the exact record during their Super Bowl season two years ago. And also that season not only did they not win the division, but they were swept by the division winning team (that season it was Dallas). So if Philly does clinch the division, there’s something to look for.

Now the Green Bay Packers pretty much have laid claim to the first wild card spot. Besides the Cowboys, the only real competitor is Atlanta, whom the Giants already beat. Although Giants Stadium may not see another game in January, the Giants just might.

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Forget the Coaches: Kickers Like John Carney & Jason Elam Are On the Hot Seat

Being a placekicker in the NFL is a strange job. You’re pretty much either a hero, or a goat. There is no in between. And if a kicker becomes a hero, it is quickly forgotten and credited to the quarterback who got him in the position to kick it.

It used to be that positional players would double as kickers. But as the two-way player ended, new breeds of “athletes” entered the league. They have strange names, some cannot speak English, and some kick without socks (although those are a dying breed).

No one ever acknowledges how tough it can be to kick a ball through goal posts. Since they don’t play any other times during the game, their value is underestimated. Bill Parcells once said of a hurt Matt Bahr “He doesn’t have to play. All he has to do is kick.” A kicker is not viewed as someone who can make a team great. But he certainly is someone who can break a team.

Since kickers don’t really have to run or hit or even barely get off the bench, most can and do play through their forties. Although they may not work as hard as others, a foot and a leg are still body parts that can get old. Some just are inconsistent and don’t make enough to last past their twenties let alone into their forties. This season has seen many examples of such.

Let’s start with this week’s nappy-headed-ho of the week and the kicker who’s missed two potential game tying kicks in less than a month. Kris Brown, kicker for the Houston Texans, is the only “player” to suit up for every game in team history. But after constantly missing kicks, including two 49-yarders Monday night, he might go the way of the old Houston team, the Oilers.

John Carney is going through a second stint with the New Orleans Saints, which isn’t very unusual. Since kickers can play so long, they often run out of teams and need to go back around. Carney went to the Pro Bowl last season as a member of the Giants mostly due to the team’s frequent scoring and extra point opportunities. But when the team needed him in the cold in the playoffs, he could not deliver.

This season is almost identical. The Saints offense is not stalling and all they really need is someone to kick the extra points. Carney has not cost his team a game yet, but he has missed extra points, and some chip shots. Being a dome kicker, watch out for when he is forced to go outdoors.

Jason Elam is a legend. Okay, for kickers, he’s a legend. He has two Super Bowl rings with the Denver Broncos, and tied a league record with a 63 yard field goal, doing it without a boot like his counterpart, Tom Dempsey. But this season, as a member of the Atlanta Falcons, Elam has been shaky at best. He’s missed chip shots and with that goatee, definitely does not look like himself. After losing to the Giants in overtime this past weekend, you can’t help but notice that, had he made all his kicks, there wouldn’t have been an overtime.

Elam’s counterpart this past weekend, Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes, gained notoriety for kicking the Giants to the Super Bowl two years ago. People choose to forget he missed two others in that game, and sat out all of last season due to an “injury.” He hasn’t blown any games yet, mostly because Eli Manning has engineered some great drives to give him second and third chances to redeem himself.  But he has missed some easy kicks, and like Elam, had he made all his kicks, there wouldn’t have been an overtime. As a Giants fan, I think I speak for us all when I say that whenever I see Tynes lined up to kick, I have to cross my fingers and sometimes avert my eyes.

Redskins kicker Shaun Suisham accounted for all of the scoring of his team this Sunday, but missed two kicks and his team wound up on the losing end of a one point game. For a team that has had quarterback, and now injured running back, problems, to have a kicker steal the show as its Achilles heel is an accomplishment.

Even kickers David Akers and Adam Vinatieri, who have had their own jerseys worn by fans, have struggled at times. Akers in particular missed two kicks in a game in Oakland that would have won the game. And Vinatieri has suffered an injury and been replaced by Matt Stover.

Stover’s former team, the Ravens, have been the only team to take action in changing their kickers, by replacing the man hired to replace Stover in Steven Hauschka. But as more kicks sail right and other forty year old kickers decide they want back in the game, who could be next?

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Tom Cable: “I Coach The Raiders; I Had To Beat Somebody”

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Top Coach-Player “Almost” Fights in the NFL

This past Sunday saw Falcons coach Mike Smith get in the face of former Falcons player and current Redskin Deangelo Hall on the sidelines after a play. After the game, Hall seemed ready for round two, saying that Smith was talking (bleep) and if he was ready to continue, he knew where to find Hall.

Not to take sides in any of this, but since Smith’s team was the winner, I need to name Deangleo Hall as this week’s nappy-headed-ho of the week.

As embarrassing this is for a white haired coach to get into a scuffle with a player (also entertaining), it’s not the first time it’s happened and won’t be the last. Perhaps it’s the fact that the coaches simply coach and most of if not all of them used to play, but are now out of the action.

Below are just some of the more memorable feuds between players and opposing coaches in backwards chronological order.

Ladanian Tomlinson vs. Bill Belichick: Following a home playoff loss to the New England Patriots, league MVP and record setting touchdown holder (seems so long ago doesn’t it) Ladanian Tomlinson witnessed Patriots players imitating teammate Shawn Merriman’s “lights out” sack dance on their field.

Tomlinson claimed that the team had “no class” and that it came “from their head coach (Belichick).” A few weeks later, the two apparently buried the hatchet as Belichick, being the losing coach in that year’s AFC championship game, coached the Pro Bowl team.

With all the hatred towards Belichick, I’m sure he figured that this feud was small potatoes and focus his attention on bigger things (like shopping for at Radio Shack’s home recording department.)

Warren Sapp vs. Mike Sherman: In a game between then very much rivals Tampa Bay and Green Bay, Warren Sapp was criticized by Packers coach Mike Sherman for throwing a huge block on a defenseless player on a defensive interception return.

Sapp being Sapp, he was ready to throw down right on the field in response to Sherman’s snide remarks, telling Sherman that if he was so tough to strap on a helmet. I guess Sherman must have seen Sapp up close and suddenly his desire to for conflict disappeared.

Jerry Glanville vs. Every Player He Went Against: Before there was Bill Belichick, there was Jerry Glanville. For those of us who watched him as an analyst with bad puns on Fox (Charles “show me the” Way), it’s pretty shocking to learn that he used to have snow balls thrown at him when trying to get to the tunnel. He instigated fights with officials (“N.F.L. stands for Not For Long”) and even drew flags from them.

Buddy Ryan vs. Luis Zendejas: A lot of people didn’t like Buddy Ryan and vice versa. But of all the players to have a feud with, for it to be a kicker earns him a place on this list.

Known now as the Bounty Bowl, Cowboys kicker Zendejas claimed that when he was playing for Ryan in Philadelphia, Ryan would offer bonuses to players who would knock out opposing kickers and punters. Zendejas was knocked out of the game with a concussion, and although this precipitated a feud more with coach Jimmy Johnson, it still was kicker Zendejas that kicked it off (no pun intended).

Chuck Noll vs. George Atkinson: Following a clothesline on a defenseless Lynn Swann that would make any WWE performer proud in back to back consecutive playoff games, Noll took the Raiders and Atkinson to court for assault. Swann was knocked on conscience both times and Noll labeled the Raiders as a whole as a “criminal element.”

Atkinson countersued for defamation, but neither side ever received any compensation and as well all know, the Raiders never eased up on any opponent (except for on their own coaches that is.)

I’m sure there are some that I’m forgetting so please feel free to list them.

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2009 New York Giants: This Year’s Dallas Cowboys?

Going into the 2008 season, the Dallas Cowboys were everybody’s favorite to at least win their conference.

They were coming off a season in which they were the No. 1 seed and had a first round bye, but lost at home to a wild card team that also happened to be a division foe.

Once the ’08 season started, the Cowboys justified these expectations. For the first few weeks anyway. A midseason losing streak set up the debate of whether America’s Team would even make the playoffs.

Sound familiar?

The New York Giants, the divisional foe that beat the Cowboys in that playoff game, entered this year pretty much the exact same way.

Like the Cowboys, they also had the No. 1 seed last season, a first round bye, and lost at home to a divisional foe.

They stormed out the door winning their first five games, but have now slumped to 5-3. And like with Dallas last season, there is talk of big blue actually missing the playoffs for the first time since Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin’s first season (2004).

The Cowboys DID have an excuse for their mid-season losing streak. Their quarterback, Tony Romo, who makes ballerina Tom Brady look like Chuck Bednarik, was out with an injured pinkie.

The Giants, although dealing with injuries, have been able to overcome them, especially during their Super Bowl year.

Last week in Philly, Eli Manning looked like a rookie again in the sense that if he didn’t see anyone open and just threw the ball up. His performance last week nets him the nappy-headed-ho of the week award.

Disciplinarian Coughlin is definitely a different breed of coach from Wade Phillips, who is a stringed marionette for owner Jerry Jones.

Coughlin was always able to at least get the Giants winning no matter what injury befell the team (I don’t count Plaxico’s “absence” as an injury).

Another difference is Coughlin will definitely not be on the hot seat for at least another year. He would definitely need two consecutive losing campaigns for that.

Another striking similarity is that the Giants will move into a new stadium next season like the Cowboys did this year. That does make a difference in the eyes of fans who have to sell their first-born to afford the PSL’s.

And if the losing does continue in the Big Apple, Super Bowl or not, it will always become a case of “what have you done for me lately.”

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The Cheap Way to Dress As Your Favorite NFL Star For Halloween, Vol. 2

For those of you who are looking to be particular NFL players but don’t want to spend a whole lot, I offer up these following suggestions…

Just go around punching people out and say you’re Raiders coach Tom Cable (and those of you who like props, pick up a pair of boxing gloves)

Dawn a Peyton Manning jersey and (if you’re at an office party) aggravate your boss and say you’re Titans coach Jeff Fisher .

Sneak up behind everybody in the room and surprise them and say you’re Broncos coach Josh McDaniels .

Run around the room mooning people and say you’re 49ers coach Mike Singletary .

Constantly be looking over your shoulder the whole night and say you’re Redskins coach Jim Zorn .

Have somebody accidentally bump into you and then cry foul and make a big deal about it, and say you’re Patriots quarterback Tom Brady .

Put on a diaper and suck on a pacifier and say you’re Bears quarterback Jay Cutler .

Whenever you’re asked to pass a drink, give it to the wrong person and or drop it and say you’re Raiders quarterback (for the time being) Jamarcus Russell .

Talk a lot of smack about an old friend of yours, claim it’s water under the bridge, but secretly harbor a grudge and say you’re Vikings quarterback Brett Favre .

For those of you who do need a costume, but on the cheap, just dawn a white ghost sheet and say you’re Bills wide receiver Terrell Owens (or just say you’re the invisible man, either would work in his case).

Constantly forget specific numbers and times, i.e. claim the liquor store is still open for another hour even though it’s closed, or say there is plenty of refreshments left but they’re all but gone, and say you’re Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo .

Be silent and make no impression for the whole night, and then suddenly do something worthy of attention, and talk as much smack as you possibly can, and then be silent again and say you’re Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey .

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

The Cheap Way to Dress As Your Favorite NFL Star For Halloween, Vol. 2

For those of you who are looking to be particular NFL players but don’t want to spend a whole lot, I offer up these following suggestions…

Just go around punching people out and say you’re Raiders coach Tom Cable (and those of you who like props, pick up a pair of boxing gloves)

Dawn a Peyton Manning jersey and (if you’re at an office party) aggravate your boss and say you’re Titans coach Jeff Fisher .

Sneak up behind everybody in the room and surprise them and say you’re Broncos coach Josh McDaniels .

Run around the room mooning people and say you’re 49ers coach Mike Singletary .

Constantly be looking over your shoulder the whole night and say you’re Redskins coach Jim Zorn .

Have somebody accidentally bump into you and then cry foul and make a big deal about it, and say you’re Patriots quarterback Tom Brady .

Put on a diaper and suck on a pacifier and say you’re Bears quarterback Jay Cutler .

Whenever you’re asked to pass a drink, give it to the wrong person and or drop it and say you’re Raiders quarterback (for the time being) Jamarcus Russell .

Talk a lot of smack about an old friend of yours, claim it’s water under the bridge, but secretly harbor a grudge and say you’re Vikings quarterback Brett Favre .

For those of you who do need a costume, but on the cheap, just dawn a white ghost sheet and say you’re Bills wide receiver Terrell Owens (or just say you’re the invisible man, either would work in his case).

Constantly forget specific numbers and times, i.e. claim the liquor store is still open for another hour even though it’s closed, or say there is plenty of refreshments left but they’re all but gone, and say you’re Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo .

Be silent and make no impression for the whole night, and then suddenly do something worthy of attention, and talk as much smack as you possibly can, and then be silent again and say you’re Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey .

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Jim Zorn: Hired To Be Fired?

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