Tedy Bruschi is an Idiot

In case you missed it (and i did don't worry) the Patriots and Colts played on Sunday Night Football this past weekend. This is the best rivalry in football for the last 10 years, the teams have essentially split the series, playing each other at least once a season, they've both won Super Bowls and MVPs, and they're both playing great football again this season. Sunday night's match up was no different, the undefeated Colts hosting the streaking Patriots.

I watched this game, as a big fan of the Colts, until 6 minutes to go in the game, Manning just threw another interception and the Patriots jumped up to a 17 point lead. NBC showed a stat that the largest 4th-quarter deficit that Manning had overcome was 14 points, so i'm thinking that 17 points by the dominate New England Patriots would be too much.

i was wrong.

Apparently (since i read about it the next day), Manning and the Colts decided to get serious and with cool efficiency brought the team back within reach. The Colts score a TD with 2:23 to go in the game, down 28-34. The Patriots then get the ball back and fail to kill much clock time, leaving them with 4th down and 2, with 2:02 to go in the game on their own 28 yard line. At this point the Colts have scored 21 points in the last 17:00 of the game, so New England coach Bill Belichick decides to go for it, 2 yards, Tom Brady / Wes Welker / Randy Moss, instead of punting and giving Peyton Manning / Reggie Wayne / Dallas Clark a whole 2:00 to move down the field, again, and score the winning TD. His decision was right, although they didn't get 2 yards, and gave the Colts the ball back with a short field.

You can find more reading than you want about this decision and whatnot, you don't need me to point you to articles (first, try Google!). But one article i wanted to call out was former Patriot and now ESPN sellout Tedy Bruschi's.

Tedy says: "As a former defender on that team, I would've cared less about the result of that fourth-down attempt. The decision to go for it would be enough to make my blood boil for weeks. Bill Belichick sent a message to his defense. He felt that his chances were better to go for it on his own 28-yard line than to punt it away and make Peyton Manning have to drive the majority of the field to win the game...Sure, Tom Brady and the offense loved the vote of confidence that their head coach was giving them, but the message sent to the defense was loud and clear. It was a message of doubt."

so what you're saying Tedy is that the defense needed another chance? What about the 17 point cushion that the defense was given (by the offense)? All New Englands defense had to do was stop the Colts from scoring 3 touchdowns. not one TD, but 3. The defense knew that Peyton had to throw the ball, the defense knew they could give up field goals but not TDs, and yet the defense failed. Belichick had seen enough and decided 2 yards would be easier than letting the Colts score again. it didn't work out, but i don't think punting to the Colts and giving them 2:00 to operate would have worked either, it wasn't like the defense was stopping them before.

Tedy Bruschi, you're an idiot.

BMer's Midseason Rant

well, the NFL has reached it's midpoint, a time when predictions should be made, so i'll make mine.

I don't want to get too crazy here, but here are a few things that i'm pretty confident will happen the rest of the way. I'm having a terrible Pick'em year, and my 2 fantasy teams aren't doing much better, so maybe i don't have a good pulse on the league this season, but that won't deter me!

1. State of the Browns: Yes it has been a tough start to the season for my Brownies, but i'm not as discouraged as the most of the Brown Backers. Unlike 90% of the sports media out there i actually watch the Browns games, and i've seen a team that was better than Chicago, should have beat Green Bay, and shut down Minnesota until the 4th quarter. The Browns have 8 games left, 5 home and 3 road games. i predict they will go 4-4. They will go 4-4 with Brady Quinn the rest of the way, ending the season 5-11 and essentially saving Eric Mangini's job (and he won't be fired).

2. As for the AFC North, it feels like Cinci is going to win the division, they've already swept the Ravens and this weekend they will beat the Steelers again to end up 6-0 against the division. shocking, i can't believe it.

3. The Superbowl will feature Indianapolis. They are the best team in the league this season, and they will win the Superbowl. They'll have to go through New England and Pittsburgh, but i think they handle that.

4. The NFC representative won't be the Saints. I like the Vikings to get to the big game this year, they have good pieces and its seems like Favre's story keeps going his way, going 2-0 against Green Bay, and he seems to be playing better in Minnesota than he did in New York.

5. The Bronco's will win their division as well, but won't make much noise in the Playoffs, going out in the first round. Unlike most of the Denver fan base, i am not unsettled by the last two Bronco games, they played Baltimore and Pittsburgh, the standard for defense in the entire league. they'll be just fine.

6. No team from the NFC East is a contender, they'll beat each other up and none of the teams (NYG, PHI, and DAL) are solid this season. the best 3 teams in the NFC are Minnesota, New Orleans, and Arizona. The prediction? how about no team from the NFC East makes the NFC Championship game.

7. How about some upset picks for the next 4 weeks:

1. Seattle over Arizona (Week 10)
   
2. Kansas City over San Diego (Week 12)
3. Miami over New England (Week 13)

8. and lastly, my lovely wife Kassie will pick more games right this season than i do even though she missed a week when she was giving birth to our little man Mason. right now she's correctly picked 79 games, and I've picked 80 games right. In week 6 Kassie missed getting her picks in and went 1/14 that week. that's pretty incredible that she's still only 1 game behind me, and currently beating a few of my friends (Eli, Big Red, Nuccio, Chase Powers...).

It's almost time for the Browns post-season, which is full of Mock Drafts. Who should the Browns draft next season?