Peyton Or Brady - Preview OF NE @ IND
By John Clayton
ESPN.com
Editor's note: ESPN.com senior NFL writer John Clayton's "First and 10" column takes you around the league, with a look at the best game of the week, followed by primers for 10 other games. Here's his look at Week 9.
First … Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots
Last year was the first time the Colts showed they had caught up to or passed the Patriots.
Peyton Manning went to New England and beat the Pats 40-21. Bill Belichick went for it on fourth down early in the fourth quarter, signaling he knew the Colts were formidable. In Belichick's eyes, the Colts turned most possessions into points, so he had to do the same at all costs.
While the Colts scored a moral victory over the Patriots last season, it didn't change the big picture. The Patriots have three Super Bowl rings, and the Colts have none. Until the Colts get past the Patriots and all the other teams in the AFC to the Super Bowl, the Patriots hold the emotional edge in this conference. They have the rings. The Colts are still aspiring.
That's what's so fascinating about Sunday night's Colts-Patriots game in Foxborough. On paper, the Colts have caught up to the Patriots. They were unbeaten until the 15th week last season, and they are unbeaten this year. They can't fight the playoff fight until January, so the focus of Manning and the Colts is to use this as a test for the playoffs.
In many ways, the Colts continue to upgrade their roster with the Patriots in mind. They lost big games against the Patriots and others because of the inability to run successfully on goal-line and other short-yardage situations. So they let Edgerrin James go and drafted Joseph Addai in the first round. He's getting better and better every week.
Mike Vanderjagt is one of the most accurate kickers of his era, but Adam Vinatieri made more of the big kicks to win big games. Out goes Vanderjagt and in comes Vinatieri. Despite a groin injury, he hasn't missed a field goal and remains the sport's most clutch kicker.
While the Colts have major concerns about their run defense, they are at the top of their game because of Manning. He's getting better and better. Using the same plays he started practicing seven years ago, Manning carved up the best defense Mike Shanahan could offer in Denver.
The Colts scored on seven of nine possessions, taking advantage of the fact that the Broncos made a big mistake by not pressuring Manning. Manning faced only seven blitzes, so he had the time to wait for Reggie Wayne to break into the open on Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams. It was like watching a surgeon operate.
Belichick won't be passive. He designs the most imaginative, defining offensive and defensive schemes in football. Look what he did Monday night. Even though the Patriots let go of better receivers than they kept this offseason, Belichick spread the field on offense and left the Vikings defenseless. It was masterful and brilliant. The Patriots blew out the Vikings with ease.
The great matchup is Manning versus Tom Brady. It's like the Joe Montana-Dan Marino debate that rarely played out on the field during their era. Manning is like Marino, the ultimate pocket-passing quarterback. He had all the stats for the Dolphins. Montana had all the Super Bowl rings. Too bad they didn't meet very often.
This will be the eighth meeting between Brady and Manning. Brady is 6-1. He's never really had the stats. Those have gone to Manning. Sunday night's game should give one of these teams the edge in the AFC pecking order, but in the big picture, it won't matter until the playoffs, where they have a chance to meet again.
Both teams are running away with their divisions. The Colts lead the Jaguars by three games. The Patriots hold a 2½-game lead over the Jets. There's a great chance they will be the top two seeds in the playoffs, so the winner of this game could have the crucial tiebreaker for home-field advantage.
Sure, the Colts have holes and Belichick will try to exploit them. Bob Sanders is still fighting knee problems at safety, and Mike Doss is out for the season. Brady will try to work the middle of the Colts' defense. Stopping the run is a big problem for Indianapolis, and the Patriots have evolved into more of a running team.
Still, this game comes down to who has the ball last in the final minutes of the game: Brady or Manning. It should be a classic.
ESPN.com
Editor's note: ESPN.com senior NFL writer John Clayton's "First and 10" column takes you around the league, with a look at the best game of the week, followed by primers for 10 other games. Here's his look at Week 9.
First … Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots
Last year was the first time the Colts showed they had caught up to or passed the Patriots.
Peyton Manning went to New England and beat the Pats 40-21. Bill Belichick went for it on fourth down early in the fourth quarter, signaling he knew the Colts were formidable. In Belichick's eyes, the Colts turned most possessions into points, so he had to do the same at all costs.
While the Colts scored a moral victory over the Patriots last season, it didn't change the big picture. The Patriots have three Super Bowl rings, and the Colts have none. Until the Colts get past the Patriots and all the other teams in the AFC to the Super Bowl, the Patriots hold the emotional edge in this conference. They have the rings. The Colts are still aspiring.
That's what's so fascinating about Sunday night's Colts-Patriots game in Foxborough. On paper, the Colts have caught up to the Patriots. They were unbeaten until the 15th week last season, and they are unbeaten this year. They can't fight the playoff fight until January, so the focus of Manning and the Colts is to use this as a test for the playoffs.
In many ways, the Colts continue to upgrade their roster with the Patriots in mind. They lost big games against the Patriots and others because of the inability to run successfully on goal-line and other short-yardage situations. So they let Edgerrin James go and drafted Joseph Addai in the first round. He's getting better and better every week.
Mike Vanderjagt is one of the most accurate kickers of his era, but Adam Vinatieri made more of the big kicks to win big games. Out goes Vanderjagt and in comes Vinatieri. Despite a groin injury, he hasn't missed a field goal and remains the sport's most clutch kicker.
While the Colts have major concerns about their run defense, they are at the top of their game because of Manning. He's getting better and better. Using the same plays he started practicing seven years ago, Manning carved up the best defense Mike Shanahan could offer in Denver.
The Colts scored on seven of nine possessions, taking advantage of the fact that the Broncos made a big mistake by not pressuring Manning. Manning faced only seven blitzes, so he had the time to wait for Reggie Wayne to break into the open on Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams. It was like watching a surgeon operate.
Belichick won't be passive. He designs the most imaginative, defining offensive and defensive schemes in football. Look what he did Monday night. Even though the Patriots let go of better receivers than they kept this offseason, Belichick spread the field on offense and left the Vikings defenseless. It was masterful and brilliant. The Patriots blew out the Vikings with ease.
The great matchup is Manning versus Tom Brady. It's like the Joe Montana-Dan Marino debate that rarely played out on the field during their era. Manning is like Marino, the ultimate pocket-passing quarterback. He had all the stats for the Dolphins. Montana had all the Super Bowl rings. Too bad they didn't meet very often.
This will be the eighth meeting between Brady and Manning. Brady is 6-1. He's never really had the stats. Those have gone to Manning. Sunday night's game should give one of these teams the edge in the AFC pecking order, but in the big picture, it won't matter until the playoffs, where they have a chance to meet again.
Both teams are running away with their divisions. The Colts lead the Jaguars by three games. The Patriots hold a 2½-game lead over the Jets. There's a great chance they will be the top two seeds in the playoffs, so the winner of this game could have the crucial tiebreaker for home-field advantage.
Sure, the Colts have holes and Belichick will try to exploit them. Bob Sanders is still fighting knee problems at safety, and Mike Doss is out for the season. Brady will try to work the middle of the Colts' defense. Stopping the run is a big problem for Indianapolis, and the Patriots have evolved into more of a running team.
Still, this game comes down to who has the ball last in the final minutes of the game: Brady or Manning. It should be a classic.
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