Random Thoughts During AFC Championship

I had hoped it would snow here so I could break out my favorite cold weather drink that I discovered at the Liberty Bowl while I was in college (the weather was 20 degrees with freezing rain). Hot chocolate and peppermint schnapps. Then I realized I could drink it anyway.
That didn’t take long. The CBS pregame show just made a big deal about Lovie Smith being the first black coach to make the Super Bowl. Shannon Sharpe just said owners should remember that when hiring their next coach as if the determining factor is Smith’s blackness. Well, by the same token, I can point to the fact that two of the worst coaches this year, Denny Green and Art Shell, are also black. So, based on that, you should never hire a black coach.

Patriots running well early. Gonna need it because Tom Brady looks like crap.

Colts not running too well. Or catching.

Patriots are running the ball like intelligent people should. Don’t run right up the middle. The Colts have good pass rushers, but they aren’t squat against the run (I don’t care what Phil Simms says; he went to Morehead). Play action and outside runs seem to be doing the trick. Corey Dillon is 80 years old, and he just picked up 35 yards on fourth down.

Those lucky bastards. A piss poor handoff becomes a fumble which is recovered in the end zone by an offensive lineman. Was pretty funny watching a pile up on the two yard line and none of them see the ball in the end zone. Surprised playoff choke artist Tony Dungy didn’t do something stupid like waste a challenge on it.

Colts respond with a field goal. Whoo. They made a big deal on ESPN Countdown about the Colts signing Adam Vinatieri in the offseason. Discussed whether it helped the Colts or hurt the Patriots more. Kicking has never made a difference when these two teams have met in the playoffs. After all, the Colts have never been close enough where a field goal would make a difference.

Another big gain on fourth down for the Patriots. And a touchdown.

Phil Simms just said the Colts didn’t figure to be down 14-3 so early. That’s insightful.

Excuse me, make it 21-3 as Peyton Manning lived down to my expectations with an interception returned for a touchdown. I wonder if he got some pointers from Eli. Especially since he just got sacked twice and threw a Hail Mary pass.

Colts defense held. And they showed a crowd scene with two guys celebrating like they just won the game. Hey, the ball is in the worst possible place during the playoffs – Peyton Manning’s hands. Sure enough, happy feet on his first play.

Of course the Colts are moving the ball. Prevent defense again.

That’s a pretty funny commercial where Vinny Testaverde (third stringer) is in line at the concession stand buying food for the coach and he keeps getting calls with new orders.

Phil Simms is almost as dumb as the guys from the earlier game. The Colts were whining about a non pass interference call in the end zone where the referees ruled it was incidental tangling of the feet. Simms bought that line through five replays before he noticed that Reggie Wayne tripped over his own feet. Oh, and Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy went into the locker room still griping about the non-call as they go to the locker room. Get a grip. Your receiver is clumsy, and you are down 21-6 at the half. And your vaunted offense hasn’t scored a touchdown in six quarters.

And Shannon Sharpe says that Chicago winning was a good thing because now a black coach will be in the Super Bowl. Bigot.

Uh oh, the Colts are coming out hot. Went down the field and scored a quick touchdown. Now Brady is throwing the ball low. But he did that in the first half too.

That neutral zone call is crap. Richard Seymour jumped and someone on the Colts’ line jumps too. Except that someone wasn’t across from him. He was on the other side of the line. How do you claim to have been drawn offsides when he’s 15 feet away from you? Man, the Colts’ president must have gotten through to someone with his incessant whining as they call Ellis Hobbs for pass interference. I don’t care if the defensive back never turns around. He should never be called for pass interference if he never touches the receiver and the ball simply hits him in the back. Why should a quarterback get bailed out for making a bad pass? Face guarding? What kind of stupid rule is that?

Way to celebrate tying the game. Give up an 80 yard kickoff return. Then let them throw a touchdown pass at the back of the end zone. Ruled a pushout, and Tony Dungy is challenging it. Not the pushout, because a pushout ruling can’t be challenged. He’s challenging whether or not the receiver had control all the way through. The announcers are also wondering if he was out of bounds before jumping for the ball (he wasn’t). Simms is really showing his genius by saying sometimes you have to challenge just guessing you’re right. Sure. What’s the worst that can happen? You lose a timeout that you really wish you still had late in a close game? What are the odds of that?

Not much defense being played in this one. If I was the Bears, I would start feeling pretty good about my chances in two weeks.

Another recovered for a touchdown by an offensive lineman. These guys can’t hang on to crap, and they are playing in a dome.

I can’t figure out why the Colts are using Maroney so much. He keeps standing around and dancing in place instead of just running the ball. Dillon was doing better in the first half.

These guys are falling down more than the ones in Chicago. They are in a dome not on a cold, wet field. The worst part is that it’s the Colts who are falling and they’re the home team.

Those Geico caveman commercials suck.
Speaking of sucks, Reche Caldwell was out wide with exactly nobody covering him. Yet, he didn’t run into the end zone. He stood around about five yards downfield then dropped the pass.

Another good return by Hobbs for the Patriots, but the commentators keep saying how tired the Patriots’ defense is, so why are they using a starting cornerback to return kicks?

Under three minutes left and the Colts go three and out. Manning first pass was at Clark’s feet. His second missed Aaron Moorehead by 20 yards. His third was broken up before it got to Moorehead by Ray Mickens who I wasn’t aware was still alive, let alone still playing. Let’s see, two highly paid receivers in Harrison and Wayne and you go to Moorehead in crunch time?

Nice pass by Brady to a covered receiver who he then bitches at for not going to the outside. If he was out of place, why did you throw to him?

Smart move by the Colts to run it in. I remember last year when the Colts were in (long) field goal range, but Manning almost threw two straight interceptions rather than play it safe. Of course, if he played it safe, they could have picked up a few yards to make the tying field goal closer.

Brady throws a pick on an atrocious pass. Being clutch isn't so easy when the defensive back refuses to fumble the ball for you. Actually, I made the point on the fantasy football reports (I think it was last year) that Brady had made his reputation for clutch play by driving into field goal range. I don't remember him ever having to drive for a last minute touchdown. This may have been his first opportunity, and he failed. I guess they'll be taking his statue from Mt. Olympus.

Well, it wasn't a particularly well played game, but certainly entertaining. Maybe they'd seen each other so much that they knew each other's moves. However, the team that played the best game this weekend was Chicago, so the AFC winning the Super Bowl no longer seems a given. Hey, Shannon Sharpe just touched himself in his private parts at the thought of two black coaches in the Super Bowl. God, he won't know who to root for.