Newz Forum: FOOTBALL: Dean's List: PLAYOFF SHOCKER: DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS!!!

"Weather" you like it or not, Cato June, Jeff Saturday and the Indianapolis Colts can't compete on January Sundays in Foxborough. Amidst nationwide prognostications of doom, the thoroughbreds of New England made the Colts look like just that: Untried, immature asses. As for those dome-loving, "fair-weather" Indy fans, they could hardly bear to see their dreams snowed in by the Pats D for a second straight season. It seems defense - not offense - still wins championships after all...

Forget about Peyton Manning's record-setting regular season statistics. If you did the math before Sunday's divisional playoff, the aftermath would have seemed obvious. Because when it comes to Colts/Patriots, the numbers always add up. Brady is now 7-0 in the post-season and 6-0 against Manning, who's 0-7 at Foxborough. Oh, and the Patriots? They've won 20 in a row at home. See what I mean? It's academic...

Speaking of which, the "Big Three" - Manning, wide receiver Marvin Harrison and running back Edgerrin James - once again got taken to school by Professor Belichick. The trio led the Indy offense to just three points and no touchdowns, effectively failing this season's final exam. You might even say that defensive tackle Larry Tripplett (6 tackles, 1 sack) had a bigger game than the three of them combined...

Manning might be the two-time defending MVP of the NFL, but Brady remains the league's most valuable player. Just ask Dan Marino, Jim Kelly or any other retired quarterback who never won the big one, and they'll tell you that Brady's two Super Bowl MVP trophies will always outshine regular season hardware...

"Idiot kicker" Mike Vanderjagt found enough time to take his foot out of his mouth to kick a 23-yard field goal just before halftime. Sadly though, Vanderjagt never saw the field again - seems the Patriots weren't "ripe for the pickin'" after all. Oh well. Maybe he was talking about special teamer Je'Rod Cherry the whole time...

Moments before kickoff, during a pre-game chat with CBS sideline reporter Bonnie Bernstein, Colts head coach Tony Dungy was eager to put the past behind. "There's a lot of things that don't matter," said Dungy. "Like the score in the previous games, the weather and the field." How wrong he was. Maybe history wasn't a factor in Sunday's lop-sided loss, but the elements and the field - better known as the all-important home field advantage - undoubtedly were...

Pittsburgh is riding Lady Luck - not "the Bus" - all the way into the AFC Championship. The Steelers may have won their divisional playoff against the Jets, but they played like a bunch of losers. As if two fourth quarter turnovers weren't bad enough, they needed two missed field goals by Jets kicker Doug Brien just to make it to overtime. What a joke. Instead of allowing the extra period, the league should have cut their losses, declared a forfeit and rescheduled Colts/Pats for the AFC Championship...

Still, "the Stillers" managed to battle back from a 7-point fourth quarter deficit after trailing for of all of 10 minutes at home during the regular season. And if they've learned anything from this past weekend's debacle, it's that "catch-up" at Heinz Field isn't such a good idea after all...

Despite his team's terrible play, congrats go out to Bill Cowher for reaching the .500 mark for his playoff career (8-8). Now in his 13th season, Cowher can finally dispel the rumor that he's a "below average" post-season coach. When asked if he was proud of his son's achievement, former WWF Champion Sergeant Slaughter declined comment...

Over-hyped Steelers running back Jerome Bettis should change his number, but keep the numbers. After all, 3.6 is a much more fitting number for old number 36. Over the past three regular seasons (42 games, 27 starts), Bettis has rushed 683 times for 2418 yards, "good" for just under 3.6 yards per carry. And with career regular season rushing average (3.9) below the NFL average, the "future Hall of Famer" has proven himself to be - you guessed it - "below average"...

This past Saturday, Fox sent its B-team - end zone reporter Tony Siragusa, color guy Daryl Johnston and play-by-play man Dick Stockton - to Atlanta for the Rams/Falcons divisional playoff game. That's one "Goose," one "Moose" and a Dick. I'm Dean Christopher...

[Edited on 1/16/05 by deanchristopher]

Ming was not shocked. Ming was not even surprised. Ming has been a lone voice in the wilderness calling for, demanding, a NE victory over Indy all week.


No excuses pony-boys - the weather was not that bad. Ming diid not notice any unusually poor footing or slipping or sliding. For a game that was held out of doors in mid-January, the weather was fairly mild.

Tony Dungy seems like a nice man, but he and his horsey staff are dwarfed by the Belichek brain trust.

It is accomplished.

Ah, the snow made a difference. You may not have noticed it sitting in the comfort of your living room, but it was cold and wet, a big difference from the friendly confines of the RCA dome...

Cold and wet? Did that make Peyton's diaper chafe?

The weather was nowhere near the factor that many hoped it would be to excuse the pathetic Colt output.

Shame on you Gibbson for trying to make such an excuse.

So there's no difference between temperature controlled environment and freeaing weather. Interesting, how's the weather on your planet, Ming?

It's quite pleasant here, Gibbs.

Yes there is a difference, but we are not talking about conditions that made it impossible to throw the ball or run with the ball. This was not one of those weather fiascoes with 12 turnovers or where a RB slides 10 yards in the mud or you can't even see the yardlines because of 6" of snow. All parties appeared to have reasonably good footing; the visibility, although impaired, was not even as bad as a driving rain.

Come now, old Gibbsy, old pal, admit that the Colts stunk up the joint.

My point is, I've said all along, if the weather was good, the Colts would romp, if it wasn't, they would get beat. As it happened. If the temperature was in the 50s or 60s, (and no rain) it would have been different. But the outcome is what it is.

Thank you, Gibbsmeister, Ming takes that as an abject apology on your part. Now, sit; rollover; goodboy!

Apology? I son't see where there's anything to even apologize for? did I hurt your feelings somewhere along the way?

No, Gibbsy. Does Ming have to spell it out for you?

Ming accepts your apology for your trying to weasel out of your false prediction. You were wrong. Hey man, apology (Pats Rule!) acccepted! No hard feelings (Colts suck) here. Let's move on.

If the weather is nice and sunny, say in the 70's, do you think the Steelers could beat the Pats?

If you owned the Colts, would you try to relocate them to Barcelona?

[Edited on 1/17/05 by MingMercil]

[Edited on 1/17/05 by MingMercil]

[Edited on 1/17/05 by MingMercil]