PREGAME:

It's been a great Sunday for Colts' fans already.  The Titans have dropped to 0-3 and with the Jags upset of the Texans, Indy has a chance to put the hammer down on the rest of the AFC South.  The Pats managed to win thanks to brilliant coaching by Belichick (going for it inside your own 30 up 7 is spectacular).  The Bengals pulled out a stunner against the Steelers, putting Pittsburgh in real trouble, already two games behind the Ravens.

Tonight's game will be difficult for the Colts.  Without Sanders, Hayden, and Brackett, the Colts excellent pass defense will be put to test.  Still, Indy has Manning, Freeney and Mathis.  Let's hope they are enough.

Demond Sanders Comments:  I want to see Caldwell go balls out tonight and try to steal a game.  Playing it tight and conservative won't get it done.  Indy is going to need to score to win, and this is the kind of game that will tell us what kind of coach we have.  He needs to be aggressive on fourth down and with the game plan.

FIRST QUARTER:

• Pierre Garcon is not Marvin Harrison.  Austin Collie is not Gonzo.  Three and out to start the game.
• And that's our best hope.  Third and four, Freeney makes Warner fumble.  That needs to happen several more times tonight.
• The Colts get an iffy spot on third down and have to punt.  Caldwell should have gone for it.  Yes.  I'm serious.  The number say so.  It was fourth and an inch.  A sneak gets it.
• The Cards really love us.  A weird reverse/flip play loses 6 yards on first down, and it kills a drive.  Freeney is disruptive early.
• Three runs and out.  Awful play call on third down as the Colts run wide and there is NO hole at all.
• Good pressure by Ed Johnson forces an incomplete on third and two as Warner barely gets away from the rush.  The Cards wind up with a 38 yard field goal set up by a personal foul penalty.  That drive has to be considered a win for the defense.
• Well that sucks.  Manning had Wayne lined up for a TD, but Pollack lets his man get too deep.  Manning is hit as he throws, and it's a pick.  Major swing.
• And that's why we miss Gary Brackett so much.  On a key third and one, the Colts get good pressure and force the incomplete pass.  Oh but wait, Freddy Keiaho grabs Fitzgerald for a pass interference call.  He struggles in coverage.  That's what he does.  So at the end of the first quarter, it's 3-0 Cards.  Feels worse though.

SECOND QUARTER:

• Tim Jennings watches a ball hang in the air FOREVER on a twenty yard gain, but the Cards bail the Horse out as Bullitt whaps Hightower for a fumble and the Colts recover.  Wow.
• After a pair of nice runs by Addai, Clark catches a couple of balls out near midfield.  Collie goes down like a pansy an inch short on third down, but the Colts convert with the sweet little end around to Clark.  Then Reggie Wayne makes the sickest possible catch imaginable.  95 yard drive for a score.  Amazing.  7-3 Colts.  Seriously, that catch was Marv-sick.  It was game winner verses Houston sick. It was polio-sick.  Sick.
• Freeney is destroying Warner.  He has 2 sacks.  He might finish with 10 tonight.  Warner gets heavy pressure on three straight plays and the Cards punt.  Unfortunately, a nice return by Rushing is wiped out.
• The Colts start with a sweet end around to Frenchy Garcon for 20 yards, then Manning went to work.  He hit Wayne and Clark on a couple of first down throws, before sealing the TD drive with an easy toss to 44.  13-3 Colts as AV gets his PAT blocked. Wow.  Manning is annihilating the Cards D.  Whoa...hold on, the PAT hit the camera and is good.  Huge.  14-3 Colts.
• The Colts run D (thanks Marlin Jackson) comes up huge on 2nd and 3rd down by diagnosing draw plays exceptionally well on consecutive plays.  Another huge three and out.  Indy and put the hammer down here.
• We have another Frenchy sighting.  He catches a nice first down pass just before the two minute warning.  It was a huge play because the Cards start the second half with the ball.  By converting, Indy reduces the chances of the dreaded two-for-none on Cards possessions.
• Holy crap.  Frenchy is pretty damn visible now.  21-3 Colts.
• A BS roughing the passer call sets the Cards up deep in Colts territory.  They got the Cards to 3rd and 10, but a big blitz (which makes NO SENSE) gives up a huge completion to the 1.  Warner acts like a freaking retard on the first play, throwing a HORRIBLE back against his body throw, which Tim Jennings (who had just dropped a pick) tapped up in the air to Bethea who batted it around and finally secured it.  WOW.  That was a huge play as the game could have been 21-10 with the Cards still holding the ball.

HALF TIME:

I'm a happy man.  That was an incredible half of football folks.  The defense was the best version of itself. The young guys came up large in the passing game. Addai is toting the rock for nearly 5 yards a carry.  McAfee is slamming the ball 8 yards deep on the kickoffs.

All is right with the world.

I pray it stays that way.

THIRD QUARTER:

• The Cards hit a big gain as Senn struggles in coverage on multiple plays.  I'm a little shocked he's even in the game right now.  The Cards rip through the Colts with ease, scoring in less than five minutes.  This makes the pick in the endzone loom larger than ever.  21-10 Colts.  Why do I feel like this game will come down to a two-point conversion before it's over.  Indy has to keep the pressure on with good offensive possessions.  21 points doesn't feel like enough tonight.
• Another sick catch by Wayne moves the Colts immediately out to midfield.  Addai slams the ball down to the thirty with a pair of great runs.  He's been carrying the ball very well, as the run game has become credible.  Frenchy picks up his third penalty of the season with a hold to negate a big gainer by Addai in the passing game.  There's no harm as Brown immediately gains 23 on 2nd and 17.  The drive stalls on a no gain run and a couple of incomplete passes.  Vinatieri slams the short field goal off the uprights, and a promising drive goes by the boards.
• The defense fails to get off the field on third and 10, as they get no pressure.  They recover as Freeney is held on a third and six, and the Cards throw short on third and 16.  Huge stop by the D.  Major league play by Dwight "Yeah, I'm really that good" Freeney.  It's time for the Colts to run the ball, and put up points.
  
• WOW.  The Cards blow the coverage and Manning dumps off to Don Brown for 72 yards with a personal foul tacked on to the end.  The Colts were set up with first and goal at the 5.  Manning dumps to Kid Joe for the score, and Indy again opens up a comfortable lead.  Beautiful football, folks.  Beautiful.  28-10 Colts.

FOURTH QUARTER:

• So after battling technical difficulties for the last 10 minutes, I missed talking about the following:  more great plays by Freeney, a pick by MJax, a horrible decision to not challenge a catch by Addai that was marked poorly, and Dwight Freeney walking off the field hurt.  Right now, the thing that most bothers me is that I'm losing my fantasy game by 6 points.  I took a -4 when AV missed that field goal...a seven point swing.  Arrgh.
• Mathis gets a sack, Warner gets killed, and the Cards go 3 and out.  Excellent.  This game is rounding out nicely.
• Kurt Warner just took the single worst sack in the history of time.  A 28 yard sack on fourth down.  Amazing.  Colts ball.
• Manning to Wayne on fourth and 8 will help Indy run out the clock.  It also gives me the win in my fantasy game.  I was trailing by 1, begging for AV to hit a field goal.  Instead Manning gifts me with one more catch, 17 more yards and the win.  Wow.

I'm putting this one to bed, folks.  Needless to say, I've never been more happy to be wrong.  Everything that could have gone right did for the Colts.  They did every single thing they were supposed to do (pressure, run the ball, find other WRs).  It was a classic win for the Colts.

Beautiful.

I've waited a long time for this one.  Even Bill Simmons has seen the light on the 2009 Pats.

There are so many wonderful passages in this article, that I want to savor every single one.  Like say, this one:

I'm not sure if the 2009 Colts are any good. It's up for debate. Still, they have Manning, so for moments like the one on Monday night -- Miami playing it safe in a tie game with four minutes to play, going with a lame inside draw on third-and-6 and settling for a field goal -- anyone who followed football even a little this decade muttered to themselves, "That's a huge mistake, Manning will make them pay." And he did. The guy many people (including me) once questioned in crunch time has turned into the league's premier assassin. He gives them their swagger. Single-handedly.

For the record, I agree with him about the 2009 Colts.  We saw it last year.  Manning covers up everything else.  That can take you a long way, just not all the way...but I digress. Here's the truth about 18:  he's always been that guy. He led SIX 4th quarter comebacks his second year in the league.  The Colts' problems were never really Manning's fault.  It just took everyone a decade to figure that out.  Now he's playing at a truly transcendent level, and even the playoff losses were so undeniably his fault (what? He only threw for 400 yards?  How dare he choke like that!) that even Simmons has finally figured it out.

There's so much more to love here:

The next three drafts looked worse than they actually were because they lost the Spygate pick (No. 32 in 2008) and dealt two picks for Wes Welker and Randy Moss, but from 2007-09, only Mayo has emerged as an impact player, and only three current starters (Gostkowski, Mayo and Brandon Meriweather) came from the last four Patriots drafts (even though the team had three firsts, six seconds and five thirds over that time). When seventh-rounder Julian Edelman emerged as Welker Jr. this summer, I remember being shocked that we finally struck pay dirt with a non-first-rounder. Not a good sign.

Did Belichick lose his touch, or has it just been a prolonged cold streak? Like with so many other teams, you could play the "damn, we could have had so-and-so" game with every Pats draft from 2005 to 2009 -- Frank Gore, Justin Tuck, Santonio Holmes, Maurice Jones-Drew, Jon Beason, Steve Slaton, etc. (it's a long list) -- but Belichick's Patriots were never "like so many other teams." It's a little sobering. The last few years, he's been drafting by need instead of just taking the best players, which he never used to do. And he spends so much time flipping picks that I reached the "can't we just stand pat and take the best guy?" point two years ago. Just this spring, instead of moving up 2-3 spots to grab game-breaker Percy Harvin or just taking tackle Michael Oher at No. 23 (now a staple of Baltimore's excellent offensive line), the Patriots traded down twice, picking up a second and two thirds (none of whom are starting). Quantity over quality yet again.

I've been SCREAMING THIS for two and a half years now.  The Pats just haven't been drafting well.  Oh, but there's more.  So, so much more...

Undeniable Truth No. 4: In retrospect, it sure seems like the Football Karma Gods weren't a huge fan of Spygate.

I will now gargle with hydrochloric acid. Let's move on.

Hee hee.  It makes me so happy.  Actually, it's not Spygate.  It's the score running up they did that season.  They pissed on all the other teams around them (especially the AFC East) and made everyone hate them.  Teams are going to enjoy kicking them hard and often for a long time.  Everyone hates them.

For the second camp, it's more complicated. You wouldn't call them naysayers, just realists. And here's the reality: Today's NFL isn't built for teams to succeed year after year indefinitely. Extending the Malibu analogy, a good foundation only lasts so long. You still need to take care of your house. Need to wash the salt off your deck every day, update the furniture, keep a fresh coat of paint on there, check that foundation every few months to make sure it's fine. You cannot slip. You cannot fall behind. You cannot take anything for granted. Or else your house will start to look like crap.

I relate to this because we are realists here at 18to88.com.  We are never happy with just winning and hoping everything will be ok.  We want the team to play as well as possible.  Even today, we've been called 'negative' for being honest and realistic.

The truth about the Pats is that virtually every charge people leveled against Indianapolis (too much change on the coaching staff, key foundational veteran moving on, injury concerns) applied better to New England than the Colts, yet somehow the Don Banks of the world were convinced New England was a beast and the Colts were finished.  Indy has the second youngest team in football.  The Pats have second oldest.  The Pats have had nothing but front office upheaval, switching out the GM, coaches and coordinators.  Our franchise QB had minor knee surgery over a year ago and already came back to win an MVP award.  Theirs had massive reconstruction and hadn't seen the field.  We lost one WR who had been essentially absent for two years; they lost 6 starters from the defense from a Super Bowl played last year.  Indy won a Super Bowl title just two years ago, but the Pats haven't won in 5.  Maybe the 'closed window' shoe fits Indy, maybe it doesn't, but it was freaking cobbled tailor-made for the Patriots.

It's fine for someone to doubt the 2009 Colts.  There are reasons to doubt for sure.  But whatever those reasons, there are those and then some to believe the Pats' best days are behind them.  If they aren't, it's only for one reason:  they still have Randy Moss.  He can make miracles happen.  Of course, he's never been on a Super Bowl winner either...

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go enjoy that article again.

For those so inclined, be sure to check out the newest 18 Plays Podcast (brought to you by Broad Ripple Tree Service).

As with all our podcasts, you can either download it by clicking the link, listen to it in the embedded player below, or subscribe using ITunes.

18 Plays is our attempt each week to break down the tape and provide some insight into the pivotal plays.  It's a multimedia extravaganza, if by multimedia you mean that you just listen to it.

Surprised by the headline?

Don't be.  One of the weirder elements of Monday night's game is the sudden perception that Collie and Garcon played well.  Each player had a catch of critical importance.  Collie got a big third down.  Garcon scored the game winning touchdown.

Obviously, they played great.

Except they didn't.  And they haven't.

Collie and Garcon were each the target of three passes on Monday.  Each caught one ball.  The two passes traveled a total of about 5 yards in the air.

Look, both young men are talented.  Garcon made an excellent play after the catch.  His speed is a real asset.  Collie showed good hands and a knack for the sticks.  The problem is that they aren't getting open downfield. Collie is averaging less than 7 yards a reception.

Take out Garcon's great RAC on Monday.  The two WRs have seen extensive action in the first two games and have combined for 6 catches for 43 yards.  That's just seven yards a catch.  That's two guys, over two games.  Even with Garcon's play, they have 7 catches for 91 yards and a score.  If that was Anthony Gonzalez by himself over two games, everyone would be a little worried about him and complaining about his lack of production.  Instead, it's the total for two players and people are somehow pleased.

Winning is a great deodorant and it gives us selective amnesia.

Collie and Garcon made a couple of good plays when it counted.  Both have bright futures.  I like both players.  Don't read this as a criticism of them.  They are doing the best they can, and we have to have realistic expectations about what they can do.  It's not necessarily their fault they aren't getting open.  It's part of the process.

But, they are a huge problem right now, and the Colts' offense won't be reliable until Gonzo comes back.  This is the Manning, Wayne and Clark show right now and a good defense will find a way to take those two players away, leaving Manning no options.  It will take much more than one screen pass on a big blitz to convince me that Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie are ready to produce in the Colts' offense.

Random thoughts about last night without having gone back to view the tape...

• I think our little debate about what it means to carry a team is settled.  No QB has ever carried a team in a game so completely as Manning did last night.  40 attempts, my ass.
• That win was huge.  I don't mean to be pessimistic, but the Colts will have a difficult time coming back from that to win Sunday night.  After a tough, physical game for the defense, having to go out and play a team that will try to run them out of the gym six days later will be a chore.  Late in last night's game, I had the feeling that if they didn't pull out the win, they were going to be in real trouble.  Now, they can't go any worse than 2-1 (which is where I figured they'd be). 
  
• Arizona will be the polar opposite from Miami.  The Colts match up much better against the Cardinals, so there's hope at least.
• Don't confuse lightning in a bottle with good offense.  What Peyton did last night was practically impossible.  He was under constant pressure.  He completed 5 passes to WRs.  No one besides Clark and Wayne caught more than one pass.
• The line struggled to figure out where the rush was coming from.  On the sack in the third quarter, the back replay makes it look like Addai abandoned his spot and let Porter kill Manning.  What I saw from the main angle is that a guy was coming free up the middle and Addai was turning to block him.  Meanwhile Diem was standing around not blocking anyone.
• The pass to Brown at the end of the first half was genius.
• I will salute the return of a credible run game.  Addai and Brown combined for 5.6 YPC with both backs over 5 yards.  I'm not sure why people found it significant that Brown was in at the end last night.  He was last week too.  That's the way the Colts do things.  In 2006, Addai finished ever game until the playoffs, but then Rhodes was on the field late (esp. against Baltimore and the Bears).  I would expect Brown to take the bulk of the fourth quarter carries.  It's just the way they rotate.  Last year, Addai saw his carries drop quarter by quarter, while Dom saw his go up quarter by quarter.  If you see Brown start and Addai close, that could mean something.  This is what I expected all along.  They'll need the run game to work to beat the Cardinals.
  
• The terrible run defense was troubling because Miami isn't that great a running team. They weren't a top 10 running team last year. The Wildcat was an issue last night, but the real problem was that the Colts let a very average running team stomp them.
• Despite the run yards, the defense had opportunities to get off the field.  There was a major regression in pass coverage last night.  The drop off from Powers to Jennings is severe.  Pennington picked on Jennings on several key third down plays.  I think that if Powers had played, the game might have gone differently.  I don't sweat the whole "3rd down conversion" stat when there are a lot of 3rd and shorts, but this D has to get off the field on third and 5 or longer.  That requires better corner play than they got last night.
  
• The defense has forced just one turnover in two games (the hail mary at the end). That has to change.
• Freeney worked his butt off last night.  Long did incredibly well against him, but he also had help constantly.  They doubled Freeney on many of the key plays.
• The fact that an exhausted Mathis got a sack fumble last night was inspiring.
  
• Eric Foster made some big plays.
• Aren't you all glad we got new Special Teams and Defensive Coordinators?  Coaching is overrated.  It's the players, folks.  It always has been.

PREGAME:

I'll be here all night, updating at least once a quarter.  I don't know about you, but I'M READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!

FIRST QUARTER:

• Ok, so that's a good start!  Manning hits Clark up the seam (huh, where did I hear about that...?) for 80 yards and a score.  Can't beat that.  I've been waiting for Clark to actually score on that route forever.  This time he broke a crappy tackle attempt by the safety and took it all the way home.
• Terrible tackling mars the Colts first drive, as the Dolphins run it right down their throat, only completing a two passes for little yardage, and running for the rest.  Awful.  Awful. Awful.  The run defense could not have been more pathetic.
• The Dolphins force a punt as Joey Porter forces a quick throw by Peyton on third down.  The Colts kept Clark and Addai both in on third down play, with Clark releasing late.  If Manning had time, he could have found Clark in the flat for the first.  CJ got beat, and he had to throw before he was ready.
• The Dolphins have only thrown three times, and they've already picked on Tim Jennings twice, including a big third and five.  The quarter ends with them facing a third and short near mid-field.

SECOND QUARTER

• Finally, the Dolphins play into the Colts' hands by passing on 2 of three plays.  Both go incomplete, and the defense forces the 45 yard field goal.  The Dolphins got too cute and paid for it.  Still, two drives.  91 rushing yards in just over a quarter. 10 points.  Not a good start.
• The Colts third drive pays off with a field goal as Manning makes a nice third down conversion to Wayne to get into field goal range.  Manning had an open Robinson down the field on first down, but the pressure made him throw early.
• The Dolphins are dumb as dirt.  Despite running for big yards, they inexplicably switch to the pass.  The Colts secondary shuts it down (including a couple of good plays by Jennings).  That was a huge stop as the Dolphins threatened to go three for three in scoring drives.
• With 4:41 to play in the half, the Colts desperately need a long scoring drive.  The Dolphins start the second half with the ball, so a three and out could keep the offense on the sidelines for the next hour of real time.
• Nope.  Manning throws to Collie wasn't anywhere near open on third and four.  The Colts punt; the Dolphins get the ball at the 40 and should have the next two possessions.  Indy will do well to not be down double digits by their next offensive possession.
• Well, I suppose you could say disaster was averted.  The Dolphins still rammed the ball home for a field goal, but they did leave the Colts 40 seconds.    Manning is just 5/10 this half.  Collie and Garcon are never open, and there simply isn't anywhere to throw the ball.  Other than the one deep ball to Clark, Miami has owned this half with three scoring drives in four possessions.
• Manning hit Brown on a sweet play for 20 yards to midfield, and then hit Clark for a huge first down that was erased when one of the WRs didn't get up on the line.  On third down (after an overturned pick), Manning hits Clark down to the 31, and then AV slams a FG off the upright and through for a 13-13 tie.  That was about the most unlikely three points ever.

HALF TIME:

It's tied, but the Colts have to be worried.  Manning is hitting just 50% of his passes, and only three guys have catches (Wayne, Clark and Brown with one).  The D has to figure out how to stop the run or this won't be the Colts night. The Dolphins held the ball for more than 20 minutes in the first half.  Freeney has a coverage sack, but the truth is that he's been totally invisible tonight.

THIRD QUARTER:

• More of the same to start the third quarter.  The Dolphins chew up more than six minutes off the clock, but in the end, the Horse bends but doesn't break as Eric Foster breaks up a third down pass and the Fins miss a long field goal.  Indy needs to establish the run and keep their defense off the field.  They look gassed.  This defense looks indistinguishable from the recent Colts Ds, especially with Jennings in the game.  Pennington is going after him first on every passing play.  He's done ok at times, but he's the first target on third downs.
• The Colts go three and out as they are wholly unable to protect Manning.  The right side gives up a confusion sack on first down and on third and long CJ lets Porter force Manning into a deep throw away.
• Folks, this game isn't going to go our way.  The Dolphins held the ball for the entire third quarter except for three plays, one of which was a sack.  At this point the defense has nothing left in the tank.  I can't imagine Indy is going to win this game.  I know it's tied, but it feels like it's all Miami. They shouldn't throw another pass the rest of the game.  The Dolphins have had the ball for more than 33 minutes (of a max 45).  Ironically, the problem is only partially on the defense.  13 points in three quarters isn't bad.  The real issue is that they are out of gas because the offense can't maintain drives. 
  

FOURTH QUARTER:

• Touchdown Dolphins.  If they don't pass the rest of the game, they win.
• Chad Simpson is the definition of mediocre.
• Peyton Manning is the badest man alive.  He won't get 40 attempts tonight, but he is stone cold carrying his team.  The Colts scored (too) quickly to tie the game.  Nice fight from Dallas Clark and Don Brown.  Clark is having an All-Pro night.  We can only hope the offense sees the ball again.
• Stop me if you've heard this before:  The Colts D allows a long drive where they can't get off the field on third down and the Dolphins take the lead on a field goal.  Actually, it could have been worse.  The Colts get the ball with just under four minutes to play down just three.  This is more than I could have asked for at the start of the quarter.
• Hey!  Chad Simpson...he sucks.  Was that really a ten yard return?
• GO FRENCHY! GO FRENCHY!  This might be the best game of his career.  Incredible.  He totally set up the score by throwing deep on first down and throwing the screen on second.  :32 drive.  80 yards. TD.  Insane.
• Two minutes to play.  The Fins have 1 timeout.  They face a third and four.  They have more than 70 yards to go.  We have to win the game.
• BETHEA PICKS OFF PENNINGTON IN THE ENDZONE

I suppose I could just bury this in the links section, but since I actually contributed to it, it's getting its own spotlight.

Once again, I've chipped in a little over at Cold Hard Football Facts for their Monday Morning Hangover column. Whereas three of my four game writeups remain intact virtually as I wrote them, the lead story was beautifully edited.

You see, CHFF gave me the job of writing about the Jags game.  That was a delightful task offset only slightly by being given the responsibility for summing up Cleveland at Denver, which in my opinion should be punishable as a human rights violation.  So I happily recounted the tale of Kurt Warner completing virtually every pass against the Jags secondary, never dreaming that my humble words would be edited into an art form.

Folks, I really wish I could take credit for the gold that printed, but while the concept and some of the numbers are mine, I missed my chance to pile on the Sparkle Kitties (as they are now officially known on 18to88.com, except when I get lazy and still write 'Jags').  Fortunately, the good folks at CHFF cleaned up my mess, and created a beautiful new moniker for Mad Jack:

Jack "Tick Tick Tick" Del Rio

Damn! That's so good!  It should have been mine!  Just as I will forever laud Bob Kravitz for gifting us with the "Dumpster Fire", I will also praise CHFF for helping out with Tick Tick Del Rio, as he is now forever known.

By the way, has anyone noticed that Mike Peterson is playing real well down in Atlanta...  I'm glad he got out.

Random notes from a full Sunday of football:

• The Titans/Texans game was an entertaining a football game as a fan can ask for.  I've never seen so many unforgivable defensive lapses as the Texans had.  It wasn't that their D was bad, per sea, but they had three long TDs that looked like they were the result of blown coverages and terrible safety play.  Just a horrible job by their D-coordinator.
• Those two teams really fought for the win.  There was real spirit there.
• I understand the fair catch rule that sank the Titans, but it has to be changed.  I know it was applied correctly ala the tuck rule, but it's a crappy rule.  If the returner bobbles the fair catch, he should be fair game.
• It was interesting that Jeff Fischer got double screwed.  I've always hated the new "continuous possession" addendum to catches.  It creates a bizarre and unworkable double standard for what is and isn't possession of the ball.  I agreed with Tasker that the call on the Texans TD should have been overturned.  Fischer is on the competition committee.  I hope he can get both rules fixed.
• I really liked Tasker as a color guy.  Gus Johnson bugs me sometimes, but Tasker said several things that made me laugh at least.  Their discussion of all the excellent Johnsons on the field creeped the hell out of me.
• That loss had to wound the Titans deeply.  Sure, they could still come back and have a nice season, but for a team that has to play the Jets, Colts, and Pats in the next four weeks, they had better pull it together fast.
• The day couldn't have worked out any better for the Colts.  Any week where the Pats, Steelers and Chargers all drop games is a good week.  Indy needs to take advantage on their generosity by going 2-0 tomorrow night.
• The Jags.  Good Lord. 
  
• The Pats are not a good team right now.  Anyone who has seen their games should know that. Sure Welker was out, but wasn't that predictable?  He goes over the middle in the NFL.  He's going to get hurt eventually.
• Loved how Tom Brady "carried his team" by throwing the ball 40+ times even though they ran the ball effectively (4.2 ypc).  Mix it up there, Tommy.
  
• Baltimore is 2-0, but maybe we should be questioning their defense.  They've given up a lot of points (for them) through two weeks.
• Speaking of the Baltimore defense, how do the Chargers not assign someone to block Ray Lewis on 4th and 1?  Seriously, he's Ray Freaking Lewis.  I think someone should say in the huddle, "He's my guy".  Or, not.
• Mike Tomlin should be shot for opting for a FG attempt at the end of the game with the Bears.  From that distance and in those conditions, after Reed just missed, you have to go for it on fourth down. I felt like he gave that game away.
• The Denver Broncos are the worst 2-0 team in history.  There, I've said.  I feel better
• I don't buy the Packers, and I didn't buy them after last week's game.  I thought they got out played last week and were lucky to beat the Bears.  I thought Chicago was the better team before the season, and I still feel that way.

The nice part of the Colts not playing on Sunday is that I got to watch the games in a relaxed state of mind.  The crappy part is that I have to wait a day before rejoicing in the Pats, Steelers and Chargers going down.  The door is wide open for Indy.  A two game lead over the Titans and a game in hand over the other big three contenders is all you could ever have dreamed of after 2 weeks. They need this win.  If they blow the game tomorrow, it will feel eerily like Week 1 of last year.

One last thing I forgot:  the funniest thing I heard all weekend was the Spanish speaking ESPN Anchor try to talk about Chad Ochocinco..."Y Ochocino anoto noventa y un yardas con un touchdown.  Sabes que?  Me traba la lengua decir Ochocinco!".  How ironic.