Archive for Indianapolis Colts
Payton for Super Bowl MVP
Posted by: | CommentsPayton should have been the MVP of Super Bowl XLIV.
Now before you freak out, please read that sentence again. P-A-Y-T-O-N. I am talking about Sean Payton the coach of the Saints. I know there is no way the coach can receive the award for Most Valuable Player, but the guy was absolutely phenomenal in his play calling. Although I predicted the Colts would win in my last post, and I wish the other Peyton were receiving MVP honors, I know how to give credit where it is due.
Sean Payton took the Super Bowl to a whole new level. I hope coaches across the league were taking notes on how to trust your players, prepare, and leave everything on the field. (all the while doing it with major style). We are going to be hard pressed to have another game like Sunday. This was one of those games we will hear about year after year. It will forever be referenced, and in ten years we will all be watching the re-run on ESPN Classics for the umpteenth time.
My mother grew up in Indianapolis where my grandparents had season tickets from the time the Colts arrived in the middle of the night, until 2000. My grandma now lives in Utah, but is the most die-hard Colts fan I have met. As a matter of fact, my Grandma knows more about sports than most guys. I considered it a special treat to go to her house on Sunday and watch our team play on the biggest stage. You never know when your team will be playing at the end of the season, and how often do you get to spend it with Grandma? We had our treats and watched the game. We agonized together over the defeat.
I have talked to quite a few people over the last couple of days who are convinced the game changer was when the Saints picked off Peyton and ran it back for a 74 yard touchdown. Their point is valid, but the true game changer came when the Saints opened up the second half with an onside kick. At that moment Sean Payton was either a hero or an idiot. In this case he chiseled his own name in the NFL history books as absolutely brilliant; extremely gutsy, but brilliant. Before that moment, he decided to go for it on fourth and one but came up short. The Colts thought they could take the time off the clock and head to the locker room with a good lead. Instead, they couldn’t convert and gave up another three points. Not one game changing moment, but a number of them.
So how did Sean Payton pull off the win? How did he keep the best quarterback (sorry Drew Bress fans, but Manning is the best right now) from scoring? It’s like asking how you keep Michael Jordan from turning the driving lane into a freeway.
Saints fans will tell you it was Brees’ brilliant passes under pressure. Yeah. Okay. With the Colts playing so far off the receivers it would have been hard not to hit so many completions. Colts fans will tell you it was because of injuries, with the biggest being Dwight Freeney’s ankle. Good argument, but still not the answer.
The only way Sean Payton was able to win that game was by keeping Peyton Manning off the field. It is as simple as that. The gutsy calls were made to prevent Peyton from even seeing green. The only way Peyton can’t score is by not being allowed to throw a pass, drop three steps or hand the ball to his backfield. There was a stretch of 70+ minutes, real time, in which Peyton Manning did not get on the field. For a quarterback it is an eternity. Peyton was antsy. He wanted to be out there, but it seemed like every time he stood up he just had to sit down again. Not even getting a chance at three and out. How do you win against Peyton? Don’t give him a chance to play.
Of course, I am sad the Colts didn’t have another championship to celebrate on Sunday. I do feel like I watched one of the best Super Bowl games I have ever seen. I also find great comfort in knowing it was not the New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, or the Steelers. My wish for next season is for both teams to have outstanding runs and meet again. If they can put on another show like they did this past weekend, I am going to pay ridiculous amounts of money and watch it in person.
So there it is. Sean Payton. Super Bowl MVP.
Just as a side note: in my opinion, the days of great Super Bowl commercials and halftime shows are dead. At least with The Who, we know there won’t be any wardrobe malfunctions. Well . . . we hope not.
Logan Millard works and lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. Aside from his full time job, he works for the Utah Jazz as a media relations coordinator on game nights, and also helps Fox Soccer Channel when they are in town.
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Saints Win the Super Bowl With Gutsy Plays
Posted by: | CommentsThe 2009 NFL season has been a wild joyride, and I am happy that I got to be in the passenger seat these past five months. It ended in historic fashion on Sunday, with the Saints winning handily, thus cementing the comeback of a disaster laden city. Not only have the Saints won the franchise’s first title, they did it as underdogs against one of the NFL’s most dominant teams from the regular season. Drew Brees has entered an exclusive club of Super Bowl winning QBs, adding to his growing and lengthy resume as one of the best around today. Congrats Saints fans, you guys deserve it!
Before the game started, I couldn’t help but notice that most of the pre-game buzz was focusing on the positive side of the Saints’ epic run and the negative side of the Colts’ lagging injuries. As if that weren’t a sign enough, many of the commentators were picking the Saints to win in a close game, something that I was not expecting to see. As the pre-game started ramping up, I started to think that this was going to be a tighter game than I had once predicted. Although I wasn’t rooting for either team, I believed the Colts had the better team on the field, though I was expecting the Saints to make it interesting.
After the Colts went up ten points in the first quarter, I couldn’t help but think that it wasn’t going to be a very good game. The Saints-happy crowd wasn’t feeling it either, and after a graphic was put on the screen showing that no team had come back from more than ten points in a Super Bowl, it became essential for the Saints to get back on their horse. That’s when Brees picked it up, driving the Saints to field goal and a 1st down inside the 10. When Pierre Thomas was stopped inside the 1 on third down, Coach Sean Payton had the biggest decision of his life, and the first half wasn’t even done. They called the same play again on fourth down, and the Colts defense held for a miracle stop. At that point, I didn’t think New Orleans had it in them to come back. I was wrong.
Coming out in the beginning of the second half, Payton made one of the gutsiest calls in Super Bowl history, going for a trick on-side kick to get the Saints back in the game. The Saints recovered the ball in a massive rugby scrum, saving New Orleans from giving the ball back to Indianapolis with amazing field position. From there, Brees took the team down with quick passes and scored on a screen to Thomas that looked eerily like the one he scored on the Vikings with.
Although the Colts marched right back and scored on a Joseph Addai rumble for six, Brees wasn’t done yet. He knew that a touchdown to answer would be demoralizing to the Colts’ defense, and with a short pass to Shockey, all was within reach. The problem is, because of field goals, the Saints needed a two point conversion to set them up ahead by 7 points, and again, it came down to a wonderful coaching decision made by Sean Payton on a Lance Moore catch. Payton successfully challenged and won, giving the Saints a lead by seven, sending the team’s fans into a craze.
Here is where it gets even more interesting.
For the second game in a row, the Saints defense needed a stop to put them in a good position to win, and just like the previous game, Tracy Porter played like a god. Against the Vikings in the NFC Championship, Porter had intercepted a Brett Favre pass to prevent a game ending field goal try late in the fourth (this time, he took a wayward Manning pass all the way for six). It put the Saints further ahead, and I could almost hear Bourbon Street erupt from my family room in Los Angeles. Manning tried his best for some late game heroics, but it was too far to come back, and the Saints were champs.
Even though the commercials were sub par, and the half time show was surprisingly bland, the game did not disappoint one bit. Collectors have already started jumping on Tracy Porter’s 2008 rookies, as well as MVP Drew Brees’ many autographs. Luckily for all of Who Dat Nation, Brees will be featured prominently in the final three sets of 2009, with unprecedented inscription cards in both Ultimate Collection and Exquisite. Brees has solidified his reputation as a premiere elite quarterback, although Saints fans have been on board since 2006. Brees’ 2001 SPX rookies have been going nuts over the last few weeks, and I would expect that to continue from now on.
On that note, be sure to check out some of the great cards coming up in SP Authentic, Ultimate Collection, and Exquisite, even if you are not on the New Orleans party train. These sets will be filled with all sorts of amazing cards that highlight the run of the 2009 NFL season, including those of both the Champs and the Colts. This is also a great opportunity to start your collections if you haven’t already, because I have a feeling that there won’t be many teams who can beat ‘dem Saints next year either.
Adam Gellman runs the collecting blog Sports Cards Uncensored, and has been a collector of all things sports for over 15 years. To see more of his work, visit www.sportscardsuncensored.com (warning: strong language!)
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Pierre Garcon Brings Perspective to NFL Playoffs, Super Bowl
Posted by: | CommentsRecently, a volunteer doctor from the United States was approached by a young man in Haiti. The look in his eyes was familiar to the doctor; the look of untold pain and suffering mixed in with the struggle of coming to grips with what had happened to his home. There was nothing wrong with the man physically, but he was still looking for comfort.
“Do people know what happened to us?”
Referring to the rest of the world, he wanted to know if anyone out there was aware of the pain in Haiti. The doctor assured him television stations were covering the devastation around the clock. He told him the rest of the world was watching, praying, helping and hoping.
After the AFC Championship Game, second year player Pierre Garcon, whose family is from Haiti, unveiled his home country’s flag in front of the crowd. The week leading up to the game could have turned into an emotional whirlwind for the young player, as he tried to continue establishing himself in the Manning Offense while his mind and heart were continually being pulled toward his family and friends who still live in Haiti. Instead of being derailed, he used the tragedy as a motivating and driving force in his preparation.
At the end of the day it all paid off. Garcon finished the game with 11 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown setting a new AFC Title record. Mission accomplished. He did it for his team, his family and reminded everyone, he did it for Haiti.
In just one week, Pierre Garcon and the Indianapolis Colts will take the field for the last time this season to cap off what has been an amazing run. Questions were raised from Week One about injuries to veteran players and whether or not rookies, or almost rookies, Collie and Garcon could make immediate contributions. Fans especially wondered why the coach decided to pull starters in what could have been a perfect season. Analysts have been wondering aloud all year about whether or not the Colts could beat the Saints. All questions have been answered. All doubts have been laid to rest. Only one real test remains.
There would have been a certain level of comfort for Colts fans if Brett Favre had won. The poor guy got pummeled for four quarters, and at the ripe age of 40 would not have been in tiptop shape for Freeney and the rest of the Colts defense. Handing over the trophy would have been all but a sure thing. Instead, the Hall of Fame quarterback decided to run one way and throw the other. It cost him a trip to Miami, and made it that much harder for the Colts to be crowned champions.
So here we are, left with the two best teams in the league, the way championships are supposed to be determined. Who would have thought?
Peyton Manning is one of the best quarterbacks of all time. Put all of your emotional arguments aside and look at the numbers. There is no one who can move the ball down the field with more efficiency. Once he gets a couple of good looks at the defense, he picks them apart with an aerial assault straight out of the Department of Defense training manuals. It is no longer a question of whether or not he can find Reggie Wayne down field, but which of his receiving threats to hit. There is no doubt he will put on another great show, just like he always does.
Many will argue the Saints have done a better job at closing out games, and Drew Brees can deliver just as well as Peyton. For much of the season those statements could be made with some confidence, but then there was the NFC Title game. There were a number of times when Drew’s passes came off his fingers with a certain wobble and receivers couldn’t bring them down. There wasn’t the usual crispness in his throw. Without the Saints defense and the Vikings coughing up the ball so many times we would be watching purple helmets on Sunday instead of gold. Should Saints fans worry, or did Drew just have an off day? Maybe he got the playoff jitters out of him that day, or maybe he subconsciously fears what is coming next.
Final Outcome: Colts 28 – Saints 17
Regardless of the final score on Sunday there is one thing we all need to remember.
As we sit down to enjoy the beer, the junk food, the friends and the phenomenon that is the biggest game in football, much of Haiti will still be in ruins. Children will still need homes, families will be without food and bodies will continue to be found.
On Sunday take a moment to remember those in Haiti. Let them know we are watching and praying.
Click here to make a donation to the American Red Cross’ efforts to provide relief to Haiti.
Logan Millard works and lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. Aside from his full time job, he works for the Utah Jazz as a media relations coordinator on game nights, and also helps Fox Soccer Channel when they are in town.
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NFL Conference Championship Round Preview
Posted by: | CommentsWow, what a week of playoff football! We saw total blowouts from the Saints, Vikings, and Colts, and then another upset from the Cinderella New York Jets team. As the 2009 NFL season heads into conference championship weekend, let’s take a closer look at this week’s games, as well as the always-fun-to-watch Pro Bowl:
2010 AFC Championship Game
New York Jets at Indianapolis Colts
Sunday, Jan. 24, 2010 3:00 PM EST
On paper this looks nothing like a conference championship game. When the Colts and Jets met in Week 16, the Colts were 14-0 and the Jets were a mediocre 7-7 looking for a chance at making it to the postseason. The Jets ended up having an easy pass into the playoffs thanks to the Colts benching their starters, and the Bengals’ disgraceful performance in Week 17. To prove the Jets’ 37-0 beating of the Bengals was no fluke, they came back in the first round of the playoffs to beat them again, 24-14, thanks to two rookies: Mark Sanchez and Shonn Greene. Then last week, they held on against the Chargers, 17-14, and again Shonn Greene was key in grinding out the game.
This week’s matchup pits a team of rookies versus a team of seasoned veterans. Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne have been working it together for nine years now, and they’ve brought the Colts a Super Bowl title and a plethora of playoff appearances. As I mentioned earlier, two of the Jets key offensive players are rookies; Sanchez hasn’t been asked to do much all season and the team has relied on their running attack, powered by Greene and Thomas Jones. The Jets do have the number one defense in the NFL, which could play a factor in this game as they try and stop the 4-time MVP quarterback Manning from taking the 15-1 Colts to another Super Bowl. However, I think the Colts will be too much for the rookie quarterback to handle, and Peyton Manning will step up his game, finding a way past the dominance of Darrelle Revis and the Jets defense. In the end, it looks like the Cinderellas of the 2009 NFL playoffs won’t be able to beat Indianapolis again, and the Colts will win 20-10.
2010 NFC Championship Game
Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints
Sunday, Jan. 24, 2010 6:40 PM EST
This game should certainly be another offensive battle in the NFC. The Saints, who arguably have the best offense in the NFL, led the league in yards per game and points per game throughout the regular season. Drew Brees might be the best quarterback in the NFL right now, and they showed all their weapons against the Arizona Cardinals last week. The Saints aren’t known for having a great defense, but they were still able to blowout Arizona. I think New Orleans, if they can get a hot start, will keep streaking like they did last week and win the game.
On the other hand, the Minnesota Vikings have quite a few weapons of their own. They are led by future Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre and hot-shot running back Adrian Peterson. Minnesota also has nine Pro Bowlers this year, including two starting offensive lineman, wide receiver Sidney Rice, Favre, and Peterson. They also have a solid defense, led by All-Pro defensive end Jared Allen. This team is loaded with talent, and should not disappoint this week in the Big Easy. As tough as this game should be, I see Brett Favre leading his team to a Super Bowl. Vikings win 31-24.
2010 NFL Pro Bowl Game
AFC vs. NFC
Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010 7:20 PM EST
Before the game even starts, it is already making history. For the first time ever, the Pro Bowl will be played before the Super Bowl! Personally I liked the game better when it was after the Super Bowl, but at least now you don’t have to go a week without football anymore. It is also being played in Florida this year instead of Hawaii, a move I don’t like. Hawaii doesn’t have a professional football team, so when the Pro Bowl comes along, all the fans on the little islands in the Pacific Ocean finally get to enjoy a game, and a special one. But it is what it is, and the game will stay on the mainland.
Anyway, this game should also be interesting to watch. But when I look at these rosters though I think one thing: AFC! The AFC looks very strong this year with studs like Peyton Manning, Chris Johnson, and Andre Johnson leading the offense. Their defense is also very strong with sack-king Elvis Dumervil and other stars such as James Harrison, Ray Lewis, Darrelle Revis, and Dwight Freeney. Expect a lot of pressure on the NFC quarterbacks and even a few sacks. I think the NFC has another very strong defense with Darren Sharper, Charles Woodson, and Asante Samuel manning the secondary. Patrick Willis, DeMarcus Ware, and Jared Allen should act as a wall to many of the AFC’s moves, too. Since there is so much talent in these all-star games, it is very tough to predict, but I’d have to give my edge to the AFC, 27-24.
Good luck to all the teams you guys are rooting for and feel free to leave your feedback on who you think will go dancing into the Big Game.
R.I.P. Gaines Adams (1983-2010)
-Rich
Richie Sliwinski, 14, is a young card collector who enjoys playing, watching, and talking about sports, hanging out with friends, going on the computer . . . and of course, collecting cards! He has been featured in Beckett Sports Card Monthly, Sports Illustrated for Kids, and was a kid blogger for Upper Deck Kids.
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Peyton Manning: NFL and Hobby MVP
Posted by: | CommentsPeyton Manning never needs an introduction, especially now that he holds the NFL record for MVPs won. After recently winning his fourth regular season MVP, he tops a list that includes Walter Payton, Joe Montana, Tom Brady, and more. He captured 39 percent of the vote in a season that included a record number of 4,000 yard passers with 30 TDs or more, a 2,000 yard rusher, and a player who covered year long for his NFL return after retirement. Despite all of those great seasons, Peyton reigns supreme again.
Funny enough, coming into the 2009 season, Manning wasn’t necessarily the odds-on favorite to have a good year. He had a brand new coach after legendary Tony Dungy retired, he was without Marvin Harrison for the first time in a decade, and the rest of the team was young and inexperienced. Two constants remained in Joseph Addai and Reggie Wayne, and both were poised to take over the NFL with Manning behind them. However, three pieces does not a football team make, which came into play when players like Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon stepped up to fill the roles needed for a winning team.
Like many of the great quarterbacks who have come and gone, Manning makes people around him that much better. He made stars out of his new role players and made his past role players into new league leaders and Pro Bowlers. That wasn’t all, however, as the Colts started the year 14-0 thanks to Manning’s amazing play, a feat that earned him initial consideration for league MVP. What put him over the top were his 4,500 passing yards, 33 touchdowns and leadership that emanated from his pores. Numbers like Manning’s make the Colts’ finish pretty easy to fathom when reviewing the final stat sheet.
Yet, not all is said and done quite yet: the Colts still have an opponent in Baltimore this week that could spell defeat in Manningville, USA. Coming off a huge victory in New England, the Ravens have started to show how fearsome their team can be, even against a juggernaut that spent the last two weeks of the season resting up. Veteran Ray Lewis and sophomore Ray Rice lead the menacing defense and high-powered offense into Indianapolis, and it may be a test of what the MVP can do to overcome a team like Baltimore. Last year, many of the bye teams were not able to stave off the surging Wild Card winners, and with those two weeks of rest under his belt, Manning may have issues finding a true rhythm. However, if the regular season is any indication of what will happen, Manning will have no trouble at all.
Rather than going through the must-have cards of Manning’s long career, I want to discuss a few newer cards that caught my eye. His cards are usually so iconic that to list off his SP Authentic rookie, his first Exquisite autograph, and any of his extremely valuable 1/1s would be too easy. Here are a few you may have missed that I find incredibly interesting.
First, out of 2007 Goudey Baseball, Manning was featured as part of the highly collected and highly valuable Sports Royalty set. The card has an on-card autograph and is wonderfully reminiscent of the baseball cards they were modeled after. It’s rare that you see a football player in a baseball set, but this works well. Manning is definitely sports royalty, and this card is a great addition to your Manning collection that has everything.
Manning was also a part of the ‘09-‘10 Exquisite Basketball Retro Rookie Patch Autograph set, and seeing him with that type of card is awesome. The ‘03-‘04 Exquisite Basketball set is iconic on its own thanks to the likes of LeBron James and Dwayne Wade, but to see some football players and baseball players make their rookie patch debut is something to behold. Because of the iconic nature and rarity of the set, these cards go for a ton, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth a look. Exquisite Basketball may not be back for the foreseeable future, so this is a great sendoff to a fan favorite product.
Lastly, I love the Peyton Manning / Eli Manning dual on-card autograph out of 2009 Upper Deck Football Heroes. Its one of the only cards that features a hard signed signature of both Manning brothers on the same card, and the painted art makes it one of the better looking Manning cards produced in a long time. If you are a fan of both of the Mannings, this card is a great one to chase.
Although this year was nothing out of the ordinary for a player who seems to scoff at mediocre play, it goes without saying that Peyton is quickly cementing himself as one of the best NFL players of all time. Considering that he is still relatively young and injury free, he may still have years worth of records left in him. Favre may have recently broken Dan Marino’s touchdown record, but the Manning name is the one that I expect to be on that record in the coming years. When you also factor in that he is one of football’s nice guys, with a great ability to laugh at himself, it’s easy to see why collectors and fans love him as much as they do. Then again, how can you hate a guy whose catch-phrase was “CUT THAT MEAT!” for a good two seasons?
Adam Gellman runs the collecting blog Sports Cards Uncensored, and has been a collector of all things sports for over 15 years. To see more of his work, visit www.sportscardsuncensored.com (warning: strong language!)
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