JOE AND THE COLTS

LRJets wrote:Never have I seen a wider betting line in any NFL game, no less the Super Bowl.  The average was about -19 for the Colts.



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George1963 wrote:

LRJets wrote:Never have I seen a wider betting line in any NFL game, no less the Super Bowl.  The average was about -19 for the Colts.



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The '07 Pats played several games favored in the 20s, but I don't ever remember a playoff spread as big as Colts-Jets.

LRJets wrote: George, your Colts had to lose to the Dolphins?  They're not only 2-0,but  both road wins!!  In NY, I never felt the disdain for the Jets from the Dolphins.  Like pesky mosquitoes.  Here in southeast Florida,  it's almost an industry.  (Except when their 'Canes play).



Recently said about the Dolphins:

"The whole offseason was about resources -- they had the cap space and draft-pick resources to make a lot of moves and put pieces around the quarterback, and the quarterback is a year wiser," one AFC personnel executive said. "Then improve the pass rush. But the ascension of [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] at safety, paired with the addition of Grimes, has made the defense go from solid to pretty darn good."


Parcells is gone now, and so is the [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]' facelessness. The object in the [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]' rearview mirror might be closer than it appears.

LRJets wrote:Parcells is gone now, and so is the [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]' facelessness. The object in the [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]' rearview mirror might be closer than it appears.

 
For whatever reasons, the seperation is closer now as the decline of the Pats, and the ascension of the Dolphins.  Having said that, there are 15 more games to play.  The Patriot wide receivers can gain some more chemistry with TB, Gronk can return soon, and it can be a horse race.
Mike Golic on Mike and Mike is concerned about Gronk. He said with Gronk's bad back, his 4 arm surgeries , and most of all ....he has not been hit yet can be a problem.  He also noticed Gronk is not as big as he was in the past.  This is due to him not possibly being able to really work out the way I'm sure he'd like to.
I realize Kraft has a big investment with him, but any further damage to this kid, can be really a csreer threatner. 
I am in the dark about RGIII.  These running QBs are more like running backs who simply pass too.

These are all valid points.  The point is for the Patriots, the division is no lay up this year like it was in the past.  I agree the separation is a lot closer.  We'll just have to see how it plays out. 

In reading fan blogs, etc., most fans knowledge and opinion of the AFCE will lag behind what the true current state is.  I bet we'll still see plenty of fans calling the AFCE the "worst division in football", when its just not so.   Patriot "haters" often use that argument in order to try to diminish or downplay the Pats W-L record as being a phony accomplishment.  Things like, "NE is lucky they play in the AFCE, because they get 6 easy automatic wins every year."  Blah, blah, blah.  But I predict that AFCE teams will win plenty out-of-division games this year.  Once they do, the opinions of the fans across the country of the AFCE will catch up with reality. 


I think Belichick does a great job of stressing the importance of division games.  That is one thing he does really well.  He never lets the Pats take the Bills, Fins or Jets for granted.  Every year he really impresses upon the team that those games are HUGE.

LRJets wrote:Gup...I read Pro Football Talk by Mike Florio and his team.  To this day when there is a Jets blog, you can bet there'll be a mention of "Rex", "circus", "buttfumble", etc.
That crap has jumped the shark by now, yet when I reply as a Jets fan, without profanity, my post gets taken down about 75% of the time.

Have to laugh when some Jets - hating Dolphins fan troll there.  They have not won a playoff game in 12 years.  They have been blabbing this whole off-season irrespective of their 2-0 record thus far.

As recently as yesterday, a couple of Steeler fans trashed the Jets as well.
I'll bet anything they won't sniff the playoffs!

And so it goes.


Why do your posts get taken down 75% of the time?  Thats crazy.

LRJets wrote: George, your Colts had to lose to the Dolphins?  They're not only 2-0,but  both road wins!! 

George1963 wrote:

LRJets wrote: George, your Colts had to lose to the Dolphins?  They're not only 2-0,but  both road wins!! 

I'm not sure what happened. Pagano didn't use the plays I sent him, but they still should have won.
The Dolphins are for real. Their defense is real good and Tannehill makes last years QB class look even deeper than we thought.


George, you now got Trent Richardson from the Browns for Mr. Luck to hand the rock to.

LRJets wrote:FIFTEEN YEARS OF REBUILDING AND COUNTING....
Cleveland Browns do it again! They traded Trent Richardson, their last year's #1 draft pick to the Colts for their 2014 #1. In college, Richardson's game face was worth 100 yds. 

Every year the Browns pick early and Poof! it goes to dust!  Brilliant move by Colts.  Oughta be aninvestigation.



 

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Maybe the Browns have their eyes on Johnny Football or AJ McCarron.


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guppy wrote:

George1963 wrote:

LRJets wrote: George, your Colts had to lose to the Dolphins?  They're not only 2-0,but  both road wins!! 

I'm not sure what happened. Pagano didn't use the plays I sent him, but they still should have won.
The Dolphins are for real. Their defense is real good and Tannehill makes last years QB class look even deeper than we thought.


George, you now got Trent Richardson from the Browns for Mr. Luck to hand the rock to.

George1963 wrote:[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]


Wow.  That's awesome. Not for Brown's fan though.  I guess its now all about 2014 for the Browns.  They are looking to get a QB who will be THE guy for the next decade. 

Tim Couch started with the Browns in 1999, so just for a fun comparison, that means that since 1999 Cleveland has has gone with 19 different QBs.  In that same time frame NE has had 2 (Bledsoe for 1 year, and then Brady), 3 if you count back up Matt Cassel getting in only because of the starter's season-ending injury.


Two teams that have turned around the quickest with a major change at QB are Green Bay and Indy.  Aaron Rogers was waiting in the wings and ready to become the man as soon as Favre left.  In fact, he was ready to take over while Favre was still there.  And Indy had to endure Curtis Painter and "Suck For Luck"  for only one year post Manning.  I don't really see a lot of other teams being able to turn it around that fast when they change signal callers.  There is Denver too, where Peyton meant an instant turn around, but that's different because there was really no development or break-in period involved like there is with a new young guy.

Moral of the story:  Your franchize QB that is a rare talent and carries your team for a decade is really hard to find.  I think Indy really "Lucked out" and they are all set for years.  Wilson, Kaepernick and RGIII bear further watching for another season or two before I can elevate them to the Manning/Brady/Rogers level.  I'm still waiting for Cam Newton to make a statement for himself.  Mike Vick and Tony Romo can be dangerous, but I question whether can they do it in the last 2 minutes when the game is on the line?  Joe Flacco will find out what Brady has already found out, that you need to cherish any SB win, because even after you won one, it is incredibly hard to get back there and get another one.  If Eli is your QB, I don't think you can go wrong, but I think you're going to need a lot of other things to go your way too for an Eli-lead team to be successful.

LRJets wrote:
Not my words, but "Cleveland has thrown up the white flag after two games".


They are obviously trying to put some long term plan in place where they are trying to create a future and don't care about the present, and I think it is going to be centered around who they have their eyes on as a quarterback.  The City of Cleveland is starved for a champion, and I think it has been waiting longer than any other city in America to get one.  I can see why they are so mad at Lebron James. 

George1963 wrote:[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

guppy wrote:One more.



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