dereknyc76

Dallas homer here, and long-time Parcells homer long before he came to Big D. Sorry to spoil your party, but there's nothing quoted there from TO that isn't true, and hasn't been plainly obvious to most Dallas fans all season long. I know its "cool" to jump on TO for anything and everything (has anyone tried to blame the Vick incident on him yet?), but about 90% or more of the "controversy" he has supposedly stirred up this past season in Dallas is pure media speculation with very strained circumstantial evidence reported as fact, or just flat-out made-up. Maybe you just got finished listening to Dan Patrick or something...if thats the case, its not really your fault.

DITKAAA - 79 Coltsss - 'tree

Lovie Smith? Would love to see this but keep dreaming. Jones has committed to the 3-4, which Lovie isn't running. The next Dallas coach will be either: Norv Turner (would be great for Romo) Wade Phillips (would solidify the D) Les Miles Bill Cowher (major long shot) What Jerry should do is get a $21 million check made out to Notre Dame ready to go, and have a long, long chat with Charlie Weis. That won't happen either, though.

Another point: he supposedly only raised suspicion because he "was reluctant to throw the water bottle away when asked." So a guy with a $130 million contract starts b!tch!ng at airport security because, basically, he doesn't want to part with a hidden roach that's so small that its probably worth no more than $20. Wow...just wow.

A few questions for you: 1. Who has Tom Brady had to throw to in his career that could even hold Jerry Rice's jock on his best day? 2. Which QB had a consistent, solid TE rather than a revolving door to this point in thier respective careers? Better yet, which one had consistently great WRs (maybe the greatest ever), and which one has had to deal with the leftover scraps that his cheapass owner forced on him? 3. Which QB had the benefit of the WCO, and before the WCO was even cool? Dinking and dunking 2 yard slants every other play does wonders for ANY QB's statistics . Don't take my word for it: ask Elvis Grbac, Steve Bono, and some other jokers who benefitted from that type of playbook and were exposed elsewhere after getting a big payday. Before you attack me for disrespecting Montana, let me say that Joe didn't need that kind of stat-padding stuff to be a great QB, he would've been anyway. Just my opinion, but I think if you put Brady in a similar offense with guys like Roger Craig, Tom Rathman, the 49ers bruising O-line, and especially Jerry Rice, there wouldn't be much debate on this subject. You're a 9er homer so its understandable. I actually hate both the 9ers and Pats, believe it or not, so its fair to consider this an objective analysis... lol I'm sick of Brady and Belichick and wish to see them humbled, but I've dealt with the fact that Tommy Boy is the greatest QB of all time, hands down, even if he retired tomorrow. Trust me, you'll feel better once you admit it.

Excellent point, and you're right....I have also noticed that Peyton has looked a little more confident and relaxed at times this season, but you can't expect him to suddenly be on Brady's level. That doesn't mean he would have to be Brady-like for the Colts to win, but he definitely better bring nerves of steel because you know Belichick has a million ways to get in his head. It's going to be a whole different beast dealing with the team that has consistently owned him in the playoffs, against a coach that is guaranteed to have a gamplan designed to rattle him in a way that he probably would have never thought of. I know what you mean that Peyton has looked better at dealing with adversity this season, but remember this: - he still did throw 3 picks at home against KC (an inferior defense to San Diego's, no question), and didn't have a stellar game in Baltimore - he didn't drive the length of the field in the final minutes or even bring the team back from a deficit, or have any sort of drive you could call a rally...far from what Brady did in San Diego....big difference. - the Colts were ahead the entire time in both of those games, if I recall correctly. Whats gonna happen if he throws a pick, takes a couple of sacks, maybe fumbles once, and NE jumps ahead say, 13-3 or 17-7? Can you really say you'd be confident in him? - the Colts really won the last 2 games in spite of Manning's performances, not because of him. Brady took the Pats on his back, even after an awful day, and beat the best team in the NFL in their own backyard by engineering two scoring drives in the 4th quarter. If the Pats get some breaks/turnovers and jump ahead early, I think the Colts are dead. If the opposite happens, the Pats are going to fight like warriors to stay in it so that Brady has a chance to win it at the end, so the Colts better put them away early if they have the chance. I don't know whats with my long-ass posts tonight (sorry ), but here's the most important point: The Colts, and especially Manning, have all the pressure in the world on them in this game, and the Pats are gonna come in confident and ready, with hardly a care in the world. The Colts have the Pats a little bit banged-up, much less star-power than the previous playoff meetings, momentum from having beaten them in the regular season twice in two years at Foxboro, thier defense stepping up to the plate out of nowhere, and AT HOME with no worries of a hostile crowd, cold weather, snow, rain, even hometown refs. They have absolutely no excuses left.

This isn't enough right here to convince you that they "can" win the game? Thats being generous...that should tell you right there that they will very likely win it. At the very least they've earned the benefit of the doubt more than enough to make you look silly posting this. No offense to you, in fact I hope that the Colts do win Sunday, but what have you seen the past few years to make you question how NE can win? You're right. But this doesn't make Brady even more impressive to you? I like Peyton a lot, think he's great and a lot of fun to watch, but there's no way in hell he would've won that game in San Diego under the same circumstances with the same team. No chance. At least if you judge it by what we've seen so far. Manning has failed to get it done year after year with arguably the best WR tandem the league has seen in a decade or more; Brady has 3 rings all with WRs far inferior to Harrison/Wayne, and is two wins away from another ring with a bunch of rejects off the street. I'd say thats a pretty big red flag on Peyton, not Brady, but...whatever... Maybe so, but check with the Jets and Chargers WR's and ask them if Samuel is any good. Also, know your history...the Pats have beaten Indy in January with second-rate CB's before...embarrased them, in fact. Dude, I WANT to agree with you and I'm hoping the Colts win, but you're ridiculous. Have you happened to notice how that "32-year-old RB" had performed this year? Hint: better than your young rookie stud, who also isn't as "light out studish" as people thought either. Maroney has been hurt, but he certainly has showed ability to take over a game. Give me NE's RB combo over Indy's any day. As for defense...you do realize that NE's banged up defense has still played like world-beaters every time it needed to, right? I don't recall them getting gouged for 300-something yards on the ground to a non-playoff team at any point. The Colts' D has sure looked better the last two weeks, but lets inject some reality here: Herm Edwards is an idiot and never bothered to throw downfield when it was clear that Indy was going to put 8-9 in the box all day long. I don't care if Jim Brown was back there, he wasn't getting his yards that day....but at the same time, friggin Quincy Carter throwing to Richmond Flowers would've been able to have a few nice hookups downfield if they didn't have a complete jackass for a coach. And the Ravens game: did you not know that despite a 13-3 season, people are absolutely crucifying Billick in Baltimore after that loss because of his boneheaded playcalling? McNair choked as well. Do you really think that Brady isn't going to show up Sunday and that Belichick isn't going to call a near-perfect game? If so, I need to get some of what you're smoking. Not in January, even when he's had very favorable matchups downfield. That might finally change this weekend, but the evidence suggests otherwise. Wow. If you're not an Indy homer and making claims like that.... Most likely. But here's to hoping for a Colts win anyway...

Maybe thats because Brady still made the plays when he had to at the end of the game in order to get the win, despite the beating he took that day. You do understand what "clutch" means, right? That was a pretty basic example of it yesterday. Sure, he stunk most of the game, but did you ever see him walk of the field after an INT with his head down looking like he wanted to slit his wrists? Did you see him make anything close to the "Peyton Manning Face" all day? Manning is a great QB, but under pressure in the clutch or during a rough day, he has trouble keeping his composure. Brady never does, and that's why the Pats are in the AFC title game again with a bunch of no-name, off the street WR's and a mediocre TE. He's had WAY better teams than this but he gets it done anyway. Watch a video of the NE-SD game again, and pay attention to how Brady sticks to his guns in the pocket consistently even with Merriman almsot right on top of him. Manning tends to freak out easily with less pressure than that. Don't get me wrong, I agree Brady gets ridiculous knobslobbing and I think Manning is one of the greatest QB's (in the regular season at least) that we'll ever see in our lifetimes, but if you can't admit after the last 5 years that Brady has 10x the guts and will to win that Manning does when it counts the most, then I don't know what else you need to see. That being said, I'm sick of the Pats and would like to see Manning finally break through in the clutch and get one over on Brady & Co. I believe he can do it, but that first time will be the toughest. You have to admit this much though...with the way the Colts D has stepped up in the playoffs, having stolen away Adam V from NE, and the fact they are finally getting the Pats at home indoors in January....Manning, Dungy, and the rest of them are out of excuses. They better step up to the plate this time or the monkey will not only stay on thier backs forever, it will also beat them down and p!$$ all over them.

Looks like I'm the first to vote for hoping they do well. But I have an exception: if I already despised the other team, I'll still root against them. Examples: Eagles/Redskins/49ers in football, Yankees in baseball. Otherwise, if my team is gonna get knocked out, I'd like to at least be able to say that it took the best team that year to do it.

Is there any doubt that this game will come down to a Vinatieri or Gostkowski (sp?) FG attempt at the gun? I'll be rooting for Indy, but the freakin Pats will win a stomach-punch game when either Vinatieri misses in the clutch for the first time in his life, or the NE rookie does a classic-Vinatieri impression. Irony is a mofo.

I like these the best. I think the Chargers will roll and 2.4:1 is a nice profit. Saints at 6:1 is pretty good as well since the NFC blows. Long shot pick I like Dallas. 22:1 is ridiculous, as I think they have the best shot of the WC teams to quickly get it together and go on a tear. If they win in Seattle (not likely), I love thier chances in CHI.

HUGE thanks to FFToday staff and the compiler...my best season ever by far! I'm sold! 3 years (before 2006) in one league, 12 team redraft, never finished better than 7-7. Not only did I win that league, which is populated with several FF junkies, but I won my Big$$$ office league as the league rookie. Got lucky with a couple of WW pickups, but the Draft Buddy definitely set me up very nicely. I was in the top 3 in each league all year and spent over half the season in 1st. Again, many thanks!

Lost McNabb in my keeper league when I was 6-2 (I think?)...lost 3 in a row after that but then ran the table to go 9-5 and won the title with two playoff blowouts. Vick filled in for 2 weeks but I picked up Romo off the wire and rode him to glory.

Hookers are indeed illegal but blow isn't, so I'll be okay...

Lineups for both my leagues are in the sig...won the title in both Best season ever, and FFToday and the draft buddy were both big reasons for it.