Post by EagleGene on Dec 10, 2005 14:16:43 GMT -5
POSTED 8:08 a.m. EST, December 8, 2005
COLTS RUN WILL END ON SUNDAY
(from profootballtalk.com)
Okay, we burned up on Wednesday night all of our good stuff that was in the hopper, such as our exclusive scoop on the 2006 salary cap and the extent to which each and every team will be over or under it.
Now we need to come up with something to start the thing off on Thursday morning.
So how about a piece of rank speculation, for which we possibly will look like buffoons come Sunday afternoon?
You heard it here first (unless we're wrong) . . . the Colts will lose on Sunday to the Jaguars.
Here's why we've come to this conclusion:
1. We've simply got a feeling that the Jags will win.
Ordinarily, we wouldn't lead with this kind of reasoning, but if it's enough of a basis for Bengals receiver Chad Johnson to boast of a win over the Colts in an AFC title game for which neither team has yet qualified, it's enough for us.
2. Division foes are the least likely to be intimidated by a juggernaut.
They're also the most likely to get motivated to knock off a home-and-home rival that is perceived as a great team. Though the Colts lead the all-time series 7-2, the Jags have beaten Indy in 2003 and in 2004 -- which generally were "down" years for Jacksonville and "up" years for the Colts.
History supports us in this regard. The Pats lost last year at Miami, and won the Super Bowl. New England was blasted at Buffalo in 2003, but won the Super Bowl. The Bucs were swept by the Saints in 2002. But won the Super Bowl.
Also in 2004, the 15-1 Steelers picked up the "1" at Baltimore. In 1998, the 15-1 Vikings lost at Tampa, at a time when the two teams squared off twice per year as members of the NFC Central.
3. The Jaguars are craving respect.
And they deserve plenty of it. heck, they've won nine games. Though their current five-game streak has come against a quintet of quinces (Texans, Ravens, Titans, Cardinals, Browns), the Jags spanked the Seahawks in Week One -- and they've beaten both the Bengals and the Steelers.
Still, the Jags are generally unnoticed nationally. If they can be the ones to knock of the greatest . . . team . . . ever, folks suddenly will figure out that this 10-3 team could make some noise in the postseason.
4. The Colts might be overlooking the Jags.
With all the talk of whether coach Tony Dungy will rest his starters after Indy locks up home-field advantage for the playoffs, it's possible that the team is losing a little of its focus. Now that Bengals receiver Chad Johnson is flapping his arms about a victory over the Colts come January, there's a chance that Indy might also be peering around their upcoming foe.
The absence of Jags starting quarterback Byron Leftwich likewise might cause some members of the Indy defense to take a dimmer view of the team's offense -- even though many folks around the league believe the team is in better hands with David Garrard.
It all adds up to a possibility that the Colts will show up with a little less pop than they otherwise might have.
5. AllTel Stadium is sold out.
Jacksonville has won four of five home games, even though in most occasions there were plenty of empty seats beyond the 10,000 that the team covers up. On Sunday, the place will be full and the Jags will have the kind of edge that they ordinarily don't enjoy.
6. Everybody has a bad day.
As the Colts continue to win, some of the players surely have to be thinking about the reality that NFL teams from time to time lay a turd. It happens. It's unavoidable.
And if it's ever going to happen, it's better than it happens now, when a loss doesn't send them home.
For all of those reasons, we think that the Jags will play the Colts hard, and will steal a victory. We'll go with a final score of 23-20.
COLTS RUN WILL END ON SUNDAY
(from profootballtalk.com)
Okay, we burned up on Wednesday night all of our good stuff that was in the hopper, such as our exclusive scoop on the 2006 salary cap and the extent to which each and every team will be over or under it.
Now we need to come up with something to start the thing off on Thursday morning.
So how about a piece of rank speculation, for which we possibly will look like buffoons come Sunday afternoon?
You heard it here first (unless we're wrong) . . . the Colts will lose on Sunday to the Jaguars.
Here's why we've come to this conclusion:
1. We've simply got a feeling that the Jags will win.
Ordinarily, we wouldn't lead with this kind of reasoning, but if it's enough of a basis for Bengals receiver Chad Johnson to boast of a win over the Colts in an AFC title game for which neither team has yet qualified, it's enough for us.
2. Division foes are the least likely to be intimidated by a juggernaut.
They're also the most likely to get motivated to knock off a home-and-home rival that is perceived as a great team. Though the Colts lead the all-time series 7-2, the Jags have beaten Indy in 2003 and in 2004 -- which generally were "down" years for Jacksonville and "up" years for the Colts.
History supports us in this regard. The Pats lost last year at Miami, and won the Super Bowl. New England was blasted at Buffalo in 2003, but won the Super Bowl. The Bucs were swept by the Saints in 2002. But won the Super Bowl.
Also in 2004, the 15-1 Steelers picked up the "1" at Baltimore. In 1998, the 15-1 Vikings lost at Tampa, at a time when the two teams squared off twice per year as members of the NFC Central.
3. The Jaguars are craving respect.
And they deserve plenty of it. heck, they've won nine games. Though their current five-game streak has come against a quintet of quinces (Texans, Ravens, Titans, Cardinals, Browns), the Jags spanked the Seahawks in Week One -- and they've beaten both the Bengals and the Steelers.
Still, the Jags are generally unnoticed nationally. If they can be the ones to knock of the greatest . . . team . . . ever, folks suddenly will figure out that this 10-3 team could make some noise in the postseason.
4. The Colts might be overlooking the Jags.
With all the talk of whether coach Tony Dungy will rest his starters after Indy locks up home-field advantage for the playoffs, it's possible that the team is losing a little of its focus. Now that Bengals receiver Chad Johnson is flapping his arms about a victory over the Colts come January, there's a chance that Indy might also be peering around their upcoming foe.
The absence of Jags starting quarterback Byron Leftwich likewise might cause some members of the Indy defense to take a dimmer view of the team's offense -- even though many folks around the league believe the team is in better hands with David Garrard.
It all adds up to a possibility that the Colts will show up with a little less pop than they otherwise might have.
5. AllTel Stadium is sold out.
Jacksonville has won four of five home games, even though in most occasions there were plenty of empty seats beyond the 10,000 that the team covers up. On Sunday, the place will be full and the Jags will have the kind of edge that they ordinarily don't enjoy.
6. Everybody has a bad day.
As the Colts continue to win, some of the players surely have to be thinking about the reality that NFL teams from time to time lay a turd. It happens. It's unavoidable.
And if it's ever going to happen, it's better than it happens now, when a loss doesn't send them home.
For all of those reasons, we think that the Jags will play the Colts hard, and will steal a victory. We'll go with a final score of 23-20.