Scott Cordischi On Sports: Pats-Colts Not The Same Without Manning
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
It has been the premier rivalry in the National Football League for the past decade. In fact, some might say it has been the best rivalry in all of sports during that same period. Now, it is just another game.
Sunday the New England Patriots will host the Indianapolis Colts at Gillette Stadium in a game that will have far less meaning to it than it has in previous years.
Whether it was a regular season match-up or one in the postseason, these two franchises have hooked up for some very memorable affairs over the last 10 years.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTStart with the fact that it was a battle of the league’s top two quarterbacks in Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. Add to that the fact that the two teams were not just the premier teams in the AFC, but in the entire NFL so a regular season match-up often had home field advantage in the playoffs attached to it.
And when the two teams met in the postseason, it was either a divisional playoff match-up of an AFC Championship with the winner likely on their way to the Super Bowl.
Now? The Patriots are (8-3) and on top of the AFC East heading towards another postseason. The Colts? They are an abysmal (0-11) heading to the #1 overall draft pick next April and the likely selection of Stanford’s Andrew Luck.
Not having Peyton Manning has been devastating to the Colts this season. But could he have really meant that much to the team that they cannot seem to win a single game without him? Apparently so.
This once marquee match-up was slated for primetime and NBC’s Sunday Night Football. Now it will be played Sunday at 1pm because NBC realizes what a mismatch it should be. In fact, the Patriots are a whopping 21-point favorite to win the game according to the odds makers. I cannot remember ever seeing an NFL line that large in all of my years of watching and covering the sport.
What was once a game everyone had circled on their calendars is now just another game. As a Pats fan, I never thought that I would miss Peyton Manning until now.
-By the way, don't think that Bill Belichick and the Pats will take it easy on Indy Sunday given their disdain for Colts GM Bill Polian.
-About a month ago, the Bruins were the 15th seeded team in the Eastern Conference. Now they’re 3rd! That’s what winning 11 out of your last 12 will do for a team which has picked up a 23 out of a possible 24 points during that stretch.
-Call me crazy but I think that the New York Giants may put an end to another perfect season Sunday when they host the (11-0) Green Bay Packers.
-I’m hearing that PC’s Kadeem Batts could be back for either the Bryant or URI game making it a 10 or 12 game suspension.
-Ndamukong Suh had better be on his best behavior when he returns from his 2-game suspension or his next one could cost him half a season.
-Congratulations to seniors Stephen Peyton and Nate Lovett along with junior A.J. Cruz. All 3 members of the Brown University were named All-New England players on Tuesday.
-Nobody has written better books about the Patriots and Bill Belichick than WEEI’s Michael Holley whose latest book is entitled “War Room.”
-Jim Baron’s teams at URI have always played like a team until this year. Now they seem to be a dysfunctional bunch at times. My bet is that Baron will get this straightened out sooner rather than later.
-A public, heart-felt apology to the alleged victims of Bernie Fine by Syracuse men’s basketball coach Jim Boeheim would be more than appropriate right about now.
-Say what you want about John Calipari, but the man wins wherever he goes. His Kentucky Wildcats are the new #1 team in college basketball this week.
-I would have been much more surprised if Urban Meyer didn’t take over at Ohio State.
-The Journal’s Bill Reynolds wrote Sunday that we should lay off of Jim Baron and appreciate the solid job that he has done in his 11 years at URI. Fair enough. But expecting at least one NCAA appearance in 11 years is not too much for Rams fans to ask.
-I can think of better Christmas presents than the NBA starting its season on December 25th.
