The Colts absolutely, positively CHOKED against Pittsburgh!!

[GrandeDavid]

The way the Colts lost that playoff game- getting a couple of HUUUUUUUGE breaks from the officials and getting an absolutely impossible fumble by Jerome Bettis which should've been brought back for the game winning touchdown...then the "best" kicker in the NFL shanks the potential game-tying kick further right than I've ever seen in my life.

WOW! What a freaking game!

After all the hype of going 16-0 came crashing down, to lose at home in the playoffs and see their season and dignity go up in flames...that was just BRUTAL!

I think that this has to be perhaps the most painful end to a season in NFL history. Who would've forseen this about a month ago? Tony Dungy's son commits suicide...unbelievable crash to quite a year.

[Horry For 3!]

http://spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32843

[hussker]

Best IDIOT kicker

[Marklar MM]

The Lions have the best kicker. He usually leads the team in points. LOL

[ducks]

The Kicker Is Money

Manning Should Have Tried To Get Closer But He Is Fool

[ducks]

Steelers Can Thank Chargers Coaching Staff For Giving Them The Answer To Beat The Overrated Colts

[samikeyp]

That was fucked up.

[N.Y. Johnny]

All that noise during the regular season for nothing. damn this one is in my head and I'm nowhere near a Colts fan, in fact as a Jets fan I love the misery on the colts :lol

[slayermin]

Not a great weekend for kickers.

Adam freakin' Viniatieri missed an easy field goal. Hall missed that big one in Seattle that would've cut the lead to 4 in the 4th Quarter. Kasay misses a huge extra point today that would have given Carolina a two score lead but it didn't cost them in the end.

[ALVAREZ6]

Yeah they did, dude, that fumble recovery should have been a TD.


whoever picked up Jerome Bettis' fumble had the whole fucking outside, then decided to cut into ben roesthlisberger, like wTF, a quarterback isn't going to catch you dude, so he decides to fuckin go where all the steelers would catch him when he had the whole outside....fuckin idiot.


That would have won the game.

[ShoogarBear]

Y
whoever picked up Jerome Bettis' fumble had the whole fucking outside, then decided to cut into ben roesthlisberger, like wTF, a quarterback isn't going to catch you dude, so he decides to fuckin go where all the steelers would catch him when he had the whole outside....fuckin idiot.


That would have won the game.Nick Harper was the guy who made that boneheaded cut back to the middle of the field.

He also was the guy who had his knee sliced by his wife in a domestic dispute this week.

Ordinarily I would say he's going to have a lot of sleeplees nights thinking about that runback, but obviously he's got other things at home to keep him worrying.

[Guru of Nothing]

The way the Colts lost that playoff game- getting a couple of HUUUUUUUGE breaks from the officials and getting an absolutely impossible fumble by Jerome Bettis which should've been brought back for the game winning touchdown...then the "best" kicker in the NFL shanks the potential game-tying kick further right than I've ever seen in my life.

WOW! What a freaking game!

After all the hype of going 16-0 came crashing down, to lose at home in the playoffs and see their season and dignity go up in flames...that was just BRUTAL!

I think that this has to be perhaps the most painful end to a season in NFL history. Who would've forseen this about a month ago? Tony Dungy's son commits suicide...unbelievable crash to quite a year.

Nice post; I agree with everything you said, except the part about the part where the Colts choked. Looked to me that the Steelers just kicked the shit out of them.

To say that the Colts choked implies incorrect assumptions.

[hussker]

True...I mean, Vanderjagt's BAC was probably higher than Manning's QB Rating...which means he barely had a buzz.

[Rubberducky]

Manning Should Have Tried To Get Closer But He Is Fool

Um, he did try to get closer. He even went for the endzone on 2nd down if memory serves. How much closer would you have liked? Not that it really matters. That kick was so far off, he probably would have missed from the 20.

[King]

Yeah they did, dude, that fumble recovery should have been a TD.


whoever picked up Jerome Bettis' fumble had the whole fucking outside, then decided to cut into ben roesthlisberger, like wTF, a quarterback isn't going to catch you dude, so he decides to fuckin go where all the steelers would catch him when he had the whole outside....fuckin idiot.


That would have won the game.

Said the guy watching the entire field from a wide screen aerial view.

[Obstructed_View]

Daniell Harper for game MVP!

[Dre_7]

Manning cant win the big game. PIT gave hime TWO chances to be the Peyton Manning of the reguler season. But, as he has done his whole career, Manning showed that he is unable to win the big game. :lmao

[Faccia di Angelo]

I really don't understand why some people don't like the colts or peyton and find the opportunity to call them out. I didn't see them as "choking." It freaking sucks. We should have won but give them credit. They kept playing. It seemed like Manning didn't even know how to find the words to say what went wrong but he gave the steelers credit for beating them and didn't blame it on other factors like rustiness or layoffs. They're a great team.
Now that being said, I don't think I can watch sportscenter for a while. I can't get the images of Dungy's and Manning's faces out of my mind mouthing the words, "He missed it" :depressed I can't see the replay of Finkle's kick over and over. I mean who knows what would have happened in OT but it was a chance. ohhhhh it hurts.

[Extra Stout]

I really don't understand why some people don't like the colts or peyton and find the opportunity to call them out. I didn't see them as "choking."
Given their performance compared to their talent level, one would have to say they choked.

They were tremendously fortunate even to have a chance to win. For a team that had been so dominant all season long to come out and get owned at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball like that was as flagrant a display of limp-wristed cowering under pressure as I've seen since the Houston Oilers existed.

Peyton Manning is supposed to be this cold, calculating professor of football, but he was RATTLED by the Steelers. It took him three full quarters to settle down, and by then it was too late.

Vanderjagt's shank was one of the great kicker chokes in league history. It wasn't as if he were some marginal kicker whose effort went outside the upright by a foot. He is the most accurate kicker in history, and in the most important play of his career, he couldn't get the ball inside the pylons.

The Colts got all the calls, and all the breaks, and still didn't capitalize. What a flameout.


It seemed like Manning didn't even know how to find the words to say what went wrong but he gave the steelers credit for beating them and didn't blame it on other factors like rustiness or layoffs.
Peyton didn't use excuses like rustiness. No, insteadhe threw his linemen under the bus and blamed the loss of "protection problems."

[Dre_7]

Between the BS interception overrulled called, and the Bettis fumble, Manning had ample oppurtunities to win the game, but he cant. Since his Ten games up until now, he has shown over and over, he is unable to win the big game.

[FromWayDowntown]

Given their poor play, it basically took horrendous officiating for the Colts to even have a chance. Given a chance that their own play couldn't get them, the Colts still managed to find a way to grasp defeat from the jaws of victory (or at least overtime). That's pretty much a textbook choke.

I feel bad for Tony Dungy; he is a good man who deserves better. But he also appeared to be among the few who could be genuinely gracious in defeat.

[GrandeDavid]

Yeah they did, dude, that fumble recovery should have been a TD.


whoever picked up Jerome Bettis' fumble had the whole fucking outside, then decided to cut into ben roesthlisberger, like wTF, a quarterback isn't going to catch you dude, so he decides to fuckin go where all the steelers would catch him when he had the whole outside....fuckin idiot.


That would have won the game.

Dude, I was thinking the same thing! And you know as a CB the guy's got wheels. Well, he did have a stitched up leg thanks to that stabbing, but still, I also questioned why he went middle. Guess it all just happened to frantically. Who knows what he was thinking.

[GrandeDavid]

I really don't understand why some people don't like the colts or peyton and find the opportunity to call them out. I didn't see them as "choking." It freaking sucks. We should have won but give them credit. They kept playing. It seemed like Manning didn't even know how to find the words to say what went wrong but he gave the steelers credit for beating them and didn't blame it on other factors like rustiness or layoffs. They're a great team.
Now that being said, I don't think I can watch sportscenter for a while. I can't get the images of Dungy's and Manning's faces out of my mind mouthing the words, "He missed it" :depressed I can't see the replay of Finkle's kick over and over. I mean who knows what would have happened in OT but it was a chance. ohhhhh it hurts.

Look, while I respect your pain and opinion, I, as a looooooooooong suffering former Oilers fan and current Bengals and Texans fan, I can smell a choke a mile or a thousand off! That was a choke for the simple fact that Harper ran into Oger from Revenge of the Nerds. Also, the too outspoken Vanderjagt flat went Ian Howfield. No, he was worse than the kicker in Pet Detective. That was just wrong to miss it so badly, at home, in a controlled-environment and in a contract year. Ouch. I mean, gag.

[Mixability]

Said the guy watching the entire field from a wide screen aerial view.

:lol :tu

[ducks]

Um, he did try to get closer. He even went for the endzone on 2nd down if memory serves. How much closer would you have liked? Not that it really matters. That kick was so far off, he probably would have missed from the 20.

should have tried to go 10 yards
greater chance of completing pass

[ALVAREZ6]

Said the guy watching the entire field from a wide screen aerial view.
It's not hard to notice that he had the whole damn right side of the field...even Chris Bermann and his ESPN crew were talking about this, saying the same thing I did...stupid motherfucker could have been the hero of the game and won if he went right.

[Mixability]

even Chris Bermann and his ESPN crew were talking about this, saying the same thing I did


Said the guys watching the entire field from a wide screen aerial view.

:lmao

[McKenzie]

Best IDIOT kicker


According to Peyton he was "the idiot kicker who was all liquored up..." when what's his ass mouthed off to the press. I'm searching for that link right now.

:lmao

"idiot kicker who was all liquored up." That is fucking priceless.

I picked the Colts to go to the Big Dance. I'm thinking that Dungy's son's suicide really hammered them more than any of us will ever know. Such a sad ending.

[FromWayDowntown]

It's not hard to notice that he had the whole damn right side of the field...even Chris Bermann and his ESPN crew were talking about this, saying the same thing I did...stupid motherfucker could have been the hero of the game and won if he went right.

And, of course, at full speed, inside of a helmet, Nick Harper should have been able to know where every player on the field was and decide his route based on that. What a bunch of nonsense.

It's hard to know that the right side of the field is open, too. Maybe there's a receiver running up the sidelines who can catch him. In the moment, his best chance was to put a move on Roethisberger -- he almost did -- and use the teammates who were in the middle of the field as a convoy to the endzone.

Easy enough for Berman and crew to say what you're saying -- with the benefit of the pressbox view to see the direction of the action and the location of the Steelers.

Maybe Harper should have pushed the right buttons to change the view on his screen so that he would have known where to go.

[sa_butta]

According to Peyton he was "the idiot kicker who was all liquored up..." when what's his ass mouthed off to the press. I'm searching for that link right now.

:lmao

"idiot kicker who was all liquored up." That is fucking priceless.

I picked the Colts to go to the Big Dance. I'm thinking that Dungy's son's suicide really hammered them more than any of us will ever know. Such a sad ending.I remember that, that was hilarious.
I have these though

http://www.kenn.com/sounds/mora_playoffs1.wav

http://www.kenn.com/sounds/mora.wav

[McKenzie]

LOL...thanks man. Great stuff.

I'll get Peyton's link up tomorrow sometime. I don't have the time right now, but it was seriously funny at the time.

[Ballcox]

^ From what I've seen of Payton at the college level and in the NFL, he just seems to get tight when the pressure is on. Regular season? No problem. Big games? Big problems for Payton. Some guys thrive under that pressure (Brady, Elway, Montana, Aikman, etc.), some guys get puckered up, and Payton seems to be one of those guys. I just don't see Indy advancing to a Super Bowl with him as the QB imo.

[Faccia di Angelo]

Maybe Harper should have pushed the right buttons to change the view on his screen so that he would have known where to go.
:lmao okay that was funny

I get too depressed everytime I think about it or try to talk about it so I'm just gonna drop it. You guys make good points, you too Grandedavid, I've always respected your opinion even when I would read them at SR. You have good posts. This loss just stings like hell. Allow me my homerism for a while and I'll be objective again later. lol Good luck to whoever does go to the superbowl. It'll be back to the drawing board for us and I'll be gearing up to back up my team for another season. :)

Those quotes are hilarious btw. I've always gotten a kick out of those, especially the Mora one. Hence, my sig. Where's the liquored up one? I'd love to have it.

[ducks]

manning is a idiot
he wanted to go for it on fourth down
you want complete control you should be willing to take complete blame

ASS HOLE

[ducks]

manning and brady played like rookies
they should have just played like it was a regular season game

manning and the colts did late in the 4 and it was too late

that is why colts choked

[himat]

i didn't care who would win in the patriots broncos game. i was rooting for panthers, steelers, and seahawks though and all of them won. who's going to the superbowl now.

colts are a choke, they even had 2 lucky calls to get them back into the game with a wining chance.

[himat]

manning and brady played like rookies
they should have just played like it was a regular season game

manning and the colts did late in the 4 and it was too late

that is why colts choked

at least brady has lead his team the last 2 years, manning is a complete softy and a bad leader.

[hussker]

According to Peyton he was "the idiot kicker who was all liquored up..." when what's his ass mouthed off to the press. I'm searching for that link right now.

:lmao

"idiot kicker who was all liquored up." That is fucking priceless.

I picked the Colts to go to the Big Dance. I'm thinking that Dungy's son's suicide really hammered them more than any of us will ever know. Such a sad ending.




"Here we are," Manning said. "I'm out at my third Pro Bowl, I'm about to go in and throw a touchdown to Jerry Rice, we're honoring the Hall of Fame, and we're talking about our idiot kicker who got liquored up and ran his mouth off.

"The sad thing is, he's a good kicker. He's a good kicker. But he's an idiot."


Good luck finding the WAV or vid clip file. I looked all over for it. I am sure it is out there somewhere

[ALVAREZ6]

And, of course, at full speed, inside of a helmet, Nick Harper should have been able to know where every player on the field was and decide his route based on that. What a bunch of nonsense.

Have you ever played football before???



You should always go to the outside over the middle, it eliminates the chance getting tackled because in the middle players from both sides can get to you...I'm just saying, Ben Roethlisberger is NOT a fast QB, and there's no way he would have caught him.

[FromWayDowntown]

Have you ever played football before???



You should always go to the outside over the middle, it eliminates the chance getting tackled because in the middle players from both sides can get to you...I'm just saying, Ben Roethlisberger is NOT a fast QB, and there's no way he would have caught him.

I have played football before -- actually at quite high levels -- and I recall runners being taught to run with their blockers. Harper's blockers were in the middle of the field, not on the outside. He followed his blockers, who didn't get a body on Roethisberger. But to say that Harper should have been able to read the field and KNOW what TV viewers and pundits saw is ridiculous.

[ShoogarBear]

I have played football before -- actually at quite high levelsI believe that's the first time that's ever been said about Columbia. :p

[FromWayDowntown]

I believe that's the first time that's ever been said about Columbia. :p

That's true -- damn, that's a good memory, shoog. :lol

I did play (in high school and in college) with and against guys who reached the NFL and have had good, long careers. I live vicariously by considering that to be playing "at high levels" -- my ineptitude had to make some of those guys look good enough to reach the NFL, right?

[Guru of Nothing]

I believe that's the first time that's ever been said about Columbia. :p

... but it's not like he's from Odessa.

[FromWayDowntown]

... but it's not like he's from Odessa.

There was a time that Odessa Permian would have probably beaten Columbia. Now, its Southlake Carroll that would do that.

[ShoogarBear]

That's true -- damn, that's a good memory, shoog. :lol I remember telling you about that 5'5" Columbia O-lineman I met.



I did play (in high school and in college) with and against guys who reached the NFL and have had good, long careers. I live vicariously by considering that to be playing "at high levels" -- my ineptitude had to make some of those guys look good enough to reach the NFL, right?Your restraint in not naming names is admirable--or pathological.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Grande David would have merit were it not for his inferior un-dominant avatar

[TheAdmiral#50]

The Colts were outcoached and outplayed!
The Colts were prepared for the Steelers run attack and Pittsburg flipped the script. They came out throwing the ball against the cover 2 zone of the colts and got major yards out of it. Once the passing was established the Steelers gradually and increasingly went to the running attack. On defense the Steelers did exactly what you should do to a high precision offense...Smash it in the mouth. Blitzing Payton threw off the timing, Big time.

Tony Dungy isn't the focal point of blame here and shouldn't be. How many folks can come back and have the same intense mindset after losing a child?? With that said, the coaching staff along with management get the blame because the rested their players for over a month before the game. MAJOR LAZY LAG TIME HERE! This is a playoff game not a regular season game. There is no way you can be off for over a month, no NFL full game speed action, flip a switch, and then go to playoff intensity! Seattle and Denver had to shake off some rust at the beginning of their games and they were only off one week! Understandable that Indy wanted to rest and keep key players from getting hurt, but you gotta keep em active too.

Lastly, if Payton is gonna be the offensive co-ordinator on the field, then you shoulder a good part of the blame too. If your "protection" isn't up to speed, then go over to the coaches and tell them to play someone that is gonna block for Him.

[Mixability]

Have you ever played football before???

Have you......other than Madden?!?! :lol

There isn't a "Madden Cam" option in their helmets.