Eyes in the Backfield: Colts at Chargers
Coaching has always given Norv a bit of a headache.
It's time to get back to football after about two weeks of worrying
about all sorts of other crap. It's sort of a welcome relief.
Now if we can only manage to field 22 healthy bodies. . .
1.) Watch
for a let down.
Let’s be clear, the
Colts need this game, but it’s tempting to think that nothing matters
until January 21, but we all know that isn’t so.
The Colts need a win to get things
moving in the right direction to start the second half of the season, and
can’t afford a malaise to steal a quarter or two.
2.) Watch
LT vs. the cast of MASH. I nominate
Rocky Boiman to play Radar. The
Colts scheme depends on linebackers to stop the run, but as of now the top
four are all hurting. The Chargers
could decide to just pound Tomlinson until the Colts have to play Kenton
Keith as the MLB. That is of
course, if they were smart, but…
3.) Watch
Norv Turner screw things up.
The
Chargers were due for a regression, but that hasn’t stopped Norv from
generally sucking anyway.
The
Chargers have lost to every remotely competent team they’ve played, and
last week Norv Turner’s team got destroyed by a team coached by Brad
Childress who is only slightly more capable of tying his own shoes than
Cam Cameron is.
4.) Watch
for rage. Haven’t we had enough
rage? Nope, not if your name is
Peyton Manning. He was pissed about
losing that game last week in which virtually every aspect of his team
(except for the Gary Brackett and Joe Addai) let him down in the fourth
quarter. Even with a light
receiving corps, expect Manning to come out with fire in his eyes.
5.) Watch
your back.
If you are Manning that
is.
With Tony Ugoh still not
practicing, we could be treated to another installment of the Charlie
Johnson show.
Charlie played great
last year in the Super Bowl, but not at left tackle.
He was abysmal last week, and unless he
got a serious dose of Howard Mudd’s miracle formula, it could be a tough
week for Manning’s blind side.
6.) Watch
for Crap. With Gonzalez out and Marvin questionable once again, it looks
like the Colts three wide set could involve Craphonso Thorpe. Siiiiiigh.
7.) Watch
for Chris Collinsworth to say something to irritate Deshawn.
He’s been bugging me since 1991 when he
took over the drive time radio show in
Cincinnati.
Since the game is on Sunday Night, I’ll
probably be forced to watch the train wreck of a pregame show that is
Football Night in
America.
I feel sick already.
8.) Watch
for high stakes. Oddly enough, in
DZ’s life this week’s game is almost as critical as last weeks. His father in law is a huge Chargers
fan, thus making it all the more critical that the Colts pull out a
win. The Colts split the last two
high stakes games with the Chargers (the 2004 game we were both present
for), and a loss will be something that he won’t hear the end of for
months.
9.) Watch
for devolution.
You could almost
see the forehead plate growing inside Phil Rivers’ helmet last week, as
his game regressed to near caveman levels.
After an 11-27, 2 pick performance this week, he’ll be looking to
crawl back in the primordial sludge from whence his ancestors allegedly
came.
10.) Watch
the blitz. The Colts’ struggles
against the 3-4 defense are largely overblown. The Colts often lose to 3-4 defenses
because that’s what the other 4 or 5 best teams in the league play. You’ll lose more games to the Chargers,
Patriots, Cowboys and Steelers simply because they have all been good for
several seasons. Still, the
Chargers under Wade Phillips brought blitzes from creative angles, and
might go back to watch old game tape to remember exactly how to pull that
off.
11.) Watch for the game to be played in a
variety of climatic conditions and with several other teams on the
field.
Apparently, whenever Shawn
Merriman plays, the weather and location of the game changes sporadically,
as does the opponent.
Sunday’s game
will feature the Chiefs, Colts, and Seahawks against the Chargers.
12.) Watch
for jumpers. The Colts are in for
an absolute dogfight against a volatile and desperate team. Pull it out and last week is just a bad
dream. Anything less will lead to
some serious angst in Naptown.
13.) Watch
for psycho GMs.
AJ Smith is no fan
of the Manning family.
He’s spent
the last year proving that the oil in his hair has driven him completely
insane.
Expect anything, including
a no-holds barred throw down with Bill Polian deep within the bowels of
Qualcomm.
14.) Watch
for defensive scores. The Colts
defense is in the midst of a banner season led by Bob Sanders and his
undead secondary. Holding the Pats
to 24 was considered noteworthy by some experts, but it could have been much better. This week the D has a chance to prove
that is the Indy’s best unit.
15.) Watch
and learn.
John Madden can’t let a
game go by without imparting some serious football wisdom.
Like a couple seasons back when he taught
us that, “the uprights extend all the way up to heaven.
They’re invisible, but they’re
there.
Like angels.”
16.) Watch
for amazing catches from a bolstered San
Diego receiving corps. Expect the new guy to put up a touchdown
or two and haul in 11 receptions.
Wait. Scratch that. The Chargers traded for Chris
Chambers.
17.) Watch
for the best of the West.
The 4-4
Chargers are the best team the AFC West has to offer.
Even if they lose Sunday, they probably
will still be in first place.
If
the Colts lose they’ll be sharing a room at the top with Jeff Fisher and
Vince Young.
18.) Watch
for something totally insane. This
might be the toughest game left on the Colts’ schedule. If they pull this one out they retain a
sliver hope of somehow passing New England
for the one seed. Expect Tony Dungy
to take some chances with his depleted offense. A fake punt in their own territory. An onside kick in the second
quarter. Manning lining up as a
receiver. Or maybe one of the first
two.
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