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How can you be snow drenched? It rains snow. It is very simple. The snow, unlike normal snow that falls like flaky frozen water, falls like rain and everything gets muddy and nasty. Ahh. Indiana. Love it or go south. I will liveblog on the inside. Can you dig it? Come on is for a mustache ride. Only 5 cents. Inflation might kill you at the gas pump, but ol' Bruce keeps the dream alive.
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  My buddy that I casually refer to as, The Legend, and I went to see an early show of I am Legend since the NFL decided to show us the asswhipping of Packers and Rams for the FOX opener (FOX has the doubleheader this week). The Pack won that game last Tuesday so we went to see the show. I see all vampire/zombie/revolutionary/survival/war epics with The Legend since we have similar feelings on all of those topics. Will Smith lacked two things in terms of his home defense that we agreed upon. He misused fire as a deterrent, he didn't have enough guns (particularly shotguns), and he didn't fortify the internal structure of his home the way tact would have desired. He was too reliant on the idea that the lowtechs didn't know where he lived and it came at the sacrifice of his home security. Unforgivable. In The Omega Man our plucky hero was more appropriately armed.
Onto the game.
4:06 First Colts possession. Manning comes out in a two-TE set with both receivers right. Pocket collapses and Manning pitches a good ball while backpedaling to Wayne. A good first play but the line wasn't strong like it was last week.
Oakland clearly "up" for this game. Defense is not letting run game take off. Washington with great coverage on Wayne.
Third and long and Manning has a great moment. With everybody covered he finds Utecht on a shallow cross and leads him perfectly. A well led ball to the open spot on the field means YAC. First down. Utecht didn't fumble. yea.
Warren Sapp with the bat down. Looks active for an old man. Raiders stand up and force field goal. A pretty god opening drive for the Raiders who look like they will be thrown on today. Despite the bat down and the washington coverage, Manning was 5-7 i think.
First defensive Possession 9:53 1st quarter. Oakland runas a fake draw swing pass to Fargas who drops the ball. Execution? They run on second for 5. Big collision with Marlin Jackson. Colts corners tackle well. They pitch a fade to the sideline on third and Time Jennings had no idea what was happening. Luckily for him it was incomplete. TJ RUSHING RETURNS THE PUNT ON A 3 AND OUT FOR A TOUCHDOWN!!! COLTS SPECIAL TEAMS DID SOMETHING POSITIVE! I AM HAVING A HEARTATTACK.
A word about execution. In games like basketball and baseball there are moments where team based execution is really key. Moments where two or more men have to work together to make something good happen in the flow of the game. But baseball is more individual, and in basketball, the higher the game gets the more individual it becomes. In football, it is just the opposite. Execution has to be the focus of every practice and you have to catch the football when it is thrown to you. Oakland has trouble with that.
Second defensive Possession 7:30 in first. Raiders get a fumble back and Curry comes up with a big catch on a third down jump ball. Raiders are in every way a toss sweep team. Colts must flow faster to ball and shake blocks faster. They do well on the inside runs but must get outside faster on sweeps. Third and 4 and Fargas gets a taste of Bob Sanders. He fairs well but Bob got him. THey go for it on 4th and it is Freddie "Naivote Talauwakeiaho" Keiaho on the stop. He does it with his signature tackle. I call it the , "Hit the Blocker So Hard It Pushes Him Into the Ballcarrier" tackle. I Love It.
Second Offensive Possession. Good Field position. Thank you defense. Did you hear that? They said that Schweigert was way back on coverage. They dont want to get beat deep. Take decision making away from Stu and just have him deep no matter what. with a big first down catch.. If you click on the team names in the game prep it will take you to a depth chart and you can look him up, or click on the link I provided.
Utecht with a catch to take them to the 6. He didn't fumble. yea. first and goal on 6. Raiders are keyed up against the run. Bob Ryan, defensive co for Raiders, BEST HAIR IN LEAGUE FOR ANY ASSISTANT COACH
Manning with a rushing touchdown. I don't think he got it. Is there a challenge? Kick the damn ball. Shit, they are challenging it. It will be on the half yard line. yep, they are challenging it. Go for it? Hell yeah, I would. Impose will.
Colts roll manning out but the play is to Utecht and he cant get it. Good coverage by linebacker Thomas Howard. Manning needed another passing option. I think they should have run it anyway.
Defense. With backs against the wall Oakland swings out to Fargas and he meets Bob Sanders again. Great tackle. Penalty gives them the first. Moose remarking on how good a tackling team the Colts are, specifically the corners. All of our regulars here can feel like they are in the know now since I say that a lot. You guys are awesome, so far ahead of the curve.
Fargas running hard. oakland looking very committed to the run. Interior of Colts getting moved around. Just when Colts look like they have caught up with the sweep they go inside with the run. Good move. Keiaho drills Whatshisface on third to force a fourth down. good stick but crappy spot. On the replay it looked like the stripes may have given as much as a yard on the spot.
Colts continue to give ground in run game. A big part of this is the absence of Brock, Mathis, Booger, and Freeney. (Hey, isnt that our starting line?) Colts not pressing enough. MCWhatshisface should be asked to win it.
Kelvin Hayden blows up MCmarmalade on a scramble. get that guy and aspirin or something. He will hand off the next one. Yep he did.
Colts rush 3 and Brackett was not tight enough on coverage. On 1st down The Colts nearly get MCCown on what was a questionable incomplete call, next play is a playaction TD pitch. 10 - 7 Colts. Not worried.
Offense: Colts are stagnant going into this drive. THey have moved the ball well through the air but not turned it into points. Playaction wont work because Oakland is stuffing the run. Screens won't work because Sapp is the antiscreen. They need to pass it more, and keep passing until the raiders lay off. A touchdown or two should do the trick.
Aromashodu looks alright. Big tall lanky kid with long arms. Doesn't seem to be a particularly sharp in and out of routes but seems to find holes in zones.
manning sacked on linebacker blitz. big key to next play is not throwing a pick 6. WELL HORSEFUCK! what did I just say Peyton. Start fucking listening to me!
Well, in breakdown Charlie Johnson is getting dominated by Burgess on the right side. It isn't anything more than an outside pass rush and and a end stunt. Neither were particularly sneaky or disguised. Well, the stunt looked good. Johnson just got beat bad both times.
Colst force three and out at 51 seconds. I am going to watch the one minute drill and come back before the half break. What the Hell was that faircatch for? terrible mistake. Better just run out the clock and make our adjustments. A lot of bad mojo floating around.
jake Scott and Charlie Johnson cannot communicate. right side of line is very confused. Saturday better get in their ass and fix it or before Mudd kills somebody in the locker room.
We need a good punt here. Janikowski could kick it from the parking lot it he is sober. need a stand.
Second Half: And here comes Russell. First play is a handoff to Fargas, as it should be. I think oakland can win with the run if they get a lead, but manning has a lot of time to blow this game open.
Not much happened
Offense: More pressure on Manning, doesnt look like that is fixed yet. With Lawton in at fullback the Colts still cant run, leg whip gets us up the field a little but still, have to find running lanes.
Utecht catches the big first down and doesn't fumble. yea.
Gonzo is catching the slant last two weeks, good. Colts first and goal.
Well, we blew that. Now we give them the ball. I am fairly glad that russell is in, now. I don't think he is seasoned enough to beat us.
Raiders defense is playing very well, game is turning on individual plays. Manning will look aggravated but he wont get rattled. this is nothing new
Defense stand up with the 3rd quarter getting in under the 5 minute mark. Keiaho with a big stick on third down inside of a big hole. He is a real good tackler. Low leverage, long arms, mean streak.
Offensive line is getting beat off the ball and pushed around. heads will roll in the team meeting on Tuesday.
Keiaho is making plays left and right. Another tackle.
Fargas looks gassed but keeps going. All they are asking him to do is stick his hat into the breach and he is there every time. Oakland's offensive line is big and it is showing, theya re really pushing around the light defensive line of the Colts
With McWahtever back in the game the Raiders are sniffing victory. Looking for a chance to break it open.
Pitcock with a miserable mistake. Colts penalties today have been a result of the injury injection of youth inot the lineup
Fargas in for the touchdown, its all on manning now. He hasn't had any help from the receivers, line, or addai. defensive line had been giving yards all day long. It is the Peyton Manning show. Who catches the ball, though? Who makes the block?
Well I tell you what, Reggie catches the ball, Gonzo with a nice play on the adjustment for the TD, and Saturday got in there and stuck his head under the pile for the 2 pointer. That is a good team right there. Down all day they just decided to go win it. Gotta like that.
Tell you what you don't have to like, a kickoff coverage that lets a guy return it to midfield. hate that.
Colts let them walk down and then held them. Hayden interferred with Porter on 4th and 9 but no flag. Colts have a chance to run out the clock. It was nice to see Fargas on the bench with the game on the line. I am glad he cant catch anything.
Here it is, though, I am admitting that for the first time this year I picked the wrong Key players. Stu had very little to do with this game. There GM, I hope you are happy.
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2008 Cubs Preview
I wish I could have found this Sunday. We need to find a better way of letting people know you are doing a live blog. Don't give out 'spoilers' for I Am Legend!!