Fucking Marvin Harrison, Grow a Pair...

Well, that little faggot Marvin Harrison is out. I don't mean faggot in a derogatory way to insinuate that he's gay, I mean it in a way that describes him as being a fucking asshole for getting hurt. Hurt enough that he can't fucking play in the biggest game of the year against their heated rivals when his team needs him the most. Yea fuckin' run-on sentences. FUCK YEA.

Anyways, this has made me think about why I like Marvin as a WR...it was always the connection with Peyton that made him sweet, but over the course of the last 2.5 years or so, his importance has greatly diminished. Yea, he's still getting the numbers. Yea, he's still fucking with the opposing defense. That's all great and everything. But, and I don't have any numbers what-so-ever to back this up, if you noticed, when Peyton needs someone to go to in an important situation, it's more and more common to see Reggie Wayne or Dallas Clark getting the ball.

Now it could be because defenses refuse to let Marvin hurt them anymore. Could be, could not be. But let's face it, Marvin doesn't like having pressure on him and he sure as hell doesn't like contact which is great if you're an awesome route runner, like he is, but not so great if the only two routes you want to run anymore are the deep out and the go.

Listen, he's had a stellar career, and it'd be asinine for me to say that he's done, but the evidence is out there. In previous seasons you'd expect at least one huge play from him each game, and you'd usually get it (unless it was against New England in the playoffs) but it's been different the last two seasons. Think about it, when you think of Peyton's record year, the one where he threw 49 TD's, you think of all the sick throws to Marvin with Reggie Wayne and Stokley being the 2nd and 3rd reads. The last 2 years tho, all i can remember is that ridiculous catch he made against the Pats in New England, the one where he was tipping the ball and all that. Pretty sweet.

But look at the playoffs last year, he didn't get shit, it was the Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark show. Now, Marvin is still a key cog in the Colts offense right? Well, considering he's been MIA the last two games and the Colts destroyed the Jags and Panthers, I'd say the Colts are looking just fine. And lets face it again, Peyton is the key to that offense. You could trot Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline out there with Rory Nicol and Peyton would still go for at least 250 and 2 TD's. Plus, Reggie Wayne is becoming one of the better WR's in the league, which always helps to ease that pain...or mask it.

But here's the thing, Marvin is listed as Doubtful for Sunday's game. He's been out the last 2 weeks, and hasn't practiced. His knee must be FUCKED, either that or it's something else. You could tell in the playoffs that he was sulking, he wanted the ball, and wouldn't, or couldn't get it and that must have been killing him. Same story this year. I'm not saying he took himself out of action this year, but it must be hard to see the guy you've spent almost your entire career with beginning to find other guys, when before you were his no. 1 target. Yea it sounds 90210 drama-ish, but it has to have some weight.

Back in his prime, Marvin was easily one of the top 3 recievers in the league, with maybe TO and Randy Moss as peers. You could also make a case for Torry Holt, but Holt always seemed like Marvin Lite to me. I loved watching Marvin play back then. He was a master technician, his routes unparalleled and almost uncoverable. His deep speed and his ability to catch anything near him was just uncanny, almost as impressive as the fact that he wasn't a dickbag and didn't actively try and steal the spotlight. It was shocking in the age of Keyshawn and TO that a WR was a team player, someone who worked hard and treated the games as a job. I always connected with that for some reason, hard work, getting the job done, moving on...it just seemed like a novel concept.

I was always pissed when the Colts lost in the playoffs, which is odd because I'm obviously a Browns fan. I just love watching Peyton and Marvin operate on the football field, it's awesome when it's on, and plus I hate the Patriots more than Osama. But skill position players don't have long careers with precious few notable exceptions. Marvin NEVER liked contact, and frankly, I don't blame him. He is very small and very thin, especially to try and go over the middle against some juiced up LB who has 60 lbs. on him.

Sure, maybe he isn't the toughest guy on the field, but he was arguably the best WR in the game for a 8 year stretch. His numbers rival Jerry Rice's. Just think about that. He is on pace to actually reach some of Jerry Rice's stastical achievements, something that was considered impossible no more than 10 years ago. Yet Marvin did it with nary a NFL Countdown segment revealing how he needs, "sexy" in his "game." To think that Marvin was almost unstoppable and to see him now, not even able to dress for the biggest game of the year, it kinda sours my opinion on him.

Am I looking to far into this? Probably. Actually most definately. I should be able to take the man's word that he is truly hurt. I should be able to accept that he probably has a really fucked up knee right now. But, for some stupid reason, I don't see it that way. I see it as a continuation of a souring mood, a brooding, unhappy player who isn't ready to realize that his role is diminished. Someone who doesn't feel that drive to keep going through pain as so many other NFL players do. He's old, he's been through a lot, he's taken a lot of hits and ran a shit ton of yards, it's the natural regression that people go through when they age. Yet, Marvin always seemed Rice-ian in the fact that he'd keep going because his polished technique was such an asset that it could trump the erosion of natural ability. It's hard to come to grips with rooting for a declining player, and it makes you question why you rooted for a player on another team to begin with. But Marvin was always that guy who was fun to root for for me. I loved the quiet ass kicking that he delivered every Sunday, but I'm beginning to think that this is the end of the road.

PATS-COLTS RE-EVALUATION: As much as I was just pining over the loss of Marvin, I don't think it's going to make much of a difference in the game, which is odd to say. It makes me a little less confident in my pick, but I'm sticking with it.

Pats-Colts: Yea, yea, yea...

Honestly, if you're anything like me, which you should be, you're probably sick to death of all the Pats-Colts nonsense that has prevailed over all things sports for the last week. Yea, it's overkill much like eating to much candy but the fact remains that it is still the two best teams in the NFL going head to head with storylines and bullshit out the ass.

Well, I decided to take a gander at each team and see how they stack up. This is pretty informal and I'm not going to bore you with stats, rather, I'm going to, very subjectively may I add, analyze each facet against the other team's and see if I can convince myself that the Colts won't win...here we go.

Quarterback: This is why the matchup is what it is. The debate was always, "Manning puts up the numbers, but Brady wins the rings." The way I see these two, their roles have switched. I look at Peyton and I see a QB who is in total control of his offense. It's not about the numbers anymore, or even any facet of the passing game that makes him dangerous, it's that he can see your defense and will fuck you up. Indy's offense is unstoppable, and Peyton is the chief reason why.

On the other hand you have Tom Brady. He has been putting up historic numbers...blah blah blah, everyone has heard this shit all day long. You know what? Hit the fucker. There I said it, was that too bad? Put Tom Brady and Randy Moss on their ass and see how they like it. I'm sick of watching these teams drop into stupid coverages that gets them away from what they do best and just give Brady days and days to find Randy. Well, that type of defense is exactly what the Colts do, the Pats aren't going to have an easy time with the Tampa 2 that Dungy is famous for. More on that later. Let's see how easy it is to throw bombs when you don't see any man coverage and you have Mathis and Freeney on your ass. Edge: Colts.

Running Backs: Addai vs. Koolaid. Come on, this is a no-brainer. Koolaid has been hurt for a large chunk of the year, so has Addai, but when Addai is on the field, the Colts actually use him. Addai is the PERFECT Colts RB. He is super shifty, has pretty good size, blazing speed and is smart enough to adapt to Peyton's audibles and go out as a reciever. Koolaid could be an 1,800 yard rusher, if, you know, the Patriots ran the ball at the end of games instead of continuing to go deep just to run up the score...Edge: Colts.

Wide Recievers/Tight Ends: Wow. Are you kidding me? Reggie Wayne, Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Marvin Harrison, Donte Stallworth, Dallas Clark, Ben Watson...what a group. I could spend days talking about this shit, but I'll spare you. As great as the Colts' pass catchers have been, they aren't Randy Moss. Edge: Patriots.

Offensive Line: Both units fly under the radar with a few notable names, Jeff Saturday and Matt Light are the biggest ones, yet operate on a high level. Brady, literally, hasn't been breathed on yet being highly impressive in pass blocking. However, the Colts are a different animal all together. They adapt and flow with Peyton (do you see what I'm getting at? The entire Colts offense is one unit, rather than a group of parts like the Pats) and are absolutely BRUTAL run blocking. People know by now, but this line is so far removed from being the finesse type that was maligned in 2003-4, just look at last years' playoff run for evidence. In the AFC Championship game, the Colts line destroyed the Pats, and on that last run, Jeff Saturday must have driven human dam plug, Vince Wilfork, halfway through the back of the endzone. Don't even mention that 12 play, 11 run, 11 minute drive against the Ravens, that'll just further shore up my point. Edge: Colts.

Defensive Line: Again, the stars here are ridiculous. It's hard to compare a 3 man front with a 4 man front, especially when you consider the difference in philosophies, but it's not nearly as close as you'd expect. As great as Freeney and Robert Mathis are, and as well as the replacement DT's have been for the Colts, the Pats' D-Line is in another stratosphere. Seymour, Wilfork and Warren are beyond peer. The whole defensive unit for the Patriots all starts up front with these guys, and there's a reason it's one of the best units in the league. There isn't a more physically dominating 3-man front, I'd almost wager to say in NFL history. That could be a stretch, but these guys are that good. Watching the two Pats' playoff games last year exhibits the point with brutal effiency. They completely tore apart the Jets, which is easy enough to do, but against the Chargers, it was painful. When you need all 5 blockers to take care of 3 guys, there are going to be opportunities to make plays for the linebackers and safeties, and you don't have to be concerned with rushing additional guys to collapse a pocket either. Edge: Patriots

Linebackers and Secondary: This is a hard thing to evaluate. Yea, the Patriots have superior guys all throughout, but that doesn't make them better. Sure Vrabel (douche), Adalius, Colvin...they're great so are Asante Samuel and Rodney Harrison, and Ellis Hobbs is more than capable. However, none of those guys are Bob Sanders. And none of those guys play in the Tampa 2 scheme.

The Tampa 2 isn't about stud personnel, rather, it's about scheme and covering the field. The corners are not matching up with Randy Moss and Stallworth one-on-one instead, reamaining disciplined and covering their area of the field. The Colts corners aren't the fastest guys in the world, but they cover space quickly and don't get out of position, and when someone does come in their area, there are usually multiple guys there waiting to make the tackle, rather than leaving space for the offensive player to make a move.

I just said the Tampa 2 isn't about personnel, but there is one player on the Colts that trumps that sentiment, Bob Sanders. He gets to the ball quick and doesn't miss tackles and that great reaction time allows him to make plays on passes. For all intents and purposes, he is the enforcer over the middle, evidenced by his great tackle of MJD on Monday Night Football in Week 7. The fact that he is able and willing to kick ass is what moves the Colts. Without him, they are a much different defense, as has been chronicled throughout last year.

The Tampa 2 can be picked apart. There are holes where a smart WR can sit down and get chunks of yards and it is somewhat vulnerable to the running game. However, this is where the personnel comes in. The Colts' D-Line, while not the world-beaters the Patriots line are, are blindlingly quick and can get to the QB in a hurry. Mathis and Freeney are too good completely stop and the Pats' O-Line is going to have its hands full trying to give Brady time to look through his progressions, instead forcing him to make a hurried throw where the Colts' quick defenders can make a play on the ball. The DT's are quick and active and can penetrate through the middle, leaving a less than mobile QB like Brady, a practical sitting duck for the bookends to drag down. This is what gives the Colts the advantage over the Pats. The Tampa 2 scheme won't allow the Colts to get burnt deep, will limit the underneath shit, and put pressure on the pocket. That's 3 things the Patriots haven't seen this year. Yea, they've seen Cover 2 schemes before, but not by a team as viciously built for it like the Colts. Edge: Colts.

Special Teams: I'm giving the advantage to the Colts because of Vinatieri. The Pats aren't far behind though. Edge: Colts.

Coaching: Belichick is a genius, but an asshole. Dungy is a genius and a nice guy. It's a tossup, but based on what I've seen so far this year, I have to give the nod to that asshole in the sweatshirt. Edge: Patriots.

Prediction: 38-34 Colts