Indianapolis Colts at Cincinnati Bengals
Paul Brown Stadium
1615 EST / 2115 GMT Sun 20 Nov
CBS (US) / Sky Sports (UK)
Why it matters
Every season at about this point, members of the 1972 Dolphins team get together to have dinner and watch the game. It may even be this week that CBS have a camera in a box at the stadium in Miami to watch the reactions of Bob Griese, Larry Csonka and Nick Buoniconti as another team, this time Indianapolis, aim to better the only "perfect record" in the modern era.
Since that Miami side won all 14 regular-season matches 33 years ago, on their way to winning Super Bowl VII, no team has matched them. The 1984 San Francisco 49ers and the Chicago Bears of the following year went 15-1, but the 16-game season and the effects of free agency have both been cited as reasons why no team will ever be perfect again.
The Colts are just the 11th team since the NFL was enlarged in 1970 to open a season 9-0, and are trying to become the first 10-0 starter since the 1998 Broncos, who got as far as 13-0.
In the Colts, we have one of the best candidates in the last 20 years. Run to perfection by quarterback Peyton Manning, with the three-pronged receiving threat of Marvin Harrison, Brandon Stokley and Reggie Wayne, the running of Edgerrin James and this season with a new, improved and seriously speedy defense, it will take a minor miracle to stop the Indianapolis.
Cincinnati are further back on their development curve but this could be the first time since 1990 that they either have a winning record or make the playoffs. In the last 15 years, they have become known league-wide as the "Bungles" but coach Marvin Harrison has gone a long way to turning things around with a mobile defense, strong players in the offensive skill positions and, this year, a star quarterback in Carson Palmer, who has come of age in his third season as a professional.
Critics of the Bengals say they have not yet beaten a side of substance yet – they have lost to both Jacksonville and Pittsburgh, the only teams they have faced so far that still have winning records. But this match still pits Crown Prince against Young Pretender, a chance for Cincinnati to prove their worth for years to come. Come season's end, it could be the deciding factor for seeding in the AFC playoff race, but that is prosaic in comparison to the quest for perfection.
Star players
Chad Johnson #85, WR, Bengals
Last time Johnson came up against unbeaten opposition at this time of the season, two years ago against Kansas City, Johnson famously guaranteed victory, and came through with his promise. The pantomime around the performing receiver has been in full swing this week, but he stopped just short, saying: "I guarantee that I will not be stopped on Sunday. For real. There's no need for me to guarantee a victory. No point." Johnson may have a big mouth, but he can back it up, and with an average of 89.8 yards per game he is on course for his best season ever.
Edgerrin James #32, RB, Colts
In praising the aerial feats of the Colts – and there are plenty of them – it is easy to miss one of the best backs in the game. Against spread defenses who are desperately trying to stop the pass, James regularly finds huge amounts of space to run, but he is not shy to exploit them to the full. After taking a year to fully recover from a knee injury that ruined his 2003 season, James is back at his best. And with the constraints of the salary cap kicking in, this is likely to be the last season he spends in Indy.
What to look for
Carson Palmer is one of just three players this season with a score of over 100 according to the labyrinthine quarterback rating system (unsurprisingly, Manning is another). However, in Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis the Colts have two speedy and hostile defensive linemen who can give even the most ice-cool QB night sweats. Palmer's mask slipped a little against Pittsburgh in week seven, when he threw two interceptions. If he avoids a similar dip in form, this could come to be seen as his coming-of-age party.
Unlike most teams, who take full advantage of the 45 second clock between plays to huddle and pass out their next tactic, the Colts regularly go no-huddle, getting to the line quickly, preventing the defense from using substitutions, allowing Manning to see what he is up against and call a play accordingly to exploit it. Two weeks ago, the Super Bowl champion Patriots were regularly caught on the hop trying to make changes as Manning shouted "Attack, attack" and immediately saw his opponents charged with being offside or having too many players on the field. The Colts look for match-ups against their receivers, picking regularly on the weakest defender lined up against one of their receiving trio. If there isn't one, James is regularly used on the draw play (fake pass, run middle), and tight end Dallas Clark is on hand too.
Tip
It looks like Griese and Co will be mustering again next Monday for Colts vs Steelers. Indianapolis to win 34-10.
Interesting trivia
The records keep coming for Manning's high-powered offense. Last year Manning set a new record for touchdown passes in a season, with 49. And last week Manning and Marvin Harrison became the first QB-receiver pairing to hook up for more than 10,000 career yards. The duo already hold career records for most completions, most yards and most touchdowns by a tandem.
1615 EST / 2115 GMT Sun 20 Nov
CBS (US) / Sky Sports (UK)
Why it matters
Every season at about this point, members of the 1972 Dolphins team get together to have dinner and watch the game. It may even be this week that CBS have a camera in a box at the stadium in Miami to watch the reactions of Bob Griese, Larry Csonka and Nick Buoniconti as another team, this time Indianapolis, aim to better the only "perfect record" in the modern era.
Since that Miami side won all 14 regular-season matches 33 years ago, on their way to winning Super Bowl VII, no team has matched them. The 1984 San Francisco 49ers and the Chicago Bears of the following year went 15-1, but the 16-game season and the effects of free agency have both been cited as reasons why no team will ever be perfect again.
The Colts are just the 11th team since the NFL was enlarged in 1970 to open a season 9-0, and are trying to become the first 10-0 starter since the 1998 Broncos, who got as far as 13-0.
In the Colts, we have one of the best candidates in the last 20 years. Run to perfection by quarterback Peyton Manning, with the three-pronged receiving threat of Marvin Harrison, Brandon Stokley and Reggie Wayne, the running of Edgerrin James and this season with a new, improved and seriously speedy defense, it will take a minor miracle to stop the Indianapolis.
Cincinnati are further back on their development curve but this could be the first time since 1990 that they either have a winning record or make the playoffs. In the last 15 years, they have become known league-wide as the "Bungles" but coach Marvin Harrison has gone a long way to turning things around with a mobile defense, strong players in the offensive skill positions and, this year, a star quarterback in Carson Palmer, who has come of age in his third season as a professional.
Critics of the Bengals say they have not yet beaten a side of substance yet – they have lost to both Jacksonville and Pittsburgh, the only teams they have faced so far that still have winning records. But this match still pits Crown Prince against Young Pretender, a chance for Cincinnati to prove their worth for years to come. Come season's end, it could be the deciding factor for seeding in the AFC playoff race, but that is prosaic in comparison to the quest for perfection.
Star players
Chad Johnson #85, WR, Bengals
Last time Johnson came up against unbeaten opposition at this time of the season, two years ago against Kansas City, Johnson famously guaranteed victory, and came through with his promise. The pantomime around the performing receiver has been in full swing this week, but he stopped just short, saying: "I guarantee that I will not be stopped on Sunday. For real. There's no need for me to guarantee a victory. No point." Johnson may have a big mouth, but he can back it up, and with an average of 89.8 yards per game he is on course for his best season ever.
Edgerrin James #32, RB, Colts
In praising the aerial feats of the Colts – and there are plenty of them – it is easy to miss one of the best backs in the game. Against spread defenses who are desperately trying to stop the pass, James regularly finds huge amounts of space to run, but he is not shy to exploit them to the full. After taking a year to fully recover from a knee injury that ruined his 2003 season, James is back at his best. And with the constraints of the salary cap kicking in, this is likely to be the last season he spends in Indy.
What to look for
Carson Palmer is one of just three players this season with a score of over 100 according to the labyrinthine quarterback rating system (unsurprisingly, Manning is another). However, in Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis the Colts have two speedy and hostile defensive linemen who can give even the most ice-cool QB night sweats. Palmer's mask slipped a little against Pittsburgh in week seven, when he threw two interceptions. If he avoids a similar dip in form, this could come to be seen as his coming-of-age party.
Unlike most teams, who take full advantage of the 45 second clock between plays to huddle and pass out their next tactic, the Colts regularly go no-huddle, getting to the line quickly, preventing the defense from using substitutions, allowing Manning to see what he is up against and call a play accordingly to exploit it. Two weeks ago, the Super Bowl champion Patriots were regularly caught on the hop trying to make changes as Manning shouted "Attack, attack" and immediately saw his opponents charged with being offside or having too many players on the field. The Colts look for match-ups against their receivers, picking regularly on the weakest defender lined up against one of their receiving trio. If there isn't one, James is regularly used on the draw play (fake pass, run middle), and tight end Dallas Clark is on hand too.
Tip
It looks like Griese and Co will be mustering again next Monday for Colts vs Steelers. Indianapolis to win 34-10.
Interesting trivia
The records keep coming for Manning's high-powered offense. Last year Manning set a new record for touchdown passes in a season, with 49. And last week Manning and Marvin Harrison became the first QB-receiver pairing to hook up for more than 10,000 career yards. The duo already hold career records for most completions, most yards and most touchdowns by a tandem.
posted by MG at
10:38 PM
1 Comments:
Chad Johnson was correct in saying the Colts wouldn't stop him, as he made eight catches for a career-high 189 yards, but he was also right to stop short of guaranteeing a victory as the Colts became the first side since 1998 to start the season 10-0.
Indy showed they have a fourth receiving outlet in tight end Dallas Clarke, who took six catches for 125 yards as a quick option for Peyton Manning against a blitzing defense.
But there were some worries for the Colts, who conceded more points than they have for two years (that at the hands of New England). Rudi Johnson showed the defensive front seven (line and linebackers) can be beaten with speed up the middle, and the Bengals line managed to steer the twin whirling dervishes of Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis to the outside and let them blow themselves out, giving Carson Palmer plenty of time to throw.
The 1972 Dolphins have good reason to be confident another candidate for perfection will be stopped by season's end.
By
MG, at 4:04 PM
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