NFL Random Thoughts

I intentionally waited an entire day before making any comments about the Patriots-Colts game but even 24 hours has not been enough to ebb the pain of watching the Pats give away an important win to Peyton Manning. Bill Belichick will take a lot of the blame for not punting on 4th-and-2 from his own 28-yard line with two minutes to play. The Pats failed to convert and gave Manning a short field to convert the game winning touchdown. It was not the best moment for Belichick but my memory does recall some other risky moves taken by the Hooded One - giving the Broncos a safety on Monday Night Football in 2004 to improve field position in a victory - that worked out so I refuse to place all the blame on the coach. Two players that deserve a fair slice of the blame pie are Laurence Maroney and Nick Kaczur. Maroney's fumble in the end zone cost the Patriots crucial points in the third quarter and ended up being the difference in the 35-34 loss. Kaczur's inability to stop Colts defensive end Robert Mathis in the second half took Tom Brady out of his rhythm and slowed down the Pats offense. The Colts now have a three-game lead for home field advantage in the playoffs, meaning that to win a fifth AFC title this decade, the Patriots will probably have to return to Indianapolis... The Patriots defense did collapse in the fourth quarter but there were many positive plays from the younger members of the squad. Specifically, second-year linebacker Gary Guyton did a remarkable job covering Dallas Clark and rookie cornerback Darius Butler held his own in defending the Colts wide receivers. As this young unit gains more experience, they have the potential to be a special group come January because of their speed and athleticism... If the season ended today (and if I had a vote), this is what my MVP ballot would look like: 5. Tom Brady, Patriots 4. Jared Allen, Vikings 3. Brett Favre, Vikings 2. Drew Brees, Saints 1. Peyton Manning, Colts With the changes on the coaching staff and to his receiving corps, it is a testament to the greatness of Manning that the Colts are 9-0... Do you think Eric Mangini wishes he had followed Belichick's advice to stay on as Patriots defensive coordinator after the 2005 season instead of taking the Jets head coaching job? Mangini failed with the Jets and is doing a worse job in Cleveland, where he will probably be fired after just one season. He should have stayed in New England and studied why Belichick has been so successful instead of forging his own (crooked) path... Fact: I would be a cheaper and more efficient option at quarterback for the Raiders than JaMarcus Russell. In a related note, I can not throw a spiral more than 25 yards because of a bad shoulder... This week's edition of the "Super Seven": 1. New Orleans Saints (9-0) 2. Indianapolis Colts (9-0) 3. Minnesota Vikings (8-1) 4. New England Patriots (6-3) 5. Cincinnati Bengals (7-2) 6. San Diego (6-3) 7. Pittsburgh (6-3) Enjoy Jets Week...