I'm still aggravated by the outcome of the Colts / Patriots game. More specifically, I'm aggravated by how the Colts let the game slip out of their hand. I'm aggravated because I'm convinced that the Colts are a better team than the Patriots, but yet the Patriots managed to slither their way out of the RCA Dome with a victory.
The Colts need to come up with a cure for my Patriots hangover this week. They need to go out and dominate the Chargers. They need to force their will upon the Chargers. Vikings running back Adrian Peterson set the NFL single game rushing record against the Chargers last week. Joseph Addai won't do the same this week, but I expect him to have a stellar game against a defense that is clearly reeling.
Manning needs to get the Colts back on track.
I also expect the Colts defense to treat Phillip Rivers like the second-year starter that he is. I expect them to get a lot of pressure on Rivers that will force him to make wild, interceptable throws.
Will they do this? I don't know. But they better, because I need a cure for my hangover. Better yet, all of Colts Nation needs a cure.
Injuries are the story
The Colts, other than the general Patriots malaise that's hanging over Indy, have a problem.
Injuries.
Marvin Harrison won't play for the second straight week; this game will be third he has missed in four games.
Anthony Gonzalez did not make the trip. Apparently he is out for a month.
Tyjaun Hagler and Freddie Keiaho are game time decisions. If they don't play, your starting linebackers are Rocky Boiman and Clint Sessions.
Did I mention the Colts face LaDanian Tomlinson today?
Injuries are a major problem here. I am fed up with all of it, but none more so than the Harrison injury. My intuition tells me we don't know the entire story. Either the Colts are not being honest by withholding the truth from us, or a combination of Harrison and his doctors aren't being forthcoming about his status to the team.
We need this guy back ... now.
What is with this cycle of practicing here, practicing there, and not dressing for the game? When players practice here and there, I draw the conclusion that the injury is a nagging one and nothing serious. But when a guy misses three out of four games, I draw the conclusion that the injury is a serious one.
Perhaps the Colts are taking the extra precaution so that Harrison can play in the postseason. Fine. But damn it, I wish they would come out and say that. Instead we get a lot of beating around the bush from them, and frankly, that pisses me off. This sort of dishonestly via non disclosure is something that Scumbag Bill Belichick and the sleazy Patriots organization would do, not the Colts.
I consider myself a shareholder of the Colts by way of my continuous season ticket purchases since 1994. I demand to know the truth in this. There is no amount of gamesmanship that the Colts can gain. Opponents know Harrison is hurt; they will have a Plan A and a Plan B depending on his status. There is no surprise at this point. Tell us the truth.
The same, but to a lesser extent, goes for the linebacker injuries. They practice here, sit out of practice there, but we never really know until Sunday. It's getting ridiculous.
Either get these guys out on the field, or rest them and get the other guys involved in practice all week.
Prediction
Colts 38, Chargers 17
Peyton Manning is money in the bank for prime time games. I can't remember the last time he disappointed in the late night spotlight.
The Chargers are a good team, and have a great running back, but they're not 4-4 by accident. They've blown out the Broncos and Texans, but have lost to lesser teams like the Chiefs, Packers and Vikings. This tells me the Chargers are inconsistent at best, so the question becomes which team will show up.
Frankly, it won't matter which Chargers team shows up. The Colts minus 4 key starters had the Patriots on the ropes and didn't finish the job. The Colts lost that one themselves. The Patriots did not win it. In all of their other games, the missing starters have not been a problem as the Colts have won handily. I expect that Tomlinson will get his 100 yards, but unless the Chargers can shutdown Dallas Clark like Rodney Harrison did last week (BTW, did you notice that Rodney Harrison mugged Dallas Clark at the end of plays? I can't believe the referees and the Colts players let him get away with that nonsense. It would've been worth a 15-yard cheap shot penalty just to get him to knock it off. Harrison has got to be the dirtiest player in the league. Makes sense since he plays for the sleaziest, most despicable organization in football), I expect the Colts offense to get back to "doing what they do". The 3-4 scheme is no longer a problem for Manning.
As long as Tomlinson doesn't go crazy against the defense, I expect a nice win.
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