Greetings loyal weareindy.com reader! Paddy O’ checking in to take on the weekly blogging duties as Rick O’ is hosting “The Father” and “The Mother” this week. Hopefully all is going well on their visit and they can rest easy knowing that the ever dependable Paddy O’ is here, holding down the couch Fort.
There has been much talk recently regarding the future of the Colts without Manning. Granted, it is a frightening thought, what with having grown so accustomed to having #18 in the pocket orchestrating the offense. But then, there was a Colts team before Manning. Not a great team, but a team nonetheless. And I think that there are a lot of “fans” out there who do not even know what I am talking about. If you, gracious reader, happen to be one of them, kindly look up the 1991 season and I think you’ll see my point.
Sure, I love the big awesomeness that is Lucas Oil and a wee part of my heart swells with pride when I see it filled to the rafters with blue jerseys. But the cynical part me wonders just how many of these people became fans after the Super Bowl win. Or when Manning started lighting up the record books. It is certainly human nature to want to be on the winning side of things, but I still cannot help but to think that these folks are “fair-weather fans”, ones that may very well bail depending up the outcome of the season. Ticket prices have already started to drop.
But then, I am not one to hold a grudge or take on a “holier than thou” attitude. That’s just not how we roll as Indy fans. My own personal mantra has always been “composure in victory, composure in defeat”. Quite honestly, the only reason why I even brought up the topic was to have some filler for this post. And hey, if you’re interested, I have a whole host of old jerseys for sale, including an ultra-rare homemade Eric Dickerson jersey, complete with tear stains. If it helps sweeten the deal, it still even smells like the late ’80s.
So as an homage to both our fair-weather fans and the fact that it is a beautiful early fall afternoon, the theme for today’s post is autumn weather.
Cleaning rotten, fetid leaves out of the gutters in front of the coming winter:
- Collins getting sacked on 2nd possession, forcing us to punt.
- TV signal going wonky at the end of the first, nearly causing me to have an epileptic fit.
- Not holding the Browns when they went for it on 4th down.
- Letting the Browns score the TD after a McCoy scramble.
- Letting the Browns score the TD after a McCoy scramble (yes, again).
- Getting dinged for the PI call on the Browns first drive.
- Wayne getting mugged with no flags on back to back plays.
- Collins getting picked off at the top of the 4th.
- Browns 41 yd punt return.
- Letting Hillis basically walk in from 24.
- Collins fumble to seal the game.
- False start at the end of the 4th. Just stupid…
- Rick O’ leaving me to blog about this crap game.
Falling asleep with the windows open… when it’s 54 degrees outside:
- Settling for a field goal on first possession. We moved the ball well, but Collins missed a key throw to Collie to keep the drive alive.
- Carter having some good runs. It’s nice seeing someone with a bit more bulk than Addai running the ball.
- Settling for another field goal at the end of the 1st.
- Vinatieri’s 52 yard field goal. Points on the board, but you don’t win NFL games by kicking.
- DHZs getting the call right regarding the Browns TD replay, even though it didn’t matter.
- Settling for a field goal after the fumble recovery in the 4th.
- D coming up big in the 4th holding Browns to FG after interception, but the stand was short-lived.
- Clark’s meaningless TD.
Enjoying a whiskey and cigar around an evening fire:
- Forcing the Browns to punt on their first possession.
- Freeney’s sack, killing the Browns drive at the end of the 1st.
- Bethea snagging the fumble recovery, giving us our best starting position to that point.
- Addai coming alive in the second half.
- Bethea coming alive in the 3rd.
So there you have it, loyal reader(s). We are now 0-2 for the first time since Peyton’s rookie year. And the real pisser is that it’s a game we should have won, too. Cleveland didn’t play especially tough and have been in the habit of dropping games in the 4th. Instead, we were the ones who fell apart under the leadership of our “veteran” quarterback.
If we had played Painter, at least we could have found some consultation in the fact that he was learning. Instead, we got to see an old dude on life support fumble away another game.
Oh, and Rick O’? You get to award the Blue and White Collar awards this week. Frankly, I am too exhausted and discouraged.
