MMBSD: All Roads Go Thru Indy

Well so much for the Jaguars being a roadblock for Indianapolis. The Colts cruised through the supposodly tough Jacksonville with only a late rally making the score look like an evenly matched game. Team defenses trying to stop Manning is the equivalent of bringing a knife to a gun fight. Chicago rules clearly dictate that one is being sent to the morgue and I guarentee you its not the one with three outstanding recievers and one of the more under-rated running backs (Edge is second in the league in rushing this year...who knew?). Continuity has turned Indy into a superpower. The Colts front office have not only invested in an offense and eschewed the world of free agency but also Tony Dungy's magical spell has kept the Colts from getting hurt year after year. Now the road to the Super Bowl goes through the RCA dome. No elements, no grass, and certainly no defense is going to stop Manning and Co. from going to the Superbowl. The only question is will Dungy rest players and stop the quest for 16-0? I'm betting no.

Headlines

QB Found amongst Who Dey - Cleveland Browns have found their QB for next year when Charlie Frye somehow outplayed Carson Palmer in a windy day in WHO DEY stadium. I honestly think the Bengals would prefer to lock homefield advantage in Miami rather than in Cini. Bengals are the Colts Jr. of the league (outstanding offense, defense that needs leads to be effective). I'm not sure Palmer can handle the elements in his own stadium yet.

Old School Player in Old School Game - Yes I know Chris Berman salivates over calling Jerome Bettis runs like a college student craves cheesey bread on a Friday night but the Bus played old school football in old school conditions. Old School conditions require the field to resemble a World War I trench line....snow, mud, gashes in the field the size of artillery shell holes. Its weather like that true Midwesterners love and its weather like that where you need a runningback that can get traction. Bettis has always been able to do that. The Bears got a stern reminder that an outstanding defense in the NFC doesn't carry the same weight against the AFC.

Hold the Hall of Fame- I maintain Eli Manning has "it" but certainly defenses have made adjustments to suddenly suffering from the dreaded sophmore slump Giants' QB. In a playoff chase you just can't throw three picks. Turnovers will kill you. Sure you get away with it against a team that is a shadow of a figment of what used to be the SuperBowl contending Eagles. Giants D has really stepped up as of late but I have feeling that the next few games Manning won't be able to make those mistakes and get a win.

Playoff Race - I suppose we could get into an argument that with parity you have a bunch of craptacular games this time of year but you also have some exciting playoff chases. The AFC West inexclipably choked leaving a three way for the Wild Card and Jacksonville a measily one game lead with three to play. Pittsburgh plays Minnesota next week and a victory there should ensure that the Steel Curtain makes into the playoffs given the harder schedules of the AFC West duo. Meanwhile out in the NFC, there's Seattle and the 8 dwarfs. Any week anybody can look like their the team to challenge Seattle for NFC dominance and on any week any team can look like it belongs with Detroit in the refuse bin. Atlanta is surviving on a respirator due to their schedule (games against NO, Chicago, Tampa and Carolina ). The others also have interdivisional matchups over the next three weeks that should fun, exciting and entirely unpredictable.

NEWS FLASH:
Stan Van Gundy Resigns - Gee didn't see that coming. Hmm I wonder who could replace him? Maybe just maybe Pat will come out of retirement. Nah thats just far fetched that after someone gave van Gundy an unwiedly and misfit bunch he would swoop in for the apparent save.