Posted on 01/12/2005 11:52:50 AM PST by bikepacker67
FOXBORO, Mass. -- Peyton Manning, who rarely speaks ill of anyone, referred to his teammate, kicker Mike Vanderjagt, as "an idiot kicker" before the 2003 Pro Bowl.
Vanderjagt, who handed the Patriots a 27-24 opening night victory when he missed a 48-yard field goal that would have sent the game into overtime, has been cementing his reputation for running off at the mouth. After the Colts beat the Broncos last Sunday in Indianapolis to set up Sunday's playoff against the Patriots, Vanderjagt said that the Patriots, who beat the Colts in last season's AFC Championship Game, aren't as good as they once were and "I think they're ripe for the picking."
Most Patriots declined to comment on Vanderjagt's statement.
"You're asking me to comment on what a kicker said?" linebacker Tedy Bruschi said.
But safety Rodney Harrison, never scared to make his feelings known on or off the field, couldn't resist a swipe.
"He has to be a jerk, Vanderjerk," Harrison said.
Bill Belichick declined to comment on what Vanderjagt said, but the Patriots coach did admit that he sometimes has used what opposing players say to motivate his team.
"I'm sure he'll be out there a few times in the game to do his one special thing," Belichick said. "I don't think this game is going to be decided by some comments ... in the paper."
(Excerpt) Read more at ctnow.com ...
go colts
Much to do about nothing.
Go Pats!
Manning is the poster-child for big game chokers, and Foxboro is his recurring Waterloo.
New England 33
Indianapolis 29
Colts 28- Pats 13
this is peyton's year
Tell that to the Broncos and the Chiefs. He dominated them in the playoffs. (In my mind, any playoff win is a big win.)
Indy 37, Pats 27...Colts over Philly 45 to 31 in the Bowl...(and no, I'm not drinking...yet)
remember brett favre's problems in dallas ?...he got over that....peyton will too
None of this matters. Year after year, the Patriots seem to be unbeatable, despite the odds, who's injured, or how the stats match up. It's like they keep the "Arc of the Covenant" in their locker room or something. They would have won three Bowls in a row, had they not lost that tiebreaker to the Jets 2 years ago (which the Jets painfully squandered against the awful Raiders).
Nah, the Pats won't be held to 13. Too efficient on offense, and the Colts are not quite strong enough on D to hold them down like that.
If the Colts win, it'll be something like 35-27. Same if the Pats win.
Good one.
Pittsburg 27
NY Jets 13
Record setting QBs rarely win the big one. Marino, Kosar come to mind.
Not Manning's, not Rothlisberger's, not the Eagles... and not Brady's.
It's the year of whoever executes - whoever doesn't blink.
And Peyton's history has shown that he DOES BLINK.
The Colts have lost to the Patriots three times over the past two seasons. Manning only played badly in one of those games, the AFC Championship Game.
In this year's opener, he threw for 256 yards and two touchdowns and had the Colts in position for a game-tying field goal only to see Mike "Money" Vanderjagt honk it.
Last year during Week 13, he threw for 278 yards and four touchdowns and marched the team down to the goal line to win the game only to have Edgerrin James stuffed three times. Manning isn't losing to the Patriots by himself. This is a team effort."
Courtesy of ESPN.
Right now, it's still has to be Jim Kelly. But Manning is still relatively young. Remember, to BE the man...
Not true. That was the story last year, but he's been great in the playoff last year and this year...except for his problems in Foxboro
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