So the Indianapolis Colts beat the New England Patriots 27-20 at Foxborough on Monday morning in a highly-anticipated mid-season showdown.
Apparently they were showing the game live on telly, but I missed it.
Just as well, cos I didn’t fancy watching the Patriots lose.
Peyton Manning was at his usual impeccable best (20/36 for 326 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT).
Tom Brady, however, came up short in this game (zero TD passes and 4 INTs!).
But let’s see how Manning and his Colts fare in the playoffs, cos that’s where reputations are made.
As good as the Colts have been in the regular season (both this season and last), they have yet to win the big one…whereas New England has won 3 Superbowls since 2001.
Somehow the Colts have always found a way to come up short in the playoffs, and people are starting to compare Manning with A-Rod (whereas Brady, naturally, would be compared to Derek Jeter).
The Dan and Keith podcast on ESPN raised an interesting point: What if Bill Belichick was holding back in this game and not showing his real hand, because he knew the Patriots would probably have to face the Colts again in the playoffs?
That’s an interesting angle, but I wouldn’t really buy that.
As much as I’m a fan of theirs, I think the Patriots just seem a bit out of their element this season.
They are a much weaker team as compared to the Patriots of previous seasons, what with players like Deion Branch leaving the team.
In fact, I find it commendable that they could even have gone 6-1 before the Colts game.
I don’t think the Patriots would go very far in the playoffs this season.
But let’s hope I’m wrong.
Go Patriots!
P.S. Oh and by the way, Boomer Esiason said it well: Asking “Manning or Brady?” is like asking “Marino or Montana?”.
