You Should Never Give Up: Unless You're the Colts Playing the Patriots Again

     I'm being tongue in cheek of course. In all seriousness, though don't you think playing the Patriots feels a little futile to the Colts by now? Since Andrew Luck has been the man in Indy, the teams have now played 4 times. 

    They played a regular season game in New England in 2012 and the Pats won 59-24. They played a second round playoff game in New England in 2013 and the Pats won 43-22. They played a regular season game this year in Indianapolis and being at home didn't seem to help the Colts at all as they lost 42-20. Now today they played the AFC Championship game in NE and the Pats won 45-7. They seem to be regressing against the Pats with zero progress against them in 3 rather Luckless years-pun intended. 

    "The last time LeGarrette Blount faced the Indianapolis Colts, he made NFL history as the only running back ever to generate at least 150 rushing yards and four touchdowns in a playoff game.

Blount produced a convincing fascimile in Sunday's AFC Championship Game, establishing a Patriotsrecord with 30 carries while becoming the only player in NFL history with at least three touchdowns in two different playoff games."

     "In between those twin postseason pummelings, the Colts were the victims when Week 11 one-game wonder Jonas Gray became the first player in over 70 years to rush for as many touchdowns as the rest of the NFL combined on a given Sunday."

      "The latest Colts capitulation is further evidence that this roster needs an infusion of talent to be taken seriously as a Super Bowl contender."

      "The Patriots have averaged an incredible 47 points in four meetings between the two teams during the Chuck Pagano-Andrew Luck era, scoring at least 42 in every game."

      "Pagano's squad advanced to the conference title game by taking advantage of a depleted Bengalsoffense and a sleep-walking Broncos outfit reeling from a rapidly aging quarterback amid speculation that their head coach was not long for Denver."

      "Facing the AFC's lone peak-strength superpower on Sunday, the talent differential was glaring."

      "Look no further than the last two first-round draft picks devoted to Trent Richardson and Bjoern Werner, both of whom were banished to the inactives list at New England."

      "Luck was certainly part of the problem versus the Patriots, laying the biggest egg of his nascent career. It has been evident, however, for three years running that this is five-win team without the game's best young quarterback."

       "Behind a shaky offensive line featuring several draft picks yet to develop, Luck has played without a consistent ground attack. Since Reggie Wayne's midseason triceps injury, the aerial attack has also taken on opponents with one wide receiver tied behind its back."

     http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000460593/article/colts-need-talent-infusion-to-compete-with-patriots

     For the record Luck had a QB rating of 23.5. Don't get me wrong. The Colts have shown progress over the last 3 years. In 2012 they lost in the Wild Card round, last year the Semifinals and this year in the AFC Championship round. However, while the question in Cincinnati is if the Bengals can ever win a playoff game-the Colts beat them this Wild Card round 26-10, the question for the Colts is do they ever beat the Patriots. 

    Clearly NE is just a terrible matchup for them right now. 

    As for the first game what can you say about the Seahawks? As dominant as the Pats were I think this Super Bowl between the two is too close to call. The Hawks are last year's champions and the Pats are the Pats. It's hard to call. If anything the Patriots are just very hungry. It's not really ever mentioned that I can remember but it's actually been 10 years since Brady and Bellichick have won the SB: they got there twice-and somehow my Giants who were huge underdogs both times and yet one both times. 

   As a historian of the NFL, I'm always struck how some teams just seem to play well against others beyond what would be expected by looking at both teams record and players in a particular year. The GMen just have done very well against Brady-Eli has beaten Brady 3 times in a row after losing the first one that gave the Pats their undefeated regular season in 2007 by only 38-35. 

   On the other hand the Colts didn't do so well against Brady in the Peyton Manning years-though they finally won a couple after losing year after year for long spell. Now Luck's uh, luck has been worse than anything Peyton ever had against Brady. 

    Yes, I bet on both games today but only straight up rather than against the spread. I'm debating whether or not it's better a lot of the time to go straight up even if you do have to put a much bigger chunk of change to get in with NFL games. I won with both Seattle and NE-of course all game it looked like the Hawks were going down. 

    If I had played the spread it would have been a split decision in the 2 games and a wash-really less than a wash after fees. So there's something to it maybe. You're chances of being right straight up are obviously better. Still next year I'm not sure what I'll do. Maybe mix it up. There are games where you're confident of the spread and games you're confident of the winner but feel there are too many points. In those cases it makes sense to go straight up but the others do the spread-so maybe mix it up. 

   The SB is a tough call but if I have to guess-and I will put money on it to make it more fun-my guess is that the Hawks will win though it's a close call. The oddsmakers have Seattle as just a 1 point favorite-basically a pick em. 

   The Pats seem like their on a mission but the Hawks may just be too strong defensively even against Brady. The Hawks again showed today that they are not such quick starters but they are great finishers so my guess is a repeat but a Patriot win would not shock me.