[hoopster42]

they got to play two 9-7 non-division winners who did not know they were even in the playoffs until the final day of the season

colts extremely lucky they did not have to face the new eng pats who outplayed them earlier this season and not the chargers who have owned them the last 3 times theyve played including the last 2 postseasons

the colts are good, but are being overrated right now and i LOVE it

[Carseller4]

The Colts move to let the Jets qualify for the playoffs turned out to be genius!

[lakerboy]

but the patriots and chargers lost to teams the colts beat so im not sure what you are saying hoopster.

[THEGREAT30]

Don't think this is true statement I thought the Chargers had chance to win it all and the Patriots did have Brady and the Jets beat both of those teams. Furthermore, I will take the Ravens defense over all but maybe 1 in the entire NFC. On the other hand, the Saints played a team that had just given up 50 pts the previous game in Arizona and a team that gave it to them in the Vikings. You can definitely argue that the Saints had an easier road.

[dwaechte]

Saints road was much easier in terms of DVOA, easier in terms of adjusted pythagorean, and relatively equal in adjusted YPP.

[hoopster42]

but the patriots and chargers lost to teams the colts beat so im not sure what you are saying hoopster.

to become a winning sports bettor bro you have to look deeper at the matchups. you have to dig deep. the pats and chargers were tougher matchups for the colts but those same pats faced a ravens team that was a bad matchup for them and the chargers choked vs. the jets. things fell in place for the colts. trust me buddy.

and the other poster thinking it was easier to play the vikings, a 12-4 number 2 seed, than the colts playing the jets and ravens, is just idiotic

[hoopster42]

Don't think this is true statement I thought the Chargers had chance to win it all and the Patriots did have Brady and the Jets beat both of those teams. Furthermore, I will take the Ravens defense over all but maybe 1 in the entire NFC. On the other hand, the Saints played a team that had just given up 50 pts the previous game in Arizona and a team that gave it to them in the Vikings. You can definitely argue that the Saints had an easier road.

the saints had to play #2 seed minnesota who was 12-4 this season and the colts got to host two 9-7 teams!!!

you are nuts

[lakerboy]

to become a winning sports bettor bro you have to look deeper at the matchups. you have to dig deep. the pats and chargers were tougher matchups for the colts but those same pats faced a ravens team that was a bad matchup for them and the chargers choked vs. the jets. things fell in place for the colts. trust me buddy.

and the other poster thinking it was easier to play the vikings, a 12-4 number 2 seed, than the colts playing the jets and ravens, is just idiotic

i know the point of your message if you look around i made a thread begging the jets not to beat the chargers cause i know the chargers presented huge issues for the colts. btw i am a winning sports bettor. also you and i both know that teams get these kinds of bounces all the time in sports and end up playing teams that are supposedly not as good as others. the jets had the colts right there yesterday and could of have won that game. if the colts beat the saints they deserve it- and i hate manning and the colts as much as anyone

[Mudcat]

I'm not sold on this line of thinking. Even if you want to say the competition was weak, Indy still won their games by double-digits. They can only play who is in front of them and they covered 2 spreads. I don't see anything to Indy's discredit there.

[slacker00]

I thought maybe your were talking about the regular season. I'd agree with that.

They played the weakest division in the NFC: the NFC west (Rams, Seahawks, 49ers, Cards)

They also got to play a 2nd place schedule thanks to the Titans winning the division last year. (so they dodged Pitts & SD.)

Although they did have to play the AFC East, which I think is a pretty touch division (Pats, Jets, Phins, Bills)

Also, their own division is no cakewalk either, although some may disagree (Jags, Texans, Titans)

As for the playoffs, I have to agree. The Pats and Bolts have Peyton's number, although I think the Pats were down this year. The Jets and Ravens certainly earned their wins, but they were still #5 & #6 seeds. But, hey, a #6 seed has won the Super Bowl. Fair comparison?

[podunk]

The Colts move to let the Jets qualify for the playoffs turned out to be genius!

[ol'Tex]

i will never understand these well in the regular season X beat Y and Y beat Z and Z beat A but Z beat X and Y and A beat X blah blah blah.... post season might as well be a whole new year, so many different factors come into play... and straight logic is not one of them... if logic ruled over sports betting the books would have been bankrupt the first week they opened. no matter how the teams got there, they are there, and the question is now, who is going to be mentally prepared, physically rested, and play error free football. answer those three questions and you will have the winner in the SB. any team can win on ANY GIVEN DAY! stats and records dont mean everything...

[The Seer]

The Pats and Bolts have Peyton's number, although I think the Pats were down this year.

Im not sure where you've been the last 5 years, maybe the Bolts but not the Pats anymore. If anything the Colts have the Patsies number.

Nov. 16, 2009 COLTS 35, Pats 34
Nov. 2, 2008 COLTS 18, Pats 15
Nov. 4, 2007 Pats 24, COLTS 20
Jan. 21, 2007 COLTS 38, Pats 34
Nov. 5, 2006 Colts 27, PATS 20
Nov. 7, 2005 Colts 40, PATS 21

If anybody thinks that a team that could have easily gone 16-0 had an easy road doesn't understand how difficult it is to win in the NFL.

360 yds passing and a 13 point victory vs the number 1 overall, passing, and scoring defense.

233 yds passing and a 17 point victory vs the number 3 overall and scoring defense.

yeah, it was a cakewalk
If the Chargers were so worthy then they shouldn't have gotten their asses beat at home. Indy took care of business and is much more mature than the other teams.

Peyton is just better than the best defenses, period. End of story.

[Rig]

I agree it just seems like they walked right in

[THE PROFIT]

i will never understand these well in the regular season X beat Y and Y beat Z and Z beat A but Z beat X and Y and A beat X blah blah blah.... post season might as well be a whole new year, so many different factors come into play... and straight logic is not one of them... if logic ruled over sports betting the books would have been bankrupt the first week they opened. no matter how the teams got there, they are there, and the question is now, who is going to be mentally prepared, physically rested, and play error free football. answer those three questions and you will have the winner in the SB. any team can win on ANY GIVEN DAY! stats and records dont mean everything...

Well said. The worst can beat the best anytime and this is the 2 best. They did what it takes to get. It may not have always been pretty & definately involved some luck & some calls going their way for both teams. Anyone who thinks the colts run away with this one is crazy.

[The General]

Thanks, Seer. Saved me the time.

[THE PROFIT]

And that call in the Pats/Indy game this year could have just as easily went to the pats as a first down GAME OVER. This perfect season controversy & all the spotlight would have been off Indy then & there. It may have made them an even better team if they had lost that game. It doesn't matter, the best NFC/AFC is there & it will be a great game.

[Richkas]

Colts had easiest road to SB ive ever seen

What have you seen 10-15 superbowls


unreal

[SportsGuy]

All you can do is play who's on your schedule.

[slacker00]

As for the playoffs, I have to agree. The Pats and Bolts have Peyton's number

Im not sure where you've been the last 5 years, maybe the Bolts but not the Pats anymore. If anything the Colts have the Patsies number.

Colts are 0-2 against the Bolts and 1-2 against the Pats. The one win against the Pats really should have went to the Pats if Caldwell didn't let TD passes bounce off his chest.

[The Seer]

Colts are 0-2 against the Bolts and 1-2 against the Pats. The one win against the Pats really should have went to the Pats if Caldwell didn't let TD passes bounce off his chest.

Colts are 5-1 in the last 6 vs the Pats. Manning won the most recent playoff game vs the Pats. Those Pats teams in the playoffs are long gone. Those teams had great defenses. Their defense sucks now. Why else would Belichick go for it on 4th down? The more recent history easily favors the Colts in that match up.

[HedgeHog]

Colts earned the #1 seed, so the easy route was deserved. San Diego losing to the Jets last week helped a lot, too.

[ZBOIZ]

What makes me laugh is this.....

The Colts D beat down on the Jets and the Ravens offense and now there D is GREAT!!

[ol'Tex]

thanks LT... while im sure most of you know, i am on the colts... but i agree, it is not gonna be a "man my bet is on lock" in the first quarter.. its gonna be a shootout till mid 4th and manning will pull out all the stops and get up by 10 or more. this will be a high scoring game tho... im thinking about heavily hitting the over as well

and Z

the colts do have a good D, they are fast, and they dont give up many big plays. they are not the best in the NFL, but IMO they are under rated and most definitely better than the saints D.. you wont see 5 colts turnovers in this game bank on that

[slacker00]

Colts are 5-1 in the last 6 vs the Pats. Manning won the most recent playoff game vs the Pats. Those Pats teams in the playoffs are long gone. Those teams had great defenses. Their defense sucks now. Why else would Belichick go for it on 4th down? The more recent history easily favors the Colts in that match up.

Bill Belichick is 14-4 in the playoffs with the Pats. I already said this year was a down year for the Pats.

We are talking playoffs, not regular season. My original claim was about playoffs. The Colts have been phenomenal in the regular season for over a decade. What is their playoff record? 9-8. Nothing compared to their regular seasons records.

You are arguing something, perhaps, but it has nothing to do with what I'm arguing.

[ol'Tex]

well hell the saints going into this year were what 5-2 in the playoffs? and how many superbowl appearances? colts are 2-1 in the big game

[hoopster42]

What have you seen 10-15 superbowls


unreal

i've seen every one of them since marcus allen reversed field against the redskins in 83 and ran for a 75 yd touchdown en route to nearly 200 yds rushing and a clobbering of the redskins that day

this will be my 27th or 28th SB pal

[slacker00]

well hell the saints going into this year were what 5-2 in the playoffs? and how many superbowl appearances? colts are 2-1 in the big game

Tex, maybe you are old enough to remember Johnny Unitas?

[jsmithj88]

Indy has easy road So when indy beats NO, what will he say

he would have a thread saying "the colts didnt win, saints gave it to them"

[ol'Tex]

[/b]

Tex, maybe you are old enough to remember Johnny Unitas?

while im not going to get trapped into making that comparison manning does have the chance to do something johhny never did... win 2

[seaborneq]

No doubt, a number 1 seed playing two offensively challenged teams is a cakewalk no matter which year you choose to reference. Go find two rawer, least experienced qb's in the playoffs ever that the Colts trumped. I double dare you to.