Sunday Night Football Thread
New England Patriots (4-0) #1 AFC Division
vs
Indianapolis Colts (3-2)
8:30 P.M. NBC
Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
Sidebar story
"The discovery of deflated footballs being used by the New England Patriots was not totally a case of circumstance. Indianapolis Colts general manager Ryan Grigson stated that he informed the NFL several days before the AFC Championship that he thought the Patriots might be doctoring their footballs.
It was originally reported that the Colts discovered a tampered football after Colts linebackerD'Qwell Jackson intercepted Tom Brady in the second quarter of the game. Jackson hoped to keep the game ball as a souvenir, but it quickly became more important than that, as word systematically came to Grigson that the ball was under-inflated. Grigson then alerted the league office and set the whole scandal into motion.
Grigson explained that he alerted the league to his suspicions in an attempt to level the playing field. Of course, this proved to be a fruitless endeavor, as the Patriots coasted to a dominant win, 45-7."
http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2015/2/19/8071219/deflategate-afc-championship-footballs-patriots-colts
October 18th, 2015 at 7:55 PM ^
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October 18th, 2015 at 8:02 PM ^
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October 18th, 2015 at 7:56 PM ^
October 18th, 2015 at 7:57 PM ^
Yeah. Too soon. I want to watch Tom Brady though.
October 18th, 2015 at 7:58 PM ^
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October 18th, 2015 at 8:00 PM ^
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October 18th, 2015 at 8:02 PM ^
Not related to this thread, but I have to say that I now have a little better understanding of why UM isn't excited about the prospects of playing MSU or OSU at night. Even for a 3:30 start, I've never seen so many arguements and fights before/during/after the game.
October 18th, 2015 at 8:16 PM ^
saying, the extra couple of hours of drinking, the rivalry just makes a more volitile atmosphere. Its just the wrong opponent for a night game.
October 18th, 2015 at 8:22 PM ^
Old, fat white dudes love to brawl apparently.
October 18th, 2015 at 9:05 PM ^
If the SEC can have night games on the reg, we can have night games on the reg.
October 18th, 2015 at 8:12 PM ^
October 18th, 2015 at 8:23 PM ^
October 18th, 2015 at 8:20 PM ^
As a Colts fan, I can take solace in the fact that even if Indy loses, it will make a lot of UM fans feel better.
When it comes to ball deflation, winning today's game doesn't change anything, all it will prove is that the Pats are better than the Colts this year, which most everyone(including sensible Colts fans) thought to begin with.
Here are the important outcomes of the controversy:
1. Brady was pretty much completely exonerated.(Good)
2. The NFL was completely and totally embarrassed.(Better)
3. An immense amount of cocky-ass, spoiled, frontrunning Pats fans spent their entire spring and summer defending Brady's "honor" instead of actually enjoying a championship season. (Best)
October 18th, 2015 at 8:47 PM ^
October 18th, 2015 at 8:52 PM ^
October 18th, 2015 at 8:52 PM ^
stil can't
October 18th, 2015 at 8:53 PM ^
October 18th, 2015 at 8:57 PM ^
October 18th, 2015 at 9:06 PM ^
October 18th, 2015 at 9:06 PM ^
October 18th, 2015 at 9:26 PM ^
October 18th, 2015 at 9:27 PM ^
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October 18th, 2015 at 9:28 PM ^
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October 18th, 2015 at 9:27 PM ^
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October 18th, 2015 at 9:30 PM ^
Nice gamble there, caught them napping.
October 18th, 2015 at 9:33 PM ^
October 18th, 2015 at 9:42 PM ^
From an objective observer* on CBSSports.com:
What Was He Thinking, Part II?We now know players can be ejected for targeting by getting blocked into a fallen quarterback. Look, I am all for the targeting call to keep the game safer. It's a good rule in theory. But how Big Ten replay official Tom Kissinger didn't overturn a targeting call on Michigan's Joe Bolden is beyond me. Michigan State offensive lineman Jack Conklin finished his block, as he's taught to do, and pushed Bolden into Spartans quarterback Connor Cook, who was on the ground. If you're Bolden, how do you stop that from happening? The mistaken call meant Bolden, the Wolverines' leading tackler, was out for the game. College football needs to figure out how to consistently handle replay decisions with targeting.
*Jon Solomon, whose pre-CBS background seems to be S.C. beat reporting.
October 18th, 2015 at 9:49 PM ^
October 18th, 2015 at 10:04 PM ^
The Targeting thread must be on page 4 by now.
October 18th, 2015 at 9:38 PM ^
My team gives up a quick rushing TD after a questionable personal foul call. This seems so famliar...
October 18th, 2015 at 9:39 PM ^
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October 18th, 2015 at 9:41 PM ^
His hand was on top of his helmet, if anything he dragged him down by the helmet opening, not the facemask, still illegal obviously. It looked to me like his fingers didn't curl into the opening to drag him down, but YMMV.
October 18th, 2015 at 9:53 PM ^
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October 18th, 2015 at 9:55 PM ^
In the Carolina-Seattle game, Devin Funchess had a 16 yard catch that helped my Panthers beat the Seahawks in Seattle in a dramatic come-from-behind win.
Today, I'll take whatever good news I can find.
October 18th, 2015 at 9:57 PM ^
Random question, but does anyone know the song the Michigan Marching Band has played mid-4th quarter the past few games. It sounds like a theme to something, and it's not something I remember them playing in past seasons so it seems like a new addition to their playlist of songs like Kashmir/Black Dog, Cascada mix, Can't Turn You Loose, Shout, etc.
October 18th, 2015 at 10:23 PM ^
Playing relatively even so far, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything. Last year Indy was down 10 at halftime, but were playing the Pats pretty much even. They left a ton of points on the field, Luck missed a screamingly wide open receiver for a TD, and then Vinatieri missed the FG. Cribbs also muffed a punt that led to NE's first TD.
Wouldn't be surprised to see NE try to get Blount going more in the 2nd half.
Edit: 6 Blount carries to 23 Brady attempts. I know Brady is the man here but it seems like Blount could do more.
October 18th, 2015 at 10:18 PM ^
October 18th, 2015 at 10:27 PM ^
Never seen a QB step up as well as Brady does in the pocket. It's unreal.
October 18th, 2015 at 10:40 PM ^
Luck leaving that throw short does not make me feel great about his shoulder.
October 18th, 2015 at 11:00 PM ^
October 18th, 2015 at 11:00 PM ^
That has to be the dumbest thing I've ever seen in the NFL. Ever.
October 18th, 2015 at 11:09 PM ^
Seriously. I need a slow motion UFR to know what I witnessed.
October 18th, 2015 at 11:01 PM ^
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October 18th, 2015 at 11:09 PM ^
October 18th, 2015 at 11:12 PM ^
I was putting the kids to bed and apparently missed some crappy trick play? Doesn't surprise me, the only good head coach on this staff is in Arizona.
October 18th, 2015 at 11:43 PM ^
Chuck Pagano should be fired immediately pic.twitter.com/7hIMQZJC2y
— Fake Ryan Pace (@FakePaceGM) October 19, 2015
October 18th, 2015 at 11:56 PM ^
Bad guys win. Oh well. Hopefully Luck can get his accuracy right before they perhaps meet again in Foxborough.
EDIT: I'm content knowing a ton of Pats fans lost money on this game with the backdoor cover.