2005 SEASON - Indianapolis Colts @ New England Patriots (2 Viewers)

[PatsFanCT]

The key here is not so much Ty Law, but Richard Seymour.I see it as:Colts 35Pats 31A close one but the Pats can't match Indy's fire power. Needing a TD in the final drive, Brady comes up short.

I agree the loss of Seymour will be huge, but if it comes to needing a TD in the final drive, I like the Pats chances.So make that:Colts 35Pats 38

 

[Guzalot]

The key here is not so much Ty Law, but Richard Seymour.I see it as:Colts 35Pats 31A close one but the Pats can't match Indy's fire power. Needing a TD in the final drive, Brady comes up short.

I agree the loss of Seymour will be huge, but if it comes to needing a TD in the final drive, I like the Pats chances.So make that:Colts 35Pats 38

Yeah, he did so well on that last drive against Miami a few weeks ago. Sorry, I'm bitter about that because it cost me a playoff game and trip to the championship game in my fantasy league. I had a 2-point lead until Brady (my QB) threw those two late picks

 

[djcolts]

Who do you think will win? Colts [ 104 ] [60.12%] Patriots [ 69 ] [39.88%] Total Votes: 173

I'm really surprised by these results - maybe I've just seen the Colts lose to the Pats too many times but I'd think a 14-2 team playing at home against a team they always beat should get the majority of votes. And, with the Vanderjagt comments and the reaction to that - my optimism has lessened.

 

[Nigel]

Who do you think will win? Colts [ 104 ]  [60.12%] Patriots [ 69 ]  [39.88%] Total Votes: 173

I'm really surprised by these results - maybe I've just seen the Colts lose to the Pats too many times but I'd think a 14-2 team playing at home against a team they always beat should get the majority of votes. And, with the Vanderjagt comments and the reaction to that - my optimism has lessened.

I'm not surprised. Offense is sexy. Everyone watched what the Colts did to a supposedly very good Denver secondary last week and it is fresh in their minds. The Pats were off, so they did not have the stage to impress voters as the Colts did.

 

[The Ref]

Actually it's changed to 4:45.

LINK???

I just checked the pats home page and it didn't mention that change.

I'll be watching the MIN - PHI game while I tailgate and the later the pats start the more likley I'll be able to see the whole first game .

I heard it on WEEI this morning during a news flash. Can't seem to find it anywhere.

I heard the same report on the way to work this morning. It's only 15 min, so whats the big deal?

 

[jgb95]

I just read it in the Hearld! Thanks

 

[valhallan]

I'm sure this has been discussed but here's how New England will win. On offense, Brady will start off with some short passes to set up Dillon. The Pats will avoid going deep so they can have long, sustained drives. On defense, they'll drop 7 or 8 into coverage and let James carry the ball. This has many advantages: 1, it eats up the clock, 2, it doesn't let Manning get in a rhythm, and 3, it puts the ball in the hands of the guy that fumbled the Colts' hopes away in week 1. After handing off more than he's used to, Manning will eventually get impatient and make a bad decision. Ty Law's picks in last year's AFC championship were all in zone coverage.. if the Pats put a man where he was, Peyton will gamble and lose again. That's how I see it. Ball control through short passes and pouding Dillon on offense, minimum of 7 in coverage and dare Manning to throw on defense.I could be totally wrong. Just hope it's a good game

 

[NFL Sunday Ticket]

big pats fan here for those who may not know it. got through page 2, and decided that was enough. just cant muster up the energy to get into trash talk for this game. to me, this sunday is way too close to call. it will come down to who makes the fewest mistakes. i can certainly see the colts winning this game, but i can also see the pats winning this game. if either qb is even a little off his game, that will probably be enough to shift the advantage to the other team. this game is a toss-up. i am hoping that the pats experience will tip the scales for ne. i am also hoping (much less likely) that manning has some doubts in the back of his head about beating belicheck. gonna be a GREAT game and cant wait for it to arrive.....

 

[CowboyFan]

This game will be decided by the Colts DEFENSE.Manning can pick apart any defense (no matter what schemes NE uses), he just needs the opportunity. NE will play "close to the vest" Offense, safe passes & a huge dose of Dillon. The colts need to stop those slow, methodical drives, because there won't be many opportunities for turnovers. IF they can do that, Indy should win easily. Especially if they get up big early in the game and force NE out of a conservative gameplan.

 

[Mr.Happy]

Pats/Colts officiating crew announced

"The Pats drew the crew headed by refereeBill Carollo, which were ranked 10th in the league (out of 18 crews) in penalties accepted and total penalty yardage. What's more, the three types of penalties in which they led the NFL (defensive offsides, delay of game and illegal shift), are all pre-snap calls."

Hugely unnoticed by the Pats and Colts fans who have been focused on the weather and match-ups, when the fact is this is what people should be focusing on. This crew calls a lot of illegal shifts and delay of game penalties and not as much illegal contact penalties. Like how the article says, maybe the league is trying to send Polian a message to be quiet please!

 

[Mr.Happy]

Corey Dillon Article I found. Nothing is needed for me to say after this.

Nothing against Black Jesus or Willie, but he loves it here. He eats

omelets for breakfast, crab legs for lunch, the AFC for dinner. He

doesn't have to be the face of the franchise – Coach and No. 12

handle that – and when he fumbles in the red zone, nobody has a

heart attack. So far, what a year. He's lost his Monday Night

Football virginity, his inaugural playoff game is next, and if he

ends up in the Super Bowl, he may never grow cornrows again.

It all goes to show that one team's poison is another team's MVP....

Back in Cincinnati, where Black Jesus and Willie are trying to

resuscitate a franchise, this transformation is all met with

bewilderment. They wonder why he wouldn't buy in, why he'd want to

bail just when the going was getting good...."The grass is greener on the other side," Dillon says, a sparkle in his eye. "Don't ever confuse it. The grass is very green." This is about losing and how it can ruin a man. This is also about winning and how it can deodorize a man. It's about feeling absolutely naked against eight- and nine-man fronts, and having no faith at all that Akili Smith or Scott Mitchell can audible and make the defense pay....The mystery is why he gave up on a pro's pro like Lewis, but Dillon has his reasons, and he's willing to share them. It's early

December, five days before his Patriots will play Marvin's Bengals,

and he starts rehashing it all from a couch in his condo outside

Boston, starts talking about a Cincinnati offensive line he says

wouldn't block for him and a front office that "thought I was done."

These are real scars, and what he's saying is, if he can't trust

you, he can't be with you.In seven years as a Bengal, Dillon had eight different starting quarterbacks. That meant the ball was going to him endlessly, that the team's record depended on him. It meant he was the face of the franchise, a role he detested, a role he says "just ain't ever been

me." If he fumbled, coaches and players reacted "like the sky was

falling," and after his third season, he claimed he'd "rather flip burgers" than be a Bengal. He wasn't the first Bengal to grouse. Carl Pickens, Dan Wilkinson and Takeo Spikes all wanted out at times during Dillon's tenure there. "I understand why Corey was pissed," Anderson says. "We both said, man, if things don't change, I ain't showing up for nothing." Still, Dillon played through the abyss, missed only two games in his first six seasons and went to three Pro Bowls. The team was 06 in 2000 when he managed to set the then-single-game rushing record, with 278 yards on 22 carries against the Broncos, a breathtaking number considering the Bengals netted only 14 yards passing that day. "Defenses were bringing eight-, nine-man fronts," Corey says. "Seven years of that? That's too much."

Dillon's relationship with owner Mike Brown was only "hi and bye," and the more ornery Dillon got, the more the locker room became anti-Corey. "Guys didn't know him," says Anderson...But Dillon didn't want to know them either. Loss after loss (Cincy went 2670 in those first six seasons), he'd see teammates laughing at their lockers, and hate them for it."

Lewis never had Dillon's ear. The losing, the ambivalence toward Brown and the friction with teammates had worn Dillon out. He was the only veteran to skip Lewis' first voluntary minicamp, and that was the opening salvo... When Dillon suffered a knee injury in the second game of the season and began sharing carries with Rudi Johnson, his time as a Bengal was essentially over...Not long after, a local paper reported that team officials were open

to trading Dillon, that they felt that, at 29, he was possibly in decline. A hardbody who doesn't drink, Dillon was livid that no team official denied the story. "To me, they were saying I was done,"

Dillon says. "And for a guy who strapped that franchise onto his

back, nobody has the decency to say this is not true? As soon as I

get hurt, I'm done? From that day I said I would not return. They

could've won the Super Bowl and I still would have said it."

Then Dillon got smart: he shut up and rooted for Rudi. "The light flashed," he says. "Rudi was my ticket out. Rudi made me expendable." After last season's finale, when the Bengals finished 88 and missed the playoffs by a game, Dillon tossed his pads into the stands. "One 88 season wasn't doing it for me," he says... "Guys were crying because Marvin came in like a bulldozer and we got so close," Anderson says. "Then I see

our franchise running back basically laughing, saying, 'I'm outta here.' It hurt. I said, 'If he wants to leave, let him go. Good riddance.'"

Later in the off-season, Dillon responded by calling Anderson a

"bum" on national television. But it was over long before then. The

day after the last game, Dillon put his house up for sale – he says – and emptied his locker. "I'm thinking, you say you're winning without me, you've got your Black Jesus, I'm your Judas, why hold me hostage? Set me free,"

Immediately, Dillon's agent, Steve Feldman, began shopping for a team. Oakland looked to be the front-runner, but the Raiders would give up only a third-round pick and Brown wanted a second. Talks stalled. Then, at the advice of another client, Patriots safety Rodney Harrison, Feldman dialed New England. Yes, that New England. Selfless New England. Initially, the Pats brain trust didn't consider Dillon a fit, believing he was too me-first. "All that

stuff in Cincinnati," Dillon says. "That'll make anyone leery." But Belichick and Scott Pioli, the team's player personnel director, heard raves from former Bengals coach **** LeBeau and decided to give up the second-rounder pending a face-to-face with Dillon and Feldman. They brought Dillon to a hotel near Foxborough and, after they shook Dillon's hand, Feldman told him, "These two men think you're a bad guy. Tell them why they're wrong." Dillon bared his soul, told them he'd been traumatized by seven years of losing, that losing can ruin a man. And Dillon remembers the look in Belichick's

eye that day, the look of I get it, I get it.

At training camp, Dillon shaved the Cincinnati off of himself. He stood in front of a mirror, took one look at the cornrows he'd grown in protest and clipped them goodbye.

What a world he was in now. Tom Brady – whom Dillon just calls No.12 – was a sight to behold. He was skilled, secure and laughed off tough questions. Better yet, there was an army of Bradys. Ted Johnson, Tedy Bruschi, Willie McGinest, Harrison and more on defense; Joe Andruzzi, David Givens, Matt Light and more on offense. Dillon had his wish: he was one of the guys. There was no face of the franchise here. Only faces. Coming in, he'd worried his reputation would precede him, but what mattered more was Dillon's work ethic – "Hotdogs get weeded out here," Harrison says – and whether the new guy could take a joke. You need a sense of humor to mesh with the Pats, and Harrison and McGinest tested Dillon early by walking by him one day and saying, "Man, we should've gotten Eddie George." Dillon laughed, and when he later saw Harrison eating dessert, he said, "Ronnie Lott wouldn't have eaten cookies." He could dish it out, too? He was in. On the field, it was a no-brainer. In both of their Super Bowl-winning seasons, the Patriots had a running game by committee, and Dillon was the every-down bruiser who could make the team even more efficient, if possible. He could run inside and out, was a bull in short-yardage and transformed the Patriots from a pass-first offense to a balanced one. His career- best 1,635 yards this season broke the franchise's single-season rushing record by 148 yards, and his presence kept the pass rush off Brady and the Patriots defense off the field.

"Our missing piece," Harrison says. "Every play, he goes 100 mph. After all that punishment in Cincinnati, he's looked 23. Like a rookie making 100 grand. Never complained once. Classy dude. Been our MVP."

Along the way, Dillon got to play in his first Monday Night Footballgame, against the Chiefs on Nov. 22, and he was so hyped he ...

fumbled in the red zone. But a strange thing happened: teammates kept coming up to him and saying, "It happens. Forget it." He was amazed. Belichick approached calmly and said, "Corey, ball security. Get your pads lower. That's why it happened." Belichick hadn't chastised him, he'd coached him. "It dawned on me, he was right!" Dillon says. "Coach tells the truth. And I love the guy to death for that. My wife will tell you. She says if Bill was in my age bracket, we might be best friends. I've bought in. I trust him."

The whole New England experience has lit up his life. Every time Dillon sees Pioli in a stadium corridor, he tugs on his sleeve and says, "Thanks for believing in me." Then there are the perks. "Like locker room equipment," says Dillon, who was a Bengal when Brown was at his most notoriously frugal. "I ask, 'Can I have an extra sock? Shirt?' The answer is, 'Of course.' In Cincinnati, it was, 'No!'" "How about the chiropractors and stuff?" Desiree reminds him. "Oh, my god," Corey says. "We have a chiropractor who comes to the stadium! A masseuse! I tried bringing a chiropractor to camp last

year, and there was almost a brawl. They were talking about calling security, kicking him off campus. And the food here? They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. Steak. Crab legs. Mashed potatoes. Gravy. Greens. Omelets, croissants for breakfast. Five-star, man. This is the last stop for me. I'm a free agent in a year and I don't want to play nowhere else."

His guard is down now, and he wants to talk all afternoon. It's a side of him Cincinnati never got to see. It's five days before his Patriots play Marvin and Willie's Bengals, and he recognizes he's still a bit agitated over his old team. Two days later, Harrison sees him in the locker room and they talk. It's just the Patriots way. They talk. Harrison says, "Corey, go out there with a sense of peace. Don't go out there with bitterness or revenge." ...

Game day arrives, and the prayer is answered. Dillon hugs Lewis before kickoff, telling him, "You'll never hear anything else out of me." And after the Patriots win by seven, he sees Anderson and tells him, "Keep them guys' spirits up." Back in the Patriots locker room, Belichick brings his team together, then calls for his running back. "You get the game ball," he tells a beaming Dillon. Nothing else needs to be said. Because Corey Dillon can see the look in his new team's eyes, the look of We get it, we get it.

 

[pdlglm]

Outside, Loud, cold and the Pats D = Pats 30Colts 21

 

[BGP]

I just heard a stat on the radio.Belichick is 12-0 when facing a QB for the second time in a season, including 10 TDs and 20 INTs.

 

[Mr.Happy]

I just heard a stat on the radio.Belichick is 12-0 when facing a QB for the second time in a season, including 10 TDs and 20 INTs.

12-0Just let that simmer in you brain-pot for a while. I knew the stat, but I couldn't seem to find it. You wonder why we like our chances facing the Steelers and the Colts/

 

[MallRat]

Cris Carter.

Offense: Advantage COLTS.

It's difficult to make a case for a better offense than Indy.

Defense: Advantage PATS.

Based on their ability to adapt to Belichick's game plan.

Special Team: Advantage PATS.

Adam Vinatieri seems to always come through for the Pats.

Coaching: Advantage COLTS.

Tony Dungy knows how he got here: Peyton Manning.

Intangibles: Advantage COLTS.

If the five-yard chuck rule is enforced, watch out.

Bottom Line: I like the matchups, esp. Stokley vs. Brown.

CRIS' PICK: COLTS.

:rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao:

 

[djcolts]

Cris Carter.

Offense: Advantage COLTS.

It's difficult to make a case for a better offense than Indy.   

Defense: Advantage PATS.

Based on their ability to adapt to Belichick's game plan.

Special Team: Advantage PATS.

Adam Vinatieri seems to always come through for the Pats.

Coaching: Advantage COLTS.

Tony Dungy knows how he got here: Peyton Manning.

Intangibles: Advantage COLTS. 

If the five-yard chuck rule is enforced, watch out.

Bottom Line: I like the matchups, esp. Stokley vs. Brown.

CRIS' PICK: COLTS. 

:rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao:

Um...um...um...WTH is he thinking? Dungy's a good coach, but...

 

[pecorino]

i'm thinking this will be more of a grinding game, much more running and lower scoring than we are used to out of Indy. both teams should be able to run the ball well, this will run the clock and keep the game close throughout. Brady and the Pats have had their time to shine, now it is Peyton's turn. Indy 24-23.

 

[MallRat]

i'm thinking this will be more of a grinding game, much more running and lower scoring than we are used to out of Indy. both teams should be able to run the ball well, this will run the clock and keep the game close throughout. Brady and the Pats have had their time to shine, now it is Peyton's turn. Indy 24-23.

New England, rushing defense: 6th.Indianapolis, rushing defense: 24th.Indy had better hope that this game isn't decided by the running game. -MR

 

[David Yudkin]

Other tidbits . . .Colts Average PPG on the Road in 2004: 29.1Colts Average PPG at Home in 2004: 37.6Colts Averge PPG Outdoors in 2004: 28.1Pats Average PPG Pre-Steelers Game (w/Law): 24.7Pats Average PPG Post-Steelers Game (w/o Law): 29.9Pats Average PPG Allowed Pre-Steelers Game (w/Law): 15.0Pats Average PPG Allowed Post-Steelers Game (w/o Law): 15.1Pats Average Regular Season Scoring Differential 2003: +6.9 PPGColts Average Regular Season Scoring Differential 2003: +6.9 PPGPats Average Regular Season Scorng Differential 2004: +11.1 PPGColts Average Regular Season Scoring Differential 2004: +10.5 PPGColts Average PPG vs Top 10 Defenses (by Points Allowed): 21.1Pats Average PPG vs Not Top 10 Defenses (by Points Allowed) 29.7

 

[djcolts]

Other tidbits . . .Colts Average PPG vs Top 10 Defenses (by Points Allowed): 21.1

Which includes the Denver game where Manning played a series (14 points), and doesn't include the Denver WC game (49 points).

 

[raidergil]

Pats/Colts officiating crew announced

"The Pats drew the crew headed by refereeBill Carollo, which were ranked 10th in the league (out of 18 crews) in penalties accepted and total penalty yardage. What's more, the three types of penalties in which they led the NFL (defensive offsides, delay of game and illegal shift), are all pre-snap calls."

Hugely unnoticed by the Pats and Colts fans who have been focused on the weather and match-ups, when the fact is this is what people should be focusing on. This crew calls a lot of illegal shifts and delay of game penalties and not as much illegal contact penalties. Like how the article says, maybe the league is trying to send Polian a message to be quiet please!

This definitely should be focused on especially considering the fact the Pats advanced 1 year due to a crew that enforced an obscure rule & advanced last year due to a crew that decided not to enforce a more obvious infraction.

 

[valhallan]

Pats/Colts officiating crew announced

"The Pats drew the crew headed by refereeBill Carollo, which were ranked 10th in the league (out of 18 crews) in penalties accepted and total penalty yardage. What's more, the three types of penalties in which they led the NFL (defensive offsides, delay of game and illegal shift), are all pre-snap calls."

Hugely unnoticed by the Pats and Colts fans who have been focused on the weather and match-ups, when the fact is this is what people should be focusing on. This crew calls a lot of illegal shifts and delay of game penalties and not as much illegal contact penalties. Like how the article says, maybe the league is trying to send Polian a message to be quiet please!

This definitely should be focused on especially considering the fact the Pats advanced 1 year due to a crew that enforced an obscure rule & advanced last year due to a crew that decided not to enforce a more obvious infraction.

:rotflmao: How sour are those grapes?

 

[David Yudkin]

Other tidbits . . .Colts Average PPG vs Top 10 Defenses (by Points Allowed): 21.1

Which includes the Denver game where Manning played a series (14 points), and doesn't include the Denver WC game (49 points).

If you ignore the first Denver game and only include the playoff rematch, that total would be 28.2 ppg.

 

[JohnnyU]

Pats/Colts officiating crew announced

"The Pats drew the crew headed by refereeBill Carollo, which were ranked 10th in the league (out of 18 crews) in penalties accepted and total penalty yardage. What's more, the three types of penalties in which they led the NFL (defensive offsides, delay of game and illegal shift), are all pre-snap calls."

Hugely unnoticed by the Pats and Colts fans who have been focused on the weather and match-ups, when the fact is this is what people should be focusing on. This crew calls a lot of illegal shifts and delay of game penalties and not as much illegal contact penalties. Like how the article says, maybe the league is trying to send Polian a message to be quiet please!

This definitely should be focused on especially considering the fact the Pats advanced 1 year due to a crew that enforced an obscure rule & advanced last year due to a crew that decided not to enforce a more obvious infraction.

:rotflmao: How sour are those grapes?

....but it's the truth :rotflmao:

 

[Guzalot]

This definitely should be focused on especially considering the fact the Pats advanced 1 year due to a crew that enforced an obscure rule & advanced last year due to a crew that decided not to enforce a more obvious infraction.

True, the officials seem to love the Pats. Regardless, there's no crying in football. The Colts will just need to deal with the field conditions. Had the Colts not blown the week 1 game that they should have won this wouldn't be an issue as the Colts would have home field.

 

[The Ref]

60%/40% Colts. Gap has closed a little - so much for history .

 

[yetiknight]

At midseason last year I made up my mind that the two best teams in the NFL were playing each other. The Colts and Patriots played one of the most exciting games I have ever watched. That was the regular season.Then in the playoffs the game was played in a snowstorm. It was a very good game. Fun to watch. Yeah, some frustration over the lack of flags on the last drive of the game, but a great Super Bowl made up for that.At the beginning of this season, it was obvious to me at least that these were still the two best teams in the NFL. Week 1 was another great game. Patriots get outplayed but still find a way to win. Colts can't seem to solve the Patriots.A whole season has gone by while the Colts have battled to get another shot at BB, Tom Brady, and company. The Patriots are still there waiting for Peyton to bring his game to them again. As a football fan, I live for these games. I can't decide who I think will win, but I know I won't miss a snap. This is what football is all about. The best teams playing each other for the opportunity to go knock the Steelers off of their pedestal.I know Pitt beat the Pats. But the fact is that every true Steelers fan wants New England to get the rematch in the playoffs because they still have unfinished business. Besides the AFC Championship loss 3 years ago, they have to beat NE in the playoffs to prove they are the best.Edited to add that beating either team and winning the Super Bowl would prove they were the best. But the point is the Steelers want the rematch.This weeks game is going to be fantastic. That is my only prediction.

 

[valhallan]

I know Pitt beat the Pats. But the fact is that every true Steelers fan wants New England to get the rematch in the playoffs because they still have unfinished business. Besides the AFC Championship loss 3 years ago, they have to beat NE in the playoffs to prove they are the best.

THAT is football. Not this dog-and-pony, corporate-pleasing B.S. the Colts roll with. Steelers/Patriots. Let's get it on

 

[djcolts]

This will be my last post in the Shark Pool until after the game - where I'll either give my congrats to the Pats, or I get worried about the Steelers or Jets the next week. I'm all "talked out" about this game - I might as well enjoy the weekend - and whatever happens tomorrow happens. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best - that will keep my mind somewhat sane.Enjoy the game, everyone...

 

[Sack-Religious]

This will be my last post in the Shark Pool until after the game - where I'll either give my congrats to the Pats, or I get worried about the Steelers or Jets the next week. I'm all "talked out" about this game - I might as well enjoy the weekend - and whatever happens tomorrow happens. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best - that will keep my mind somewhat sane.Enjoy the game, everyone...

Hey dj,I saw your name on this thread and I was going to pop my head in and wish your team luck tomorrow. Turns out you beat me to the punch. I hope the game lives up hype. Down with the Stillers.

 

[Mr.Happy]

This will be my last post in the Shark Pool until after the game - where I'll either give my congrats to the Pats, or I get worried about the Steelers or Jets the next week. I'm all "talked out" about this game - I might as well enjoy the weekend - and whatever happens tomorrow happens. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best - that will keep my mind somewhat sane.Enjoy the game, everyone...

Hey dj,I saw your name on this thread and I was going to pop my head in and wish your team luck tomorrow. Turns out you beat me to the punch. I hope the game lives up hype. Down with the Stillers.

amen

 

[RedRaiders]

Corey Dillon Article I found. Nothing is needed for me to say after this.

Nothing against Black Jesus or Willie, but he loves it here. He eats

omelets for breakfast, crab legs for lunch, the AFC for dinner. He

doesn't have to be the face of the franchise – Coach and No. 12

handle that – and when he fumbles in the red zone, nobody has a

heart attack. So far, what a year. He's lost his Monday Night

Football virginity, his inaugural playoff game is next, and if he

ends up in the Super Bowl, he may never grow cornrows again.

It all goes to show that one team's poison is another team's MVP....

Back in Cincinnati, where Black Jesus and Willie are trying to

resuscitate a franchise, this transformation is all met with

bewilderment. They wonder why he wouldn't buy in, why he'd want to

bail just when the going was getting good...."The grass is greener on the other side," Dillon says, a sparkle in his eye. "Don't ever confuse it. The grass is very green." This is about losing and how it can ruin a man. This is also about winning and how it can deodorize a man. It's about feeling absolutely naked against eight- and nine-man fronts, and having no faith at all that Akili Smith or Scott Mitchell can audible and make the defense pay....The mystery is why he gave up on a pro's pro like Lewis, but Dillon has his reasons, and he's willing to share them. It's early

December, five days before his Patriots will play Marvin's Bengals,

and he starts rehashing it all from a couch in his condo outside

Boston, starts talking about a Cincinnati offensive line he says

wouldn't block for him and a front office that "thought I was done."

These are real scars, and what he's saying is, if he can't trust

you, he can't be with you.In seven years as a Bengal, Dillon had eight different starting quarterbacks. That meant the ball was going to him endlessly, that the team's record depended on him. It meant he was the face of the franchise, a role he detested, a role he says "just ain't ever been

me." If he fumbled, coaches and players reacted "like the sky was

falling," and after his third season, he claimed he'd "rather flip burgers" than be a Bengal. He wasn't the first Bengal to grouse. Carl Pickens, Dan Wilkinson and Takeo Spikes all wanted out at times during Dillon's tenure there. "I understand why Corey was pissed," Anderson says. "We both said, man, if things don't change, I ain't showing up for nothing." Still, Dillon played through the abyss, missed only two games in his first six seasons and went to three Pro Bowls. The team was 06 in 2000 when he managed to set the then-single-game rushing record, with 278 yards on 22 carries against the Broncos, a breathtaking number considering the Bengals netted only 14 yards passing that day. "Defenses were bringing eight-, nine-man fronts," Corey says. "Seven years of that? That's too much."

Dillon's relationship with owner Mike Brown was only "hi and bye," and the more ornery Dillon got, the more the locker room became anti-Corey. "Guys didn't know him," says Anderson...But Dillon didn't want to know them either. Loss after loss (Cincy went 2670 in those first six seasons), he'd see teammates laughing at their lockers, and hate them for it."

Lewis never had Dillon's ear. The losing, the ambivalence toward Brown and the friction with teammates had worn Dillon out. He was the only veteran to skip Lewis' first voluntary minicamp, and that was the opening salvo... When Dillon suffered a knee injury in the second game of the season and began sharing carries with Rudi Johnson, his time as a Bengal was essentially over...Not long after, a local paper reported that team officials were open

to trading Dillon, that they felt that, at 29, he was possibly in decline. A hardbody who doesn't drink, Dillon was livid that no team official denied the story. "To me, they were saying I was done,"

Dillon says. "And for a guy who strapped that franchise onto his

back, nobody has the decency to say this is not true? As soon as I

get hurt, I'm done? From that day I said I would not return. They

could've won the Super Bowl and I still would have said it."

Then Dillon got smart: he shut up and rooted for Rudi. "The light flashed," he says. "Rudi was my ticket out. Rudi made me expendable." After last season's finale, when the Bengals finished 88 and missed the playoffs by a game, Dillon tossed his pads into the stands. "One 88 season wasn't doing it for me," he says... "Guys were crying because Marvin came in like a bulldozer and we got so close," Anderson says. "Then I see

our franchise running back basically laughing, saying, 'I'm outta here.' It hurt. I said, 'If he wants to leave, let him go. Good riddance.'"

Later in the off-season, Dillon responded by calling Anderson a

"bum" on national television. But it was over long before then. The

day after the last game, Dillon put his house up for sale – he says – and emptied his locker. "I'm thinking, you say you're winning without me, you've got your Black Jesus, I'm your Judas, why hold me hostage? Set me free,"

Immediately, Dillon's agent, Steve Feldman, began shopping for a team. Oakland looked to be the front-runner, but the Raiders would give up only a third-round pick and Brown wanted a second. Talks stalled. Then, at the advice of another client, Patriots safety Rodney Harrison, Feldman dialed New England. Yes, that New England. Selfless New England. Initially, the Pats brain trust didn't consider Dillon a fit, believing he was too me-first. "All that

stuff in Cincinnati," Dillon says. "That'll make anyone leery." But Belichick and Scott Pioli, the team's player personnel director, heard raves from former Bengals coach **** LeBeau and decided to give up the second-rounder pending a face-to-face with Dillon and Feldman. They brought Dillon to a hotel near Foxborough and, after they shook Dillon's hand, Feldman told him, "These two men think you're a bad guy. Tell them why they're wrong." Dillon bared his soul, told them he'd been traumatized by seven years of losing, that losing can ruin a man. And Dillon remembers the look in Belichick's

eye that day, the look of I get it, I get it.

At training camp, Dillon shaved the Cincinnati off of himself. He stood in front of a mirror, took one look at the cornrows he'd grown in protest and clipped them goodbye.

What a world he was in now. Tom Brady – whom Dillon just calls No.12 – was a sight to behold. He was skilled, secure and laughed off tough questions. Better yet, there was an army of Bradys. Ted Johnson, Tedy Bruschi, Willie McGinest, Harrison and more on defense; Joe Andruzzi, David Givens, Matt Light and more on offense. Dillon had his wish: he was one of the guys. There was no face of the franchise here. Only faces. Coming in, he'd worried his reputation would precede him, but what mattered more was Dillon's work ethic – "Hotdogs get weeded out here," Harrison says – and whether the new guy could take a joke. You need a sense of humor to mesh with the Pats, and Harrison and McGinest tested Dillon early by walking by him one day and saying, "Man, we should've gotten Eddie George." Dillon laughed, and when he later saw Harrison eating dessert, he said, "Ronnie Lott wouldn't have eaten cookies." He could dish it out, too? He was in. On the field, it was a no-brainer. In both of their Super Bowl-winning seasons, the Patriots had a running game by committee, and Dillon was the every-down bruiser who could make the team even more efficient, if possible. He could run inside and out, was a bull in short-yardage and transformed the Patriots from a pass-first offense to a balanced one. His career- best 1,635 yards this season broke the franchise's single-season rushing record by 148 yards, and his presence kept the pass rush off Brady and the Patriots defense off the field.

"Our missing piece," Harrison says. "Every play, he goes 100 mph. After all that punishment in Cincinnati, he's looked 23. Like a rookie making 100 grand. Never complained once. Classy dude. Been our MVP."

Along the way, Dillon got to play in his first Monday Night Footballgame, against the Chiefs on Nov. 22, and he was so hyped he ...

fumbled in the red zone. But a strange thing happened: teammates kept coming up to him and saying, "It happens. Forget it." He was amazed. Belichick approached calmly and said, "Corey, ball security. Get your pads lower. That's why it happened." Belichick hadn't chastised him, he'd coached him. "It dawned on me, he was right!" Dillon says. "Coach tells the truth. And I love the guy to death for that. My wife will tell you. She says if Bill was in my age bracket, we might be best friends. I've bought in. I trust him."

The whole New England experience has lit up his life. Every time Dillon sees Pioli in a stadium corridor, he tugs on his sleeve and says, "Thanks for believing in me." Then there are the perks. "Like locker room equipment," says Dillon, who was a Bengal when Brown was at his most notoriously frugal. "I ask, 'Can I have an extra sock? Shirt?' The answer is, 'Of course.' In Cincinnati, it was, 'No!'" "How about the chiropractors and stuff?" Desiree reminds him. "Oh, my god," Corey says. "We have a chiropractor who comes to the stadium! A masseuse! I tried bringing a chiropractor to camp last

year, and there was almost a brawl. They were talking about calling security, kicking him off campus. And the food here? They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. Steak. Crab legs. Mashed potatoes. Gravy. Greens. Omelets, croissants for breakfast. Five-star, man. This is the last stop for me. I'm a free agent in a year and I don't want to play nowhere else."

His guard is down now, and he wants to talk all afternoon. It's a side of him Cincinnati never got to see. It's five days before his Patriots play Marvin and Willie's Bengals, and he recognizes he's still a bit agitated over his old team. Two days later, Harrison sees him in the locker room and they talk. It's just the Patriots way. They talk. Harrison says, "Corey, go out there with a sense of peace. Don't go out there with bitterness or revenge." ...

Game day arrives, and the prayer is answered. Dillon hugs Lewis before kickoff, telling him, "You'll never hear anything else out of me." And after the Patriots win by seven, he sees Anderson and tells him, "Keep them guys' spirits up." Back in the Patriots locker room, Belichick brings his team together, then calls for his running back. "You get the game ball," he tells a beaming Dillon. Nothing else needs to be said. Because Corey Dillon can see the look in his new team's eyes, the look of We get it, we get it.

I've noticed you've posted numerous times after you "nothing is needed for me to say after this" comment.So - what does this have to do with the game tomorrow? The Pats will win because they serve better food then the Bengals? New England is a better place to play then Cincy? Big deal - we're all glad Corey feels vindicated in playing for a winner. Winning does that. everything is rosey. Is this even news? Didn't we here this in the preseason? Why is this the bottom line - and that nothing needs to be said after reading this article?

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

Last year's AFC Championship game is on the NFL network right now for anyone interested.

 

[Mr.Happy]

Corey Dillon Article I found. Nothing is needed for me to say after this.

Nothing against Black Jesus or Willie, but he loves it here. He eats

omelets for breakfast, crab legs for lunch, the AFC for dinner. He

doesn't have to be the face of the franchise – Coach and No. 12

handle that – and when he fumbles in the red zone, nobody has a

heart attack. So far, what a year. He's lost his Monday Night

Football virginity, his inaugural playoff game is next, and if he

ends up in the Super Bowl, he may never grow cornrows again.

It all goes to show that one team's poison is another team's MVP....

Back in Cincinnati, where Black Jesus and Willie are trying to

resuscitate a franchise, this transformation is all met with

bewilderment. They wonder why he wouldn't buy in, why he'd want to

bail just when the going was getting good...."The grass is greener on the other side," Dillon says, a sparkle in his eye. "Don't ever confuse it. The grass is very green." This is about losing and how it can ruin a man. This is also about winning and how it can deodorize a man. It's about feeling absolutely naked against eight- and nine-man fronts, and having no faith at all that Akili Smith or Scott Mitchell can audible and make the defense pay....The mystery is why he gave up on a pro's pro like Lewis, but Dillon has his reasons, and he's willing to share them. It's early

December, five days before his Patriots will play Marvin's Bengals,

and he starts rehashing it all from a couch in his condo outside

Boston, starts talking about a Cincinnati offensive line he says

wouldn't block for him and a front office that "thought I was done."

These are real scars, and what he's saying is, if he can't trust

you, he can't be with you.In seven years as a Bengal, Dillon had eight different starting quarterbacks. That meant the ball was going to him endlessly, that the team's record depended on him. It meant he was the face of the franchise, a role he detested, a role he says "just ain't ever been

me." If he fumbled, coaches and players reacted "like the sky was

falling," and after his third season, he claimed he'd "rather flip burgers" than be a Bengal. He wasn't the first Bengal to grouse. Carl Pickens, Dan Wilkinson and Takeo Spikes all wanted out at times during Dillon's tenure there. "I understand why Corey was pissed," Anderson says. "We both said, man, if things don't change, I ain't showing up for nothing." Still, Dillon played through the abyss, missed only two games in his first six seasons and went to three Pro Bowls. The team was 06 in 2000 when he managed to set the then-single-game rushing record, with 278 yards on 22 carries against the Broncos, a breathtaking number considering the Bengals netted only 14 yards passing that day. "Defenses were bringing eight-, nine-man fronts," Corey says. "Seven years of that? That's too much."

Dillon's relationship with owner Mike Brown was only "hi and bye," and the more ornery Dillon got, the more the locker room became anti-Corey. "Guys didn't know him," says Anderson...But Dillon didn't want to know them either. Loss after loss (Cincy went 2670 in those first six seasons), he'd see teammates laughing at their lockers, and hate them for it."

Lewis never had Dillon's ear. The losing, the ambivalence toward Brown and the friction with teammates had worn Dillon out. He was the only veteran to skip Lewis' first voluntary minicamp, and that was the opening salvo... When Dillon suffered a knee injury in the second game of the season and began sharing carries with Rudi Johnson, his time as a Bengal was essentially over...Not long after, a local paper reported that team officials were open

to trading Dillon, that they felt that, at 29, he was possibly in decline. A hardbody who doesn't drink, Dillon was livid that no team official denied the story. "To me, they were saying I was done,"

Dillon says. "And for a guy who strapped that franchise onto his

back, nobody has the decency to say this is not true? As soon as I

get hurt, I'm done? From that day I said I would not return. They

could've won the Super Bowl and I still would have said it."

Then Dillon got smart: he shut up and rooted for Rudi. "The light flashed," he says. "Rudi was my ticket out. Rudi made me expendable." After last season's finale, when the Bengals finished 88 and missed the playoffs by a game, Dillon tossed his pads into the stands. "One 88 season wasn't doing it for me," he says... "Guys were crying because Marvin came in like a bulldozer and we got so close," Anderson says. "Then I see

our franchise running back basically laughing, saying, 'I'm outta here.' It hurt. I said, 'If he wants to leave, let him go. Good riddance.'"

Later in the off-season, Dillon responded by calling Anderson a

"bum" on national television. But it was over long before then. The

day after the last game, Dillon put his house up for sale – he says – and emptied his locker. "I'm thinking, you say you're winning without me, you've got your Black Jesus, I'm your Judas, why hold me hostage? Set me free,"

Immediately, Dillon's agent, Steve Feldman, began shopping for a team. Oakland looked to be the front-runner, but the Raiders would give up only a third-round pick and Brown wanted a second. Talks stalled. Then, at the advice of another client, Patriots safety Rodney Harrison, Feldman dialed New England. Yes, that New England. Selfless New England. Initially, the Pats brain trust didn't consider Dillon a fit, believing he was too me-first. "All that

stuff in Cincinnati," Dillon says. "That'll make anyone leery." But Belichick and Scott Pioli, the team's player personnel director, heard raves from former Bengals coach **** LeBeau and decided to give up the second-rounder pending a face-to-face with Dillon and Feldman. They brought Dillon to a hotel near Foxborough and, after they shook Dillon's hand, Feldman told him, "These two men think you're a bad guy. Tell them why they're wrong." Dillon bared his soul, told them he'd been traumatized by seven years of losing, that losing can ruin a man. And Dillon remembers the look in Belichick's

eye that day, the look of I get it, I get it.

At training camp, Dillon shaved the Cincinnati off of himself. He stood in front of a mirror, took one look at the cornrows he'd grown in protest and clipped them goodbye.

What a world he was in now. Tom Brady – whom Dillon just calls No.12 – was a sight to behold. He was skilled, secure and laughed off tough questions. Better yet, there was an army of Bradys. Ted Johnson, Tedy Bruschi, Willie McGinest, Harrison and more on defense; Joe Andruzzi, David Givens, Matt Light and more on offense. Dillon had his wish: he was one of the guys. There was no face of the franchise here. Only faces. Coming in, he'd worried his reputation would precede him, but what mattered more was Dillon's work ethic – "Hotdogs get weeded out here," Harrison says – and whether the new guy could take a joke. You need a sense of humor to mesh with the Pats, and Harrison and McGinest tested Dillon early by walking by him one day and saying, "Man, we should've gotten Eddie George." Dillon laughed, and when he later saw Harrison eating dessert, he said, "Ronnie Lott wouldn't have eaten cookies." He could dish it out, too? He was in. On the field, it was a no-brainer. In both of their Super Bowl-winning seasons, the Patriots had a running game by committee, and Dillon was the every-down bruiser who could make the team even more efficient, if possible. He could run inside and out, was a bull in short-yardage and transformed the Patriots from a pass-first offense to a balanced one. His career- best 1,635 yards this season broke the franchise's single-season rushing record by 148 yards, and his presence kept the pass rush off Brady and the Patriots defense off the field.

"Our missing piece," Harrison says. "Every play, he goes 100 mph. After all that punishment in Cincinnati, he's looked 23. Like a rookie making 100 grand. Never complained once. Classy dude. Been our MVP."

Along the way, Dillon got to play in his first Monday Night Footballgame, against the Chiefs on Nov. 22, and he was so hyped he ...

fumbled in the red zone. But a strange thing happened: teammates kept coming up to him and saying, "It happens. Forget it." He was amazed. Belichick approached calmly and said, "Corey, ball security. Get your pads lower. That's why it happened." Belichick hadn't chastised him, he'd coached him. "It dawned on me, he was right!" Dillon says. "Coach tells the truth. And I love the guy to death for that. My wife will tell you. She says if Bill was in my age bracket, we might be best friends. I've bought in. I trust him."

The whole New England experience has lit up his life. Every time Dillon sees Pioli in a stadium corridor, he tugs on his sleeve and says, "Thanks for believing in me." Then there are the perks. "Like locker room equipment," says Dillon, who was a Bengal when Brown was at his most notoriously frugal. "I ask, 'Can I have an extra sock? Shirt?' The answer is, 'Of course.' In Cincinnati, it was, 'No!'" "How about the chiropractors and stuff?" Desiree reminds him. "Oh, my god," Corey says. "We have a chiropractor who comes to the stadium! A masseuse! I tried bringing a chiropractor to camp last

year, and there was almost a brawl. They were talking about calling security, kicking him off campus. And the food here? They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. Steak. Crab legs. Mashed potatoes. Gravy. Greens. Omelets, croissants for breakfast. Five-star, man. This is the last stop for me. I'm a free agent in a year and I don't want to play nowhere else."

His guard is down now, and he wants to talk all afternoon. It's a side of him Cincinnati never got to see. It's five days before his Patriots play Marvin and Willie's Bengals, and he recognizes he's still a bit agitated over his old team. Two days later, Harrison sees him in the locker room and they talk. It's just the Patriots way. They talk. Harrison says, "Corey, go out there with a sense of peace. Don't go out there with bitterness or revenge." ...

Game day arrives, and the prayer is answered. Dillon hugs Lewis before kickoff, telling him, "You'll never hear anything else out of me." And after the Patriots win by seven, he sees Anderson and tells him, "Keep them guys' spirits up." Back in the Patriots locker room, Belichick brings his team together, then calls for his running back. "You get the game ball," he tells a beaming Dillon. Nothing else needs to be said. Because Corey Dillon can see the look in his new team's eyes, the look of We get it, we get it.

I've noticed you've posted numerous times after you "nothing is needed for me to say after this" comment.So - what does this have to do with the game tomorrow? The Pats will win because they serve better food then the Bengals? New England is a better place to play then Cincy? Big deal - we're all glad Corey feels vindicated in playing for a winner. Winning does that. everything is rosey. Is this even news? Didn't we here this in the preseason? Why is this the bottom line - and that nothing needs to be said after reading this article?

It was just for that post Red. I felt that I would rather see the commentary of someone else pertaining to that article then my own.And this story is a human interest story; it really doesn't pertain to the game. I figured some people would enjoy it and that is why I put it up.

 

[HellToupee]

gametime cant get here fast enough damn I'm nervous

 

[Mr.Happy]

it........IS.......ON!

 

[JohnnyU]

I should be nervous about this game, but I'm not for some reason. I feel very confident the Colts will win. Any other Colts fan feel the same way?

 

[Mr.Happy]

I should be nervous about this game, but I'm not for some reason. I feel very confident the Colts will win. Any other Colts fan feel the same way?

Same way dude. The Colts have all these great weapons, ESPN is giving them the slob job, but in the end, we have a pretty damn good team too.

 

[pizzatyme]

Johnny,I am very confident. I am only responding to your question. I have committed to not debate the game anymore until it is over. I hope to be coming back in here and letting the obnoxious Pats fans have it. However, if they do pull the Upset, I will then come in here and congratulate the same rude fans. For those Pats fans that are less than rude, I say good luck. For us true Colts fans, I say......................Go Horse!

 

[Hammered Finz]

ESPN saying the field is covered with ice, working on it now, and there is a winter storm warning in effect... storm to hit between 4-6PM.. that has got to be an advantage for the Pats.. should be a great game between two great teams. It is a shame that there is an NFC this year, cause the Pats, Colts, Steelers, AND Jets are better than the NFC dreck... a shame...

 

[bostonfred]

ESPN saying the field is covered with ice, working on it now, and there is a winter storm warning in effect... storm to hit between 4-6PM.. that has got to be an advantage for the Pats.. should be a great game between two great teams. It is a shame that there is an NFC this year, cause the Pats, Colts, Steelers, AND Jets are better than the NFC dreck... a shame...

Except the Falcons, or maybe the Eagles if they had Owens.

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

all the money is on INDY...line moved from Pats -2.5 to Pats +1.

 

[HellToupee]

its feaking freezing up here right now and snow flurries are starting to fall

 

[bostonfred]

As a public service to the board, I just brought a buddy of mine outdoors and slugged him in the arm. He said it hurt real bad.

 

[Mr.Happy]

As a public service to the board, I just brought a buddy of mine outdoors and slugged him in the arm. He said it hurt real bad.

 

[SeniorVBDStudent]

its feaking freezing up here right now and snow flurries are starting to fall

BB to Peyton:"Do you hear that, Mr. Anderson? That is the sound of inevitability."

 

[bostonfred]

its feaking freezing up here right now and snow flurries are starting to fall

BB to Peyton:"Do you hear that, Mr. Anderson? That is the sound of inevitability."

Why would you say that? You do remember how that movie ends, right?

 

[Aaron Rudnicki]

its feaking freezing up here right now and snow flurries are starting to fall

BB to Peyton:"Do you hear that, Mr. Anderson? That is the sound of inevitability."

Why would you say that? You do remember how that movie ends, right?

so the Colts will learn how to fly?

 

[David Yudkin]

I did not see it in here, but Richard Seymour is inactive for today's game.

 

[SeniorVBDStudent]

its feaking freezing up here right now and snow flurries are starting to fall

BB to Peyton:"Do you hear that, Mr. Anderson? That is the sound of inevitability."

Why would you say that? You do remember how that movie ends, right?

Yeah, but it's a really great line and the game won't turn out like the movie.Corey Dillon told me so ("Not today!").