Bill Polian explosive interview on WFAN (1 Viewer)

[RBM]

Bill Polian just hung up on WFAN's Mike and the Mad Dog, concluding a pretty explosive 5 minute spot. Basically, Mad Dog went first, talking about how Manning now has a proven history of not playing well in bigger games, and how he was off on Sunday, and what a bad job he did after the game with the o-line comments. Polian was not happy at all, yelling about how dog didnt know football, hes a radio guy and he doesnt know what hes talking about. Mike takes over, bringing up how poor Manning looks when under heavy pressure. Polian continues his "you dont know football, you dont watch the film" shtick. They said to him they werent trying to get him to completely trash his star qb, but just comment honestly on the game that took place, where Manning was off. So they get past that for a minute. Mad dog then brings up Marvin Harrison sitting at the end of the bench, basically pouting or alienating himself from his team that was losing a huge playoff game. Polian flipped about "how dare you talk bad about Marvin Harrison" and hung up on the interview.Interesting stuff. Polian just threw his o-line under the bus just like Peyton did. What a mess

 

[Capella]

Interesting stuff. Polian just threw his o-line under the bus just like Peyton did. What a mess

You must have left that part out of your summary.

 

[ICON211]

Polian said the bulk of the blame for the loss is on the O line.

 

[RBM]

Interesting stuff. Polian just threw his o-line under the bus just like Peyton did. What a mess

You must have left that part out of your summary.

Yea I did, sorry.When mad dog was asking how he doesnt think Manning played bad on Sunday, Polian just kept repeating it was on the o-line, not Peyton

 

[ComebackKurt]

Polian said the bulk of the blame for the loss is on the O line.

And that is throwing them under the bus? I say that is calling a spade a spade. The offensive line was brutal, not to say that Pittsburgh's scheme had a lot to do with that, but they should have picked up those blitzes much better and from what I could see the left guard was the culprit on 2 or 3 of the sacks... he was brutal!! That isn't throwing them under the bus that is purely not making excuses for them, because I am sure they said the same thing, that they weren't good and that caused peyton to struggle and the running game to struggle as well, not to mention the defense the first 8 minutes of the game was like swiss cheese!!!

 

[jwb1013]

It looks like things could get real ugly in Indy this offseason. If they don't get this finger-pointing fixed before next year it could be a long season for the Colts.

 

[Serenity Now]

Serious contention for the Whiny Tool award there. I wonder if he'll address his concerns to the competition committee in the offseason.

 

[packersfan]

There's nothing wrong with Polian being critical of the team if need be. He's the GM. It's his job to assess talent and if that talent falls short he is not being out of line in saying so.There's a HUGE difference between Polian placing the blame for the defeat on the OLine than Manning doing so.

 

[Jason Wood]

Funny stuff, I just got done listening to that myself I can't say I'm surprised Polian wouldn't throw Mo or Peyton under the bus, however, he was WAYYYYYYYY too defensive. He started the conversation off by saying, "At 13-0, we weren't as good a football as most thought" [paraphrasing] and to Mike Francesa's credit, he said he knew the interview was in trouble at that point b/c the BS meter was off the charts.

 

[TheLaw]

No Edge, No Wayne, No chemistry, no playoffs for the Colts in 06. Jags win that division and it is w/o question if they end up getting Edge IMO.

 

[CA_7]

Isn't Polian they guy who got into it with Kiper many years ago at the draft?

 

[BlueOnion]

Mad Dog (is that the skinny yip-yap guy) is a terrible interviewer. I have heard him interview Terry Bradway recently and his tact is terrible. Basically he has an opinion before the interview (Bradway is an idiot or Peyton is a choke artist) and he harps on points and\or uses statements that force the interviewee to the point Mad Dog originally had before the interview. Quite tasteless in my opinion.I think interviewers have to ask the tough questions, but they have let the interviewee tell the story and not force the interviewee done a path he does not want to go.I am sure it was good radio though.

 

[BlueOnion]

Isn't Polian they guy who got into it with Kiper many years ago at the draft?

Yes.

 

[JaxBill]

Polian said the bulk of the blame for the loss is on the O line.

And that is throwing them under the bus? I say that is calling a spade a spade. The offensive line was brutal, not to say that Pittsburgh's scheme had a lot to do with that, but they should have picked up those blitzes much better and from what I could see the left guard was the culprit on 2 or 3 of the sacks... he was brutal!! That isn't throwing them under the bus that is purely not making excuses for them, because I am sure they said the same thing, that they weren't good and that caused peyton to struggle and the running game to struggle as well, not to mention the defense the first 8 minutes of the game was like swiss cheese!!!

But was it the o-line or the scheme? From what I heard, one of the problems was that they were pulling a guard to try to block an OLB and the guard just couldn't get there in time. Supposedly, they started to move the ball when they had the RB pick up the LB.

 

[Serenity Now]

Mad Dog (is that the skinny yip-yap guy) is a terrible interviewer. I have heard him interview Terry Bradway recently and his tact is terrible. Basically he has an opinion before the interview (Bradway is an idiot or Peyton is a choke artist) and he harps on points and\or uses statements that force the interviewee to the point Mad Dog originally had before the interview. Quite tasteless in my opinion.

I think interviewers have to ask the tough questions, but they have let the interviewee tell the story and not force the interviewee done a path he does not want to go.

I am sure it was good radio though.

Shouldn't a guy like Polian know that going in though? He let himself get in a big way.

 

[Trap Play]

And that is throwing them under the bus? I say that is calling a spade a spade.

Too true. The offensive line was brutal, now, perhaps, the Colts will realize that spending all your cap money on the triplets maybe isn't such a good idea and that getting some linemen worth a damn is.No way, no day Edgerrin remains a Colt. Why on earth would you spend money at RB when your line needs so much attention and RB is the position that is the most easy to fill with a rookie?

 

[loqutis]

Polian was not happy at all, yelling about how dog didnt know football, hes a radio guy and he doesnt know what hes talking about. Mike takes over, bringing up how poor Manning looks when under heavy pressure. Polian continues his "you dont know football, you dont watch the film" shtick.

he's right, we're all a bunch of idiots. We all know the job these guys have takes a PhD to understand. Rocket ScientistOpen Heart SurgeonNFL Team PresidentWe all know Manning is an excellent QB when everything is going well. It's when everything breaks down around him that he blows chuncks. Ask Farve or Elway how many times they had to improvise during the playoffs. Manning is Marino, nothing wrong with that. Coaches just need to play to his strength. Max protect and hope no one breaks the line of scrimmage. Not every team can do what Pitt was able to do. However it only takes one team to knock you out of the playoffs. Unless manning can learn to improvise or a coaching staff can manage to give him Maximum protection while preserving his receiving options, Indy will continue to have 12 win seasons only to lose in the playoffs.

 

[WhoDat]

There's a HUGE difference between Polian placing the blame for the defeat on the OLine than Manning doing so.

I totally agree. Manning's position should have been we win as a team and we lose as a team. He kicked his lineman right in the ### in a public forum. He should have known better.

Polian, though, is the guy. He's the boss's, Dungy, boss. He has some...some...latitude to make those statements in a public setting but should have known he was getting or going to be lead by the interviewers.

 

[BlueOnion]

Funny stuff, I just got done listening to that myself

I can't say I'm surprised Polian wouldn't throw Mo or Peyton under the bus, however, he was WAYYYYYYYY too defensive. He started the conversation off by saying, "At 13-0, we weren't as good a football as most thought" [paraphrasing] and to Mike Francesa's credit, he said he knew the interview was in trouble at that point b/c the BS meter was off the charts.

I like Mike, he seems a little more mature and tactful. But I still question what these two are doing half the time. It seems they are very quick to jump on an interviewee and berate him. Instead, I would expect a professional sports-personalityto simply acknowledge that the interviewee may not give up a lot of information, attempt to get what information they could during the interview and then acknowledge after the interview that said person was very defensive.

 

[Serenity Now]

Yes, they looked brutal, but how often did Manning get sacked all year long? Did they suddenly forget how to be one of the best O lines in the game or is it possible they got manhandled by the Pitt D line? I think that the Pitt D line isn't getting enough credit here.

 

[massraider]

Isn't Polian they guy who got into it with Kiper many years ago at the draft?

I thought that was Tobin.At any rate, I did not catch the interview, but I did catch the game. If Polian says it's the line, is it that hard to believe? I know Manning calls a lot of the protections, but I'm sure that whichever one he called for didn't mean that Tarik Glenn should turn his back on Joey Porter, and then not block anyone, which is what happend on that 4th down play.

Manning has plenty of valid questions about himself that need to be answered, but there was plenty of blame to go around for the Colts. Dungy, Moore, the line, especially Glenn (you, sir, are useless).

 

[BlueOnion]

Shouldn't a guy like Polian know that going in though? He let himself get in a big way.

Sure. But have you listen to these guys? When they get a guest on they are more Howard Stern\Morning Show esque than a typical Sports Radio Show.

 

[RBM]

Polian said the bulk of the blame for the loss is on the O line.

And that is throwing them under the bus? I say that is calling a spade a spade. The offensive line was brutal, not to say that Pittsburgh's scheme had a lot to do with that, but they should have picked up those blitzes much better and from what I could see the left guard was the culprit on 2 or 3 of the sacks... he was brutal!! That isn't throwing them under the bus that is purely not making excuses for them, because I am sure they said the same thing, that they weren't good and that caused peyton to struggle and the running game to struggle as well, not to mention the defense the first 8 minutes of the game was like swiss cheese!!!

Doesnt the person calling out the protections and plays have to take some of the blame, for not attempting to adjust ONCE?!?!

 

[Please See Mine]

For those who don't know, it will likely be on the website later today or tomorrow.

Mike and the Mad Dog

 

[Rhino]

If you lived in Indy you wouldn't be at all surprised by this. Polian's weekly radio show on Mondays here is pretty much exactly like this. If you call in and kiss his butt and praise the Colts then he's very cordial. But if you call in a question something the team is doing Polian immediately goes to the "you don't know football" card.Personally, I do think the O-Line is a lot to blame for Sunday's loss. Pittsburgh dominated the line of scrimmage on defense and it totally disrupted the timing of the Colts offense. And yes, Peyton Manning does have moments where he gets uncomfortable in the pocket and gets "happy feet". If Polian can't see that on the film then HE'S the one who doesn't know football...Dissing Marvin for being at the end of the bench is just stupid tho. Anyone who watches Colts games knows that is Marvin's "schtick". Even when they are winning he sits alone. Kinda his way of staying focused I guess. Polian's a decent enough GM, and you can't really argue with the success he's had in different organizations. Sure, his teams have never won a Super Bowl, but they are always competative. But in the contest for the most arrogant man in Football, Polian's winning hands down.

 

[Franknbeans]

Yes, they looked brutal, but how often did Manning get sacked all year long? Did they suddenly forget how to be one of the best O lines in the game or is it possible they got manhandled by the Pitt D line? I think that the Pitt D line isn't getting enough credit here.

As usual, wait until Sunday

 

[loqutis]

Polian was not happy at all, yelling about how dog didnt know football, hes a radio guy and he doesnt know what hes talking about. Mike takes over, bringing up how poor Manning looks when under heavy pressure. Polian continues his "you dont know football, you dont watch the film" shtick.

he's right, we're all a bunch of idiots. We all know the job these guys have takes a PhD to understand. Rocket Scientist

Open Heart Surgeon

NFL Team President

We all know Manning is an excellent QB when everything is going well. It's when everything breaks down around him that he blows chuncks. Ask Farve or Elway how many times they had to improvise during the playoffs.

Manning is Marino, nothing wrong with that. Coaches just need to play to his strength. Max protect and hope no one breaks the line of scrimmage. Not every team can do what Pitt was able to do. However it only takes one team to knock you out of the playoffs.

Unless manning can learn to improvise or a coaching staff can manage to give him Maximum protection while preserving his receiving options, Indy will continue to have 12 win seasons only to lose in the playoffs.

and I can't remember the last "must See" O-Lineman. Manning puts people in the seats. They'll fire every O-Lineman tomorrow if Manning asks them to do so

 

[Jason Wood]

This interview was the best because it was doomed to fail from the start. Mike and the Puppy were [and are] trying to get under his skin and wanted to rip Manning, Dungy and Mo Harrison. Meanwhile Polian is SUPER defensive [the loss is no doubt a huge open wound] and doesn't take kindly to criticism in the first place.

 

[CA_7]

Isn't Polian they guy who got into it with Kiper many years ago at the draft?

I thought that was Tobin.

You are correct. ThanksIn 1994, then Indianapolis Colts general manager Bill Tobin once commented, "Who the hell is Mel Kiper? My mailman knows more about the draft than he does." Kiper had critized the Colts' choice of Trev Alberts over Trent Dilfer in that year's NFL entry draft.

 

[cstu]

No Edge, No Wayne, No chemistry, no playoffs for the Colts in 06. Jags win that division and it is w/o question if they end up getting Edge IMO.

They won't lose Edge and Wayne and questioning the chemistry is ridiculous. I don't see them breaking apart at all and will use this as even more motivation for next year.

 

[Serenity Now]

I'm sure those offensive linemen are highly motivated to keep Peyton's tush off the carpet now.

 

[Gatorman]

Manning is Marino, nothing wrong with that.

You lost all credibility with that one. Marino was able to win a lot of games for his team, and to be perfectly honest of marinos 324 wins probably 275 came from Danny's arm, because Miami had no defense or running game for most of the years dan was here.Manning's problem is that if you get to him, he gets rattled. Many QBs suffer from this. The point is, can you get to him? Few teams have the consistant pass rush to get after Manning AND still not have edge kill you, but in all of the "big losses" manning has sufferred (going all the way back to his days at UT), a strong pass rush and getting to him EARLY have been his downfall.

 

[BlueOnion]

This interview was the best because it was doomed to fail from the start. Mike and the Puppy were [and are] trying to get under his skin and wanted to rip Manning, Dungy and Mo Harrison. Meanwhile Polian is SUPER defensive [the loss is no doubt a huge open wound] and doesn't take kindly to criticism in the first place.

This sounds more accurate (from not hearing it but listening to Mike and Mad Dog regularly). I am sure it was great radio.I cannot recall things very well, but I think within the week they had Terry Bradway (Jets GM) on after Herm left for the Chiefs job, and basically Mad Dog kept asking him a question in regards to 'If Herm wanted to stay and you wanted him to stay, why is he in Kansas City' and Bradway kept dogging the question. Each time Mad Dog asked the question again, he would raise his voice. It was very much a scene from a 'Few Good Men' and expected Bradway to just explode eventually; Mad Dog would not let it go.

 

[cstu]

Isn't Polian they guy who got into it with Kiper many years ago at the draft?

I thought that was Tobin.

You are correct. ThanksIn 1994, then Indianapolis Colts general manager Bill Tobin once commented, "Who the hell is Mel Kiper? My mailman knows more about the draft than he does." Kiper had critized the Colts' choice of Trev Alberts over Trent Dilfer in that year's NFL entry draft.

Talk about putting Kiper on the map - and over Dilfer no less!

 

[TheLaw]

No Edge, No Wayne, No chemistry, no playoffs for the Colts in 06.  Jags win that division and it is w/o question if they end up getting Edge IMO.

They won't lose Edge and Wayne and questioning the chemistry is ridiculous. I don't see them breaking apart at all and will use this as even more motivation for next year.

Are you saying they wont lose either of them, or that they just wont lose both? I think it will be tough to keep them both, think Edge wants out and that Wayne wants to be #1 somewhere or get #1 money.

 

[cstu]

I'm sure those offensive linemen are highly motivated to keep Peyton's tush off the carpet now.

How many will be back? They could just let one go and make him the scapegoat for the loss.

 

[BlueOnion]

Manning is Marino, nothing wrong with that.

You lost all credibility with that one.

 

[TheLaw]

I'm sure those offensive linemen are highly motivated to keep Peyton's tush off the carpet now.

How many will be back? They could just let one go and make him the scapegoat for the loss.

Tough to do. I think the Colts were just fooled more often than not. A prime example was that 4th down at the end of the game where the Steelers rushed Troy up the middle. The line moved to help there and picked him up, but Porter delayed off the edge and got to Peyton. Manning AND the line just couldnt figure out what was coming from where.

 

[Men-in-Cleats]

Yes, they looked brutal, but how often did Manning get sacked all year long? Did they suddenly forget how to be one of the best O lines in the game or is it possible they got manhandled by the Pitt D line? I think that the Pitt D line isn't getting enough credit here.

I agree. I think there is plenty of blame to go around including the o-line, Manning, and the coaching staff for not making enough adjustments. Over Manning's career he's been one of the least sacked QB's in the league most years so it isn't like they've completely ignored a glaring problem. I think this year a bit of the blame could be attributed to rust since they hadn't played a meaningful game in weeks. They were completely out of synch as a team and looked like a completely different squad than the one that piled it on against Pitt and most everyone else earlier during the regular season.

 

[Gatorman]

Manning is Marino, nothing wrong with that.

You lost all credibility with that one.

Marino's inability to win a championship falls on two things: DEFENSE and a RUNNING GAME. Losing Arnsparger after 83 (I think) killed Miami as a defense and it did not recover till Jimmy took over. However, a running game was the real killer. Much like elway, Dan did not have the missing piece to solve the puzzle. Neither did elway till TD came along.

 

[Men-in-Cleats]

No Edge, No Wayne, No chemistry, no playoffs for the Colts in 06.  Jags win that division and it is w/o question if they end up getting Edge IMO.

They won't lose Edge and Wayne and questioning the chemistry is ridiculous. I don't see them breaking apart at all and will use this as even more motivation for next year.

Sounds like the same thing people were saying about the Eagles at a little later than this time last year.

 

[saintfool]

the post-mortem on the colts' failure to advance is really pretty funny. the reasons they failed are multitude: 3 weeks of rust, poor coaching, Pittsburgh's aggressive play, etc. They came up short, again. Teams continue to get "physical" with the Colts in the post-season and the Colts continue to be stymied by it. They don't seem to get that tactics change in the post-season. They didn't adapt by running the ball, max protection or even short passing routes. They played it as if it were week 5 or something. I don't see Manning saying "our line had problems picking up the blitz", or whatever, as throwing them under the bus. He does go on to say in the post game:"I'm looking for a safe word here, I don't want to be a bad teammate," Manning said. "Pittsburgh gave us trouble and put us in some situations we're not usually in."This points more to his acknowledging the effectiveness of the Pittsburgh gameplan more than the failings of the his O-line. If Edge leaves, maybe it will be a good thing as it will allow them to be a little more conventional on offense instead of being too cute by half. A power running game might be the cure for what ails them.

 

[Jason Wood]

the post-mortem on the colts' failure to advance is really pretty funny. the reasons they failed are multitude: 3 weeks of rust, poor coaching, Pittsburgh's aggressive play, etc. They came up short, again. Teams continue to get "physical" with the Colts in the post-season and the Colts continue to be stymied by it. They don't seem to get that tactics change in the post-season. They didn't adapt by running the ball, max protection or even short passing routes. They played it as if it were week 5 or something.

I don't see Manning saying "our line had problems picking up the blitz", or whatever, as throwing them under the bus. He does go on to say in the post game:

"I'm looking for a safe word here, I don't want to be a bad teammate," Manning said. "Pittsburgh gave us trouble and put us in some situations we're not usually in."

This points more to his acknowledging the effectiveness of the Pittsburgh gameplan more than the failings of the his O-line. If Edge leaves, maybe it will be a good thing as it will allow them to be a little more conventional on offense instead of being too cute by half. A power running game might be the cure for what ails them.

But if I'm his O-line, I'm wondering how effective and Hall of Fame worthy Peyton Manning would've looked had he not been kept virtually pressure free for the majority of his career.22

14
20
29
23
18
13
17You want your team leader, your QB, to take the blame WHETHER HE DESERVES IT OR NOT. Tom Brady was about as cool about the loss as I've seen a QB under the spotlight. The guy blamed himself and [correctly] suggested that while the team as a whole fell short, he didn't play at the level he expects of himself or that his teammates have come to expect.

 

[TheLaw]

the post-mortem on the colts' failure to advance is really pretty funny. the reasons they failed are multitude: 3 weeks of rust, poor coaching, Pittsburgh's aggressive play, etc. They came up short, again. Teams continue to get "physical" with the Colts in the post-season and the Colts continue to be stymied by it. They don't seem to get that tactics change in the post-season. They didn't adapt by running the ball, max protection or even short passing routes. They played it as if it were week 5 or something.

I don't see Manning saying "our line had problems picking up the blitz", or whatever, as throwing them under the bus. He does go on to say in the post game:

"I'm looking for a safe word here, I don't want to be a bad teammate," Manning said. "Pittsburgh gave us trouble and put us in some situations we're not usually in."

This points more to his acknowledging the effectiveness of the Pittsburgh gameplan more than the failings of the his O-line. If Edge leaves, maybe it will be a good thing as it will allow them to be a little more conventional on offense instead of being too cute by half. A power running game might be the cure for what ails them.

Edge isnt a power runner?? The Colts win when Edge gets the ball and lose when he doesnt. He is a complete back if the NFL ever had one. I love that guy.

 

[Franknbeans]

Yes, they looked brutal, but how often did Manning get sacked all year long? Did they suddenly forget how to be one of the best O lines in the game or is it possible they got manhandled by the Pitt D line? I think that the Pitt D line isn't getting enough credit here.

I agree. I think there is plenty of blame to go around including the o-line, Manning, and the coaching staff for not making enough adjustments. Over Manning's career he's been one of the least sacked QB's in the league most years so it isn't like they've completely ignored a glaring problem. I think this year a bit of the blame could be attributed to rust since they hadn't played a meaningful game in weeks. They were completely out of synch as a team and looked like a completely different squad than the one that piled it on against Pitt and most everyone else earlier during the regular season.

Tied the most number of times he has been sacked in a game in his career

 

[BlueOnion]

Edge isnt a power runner?? The Colts win when Edge gets the ball and lose when he doesnt. He is a complete back if the NFL ever had one. I love that guy.

Not sure what is up with Edge, I have always really liked the guy. Drafting him as a sleeper in your fantasy draft Edge's rookie year will do that.But he doesn't seem very exposive any more and seems to go down on the first tackle; although occasionally picking up a yard or two after contact.

 

[TheLaw]

Edge isnt a power runner??  The Colts win when Edge gets the ball and lose when he doesnt.  He is a complete back if the NFL ever had one.  I love that guy.

Not sure what is up with Edge, I have always really liked the guy. Drafting him as a sleeper in your fantasy draft Edge's rookie year will do that.But he doesn't seem very exposive any more and seems to go down on the first tackle; although occasionally picking up a yard or two after contact.

His 120 yards against the Steelers on MNF was the most any back gained against them all year . . . maybe he should have gotten the ball more this go around?

 

[BlueOnion]

His 120 yards against the Steelers on MNF was the most any back gained against them all year . . . maybe he should have gotten the ball more this go around?

Of course I think Edge should have gotten the ball more, no question about it. But I think Edge's numbers were also a product of teams playing nickle and dime defenses and playing off the ball. I really wonder if Edge would have been as productive if the Colts consistently faced a base defense.

 

[harrycarey]

Manning is Marino, nothing wrong with that.

You lost all credibility with that one. Marino was able to win a lot of games for his team, and to be perfectly honest of marinos 324 wins probably 275 came from Danny's arm, because Miami had no defense or running game for most of the years dan was here.Manning's problem is that if you get to him, he gets rattled. Many QBs suffer from this. The point is, can you get to him? Few teams have the consistant pass rush to get after Manning AND still not have edge kill you, but in all of the "big losses" manning has sufferred (going all the way back to his days at UT), a strong pass rush and getting to him EARLY have been his downfall.

Like Manning's playoff wins against KC and the 2 Denver games?

 

[redman]

Isn't Polian they guy who got into it with Kiper many years ago at the draft?

Yes.

In other words, this was a combined reprise of "You think you know, but you just don't know . . ." and "Playoffs? Playoffs! . . ."