I just asked the question, is the reason for Denver OL not wanting to speak to the media because of the fear of them asking about dirty play?
The not talking to the media thing actually was implemented by Alex Gibbs, who wanted to cloak his offensive lineman in a veil of anonymity, create a sort of "we aren't important, it's what we do that is important" mentality. I heard once that Gibbs took the media silence policy with him when he went to Atlanta. Denver's linemen have continued the tradition (and, truly, embraced it) on their own.
As far as your comment "I'm also not even going to bring up the point that Denver's offensive line actually winds up injuring a lower percentage of opposing DLinemen than the league average", do you have any data to support this, or a link?
This was reported to me by somebody I met on another football message board who had been hired by the league to compile data on injuries (for instance, to see if certain field types were causing a higher incident of injury than other field types). He had lots of data backing up all of his claims, so I never suspected he might have been anything other than what he said he was. He told me that Denver injured QBs at a lower rate than the league average, although the difference certainly wasn't statistically significant.I did a quick search, but I had no luck finding this conversation again. I can't even remember what his s/n was, to be honest. :(
SSOG, what proof do you have for calling out the Colts O and D lines for dirty play? I can't even believe you even said it. Maybe I missed Sportscenter the day they played the highlights of the Colts line playing dirty?
I called the Colts O-Line dirty because they cut block. If cut blocking makes the Broncos dirty, then it makes the Colts dirty, too (just like it makes every offensive lineman in the entire league dirty).As for the D-Line... how much time do you have? Here, I'll give you some quick highlights.
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/2005/09/2...-and-blue/2913/ - search Teerlink and you'll get this little gem:
On the NFL Channel’s morning show there was an interesting conversation.
Byron Leftwich flipped off the Colts DL Coach, John Teerlink, late in the game on Sunday and was fined $10K. Reportedly, Teerlink gave Leftwich the throat-slash gesture, and that prompted Leftwich’s response.
Dan Reeves and someone else were discussing this incident, and the guest host, Boomer Esiason, said “You want me to tell you what happened here, I can tell you what this is about.” Then he went on to relate how John Teerlink used to be DL coach for the Vikes during the John Randall days. According to Boomer, Teerlink teaches his DLineman to hit QBs low and try to take them out of the game. His rep is really bad in some league circles, according to Esiason. He also said that DelRio wouldn’t be stupid enough to say anything in public, but that he wouldn’t be surprised if the Jags send a message back the other way during their next meeting with the Colts.
This conversation set off an alarm bell in my head. Why? Because two weeks ago the Colts DLine knocked out Ravens QB Kyle Boller by tackling him low.
If you want a more reliable source for that incident, there's this link-
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...SPGAVG60GV1.DTL
Used to be that no one got upset about the Indianapolis defense because the Colts were soft and didn't hurt anyone, let alone beat them with their defense.
So maybe this is another sign of Indy's stature now, but after the Colts' 35-3 victory over Tennessee last week, Titans players accused the Colts defense of "illegal hits."
"I would defend our players and the way we play," Dungy said.
Perhaps.
Defensive line coach John Teerlinck joined the Colts in 2002 and it's no surprise, with him on the staff, that there are complaints about the team's tactics.
During the 10-3 victory over Jacksonville -- today's opponent -- on Sept. 18, Jaguars QB Byron Leftwich and Teerlinck jawed at each other. A few days later, former QB and current TV analyst Boomer Esiason said Teerlinck coaches his players to dive at quarterbacks' knees.
Esiason is not the first to question Teerlinck. In 1996, while with the Detroit Lions, Teerlinck was called to New York by NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, and they met for four hours to discuss complaints that Teerlinck was teaching illegal tactics.
Last one.
http://www.footballoutsiders.com/print/2971/
Teerlinck’s sour relationship with opposing quarterbacks dates at least to 1996, when Commissioner Paul Tagliabue summoned Teerlinck, then with the Detroit Lions, to the league office. There, Tagliabue reviewed film with Teerlinck, detailing what he saw as dirty play by Detroit linemen. The following year, Sports Illustrated asked 150 NFL players to name the dirtiest player in the league. First among defensive linemen was the Minnesota’s John Randle, and several players mentioned that Teerlinck was Randle’s mentor.
Teerlinck calls his tactics rough but legal, and judging by the penalties called on his players, he has a point. In Teerlinck’s four seasons in Indianapolis, Colts linemen have been flagged for only four roughing the passer penalties - Dwight Freeney, Raheem Brock, Montae Reagor, and Robert Mathis have had one apiece. Those four players have given the Colts 80 sacks in that time.
His players might not break the rules, but that doesn’t mean Teerlinck shows any concern for opposing quarterbacks’ health.
He once told the coaching magazine American Football Monthly that one of his commandments to defensive linemen is: “Run through the quarterback. Use his body as a cushion to break your fall.”
Many quarterbacks despise Teerlinck’s tactics — sometimes even including his own team’s quarterbacks. Defensive linemen know that hitting the quarterback in practice is verboten, but with the Lions, quarterback Scott Mitchell accused Teerlinck’s linemen of ignoring that protocol. (It’s fair to say, however, that Teerlinck knows better than to let any of his linemen hit Peyton Manning.)
If, for some reason, this isn't enough to satisfy you, there's countless other examples available. A simple search of "John Teerlinck" and "dirty" will turn up hundreds of other articles to peruse at your leisure.
I'm not sure which is funnier: this post or the the one that started the thread. Let's see, someone who breaks the rules constantly is no worse than someone who breaks them occassionally? Someone who worries the other team because they have injured so many players using illegal tactics is no worse than someone who makes other teams worry because they use legal tactics? Someone who intentionally breaks the law is no worse than those of us who might occassionally lose focus and drive over the speed limit? OK, yeah. Of course, that belief system ties in with the right to "silence", which is actually the only right to avoid self-incrimination. But, don't worry, when the police start conducting the TV interviews and asking about "assault with intent to injure" charges, they'll still be able to use teh Constitutional protection.
The Denver Broncos don't break the rules consistantly, though. In fact, they don't break the rules, period. IIRC, Denver hasn't been whistled for an illegal block once during the past 3 years (I don't know about before that, but I do know that if it has happened, it is no more frequently than any other team).The Denver Broncos don't injure so many players using illegal tactics, either. First off, as I said, their tactics aren't illegal... and second off, as I said earlier, they actually injure players at a clip *BELOW THE LEAGUE AVERAGE*.
Also, the claim that other teams might "occassionally lose focus" and cut block is hilarious. Every other team knows what they're doing when they cut block. They do it with every bit as much knowledge and intent as the Denver Broncos. In fact, they do it even MORE recklessly, because Denver practices cut blocking and is extremely efficient at it (meaning there's less chance of them screwing up and placing the other player at risk because they're unfamiliar with the tactic), and because opponents are expecting it more from the Denver Broncos (and are therefore more on their guard).
Ok, so Leftwich gets jacked up by legal hits and now the Colts play dirty on both sides of the ball? Got it!
I understand how upset you are. From experience, it can be very upsetting when someone accuses your team of being dirty solely because they perform at a very high level, playing extremely disciplined football and only use perfectly legal tactics that every other team in the league also engages in to some degree or another. In many ways, it's easy to ignore because it rings of jealousy and petulance, although if people keep parroting the same ludicrous claims in the face of overwhelming information, it just gets annoying.Something to consider if you ever in the future feel the urge to call Denver's O-line dirty (not that I'm saying that you have ever called or will ever call Denver's O-line dirty, just making a point). I don't think the Colts D-Line is dirty, even if they use tactics designed to cause the opposition to worry about injury, because all D-lines do that to some extent or another. Likewise, it's silly to call the Broncos O-line dirty for the same reason. If, however, the Broncos O-line *IS* somehow dirty, then so is every O-line in the entire NFL, as well as every D-Line and Secondary.
SSOG, what proof do you have for calling out the Colts O and D lines for dirty play? I can't even believe you even said it. Maybe I missed Sportscenter the day they played the highlights of the Colts line playing dirty? 
to the NFL.
SSOG, what proof do you have for calling out the Colts O and D lines for dirty play? I can't even believe you even said it. Maybe I missed Sportscenter the day they played the highlights of the Colts line playing dirty? 
