Was that the game he watered down the field too?

o




I believe that you may be thinking of the 1982 AFC Championship game, when the Miami Dolphins groundskeepers failed to supply a tarpaulin for a field that was already soaking wet from the previous day's rainstorm.



No Excuse for Missing Tarpaulin

(By Dave Anderson)

https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/24/s...tarpaulin.html






Incidentally, earlier that same season the Dolphins were the victims in "The Snowplow Game", a contest in which the Patriots (in Foxborough) had a convict that was on work furlough quickly drive onto the field with his snowplow to clear a spot for Patriots placekicker John Smith, who attempted (and made) what proved to be the game-winning field goal.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJJHdopdW0o





https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-LqckfI8yg8/hqdefault.jpg



o

No, he is referring to the time that BB thought it would be a good idea to slow down our speed by making the field soggy. It was not due to forgetting any tarp, but watered intentionally so as to make the ground soft and slow.

Manning was running the hurry up offense before all the rule changes made it easier to throw throw the ball.

And as mentioned, it wasn't really rule changes. They enforced the rules as they should have.

How many of those TD's came in that Thanksgiving game against Detroit?

Great memory that was.

And none of these guys doing it right now are of the caliber of Peyton Manning, yet they are still on pace for silly "Star Wars" numbers. It's almost as if there's a fundamental part of the game that has made it easier on QBs to put up huge stats.

How many times have you seen a running back penalized for leading with his helmet this year? All that really matters is whether or not a rule is enforced.

I shouldn't have referred to it as a "rules change," but that doesn't change my point that an NFL-mandated adjustment made it easier on the passing game, which has led to this inflation.

I am not arguing that the guys now have an easier time than Manning did.

I am arguing that Manning was the innovator that made the hurry up offense, with QBs calling the plays at the line of scrimmage and managing the game from the field, the standard that the high powered offenses use today. If Manning did not start doing it in 2001 or so, then Rodgers, Brees and even Brady and all the others would not be doing it today.

You seem to think it was the rule changes/emphasis on the rules, but that was in 2004 when those came along at the urging of Polian. And the rules on roughing the passer were emphasized after 2008.

Manning was creating and running the hurry up offense as we see in the league today before both those changes.

Again Jim Kelly and the Bills did it too some in the early 90s, but no one followed their lead and made it a trend.

o



I remember that it was snowing during the game.

I don't recall Belichick having the field watered down prior to the game.

Thanks in advance if you have any info/citations about that aspect/occurrence.



o

I think this is what he meant:


https://www.courant.com/news/connect...019-story.html

o



Thanks !!!

That was the same tactic used as the one that I alluded to in the 1982 AFC Championship game between the Dolphins and the Jets ........ the non-use of a tarpaulin by the home team to intentionally deter the players' footing on the playing field.



However, that is a different game than the one that we were discussing ........ that article is in regard to the following season's game (2004), which was a divisional playoff.



o

Because most teams couldn’t do it effectively. Game was slower then and you needed a smart QB to run it.

Belicheat probably went out there with a hose the night before just to make sure.

o



We know for a fact that they intentionally left the tarpaulin off of the field for the entire week preceding the game.

While it's possible that the Patriots may be guilty of more than what they have been caught for, I prefer not to suppose and/or make up additional possibilities when there is plenty of fact to incriminate them of their highly questionable (and sometimes illegal) tactics.



o

o



That's the same article that ALR posted, in regard to the Patriots not using the tarpaulin to cover the field for the entire week prior in their 2004 season divisional playoff game.



o

o



Old friend Frank Gore compliments Luck.

Gore asserts that Luck now looks less timid than he did when he played alongside him with a considerably lesser offensive line in 2015 and 2016.




Frank Gore on Andrew Luck: ‘He’s Looking Like that Boy Comin’ Out of Stanford’

(By Mike Chappell)

https://fox59.com/2018/11/21/frank-g...t-of-stanford/



o

“Oh Hey! It’s raining pretty hard for several days now.”


“What do we do when that happens?”


“Well usually in every other instance we try to protect the integrity of the field and cover it with a tarp.”



“What’s a tarp?... and what’s integrity?”







I’m sure it was just a coincidence that they were worried about the teams speed. Belichick has never bent the rules and doesn’t really pay attention to the details.

"You lost me at tarp, but in...integ...inte...that other word you said, not only do I not recognize it, but attempting to say it appears to make me physically ill." - Bill Belicheat

o


(vs. DOLPHINS, 11/25)



In spite of not having his best game, and in spite of Adam "Money" Vinatieri missing a crucial field goal attempt late in the 3rd quarter, Andrew rallied the troops for 13 consecutive points on the Colts' final 3 drives of the game to turn a 24-14 deficit into a 27-24 victory.


On the final drive, Luck shook free of a potential sack on 3rd down and 9 to throw what proved to be a game-winning completion to a wide-open Chester Rogers 34 yards downfield. Vinatieri kicked the game-winner 3 plays later on the final play of the game.


o

32 TDs for the year, with 11 INTs.

Still good numbers. ANd got the drives when needed 13 points to end the game and win.

On pace for 47-48 TDs this season, 3 a game consistently.

o


Andy's season TD pace took a hit last week in the Colts' disastrous 6-0 loss to the Jaguars.

We not only need the Stanford grad to step up big time tomorrow afternoon against the Texans, but we will also need the offensive line to be their usual 2018 selves, and the defense to maintain the momentum of their last 3 games ........ they have ceded a total of 40 points in the last 12 quarters combined, only 33 of which mattered (the game was well in hand when the Titans tacked on a touchdown late in the 4th quarter of the Colts' 38-10 win.)

o

Dont call him Andy. Creepy as fuck.

Took himself solidly out of the MVP conversation last week, unless he’s just unbelievable down the stretch and Mahomes and others falter. Which won’t happen.

o

Luck was sacked 2 times in 41 drop-backs today. That's not bad at all.

The offensive line was good, and the defense was very good (in spite of being jobbed out of and INT and 7 points by the referees.) Luck threw for almost 400 yards, and completed 66 percent of his passes.

o

o


(vs. COWBOYS, 12/16)



In spite of the fact that he did not throw any TD passes, I believe that Luck had has 2nd consecutive solid game yesterday following the clunker against the Jaguars 2 weeks ago.


o

Yes his pace fell way off the last 3 weeks.

But still a great season.

Will end up I think in the high 30s.

It sure is nice to be able to finally win games with Luck not being forced to carry the team on his back.

I'll take a balanced team capable of making plays in any phase of the game over new QB records, 10/10 times.

At their best this is the most balanced team we've had since 2009, maybe 2007.

And not just win them....

Dominate them.

The defense is WAY ahead of schedule.

#11 in scoring defense (points per game allowed = 21.4)
#10 in yards allowed (341.5 yards per game)
#15 in passing yards allowed (237.9 yards per game)
#08 in rushing yards allowed (103.6 yards per game)
#12 in team sacks (38 for season or 2.71 per game). Last year we had 25.
#13 in team interceptions (12 for season). Last year we had 13.
#06 in TDs allowed (19 for season). Last year we allowed 23.

No matter how you slice it, we are a top half of the league defense bordering on a top ten defense for 2018.

Our run game CAN dominate at times as well.

While only #22 for rushing per game for the season (103.8 ypg), performances during our 7 - 1 win streak have been:

Week 15 / DAL / WIN / 178 yards rushing - Excellent
Week 14 / HOU / WIN / 050 yards rushing
Week 13 / JAX / LOSS / 041 yards rushing
Week 12 / MIA / WIN / 118 yards rushing - Acceptable
Week 11 / TEN / WIN / 102 yards rushing - Acceptable
Week 10 / JAX / WIN / 081 yards rushing
Week 09 / OAK / WIN / 222 yards rushing - Excellent
Week 08 / BUF / WIN / 220 yards rushing - Excellent

or 126.5 yards per game that would rank the Colts #9 in the NFL if substained over a whole season.

There is a LOT more to this young team than just Andrew Luck to T.Y. Hilton! :)

Walk Worthy,

I agree. It's a different approach to team building and I like it. With Manning the idea was to build on strength and make it nearly impossible to stop. We won a lot of games but we know how it often ended in the postseason. The best defenses were able to scheme up ways to take away a key piece or two of our offense, and if Manning and company didn't adjust quickly enough it was game over, season over.

With a balanced team we can win several different ways. Luck can go nuts for 400+ and 4 TDs. Hilton can have a 200+, 2 TD game. Ebron can catch 3 TDs in one half of a football game. With a healthy, talented OL even an inconsistent back like Mack can go off for 130+ and 2 TDs.

And if a lot of that isn't working, the defense can take the ball away, they can sack the QB, they can get TFLs and force punts.

And we have a coaching staff that is usually putting the team in the right position to play well.

It’s almost like they are building something. Something....monstrous. Like... a monster, yea.

This was great

This is in line with what Reich said recently. He wants the team to be "multiple" meaning that they can win any number of ways. That will allow them to take whatever weakness an opponent presents, and exploit it. Conversely, it also makes the Colts harder to gameplan against, because they could throw any number of things at an opponent.

o


(vs. GIANTS, 12/23)



Luck and the Colts got off to a bad start today, but he came back to have a big day overall (as did the Colts as a team.)

He threw 2 TD Passes, had 1 INT, and passed for 357 yards through the air.

For the season he now has 34 TD's, 13 INT's, and 3,951 yards passing.

o

I was told he was done all off season by so many pundits, yet here he is having his best season ever.

And a big FU to all of them!

o

An almost identical sentiment as was asserted by many "experts" in regard to Peyton Manning when he missed the entire 2011 season ........ with the difference being that Manning was considerably older than Luck was during his recovery/rehab period.

Even at his advanced age, Manning proved them wrong by having 3 excellent seasons from 2012 through 2014, and then capping his career with a Super Bowl victory in his injury-plagued 4th and final season with the Broncos.

Luck (like Manning in 2012) is having an outstanding season this year, belying those same type of doubtful sentiments and assertions.

o

Even after the first few weeks there were giant questions on whether Luck could throw the ball down the field anymore. We were mostly running short passing routes, I think to protect Luck while the rookies got some time as the last thing we needed was another season of luck being injured.

o


This is a mind-boggling stat.

Even though he missed all of the 2017 season and half of the 2015 season ........ since 2012, Luck is tied with Drew Brees for the third-most game-winning drives in the NFL. ) :eek:


What's most impressive about that is the fact that in that span (2012 - Present), Brees has missed only 1 game ........ while Luck has missed 26 games. To me, that kind of statistic smacks of a Peyton Manning-like ability to carry an average and/or below average team on his back.



SOURCE: ) Andrew Walker, Colts.Com Writer

o