Stoney's He-Man Steeler Haters NFL Playoff Thread ... No Yinzers allowed

It's true Manning was not very good last night. But it's worth remembering that if Ryan Lindley had turned in the same numbers for the Cardinals last week, they beat the Panthers. There are degrees of badness just as there are degrees of greatness.

 

Last night, in the 3rd and 4th quarters, Peyton Manning looked cooked, especially in the 4th. Didn't have the It factor. No more Cut that Meat! verve.

And the last drive pretty much was the nail in the coffin, I thought. The offense was tired perhaps but they had no desire to GO GO GO GO! when Peyton tried stepping on the gas.

It was kind of heartbreaking to watch, actually.

We get a god like Peyton Manning only so often. We can laugh at his 1 ring in 16 seasons of playing but the bottom line is he threw for almost 40 miles and a thousand touchdowns (hyperbole but the 40 miles is correct) and competed like one of those gods that grace us for so long before the supernova. Sure this is a hot take -- #HotTakezYo! -- but after all he's accomplished it was heartbreaking in a way to watch him flobble along during the final 5 minutes and especially in that last gasp. There was one moment on that drive when he scooted to the sideline to say something to Fox, or the other way around, and the camera showed a close-up of his face. Kind of felt like Fox didn't give a shit what plays Peyton wanted to call and Peyton looked perturbed as if to say, What the fuck am I even trying for then? Very telling moment.

I think we've reached that point where the fire still burns strong but the body is telling him something quite different. Kind of sad.

 

Both home teams are seven-point favorites. Total is 47 for GB-Sea., 54 for Indy-NE.

In the Sagarin rankings, on a neutral field, Seattle would be one-point favorite over the Pats.

 

I was rooting for the Packers, but I hated that ending. If the rules say that wasn't a catch, change the rule.

 

As a Cowboys fan, that was a terrible way to lose, though as I tried explaining to my despondent son, if Rogers is remotely healthy GB probably puts up 40. What should not be lost just because it is just an incompletion, is just how great a play Bryant made in that spot.

 

Probably. One more reason why I wish that happened. I hate games ending over controversial calls.

 

Refs give, refs take away. What did you tell your son about the PI/holding/unportsmanlike non-call last week?

 

The only way for Denver and Manning to make a deep run is if they can make a Clemens-in-Houston workload for 2015.

I thought the Vikings could have done this with Favre in 2010 for more success if Favre would have committed all off season to it.

Play him 10 games, preferably the 7 toughest home games and the 3 divisional road games.

Sit him the other six. If they're, say, 10-4 and have the AFC West clinched, he sits. Keep him out of cold weather if possible.

Upside. They'll get past the Raiders and Chiefs. San Diego is the variable.

Downside. You can do the Clemens experiment in baseball but the NFL is far tougher. I've seen the "different sets of rules" rip Green Bay's locker room apart for about a decade.

 

Manning has been a junkball pitcher during his whole Denver run, relying on pinpoint precision instead of velocity. But his precision hasn't been there for 3 months and his two best receivers have been subpar.

 

Peyton Manning has been throwing balloons for about the last seven games. He wasn't healthy, he wasn't right, he wasn't the same guy for most of the second half of the season. It was almost sad to watch this guy turn into a shell of himself over night but that's what happened.

It is finished.

He had a great career, one of the two or three best of all time, but it is over.

He can't even make simple throws any more. Guys were open down the field - throws he makes in his sleep - and he couldn't even get the ball close to them. He has no arm strength, it is painful to watch him throw.

 

I know he said he's coming back, but he might want to reconsider, lest he Wille Mayses it to the bitter end.

 

NFL on ESPN ‏@ESPNNFL 39s40 seconds ago
Wow! Peyton Manning played Sunday’s loss and the past month of the season with torn right quad.

(via @AdamSchefter)