Naturally, I stopped what I was doing and went to databaseFootball.com to answer Mangini’s question.

Here are all the Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks since the merger to have led the league in interceptions thrown:

Broadway Joe, one of many Hall of Fame quarterbacks to have led the league in interceptions.

• Terry Bradshaw, 1970 (24)
• Joe Namath, 1974 (22)
• Joe Namath, 1975 (28)
• Fran Tarkenton, 1978 (32)
• Warren Moon, 1986 (26)
• Dan Marino, 1989 (22)
• Warren Moon, 1991 (21)
• Jim Kelly, 1992 (19)
• Brett Favre*, 1993 (24)
• Peyton Manning*, 1998 (28)
• Brett Favre*, 2005 (29)
• Brett Favre*, 2008 (22)

* Brett Favre and Peyton Manning are not in the Hall of Fame, but I included them because it is safe to assume that both will be elected as soon as they are eligible. Probable future Hall-of-Famer Ben Roethlisberger threw a league-leading 23 interceptions in 2006. Also, Jay Cutler led the league with 26 interceptions in 2009, and he dominates.

I’m a Packers fan, so I’ve been on both sides of the spectrum. Last season, I could not wait for the Super Bowl to come, the anticipation building each and every day.

This season? I can’t wait for it to be over.

Super Bowl Quarterbacks

The one thing that the down time between the games does provide is time to analyze and break down individual matchups, specifically at quarterback.

This year’s Super Bowl QB matchup, between Tom Brady and Eli Manning and their four combined rings, is a great one. It’s perhaps one of the most highly anticipated QB matchups in Super Bowl history.

Super Bowl quarterbacks Tom Brady and Eli Manning (Charles Krupa, AP)

But where does Eli-Brady XLVI rank all time?

What I’m going to do is rank all 46 quarterback match-ups in the history of the Super Bowl, based on what the stature of each quarterback was entering the game. I’ll look at where each quarterback was at the moment we are in right now, before the game, rather than how they were viewed after it.

The rankings here are based on the build-up to the Super Bowl, not the game itself.  For example, last season Aaron Rodgers was a still-unproven quarterback looking to break out of Brett Favre’s shadow, not the Super Bowl champion, MVP-caliber quarterback he is today. I’ll also put the most stock in previous Super Bowl experience as well as recent individual play. Make sense?  Let’s get started.

(And I won’t rank my hypothetical Aaron Rodgers vs. TJ Yates match-up, although it obviously would have been No. 1.)

Super Bowl QB Matchups: The 8 Greatest

#1 – Super Bowl XIX: Joe Montana (49ers) vs. Dan Marino (Dolphins)

The 15-1 49ers were making their second Super Bowl appearance in four years under Montana,  while Marino had one of the greatest statistical seasons ever, throwing for a then-record 5,084 yards that stood for over 25 years.

This matchup was the ultimate combination of proven Super Bowl success (Montana’s ’81 Super Bowl), superlative statistical success (Marino’s record, just broken this year), rising star power, and quarterback swagger.

First (and only) time Super Bowl quarterback Dan Marino v Super Bowl QB legend Joe Montana

Montana v Marino may not have been the most decorated QB matchup in NFL history going into the game, but it was certainly one of the most intriguing. I say the most intriguing ever.

#2 – Super Bowl XXXII: Brett Favre (Green Bay) vs. John Elway (Denver)

Looking at this match-up in it’s context, it’s just incredible.

Favre was coming off his third MVP season, with 3,867 yards and 35 touchdowns, as well as a Super Bowl victory the previous year. Elway, then 37, was at the tail end of his career, but still was considered one of the premier quarterbacks in the league.

This was the Broncos’ fourth of five Super Bowl appearances under Elway, having lost three in the first decade-plus of his career. It was the MVP gunslinger looking to repeat against the future Hall of Famer, making it great, but only good for second-best.

 #3 – Super Bowl XIII: Terry Bradshaw (Steelers) vs. Roger Staubach (Cowboys)

Bradshaw not only had two Super Bowl wins on his resume, but he also had an MVP season in 1978. To win his third Super Bowl, Bradshaw would have to lead the Steelers past two-time Super Bowl winner Roger Staubach and the defending champion Cowboys, who had just rolled over the Rams 28-0 in the NFC championship game.

Very close to being a top-two game, and lost out by the slimmest of margins.

#4 – Super Bowl XXIV: Joe Montana (49ers) vs. John Elway (Broncos)

Montana already had three Super Bowl wins on his resume, while Elway was finally looking to break through in the win column after losing his first two.

Montana won the MVP that season as the Niners went 14-2; Elway threw for 385 yards against Cleveland in the AFC Championship to lead Denver to its third Super Bowl in four years.

The result was a lopsided San Fran win (55-10) but the quarterback match-up heading into the game was among the best ever.

#5 – Super Bowl I: Bart Starr (Packers) vs. Len Dawson (Chiefs)

It may have been just the first championship game pitting the AFL champion against the NFL champion, but it by no means the beginning of Starr’s and Dawson’s careers. Dawson was the top rated passer in the AFL that season as well as the 1962 AFL MVP, while Starr had led the Packers to three of the previous five NFL championships.

Both went on to be Hall of Famers, and having the first Super Bowl feature such great talent helped pave the way for the growth of the NFL.

#6 – Super Bowl X: Terry Bradshaw (Steelers) vs. Roger Staubach (Cowboys)

Both quarterbacks were Super Bowl champions at this point, but their rematch three years later was a bit more anticipated. Aren’t they always?

#7 – Super Bowl XXVII: Troy Aikman (Cowboys) vs. Jim Kelly (Bills)

This matchup was a repeat of the year before, and it was Kelly’s fourth straight Super Bowl appearance, while Aikman had earned Super Bowl MVP honors the season before.

The question was whether or not Dallas would be able to repeat, as Aikman had played phenomenally in the NFC Championship game against San Francisco but had left the game with a concussion. Kelly was clearly playing at a high level, as Buffalo had gone 12-4 that season, but the question remained whether he would finally be able to win the big one.

#8 – Super Bowl XLVI: Tom Brady (Patriots) vs. Eli Manning (Giants)

This is where I think this year’s Super Bowl quarterback matchup ranks.

There are obviously plenty of people talking about it, especially since it’s the rematch of Super Bowl 42. It is Brady’s chance to cement himself as one of the top-3 quarterbacks of all time, while a win for Eli could push him into permanent elite conversation.

All-Time Super Bowl Quarterback Matchups Poll

Let’s take a quick poll break. The top 8 pretty much has it all: both of the Staubach-Bradshaw matchups, one each of the Aikman-Kelly and Brady-Manning matchups, as well as legends like Montana, Marino, Favre, Elway, Starr, and Dawson.

You’ve seen my top 8. Which one do you think should be #1?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Super Bowl QB Matchups: The Best Of The Rest

#9 – Super Bowl VIII: Bob Griese (Dolphins) vs. Fran Tarkenton (Vikings)

Griese led Miami, in the year after he led the Dolphins to a perfect season, to a third straight Super Bowl appearance, the first team to accomplish such a feat. Minnesota was perhaps better known for the “Purple People Eaters” on defense, they did feature Fran Tarkenton, a future Hall-of-Famer in his own right.

#10 – Super Bowl XXIII: Joe Montana (49ers) vs. Boomer Esiason (Bengals)

While Montana had the 49ers in the Super Bowl for the third time in eight seasons, it was Esiason who was the league MVP in 1988. The game was good too, with Montana leading San Fran on the “Joe Cool” drive to win the game.

#11 – Super Bowl XI: Ken Stabler (Raiders) vs. Fran Tarkenton (Vikings)

Tarkenton was the headliner of this matchup, who at age 36 had led the Vikings to their third Super Bowl in four years. But Stabler led Oakland to a 15-1 record entering the game, and The Snake had also won the MVP just two years prior, in 1974.

#12 – Super Bowl XLIII: Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers) vs. Kurt Warner (Cardinals)

Another instance of two previous Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks competing against each other.

Roethlisberger had Pittsburgh in its second Super Bowl in four years, but Warner, in his third Super Bowl appearance, was the story. He had to earn the starting job from Matt Leinart and had Arizona in the playoffs at just 9-7. He played spectacular in the playoffs, however, leading the Cardinals to 30-plus points in each of the three playoff games up to that point.

#13 – Super Bowl XLIV: Drew Brees (Saints) vs. Peyton Manning (Colts)

Brees-Manning was perhaps the better straight quarterback match-up than Roethlisberger-Warner the season before, but this was Brees’ first appearance in a Super Bowl, so he did not have the stature he does now.

Still, Manning was the MVP that season, and Brees was no slouch, throwing for 4,338 yards and had a passer rating of 109.6, so this was a highly anticipated matchup between two prolific quarterbacks.

#14 – Super Bowl XXVII: Troy Aikman (Cowboys) vs. Jim Kelly (Bills)

Aikman’s first Super Bowl, Kelly’s third straight. Better the next year.

#15 – Super Bowl IX: Terry Bradshaw (Steelers) vs. Fran Tarkenton (Vikings)

Perhaps the best defensive matchup ever, featuring the Steel Curtain against the Purple People Eaters, but Tarkenton was in his second straight Super Bowl and Bradshaw was in the middle of his Hall of Fame career.

#16 – Super Bowl XXVIII: Jim Plunkett (Raiders) vs. Joe Theismann (Redskins)

Maybe not the most elite of matchups from a name value perspective, but both already had a Super Bowl win on their resume entering the game, which had only happened twice to date.

#17 – Super Bowl XXXIX: Tom Brady (Patriots) vs. Donovan McNabb (Eagles)

Brady was playing in his third Super Bowl in four years against a perennial Pro Bowler in McNabb playing in his first.

#18 – Super Bowl XLVI: Eli Manning (Giants) vs. Tom Brady (Patriots)

The build-up was there based on the Patriots being 18-0 at the time, but there were serious doubts about Eli Manning. Why does everybody doubt this kid again?

Eli Manning finally earned some respect by leading the Giants to a Super Bowl 42 upset of New England. He can gain even more respect on Sunday.

#19 – Super Bowl VI: Roger Staubach (Cowboys) vs. Bob Griese (Dolphins)

The first Super Bowl appearance for each of these quarterbacks, at least one of whom would appear in five of the next seven Super Bowls.

#20 – Super Bowl XLV: Aaron Rodgers (Packers) vs. Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers)

This ranking is actually based of it being Roethlisberger’s third Super Bowl appearance, and it came in the midst of Rodgers’ ascendance to one of the game’s elite, but he wasn’t truly there until this game was played.

#21 – Super Bowl II: Bart Starr (Packers) vs. Daryle Lamonica (Raiders)

Lamonica was that season’s (1967) AFL MVP, and that Starr guy was pretty good too.

#22 – Super Bowl XXXI: Brett Favre (Packers) vs. Drew Bledsoe (Patriots)

The two had combined for six Pro Bowls plus two MVPs, both of which were awarded to Favre, including his second straight in 1996.

#23 – Super Bowl XXI: Phil Simms (Giants) vs. John Elway (Broncos)

This was Elway’s first Super Bowl, on the heels of The Drive, but the Broncos ran into Simms’ 14-2 Giants, better known for the Lawrence Taylor-led defense.

 #24 – Super Bowl XVI: Joe Montana (49ers) vs. Ken Anderson (Bengals)

Both were young quarterbacks coming into their own, and while Montana would eventually win four Super Bowls, Anderson was the 1981 MVP.

#25 – Super Bowl XXX: Troy Aikman (Cowboys) vs. Neil O’Donnell (Steelers)

Aikman’s third appearance in four years, while O’Donnell was an effective manager of 11-5 Pittsburgh, throwing for just under 3,000 yards and 17 touchdowns against just seven interceptions.

#26 – Super Bowl XII: Roger Staubach (Cowboys) vs. Craig Morton (Broncos)

Both quarterbacks’ second Super Bowl appearance, with Staubach leading Dallas to the win in Super Bowl VI and Morton coming up short for those same Cowboys in Super Bowl V.

#27 – Super Bowl XXVI: Mark Rypien (Redskins) vs. Jim Kelly (Bills)

Kelly was making his second straight Super Bowl appearance, while Rypien led the NFC in passer rating at 97.9 with protection from “The Hogs”.

#28 – Super Bowl XXXIII: John Elway (Broncos) vs. Chris Chandler (Falcons)

Chandler led the Falcons to a surprising 14-2, but Elway’s fifth Super Bowl appearance, and second straight, was the talk.

#29 – Super Bowl XXXIX: Steve Young (49ers) vs. Stan Humphries (Chargers)

Humphries had the surprise Chargers in the Super Bowl, but this was about Steve Young finally getting his shot at a title and monkey off his back.

Steve Young finally became a Super Bowl-winning quarterback and emerged from Joe Montana's considerable shadow with a historic performance against the Chargers.

#30 – Super Bowl VII: Bob Griese (Dolphins) vs. Billy Kilmer (Redskins)

Griese was looking to avenge the Super Bowl loss and did so with a perfect Dolphins team; and then there was Billy Kilmer, and you don’t know who he is either.

#31 – Super Bowl III: Joe Namath (Jets) vs. Earl Morrall (Colts)

Namath’s guarantee is famous, but he was a slightly-above-average quarterback on the field despite his star power, while Morrall was filling in for an injured Johnny Unitas.

#32  - Super Bowl XIV: Terry Bradshaw (Steelers) vs. Vince Ferragamo (Rams)

Ferragamo was a back-up for Pat Haden and was not great, bringing down the fact that Bradshaw was playing in his fourth Super Bowl.

#33 – Super Bowl XV: Jim Plunkett (Raiders) vs. Ron Jaworski (Eagles)

Two quarterbacks you remember being as better as they actually were.

#34 – Super Bowl IV: Len Dawson (Chiefs) vs. Joe Kapp (Vikings)

Three years after losing to Bart Starr, Dawson finally got his win.

#35 – Super Bowl XXII: Doug Williams (Redskins) vs. John Elway (Broncos)

Williams was fortunate to have a loaded Redskins team, while Elway had Denver in the Super Bowl for a second straight year.

#36 – Super Bowl XXXIV: Kurt Warner (Rams) vs. Steve McNair (Titans)

Warner was the engineer of the “Greatest Show on Turf,” but Eddie George was the main threat for Tennessee.

#37 – Super Bowl XXXVI: Tom Brady (Patriots) vs. Kurt Warner (Rams)

2001 Tom Brady was just the guy who took over for Drew Bledsoe, not the 2012 Tom Brady he is today.

#38 – Super Bowl XL: Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers) vs. Matt Hasselbeck (Seahawks)

Big Ben was still somewhat unproven in his second year, and while Hasselbeck was efficient for Seattle, MVP Shaun Alexander was the driving force.

#39 – Super Bowl XXV: Jeff Hostetler (Giants) vs. Jim Kelly (Bills)

Only Kelly’s first Super Bowl, and Hostetler was an injury replacement for Phil Simms.

#40 – Super Bowl V: Johnny Unitas (Colts) vs. Craig Morton (Cowboys)

Unitas was 37, and Morton was in a QB controversy all season with Roger Staubach.

#41 – Super Bowl XLI: Peyton Manning (Colts) vs. Rex Grossman (Bears)

Peyton finally got to his first Super Bowl, but this match-up is dragged waaaaay down by Sexy Rexy.

In Rex's defense, the weather was awful and Peyton Manning didn't play particularly well either.

#42 – Super Bowl XXXVIII: Tom Brady (Patriots) vs. Jake Delhomme (Panthers)

Brady was going for two out of three, but he was facing the Panthers, who made it on the strength of their running game.

#43- Super Bowl  XVII: Joe Theismann (Redskins) vs. David Woodley (Dolphins)

Theismann wasn’t great, and Woodley wasn’t anybody.

#44 – Super Bowl XXXVII: Brad Johnson (Buccaneers) vs. Rich Gannon (Raiders)

Gannon was the MVP, but the Bucs were all about defense.

#45 – Super Bowl XXXV: Trent Dilfer (Ravens) vs. Kerry Collins (Giants)

Most people’s worst match-up, but only second-worst for me.

#46 – Super Bowl XX:  Jim McMahon (Bears) vs. Tony Eason (Patriots)

Eason had more interceptions than touchdowns in the regular season, while the Bears had Payton, Singletary and the Fridge, and McMahon was largely an afterthought outside his persona and sunglasses.

**********

So there are the rankings. 1-46. Every Super Bowl quarterback matchup ever.

The question now, as it was when we ranked the 13 best Super Bowl plays of all-time, and when we ranked the 10 best Super Bowl commercials of all-time, is what choices do you agree/disagree with? What did we get right, and what did we get wrong?

That’s what the comment section is for. Chime in below!

And no, sorry, as cool as the picture of the lined-up Indy cars is, it’s not the best photo either.

Here is the best Super Bowl XLVI photo that I’ve seen of the many coming coming out of Indianapolis this week:

Click image (or here) to enlarge in a new window

Image credit: Fidamo

And this is just a 615 pixel wide screenshot, and it looks that good. To see the high-resolution image, click here and then click the photo again to enlarge.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should tell you that a dear friend of mine took this photo. I should also tell you that I didn’t know that when I first saw the photo and was wowed by how terrific it is. The colors, the perspective, even the subtle fish eye effect…I’m no photography expert, not by a long shot, but I do know a great one when I see it; and this is a great one.

Even better, the photographer is selling prints of the photo through her website and donating all of the proceeds to the Peyton Manning Children’s Charity.

To purchase the high-res image of the photo for $5 (which I just did), or to purchase 10 x 15, 12 x 18, or 24 x 36 inch prints, click here.

Here is the backstory on the photo, from her website:

It was a rainy night in Indianapolis on the eve of the kick-off to Super Bowl XLVI Festivities in Indianapolis … maybe not a perfect night to be out wondering around the chilly streets of downtown, but it WAS a perfect night to take photos! Even at 10p the night before, a small crowd had already started to gather around the huge installation of XLVI on Monument Circle … each Indianapolis native hoping to catch a glimpse of the numbers before the streets grew so crowded that they would have to fight their way to snap an image of the circle. It was an exciting night to be Hoosier, watching the lights come on and reflect across a stormy street that lay waiting in anticipation of the enormous crowds that it was about to receive!

I’m sure that a number of great, iconic photos will be taken during the game, as always are. And many of those images will end up being the enduring on-field images from Super Bowl 46.

But I think the photo above will end up being the enduring off-field image from a Super Bowl that is making everyone who lives in Indianapolis, and everyone who once lived there but still considers themselves a Hoosier, very proud.

Show details:

• Date: Wednesday, January 25
• Time: 6:00 CT (7:00 ET)
• Call-in number: (858) 365-5571 (also use this number to listen to the show anywhere right from your phone)
• Listen live link: Click here

Listen live using the link above or catch the archived version right here at MSF as soon as the show ends.

As for tonight’s topics, here is what the NFC North Report crew plans to discuss.

Tentative Show schedule:

• Depression Update: How Chris and Amanda are handling the playoff loss a week and a half later
• Pro Bowl talk
• Jay Cutler is a daddy!
  

  What if this guy got you pregnant?

• Adrian Peterson potentially changing numbers – good move?
• Peyton Manning potentially leaving the Colts
• Super Bowl plans – Will we watch?

If you missed out on past episodes, feel free to catch up on all the pigskin chatter on iTunes.

After a decade of 10-win seasons and playoff appearances, Indy went 2-14 this season without Peyton Manning under center. Now Bill Polian is gone, Jim Caldwell is gone, Rob Lowe is causing Twitter firestorms with suggestions that Manning is retiring…and it all has Peyton feeling a bit out of sorts, as he described to Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star.

In addition to determining Manning’s playing status for next season, the other big decision the Colts must make is who their head coach will be. Former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel’s name has been bandied about, but as our Chris Callaway wondered last week, why not Manning as player/coach? As absurd as the idea sounds (and is), is it any more absurd than Manning attempting to operate under the ultra-conservative direction of Tressel?

These thoughts, and a few choice photos of lovably eccentric Colts owner Jim Irsay, coalesced into our latest photo story.

If for some reason the image below does not load, click here to view in a new window.

**********

If you enjoyed this photo story, be sure to check out our other photo stories that have featured Peyton Manning and/or Jim Irsay. There are a number of them. There’s just something about those hilariously photogenic, high-profile Colts that always seems to make them a compelling topic.

• “Desperate Measures” – Peyton Manning’s Frantic Quest To Save The Colts’ Season
• “Sucks For Luck” starring Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck, and musical guest Jim Irsay

In his three years as coach of the Colts, he went 14-2 in 2009, 10-6 in 2010 and 2-14 in 2011. Yes, Indianapolis was terrible this year without Peyton Manning under center, but just two short years ago, with #18 healthy, the Colts won the AFC and played in Super Bowl XLIV. In 2010, Manning threw for a career-high 450 completions and 4,700 yards to go with 33 touchdowns.

The Colts relied so heavily on what Manning could do that they were lost without him in 2011. It’s not surprising that Indianapolis wen’t 2-14 this season.

Jim Caldwell may have gotten a raw deal in Indy, but a 2-14 season didn't help his cause.

I don’t necessarily agree with the firing, but Caldwell’s last season left them with a predicament on their hands.

The Colts will be bringing in a new general manager and head coach, who will have to deal with drafting Andrew Luck No. 1 overall.  Of course, they don’t have to draft Luck, but all the reports and indications say that the Stanford quarterback will be the No. 1 pick, and it’s the right move to make for the future of the organization. There’s no correct answer to what should be done with the situation. Do you give up on the last few years of one of the best quarterbacks of all-time?

Here’s a crazy idea: make Peyton Manning the head coach. He’s essentially the offensive coordinator already, and he knows the organization as well, if not better than anyone currently on staff. He’s as smart on the offensive side of the ball as any player or coach in the league, and being a quarterback, he’s seen every defense imaginable.

He would admittedly need a strong defensive coordinator, especially for during practice, but on game day, everything goes through Peyton anyways. Why not make him head coach too?

If you were to give him the head coaching title too, it would inevitably make him more invested in not only his personal success but the success of the team as well. From a health perspective, Manning should not be playing after his skills have diminished. If he’s not on his A-game, he’s more susceptible to a hit that could severely damage his quality of life. Yes, that’s true for any player on any given play, but more so for a quarterback who has had multiple neck injuries.

If he knows whenever he’s done playing that he can just transition into the other part of his role, as head coach, he may be more inclined to call it quits before it’s too late.

Personally, I think Manning has another two years in him before he should retire. Having Andrew Luck sit for two years, learning from one of the best ever, before taking over the starting role while continuing to learn from Manning would be the perfect situation for the Indianapolis Colts.

So why not give it a shot? Coming off a 2-14 season, they’ve got nothing to lose.

Wait…what?

That’s right, you heard me. Makeout sessions. Just look at these pictures and tell me these bros aren’t about to lock lips right there on the gridiron.

First, here are Tommy Brady and Timmy Tebow:

Image credit: Barry Gutierrez/AP via People.com

In this picture, Tebow appears ready to play the role of Gisele, gazing into Tom Terrific’s eyes before planting a wet smackeroo right smack dab on those dreamy lips. He’s even using the age-old technique of grabbing the outside shoulder to guide Brady towards him. This is the technique of a grizzled makeout veteran, not a close-to-holy virgin, so to see Tebow execute it so deftly is both surprising and impressive. He’s a natural, this one.

What’s funny is that even if you didn’t interpret this picture at all like that, the once-unseen-cannot-be-unseen principal applies. Now you can’t look at the picture without seeing it as an impending lip lock, can you?

To prove it, try looking at this picture of Alex Smith and Drew Brees after their epic 4th quarter rendezvous in Candlestick.

Image credit: Marcio Jose Sanchez / AP  via GreenwichTime.com

Smith goes with a different technique than Tebow, choosing instead to control the action with the arm-around-waist strategy. But from his subtle lean back, it’s clear that he wants Brees to make the first move, just like Brees did in the final five minutes of the 4th quarter on Saturday before the game’s fantastic final few minutes.

Another great example of the Postgame QB Kiss phenomenon came in December of 2010 when Eli Manning and Aaron Rodgers met up. (Unfortunately, none of yesterday’s pics of the two really qualified; I guess Aaron just wasn’t in the mood.)

Image credit: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images North America via Zimbio.com

In this picture, Rodgers has clearly accepted the submissive female role. In this sense, Rodgers’ makeout-initiation strategy seems not all that unlike how he and the Packers played yesterday. You can see ARodg placing his right hand gently below Eli’s chest while gazing towards Eli’s awkwardly formed mouth. Eli, with his devil-may-care hairstyle is clearly enamored with Rodgers’ 8:00 shadow, even more than Rodgers’ ability “flight” and “spin” the ball.

As for the fourth game from yesterday, that there was actual QB play in that game is only a rumor, so I didn’t waste time searching for pictures of Fu Manchu Flacco nor T.J. Yates. But you don’t have to dig too deeply into the Google Image Search results to find other such pictures. Just search two high profile QBs’ names together, and you’re sure to find a postgame picture of them that, because of this ridiculous and unnecessary post, you will now see as the early stages of QB tonsil hockey.

Let’s try it. How about…Brees and Peyton Manning?

Yep:

Image source: Gridiron Experts

Brees and divisional rival Matt Ryan?

Image credit: AP via PennLive.com

Okay, so Drew Brees likes kissing other quarterbacks. We get it.

Let’s go the non-Brees Legends Division. How about Jay Cutler and…Brett Favre?

Yep.

Image source: PigskinReport.com

As for the brothers, they seem a bit less likely to gaze longingly into eachothers’ eyes, at least from the 90 seconds of research I just did; rather, they go right in for the bro hug like Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick here:

Image credit: Tim Shaffer/Reuters via Eurweb.com

And it’s not just limited to quarterbacks either. Coaches tend to have the same midfield meetings after games, and most are not like Jim Harbaugh and Jim Scwhartz.

In fact, from time to time we get movie-style dramatic pre-kisses like this one featuring Bill Parcells and his former apprentice Bill Belichick.

Image source: The Sports Blog

Another great example of coaches getting into the act may have occurred this weekend. Showing that he has learned from the Schwartz fiasco, Jim Harbaugh seemed quite gracious in victory with the Saints’ Sean Payton. Watch the video and decide just how gracious.

There are plenty more pictures and videos showing similar postgame closeness between opponents. I’ll let you enjoy the search for them. I think I’ve made my point and now forever ruined your ability to see these ubiquitous postgame photos as they are actually meant to be seen, which is of course as simple friend gestures of sportsmanship.

So…my work here (which probably never should have started) is done.

All that is left to do is let Turk and J.D. take us out with a song that lets all of these kissing combatants know it’s all okay. It’s just guy love…between two guys.

I have a different idea. It may sound crazy, you may not like it, but here it goes…

WIN NOW. Keep Peyton and trade the picks.

I guarantee about 50 percent of you are shaking your head at me or muttering out loud that I am insane. I am ok with that.

Here is my proposal: trade the first overall pick to…the Cleveland Browns. They don’t have the guy in Colt McCoy, he just isn’t ready. Keep him as a backup or trade him for another pick. They need a big, strong pocket passer in Cleveland, and they have two first-round picks this year.

If I were the Colts, I would demand BOTH first-rounders for this year and next year’s first round pick and maybe one more pick. You use those picks to bolster the putrid defense and you let Peyton have two or three more good years to try and win it all one more time.

As far as drafting a QB in this draft, why not take a chance in the second or third round on Kellen Moore from Boise St.?

Image source: The Bullgator

He doesn’t have to play now, but you definitely upgrade your backups going from Dan Orlovsky and Curtis Painter to the NCAA’s all-time wins leader. Who knows? Maybe Moore is the future. Even if he’s not, you won’t have to spend a high pick and money on him and he can develop.

I know now all of you are compiling a list of why Kellen Moore won’t make it as a pro. He’s too short. Well, Drew Brees is about the same height. He doesn’t have a huge arm. Perhaps, but Moore is extremely accurate, which, along with number of college starts, is more predictive of NFL success than arm strength.

I am not saying this WILL work. But it is something that could work.

I think a fellow named Tom Brady was drafted in the sixth round. How has he fared? Pretty well I would say.

Yes, the likelihood is slim that Moore is the Brady level of talent, but if Peyton is healthy and the Colts want to make a mad dash at the Super Bowl over the next three years, this move is the one to make.

Here is a list of the many passing and receiving records that were broken or tied during the 2011 NFL season:

Most passing yards in a single season

• Old record: 5,084—Dan Marino, Miami Dolphins, 1984
• Record breakers: 5,476—Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints; 5,235—Tom Brady, New England Patriots

Highest single-season quarterback rating

• Old record: 121.1—Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts, 2004
• Record breaker: 122.5—Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

Most passing yards in a single season for a rookie

• Old record: 3,739—Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts, 1998
• Record breaker: 4,051—Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers

Most receiving yards in a single season for a tight end

• Old record: 1,290—Kellen Winslow, San Diego Chargers, 1980
• Record breakers: 1,327—Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots; 1,310—Jimmy Graham, New Orleans Saints

Most touchdown receptions in a single season for a tight end

• Old record: 13—Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers, 2004 and Vernon Davis, San Francisco 49ers, 2009
• Record breaker: 17—Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots

Most net passing yards surrendered in a single season

• Old record: 4,541—Atlanta Falcons, 1995
• Record breakers: 4,796—Green Bay Packers; 4,703—New England Patriots

Most 500-yard passing games in a single season

• Old record: 1 (1951, 1962, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1996, 2000, 2006, 2009)
• New record: 2 (Matthew Stafford, 520 in Week 17; Tom Brady, 517 in Week 1)

Most 4,000-yard passers in a single season (tie)

• Old record: 10—2009 (Schaub, P. Manning, Romo, Rodgers, Brady, Brees, Roethlisberger, Rivers, Favre, E. Manning)
• Tied record: 10 (Brees, Brady, Stafford, E. Manning, Rodgers, Rivers, Romo, Ryan, Roethlisberger, Newton)

Most 5,000-yard passers in a single season

• Old Record: 1—1984 (Dan Marino) and 2008 (Drew Brees)
• New Record: 3 (Drew Brees, Tom Brady, and Matthew Stafford)

Most 3,000-yard rookie passers in a single season

• Old Record: 1—1998 (Peyton Manning), 2008 (Matt Ryan), and 2010 (Sam Bradford)
• New Record: 2 (Cam Newton and Andy Dalton)

Drew Brees shattered records this year with the help of his sentient Muppet football.

There’s your list. I’ll leave it to someone with more football expertise than myself to explain why all of these records went down in a single season. But I would caution you not to write off all these record-breaking performances as a consequence of rule changes to protect quarterbacks and defenseless receivers. While passing numbers have been on an upward trend since the first of these rules was put in place in the 1970s, there isn’t a single 2011 rule change that accounts for all of these records—some of which have stood since the early 1980s—falling this year.

Moving the kick-off to the 35-yard line has not had a substantial effect on starting field position. (Drew Brees’ average starting position this year was his 28.24-yard line; last year he started from the 28.64.) While the league has put a premium on player safety and banned “launching,” it has also eased roughing-the-passer rules so that a player is not penalized for grazing a quarterback’s helmet with his hand. This latter rule should have resulted in more pressure on quarterbacks.

It is also interesting that all of this happened in a year when one of the most prolific passers in league history—Peyton Manning—didn’t play and when Matt Schaub, one of the most prolific passers during the last several seasons, suffered a season-ending injury in November.

I love to argue so much that when I was in college I joined the school debate team.

I loved that so much that when I was a junior I changed my minor to speech.

I loved that so much that when I graduated I became an English and Speech teacher – so I could teach kids how to reason and think every single day.

Debate is OFTEN one of the most fun parts of sports. If you watch a game, follow a given team, or cheer for a certain player, you can develop opinions. But after a while, your convictions on said game/team/player grow, and you become entrenched in your opinion. If anyone disagrees with you, you almost feel that you are being personally attacked.

I have spent hours arguing over Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. I have spent days arguing over the NBA and college basketball. I have probably wasted weeks of my life arguing over Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

That last one hurts me the most.

Why? Because I may never get to appreciate Peyton Manning on my team again.

When Sports Get Personal

Every once in a while, a player/coach/team comes around that hits everyone a little differently. It’s these times when sports become more personal. As soon as sports becomes personal, it’s easy to lose sight of more important things.

I have spent the last ten years of my life trying to prove that Peyton Manning was a better player than Tom Brady. Every single game I watched him – hoping he would do something that “Tom Brady could never do.” Every single year, I cheered for the Colts to win the Super Bowl, or at the very least to beat the Patriots. I compared their stats. I compared their records. I compared their teams.

My decision was made up already…and I constantly looked for supporting evidence.

Was I right? I think I was…but it doesn’t much matter anymore.

Peyton’s career in Indy is probably over, and I probably won’t get the opportunity to ENJOY him ever again.

That’s right, ENJOY him.

The most important part of sports.

After all, that’s REALLY the reason we invest so much time into games, isn’t it? They are fun. They are enjoyable. They are entertaining.

Sometimes, we just need to stop debating and enjoy what’s happening, because at the end of the day nobody REALLY knows.

This is what we all need to do with Tim Tebow.

I’m going to say something that may shock you, but I believe it with all of my heart.

Tim Tebow is the most polarizing athlete since Muhammad Ali.

Read that again. THE MOST POLARIZING athlete of the past thirty years.

Why?

• He doesn’t rack up technical fouls like Rasheed Wallace.
• He didn’t commit adultery like Kobe Bryant or Tiger Woods.
• He’s never been in trouble with the law.
• He only choked in one big game (if you can call losing to a superior Alabama team in the SEC Championship choking…).

In fact, you could make a pretty compelling case that Tim Tebow should be the LEAST polarizing guy in sports. Have you watched his press conferences? Have you heard him speak?

• 
He’s well-spoken.
• He’s humble.
• He’s a leader.
• He loves Jesus.

No matter how you feel about that last point, doesn’t he earn an A++ on the first three? And aren’t those things that we are constantly bemoaning “just aren’t common in sports anymore?”

The Problem With The Tebow Debate

The problem with Tebow is that we ALL had a preconceived notion about him before this season. Sports became personal. No longer did we want to see him succeed or fail in order to vindicate our reasoning, we wanted to see him succeed or fail in order to vindicate ourselves.

But here was the problem: no matter if you were an NFL “expert,” or just a fan that loves football, NOBODY REALLY KNEW.

As soon as Tebow was placed into the starting lineup, his supporters (myself included) started trying to use his play to support their faith in him.

At the same time, his doubters started looking for his flaws.

EVERYONE went into “Tim Tebow” (his name has become its own entity now, like a movie) with his mind made up already – and it’s made the entire experience unenjoyable for everybody.

• Do you realize that he’s come back in the fourth quarter SIX times already this year?
• Do you realize that Broncos’ games, by far, have been the most exciting games in the NFL this season?
• Do you realize that there were THREE 50-yard field goals in yesterday’s game?

Most of us don’t…because we were too busy trying to justify our feelings about a guy that was awesome in college but wasn’t expected to be good in the NFL.

Let me repeat – EVERYONE went into Tim Tebow with his mind made up. We are ALL at fault.

Tebow supporters laud his unbelievable play during crunch time. “HE GETS BETTER WHEN IT MATTERS!”

That fact is indisputable.

Tebow haters ridicule his first three quarters. “HE OFTEN PLAYS TERRIBLE FOR THREE/FOURTHS OF THE GAME!”

That fact is also indisputable.

Image credit: Marc Serota/Getty Images via Mile High Report

The Problem With Preconceived Sports Notions

You see, when you go into something with your mind made up, you can use ANYTHING to support your belief.

“The only reason Tim Tebow is bad in the first three quarters is because John Fox doesn’t trust him. He’s putting him in a position to fail. NO QB would play well if his coached called runs on the first two plays and then forced him to throw on third and long.”

There may be a lot of truth in this. But when it’s coming from someone who REFUSES to recognize Tebow’s flaws, nobody wants to listen.

“The only reason the Broncos are winning is because of their incredible defense. Tim Tebow is a joke. Cam Newton and Andy Dalton are MUCH better. The league will figure Tebow out. Coach Fox is the coach of the year because he’s designed the offense completely around Tebow.”

While I happen to think there is less truth in this than the previous paragraph, I have to admit that many of these thoughts are at least plausible. But when those statements are made by someone that REFUSES to acknowledge the good things Tebow has done, nobody wants to listen either.

The Tebow debates have become comical at this point. We even argue about WHY we argue about him.

Tebow lovers scream from the top of the lungs that they are just defending him because the media hates him.

“Colin Cowherd has already said that Cam Newton is a Hall of Famer, even though he’s 4-9 and has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns this year. He hates Tebow for no reason. All of the media hates Tebow. Somebody has to defend him.”

Once again, there is truth in this. But really, we should come out of this with one conclusion – Colin Cowherd is an imbecile. There’s no need to bash Cam Newton – a guy that’s every bit as exciting as Tebow, but who makes more mistakes yet is playing on the team with the league’s worst defense.

Tebow haters cry that they just want to stop hearing about Tebow.

“Every SportsCenter starts with Tebow. He was even making headlines in the preseason when he was the backup! The media talks about him constantly! They love him! I’ve had enough!”

This is all true as well. Really, we should come out of this with one conclusion as well – ESPN is the devil. But is that Tebow’s fault?

Let me say this again: no matter what you THINK will happen with Tim Tebow’s career, and no matter how you FEEL about him, nobody really KNOWS.

With Tebow (And Anything In Sports) – No One Really Knows

Nobody REALLY knows anything when it comes to sports.

• Scouts just KNEW that Ryan Leaf would be amazing.
• Scouts just KNEW that Todd Marinovich was a sure thing.
• Experts just KNEW that the Heat would win the title last year.

Everyone was wrong.

That’s SUPPOSED to be what makes sports so enjoyable.

IT’S WHY WE PLAY THE GAME!!!!

In the third quarter of yesterday’s game, Devin Hester returned a punt. My friend turned to me and asked, “Do you think he’s the greatest returner of all time?”

I wanted to say, “Yes. But he’s not a good wide receiver.”

That’s so typical of sports. We constantly want to argue. But as I watched the replay of Hester’s unbelievable return yesterday, I thought to myself, “Wow. This guy is breathtaking. We should just enjoy him while he’s still great.”

What if we all did the same thing with Tim Tebow?

What if we went into a Broncos’ game with our preconceived notions checked at the door?

Can you imagine watching him throw a completion? Wouldn’t it be nice to not have to listen to his supporters jump into the air and scream, “I TOLD YOU SO!!!!” (Yes, fellow Tebow fans, this is most definitely annoying.)

Can you imagine watching him throw the ball into the ground? Wouldn’t it be nice to not read 8,000 tweets in the next two minutes ridiculing his throwing motion? (Yes, Tebow haters, this is just as annoying.)

This is my fear: someday, and maybe someday soon, Tebow is going to go scrambling on some crazy first down play near the end of the game and get hit. Maybe he takes a cheap shot. Maybe he just gets hit the wrong way. Whatever. It doesn’t really matter. But every player in football is just one play away from being out for the game, or the season, or maybe even forever.

At that point, the Tebow experience could be over.

Would that change anything about the excitement of the last eight weeks? Will that take away the crazy memories that the Broncos have given us?

It shouldn’t. But how many of us will even have those memories?

Have you really stopped to enjoy Tebow this season?

After years of arguing about Peyton Manning, guess what I have? No more proof now than I ever had.

I also may not ever get to watch my favorite football player of all time play for my favorite team ever again.

Let’s not make the same mistake with Tebow.

Love him or hate him, we can all enjoy him.

Image source: NFLPassers.com

I am referring, of course, to Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck, two quarterbacks whose futures become ever more entwined as the Colts get closer and closer to having the first pick in next April’s draft (and as the news about Manning’s neck continues to worsen).

We’ve had some fun it with it here on MSF, posting weekly “Suck 4 Luck” Power Rankings every Monday. And they’ve certainly had fun with it on ESPN, where for the last 48 hours, on pretty much every one of their motormouthing talk shows, gas bags have been debating what the Colts should do if and when they get the #1 pick and Peyton Manning is healthy enough to play again.

I thought we were going overboard mentioning it once a week, but ESPN has walked the plank the last two days. I realize they do this because it’s what people want to hear talked about, but people only want to hear it talked about because Luck has been so endlessly hyped up by the ESPNs of the world in the first place. It’s a vicious and in many ways worthless cycle.

But the futures of you, me, and almost everybody else are not affected by this cycle. The future of Luck is affected, however, because he is now seen by desperate teams and fan bases across the NFL as some kind of savior sent from the Plant Elway by the Grace of Unitas to rescue one lucky franchise from the depths of NFL purgatory.

Which got me to thinking: that must kind of suck…for Luck. So I made a photo story about it.

If you don’t see the photo story below, click here to view in a separate window.

Note: Hat tip to our buddy @BlkSportsOnline for coining the nickname “Thor” for Curtis Painter.

If you liked the photo story above, you’ll almost surely enjoy our most popular one from 2010: “Desperate Measures” – Peyton Manning’s Frantic Quest To Save The Colts’ Season.

**********

What do you think about the Andrew Luck hype? Is it overblown? Is it unfair to him?

And how about the Colts? How would you approach the offseason if Peyton Manning is deemed healthy enough to resume playing in 2012?

The comment section is there if you want to discuss.

This is a question I’ve been thinking about a lot over the past several weeks, as I continue to be more and more impressed (and surprised) by how well Cam Newton is transitioning to the NFL in his first season.

Cam Newton’s Impressive Start

Frankly, I did not think that Newton was going to become a good NFL quarterback. I certainly did not think it would happen this quickly. But this is why I blog about the NFL in my underpants while typing with Cheetos-stained fingers and other people get paid to scout and draft players*.

* – Of course, plenty of people who do not blog about the NFL in their underpants with Cheetos-stained fingers, and who get paid to scout players, agreed with my assessment about Newton. This just goes to show how inexact a science scouting quarterbacks can be. Except for this guy.

As good as he’s been,nobody is ready to put Cam Newton into Canton yet. It takes more than 8 statistically strong games to classify someone as an elite QB, especially when six of those games have resulted in losses.

In fact, we’re going to learn a lot about Newton over these final 8 weeks while the Panthers essentially “play out the string” and Newton is forced to endure the first losing season of his football career. Leading your team in spite of adversity is one of the most important attributes for a successful NFL QB. We’ll see if Newton has that ability. So far he’s given us no reason to doubt him.

Certainly there is no reason to doubt Newton’s physical skills. He is passing for nearly 300 yards per game (299.1), completing 60.6% of his passes, and has thrown 11 touchdown passes against 9 interceptions. Those are solid numbers for any quarterback, let alone a rookie, and they are made even more impressive when his superlative running stats added to the discussion: 5.1 yards per carry and 7 rushing touchdowns.

And the numbers don’t tell the whole story.

Whereas Tim Tebow’s numbers are not nearly as poor as you might think, and in fact compare favorably to several Hall of Famers’ stats through five starts, Tebow hasn’t looked at all like an NFL QB. Cam Newton, on the other hand, has. He’s played with poise throughout games, including late, and he’s shown that he can make all the throws. He also has shown the ability to hit guys for big plays down the field when they are a open, which is an absolute requisite skill for a quarterback in the NFL. When a QB has a chance to make a big play, it must be made more often than not; simple as that.

Newton has been far from perfect, and he has plenty of growing to do, but I don’t think anyone is anything but highly impressed with his first eight games as an NFL quarterback. Many may not have been as low on Newton as I was before the season, but I doubt anyone other than Cam himself expected this kind of success out of the gate.

And all of this leads me back to my original question: how many NFL teams would trade their QB right now for Cam Newton?

Hypothetically Speaking…

For our purposes, assume that everything is how it is (team records, contracts, rosters, coaches, etc) and that every NFL team is given the option of swapping its current QB right now for Newton. I admit that is 100% ridiculous because Carolina wouldn’t trade Cam Newton for anyone (except maybe Aaron Rodgers…), but humor me for the sake of discussion. The result of this hypothetical transaction would be Newton quarterbacking the team for the rest of this season, in place of their current QB, and then being their QB through the rest of his rookie contract.

There are a number of easy answers on both sides, teams that wouldn’t even think twice about saying yes or no:

• Automatic No: New England, Pittsburgh, Green Bay, New Orleans, New York Giants
• Automatic Yes: Miami, Cleveland, Tennessee, Jacksonville, Oakland, Kansas City, Denver, Washington, Seattle

I shouldn’t have to defend any of the automatic “no” choices. Each team has a Super Bowl-winning QB, and each team feels it is a contender this season. As tantalized as they may be by Newton, none of these teams would trade their guy for him. (And anyone who doesn’t think Eli deserves this kind of respect is, in my opinion, crazy.)

As for the automatic yeses, I can maybe-possibly see some saying that Tennessee and Jacksonville have “QBs of the future” in Jake Locker and Blaine Gabbert, but both teams would have rather had Newton in the draft and surely would rather have him now. These and the others are absolute no-brainers to me.

Now let’s go one-by-one through the remaining teams and figure out a) if they would trade their current QB for Cam Newton, and b) if they should trade their current QB for Cam Newton, because I bet the answers won’t often be the same. Of course these are all just my opinions based on how I see each team’s situation.

As always, I encourage disagreement, discussion, and even constructive criticism. That’s what comment sections are for. And there is a poll at the end of this post so we can crowdsource some kind of consensus for the non-obvious teams.

Here goes…

Buffalo Bills – Ryan Fitzpatrick (current record: 5-2)

The Bills just locked Fitzpatrick up to a long-term contract that will pay him $24 million and keep him as the signal caller in Buffalo for at least the next 2-3 years. Considering the deal Arizona signed Kevin Kolb to in the offseason, Fitzpatrick certainly deserves this contract. He has passed for 1,739 yards this year and twice as many touchdowns as interceptions, and he’s led Buffalo to first place in the AFC East. There is perhaps concern that Fitzpatrick is playing over his head, as his current completion rate is 8 points higher than his career average, and his QB rating is 20 points higher than his career average, but Fitzpatrick also could just be showing the normal progression that a good young NFL quarterback will make.

Personally, I’m not sold on Fitzpatrick as a top-tier option for the future who can compete against the likes of Brady, Roethlisberger, and Peyton Manning If He Plays Again (his new name). Fitzpatrick is a solid guy who can transition you from one franchise QB to the next, but I don’t think he is the type of QB who will make you a winner year in, year out. Cam Newton may be. But with the Bills sitting in first place in the AFC East, and the good feelings of the contract still fresh, I don’t think they’d make the move even though I would.

• Would they? No
• Should they? Yes

New York Jets – Mark Sanchez (4-3)

This is one of the more intriguing ones.

Even though Mark Sanchez has really done nothing to show that he can or will become a top-tier NFL quarterback (54.7% completions, 41 TD:39 INT for career), he has ridden the coattails of a great defense and an above-average running game to two straight AFC title games. His coach continues to profess confidence in him, and I think would rather win with “his guy” Sanchez, or die trying, than admit he was wrong and bring in another QB…at least right now.

Simply put: I think most objective people would make this trade in a heartbeat, and maybe the Jets front office would force it to happen; but I think Rex Ryan is so dug in with Sanchez that he’d do everything to veto it and give Sanchez another chance to finish the job this year. (I’ll be curious to hear from Jets fans on this one…)

• Would they? No
  
• Should they? Yes

Cincinnati Bengals – Andy Dalton (5-2)

Here is another one where short-term success might lead to myopic thinking.

The Bengals are, shockingly, sitting at 5-2 with their red-haired rookie QB and glue-handed rookie WR leading the offense. The Bengals’ defense has been great so far this season, but Dalton has been far from just a caretaker. He’s thrown 9 TDs and is completing 62.4% of his passes. Dalton’s sprint out of the gate has been nothing short of shocking.

But here is where I throw a little cold water on the fire: Cincinnati has beaten Cleveland, Buffalo, Jacksonville, Indianapolis, and Seattle. Buffalo is good, the other four teams are not. So do we really know how good Dalton is? I don’t think so. In his one start against a god defense this year, Week 3 versus San Francisco, he was putrid. We’ll know a lot more about Dalton after his four games against Baltimore and Pittsburgh.

Like many teams, Cincy would have jumped at the chance to draft Cam Newton, but their first place positioning in the AFC North, and the fans’ growing attachment to Dalton, plus their history of personnel ineptitude, lead me to believe that the Bengals would forgo the chance to get Newton to hang onto Dalton. It would be a mistake.

• Would they? No
  
• Should they? Yes

As you can see, I have little faith in Ryan Fitzpatrick, Mark Sanchez, or Andy Dalton, at least in relation to Cam Newton; but I also have little faith that any of their teams would trade them for Newton.

This next one though might be the most intriguing of all.

Baltimore Ravens – Joe Flacco (5-2)

Ever since Joe Flacco has taken over as QB in Baltimore, the Ravens’ offense has been as up-and-down as any offense in the NFL. Flacco has seven games in which he has tossed three or more touchdowns. He also 24 games in which he’s thrown zero touchdowns, including four playoff games (though he often gets credited with being a “winning” playoff QB). All the while, Baltimore has had a good-to-great defense and a solid running game.

Now in his fourth year, and with just one TD pass in his last four games, can the Ravens and team leaders like Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs really still have that much confidence in Flacco? I know they call him “Joe Cool” because he never seems rattled, but that’s mostly because he barely looks like he has a pulse at times. Cam Newton also never gets rattled, but he plays with an energy and smile that are both infectious. Yes, I’m one of those who believes that how you “look” and what your body language says means something when you’re the QB. Whatever Flacco may have over Newton in experience is negated by his comatose on-field appearance.

All of this is to say that I would, in a heartbeat, trade Flacco for Newton if I was the Ravens. After the last four games, and with Lewis especially running out of time, I think the Ravens would too.

• Would they? Yes
  
• Should they? Yes

Indianapolis Colts – Peyton Manning (0-8)

Of course the Colts would trade Curtis Painter straight up for Cam Newton. Duh. But what’s the fun in that? The real juicy question would be, right this very moment, would the Colts trade Peyton Manning If He Plays Again for Newton? And the answer is that none of us have enough information to answer. It would all come down to Manning’s health.

If there is even an iota of a chance that he can come back and play at 80-85% of his previous effectiveness, Indy would hold onto Peyton. But if they doubt he ever plays again, even if he wants to and is working like the dickens to get back, wouldn’t Indy have to trade for Cam as opposed to waiting around to see if they suck enough for Luck?

Ultimately, I think the uncertainty would tip the scales in favor of keeping Manning, and that’s the right call. It feels like there is something unfinished about Manning’s tenure in Indianapolis, and though I logically know that neck injuries can end careers, I’d still be shocked if Manning never suits up for Indy again. So I can’t see Indy pulling the trigger on this move. And with the team possibly positioning itself to draft Andrew Luck anyway, there would be no reason to trade Manning before they know as much as possible about his potential comeback.

I anticipate a lot of debate and perhaps disagreement about this one. In fact, I’m already starting to disagree with myself. I better just move along.

• Would they? No
• Should they? No

Houston Texans – Matt Schaub (5-3)

I don’t think for a second that Houston would even entertain this thought, not with Schaub and Kubiak finally on the cusp of making it to the playoffs. As good/bland as Schaub may be, good/bland isn’t necessarily an awful thing for a QB to be on a team that has a great running game, an elite WR, and a strong defense. This is the first time Houston has had all three working in the same season, and Schaub is the right guy to lead them. I wouldn’t mess with what they have going right now, not with the AFC South up for grabs this year and into the future, and I don’t think they would either.

• Would they? No
  
• Should they? No

San Diego Chargers – Philip Rivers (4-2)

Coming into this season it would have seemed laughable for Philip Rivers to be on this list, and perhaps it still is, but Rivers has thrown 7 TDs against 9 INTs this year, and it’s not like he has a Super Bowl title or many playoff skins on the wall to grant him immunity from at least entering this discussion.

Still, I doubt there is a chance the Chargers would seriously consider it. Rivers has a strong regular season track record over multiple seasons, and he has undoubtedly been hurt by Antonio Gates’ absence early this season. Just like I don’t think teams should overreact to a fast early season start and overrate their players (as may be the case right now in Buffalo and Cincy), I don’t think teams should underrate their players because of a slow start.

The irony of ironies, of course, is that the slow-starting Chargers are off to a fast 4-2 start during the season when their QB has more or less stunk. Go figure.

• Would they? No
  
• Should they? No

Philadelphia Eagles – Michael Vick (3-4)

Another one that is fascinating to think about. The Eagles went all-in on this season and are just now starting to dig themselves out of their early season hole. As tempting as it might be to get Newton, who is similar to Vick but with 6-7 years less mileage, I can’t see Andy Reid doing it. Vick is the better choice for this season and the Eagles are in it to win it in 2011.

That said, I think Newton is showing the ability to do a lot of the things Vick couldn’t or wouldn’t do early in his career. I’d love to see what Reid could do with a guy like Newton, who is not quite the runner Vick is but who is light years ahead of where Vick was as a passer in his rookie season. Just because the Eagles picked this year as the year to go for it all doesn’t mean they should necessarily mortgage a chance to improve themselves for the long term. And is Vick really playing so well that Newton couldn’t come close to replicating him, thus keeping the Eagles in contention this year? I don’t think so.

• Would they? No
  
• Should they? Yes
  

Dallas Cowboys – Tony Romo (3-4)

Whatever my answer is here it is sure to stir up some controversy, just because that’s how any discussions about Tony Romo are sure to go.

I’ve always been a Romo supporter, thinking that his critics didn’t give him enough credit for being one of the top 10 QBs in the league. While I still think Romo is an above average QB, I’m not as sold on him anymore as a potential champion. Sure, with the right supporting cast he could win a Super Bowl – hell, Trent Dilfer won a Super Bowl – but I’m no longer sure that Romo can lead a franchise to a Super Bowl, and there is a big difference.

I don’t know if Cam Newton can lead a team to a Super Bowl either. It’s way to early to even consider such questions. But we did just see him lead his college team to a championship in the toughest conference in all of college football, all while rumors and innuendo and investigations were swirling around him constantly. Newton’s got it, whatever it is, and Tony Romo hasn’t proven that he does. So wouldn’t it be worth taking a chance on Newton if you’re convinced Romo probably can’t be the guy to lead a champion?

The answer to this one comes down to your belief in Romo. I no longer believe. Give me Cam. Unfortunately for Cowboys fans, Jerry Jones probably still believes in Romo. At the least, he believes in his own ego and won’t want to admit Romo can’t get it done. Hell, he wouldn’t even trade Martellus Bennett to Cincinnati for a second round pick. Why would he trade Romo for Newton?

• Would they? No
  
• Should they? Yes
  

Detroit Lions – Matthew Stafford (6-2)

I considered putting the Lions in the automatic no category, but Mr. Glass didn’t deserve to be considered on par with Brady, Ben, Aaron Rogers, and Drew Brees. He hasn’t played a full season yet, and he hasn’t been so transcendent when he has played that Detroit wouldn’t at least consider the move.

I don’t think they’d do it though. Even with Stafford making way more money than Cam, he is the guy they have built around, and I don’t think the Lions would shake up the franchise that drastically when it is finally experiencing a true ascension.

As for me, I’d do it. Cam is showing that he knows how to utilize a top-fight receiver, and he he does not carry the same injury-prone reputation of Stafford. Add in the cost savings of Newton’s contract over Stafford’s, and I’d much rather have the rookie over the third year guy, even for the rest of the this year and certainly beyond.

• Would they? No
  
• Should they? Yes
  

Chicago Bears – Jay Cutler (4-3)

See the entry above about Joe Flacco, replace his name with “Jay Cutler” and replace “Ray Lewis” with “Brian Urlacher”. There is no reason for me to repeat myself.

• Would they? Yes
  
• Should they? Yes

Minnesota Vikings – Christian Ponder (2-6)

Ponder and the Vikings beat Newton and the Panthers this past weekend, with Ponder having his second straight impressive start. And while Vikings fans are slowly talking themselves into the Ponder Era, the reality is that the Vikings would have traded St. Paul to draft Newton last year, and as polished as Ponder seems to be both on and off the field, he doesn’t have 1/10th the physical potential of Newton. Minnesota probably should have been an automatic.

• Would they? Yes
  
• Should they? Yes
  

Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Josh Freeman (4-3)

Freeman was the up-and-coming superstar young quarterback coming into this season, but he has fallen back down to earth a bit through the first half of the year. His interceptions are way up, and he just doesn’t seem as comfortable or confident as he was last year, when he and rookie Mike Williams were as explosive as just about any QB-WR combo in the league.

Still, despite his struggles, I think Tampa Bay is committed to Freeman as the future of its franchise, and I know that Raheem Morris (who coached Freeman in college) believes in his young QB. Freeman is another guy who surprised me by having a smoother transition to the NFL than I thought he would. He has all of the physical tools to bust out of his current slump and still become a top-10 QB. I’d hold tight, and I think Tampa Bay would too.

• Would they? No
  
• Should they? No
  

Atlanta Falcons – Matt Ryan (4-3)

Like the Lions with Stafford, I don’t think Atlanta would consider making this move for more than a few seconds, but Ryan is not quite the slam dunk franchise QB that some make him out to be. He has not risen to the occasion in the Falcons’ biggest games, and he does not possess the accuracy that the top flight quarterbacks all have. He does “look” the part, he’s tough, and he’s a strong leader, which is why Atlanta is surely satisfied with Ryan and not looking to move on, nor should they be. As many questions as I have about Ryan, he’s shown enough to make me think that, unlike Romo, he could lead a franchise to a Super Bowl. With the investment Atlanta has already made in him, they’d hold tight, and I agree.

• Would they? No
  
• Should they? No
  

San Francisco 49ers – Alex Smith (6-1)

Another very, very intriguing one simply because of how this season has started. This one falls right in line with the Bills and Bengals, two teams doing far better than anyone expected thanks to solid play from their QB. Smith has not been asked to win games for the 49ers this year, he’s just been asked not to lose them with a great defense and solid running game by his side. And he hasn’t.

Still, this is Alex Smith. He has not done anything spectacular this year that Cam Newton couldn’t have done, even as a rookie. The issue would be whether Newton would have made mistakes that Smith wouldn’t have made to sabotage the 49ers in a game or two. That I don’t know. But I do know that, again, this is Alex Smith. As solid as he’s been, and as much of an impact as Jim Harbaugh has made on him, the difference in talent and swagger between he and Newton is obvious.

To me, the 6-1 record of the 49ers, and their incredible four game lead this early in this season, would make the team more likely to do such a deal. They’d have some cushion if Newton struggled to adapt to his new surroundings; though one thing we have learned about Newton is that he rarely if ever struggles to adapt. It may be his greatest strength of all.

• Would they? Yes (Well…maybe…probably)
  
• Should they? Yes
  

St. Louis Rams – Sam Bradford (1-6)

Following right along with my thoughts on Stafford and Ryan, I don’t think there is much of a chance that St. Louis would pull the plug on the Bradford Era already, especially considering Bradford was the NFL’s Rookie of the Year last year and just needs protection and a few good targets to showcase his pinpoint accuracy. But like Stafford and Ryan, Bradford hasn’t earned Automatic No status. So the Rams might think about it, especially considering the money, but I think they’d stick with Bradford, and I wouldn’t blame them. I still think he’s going to be a star.

• Would they? No
  
• Should they? No
  

Arizona Cardinals – Kevin Kolb (1-6)

I thought long and hard about putting Arizona in Automatic Yes territory, but would they really cut the cord on Kolb so soon after giving him a long-term deal? Of course they should, but we know how egos sometimes get in the way of sound decision making, so I just wonder if they would.

Ultimately, I think so. Larry Fitzgerald has to be watching Cam Newton resuscitate Steve Smith’s career and get horribly jealous. That’s what Kolb was supposed to do for Fitzy, but obviously he hasn’t come close. Not that Arizona should be surprised by this mind you, because Kolb is basically just doing exactly what he did in Philadelphia. What, should he have turned down the money?

I don’t think it would take Arizona very long to say yes here.

• Would they? Yes
  
• Should they? Yes

###

So, how many teams would trade their current QB for Cam Newton right now?

Okay, let’s tally up the “would they” column, as decided by me:

• No: Buffalo, New York Jets, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Houston, San Diego, Philadelphia, Dallas, Detroit, Tampa Bay, Atlanta, St. Louis
• Yes: Baltimore, Chicago, Minnesota, San Francisco, Arizona

Combined with the automatics from up above, that means I think 14 teams would trade their current starting quarterback straight up for Cam Newton. That seems very low to me; and of course it would seem low to me because I personally project a lot of disconnect between what teams should do and what they would do were this a real rather than hypothetical situation.

If I tally it up in terms of my “should they” answers, it would look much different:

• No: Indianapolis, Houston, San Diego, Tampa Bay, Atlanta, St. Louis
• Yes: Buffalo, New York Jets, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Dallas, Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota, San Francisco, Arizona

Based on what I would do in each team’s case, I think 20 teams’ QB situations would be improved immediately with Cam Newton. Maybe for a few there would be a short-term step back, but it would be worth it for the projected long-term steps forward.

But what I am really interested in here is your opinion.

Below is a poll that lists all of the teams I think are not obvious. Vote for all of the ones who you think should (not necessarily would) trade their current QB straight up for Cam Newton in our hypothetical fantasy. Then take to the comment section to state your peace or to agree/disagree with any of my assessments.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

I invite your thoughts below.

If you are thinking, “No way…that’s too good to be true”… you aren’t alone.  Unbelievably though, there were no “catches,” and the experience has been amazing. Over the course of this season, I’ll be updating you on my experience with Verizon’s products – the good and/or the bad, as my opinions are my own and beholden to no one – but so far so good.

**********

I have been a Sprint man ever since I was in high school. I started out with Sprint for one reason: it was what my parents had…and they were paying for my phone.

As I grew older, I stayed with Sprint because it was what I was comfortable with. By and large, it was cheaper than all of the other companies, and I didn’t feel like trying anything new. Of course, I knew that I would drop calls constantly, and I had heard that other companies had better service…but I was stuck in my ways.

Then, about a month ago, Verizon offered me the opportunity to try some of their products free of charge. They handed me the new Droid Bionic, and gave me the freedom to do whatever I wanted with it. As soon as I made the switch, I realized one thing: when it comes to cell phones, you get what you pay for.

Really, that’s what we all desire every time we make a purchase.  It doesn’t really matter how much we spend, as long as we get what we pay for, we feel good about it.

It’s funny that I was so eager to spend $10 less a month on a device that I use almost non-stop throughout the day. Most of us wouldn’t spend $10 less a month on a car if we knew it was clearly inferior to another one, but there I was, saving money…and driving myself crazy every time I dropped a call IN MY OWN APARTMENT.

One of the greatest things about my new Bionic is that it came with NFL Mobile. What an amazing app. I can turn on the app, start playing the Red Zone channel, and then plug that into my television and watch it in crystal clear HD. In a year that the Colts have been so dreadful, NFL Mobile has saved my season.

NFL Mobile has also enabled me to keep tabs on one of my favorite players – Tim Tebow – a little better as well. And how has he fared? Well, I’m sure you’ve heard.

What may surprise you, however, is that I feel completely different about his start. I disagree with what the media is trying to sell you. In my opinion, the Denver Broncos have gotten what they paid for with Tim Tebow…and frankly, it has been mostly good.

Comparing Tebow’s first 5 games to the best QBs in NFL history

Even if we were to forget about the fact that he entered a situation where the incumbent starting QB didn’t have the least bit of interest in trying to help him improve….

And even if we were to forget about the fact that before starting his second season he had to transition to a new coach – a coach who doesn’t like him by the way – and a new system – in the midst of a lockout that made it impossible for him to immerse himself completely into the offense….

And even if we were to forget about the fact that his team traded away his best wide receiver the week before he was supposed to make his first start (on this team that had a new coach and new system)….

And even if we were to forget about the fact that the media, as a general rule, wants him to fail and has scrutinized him more than any other 25th pick in NFL history….

We could still look at his stats from his first five NFL starts and compare them to every quarterback that’s been inducted into the Hall of Fame since the year 2000 (plus two more who will be someday)…and we would realize that the Broncos, so far, have gotten exactly what they paid for.

The stats speak for themselves.

Tebow has NOT been terrible. He has not been an atrocious disappointment. He also has not been a “savior.” What he has been is, simply, a rookie quarterback, which makes him similar to nearly EVERY OTHER great quarterback in history.

When compared with the last seven quarterbacks that made the Hall of Fame, plus Brady and Manning just for good measure, Tebow measures up quite well.

A few things jump out at you immediately.

First of all, Dan Marino was unbelievable. If you think that Cam Newton is insane, just check out Marino’s stats, and then adjust them for his era. Wow. Another thing that might stick out is the rushing yardage. Of course Tebow figures to be better here, but he’s even far and away better than Steve Young – another guy who was supposedly more of a runner than a thrower early on.

But let’s look at his passing stats. I’m sure he will finish WELL behind these guys when it comes to actually throwing the ball, right?

Nope.

For completion percentage, he finishes in the middle of the pack – ahead of Elway, Aikman, and Warren Moon. He looks even better when you look at his yards per attempt. In that category, Elway, Aikman, Young, Moon, Montana, Manning AND Brady all trail the young Bronco.

This is where the story actually gets interesting. It will probably startle you to find out that the only QB that threw for more TDs (seven) in his first five starts than Tebow was Dan Marino. John Elway threw a paltry one, and Aikman and Young only had three apiece.

When you factor rushing touchdowns into the whole story, Tebow only trails the great Marino by one TD total.

But none of those stats were as shocking to me as the turnover story. Unbelievably, Tebow is tied with Marino and Moon for the least interceptions thrown of anyone in the group.

Statistically, there is absolutely no evidence that says that any of these guys (besides Marino) looked better than Tebow in their first five NFL starts. Conversely, you could make a pretty convincing argument that many of them have actually looked WORSE than Tebow.

The truth about young QBa (including Tim Tebow)

Tebow has simply proven what most NFL players, fans, and coaches have believed for years: rookies generally don’t come into the league and have success right away.

Peyton Manning started every game as a rookie – and set an NFL record for most interceptions in a season. So what? That’s what rookies do. Nobody ever considered pulling him.

John Elway looked atrocious early on – completing only one pass for 14 yards and throwing a pick in his first game! Nobody second-guessed him. He was a rookie…you get what you pay for.

The list goes on and on.

Troy Aikman started his career 0-11. Joe Montana couldn’t consistently crack the starting lineup until year three. It didn’t matter. Rookie QBs have always been given a ton of leeway. That is, until Tim Tebow came along.

For years, we have graded rookie QB’s on a different scale.  We accepted the fact that their stats would be mediocre, and we understood that they would make several rookie mistakes.  All we really wanted them to show us was an ability to make big plays at big moments.  If a QB could make winning plays, we would overlook a lot of the bad that inevitably came with starting a rookie QB.

Could you really, honestly say that Tebow hasn’t at least showed us he’s capable of making winning plays?  Could you really, honestly say that Tebow has shown us he is incapable of winning?  Again, out of all of the above QB’s, the only two QB’s that had BETTER records than Tebow in their first five games were Marino and Brady.

That’s right…Elway, Montana, Manning, and the rest had worse starts.

And if you look at each of these player’s teams objectively, you will have a hard time trying to say that Tebow’s Broncos are as good as Marino’s playoff-bound Dolphins or Brady’s Super Bowl winning Patriots.

Word on the streets this morning is that the Broncos want to bench him after only two starts (five total when you bring his last three games from last year into play). What an unbelievably dumb decision that would be. Really, it would just be confirmation of something we already suspect: the Broncos don’t really want Tebow to succeed…because they aren’t really going to give him a chance.

Sure, he looked bad against a 6-2 team with one of the best defensive lines in the league.  Is that really enough evidence to bench the kid and proclaim he will never be a good player in the NFL?

No matter what your thoughts are on Tebow, you have to agree that it’s WAY too early to make a judgment on him. I’m not saying he’s going to end his career as a Hall of Fame QB. I’m not even saying he’s going to end up being a good starter in the NFL at all.

What I am saying is that it’s way too soon to really know. Let’s extend Tebow the same long leash we gave every other rookie QB in history.

Let’s at least give him the chance to prove us right…or wrong…whatever the case may be.

**********

What do you think?

Is Tim Tebow as bad as he is being made out to be, or does everyone (including the Broncos) need to have patience with a guy who has still only made five career starts?

Comment below.

This game was described as a rematch of Super Bowl 44 on a commercial, which would have been a great advertisement at the beginning of the year. Now that Peyton Manning is out, it should not even be considered close to a Super Bowl rematch.

Saints-Colts Sunday Night Football Preview

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts could find themselves in a tricky situation at season’s end. They are now 0-6 and are most likely going to finish with the worst record in the NFL at the end of the season. This would give them the top pick in the draft, which means that they would be expected to take Andrew Luck.

I myself am not a fan of all the talk of Luck, but there is no doubt that he will be the top pick in the 2012 draft. If the Colts get that pick, they have options. They could take Luck, as most teams would do, and have him be Peyton’s understudy until Manning leaves the Colts through retirement or trade. The other option would be to trade the pick.

Trading the pick would be a smart option for the Colts. Any of the teams in the top five would surely trade to get that pick. Teams like Miami, Jacksonville, and Arizona will likely finish at the bottom of the standings, and would be willing to try and acquire Luck. This would be a smart move for the Colts assuming Peyton is healthy. The only question has to do with how long Peyton’s career will last. He should be in the league for at least five more years, so having Luck sit as Aaron Rodgers did behind Brett Favre might not make sense. It would be better to acquire more talent and worry about the quarterback issue in a later draft.

As for this Sunday in New Orleans, the Colts face a very tough New Orleans team. A good sign for the Colts is that they have performed very well in their last two primetime games this year. They nearly beat the Steelers on a Sunday Night game in Week 3, and they followed that up with a 24-17 loss in Tampa on Monday Night Football in Week 4.

The Colts problem, as it has been in the past, is their rush defense. They are 30th in the league, and the Saints will look to Mark Ingram and Darren Sproles to exploit the weakness.

The offense has been steadier than expected with Curtis Painter under center, but they have not been able to get the points at the end of the game when it matters. Don’t look for the Colts to pull off a miracle in New Orleans this week.

New Orleans Saints

The Saints are coming off of a 26-20 loss against Tampa Bay in which they saw their coach, Sean Payton, get injured. He tore his meniscus and broke his tibia when Jimmy Graham was tackled into him in the first quarter. He now must coach from the press box, which may have an impact going forward.

This game is the first of two against winless teams for the Saints, who will take on the winless Rams next week. They should be able to win both of these games and go into the Week 9 game against Tampa Bay with a record of 6-2.

There is little else to say about the Saints, or this game, as they are clear favorites and should win in this game easily

Colts-Saints Prediction: Saints 35 | Colts 17

**********

Indianapolis Colts at New Orleans Saints Game Info

• Colts-Saints Date, Time, and TV: Sunday, October 23rd at 8:20 ET on NBC
• Colts-Saints Announcers: Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth
• Colts-Saints Point Spread: Saints -14
• Colts-Saints Over-Under Odds: 48.5

Of note: Tampa Bay will be hosting their first Monday night game in eight years.

Here’s a preview to the game.

The Colts

Colts fans are missing Peyton Manning like I miss cheese (which is often and a lot). Forget Kerry Collins, Curtis Painter will make his first career start in the NFL on Monday night. Painter hasn’t shown much success in his three years with the Colts. His infamous turnovers and inability to drive the offense have left fans less than thrilled.

However, receiver Reggie Wayne backs Painter and was a little discouraged when the Colts brought in Collins earlier in the season. There is no better time for Painter to prove the skeptics wrong and play like he has nothing to lose (Because, quite frankly, he has nothing to lose).

Quarterback woes are not the only issues the Colts are experiencing this season, as they were rocked by some season-ending injuries on the defensive side of the ball as well. Safety Melvin Bullit and middle linebacker Gary Brackett were put on the injured reserved list for shoulder injuries. Luckily the Colts had linebacker Pat Angerer to step up to the plate. Angerer had 20 tackles at middle linebacker last week, putting him ahead of  any other NFL player in that position.

With the Colt’s motto of “the next guy has the opportunity to step up”, that would leave David Caldwell and rookie Joe Lefeged to fill in for Bullit.

All-in-all, the Colts are struggling to find a sweet spot to pull the team together. The offense is without a strong leader to make plays and challenge their defensive opponents. Watching the team, they seem out of sync…and who can blame them? They are trying to play without their key/power player they’ve had for the past several seasons. Injuries in the starters definitely doesn’t help their case in any way, shape or form.

The Buccaneers

After beating the Falcons in week 3, the Buccaneers have their confidence up and are ready to take on the less than impressive 0-3 Colts.

This Tampa Bay team is one that we haven’t seen for awhile. The Buccaneers have quarterback Josh Freeman to lead the offense and he has been doing just that through week 3. Since losing in Week 1 to the born-again Detriot Lions, the Bucs have shown that they mean business. While Freeman doesn’t put up number like Tom Brady or Drew Brees, he has a solid completion percentage of 67.9 and can make the plays that count.

Look out for LeGarrette Blount, running back, is on the rise with 167 yards and 2 touchdowns last week. Expect him to be a big tool in Monday’s game. While Preston Parker, Earnest Graham, and Kellen Winslow are solid players but the Buccaneers are still missing some explosiveness in their game. Perhaps second year man Mike Williams, who has been a disappointment so far this year after his breakout rookie season, can bring some of the explosiveness back to the Bucs’ offense.

Colts-Buccaneers Prediction

While the Buccaneers still have improvements to make on their team, the Colts are not going to take them down. The Bucs are going to come out looking good, while the Colts will continue to struggle on both sides of the ball.

Freeman will outshine Painter, unless Painter decides to shock the world and play his heart out. Doubt it.

Tampa Bay 27 | Indianapolis 10

• Colts-Bucs Spread Pick: Bucs -10
• Colts-Bucs Over Under Pick: Under

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Indianapolis Colts at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Game Info

• Colts-Buccaneers Date, Time, and TV: Monday, October 3rd at 8:30 ET on ESPN
• Colts-Buccaneers Announcers: Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden, and Ron Jaworski
• Colts-Buccaneers Point Spread: Buccaneers -10
• Colts-Buccaneers Over-Under Odds: 41