Porter calls out Colts

[DefenseRules]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06012/636611.stm
LB Porter challenges Colts
Thursday, January 12, 2006

By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Joey Porter shattered the peace of sweet comments expressing deference for Steelers opponents yesterday when the Pro Bowl linebacker sneered at what he called the Indianapolis Colts' finesse style of play, and said they did not dare line up against the Steelers and play "football."

"They don't want to just sit there, line up and play football," Porter charged. "They want to try to catch you off guard. They don't want to play smash-mouth football, they want to trick you. ... They want to catch you substituting. Know what I mean? They don't want to just call a play, get up there and run a play. They want to make you think. They want it to be a thinking game instead of a football game."

Edgerrin James ran for 124 yards Nov. 28, ending the Steelers' streak of 22 games not allowing a 100-yard rusher. He carried 29 times and did not have a carry longer than 10 yards. But Porter even scoffed at that accomplishment.

"I still think it was a cheap 100."

After Indianapolis won, 26-7, in the RCA Dome, several Colts remarked that they had beaten the Steelers at their own game, using a physical style. Even wide receiver Marvin Harrison was penalized for fighting with cornerback Ike Taylor and grabbing his facemask.

"We just wanted to go out today and play a physical ballgame and show the world that we can do that when we need to," defensive tackle Corey Simon said after that win.

Porter was taken aback by that, and quickly veered from coach Bill Cowher's request to his players this week not to stir up the opponent with trash talk.

"I don't think they outhit us," Porter said. "If they would have outhit us, they would have just lined up, and they wouldn't have done all the audibles every play. If you want to outhit us, line up and play football. That's when you outhit us. Line up, you get your people, we got our eight men in the box, run the ball."

The Colts run a no-huddle offense that relies heavily on Peyton Manning's precision passing game. They ranked third in the NFL in passing and 16th in rushing, although James did rush for 1,506 yards this season. Porter said James was not a physical runner.

"He's not the run-over type. He just leans forward. It's not like he's just out there to truck nobody. He's not a Jerome [Bettis] or nothing like that. He's one of those guys who has good balance and if you don't wrap him up, he's going to stay on his feet."

Porter said they pick up cheap yards on the ground when they have defenses spread out to defend against the pass.

"Don't try to run the ball when we're in the 3-2 sub package!" Porter said. "We have three down linemen, then you try to run the ball. That's not outhitting us; that's trying to outthink us."

The more Porter talked in the locker room after practice, the more momentum he gained on the topic. He at least acknowledged that the no-huddle offense should not be banned, but that doesn't mean he has to respect it.

"They can't say that finesse game is physical; it's clearly not physical. If they were a physical football team like that, they would just do what we do, line up and run the football. You know what I mean? That's not the way they want to do it. They want to try to catch you off guard. That's the way they want to play."

Porter said he was unaware the Colts boasted about being physical with the Steelers after that Nov. 28 game.

"Now that you said they outhit us, that's giving me a little more extra motivation to make sure I put on my big boy pads and make sure we do some hitting out there."

Porter said to get the Colts out of their game, the Steelers have to get a quick lead, or at least prevent Indianapolis from doing so. He said the Colts weren't stout enough to play the kind of game the Steelers do.

"Nah, nah. They won't just sit up and run on us. They have to have the play-action in there. Just sitting up there, lining up and running against us isn't going to happen. ...

"They want you to get up there, arguing, switch people around and make you switch people around, catch you when you're not ready. That's their game plan. That's the way they play. Hopefully we can change their game into our game, turn it into a smash-mouth football game."

The Colts outgained the Steelers, 366-197, in November, and the Steelers lost one more turnover. Indianapolis led at halftime, 16-7, and ran that to 23-7 after Bill Cowher's choice to try a fake onside kick to open the second half failed and the Colts turned it into a touchdown.

"We missed a field goal, we had some false starts in crucial situations," Porter said. "I feel like we missed some opportunities we had. The game could have been much closer than it was. When you squander opportunities like that and they take advantage of theirs, then the score comes out like it is and it looks like that.

"But they know they were in a game."

Oh my goodness!

Note: I appologize to the mods, but this piece deserved to be posted in full.

 

[marty]

Ed Bouchette must have thought he'd died and gone to heaven after that interview! Bet he speed dialed his editor on this one!!!LOL

 

[BelichickFan]

Billboard material usually isn't a good thing but the Steelers' best chance is to make it as nasty and physical as possible - this should help do that

 

[T-ShirtDynasty]

"They don't want to just sit there, line up and play football," Porter charged. "They want to try to catch you off guard. They don't want to play smash-mouth football, they want to trick you. ... They want to catch you substituting. Know what I mean? They don't want to just call a play, get up there and run a play. They want to make you think. They want it to be a thinking game instead of a football game."

I understand the seething hatred of the Dolts, but come on Joey... it IS a thinking game, and really, thinking may cause some breif pain for you, but I assure you that your head won't explode.

The funny thing is combine this guy's comments with Roethlissberger's 'it takes an A+ game from us just to beat a B- game from them' and it looks like an excuse-fest in the works. Damnit I'd really like them to beat the Dolts this weekend, even if it means Joey Porter has to think a little.

 

[BelichickFan]

I understand the seething hatred of the Dolts, but come on Joey... it IS a thinking game, and really, thinking may cause some breif pain for you, but I assure you that your head won't explode.

The funnier thing is the Colts really don't make it a thinking game. Despite Manning's constant crap at the line, the Colts aren't a tricky offense in any way. They do the same things and they do them well.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Billboard material usually isn't a good thing but the Steelers' best chance is to make it as nasty and physical as possible - this should help do that

To the contrary, moron the porter just showed how he wants to be beaten and what will drive him crazy because it works against him. What a pea brain.

 

[marty]

To the contrary, moron the porter just showed how he wants to be beaten and what will drive him crazy because it works against him. What a pea brain.

Give Joey the "scarecrow" some credit, at least he's being honest!

 

[PATSNUTme]

Porter is a hell of a football player. But, he won't be getting invited to MENSA conventions.

 

[CTPatsFan]

Yeah, that should work well.

"They want to try to catch you off guard. They don't want to play smash-mouth football, they want to trick you.

Um, this from a guy who plays for the Coach Gadget.

 

[Ring 6]

I actually think this was more a good move than a bad one by Porter.
Its well known that the Colts hate being considered a finesse team. But they are a finesse team. They have even made comments as if they feel they need to prove they are physical.
Porter has challenged them to be physical, to play a style different than what has been successful for them.

If they ever took the bait, Porter would be a genius. Problem is its very unlikely they will take the bait.

 

[Pats/Hokies Fan]

That's the creepy thing... the Colts have finally figured out that Manning passing 40 times a game is bad.... .and getting Edge 25 touches is a mandatory gameplan.

Why they didn't do this the past few years is beyond me... but the coaching staff has finally gotten smarter over there in ColtsLand.

 

[mtbykr]

well

while i don't think the squeelers have a great chance to beat the dolts--i do think they will "punch them in the mouth" which will be fun to see!

 

[mtbykr]

ya

I actually think this was more a good move than a bad one by Porter.
Its well known that the Colts hate being considered a finesse team. But they are a finesse team. They have even made comments as if they feel they need to prove they are physical.
Porter has challenged them to be physical, to play a style different than what has been successful for them.

If they ever took the bait, Porter would be a genius. Problem is its very unlikely they will take the bait.

Excellant point!

 

[T-ShirtDynasty]

I actually think this was more a good move than a bad one by Porter.
Its well known that the Colts hate being considered a finesse team. But they are a finesse team. They have even made comments as if they feel they need to prove they are physical.
Porter has challenged them to be physical, to play a style different than what has been successful for them.

If they ever took the bait, Porter would be a genius. Problem is its very unlikely they will take the bait.

Perhaps, but don't you think he could have accomplished the same thing without coming off like "Uggg, Joey no like thinky, Joey just like hitting with head." ?

 

[MoLewisrocks]

There's a snipet of truth in what he says. I'm sure the trick element in Mannings antics annoys lots of opposing players. But this is just another example of the lack of discipline and intelligence and excuse based mentality Cower coached teams have always fallen victim too in the playoffs. They think if they out hit you they beat you and if you out think them you cheated.

This is why we all hope they can get past the Colts and come visit us in Gillette. But it's also probably why they won't. The way the Bengals played in the first half, had they not eliminated Palmer in the first series I doubt the Steelers would still be playing.

Ben has taken an entirely different tack - saying they must bring their A+ game and just hope Indy brings it's B- game to have a shot. So he's already admitting that the Steelers can't beat Indy unless Indy beats themselves. Ben comes across as a guy who sees the journey as more important than the destination. That was clearly his spin in his AFCC postgame interview last year as I recall.

I'm sure Cowher is cringing, but he created this little monster over the last several years, and now he can't control it even when he wants to.

 

[Ring 6]

Perhaps, but don't you think he could have accomplished the same thing without coming off like "Uggg, Joey no like thinky, Joey just like hitting with head." ?

If its me, AND I believe they would take the bait, I wouldnt care how I am perceived. Hey, Porter may be a dummy, if he is, wehy does he care who knows? If he is not, why would he care what people who read the article think? If I get a better chance to win by people thinking Im stupid, I take it.

In the end, IF (huge if) they were to take the bait, the farther over the top he goes, the more likely they would.

Look at it this way:
-If he showed he's stupid, you have no real feeling of need to outsmart him. But if he questions your 'manhood' saying you cannot physically handle us, you want to pound him into submission.

Remmber "The Hammer". Green Bay didn't laugh at him for being outsmarted, they laughed at him when he got carried off the field.

 

[Warhorse]

I think Porter's statements show how moronic he truly is. In the last game where the Steelers were gonna pound us with the running game, they gained a total of 86 yards on 25 carries. Our defense stopped their vaulted run game by pounding them and their smashmouth game. Their battering ram Bettis had 9 yards on 6 carries.

If the steelers can't get past the smashmouth facet of the game and not understand that the game is at least partly mental, then they'll never win another Superbowl. Cowher is known for trick plays. He relies on them to try to outsmart players. Peyton and the no-huddle is supposed to give the team an advantage when run right. If Manning can't read the defense then the no-huddle at least puts the D at a disadvantage.

For Porter to say, "Just line up and play," is stupid. He must have no knowledge of the game other than lining up and chasing the ball.

 

[coltsfan]

That's just Porter being Porter. Part of his act, every game he tries to get in a fight with the other team during pregame warmups. He's gotten in fights with Ray Lewis and William Green before, and Reggie Wayne had to get face-to-face with him when the Colts played them. His act is kind of annoying, but that's him.

 

[oldrover]

There may be truth to what he says, but he's stupid for saying it. Smack talk almost always backfires.

 

[Fanfrom1960]

There's a snipet of truth in what he says. I'm sure the trick element in Mannings antics annoys lots of opposing players. But this is just another example of the lack of discipline and intelligence and excuse based mentality Cower coached teams have always fallen victim too in the playoffs. They think if they out hit you they beat you and if you out think them you cheated.

You beat me to it, Mo. The Steelers know the Colts pull the no-huddle and other shenanigans, so they need to coach for it. It ain't easy, but you just don't expect Cowher to be the guy to pull it off. Actually, and I know you can put a lot on the unfortunate injury to Palmer, but the Steelers played a pretty smart game last Sunday. Let's see how they fare against the Colts.