Reiss Mailbag 1/19/10

[Joker]

but did she have to take the dog AND the parakeet?

 

[Nonentity]

LT returning to the Chargers would be a huge mistake on their part. He's done.


I love Mike Reiss for his general reporting, but Christ he knows so little about the draft. I've never got much out of Big Boards simply because they totally ignore team needs. Suh may be the best player in this draft but the Rams are taking Jimmy Clausen. The Lions either take Suh or Okung, but the Bucs are really hoping for Suh to fall to them.

 

[BradyManny]

When did Reiss slowly turn into such a Manning ballwasher as he has all year? You'd think Manning did something epic or extraordinary this year the way Reiss - and the rest of the mediots - talk about his season. Brees & Rivers, without a doubt, had better seasons. And as for Manning making Garcon & Collie better, well Collie was considered the most polished route runner in the draft.

What about what Brady did with Edelman? The guy had never even run a route in his life until this spring.

Part of the reason I think I may root for the Jets this weekend is to see Manning fail against an AFCE team. As much as I hate the Jets, that defense is legit, and makes what Manning faces in the AFCS look like a joke.

And don't get me wrong, Reiss is the man, but all year he's been pimping Manning as if this has been some career year for the guy when Rivers & Brees...and as much as I hate to admit it, Favre...have been playing better ball. I have a lot of respect for Manning, but I don't think he had a better season than Brady, weapons & level of competition considered.

 

[spacecrime]

I hate the Colts so much I am routing for the Jets for only the third time in 40 years (once vs Oakland at the end of 2001, and once against Miami at the end of 2008). But as much as I hate the Colts, I have to admit Manning has been supreb this year. Without him the Colts would be medicore and I expect them to win the superbowl. They would have gone 19-0 except for Polian, and for that I thank the little turd. Manning would have gotten the 19-0 job done and we would have had Hoosier Goobers on this board for years.

When did Reiss slowly turn into such a Manning ballwasher as he has all year? You'd think Manning did something epic or extraordinary this year the way Reiss - and the rest of the mediots - talk about his season. Brees & Rivers, without a doubt, had better seasons. And as for Manning making Garcon & Collie better, well Collie was considered the most polished route runner in the draft.

What about what Brady did with Edelman? The guy had never even run a route in his life until this spring.

Part of the reason I think I may root for the Jets this weekend is to see Manning fail against an AFCE team. As much as I hate the Jets, that defense is legit, and makes what Manning faces in the AFCS look like a joke.

And don't get me wrong, Reiss is the man, but all year he's been pimping Manning as if this has been some career year for the guy when Rivers & Brees...and as much as I hate to admit it, Favre...have been playing better ball. I have a lot of respect for Manning, but I don't think he had a better season than Brady, weapons & level of competition considered.

 

[BradyManny]

I hate the Colts so much I am routing for the Jets for only the third time in 40 years (once vs Oakland at the end of 2001, and once against Miami at the end of 2008). But as much as I hate the Colts, I have to admit Manning has been supreb this year. Without him the Colts would be medicore and I expect them to win the superbowl. They would have gone 19-0 except for Polian, and for that I thank the little turd. Manning would have gotten the 19-0 job done and we would have had Hoosier Goobers on this board for years.

That's a pretty bold assumption a) given they tanked the last two games, so we'll never know b) given Manning's history of postseason failure.

And as for how they would have fared against the Jets & Bills had they tried, who knows? The only other AFCE team they faced (aside from us, who had the weakest pass defense in our division) was Miami, and it took a small miracle for them to beat the Phins. For the week 16 game, contrary to popular belief, the Jets were still in that game, Manning was not having his way with them, and there's no telling the Jets wouldn't run over a tired Colts defense as the game went on anyway. We'll find out this Sunday. I think it's still a longshot, but it's not as if the Jets were completely overmatched in every phase.

As for the Colts being mediocre without Manning, well, sure, if his replacement is Curtis Painter, yeah, they'd suck. If they had Matt Cassel, I think you'd see a similar thing as the Patriots in 2008 when they had a strong enough roster to still be a solid team. But that Colts team still has Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, Addai, etc. a great offensive line, and a defense that made timely big plays. The Colts won 4 out of their 14 games scoring 20 points or less (the 16-0 Patriots only scored 20 or less ONCE in the regular season) and a few of the Colts wins were predicated on huge defensive plays.

To say Manning carries that team is partially a reflection on how awful their backup is, and is a disservice to what is otherwise a stacked roster. I don't think you could say Manning makes the Colts any better than Rivers makes the Chargers, Brees makes the Saints or Brady makes the Pats. Or, again, reluctantly, as Favre makes the Vikings. I don't think Manning deserved the MVP this season. I don't think Brady deserved it either. I would've given it to Brees or Rivers.