Tag: Peyton Manning

What’s happened since the Saints, Colts put Super Bowl XLIV behind them?

The New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts are set to kick off on Monday night. How have their fortunes gone since Super Bowl XLIV?

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Week 15’s Monday Night Football feature will highlight a Super Bowl XLIV rematch, with the New Orleans Saints hosting the Indianapolis Colts from inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Monday night’s game will mark just the third matchup between the two teams since the Saints’ 31-17 victory in Super Bowl XLIV nearly a decade ago.

New Orleans has won both of the previous matchups, with many fans probably recalling the 2011 blowout in which the Saints pummeled the Curtis Painter-led Colts 62-7. Both teams played a much more even game during the ir2015 meeting, but New Orleans was able to edge out the 27-21 win on the road.

Both franchises have storied histories, each as unique as the other. But, what has happened to the two franchises since Super Bowl XLIV, when Drew Brees and Peyton Manning last shared the field? And what may lie ahead for both teams?

New Orleans Saints

New Orleans has enjoyed a period of largely sustained success, as they have made the playoffs six times in the ten seasons (including this year) following their Super Bowl victory. There is an argument to be made that in three of those six seasons (2011, 2017, 2018) the Saints were a Super Bowl-caliber team, but we’ll never know given each year’s dramatic playoff exit.

While the six seasons of playoff appearances are the highlights of the last decade, there have been plenty of downs to help offset the positives. The Saints recorded a 7-9 record in each of these seasons they did not make the playoffs, often lowering the bar for historically-bad defense. The Bountygate controversy played some part of that when head coach Sean Payton was suspended for the entirety of the 2012 season.

Despite some blemishes, the last decade has been very good to the Saints. Drew Brees has cemented himself as one of the greatest quarterbacks to play the game after breaking nearly every single record in the book. Now, he will play tonight with one more on the line: the NFL record for career passing touchdowns. He will need three touchdowns to break Colts legend Peyton Manning’s record 539 touchdown passes. There is more than just playoff seeding at stake during Monday night’s matchup. New Orleans are eyeing another Super Bowl run, and looked poised to make a deep playoff push if they can build momentum against the Colts.

Indianapolis Colts

In the ten years following Super Bowl XLIV, the Colts have not quite enjoyed the same successes as their opponent. After their Super Bowl loss, Indianapolis continued to play well as evidenced by making the playoffs in five of those years (2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2018). However, only the 2014 squad truly looked like a contender. The Colts also experienced multiple losing seasons, including a 2011 season which saw them achieve an unsightly 2-14.

While the Saints have enjoyed stability, particularly at the quarterback position, Indianapolis has seen turmoil. Their franchise quarterback Manning left for the Denver Broncos, and his replacement, Andrew Luck, looked like he was making an early case for the Hall of Fame. Instead, Luck retired in 2019, making way for Jacoby Brissett.

Indianapolis is a proud franchise, and will always do whatever it takes to at least be competitive. Despite a huge blow to start the season, the Colts have played to an admirable 6-7, and will look to add New Orleans to their list of beaten foes during primetime on Monday Night Football.

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Jameis Winston throws for 221 yards in the first quarter vs Lions

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ high-powered offense took the field in Detroit and came out of the gates firing. Jameis Winston did Winston things, such as throw an interception on the first possession of the game, and then he took off. By the end of the …

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ high-powered offense took the field in Detroit and came out of the gates firing. Jameis Winston did Winston things, such as throw an interception on the first possession of the game, and then he took off.

By the end of the first quarter, Winston had passed for a single quarter career-best 221 yards.

To add some more of the Winston and Peyton Manning comparison talks, Winston’s 221 are the most passing yards in the first quarter since 2004, set by, you guessed it, Peyton Manning.

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Drew Lock recalls watching Peyton Manning and Joe Flacco play against the Chiefs

Broncos quarterback Drew Lock remembers going to Chiefs games to watch Kansas City face Peyton Manning and Joe Flacco.

Broncos quarterback Drew Lock was born and raised in Missouri and he grew up a “pretty passionate” Chiefs fan. During his media availability Wednesday, Lock recalled his favorite memories from games he attended in Kansas City.

“The Colts in the playoffs with Peyton [Manning] and it’s funny, Joe [Flacco] at Kansas City, the year they went and did their thing,” Lock said. “It’s funny, I ended up here and Peyton played here and now I ended up here with Joe.

“It’s kind of crazy to think those two were in two of the biggest games I remember there. Now, I’m kind of tightly-knit with them now.”

In 2012, the Ravens defeated the Chiefs 9-6 before going on to win Super Bowl XLVII. Flacco was named Super Bowl MVP after throwing three touchdown passes with no interceptions in a 34-31 win over the 49ers.

Eight years before that game, Kansas City hosted the Colts in the Divisional Round of the AFC playoffs. Manning threw three touchdown passes and no interceptions in Indianapolis’ 38-31 win on the road. Manning was named the league’s MVP that season.

Manning later landed in Denver and won four straight AFC West titles and helped the Broncos reach two Super Bowls. Manning now serves as somewhat of a mentor to Lock.

Flacco was acquired by Denver in March and he began the year as the team’s starter before surring a neck injury. Flacco has also been a helpful figure for Lock, setting the example of how a pro QB handles himself off the field.

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The Ravens leaned into Lamar Jackson’s strengths. The Jets need to do the same with Sam Darnold

Adam Gase stubbornly looks like he wants Sam Darnold to be the next Peyton Manning. Spoiler alert: He’s not.

We saw two sides of Sam Darnold in the Jets’ 42-21 loss to the Ravens on Thursday night: the mobile Darnold and the Darnold who sits in the pocket.

One of those versions of the young quarterback rifled off impressively-precise passes and made the offense look dynamic. The other worked at times but mostly remained stagnant, bland and overall ineffective. That’s been the case for most of the season.

Can you tell which is which?

Whether Adam Gase likes it or not, Darnold is better when he plays outside of the pocket. He proved it Thursday night on the Jets’ first touchdown drive with two sensational throws to Jamison Crowder. On the first, Darnold scrambled to the right and ran all the way to the line of scrimmage before hitting Jamison Crowder in stride for a 41-yard catch-and-run. Next, Darnold rolled out to the right all the way to the sideline before throwing a dart to Crowder to the right corner of the end zone. 

Both throws were equally impressive and quintessential Darnold.

Gase, however, clearly wants Darnold to be a pocket-passer when all the evidence suggests he isn’t and shouldn’t be one. Those two early passes to Crowder were only a few examples of Darnold’s ability to play better when he runs around behind the line of scrimmage – he’s done it time and time again this season, especially in games when the offense excels. But instead of designing his offense around Darnold’s mobility, Gase has tried to turn Darnold into the next Peyton Manning and stick him behind an offensive line that can’t block.

The team the Jets faced Thursday night, meanwhile, has done what good teams with good coaches do: tailor their offense to their quarterback’s strengths.

The Ravens turned a team originally built for Joe Flacco’s more traditional style of play from just a year ago into one of the most impressive scoring machines in the NFL with Lamar Jackson. They hired Greg Roman, who helped make the pistol formation vogue with the 49ers and Colin Kaepernick and then turned a Tyrod Taylor-led Bills team into the 10th-best scoring offense in the league. Both offenses took what they had at quarterback and created an offense around him. 

With Jackson, Roman and head coach John Harbaugh created a dynamic offense that expertly utilized the run-pass option (RPO) with a trio of running backs and package of plays that turned the Ravens into one of the best offenses in the league. They lead the league in rushing and could be the first team in NFL history to average at least 200 rushing yards and 200 passing yards per game. It’s a new-school look on an old-school philosophy, and the Ravens are riding it to the top of the AFC behind a quarterback many doubted.

Gase hasn’t done that with Darnold. 

Darnold is not the speedster that Jackson is, but he is a mobile-oriented quarterback. For as much as Gase might not like to admit it, Darnold thrives when he uses his legs, either to move outside the pocket or around it. He has one of the worst passer ratings with a clean pocket, yet can make ridiculously-crisp throws on the run to receivers, as evidenced Thursday night and throughout the season.

Gase, though, likes quarterbacks who stay in the pocket. He had that with Manning in Denver and Jay Cutler in Chicago and Miami. Ryan Tannehill wasn’t and isn’t that type of quarterback, and it’s a huge reason why he didn’t work with Gase in Miami and why he’s excelling with the Titans. Tannehill is 6-1 as a starter, is second in completion percentage (73.4) in the NFL and is having his best rushing season since 2014, two years before Gase came to Miami.

Yes, a lot of Gase’s and Darnold’s struggles can be blamed on his supporting cast. It’s a tried and true mechanism to cover up Gase’s own mistakes: The offensive line is incredibly inept, injured and inexperienced and Darnold doesn’t have a true dominant offensive player that’s used effectively (this is the Le’Veon Bell dilemma the Jets currently face). But good coaches can make a good offense with a good quarterback. If the Jets feel like they have at least two of those three components, then they should have an offense able to score and win at will, no? Well, they’re 5-9, rank 31st in yards and 29th in points and don’t look close to being able to compete with the rest of the AFC East.

That’s on Gase. Darnold is a solid player. He’s made a lot of impressive throws during his short career even without much to work with. But when he’s forced to play quarterback the way Gase wants him to play, Darnold makes mistakes. Instead of trying to fit Darnold’s mobile tendencies into Gase’s idea of how an offense should be run, Gase should do what the Ravens did and build his offense around Darnold’s strengths.

Drew Brees eyeing Peyton Manning’s TD record

Drew Brees can make history Monday night.

The Indianapolis Colts (6-7) will be fighting to keep their season alive when they visit the New Orleans Saints (10-3) for a Monday night matchup at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, but there is some extra incentive for the defense.

Entering the Week 15 matchup, future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees (537) is just two touchdowns behind Peyton Manning (539) for the most passing touchdowns in a career. It’s going to happen at some point, but the Colts defense will be looking to keep that from happening as Brees takes on Manning’s former team.

Brees has already surpassed Manning for most passing yards in a career, which happened during the 2018 season. Now, the 40-year-old Brees can pass Manning in another prolific category.

In eight games this season, Brees has thrown for two or fewer touchdown passes in four contests. He is coming off of his best game of the season against the 49ers when he completed 29 of 40 passes for 349 yards, five touchdowns and a 138.4 passer rating.

The Colts defense is coming off of its worst performance of the season. Despite four turnovers, the Colts allowed 456 passing yards and four passing touchdowns on the day in Week 14, which led to a 38-35 loss.

Being on the road against the Saints will be tough. Brees hasn’t always put up big numbers but he’s much more liable to do so at home in primetime. Given that the Saints are battling for the top seed in the NFC, they will keep their foot on the peddle.

Manning’s record will also be on watch with the New England Patriots as Tom Brady is just three touchdown passes behind Manning entering this week. There is a world where both players surpass the Colts’ legendary quarterback this weekend.

The Colts, though, will be trying to keep that from happening in the game against the Saints on Monday night while also trying to keep their season alive with an upset.

The best offensive player for each of the 32 NFL teams this decade

Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Peyton Manning lead the way, respectively, as the best offensive players on their teams in this decade.

As the 2010s decade comes to a close, examining the players who stood out for each of the 32 NFL teams. It could be something they did over time or did in a short burst that contributed to great success.

Arizona Cardinals: Larry Fitzgerald

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Larry Fitzgerald is one of the classiest and top receivers of his generation. A leader, the Cardinals’ wide receiver had five 1,000-yard seasons in the decade.

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How many last-minute losses is too many for Drew Brees to shoulder?

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has mastered the two-minute drill but it’s still not enough for his defense to close out a victory

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There’s a few minutes left in the fourth quarter, and the New Orleans Saints have held onto a timeout or two. The kickoff return unit has put the Saints offense in good — not great — starting field position. Drew Brees is under center, having rattled off the play call and waved his teammates into position. Down by a score, the Saints need him to make some last-minute magic to end the day with a win.

How many times has this story played out since Brees first came to town? More importantly, how many times has he came through with what should have been a game-winning drive, only for his defense to choke and snatch defeat from the jaws of victory?

The answer to that second question is 21. Brees has retaken the lead 21 times in his Saints career on a go-ahead scoring drive, only to watch helplessly from the sidelines as his defenses cave under pressure and allow their opponents to surge back with their own salvo. That number includes the playoffs, and ties the total set by three other quarterbacks put with (or mistakenly above) Brees in discussions concerning “the greatest of all time.”

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has had to put up with this unique incompetence only four times in the 322 games he’s played in the NFL. Retired great Peyton Manning dealt with just six such answering-score comebacks from teams he put on the ropes throughout his 266-game career. Green Bay Packers signal-caller Aaron Rodgers has had it the worst of the non-Brees bunch, watching his defense fold against 11 last-second efforts (out of 195 career games).

Let’s reiterate that, to really drive the point home: Brady, Manning, and Rodgers have put their team ahead with a would-be game-winning drive only to lose anyway a combined 21 times in the 783 games they’ve played in the NFL, while Brees has found himself in the same situation 21 times in just 287 games. In other words, the combined defenses Brady, Manning, and Rodgers played with let them down in 2.7% of the games they’ve each played, while Brees has had to face his defense with a thousand-yard stare in 7.3% of their games together.

That’s almost too hard to believe. It speaks to the years of neglect and inadequacy the Saints have put out on defense, going back to the years when the likes of Gregg Williams, Steve Spagnuolo, and Rob Ryan were coaching the other side of the ball. Dennis Allen has done a better job than most during Brees’ tenure in New Orleans, but his flop on Sunday — in which he either chose or forgot to cover San Francisco’s best player, tight end George Kittle, on a last-second fourth-and-two that set up the game-winning field goal — is a painful reminder that Brees can do everything right and still lose the game, despite how talented and effective his defense has been in recent years.

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Drew Brees overtakes Tom Brady in search of Peyton Manning’s record

The race for Peyton Manning’s career touchdowns record is heating up between New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees and Patriots passer Tom Brady.

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New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees turned in a vintage performance against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, lobbing five touchdown passes and turning in another one on a goal-line leap over the top. It was enough to raise his career total to 537 touchdown passes, putting him ahead of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (536) as both living legends compete for the record Peyton Manning set (539) before his 2016 retirement.

Brees has to throw three touchdowns in his final three games to break Manning’s record, while Brady has to complete four scoring throws in his three games. Here’s who each quarterback will play to close out the regular season:

Drew Brees’ final opponents

  • Week 15 vs. Indianapolis Colts
  • Week 16 at Tennessee Titans
  • Week 17 at Carolina Panthers

Tom Brady’s final opponents

  • Week 15 at Cincinnati Bengals
  • Week 16 vs. Buffalo Bills
  • Week 17 vs. Miami Dolphins

While Brady’s receiving corps has been horrific this season — so bad that he couldn’t even build a significant lead on Brees in the five games he missed with a thumb injury earlier this year — he could absolutely break the record against the Bengals on Sunday. What’s curious is that Brees is in position to break that record during Monday night’s game with the Colts. Would the NFL stop the Patriots-Bengals game to recognize Brady’s accomplishment (as they did when Brees broke Manning’s career passing yards record last year) and then do the same a day later? Godspeed to the NFL game day operations crew.

Whoever ends up winning this record before Brees and Brady both retire will probably hold onto it for a decade. Either of them could retire at any time and not really shock anyone, and the active quarterbacks behind them have so much ground to make up that it could reasonably take six or seven years to even challenge the new high-water mark. Here’s what the standings look like among the NFL’s top ten quarterbacks in career passing touchdowns:

  1. Drew Brees, 537
  2. Tom Brady, 536
  3. Philip Rivers, 394
  4. Ben Roethlisberger, 363
  5. Eli Manning, 361
  6. Aaron Rodgers, 361
  7. Matt Ryan, 317
  8. Matthew Stafford, 256
  9. Russell Wilson, 222
  10. Joe Flacco, 218

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Jameis Winston is closing in on a Peyton Manning record, which isn’t a good thing

If you follow the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it’s not shocking news to report on a Jameis Winston turnover. Following his fifth pick-six this season, Winston is close to finding himself in good company. Future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning …

If you follow the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it’s not shocking news to report on a Jameis Winston turnover. Following his fifth pick-six this season, Winston is close to finding himself in good company. Future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning currently hold the NFL record for the number of pick-sixes in one season with six, set in 2001.

The only real difference in the stat between Winston and Manning is that Winston is in his fifth year, while Manning was in his fourth. When it comes to the Bucs quarterback, there is no middle ground for fans. You either love him or hate him. I’ve often said that Winston could get you 30 points per week in fantasy football, and still throw three interceptions in each game because he generates such large passing numbers in yardage and scoring. If you’re looking for a glimmer of hope for Winston, Manning improved significantly every season after setting that very same record. No, I am not saying that Winston will go down next to Manning’s name in the all-time greats. This comparison is for informational purposes and should be taken as such.

In the latest mock draft by USA Today’s Draft Wire, the Bucs are projected with the 13th pick, and looking to add to their defensive line. Obviously, those are projections, and the order will most likely change as the season comes to a close and teams move up and down.

Aside from Winston becoming a free agent, other quarterbacks slated to join the open market after the season are Dak Prescott, Philip Rivers and Marcus Mariota. What this means for Bucs fans is they should get ready for at least one more season of Jameis Winston taking snaps under center.

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Broncos QB Drew Lock heard from Archie and Peyton Manning after first NFL win

Archie and Peyton Manning both reached out to Broncos quarterback Drew Lock on Sunday after he helped Denver defeat the Chargers.

Broncos rookie quarterback Drew Lock made his NFL debut on Sunday and helped lead Denver to a 23-20 win over the Chargers. After the game, Lock received many positive text messages from family and friends. Lock’s favorite message came from former NFL quarterback Archie Manning.

“Archie Manning [said], ‘You can’t win them all if you don’t win your first,'” Lock said Wednesday. “That gave me a good giggle and gave me a good laugh. He’s so right. You can’t win them all if you don’t win your first. It was pretty cool to get a text from him and Peyton [Manning] as well. Being able to hear from those guys meant a lot.”

Peyton played in Denver from 2012-2015 and won the AFC West four straight times, helping the Broncos reach the Super Bowl twice. Peyton and his brother Eli help their dad, Archie, with the Manning Passing Academy each offseason. Lock got to know the Manning family as a counselor at the camp in 2018.

“It goes back to that camp,” Lock said of his relationship with the Mannings. “Getting close with them there, and then of course coming to Denver, that just amped the relationship up a little more.”

Lock completed 64.3 percent of his passes in Sunday’s game for 134 yards with two touchdown passes and one interception. He will start again against the Texans on the road in Week 14.

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