49ers Slip and Slide in Loss to Colts

Week 7 - On tap for the San Francisco 49ers (2-3) in Week 7 coming off the BYE would be a meeting on Sunday Night Football with the Indianapolis Colts (2-4). With both teams under .500 and in desperate need of a win, San Francisco could ill-afford dropping another game in the NFC Western Division standings as they and the rest of the conference plays catchup behind the last of the unbeatens in the Arizona Cardinals (7-0) who won again on Sunday. But with a 100% chance of rain and wind gusts reaching up to 40 mph, inclement weather would very much be a factor heading into Sunday night's game as the conditions were damp and ugly all night long. Expected to be a run-heavy night for both teams, 49ers rookie running back Elijah Mitchell did not disappoint and wasted little time to get things going after kickoff as the game plan quickly turned to feed Mitchell and feed him often as he amassed 57 yards on five carries to begin the game. In comparison, the Rajin' Cajun alum finished with only 43 yards on 9 carries in his previous game versus Arizona.

After the first five plays of the opening-drive netted a pair of 49er first downs, Mitchell broke free on three consecutive carries of 20, 14 and 14 yards, the last of which going for a touchdown to put his team up early. Following a missed point-after by the newly acquired Joey Slye, the 49ers kicker would have a chance to redeem himself just a few moments later. After a touchback on the ensuing kick, the 49er defense who have been on the wrong side of early turnovers so far this season, finally had a bone thrown their way, forcing a turnover on Indy's first play from scrimmage as cornerback Josh Norman punched the ball free from Colts running back Jonathan Taylor for a fumble after a short gain. In business again, San Francisco cashed in on the early turnover with a 34-yard field goal from Slye to take a 9-0 advantage. Taylor's early mistake would be an indication of how things would play out the rest of the way. As the weather conditions worsened, so did both team's ability to hang onto the ball. With nothing going for the Colts offense on their first three plays -- fumble, 1-yard loss and incompletion, QB Carson Wentz took a page out of Aaron Rodgers' book on Indy's second possession, throwing up a pass downfield on third and long and hoping for a pass-interference penalty which he would get as San Francisco's Josh Norman was draped all over Michael Pittman who came down with the reception anyway for a 57-yard gain. Three plays later, the Colts would answer with a touchdown pass from Wentz to receiver Mo Allie-Cox. 

With another field goal on San Francisco's next possession, the 49er offense would register scoring drives on each of their first three possessions of the game as Joey Slye split the uprights from 56-yards out, the 49ers' longest made field goal since 2013 (Phil Dawson) to put them ahead, 12-7 in the first quarter. Unfortunately, from that moment on, the Niner offense would embark on a struggle-filled second and third quarter which featured four punts and two fumbles before their next trip to the end zone. Facing another third and long, the 49er defense was again called for pass-interference on a deep ball, this time a 40-yarder with K'Waun Williams as the guilty party. A 33-yard carry from Taylor before being tripped up inside the 5-yardline appeared to have the San Francisco defense on their heels, but Kentavius Street would turn up the heat two plays later, getting a hand on Wentz and forcing him to bobble the ball in the air and into the lap of a 49ers defender for the turnover. The Niners would be unable to do anything with the takeaway as both teams exchanged three punts each before the next mistake was made. 

After a fumble snap that 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo picked up and ran forward for a positive gain, receiver Deebo Samuel wouldn't be as lucky two plays later as his 10-yard reception went up in flames as he had the ball jarred loose for a fumble. The Colts knew just what to do with it: throw it up into the air and rely on the inability of San Francisco's secondary who just can't avoid the defensive pass-interference as Emmanuel Moseley was dinged for another 19-yarder. Facing a 3rd and goal from the 1, Carson Wentz would do things himself, rushing into the end zone for the go-ahead score. Electing to go for two, the Colts would come up short but found themselves leading, 13-12 heading into the half. Capping off an ugly half of play by both teams, it would be the first NFL game of the season where both teams entered the locker room at the half having completed less than 50% of their passes. 

Opening the second half just as bad as they finished the first on offense, the 49ers would fumble the ball away yet again, this time on a strip-sack as Garoppolo had nowhere to go, dodging one defender before being gobbled up by another. The Colts would again capitalize on San Francisco's costly miscues, but not before another pass interference penalty awarded Indy 38-yards as Pittman was held by Jaquiski Tartt. A few plays later, Jonathan Taylor would strike pay dirt to make it a 20-12 Indianapolis advantage. In need of response, the 49ers would finally find the end zone again to begin the fourth quarter when Garoppolo and company marched 70-yards in three plays which took only 1:11, capped off by Jimmy G finding Deebo Samuel for the touchdown. Looking to tie things up at 20-all, a failed two-point conversion attempt allowed the Colts to hang onto a 20-18 lead. 

Following a Colts field goal, San Francisco had a chance to take a fourth quarter lead, but a pass in traffic to Samuel popped out of the hands of the receiver and into the hands of the defender as Indy's Xavier Rhodes came away with the interception. Cashing the turnover in for points, Wentz, with the 49ers secondary wrapped around his finger, lobbed a pass 28-yards out to Pittman who came down with the ball and bullied his way into the end zone. Adding insult to injury, Garoppolo would be picked off again on their next possession when a deep pass intended for Jauan Jennings squirted away from the quarterback and into heavy traffic for the easy pick. Fittingly enough, the game would ultimately end on a quarterback sack registered by former 49er DeForest Buckner who brought down his former teammate Jimmy G to seal the Colts' 30-18 victory. 

Carrying a bulk of the load for their respective teams, running backs Elijah Mitchell and Jonathan Taylor mirrored one another by finishing with 107 yards rushing and a touchdown on 18 carries. Both Deebo Samuel of the Niners and Michael Pittman of the Colts finished with 100 yards receiving and a touchdown, but it all came down to the play of the quarterbacks as Garoppolo outgained Wentz 181 yards passing to 150, but Wentz threw for two touchdowns to Garoppolo's one, while also committing far less turnovers -- three to one. The two teams would combine to make history, marking the first time that both teams had a 100-yard rusher and a 100-yard receiver, but neither team had 300+ total yards. As much as I'd like to complain about how flat and unprepared this 49ers team looked coming off the BYE week, the weather was just too much of a factor as Indianapolis just had a few more slips and falls go their way.  

Week 8 Preview: With the 49ers dropping to 2-4 on the year and 0-3 at home this season, San Francisco will be glad to leave their own digs of Levi's Stadium where they're just 1-6 over the last two seasons and winless in three tries this season. Instead, they'll take a trip to the Windy City to face rookie quarterback Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears (3-4) at Solider Field. Coming off a forgetful game of his own, the rookie Fields will also look to rebound after a three interception, two fumble performance in Chicago's blowout loss to the reigning Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With the 49ers being one of the teams that showed the most interest in Fields prior to selecting QB Trey Lance 3rd overall at April's Draft, Fields will likely have a chip on his shoulder come Sunday and will have some added motivation in wanting to take it to Kyle Shanahan and company for passing on him. The 49ers on the other hand will look to get back in the win column and spoil the party for Bears head coach Matt Nagy who's on the hot seat and could be fired by seasons end if Chicago fails to turn things around. 

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Struggles on 4th Down lead to 49ers Downfall in the Desert

Week 5 - Paying a visit to the desert in Week 5, the San Francisco 49ers would look to end their two-game skid against an NFC Western Division foe, but would have their work cutout for them against an undefeated Arizona Cardinals (4-0) team. With quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo out with a calf injury he suffered during the first half of the Week 4 loss to Seattle, rookie QB Trey Lance who was selected third overall in the 2021 NFL Draft just five months earlier, would get the nod in Jimmy G's place. But even before Lance took the field to make his first career start, the young signal-caller received word that he would be thrusted into the lineup without arguably his best target in tight-end George Kittle who was ruled out of Sunday's game and placed on Injured Reserve on Saturday with a calf injury that he sustained in Week 1. With Kittle on the shelf for at least the next three games, coach Kyle Shanahan would need more production from Deebo Samuel who entered Week 5 leading all receivers in receiving yards.  

Receiving the ball to begin the game, the 49er offense appeared to be in good hands after the first two plays as Lance showed his mobility with a 14-yard scramble, followed by a 16-yard strike to fullback Kyle Juszczyk for back-to-back first downs. But just two plays later, the drive would go up in flames as Lance airmailed a pass intended for Travis Benjamin that was intercepted by Cardinals safety Budda Baker. Like San Francisco prior to the turnover, the Arizona offense would have no problem moving the football as they cashed in on the interception with a touchdown on their first possession as running back James Connor rushed into the end zone from a yard out. In an early 7-0 hole, coach Shanahan's offense would face a number of 4th down situations where he elected to go for it, including on their second and third possessions. After failing to convert on a 4th and 2 run by Lance, the offense gave it another go one possession later. Pinned back near their own end zone at the San Francisco 6, the 49er offense would march all the way to the 1-yardline before facing another gutsy 4th down decision which ended in Lance being stood up at the goal line for another turnover on downs. 

After adding a Matt Prater field goal to take a 10-0 lead, the Cardinals would attempt to increase their lead by way of the field goal just before the half with a 61-yard attempt that sailed wide-right. Opening the second half on defense, San Francisco held Arizona to their first set of back to back three and outs of the season to start the third quarter. Seeking their first trip to the end zone, the 49ers would get a big play from receiver Brandon Aiyuk who hauled in a 26-yard grab that turned into a 41-yard gain following an unnecessary roughness penalty against Arizona. Several plays later, the 49ers would finally strike pay dirt on a 13-yard toss to Deebo Samuel. San Francisco would have a chance to take their first lead of the game after forcing another Arizona punt, but another failed attempt on 4th and 1 near midfield would result in their third turnover on downs of the afternoon as Juszczyk took a direct-snap that proved ineffective. The Niners would get another shot at taking the lead when cornerback Dontae Johnson stripped running back Chase Edmonds of the ball on the Cardinals' following possession. But San Francisco's fourth and final turnover on downs would halt those hopes as Lance's pass on 4th and 4 was tipped at the line of scrimmage by Arizona's J.J. Watt. 

Having kept DeAndre Hopkins relatively quiet for most of the afternoon, Cardinals QB Kyler Murray waited until the last half of the fourth quarter to get his best receiver more involved. Hopkins who is among the game's elite at the wide-out position and is without a doubt the best receiver on his team, passed another Cardinals great in Larry Fitzgerald for most receptions (764) by a player prior to their 30th birthday in NFL history. Among those receptions were a pair of grabs on consecutive plays, including a 30 yard catch that setup shop for the back-shoulder toss into the end zone for the touchdown on the very next play, also to Hopkins. Lance and company would show no signs of quitting as they would get a 47-yard field goal from the latest 49ers addition in kicker Joey Slye, making it a one-score game again at 17-10. Unfortunately for the Niners who were in need of a stop on defense with less than five minutes to go, the Cardinals converted on a pair of first downs that allowed Arizona head coach Kliff Kingsbury to run out the clock and seal the win. 

While it wasn't the end result that San Francisco wanted, there were positives on both sides of the ball to be taken from the loss. To their credit, the 49er defense managed to make Kyler Murray look rather pedestrian after having put up MVP-like numbers through the first four weeks of the season. Holding him to just 240 yards of total offense and one touchdown, San Francisco did have some success applying pressure while sacking him twice. Though it's usually Murray who causes fits and torches opposing defenses on the ground with his legs, the first overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft was outdone in that department by San Francisco's Trey Lance. The 49ers' duel-threat QB rushed for a game-high 89 yards on 16 carries, the fourth-highest total for a QB making his first career start (Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts and Randall Cunningham are the others). However, Murray did outgain Lance in passing yards, 239 to 192, respectively. After winning their first two games of the season, both on the road, Kyle Shanahan's 49ers have now lost three in a row, dropping to 2-3 on the year. Meanwhile, the Cardinals remain as the last of the NFL's undefeated at 5-0 for the first time since 1974 when they were the St. Louis Cardinals. 

With his family in attendance, the big stage didn't necessarily appear to be too big for the 21-year old Lance, but he didn't have a whole lot working for him in his first career start either. Even without his first-string tight-end, the receivers Lance did have to throw to on Sunday didn't do him any favors as there were a number of dropped balls, and the many penalties only made things worse. It's more than obvious Lance oozes with raw talent that just needs to be honed before Shanahan can fully release his unrefined specimen, my biggest knock on the rookie is his rifle of an arm. It's both a blessing and a curse as Lance was able to zing a number of passes down the field with ease, but also had a little too much heat on other passes that were over or underthrown. When also factoring in his mobility to go along with his cannon of an arm, Lance reminded me a lot of Colin Kaepernick at times and that's not a bad thing. With his first professional start finally out of the way, Lance will learn from the experience and now has something to expand upon, whether that be again this season or in 2022. 

Week 7 Preview: After a BYE Week in Week 6, the 49ers will return home in Week 7 to face Carson Wentz and the Indianapolis Colts (1-4). Like San Francisco, Indy is off to a start they did not foresee and are coming off a Monday Night loss in which they blew a 19-point lead on the road to Baltimore. In his first season with the Colts, QB Carson Wentz is coming off his best performance of the season after throwing for 402 yards and a pair of touchdowns, despite being out-dueled by the Ravens' Lamar Jackson. Facing former 49ers first round pick DeForest Buckner for the first time since trading him to the Colts for a first round pick a year ago, Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan is unsure who his quarterback will be come Week 7 as Garoppolo is working his way back from injury, and Trey Lance reportedly suffered a knee sprain in Sunday's loss to the Cardinals. However, Shanahan has mentioned if Jimmy G is healthy in time for gameday, he will be under center, regardless of Lance's status. While the question at quarterback remains unanswered at this time, there's no denying that the 49ers continue to have unbelievably bad luck with the injury bug. 

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49ers Bring Back Armstead, Deal Buckner

Amid the craziness that is the Coronavirus pandemic that has taken the globe by storm and halted the sports world as we know in its tracks, Monday served as the first busy day of the NFL's 2020-21 calendar year. Just 24 hours after players and league owners came to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement that will improve the number of playoff teams from 12 to 14, as well as ensure 10 more years of labor peace (at least for now) among many other things, the free-agent frenzy and a number of blockbuster trades, allowed for us to take a quick breather from the more serious matters at hand. With the NCAA's March Madness officially cancelled, both the NBA and NHL seasons in a standstill and Major League Baseball not expected to begin their season until at least mid-May, it was the NFL that once again reigned supreme in a nation that absolutely loves its football and is currently starving for any sort of sports entertainment.

Just two days before the official start of NFL free agency, things began to take shape when a pair of major moves were made out west as one of the league's toughest divisions in the NFC West appears to have gotten even tougher. Following the groundbreaking news of the Houston Texans sending superstar receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals to catch balls from last year's No. 1 overall pick and Offensive Rookie of the Year -- Kyler Murray, the archrival 49ers made a splash of their own in hopes of maintaining a stranglehold on the division for years to come. With a number of play-makers on San Francisco's star-studded defensive-line, the reigning NFC Champion 49ers were forced to pick and choose between a pair of good friends and former college teammates dating back to their days at the University of Oregon. After selecting Arik Armstead and DeForest Buckner in consecutive drafts with their first round picks in 2015 and 2016 respectively, the 49ers made the two former Oregon Ducks teammates once again, helping them assemble the most devastating defensive front in all of football last season which led the way to the team making a Super Bowl appearance under defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. But like all good things that must come to an end, the team would not be able to afford paying everyone after shelling out over $87 Million last offseason to defensive-end Dee Ford and drafting rookie sensation Nick Bosa who took home the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year Award after being selected with the No. 2 overall pick.

With Armstead becoming a free-agent and Buckner entering the final year of his contract this coming season, 49ers brass would be forced to choose from one or the other. Not only would GM John Lynch and company go with the much cheaper option in Armstead, but they also went with the option that made the most sense long-term. With Buckner being the odd man out, San Francisco sent their former No. 7 overall pick and arguably the centerpiece to their defense to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for the No. 13 pick in next month's draft. In need of a defensive lineman to compliment their superstar linebacker in Darius Leonard, Indy quickly made Buckner the second-highest paid defensive player in the league by inking him to a multi-year deal that will pay him $21 Million per, trailing only L.A.'s Aaron Donald in annual salary. In his four seasons in the league with the 49ers, Buckner tallied 28.5 sacks while earning Pro Bowl honors in 2018. While Buckner is clearly the more superior pass rusher here and has the more impressive track record, his asking price was going to be too expensive for the Niners' taste and therefore it made all the sense in the world to deal him now and at least get something in return, opposed to letting him walk after next season. Not to mention how needy the 49ers are for draft capital as they did not receive any compensatory draft picks this year and are without a single pick in rounds 2 thru 4 which have proven to be the rounds Lynch and coach Kyle Shanahan have built this team on in their 3+ seasons at the helm.

Having mainly underwhelmed in his previous four seasons with the team, Armstead had a career year in 2019-20 and benefited from having the perfect cast around him which allowed him to propel on the field and helped him accomplish a career-high 10 sacks on the year. Thriving in what was a memorable season for San Francisco's defense, Armstead just got a lot richer as the team signed him to a new five-year, $85 Million dollar deal with $48.5 Million in guarantees. Whether or not the 49ers intend to use one of their now two first round picks at No. 13 and 31 to find Buckner's replacement is anyone's guess at this point, as D.J. Jones who impressed last season before being bit by the injury bug, is also a viable option. Then again Lynch could always revert to using one of the picks as trade bait to land even more picks like he's done so often in his brief but impressive career as a general manager. By jettisoning Buckner's contract from their payroll, the team was able to clear up the salary flexibility to make moves such as re-signing free-safety Jimmie Ward to a 3-year deal worth $28.5 Million. The move to bring back the often injury-prone Ward who the 49ers made their 30th pick in the 2014 Draft, enjoyed his best and most healthy season in 2019 and was San Francisco's second top priority among their own free-agents, behind only Armstead, which now guarantees the return of 10 of 11 defensive starters from last year.

With more deals expected to come, other key free-agents on the Niners include: WR Kendrick Bourne, RB Matt Breida and WR Emmanuel Sanders.


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49ers Lose another Close one in Overtime

Week 5 - With a trip to Indianapolis to take on the (1-3) Colts for the first time since the end of the Peyton Manning era, the (0-4) San Francisco 49ers would be reunited with one of their own franchise greats in running back Frank Gore, a match up Niners linebacker NaVorro Bowman was excited for as the two spent five seasons together as teammates and remain close to one another to this day. A day after revealing the statue of Peyton Manning outside of Lucas Oil Stadium, the Colts honored the great No. 18 by inducting him into their ring ceremony and officially retiring his jersey during halftime. But with the 49ers still seeking their first win of the season, San Francisco would look to crash the party and spoil the special day arranged for one of the game's all-time greats.

Looking to continue his success against the Colts who he threw a career-high 397 passing yards against in Week 5 a season ago while a member of the Chicago Bears, QB Brian Hoyer had himself another nice game statistically after shaking off a slow start. But before any scoring would be done, Colts running back Frank Gore would move his way up the rankings on the NFL's all-time rushing list with a 9-yard carry on Indy's first possession as he passed Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson to move into the No. 7 spot. Several plays later, another all-time great added his name to the record books as Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri converted on a 52-yard field goal to give his team an early 3-0 lead while also becoming the third player ever with 2,000 points. With nothing but field goals to show for and the score tied at 6 heading into the half, San Francisco opened the third quarter with more woes on third down as their league-worst third down efficiency continued to plummet as the 49ers converted on only 4 of their 14 third down tries on Sunday. Because of those woes, it wouldn't be long before Hoyer and company found themselves behind by double-digits with less than 10 minutes to play in regulation.

Trailing 23-9 following back-to-back touchdown scoring drives by the Colts, coach Kyle Shanahan would need his offense to ditch the field goals for touchdowns if they stood any chance of pulling off the comeback. It would be a tall task, however, as the 49ers found themselves in a drought that saw 22 consecutive possessions without a touchdown. But a pair of deep passes hauled in by receiver Marquise Goodwin spanning 20 and 51 yards would put the Niners in position to score that elusive touchdown. Facing a 3rd and 6, Hoyer would find fullback Kyle Juszczyk with a shovel pass as he bulldozed his way into the end zone to pull his team within a touchdown. The 6-yard score would be San Francisco's first touchdown since Week 3 and first on the road this season. With a much needed stop on defense on Indy's ensuing possession, San Francisco would get the ball back with 5:29 remaining in regulation. They would use all but 20 seconds of that time by stringing together a 14-play drive that featured two 4th down conversions on passes to rookie tight-end George Kittle, the first of which on a 19-yard connection on 4th and 1 and the second on 4th and goal from the 5 as Kittle caught the ball and just made it over the goal line, thus tying the score at 23-all and sending the game into overtime.

With Indianapolis winning the coin toss and electing to receive in OT, it didn't appear that the 49ers would even get a chance to possess the ball as Colts QB Jacoby Brissett (22 for 34, 314 yards) marched his team all the way to the 8-yard line following multiple strikes down the field including a 46-yarder to T.Y. Hilton who amassed a game-high 177-yards receiving on 7 receptions. That wouldn't be the case, however, as 49ers linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong came up with his second interception in the end zone in as many weeks as he leaped into the air for the pickoff and returned it 29-yards. But after a costly holding penalty by the 49ers offensive-line, San Francisco would fail to cash in on their golden opportunity and were forced to punt. From there, backup running back Marlon Mack who showed the potential to be the team's starting running back of the future as he tallied 91-yards rushing on the afternoon including a 35-yard gain on his final carry of the ball game to put the Colts in field goal range and setup their Pro-Bowl kicker for the game-winner. And from 51-yards out, Vinatieri would add yet another feather to his cap as one of the most clutch kickers of all-time split the uprights one more time to give his team the 26-23 victory.

For San Francisco, the loss would be their fifth in as many games this season which in itself is frustrating, but perhaps even more so simply because of just how close they've been as they've now lost the last four games by a combined 11-points. And like they did a week ago in their overtime loss to Arizona, the 49ers squandered yet another golden opportunity in overtime as victory slipped through their hands once again. On the positive side of things, kicker Robbie Gould who had made 28 straight field goals entering Sunday added a trio of makes on Sunday to improve his streak to 31 consecutive made field goals, the longest active streak in the NFL. Brian Hoyer threw for 353 yards on the afternoon, 94 of those yards would go to former Colts wide-out Pierre Garcon who caught a game-high 8 passes while also adding to his streak of 271 consecutive receptions without a fumble, the longest active streak of its kind. Running back Carlos Hyde appeared to once again be bothered by his lingering hip injury as he started the game but missed a majority of the second quarter and all of the third quarter before returning late in the fourth.

Week 6 Preview - Rounding out their current 3-game round trip and 5th road game in seven weeks, the (0-5) 49ers will pay a visit to the nation's capital to take on the (2-2) Washington Redskins. Coming off a BYE week, QB Kirk Cousins and company will look to keep pace with the first place Philadelphia Eagles as he matches up with his former offensive coordinator in Kyle Shanahan. With rumors swirling regarding the 49ers showing interest in acquiring Cousins next season, the game could very well be a tryout as Shanahan and general manager John Lynch will get a clear look at Cousins on the field. San Francisco, meanwhile, will try and make his day as miserable as possible as they look to log their first win of the season before returning home next week to host Dallas. And just like Week 5 when they were reunited with long time Niner Frank Gore, San Francisco will see another familiar face in Washington as former head coach Jim Tomsula will be on the opposite sideline serving as the Redskins' defensive-line coach, a position he excelled at for 8 seasons with the 49ers.


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49ers Blow 5 leads, Falter to Cards in Overtime

Week 4 - In the desert to take on the (1-2) Arizona Cardinals, the (0-3) San Francisco 49ers looked to pull off the upset and claim their first victory of 2017 against a scuffling Arizona team that has had its fair share of injuries just three weeks into the season. The game between the two struggling offenses would turn into a battle of field goals and would feature a combined nine made field goals for the first time in an NFL game since September 26, 2011 between the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys. Five of those field goals would translate to five different leads for the 49ers before this one was all settled in overtime by one of the game's greats as rookie head coach Kyle Shanahan was once again left searching for his first career win at the helm.

From Arizona's first offensive possession, a long day on defense appeared to be in store for the 49ers who were bailed out by an interception in the end zone after quarterback Carson Palmer led the Cardinals all the way to the 4-yard line. A pass intended for tight-end Jermaine Gresham was tipped by San Francisco corner Rashard Robinson before a diving grab by linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong completed the turnover to give the 49ers the ball. And while they would also fail to score on their initial possession, their second drive would end with the first of many Robbie Gould field goal's on the afternoon. Gould would be matched by the ageless wonder and former 49ers kicker Phil Dawson who countered with four field goals of his own including two in the first half, the second of which set up by another former 49er in Antoine Bethea who intercepted San Francisco QB Brian Hoyer on a hurried pass.

Both teams would have touchdowns taken off the board in the game, Arizona's on a controversial review call and San Francisco's on a penalty, just one of many committed by the 49ers who were flagged a total of 13 times. Getting the ball to open the second half, the 49ers appeared to have finally struck pay dirt with an 11-yard touchdown from Hoyer to rookie running back Matt Breida before it was called back on an offensive pass-interference call against receiver Trent Taylor who has had his fair share of run ins with the officials already this year. The 49ers would  have to settle for yet another field goal before both teams sent it into overtime with the score tied at 12. Winning the coin toss and electing to receive in overtime, the 49ers offense would eat up a over seven and a half minutes of the ten minute extra period but were once again only able to walk away with a field goal after being stood up at the 5-yard line. From there, Palmer would go to work. Needing only six plays and less than a minute and a half to march his team to the red zone, Palmer would hoist up a prayer answered by the Cardinals Future Hall of Fame receiver Larry Fitzgerald who hauled in the walk-off touchdown to give Arizona the 18-15 victory. Close but no cigar as they say as it would be the fourth loss in as many weeks for San Francisco who have now lost their last three games by a combined 8 points.

Having made a career out of torturing San Francisco defenses throughout his 14-year career, all with the Cardinals, it would be a quiet day for Fitzgerald up until his heroic catch in overtime as he caught just four passes for 32 yards including the 19-yarder to win it. The game-winning touchdown pass and only touchdown of the game for either team would be the 290th touchdown pass of Palmer's career, tying him with Hall of Fame QB Johnny Unitas for 13th all-time. The 37-year old Palmer who threw for 357 yards in the contest to log his third consecutive 300-yard performance, can pass another pair of Hall of Fame quarterbacks in the coming weeks as he currently stands one TD behind Warren Moon and ten behind John Elway. As good as Palmer was down the stretch, the San Francisco defense didn't make it easy on the former Heisman Trophy winner who's been hit the most times in the league this season at the quarterback position and was taken down for a total of six sacks. Among those sacks were a couple of milestones by a pair of defensive-ends in Elvis Dumervil and Solomon Thomas. Dumervil, a 5-time Pro Bowler with Denver and Baltimore collected career sacks No. 100 and 101 on Sunday while rookie Solomon Thomas added his first.

49ers running back Carlos Hyde who shook off a hip injury and was a game-time decision, tallied 68 rushing yards and another 27 yards on five receptions from QB Brian Hoyer who finished with 234 yards through the air. With Sunday's loss being the third game in four weeks without a touchdown for San Francisco, fans are wondering if it's time to kick the tires on rookie QB C.J. Beathard. And though head coach Kyle Shanahan has admitted that Hoyer needs to step up and perform better, he explained in his press conference that he's not ready to pull the plug on his starting quarterback just yet. One area Hoyer will need to improve in going forward if he wants to keep his job, is third down efficiency as San Francisco's woes continued on third down to the tune of 5 for 19 (19%) on Sunday.

Week 5 Preview - Continuing their three game road trip, the 49ers will make a pit stop in Indy in Week 5 to take on the (1-3) Indianapolis Colts. Though they haven't had many breaks go their way through the first few weeks, Shanahan and company will be relieved knowing that the Colts will be without quarterback Andrew Luck who has yet to play this season while nursing a shoulder injury. Instead, the Colts QB position will be manned by Jacoby Brissett. Accompanying him in the backfield will be a familiar face as the 49ers will be reunited with running back Frank Gore, San Francisco's all-time leading rusher as the two square off for the first time since his departure in 2015 from the team that drafted him in 2005. Heading into the game, the Colts are an early 1 1/2 point favorite, but if the Niners like their chances in any game in the coming weeks, it's gotta be this one.


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Peyton Manning's cloudy Future

Uncertainty in the air - Since the start of the Peyton Manning era in Denver some three seasons ago, the Denver Broncos have done nothing but break records and win games during the regular season. Their success in the postseason, however, not so much. Then again, that's the one knock on one of the game's all-time great signal callers. With just the one Super Bowl victory under his belt, Manning has had the pieces in place during his time with Denver to change that. But a disappointing loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens in his first year with the Broncos in 2012 followed by a 35-point shellacking to the Seattle Seahawks in last year's Super Bowl, has deprived him of that second Lombardi Trophy that he has tried so hard to capture. 

And then there was Sunday's loss at the hands of Peyton's former team -- the Indianapolis Colts, the most recent disappointing postseason finish which has many pondering; could we have seen the last of No.18? While there's no denying Manning still possesses the skill set to play in this league despite his age, would he be willing to take on another trying offseason of training, mental preparation and everything in between? When being asked about his future following yesterday's 24-13 loss which eliminated Denver from the playoffs, the 5-time MVP was noncommittal in his answer while leaving us on the edge of our seats. Clouding Manning's future even more so is the news of Broncos head coach John Fox mutually agreeing to step down from his position with the team. Under Fox who signed a contract extension during the offseason, the Broncos have won AFC Western Division titles in each of his first four years with the team. Fox coached the team to an impressive record of 46-18 during the regular season, but it was his 2-3 record during the playoffs coupled with philosophical differences from those of Broncos GM John Elway which led to the two sides parting ways.

With Fox out the door and offensive coordinator Adam Gase likely to follow with offers of a possible head coaching position if he doesn't receive one from Elway himself, the likelihood of Manning deciding to call it quits would most certainly improve assuming Peyton would oppose the idea of welcoming a new offensive system. And with the relationship between Manning and Gase being a close one, who Elway and company decide to go with to fill their head coaching vacancy could be the deciding factor in whether or not the soon to be 39-year old Manning returns. Not to mention the many play-makers on offense that are set to hit the free-agency market including Julius Thomas, Demaryius Thomas and Wes Welker to name a few. Though it's been reported that Manning played Sunday's game with a torn quadriceps muscle, it would be hard to blame the loss on that alone given Indianapolis admitted to stealing a page from Seattle's book by taking away the middle of the field and forcing Manning to try his hand at the deep passes along the sideline that he just wasn't able to make like he so often has in the past.


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Week 3: Lack of Offense leads to 49ers scratching their head

This past Sunday the 49ers returned home after a blowout loss on the road in Seattle for what they thought would be a way to get back on track. Instead, the team's struggles followed them to the bay area where they would show side-effects that carried over from the beat down received by the Seahawks. Hosting the Andrew Luck led Indianapolis Colts who 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh mentored at the University of Stanford, the reunion between college coach and former player eventually turned into a player teaching his former coach a lesson as San Francisco lost consecutive games for the first time under their third year head coach.

Penalties which have haunted the 49ers defense through the first few weeks continued to plague the team on Sunday including on the first two plays from scrimmage on the Colts opening drive which set up Indianapolis near mid-field. From there Andrew Luck would carve up the 49ers secondary before handing the ball off to the newest Colt Trent Richardson who was acquired in a trade with the Browns earlier in the week. Richardson took little time to fit right in, plowing into the end zone from 1-yard out on his first carry with his new club to put them ahead, 7-0. After failing to put together a single touchdown drive in Seattle in week 2, San Francisco's offense appeared to have shaken off the cobwebs on their second possession of the game, as the 49ers were able to establish the run game early on, something they've perfected under coach Harbaugh but were unable to accomplish in weeks 1 and 2. QB Colin Kaepernick orchestrated a nine play, 91-yard touchdown drive highlighted by a 13-yard TD run by running back Kendall Hunter, tying the game at 7. However, it would be the only time coach Harbaugh's team would pay the end zone a visit. 

As if the 49ers receiving corps wasn't banged up enough to start the year, the team was without their best target on offense in Pro-Bowl tight-end Vernon Davis. Hampered by a hamstring injury suffered in the loss at Seattle, Davis watched his quarterback struggle all afternoon in what would eventually be Kaepernick's first loss at Candlestick Park since being promoted the starting QB in week 11 last season. Completing 13 of 27 passes for 150 yards with a fumble and an interception, Kaepernick followed up the worst outing of his NFL career with another sub-par performance. As for Andrew Luck, last year's first overall pick in the 2012 Draft didn't have one of his brightest performances either, throwing for only 159 yards on 17 of 26 completions, but he came up big when needed and put the game away for good in the fourth quarter with a 6-yard touchdown run he capitalized with an emphatic spiking of the ball. Indy added salt to the wound with another late touchdown by running back Ahmad Bradshaw as the Colts routed the 49ers by a final of 27-7.

The 34 points San Francisco scored in their week 1 win against Green Bay now looks like an anomaly as Kaepernick and company has scored a whooping 10 total points in their last two games. Is it a coincidence that the 49ers haven't been able to muster much success on offense while coach Harbaugh has elected to drift away from the read-option some? The 49ers have also utilized very little play-action plays, another area in which Kaepernick has excelled in. Regardless, Kaepernick's poor performances over the past two weeks which I believe he'll bounce back from, have already ignited a 'bring back Alex Smith' type of crowd on Twitter. Numerous users of the social media website sent Kaepernick tweets with stuff you'd expect from a 12 year old problem child. Everything from "You suck" to "Kaepernick is garbage" was sent to the 49ers quarterback and guess who favorited each and every tweet -- none other than Colin himself. If anybody wants Colin Kaepernick to bounce back from his recent struggles, it's Colin Kaepernick. And these negative tweets from so called "fans" should only add to his hunger.

Rome wasn't built overnight so for anyone that's been a Niners fan prior to the Harbaugh era knows the hardships this franchise has been through over the last decade or so. So to see panic of this magnitude from the fan base three weeks into the season is laughable. 


Week 4 Preview: With blowout losses in back-to-back games for the 49ers, coach Harbaugh will have little time to prepare his team for their next opponent as San Francisco has a Thursday night meeting in St. Louis to face the division-rival Rams on short rest. Like the 49ers, the Rams are 1-2 and are hoping to rebound from a double-digit loss suffered in week 3. Losing 31-7 on the road in Dallas last week, St. Louis allowed nearly 200 yards on the ground alone and three touchdowns through the air. But by no means will Thursday night's game in St. Louis be an easy task for the 49ers who almost always have a hard time against the Rams, but it might be good for Kaepernick and company to play with their backs against the wall. Having opened the season as one of the few Super Bowl favorites, the 49ers have already taken a hit in many of the NFL's power rankings. So much so that pundits are prematurely declaring the 49ers season over if they lose and fall to 1-3. In their two meetings last season, coach Harbaugh was unable to solve Rams coach Jeff Fisher who handed Harbaugh both a loss and a tie in 2012. Entering Thursday's game, the all-time series between the 49ers and Rams is tied, 62-62-1.


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Something to Play for

After an off-season that saw the release of future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning and the drafting of phenom sensation Andrew Luck who was taken with the no. 1 overall pick, the Indianapolis Colts were dealt a blow just three games into their season when the team received tragic news that first year head coach Chuck Pagano was diagnosed with leukemia. Putting a damper on the Colts locker room, the news added to the team's 1-2 start. In a situation in which most teams would feel lost without their coach and leader, the Colts instead used Pagano's fight with cancer as motivation to fuel their will to win. Proving just that was their miraculous win against Green Bay in their first game after it was learned Pagano had cancer.

After a difficult bye week which left more than football on the minds of Colts players and personnel alike, QB Andrew Luck led Indianapolis to an 18-point, second half comeback over the reigning MVP Aaron Rogers and the Packers. Following their 30-27 victory over Green Bay, interim head coach Bruce Arians delivered the game ball to the 52-year old Pagano's nearby hospital bed. On Sunday, Pagano who has since progressed in his fight against cancer, made his first trip to Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium since being diagnosed with leukemia and witnessed his quarterback make history by throwing for an NFL single-game rookie record with 433 passing yards, surpassing the previous mark of 422 yards set last year by Carolina's Cam Newton. Watching from a far, Pagano's Colts improved to 5-3 on the year with their 23-20 win over the Miami Dolphins. The best part of all, however, would be Pagano's emotional post-game speech following the win which sent chills down the spine of any true sports fan.

Though Pagano returned to the hospital on Monday to undergo his second of three chemotherapy treatments, he'll be with his team in spirit in week 10 when the team travels to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars. And in case you aren't convinced just yet that the Colts are the feel good story of 2012, on Tuesday players and coaches did the deed of shaving their heads in support of Pagano, proving that the group of guys Indianapolis has is more than a team, they're family. And after appearing to have started the season in the rear-view mirror of Washington's Robert Griffin, Andrew Luck has since leapfrogged RG3 in the race for the  Rookie of the Year Award and is quickly becoming a fan favorite. Not to mention he's already paved his path to become a pretty darn good QB having already surpassed Peyton Manning's win total who finished 3-13 in his 1998 rookie campaign with the Colts. All of this has quickly made the Indianapolis Colts one of the teams to watch in the NFL once again and for undoubtedly many years to come. Get well soon, coach! 


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49ers Sign Manningham, Enter Peyton Manning Sweepstakes

Last Monday, the 49ers off-season would get off to an exciting start after news broke that the team had signed veteran wide receiver Randy Moss to a one-year deal to help upgrade their receiving corps. Just days later, 49ers GM Trent Baalke would follow that up by signing Super Bowl hero Mario Manningham to a two-year pact. The former New York Giants wide-out who's spectacular fourth quarter grab down the sideline to set up the game-winning drive against the New England Patriots, will now be running routes and receiving passes for the team he helped defeat in January's NFC title game. But just when you thought San Francisco's off-season couldn't get any better, the 49ers have reportedly emerged as a sleeper team in the running for one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game in Peyton Manning.

After informing the Miami Dolphins along with division rivals Seattle and Arizona that they weren't among his finalists on Friday, it was learned that in the midst of all the speculation revolving the Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans that Peyton Manning had worked out for the 49ers. According to sources, 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman flew out and met up with the 4-time MVP at Duke University where Manning has been practicing for the past several weeks. After watching him take part in a throwing session, 49ers officials sent a team doctor to North Carolina where Manning underwent a physical exam. While team representatives for both the Broncos and Titans also met with Peyton, as you could imagine, each franchise has had their fair share of endorsers.

With Broncos executive vice president of football operations John Elway lobbying for Peyton to land in Denver, the Titans on the other hand not only have team owner Bud Adams on the forefront who has said he'd do anything to make Manning a Titan, including offer him a lifetime contract, but they also have the entire state of Tennessee backing him. Manning is beloved in the Volunteer State for his successful college career at the University of Tennessee so much so that a Tennessee diner has offered him free pancakes for life if he signs with the team. The 49ers might not be able to provide Peyton with free pancakes for life, but something they would be able to provide him with is the best possible chance of making it to and winning another Super Bowl. Something former Hall of Fame QB of the 49ers, Steve Young says could be the deciding factor in where Manning chooses to take his talents in 2012. Of the three teams remaining in the Peyton Manning sweepstakes, no team appears to be as stacked on both sides of the ball as the San Francisco 49ers do.

Not only do the 49ers possess a dominant rushing attack led by the tandem of Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter, but they also have a wide-receiving corps that just got better with Michael Crabtree and the additions of Randy Moss and Mario Manningham. And not to be forgotten is Pro-Bowl tight-end Vernon Davis. Even more deadly is San Francisco's defense which put up record-setting numbers last season as the top ranked defense in the league. Though San Francisco would be the run away favorites to land Manning in most people's yes given the talent they currently have, those closest to the story are calling it a long shot. But until he writes the 49ers off or signs on the dotted-line elsewhere, let's keep the optimism flowing and keep our fingers crossed.

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Peyton Manning, The End of an Era

After 14 long successful seasons at the helm in Indianapolis, the marriage between star quarterback Peyton Manning and the Colts football team is coming to a screeching halt. Just days after a video of Peyton Manning throwing passes at Duke University for the first time since undergoing a series of neck surgeries went viral after being leaked onto the Internet, Colts owner Jim Irsay has made the decision to move on without the most popular figure to ever don a Colts uniform and arguably one of the greatest QB's of all-time. Amid the speculation of keeping Manning in Indianapolis for at least another year so he could show consensus number one overall draft pick Andrew Luck the ropes before taking on the Colts starting quarterback position, Irsay and company has instead invested in turning the page in hopes of starting a new chapter of Colts football.

Only a year into his 5-year, $90 Million deal signed with the team back in July, the soon to be 36-year old Manning who was hoping to end his career in a Colts uniform, will now try to find work elsewhere which shouldn't be a problem given the many teams that have issues at the quarterback position entering the 2012 season. Sidelined by neck problems in 2011, Manning was forced to miss the entire season, resulting in the team's first losing season in nearly a decade at 2-14, landing the Colts the No. 1 overall pick in April's Draft. A pick they used 14 years earlier to draft Manning out of the University of Tennessee which would breath life back into a Colts organization that had made only three trips to the playoffs since relocating from Baltimore to Indianapolis in 1984. Manning would match those three postseason appearances in his first five seasons at the helm before adding eight more trips to the playoffs to his resume, including a Super Bowl title in 2006.

Also following Indy's dismal 2011 season were the firings of Colts head coach Jim Caldwell, vice chairman Bill Polian and his son, general manager Chris Polian, all in an effort to give the team a full makeover. With all of them gone, it seemed almost inevitable that Peyton would be next on the list. But as much as the idea was thrown around during the regular season and beyond, nobody thought the possibility would actually come to fruition. But once again proving that the NFL is a business, Irsay decides to set his cash cow free into the wild where he'll be able to help another franchise vie for a Super Bowl title. Manning, who's the all-time leading passer in Colts franchise history, would've been owed $28 Million in bonus money if he was still on the team's roster come Thursday. But according to Colts owner Jim Irsay, the decision to part ways with the 4-time NFL MVP falls into the plans of the team's restructuring and was not financially driven.

It's hard to put into words just what Peyton Manning has meant not only for the Colts franchise, but also for the community of Indianapolis, which is why I believe if there is a homecoming between Manning and the Indianapolis faithful, it'll be a welcoming one with lots of emotion. Unless of coarse he was to steal a page from Brett Favre's book and sign with the archrival New England Patriots. But luckily for them the Pats already have a guy that goes by the name of Tom Brady under center. Instead of waiting until March 13, when free agency officially begins, Manning can sign with another NFL team now if he wanted. But with lots to think about from now until the start of the regular season for the 11-time Pro Bowler, I think it'll be after the draft if not days before when we find out which team Manning will be playing for. And with #18 now on the free-agent market, I think we'll see a similar lobbying campaign for Manning like the one we seen for LeBron James just over a year ago. However, don't be expecting Peyton to hold an hour long special on ESPN entitled "The Decision Part II" for him to announce his destination.

A few of the early suitors rumored to be interested in Manning include the Washington Redskins, Miami Dolphins, Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans, New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns. Is there an unnamed team that you think will make a late push to snag the former Super Bowl MVP? If so, who?

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Suck 4 Luck

With three teams watching their playoff aspirations pass before their eyes still seeking their first win of the season heading into Week 8, it's not often you begin seeing those who don't believe they can bounce back and make a push down the stretch jockey for sole possession of the first overall pick in the upcoming draft. And with a super-prospect at the QB position in Stanford's Andrew Luck who's the consensus number one overall pick for the second consecutive year and has drawn comparisons to John Elway, a team tanking the season for a player with the potential to be one of the all-time greats isn't unlikely.

Though any team coming off an unsuccessful season and in the middle of a rebuilding period would like to plug a young quarterback of Luck's caliber into their franchise, Luck could however decide to pursue his senior year in college if he's not satisfied with the team who gets the first overall pick. And while he would risk leaving a bunch of money on the table and the chances of getting hurt, it wouldn't be the first time Luck ditched being the first overall pick as he chose to return to college last year despite his head coach Jim Harbaugh heading to the pros to coach the San Francisco 49ers. Some sources have even gone as far as saying Luck would consider pulling the same move Eli Manning made in '04 when being drafted first overall by the San Diego Chargers who he refused to play for which eventually led to a trade to the New York Giants.

Those three teams who remain win-less are the Miami Dolphins, the St. Louis Rams and the Indianapolis Colts. But only the Dolphins and Colts are rumored to be in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes as the Rams are unlikely to draft another quarterback given it was only a season ago that they selected last year's Rookie of the Year Sam Bradford first overall. The Miami Dolphins on the other hand are in desperate need of a quarterback having started both Chad Henne and Matt Moore this season with little to nothing to show for. Meanwhile in Indy, the Colts have been without arguably the best QB in all football since the beginning of training camp when it was learned that Peyton Manning would need neck surgery for the second time this year. The news of Manning's injury prompted the front-office to sign veteran QB Kerry Collins who agreed to come out of retirement, but would be benched in favor of backup Curtis Painter after only three weeks.

The Colts' failure to tally a win this late in the season was something nobody saw coming and proves just how dependent the franchise really is on the great Peyton Manning, perhaps more so than any other team is with their star player. Even the New England Patriots who were without Manning's arch-rival Tom Brady in '08 were able to finish the season 11-5 with then backup QB Matt Cassel under center when Brady went down during the season-opener with a knee injury that put him on the shelf for the entire season. But just how much is Manning's absence to blame for the Colts' dismal 0-7 start? Many are pointing the finger at the Colts defense or the lack thereof following their most recent loss on Sunday night in which they were dismantled by a final score of 62-7 to the New Orleans Saints. The critics have said Manning's health wouldn't have changed he fact that the D still gave up 62 points when really Indy's offense would've been on the field longer if Manning was healthy, thus preventing less chances for New Orleans to score.

Manning's 2011 campaign hasn't been ruled out just yet as doctors say there's still a chance he can see live action this season, but with the team already out of playoff contention come Manning's return, why risk bringing him back with the possibility of him not being at full strength and hurting his neck again? While the Dolphins selecting Andrew Luck is a no-brainer if they're given the opportunity, the question of whether or not the Colts should do the same is in the air. With an aging Peyton Manning at the helm could we see Indianapolis steal a page out of Green Bay's book by letting Manning show Luck the ropes much like Brett Favre did with Aaron Rodgers?


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Colts likely to start season without Manning

With the start of the NFL's regular season less than a week away, the Indianapolis Colts appear to be on the brink of doing something they haven't done in over a decade and that's start a season without their Pro Bowl quarterback Peyton Manning. Entering his 13th year in the league, Manning has never missed a game during his professional career and boasts a streak of 227 consecutive starts (including playoffs) only behind Brett Favre who's streak of 321 consecutive games started came to an end last December due to an ankle injury. Manning's streak is in danger thanks in large part to a surgically repaired nerve (neck) during the offseason on May 23.

According to doctors, the timetable of Peyton's recovery was expected to be 6-8 weeks which would've allowed him to be at full strength come the start of training camp. However, back pains as recent as last week have limited Manning during practice, proving that he's behind schedule in the healing process. Though trainers and doctors haven't completely ruled Peyton out for week one's meeting with the Houston Texans on Sunday, neither them nor the Colts' front office are taking any chances considering how valuable Manning is. Not to mention the new 5-year, $90 Million deal the two sides agreed to a little more than a month ago. With Manning watching from the sidelines for the first few weeks being the worse case scenario for Indianapolis, Colts owner Jim Irsay isn't shying away from letting it be known where he thinks his 4-time MVP will be come week one.

Upon being told about the possibility of opening the season without Manning, the Colts didn't hesitate to provide insurance at the quarterback position by contacting the recently retired Kerry Collins. Three years removed from leading the Tennessee Titans to a 13-3 record and a top seed in the playoffs, Collins would have little success towards the end of his tenure with the team he served five seasons with (2006-2010) while sharing the starting role with former Rookie of the Year Vince Young. Following a dismal 6-10 season in 2010, Collins announced his retirement from the game of football after sixteen years on July 7. A month and a half later, he finds himself in a favorable position to not only get a few starts in, but also win a Super Bowl ring. With Manning's health uncertain, Collins who I seen as being a one week rent-a-player may be a more important piece to the Colts season than first thought.

Regarded by many as the best player in the game today, Manning's health is a scare to not only the Colts organization and their fans, but also to those who have him in their fantasy leagues including myself. Regardless of the time he misses, I wouldn't be the slightest bit surprised if he still finishes the year with a Pro Bowl campaign. After all, he's Peyton Manning. With the speculation of Colts nation treating a few games without their beloved QB like it's the end of the world, there's no telling how things will be once the Manning era ends in Indy considering no one player or name is as synonymous to a franchise as Manning and the Colts.

Manning's Legacy Takes A Blow

As Drew Brees & company are busy celebrating in Disney World and on rafters in what's said to be the biggest celebration in New Orleans parade history, Colts QB Peyton Manning is taking some heavy fire for not shaking hands after Sunday's big game. Instead of congratulating the better team and showing his sportsmanship, Manning was seen walking off the field with his head down. We seen the same thing last year in the NBA, when Cleveland Cavaliers star guard LeBron James decided to hit the showers instead of shaking hands with the eventual Eastern Conference Champion - Orlando Magic, at the result of his team being knocked out the playoffs. James was later fined for not addressing the media. Although James' actions were a bit unsportsmanlike, you would expect that from a young player. But as for Peyton, you would think the league's "best player" and the so called "greatest QB's of all-time" would lead by example.

What shocks me most, is that with all the pregame bonding with one another, a post game handshake would have been the least to expect. Especially given the great show of respect the two have for each other and relationship between both Brees & Manning. One of Manning's favorite targets - WR Reggie Wayne was also seen heading to the locker room without congratulating those who won. Although they may have let everyone who bet on them down, Las Vegas casinos already have them labeled as the favorites to win it all next season. Something else the Colts probably feel they let down is their fan base. A mere 11 fans showed up to show their support and greet the AFC Champion Colts once they landed at an Indianapolis air-port. Someone else who has to feel pretty dumb, is former head coach Tony Dungy who predicted the Colts to win it in a landslide and said, "I'd be surprised if it was a close game."

But the biggest blow regarding the Colts' defeat, is that of Peyton Manning's legacy. The aforementioned "greatest QB of all-time" finds himself 1-1 in Superbowl play. The record 4-time league MVP also finds himself two rings behind rival Tom Brady and one behind Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger. Although he still owns a respected record of .500 on Superbowl Sunday, the loss puts Joe Montana's perfect Superbowl record of 4-4 out of reach. & A mediocre playoff record of 9-9 doesn't seem to help much either. The usual clutch Peyton Manning was anything but that last Sunday and in my eyes unless he wins back-to-back tittles here pretty soon, the talk of him being the "G.O.A.T." should remain in front of Mr. Montana's name. With Manning on the losing end and a Lombardi Trophy now under Drew Brees' belt, many are beginning to ask, "who will be the first to win their second Superbowl ring, Manning or Brees?" Let the discussion begin!

Superbowl XLIV, Saints 31 - Colts 17

Mardi Gras comes early - After 43 years in the making, the New Orleans Saints win their first Superbowl in franchise history by not only defeating, but by upsetting the highly favored Indianapolis Colts by a final score of 31 to 17. Looking at the final score, one would think the Saints dominated the entire game, but that couldn't have been any further from the truth. As the Saints looked a bit sluggish on both offense and defense to start the game, it was the Colts who drew first blood. After a field-goal on their first drive of the game, Peyton Manning would then lead his offense on a 96-yard touchdown drive, tying the 1985 Chicago Bears for the longest in Superbowl history. With an early ten point deficit heading into the second quarter, the Saints would finish the half by scoring 6 of their own, inching closer to a 10-6 score.

The second half would tell a different story as a huge momentum changer would shift the tone of the game in New Orleans' favor. On the opening kick-off of the second half, the Saints showed a bit of trickery by risking an on-side kick. Fortunately after the minute-long dog pile of players fighting for the ball, it was a success as the Saints would recover and score on a Pierre Thomas catch-and-run touchdown 16-yards out, just six plays later, giving them their first lead of the game. The risky kick was also the first ever on-side kick in a Superbowl, prior to the fourth quarter. It also proved to be one of the biggest plays of the game. The only show of life the Colts would have in the second half, would come in Indianapolis' next drive. With a 4-yard touchdown run by RB Joseph Addai, the Colts would regain the lead, but not for long.

The Saints would bounce back with a 47-yard field-goal on their next drive to trail within one. With the field-goal, the Saints' Garrett Hartley became the first kicker in Superbowl history to make three FG's from 40+ yards(46, 44 and 47). Colts kicker Matt Stover who set a feat of his own by becoming the oldest player in a Superbowl at 42 years of age, would try to one-up Hartley in the fourth quarter by kicking a 51-yarder that swung wide left, keeping it a one-point game. The rest of the game would be all Brees who overcame a slow start and tied a Superbowl record of 32 completions, also held by New England's Tom Brady. Brees' last completion would be a 2-yard touchdown pass to WR Jeremy Shockey, giving them a lead they would maintain for the remainder of the game. After the touchdown, the Saints would convert on a reviewed 2-point conversion that was first called no good before being overturned. With the extra two-points, their lead would improve to seven.

With all the pressure in the world now on Peyton Manning, the future Hall of Famer would have just a little over five minutes to march his team down the field to tie the game and possibly win his second Superbowl ring in four years. However, the Saints defense never got that memo. With 3:12 remaining in the game, Saints CB Tracy Porter read Manning perfectly and stepped in front of WR Reggie Wayne, intercepting the ball and returning it 74-yards for a touchdown. The pick-six put New Orleans up by 14 and in route to the city's first ever Superbowl title. Manning would then get one last chance to cut the deficit, but a very catch-able short pass that was dropped in the end-zone by Reggie Wayne sealed the deal as the Colts turned the ball over on downs, resulting in Drew Brees kneeling for the final play of the game with the final seconds ticking away.

After confetti and photographers covered the field, Saints head coach Sean Payton received a Gatorade bath before being lifted on the team's shoulders like a true hero. & For the city of New Orleans, he is a hero with Drew Brees as his sidekick. Combined the two have helped resurrect a city that was once upon a time underwater and in dire need of salvation. & Just four years later, the Saints help reunite those that decided to leave the city with those who stayed by bringing back something the city had missed and lost, their pride. Saints free safety Darren Sharper said it best, "This thing belongs to the people, we're just bringing it back to them." & With the team's parade scheduled to be held tomorrow afternoon and Mardi Gras right around the corner, you better believe the city of New Orleans will be restless and Bourbon street will be bumping for what looks to be a month-long celebration.

One of the more touching moments in recent Superbowl history happened to be after the game, when Saints QB & Superbowl MVP Drew Brees was seen holding and kissing his son during the team's celebration, creating a priceless father-son moment for the ages. Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints on becoming Superbowl Champions. With that being said, Let the party begin!

Noteworthy: The Saints overcame a 10-point deficit to tie the largest comeback win in Superbowl history. The Colts running game was held to under 100 yards, finishing with 99 total rushing yards. With the win, the Saints became the 8th team in NFL history to win it all in their first ever Superbowl appearance. With 106.5 million viewers tuned in around the country to watch the Saints win their first Superbowl in franchise history, Superbowl XLIV became the most watched event in tv history, surpassing the final episode of M*A*S*H back in 1983.

Seize the Day

Superbowl XLIV, Party of 2 - The table is set for the 45th Superbowl in NFL history, with the two teams that dominated the league throughout the regular season. The game between the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts will be the first in which both number one seeded teams will meet in the big game since 1993 when the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills met in Superbowl XXVII. Although the match-up between two future Hall of Famers -- Brett Favre & Peyton Manning was the one everyone wanted to see, with Drew Brees in substitution of Favre, the of him and Manning could be just as entertaining if not more. Both QB's are a perfect ingredient for what could be a very high scoring affair.

As much as I'd like to see the Saints come out on top, I think it'll be the Colts who come out victorious. But there's no doubt the Saints are more deserving of the Lombardi trophy. Not only because it'll be their first ever Superbowl victory, but because the citizens of New Orleans have relied heavily on the team to help rebuild their city and ease the pain on those in devastation since hurricane Katrina hit the city in 2005. How big is the game for the city of N.O. you say? The city is set to close both schools and courts for the big game. That alone tells you how important this game is and how loyal their fans truly are.

As an underdog, the Saints won't have as much pressure on them and their main key of the game is to get to Manning. The Colts key is not much different, as they'll try to hurry one of the more accurate QB's the game has ever seen in Drew Brees. But without a completely healthy Dwight Freeney for the Colts defensive end, the team will have to pick up some pieces and the window of opportunity will have to open for someone else to step up. Freeney, who injured his ankle in practice earlier this week could be a huge relief for the Saints offensive line. But although his current status is a game-time decision, but I don't think he'll miss playing in the Superbowl for anything! Go Saints!

Colts End Jets Impressive Playoff Run

Manning continues to rewrite the records books - Similar to the NFC Conference Championship, the battle for the AFC Conference Championship hosted the number 1 seed, the Indianapolis Colts. They're opponent however was one nobody expected to be there -- The New York Jets. But after already defeating both the Cincinnati Bengals and the San Diego Chargers in the postseason, the Jets were just as confident as anyone. Led by a strong defense and a ground game that led the the league in rushing, the Jets started the game like they were destined to win. But it wasn't long before Peyton Manning began to work his brilliance and lead the Colts to their second Superbowl appearance in four seasons.

Although Mark Sanchez and the Jets failed to make it to the Superbowl, they almost did it in the opposite way many thought they could. For as much as the team depends on it's defense, the offense seemed to be what was keeping them in the game to almost pull off the upset. After an 11-point lead with under 2 minutes remaining in the first half, Manning would bring the Colts to within 4-points heading into the lockers, after connecting in the end-zone with WR Austin Collie. With momentum on their side, the Colts then came in during the second half and did what needed to be done, as the Jets were shutout for the remainder of the game, resulting in a final score of 30-17. With the win, the Colts got their revenge on the team that put an end to their potential undefeated run just several weeks ago.

Regardless of the outcome, I've gotta tip my hat to Mark Sanchez for proving everyone that doubted him wrong and that said he wasn't experienced enough to start in his first year in the NFL. Instead, the former USC Trojan developed into one of the more promising arms for the future as both he and Jets head coach Rex Ryan should work wonders in New York for many years to come. Sanchez finished the day throwing for 257 yards and 2 touchdowns on 17 of 30 passing attempts, giving him an overall stellar performance. But the game ball would have to go to Peyton Manning of coarse.

After the first half, Manning found his groove and shredded the best defense in the league, finishing with a total of 377 yards and 3 touchdowns on 26 of 39 passing. With Jets Pro-Bowl CB Darrelle Revis covering Colts WR Reggie Wayne, Manning completed 18 of his 26 passes to WR's Pierre Carcon (11 catches, 151 yards) and Austin Collie (7 catches, 123 yards). The 300+ passing yard performance marked Manning's 7th 300-yard playoff game of his career, passing Kurt Warner and Joe Montana for the most all-time. It's no wonder Peyton Manning was rewarded this year's league MVP. But will he be able to add another Lombardi Trophy to his already crowded trophy case?

Aside from the game itself, my favorite part had to be the award ceremony after the game. With the earthquake that hit Haiti just weeks ago, no one on the field was affected more by the tragedy than Colts WR Pierre Garcon. Garcon who is of Haitian descent, had a big day on the field and broke the record for the most receptions in an AFC Championship game and was seen celebrating after the game with teammates and holding a Haiti flag up high (as seen in the photo below). It definitely served as one of the more touching moments of the NFL season this year.