It's not Brunell's fault!

Aikman mentioned that perhaps the loss of Musgrave has hurt Brunell.

But he did complete deep. Weren't you watching? And for your garbage time arguement, without it, he now has a ridiculously low TOP for the game, and consequently a low attempts number. I don't know if you think the Colts stopped trying or something, but I don't think garbage time should be discredited simply because the D is no longer blitzing anymore.

I enjoy your tell it like it is style, That Guy, but I'm afraid your garbage time arguement holds little water. The game is 60 minutes long, but realistically, we were dead in the water after 38. Brunell endured a few series in which he was fighting a losing battle simply because Freeney and Co. were pinning their ears back. He was playing much of the half without Portis and got killed. So I would argue that the garbage time actually should have HURT his stats overall. And with all that beating, poor pass blocking, and stiff defense, he still kept the ball out of the defenses hands and kept completeing passes.

Oh yeah, I would like to see your response to your last four sentences had someone else said them. You would probably tear them and their generalizations apart.

if we had more consistant production we'd have a higher TOP. and garbage time = prevent defense = the defense giving you the 5 and 6 yard plays. and that's more or less what we got. 1 TD after their D had completely let up, and it looked like the skins were barely even trying. and I wouldn't tear generalizations apart if they're true. we don't throw deep, not compared to other NFL teams, and we don't throw over the middle, and haven't for quite a while.

fighting a losing battle is meaningless. that whole part of your arguement is skewed, because in the prevent they weren't rushing nearly as much, and if he completed deep earlier, they'd back off the line and he wouldn't have to throw nearly every down. prevent defenses almost never hurt stats, since shallow completions are almost given away.

remember the Dallas game last year? the "turning point" of our season? with Moss as NFL player of the week? two improbable passes over the middle of the field and over the defense?

well Ladell Betts is a poor substitute. "garbage time" SHOULD mean two minutes, but lately it's been the entire second half.Well, yeah. I was one of the people who thought we still had a chance on 4th and 15 down by 13 points. I thought it was about to slip away, but I'm an optimist, so I figured if we could only get a first, we'd still have a chance.

if we had more consistant production we'd have a higher TOP. and garbage time = prevent defense = the defense giving you the 5 and 6 yard plays. and that's more or less what we got. 1 TD after their D had completely let up, and it looked like the skins were barely even trying. and I wouldn't tear generalizations apart if they're true. we don't throw deep, not compared to other NFL teams, and we don't throw over the middle, and haven't for quite a while.

fighting a losing battle is meaningless. that whole part of your arguement is skewed, because in the prevent they weren't rushing nearly as much, and if he completed deep earlier, they'd back off the line and he wouldn't have to throw nearly every down. prevent defenses almost never hurt stats, since shallow completions are almost given away.If you want to get techincal, add a qualifier to your generalization such as "we dont throw deep often", or "we dont throw deep as much as Indy does". Saying we don't do this, and we don't do that is incorrect. We do throw all over the field, but we tend to use the flats more often than most teams.

And teams DO back off the line already because they respect Santana's deep threat ability. You know this because we don't throw deep to him, and Saunders has a history of going deep in KC and STL.

and here we are, without that crucial "turning point". right where we were last year before the Dallas game.

what made that game such a "turning point" was people learned to respect Moss and not just Portis. it made defenses stretch vertically. it opened up our entire offense, and gave the team hope it could always come close to winning. no longer.

everyone thought Patten wasn't a good number 2 reciever, but now its been revealed that number 2 barely gets looked at by Brunell, no matter who's playing.

And teams DO back off the line already because they respect Santana's deep threat ability. You know this because we don't throw deep to him, and Saunders has a history of going deep in KC and STL.


I didn't see them backing off, i saw them punking him. maybe they didn't throw to him because brunell has a noddle arm, and saunders had better QBs with better arms in KC and STL. :P

If you want to get techincal, add a qualifier to your generalization such as "we dont throw deep often", or "we dont throw deep as much as Indy does". Saying we don't do this, and we don't do that is incorrect. We do throw all over the field, but we tend to use the flats more often than most teams.

If there's one thing I've learned on this board it's that it's not uncommon among several members to make all or nothing statements. Always and Never are two very popular words here. It's annoying but you can't change it

I didn't see them backing off, i saw them punking him. maybe they didn't throw to him because brunell has a noddle arm, and saunders had better QBs with better arms in KC and STL. :PMaybe. I'm guessing no, since I've seen him throw deep a bunch over the past two seasons. If he physically couldn't that's one thing, but he quite obviously can (I don't believe anyone who watches the games <or even a QB competition> disputes the fact that Brunell can toss it 50+ yards in the air), and all confidience issues aside, the D will generally play to the speed of the WRs, not the arm of the QB.

Remember, as soon as a D trys to get cute on us and puts all 11 guys within 5 yards of the LOS, they will get beat deep.

Maybe. I'm guessing no, since I've seen him throw deep a bunch over the past two seasons. If he physically couldn't that's one thing, but he quite obviously can (I don't believe anyone who watches the games <or even a QB competition> disputes the fact that Brunell can toss it 50+ yards in the air), and all confidience issues aside, the D will generally play to the speed of the WRs, not the arm of the QB.

Remember, as soon as a D trys to get cute on us and puts all 11 guys within 5 yards of the LOS, they will get beat deep.

Brunell has thrown deep, but its WHEN he tries thats the problem. he's only willing (or able) to when he can step into it and no one's around ("never"). he can't do it on the run, and he's not willing to unless the reciever is far enough away from a DB for Brunell to feel safe in throwing ("never").

superlatives like "never" aside, its why you always blitz Brunell, because his tendencies are the worst kept secret in the league.

Brunell has thrown deep, but its WHEN he tries thats the problem. he's only willing (or able) to when he can step into it and no one's around ("never"). he can't do it on the run, and he's not willing to unless the reciever is far enough away from a DB for Brunell to feel safe in throwing ("never").

superlatives like "never" aside, its why you always blitz Brunell, because his tendencies are the worst kept secret in the league.

maybe he needs them that open cause he can't get great velocity on balls (to prevent them from haning up).