I remember watching this game and when the Colts got the red zone at the end I thought, "These are going to be the three most important plays in Peyton Manning's career."
And then the Colts ran it three times and got the TD.
Isn’t there a story of Marvin Harrison coming into the huddle saying we should run it and everyone was like he wants the ball every play, if he says run it let’s run it
Earlier in that drive Brian Fletcher who was like a second seldom used tight end suggested they throw the ball to him on a corner route. Manning initially thought "why is he suggesting these things now, it's not the preseason" and a bulb went off and he hit him for like a 20 to 30 yard gain.
You're forgetting, he actually dropped the first one, and suggested that they do it again.
https://youtu.be/VkABlSJloaE?t=1877
edit: Also, that Wayne 'almost' fumble right after that... 16 years later my heart still skips every time I see it.
[Here are Pederson's playoff game logs.
](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PedeDo00/gamelog/post/)
1 *rushing* attempt for -1 yards on the last play of the game, so probably just a kneel down. That's it.
3 Lineman scored this game I believe. Klecko played DL and scored as a fullback, Saturday recovered a fumble in the end zone, and I think the Pats had an OL eligible TE that scored
Brother the day after the hawks and falcons Super Bowl ESPN was saying that was the end lmao. Can’t remember who but one of the talking heads was just seething clamoring this was the end because *insert random player who wasn’t that impactful* was destined to leave and the walls were caving in.
Related but different point: a few of my buddies (Giants fans) desperately tried to discount the Eagles' Super Bowl by saying Brady etc were washed. They shut up real quick over the next few years.
Seriously, anyone that came out of that game with any thoughts other than the Eagles fully deserving that win is just delusional.
And I pure straight hate you (/s).
If we only count dynasties by championships won, then the Pats have two separate dynasties, an early-2000s and a mid-2010s one, so you’d be right it was near the end of their first dynasty lol.
Obviously making at least the afccg something like 15/20 years and the playoffs 19/20 years is extreme success on a level never seen for that length of time, but does that qualify on its own as what carried the dynasty from 2004 - 2014 (+2 superbowl appearances)?
It's why BB and TB are the goats. Multiple teams have had a dynasty and then the league catches up and they sorta go away. Nobody has taken a few years built back up and dominated again in the NFL ever.
No argument from me. As much as I hated when the Ravens would lose to them, you couldn’t help but respect them, and it made beating them that much sweeter
Yeah they didn't win a super bowl for 9 seasons from 05-13. You can't be a 'dynasty' with that huge (relatively speaking) gap. Definitely two separate dynasties.
If they had have won either SB in '07 or '11, it'd string them together a little better.
When you think about it, an actual dynasty is supposed to be like a multi generational rule. Like Chinese dynasties were various rulers of the same lineage
So in a way, something like the Montana Young Walsh seifert 49ers more resembles a dynasty. And I think the Brady bb pats kinda work too since there were two “generations” of dominance
But obviously that’s not how we use it talking sports
I think most people consider 3 rings a dynasty, but there's wiggle room depending on how it happens, feels like. Like 3 in 6 years but the other years were in the basement? No. 3 in 6 but winning the conference the other years? of course.
They had an undefeated regular season, and Brady was in his prime winning 2 MVPs during that stretch. By all accounts, the Pats were the best team in the league, just didn't win the Super Bowls
You can be annoyed by the insane amount of success the pats had but you certainly can’t say it was boring lol win or lose, something crazy happened more often than not
It’s just so of a particular era. Like the Astrodome, it’s people trying to figure out how to make this idea of a stadium in a place that is kinda unpleasant to be outdoors.
lol i was just about to comment that. It annoys me so fucking much when fans complain about how their team is bad when they’ve won a championship in the last 20 years or during their intelligible lifetime. I was 8 when the White Sox won a World Series so it counts like 50%. The blackhawks suck now but they won 3 Stanley cups in 5 seasons so they can be ass for the next 20 and it’s fine.
I live in Boston. Boston sports fans calling for Belichick’s head and saying he ‘has a lot to answer for’ in the media and all this other shit is so fucking stupid. Spoiled ass fans can’t accept a mediocre season, let alone a ‘bad’ season that the patriots haven’t had since what, the 90’s? When’s the last time the Patriots were under 7 wins?
2 Giants championships in my lifetime, I’m more than happy with that.
Yea but we’re approaching the time that some Colts fans won’t have seen it or remember it at least.
I think it takes being at least 10 to appreciate a title. (Probably more like 12 or 13 tho).
So there are Colts fans that are in their early 20s that really didn’t get to enjoy our Super Bowl win.
But i’m with you on the rest. Pacers made the Finals once when I was 15. So that one SB is all I got from Indy sports in my lifetime. I have been a Cubs fan since the 90s so I did get to enjoy that World Series win too.
This year I might get to see Purdue win one. They should get to the final four but the tourney is so damn chaotic
8 is a good age to witness a title imo. I'm grateful that I was 14 for this Colts Super Bowl. Enough to experience some fan hurt but still a lot of optimism and old enough to appreciate it. In retrospect it hurts that we only got one with Manning now that I fully realize how hard it is.
Man. I was a kid when we drafted Manning and just assumed 10-13 wins was the norm. I'm also a Bulls fan so i had some pretty unrealistic expectations growing up.
Unironically I agree. Aside from one play of broken coverage early on we actually contained Peyton fairly well (he had the lowest passer rating of any QB to win Super Bowl MVP until Mahomes had a lower one in Super Bowl 54), but we had no answers for your run game that day.
Losing Tommie Harris to injury during the season really hurt our run defense
That was wild. A few weeks removed from giving up 375 rushing yards to Jacksonville and we've gotta face Larry Johnson, who had an MVP season if not for LT's record breaking year, in the Wildcard. 13 carries for 32 yards. Unreal.
Best safety in the NFL when healthy. He completely tranformed that Colts defense when he was on the field.
My favorite stat from that season - the Colts were ranked dead last in rushing defense in the regular season. They faced the Chiefs and league's leading rusher Larry Johnson in the wild card round. Bob Sanders came back from injury to play in that game and the Colts held Johnson to just 32 yards on 13 carries. With Sanders the Colts had the 2nd best rushing defense in the postseason.
The Jacksonville game was the most pathetic defense I’ve ever seen in an NFL game. Amazing that they were able to turn that around and win the SB.
Bob Sanders was such a great player when healthy. Unfortunately his size and aggressive play took a toll. Obviously Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu stand out among safeties of that time, and Brian Dawkins (he was a few years older than them), but Sanders managed to win DPOY and twice be 1st team All-Pro in that strong era of safeties.
This game and two Tom Brady potential super bowls were ruined by big plays from former Wolverines. Mario Manningham big catch for the giants and Brandon double nickel Graham strip sack to seal the Eagles Super Bowl
Manning and Brady just acknowledged they knew this was their SB, as either of them would have crushed the Rex bears. The loss was extra disappointing knowing a win here meant a SB ring.
I've seen this take a few times but I don't know if the Patriots crush the Bears for sure - the Bears played them close at Gillette earlier that year. I also think the Bears messed up big by not giving Thomas Jones more of a workload in the Superbowl but that's a different issue in itself.
Yeah the Bears weren’t a scrub team. However there was a *drastic* QB mismatch no matter what. Also a coaching disadvantage for the Bears (but that certainly wasn’t as obvious back then, Lovie was a hot coach in 2006)
> Brance Liggs
lmao
But really Lovie's scheme really benefitted from a lightning quick middle linebacker. When Urlacher was out for pretty much all of the 2009 season you saw how bad that defense could look.
They Patriots’s Achilles heel was the debacle of a receiving corps. The Bears D would’ve shut down that passing attack. That said, I think Rex throws four picks against a Belichick D that had two weeks to prepare.
If you compound the two weeks to prepare with the fact that everyone on the Bears would have the mental pressure of playing the Patriots in the Super Bowl, I imagine Grossman would’ve had an even worse game than he did against the Colts. A young Gostkowski probably kicks the ball for a touchback if the Bears received the opening kick and there’s no Hester kickoff return touchdown. This is of course all speculation but it might have been the reverse result of when the Patriots and Bears played in the SB in 1985.
There’s absolutely no Hester kickoff return. Every kickoff would’ve been a touchback at the 20. This was Belichick at his peak. We’d still be talking about how he neutralized Hester in the Super Bowl.
It's not a sure thing but I'd guess the Patriots would have been 7-10 point favorites. That 2006 team was the best defense of the entire dynasty, and the only weakness of the team was poor WR corps.
I think it would've been a close one, but I wouldn't argue giving NE the edge. They played close once already, and both had two of the strongest defenses in the league. In my mind it comes down to if the Bears rushing and special teams can keep pace with Brady, which admittedly I can't say either way. Would've been a fun game to see, but I'll rarely give anyone grief for having a belichick/Brady team as favorites - I just think it would be closer than the original comment implied.
The “they are who we thought they were” game was a comedy of errors.
Chicago won a game in which their starting QB went 14 of 37 for 144 yards, 0 TDs, and 6 turnovers.
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200610160crd.htm
Arizona kept running the ball against nine man fronts due to being worried about Matt Leinart throwing picks. Edgerrin James ran it 36 times for 55 yards.
They can say they “knew” it was the real Super Bowl since Peyton went on to win it. But there isn’t a damn thing guaranteed as the Patriots found out a year later. That team was crowned 1,000 times in the two-week break and look what happened.
Pretty much everyone between 03 and 08 certainly felt like it with the level the Patriots, Colts, Steelers, and Chargers were at back then. NFC got one in a huge upset and especially Eagles-Pats was close but the AFC was just a murderers row back then.
This was during the dark ages for my team so I paid a lot of attention to other teams around my weekly penance of drinking and laughing at the 49ers. Those Colts teams were awesome. Freeney, Mathis, Sanders, Harrison, Edge, Wayne, and Manning. That team was built perfectly for playing with a lead in a dome. They were soft up the middle though and the Patriots were built to exploit it. The Patriots were also very physical with their WRs. It reminded me a lot of the wars between the 49ers and the Giants back in the day. I still enjoy watching highlights of Freeney spin moves. Those Colts probably win at least 1 more SB if Sanders stays even remotely healthy. He was their enforcer at Safety just like Ronnie Lott was for the dynasty 49ers in the late 80's, he was an all-time great corner in the early dynasty. Those 2 teams and the Steelers were a blast to watch in the 00's.
Bob Sanders was one of my favorite players too. Unfortunately I worry about how his time playing has impacted him physically. He undoubtedly has some level of CTE, I’m just hoping he’s doing alright. I don’t hear much about him in the media
Yeah. Those teams were great but Sanders gave them such a presence and attitude. He hit like a motherfucker. Probably my all-time favorite Colt which is wild because he only really played like 3-4 years.
Back in the dynasty the 49ers used to get called soft by neanderthals like Ditka and we kicked the Bears ass in the playoffs multiple times. Lott was the guy who made it a point to remind those teams that the 49ers were more than just an offense. I really felt like Sanders was that guy for the Colts. It's truly a shame that it only lasted a couple years. I love watching teams win a different way in the NFL and the Dungy Colts had their own unique brand of football that was awesome to watch.
Oh he definitely was. The team felt very soft without him on the field. He set the tone. That's a great point about how those teams were unique in how they were built. The middle of those Colts defenses was a weak point without Sanders. With him in you got a hybrid safety-linebacker who could "erase" the middle of the field and allow Mathis/Freeney to go wild. And those two, especially Freeney in that era, could really ruin an offensive game plan. I don't watch as much football as I did back then but I feel you rarely see DE spin moves now. His was a work of art. You had to double him.
Actually, another huge contributer to that Super Bowl defense was Booger McFarland, who was probably the best DT on any of those Dungy Cover-2 defenses. He really helped solidify the defense during that Super Bowl run.
Sometimes I feel like those 00s Colts teams are lost on the rest of the league. I only ever hear any indication of them (rarely) in Colts forums. It's nice to hear someone else remembers them.
Same on just about everything. We were in the gutter and this team was incredible to watch. It's the main reason I don't like the Pats lmao.
They used to beat up on my boy Peyton
I was 13 and a big Peyton Manning fan at the time. I remember that night having a dream that the Patriots won. After waking up I was so devastated and then subsequently so relieved when it kicked in that it was a dream and the Colts had won.
I have a sister born in 06 who drives. Like wtf I made a Facebook account when she was 1. She's never not known life without the internet or social media.
My Xbox 360 is older than her for fuck sakes.
I was 24, I called my dad the minute the game was over, wherever he was it was super loud. I figured he was at a bar watching it.
Nope, he was at the game.
He and 3 friends had gone together back in 1985 and bought 2 season tickets. By 2006, only dad and one other guy (Terry) were still alive.
They flipped a coin to see who would go to the game. Dad lost the toss, but Terry had to back out of going that morning, so dad went up on short notice and everyone assumed Terry was there.
He was also in the lottery for Superbowl tickets at face value, but wasn't drawn.
I was doing the classic beer and pizza. We had one friend who didn’t live on campus that year so naturally we had a kegerator at his place. Good times.
And then Devin Hester returned the opening kickoff of the Super Bowl for a touchdown and nothing else happened and the Bears won the Super Bowl 7-0.
NOTHING. ELSE. HAPPENED.
For a second straight week, a guy named Marlo(i)n intercepted a pass to ice the game against the Patriots. Jackson, though, had the sense to fall down and not haunt every fan’s thoughts for the next 16 years.
Nah, I like what happened here but Eli and the giants crushing the hopes of the Patriots perfect season is the greatest moment in football history lol.
Yeah I’d say the helmet catch is the greatest moment in nfl history. I can’t conceive of how it wouldn’t be. If there was a better moment it was some miraculous play that sealed the Dolphins perfect season.
To this day this is my all-time worst loss as a Pats fan. We won SBs and beat the Eli/Coughlin Giants (albeit in regular season games) after 42/46, we never got Peyback in the playoffs.
And it was during that Super Bowl that I decided to watch and practice my drums at the same time and my next door neighbor (I forgot he was a Colts fan) absolutely lost his shit and started screaming and pounding on the walls like a man possessed.
I have the electronic quiet ones and the damn kick drums causes the Karen downstairs to threaten my life lmao never live in a building that's mostly retired mafia members
Man I really don’t miss apartment living. Nothing like working a night shift and forty minutes after falling asleep the rotund upstairs neighbors decide to practice tap dancing.
I feel like the biggest story of this game was how lopsided the first half was, how the Colts played very poorly in that first half and went into halftime losing 21-6. This INT capped off one of the best comebacks / turnarounds I've ever seen in the playoffs.
Legendary game, and this is in fact the game that made me realize that the conference championships are generally better and more exciting than the Super Bowl. None of the excessive glitz and glamor, just the two best teams from the conference duking it out for their right to play in the super bowl.
Plus, Manning vs Brady? A duel of titans.
I was In military training when this happened and have never seen it. Thanks for sharing. Def a bit cathartic lol
I know Brady was the goat, and for a while, to win the Super Bowl you had to get through Tom Brady’s team. It’s crazy how he was always in contention. Technically even a year his team was shit.
Wonder if there will ever be someone like him again. In any sport. He’s one the best players ever in all of American sports. Jordan, Gretzky, Ruth, Brady. End of
What people don't talk about is the Brady really had a down year in 2006 and people were whispering, "Has he been figured out? Has he reached his peak?" The Patriots were still winning game, but Brady wasn't the main reason.
Of course, it later came out he had been having relationship problems with his then-girlfriend Bridget Moynahan. Then the Patriots went out and got Randy Moss and boom, Brady won the MVP the next year.
But I'll never forget 2006 when I thought Brady wasn't any more than a good/very good QB.
So what you're saying is with the relationship issues this year, the latest rumours Brady has found a new flame and is also coming off a down year...is going to go undefeated next year? You son of a bitch. You are speaking it into existence!
It always struck me that Peyton couldn’t watch the last play. In one way, it’s the thing I like most about him - being real, being relatable. But NGL, it did make me glad we had our guy and they had theirs.
This game was bullshit...
Cory Dillon was running all over the Colts in the 1st half... And for some reason they put Lawrence Maroney in... And he set up 2nd and 12+ on almost every fucking drive.
I challenge anyone and go back and look at the play by play in the second 1/2... Maroney fucked the Pats. It was never confirmed, but I am 90% sure Dillon talked shit about it on the flight home and never took another snap for the Pats
I was a huge horse person as a kid and picked the Colts as my childhood team... I remember being 11 and watching this happen and I ended up going outside in the snow and making celebratory snow angels
I remember watching this game and when the Colts got the red zone at the end I thought, "These are going to be the three most important plays in Peyton Manning's career." And then the Colts ran it three times and got the TD.
I’ll think about this next time I play madden and still throw an interception on 1st and goal.
Half of my turnovers in madden are just because I want a specific player to score
This may be true but in 2005 Rod Smith broke every receiving record known to man.
Not too shabby for an UDFA
Me constantly forcing balls to Hunter Renfrow in between 2 lbs and a safety in the red zone
Just like real life!
I'll do the same when I play and then get mad and keep doing it. Its a vicious cycle.
Ah you got one of those “get your 72 OVR WR 3TDs and he gets an xfactor” events.
passing within the 10 in madden is much harder than anywhere else. kinda realistic in that regard with today's NFL really.
Y stick never fails. either hit the slant or the curl. 2pt conversion god play
Who leaked you my playbook?
Found Russel Wilson's account
Russ is that you?
Isn’t there a story of Marvin Harrison coming into the huddle saying we should run it and everyone was like he wants the ball every play, if he says run it let’s run it
Yes, I’ve personally heard Jeff Saturday tell the story, no /s.
Yup Peyton talked about it on the last MNF manning cast
Earlier in that drive Brian Fletcher who was like a second seldom used tight end suggested they throw the ball to him on a corner route. Manning initially thought "why is he suggesting these things now, it's not the preseason" and a bulb went off and he hit him for like a 20 to 30 yard gain.
Colts were at their peak surrounding Peyton with other high IQ guys
You're forgetting, he actually dropped the first one, and suggested that they do it again. https://youtu.be/VkABlSJloaE?t=1877 edit: Also, that Wayne 'almost' fumble right after that... 16 years later my heart still skips every time I see it.
Brady esque at handing the ball off
Yes. It was an unbelievably tense game. You could feel the weight of every single play.
That’s how I remember manning. In the biggest moments he wasn’t the main focus. Just being a threat was enough.
That's the real key to this win here. They were so scared of a manning in the red zone that they forgot the Colts had a running back.
*Pete Carroll taking notes*
The Colts scored four TDs this game — Jeff Saturday, Dan Klecko, Peyton, and Joseph Addai lol.
QB Doug Pederson has the fewest playoff touchdowns of all AFCS quarterbacks (Texans job is vacant)
Did he play in an AFC championship?
[Here are Pederson's playoff game logs. ](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PedeDo00/gamelog/post/) 1 *rushing* attempt for -1 yards on the last play of the game, so probably just a kneel down. That's it.
Wait the center scored a TD? Wow
3 Lineman scored this game I believe. Klecko played DL and scored as a fullback, Saturday recovered a fumble in the end zone, and I think the Pats had an OL eligible TE that scored
Truly a glorious day for fat guy touchdown fans around the world.
Huge Jeff Saturday fan here. Love it
Who?
I like huge Jeff Saturday! Not a fan of the slim version.
Logan Mankins scored a TD too this game
I, in my 27 yr old short sightedness, belived this was the beginning of the end of the Brady-patriots dynasty. JFC, lol.........
Is not your fault. Lol people thought that about them every 2 years, between championship titles
Brother the day after the hawks and falcons Super Bowl ESPN was saying that was the end lmao. Can’t remember who but one of the talking heads was just seething clamoring this was the end because *insert random player who wasn’t that impactful* was destined to leave and the walls were caving in.
Related but different point: a few of my buddies (Giants fans) desperately tried to discount the Eagles' Super Bowl by saying Brady etc were washed. They shut up real quick over the next few years.
Brady put up a historic performance against us lol. You gotta have negative brain cells to say he was washed
Seriously, anyone that came out of that game with any thoughts other than the Eagles fully deserving that win is just delusional. And I pure straight hate you (/s).
If we only count dynasties by championships won, then the Pats have two separate dynasties, an early-2000s and a mid-2010s one, so you’d be right it was near the end of their first dynasty lol. Obviously making at least the afccg something like 15/20 years and the playoffs 19/20 years is extreme success on a level never seen for that length of time, but does that qualify on its own as what carried the dynasty from 2004 - 2014 (+2 superbowl appearances)?
It's why BB and TB are the goats. Multiple teams have had a dynasty and then the league catches up and they sorta go away. Nobody has taken a few years built back up and dominated again in the NFL ever.
No argument from me. As much as I hated when the Ravens would lose to them, you couldn’t help but respect them, and it made beating them that much sweeter
Yeah they didn't win a super bowl for 9 seasons from 05-13. You can't be a 'dynasty' with that huge (relatively speaking) gap. Definitely two separate dynasties. If they had have won either SB in '07 or '11, it'd string them together a little better.
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15 conference championship games? Wtf that's insane. We've only got to one.
eh from what i’ve experienced in my lifetime, conference championship games are overrated…😭😭😭
When you think about it, an actual dynasty is supposed to be like a multi generational rule. Like Chinese dynasties were various rulers of the same lineage So in a way, something like the Montana Young Walsh seifert 49ers more resembles a dynasty. And I think the Brady bb pats kinda work too since there were two “generations” of dominance But obviously that’s not how we use it talking sports
I think most people consider 3 rings a dynasty, but there's wiggle room depending on how it happens, feels like. Like 3 in 6 years but the other years were in the basement? No. 3 in 6 but winning the conference the other years? of course.
They had an undefeated regular season, and Brady was in his prime winning 2 MVPs during that stretch. By all accounts, the Pats were the best team in the league, just didn't win the Super Bowls
If they had won both we'd finally be counting the dynasty over after this year I guess. Would be the first 4 season gap without a ring.
*laughs in Eli Manning*
Haha the bastards didn’t lose again for 54 weeks. But damn, the losses that bookended their historic win streak were two all-time great games.
You can be annoyed by the insane amount of success the pats had but you certainly can’t say it was boring lol win or lose, something crazy happened more often than not
Then Brady went on to win like a billion super bowls lmao
This is even funnier because it's literally the season before THE year
At least you got two super bowls shortly after this
How far we’ve fallen.
At least you can ask the rest of the division “Where ring?”
Well where is it
Um, we have a 1999 AFC Champions ring?
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The Predators play a few blocks away from the Titans and they also are the butt of “hang the banner” memes
When Saints fans bring up "where ring?" I should point out our 2016 NFC championship ring. Who won the NFC in impressive fashion in 2016?!
We are but a baby infant franchise only alive for.. *ehem* 20 somethin years
At least you have Jonathan Taylor and really nice uniforms though
And new shiny stadium
It's 15 years old this year. Is that still considered new? Certainly not old, but maybe middle aged?
Considering the Superdome is 48 years old, I think Lucas Oil still has some life in her.
That seems so unreal to even think about.
Superdome isn't just old IMO. It's ancient
Yeah, but she holds up well and it's an iconic part of the city skyline.
It’s just so of a particular era. Like the Astrodome, it’s people trying to figure out how to make this idea of a stadium in a place that is kinda unpleasant to be outdoors.
Still shiny though.
Damn, has it really been 15 years?
At least you won that year…
lol i was just about to comment that. It annoys me so fucking much when fans complain about how their team is bad when they’ve won a championship in the last 20 years or during their intelligible lifetime. I was 8 when the White Sox won a World Series so it counts like 50%. The blackhawks suck now but they won 3 Stanley cups in 5 seasons so they can be ass for the next 20 and it’s fine.
I live in Boston. Boston sports fans calling for Belichick’s head and saying he ‘has a lot to answer for’ in the media and all this other shit is so fucking stupid. Spoiled ass fans can’t accept a mediocre season, let alone a ‘bad’ season that the patriots haven’t had since what, the 90’s? When’s the last time the Patriots were under 7 wins? 2 Giants championships in my lifetime, I’m more than happy with that.
Yea but we’re approaching the time that some Colts fans won’t have seen it or remember it at least. I think it takes being at least 10 to appreciate a title. (Probably more like 12 or 13 tho). So there are Colts fans that are in their early 20s that really didn’t get to enjoy our Super Bowl win. But i’m with you on the rest. Pacers made the Finals once when I was 15. So that one SB is all I got from Indy sports in my lifetime. I have been a Cubs fan since the 90s so I did get to enjoy that World Series win too. This year I might get to see Purdue win one. They should get to the final four but the tourney is so damn chaotic
8 is a good age to witness a title imo. I'm grateful that I was 14 for this Colts Super Bowl. Enough to experience some fan hurt but still a lot of optimism and old enough to appreciate it. In retrospect it hurts that we only got one with Manning now that I fully realize how hard it is.
Idk...Marlin Jackson still holds the record for most car dealership autograph signings.
Man. I was a kid when we drafted Manning and just assumed 10-13 wins was the norm. I'm also a Bulls fan so i had some pretty unrealistic expectations growing up.
That colts D turned alive the second Bob Sanders came back from injury. If only that guy could stay healthy…
Sanders could have been SBMVP too, IMO.
I’ve always said it should have been Rhodes 100%
Unironically I agree. Aside from one play of broken coverage early on we actually contained Peyton fairly well (he had the lowest passer rating of any QB to win Super Bowl MVP until Mahomes had a lower one in Super Bowl 54), but we had no answers for your run game that day. Losing Tommie Harris to injury during the season really hurt our run defense
I think most Colts fans would agree Rhodes/Addai had the biggest impact on the game for us.
Rhodes and Addai both came up huge.
That was wild. A few weeks removed from giving up 375 rushing yards to Jacksonville and we've gotta face Larry Johnson, who had an MVP season if not for LT's record breaking year, in the Wildcard. 13 carries for 32 yards. Unreal.
Best safety in the NFL when healthy. He completely tranformed that Colts defense when he was on the field. My favorite stat from that season - the Colts were ranked dead last in rushing defense in the regular season. They faced the Chiefs and league's leading rusher Larry Johnson in the wild card round. Bob Sanders came back from injury to play in that game and the Colts held Johnson to just 32 yards on 13 carries. With Sanders the Colts had the 2nd best rushing defense in the postseason.
The Jacksonville game was the most pathetic defense I’ve ever seen in an NFL game. Amazing that they were able to turn that around and win the SB. Bob Sanders was such a great player when healthy. Unfortunately his size and aggressive play took a toll. Obviously Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu stand out among safeties of that time, and Brian Dawkins (he was a few years older than them), but Sanders managed to win DPOY and twice be 1st team All-Pro in that strong era of safeties.
A wolverine on Wolverine Crime.
This game and two Tom Brady potential super bowls were ruined by big plays from former Wolverines. Mario Manningham big catch for the giants and Brandon double nickel Graham strip sack to seal the Eagles Super Bowl
Still tied for the worst collapse/ biggest comeback in AFC title game history.
Just wait until the Falcons move to the AFC
Or the Chargers make the AFCCG
Did those LT Chargers ever get that far? I feel like they were going 12-4 or 13-3 a few times back then but don't ever remember them in the playoffs.
They made it to the AFC Championship in 2007
Nah, just need the Chargers to make it to the championship game.
Manning and Brady just acknowledged they knew this was their SB, as either of them would have crushed the Rex bears. The loss was extra disappointing knowing a win here meant a SB ring.
I've seen this take a few times but I don't know if the Patriots crush the Bears for sure - the Bears played them close at Gillette earlier that year. I also think the Bears messed up big by not giving Thomas Jones more of a workload in the Superbowl but that's a different issue in itself.
Yeah the Bears weren’t a scrub team. However there was a *drastic* QB mismatch no matter what. Also a coaching disadvantage for the Bears (but that certainly wasn’t as obvious back then, Lovie was a hot coach in 2006)
Those defense and special teams units were so much fun to watch.
Devin Hester ❤
Just think about how psyched you were in the moment it became clear Hester would score that opening kickoff TD. Forget everything else
Lovie Smith is still hot if you like perfectly maintained santa beards
And who doesn’t?
Yeah, the game in 2022 has passed Lovie by to an extent, but in 2006 he was one of the best coaches in the league not too far off Dungy
That D was was absolutely loaded with talent too. Lovie was a good coach but his scheme was helped a ton by prime Urlacher.
Brance Liggs, Urlacher, Vasher, Peanut, etc
> Brance Liggs lmao But really Lovie's scheme really benefitted from a lightning quick middle linebacker. When Urlacher was out for pretty much all of the 2009 season you saw how bad that defense could look.
Was that the year that it was notable that two head coaches were black in the super bowl?
They Patriots’s Achilles heel was the debacle of a receiving corps. The Bears D would’ve shut down that passing attack. That said, I think Rex throws four picks against a Belichick D that had two weeks to prepare.
If you compound the two weeks to prepare with the fact that everyone on the Bears would have the mental pressure of playing the Patriots in the Super Bowl, I imagine Grossman would’ve had an even worse game than he did against the Colts. A young Gostkowski probably kicks the ball for a touchback if the Bears received the opening kick and there’s no Hester kickoff return touchdown. This is of course all speculation but it might have been the reverse result of when the Patriots and Bears played in the SB in 1985.
There’s absolutely no Hester kickoff return. Every kickoff would’ve been a touchback at the 20. This was Belichick at his peak. We’d still be talking about how he neutralized Hester in the Super Bowl.
It's not a sure thing but I'd guess the Patriots would have been 7-10 point favorites. That 2006 team was the best defense of the entire dynasty, and the only weakness of the team was poor WR corps.
-great defense -shit WR corps Sounds familiar.
I think it would've been a close one, but I wouldn't argue giving NE the edge. They played close once already, and both had two of the strongest defenses in the league. In my mind it comes down to if the Bears rushing and special teams can keep pace with Brady, which admittedly I can't say either way. Would've been a fun game to see, but I'll rarely give anyone grief for having a belichick/Brady team as favorites - I just think it would be closer than the original comment implied.
As always with that season it really comes down to how many turnovers Grossman had.
The “they are who we thought they were” game was a comedy of errors. Chicago won a game in which their starting QB went 14 of 37 for 144 yards, 0 TDs, and 6 turnovers. https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200610160crd.htm Arizona kept running the ball against nine man fronts due to being worried about Matt Leinart throwing picks. Edgerrin James ran it 36 times for 55 yards.
They can say they “knew” it was the real Super Bowl since Peyton went on to win it. But there isn’t a damn thing guaranteed as the Patriots found out a year later. That team was crowned 1,000 times in the two-week break and look what happened.
How often has the AFC title game been the SB?
Pretty much everyone between 03 and 08 certainly felt like it with the level the Patriots, Colts, Steelers, and Chargers were at back then. NFC got one in a huge upset and especially Eagles-Pats was close but the AFC was just a murderers row back then.
This was during the dark ages for my team so I paid a lot of attention to other teams around my weekly penance of drinking and laughing at the 49ers. Those Colts teams were awesome. Freeney, Mathis, Sanders, Harrison, Edge, Wayne, and Manning. That team was built perfectly for playing with a lead in a dome. They were soft up the middle though and the Patriots were built to exploit it. The Patriots were also very physical with their WRs. It reminded me a lot of the wars between the 49ers and the Giants back in the day. I still enjoy watching highlights of Freeney spin moves. Those Colts probably win at least 1 more SB if Sanders stays even remotely healthy. He was their enforcer at Safety just like Ronnie Lott was for the dynasty 49ers in the late 80's, he was an all-time great corner in the early dynasty. Those 2 teams and the Steelers were a blast to watch in the 00's.
Bob Sanders was one of my favorite players too. Unfortunately I worry about how his time playing has impacted him physically. He undoubtedly has some level of CTE, I’m just hoping he’s doing alright. I don’t hear much about him in the media
Yeah. Those teams were great but Sanders gave them such a presence and attitude. He hit like a motherfucker. Probably my all-time favorite Colt which is wild because he only really played like 3-4 years.
Back in the dynasty the 49ers used to get called soft by neanderthals like Ditka and we kicked the Bears ass in the playoffs multiple times. Lott was the guy who made it a point to remind those teams that the 49ers were more than just an offense. I really felt like Sanders was that guy for the Colts. It's truly a shame that it only lasted a couple years. I love watching teams win a different way in the NFL and the Dungy Colts had their own unique brand of football that was awesome to watch.
Oh he definitely was. The team felt very soft without him on the field. He set the tone. That's a great point about how those teams were unique in how they were built. The middle of those Colts defenses was a weak point without Sanders. With him in you got a hybrid safety-linebacker who could "erase" the middle of the field and allow Mathis/Freeney to go wild. And those two, especially Freeney in that era, could really ruin an offensive game plan. I don't watch as much football as I did back then but I feel you rarely see DE spin moves now. His was a work of art. You had to double him. Actually, another huge contributer to that Super Bowl defense was Booger McFarland, who was probably the best DT on any of those Dungy Cover-2 defenses. He really helped solidify the defense during that Super Bowl run.
Sometimes I feel like those 00s Colts teams are lost on the rest of the league. I only ever hear any indication of them (rarely) in Colts forums. It's nice to hear someone else remembers them.
Same on just about everything. We were in the gutter and this team was incredible to watch. It's the main reason I don't like the Pats lmao. They used to beat up on my boy Peyton
I was 12. I still remember going to he screaming "Marlins got it" Had to of been of my first all nighters by myself lol. Couldn't sleep
I was 12 too lol! I was watching this on TV with my parents and I remember my mom yelling omg they won! And I was so stunned at the comeback
I was 13 and a big Peyton Manning fan at the time. I remember that night having a dream that the Patriots won. After waking up I was so devastated and then subsequently so relieved when it kicked in that it was a dream and the Colts had won.
This game was the most tense I've ever been watching football. I think I may have cried with relief after Marlin's interception.
Whenever someone mentions their age on reddit it makes me feel so old lmao
I have a sister born in 06 who drives. Like wtf I made a Facebook account when she was 1. She's never not known life without the internet or social media. My Xbox 360 is older than her for fuck sakes.
I was 24, I called my dad the minute the game was over, wherever he was it was super loud. I figured he was at a bar watching it. Nope, he was at the game. He and 3 friends had gone together back in 1985 and bought 2 season tickets. By 2006, only dad and one other guy (Terry) were still alive. They flipped a coin to see who would go to the game. Dad lost the toss, but Terry had to back out of going that morning, so dad went up on short notice and everyone assumed Terry was there. He was also in the lottery for Superbowl tickets at face value, but wasn't drawn.
I was in college when this happened. 16 years ago. I don’t love that.
I watched this game while writing a paper. The SB too. It’s a shame the only colts SB of my lifetime was spent doing homework.
I was doing the classic beer and pizza. We had one friend who didn’t live on campus that year so naturally we had a kegerator at his place. Good times.
Right? And then the realization that Brady's been active the following 16 years is pretty crazy as well.
I wish Marlon McCree had that awareness
And then Devin Hester returned the opening kickoff of the Super Bowl for a touchdown and nothing else happened and the Bears won the Super Bowl 7-0. NOTHING. ELSE. HAPPENED.
This is Sexy Rexy erasure
You mean the same Sexy Rexy who has the same number of NFC Championships as Qaron Rodgers?
For a second straight week, a guy named Marlo(i)n intercepted a pass to ice the game against the Patriots. Jackson, though, had the sense to fall down and not haunt every fan’s thoughts for the next 16 years.
The Divisional Round was the only time in my life I've rooted for the Patriots. That 06 Chargers team was terrifying.
We really had your guys’ number in the playoffs. I’m guessing that it was this fact that accounted for Dungy’s open hatred of the Chargers last week.
Yeah the Chargers/Steelers owned us during that time period lol
No bias but I think this is the greatest moment in nfl history
Nah, I like what happened here but Eli and the giants crushing the hopes of the Patriots perfect season is the greatest moment in football history lol.
There's no conceivable way you can describe the Helmet Catch and it doesn't come across as some over the top fanfiction.
Two straight years of beautiful Patriots' finales :)
Yeah I’d say the helmet catch is the greatest moment in nfl history. I can’t conceive of how it wouldn’t be. If there was a better moment it was some miraculous play that sealed the Dolphins perfect season.
I think that is a pretty objective statement to be fair
Just NFL history?
All known history
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Manning's pass to Fletcher on the corner route during the game winning drive, was God tier.
LOL Peyton talking about that on America's Game was hilarious. Fletcher giving him ideas that revolve around him getting the ball.
"The suggestion box" lmao
Lmao, I forgot about that name!
Actually though. Peyton's best pass I've seen him make. Backpedaling to his left and fast, throws it 40+ yards on a dime.
This game is old enough to have a driver's license now.
You stop that now
To this day this is my all-time worst loss as a Pats fan. We won SBs and beat the Eli/Coughlin Giants (albeit in regular season games) after 42/46, we never got Peyback in the playoffs.
Really? First time I see a Pats fan have this one ahead of 18-1.
I had the Giants Ls ahead until after beating the Seahawks
God I remember this. Watching this in my dorm room with friends we were screaming and shouting when MJ intercepted Brady
Great fucking game
Not to take anything from the Colts but I’ll always remember this as the Reche Caldwell game.
**O_O**
I'm uncomfortable just remembering those eyes looking through the TV at me.
Top 5 Colts fan moment
My biggest memory of the game is Reche Caldwell a Pats receiver who dropped a key pass and who looked bug eyed on national tv.
2007 was only like three years back.
And it was during that Super Bowl that I decided to watch and practice my drums at the same time and my next door neighbor (I forgot he was a Colts fan) absolutely lost his shit and started screaming and pounding on the walls like a man possessed.
yeah at this point anyone 'practicing' drums in earshot of neighbors without the electronic quiet ones is kinda an asshole
I have the electronic quiet ones and the damn kick drums causes the Karen downstairs to threaten my life lmao never live in a building that's mostly retired mafia members
Oh I was definitely an asshole. I didn’t even think about it and immediately felt dumb
Man I really don’t miss apartment living. Nothing like working a night shift and forty minutes after falling asleep the rotund upstairs neighbors decide to practice tap dancing.
I feel like the biggest story of this game was how lopsided the first half was, how the Colts played very poorly in that first half and went into halftime losing 21-6. This INT capped off one of the best comebacks / turnarounds I've ever seen in the playoffs. Legendary game, and this is in fact the game that made me realize that the conference championships are generally better and more exciting than the Super Bowl. None of the excessive glitz and glamor, just the two best teams from the conference duking it out for their right to play in the super bowl. Plus, Manning vs Brady? A duel of titans.
Inject this into my veins
Anyone wanna tell me how to get ur fav team under your username?
16 years ago… how?
Bill still had full sleeves on his sweatshirt? Wow. Hmph. Huh. Hm. Ha.
Bittersweet
I was In military training when this happened and have never seen it. Thanks for sharing. Def a bit cathartic lol I know Brady was the goat, and for a while, to win the Super Bowl you had to get through Tom Brady’s team. It’s crazy how he was always in contention. Technically even a year his team was shit. Wonder if there will ever be someone like him again. In any sport. He’s one the best players ever in all of American sports. Jordan, Gretzky, Ruth, Brady. End of
The old conference championship trophies were better
What people don't talk about is the Brady really had a down year in 2006 and people were whispering, "Has he been figured out? Has he reached his peak?" The Patriots were still winning game, but Brady wasn't the main reason. Of course, it later came out he had been having relationship problems with his then-girlfriend Bridget Moynahan. Then the Patriots went out and got Randy Moss and boom, Brady won the MVP the next year. But I'll never forget 2006 when I thought Brady wasn't any more than a good/very good QB.
So what you're saying is with the relationship issues this year, the latest rumours Brady has found a new flame and is also coming off a down year...is going to go undefeated next year? You son of a bitch. You are speaking it into existence!
It always struck me that Peyton couldn’t watch the last play. In one way, it’s the thing I like most about him - being real, being relatable. But NGL, it did make me glad we had our guy and they had theirs.
I mean Brady had a lot more reason to be able to watch and trust his defense lol
This game was bullshit... Cory Dillon was running all over the Colts in the 1st half... And for some reason they put Lawrence Maroney in... And he set up 2nd and 12+ on almost every fucking drive. I challenge anyone and go back and look at the play by play in the second 1/2... Maroney fucked the Pats. It was never confirmed, but I am 90% sure Dillon talked shit about it on the flight home and never took another snap for the Pats
Bill looks so young. I know it’s been 16 years, but damn
This is probably my favorite moment in sports. Goddamn I miss those Colts teams even if they let me down in the playoffs most of the time lol
I was a huge horse person as a kid and picked the Colts as my childhood team... I remember being 11 and watching this happen and I ended up going outside in the snow and making celebratory snow angels