Thursday's Gridiron Action
By Judd Hall
The first week of the NFL’s preseason is set aside for fans and bettors to whet their appetites for football. Coaches use it to get an early return on players and their abilities to handle in-game situations. Week 2 is normally more of the same, but there is a lot more buzz this time around.
Brett Favre decided that he was tired of hocking Wranglers and tossing the pigskin around with high school kids. Now he’s found his way into the fold of Minnesota and will start for them on Friday.
Before Favre, it was Michael Vick that was making the headlines by signing with Philadelphia late last week. Will we get to see Vick in action in Indianapolis? That remains to be seen, but we’re going to open up in New England with the Patriots playing host to the Bengals.
Bengals at Patriots – 7:30 p.m. EDT
The Bengals had walked out of their preseason openers recently with a smile on their face. Last Friday, however, Cincy had to be a little worried after falling to the Saints as a 3 ½-point road dog, 17-7. The final score didn’t matter to the team though. What did matter is Carson Palmer walking off the field with his left foot in a protective boot.
Palmer suffered a mild sprain to his upper left ankle during the game. While everyone is saying he’s taking it “day-to-day,” the smart money is on Marvin Lewis sitting him on Thursday night. That means we’re going to get to see J.T. O’Sullivan run the offense to start off. O’Sullivan looked good last week, completing nine of 11 passes for 100 yards and a touchdown. Carson’s little brother, Jordan Palmer, will take over for the remainder of the game.
All eyes were on Tom Brady last week as he came back from a season ending knee injury. Brady passed the test and then some as the Pats won as three-point road pups last Thursday, 27-25. New England’s top signal caller connected on 10 of 15 passes for 100 yards with a pair of scores and an interception. Don’t look for Brady to play nearly as much this week. That means Andrew Walter and Kevin O’Connell will duke it out for the backup job.
Not much has come out of the Patriots’ camp on injuries, but that doesn’t surprise me. It would be easier for anyone to break into Fort Knox with a crowbar and a box of Slim Jims than get some info out of Bill Belichick. The only question mark that I can see is if Wes Welker will be on the field this week. Welker sat out last week and didn’t participate too much in practice this week.
The sportsbooks have installed New England as a seven-point home “chalk” with a total of 36 ½. That spread would be fine if this was a regular season contest, but that is huge for a preseason tilt.
The Patriots haven’t been the best team to back during the exhibition portion of the schedule. They have gone 3-5 straight up and against the spread as home favorites during the preseason since 2005. The ‘over’ is 4-2 for those contests.
Cincinnati has posted a 3-2 SU mark in its last five preseason games as a road pup. However, they are a fantastic 4-1 ATS during that time. The Bengals also saw the ‘over’ go 3-1-1 in that stretch.
Eagles at Colts – 8:00 p.m. EDT, FOX
Philadelphia nearly dug itself out of a big hole to in its 27-25 defeat to the Patriots as a three-point home favorite last Thursday. The Eagles were down 24-6 early in the second half before reeling off 19 straight points. Philly would have actually pulled out the outright victory if David Akers had connected on his 43-yard field goal attempt with under a minute remaining in the fourth quarter. I know it’s only the preseason, but a comeback is a comeback.
The Eagles’ fan base was no doubt split on the Vick signing. He gives the offense another wrinkle to its wildcat formation, which will make the bettors back them a little more this season. But many people cannot get past his dog fighting past. We won’t see Vick in action this week, but he is cleared to play in the final two preseason battles.
McNabb is slated to start once again, but will most likely not play the same 1 ½ quarters that he did against the Patriots a week ago. A.J. Feeley will again get the most play out of the backup signal callers here after completing 75 percent of his passes for 211 yards and a touchdown against New England. Kevin Kolb (knee) is listed as “questionable” for this game, so look for Adam DiMichele to get a little playing time.
Indy played Peyton Manning just six snaps against the Vikings in its 13-3 loss as a three-point home pup last Friday night. If you thought that the Colts gave a damn about the preseason, think again. Minnesota had 24 first downs; Indianapolis had eight for the game. The Vikes also outgained them 351-142. The Colts failed to tally a sack, while Minnesota posted six tackles on the QB.
Manning will probably be on the field as much as he was in Week 1. Jim Sorgi (hamstring) won’t be getting any snaps as he’s listed as “out” for the second preseason game. That means we’re going to see a lot more of Curtis Painter under center. Painter completed 10 of 17 passes for 77 yards in about three quarters against the Vikings.
Most betting shops have posted the Eagles as three-point road favorites with a total of 36. Pretty standard line for a preseason game – especially a game played at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Indianapolis has not been a worthwhile wager when at home in the preseason in the last four years. A 1-8 SU and 1-7-1 ATS mark in those games is proof of why to fade the Colts. But Indy is 0-3 SU and 0-2-1 ATS when posted as a road underdog in that stretch.
Andy Reid’s Eagles aren’t exactly world beaters for gamblers in this spot either. Philadelphia is 0-3 SU and ATS when they’re installed as a road “chalk” in the preseason since Reid became head coach in 1999.
vegasinsider.com
Thursday's NFL Preseason Betting Previews
By DAVID JONES
Cincinnati Bengals at New England Patriots (-7, 36.5 )
Starter/Injury report
Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer will be held out of action with a mild ankle injury. He was sharp in last week's preseason opener against the Saints. Palmer led the Bengals into New Orleans territory in three of his four drives with the first-team offense.
The defense held Drew Brees and the Saints offense to just a single first down in the opening 15 minutes before yielding a touchdown drive early in the second quarter.
Another Palmer will still be taking the majority of snaps at quarterback in Thursday's contest. Carson's brother, Jordan, is expected to play the final two and a half quarters against New England following starter J.T. O' Sullivan. The duo combined to complete 16-of-22 pass attempts against the Saints.
Cincinnati is still without the services of its top draft choice Andre Smith. The club is trying to hammer out a deal with the offensive lineman.
Tom Brady showed little rust in his return to the field at Philadelphia last week. He directed a pair of long touchdown drives while playing nearly the entire first half for the Pats. While the defense allowed a couple of long drives to Donovan McNabb and the Eagles offense, the unit forced Philadelphia to settle for a pair of field goals instead of touchdowns.
Without a championship since 2004, Pats head coach Bill Belichick has cracked the whip harder than usual this preseason. The Patriots participated in full pads for 18 of their 27 training camp practice outings.
On Thursday, Brady is once again expected to play extended minutes against the Bengals. Former Jaguars star RB Fred Taylor and wideout Wes Welker are expected to make their preseason debuts after being held out last week. Andrew Walter (5-of-9 passing against Eagles) and Kevin O'Connell will handle the quarterbacking duties in the second half.
Line movement
The Patriots opened as 4.5-point favorites with a total of 37.5. New England is now favored by a touchdown while the total is down to 36.5.
Trends
Marvin Lewis is 12-13 (13-11-1 ATS) in the preseason. As head coach of the Patriots, Belichick is 21-17 (20-15-3 ATS) in exhibition action.
Weather
The forecast calls for a high of 83 degrees with a 30 percent chance of rain in Foxboro, MA.
Philadelphia Eagles at Indianapolis Colts (+3, 36.5)
Starter/Injury report
The Eagles will have to wait another week before getting Michael Vick into game action. With No. 2 QB Kevin Kolb still nursing a minor knee injury, Philly's QB lineup is a little scrambled.
Head coach Andy Reid has said that Donovan McNabb and the starters will play the entire first half against the Colts. A.J. Feely will start the second half and rookie Adam DiMichele could get into the contest in the fourth quarter.
The Eagles are still banged up with several players not making the trip due to injuries. Among the players staying behind are defensive end Trent Cole, cornerback Sheldon Brown, guard Todd Herremans, defensive end Darren Howard, tackle Jason Peters, tackle Shawn Andrews and guard Stacy Andrews. Star running back Brian Westbrook is unlikely to play during the entire preseason after some offseason surgeries.
A new head coach did little to change the Colts’ status as a weak preseason squad. Jim Caldwell's club dropped their exhibition opener to the visiting Minnesota Vikings by a final of 13-3.
The starting defense promptly allowed a 72-yard TD drive by the Vikings to begin the game. The first-team offense was just as bad. In his only series of the evening, Peyton Manning was sacked three times. First-round draft choice Donald Brown was the lone bright spot on offense against Minnesota. He gained 58 yards on five carries and his 38-yard burst in the second quarter led to Indy's only score of the night.
The Colts will also be without their No.2 quarterback Thursday. Jim Sorgi is still out of action with a hamstring injury. Others out for Thursday's game due to injuries include safety Antoine Bethea, cornerback Kelvin Hayden, defensive end Raheem Brock and defensive end Robert Mathis.
Manning and the starters will see more action this week but the Colts will still be relying on a pair of rookies at quarterback for most of the night. Curtis Painter (10-of-17 passing vs. Vikings) and Chris Crane will be under center when the game is on the line in the second half.
Line movement
The Eagles opened as 1-point favorites with the total set at 36.5. Philadelphia has moved up to a field goal choice in the matchup.
Trends
Reid is 14-27 (19-22 ATS) in his preseason career at Philadelphia. The Colts are 3-16 (5-13-1 ATS) in their last 19 preseason games.
Weather
Dome
Thursday's Preseason
By Sportsbook.com
Sportsbook.com is ready as the second week of the NFL Preseason gets underway with a pair of contests involving mostly elite teams. The headliner will be Philadelphia at Indianapolis, which is a Fox Sports telecast, with New England hosting Cincinnati in the other game.
This is often a solid wagering week, as coaches start to really formulate what kind of squad they will put together. Teams coming off losing efforts typically want to rebound, while clubs that won might be inclined to let up a bit and don’t give their best efforts.
The Eagles are one such team that is tastier than a Philly cheesesteak in Week 2 of the preseason. Coach Andy Reid is in his 11th season in the City of Brotherly Love and doesn’t place much stock in August football. This is preparation time and his goal is to put together the most talented roster he can, with hopes of winning the NFC East and returning to Super Bowl.
In the first game, Reid is reviewing as many players as possible and winning is an afterthought as six consecutive losses (0-6 ATS) prove. However, Reid isn’t foolish and has picked his spots, just like the man he worked under, Mike Holmgren did at Green Bay and Seattle. Reid has shown proclivity of wanting to win off first preseason loss and the Eagles are 7-3, with outstanding 9-0-1 ATS record this week, which includes 5-0 SU and ATS run since 2004.
Indianapolis is an established power in the AFC, yet having a new head coach does bring change. The Colts are notoriously a poor preseason team, with a 3-16 record and 5-13-1 ATS mark since 2005. Among the questions about Indianapolis: would new coach Jim Caldwell run a different camp than his predecessor Tony Dungy or would preparing for the regular season still be tantamount? The early answer suggests more of the same, with the Colts totaling a dismal 142 yards of offense last week in 13-3 loss to Minnesota. Without Jim Sorgi as backup quarterback, the fall is precipitous after Peyton Manning, with Curtis Painter and Chris Crane.
Sportsbook.com odds-makers know these facts and have established Philadelphia as three-point road favorites with a total of 36. Indianapolis is just 1-8 on home turf with 1-7-1 ATS mark; however, they are 11-2 ATS after a loss by 10 or more points. The action starts at 8 Eastern and Michael Vick is not expected to even make the trip for Philly, making it less of a story this week.
Thirty minutes earlier in the New England area, the Patriots welcome the Bengals. Tom Brady will look to continue his recovery process, this time in front of the home folks. The former Michigan man was 10 of 15 for 100 yards with two touchdowns and an interception while showing little rust. He’ll be matched against a Cincinnati defense not known for stopping the run or the pass.
The line on this encounter has moved significantly, with Cincy signal caller Carson Palmer unlikely to see the field after suffering a moderate high ankle sprain in 17-7 loss to New Orleans. New England opened as 4.5-point favorite and the swiftly moved to a to -7. The injury means extensive playing time for backups J.T. O'Sullivan and Carson’s brother Jordan Palmer.
New England is 21-13 ATS as preseason chalk and they are 10-2 against the spread at home after one or more consecutive straight up wins under Bill Belichick. For underdog players, the most encouraging news is the Pats fit a negative system that states to play against home favorites of 3.5 to 10 points in conference games, off a road win. Teams in this spot are 5-20 ATS, winning by 2.8 points per game.
Log on now to Sportsbook.com for all of your NFL Preseason wagering. And don’t forget to enter the NFL Opening Day Getaway promotion where you can turn your preseason bets into an all inclusive trip to NFL’s opening weekend in the city of your choice.
Cincinnati (0-1 SU and ATS) at New England (1-0 SU and ATS)
Patriots’ fans should get to see Tom Brady on the field at Gillette Stadium for the first time since he injured his knee in the regular-season opener last year when New England entertains the Bengals.
Brady took 24 snaps and played virtually the entire first half a week ago in New England’s 27-25 win in Philadelphia as a three-point underdog. Brady is expected to start this game but likely won’t play as long as last week as coach Bill Belichick is trying to identify his backup. A preseason battle has ensued between second-year pro Kevin O’Connell and five-year NFL veteran Andrew Walter, so expect to see each for a good amount of time in this one.
Cincinnati’s starting QB Carson Palmer will sit this game out after injuring his ankle in last week’s 17-7 loss at New Orleans as a three-point road underdog. That leaves No. 2 quarterback J.T. O’Sullivan as the starter, and he’s slated to play at least through the middle of the second quarter, with Palmer’s brother, Jordan, taking over the play-calling duties the remainder of the contest.
The Patriots were winless in August last year, both SU and ATS, and they haven’t had a winning preseason since going 4-0 SU and ATS in 2003. At home, they are 4-6 SU and ATS in preseason action the last five years, including 1-3 SU and ATS the last two Augusts in Foxborough.
The Bengals have been the picture of preseason mediocrity since coach Marvin Lewis took over in 2003, going 12-13 SU and 13-12 ATS. However, even with last week’s loss to the Saints, they are 4-3 SU and 5-2 ATS as a visitor the past three years in August (all as an underdog), winning both road games last preseason.
The over is 7-4 in New England’s last 11 preseason games (4-1 at home).
ATS ADVANTAGE: OVER
Philadelphia (0-1 SU and ATS) at Indianapolis (0-1 SU and ATS)
The Eagles have been making headlines all week, but the reason for those headlines will not be in the building when they take the field at Lucas Oil Stadium for a battle with the Colts.
Philadelphia signed former Falcons QB Michael Vick a week ago but due to his suspension, he is unable to play in the preseason until next week. Eagles coach Andy Reid said QB Donovan McNabb and the Philadelphia starters will play the first half tonight. From there, expect to see current third-string QB A.J. Feeley play the entire second half with backup QB Kevin Kolb still out with a knee injury and Vick unable to suit up.
Indianapolis’ starting offense was on the field for just six plays in Friday’s 13-3 home loss to the Vikings as a four-point home underdog, with starting QB Peyton Manning getting sacked on three of the six plays. New coach Jim Caldwell announced Manning and the rest of his starters will be on the field for about 20 plays this week. With longtime backup QB Jim Sorgi still out injured, expect rookie QB Curtis Painter to get the majority of the snaps in the second half, with another rookie – former Boston College QB Chris Crane – seeing mop-up action late in the fourth quarter.
The Eagles lost 27-25 at home to the Patriots in their exhibition opener, falling as three-point home favorites. They’ve had just one winning preseason in Reid’s decade-long tenure at the helm, also managing just three .500 exhibition campaigns in this stretch. Philly is just 2-8 SU and 4-6 ATS in exhibition road games the last five years.
Including last week’s 10-point loss to Minnesota, the Colts are now 3-16 SU and 5-14 ATS in preseason play since 2005. During this stretch, Indianapolis has lost eight of nine preseason home games both SU and ATS and is 3-8 ATS as an underdog.
Indy is holding out 10 players from this week’s game, including six starters, while the Eagles are leaving eight regulars at home, including four of their projected starters on the offensive line.
The Eagles have topped the total in eight of their last 10 exhibition games while Indianapolis has stayed under the total in four straight preseason contests.
ATS ADVANTAGE: PHILADELPHIA
GAMETIMEPICKS.COM
Thursday Night Kicks
By SportsPic
Week-two of preseason kicks off with Bengals visiting Patriots and Colts entertaining Eagles. Bengals off a 17-7 loss to the New Orleans Saints enter 16-21 (18-18-1 ATS) this millennium in August but it is well to note they're 5-3 SU & ATS in week-two over the span. Bengals will be without the services of QB Carson Palmer after suffering a high ankle sprain in the loss. Patriots got off to a winning start defeating Eagles 27-25 as Brady went 10-of-15 with two TD's in the victory. Brady is expected to receive extended minutes again Thursday before yielding to backups Andrew Walter, Kevin O'Connell. Since taking over in 2000 Belichick's troops are 20-17 (19-15-3) during practice season including 4-5 (3-6 ATS) in week-two. Meanwhile, the Colts off a 13-3 home loss to the Vikings have now dropped 17 of it's last 20 (5-13-2 ATS) preseason games including 9-of-10 (8-1-1 ATS) in front of the home crowd. Eagles head-man Reid has a reputation for taking it easy on his veterans resulting in a putrid 14-22 straight-up record after the defeat to Patriots and is 15-19-2 at the betting window. However, his squad's have cashed the last four following a week-one loss. Betting on the NFL in August is a completely different exercise than betting on the same sport a month later.
Tips and Trends
Cincinnati Bengals at New England Patriots
Bengals: Carson Palmer is doubtful after spraining an ankle during the Bengals’ 17-7 road loss to New Orleans last Friday in their preseason opener. That’s a big reason why this line has gone from New England opening a 4 ½-point favorite all the way up to the Patriots being favored by a touchdown, which is a huge number for preseason. Palmer led the Bengals into New Orleans’ territory in three of his four drives. Cincinnati has only one offensive line starter back at the same position from a year ago. J.T. O’Sullivan and Jordan Palmer, Carson’s brother, will split the quarterback duties. Jordan Palmer is expected to play 2 ½ quarters as coach Marvin Lewis needs to decide on who is backup quarterback will be. O’Sullivan was 9-for-11 passing for 100 yards and a quarterback rating of 134.8 against the Saints. He threw a touchdown pass to Chris Henry.
The Bengals have gone Over the total in Game 2 of the preseason during each of the past 4 years.
Key Injuries - Carson Palmer (ankle) is doubtful.
PROJECTED SCORE: 14
Patriots (-7, O/U 36): The Patriots have been steamed to 7-point favorites not just because Carson Palmer is likely to be out. There’s a general belief that Patriots coach Bill Belichick is treating preseason more serious than he usually does. The Patriots have been in full pads during 18 of their 27 training camp practices. Tom Brady is playing more in preseason. He completed 10-of-15 passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s 27-25 road win against the Eagles. It was Brady’s first action since Week 1 of last year. Brady is expected to start again this week. Brady will be backed-up by Kevin O’Connell and Andrew Walter. The Patriots have added firepower this week with wideout Wes Welker and running back Fred Taylor expected to make their preseason debuts. There’s a 30 percent chance of rain with a high of 83 degrees for the game in Foxboro.
The Patriots are 20-15-3 (57 percent) against the spread under Bill Belichick during preseason.
Key Injuries - Defensive lineman Richard Seymour (hamstring) is questionable.
PROJECTED SCORE: 21 (Side of the Day)
Philadelphia Eagles at Indianapolis Colts
Eagles (-3, O/U 36.5): The Eagles are expected to play their starters for a half, including quarterback Donovan McNabb. That’s the good news for Philadelphia. The bad news is the Eagles have a long injury list. Of the 11 injured players not expected to make the trip to Indianapolis are running back Brian Westbrook, star pass rusher Trent Cole, linebacker Omar Gaither and four projected starters on the offensive line – guards Todd Herremans and Stacy Andrews and tackles Jason Peters and Shawn Andrews. Center Jamaal Jackson is the only starting offensive lineman healthy. Backup quarterback Kevin Kolb is not likely to play either because of a minor knee injury. Veteran A.J. Feely and rookie Adam DiMichele are expected to be behind center during the second half with Feely seeing most of the action. Newly acquired Michael Vick isn’t eligible to play in preseason until the Eagles host Jacksonville next Thursday.
The Eagles are 10-0 against the spread the past 10 years during Week 2 of the preseason.
Key Injuries - Running back Brian Westbrook (ankle), defensive end Trent Cole (shoulder) and tackle Shawn Andrews (back) are out.
PROJECTED SCORE: 20
Colts: The Colts are home underdogs because their quarterback rotation will consist of rookies Curtis Painter and Chris Crane during most of the game. Peyton Manning and the first-string Colts offense will see action for about 20 plays. After that it’s largely untested Painter and Crane because veteran No. 2 quarterback Jim Sorgi remains out with a hamstring injury. Manning was in on just six plays last week. He was sacked three times in his limited appearance as the Colts lost 13-3 at home to the Vikings. The Colts allowed six sacks to the Vikings in 37 offensive plays. The Colts have key injuries on defense. Out are star safety Bob Sanders, cornerback Kelvin Hayden and lineman Robert Mathis. Kicker Adam Vinatieri also is out due to a hip injury. The Colts are hoping to have two of their key receivers who are questionable, Anthony Gonzalez and Dallas Clark.
The Colts have lost 16 of their past 19 preseason games, going 5-13-1 (27 percent) against the spread.
Key Injuries - Defensive back Bob Sanders (knee), cornerback Kelvin Hayden (hamstring) and defensive lineman Raheem Brock (hand) are out.
PROJECTED SCORE: 17 (OVER - Total of the Day)
Manning to see more action tonight
By Tom James
TERRE HAUTE — When the Philadelphia Eagles visit Lucas Oil Stadium for an NFL preseason game tonight (8 p.m., FOX), Peyton Manning wants to maximize his playing time.
Manning and the rest of the Indianapolis Colts’ first team offense was slated to be in the game for around 12 plays Friday against Minnesota, but it turned out to be a short night for the three-time league Most Valuable Player. Colts coach Jim Caldwell opted to pull him after just six plays after Manning was sacked three times.
Manning said he needs to get in more work this week against the Eagles. He wants the additional time to try and develop some chemistry with young receivers Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie, as well as with running back Donald Brown. With several changes along the Colts’ offensive line this year, he knows that building a cohesive offensive unit will take time.
“Yeah, it would be nice. I mean I think we kind of played a lot less than what we thought we were going to play [against the Vikings]. They told us twelve plays and we got six. I think one thing that’s important, that I think our coaches realized this after some of the older guys kind of made the point. This is a new starting unit. These are some new guys in there,” he pointed out earlier this week.
“I think [wide receiver] Anthony Gonzalez needs to make a downfield block for Donald Brown. [Offensive guard] Ryan Lilja needs to high-five Pierre Garcon down the field. Do you know what I mean? There’s some different guys playing, and I think they realize that we need to be in there playing together so when we get to the Jacksonville game, we don’t get in the huddle and say ‘Hey, I haven’t really seen you in here before.’ So I think it’s important.”
NFL teams don’t usually play first-string players much during the first two preseason games, reserving the bulk of the work for veteran backups and rookies. It’s not until the third preseason game that the starters go longer than a series or two.
The final preseason game is the last chance for backups and first-year players to earn a spot on the roster, which makes Manning’s desire to get more playing time against Philadelphia — the second preseason game — all the more intriguing.
“I know we’re going to play the majority against Detroit [Aug. 29] in the third game and probably very little against Cincinnati [on Sept. 3], so I think this game [against the Eagles] is important to try to get a little flow in there,” he said. “Sure, it would be nice to score every single play, but at least to get in there and play some together.”
Manning would like to open the 2009 regular season with the offense at full speed when AFC South rival Jacksonville visits Sept 13. With several new faces on Manning’s offense, he’d like to face a variety of situations in the preseason that will help the unit be prepared when the games count.
“Obviously you’d love to score [in the preseason]. But like I said, we’d like to maintain some drives and get some different situations, get some calls, get some checks, and just kind of gel a little bit as a unit because it’s not the same old starters [on offense],” Manning said.
“[Offensive guard Ryan] Lilja hasn’t played in a year. He hasn’t played with Charlie [Johnson] at left [offensive] tackle in a while or maybe ever, for all I know. It’s always been Tarik [Glenn] when Lilja was in there probably for the most part. I think it’s important that we get some of that timing and rhythm and cohesiveness, I guess, as a unit in these next couple games.”
Practice during the offseason and in training camp can help the maturation process of an offensive or defensive unit. But it’s when those groups are put into real-game situations, against another team, that real progress can be made. Even the thrill of scoring in a game situation will help the team connect.
“[There’s] nothing like being in there, scoring a touchdown. Nobody usually goes and high-fives each other after a touchdown in practice. Like I said, we’ve got new starters. I’ve thrown one career pass to Pierre Garcon in a game against Pittsburgh [last season],” Manning said. “That’s why I was kind of disappointed that they kind of pulled the hook the other night. I kind of wanted to be in there and play and throw some passes to Austin Collie. Hopefully, we can get that done in these next two games.”
It was suggested that perhaps he was pulled from the Minnesota game a bit earlier than expected because he had been sacked three times in six total plays. But the Colts’ former No. 1 draft choice shrugged that comment off.
“I’ve never been tackled before? Like I said, I think it’s important that we all get in there and play,” Manning said.
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