The Quarterback With The Golden Gun Trash Talk

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For all the yammering about nuclear options and assassination anniversaries and other wild news, this weekend there is only one big bang. The big guns are being positioned on the battlefield.

Brady v. Manning. Manning v. Brady. Mano a mano. Bieber versus Sourface. The battle of the soon to be middle age bulges. Broncos and Pats at the Big Razor in Foxboro. Or is it Foxborough? I am liable to use either one, so watch out. Same joint.

But let’s not dawdle, this is all about The Man With The Golden Gun; i.e. Peyton Manning. Yes yes, I know some lady who won’t send me a rhubarb pie will be along to talk about how Tom Brady is a pron god and Peyton is a sucky face, and all, but here in this post Peyton, and his golden gun, rulz! This careful salting of trash talk aside, the Donkos could easily get Lectric Shaved in the Big Razor. It really is maybe the most compelling game on the NFL season to date.

Despite a bump on the noggin triggering NFL concussion protocols, Wes Welker looks determined to try to give Bill Belichick hell. Ad who can blame him for that? Donks TE Julius Thomas is banged up and “questionable”with a knee strain. But that still leaves Peyton and his Golden Gun with Wes Welker, Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas. Not to mention Knowshon Moreno. Sorry, that beats the Pats Gronk and Riddler. Even if he is healthy, Aqib Talib can’t cover all the Bronco’s threats, ergo advantage Donks. On defense, NEVER count out a Belichick designed scheme; however, on talent the matchup is again not in the Pat’s favor. But Denver is starting to gel with Von Miller starting to settle back in to an already competent group. Bottom line is, the facts favor Denver all the way here, but it is in Foxboro and Pats have been inconsistent lately. Precisely when Belichick and Brady strike. So, it is a pick em, and worthy of all the build up.

Other pro jobs worth working are Cowboys at Gents. Shockingly, as lemon faced sucky as Eli and the Giants have been, if they beat the ‘Boys, they will pull even with Philadelphia and Dallas in the loss column (hey, Skins ain’t gonna beat the Niners). That is just stupid enough to mean it WILL happen, Eli and the Giants make a move. I’ll be hoping for a third win in a row for the Bucs against the Lions, but won’t hold my breath on that. Jets at Ravens could be a bruiser. Lastly, the real barnburner of the week may be Colts at the Cards in the Big Toaster. Colts are 7-3, but seemingly not invincible lately, and the Cards 6-4, but very tough at home. This really has the makings of a superb game. My better instincts say Colts, but gonna go with the heart here and take Spidey Fitzgerald and the Cards.

Turns out that not ALL football this weekend involves Manning and Brady. No, there are student athletes playing ball as well. BCS busters Northern Illinois and University of Central Florida have both already won solidly. Which is very cool. A lot of people will say Texas A+M at LSU in baton rouge is the big game. They may be right. Johnny Football is playing for the Heisman, and has a chip on his shoulder. He will play like it and down the Tigers in a huge win.

But the biggest game in these here parts is the ASU Sun Devils versus the UCLA Bruins in the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena. Huge game, and I thought about going. Probably should have done so. Both teams are 8-2, but the Devils have only one conference loss so far to the Bruins’ two. Simple enough: Devils win, they almost certainly go to the Pac-12 conference championship game, lose and they almost certainly do not. Big stakes. ASU is hard to figure out this year; sometimes they look really good, sometimes not so much and only lucky. Hard to read. Honestly, they outplayed Notre Dame, and should have won that game and been 9-1 now. but they did not. Still not sure they are that good though. This game will tell whether they belong or not.

There you have it. Roll this joint people.

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67 replies
  1. nomolos says:

    As I know you must have missed this while kissing Manning’s arse

    Brady is first (.773) in winning percentage among all quarterbacks since the merger in 1970. Manning is fourth (.697). Manning is second to Brett Favre in most career victories (163) while Brady is fifth (143) but that’s because the latter started later. When it comes to passing touchdowns, Manning is again second to Favre with 470, Brady is fifth at 348 and the situation is similar with passing yardage, Manning ranking second with 63,059 and Brady seventh with 47,358.

    Surprisingly, their postseason statistics are eerily similar. Brady has completed 62.3 percent of his passes while Manning is 63.2. Brady has 42 TD and 22 interceptions while Manning has 32 TD and 21 interceptions and there is fewer than 300 passing yards between them (Brady 5,949, Manning 5,679).

    Even in the matter of Super Bowls Brady has won 60 percent of his five appearances and Manning 50 percent of his two. What separates them then is the thing Bill Parcells always argued was the only way a quarterback should be judged.

    “Quarterbacks, like coaches, are judged by their jewelry,” he claimed and in that category Brady has a 3-1 edge in rings and a 2-1 lead in postseason head-to-head matchups. Brady is 17-7 (15-6 in non-wild card games) in the playoffs while Manning is 9-11 (6-7 in non-wild card games) with a remarkably poor eight one-and-done playoff outages.

  3. GulfCoastPirate says:

    ‘They may be right. Johnny Football is playing for the Heisman, and has a chip on his shoulder.’

    Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr ………………….

  5. bmaz says:

    @GulfCoastPirate: By the way, made tentative plans yesterday with John Weaver and William Ockham to come to Houston for the 2015 Texas kickoff game between ASU and Texas A+M. Date is September 5. Hope to get down there before then too.

  6. JohnT says:

    Hey!!111!!1!!!!1!

    Everybody knows the big matchup is at the Frozen Tundra ™ with Mr Samantha Ponder vs HR Pufnstuff, er … JRR Tolkien, um … Scott Tolzien

    Annnnddddd

    … But let’s not dawdle, this is all about The Man With The Golden Gun; i.e. Peyton Manning. Yes yes, I know some lady who won’t send me a rhubarb pie will be along to talk about how Tom Brady is a —-

    Mmmm, you said the two magic words. I want some too

  7. bmaz says:

    @JohnT: Oddly, she is very cantankerous about this, and claims it is not rhubarb season pretty much all year. And this after I had Fat Al change the weather and everything.

    As to the Thrilla That’s Now Vanilla, hard to get excited about a Packers game where Samantha Ponder’s husband will be the best QB on the field. Man, Samantha is pretty though. Like her.

  8. GulfCoastPirate says:

    @bmaz: Excellent. I saw the announcement about the game yesterday in the papers. You folks gonna be up for some gumbo?

  10. P J Evans says:

    Any game in the Rose Bowl this weekend is going to need someone with a catapult for the northbound passes. All the flags will be straight out, pointing south. (It’s not as bad as it was yesterday, when it was 28 gusting to 36.)

  11. scribe says:

    What, BMAz, no comment on Favruh’s interview on the TV the other day, discussing his memory loss and post-concussion voids in vocabulary and the like? And his noting that, if he had sons and given what’s now known, he and his wife would have a hard time letting them play football? And he hasn’t even gone to Canton yet.

    No wonder he turned down the Rams to be the volunteer O-coordinator at the local high school.

  13. drywit says:

    @P J Evans: Boy, I don’t know about that. The forecast I’m looking at predicts 30-40 MPG gusts and temps mid-20s to low teens. Injuries/fumbles might have more to do with the outcome than passing stats.

  14. emptywheel says:

    Hi.

    As far as this weekend, I think the Pats have more hope than I thought they did before last week’s game: the young kids are coming along, which of course is helped by having a few veterans around them. That said, the Pats D generally and their secondary specifically is getting weaker and weaker, and Mr. LEMONSUCKING (not sour) Face has the distinct ability to exploit that. They have a shot bc it’s Foxboro, but I’m not holding my breath.

    As far as their career goes, you really need to compare the BillBelBradyBorg with Peyton. All three are geniuses of the game, but the BillBelBradyBorg has historically worked better than Peyton and his own head, perhaps because the BillBelBradyBorg functions more harmoniously in key games. All that said, we’re really looking at the last year or so before the Young Guns™ will begin to beat both consistently (well, maybe not RGIII, bc the Shanahans seem intent on killing him first, but all the other ones).

    With that in mind (and the likelihood that the Pats will squeak into the Playoffs but not get far enough to face Denver unless the Chiefs win that Division), let this be a game worthy of the rivalry.

  16. P J Evans says:

    @bmaz:
    Well, certainly not fun, unless you’re used to the Frozen Tundra. (It’s up to about 60 degrees out there, which is warmer than yesterday.)

  18. CTuttle says:

    Two big shockers in the making, Johnny Football ain’t looking so hot down 14-0 to LSU, and, the Desert Swarm manhandling the Ducks 21-9…!

  20. bmaz says:

    Also, in case Miss Marcy wanders back into the room, appears Michigan may have been hasty with regards to the Rich Rod. Hokey Pokey and teh Weenies lost yet another conference game today to Herkie Hawkeye, but Rich Rod’s Cool cats are putting a whipping on the Quackers.

  27. quebecois says:

    This morning in brazil, boat racing qualifying determined without a doubt who will be the admiral of the fleet… Six tenth in front, amazing.

  30. scribe says:

    My college team won. Life is good.

    As I write this I’m watching my weekly dose of Batman on MeTV. Takes me back to second grade and BatFights on the playground at recess. This week, a really lame Eli Wallach as Mr. Freeze. Life is perfect, then it got better. In a station break, the network advertised a schedule change, one which might encourage people to stock up on perception-affecting things: they’re going to show H.R. Pufnstuf Fridays at 8 pm.

  31. bmaz says:

    @rosalind: Hey sister, the Pac-8 begged ASU to join in 1977. Was going to be Pac-9, but ASU refused to come without UofA. That is how it became Pac-10. So 35 years it has been Pac-10. only the last two are actual newcomers.

  33. masaccio says:

    Snow in South Bend, and a good win. I remember the Iowa game from November 21, 1964; 20 or so at game time, and 8 inches of snow in the stands.

  43. Peterr says:

    As Thanksgiving approaches, I’m thankful for the scheduler at NBC. As Elliott noted in today’s lineup of Talking Heads shows: “NBC’S MEET THE PRESS: Bumped by Formula 1 Racing.”

  44. rosalind says:

    also today a Brothers Long (sons of Howie) match-up, where they will be going head to head on some of the plays. Quotes Mama Long:

    ‘Come Sunday afternoon, though, the pressure will give way to game mode, and the brothers will slide into their familiar roles of squaring off against another opponent. They won’t go easy on each other. They will play to win. Just one topic will be off-limits.

    “They’re not going to be talking smack about their mother,” Diane said. “They’d better not. I think it’s safe to say we can take that out of the equation.”‘

    http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-farmer-long-brothers-20131124,0,7819588.column#axzz2lZapVN1J

  45. Peterr says:

    @bmaz: You have to love a cooking site that starts a recipe for cranberry sauce like this:

    PUT DOWN THE FUCKING CAN OPENER. Trust me on this shit. Just look at the sugar content in that canned cranberry crap THEN check the serving size. GODDAMN RIGHT?! You and your loved ones deserve better than that red ribbed corn syrup.

    Thanks for the link!

  46. what constitution? says:

    Your Sun Devils done good, bmaz. Of course, getting penalized what,750 yards in under a minute while trying to mount a game-winning drive does make it harder to achieve a comeback win — but ASU took it to the Pale Blue Guys pretty good, got way out front before anyone noticed, and held on bravely. Good luck against Stanford.

  47. P J Evans says:

    @bmaz:
    My family went in for rhubarb cobbler more than pie. With vanilla ice cream, either way. (Or, vanilla ice cream with rhubarb sauce.)

  49. bmaz says:

    @what constitution?: Thanks. We still have a HUGE home game against University of Arizona next Saturday. That game is beyond a bitter rivalry. Always huge game. But, this time, even bigger because if ASU can manage to win that, the Pac-12 Championship game against Stanford is home on Frank Kush Field in Sun Devil Stadium. But UofA is on a roll after last night, and nothing would make their season like hurting the Devils.

    @P J Evans: That sounds yummy!

  50. Peterr says:

    @P J Evans: I am a big rhubarb pie fan, but Mrs Dr Peterr is no fan of it at all. She does, however, bake a rhubarb pie for me on occasion, which is a true act of love times two.

    First, because it’s rhubarb pie.

    Second, because there’s more for me since she isn’t going to eat much of it! (She’s more of the “I’ll have ice cream with a hint of rhubarb” when it comes to the ratio of the two.)

  51. Peterr says:

    @bmaz: Gonna file that one away — yum!

    But just imagine the fun (or hot water) that could arise if I brought this to a brunch at church . . .

    Parishioner: Pastor, where did you find the recipe?
    Pastor: A cooking blog a friend turned me on to.
    Parishioner: Really? Could you send me a link? I’d love to get the recipe and read more where this came from . . .

  53. Bay State Librul says:

    Yeah, it’s Foxborough, not far from Westbourough, Southborough, and Northborough

    First time in 8 years that Vegas has the Pats as underdogs at Gillette.

    The weather, chilly and gusty, is worth 3 points, so Pats will eke by.

  55. scribe says:

    @Bay State Librul and to @emptywheel: To your quarterback worship, let me retort:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxDUCaUYhnw

    As usual, Jack Lambert is right.

    Today was a very good day for Stiller Nation: we went into Cleveland, kicked their asses on their home turf in winter weather, and won. Next stop, to finish a day of feasting and gratitude, Baltimore, Joe Fluke-o and the crows.

    This Stiller fan smiles.

  57. scribe says:

    @scribe: And the Stiller D did really well: something like +4 on turnovers and a hat trick – pick 6, fumble return turned into 6 on the next play, and knocked the opposing QB out with a concussion.

    And Ben sent a quick kick downfield to be downed on the opponent’s one.

    Even though James Harrison is no longer playing for the Stillers, I expect King Roger the Clown has already decided to convict the Stillers of the football felony of “playing defense” and the fines to rain down, just in time to tilt the refs against us Thursday. Some of those calls in the Giants game were … bogus. I was surprised one of the Giants didn’t just run through a ref for the fun of it.

  58. rosalind says:

    @emptywheel: i did. something about one Long bro getting into it and the other Long bro running onto the field to disengage him from his teammate.

    i look forward to the highlights.

  59. scribe says:

    @emptywheel: Not to worry. Fumblematic will shiv the Cards at just the most soul-crushing moment. NBC just ran their highlight recap and the game final was 40-11 – Fumblematic’s brilliance today meant next-to-nothing.

  67. emptywheel says:

    I’m wondering why no one has given us the must-get interview of the day: Gisele on Welker’s disastrous homecoming.

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