Bulletin Board Material

Does it motivate professional football players to play better - or angrier, at least - when their opponent says mean things about their sister?

It is a game of emotions, after all. 

Bulletin board material can't overcome poor tackling or bad decision-making or stone-fingered wide receivers. And nothing that happened before the opening kickoff probably has much of an impact on the game after the kickoff. Despite this, the Indianapolis Colts are saying mean things about New England Patriots QB Mac Jones. As in, You can't beat us with your noodly arm and dad bod! And, Are your biceps made of linguine? And, Yo momma is so fat, when she sits around the house, are you saying she sat on your arm? 

Mean.

I think we're through the looking glass here! Across the Rubicon! One toke over the line, sweet Jesus, ONE TOKE OVER THE LINE!

Okay, not really.

Of course, this is the Colts, one of the many supervillains in the comic book canon of the Patriotsverse, and this is a big game with playoff implications so, of course we're going to see some pregame gamesmanship. I will say it's cute the Colts think they've got the Patriots kryptonite. Just stop New England from running the ball, like Indianapolis has done so many times in the past (sarcasm alert: they haven't), and make Mac Jones throw the ball 46 times, oh, and make sure you tell the Patriots and the world before the game that's exactly what you're going to do! Genius! 

The Colts do know they play in a dome, which is almost as nice as playing outdoors in Florida, where young McCorkle grew up, don't they? Mac Jones won't be throwing into a 40 mph wind inside Lucas Oil Stadium. Everyone is aware of the rather significant change in environmental factors involved here, aren't they?

I suppose I should acknowledge the fact that this "news" from the Hoosier state was hardly revelatory. Yeah, you better stop the run if you're going to beat the Pats. File that one in the "We Know This" folder. And forcing the rookie QB to beat you is NFL Football 101. 

I suspect the Buffalo Bills had a similar game plan. 

What was that definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over but expecting a different outcome? Not that I'm saying you're crazy. Okay, that's exactly what I'm saying.

Mind you, the Colts have Carson Wentz at quarterback, a man who has been the punchline to many a pigskin joke over the past few years. I'm guessing that Belichick and the Patriots plan is to stop league leading running back Jonathan Taylor and force Wentz to beat them. (Yes, I found that in the "We Know This" folder.) Also, to block and tackle. Cover kicks. Rally to the ball. Do your job.

Like so many other things in life, winning a football game is easier said than done. This could've been a classic trap game for New England. Coming out of the bye, feeling pretty good - maybe a little bit too good - about themselves after the big win over the Bills, it was easy to see the Pats stumbling against the Colts, coming out emotionally flat and getting their doors blown off.

That could still happen, but it seems just a little less likely now. In a sport where the outcome often turns on the smallest of advantages, the Colts saying mean things about the Patriots QB could be exactly the emotional edge New England could use to their advantage. Even if, as far as bulletin board material goes, Colts linebacker Bobby Okereke served up a tepid cup of weak tea, it may be all Bill Belichick needs to make sure his team is ready to go.