Colts Gab

For the second consecutive week, the Indianapolis Colts have been disincentivized as they have locked up home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs; thus, they have been using their reserves for the bulk of the last two games, including Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium in what can be accurately described as whiteout conditions on the field.

While Peyton Manning and Co. spent most of the game sitting on heated seats, the Bills’ regular unit took advantage as Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for three touchdowns, allowing Buffalo to make short work of Indianapolis 30-7.

After trading touchdowns in the first quarter, the Bills went ahead for good when Fitzpatrick hit Lee Evans for a 21-yard score. Lee Evans caught the ball at the 1, then slid backward into the end zone, leaving a 2-yard skid mark in the snow. Two and one-half minutes later, Fitzpatrick hooked up with Terrell Owens on a 41-yard TD pass, giving the Bills an insurmountable 21-7 lead late in the third period.

Fitzpatrick went 16-of-25 for 155 yards and 3 TD’s. Manning, in limited action, went 14-of-18 for 95 yards and an interception while reserve QB Curtis Painter went 4-of-17 for 39 yards and an INT. Fred Jackson ran roughshod over the Colts’ offensive line, rushing 33 times for 212 yards with a receiving TD while Mike Hart rushed 10 times for 28 yards and a score.

Owens led the Bills receivers with 4 catches for 65 yards and a TD while Evans caught 4 for 49 yards and a score; Dallas Clark led the Colts with 7 receptions for 52 yards while Reggie Wayne caught 5 passes for 21 yards. Indianapolis (14-2) will get a two-week rest and await who becomes the AFC’s #6 seed while Buffalo ends their season 6-10.

It’s that time again to start talking about free agency, and we’ll spend some time breaking down positions, and today we are going to start with maybe the most important position on the field – quarterback. Here are our rankings of Free Agent QB’s, and what we think will be the end result for some of these players.

1. Kurt Warner – Cardinals: The Super Bowl QB is going to be a free man, but expect the Cardinals to make a more than fair offer to keep Kurt around, win or lose the big game a week from Sunday. Kurt could have been the MVP this season without a doubt, and while a couple other teams will likely flirt with the idea of grabbing him, I can’t see him anywhere else but in the desert.

2. Matt Cassel – Patriots: Look for Cassel to be franchised, meaning he’s not going anywhere in 2009. The Pats need to protect themselves just in case Tom Brady is not going to be ready to go at the start of the season. Again, he’ll get plenty of interest in the open market, but don’t expect him to make it there unless teams are willing to give up two #1 picks.

3. Jeff Garcia – Buccaneers: Even at 39, Garcia can be a stop gap for some team on the steps of being a possible playoff or Super Bowl contender. With the coaching changes in Tampa Bay, it wouldn’t be a big surprise to see Garcia take his game elsewhere, but there is always the chance he may retire.

4. Kerry Collins – Titans: The Titans had a great season with Collins, but even as the #1 seed in the AFC were not able to get by the Ravens. Collins played tough when the team needed it, beating the Steelers late and Ravens early in the year. He’s the perfect QB for the Titans system, and giving him two years at $10 mil per year would not be out of the question.

5. Rex Grossman – Bears: Rex in effect should get a fresh start and bail from the situation that is the Bears. The team appears to have made a commitment to Kyle Orton as their QB of the future, and if Grossman wants to be a starter, he’ll likely have to go somewhere as a backup and then hope for poor play or an injury to be in the starting lineup.

6. Luke McCown – Buccaneers: McCown is still young enough to where he could be a decent player in this league, as he’s shown flashes but has never fully taken it to the next level. Look for him to go somewhere and be a backup with the hopes of being a starter down the road.

7. Kyle Boller – Ravens: This may be a shot in the dark, but I wouldn’t mind seeing Boller somewhere else with a fresh start. He wasn’t ever able to live up to the level of the pick the Ravens used on him, and with Joe Flacco taking them to the AFC Title Game, there is no question who the long term starter will be in Baltimore.

8. Ryan Fitzpatrick – Bengals: The former Harvard QB started the year awful, but by the end was playing much better, but won’t have that shot again with the Bengals as Carson Palmer will be back under center in 2009. Wouldn’t doubt if another team or even the Bengals locked him up as their back-up. He’d be smart to stay in Cincy if the offer is there.

9. J.P. Losman – Bills: Not a big fan of Losman, but someone will give him a job as a 2nd QB on their roster. I wouldn’t doubt if he’s in camp with a team that has an unstable QB situation come July.

10. Byron Leftwich – Steelers: The former starter with the Jags has found a nice home with the Steelers, and has played well when called upon. With that, he’d be well served to stay in the Steel City, but with the desire to compete, my guess is he moves on to another squad.

Other Free Agent QB’s:

David Carr – NY Giants
Brett Ratliff – NY Jets
Brock Berlin – St.Louis
Charlie Batch – Pittsburgh
Dan Orlovsky – Detroit
Chris Simms – Tennessee
Joey Harrington – New Orleans
Brian St.Pierre – Arizona
Brooks Bollinger – Dallas
Gibran Hamdan (RFA) – Buffalo
Jared Lorenzen – Indianapolis
Tim Rattay – Arizona
J.T. O’Sullivan – San Francisco
Charlie Frye – Seattle
Patrick Ramsey – Denver
Craig Nall – Houston
Marques Tuiasosopo – Oakland
Lester Ricard – Carolina
Bret Basanez – Carolina
Todd Bouman – Baltimore
Jamie Martin – San Francisco
Anthony Morelli – Arizona