Which is the truth. Last night the Cincinnati Bengals eked out a win against the Colts backups 30-28 in the preseason finale.

But, there was some pretty good news for the Colts.

In the first place, backup quarterback Tom Brandstater looked really good (10 of 18 for 178 yards and three touchdowns). Granted, it was a preseason game.

And with Blair White's 132 yards receiving (on just seven catches) the Colts receiving corps is even deeper than advertised.

But the real depth might be on defense.

Of course the Colts finally get Bob Sanders back (who knows for how long)—which immediately bolsters the secondary (and the run defense).

A lot of experts say that this year the Colts defense will be better than ever.

But the real gem for Indy this year looks like rookie linebacker Pat Angerer.

Last night, he led the team in tackles (nine tackles with three assists).

He's actually been pretty good all preseason. Which is good because even though all reports from Indy are that MLB Gary Brackett will be ready for the season opener, you have to take those assurances with a grain of salt.

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To say it was a disappointing season for Brown would be a major understatement. He was expected to cut into Joseph Addai’s production and only managed 450 total yards (289 rushing) and 3 TDs. That’s not to say he can’t have a mulligan. In fact, I expect a much better 2010 from Donald Brown.

Addai had the lion’s share of the carries last year, but did it at a 3.8 ypc clip. With a 3.5 ypc in 2008, and a 4.1 ypc in 2007, Addai clearly isn’t a game-breaker. Meanwhile, Donald Brown has the ability to take on the distance at any time. Addai is also not a workhorse back: His high game last year was 79 rushing yards and he only topped 70 one other time, meaning Brown could see a lot more work in the ground game.

Where Addai has a clear edge is in pass protection and short yardage situations. While Brown has good enough size (5’10″, 210) to get the tough yards if needed, failing to pick up the blitz will keep Brown from topping 100 carries in 2010.

The Colts understand that you need at least two good backs to make a playoff run. They want to ensure that Addai has space in the tank for the playoffs. I simply can’t imagine that Brown won’t get at least ten touches a game. If he does, he has the ability to serve as a decent flex start. If Addai were to miss any games with an injury, Brown could put up top 15 numbers. Addai suffered a concussion in the Colts’ third preseason game; he is expected to be ready for the season opener, but only time will tell. If he gets his bell rung during the season, Brown could step in and get a few spot starts.

Donald Brown is one of the best handcuffs and represents a good value with an ADP of 103 (41st overall RB) according to Mock Draft Central. I actually have him slightly higher (click to see my RB rankings). He has a ton of upside for a ninth round pick and makes a solid RB4.

What are your thoughts on Donald Brown?

Also check out:

- 2010 Top 30 Fantasy QB Rankings
- 2010 Top 50 Fantasy RB Rankings
- 2010 Top 60 Fantasy WR Rankings
- 2010 Top 25 Fantasy TE Rankings
- 2010 Top 25 Fantasy Team Defense Rankings
- 2010 Top 25 Fantasy IDP Rankings
- 2010 Top 15 Fantasy K Rankings

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The Colts have basically taken that stance since 2005 or at least it seems that way. Evidenced by the total of four preseason wins in that span and the seven consecutive regular seasons with at least 12 wins.

Either way it doesn't matter because every Colts fan knows that come September through February the Colts will be amongst the elite.

In this preseason finale there are really only two goals, to stay healthy and determine the final pecking order for the regular season. To win in the NFL you have to for the most part do four things; put talent on the field, keep that talent healthy, provide depth for that talent and execute.

Execution on offense is rarely a problem for Peyton Manning and the Colts offense. The Colts' front office has done a tremendous job over the years putting quality talent on the field and finding depth.

Indy like most teams encounters injuries and they have been a major concern over the years. Guys like Bob Sanders, Dwight Freeney and Dallas Clark have been inflicted with a variety of bumps, bruises, breaks and strains. So when such things happen as regularly as they do for the Colts, it is important to have talent to act as a stopgap until the starters return.

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All was going well in this new transition until last weeks Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts game where the Colts were flagged for an illegal snap because they had not waited until the umpire was in position.

Usually quite Peyton Manning sounded off about the rule, commenting that the Colts comeback against the New England Patriots would not have happened if this rule was in place last season due to the extra time it takes for the umpire to get into position.

With the new rule the umpire does move to his old position in the middle of the defense during the last two-minutes of each half.

However, after complaints from Manning and Colts' general manager Bill Polian the league met on the new rule.

In tonight's preseason finalies the umpires will move to their old positions for the last five minutes of each half.

Theoretically this should allow for enough times for hurry up offenses to work at the end of the halfs, but given the Colts run the hurry up for most of the game it will probably be of little help to them.

I'm all for safety, especially to those on the field without pads (after all there is a new rule to blow a play dead when the ball carriers helmet comes off), but according to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio that a source had said that the officials hadn't asked to be moved.

So there you have it, the league is still tinkering with this rule, hopefully they'll get it right before the Super Bowl.

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A number of starters have missed some preseason action, including wide receivers Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie, who have both missed one game. Also missing time was tight end Dallas Clark and center Jeff Saturday, who have yet to play in the preseason. Clark and Saturday will likely make their season debuts against the Texans in the regular season opener.

“It’s still an evaluation process, and we’re not going to deviate much from what we’ve done previously,” head coach Jim Caldwell said. “But we’ve still got a lot of guys that we need to take a real good look at—what we have, what they can do for us, where they fit—so that’s what this game will be. A huge part of our evaluation.”

The Colts have traditionally sat starters in the final preseason game. Quarterback Peyton Manning has not played in a preseason finale since 2004. Instead, Caldwell and his staff will turn their attention to the younger players battling for the final roster spots to determine who will survive the last round of cuts.

NFL rosters must be cut down to 75 players by August 31, and trimmed to the final 53-man roster by September 4. Thursday night’s game against the Bengals may dictate who survives the remaining cuts.

“There’s a number of guys that haven’t had an opportunity to play a whole lot,” said Caldwell. “This game’s going to provide an opportunity for some. This is where they get an opportunity to show what they’re capable of doing, how much they’ve learned, how they can apply it on the field of play. So this is a very, very important ball game.”

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The biggest topic of them all? Ranking the top quarterbacks in football. Who are the top ten quarterbacks in the league? That is one question constantly being asked.

Lately, I have been seeing an issue with the rankings of these quarterbacks. In fact, I'll even admit that I have been too generous with rankings.

When analyzing a quarterback, the term "elite" is being thrown around way too much nowadays.

Many people consider all of the top ten quarterbacks as elite. In my opinion this is a ridiculous assumption.

In recent months, I have heard people criticize ESPN's own John Clayton for using the term elite way too much.

Having never seen a list from Mr. Clayton, I came upon his for the first time today, as the leading story in the NFL section of ESPN.

When I took a look at the list, my thoughts were simple. He has an idea of who the best quarterbacks in the league are, but has a completely different viewpoint of the list.

I am not going to share his entire article with you, but he does seem to see every quarterback as an elite one in this league: Both Manning's (Peyton and Eli), Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Joe Flacco, Carson Palmer, Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger, Brett Favre, Philip Rivers, Tony Romo, Donovan McNabb, Matt Ryan, Matt Schaub.

Yes, it is a very long list. I am not ripping Clayton in any way. In fact, he is one of the handful of journalists I still respect in this business. In my opinion, half of these quarterbacks aren't ready for the elite stage.

They are on their way for sure, but have plenty of work to do before being considered elite.

In a short, simple summary, here is how I would label my quarterbacks.

Elite: Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Tom Brady

They are my only elite quarterbacks in the league. All have earned a ring, and have been near the top of the league statistically in recent years. Though guys are catching up to them, they are still cream of the crop, and ahead of the competition by a decent margain.

On the cusp of being elite: Ben Roethlisberger, Aaron Rodgers

Roethlisberger is probably elite in most people's minds. I just want to see how he responds after all the turmoil in the offseason. Bottom line: Big Ben makes the case of being the most clutch quarterback in the league right now.

I am also becoming Aaron Rodgers's biggest fan. Sitting on the sidelines for the first few years of his career has helped him greatly. He also has all the great weapons to succeed. Biggest question will be if he can finally beat Brett Favre and have success in the playoffs.

Very Good: Brett Favre, Tony Romo, Philip Rivers, Eli Manning, Joe Flacco, Matt Ryan, Matt Schaub

Now this is where my list gets bigger, and for good reason. These quarterbacks listed right above are either near elite status in the league right now, or are continuing to make progress as quarterbacks right now.

Heading into the year, my views have changed on Brett Favre. He isn't in the elite category anymore. He is a very good quarterback, and a top one for sure. However, Father Time is catching up to number four this pre-season.

Romo, Rivers, and Eli Manning need to have more success in the playoffs, period. Yes, Eli has a ring, but has not played anything like he did a few years ago when he led the Giants to victory.

The next three look to be among the league's elite in a few years, but not right now. Joe Flacco is taking more control of the Ravens offense, especially with his new weapons.

Matt Ryan had a sophomore slump (battled injuries) and should return strong in 2010. Matt Schaub is my biggest sleeper of them all. I can see him as a dark horse MVP candidate this year. With Andre Johnson in his corner, he will find success in the passing game.

Point blank: Everyone has a different belief of the top quarterbacks in football. In today's world, the term elite is used more often than not, and it shouldn't be that way.

At most, I only can see five quarterbacks being considered on the elite level in 2010. There are plenty of good quarterbacks in the league, but need to be held at a much different standard than we normally hold them to.

Matt Miselis is an NFL Featured Columnist for BleacherReport.com.

Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/MattMiselis

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Looking through each NFL franchise, I have gone through and selected the best player that each franchise has ever had. These guys are legends, and were able to take mediocre teams and make them great.

While these guys don't come around often, it's certainly nice to point them out and give them the recognition they deserve.

Certainly there will be people that disagree with some, or a lot of these picks. If you think someone else is more deserviing of the top spot, just state your case for that player.

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Novice fantasy players may just look at last year’s statistics in order to evaluate future performance.

That’s a rookie mistake.

This column is about a different type of countdown. There are a host of players who we can count on having a very difficult time replicating last year’s statistics.

When we look at our teams, we should assume the performances of these players will be down in relation to last year. Thus, we should “count down” when we forecast their statistics as we look at our team’s 2010 potential.

This list has many stars on it. In fact, there are a couple of top ten picks. Fantasy football players need to be realistic when they look at their teams. That requires some element of objectivity.

It’s easy to put players like Thomas Jones, Sidney Rice, Vincent Jackson, Santonio Holmes, and Ben Roethlisberger on this list. We KNOW they’re not going to duplicate their numbers based on new teams, injuries, or suspensions.

Today, we look at a different group of players. These ten players are likely being asked to do way too much for fantasy owners in 2010.

1. Brett Favre, QB, MIN

Favre’s 2009 campaign was ridiculous.

His 4,202 passing yards were his highest total since 1998, his 33 touchdown passes were his most since 1997, his seven interceptions were his least EVER, and his quarterback rating of 107.2 marked a career high.

To expect similar numbers from a 40-year old quarterback missing his best wide receiver is simply asking a little too much, even for Favre.

2. Chris Johnson, RB, TEN

Johnson is an absolute stud.

Much like Favre, Johnson finds himself on this list as a product of his own 2009 success.

A season of 2,006 rushing yards, and 2,509 total yards from scrimmage require a whole lot of different factors to go right. They all did for Johnson last year.

Expecting the stars to align again for a season that incredible is a little unfair, even for a player as talented as Johnson.

Temper your expectations just a little bit.

3. Fred Jackson, RB, BUF

Jackson finds himself on this list for a very different reason. He’s suddenly found some competition other than Marshawn Lynch in the form of C.J. Spiller.

Spiller has shown a dynamic playmaking ability the Bills have sorely lacked as of late. He’s going to be a big part of the offense, regardless of if he starts or not.

Jackson is the clear loser in that scenario.

4. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, ARI

Fitzgerald is one the most talented players in the game. His quarterbacks are not.

His 2009 season wasn’t quite up to standard for Fitzgerald as he posted 1,092 yards, and 13 touchdowns on 97 catches. That was with Kurt Warner at the helm.

Sadly, it’s going to be tough for him to replicate those statistics with the inconsistent quarterback play we expect from Arizona.

5. Laurence Maroney, RB, NE

I can’t really verify this, but I expect Maroney has spent more time in Bill Belichick’s doghouse than Bill’s actual dog.

It’s very apparent that he’s not being counted on to be a huge part of the offense this season. It looks like he’ll be part of a big committee at running back, at best.

His 2010 numbers should be a far cry from the 757 yards and 9 touchdowns he recorded last season.

6. Derrick Mason, WR, BAL

Has there every been a player who has put together eight 1,000 yard receiving seasons any more quietly? It’s truly amazing.

Unfortunately, the existence of Ray Rice and the addition of Anquan Boldin is going to make Mason a clear No. 3 option.

There’s little chance he can come up with 73 catches, 1,028 yards, and seven touchdowns this season.

7. Chad Ochocinco, WR, CIN

This preseason has shown us a clear theme in Cincinnati, and it may not be great news for the Ocho. Carson Palmer has obvioulsy favored both Terrell Owens and Jermaine Gresham over Chad so far in preseason games.

While there’s little chance we see the 540 yard clunker he posted in 2008, it may be asking too much to expect the 72 catches, 1,047 yards, and nine touchdowns he had last season.

8. Cedric Benson, RB, CIN

The Bengals have realized one other thing this preseason – Bernard Scott can play.

It’s very apparent that Scott will get more action this season and it’s going to be at the expense of Benson.

Benson was a bellcow last year with 301 carries, 1,251 yards, and six touchdowns. While the touchdown numbers are more than attainable, it’s highly doubtful he gets close to 300 carries this season.

It’s looking closer and closer like a 75/25 running back split in Cincinnati.

9. Dallas Clark, TE, IND

The Colts have done nothing to change Clark’s role and still expect him to be a huge part of the offense.

So, how can he be on this list?

Let’s be honest here. A season of 100 catches, 1,106 yards, and 10 touchdowns from a tight end is absolutely ludicrous.

While Clark will still be a top-3 option at his position, expecting a repeat is just being greedy.

10. Joseph Addai, RB, IND

The Colts have to find out if Donald Brown can contribute this season and Joseph Addai stands to suffer.

Indianapolis has always preferred the running back committee approach, but had to lean on Addai more than they wanted to with Brown being injured last season.

Brown is back to full strength, and the Colts are going to see what he can do this season as part of their regular rotation.

Addai may get the 828 rushing yards he had in 2009, but the ten touchdowns will very tough to attain in 2010.

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Strategic Quarterback Rankings
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Strategic Wide Receiver Rankings
Strategic Tight End Rankings
Strategic IDP Rankings

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For those of you who don't know or haven't noticed yet, the umpire is no longer positioned in the middle of the defense.

For his protection, the league has moved him behind the offense.

This new positioning is a hindrance to the hurry-up style of offense that the Colts use. The offense has to wait until the umpire (who sets the ball) is in position before they can snap the ball.

Because the umpire has to go through the offensive line and line up behind and off-center of the quarterback, it takes a few more seconds than before, when he'd set the ball and jog back a few steps.

Last week the Colts snapped the ball in the midst of their hurry-up and were flagged.

Manning had this to say about the new rule:

"If we had this rule last year there's no way we catch up in that New England game. We were down, what, 21 points in the fourth quarter? We wouldn't have had enough time to run enough plays to catch up.

"But forget about that game. Let's chart all the comeback wins where a team runs the hurry-up in the fourth quarter. How many of those games would have ended up the same way or would the quarterbacks have had enough time to run enough plays to come back and win?"

He has a point here. When a team is trying to make a comeback, every second counts, and with the new rule it takes the umpire a few more seconds to get into position.

Even NFL Vice President of Officiating Carl Johnson admits that the new rule has unintended consequences. He spoke with Sports Illustrated's Peter King about it:

"The way the new mechanic of the umpire positioning is, I don't have a resolution to that.  It's going to take a couple extra seconds to spot the ball. There's no way around that."

I'm all for keeping the officials safe (after all, they don't wear pads), but I don't want the integrity of the game hurt in the process.

So far the only negative consequence has popped up in the preseason and hasn't affected a meaningful game's outcome yet, but we've already seen a crack in this new rule. Because of this the NFL should take a look at it to make sure it doesn't cost a team a chance at winning or tying a ball game.

Until next time, loyal readers, you can follow me on Twitter for article and NFL updates as I get them @jomac006.

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It’s hard to not sound like a spoiled rotten brat while maintaining that last season was a disappointment but I do.

Peyton Manning had it in hands, the second Super Bowl ring, the final monkey that would take all the weight off his back as arguably the greatest QB ever. He must have thrown that interception on purpose. That’s the only conclusion I can come to. Roger Goodell met him at halftime and said “Look, the NFL needs this, New Orleans needs this, so you're going to need to throw this one son or else.”

Just kidding.

But seriously it stung, the 10 beers I’d slammed that night immediately went from the best decision of my life to the worst with that one fateful pass. When the final whistle blew the feeling of accomplishment that was there after every game the Colt’s won was absent.

That's was possibly what hurt the most. We almost freaking had it.

But enough on that, head coach Jim Caldwell went to the Super Bowl in his first year, and shows every sign of being Tony Dungy 2.0.

The Colts will take the field at Houston on September 12 with the same guy as their starting quarterback. All will remain well for Indianapolis’ high powered offense with Reggie Wayne making the pro-bowl barring some freak accident. Pierre Garcon should continue torching defenses with his speed for big plays. Austin Collie and Anthony Gonzalez will duke it out for balls thrown their way which is not a bad problem to have for this team. Oh and we still have the best receiving TE in this fine land in the fan favorite, Dallas Clark.

Defensively it seems like everyone has forgotten about Bob Sanders which is surprising considering how he has lit up opponents with monster hits his entire career. The defensive line should be stacked with Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis continuing to give opposing quarterbacks nightmares. Antoine Beathea is a beast and will continue to develop into an even better playmaker than he already is. Love love love, Jerraud Powers, he looks like a quicker scarier version of Freeney and should be an excellent addition to their fast paced defense.

The run game is the X-factor with Joseph Addai and Donald Brown splitting touches. Addai is consistent, a good blocker and pass catcher who works well in the Indy offense. Brown has big play potential though and I think if he starts getting more touches the run game as a whole would benefit greatly. His final play from scrimmage before an injury last year was a 40-yard scamper against the St. Louis Rams and his ceiling is high, especially in Indy’s high octane offense where he won’t be concentrated on.

The schedule is the one part that worries me. I’ll admit it, usually I think the Colts will role over all their opponents, maybe get knocked off by someone in their division; but in  Manning I trust. At the same time at first glance a fan can only raise their eyebrow at the number of high caliber offenses and just plain good football teams my Colts face this year. 

Anyone in their division has tended to be a crap shoot in years past with games usually being decided in the final five minutes. The New York Giants comes to town in the second week and Eli Manning will be looking to upset his big brother. At Denver the next week, a talented defense coached by Bill Belichick disciple Josh McDaniels. The altitude of Mile High Stadium causes players to have trouble with stamina and the Colts will need to bring their A game right out of the gate.

Indy travels to Washington in Week 6, which I wouldn’t have worried about last year but with Donovan McNabb at the helm I expect the Redskins offense to be a more in sync unit than in the past.

The Colts have then their bye week, Houston at home followed by another trip east to the high flying Philadelphia Eagles. Say what you will but these two teams are each capable of putting a lot of points on the board so the defense needs to step up this year or Peyton could find himself in more shootouts than he’s comfortable with. And when teams know Manning is throwing for certain it allows them to focus their attention on different blitzing schemes that have been known to frustrate our gunslinger (see Belichick).

Then comes the make or break four game stretch of the season, really the whole schedule is just booming with talented football teams but, Cincinnati at home followed by a trip to New England before welcoming the San Diego Chargers and Dallas Cowboys into town.

That makes five teams who were in the playoffs last year. Beating all these teams is a pretty high mountain for the Colts to climb.

The Colts end the season against the Tennessee Titans in two games out of four. Jeff Fischer’s squad will be prepared and possibly in the hunt for the postseason with Vince Young looking like he has realized his potential and Chris Johnson’s ceiling being unlimited right now.

I'm not saying Indy doesn’t make the playoffs but I do expect more losses than last year. 12 wins would be defined as an incredibly successful season in my book heading into the postseason.

Coming off the Super Bowl loss, the Colts have done little to nothing to change their approach because well, it clearly works. With Manning at the helm Indy will score enough to keep them in the game but even he can’t beat everyone in the pass happy league. Though I'll still take my chances going into each game as a fan.

Either way football’s back thank God, Sunday’s will take on another meaning in a couple weekends and our boys in blue should be able to look forward to another successful year. Go Colts.

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