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i would not mind having him here... he really spoke the truth in this article.. good stuff.. unless your a colts fan.
Vanderjagt dumps on Dungy, Manning
Jan. 28, 2003
The Canadian Press
Indianapolis Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt says star quarterback Peyton Manning must show more emotion, coach Tony Dungy is too nice and many players on the NFL team lack passion.
"I'm not a real big Colts fan right now, unfortunately," the Canadian kicker told The Score, a Toronto-based cable sports TV network. "I just don't see us getting better."
The 10-6 Colts finished second behind Tennessee (11-5) in the AFC South Division. But Indianapolis's season ended with an embarrassing 41-0 road loss to the New York Jets in the AFC wild-card game.
Manning struggled against the Jets, completing 14-of-31 passes for 137 yards and two interceptions. The loss dropped Manning's NFL post-season playoff record to 0-3, which Vanderjagt says lends credibility to the talk that Manning can't win the big game.
"I think there is some validity to it," Vanderjagt said. "All week before the Jets game I'm like, '(No.) 18, we're going to handle it, me and you we're going to win this game.' And he's like, 'Yeah, yeah, OK.'
"And I'm like, 'Peyton, show some enthusiasm, you're the quarterback and we need to win this game.' I just don't see it from him."
Vanderjagt, from Oakville, Ont., said the Colts' offence desperately needs a fiery, smashmouth leader.
"We need somebody who is going to get in people's face and yell and scream," said Vanderjagt, who helped the Toronto Argonauts win consecutive Grey Cups (1996-'97) before joining the Colts in '98. ``I've gone over there to the offence and said, `Come on.'
"They're just like, `Mike, go sit down. You're the kicker.' I have more emotion probably than anybody. I want to win, I want to win bad. When I miss a field goal I bang my helmet because I hate being imperfect and I can't tolerate watching 11 guys just walk off the field after you get stuffed and really show that you don't care. That is frustrating to me."
In his first season with Indianapolis, Dungy transformed the team into a playoff squad after it missed the post-season last year with a 6-10 mark. But Vanderjagt feels Dungy is too laid back to make the Colts a Super Bowl contender.
"Coach Dungy, he's just a mild-mannered guy," Vanderjagt told The Score. "He doesn't get too excited, he doesn't get too down and I don't think that works either.
"I think you need a motivator, I think you need a guy that is going to get in somebody's face when they're not performing well enough. Peyton and Tony are basically the same guy. They work hard, they mark their Xs and Os and go out and execute. If it doesn't happen, there's nothing we can do about it."
Vanderjagt signed a $7.75-million US, five-year contract extension with the Colts in November 2000 that at the time made him the NFL's highest-paid kicker.
Vanderjagt dumps on Dungy, Manning
Jan. 28, 2003
The Canadian Press
Indianapolis Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt says star quarterback Peyton Manning must show more emotion, coach Tony Dungy is too nice and many players on the NFL team lack passion.
"I'm not a real big Colts fan right now, unfortunately," the Canadian kicker told The Score, a Toronto-based cable sports TV network. "I just don't see us getting better."
The 10-6 Colts finished second behind Tennessee (11-5) in the AFC South Division. But Indianapolis's season ended with an embarrassing 41-0 road loss to the New York Jets in the AFC wild-card game.
Manning struggled against the Jets, completing 14-of-31 passes for 137 yards and two interceptions. The loss dropped Manning's NFL post-season playoff record to 0-3, which Vanderjagt says lends credibility to the talk that Manning can't win the big game.
"I think there is some validity to it," Vanderjagt said. "All week before the Jets game I'm like, '(No.) 18, we're going to handle it, me and you we're going to win this game.' And he's like, 'Yeah, yeah, OK.'
"And I'm like, 'Peyton, show some enthusiasm, you're the quarterback and we need to win this game.' I just don't see it from him."
Vanderjagt, from Oakville, Ont., said the Colts' offence desperately needs a fiery, smashmouth leader.
"We need somebody who is going to get in people's face and yell and scream," said Vanderjagt, who helped the Toronto Argonauts win consecutive Grey Cups (1996-'97) before joining the Colts in '98. ``I've gone over there to the offence and said, `Come on.'
"They're just like, `Mike, go sit down. You're the kicker.' I have more emotion probably than anybody. I want to win, I want to win bad. When I miss a field goal I bang my helmet because I hate being imperfect and I can't tolerate watching 11 guys just walk off the field after you get stuffed and really show that you don't care. That is frustrating to me."
In his first season with Indianapolis, Dungy transformed the team into a playoff squad after it missed the post-season last year with a 6-10 mark. But Vanderjagt feels Dungy is too laid back to make the Colts a Super Bowl contender.
"Coach Dungy, he's just a mild-mannered guy," Vanderjagt told The Score. "He doesn't get too excited, he doesn't get too down and I don't think that works either.
"I think you need a motivator, I think you need a guy that is going to get in somebody's face when they're not performing well enough. Peyton and Tony are basically the same guy. They work hard, they mark their Xs and Os and go out and execute. If it doesn't happen, there's nothing we can do about it."
Vanderjagt signed a $7.75-million US, five-year contract extension with the Colts in November 2000 that at the time made him the NFL's highest-paid kicker.
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