Losing may not be bad for Colts
by Dan Kadar on Dec 6, 2010 11:05 AM EST
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PrintAny Colts fan will think this idiotic, but missing the playoffs could be a good thing for Peyton Manning and Co.
It's more clear than ever that the Colts are Peyton Manning and little else – particularly on the defensive and offensive lines.
The Colts have been picking in the 20s of the first round since 2003 when the team took Dallas Clark 24th overall. While Clark was a hit, the Colts haven't had as much first round success with Marlin Jackson, Joseph Addai, Anthony Gonzalez, Donald Brown and Jerry Hughes.
Addai and Gonzalez have been good but prone to injury. The team let Jackson walk after last season. Brown and Hughes are largely unproven.
If the Colts miss the playoffs, they would pick somewhere in the teens. In a year that is stacked at defensive line, the Colts could add someone like Jurrell Casey or Stephen Paea to get a better rush.
Or the Colts could go cornerback in the first round with Janoris Jenkins or Brandon Harris.
It's clear the Colts need at least two offensive linemen and there should be a tackle in the second round.
Regardless of who the Colts pick, it's clear the team needs an influx of talent. Otherwise, seasons like this one will become more frequent.
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As Peyton Manning declines, and he will decline, seasons like this will become more prominent anyway
He hasn’t collapsed and a lot of these struggles are the result of a poor offensive-line and miscommunication with receivers, but at some point he’s not going to be able to play at a high level anymore. It’ll be interesting to see how the Colts adapt once that happens.
Peyton was as good as ever before the injuries happened.
if anything this year shows he’s human. No QB missing 2 prominent targets like Clark and Collie for this long will survive long especially if they can’t run the ball cuz their #1 RB is out
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To me, it’s a lot less about who is injured. It’s about who is on the team. That offensive line is one of the worst in the league.
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especially at run blocking
pass blocking they can get away with it (mainly cuz of #18) but seems whoever they’re plugging in at RB gets hit at the LOS every run play.
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Sounds familar
Our O-line was that way in 08 and it’s that way now
I'm getting tired of saying this: Dick LeBeau’s system is so complex very few rookies can make an impact.
"It would be tough for me to care less about their opinion, to be honest with you." Mike Tomlin
I don't see the Steelers much (probably as much as the Colts)
but I highly doubt the Steelers line is as bad at run blocking as the Colts.
Last night, a comedian died in New York. Somebody knows why. Somebody knows
Medenhall is normally being hit behind the LOS
He’s just good enough to break the tackle and keep going. It’s been happening since Starks went down.
I'm getting tired of saying this: Dick LeBeau’s system is so complex very few rookies can make an impact.
"It would be tough for me to care less about their opinion, to be honest with you." Mike Tomlin
Sounds like the Packer line.
Anthony Tolliver says "Get that weak stuff outta here!"
EXTEND JASON RICHARDSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Recognizing the needs
While we keep talking here about Polian drafting great players, at some point they have to acknowledge that there are needs that have to be addressed. OL. The run defense. There are no excuses for 200 yards on the ground from Dallas.
In a way, this is how the NFL is supposed to work
Picking at the back of the draft for that long, and not hitting, will do this to any team
I said before the season, take Manning off the Colts and that’s a 7-9 team. Now they might end up with that record with him.
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by Jonathan Loesche on Dec 6, 2010 11:46 AM EST reply actions
Stop it and be more realistic...
they’re a 4-9 team without Peyton lol.
Without Manning
That team, with the state it is currently in, wins three games all season.
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Interesting....
Personally, I think this is just becoming one of those “figured out gimmicks.” Not saying Manning’s a gimmick, as I think he’s the best of all time (and I love Elway) but I think the gimmick of dropping back to pass all game long with no running game is the gimmick.
They need to rebuild that OL and they need to upgrade their D beyond the Pass. They currently are 29th against the run and allowing a horrid 4.8 YPC. The time has come to stop plugging in role players at positions like the DL and LB.
The let Manning win the game isn’t going to work anymore. Teams now can beat it by nailing Manning and hurting him and by running the ball and not allowing him to hold it. I think losing the WR’s and Clark really hurt, but they werent doing great before those injuries.
Polian and Caldwell shouldnt be on the hotseat, not by a longshot. But they should be given incentives to change this team’s philosophy
Marlin Jackson was quite good
then he tore his ACL. Then he tore his other ACL and the Colts non-tendered him. The Eagles picked him up to play FS and then he tore his achilles.
Choke/Clutch is the fetishization of the small sample size.
"People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do." -Isaac Asimov
Addai gets injured, Brown's been injured, Sanders gets injured, Gonzo is injured again...
I understand its hard to tell how well health will translate to the NFL, but this has been what 3 years of the same stuff, Indy getting injured and Manning having to do it all? Time for Polian to start observing chance of injuries in his drafts
Sanders is the only one of those 4 who had a notable injury history coming out from what I remember
and that injury history was a big reason they were able to get him with a 2nd round pick.
Choke/Clutch is the fetishization of the small sample size.
"People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do." -Isaac Asimov
Colts defense is notoriously injury-prone, though
Maybe a result of the focus on undersized players.
Things sure does change quickly in the NFL.
I remember 2 weeks ago after our(Giants) loss against the Eagles(I think). I was whining and complaining about how come the NYG can never be like the Colts and Patriots, and never be a consistent playoff team and have players come out of nowhere and become stars.
I guess I can take the Colts out of that now. Maybe I’m being an extremist, but the Colts are close to the bottom of the league, when it comes to talent. Peyton Manning is their entire team. If I were their GM, I’ll go Logan Mankins in Free Agency. And in the NFL Draft I will look for a DT/LB/OT(best player available) in the first 3 rounds. They will always be a somewhat good team with Peyton Manning as their QB, but I can’t see them winning SBs without better talent.
It isn't a question of if we have talent. If you don't think we have talent and good talent look at our roster.
Issue is many of them are out for the season.
Id say Oline is where we got no talent though other positions that we don’t have talent at right now are because of injuries.
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by TheAngelsColts on Dec 6, 2010 6:38 PM EST up reply actions
the OL lacks talent
the skill positions have tons of talent, the problem is that half of it is hurt.
Dallas Clark was All-Pro last year, he’s on IR. Anthony Gonzalez and Austin Collie put up huge numbers as secondary targets when healthy, they haven’t been this year. Joseph Addai is vital to what they do in the passing game and can actually make some headway behind their awful line.
Choke/Clutch is the fetishization of the small sample size.
"People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do." -Isaac Asimov
I expect Polian to go OL heavy in this year's Draft
Or at least this Colts’ fan would like for him to do so. But I really think he will, there’s no doubt in my mind.
They waited too late to address the OL, but I can’t fault them entirely for it because I am a big advocate of taking the best players (which I think they did) and in that vein, this Draft shapes up very well for them to continue that trend (probably something they evaluated beforehand and were/are aware of). Plus they’ll have contracts coming off the books, at least at offensive tackle, so there’s no longer any impediment there as there was in previous years.
Obviously my primary hope is that the Colts end up with the 32nd pick in the Draft, but failing that, it’s for a tackle the Colts like to reach their 1st round pick. While Dan in the OP considers the possibility they may wait until the 2nd round, I expect them to do so in the 1st round. I don’t think Polian will wait, he usually doesn’t wait to address what he considers to be the biggest need when there’s talent available and there’s no doubt the offensive line is far and away the greatest need with talent available this year.
The only tackles I actually expect off the board by the Colts’ pick, are Tyron Smith and Nate Solder. Think it’s fair to say we could see at least one, if not two or more, of Anthony Castonzo, Derek Sherrod, Gabe Carimi, and Matt Reynolds reaching their pick.
Castonzo is my top tackle for the Colts, and after that it’s a bit of a concern. I’m not crazy about Sherrod at all, but enough people are signing his praises – and more importantly, the positives of his game – that I’ll at least accept him and hope it’s a success. Really like Gabe Carimi but can’t deny serious concern whether he can get the job done in the pros at LT with his foot quickness. Similar concern with Reynolds.
James Brewer would be a 2nd round consideration, but even then his injury history is extremely troubling and he didn’t play the left tackle position a lick in college.
As for the 2nd and 3rd rounds, I think the Colts will then try to find the starting guards they also desperately need. Maybe that can slide into the 4th if they draft another position.
Couple of disagreements with all this.
1. The OL was addressed in the ‘08 and ’07 drafts. Mike Pollak, Steve Justice, and Jamey Richards were picked in ’08, Tony Ugoh in ’07. Those were the guys who were supposed to be peaking and providing the bulk for the front 7 in this year with Saturday, Diem, and whoever else would’ve worked out. The problem is, Pollak’s playing his way to the bench and possible release, Justice has already been released, and Richards was a late pick and not expected to contribute much to begin with. Add to that the fact that the Tony Ugoh failed and was canned, and suddenly you have that foundation for the future yanked out from under you.
My point is that it’s not lack of trying that’s led to the current O-line woes, nor was it being late in addressing things. Polian addressed it right when he should have. It’s just that the players he chose to be those replacements have failed or are in process of being mediocre to possibly failing. That’d be painful for any team. That’s not to excuse Polian, but just to clarify that the criticism shouldn’t be about timing, but rather about choice of which players to draft.
2. Part of the reason Polian and his group doesn’t pick O-linemen in the first round is because by the time the 20’s to 30s picks come around, the ones worthy of first round consideration are gone. I hope that’s not the case this coming draft, but if it is, I don’t expect him to change the way he works. That said, I’m almost at the point to where I’d forgive a reach for a second round talent in the first round as long as he works out to be solid at tackle (or even guard) because I agree with everyone that the situation is THAT BAD, but again, my point is that I don’t see Polian changing the way he works unless one happens to fall to the Colts who’s not a reach at the spot they pick at.
I would love to see the O-line addressed in the off season, though. I don’t dispute that at all. I’m just cynical about what might actually happen. It all depends on who ends up being available at the points Indy picks at.
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