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A new fear


runthepost

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I think I'm doing a poor job of connecting two points. One, what I see as our soft schedule. Two, how we have performed against it. My concern (this thread was about a 'new fear'...) is that beyond winning, we're not winning with any level of command. Whereas Houston -- with pretty much the same schedule as you note -- is not only winning, they're winning convincingly. I think no one says anything about Houston's schedule because they often win big and they've beaten good teams like Chicago (when they were hot) and Baltimore (when they were playing better) and beat both pretty convincingly.

The Colts, by the same measure, seem to beat similar opponents by the skin of their chin. (or their chinny-chin-chin!)

I hope that clarifies my concerns... contrasting the two teams I think exposes the difference in my mind between Houston and Indy.

Again, just my two cents....

I agree with this. I agreed with your OP, even though it was a little rough on the edges.

but nice comeback on the articulate tip.

Just one quick point: The Texans want to overtime with the Jags, giving up 37 points to them, a week after we beat them by 17. They lost to the Pats just as bad as we did, and they gave up 42 points in a loss to the Packers, whom we beat. So again, any given Sunday.

But I agree with all of this. Contrasting how Houston has played and the way they've won with the way we've won shows very clearly that they are better than we are. I expect them to demonstrate that further this weekend. If anyone is arguing that our results this season highlight how far we have to go to truly be a contender, I agree fully with that.

I just disagree with the thought that we're only 9-4 because we have a weak schedule.

As to your fear -- that we're not winning with command -- I agree with that as well. But I'm encouraged by the fact that we seem to have skipped a step that most young teams have trouble with: winning close games. Usually, with a rookie quarterback, new coaches, young players all over the field, new starters in other positions, etc., teams struggle to win close games. I mentioned the Lions earlier; they can't win a close game to save their lives this year. We seem the THRIVE in close games, come-from-behind situations, and so on. These are the games I thought we'd struggle with, but from Week 2, we were able to make it happen, and we've only blown one of them.

So the next step is to distinguish yourself from the lesser teams, like Houston has done, and be more competitive against the elite teams (maybe Houston hasn't done that yet, but they're much further along than we are). But we're already further along than I thought we would be at this point. Even if we're still a middle of the road playoff hopeful, that's still not bad, considering all the change this team has been through over the past couple of years.

great point about the winning close games. we're 5-1 in close contests, which is invaluable.

If we can beat the Texans and the Broncos then all discussions about schedule are irrellavent.

NO ONE had us over 10 wins in March. I think someone was being overly optimistic and said 10 wins. There were a few 9-7s but most of us had us at .500 or worse even with the shedule, regardless of how easy or hard we thought it was.

anyway, it will all come out in the wash this weekend. Houston is ticked and they're not gonna go soft for us.

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Sorry, I'm not trying to be preaching.... (apparently, I'm failing) yes, I recognize this is a message board and fans will be optimistic. I try to be realistic. That's how I've always operated as a fan. I find it's easier for me to enjoy games that way.

Works for me. I realize it doesn't work for most.

Fan's arent rational or realistic....fan is short for Fanatic...which means you may be irrational, unrealistic and kinda crazy....I've been kinda crazy since I saw a team of NOBODIES being coached by Sr Citizen make it all the way to the '95 AFC Championship....they didnt even deserve to be there honestly. That coupled with all of the years we were God awful I have no choice but believe in the best case scenario...All fans do that because that's how they're wired....your a new Colts fan which means to me you'll eventually be a FORMER Colts fan...so no one really has time for what you have to say.

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I agree with this. I agreed with your OP, even though it was a little rough on the edges.

but nice comeback on the articulate tip.

Yeah, we discussed this earlier as well. I just disagree with all the noise about the schedule.

great point about the winning close games. we're 5-1 in close contests, which is invaluable.

Depends on how you define "close contests." We're 8-1 in one score games, the one loss being the Jags game in Week 3. That one still hurts. We could have clinched this week if not for that loss.

If we can beat the Texans and the Broncos then all discussions about schedule are irrellavent.

NO ONE had us over 10 wins in March. I think someone was being overly optimistic and said 10 wins. There were a few 9-7s but most of us had us at .500 or worse even with the shedule, regardless of how easy or hard we thought it was.

anyway, it will all come out in the wash this weekend. Houston is ticked and they're not gonna go soft for us.

Agreed on the first point. If we were to win out, no one would be talking about how soft our schedule is. The Texans have been a top two AFC team all season. I doubt we beat them this week, but crazier things have happened.

My preseason prediction, after three preseason games, was 6-10. I didn't expect us to win nine games and be in the running for a playoff berth. Anyone who did was shot down as being unrealistic and out of touch. I never felt that was fair; teams have gone from worst to first before (2008 Dolphins went from 1-15 to 11-5, with a rookie head coach and GM, and won the division; the 2008 Falcons went from 5-11 to 11-5, with a rookie QB, head coach and GM). But it was impossible to predict that we would have had the success we've had so far, in the manner we've done it, in the face of the adverse circumstances we've had to deal with. It truly is a special season.

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your a new Colts fan which means to me you'll eventually be a FORMER Colts fan...so no one really has time for what you have to say.

I have absolutely, positively no idea what that means..... but OK. Guess you won't be responding to any of my posts in the future... so, thanks, it's been nice while it lasted...

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Yeah, we discussed this earlier as well. I just disagree with all the noise about the schedule.

Depends on how you define "close contests." We're 8-1 in one score games, the one loss being the Jags game in Week 3. That one still hurts. We could have clinched this week if not for that loss.

Agreed on the first point. If we were to win out, no one would be talking about how soft our schedule is. The Texans have been a top two AFC team all season. I doubt we beat them this week, but crazier things have happened.

My preseason prediction, after three preseason games, was 6-10. I didn't expect us to win nine games and be in the running for a playoff berth. Anyone who did was shot down as being unrealistic and out of touch. I never felt that was fair; teams have gone from worst to first before (2008 Dolphins went from 1-15 to 11-5, with a rookie head coach and GM, and won the division; the 2008 Falcons went from 5-11 to 11-5, with a rookie QB, head coach and GM). But it was impossible to predict that we would have had the success we've had so far, in the manner we've done it, in the face of the adverse circumstances we've had to deal with. It truly is a special season.

I too believe in any given sunday.

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This is the NFL. I for one don't believe in "cupcake" schedules. It, as others have said, is about who you play and when you play them. The Pats were beaten by the CARDINALS early on...the same Cards team that got housed 58-0 by Seattle last weekend. Does anyone think for a second AZ would beat NE now?? Do we give the slumping Bears a much tougher game now? Atlanta just lost to Carolina. Houston got embarrassed by NE. Unless a team plays the Chiefs (or insert worst team in any season) every week, I don't think any NFL team has a "cupcake" schedule. Some tougher than others? Sure.

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OMG why be afraid of abad loss? Did you never play sports yourself? From personal experience, nothing motivated me more than a bad loss especially one where you're embarrassed. On a team full of rookies who have had great success this season I don't want them to go home for the off season thinking this NFL "it's not so hard, look what I did my first season". If we lose badly, they go home thinking "I'm never gonna let that happen to me again" that's how I felt after a bad loss....and then I worked twice as hard to be ready for the next time. Come on, Man.

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