Will This Finally Be The Season?

[bluephantom87]

With aspirations of hoisting a   this year and being the sexy pick by most in the "national" sports media to reach the SB (including some nice Vegas odds) can we at least get a competitive game against the Pats this time around? I get tired of hearing how Belichick's secondary and game plan took TY out of that afc title drubbing. First off having a VERY subpar and injured Reggie Wayne on the field as the number 1 outside receiver GREATLY contributed to allowing the Pats to double TY with help over the top. I don't think Reggie even had a catch in the 3 playoff games COMBINED! Moncrief's speed on the outside along with TY's should've been utilized from the beginning. All the past Patriot games under Chuck have been laughable. From the slow starts of trying to establish a non run game with the awful T Rich to the lack of pressure on Brady while giving up HOF style rushing yds to the Pats pedestrian rbs who look very normal against other teams. Whatever game plans or lack of by Chuck and his staff should be DESTROYED because the beatings have been getting worse. At some point things MUST change or personnel needs to!

[crazycolt1]

This mindset of being scared of the big bad Patriots is getting stale. The Colts have overcame them before and they will do it again. Fans may or not have that mindset but I doubt the players do.

[Coltsman1788]

I was starting to believe so until I saw how our Oline still can't protect Luck and how the defense still can't tackle effectively. Got to shore up those areas if this is to be their year.

[Coltsman1788]

This mindset of being scared of the big bad Patriots is getting stale. The Colts have overcame them before and they will do it again. Fans may or not have that mindset but I doubt the players do.

Well watching how the Luck era Colts have actually played against the Pats to date doesn't exactly inspire a lot of confidence. They haven't even come close to beating them. At least the Peyton era Colts were competitive and had some success against them. Thus far, these Colts have looked utterly incompetent when facing them. Hoping for a change starting this year.

[Steamboat_Shaun]

Well watching how the Luck era Colts have actually played against the Pats to date doesn't exactly inspire a lot of confidence. They haven't even come close to beating them. At least the Peyton era Colts were competitive and had some success against them. Thus far, these Colts have looked utterly incompetent when facing them. Hoping for a change starting this year.

 

In the divisional game 2 years ago, Colts were down by only a TD in the 4th quarter. That was a competitive game, then the D gave up 2 huge TD runs, and the score was blown open. I know where you're coming from, but that particular game was well within reach.

[Coltsman1788]

In the divisional game 2 years ago, Colts were down by only a TD in the 4th quarter. That was a competitive game, then the D gave up 2 huge TD runs, and the score was blown open. I know where you're coming from, but that particular game was well within reach.

You are correct. We were in that game for 3 quarters until the wheels fell off. The final score kind of took all that away though because the Colts did not finish that game well. We need to start by holding New England under 40 points a game. Then I'd feel more optimistic about our prospects against them going forward. Lol

[Coltsman1788]

When Peyton's Colts got "sick and tired of being sick and tired" they found a way to exorcise the Pats demons. The Luck era Colts need to get "sick and tired of being sick and tired". Then they can finally take that next step.

[Smonroe]

I think the question should be - Will we beat the Bills?

[mattceinicram]

I was starting to believe so until I saw how our Oline still can't protect Luck and how the defense still can't tackle effectively. Got to shore up those areas if this is to be their year.

This defense is superior to the one that won the Super Bowl in 2006

[Coltsman1788]

This defense is superior to the one that won the Super Bowl in 2006

A healthy Bob Sanders single handedly tranformed that 2006 defense for their Super Bowl run.  Unfortunately... I don't see any Bob Sanders types on this defense.  

[Lef]

With the new vets in key positions, we will start a little slow. Build some chemistry as the season goes on and by the end of the season be the best team in the league. Just my prediction of how the season unfolds.

[braveheartcolt]

A healthy Bob Sanders single handedly tranformed that 2006 defense for their Super Bowl run.  Unfortunately... I don't see any Bob Sanders types on this defense.

The whole D played well. Sanders was a very good cog, but far from the only one. If this myth continues, he'll have stripped Hester on the one yard line on that opening KO and returned it 99 yards for a TD.

[Coltsman1788]

The whole D played well. Sanders was a very good cog, but far from the only one. If this myth continues, he'll have stripped Hester on the one yard line on that opening KO and returned it 99 yards for a TD.

The whole D played well after Bob returned.  He bought an intensity with him which inspired their play and the unit took things up several levels.  Prior to that they were giving up 375 yards to Jax. Bob galvanized that defense on their Super Bowl run.  Do I really need to explain this?  My point is there are no players on the current defense that appears to have this effect.  So saying our defense now is better than 2006 is debatable.

[COLTS449]

If our offensive line is good, and if the defense looks good. Especially the D-Line.

[LJpalmbeacher2]

This defense is superior to the one that won the Super Bowl in 2006

A healthy Bob Sanders, and one of the Best pass rushing tandems in history, Mathis & Freeney in their prime.

We have no one resembling any of those 3 players on our D now. And Brackett and Bethea weren't too shabby either.

[GoColts8818]

The whole D played well after Bob returned. He bought an intensity with him which inspired their play and the unit took things up several levels. Prior to that they were giving up 375 yards to Jax. Bob galvanized that defense on their Super Bowl run. Do I really need to explain this? My point is there are no players on the current defense that appears to have this effect. So saying our defense now is better than 2006 is debatable.

it wasn't just Sanders though. It was also Booger finally feeling comfortable in the new defense after he was traded for and Dungy benching Gardner for Morris as well and frankly people just playing and doing their jobs after they had not been doing that in the weeks before this, namely the tackling. No question Sanders return was big but it wasn't Sanders alone. People forget he also came back in the Titans game that season and the Titans still ran all over them. So it wasn't just as simple as put Sanders in and you have a Super Bowl defense. It was a combination of factors that Sanders was a part of. Also playing Trent Green, Steve McNair, and Rex Groosemen in three of those games didn't hurt.

[LJpalmbeacher2]

Also what helped our D in the playoff run was being gashed on the ground late in the season. We were like giving up 300 rushing yards a game!

So because of that our opponents thought they could exploit our run D and tried to continually pound the rock on us. But due to Sanders coming back and some tweaks by Dungy we stopped them.

We didn't need to play pass to much because they stubbornly stuck to their game plan on trying to run down our throats. And they couldn't!!!

[Gavin]

If we can run the ball and stop the run. If not then no chance

[aaron11]

This defense is superior to the one that won the Super Bowl in 2006

that team had freeney, mathis and sanders all near their primes.  vontae is the only elite player on the D now.  no one else is even close to that level unless mathis is able to make an amazing come back from an acl at 34

[Smonroe]

Geez, there's so many variables throughout the season to make any predictions now.  Then the playoffs are a whole different game.

 

How about this - Let's say we have a team with the All Time Leading Colts QB, The All Time Leading Colts RB, and the #1 and #2 All Time leading Colts WRs.

 

Throw in a defense that finishes in the top third of the league.

 

That team never made a SB.  

 

As I said earlier, I'm only thinking about Buffalo.

[oldunclemark]

Lets just end the pre-season with no more injuries...

.....this is the first year, we've 'sold out' to win it all with Gore and Johnson...

makes it hard to wait for the actual season to start

[braveheartcolt]

The whole D played well after Bob returned.  He bought an intensity with him which inspired their play and the unit took things up several levels.  Prior to that they were giving up 375 yards to Jax. Bob galvanized that defense on their Super Bowl run.  Do I really need to explain this?  My point is there are no players on the current defense that appears to have this effect.  So saying our defense now is better than 2006 is debatable.

Conjecture sonny re Bob. Dont waste your time trying to explain anything. And I never said a word about comparing defenses either. Goodnight.

[Coltsman1788]

Conjecture sonny re Bob. Dont waste your time trying to explain anything. And I never said a word about comparing defenses either. Goodnight.

Since that was the context for me even bringing Bob Sanders into this conversation in response to another poster, I felt the need to re-state.   You then jumped in.  Anyway GoColts1888 did a better job of making your point.  Buenos noches parjaro temprano.

[ColtStrong]

I predict a Super Bowl berth. Book it.

[bluephantom87]

This mindset of being scared of the big bad Patriots is getting stale. The Colts have overcame them before and they will do it again. Fans may or not have that mindset but I doubt the players do.

??? I don't know anywhere in the post you get the impression ANYONE (fans or players) is scared of the Pats. Maybe you know a few personally that are but I'm definitely not one of them. With that being said I hope NONE of the players on this current roster fear any team or player in this league because they too have made it to the highest level known as the nfl. You can respect the talent or accomplishments on the opposite side of the field but not be aww struck as I feel this coaching staff is when it comes to the Patriots. I just hope to see a better showing this year instead of the lopsided embarrassing losses at the hands of Brady and company. Some have pointed out that in one of the games the score was close in the 4th till the bottom fell out. Many would call that packing it in or just plain giving up by allowing the game to spiral that far out of control in less than a quarter. Yes this team has some flaws (like others including the Patriots) but you must maximize the talent at hand and go for broke! Strike FIRST and often. Be the aggressor for a change in these one sided matchups by putting the Pats on their heels and Brady on his back! Don't talk about the monster Chuck... BE THE MONSTER!!!

[CanuckColt]

I think the question should be - Will we beat the Bills?

No kidding.

It's not a gimme, especially knowing how well Coach Chuck prepares his team.....NOT.

[Carlos Danger]

NE isn't as good as last year...

How are they going to stop our 2nd and 3rd receiving options? Even bracketing T.Y. will probably not be an option, without Revis to man up on Andre.

I'm not saying that they aren't still the team to beat... Just that they don't match up as well against us as they have in previous seasons. They aren't as complete as they were last year.

Colts > Pats this year.