5 Reasons to Believe the Colts Can Make the Super Bowl (2017-18)

[WarGhost21]

Hello Everyone!! I'm back again with one of my personal favorites for the second year in a row. Here is a quick link to last seasons edition:

Much like last season, many people are underselling the Colts. After back to back 8-8 seasons, many are saying that the Colts are the third best team in the division, which is outrageous to true Colts fans such as myself. In my honest opinion, we are still the best team in the division overall, and I feel that this offseason we even pulled away from the pack a little bit. So without further ado, I present to you the 2017-18 edition of "5 Reasons to Believe the Colts Can Make the Super Bowl!"

 

1) Outstanding Draft in Year 1 With Ballard

I am absolutely stunned as to how meticulously and perfectly executed a plan in this draft. Hooker and Wilson are immediate starters and will upgrade our pass defense tremendously. Basham should also contribute quickly in the pass rush rotation, and Mack will add the juice to our backfield that we haven't seen in a long while. A couple mammoths of men also came our way in Stewart and Banner, and each has the talent to become a talented back-up at their respective positions. Nate Hairston has a shot to rotate with Darius Butler in slot duties out of the gates, and the talent to win that position as well. And last but not least, Anthony Walker has all the tools to become the leader of our LB core, and if healthy, I would have considered him at least a second round pick. In full, the Colts picked up 4 instant-impact players in the draft, something that is almost unheard of, especially not from a first year GM. Ballard absolutely dominated this draft, and I can't wait to see what he does next season!

 

2) O-line Improvement

This one goes out to all the people out there who said the Colts should have taken an offensive lineman round 1. Sure, at the beginning of the season, our pass protection was laughable. But looking at the last 7 games of this past season, Luck was only sacked more than twice in one of those. The only explanation for that is that the O-line is beginning to mesh. It has been noted before that one of the major reasons for Luck's bloated sack totals is that he holds the ball in the pocket much longer than many QBs. Rewatching those 6 of the 7 finally games last season, though, Luck had plenty of time even after releasing the ball on most plays. In conclusion, our left side will be solid, if not great. The right side, which is where everyone wants a new player in the mix, has the potential to be even better than the left, if the meshing continues well. Please don't sleep on our line.

 

3) Wait, We Were Actually Active in Free Agency?!?

As a Colts fan, that's virtually unheard of. We are a team known for holding back during the free agency period and signing second tier guys later. This season, Ballard threw us in the exact opposite direction, going after almost every big name free agent out there. We even grabbed one in Jonathan Hankins! Our defense was very, VERY much improved in the offseason, as we got younger, faster, and more talented everywhere! Take for example Vontae Davis now being in the league the second longest of our defensive players, and he's just 28! I'm excited to see where the next season takes us. I fully believe in the possibility of Big Hank's quote coming  true: “Right now I feel like we got probably the best defense in the AFC. On paper, it looks good, but we’ve got to go out there and prove it.”

 

4) Pagano's Prove-It Year

Everyone knows that both players and coaches step up their game in a prove-it year, hoping to get more money and more opportunities. If Chuck follows this "policy", then we should do pretty darn well this year. There isn't much more to say about this topic, so I'm going to move on to my favorite.

 

5) (Once Again) Our Division

I had this as a topic last season, and it still applies in my eyes. I don't think our division in the cellar of the league anymore, but none of the other AFC South teams can push for 11 wins, which the Colts got to consistently for 3 years in a row to start Luck's career. To win this division, I believe we only need to win 10 games. The Titan's look dangerous on offense, but they still have mainly a ground-and-pound approach, which is why Hankins is here. Their defense is still quite leaky, so we should have no issue putting points on the board. The Texans have a rookie QB and a horrendous offensive line like us, so Watson isn't going to be anything special right out of the gates. Yes, their defense is good, but they did lose Bouye, so the CB position could be vulnerable. The Jaguars had another great offseason, but when they had a good one last season, they won LESS games than the previous season. Let's just say I'm not worried about them. 

 

Thanks for reading the second edition of this annual series! I really enjoyed writing this, and had many more reasons that I had trouble cutting out, but thank you all for the support! See you all at Super Bowl LII  !!!!

[bababooey]

While the jury is out on whether this team can compete with NE and Pitt or not, in terms of our division, I'm not scared one bit. Everyone is in love with EVERY other team but us. Jacksonville ALWAYS wins the offseason then picks top 5 again, and until they show any sign of improvement, I'm not giving them any benefit of the doubt. Texans and Titans have good teams but we are simply better. We should have won the division last year with that dog crap team that we fielded. Just get one final stop against Detroit in week 1, or against Houston on SNF, or just finish the drive against the Jags in London (which all would not have gotten to that point had we played a full game, not half a game), and we are in the playoffs. We can't say if this offseason was a success or not based on the players we drafted and the guys we signed until we see them all in action, but I'm willing to bet with Grigson gone, Ballard in, and a young veteran like Hankins (who has already been on a team that totally transformed into a top defensive team in one offseason), there to elevate that side of the ball, I think we can come back and win this division. Basically every team in this division got A's for the draft by most standards but I'll give us the free agency win, on top of already starting out ahead of everyone else, as we were the best team in our division last year when we played at our best, plus the loss of Grigson and the hiring of Ballard may have alleviated a ton of stress that these guys, both coaches and players, were feeling. Plus, Luck will be back and healthy. Everyone is in love with everyone else. Why not us?

[James Ducheteau]

46 minutes ago, WarGhost21 said:

Hello Everyone!! I'm back again with one of my personal favorites for the second year in a row. Here is a quick link to last seasons edition:

Much like last season, many people are underselling the Colts. After back to back 8-8 seasons, many are saying that the Colts are the third best team in the division, which is outrageous to true Colts fans such as myself. In my honest opinion, we are still the best team in the division overall, and I feel that this offseason we even pulled away from the pack a little bit. So without further ado, I present to you the 2017-18 edition of "5 Reasons to Believe the Colts Can Make the Super Bowl!"

 

1) Outstanding Draft in Year 1 With Ballard

I am absolutely stunned as to how meticulously and perfectly executed a plan in this draft. Hooker and Wilson are immediate starters and will upgrade our pass defense tremendously. Basham should also contribute quickly in the pass rush rotation, and Mack will add the juice to our backfield that we haven't seen in a long while. A couple mammoths of men also came our way in Stewart and Banner, and each has the talent to become a talented back-up at their respective positions. Nate Hairston has a shot to rotate with Darius Butler in slot duties out of the gates, and the talent to win that position as well. And last but not least, Anthony Walker has all the tools to become the leader of our LB core, and if healthy, I would have considered him at least a second round pick. In full, the Colts picked up 4 instant-impact players in the draft, something that is almost unheard of, especially not from a first year GM. Ballard absolutely dominated this draft, and I can't wait to see what he does next season!

 

2) O-line Improvement

This one goes out to all the people out there who said the Colts should have taken an offensive lineman round 1. Sure, at the beginning of the season, our pass protection was laughable. But looking at the last 7 games of this past season, Luck was only sacked more than twice in one of those. The only explanation for that is that the O-line is beginning to mesh. It has been noted before that one of the major reasons for Luck's bloated sack totals is that he holds the ball in the pocket much longer than many QBs. Rewatching those 6 of the 7 finally games last season, though, Luck had plenty of time even after releasing the ball on most plays. In conclusion, our left side will be solid, if not great. The right side, which is where everyone wants a new player in the mix, has the potential to be even better than the left, if the meshing continues well. Please don't sleep on our line.

 

3) Wait, We Were Actually Active in Free Agency?!?

As a Colts fan, that's virtually unheard of. We are a team known for holding back during the free agency period and signing second tier guys later. This season, Ballard threw us in the exact opposite direction, going after almost every big name free agent out there. We even grabbed one in Jonathan Hankins! Our defense was very, VERY much improved in the offseason, as we got younger, faster, and more talented everywhere! Take for example Vontae Davis now being in the league the second longest of our defensive players, and he's just 28! I'm excited to see where the next season takes us. I fully believe in the possibility of Big Hank's quote coming  true: “Right now I feel like we got probably the best defense in the AFC. On paper, it looks good, but we’ve got to go out there and prove it.”

 

4) Pagano's Prove-It Year

Everyone knows that both players and coaches step up their game in a prove-it year, hoping to get more money and more opportunities. If Chuck follows this "policy", then we should do pretty darn well this year. There isn't much more to say about this topic, so I'm going to move on to my favorite.

 

5) (Once Again) Our Division

I had this as a topic last season, and it still applies in my eyes. I don't think our division in the cellar of the league anymore, but none of the other AFC South teams can push for 11 wins, which the Colts got to consistently for 3 years in a row to start Luck's career. To win this division, I believe we only need to win 10 games. The Titan's look dangerous on offense, but they still have mainly a ground-and-pound approach, which is why Hankins is here. Their defense is still quite leaky, so we should have no issue putting points on the board. The Texans have a rookie QB and a horrendous offensive line like us, so Watson isn't going to be anything special right out of the gates. Yes, their defense is good, but they did lose Bouye, so the CB position could be vulnerable. The Jaguars had another great offseason, but when they had a good one last season, they won LESS games than the previous season. Let's just say I'm not worried about them. 

 

Thanks for reading the second edition of this annual series! I really enjoyed writing this, and had many more reasons that I had trouble cutting out, but thank you all for the support! See you all at Super Bowl LII  !!!!

I think Stewart actually has the talent to become a starter

[Smonroe]

Love the optimism.  If the Falcons can make it to the SB, there's no reason we can't - providing most of the FAs/picks/UDFA's fill in the holes.

 

But you can probably say that for 16 teams right now.

[zvich]

All these NFL analysts think this is the year the titans will finally beat us. But their chances of beating us have just dwindled. We beat them twice last year with a 30th ranked defense. So why would anyone think they are going to beat us this year 

[Peterk2011]

While i appreciate your optimism WarGhost, I prefer to stay on the ground and be realistic. I love what Ballard did so far in this offseason. Like our free agency moves, love our drafts, love the approach he handles his job. And finally, but as importantly: I looove the fact that Ballard and Pagano seem to be on the same page. Even if it stands for only a season, they MUST respect each other and share their duties to be successfull, and I am happy that they just seem to do that.

 

Regarding our playoff, not to mention Superbowl chances in 2017, I'm a bit less "rushy". There will probably be 6 new players in the starting lineup in the defense, including 2, maybe 3 rookies. And the most talented of them is recovering from a surgery, and won't be available until late july, so he'll have 5, maybe 6 weeks to get into NFL football. It's unfair to expect him to to be an all-star week1. And, there is Wilson, another rookie, another very young, unexperienced rookie. And there are those 2nd, 3rd year guys (Anderson, Geathers), who all showed some flashes but still need to develop, be better, because we need them to be better. And finally, there are our new FA signings, all coming to a new system. Even seasoned veterans need some time to learn their new roles, know their teammates, who is doing what and when, etc. They can't learn everything in OTA's and training camp. They will also need real game experience. So expect some early struggles. Maybe a few week, maybe half season. Maybe even an entire season. 

 

So I don't see us being a team to beat in short term, but in long term, I'm with you, I'm very optimistic.

[Steamboat_Shaun]

While the defense will likely be very improved, and offense likely in the top 10 again, I just don't think this team's ready to go on the road and beat a team like New England, Pittsburgh, Oakland, or Kansas City. And unless we win 13 or 14 games and secure the #1 seed, that's exactly what we'd have to do to get to a Super Bowl.

[WarGhost21]

16 minutes ago, Peterk2011 said:

While i appreciate your optimism WarGhost, I prefer to stay on the ground and be realistic. I love what Ballard did so far in this offseason. Like our free agency moves, love our drafts, love the approach he handles his job. And finally, but as importantly: I looove the fact that Ballard and Pagano seem to be on the same page. Even if it stands for only a season, they MUST respect each other and share their duties to be successfull, and I am happy that they just seem to do that.

 

Regarding our playoff, not to mention Superbowl chances in 2017, I'm a bit less "rushy". There will probably be 6 new players in the starting lineup in the defense, including 2, maybe 3 rookies. And the most talented of them is recovering from a surgery, and won't be available until late july, so he'll have 5, maybe 6 weeks to get into NFL football. It's unfair to expect him to to be an all-star week1. And, there is Wilson, another rookie, another very young, unexperienced rookie. And there are those 2nd, 3rd year guys (Anderson, Geathers), who all showed some flashes but still need to develop, be better, because we need them to be better. And finally, there are our new FA signings, all coming to a new system. Even seasoned veterans need some time to learn their new roles, know their teammates, who is doing what and when, etc. They can't learn everything in OTA's and training camp. They will also need real game experience. So expect some early struggles. Maybe a few week, maybe half season. Maybe even an entire season. 

 

So I don't see us being a team to beat in short term, but in long term, I'm with you, I'm very optimistic.

I hope you aren't mistaking this thread as saying that we will make the Super Bowl. It is simply sharing some reasons why we could wind up making it there!

[dodsworth]

I was on the Lamp bandwagon but Ballard made the right 

choice in Hooker. Safeties like him don't grow on trees.

[Luck is Good]

I'm not confident for 2017-2018, but the Colts will win a SB in the next three years

[2006Coltsbestever]

6 minutes ago, Luck is Good said:

I'm not confident for 2017-2018, but the Colts will win a SB in the next three years

I can see us being really good in 2 or 3 years once Ballard loads our Defense up, he is on the right path so far. Andrew is young and will eventually be the best QB in the AFC IMO.

[Stephen]

If the defense gels early we may make some noise

[WarGhost21]

1 hour ago, 2006Coltsbestever said:

I can see us being really good in 2 or 3 years once Ballard loads our Defense up, he is on the right path so far. Andrew is young and will eventually be the best QB in the AFC IMO.

He will be the best AFC QB as soon as Brady retires!

[waka waka]

Indy has had so much success during the manning era it puts blinders on people. this team has holes some holes still yet to be filled and we need dept that comes with drafting and FA. If a Superbowl happens it would be on sheer luck. This team isn't ready to content from top to bottom. i think if we've hit on the picks and FA pick ups we are about two full off-seasons away from being in that sort of mix. this wasn't a good team last season and the year before that. not to be cliche but Luck had a lot to do with our early success.

[runthepost]

4 hours ago, WarGhost21 said:

He will be the best AFC QB as soon as Brady retires!

Still have Big Ben and Carr 

[SaturdayAllDay]

7 hours ago, dodsworth said:

I was on the Lamp bandwagon but Ballard made the right 

choice in Hooker. Safeties like him don't grow on trees.

I was on the Lamp bandwagon simply because I never believed a player like hooker would ever fall into our lap! 

[Coltsman1788]

I don't think we will be winning any Super Bowls until our defense is Super Bowl worthy.  This year would be a success if it climbs up to average level.  Then we go from there.  Playoffs...are possible.  Division...is possible.  Super Bowl...need more time to invest in and grow the D to get past the New Englands & Pittsburghs of the AFC.

[braveheartcolt]

13 hours ago, Steamboat_Shaun said:

While the defense will likely be very improved, and offense likely in the top 10 again, I just don't think this team's ready to go on the road and beat a team like New England, Pittsburgh, Oakland, or Kansas City. And unless we win 13 or 14 games and secure the #1 seed, that's exactly what we'd have to do to get to a Super Bowl.

None of those teams you mention are in the playoffs, so your point is dripping with cowering conjecture...

[ManningGM]

We're gonna win multiple Super Bowls with Dave Toub as HC.

[Yoshinator]

40 minutes ago, ManningGM said:

We're gonna win multiple Super Bowls with Dave Toub as HC.

Absolutely. 2017 is just a transition year to improve the team and all the young rookies. 2018 is where we get Toub as Coach, another solid draft class, and the fun begins!

[coltsfeva]

2 hours ago, ManningGM said:

We're gonna win multiple Super Bowls with Dave Toub as HC.

Exactly what would Toub bring that Pagano can't? Let's see what Pags does this year, with a better roster. People are assuming we can't beat top-tier teams and Pagano is a horrible coach. I know things have to fall in place ( staying healthy, better Oline and defensive play, etc) but this is game of inches and split seconds that separate wins and losses. I agree with the OPs assessment. Playoffs are in the realm of possibility and once there, anything can happen.

[DaColts85]

5 hours ago, ManningGM said:

We're gonna win multiple Super Bowls with Dave Toub as HC.

 

4 hours ago, Jared Cisneros said:

Absolutely. 2017 is just a transition year to improve the team and all the young rookies. 2018 is where we get Toub as Coach, another solid draft class, and the fun begins!

Why do you consider him the best candidate and a guaranteed winner as a HC?  I am just curious really, he seems like he has had success with coaching, but mainly dealing with just ST and Strength and Conditioning.  I do See Ballard picking someone he is familiar with but I honestly would not guarantee Pagano gone yet either.  One foot out the door still leaves one foot inside.

[Steamboat_Shaun]

10 hours ago, braveheartcolt said:

None of those teams you mention are in the playoffs, so your point is dripping with cowering conjecture...

 

Not sure what you mean, all of those teams were in the playoffs last year, and none of them took a step back this offseason. Do you have any legit reason to believe that any of those 4 teams are going to miss the playoffs?

[Yoshinator]

2 hours ago, DaColts85 said:

 

Why do you consider him the best candidate and a guaranteed winner as a HC?  I am just curious really, he seems like he has had success with coaching, but mainly dealing with just ST and Strength and Conditioning.  I do See Ballard picking someone he is familiar with but I honestly would not guarantee Pagano gone yet either.  One foot out the door still leaves one foot inside.

 I would consider someone like McDaniels or Harbaugh the best candidate, however, Toub is the most realistic and likely candidate. At this point, he seems like he could be another Pagano, but he is hungrier, more determined, and has a plan to win in the NFL. If he has chemistry with Ballard, all the better. Would you rather never win the SB or beat the Pats, Steelers, and Raiders with Pagano year in and year out, or take a chance with new blood and possibly win a SB? Ballard can only execute his plan so well with an anchor like Pagano holding him down on the offense especially. Even if you want to still believe Pagano is a good coach, the fact that he almost always gets us off to a slow start offensively shows he should be a defensive coordinator and should be nowhere near an NFL offense.

[DaColts85]

47 minutes ago, Jared Cisneros said:

 I would consider someone like McDaniels or Harbaugh the best candidate, however, Toub is the most realistic and likely candidate. At this point, he seems like he could be another Pagano, but he is hungrier, more determined, and has a plan to win in the NFL. If he has chemistry with Ballard, all the better. Would you rather never win the SB or beat the Pats, Steelers, and Raiders with Pagano year in and year out, or take a chance with new blood and possibly win a SB? Ballard can only execute his plan so well with an anchor like Pagano holding him down on the offense especially. Even if you want to still believe Pagano is a good coach, the fact that he almost always gets us off to a slow start offensively shows he should be a defensive coordinator and should be nowhere near an NFL offense.

Honestly I would disagree.  Harbaugh is not going anywhere and would want control.  McDaniels is looking at being the heir to the NE job more than likely so he can sit there and gain value.  As far as the hungrier comment and plan to win....you get that how??  Pagano is probably pretty hungry to win since he hears the media constantly throwing him under the bus.  Also, Toub has never been a HC so a plan to win is absurd and unproven.  He does know Ballard though and might be a front runner for the job if its open.

 

In regards to the remaining of what you said, Pagano has shown that he is not the best at clock management and game planning adjustments and just getting guys ready altogether.  That being said he finally has a better roster and atmosphere that can make for great change.  I believe that he has been locked in with Chud (who I do not like as a OC) and this causes some issues with slow drives.  This year will truly be a year of judgment in seeing if Pagano can improve on his coaching mistakes and can he actually coach up a D as well.

 

With Toub you have an unproven person that could be worse than Pagano in the long run.  He has no OC or DC experience.  He has been a ST coach for awhile which is good but if I am Ballard I am grabbing a solid OC or offensive minded coach to help.  He mentioned loving Andy Reid in KC because it gave him an offensive mind towards players.  This is something we need IMO.

[Yoshinator]

3 minutes ago, DaColts85 said:

Honestly I would disagree.  Harbaugh is not going anywhere and would want control.  McDaniels is looking at being the heir to the NE job more than likely so he can sit there and gain value.  As far as the hungrier comment and plan to win....you get that how??  Pagano is probably pretty hungry to win since he hears the media constantly throwing him under the bus.  Also, Toub has never been a HC so a plan to win is absurd and unproven.  He does know Ballard though and might be a front runner for the job if its open.

 

In regards to the remaining of what you said, Pagano has shown that he is not the best at clock management and game planning adjustments and just getting guys ready altogether.  That being said he finally has a better roster and atmosphere that can make for great change.  I believe that he has been locked in with Chud (who I do not like as a OC) and this causes some issues with slow drives.  This year will truly be a year of judgment in seeing if Pagano can improve on his coaching mistakes and can he actually coach up a D as well.

 

With Toub you have an unproven person that could be worse than Pagano in the long run.  He has no OC or DC experience.  He has been a ST coach for awhile which is good but if I am Ballard I am grabbing a solid OC or offensive minded coach to help.  He mentioned loving Andy Reid in KC because it gave him an offensive mind towards players.  This is something we need IMO.

Toub is hungrier because he's been passed over multiple times to be a Coach. This has nothing to do with defense. Pagano does a relatively decent job even with a bad defense except late in games. He has Luck, Gore, Hilton, and Doyle, and he can't do jack squat with them. What makes you think this year will be different when we mostly went defense in the draft? He is what he is, a defensive coordinator. If the next coach is worse, then oh well. We weren't winning the SB with Pagano anyway and you didn't even bother to argue that he could beat the Pats, Steelers or Raiders because he can't.

[DaColts85]

3 minutes ago, Jared Cisneros said:

Toub is hungrier because he's been passed over multiple times to be a Coach. This has nothing to do with defense. Pagano does a relatively decent job even with a bad defense except late in games. He has Luck, Gore, Hilton, and Doyle, and he can't do jack squat with them. What makes you think this year will be different when we mostly went defense in the draft? He is what he is, a defensive coordinator. If the next coach is worse, then oh well. We weren't winning the SB with Pagano anyway and you didn't even bother to argue that he could beat the Pats, Steelers or Raiders because he can't.

Well Chud is the key issue with the offense not producing.  Pagano is a defensive coach and not offensive so now that he has a better roster maybe we can see a difference.  I am not arguing or debating against us beating those teams because we haven't.  Why would I argue that?  Can we this year....we will find out.  You actually helped my point a bit with claiming the D is ok and the offense is bad.  The D is not great but hopefully we make strides this year.  Pagano's biggest issues are time management, overall game plan, and getting the players ready to start the damn game...haha.  Now I am not saying keep Pagano but I am just debating off of the comments about Toub being something better.

[ÅÐØNϧ 1]

Pagano & Chud both in my opinion are in the hot seat if defense or offense can't get it done this year then heads need to roll no more excuses ..

[Yoshinator]

5 minutes ago, DaColts85 said:

Well Chud is the key issue with the offense not producing.  Pagano is a defensive coach and not offensive so now that he has a better roster maybe we can see a difference.  I am not arguing or debating against us beating those teams because we haven't.  Why would I argue that?  Can we this year....we will find out.  You actually helped my point a bit with claiming the D is ok and the offense is bad.  The D is not great but hopefully we make strides this year.  Pagano's biggest issues are time management, overall game plan, and getting the players ready to start the damn game...haha.  Now I am not saying keep Pagano but I am just debating off of the comments about Toub being something better.

Pagano actually benefits our defense a bit, even though it is the weaker unit. The problem is that him and Chud know little to nothing about running an NFL offense, and it's killing us. Luck isn't bad, Hilton isn't bad, and neither is our offense. Just the people running it have little to no knowledge of what they are doing. Even just a better O-Coordinator would be a huge difference if Pagano didn't interfere. 

[DaColts85]

11 minutes ago, Jared Cisneros said:

Pagano actually benefits our defense a bit, even though it is the weaker unit. The problem is that him and Chud know little to nothing about running an NFL offense, and it's killing us. Luck isn't bad, Hilton isn't bad, and neither is our offense. Just the people running it have little to no knowledge of what they are doing. Even just a better O-Coordinator would be a huge difference if Pagano didn't interfere. 

I agree completely.  I think Chud does a terrible job personally. And Pagano does not help with adjustments as I mentioned above.  A new OC can make a massive difference.  Someone like Mike Martz (yea I said it) would be good if he can mimic those 99' Rams days.  We have the WR's to let loose in space.  Just need to run the routes.  Quick 3 to 5 steps and the ball is gone by 3 seconds.

[Larry Horseman]

27 minutes ago, Jared Cisneros said:

Pagano actually benefits our defense a bit, even though it is the weaker unit. The problem is that him and Chud know little to nothing about running an NFL offense, and it's killing us. Luck isn't bad, Hilton isn't bad, and neither is our offense. Just the people running it have little to no knowledge of what they are doing. Even just a better O-Coordinator would be a huge difference if Pagano didn't interfere. 

 

Come on now. You can say you don't like his offensive system/philosophy, but to say he knows little or nothing about running a NFL offense is just sensationalism devoid of factual evidence and reality. Chud has coached offense since 1996. He has coached offense in the NFL since 2004--that's 13 NFL seasons. Someone who has been employed for 13 seasons knows a lot about running NFL offenses. 

[Yoshinator]

2 minutes ago, Larry Horseman said:

 

Come on now. You can say you don't like his offensive system/philosophy, but to say he knows little or nothing about running a NFL offense is just sensationalism devoid of factual evidence and reality. Chud has coached offense since 1996. He has coached offense in the NFL since 2004--that's 13 NFL seasons. Someone who has been employed for 13 knows knows a lot about running NFL offenses. 

Compared to someone like me, he could run an NFL offense better, compared to most at the same level as him, he is a terrible coordinator. That's what I meant. It doesn't mean too much when you are one of the worst of the best in a winner take all sport. Unless you are just doing it for a payday.

[Larry Horseman]

2 minutes ago, Jared Cisneros said:

Compared to someone like me, he could run an NFL offense better, compared to most at the same level as him, he is a terrible coordinator. That's what I meant. It doesn't mean too much when you are one of the worst of the best in a winner take all sport. Unless you are just doing it for a payday.

 

I do think the offense could stand some changes, but Chud is not one of the worst OCs in the NFL. He's middle of the pack-ish...pretty much like Pagano. If things don't look smoother this year, I'll join you with my pitchfork. 

[chad72]

2 hours ago, DaColts85 said:

Honestly I would disagree.  Harbaugh is not going anywhere and would want control.  McDaniels is looking at being the heir to the NE job more than likely so he can sit there and gain value.  As far as the hungrier comment and plan to win....you get that how??  Pagano is probably pretty hungry to win since he hears the media constantly throwing him under the bus.  Also, Toub has never been a HC so a plan to win is absurd and unproven.  He does know Ballard though and might be a front runner for the job if its open.

 

In regards to the remaining of what you said, Pagano has shown that he is not the best at clock management and game planning adjustments and just getting guys ready altogether.  That being said he finally has a better roster and atmosphere that can make for great change.  I believe that he has been locked in with Chud (who I do not like as a OC) and this causes some issues with slow drives.  This year will truly be a year of judgment in seeing if Pagano can improve on his coaching mistakes and can he actually coach up a D as well.

 

With Toub you have an unproven person that could be worse than Pagano in the long run.  He has no OC or DC experience.  He has been a ST coach for awhile which is good but if I am Ballard I am grabbing a solid OC or offensive minded coach to help.  He mentioned loving Andy Reid in KC because it gave him an offensive mind towards players.  This is something we need IMO.

 

So was John Harbaugh of the Ravens, an ST coach. Sometimes, an ST coach has to assemble players from the offense and defense according to their strengths for the sake of ST, because they don't draft ST only players, The ST coach thus sees the game more collectively than just one side of the ball, probably with as much detail as an OC or DC, IMO.  An ST coach also has a great understanding of field position (witnessed in the SB safety taken by John Harbaugh, one of the smartest plays in recent history, IMO) like a good HC.

 

Given Dave Toub's experience, I see no reason whatsoever why he wouldn't be a stickler for details and have the same success that John Harbaugh had.

[ManningGM]

 

9 hours ago, Jared Cisneros said:

Pagano actually benefits our defense a bit, even though it is the weaker unit. The problem is that him and Chud know little to nothing about running an NFL offense, and it's killing us. Luck isn't bad, Hilton isn't bad, and neither is our offense. Just the people running it have little to no knowledge of what they are doing. Even just a better O-Coordinator would be a huge difference if Pagano didn't interfere. 

It's killing me, it really is. The talent is there......the potential is there.....we just need a coaching staff capable of utilizing it to the fullest. 

[NewColtsFan]

10 hours ago, Jared Cisneros said:

Compared to someone like me, he could run an NFL offense better, compared to most at the same level as him, he is a terrible coordinator. That's what I meant. It doesn't mean too much when you are one of the worst of the best in a winner take all sport. Unless you are just doing it for a payday.

 

Chudzinski's work in 2015, with Luck hurt and 5 QB's was nothing short of brilliant.    Sensational.

 

You and other here didn't like him in 2016.     He didn't become an * overnight.     He didn't forget everything he knows in one season.     There's more going on here than meets the eye...

 

He's so much better than you and others realize....     I'm sorry people here don't see it,  but most don't seem to.   So,  you're not alone.     I'm not singling you out for having a different opinion.     Your opinion is the majority here,  mine is the minority.     We just see the same thing here differently.

 

[braveheartcolt]

12 hours ago, Steamboat_Shaun said:

 

Not sure what you mean, all of those teams were in the playoffs last year, and none of them took a step back this offseason. Do you have any legit reason to believe that any of those 4 teams are going to miss the playoffs?

Yes. Many teams don't make the playoffs the following year after they did. Example: Indianapolis.

[Yoshinator]

2 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

Chudzinski's work in 2015, with Luck hurt and 5 QB's was nothing short of brilliant.    Sensational.

 

You and other here didn't like him in 2016.     He didn't become an * overnight.     He didn't forget everything he knows in one season.     There's more going on here than meets the eye...

 

He's so much better than you and others realize....     I'm sorry people here don't see it,  but most don't seem to.   So,  you're not alone.     I'm not singling you out for having a different opinion.     Your opinion is the majority here,  mine is the minority.     We just see the same thing here differently.

 

2015 was very interesting. My opinion (and I could be wrong), is that Chud leaned on Hilton the same way he did this year in 2016. His stat line in 2015 was 69 receptions for 1,124 yards and 5 tds. In 2016, when Luck played 15 games, his stat line was 91 receptions for 1,448 yards and 6 tds. So Hilton's difference with Luck is 324 yds (might be 350 yds with 16 games). There's two scenarios I see here, one that favors Chud and one that favors Luck. The first is that Luck was hurt and his stats were decreased because of the injury. You could argue he was releasing the ball too slow and he was throwing inaccurately. However, he was mostly bad during the first half of games and 2nd half, he looked like Andrew Luck, which brings me to the 2nd scenario. This is the unpopular one, and the one no one wants to hear, but it's possible that Luck has peaked (or regressed), and the difference between him and someone like Scott Tolzien is somewhat minimal now. If this is the case, then you are absolutely right. It would show that it isn't Chud's fault, and the stat with 5 QB's throwing to Hilton in 2015 and Luck throwing to Hilton in 2016 with a Chud offense that almost relies on the WR1 means that Luck's upgrade at the QB position is very minimal. This will be the telling year. Is Chud a bad O-Coordinator? Or is Luck just an average QB? I look at someone young like Derek Carr and see a Superstar that I wish Luck could be. Fast starts, accurate throws, leads the team to victory in a very difficult division. If Luck has peaked, then I'm afraid we will never win a SB. Right now, we don't know 100% if it's Pagano, Chud, or Luck. This year will be telling.

 

Remember NCF, I'm always willing to change my opinion and admit If I'm wrong. So If you can sway me to your opinion, I will do just that. You better have a heck of a case though. 

[DaColts85]

16 hours ago, chad72 said:

 

So was John Harbaugh of the Ravens, an ST coach. Sometimes, an ST coach has to assemble players from the offense and defense according to their strengths for the sake of ST, because they don't draft ST only players, The ST coach thus sees the game more collectively than just one side of the ball, probably with as much detail as an OC or DC, IMO.  An ST coach also has a great understanding of field position (witnessed in the SB safety taken by John Harbaugh, one of the smartest plays in recent history, IMO) like a good HC.

 

Given Dave Toub's experience, I see no reason whatsoever why he wouldn't be a stickler for details and have the same success that John Harbaugh had.

I am not going to disagree and there is always an exception to the rule.  The argument was started with the original comment of Toub being better than Pagano.  The point is still that he is unproven and wishing one out for him as a replacement can still lead to another few years of hatred for the next coach.

[DaColts85]

7 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

Chudzinski's work in 2015, with Luck hurt and 5 QB's was nothing short of brilliant.    Sensational.

 

You and other here didn't like him in 2016.     He didn't become an * overnight.     He didn't forget everything he knows in one season.     There's more going on here than meets the eye...

 

He's so much better than you and others realize....     I'm sorry people here don't see it,  but most don't seem to.   So,  you're not alone.     I'm not singling you out for having a different opinion.     Your opinion is the majority here,  mine is the minority.     We just see the same thing here differently.

 

2015 had a lot to do with Hasselback stepping in and showing what a savvy vet he is.  He was beat up because again some play calling and 5 to 7 step drop plays with no line in front of him.  So was Chud great in 2015....to me no.  He was alright but not great.  In 2016 he showed again that he will continue to run the same predictable plays over and over again.  DC almost could predict what we were going to do.  There were times that we showed promise but he doesn't run an offense geared for what we have.  If you like Chud than hopefully 2017 can be the eye opening experience I need and I truly hope it happens.