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

[ColtsBlitz]

On 5/16/2017 at 8:55 AM, Smonroe said:

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.

Only one of those teams has Andew Luck. 

[bababooey]

On 5/17/2017 at 7:52 AM, coltsfeva said:

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.

Pagano beat 3 of the final 4 teams in 2013, including the AFC Champ and the SB winner. And still got stomped by the Pats that year. Since the AFC championship, the only big wins we have gotten was Denver when Luck got injured and Green Bay last year. Pagano's tenure has been like Rex's with the Jets.

[throwing BBZ]

On 5/16/2017 at 8:49 AM, 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  !!!!

 

 Not worth more than a quick skim. Homer on!  

 Passion is good, so carry on.  Go Colts!

[NewColtsFan]

12 hours ago, Jared Cisneros said:

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. 

 

Luck clearly regressed in 2015....    but I chalk that up to a combination of the injury suffered in week 3 vs. Tennessee,  Pep's playbook,   Pep's playacting and the poor OL we had in 2015.

 

But Luck had either his best or 2nd best year last year depending on how you measure that type of thing.   So, if he regressed in 2015,  then I think he answered doubters last year.    So,  I don't think he has peaked.

 

I have mixed feelings on Chud....     I was mostly pleased with his work.   If we beat Detroit and J'Ville in London, which we should have,  then I don't think the theme of "Chud Sucks" would be so popular right now.   

 

But I was concerned with how we played Texas (x2) and KC.     I thought we looked well scouted.   Like they knew what we were going to do when we broke the huddle.    I often refer to that type of thing as playing against an opposition that looks like they have 12 defenders on the field at all times.     There's no room for us to operate.     Those three games are very concerning to me and I'll be watching for games like that this year.

 

But I expect a huge jump from the OL and I'm hopeful that will solve much of what has ailed the Colts since I became a fan in 2012....

 

Thanks for the exchange,   appreciate it!           

[coltsfeva]

5 hours ago, bababooey said:

Pagano beat 3 of the final 4 teams in 2013, including the AFC Champ and the SB winner. And still got stomped by the Pats that year. Since the AFC championship, the only big wins we have gotten was Denver when Luck got injured and Green Bay last year. Pagano's tenure has been like Rex's with the Jets.

True. But I don't think he's ever had the potential talent level of this group to work with. Let's see what happens this year. I'm just not sure he is as bad as some fans say he is. 

[bababooey]

4 minutes ago, coltsfeva said:

True. But I don't think he's ever had the potential talent level of this group to work with. Let's see what happens this year. I'm just not sure he is as bad as some fans say he is. 

I respectfully disagree. We've seen how good this team can be when we are clicking on all cylinders, specifically Denver the year they won the SB two seasons ago. Almost every other game has been a half game, looking flat and going down early and coming up short in a comeback, or going ahead early and falling apart in the end. Not consistent at all, and the slow starts kept us out of the playoffs two years in a row. We rarely play to our potential.

[SilentHill]

On 5/16/2017 at 6:44 PM, runthepost said:

Still have Big Ben and Carr 

 

Big Ben will retire before Brady, and Carr isn't as good as Luck, he just has a better supporting cast.

[TheRustonRifle#7]

While I do believe...I thought about this song..

 

 

[coltsfeva]

3 hours ago, bababooey said:

I respectfully disagree. We've seen how good this team can be when we are clicking on all cylinders, specifically Denver the year they won the SB two seasons ago. Almost every other game has been a half game, looking flat and going down early and coming up short in a comeback, or going ahead early and falling apart in the end. Not consistent at all, and the slow starts kept us out of the playoffs two years in a row. We rarely play to our potential.

Agreed. And if that doesn't change, he'll probably be gone. We can understand a player growing for the better, why not a coach? You are right, if the Colts are going to succeed, that's one of the things that has to change. I just think Pagano has the capacity to learn and grow. That goes for all the coaches and coordinators.

[bababooey]

1 hour ago, coltsfeva said:

Agreed. And if that doesn't change, he'll probably be gone. We can understand a player growing for the better, why not a coach? You are right, if the Colts are going to succeed, that's one of the things that has to change. I just think Pagano has the capacity to learn and grow. That goes for all the coaches and coordinators.

Hopefully with better players and the loss of such a horrible guy in grigson I will hope he can take it next level.

[jameszeigler834]

On ‎5‎/‎16‎/‎2017 at 8:49 AM, 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 don't see us making the super bowl this year playoffs maybe but not super bowl just yet.

[NannyMcafee]

On 5/18/2017 at 2:43 AM, Jared Cisneros said:

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. 

 

Do you remember the playoff game vs the KC chiefs? Where luck grabbed a loose fumble and took it in for a TD? Is that the kind of superstar you're talking about? I think the reason it is an unpopular scenario is because it is a wrong scenario. I don't see someone like Scott Tolzian doing something like that. So that minimal difference would probably be the fact that Luck is a superstar and Tolzian is not. 

[Yoshinator]

58 minutes ago, NannyMcafee said:

 

Do you remember the playoff game vs the KC chiefs? Where luck grabbed a loose fumble and took it in for a TD? Is that the kind of superstar you're talking about? I think the reason it is an unpopular scenario is because it is a wrong scenario. I don't see someone like Scott Tolzian doing something like that. So that minimal difference would probably be the fact that Luck is a superstar and Tolzian is not. 

I'm not talking about intangibles. I'm not talking about a clutch performance, because Luck has that in spades. I'm talking about the simple ability to start fast in games like he used too and beat top teams sometimes. If he doesn't have the ability to beat the Pats and Steelers by now, or consistently release the ball quick and accurate even, I don't think he ever will. That's what I mean by peaked, that the only way he'll improve now is by improving the team around him to hide his weaknesses, instead of him improving them himself.

[CoachLite]

On 5/17/2017 at 9:55 PM, ManningGM said:

 

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. 

This is a big part of "the football flu" that has infected the Colts for the past several years. It has been very frustrating for some of us fans - to the point that it isn't fun to watch anymore. I wonder if it is coaching, alone, or something larger - benign neglect by the ownership and FO? I can't tell. But something has to change to get the hearts and minds of past fans re-engaged. Ballard seems to have an excellent start down that path. We'll see.

[coltsfeva]

43 minutes ago, Jared Cisneros said:

I'm not talking about intangibles. I'm not talking about a clutch performance, because Luck has that in spades. I'm talking about the simple ability to start fast in games like he used too and beat top teams sometimes. If he doesn't have the ability to beat the Pats and Steelers by now, or consistently release the ball quick and accurate even, I don't think he ever will. That's what I mean by peaked, that the only way he'll improve now is by improving the team around him to hide his weaknesses, instead of him improving them himself.

A lot has been said about Luck's habit of holding the ball to long and making bad decisions. Part of that is play calling and part rests squarely on Luck's shoulders. And we don't know how much his injury affected him. Part  is due to an inexperienced Oline. All of those things are being scrutinized and can be corrected. Hopefully, he'll be healthy. Having a guy like Mack can help. This could be a great offense with a bit of "fine tuning".

[Yoshinator]

5 minutes ago, coltsfeva said:

A lot has been said about Luck's habit of holding the ball to long and making bad decisions. Part of that is play calling and part rests squarely on Luck's shoulders. Part  is due to an inexperienced Oline. All of those things are being scrutinized and can be corrected. Having a guy like Mack can help. This could be a great offense with a bit of "fine tuning".

That's where we are going to figure out if it's Chud and Pagano, or just Luck himself that has "peaked" this year. No amount of coaching in the world will force Luck to release the ball quick. It's an instinct thing, and he has to be able to sense pressure to get rid of the ball quickly. I'm very concerned if he can or not. Again, I think the only way Luck will improve at this point is by improving the team around him. I'm giving him a pass because of injury right now, but it's concerning at this point.

[DaColts85]

7 minutes ago, Jared Cisneros said:

That's where we are going to figure out if it's Chud and Pagano, or just Luck himself that has "peaked" this year. No amount of coaching in the world will force Luck to release the ball quick. It's an instinct thing, and he has to be able to sense pressure to get rid of the ball quickly. I'm very concerned if he can or not. Again, I think the only way Luck will improve at this point is by improving the team around him. I'm giving him a pass because of injury right now, but it's concerning at this point.

That is not entirely true at all.  If you run quick routes like a slant, the QB knows the hot route and then in turn throws it quicker.  Play calling has our WR's running deeper, long to develop routes.  So he has to wait or just dump it off to Doyle or Gore.  With a quicker style offense that we should run has the routes develop very quick (i.e. NE).  Switching up and running quicker routes would make a world of difference.  You then are setup for long passes plus PA.

[Yoshinator]

Just now, DaColts85 said:

That is not entirely true at all.  If you run quick routes like a slant, the QB knows the hot route and then in turn throws it quicker.  Play calling has our WR's running deeper, long to develop routes.  So he has to wait or just dump it off to Doyle or Gore.  With a quicker style offense that we should run has the routes develop very quick (i.e. NE).  Switching up and running quicker routes would make a world of difference.  You then are setup for long passes plus PA.

I agree with this 100%. How often do you see Chud do this though? He's as anti screen/slant as I know. This is what the Pats do and why it works so well for them. Unfortunately, we don't seem to do it. It would work though.

[coltsfeva]

7 minutes ago, Jared Cisneros said:

I agree with this 100%. How often do you see Chud do this though? He's as anti screen/slant as I know. This is what the Pats do and why it works so well for them. Unfortunately, we don't seem to do it. It would work though.

We don't know how many times the play was supposed to be short and Luck forced it downfield. Regardless, both things can be corrected. If the thought is to run more short plays we need quickness. This is where having Dorsett "control his speed" as the new receivers coach said and having Mack would give us a new dimension. 

[DaColts85]

2 minutes ago, Jared Cisneros said:

I agree with this 100%. How often do you see Chud do this though? He's as anti screen/slant as I know. This is what the Pats do and why it works so well for them. Unfortunately, we don't seem to do it. It would work though.

That's the thing though, Chud use to do this. I am hoping with the new WR coach and just a fresh atmosphere that Chud goes back to his older playbooks.  Get creative and allow for our WR's to get YAC.  We have become a team that is predictable and we need to change that.  I think Mack will be a help though. 

[DaColts85]

1 minute ago, coltsfeva said:

We don't know how many times the play was supposed to be short and Luck forced it downfield. Regardless, both things can be corrected.

This is incorrect.  You can watch the WR and see routes that are ran.  If they are not running a quick route then Luck isn't forcing anything.  You can see the routes as a longer downfield route while leaving doyle and the RB underneath.

[Yoshinator]

1 minute ago, coltsfeva said:

We don't know how many times the play was supposed to be short and Luck forced it downfield. Regardless, both things can be corrected.

I do know it wasn't supposed to be short, because if it was, Phillip Dorsett and TY Hilton would be used as centerpieces in this fashion with their speed (especially Dorsett), and they aren't. It can only be corrected if Chud cares enough to add them to the playbook.

[NewColtsFan]

3 hours ago, Jared Cisneros said:

I do know it wasn't supposed to be short, because if it was, Phillip Dorsett and TY Hilton would be used as centerpieces in this fashion with their speed (especially Dorsett), and they aren't. It can only be corrected if Chud cares enough to add them to the playbook.

 

Don't forget Ballard.     Remember,  he comes from KC where Andy Reid is a believer in a shorter passing game,  and their QB,  Smith,  executes the shorter passing game very well.

 

All it would take is to have Ballard talk to Chud and tell him to work more shorter passing game concepts into the game plan.

 

That's what I'm hoping for,  a few key words from Chris Ballard.

[jvan1973]

On 5/17/2017 at 0:43 PM, 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.

How do you know he is more hungry and determined than pagano?  What I'd his plan to win in the NFL?

[Narcosys]

By saying that true Colts fans know that this best team is outrageous,  you show your bias. To objective people,  it's not hard to believe.  I mean we have been... two years in a row. 

 

1. Yes he definitely nailed the draft.  There's hope he bolstered our D.

 

2. We still need way better O-line improvement. In the last 7 games he was sacked 8 times,  but 4 were in one game.  

 

3. Grigson was actually more active than Ballard,  and signed bigger names. Ballard didn't really sign any big names. 

 

4. Nothing to do with us winning the SB. Ya he needs to step up, bit he can't make bad players play better.

 

5. Not true.  Texans can reach 11 games easily.  They won the division twice with no QB to speak of.  The titans have continuously improved in great strides and it's not impossible for them to get close to 11 games either.  

 

[Dark Superman]

I still believe the Colts are 2-3 years away from being SB contenders under CB (Colts need a new HC) IMO. We still need to fill a bunch of holes, and hopefully CB can continue to do that.

 

If he can make the Colts a team that can drive the ball into the end zone and give us a respectable defense, then that's when I believe we can make the jump. I still think Luck needs a little more talent around him, and the defense needs a lot of work. But we're getting there.

[NannyMcafee]

7 hours ago, Jared Cisneros said:

I'm not talking about intangibles. I'm not talking about a clutch performance, because Luck has that in spades. I'm talking about the simple ability to start fast in games like he used too and beat top teams sometimes. If he doesn't have the ability to beat the Pats and Steelers by now, or consistently release the ball quick and accurate even, I don't think he ever will. That's what I mean by peaked, that the only way he'll improve now is by improving the team around him to hide his weaknesses, instead of him improving them himself.

 

That could quite possibly be true. But that's why this is a team sport. I think only Peyton could do what you're describing. 

[Yoshinator]

4 hours ago, jvan1973 said:

How do you know he is more hungry and determined than pagano?  What I'd his plan to win in the NFL?

Pagano has gotten a job 6 years before Toub. He's had a few good years, peaked, regressed, and is on the precipice of getting fired next year. Toub hasn't even tasted his career in coaching yet, and knowing that Ballard (an old accomplice) is now the GM of the Colts with an opening at HC opening up, he is eager to prove himself in the NFL. Sometimes it's about opportunity, Pagano got his, and didn't enough in the long term so far. Now Toub will get his chance, whether it's with us or another team. Will he do better? Time will tell. I guarantee you he is hungrier though with his coaching career just starting next year.

[jvan1973]

29 minutes ago, Jared Cisneros said:

Pagano has gotten a job 6 years before Toub. He's had a few good years, peaked, regressed, and is on the precipice of getting fired next year. Toub hasn't even tasted his career in coaching yet, and knowing that Ballard (an old accomplice) is now the GM of the Colts with an opening at HC opening up, he is eager to prove himself in the NFL. Sometimes it's about opportunity, Pagano got his, and didn't enough in the long term so far. Now Toub will get his chance, whether it's with us or another team. Will he do better? Time will tell. I guarantee you he is hungrier though with his coaching career just starting next year.

Has he ever gotten an interview for a HC spot?  How many special teams coordinators have ever been hired as a head coach?

[Yoshinator]

3 minutes ago, jvan1973 said:

Has he ever gotten an interview for a HC spot?

Yes, the Dolphins and the Bears a few years ago. Here's a good article on him. http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/the-12-best-nfl-coaching-candidates-and-the-one-that-teams-are-too-scared-to-hire/

[OLD FAN MAN]

On 5/17/2017 at 7:52 AM, coltsfeva said:

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.

i concur

[Dark Superman]

The one Free Agent I think we really needed was Zeitler.

#12 is coming off shoulder surgery and protecting him is key.

KZ would help open both the run and passing games, plus help keep Luck clean.

I'm not really sold on Haeg at RG.

[ColtsBlueFL]

On 5/18/2017 at 8:56 AM, DaColts85 said:

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.

 

Calling this out.  If that were true, then T.Y. would never have said this once Luck went out and Hasselbeck became the QB-

 

** Hilton thinks he and fellow receivers Donte Moncrief and Phillip Dorsett have been hindered by an offense committed to the short-passing game, per Mike Wells of ESPN.com:

 

"Because we’re not really using us: Donte, me, Phil, we're fast guys and we're not going down the field like how we're supposed to be. Running stick routes, chain routes. We can we do that, but at some point you have to take your shot and get the defense going back. The throws have been there, but we haven't been calling them. More play calling."

 

The Colts ranked 23rd with 43 passes of 20 or more yards and 27th in passes of 40-plus yards. Last year (under OC Pep Hamilton), they ranked first and were tied for second in those respective categories, and they led the league in passing at 305.9 yards per game. **

 

Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star, Hilton elaborated that the short-game attack has prevented the Colts from building yards after the catch, a major struggle for the team this year. 

The Colts offense has been forced to adjust with Matt Hasselbeck under center for the injured Andrew Luck, and the 40-year-old backup simply doesn’t possess the arm strength or vertical accuracy compared to Luck, who’s considered among the league’s best.

 

[bleevit]

On 5/16/2017 at 9:49 PM, Coltsman1788 said:

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.

In terms of the Super Bowl, the Colts are not the favorite. That being said, I believe they easily have a team comparable to Eli's 2 Giants teams that won it. If the D is just solid and not great, they still have a very good punchers chance with Luck. Anytime the offense gets hot they can put up 30 a game, even on good defenses. Last year for example the D was injured and bad and they still won 8 games.