Dudley Smith
-
Posts
584 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
1
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Gallery
Events
Blogs
Posts posted by Dudley Smith
-
-
For the most part I actually thought the offense looked pretty good yesterday. However, I think Pep or Pagano (not sure who decides) gets way too conservative when they have a lead. When the Colts went up 20-17 yesterday, the Colts suddenly decided the only plays they would run would be power runs or 2-3 yard passes. I think it resulted in a 3 and out and led the very next drive to Miami's final TD.
Pep does need to get Hilton more involved in this offense though IMO. Not just on passing plays. The guy is usually going to be the biggest playmaker (besides Luck) on the field. It is time to start slowly phasing him in to the No. 1 receiver role and giving him an expanded role on offense. We need to get the ball in his hands early and often. I think it would make defenses much more circumspect to put the pressure on Luck if they knew Hilton could have the ball on given play and could reel off a huge gain.
-
The play-calling did seem very "vanilla" on Sunday as the writer points out. I doubt that Pep Hamilton forgot how to run a sophisticated offense since joining the Colts, so maybe it was intentional. However, I was less concerned by the play-calling and more concerned by the play of the O-line. It was the same old story. Honestly, a lot of the vanilla plays getting small amounts of yardage did not look like it was the result of the Raiders knowing what was coming due to vanilla play-calling (perhaps it was part of it), but more that the O-line was just getting manhandled for 3/4 of the game. Granted, I will agree that some of those run formations are just too obvious.
-
I could see throwing it in to mix things up a bit. Maybe 1-3 plays a game out of it. But long term, it simply wouldn't be worth taking the risk with injury. I do think he could get some huge yards doing so not only with his feet, but hitting wide open receivers right on the numbers. I agree with coltsfan1828 that I actually think he could run it better than RGIII. I guess on the other hand he is getting hit on a lot of plays anyway with our suspect OL, so maybe it doesn't make any difference.
I think Luck's primary strength is running a pro-style offense and making reads/going through his progressions. He is a cerebral quarterback with a strong arm and good accuracy, and I think once he has a solid OL in place, the sky's the limit for him. He has much more potential primarily running a pro-style offense rather than the read-option, especially once defenses get the read-option figured out--which is probably only a matter of time.
-
Agree with your thoughts. Yesterday I was very upset that it was this close when the Colts were fairly heavy favorites. But Pryor looked much more impressive than I was expecting yesterday. Like others have pointed out in other threads, our D had not seen one of these mobile read-option QBs yet, as I don't think we played a single one last year. I think that if nothing else this would be a good tune-up for our D facing SF here in a couple of weeks.
The lack of protection from the O-line was actually much more concerning for me than the D was. This was by no means supposed to be a top-tier unit this year, but it was supposed to be markedly better than it was last year. As far as I know the Raiders are not known for having a dominant D-line or linebackers but they were pressuring Luck all day long from the 2nd quarter and on. Part of that may be Luck not making a correct audible or maybe Pep not calling a good play to begin with, but regardless the fact that the Oakland D was in the backfield all afternoon was pretty concerning.
Sometimes in the NFL on any given week it just comes down to surviving with the "W", which is what the Colts did yesterday. A team can look terrible one week and the next week look dominant. We have the Dolphins next and a lot of the problems with the D will not be present in that game simply due to Tannehill not being the same type of QB that Pryor is. Also, a week of practice and shoring up some problem areas should definitely help. My guess is the Colts come out and look very strong next week after dodging a bullet this week.
-
In regards to all of these drops by DHB....Does he have a history of drops at Oakland? I thought he would be a steal with a real QB throwing him the ball for the first time in his career (I don't consider a washed up Carson Palmer to be high-caliber). Seems odd that an NFL receiver would have that many drops at once. Perhaps something was bothering him that day at practice. I think he will turn it around and also believe the coaching staff will help him to do so.
I agree with the majority of this thread though-- T.Y. is clearly the #2 receiver right now.
-
I guess others have had the same thoughts when I saw this-- definitely has shades of Austin Collie to it. Really hope we don't have another promising player whose career gets derailed because of concussions. Here's to hoping he recovers soon.
-
Just to touch on this pass/run discussion some have brought up here, I think about the best split for our Colts team would be about a pass-run ratio of 55/45. I think it is very important to establish the run, but I also acknowledge that our best player on offense is Andrew Luck, the QB. I want the ball in his hands as often as possible without becoming too predictable. I also really hope Pep gives Luck the ability to call his own plays at the line and really lets him become the master of the offense a la Peyton Manning during his Colts years. Luck has the brains and the ability to read a defense that should translate well into calling his own plays.
As far as Luck being rated #1 on this list, I obviously agree and I hope that it comes to fruition that way. I have really wondered just how good Wilson truly is. He looked great at times last year, and looked great at the pro bowl, but he also played on a much better team than Luck and RGIII did. It sort of became in vogue after the season was over for sports "pundits" to proclaim him the best of the three QBs because of the way he finished the season despite the discussion having been primarily Luck vs. RGIII up to that point. It will be interesting to see if that was a flash in the pan or if he really is the caliber of Luck and RGIII.
-
Being a MSU alum, I watched every single Spartan game when Cousins was the QB there. I love the guy and yes, he is a great person and was a very good QB for us while he was wearing green and white. But to actually consider him the same caliber of player as Luck, RGIII, and Wilson is pretty silly. Cousins biggest problem is that he has a lot of trouble throwing medium to deep passes without losing a ton of velocity on the ball. His deep passes tended to just sort of hang in the air and get picked off by defensive backs. In addition, outside of his final game as a Spartan, he tended to perform very average in high-pressure situations on the road or at neutral sites-- especially if it was a big game. I think he is great in the short passing, and I think that he usually makes good decisions if he is playing at home. However, he does not have that next gear that the others we have mentioned in this thread do. The fact that he smashed many of the Spartan QB records is actually a testament to how poor the QB history was at MSU before Cousins-- and I am saying that as a big State guy.
I think out of the original 4 you asked about, I agree with many others that Kaepernick is the most likely to see the dropoff. I can't remember who said it, and I have no evidence to back it up, but there is just something about him I don't completely trust. He seems much more immature and unprofessional than the other three do and I feel like he may lack the mental toughness required to perform at a high level consistently. He is young and could change all of that though. There is also RG3's injury that is a relative unknown at this point, but I would expect him back at full strength by midseason assuming that he gets the attention he needs.
-
Rodgers is arguably the best QB, possibly best player in terms of game-changing ability, in the NFL right now. I think right now you have to say Rodgers, because he is the best right now and has won a Super Bowl already. I am assuming that number of Super Bowls won will be the measuring stick for who is "greater."
Rodgers is almost six years older than Luck. Rodgers probably still has about five to six years of excellent football left in him, whereas Luck has around twelve years of excellent football (assuming no significant injuries occur for either). This also assumes that Luck continues to improve and establishes himself as one of the top QBs in the league, which I am sure most if not all of us Colts fan will agree Luck will do.
I think it is too early to say who will be considered better when both of their careers are over. Super Bowls are very difficult to win obviously. Peyton Manning has only been able to win one, and he is near the end of his career. Brady was able to win three earlier in his career, but has not won one for awhile now. Luck could win one this upcoming season, then never win one again, or he may not win one for another ten years. Or maybe he wins multiple Super Bowls.
If we are basing it off of just pure talent at the QB position, I think Luck could end up being a very similar player to Rodgers. Both have excellent arms, good football smarts, and while not scramblers are very mobile for their position. Rodgers was in my opinion the best quarterback in the league the last two seasons, and will continue to be for probably at least two more seasons. It is still too early to think Luck can do that, but I know all of us Colts fans are hopeful. I do think Luck has the tools to do so assuming he continues to improve.
Right now, you have to give the nod to Rodgers, simply based off sample size.
-
I agree Hilton had too many drops, but PFF gave above average scores to guys like Domenik Hixon, Golden Tate, and Brandon Gibson
I had to look up who Domenik Hixon was. I agree-- if these players are "above average" then Hilton most assuredly is.
-
I agree, that's a pretty aggressive ranking for Allen at this point. I think Freeman should be above average, also. But Hilton's ranking I agree with, he had too many drops last year.
The drops were a problem, but Hilton has big-play potential every time he touches the ball; only a handful of players in the NFL can match his speed and quickness. I think that at the very least moves him into the "above average" category. Calling him "average" with his abilities, even at this stage where he is raw and has his share of drops, I think is a stretch. I simply don't think a player who can bust open a play at any moment can be labeled "average," even if they have some drops. However, I realize that this is using a certain formula that dictates what label the player will receive as opposed to the subjective eyeball test we fans use.
-
Fleener,Chapman, and Thornton should be starting over Allen,Franklin, and Mcglynn.
Allen was clearly better than Fleener last season in just about every way. That said, Fleener may be better when it is all said and done, especially playing in a system that is familiar to him.
In regards to the original list, I would move T.Y. Hilton and Jerrel Freeman up to the above average category, and I think a case could be made for Vontae Davis to be moved up to "High Quality." I am not completely sure if I would put Allen in the "high quality" category right now, but I definitely could see him there soon.
-
I think Andrew Luck is already the best QB in the AFC South-- that said, I don't think the Colts are quite as good as the Texans as a complete team yet when both teams are fully healthy. Each team won in their home stadium last year, and I don't see that changing this year. I expect the same result-- each winning at home against the other. I think both of them make the playoffs this year, with whichever team that does not win the division taking one of the Wild Card spots.
I like having both be strong playoff caliber teams. It makes the Divisional race interesting unlike most of the Manning years, and I always root for the a fellow AFC South team once the playoffs begin so long as they are not playing the Colts. It does make missing the playoffs a greater possibility if there are other strong Wild Card teams in other divisions and your team doesn't take the division, but all in all it makes everything more interesting and more fun to win. While I think the Titans are a more natural rivalry when they are good, I like the rivalry that is taking shape with the Texans and I hope both teams stay strong. I obviously really like the Colts chances with the QB and the coach.
-
Mark Sanchez was in an offense that covered up his weaknesses the first couple of years he was in the league and was behind an O-line that gave great protection. Conversely, Luck was in an offense last year that exposed his weaknesses (long ball) and made him have to function under a lot of pressure due to a poor O-line. Not only did that help Luck work on his weakness of the long ball and making quick reads, but he also is now in an offense that is tailored to his strengths and he is a familiar with. He is also familiar with the offensive coordinator from his time at Stanford. I don't see him having a drop off like Sanchez did in his third year or Tim Couch.
That said, anything is possible like others have stated. I just think that barring injury, Luck is the last person we need to worry about having a major drop off this season. I don't think he will experience the sophomore slump.
-
I think you're preaching to the choir here for the most part. In all honesty, the only people I have seen that state Luck wasn't really as great as his numbers indicated due to needing to throw the ball so much to get them or that his winning-4th quarter drives were a product of his own mistakes are almost exclusively Redskins/RG3 fans. I think most other fans of other teams acknowledge that Luck is special. There are knocks on all three of the rookie QBs-- but that doesn't mean they are not outstanding. You can't expect rookies to be perfect.
I am obviously bias being a Colts fan, but I would take Luck over both Wilson and RG3 simply because he is a pure pocket passer. All three were excellent last year and all three are intelligent and understand the game, but I would be worried about the longevity of the other two unless they modify their games or get a different scheme in the long run. RG3 especially seems like he needs a new scheme if he is going to last in the league.
-
Putting Luck or any player at a definite spot in a Top 100 list is completely arbitrary.
That said, I don't believe that #23 for last season is so unreasonable like some posters are acting like on here. He had a great season for a rookie QB. Any time you set a rookie record (or any record) in the NFL you had a spectacular season (assuming we are talking about "positive" stats and not turnovers, etc.). And it most definitely is not "average" as one person said earlier in this thread-- I think just to get a rise out of people.
Also, any time you try to have an aggregate ranking that involves all positions you are essentially going to be doing an apples-to-oranges comparison that makes a list even more arbitrary than already is. I mean, how can you honestly value a cornerback and a quarterback on equal terms? It is very difficult because "production" at those two positions is evaluated in a completely different way. These lists are just there to create debate, which was obviously a success.
-
Sorry if this has already been discussed but I have been away for the forums for some time. I was wondering how others felt T.Y. Hilton would perform in this new offense. I think we will see improvement out of the RBs, TEs, and especially Luck in this new offense. From what I hear it will utilize the RBs and TEs much more so than last year. Obviously, Luck being back in a familiar system should strengthen his confidence, as will many more easy, short completions that were lacking last year. I look for a breakout season for Luck.
I don't worry about Reggie Wayne, simply because the man is a professional and can adapt his talent to any system. He will do well in this new offense. The one player I worry about it is Hilton, simply because it sounds like there will not be nearly as much deep stuff or even medium yardage passes coming out of this offense, which is what Hilton thrived on last season. I am not sure how he will perform in this new offense because I really did not get to see the Stanford offense very much when Luck was at the helm in his college days. Will a speedy receiver like Hilton be a good fit in such a offense? Or are possession guys a better fit?
I hope that some deep plays are kept in the playbook that will utilize Hilton's speed. Of course I know that the Stanford playbook contains some deep plays, but I hope that the Colts aren't so conservative that they completely abandon taking the deep shot to Hilton here and there throughout games, which is what kept so many defenses off balance last season. How do others feel Hilton will perform this coming season?
-
I don't know the stats, but I don't think Flacco was even having that great a year before the playoffs. If I am the Ravens, I am exploring other options, because a guy who essentially only has a deep ball as his primary weapon (which doesn't work most of the time it is thrown contrary to the way it has happened in these playoffs) and is average in every other way is not worth $20 million-- Superbowl win or not.
You have to seriously wonder if there is a screw or two loose in Flacco's head. Everyone is entitled to make as much money as they can, but you still have to be reasonable. And asking for Top 3 money when you are Joe Flacco is certainly not reasonable. This on the heels of his recent comments that he sees himself as the best QB in the NFL make you sort of wonder if he honestly believes what he said and he was not being rhetorical when he said it.
-
While I think OL is the single biggest need on the team, along with CB being a close second, IF we were to take a RB, as a MSU alum I think the Colts should take a hard look at LeVeon Bell. He is a bruiser back that does just about everything very very well. His weakness is that he is not very fast, but he can catch a pass out of the backfield, holds onto the ball, waits for his blockers, and is very tough to take down, sometimes dragging 3-4 defenders with him during his college days. While this obviously won't happen in the NFL, the guy was an All-American caliber player on an otherwise average offense for the Spartans this year. He would be an excellent backup guy to Ballard and possibly could be a starter. I would like him more than Taylor, but I admit I am biased here.
That said, I would still prefer addressing the OL and CB before we worry about RBs.
-
If it is coming down to having a rivalry with another QB, the only possible answer is Tannehill. None of the other up and comers play in the AFC except Weeden who is already too old to be a rival of Luck. Tannehill had his ups and downs this season and definitely was not on the same level as Luck though. However, he definitely has some skills and I think Miami could be trending up in the next few years. So he is a possibility.
Edit: Not to mention that first game of Luck-Tannehill was a pretty good one.
-
Since this thread is supposedly about stats, here's a real simple one, folks:
Avery had essentially not played football for 2 whole years (1st due to injury, 2nd riding the bench in Tennessee because he hadn't fully healed yet).
The rookies supposedly get a hall pass because of their rookie-ness, but they all played full seasons the year prior, so wouldn't they logically be less rusty than someone who's been out for 2 years?
I still think Avery has a chance to be special, and as much as some of his drops drove me crazy this past season, I think he could develop some amazing chemistry with Luck. For that reason, it wouldn't surprise me to see him retained, and I'd probably be a little disappointed if the team chose to move on without him.
I agree with you 100%. While Avery's drops were a source of consternation this past season, the guy has a second gear with speed that few can match. It makes much more sense to keep him around than let him go when he and Luck have begun to have chemistry and he is a lot cheaper than a guy like Mike Wallace.
He did not play well in the WC game against the Ravens due to drops, but for the most part he was pretty solid this season. Unless he wants an inordinate amount of money I feel that the Colts should bring him back and let him continue to develop with Luck. In all fairness, he has not really played all that much in his career yet due to injury. That said, I still think the Colts should try to add a bigger receiver. Like someone mentioned, a later round draft pick might be the place to do this.
If the Colts did not bring back Avery, did not sign a bigger receiver, and then signed Mike Wallace I would be disappointed. However, Mike Wallace probably isn't a worry anymore since Arians is no longer here.
-
Flacco essentially lives and dies by the long bomb. When I watch Flacco he makes a good throw here and there, but he is overall not very impressive. Throwing bombs down the field and continually getting bailed out by spectacular catches by Boldin and Pitta are how Flacco has won his past three playoff games. It has worked so far, but all it takes is for one or two of those to be picked off and they aren't where they are today. Until the last couple of seasons, it has also been the Raven's defense that has won them the games, not the offense. He also benefits greatly from having Ray Rice in the backfield with him. I think Flacco is solid, but by no means elite or "great." He won't be the first average QB to play in the Superbowl, or even win one.
Flacco's receivers have been catching his bombs downfield the past three games and they have been winning. However, when the bomb isn't there and the offense is on Ray Rice's shoulders, they struggle to score. If it stops working in the Superbowl don't be surprised if the 49ers win by double digits. Ravens are simply "that team" this year that gets hot at the right time.
-
But Dudley......He DID meet her more than once. You dont get it.
She wasnt HER...'Her' 'brother' called his parents...but there is no real 'her' and there was no real 'brother'
'She' texted Teo's parents ...Her 'brother' called his parents after 'she' died to cry on their shoulder.
But there was no her and there was no brother....It was all a game..
.A catfish story. A complicated con...//There are photos of HER but it isnt her.
Other peole met HER but it isnt her
She originaly met Teo..and they exchanged e-mails but she wasnt who she said she was
Of course, he did want to believe it..and repeated the story...he wanted to believe she existed...that he wasnt crazy
They built a house of cards around him. They played him for a fool...
In addition to what Jvan just said to show the inconsistencies in the story, this is all just too much to believe.
I am going to assume you are a Notre Dame fan who just doesn't want to believe Teo is capable of being a liar. The fact is every other person is using an Occam's Razor approach and it is much more likely that Teo lied rather than facts A, B, C, D, E, F, G, etc. all had to happen in order to come out that Teo is absolutely clean.
The vacation story, despite your explanation, still does not make any sense. You say someone other than Teo told the parents Teo and his imaginary girlfriend met in Hawaii. So Teo and his parents never once talked about it themselves? They never said to him "Hey son heard you and the woman went to Hawaii this past week." Come on. That is a big enough occurrence that his parents would have said something about it to Teo. The ND dude saying Teo told him they never met in person is just evidence that Teo can't get his own story straight. He told his parents they met in Hawaii months ago, now when the girlfriend is shown to be in fact, not real, he states "oh we never met...I was duped the whole time!"
I agree that maybe someone pranked him to begin with and made him think that he had a "girlfriend" online. But Teo is lying about a number of things on top of it and became one of the conmen after the fact. There is really no other explanation.
-
Jvan..
..and the scammers texted Teo's parents after his grandma died to send 'condolences'
..and he brother talked to his parenst fro two hours so they could help him get over the 'loss' of Teo's 'girklfriend'
These cons are more indetph than many realize..
Check out today's USA-Today...
Anybody can be conned....and if you think you are to smart, that only makes you a better target
Okay. And did the scammers force Teo to tell his parents that he had gone to Hawaii and met his imaginary girlfriend there? I guess the normal reaction when you get to Hawaii and find no one there waiting for you is to just go home and tell your parents that you did in fact meet when you did not? Just doesn't make any sense. No rational human being would react that way. The whole thing is a fabrication. Maybe Teo initially was duped. But then he began to play along with it and became one of the conmen himself.
Here is something to chew on....
in Colts Football
Posted
I agree with John Dee-- I was very confused why Donald Brown was in on the final play to block for Luck when the guy is notoriously poor with that skill (Godd*mnit Donald!). I also think Pep needs to get T.Y. more involved in the offense. I think if he is looking at a good way to make defenses play for the blitz, set up some screen plays that involve getting the ball to Hilton when the blitz is rolling in and let Hilton rip off a huge gainer as a result. I am wondering if Luck is sometimes having trouble recognizing the blitz-- granted the final play of the last drive it wouldn't have made any difference considering how quickly he was sacked.