rockywoj

He was not successful, but he was never used properly. To boot, he was positionally a bad pick at the time. OL was the ignored need, as was so often the case.

Man, Leonard’s rookie season, I marvelled about him from the getgo and 4 games in said he’s going to win defensive rookie of the year. His first two season were magical and he kept playing like a star in year 3. He was deserving of the big contract extension! Then Shaq came along and was never what Darius was. I hoped he could return to form, but once he started airing his grievances in public, I figured he was for sure gone after the season. A bit shocked it came fast like this, though. What a sad two year ending for a guy that looked like he was going to be a HOF’er. Hope we can find another like Darius with a 2nd or 3rd rounder, once again. All the best to Leonard.

Makes the Cleveland debacle all the more painful.

No need to justify, and it is not a point to be debated about Andrew Luck being far ahead of AR at this point. Obviously, he was. Luck would’ve been a HOF’er had he not bailed on his career, instead continuing along with good health. That being said, though, all through his career I found myself wishing he had Manning’s accuracy and touch. The point is, though, that AR ought not to be so harshly judged by his incredibly early career misfirings. He is so raw and it’s just such a shame that his rookie year was lost to injury. For his future, I remain hopeful. IF he can come back healthy for next year, this thread topic will be very interesting indeed. For the remainder of this year, though, it’s now a bore, like I said, moot for the remainder of 2023.

To the bolded, as was the case with Andrew Luck throughout most of his career. To the point, though, fact of the matter is that AR’s sample size was too small to make any judgements. Ergo, the comparison for this year is over, being that the only relevance here is how the others compare to AR.

With AR out for the year, this thread becomes moot, until next year. Up until AR got hurt for the year, he was right there competing to be the best, so now the “debate” is simply on hold.

They absolutely should be 6-4, but a case for 7-3 can be made too.

Even on that big catch, it was kind of a cruddy route where he rounded his cut rather than being sudden in his cut or giving a bit of a fake the other way. Good that he made the catch, but I am so far still disappointed in him.

It was uuuugly, but regardless of that, any win over the evil empire is a good win. I find myself concerned about so many unimaginative running plays that reminded me of the horror that was Frank Reich’s running play calling. I just don’t know why the Colts post Manning years seem so opposed to stretch running plays and getting the ball into their playmakers hands in space.

Don Shula: 1963-1969 … Baltimore Colts HC, RS = 71W-24L-4T .755, PO = 2W-3L, 1 NFL Championship wins, 2 NFL Championship losses, 1 SuperBowl loss. Note, in 1967 Shula led the Colts to an 11-1-2 .917 record, but the Colts still missed the playoffs, despite being TIED with the LA Rams for the NFL’s BEST record! 1970-1995 … Miami Dolphins HC, RS = 257W-133L-2T .659, PO = 17W-14L, 5 SB appearances w/2 SuperBowl wins. Note, 33 total seasons as a head coach, with a grand total of just 2 losing (below .500) seasons! Incredible, and imho, the best. And he had incredible success with a variety of QBs and through arguably three eras of football. Whereas pretty much all of Belichick’s success came with but one QB, Tom Brady.

I am partial to former Colts coach, Don Shula.

Pretty sure they are not the highest paid LB or OL guys, but their contracts are not out of whack outliers. Yet even if they were, I don’t care because I am not aware of any single player the team WANTED, but could not sign because they could not afford it.

Disagree. They could’ve signed any of them. I think they viewed those guys as stop gap and wanted to move on with the younger guys. Doesn’t mean mistakes weren’t made, but for the contracts those guys signed elsewhere, Colts could have EASILY signed them within the constraints of the salary cap. Simply, they just thought those guys weren’t worth it.

Yup. I’m like, I don’t give a crap what our good players are re-signed for. If they’re good, then pay them accordingly per market rates. As long as the team is not missing out in ability to sign players due to salary cap constraints, then to me to lose sleep over such things, it’s just, ummm, let’s say, unproductive stress.

Respectfully, I disagree. Yes there’s a salary cap, but can you name even one player the Colts wanted to sign, but could not because of Salary cap constraints? I am not aware of any player the Colts have wanted keep or wanted to acquire, whom they could not because of salary cap constraints. To me, all this salary cap concern falls under don’t sweat the small stuff and don’t sweat what you can’t control.

I hope beyond hope they extend him!

It amuses me when some people are sooo concerned about what certain players are paid, when it’s not coming out of their wallet. Colts have not been prevented from acquiring players at more impact positions because of what they pay in the trenches. Fact. In other words, “Don’t worry about the money, Greg.”

Unfortunately I won’t be able to watch or follow along live, as I am in Vegas going to the Raiders vs Giants game. Now that McDaniels has been fired, I can cheer for the Raiders in this game. lol (Unrelated, went to U2 at the Sphere last night. Absolutely mind blowing experience, almost beyond words. The sound and vision experience is unprecedented and likely ruins all future arena / stadium shows for me, as I cannot conceive how any other show could measure up. 1 million percent recommendation to see U2 (or any band in the future) at the Sphere!)

Re: Ultimate Trap Game With the Colts current record and injuries, no game can be a “trap” game.

Winnable, though less so upon learning that Reich has given up his offensive play calling duties as of the Panthers last game, coincidentally the Panthers first win of the season.

Saw this reported about Carolina’s last game … “Reich did give up his play-calling duties last week to Thomas Brown.” Reich surrenders play calling and Panthers go out and win their first game. Bad for the Colts that Reich has ceded offensive play calling duties.

Queue the Jim Harbaugh speculation.

Not I. I want the Colts to demolish the Panthers! I will be embarrassed as a fan, if the Colts lose. I said at the beginning of the year that if the Colts only win one game all year, to me it has to be this game against the Reich led Panthers.

As a competitor, you have to have pride. Growing up playing competitive hockey, more times than not, the teams I played for sucked big time. But even in losing, my goal was always to play as well as possible, to standout as a player that NEVER gave up and always strived to be the best. As a player, any teammate that is not giving it their all, I am calling that numbskull out, because their lack of effort is hurting my desire to win. As a coach and GM, any player that isn’t giving it their all is to the bench and then gone if they don’t shape up, because they are hurting my career longevity. As an owner, any player or coach that is “tanking”, that’s not a person allowed to remain on my team. Effort has to be there and if it’s not, then all those responsible for lack of effort are history!

Thought of “tanking” is ridiculous. Total loser mentality. I can understand a “fan’s” perspective of preferring their going nowhere team to lose to better their draft standing, but to think the actual team would take on the total loser mentality of tanking, that would be deplorable. A team found guilty of purposely tanking ought to lose draft picks. Didn’t the Dolphins just suffer that fate? Tank talk basically disgusts me. Know what else will disgust me? If the Colts lose to the Reich led Panthers. <puke> Go Colts!