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divineprodigy

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  1. divineprodigy
    In a previous article I covered the Colts 1st round selection of Phillip Dorsett and offered my analogy behind the purpose of why the front office took him over addressing more pressing needs, particularly on defense. With players like Landon Collins and Malcom Brown still on the board, the Colts opted for the fleet footed Dorsett to shore up a WR group that in the eyes of many is already loaded. The timing of this pick couldn't be more impeccable when you take in Hilton on the edge of a contract year coming up. Hilton didn't sound too pleased when asked for his thoughts on the pick:
    “there was nothing he could do about that,” in regards to the pick. He (Hilton) went on to say that “(it was) a pick they thought they needed, so I guess that’s what we needed to help this team."
    So is it just me, or does anyone else get the feeling that Dorsett was brought on board to "soften the value" of Hilton to either get him to resign at a lower agreement or replace him if Hilton decides to go play for more money elsewhere? When prodded on this subject both Grigson and coach Pagano reiterated that they "stuck to the board" and took the BPA. Come on guys. We weren't born yesterday. It makes no sense to have two players with identical skill sets at a position that's clearly not a need, and for those who want to make the argument that "Johnson is 34 years old and Dorsett was brought in to be his replacement" need I remind you that the team already has a stud in Donte Moncrief as well as the addition of Duron Carter. What was the purpose of bringing him on? Drafting yet another WR (especially in the 1st round) clearly doesn't send the message that you have confidence in him being a major component of your offense, especially anytime soon. Carter also stated that he chose the Colts under the impression that he would be catching balls from Luck. Well as things look right now it doesn't seem that he will be seeing the field anytime soon. Are you going to put him in the rotation with Hilton, Johnson, Dorsett, and Moncrief? What the Colts do between using Dorsett and Moncrief should be interesting to say the least. With this luxury of weapons Pep Hamilton may have to ditch the two TE sets in order to utilize the stable of WRs he has at his disposal.
    What we are seeing right now with Grigson is a new trend amongst GMs in which they take advantage of the CBA by replacing players approaching the end of their rookie deals via the draft. The only players who aren't viewed as expendable once their rookie contracts are up are franchise QBs. Although I like Dorsett and view him as a special talent, I have to admit that I wasn't fully on board with this year's 1st round choice. After sleeping on it for a few days I am still not fully on board, especially given the fact that the team could have addressed so many other needs with better players on defense who were available. I don't argue the fact that Dorsett is an absolute stud. However, Andrew Luck doesn't need the best Wrs on the planet to be successful. Luck is a good enough QB that he can make average players around him better than what they really are (see Colts offensive line). Will the Colts be better on offense with this pick? That's a given. Will they be a better team overall? That's to be determined.
  2. divineprodigy
    Game two is now in the books for the horseshoes and the glowing accolades for Andrew Luck are still coming in. Bob Kravitz even wrote an article called: "Keep your power running game. "Give me Andrew Luck throwing the ball." While Luck looked good on national TV vs the Giants, the much ballyhooed running game didn't. A lot of Colts fans share Kravitz' opinion given the fact that Luck definitely satisfies the those who still suffer from the "Manning" hangover and since Luck reminds so many of us of Peyton with his play on the field. Well for those of you who are thinking the Colts will indeed forfeit their approach of implementing a power running game, I hate to be the bearer of bad news. That approach isn't going anywhere in the foreseeable near future. How do I know this? Simple.
    There's one thing that new OC Pep Hamilton and coach Chuck Pagano have in common: "Pride." If you listen to coach Pags when he's addressing the media on team news, it's not hard to see the difference between how he talks about the offense vs how he goes about discussing the defense. Coach Pagano "talks" about the offense. He beams over the defense. In a recent interview with Indystar beat writer Zac Keefer coach Pags said: “We’re going to be a darn good defense,” Pagano said Monday. “The guys can feel it, and can start to see it.” As the former DC of the Ravens this should be of no surprise. Pagano wants the stamp of this team to be the defense. Pep Hamilton shares that same kind of passion but for the offensive side of the ball. In spite of how good Luck is at QB, Pep wants to bludgeon opponents into submission with a punishing ground attack that opens up the field for the pass. Pep is not the type of guy who will go "willingly into the night" to appease his opponents on game day. He wants to force his will on the opposition. It's what he was known for at Stanford and wants to continue with Indy. He wants the Colts to make their competition "skip to his beat" and not the other way around. That said, he isn't going to scrap the approach to the running game one iota. If anything, Grigson will bring in more help on the O-line in order to make that happen before the Colts change their approach to Hamilton's system. I for one don't think that will happen though because the bodies we need to fix the run game are already here by way of the draft. Come mid-season, I believe the Colts will start to resemble the battering ram of an offense that Hamilton envisioned when he took his job with the horseshoes. The days of "small" and "quick" players are over for this franchise. The new regime has spoken, and they want a "monster."
  3. divineprodigy
    With the 2012 NFL draft now behind us, there's no question the top priority for the Colts was surrounding their new signal caller with talent to help him develop at the next level. This goes along with the current trend taking place in the NFL with teams loading up on offense while neglecting the defense. The only teams that have kinda been the exceptions to the rule are the NY Giants, and the Pittsburgh Steelers of late. Of the last four SB winning teams (Giants, Packers, Steelers, and Colts), all fielded teams that were stronger on offense than on defense with the exception of the Steelers. Out of that group, the Giants and the Steelers have won two SBs each within a 6 year span. Out of that group, the Giants and the Steelers were more balanced on both sides of the ball as a team than either the Packers, the Colts and either of their opponents.
    In last year's playoffs, the Saints and Packers were favored to win over their opponents because they were regarded as the better offensive teams. The Saints lost to a 49ers team that was a joke of an offense to watch yet fielded the league's best defense. The Packers were the top offensive team in league last year yet were beaten soundly in their own back yard by a Giants team that was arguably the most complete team heading into the playoffs. Some might argue that the Giants were an offensive juggarnaut who had a weak defense as well just like the Packers. That would be a misconception due to the fact the Giants had a lot of injuries to the defense earlier in the year and got healthy at the right time. By postseason, the Giants had a formidable defense which featured one of the league's better D-lines in the game. The reason why the Giants beat the favored Patriots is not because Eli Manning threw for 5000 yards that season. They won because they had a defense which boasted a front four that could constantly put pressure on the QB, and also force turnovers.
    Its rare to see a team in this day and age which is just as strong on defense as it is on offense. We really haven't seen this since the early 80s and 90s with teams like the Cowboys, Steelers , and 49ers. Even during the Patriots dynasty, the only SBs they won were the ones with decent defenses, not the teams that featured Randy Moss, Wes Welker, or "The Gronk." This is where the Colts come in. Imagine this for a second. Think of how good the 2000 Ravens would be if they had Manning as their QB. That would be down right "nasty." If Andrew Luck is as good as everyone thinks he is, the Colts should start giving him a good defense "now." Defense is what should have been the focus for this year's draft. Good QBs don't need top notch talent around them. Good QBs elevate the play of the players they already have at their disposal.
  4. divineprodigy
    Sunday's win was a bitter sweet one. Due to the loss of stud receiver and locker room leader Reggie Wayne for the season, beating the Broncos came at a costly price. It's not easy for any team to continue the same level of success offensively after losing a player of Wayne's caliber. Still, this loss provides yet another opportunity for someone on this team to be the "next man up." Could it be DHB? LaVon Brazill? How about Griff Whalen? You can bet Grigson is on the horn right now sending out feelers to other GMs as I write this. That said, I have a feeling that this could go one or two ways. For starters, I think this latest setback will create an opportunity to feature DHB in ways we haven't seen all year. Heyward Bey had his best outing last Sunday night in catching 4 passes for 44 yards and a touchdown and also adding a 30-yard rush on an end around. Could this be a sign of things to come? Last Sunday night was definitely a step in that direction. I've always liked DHB's physical abilities on the field. Now that he has a top 5 QB to work with for the 1st time in his career hopefully he will finally reach his true potential.
    As far as trade scenarios go, I wouldn't be surprised to see if Grigs makes a run at Miles Austin. With the emergence of standout rookie Terrence Williams and slot receiver gem Cole Beasley, the Cowboys are loaded at the WR position and may be looking to unload Austin. He's been phased out of the offense and used sparingly since the emergence of Williams and Beasley. Austin would fit in very well with our offense due to not only his route running and speed, but also his down field blocking in the run game. Austin still has deep speed and at 6-2, 216 lbs is a bigger target than T.Y. Hilton. The arrival of Austin would allow Hilton to play the slot and would virtually cause a matchup nightmare for opponents on a weekly basis. A WR of his caliber would do wonders for the running game. For starters, if the Colts went to a more spread out offense, I believe it would open the running lanes for Trent Richardson. Richardson has not been as effective as he could be because the Colts have not disguised how they are going to run him when he's in the game. Whenever Pep puts T-Rich in, he runs him out of traditional sets that leave nothing to the imagination for defenses to figure out.Teams are still putting 8-9 men in the box whenever Richardson is on the field and the Colts have yet to exploit that. With Wayne out for the season the time is now for Richardson to become a focal point of this offense. Although the Colts have been impressive in winning games against the elite teams of the league, for them to reach the NFL's biggest stage the running game will need to be better than it has been thus far. That means putting Trent Richardson in better positions to be successful than he has been previously. The loss of Reggie Wayne doesn't have to be a handicap for the rest of this season. Like the Pacers losing Granger for the year and finding a gem in the emergence of Paul George, the Colts can do the same with one or two of the pieces they already have. For some, adversity brings out the "quit." For others, it brings out the "fight." Time will tell which one will surface for the Colts in the face of this latest setback.
  5. divineprodigy
    With most of the other 31 teams in the NFL keeping the course of the "copycat" with them all trying to mimic the aerial attacks of today's most prolific passing offenses, coach Pagano (and a small list of others) still believes in using the basic fundamentals of success used in the past: "Running the ball and stopping the run." Many would call it "old school," but if we look at the history of SB winners, that term would hardly fit the bill. With teams like the Patriots, Broncos, and Saints all being the current "flavor of the month" as far as fielding high octane offenses, it's the teams that practiced the "old school" principles of the game who went the furthest in the post season. Baltimore was not a sexy pic to win the SB by any of the "experts" yet they are the current defending SB champs. Even now the biased east coast media's "love affair" with Brady and the Pats continues as they are the early favorites to represent the AFC in next year's SB along with the Broncos.
    For the past 5 years, the black and blue division of the AFC North has been one of the more dominant divisions in football with the Steelers, Ravens, and now Bengals added to the mix of playoff contenders. What do these three teams all have in common? They are all "old school." When you look at the 2013 Colts coach Pags and Ryan Grigson are putting together, you will see them resemble teams like the Steelers and Ravens more and more as the years go on. Good, strong defense, smash mouth offense. Yet it's on the offensive side of the ball where this team can really stand apart. The Colts remind me of the Niners during the Montana era. That team was solid on both sides of the ball even though the Niners were known more for their high-powered offense over anything else. That being said, coach Pagano and GM Ryan Grigson believe in the fundamental approach that the game of football was built on. That battle has always and will continue to always be won or lost at the games' most crucial point of attack: "The line of scrimmage."
    Any true NFL fan who's a student of the game knows that you don't have to look far to find examples of what has been the most successful approach to winning in the postseason vs that of the regular. We are all familiar with the term: Offense wins games, but defense wins championships. I can't think of a better example of this than the 2000 Ravens. A defense like that can allow you to win the biggest game of the year with a QB who had less talent than most backups in the league. Trent Dilfer was a "game manager." That's just another way of saying "A QB who doesn't lose games for you." Those type of QBs only thrive on teams who run the ball more than they pass it, or only pass it when they have to. Andrew Luck is light years ahead of what Dilfer would have ever been and he's better than most of today's starters now. Giving a QB of his caliber a solid running game and a good defense is down right scary when you think about it. That's why it's easy to get extremely excited about the Colts this year. Regardless of what the critics say and who Vegas dubs the "sexy pics" for this year's SB contenders, the Colts will be in the mix and are poised for a deep run into the post season for 2013.
  6. divineprodigy
    If you haven't read the story on Colts rookie O-lineman Hugh Thornton, you should make your way on over to Indystar.com and read the front page article on him and his journey to the NFL: http://www.indystar.com/article/20130509/SPORTS03/305090081/Colts-rookie-overcomes-murder-mother-sister-reach-NFL When the Colts initially made this pick, I really didn't get into researching his stats or anything right off the bat. I was looking at the corner back position and researching the free agent DB picks the team made instead. Then I read the article on Thornton's life which hit on the early tragic losses he endured when he was a kid. On Jan. 2, 2004, Thornton’s mother, Michele, and 8-year-old sister, Marley, were murdered during the night in their Jamaican home. Hugh, 12 at the time, was asleep in another room. His Aunt Rebecca found the bodies the following morning and woke him up screaming. Stop and think about that for a second. This kid is lucky to be alive when the murders of two of his close relatives took place just a room away. The reason this story struck a cord with me is because it hits close to home. I lost my father when I was just a kid as well. Like Thornton, I too was 12 years old. My father was gunned down and robbed while leaving a grocery store by two teenage boys who so happened to be sons of a preacher. To add insult to injury, the boys were not tried as adults and were freed a year later. Their father was a pastor of a mega church in LA, which probably played a part in the early release of his sons.
    If anyone can relate to the kind of pain Hugh experienced 9 years ago, I definitely can. For me, Hugh represents the story of so many African American faces who have been through the struggle we call "life," and in spite of the circumstances we face, have risen above them in order to beat the odds. As fans, when we see players who come from what we call "the wrong side of the tracks," many of us will judge them without even knowing what their stories are. We call them "thugs," and "losers" because the only information we use to judge them by is what we gather from the news clippings we see in the papers or the perceptions we receive from Sports shows we watch. Most of us form opinions of these athletes who in truth are people we've never met. People just like you and me. We have no idea what these "Sunday heroes" go through when they are not on the football field. We have no idea what their daily lives are like when they take off the equipment. What's sad is the perception people have that says "since these players are making more money than the average Joe, that somehow entitles us to judge them with higher standards than the ones we judge ourselves with."
    Although I am not an athlete, I don't agree with this point of view. I believe people are still people and there is no price tag that can or should change that. In the case of Hugh Thornton, this is just the kind of person who should not only be embraced by the city of Indianapolis, but taken under the wing of fans all around. Welcome to the Colts Hugh. You have a least one new fan who is hoping that you become one of the very best at what you do.
  7. divineprodigy
    I remember when this city was a basketball town. Before the Colts moved here it was all about Reggie Miller and the Pacers. It was all about the Indiana Hoosiers of college basketball. Fast forward now to the Jim Harbaugh era and the birth of the nickname "cardiac kids" for a franchise that had been mediocre at best for the majority of the time it was in Indy. Although that 1995 team lacked the flash and dash of teams filled with "superstar players," it was a team built with strong defense, a punishing running game, and a veteran QB who could make all the clutch throws when needed. In other words, the 95' squad had balance. That team was a Quinton Coryatt INT away against the Steelers from going to the SB. Had they gone, I believe that Colts team would have beaten the Cowboys and won it all as they proved by beating them the very next season in Dallas' own stadium. Now travel through time ahead again to 1998 as we go from the Harbaugh era to Manning.
    Peyton Manning took this franchise to heights it had never reached before, and in essence turned the city of Indianapolis into a Football town. The Colts had arrived. After 3 unsuccessful years of trying to get past the Patriots, Manning led the Colts to their 1st SB appearance in 2006 since the franchises' move to Indy and on ahead to defeat the Bears. While many look at the accomplishments of what Peyton did during his career as a Colt, I look at what he could have accomplished had the front office he had then taken the approach that the current brass is taking now with Luck.
    For all of Manning's brilliance, the reason he doesn't have more rings than he currently does now is due to the fact that he's been a one man show throughout the majority of his career in Indy. The Polian regime was content with that approach as long as the Colts kept winning and making the playoffs. Manning led one of the NFL's most prolific passing attacks in the game, and helped the Colts finish in the top 10 in nearly every passing offensive category during his entire career with the blue and white. That approach worked great for the regular season, but when the playoffs came it was a different story. The Colts owned the AFC South for nearly 10 years straight under Manning, but could do nothing with that edge come playoff time for the better part of those years. They were knocked out of the playoffs 2 times by the Patriots, twice by San Diego, once by the Steelers, twice by the Jets, and once to both the Titans and Dolphins, and most of the teams on that list were heavy underdogs to the Colts with the lone exception being the Patriots. They lost all of those games as well as a SB to the Saints for the same reason: No balance on offense, and a "bend but don't break defense" that couldn't get off the field when the game was on the line.
    In a league where QBs are constantly either praised too much for team success or equally thrown under the bus for a teams' failures, the most obvious reasons behind the rise and fall of franchises are also the ones that are quickly over looked. Most analysts and sports fans alike judge a QB on how many rings he has, but if you use common sense it's not hard to see how flawed that approach is when evaluating talent. As odd as this may sound, Trent Dilfer has the same amount of rings that Manning does. Does that mean Dilfer is a shoe in for the HOF? Not even close. Keeping that same formula in mind, Ben Roethlesburger, and Tom Brady each have more rings than Manning. Would you say they are better QBs than Manning because of it? For people like myself who would say no, the question I'm often asked is "Well if you say Manning is better why does Brady and Big Ben have more playoff success than Manning does?" Easy answer. They both play for teams that are better balanced than the ones Manning has played for. Quite frankly, Brady and Roethlesburger don't have to be "Superman" every week for their teams to be successful. They both played with teams that had a solid running game and stout defenses. In fact, the reason why you haven't seen the Pats have as much success now as they had in the early 2000s is because they have strayed away from that formula (Along with Spygate). The Pats resemble the 2005 Colts now in being an offensive aerial juggernaut with a bend but don't break defense.
    So what does this all mean in relation to Andrew Luck and the 2013 Colts? As I mentioned earlier, Andrew Luck has the chance to accomplish more the Manning did here by doing less. How so? Well if you have been paying attention to the direction in which Ryan Grigson and coach Chuck Pagano have been going as far as building this new current version of the Colts, you'll see that Luck won't have to play on a level that's considered "other worldly" the way Manning did week in and week out in order for the team to be competitive. The pieces that are being placed around him now will be good enough to alleviate the need for Luck to carry them. In fact, they can carry him when he has an off day. That's the importance of having a balanced team. When it's all said and done, Andrew Luck just may surpass Manning's greatness, and it will be because of the team he has around him as equally as the play required of himself as the reasons why.
  8. divineprodigy
    Once again the Colts sent shockwaves throughout the NFL world with their 1st round latest selection via the 2015 NFL draft. With safety and D-line being the main talk entering the draft within the front office, just about everyone in and outside of Indy had the Colts taking either Landon Collins or Malcolm Brown still on the board. Yet the Colts took former Hurricane blazer Phillip Dorsett and turned the Indy fanbase upside down, with many gnashing their teeth & calling for GM Ryan Grigson’s head on a platter.
    On the surface this pick appears to be a wasted one given the fact the team is already loaded at the position, especially with the additions of Andre Johnson, and Duron Carter joining an already formidable stable of targets that include T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief, and TEs Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen from last year. However, there is one good reason why the front office made this move, and that’s to provide insurance at WR if T.Y. Hilton bolts via free agency after the Colts make Luck the league’s highest paid QB. As scary as that may sound, Losing Hilton is a very real possibility when taking into account all of the mouths the front office will have to feed in the next two years.
    "You have to be smart about it,” Grigson said. “We're always forward thinking. Before we make any type of move, [we] are looking down the line. Because you don't want to hamstring yourself and you don't want to lose your franchise. So, obviously I have very smart people around me that remind me, including our owner. So we'll be smart about that and we'll make sure that we keep our best players here as best we can."
    Those are the words of a man who is preparing for the “inevitable.” No matter how much we want to believe players we root for will never leave our teams, the harsh reality of the salary cap is a constant reminder that no team is exempt from the casualties of free agency. This year alone leading up to the draft should serve as proof of that reality, especially when you look at the flurry of blockbuster moves that took place. Do you think the possibility of Jimmy Graham being traded to the Seahawks ever crossed the mind of die-hard Saints fans? How about “Shady” McCoy being shipped to Buffalo? Didn’t think so. Those two moves alone should let Colts fans know that nothing can be taken for granted in this league, and with teams jockeying for position to make title runs as best they can, fans should always “expect the unexpected” during this time of year as we enter a new season.
  9. divineprodigy
    There has been a lot of speculation on what the 2013 Luck led Colts offense will look like this year. With Bruce Arians in Arizona now fresh off his coach of the year campaign, blue nation has been wondering what his replacement will bring to the boys in blue on offense. New OC Pep Hamilton ran one of the most dynamic schemes as Stanford's head coach last year, as did the man he replaced there in Jim Harbaugh the year before he left Stanford. Under Bruce Arians, the Colts featured the long ball as the staple of the offense. so what will Hamilton bring to the mix? When asked if he would be running a west coast offense similar to that of Stanford in his first interview as a member of the Colts staff, Pep said that the Colts will be running what he called a "no coast" offense. That statement has a lot of people guessing at what that would compare too. If there is any team in the league that I think gives a good example to reference on what a scheme like this would look like, we need look no further than the 49ers.
    For all intent and purposes, the Niners run a multi-headed monster that "morphs" into the scheme it needs to be in in order to exploit the weaknesses of it's opponents from week to week, and even quarter by quarter at times. One game you could see Kaepernick throw for 300+ yards through the air. Another week you could see the Niners deploy Frank Gore and a power running attack that bludgeons it's opponents to death for 170 yards on the ground. Or a game in which Kaepernick uses his legs out of the read option and beats you with both his running and his arm. Although Andrew Luck is not the speed demon that Colin Kaepernick is, he still possesses enough wheels to give opposing defenses something else to worry about.
    Hamilton said in a recent interview that the Colts offense had no limits and even mentioned the possibility of using some read option sets. That comment somehow has caused quite a stir from some Colts fans that I would classify as just down right "paranoid." The quote in question reads: "There's nothing we can't do. We can incorporate some pistol concepts, which is kind of a trend, an 'en vogue' thing in the league right now. Everybody's talking about the QB option, the QB read game, the QB pistol, the pistol components that we can run. But, we'll be smart. We'll be judicious in how much we expose Andrew to taking additional hits." Nowhere in this statement did Pep say that the read option would become a staple of the Colts offense, yet it seems to be taken that way by more than a few fans here in Indy. When I read this, my initial reaction was that Hamilton wants to employ sets on offense that will keep opposing defenses on their toes. The best way you do that is to be able to "morph" as an offense into sets that constantly create mismatches on the defenses you face. If you can consistently create mismatches, you can keep opponents from figuring out what to do against you. Advantage offense. Describing a "no coast offense" would literally mean an offense with "no limits" in what you will see from it. The Colts on that side of the ball should be fun to watch, and a force to be reckoned with this year.
  10. divineprodigy
    Although the dreaded "R" word has been banned from Colts Head quarters, that hasn't stopped commentators and NFL personalities from tagging the team as a "rebuilding project." That being said, it hasn't taken the front office long to show Colts faithful that there definitely is a new regime in town.Grigs and company haven't wasted any time in diving into the free agent pool to bring in some pieces that should pay immediate dividends come gameday. Nice pieces I might add. They've even shown the willingness to trade for players they want with other teams in pursuing CB Mike Jenkins from the Cowboys. This was something that was unheard of with regard to former GM Bill Polian (which is why he is no longer running the team). Although I have not been totally on board with the draft moves (after Luck) by the front office, I am impressed with the activity they have taken the initiative to be a part of outside of it this offseason. Which brings us to the defense.
    I will admit when it comes to football, I'm partial to defense and a style of play thats more defined as "smash mouthed" vs "finesse." Call me old school but I'm a fan of it. I believe in the concept of being able to beat your opposition with brute force over trickery. Why? Because brute force can get you success over your opponents even when they know exactly what you're going to do before you do it, while trickery only works as long as you never run out of "tricks." The only advantage trickery has in any situation is the element of surprise. You can only "surprise" someone with something they have never seen before. Sooner or later, you will run out of "tricks." If we take a brief look at history, it won't take long to see what kind of teams have enjoyed the most success in not only the NFL, but with any team sport. When talking about this subject, I often reference the Pittsburgh Steelers because they are one of the most successful franchises in the NFL. They have never been a flashy team, opting instead to be more of a "bully" that reflects the blue collar mentality of the Steel city fans it plays for. The Steelers have more SB rings than any other NFL franchise and there method of success has been one that has worked through every generation they've played in.
    With the addition of Coach Chuck Pagano and his staff, and with the talent base the Colts already have at their disposal, this team has the opportunity to do great things this year. Forget the "rebuilding" talk that seems to be the constant chatter used when referencing the state of the franchise by the mainstream sports media. This team has the tools to very good "now." For starters, the Colts front seven is pretty darn good starting with a core that inlcudes Freeney, Mathis, Conner, Angerer, and Redding. I know it's still very early and we haven't seen how well the veterans as well as the rookies adjust to Pags' system, but as bad as our defense was last year, the only direction it can possibly go is "up." The secondary is by far the biggest question mark on the team. Still, it has the chance to shine with the attacking approach infused by the new defensive scheme. I am confident in saying this because I believe in coach Pagano and the new staff.
    As far as the offense goes, Andrew Luck is the real deal. Period. This young man will come in and pay immediate dividends for the franchise. The revamped offensive line should be an immense upgrade over last year's patch work job. If the defense plays the way I feel it will, the Colts will be the biggest surprise to the rest of the NFL world since the 99 Rams when Kurt and Faulk came to town. Luck has a plethora of weapons at his disposal already and a crafty old vet WR in Wayne. Not only was this a classy move on his part to stay, but it sends a message on how much he believes in his new signal caller. At Wayne's age, you don't resign with a team that's "rebuilding." You sign with a team that is going somewhere. The Colts will be in the thick of the division title with Houston this year and you can count me among the few who won't be surprised.
  11. divineprodigy
    Let's take a trip back down memory lane. Remember when Bill Polian was the Colts GM? His first pick was a no brainer in picking "some guy" out Tennessee to play QB who would later go on to be one of he game's best ever at the position. Not many were picking Peyton Manning to slip by the Colts even with all the hype surrounding Ryan Leaf (Remember him?) as the only QB who was constantly mentioned along side his leading up to that infamous 98 draft. No, what Bill Polian and his staff did the following year is what gave a shining example of how a good GM earns his paycheck when they chose unknown commodity from "The U" in RB Edgerrin James. For those who don't remember, Ricky Williams was viewed as the "best RB in the draft" according to everyone, except those camped on West 56th street. The "nashing of the teeth" and "dismay" of Indy fans was short lived as it didn't take long for them to see how special James was as both a RB and WR out of the backfield. Another "under the radar" pick was a little known Safety out of Iowa in Bob Sanders. Drafted in the 2rd round, Sanders would go on and earn a reputation as one of the hardest hitters in the game, and one of its most feared. The only drawback on Sanders was his inability to stay healthy. Even more impressive was 5th round draft pick Rober Mathis. We all know how he turned out. All 4 of these picks were great examples of GMs earning their money in the war room of the NFL draft as they would all go on to become cornerstones of the franchise for years to come.
    2015 is a year many of us would like to forget with regard to the Colts as it was one riddled with injuries to a squad that basically underachieved given the talent that it had available, especially on the offensive side of the ball. When the Colts front office selected Phillip Dorsett with the 29th overrall pick in the draft, in spite of the surprise to many, the overall perception from critics and analysts alike was that at the very least the Colts would be an offensive Juggernaut as Dorsett would only add to an embarrassment of riches QB Andrew Luck would have at his already potent disposal of weapons. that never materialized because the Colts had a more vital position that wasn't properly addressed: "The Offensive line." Andrew Luck not only got hurt, but also missed games for the 1st time in his young NFL career because of it. Time and time again we've all heard the coaches say "We are going to build monster on W 56th street." When you think of a monster, you think of a team that's a "bully" on both sides of the ball. A team that beats you up and out physicals you with a punishing running game on offense and a front seven that get's after the opposing team's QB on defense. A bully is a team that dominates the line of scrimmage and wins consistently in the trenches. 
    When you look at the history of past SB winners, there's a reason why you see teams like the Steelers, Ravens, 49ers, Cowboys and even the current Seahawks consistently as either winners of multiple championships, or in the biggest games of the season come playoff time. All of those teams carry the same physical traits mentioned previously. They also prove another valuable point of reference: "When you have a franchise QB you don't have to surround him with 1st round talent at every skill position in order for him to be successful." A QB like Andrew Luck doesn't need A-1 talent at WR for him to be effective. Heck, look at what Cam Newton is doing in Carolina with the likes of Ted Ginn Jr. For those of you who missed that, Ted Ginn Jr is Carolina's #1 WR, and the Panthers are in the NFCCG... When you have a franchise QBs make the talent around them better. We've seen Manning do this many times when he was here in Indy during seasons like 2010 in with Blair White and Taj Smith filling in for an injured Marvin Harrison. Manning elevated the play of talent around him and led the Colts to a 10-6 record en-route to the playoffs. You can argue that the Colts had sub par competition from playing in the AFC South, but that still doesn't excuse the approach that should be used in building the current roster. 
    As I said before, Andrew Luck doesn't need the best WRs money can buy in order to make the Colts a championship caliber team. All he needs is a team that's built to win the battle of the trenches on both sides of the ball. If you give Andrew Luck a the very least a top 10-15 defense with an o-line that can keep him clean, the Colts will be in the conversation for deep playoff runs for years to come. If you give Luck o-line that can no only protect him, but also a defense better than top 10, you've got a dynasty.
  12. divineprodigy
    Posted by coltsindianapolis on June 22, 2012 – 8:00 am
    Colts.com regularly features blogs written by one of our fans. This post was submitted by divineprodigy
    The Colts running game hasn’t given any opposing defenses any nightmares since the haydays of Edgerrin James. Ever since his departure, the team has relied on 90% of the arm and brain power of Peyton Manning, and 10% of “running back by committee.” Enter 4th year RB Donald Brown. According to the critics, Brown has been deemed a “bust” due to the lack of his production since joining the team. These opinions are being made by people who are only looking on the surface of his career. When I look at Brown, I can’t help but be reminded of another RB who’s career didn’t start off well with the team who drafted him either, but went on to be a bell cow for two other NFL franchises he played for: Thomas Jones. Jones was drafted by the Cardinals in 2000. He was even dubbed the top rated RB coming out of college that year. He didn’t play like it for any stretch of his career while in St Louis. After a one year stint with the Bucs that saw his YPC go from 3.7 in St Louis to 4.6 with the Bucs, he landed in Chicago. With the Bears is where his career took off as a RB. For 3 years Jones’ production increased considerably from what it was with the Cardinals (511yds in 2002 for the Cardinals vs 948 yds in 2004 for Chicago). 2 of those three years he rushed for over 1200 yards. In 2007 he went to the Jets. His production with the Jets climbed each year he was there as well with his best year coming in 2009 where he rushed for 1400 yrds.
    The point I make with this comparison is one that simply suggests given the right situation with the right team, a player who has been a “bust” for one team can also be a gem for another. Now even though Brown is still with the Colts, in essence its as if he is playing on a different team due to all of the changes that have taken place with the organization: New coaching staff, new players, new scheme. Technically, Donald Brown is on a “new team.” That is why I feel he will have his most productive year in the coming season for the Colts this year. The offensive line will be bigger than the one he has played behind for the majority of his short career. The men coming in to replace what was here before are better than what we had before. Donald Brown as well as all of the other RBs are going to have running lanes that they didn’t have previously. Scheme is more important than overall “talent.” No one exemplified this subtle truth better than former Broncos and current Redskins Head Coach Mike Shanahan. In Denver, it didn’t matter who Shanahan had in a RB, they all ran for over 1000 yards in a season. He even got that kind of production from a former Post Office worker in Mike Anderson!
    That being said, when it comes to assessing what kind of RB Donald Brown will be considering what he had to work with coming into the league vs the potential of what he could be with what he has now, calling him a “bust” based upon those circumstances would be inaccurate. The best approach to take on this would be one that says: “Just wait and see.” Brown has flashed great potential when given the opportunity. The problem is he just hasn’t been given enough of them as well as not having the best of O lines to work with either. Add the season ending neck injury to Manning and you have another year lost due to ineffective play from the QB position. All of that should change this year. With the new additions on offense starting with Andrew Luck, coupled with the improved emphasis not only on the running game, but also the pieces in place to make it all work, I expect a breakout season for Brown that will have his naysayers lining up to get his jersey.
  13. divineprodigy
    If there's anything that can be said about the new regime running the Colts front office, it's that these guys will take a chance on players they see make plays over players who have all the hype usually associated with big names. Instead of going after high profile players who would demand big contracts, last year GM Ryan Grigson signed unheralded yet productive players like Jerrell Freeman, Corey Redding, and relied on a list of rookies who flat out produced on both sides of the ball. With the 2013 offseason under way, Grigs and company have continued that trend by beefing up the defensive side of the ball as well as adding low risk/high reward talent on the offensive side like Wr Darius Heyward Bey.
    Year after year we see teams go after big named players, often depleting their wallets in doing so yet more often than not fail to get their money's worth on their investments. Decisions like this can set a team back for years. The Redskins have been the NFL's poster child in that regard for over a decade. In short, what Grigson and his staff have done thus far is nothing short of remarkable, which is why he is the reigning GM of the year. This approach has allowed the front office to fill many of the teams holes without setting themselves up for cap woes in the future.
    With 245 college football programs in the US, each averaging roughly 90 players per team, I've never been one to believe in the process that seems to permeate the line of thinking of most scouts, GMs, and coaches in the NFL when it comes to their talent evaluation process of only focusing on the players who get the most burn time on the TV tube. Walter Payton, one of the best RBs to ever play the game came from a small, little known school named Jackson State. Jerry Rice came from Mississippi Valley State, another small, unheralded school. Both of these players had HOF careers. The NFL is full of players who had "big time names" in college, were drafted in the 1st round yet never lived up to the top billing they were projected to. It's also full of players who were snubbed, and overlooked yet have been better than what many of their critics thought they'd be. Alex Smith was drafted 1st overall by the Niners but Aaron Rodgers was drafted at the end of the first round (24th). The comparison of who's the better QB is not even close.
    While most critics have teams like the Broncos, Niners, and Seahawks as the favorites to hoist this year's Lombardi trophy, the Colts could very well be this year's dark horse. I am gonna go out on a limb and say that I think the 2013 Colts will be just as good as the Broncos are projected to be. Maybe even better. The truth is the Colts (a team picked by many to be worse last year than they were the previous one) not only did more than double their win total, will be one of the best teams in the league while fielding a roster loaded with players that nobody is talking about. And remember, Andrew Luck was a rookie last year. The kid is only gonna get better..
  14. divineprodigy
    There have been several debates over the legacy of the Polian regime. Many have sited the past success with other teams along with the current success the Colts have had under the Polians as a barometer to determine how well (Or not well) they did their job. For me personally, I feel that Polian did his best work as a GM when he was with the Carolina Panthers. I say that because when I look at the teams he helped build, from Buffalo to Indy the most balanced team of all three was the Panthers. They were solid on both sides of the ball. Buffalo was an offensive juggernaut. Much like the Bills, the Colts were also a high-powered offensive team. The Bills went to 4 SBs during his tenure there but lost all of them. The Colts went to 2 and won one. The common thread between both of these franchises is that they both never achieved the success they could have because neither had a defense that could win games for them.
    Getting to the SB is no accomplishment if you don't leave winning it's most prized possession: "A ring." Going to a SB and losing it is like going to Disney Land and watching everyone else enjoy the rides. That's pretty much what the Bills did for their 4 SB appearances. They were fun to watch on offense, but when it came down to the games played on the biggest stage they always came up short. Ditto for the Colts. The Bills and the Colts both had 1st ballot HOFers at the QB position. What hurt Polian's success was his dependence solely upon those QBs. People have been debating on whether or not Bill Polian was a good GM for the Colts and I want to put to rest the answer to that question. The answer is no. This is a topic that can not and should not be answered with wins and losses. It's not a topic that should be answered by what they "have done." That topic should be answered by what they "should have done." Peyton Manning is heavily considered by many as one of the all-time greats to ever play at his position. That being said, he suffered from the same shortcomings that Barry Sanders suffered from: "A front office that was more content with ticket sales than post season production."
    That contentment from the front office kept them from taking the initiative to put the necessary pieces in place to help the players who were the faces of their franchises become multiple SB championship winners. In Manning's case, I take deeper issue with this because of what happened last year. I remember all the years watching the Colts be kings of the regular season, only to flame out by being man handled in the playoffs by teams like the Pats, Steelers, and Chargers. Back then I thought the Colts needed to get bigger, tougher, and nastier on both sides of the ball in order to take some of onus of winning games off of Manning's shoulders. I even had the opportunity to speak with Polian on the air once when he was a guest on Bob Lamey's show after the Colts had gotten beaten by the Pats for a second straight year in the playoffs. Needless to say he never took the team in that direction and continued to depend on Manning being "Superman" on Sundays. It goes without saying that formula only took us so far. Yes we did win a SB and yes we appeared in another one.
    What I look at in spite of that is how many SBs we could have had if the former regime had taken the approach that the current regime is doing now. More importantly, I look at the debacle that happened last year when the team had to play without Manning for the whole season. In 2010 the Steelers had to play the 1st 4 games of the season without Ben Roethlesberger because he was suspended. They went undefeated without their starting QB. The fact that the Colts went 2-14 is a testament to how much Manning's abilities covered up how awful the Colts really were as a team. I'll say it again as I've said in my previous posts. Now is the time to be as excited in being a Colts fan as we have ever been.
    With Andrew Luck, while most fans and critics keep comparing him to Manning, for me the QB he reminds me of the most is Steve Young. He has the same pocket awareness, athletic escapability, and accuracy that Young displayed during his career running some of the most high-powered, offensive attacks with the 49ers. I don't like to compare him to Manning because not only is he more athletic, but he also throws a better ball. His passes don't wobble and come out with good velocity and straight spiral. He has incredible touch for such a young QB it's hard to remember he is after all, a rookie. Andrew Luck was made to be a QB the way Barry Sanders was made to be a RB. I believe he will be on that kind of level when it's all said and done and that day will be a lot sooner than what many think. The best part about all of this? Luck will be on a "team" that will help shoulder the responsibility of winning so he won't have to do it alone.
  15. divineprodigy
    With free agency winding down and we shift focus to the 2015 NFL Draft, there were quite a few surprises (and shockers) that few outside of their respective organizations saw coming. While the Colts made significant acquisitions that should surely help them be amongst the elite again this year, without question the Philadelphia Eagles are this year’s bread winners for making the boldest moves. Sending LeSean McCoy to the Bills for LB Kiko Alonzo was the blockbuster of the offseason and left NFL and talking heads alike scratching their heads along with all-world Saints TE Jimmy Graham going to the Seahawks being a close second. Both of these moves were done in order to become more balanced on both sides of the ball and in the case of the Eagles and Saints, these were moves both could afford given the fact that they are two of the league’s premier offensive juggernauts yet in contrast were also two of the worst defenses on the planet.
    Towards the start of the free agent period there was big talk of top free agent prize Ndamukong Su possibly going to the Colts. At one point he was even dubbed a “shoe in” to be headed to Indy before things tailed off and reports came in with the team taking a “pass” on him due to question of whether he would fit “scheme wise.” I believe that Grigson and company did the right thing in taking a pass on the mercurial D-lineman because the cost of bringing him in would have limited their ability to address the rest of their needs via free agency. Su coming to the Colts had “Albert Haynesworth 2.0” written all over it. Su is not a 3-4 nose tackle and his skill set is best used in the type of 4-3 scheme he was used in during his career with the Lions. That said, another and more telling reason the front office didn’t go after the biggest fish available is due to the talent they already have in house. One such player is Aaron Morgan, dubbed by Grigson as his offseason sleeper. The intriguing thing about Morgan is that according to Grigson, he had only one practice with the team last year before being placed on IR/Future Reserve contract. That must have been one hell of a practice because the front office decided to keep him on the team.
    Morgan is a guy to keep an eye as the season approaches. Along with former Bronco FA pickup Nate Irving he should be in the mix with a LB core that should be much improved over last year.
    Three more players to look at are NT Josh Chapman, Kelcy Quarles and Montori Hughes. Grigson sent waves through the fan base when he said that he and coach Pagano like the young guys already on the team along the D-line.
    “We have guys that are big, athletic guys that can run, but they’ve got to develop and they have to come through,” Grigson said of the young linemen. “I don’t think they have a choice. None of us have a choice. “They have to be (ready).” These guys better be, because there are already rumors of this possibly being Coach Pagano and Grigson’s last year with the team. I know it sounds ridiculous given the recent success of the franchise under the new regime, but Irsay is an ultra-competitive owner, and not a day goes by that he doesn’t want to out-do his previous success under the Manning era in his quest to win “multiple SBs.” I’m rooting for both Pagano and Grigson and think that if they are let go not reaching the SB this year it would be a major mistake by Irsay. Grigson is one of the best in the biz in scouting talent and has put together one of the better talent scout teams in the league to date. No matter what you say about the moves that brought in Trent Richardson and Laron Landry, those failures shouldn’t out-weigh the T.Y. Hiltons, Donte Montcriefs, Vontae Davis’s, Coby Fleeners and Dwayne Allens who were brought and have become cornerstones of the franchise.
  16. divineprodigy
    Path To the Draft 2015: “Where Would Colts Be Now If Team Kept Hughes?”
    Prior to 2012 and the beginning of the Andre Luck era, the Indianapolis Colts had one of the league’s more potent pass rushing defenses in the league. That defense was led by cornerstones Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis as that tandem routinely caused havoc on opposing offenses with regularity on Sundays. As both players reached towards the end of their careers, the Polian regime started addressing the future of the position, particularly in drafting Jerry Hughes towards the end of the 2010 draft. Hughes’ short career started off slow as he barely saw the field playing behind stalwarts Mathis and Freeney. When Grigson and Pagano were brought on board to replace Polian and company, the question marks on Hughes and his future with the Colts were at the forefront of discussion as the front office looked to shed teams’ staple 4-3 defense in order to become the smash-mouthed replica of the “bully” new coach Chuck Pagano helped build in Baltimore. In spite of Hughes’ limited playing time, he was already deemed a bust by both fans and the new front office. This led to his eventual trade to Buffalo for LB Kelvin Sheppard (Remember him?), a rare player for player swap.
    A quick examination of the careers of both players will tell you who got the better end of the deal in this transaction. While Kelvin Sheppard has yet to register as a blip on the radar screen, Hughes has gone on to blossom into one the league’s better young talents at his position. Now under the guidance of new HC and Defensive guru Rex Ryan, Hughes very well may become one the leagues more feared DEs in the league. "This just in: I am really happy we signed Jerry Hughes back," Ryan said Wednesday, via Syracuse.com's Matthew Fairburn. "It's rare that you have to pull a guy from practice because he's ruining your practice. I had to pull him today."
    I’ve made it no secret that I’m a big fan of Grigson and the front office currently in place. But I’ll be honest and blunt here, I think Grigson blew on this one. The one thing that held Hughes back on the Colts is the one thing that happens to be the biggest reason why his career has taken off with the Bills: “Opportunity to play consistently.” No matter what position you play in the NFL, your biggest teacher and best experience is always going to come from being on the field and in the trenches at your position. Hughes was not allotted the necessary time to develop with the Colts into the player he is now with the Bills. Giving him “spot” or “situational duty” is not the way you develop him, nor is it for any other player for that matter. When young QBs are drafted to be the future franchise players of the teams who take them, they aren’t given spot duty either. They either start right away or they start after sitting for a year or two. Hughes had the unfortunate task of playing behind two possible future HOFers, and I believe without question this stunted his growth as a player. Now in Buffalo under Rex Ryan’s tutelage he has the potential to become a monster at a position that’s still an obvious need for the team that gave up on him. Years from now NFL talking heads and fans alike will revisit this topic whenever the subject comes up of “Where are they now” with relation to Hughes and Sheppard, especially when the post season arrives. More importantly right now, the trickle down effect can even be measured by looking at the up coming draft. Had the Colts kept Hughes, their draft day needs most assuredly change as far as priorities are concerned.
  17. divineprodigy
    From the moment Irsay let Future Hall of Famer and fan favorite Peyton Manning walk into free agency, the mercurial Colts team owner has had his sites on outdoing the accomplishments the team made with Manning under center. Irsay's been on record in saying that he felt the team should have won multiple championships during the Manning era, but failed to do so because of the way his team was structured. In placing 90% of the team's success squarely on the shoulder's of it's star QB the Colts won more games over a decade than most other franchises could only dream of. Although that approach seemed to work during the regular season, it all amounted to nothing in the playoffs as the Colts were consistently man-handled by teams like the Pats, Steelers, and Chargers. These three teams shared the same formula for success: "A stout defense, strong running game, and steady QB play. After Irsay made comments on how he expects the Colts to win at least two Superbowls with Luck under center you would think that the #1 priority going into this year's draft would be to address the teams biggest need: "The defense." That's why the selection of Phillip Dorsett was so surprising to most fans and sports personalities alike. Although the Dorsett pick may very well be "insurance" against the possible free agent departure of stud T.Y. Hilton, GM Ryan Grigson may regret choosing not to trust the available talent he already has on the roster who in the eyes of many feel could more than capably fill the hole that Hilton most assuredly would leave behind.
     
    I've said before in conversations that when you have a top notch QB the caliber of an Andrew Luck, you don't have to surround him with "home run" players at every possible position. Players like Luck have the ability to make those around him better, especially when you have a scheme that can take advantage of it's opponents on game day. One of the best examples of this I like to use is the 2000 Ravens, one of the best defensive teams to ever step on the field. That team was able to win a Superbowl with mediocre play from the QB position. Trent Dilfer was never asked to "win the game" for the Ravens. His job was to manage it by simply moving the chains and not turning the ball over. Dilfer didn't have anything special to write home about at the WR position. In fact the only consistent threat he had on that side of the ball was TE Shannon Sharpe and RB Jamal Lewis. Think for a second how many rings that team would have won if Luck was under center. Can you imagine the possibilities?
     
    If the Colts would've taken this approach from the beginning of Luck's career, primarily year two of his campaign this team at the very least would not resemble the one that's been man-handled by opponents like the Pats. Instead of making this team more like previous offensive juggernauts like the Manning-led Colts squads or the Rams of the Kurt Warner era, it simply needs to be more like the "Cardiac Kids" of 95. That team was led by QB Jim Harbaugh, a punishing one-two punch at RB with Lamont Warren and Zack Crockett, and backed up by a top 5 defense that was one of the league's best kept secrets all year long. Jim Harbaugh is not the QB that Andrew Luck is by any stretch, but with the pieces that were in place around him, he didn't have to be. Same goes for Jim McMahon of the 85 Bears. Even though that team only won one SB under McMahon, that was due more to the coaching staff not knowing how to maximize the talent they had at their disposal than it did with the QB under center. Jim McMahon isn't Luck either, but the point I'm making with all this is that you don't need to surround a QB who's above average with exceptional talent at the skill position in order to be successful at the highest level. Just give him a team that can be a bully in the post season. Give him a team that can run the ball when it wants to, stop the run when it needs to, and pressure the QB when it has to. Those are the true ingredients of a championship pedigree. If Luck is ever given that kind of team, the Colts will win a lot more than "2 Superbowls." Luck is good enough to bring home 4 or more when it's all said and done. If he doesn't, then Irsay will have come up short again with another franchise QB at his disposal.
  18. divineprodigy
    It's no secret that a lot of fans and NFL pundits alike have all fallen in love with Chiefs QB phenom Patrick Mahomes and with "Star Wars" numbers like this who can blame them? For the average fan, this is an easy choice to pick who the winner will be this Saturday between the Chiefs vs Colts matchup. "Just go with the team with the better offense."
    For the true student of the game who knows how to look beyond the numbers on the surface or the highlight reels plastered on "Sportscenter," it becomes apparent who the real monster in the room is come kickoff. I don't care how fantastic Mahomes and the Chiefs have looked on offense, the Colts are the better team. They are the more balanced team and have a QB who's not only every bit as good as his opponent this weekend, but he also has something that his adversary doesn't have and that's playoff experience. Chiefs fans might not think that matters much come game time, but truth be told history has not been on the side of QBs playing in games in which they are making their playoff debut. You can look at the past two years alone just to get an idea of how teams fared playing in the postseason for the 1st time. Tyrod Taylor and the Bills? L. Jarod Goff and the Rams? L. Mitch Trubisky and the Bears? L. Deshaun Watson and the Texans? L. In fact, the only team to win their 1st playoff game with a QB who didn't have postseason experience was the Jags and Blake Bortles during that span.
     
    The Chiefs have arguably the worst defense in the NFL. That doesn't bode well going against a Colts team that can beat you a number of different ways. The Chiefs might have the better offense according to the numbers, but the Colts have the better defense with the better chance of stopping them than they will of stopping us. You saw the Colts bludgeon the Texans, a team that has consistently fielded a top 5 defense for over 10 years this past weekend. The Colts should have an easier time going against the Chiefs pedestrian level D in weather conditions that should favor the Colts as well. This team is built to win games on the road no matter what the elements are (Did I just say that?). Another thing that works in favor of the Colts is the difference in the level of preparation between Luck and Mahomes.
     
    When you look at Mahomes it's very easy to get caught up in the on-field theatrics he's known for. Mahomes wins a lot of his matchups with the athletic play from him rolling out of the pocket and extending plays with his legs. This is where Luck is much further along as a QB at this stage of their careers in that Luck knows how to "win" his matchups pre snap. Luck doesn't have to do the things that Mahomes does (Although he can) because he knows how to change the plays at the line of scrimmage in order to create mismatches against the defense before he even snaps the ball. At some point, Mahomes' style of play will eventually catch up with him due to his inability to preread a defense the way great QBs like Luck, Rivers, Ryan, and Rogers do. This truth was illustrated beautifully by Colin Cowherd on "The Herd." Luck is playing at a level that no other QB in the playoffs is at right now (Yes, I said that).
     
    There's a reason why this team (The Colts) has won 9 out of the last 10 games. Luck is "Manning" with the best Offensive line in football and a top 5 defense... That's downright scary to the point that it ain't even fair. Can you imagine how many rings the Colts would have during the Manning, Marvin, Reggie, and Edge era if they had the squad that Luck now has at his disposal? Don't worry, you won't have to because you're about to get a front row seat of what that looks like with Luck under center. I said this before the season started and I'm gonna say it again: "This is the best front office and coaching staff the Colts have had EVER..." Worried about the Pats? Don't be. They better win the SB this year because no one is going to be better the Indy over the next ten years. With the best GM in football and over 100 million in salary cap space to add to an already juggernaut of a squad this team is only going to get better and that's bad news for the rest of the NFL baby.
  19. divineprodigy
    From day one I've been telling Colts fans and pundits who were mad that Colts GM Chris Ballard for not being "active in free agency" that Ballard was the smartest man in the room when it came to building this new and improving Colts roster. He's been on the clock for two years now and that's how far back I've been telling people that the man knows his stuff when it comes to not only properly evaluating talent but also by building a team the right way. From the beginning of the 2018 free agency period (And last year's too), plenty of Colts fans were all calling for Ballard's head when he didn't go on a spending spree with the team having over 52 million dollars in cap space. I, on the other hand, echoed Ballard's sentiments from day one of his preaching of: "You need to grow your own, and build through the draft. "You wanna only use free agency in order to supplement your draft." As we go well into year two of his tenure, Ballard is doing exactly what I said he would: "Proving to everyone that he's the smartest man in the room when it comes to building a team the right way." Say what you want about his offseason gaffe regarding the Josh McDaniels debacle, but even with that I can understand his logic of going after McDaniels because had it gone through he would have killed two birds with one stone by A: making the Colts better while B: weakening a division rival in the process.
     
    After gutting the roster (Literally) of Ryan Grigson's multiple draft and FA miscues, Ballard has been stacking the team with top-tier talent. From Malik Hooker to Marlon Mack. Anthony Walker to Grover Stewart. Quinton Nelson to Kemoko Turay. Darius Leonard to Tyquan Lewis. Nyheim Hines to Jordan Wilkins. Follow that with players he's acquired coming out of nowhere like Mo Alie-Cox along with FA castoffs deemed busts like Eric Ebron and Margus Hunt just to name a few and you see the work of a man who has an impeccable eye for talent. Now he hasn't hit on every one of his picks or free agents (See Terrell Basham and Quincy Wilson), but even when it comes to players like Quincy Wilson the jury is still out on them as they continue to learn a new system. All in all, this should come as no surprise to anyone who's actually taken the time to follow Ballard's illustrious career throughout his NFL journey. The man has done this everywhere he's gone, working with and learning from some of the game's best with the resume to prove it. From day one when Jim Irsay started his search for a new GM Chris Ballard was the man I wanted for the job from the beginning. After he was hired I began telling people that this was going to go down as one of the best hirings this team has ever had because there was no doubt in my mind that Ballard had the goods to turn this franchise into an elite dynasty as long as he was given the time and freedom to do this his way. Now that the fruits of his labor are starting to produce, Ballard can now look to the 2019 offseason with not only more money to count with but also for turning the Colts into a contender that many FAs on the market won't mind coming to play for. In spite of their current record, I still think this team can compete against the AFC's best and if the defense can rediscover the mojo they had towards the beginning of the season this is easily a SB team because no one is stopping the offense. Yes I said it. NO ONE. When you have the kind of offensive line and weapons that the Colts have with not only a franchise QB like Luck running it but also a HC who is as innovative as they come in Frank Reich to pair Luck with the sky is virtually the limit.

     
  20. divineprodigy
    The Cowboys just added Amari Cooper, the player most Indy fans wanted to see come here and play for the horseshoe, and he apparently is one of many available players in John Gruden's "Raiders firesale" currently underway. Given the recent play and rash of injuries to the WR position in Indy who could blame Colts fans for being upset that Chris Ballard didn't go after him or Dez Bryant? Once again, I'm with team Ballard on this one due to the fact that Oakland's asking price was too much even for a WR of Cooper's caliber. Ditto on Dez who's baggage weighed more than the talent he would bring to the table. I know you're asking: "Well who would you go after then if not those two?" I'm glad you asked.
    Given the needs of both teams, the most willing dance partner for the Colts might be the Arizona Cardinals who have a Patrick Peterson problem right now. Peterson wants out of Arizona and has requested to be traded, preferably to the Saints. Nevermind that. I think he wouldn't mind playing for the Colts at the prospect of being given the opportunity to play with a bonified franchise QB for the 1st time in his career. The Colts need a shutdown corner and guess what? the Cards need a QB. Enter Jacoby Brissett. I know the Cardinals drafted Josh Rosen but given that there's no guarantee that he'll ever become the franchise QB they need him to be, it wouldn't hurt to have a QB like Brissett who at the very least would be a damn good insurance policy if he doesn't. This is a trade that could be made straight up given the fact that teams have been inquiring about Brissett since training camp. Look, I am just as big a fan of Brissett as most Colts fans around here, but truth be told he is just too good of QB to be standing on the sidelines. Although the selfish side of me doesn't want to see him go, I also don't want to see someone as talented as he is spend his career as a backup on a team where he most likely won't be given a chance to shine. This is a win-win situation for both teams. The Cardinals would get a damn good player at a position of need and the Colts would get the same. Peterson would absolutely kill it in this system and would transform the Colts D the same way Kahlil Mack is for the Bears now, and like Mack you can plug him in from day one & forget about it because the rest is history.
     
  21. divineprodigy
    Remember when I told you guys back in the offseason that the Colts were in good hands with the new staff? I told you that the offense new head coach Frank Reich was bringing with him from Philly would be a perfect match for Luck's skill set. I also mentioned that I thought it would take by week 6 for the defense to come around and based that off of the team having so many young players who would need time to "figure it out" in a new system. Well if the first two games are any indication, the defense might not be far behind the offense. This young bunch of "I don't know any betters" spear-headed by the emergence of standout rookie LB Darius "The Maniac" Leonard has been nothing short of flat out amazing. When you compare this group to previous ones, the one thing that stands out immediately is the overall speed of the defense. I don't think I've ever seen a Colts team this fast from a trenches standpoint.
     
    I watched the game against the Redskins this weekend and couldn't help noticing how quickly the D-linemen shot of the ball and wrecked havoc on a Skins O-line that was predicted by many to man-handle the Colts to the tune of Adrian Peterson going off for 200 yards rushing. AP didn't even sniff 50 for the entire game. He didn't even sniff 30. From Marcus Hunt to Jabaal Sheard Indy's front seven was a force to be reckoned with all game. One guy who has been overlooked though has been the surprising play of Hassan Ridgeway. Ridgeway was a monster until he injured a calf in the 2nd quarter. I counted numerous plays where he fired of the ball so fast that he was literally in the backfield at the same time Alex Smith was handing the ball off (When's the last time you saw that from a Colts defense?). The surprising play from the defense this early can only be accredited to two things: 1) Chris Ballard's eye for talent. and 2) Players being prepared for each game by their coaching staff. It's no secret how I've felt about this coaching staff and from office we now have in Indy. I've said on more than one occasion that before its all said and done this current front office and coaching staff will go down as one of the very best we've ever had here in Indy. In fact, Chris Ballard should lock up Matt Eberflus NOW before the end of the season because there's no doubt in my mind that he will be a hot commodity come this offseason for a HC job and it will probably start after the first game we play against the Jags. 
     
    I know everyone is on the Jags bandwagon and toting them as being the best team in football right now, especially after the way they beat the Pats last week. I, however, am not that impressed with them because I will never be a believer in Blake Bortles. He will only thrive in games where he is not required to carry his team on his shoulders. As long as you can stop the run and limit your turnovers against the Jags D, they are very beatable. I don't care what Bortles did last week against NE because I predicted the Pats will slide this year anyway. They really weren't that impressive last year and if we are all honest with ourselves, they haven't been since Darrell Revis was with the team. The Pats have had the luxury of playing in the weakest division in the AFC for well over a decade now and that has played a major factor in their continued "success." That said, the Colts should take a page from NE and do for Eberflus what the Pats did for Josh McDaniels. "Pay him. Pay that man his money." I'm not saying he should get the kind of money that McDaniels is getting, but I am saying at least make the effort to pay him enough to at least make him think about staying. Continuity is so important in this league especially when it comes to the coaching staff, or in the Colts' case keeping what could be one of the best staffs in the game intact for the long haul. 
     
    I know it's still very early, but I'm still not backing down from my bold predictions for this year's Colts team. I think they will be more than ready to challenge the Jags for the AFC South crown and due to the edge at QB I think we are more than capable of winning it. Unlike most fans, I'm not judging the Jags off of what they did vs the Pats. I judge them off of how they looked vs an offensively inept Giants team led by an over the hill Eli Manning in week one. The Giants are a team the Jags should have dominated, yet escaped with a 5 point win with one of their scores coming from a pick-six by the defense. That doesn't exactly spell "Superbowl" team to me. Mark my words. The Colts will be a force to be reconned with this year and the coaching staff that is now in place will be a big reason why.
  22. divineprodigy
    Well the Colts now have their man at HC in Former Pats OC Josh McDaniels. Although I admit I had some reservations on this hire even I can't deny the impact his offensive scheme should have with a healthy Andrew Luck and potential studs like Marlon Mack at his disposal. McDaniels is a mastermind in how to properly utilize the screen game, and when you have a suspect line like the Colts currently do, you can cover a lot of those holes with it. That brings us to the up coming draft and which direction the Colts should take between two outstanding talents who at the very least one of whom should be available when the Colts pick at #3 overall. 
     
    The general consensus around the MSM sports personalities and Colts fans alike is that the Horseshoes should either draft Chubb, or address the O-line to protect 12. I am of the mindset that the team should go in a totally different direction and draft Barkley and here's why. In terms of acquiring players who have the best chance of impacting your team the most, there's no doubt in my mind that Barkley has the better chance to do just that than Chubb would. Now I know that all of the Josh McDaniels fanboys out there will say: "We don't need a guy like Barkley because look at what McDaniels did with Dion Lewis, Rex Burkhead, and James White." My answer to that is 1st off, McDaniels has never had a chance to have a back as dynamic as Barkley at his disposal, and there's a reason why he had to work with not 1, not 2, but 3 RBs for his offense: "All of them are just dudes" while Barkley is "the guy." The important thing to note here is that there's a difference between the type of RBs the Pats have been using vs that the caliber of Saquon Barkley. All of the backs the Pats have been using are 5,10, and occasionally (Key word: Occasionally) 15-20 yard "safety valve/dump off" guys. Barkley is a "68 and out the gate" guy... Let that sink in for a moment. I'll use one play from last weekend's SB for an example. Remember the screen play in the second qtr to Rex Burkhead that went for 46 yards that he was run down from behind on? Insert Barkley on that same play and its a TD. You aren't running Barkley down from behind once he gets into the open field and even if you do, at 230 lbs with 4.3 speed good luck bringing him down.
     
    NE's RBs are not guys you have to "game plan" for. Barkley on the other hand is the kind of talent you have to account for no matter where he is on the field. Not only does he provide a lethal weapon for McDaniels to terrorize defenses with, he also makes your O-line look better than it really is. That also protects your QB because as long as opponents have to account for Barkley, they can't pin their ears back and T-off on Luck. This also improves your defense because not only will they not be on the field as much, the pressure their opponents will be under in order to try and keep up with the Colts offense will keep them in high stakes situations. If you want proof of that you need look no further than this year's SB. The Pats just made it to yet another SB appearance with a defense in the opinion of many (Mine included) to be down right atrocious. Sorry Lions fans, but Matt Patricia is no "defensive guru" and I predict that the honey moon in Detroit will not only be short lived, but also Patricia will be added to the list of Patriot coaching castoffs who failed once they left BB. Still, the Pats made it to the SB in spite of their porous defense and if you take a look at history as well as factor in the way the league has been consistently catering to the offensive side of the ball in terms of officiating, the smart thing to do as far as building a team would be to take advantage of that by putting the most formidable offense that you possibly can together on the field. In terms of history, even before many of the league's rule changes for today's game, teams that were stacked on offense fared better in going deep into the playoffs vs teams with good defenses while suspect on the other side of the ball did. Look at the Niners of Steve Young's era, the Bills under Kelly, the Broncos with Elway, and the Rams of the late 90s early 2000's.
     
    Ladies & gentlemen the jury is in. Saquon Barkley without a doubt would impact the Colts much more than Bradley Chubb would, and when you look at the likely scenario that the Colts will be moving from a 3-4 to a 4-3 defense there's a very real possibility that the pass rusher the Colts need is already on the team in Terrell Basham. I'm not ready to "give up" on the young guys from last year's draft, and as bad as the former coaching staff was from a player's developmental standpoint, there's only one direction those same players can go in with the new regime that's coming in: "up."
  23. divineprodigy
    Bleacher report just put out a story claiming that an "unknown scout" alleging the Colts are taking a hard look at Joe Mixon. I know this story probably has Indy's "conservative" fanbase up in arms over the thought of taking a player with Mixon's "checkered history"- many of whom instead are crying for the team to go "defense! defense! defense!" As I stated in a post I did a few weeks ago, Mixon is not only a 1st round talent, he's the best all around back coming out of college this year. If you've watched any of his tape, you won't have to wait long before his skill set "pops out" at you. The kid is special with the rock in his hands, and no-I'm not talking about his punch against Miss Molitor either for all of you "holier than thou-goodie two shoe saints" out there. All that said, I would love to see the Colts address the defense early like everyone else, but if Mixon falls to us and the Colts take him I won't lose any sleep over him coming here and would welcome him with open arms. I can also tell you one thing, one team out there has their radar on him besides the Colts and that's the Patriots. Forget about the story of them putting the league on notice that they've "taken him off their draft board." Knowing Belichek and his antics, this was nothing more than a smoke screen to throw everyone else off their trail for what they really want to do with him.
     
    By allegedly taking Mixon of their board the Pats will influence all of the other teams out there who want to mimic the "Patriot way" of doing things to follow suit by removing Mixon from their board as well. This in turn will give the Pats a "Bee line" to Mixon. For all of you naysayers out there who don't think Belichek would  take a guy like Mixon remember Aaron Hernandez was no saint before he became a Patriot. In fact, his past had more red flags than Mixon's did long before the murder charges. So that being said, if you think for one second that the Pats won't take a player of Mixon's talent you're fooling yourself. As bad as Mixon's video of him punching a woman was, he didn't kill anyone. He's never been a gang member. He's never sold drugs either. If indeed other teams have taken Mixon off their draft board because the Pats did Belichek will prove to be the smartest person in the room again on draft day by taking Mixon. Also, forget about the reports of Brady being able to (play at the level he's been playing at until he's 45). Brady doesn't throw the ball down the field anymore and has been nothing but a system QB who has the benefit of playing on a team that doesn't get penalized for running pick plays. Brady's game is throwing 10-15 yard ins and outs for a reason. He doesn't have the arm strength that he once had and adding Brandon Cooks in the offseason isn't going to fix that. The Pats need a young RB for the future as bad as the Colts do. Belichek knows this and also knows he needs to surround Brady with as many weapons as possible to compensate for his QB's declining skill set due to father time.
     
    When it comes to Mixon, too many people are putting way too much negativity into an incident that happened 3 years ago. If we are going to hold something like this against him then we should all have things we've done in our past held against us as well. I can guarantee you that there's not a fan out there who hasn't done "something" in this world that's not in good taste. No, you might not have hit a woman, but you've done something. I'm even willing to bet that if the skeletons in your closet were out on display for the world to see a lot of you would be scattering like roaches whenever the lights come on. For those of you who keep clamoring for Christian McCaffrey just stop it. His  talent is nowhere near that of Mixon's and no, he's not a franchise back. McCaffrey is a good RB. He's not a "great" RB and is not going to be one at the next level either. Can he help a team? Sure. He can help the right team. He's not a franchise RB though so stop right there. Joe Mixon is going to have the kind of impact on the league that Randy Moss did, and every team that passed up the chance to get him are going to regret it. It would be a shame to see him go to a shady organization like NE and become a rock star when so many will have the chance to get him when he falls in their lap 1st.
     
  24. divineprodigy
    With the 2017 draft quickly approaching, everyone (Especially Colts fans) has an idea of what areas the front office should address first. Most opinions fall on the defensive side of the ball since that was clearly the team's biggest problem not only last year, but for the past several to be fair. That's understandable. However, if the Colts went in a completely different direction and drafted say, a RB does that mean the Colts won't be able to address the holes in their defense? Let's explore the possibilities of that for second.
    Contrary to popular belief, drafting a RB with the 14th overall pick wouldn't exactly spell "Phillip Dorsett" all over again. While a lot of Colts fans would probably be disappointed with the selection, this in no way shape or form would be a disastrous thing to do, especially with the available talent that will be there when the Colts are on the clock. Let's take a trip down memory lane, 1999 to be exact. Die-hard Colts fans should remember that year forever since we witnessed the birth of the "triplets." That was the year the team drafted Edgerrin James. The Colts went from 3-13 to 13-3 as James's presence provided balance to a Colts offense that would ultimately take them to another level. James took a lot of pressure off of Peyton Manning because he was a threat to take it to the house at any given moment. When you give a QB of Manning's caliber (Or Luck for that matter) a running game that opponents have to respect it opens up the field in ways that make it darn near impossible for the opposition to stop. The byproduct of that is that great offenses can also make mediocre defenses look "un-mediocre." A lot of people also forget that as good as Kurt Warner was in his 1st two years with the Rams, "The Greatest Show on Turf's" most important player was not their Cinderella storied QB. It was RB Marshall Faulk. Faulk was the glue that made that offense as prolific as it was because he was such a dynamic threat as both a runner and wr out of the backfield. Still not convinced? How about Terrell Davis and John Elway? For all of Elway's masterful brilliance as one of the best QBs to ever play the game, he didn't win a SB until the Broncos front office gave him a true all around RB to play with. By adding a viable RB to the Colts backfield not only are you adding a home-run threat to Indy's backfield, but you're also addressing the team's future successor to Gore.
    At 14 the Colts will have their pick of some really good backs, and since it's highly unlikely that the kind of defensive day one difference maker will be available when the Colts are on the clock the smart choice would be to take one of the top RBs, especially if someone like Joe Mixon or Dalvin Cook is still on the board. Mixon in particular will probably fall due to character issues, but remembering what GM Chris Ballard said about drafting rookies that "pop off the tape consistently," Mixon definitely does just that. If not for his 2014 assault incident, Mixon would be in the top 2 conversation as the best RB prospect coming out of college. His size, speed and vision are rare combinations, reminiscent of Adrian Peterson except with better hands. I know he probably won't be drafted in the 1st round but if there's any chance the Colts can get him in the second, all reasonable options should be considered. All that said, does that mean the Colts don't get their defense fixed by drafting another weapon for Andrew Luck? The short and long answer is "No" it doesn't. What a lot of people seem to forget is that the Colts have over 50 million in cap space. With that kind of cheddar they can go "Costco" on ya via free-agency. I've said this before and will say it again. You don't draft a defensive player 1-15 unless he's a day one difference maker as a starter. You don't draft "projects" that high. You draft day one starters. If you can't get a starter when you're on the clock that high then you have to go BPA. I know some fans will ask: "But what about protecting Luck with drafting another O-lineman?" Again, if you can't get a day one difference maker even at that position are you really addressing it, especially since there's no guarantee that said player will ever develop into a starter? If the Colts do indeed draft a RB not only are the probable impact possibilities greater at RB, but adding a versatile threat to the backfield would not only add more juice to the offense, but even that would protect Luck better because teams won't be able to tee off and focus solely on him. Make no mistake, I'm not saying that my formula is the only one that's correct out there. Still, I have a hunch that the team's new GM will utilize free agency to fill more holes than many might expect, and that's regardless of the references he made regarding the draft at his introduction about "Growing your own." At any rate this should be an interesting off-season. One I think many of us can't wait to get underway.
  25. divineprodigy
    As we aproach the 2012 NFL season, the trend towards being as explosive on offense as possible has been the focus of many teams as of late. For the younger generation, the beginning of this trend began with the Rams of the late 90s which featured HOF RB Marshall Faulk, QB Kurt Warner, WRs Isaac Bruce, Az-Zahir Hakim and Torry Holt. They were dubbed the nickname "The Greatest Show on Turf" and formed the nucleus of the only team in NFL history to score 500+ points in 3 consecutive seasons. Mike Martz was the "mastermind" behind the offense, but was not the original author of it. Martz was running the exact same offense as HOF coach Don Coryell. Coryell was the true mastermind behind this brilliant, aerial attacking philosphy that he ran with a tremendous amount of success at both the college and pro level. Remember the Dan Fouts and Kellen Winslow led Chargers? Don Coryell was the coach that made them who they are. Although the Chargers were one of the highest scoring teams during his tenure there, they never made it to the SB.
    In 1979, Bill Walsh brought in the famous "West Coast" offense to the 49ers. He would go on to win 4 SBs with a Niner team that was just as tough on the defensive side of the ball as the offense was. When the team went from Joe Montana to Steve Young, the offensive production went even higher, yet didn't win a SB until the front office went on a spending spree to address the defensive side of the ball. From an offensive standpoint, these teams would be followed by the 2004 Colts and 2007 Patriots in which both Manning and Brady broke Dan Marino's single season record for TD passes. While all of these teams featured offenses that produced insane numbers, they lacked a defense that could match it. Of the 4 teams I just mentioned, only the Rams won a SB while fielding a sub par defense. Some might argue that the Colts won a SB in 2006 with a defense that was ranked dead last in the league, but if there was ever an example of how one man can make a difference to a team, a healthy Bob Sanders was it. The Colts played most of the season without Sanders in the lineup due to injuries. Whenever he was in the lineup though the Colts were a completely different beast defensively. What they were able to accomplish in the playoffs with him healthy was nothing short of amazing.
    Some have argued that the Colts brass did the right thing in addressing the offense in order to "help Luck become successful faster." Yet this is a backwards philosophy because in essence you are putting the onis of winning solely on the shoulders of your rookie QB. You don't help any QB by doing that as much as you would by building a solid defense for him 1st. The reason being is that when highpowered offenses face teams that are more balanced on both sides of the ball than they are, even teams that are stronger defensively, the team with balance usually wins. This is why a team like the Ravens could enjoy such quick success with Flacco starting as a rookie. The front office gave him a strong running game on offense but kept a dominant defense to back him up with. The Steelers enjoyed similar success with Ben Rothlesburger. As have the Jets with Mark Sanchez. Sanchez is not a good QB IMO yet that didn't stop him from playing in an AFC championship game two years in a row including his rookie year. The Jets also have a good defense and are the reason they have been to the post season twice in the last three years. I believe that the reason these three teams (Jets, Steelers, Ravens) have had the level of success that they've had is because the front office understood the importance of having a strong defense as the best way to bring about success early with young QBs. Having a good defense takes the pressure off of a young signal caller because it minimizes his mistakes whereas an offensive laden team doesn't have that luxury. Especially when opposing teams can use their offense to control the ball in order to keep yours on the sidelines.
    Even though the Steelers have had a more pass oriented approach under former OC Bruce Arians, he wasn't resigned due to the fact that Rooney II wants (To the delight of Steelers fans) the team to return to it's smash-mouthed roots":http://assets.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/pasquarelli_len/1268468.html I know we have a new regime who needs time to assert itself in building the current Colts team. But in order to "build a monster," it wouldn't hurt to have an old school approach with a blast from the past. History is most often the best teacher.
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