[Irsay Tweets Many Surprises To Come]

Dungy.

Sounds crazy, and he said, or actually was reported to have said, he wasnt coaching.

In the interview when they asked him about his thoughts on Indy head coaches, he had no candidates for sure, but did say he had been approached about coaching again, and did not say he wasnt going to and didnt say who approached him.

Makes no sense though from the standpoint that everyone including Caldwell was fired...and Caldwell was a Dungy guy.

And no, Im not REAL serious about it, but it makes more sense than some of the other suggestions...

As for the rest, I give up. Im waiting to hear who he picked.

I hope he does it quick, because we have to do this all over again for DC and OC, even though it would seem that if Christensen was done, they would already have axed him. Cant say the new HC wont when he gets here though...

[Tom Telesco The New Gm?/scenario Jmv's Show.keep Caldwell And Promote A Gm From Within (Merge)]

First everyone said the Polians "ran the organization".

Now all of a sudden nothing has changed?

Gotta love it!

I dont know why everyone is in such a hurry to get things done.

The season isnt even over yet, and everyone is already saying we will promote Telesco.

How about some of the personnel from teams still playing? Some might decline just to keep the focus of the team on playing and not guys possibly leaving.

Also, it makes perfect sense to keep Caldwell until a new GM is in place. That is if you want your new GM to feel like he can be in control where he needs to be, and make the decisions regarding the head coach.

Could be to that Caldwell might stay on the team but be "reassigned" to a different position. The players like him, and he can get them to play hard, he just doesnt make the right decisions all the time.

Since someone already mentioned JMV, I am pretty sure it was on his show they said you cant fire someone and then turn around and bring them back.

Its best to wait for the GM and see what happens then.

Besides, none of it matters if Manning cant play...and no-one even mentioned that yet.

One thing at a time guys...its not going to be a quick easy fix, its a long drawn out process that will play out over the next few months.

I really dont think you will see the final staff "roster" anytime soon, and they will probably not have some in place until they absolutely must.

I hope Im wrong and that it happens fast, but I wouldnt bet on it.

[Dec. 1 Is Looming]

_{He's been cleared. Cleared to make another football cops short for directtv. Guess the neck wasn't bothersome when he made that before the season. Actually you would have never thought there was a problem watching him act in that. Hmmmmm? What great timing! What pain can we tolerate for a large chuck of change! Manning should be ashamed.}

So you know he is in pain? You might want to call his doctors...

You have no clue, obviously, about those shorts and what they did so that all he had to do was stand around. He never threw a ball. Everything he did in that "commercial" was what he does every day. Stand around, talk to people, thats it.

Google is your friend...try it sometime.

[Herm Edwards: I'd Draft Luck And Trade Peyton]

Rule 1a in NFL Football

Failure to recognize when a player is on a downward slide due to age results in embarrassment of player and franchise.

Making up bogus crap to prove a bogus points is even worse.

Manning had one of his best statistical years last year, and he was INJURED THE WHOLE YEAR!

How exactly is that declining performance?

Oh, and if you think Manning wont finish out his 5 year deal, you sir, are nuts.

Manning is the most competitive guy around. He prepares more than anyone.

The ONLY way he doesnt finish out his entire contract is if he isnt healthy in the next few months, and cant play next season.

Also, its stupid to draft a guy who will sit on the bench while you have the greatest QB ever to suit up for an NFL game on your roster. Its even more stupid to trade that GOAT away if they are healthy, because if they are, you take that pick, trade it for MORE picks, and make your team into the juggernaut they should have been, for the remainder of said GOATs career.

Of course that only works if you clean the sludge out of the coaching ranks and get some good guys in there that will use the available talent to the best of its abilities.

And when the end really is near, THEN you draft the replacement, so they can learn for a year or so from the best.

Stop putting the cart before the horse...

[Why Isn't Manning On Ir?]

Some of you guys nailed it.

I heard Phil B talking today about it and he explained it pretty well.

Said they wont IR him as long as he is progressing because regardless of how bad we all want Manning back next season, the Colts need to know that he can still play.

If he cant, and wont, they draft Luck if they are in position to do so.

He also said that there are rumblings that neither Manning nor Luck will be on the same team. Said Manning will not allow the Colts to draft Luck.

Said that with all the time invested in Manning, they need to build around him to improve the team, not trade Manning and get Luck (the only way the Colts end up with Luck on the roster).

One other thing he mentioned that I didnt care for but its possible, is that the Colts trade Manning and get Luck anyway, even if he can play.

Said that if Luck is as good as advertised, and he mentioned that every indication so far is that he is (but then we all know its not the NFL), that Luck is 15 years of winning, vs the 3-5 that Manning would give. The Colts would HAVE to at least discuss it and look into it if thats the case.

Personally, I think they stick with Manning, and that he will be back.

If they get the 1st draft pick, they can trade it for a couple draft picks this year, and maybe a future pick or two, and really help the team, and Manning.

Basically, they will need Manning on the field regardless of what they intend to do, because if they keep him, they need to know he can play. If they intend to trade him, they need other teams to see he can still play...

I cant believe I just typed anything about trading Manning...makes me sick to think about it, but it is a possibility. I just hope its an extremely remote one...

[Kreutz Walks. Does It Matter For The Colts?]

Havent seen this anywhere on here or any of the Colts blogs, but seems to me its a big deal, at least big enough for a thread, given some of the other stuff that garners one.

Olin Kreutz, starting Center, walked away from the Saints Thursday I believe, and was probable for the game. He had been injured, but he was also one of the captains, and the O-lines anchor.

I dont pay enough attention to the Saints to know how it will affect them, but there has to be some kind of a negative vibe going around considering a potential HOF Center just walked out on his team.

Maybe its a non-issue?

Thoughts?

[Caldwell/coaching (Merge)]

I guess Id ask why are fans NOT blaming Caldwell?

Who runs the team? Caldwell? Polian?

If its Polian, its still going to be Caldwells fault. He will make sure of that.

If its Caldwell, its his fault.

He is the head of the team. It doesnt matter if he doesnt play, he is the guy who needs to make the necessary changes to field a competitive team each week, and make changes DURING the game to field a competitive team each quarter of the game.

Can anyone say he has done all that?

If you do, Ill laugh at you, and so will a lot of other people.

Does he deserve all of the blame? No, because he didnt hire himself. But he also didnt stand up for players he should have before they were cut. And if that wasnt the case, and he DID in fact have the last say in it, then that just adds to the blame.

The simple fact is, Caldwell and the coaching staff he put in place are not getting the job done when it should be and could be.

The Colts didnt lose those games because of bad play all around. I dont think some of you watched the games when Manning was in there. The same players played the same. Some were worse (Garcon, Brown to name a couple), but now some are better (O-line, Garcon, Brown).

I think some of you are just blind or unwilling to accept that this team can win without Manning, so long as the coaches arent hamstringing them at every turn.

How many times have they been close in the last 6 games? How many were winnable with minor scheme changes that never occurred?

The Colts should be at a MINIMUM 2-4 right now, and they arent. heck, I think most would settle for 1-5, but they cant even manage that.

I guess the most troubling thing to me about this topic is that so many of you seem to be fine with the fact that without Manning the Colts dont win, and are making excuses at every turn for those charged with having this team ready to play under any circumstance.

No-one expected a playoff run without Manning, but some (a lot) of us expected a few wins, especially early against the worse teams. That hasnt happened, and the blame has to go somewhere, especially given what the team has shown it can do when given a real chance.

The talent to win a couple at the least is there, its just not being used as it should, and thats squarely on the coaching staffs collective shoulders.

[Delone Carter (Merge)]

ColtsLegacy, agreed. He did do well last game. He improved from last year, which is what you hope to see. Now he didnt do as well as expected out of the gate, but this year he has shown improvement every time he has been given a chance.

Thats coming from a guy who thought he should have been released at the beginning of the season too...though I didnt see him at TC either, and am no great talent evaluator, so maybe its worthless.

Also, Smitto. Addai does nothing great? Really? Have you seen other backs do everything he does? No one can do what Addai does as well as he does it. Im pretty sure that means he is great at what he does.

No he isnt a top running back based on yards, but when it comes to the Colts, there is no-one that could replace him right now.

Pass blocking, picking up blitzes, catching out of the backfield, etc.

[What Do You Think Are Our Chance Tomorrow That..?]

the defense is going to be the hi lite of the game ,with their new things they have put in place

Be sure to come back tomorrow and tell us exactly how everything didnt work out...

[What Do You Think Are Our Chance Tomorrow That..?]

Donald Brown shows up to prove we're all wrong about him?

Could have a good game but it will take more than one. I think he will do ok, if he gets a shot...

Curtis Painter has a breakout game?

Probably not. Improved a bit maybe, but to be honest, he is already doing enough to win games, so as long as he doesnt get worse, Im happy.

The oline gets a little better?

They had been each week before we lost 3 guys, and last week werent awful. Id say this one is easy...they should get better each week, even if it is only a little.

Dallas Clarke gets past whatever's been plaguing him?

Im gonna say probably not. I think he will be a bit better, but he and Painter dont seem to be on the same page at times...

The defense gets mad and steps up?

I dont think anger will help. Not with Lacey starting...

If the offense can keep long drives alive, they will be ok, but if they cant, and the D is on the field a lot, look for more of the same as the last few weeks. They fall apart at the end of games because they are just too worn out.

Pierre Garcon and Anthony Gonzolas both have a good day on the SAME day?

Not seeing this one either. Gonzo hasnt played much at all, though I think he should if for nothing more than to prove he is healthy and can still play. We all would like to see him back to his pre-injury form, if anyone even remembers what that was. But for that to happen, I think Wayne, Collie or Garcon will have to be injured, and Im not really hoping for that, although he used to have much better hands than Garcon, so maybe they could rotate.

[Espn "experts"]

they dont know about the adjustments our coaches have made this week

Look, any big adjustments would take a lot longer than 4 days of practice to implement with any kind of success.

Any adjustment they would make in the few days they have had would be small, and a small adjustment just wont fix what is wrong with the D.

And stop spamming all the threads with the same nonsense. You already started a thread, so keep it in there.

[Hate To Tell You]

My wifes brothers aunts sisters daughters husband overheard in a stall at the practice field that there were indeed changes on D.

Coyer got himself a new notebook and a new pencil equipped with an eraser, to be better able to make adjustments. It seems he always made them before, but they were in pen, and he had trouble deciphering the markings. Now he can erase and re-write, so it will be much clearer for him.

[Evans Is Back]

Another instance of complaining just to complain. You are making much ado about nothing. There is no NFL team that goes into a game with only 2 healthy, active RB's on the game day roster. The Colts generally carry 3 active backs. Remember the Ravens game in 2008 - when Hart blew out his knee and Addai got hurt in the 1st half so they were left with Rhodes and nothing else for the rest of the game. They added a back because of injury, cut a guy who was not going to play because either Diem or Castonzo will be returning this week. Not exactly sure how this is a bad thing.

I suppose your post then is jumping to conclusions or making false assumptions just to do that...

I wasnt complaining, I was asking. And I NEVER said it was a bad thing they cut a guy or about Diem/Castonzo playing. I dont recall or see where I said anything about the O-line at all.

Thanks for telling me where you stand with it all though.

I thought I clearly said I wasnt sure about the number of backs situation, and that I didnt think they generally rushed out and signed a guy with two healthy guys, and you confirmed that with your info about the Ravens game.

For that thanks. The rest you could have left out...

[Evans Is Back]

Not sure what to think really about the Evans signing.

I have nothing against him at all, but if you think about it, the Colts have not historically gotten another rusher when one went down before unless it was serious.

Maybe Im not remembering correctly, but from what I recall, if its only going to be a game or two, or even three, they generally go with the other two.

Whats the point of having two other guys, if neither can handle the load?

And whats that say about at least one of those two that they cant?

Either Brown stinks, and should have been cut before the season started and someone else acquired in his place, or Addai is hurt worse than they are saying.

Now Im not one of the Colts are lying to us people, but I think this season has been so bad injury wise that they are now willing to be as optimistic as possible with regard to recovery, and thus pessimistic with regard to the seriousness of the injuries sustained, even though in the past they might not have been.

Anyway, Carter cant and shouldnt be expected to be able to pick up the load since this is only his first year, but Brown should. Hes well rested...and he has been here long enough.

If he cant, then simply, he needs to go. He isnt a 6th round pick, and its not his first year.

Im glad Evans is back, but I wonder what that means overall for the team....Addai and Brown included...

[Jim Caldwell And Larry Coyer...]

For those who think the coordinators will be gone, or could be but Caldwell stays:

Caldwell is responsible for bringing them here. Therefore their failures are also his failures.

Sure they stink, but Caldwell is the one who thought they were good enough to bring in here...so he is to blame every bit as much as they are.

I mean if you talk to 12 people, and most say a certain auto repair shop stinks and does shoddy work, but you take your car there anyway, whose fault is it when the work isnt done right? Ultimately its your own, because you should have known better....

I also think if Caldwell is still here by the end of the season, and the Colts are still stinking it up, there is no way he stays.

The media is crawling all over Caldwell right now. How bad will it be when the team loses 3 more? 5 more?

Come on...its obvious to anyone with any common sense there is a problem, and the problem is bigger than losing Manning...they have been in the position to win and havent gotten it done. Period.

[Its not Caldwell'd fault]

Ah, sweet memories. I don't think I've heard that since high school.

For what it's worth, I disagree completely with all the bile being spilled in this topic, but trying to express a reasonable thought here would be about as productive as shaving in a Piranha tank using a straight razor. Not a productive use of my time, thank you anyway for the kind invitation.

Please resume your feeding frenzy. Sorry for the rude interruption. I'm sure that there are actual conversations going on elsewhere in this forum.

Actually, unless you were afraid of the piranhas, you would be fine...they dont generally eat anything just for fun, just things in distress....so I guess you could say if the Colts were in piranha infested waters, they would be in trouble.

Just trying to inject a little humor....

[Its not Caldwell'd fault]

Giant facepalm....

I dont know whats happening, but you cant tell me for one second that a team can do so well in one half and come out in the second stinking it up on both sides and it NOT be the fault of coaching.

No changes...no adjustments, nothing.

Or rather, none by the Colts. Chiefs made some good ones....

[Give it up for Painter]

Yes, a lot of fans have hated on Painter because of the loss in our undefeated season ... they ignored the fact that he had not gotten any snaps in practices, in real games, - he truly had very very little experience.

I am from Lafayette / West Lafayette and I have seen Herrmann, Campbell, Everett, Brees, Orton, and Painter all play weekly ... Painter is better than most of those QBs. I have said it all year If Painter gets any protection at all he can make all the throws and thus far he is proving that again. I just hope that everyone else starts to come around and realize that is reality and not fantasy. Painter should be Mannings backup - all the talk about suck for luck is complete and utter non-sense!

I agree, but after today, even you have to admit the Colts are in the lead for the 1st overall pick.

Painter was good in the first half, but the second was horrible.

Not sure if it was him or coaching/scheme changes (or rather a serious lack of), but something needed to change and didnt.

Yes Clark had the dropsies, but Garcon didnt, so they offset each other, lol, usually its the other way around!

I dont lay all that on Painter, as he showed in the first half he could do really well, and against the same team, with some changes thrown in, he didnt do anything at all in the second.

Same thing last week...but for some reason worse this week, maybe because they were up by so much and it looked like they would finally win one.

Back to the bolded comment...I think even if the Colts get the #1 overall, they wont take Luck. And if they do, it will be to trade him. He could command a trade of a couple draft picks, plus a player, or some picks one year and a pick or two the following year too...so I guess you could say I dont think Luck will play for the Colts regardless of weather they pick him.

[Is Melvin Bullitt Turning Into A Bob Sanders?]

If he stays around as a backup to a guy not yet on the roster, then I think he has at least a small shot at staying, but I dont think he would under those circumstances.

I think he is done as a Colt, and probably in the NFL.

He missed the rest of the season last year, and now has injured the same shoulder he had surgery on that was supposedly ok to go, and is out for the remainder of this season.

I cant see how anyone thinks he will be back and able to play...after the same injury to the same shoulder that already has a metal pin in it.

Im hoping they draft a SS next year....or that one of the guys on the roster now develops quick.

I wouldnt say he is like Sanders. Sanders kept hurting different parts of his body. So far Bullitt is focusing on only one part.

[Give it up for Painter]

It's just as foolish, imo, to judge a guy on only 2 starts as it is to judge him after 1. If a team judged their QB after only 2 starts then there'd a lot more QB turnover than there already is.

Well, not quite as foolish (but Id agree it is none the less but thats my prerogative, as it also would be to give him 3 or 4 or more), as should he do the same as he did in the first, it would at least indicate a trend, based on very limited info, but you cant have a trend at all based on only one performance....but you can with two performances.

[Give it up for Painter]

Did you simply view the game stats and see 13 for 30 and say oh boy he was not very good? If you consider all the dropped passes, the rushed throws and the one fumble due to poor pass protection, the guy was a whole lot better than Collins has been.

Nope. I didnt look at the stats at all. I watched the game.

The difference is, as stated before by many, including myself, is that he allows the offense to be the Colts offense. The players rally around him more so than Collins (I believe thats in my other post if you look).

If you want to talk numbers, fine, but you cant do it without allowing for Garcons efforts.

Garcon showed up last Monday. Collins hit him in the hands too, and he dropped it. More than once.

I said Id give it another game because its foolish to judge someone on ONE performance, which is what a LOT of people are doing here.

If he can repeat the TDs and good throws fine, but if its a turnover fest in the 4th quarter again, then what? What if the drop plagued Garcon shows up this week?

Again, Ill give it more time...you can have the one week performance savior if you want, but Ill wait and see what happens.

[Howard Mudd]

The Oline is trending upwards. Pollack is much improved, Diem is much better inside, two great draft picks, Reitz is a revelation. Saturday - while aging - is probably playing better than last year. What exactly did you want them to do?

Richard wasn't going to be "the center", but he could play center, and being able to back up multiple positions is an asset. I assume that he was dumped because they found someone better. That's a good thing, because last years line - often featuring DeVan and Richard - was utterly abysmal. Maybe Peyton's surgery wouldn't have even been necessary if DeVan (or Richard, or Johnson, etc) were actually good. Good riddance I say.

I wanted them to do nothing other than keep the best player. Richard wasnt good at all. He got body slammed by opposing DTs. He wasnt great as a center or really even that good.

Yes he could play center, but so could Pollak and DeVan.

He was so "good" in fact that most on here thought there was no way he kept his spot over DeVan. The Colts thought otherwise, and now Richard is gone.

Again, all I wanted was for them to keep the better of the two between Richard and DeVan, and that was DeVan. I was pretty clear on that in my original post, I thought...

BTW, DeVan got picked up by another team, did Richard? Based on your post, insinuating Richard was the better of the two, he should have...but he hasnt. Also, were he the better option at anything, they would have called on him instead of getting another FA, and calling Toudouze and signing Tepper.

So by your post, you say Im wrong for wanting exactly what you said you wanted in your rebuttal. Makes no sense, but everyone is entitled to their opinion.

Regardless, neither is worth the trouble. They are, at their best, backups.

Its the bad decision making thats been apparent lately thats the problem worth discussing, but this thread is supposed to be about Mudd...not the poor decisions lately.

[Howard Mudd]

Yes and Iam sure if the Colts had known all those players were going to get hurt they wouldn't have cut him. They didn't.

I was just pointing out people freaked out when we cut him like he was an all-pro or something. He is a decent guard, not this great player some made him out to be.

I cant speak for others, but personally, I thought it was stupid of them to cut DeVan and keep Richard. I agree that he was a decent guard, but Richard wasnt. People said at the time Richard was going to be the Center and thats why he was kept, but now he is gone.

The injury situation now has nothing to do with it really, they should have kept the best players and they didnt with regard to the o-line.

In any case, the Mudd situation was coming. I dont really think he got along with Caldwells ideas, and he and Moore both mentioned retiring before they did. Obviously they didnt plan to actually retire, more like retire from the Colts to go somewhere else.

Then again, coaches change all the time, so its no big surprise, and it doesnt appear to be the awful situation some predicted would happen if both Moore and Mudd left.

[Give it up for Painter]

Painter played very well. He is surrounded by incompetence. Caldwell drops a INT in the TB endzone, surrendering points. Saturday casts an errant snap that leads Vinny's kick astray. Thats 6 points difference.

Caldwell stands foolishly absent minded and doesn't challenge an obvious fumble. That leads to a TD scored. Thats 13 points of incompetence. None of which Painter can be blamed for.

Saturday isnt the long snapper, Snow is...its very clear in the replay that was on right after.

The ball hits McAfee in the hands, he is the one who muffed it or mishandled it or whatever you want to say.

They even mentioned that after it happened too...

I also dont think, regardless of what Gruden said, that you can expect your DBs to catch everything that hits them in the hands. He kept the opposing player from catching it. Thats his only job, and he did it. Heck, the Colts receivers dont catch everything thrown at them...how can you expect a guy who isnt a receiver to?

Sure it would have been nice if he had caught it, but again, he did his job on that play.

The fumble was more than foolish...you are being kind there.

Ill give Painter one more game before I decide, but last game, play wise, was no better than Collins. Garcon happened to show up last night where he didnt with Collins. Thats the ONLY thing that kept us in the game.

The one good thing about Painter is that the team rallies around him more so than with Collins. One of the blog writers mentioned that alone was worth keeping him in the starting spot over Collins, and he just might be right.

He also allows the offense to be run a bit more like it was with Manning. The no huddle, he is better at the audibles, etc. So there are a number of good things there too....

[So we are down to two DTs]

didn't i see nevis leave with a foot tweak too?

I think that was when he was blindsided...he seemed ok on the last drive.