How Can We Be So Bad Without #18?

luvdacolts67 · August 21, 2011

How can 1 guy make such a difference on a team? I can see some of it with the position he plays, but the whole team seems to stink. After all these years with Manning, they have not built a great team around him. Every other team in the league is improving but us. I have not seen improvement over the years. We deal with injuries every year because we play small ball. Our players cant seem to hold up for a season. Yea small ball sounds good and it almost works but rarely does. One SB with the GOAT QB isnt good enough. Its like a fighter getting the opponent to keep throwing the same punch because he lets it barley miss so the guy keeps thinking he can hit him and wastes the energy trying the whole fight. Im watching all the other teams and we look like the bottom of the NFL. I know its preseason and we always lose but when our starters are in, we hold our own. Thats not happening this year. I watched Houston play yesterday and they are for real. They looked scary and right now, we cant beat the Redskins or anybody else for that matter. I personally am very worried about this team. First year I dont think we have a chance at a SB in a long time. Always believed you needed a little luck along with a good team, and this year, I dont see it. I hope Im wrong.

chad72 · August 21, 2011

It is a QB driven league. If you take Brees off the Saints team, they may win 7 or 8 games, maybe a couple of games more than the Colts team without Manning but a lot of teams with elite QBs have that issue. Yes, Cassel won without Brady but teams are quick to adapt to new QBs and new systems. One year with Cassel at the helm with an easy schedule would not be the same the next year. The elite QBs are good year in and year out, that is the difference.

I am willing to bet that, with a tough schedule, the Falcons without Matt Ryan, the Saints without Drew Brees miss the playoffs. They may win 8 or 9 games at best but chances are, they miss the playoffs just like the Colts. That is how valuable an elite QB is in this QB driven league.

tfunky14 · August 21, 2011

The back QBs have not shown any positive signs yet that they can handle the position if put on the field.

shakedownstreet · August 21, 2011

who knows how bad we'd actually be. we've never actually played to win without him in the lineup

Balzer40 · August 21, 2011

If we had even a half way decent backup I don't think the Colts would be nearly as bad as many would think. With Painter running the offense, Yes, they would suck beyond belief and im not sure they would even win 1 game, but with a decent backup I could see 7 or 8 wins. It does show though just how important Manning is and validates that he is without a doubt the best QB to ever play the game. There is not 1 QB in the NFL that does for his team what Manning does for the Colts, not Brady, not Brees, not Rivers, or Rodgers are even in the same league as Manning. Manning has played his entire career with a joke of a defense.

horsehead213 · August 21, 2011

well,im still not going to judge them based on what happened in the last two games,i want to see this next one b/c they"are going to prepare" for this one.....

everyone is always quick to jump the gun,saying we are going to be the worst team in the nfl in the preseason,i thought the defense played alot better this time

db's not so much but conner,nevis,chick,freeney and mathis looked twice as good as they did in the first, regardless of what happens guys we have to work with what we got....

i dont think manning will be sitting down first regular season game......more less six...there is a reason manning is an elite qb....

coltfaninnewyork · August 21, 2011

Not just any quarterback,a HOF qb.That's why.

Mouthfire · August 21, 2011

If we had even a half way decent backup I don't think the Colts would be nearly as bad as many would think. With Painter running the offense, Yes, they would suck beyond belief and im not sure they would even win 1 game, but with a decent backup I could see 7 or 8 wins. It does show though just how important Manning is and validates that he is without a doubt the best QB to ever play the game. There is not 1 QB in the NFL that does for his team what Manning does for the Colts, not Brady, not Brees, not Rivers, or Rodgers are even in the same league as Manning. Manning has played his entire career with a joke of a defense.

Manning's level of play covers up a lot of deficiencies and weaknesses on the team.

There's a reason why he's been league MVP four times. It's fairly apparent to anyone that the Colts minus Manning = a mediocre team, at best.

horsehead213 · August 21, 2011

also before clark got takin out him and painter hooked up for some pretty good yards,

ill give painter once more to prove himself in this one,if not ill no longer have any faith....

i think Dan O has out performed him in the last two...so we will see

doogansquest · August 21, 2011

He does have a great team around him, but it works best with him in there. He basically built the offensive structure we see. It's not a generic "system," which is why other QB's can't find success within it.

The players we have work great within the system, and thus they need it's engineer to make the machine work like it's supposed to.

luvdacolts67 · August 21, 2011

well,im still not going to judge them based on what happened in the last two games,i want to see this next one b/c they"are going to prepare" for this one.....
everyone is always quick to jump the gun,saying we are going to be the worst team in the nfl in the preseason,i thought the defense played alot better this time
db's not so much but conner,nevis,chick,freeney and mathis looked twice as good as they did in the first, regardless of what happens guys we have to work with what we got....
i dont think manning will be sitting down first regular season game......more less six...there is a reason manning is an elite qb....

I didnt say they are the worst team in football but by what Ive seen in this preseason, name me a team we would beat. I am not jumping the gun here, again,they arnt looking great with the starters in there. Granted Manninings out but that was my origanal point. I dont think we are ready to face houston in the opener from what ive seen. Hope im wrong.

coltfaninnewyork · August 21, 2011

Manning's level of play covers up a lot of deficiencies and weaknesses on the team.
There's a reason why he's been league MVP four times. It's fairly apparent to anyone that the Colts minus Manning = a mediocre team, at best.

This is the only post anyone needs to read.

shakedownstreet · August 21, 2011

I didnt say they are the worst team in football but by what Ive seen in this preseason, name me a team we would beat. I am not jumping the gun here, again,they arnt looking great with the starters in there. Granted Manninings out but that was my origanal point. I dont think we are ready to face houston in the opener from what ive seen. Hope im wrong.

you have to keep in mind there is zero game planning going on in the preseason. they are trying to win, but not at the expense of evaluating players

every year our o-line looks horrible, then suddenly looks okay when the real games start

we threw nevis in later in the game & suddenly the defense had a spark

we'll be a much better team, with or without lord 18

Smitto · August 21, 2011

I dont think the colts are bad at all, everyteam needs a good QB, without peyton the colts are average.

wordofmouth · August 21, 2011

you have to keep in mind there is zero game planning going on in the preseason. they are trying to win, but not at the expense of evaluating players
every year our o-line looks horrible, then suddenly looks okay when the real games start
we threw nevis in later in the game & suddenly the defense had a spark
we'll be a much better team, with or without lord 18

Actually this ^ is the only post that needs to be read.

coltfaninnewyork · August 21, 2011

Actually this ^ is the only post that needs to be read.

Opinions are like.....The o line looks better because peyton get's rid of the ball quickly,wake up if you think we will be okay without number 18.get a clue.

thelema13 · August 21, 2011

Of course we aren't as good without Peyton, he's the best QB in the league. How about some faith from our "fans?" What's gonna happen when Manning retires, everyone off the bandwagon? Ridiculous. No matter who is at QB, i'll be a Colts fan.

Yeah our D had been lacking, but you have to realize, this is preseason WITHOUT summer OTA's and camp. Everyone will be off to a slow start. And if everyone is truly afraid of anyone in our division, wake up. Houston's secondary is still a joke, Jags don't know who their QB is, and Titans are starting with Hasselbeck, who will put up the same numbers he did in Seattle, medicore. Colts have won the South for 9 years running, and even last year with 1/2 our team on IR, we did it. Remember when Manning had knee surgery, started slow then blew up everywhere. YOU CANT STOP MANNING.

coltfaninnewyork · August 21, 2011

Of course we aren't as good without Peyton, he's the best QB in the league. How about some faith from our "fans?" What's gonna happen when Manning retires, everyone off the bandwagon? Ridiculous. No matter who is at QB, i'll be a Colts fan.
Yeah our D had been lacking, but you have to realize, this is preseason WITHOUT summer OTA's and camp. Everyone will be off to a slow start. And if everyone is truly afraid of anyone in our division, wake up. Houston's secondary is still a joke, Jags don't know who their QB is, and Titans are starting with Hasselbeck, who will put up the same numbers he did in Seattle, medicore. Colts have won the South for 9 years running, and even last year with 1/2 our team on IR, we did it. Remember when Manning had knee surgery, started slow then blew up everywhere. YOU CANT STOP MANNING.

Why do some people on here always say "Bandwagon" when you state the obvious about where this team is without peyton?We are not going to root anyless for the team.

GoColts8818 · August 21, 2011

because he's the best player in the NFL, welcome to having a super star. When you have him life is great, when he's out you struggle. That's not just true of the Colts it's true of most teams that have one they depend on. I know the Pats went 11-5 without Brady but that's called the execption to the rule.

PatBeachIsBoss · August 21, 2011

Why do some people on here always say "Bandwagon" when you state the obvious about where this team is without peyton?We are not going to root anyless for the team.

Go cheer fot the jets you bandwagon fan

coltfaninnewyork · August 21, 2011

Go cheer fot the jets you bandwagon fan

Your a joke,i have been a colt fan since they were in baltimore.

wordofmouth · August 21, 2011

Opinions are like.....The o line looks better because peyton get's rid of the ball quickly,wake up if you think we will be okay without number 18.get a clue.

Opinions are like .....? Yes, you prove that quite often.

Wake up? OK, I'm awake and I have been paying attention over the past several years.

If I think we will be OK without Number 18 Get a clue? Fair enough. IF you mean being playoff contenders, then No we won't be OK, but I didn't say we would. Nor did Shakedown Street. What he was saying is that what you have seen on the field over the past 2 weeks is only partially a reflection of not having number 18. Defensive woes and special teams play obviously, have nothing to do with Manning being out. The O? only partially. The majority of the time he wouldn't be in there anyway. When manning is in there during the preseason we usually look bad too. This is mainly a function of play calling. We look bad every preseason.

If he doesn't come back early in the season we will be in trouble for those games but we won't look like we did on Friday. Thank goodness!

BlueCrew · August 21, 2011

Simple: We'd be playing like rubbish even if Peyton was starting. It's the pre-season, we always play like crap in the pre-season. Chill.

PatBeachIsBoss · August 21, 2011

Your a joke,i have been a colt fan since they were in baltimore.

I was jk. I don't think think there are alot of bandwagon fans. I think a lot of people are Manning fans and not Colt fans. Most people on this forum are like this. How can you bash all the front office and the personel, except Manning, and claim to be a Colts fan. Most people hate every move the Colts do. Then everyone says we suck without Manning. Sounds like most are Manning fans and not Colt fans, so when Manning calls it quits, do so most so called Colts fans?

GoColts8818 · August 21, 2011

Simple: We'd be playing like rubbish even if Peyton was starting. It's the pre-season, we always play like crap in the pre-season. Chill.

Listen to Caldwell talk there is a lot more concern than normal coming from our coach and not just about Peyton. I noticed it after the Rams game and just kinda shrugged it off and then again after the Redskins game he was naming areas they had to get better. Most of the time you get the "Well obviously we were just in our base stuff and while we stil have work to do I am confident by the time the season starts we'll be ready to go." I am not going to flush the season down the drain based on the pre-season but there does seem to be some real concern from the people running the Colts at the Colts complex.

coltfaninnewyork · August 21, 2011

Opinions are like .....? Yes, you prove that quite often.
Wake up? OK, I'm awake and I have been paying attention over the past several years.
If I think we will be OK without Number 18 Get a clue? Fair enough. IF you mean being playoff contenders, then No we won't be OK, but I didn't say we would. Nor did Shakedown Street. What he was saying is that what you have seen on the field over the past 2 weeks is only partially a reflection of not having number 18. Defensive woes and special teams play obviously, have nothing to do with Manning being out. The O? only partially. The majority of the time he wouldn't be in there anyway. When manning is in there during the preseason we usually look bad too. This is mainly a function of play calling. We look bad every preseason.
If he doesn't come back early in the season we will be in trouble for those games but we won't look like we did on Friday. Thank goodness!

So your saying that we will okay without number 18?2 words Curtis Painter.Peyton makes the o-line better,he reads the d and puts us in the best possible play for success.Peyton even makes a mediocre defense better by putting us ahead and letting our pass rushers wreak havoc.This is the winning formula for us and without him were in deep crap.

21isSuperman · August 21, 2011

PatBeach and coltfaninny - personal shots won't cut it on this board, please refrain from calling each other names. Stick to the discussion at hand

coltfaninnewyork · August 21, 2011

I was jk. I don't think think there are alot of bandwagon fans. I think a lot of people are Manning fans and not Colt fans. Most people on this forum are like this. How can you bash all the front office and the personel, except Manning, and claim to be a Colts fan. Most people hate every move the Colts do. Then everyone says we suck without Manning. Sounds like most are Manning fans and not Colt fans, so when Manning calls it quits, do so most so called Colts fans?

I am not bashing them.I will admit i think without peyton we would be 3-13 or worse.I love the team and would still root for them.I have seen my share of 1-15 seasons and never jumped ship and will not now.

PatBeachIsBoss · August 21, 2011

I am not bashing them.I will admit i think without peyton we would be 3-13 or worse.I love the team and would still root for them.I have seen my share of 1-15 seasons and never jumped ship and will not now.I'm not trying to call you out, I read your posts and respect your views, even if some differ.
most people on here express hate, not dissagreement, and thats what I was saying, sorry if you thought it was at you.

noah larson · August 21, 2011

The main reason why we are so bad without Peyton is his ability to change the play at the last second, to get us in the best position to be successful. Probably half the plays they line up in doesnt have a real chance to succeed. He also helps out the O-line by having the uncanny ability of calling out which guys are going to be blitzing. I've heard a lot of interviews from players that are baffled by how peyton always seems to know who's blitzing and who's not. Peyton also works extremely hard with his WR's, just by giving a simple glance to his WR or hand signal, the WR knows exactly what to do and they can change their route in a split second. It also helps that Peyton is extremely accurate too.

They're probably a lot more reasons why we can't function without Peyton but these are some that i could think of, off the top of my head. Peyton has taken the QB position to a whole nother level and some of the other QB's in the league are starting to follow.

luvdacolts67 · August 21, 2011

Why do some people on here always say "Bandwagon" when you state the obvious about where this team is without peyton?We are not going to root anyless for the team.

Exactly, it always happens and my point is why hasnt the team improved for all thease years?

wordofmouth · August 21, 2011

So your saying that we will okay without number 18?2 words Curtis Painter.Peyton makes the o-line better,he reads the d and puts us in the best possible play for success.Peyton even makes a mediocre defense better by putting us ahead and letting our pass rushers wreak havoc.This is the winning formula for us and without him were in deep crap.

No, I am not saying that we will be OK without Manning. I think we are probably a 6-10 team ( total guess) without him.

What I was agreeing with, when I quoted Shakedown Street, was that there are many more factors at play than just Manning being absent.

Everything you said above is true, but we have other issues, some that concern me some that do not.

Andy · August 21, 2011

How can 1 guy make such a difference on a team? I can see some of it with the position he plays, but the whole team seems to stink. After all these years with Manning, they have not built a great team around him. Every other team in the league is improving but us. I have not seen improvement over the years. We deal with injuries every year because we play small ball. Our players cant seem to hold up for a season. Yea small ball sounds good and it almost works but rarely does. One SB with the GOAT QB isnt good enough. Its like a fighter getting the opponent to keep throwing the same punch because he lets it barley miss so the guy keeps thinking he can hit him and wastes the energy trying the whole fight. Im watching all the other teams and we look like the bottom of the NFL. I know its preseason and we always lose but when our starters are in, we hold our own. Thats not happening this year. I watched Houston play yesterday and they are for real. They looked scary and right now, we cant beat the Redskins or anybody else for that matter. I personally am very worried about this team. First year I dont think we have a chance at a SB in a long time. Always believed you needed a little luck along with a good team, and this year, I dont see it. I hope Im wrong.

Because we revolve our team around him, and other teams build their team and usually don't revolve around anyone.

colts89 · August 21, 2011

The offense is MANNING..

No one can control and destroy an opposing defense with such a basic set of plays, and always pick the best one. That's why Manning is praised for his audibles and his smarts because most qb's are told the play every single time before the snap and audible at times, while Manning gets "suggestions" but really is the playcaller and playmaker at the sMe time

That's why really only manning can do good in this offense, unless someone is reAlly knowledged in the colts O like Manning, enter Jim Sorgi

buccolts · August 21, 2011

This is the only post anyone needs to read.

No, it's not.

Sorry.

There's more to the story.

coltfaninnewyork · August 21, 2011

No, it's not.
Sorry.
There's more to the story.

No need to be sorry,i agree with his post excactly.I think he was right on,but that's just my opinion.