Double A Breakdown -- Week 1

[Andy]

I've been doing this on my website for a long time, and I've posted it on many websites, but this is the first time I've ever posted it here. For those of you who don't know, my initials are AA, so that's why it's Double A, and it's a breakdown. What it is is that I say what the Colts need to do to win, what the Texans need to do to win, the key matchups and breakout players, what I think will happen and my prediction. So without further ado, here's this week's:

Week 1 -- Colts vs Texans

What the Colts Need To Do To Win

Well, there's no Peyton Manning, so it's up to Kerry Collins to win. The thing with Kerry Collins is that you can't rely on him too much, which means we should run the ball more than usual. That means we have to block well so Joe can run right up the gap. We should let Kerry throw 25 - 28 times, and let Joseph run about 30 times. Make it a balanced offense, instead of the old pass heavy offense. On defense, Arian Foster is not looking great, and he's injured; the Colts also looked very good against the run in the last 2 weeks, where the starters played for quite a bit. Now, something that generally looked bad in the preseason was the pass defense, need to stop playing so much Tampa 2, and play more man 2 man. If not Matt Schaub will pick us apart. Arguably, the most important thing that the Colts need to do is block for Kerry. For starters, he can't get hit too hard, because he's 38, and he also needs the protection to make reads and throw some good passes. Anthony Castonzo is a very important player in this game.

What The Texans Need to Do To Win

The Texans need to constantly blitz Kerry Collins, to make him throw bad passes that can lead to picks. Arian Foster is not looking great, so don't overplay. Let Schaub throw 35 times, and Foster rush about 18 times. You don't want to further enhance his injury. The pass defense isn't great, so that's why the blitzing and the pressure is so important. You need to make short good passes; passes that go for 6 yards. The thing with the defense the Colts use (Tampa 2), is that it's very bad against long passes, but good against short. They need to get wins while Peyton is on the sidelines.

Breakout Performers/ Key Matchup

I think the breakout performer for the Colts will be Jacob Tamme. Dallas Clark may be the starter, but it doesn't mean we don't use Jacob. Jacob was the best TE in the 2nd half of the NFL season last year. I think he has 7 catches for 90 or 100 yards with 2 TDs.

For the Texans, I think it's Brian Cushing. I think he'l come back and come back in a big way. He's going to put constant pressure on Kerry, but at the same time drop back into coverage. I think he gets 8 tackles and a pick.

The key matchup is Anthony Castonzo vs Mario Williams / Antonio Smith aka the left side, right side for Texans. It's going to be important for Castonzo to block those 2 because they want to hit Kerry, and that could spell trouble.

What I Think Will Happen

I think the Colts go out and win, and win a fairly close one. I'm being serious... I saw what the defense did when PM played badly in the 06 playoffs, they stepped it up. Now Peyton's not here, and they realize that they have to step it up to win. They will, I think Jerraud shuts down Andre, or holds him to 3 or 4 catches. Kevin Walter has 7 catches and beats Lacey all game long. Owen Daniels also has a good game. I think the Colts get beat bad in the first half, but come back in the 2nd, just like Peyton would. I think Kerry throws 2 picks to 1 touchdown and throws for 276 yards. Joseph Addai and Delone Carter have a good game, and Donald Brown goes down with a minor injury that sidelines him for the 2nd half. Addai and Carter combine for 137 yards and 2 TDs. I think the Colts get run over by Foster in the 1st half, but stop him in the 2nd, and that's the difference between a win and a loss. The Colts win!

Prediction

Colts 27 vs Texans 23

Last Time They Played

2010 NFL Season -- Week 8

Colts 30 vs Texans 17

[turner46992]

I've been doing this on my website for a long time, and I've posted it on many websites, but this is the first time I've ever posted it here. For those of you who don't know, my initials are AA, so that's why it's Double A, and it's a breakdown. What it is is that I say what the Colts need to do to win, what the Texans need to do to win, the key matchups and breakout players, what I think will happen and my prediction. So without further ado, here's this week's:

Week 1 -- Colts vs Texans

What the Colts Need To Do To Win

Well, there's no Peyton Manning, so it's up to Kerry Collins to win. The thing with Kerry Collins is that you can't rely on him too much, which means we should run the ball more than usual. That means we have to block well so Joe can run right up the gap. We should let Kerry throw 25 - 28 times, and let Joseph run about 30 times. Make it a balanced offense, instead of the old pass heavy offense. On defense, Arian Foster is not looking great, and he's injured; the Colts also looked very good against the run in the last 2 weeks, where the starters played for quite a bit. Now, something that generally looked bad in the preseason was the pass defense, need to stop playing so much Tampa 2, and play more man 2 man. If not Matt Schaub will pick us apart. Arguably, the most important thing that the Colts need to do is block for Kerry. For starters, he can't get hit too hard, because he's 38, and he also needs the protection to make reads and throw some good passes. Anthony Castonzo is a very important player in this game.

What The Texans Need to Do To Win

The Texans need to constantly blitz Kerry Collins, to make him throw bad passes that can lead to picks. Arian Foster is not looking great, so don't overplay. Let Schaub throw 35 times, and Foster rush about 18 times. You don't want to further enhance his injury. The pass defense isn't great, so that's why the blitzing and the pressure is so important. You need to make short good passes; passes that go for 6 yards. The thing with the defense the Colts use (Tampa 2), is that it's very bad against long passes, but good against short. They need to get wins while Peyton is on the sidelines.

Breakout Performers/ Key Matchup

I think the breakout performer for the Colts will be Jacob Tamme. Dallas Clark may be the starter, but it doesn't mean we don't use Jacob. Jacob was the best TE in the 2nd half of the NFL season last year. I think he has 7 catches for 90 or 100 yards with 2 TDs.

For the Texans, I think it's Brian Cushing. I think he'l come back and come back in a big way. He's going to put constant pressure on Kerry, but at the same time drop back into coverage. I think he gets 8 tackles and a pick.

The key matchup is Anthony Castonzo vs Mario Williams / Antonio Smith aka the left side, right side for Texans. It's going to be important for Castonzo to block those 2 because they want to hit Kerry, and that could spell trouble.

What I Think Will Happen

I think the Colts go out and win, and win a fairly close one. I'm being serious... I saw what the defense did when PM played badly in the 06 playoffs, they stepped it up. Now Peyton's not here, and they realize that they have to step it up to win. They will, I think Jerraud shuts down Andre, or holds him to 3 or 4 catches. Kevin Walter has 7 catches and beats Lacey all game long. Owen Daniels also has a good game. I think the Colts get beat bad in the first half, but come back in the 2nd, just like Peyton would. I think Kerry throws 2 picks to 1 touchdown and throws for 276 yards. Joseph Addai and Delone Carter have a good game, and Donald Brown goes down with a minor injury that sidelines him for the 2nd half. Addai and Carter combine for 137 yards and 2 TDs. I think the Colts get run over by Foster in the 1st half, but stop him in the 2nd, and that's the difference between a win and a loss. The Colts win!

Prediction

Colts 27 vs Texans 23

Last Time They Played

2010 NFL Season -- Week 8

Colts 30 vs Texans 17

I like your breakdown, however I did see where you said Jacob tamme will have 2 td's...but have collins throwing only 1 td? Which is where I have to ask...who is going to throw this second td to Tamme..I agree the colts will win and it will be close. I also say the colts D steps up huge and delivers when it means the most. Im not sure if Arian Foster is going to even play, and if he does not to sure how effective he will be considering his injury is a leg injury. Which would lead me to your breakdown saying he only gets a few touches...18 touches, Im not sure about but 12 or so I can see. So it will be a very tough fought game for whoever wins, I dont see collins being sharp his first few possessions but I think he will come around and get into a groove with our starting wideouts. Looking forward to the game and to see the forums after/during the game!!!

[MAC]

I hope Collins doesn't have two picks - too small a margin of error to withstand that.

I'm sure you meant that the Colts will have 30 carries (I hope they do by the way) - not Joseph alone.

I can't imagine Tamme seeing much action unless Clark gets hurt or has to spent a lot of time in the slot (ie: if Collie, Gonzalez and White can't play).

I don't think we can win a shootout, and I'm not sure that Collins will mesh quickly enough to put up 27 - so falling behind would probably not be a great idea.

I'm optimistic about your bottom line though. The Colts can win this.

[NDKoltz]

Need a little more D in your report. Most of the recent victories against the Texans have been the D coming up big when needed. Freeney and Mathis, with the exception of last years opener, usually have great games against them and will want to let people know that they are not chopped liver on the field to make 18 look good; they are both pro-bowlers right. A flying strip sack will be the differance to the game..........I hope!!!!!

44 and 87 will also come up with important 3rd down plays.

[BlueRedZone]

Well another poster beat me to the Collins throwing 1 td and Tamme getting 2td's. Maybe you meant 2 td passes and 1 interception by Collins.

I think this game might be lower scoring than people think. The player to watch for is Garcon. Watch the deep throw from Collins to Garcon this game. Reggie will be doubled and lots of attention paid to Clark.

This is the first time in forever that the texans have more to lose this game than the Colts. If the Texans lose this game then there will be serious question marks in Houston. With there schedule getting tougher in the early going, they have to get all the wins they can. If they fodder, how long will Kubiak be safe?

If Im the Colts, I am going after Schaub with pressure up the middle from our upgraded DT spots. Frathis will take care of there business.

Forcing Schaub to go 80 yards on dink and dunks is what we want. If we can win the turnover battle, I really like our chances.

To me this game comes down to these keys for a Colts W:

1. Win the turnover battle

2. Control the LOS

3. Get Manageable 3rd downs

But to make it really easy:

Score more than they do. (The Official BlueRedzone Key to Victory) = )

[Rich Cannon]

We defenantly need to play ball control and run the ball.

[Andy]

Sorry, Collins throws 2 TDS and one interception, and Addai and Evans combine for 1 TD

[sixfive]

I've been doing this on my website for a long time, and I've posted it on many websites, but this is the first time I've ever posted it here. For those of you who don't know, my initials are AA, so that's why it's Double A, and it's a breakdown. What it is is that I say what the Colts need to do to win, what the Texans need to do to win, the key matchups and breakout players, what I think will happen and my prediction. So without further ado, here's this week's:

Week 1 -- Colts vs Texans

What the Colts Need To Do To Win

Well, there's no Peyton Manning, so it's up to Kerry Collins to win. The thing with Kerry Collins is that you can't rely on him too much, which means we should run the ball more than usual. That means we have to block well so Joe can run right up the gap. We should let Kerry throw 25 - 28 times, and let Joseph run about 30 times. Make it a balanced offense, instead of the old pass heavy offense. On defense, Arian Foster is not looking great, and he's injured; the Colts also looked very good against the run in the last 2 weeks, where the starters played for quite a bit. Now, something that generally looked bad in the preseason was the pass defense, need to stop playing so much Tampa 2, and play more man 2 man. If not Matt Schaub will pick us apart. Arguably, the most important thing that the Colts need to do is block for Kerry. For starters, he can't get hit too hard, because he's 38, and he also needs the protection to make reads and throw some good passes. Anthony Castonzo is a very important player in this game.

What The Texans Need to Do To Win

The Texans need to constantly blitz Kerry Collins, to make him throw bad passes that can lead to picks. Arian Foster is not looking great, so don't overplay. Let Schaub throw 35 times, and Foster rush about 18 times. You don't want to further enhance his injury. The pass defense isn't great, so that's why the blitzing and the pressure is so important. You need to make short good passes; passes that go for 6 yards. The thing with the defense the Colts use (Tampa 2), is that it's very bad against long passes, but good against short. They need to get wins while Peyton is on the sidelines.

Breakout Performers/ Key Matchup

I think the breakout performer for the Colts will be Jacob Tamme. Dallas Clark may be the starter, but it doesn't mean we don't use Jacob. Jacob was the best TE in the 2nd half of the NFL season last year. I think he has 7 catches for 90 or 100 yards with 2 TDs.

For the Texans, I think it's Brian Cushing. I think he'l come back and come back in a big way. He's going to put constant pressure on Kerry, but at the same time drop back into coverage. I think he gets 8 tackles and a pick.

The key matchup is Anthony Castonzo vs Mario Williams / Antonio Smith aka the left side, right side for Texans. It's going to be important for Castonzo to block those 2 because they want to hit Kerry, and that could spell trouble.

What I Think Will Happen

I think the Colts go out and win, and win a fairly close one. I'm being serious... I saw what the defense did when PM played badly in the 06 playoffs, they stepped it up. Now Peyton's not here, and they realize that they have to step it up to win. They will, I think Jerraud shuts down Andre, or holds him to 3 or 4 catches. Kevin Walter has 7 catches and beats Lacey all game long. Owen Daniels also has a good game. I think the Colts get beat bad in the first half, but come back in the 2nd, just like Peyton would. I think Kerry throws 2 picks to 1 touchdown and throws for 276 yards. Joseph Addai and Delone Carter have a good game, and Donald Brown goes down with a minor injury that sidelines him for the 2nd half. Addai and Carter combine for 137 yards and 2 TDs. I think the Colts get run over by Foster in the 1st half, but stop him in the 2nd, and that's the difference between a win and a loss. The Colts win!

Prediction

Colts 27 vs Texans 23

Last Time They Played

2010 NFL Season -- Week 8

Colts 30 vs Texans 17

Nice Post I agree with you on Cas blocking, I believe they will leave a TE in with him to chip. It is going to be on the Defense to really step it up.

[indy_nick]

Has it been confirmed that Collie and Gonzo are not playing this Sunday? I find an official report anywhere. Also, I think we hold the Texans to under 100 yards rushing. With the absence of Leach as their FB, the uncertainty of Foster's hammy, and our improved defensive line, I think we hold them to under 100 yards rushing *fingers crosses*. I agree Lacey will have his hands full this game. I'm hoping we get enough pressure up the middle with NEVIS and Moala among other to force quick passes from Schuab.

As far as our offense is concerned, I foresee us going 3 and out or very close to it on our first few possessions as the Texans' defense will put 7 or 8 in the box to stop our running game. Then I think short slants to Clark, curl routes with Wayne, and bubble screens to Garcon will help keep the defense honest and Collins will get in some-what of a groove. From that point forward, I think it will be a very close game up until the end. I just hope we don't get too far down early in the game. This game will definitely come down to how well our line will block for Collins and the RBs. GO !

[gagirl89]

Defense wise- If we can smother their run game, that only helps us. If Schaub is forced to throw more times than their comfortable with, I could see more mistakes happening. That could also be said for Collins on the Texans D side. We can't let them get any big plays and gain momentum. I'm a lil worried about our secondary but we'll see how they hold up this first game before the sky falls. On offense I'm looking at everyone! They all need to step up, especially Collins. My eye is especially on Collie,Clark,Tamme, and Addai and Carter. I'm sure Wayne will be covered like a hawk, so that will free up somebody. I'm hoping Garcon has glue on his gloves, he's getting a reputation of having slippery hands. But my eye will especially be on Addai and Carter. I just have this feeling good things are coming from that Carter kid, I truly think he'll surprise ppl that say the Colts can't run, he's not like any of our other RB. I really think we have a shot.

[Restored]

Has it been confirmed that Collie and Gonzo are not playing this Sunday? I find an official report anywhere. Also, I think we hold the Texans to under 100 yards rushing. With the absence of Leach as their FB, the uncertainty of Foster's hammy, and our improved defensive line, I think we hold them to under 100 yards rushing *fingers crosses*. I agree Lacey will have his hands full this game. I'm hoping we get enough pressure up the middle with NEVIS and Moala among other to force quick passes from Schuab.

As far as our offense is concerned, I foresee us going 3 and out or very close to it on our first few possessions as the Texans' defense will put 7 or 8 in the box to stop our running game. Then I think short slants to Clark, curl routes with Wayne, and bubble screens to Garcon will help keep the defense honest and Collins will get in some-what of a groove. From that point forward, I think it will be a very close game up until the end. I just hope we don't get too far down early in the game. This game will definitely come down to how well our line will block for Collins and the RBs. GO !

Collie returned to practice and is quoted as saying he'll be ready as he'll ever be to play on Sunday. Gonzo is still in question and had limited participation in practice. I agree with the under 100 yards rushing notion, especially if Foster tries to give it a go on that shotty knee of his.