Next Man Up

[leatherman]

time for the defense to man and help us get this done this year. they need show everybody they are not the same old colts defense.....

[John Waylon]

They have no choice but to step up.

[a06cc]

They will show up I promise you all that! I really think it's time now for them to put Jerry Hughes in as a linebacker. He plays much better standing up, and no tight end or running back is going to be able to block him.

[Andy]

They wil step up. They did in the 06 playoffs (SB win), when PM was playing badly, and they will now. Jerraud will hold Andre Johnson to 3 or 4 catches. So I think they'll step it up.

[Albaby]

Our defence has proven they can make the plays. They just need to be more consistent and keep the momentum going when they do. This will definately be their time to prove themselves to the world.

[a06cc]

The guys need to start "Manning" up!

[ReMeDy]

The guys need to start "Manning" up!

"You the Manning now, dog!"

[Fx Stryker]

Lets go Colts, we got this. :foam:

[Jose]

time for the defense to man and help us get this done this year. they need show everybody they are not the same old colts defense.....

Fo sure. I think this defense will be rejuvenated. They have a strong defense but haven't shown their true potential yet. Their defensive line will have a much needed boost to stop the run...

[coltsfanej]

With our without peyton the Defensive philosophy and mindset should not change. The point is to always try to keep the other team from scoring and to force turnovers, period. If losing Peyton all of a sudden makes our Defense better, then where were they the last 10 years? My point isn't that we have a bad D. They have potential and are good in some areas and not so good in others. My point is that losing Peyton shouldnt make a difference to the defense. Their game should still be the same. If this motivates them, then they need a new form of motivation cuz last I checked it takes a TEAM to win a championship, not just one side of the ball playing when the other side cant.

[CaliColt]

With our without peyton the Defensive philosophy and mindset should not change. The point is to always try to keep the other team from scoring and to force turnovers, period. If losing Peyton all of a sudden makes our Defense better, then where were they the last 10 years? My point isn't that we have a bad D. They have potential and are good in some areas and not so good in others. My point is that losing Peyton shouldnt make a difference to the defense. Their game should still be the same. If this motivates them, then they need a new form of motivation cuz last I checked it takes a TEAM to win a championship, not just one side of the ball playing when the other side cant.

Absolutely agree, with this post. The Colts Defense is built to excel when we are playing with a lead. Lets be honest We are a finesse defense with excellent pass rushers that attack the offenses when they are obviously put in situations when they are playing against a deficit. Other than that our interior line man are vastly undersized, our line backers can't plug gaps and our safeties have been bailing those guys out. As for our corners, they usually are blanketed in the cover 2, besides for J.Powers (Depending if he's healthy ) our corners are mediocre.

As for our offense..... I gotta take the wait and see approach, we have been so spoiled to see Peyton guiding the offense. To see a new QB in it will take some time to adjust too, but without a run game to sustain drives its gonna be a long year for us Colts fans. Lets just cross our fingers....

Lets just rent Carson Palmer for the year !

[Malakai432]

Speaking of defenses, I bet we change schemes and turn out defense around, (hopefully for the better). After all isn't that what the coaches jobs are. I fully expect to see a different defense. If not, well there might be other problems , . Let's hope that's not the case.

I think the defense will be highly aggressive. On another note it's tough to compare this defense with previous ones as they have many 1st and 2nd year players with major potential. With Manning being out it's hard to say Colts will have the same old def, I am a bit worried about Bullitt/Lacey though. One coming back from a bad injury, the other riddled with inconsistency.

[nitecrawler]

The Colts Defense is built to excel when we are playing with a lead.

Can we all agree to stop using this phrase.

The Colts' defense plays best when the Colts have the lead but, they were not" built to play with a lead".

No GM that wants to keep his job would purposely build a defense that is one dimensional and is only successful if their offense can put up enough points to make the opposing offense one dimensional...I'm sure Polian has been trying to build a defense that can excel regardless of the score.

[ThorstenDenmark]

Next man up, well it have been a very good saying in Indy ever since it was introduced, but now we face a new situation where our leading QB, Peyton Manning won't play, and the next man up is either Kerry Collins or Curtis Painter.

I just don't see any of those two capable of stepping up, and give us more than, combined 5 wins, if Peyton is out for more than 10 games, which i think he is. So bye bye play-off and hello high draft pick and Andrew Luck.

[ruksak]

Can we all agree to stop using this phrase.

The Colts' defense plays best when the Colts have the lead but, they were not" built to play with a lead".

No GM that wants to keep his job would purposely build a defense that is one dimensional and is only successful if their offense can put up enough points to make the opposing offense one dimensional...I'm sure Polian has been trying to build a defense that can excel regardless of the score.

To add to this I would say our defensive philosophy is a direct trickle down of our former offensive capability. If the offense stands at a 2-3 score lead, then we, in turn, have forced the opposing offense to match our tempo. Time is everything in football, and whilst down 2-3 scores, time seems to be running out even early in the game. While many teams accomplish a 2-3 score lead, their defensive personnel, as well as their scheme, is not designed to so effectively stop the big play. The cover-2 minces with the speed of the personnel selected and we have an umbrella defense that stifles comeback efforts.

What I've noticed over the years is our offenses ability to garner such a lead has dwindled, therefor our defense has faltered. When teams aren't desperately lobbing passes down-field, rather they are running straight at us, our personnel appear to be too small and the scheme appears to be too safe.

This year we brought in an assortment of defenders to compensate for the assumed offensive lacking that will ensue as a result of Manning's absence.

I'll quote John Madden ~ "The key to winning is scoring more points than the other guys".

[ruksak]

I just don't see any of those two capable of stepping up, and give us more than, combined 5 wins, if Peyton is out for more than 10 games, which i think he is. So bye bye play-off and hello high draft pick and Andrew Luck.

I don't get this?

Collins has thrown for over 40,000 yards and 206 TDS. He has taken teams far when the fans thought their teams were dead in the water more than once before. I am almost 40 years old (39). Kerry has been an NFL QB since I was 23 years old. In that context, I am simply amazed that people aren't putting more gravity toward his experience. He wasn't a sexy replacement, but in my estimation, was the best man for the job.

[Smitto]

I was just thinking about it, the colts got could try some hybrid type 3-4 schemes.. freeney and nevis on the inside with Wheeler, mathis, hughes, sims and conner at LB lol

[CKS]

I can't start a new topic but I would simply like to ask how many fans think Bill Polian is to blame for our upcoming lost season? Ok don't overreact to my comment that the season is lost; I am just saying what everyone in football is saying. We will win no mored than 3-6 games.

My opinion is Polian was caught not ready for this personel wise. We have been flirting with disaster by not having a viable backup QB for years. This is another in a long string of Polian errors which I bellieve have kept the team from more superbowl appearances. One big thing is Polian has a history of "close but no cigar." Second, Polian has a history of continuing to do the same things over and over - even when the have never worked. Remember Buffalo's 4 consecutive super bowl losses? That was Polian.

This "next man up" idea is Indianapolis' version of a Polianism (what I call his inability to recognize his bad decisions until it is too late). If next man up is really his philosphy? Why go out and get Kerry Collins? Knowledgable football people (including Bob Kravitz) have been saying loud and clear for years: Curtis Painter is not an NFL caliber QB. He rarely, if ever, played like an NFL QB. Arena football league maybe, but NFL no. But Polian kept sticking with him to the point where it seemed like psychological denial. But when Peyton looked like he many not be ready for the season, what happens to next man up? It beocme next man on the bench, old man in the game. We run out and get Kerry Collins. To me, that's a day late and a dollar short.

Similarly, we have the same issues every year - no run defense, no run game, no committment to winning in the preseason. we keep doing the same things over and over and expect the result to be different.

The people of Indianapolis do not deserve the season we are about to have. It is ours couresy of Bill Polian, whose legacy in the NFL is taking great teams and turning them into slightly better than average one.

The remaining question is just how deeply in denial is the Ersay family? Jim, let the Polians go.

[BIG BEN]

I got four words for anybody that tweets for Jim Irsay...Third rounder-Tim Tebow. Make it happen.

[ThorstenDenmark]

I don't get this?

Collins has thrown for over 40,000 yards and 206 TDS. He has taken teams far when the fans thought their teams were dead in the water more than once before. I am almost 40 years old (39). Kerry has been an NFL QB since I was 23 years old. In that context, I am simply amazed that people aren't putting more gravity toward his experience. He wasn't a sexy replacement, but in my estimation, was the best man for the job.

Collins is just over the hill, no doubt about he's a good and solid QB, but with the schedule Colts have, which is one of the scary schedules, I just don't believe that Collins can lift the colts offense.

We have good players like dallas clarke, reggie wayne and joseph addai, but that's it on offense. Manning made the other no name guys better, and only manning and brady can do that.

So I just don't think collins can do much more than win 5 games, especially with our schedule. sorry, but i just don't see it happen without manning.

[AlaskaColtsFan]

I believe that the fact that everyone has written off the Colts (even some Colts fans) will have the team fired up. We have the talent to win plenty of games and the Manningless Colts are going to go out wanting to prove to the world that they can still win games. I believe it will be a fun ride. :foam:

[Rich Cannon]

They have no choice but to step up.

Because if they dont its going to be a long season

[chebotts]

time for the defense to man and help us get this done this year. they need show everybody they are not the same old colts defense.....

The Colts' D has got the the talent-it's time for the Colts' D Coordinator and Coaches to turn 'em loose. The Colts had the Packers beat in Preseason and then got even more conservative on D than their usual soft Cover 2 and let the Pack's 3rd String QB come back to beat them(after not being ready for an on-side kick AGAIN!). The D has got to be aggressive and proactive and force turnovers and TACKLE. Last night the Saints could've won that game if their D Coordinator Williams hadn't backed off the pressure cause his DB's WERE MISSING TACKLES! That KO Return shouldn't have happened and there were at least a dozen other critical situations where the D just let down. Our guys have to be let off the chain to disrupt the Texan's and everybody else's QB & Offense. Get mean, get aggressive and get used to it. Let the Colts' D become a D to be feared and not taken for granted as a D you can dink and dunk and run on to keep the Colts' O off the field. With Peyton out, the Colts are not in Kansas anymore. Why not have something new for 'em to think about. Give Kerry good field position and then when Peyton gets back watch out.

[Smitto]

The Colts' D has got the the talent-it's time for the Colts' D Coordinator and Coaches to turn 'em loose. The Colts had the Packers beat in Preseason and then got even more conservative on D than their usual soft Cover 2 and let the Pack's 3rd String QB come back to beat them(after not being ready for an on-side kick AGAIN!). The D has got to be aggressive and proactive and force turnovers and TACKLE. Last night the Saints could've won that game if their D Coordinator Williams hadn't backed off the pressure cause his DB's WERE MISSING TACKLES! That KO Return shouldn't have happened and there were at least a dozen other critical situations where the D just let down. Our guys have to be let off the chain to disrupt the Texan's and everybody else's QB & Offense. Get mean, get aggressive and get used to it. Let the Colts' D become a D to be feared and not taken for granted as a D you can dink and dunk and run on to keep the Colts' O off the field. With Peyton out, the Colts are not in Kansas anymore. Why not have something new for 'em to think about. Give Kerry good field position and then when Peyton gets back watch out.

The colts wont change their scheme when it comes to the dink and dunk, especially against someone like Johnson BUT they can however be more aggressive which i think they will be. there have been times when the colts defense have been called dirty cause of how aggressive they have played and i hope they show that this year again.

[Freenyfan102]

Can we jut tank the season and get andrew luck

[LaughingAtIrsay]

Lets hope the Defense comes out & attack like Ceasar & his gang from Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes

[Steagles]

It has worked for the last few years, it will work again.

[wordofmouth]

Can we jut tank the season and get andrew luck

Please tell me you're not serious!

[a06cc]

The defense does need to be in some sort of attack mode. Thats I mentioned Jerry Hughes playing as a linebacker or atleast rush off the edge.

[GoColts8818]

since it's next man up and it's Peyton that is hurt that would apply to Kerry Collins not the defense. Look just becuase Peyton is hurt doesn't mean our defense is going to change. We are still built to be an offensive team losing Peyton didn't change that. The defense is going ot be a middle of the pack defense at best because that is how they are built. So I wouldn't start to expect our defense to step up and start winning games for us. They aren't built for that and Peyton being hurt didn't just magicly make them built to do that.

I would agree we need to take some more chances with them becuase we can't really play the bend and don't break and give up a field goal and it's okay we've played in the past. We are going to need more turnovers than we have gotten which I do think the defense can do if they are a little more agresive than we have been in the past. Still I am not going to look for our defense to change all that much.

[GoColts8818]

Can we jut tank the season and get andrew luck

Why so he can sit four years probably till Manning is done or have a really messy situation like the Packers had with Favre?

Also I don't think we are going to be in poistion to get Luck. If we are you really have to look at it but you also have to look at maybe trading the pick and getting picks for the future which to me would make the most sense if you have faith in Manning coming back. I think frankly if we struggle this year we draft a WR high and get Reggie's replacement which will help us while Peyton is still here.

[Corndog]

since it's next man up and it's Peyton that is hurt that would apply to Kerry Collins not the defense. Look just becuase Peyton is hurt doesn't mean our defense is going to change. We are still built to be an offensive team losing Peyton didn't change that. The defense is going ot be a middle of the pack defense at best because that is how they are built. So I wouldn't start to expect our defense to step up and start winning games for us. They aren't built for that and Peyton being hurt didn't just magicly make them built to do that.

I would agree we need to take some more chances with them becuase we can't really play the bend and don't break and give up a field goal and it's okay we've played in the past. We are going to need more turnovers than we have gotten which I do think the defense can do if they are a little more agresive than we have been in the past. Still I am not going to look for our defense to change all that much.

I agree this defense isn't going to magically get better because Manning is gone and it's a necessity. It's still the same personel. I know this isn't what is meant, but basically all of the people saying the defense is going to be so much better are saying that the defense wasn't trying as hard when Manning plays.

I completely agree that they need to take more chances as a defense. This is something they can actually change, their approach on defense. Bring more guys in the box, run more blitzing plays, let Brackett call audibles when he sees holes in the offense. There is no reason to play it safe anymore and use the "bend don't break" philosophy. The Cover 2 is meant to prevent big plays, the Bears 46 is meant to scare the crap out of the other Quarterback. The reward will be worth the risk because their is nothing to lose. They can't play every series trying to protect a lead or not to lose, they have to play to win. If this team wants to win games they can't let the other team have the ball for ten minutes and be happy when they only put up a field goal. That's not good enough, this defense needs to make sacks, force fumbles, get interceptions and score touchdowns.

[esmort]

Can we jut tank the season and get andrew luck

Please tell me you're not serious!

Who cares about winning 5 or 6 games, all it does it hurt our draft position. If we are not going to make the playoffs I would just as soon we tank and get in the "Luck Sweepstakes" as well. Use the season to get all the rookies experience and experiment with some plays/packages we would not normally get to. That way we will be primed and ready when Peyton comes back, plus have a high draft pick to boot.