With Or Without #CHUCKSTRONG, We're Still An 11 Win Team

[Tony Sullivan]

I support the #chuckstrong movement as much as the next guy, but #chuckstrong didn't win us 11 games;

#Chuckstrong didn't net us 7 4th quarter comebacks

#Chuckstrong didn't make the Pats and Fins foolish for giving up on Butler and Davis

#Chuckstrong didn't give us more special teams plays than I ever remember seeing from the Colts

#Chuckstrong didn't take us from 2-14 to 11-5 and in the playoffs

We got it for ourselves and gave it to Chuck. No doubt we played inspired, and no doubt we played motivated for Chuck, but I don't think Chuck's on Andrew's mind when he throws that game winning pass to Avery @ the Lions. I don't think Chuck's on Vontae's mind when he's cutting Andre Johnson off on a deep ball to rob the Texans of their #1 seed. I don't think Chuck's on Reggie's mind when he reaches across the goalline with one hand to upset the Packers.

Much love to Chuck but our boys win because they're winners. Let's get to Baltimore!

[The Peytonator]

I agree. It's a nice story, there might be a movie about it one day. But on game day, when the bullets are flying, nobody is thinking 'I'm gonna make this play for Chuck'....At least I seriously doubt it.

 

I do hope they make a movie though. Gotta win the SB for that to happen. It will be called 'Hashtag Chuckstrong'.

[PrincetonTiger]

very true

[cbear]

This is why I hope we do well next season.  If we bomb, this year will be written off as just emotionally driven.

[21isSuperman]

It's hard to say.  The emotion we had in the Green Bay game was huge, especially in the 2nd half comeback.  Seeing Chuck improve each week, going from the hospital to his home to the stadium, was a big boost too.  The players play, of course, but the emotion, energy, and passion we have played with has had a big impact on our performance

[deedub75]

Does anyone think we would have been an 11 win team last season with #chuckstrong?

[TKnight24]

This is why I hope we do well next season. If we bomb, this year will be written off as just emotionally driven.

Doubt it. All the Talent we could bring in, I think we're gonna be a Force to be Reckoned with

[throwing BBZ]

Hahahaha! Teams FOUND ways to Lose most of those leads to us.

Hanging together when we were down IMO was a LOT about Chuck Strong.

This is a 6-10 Team AT BEST any other year.

That being said, Coach P taking HIS TEAM to Baltimore to battle Ray in the Playoffs is Absolutely AWESOME!!!!!!!!

The Ravens will be Challenged for 60 Minutes. Go Blue, Go Colts!

[GrizzColt]

I've heard gurus say we may not have the best talent, but we're the best "team".  I kind of agree.  Reggie says this is the best locker room of his career.  

[Smonroe]

It's hard to say.  The emotion we had in the Green Bay game was huge, especially in the 2nd half comeback.  Seeing Chuck improve each week, going from the hospital to his home to the stadium, was a big boost too.  The players play, of course, but the emotion, energy, and passion we have played with has had a big impact on our performance

 

Emotion is a tool that a player uses to give them the edge.  Just like they feed off the crowd, or when they feel they've been dissed by a team for passing on them.  Sometimes it doesn't pay off, in our case there's no denying it's worked in games.  

 

This is a well coached team, all around.  It has to be when you consider the guys we have on the O and D line, most of them cast offs.  Not to mention the youth in key positions.

[Smonroe]

I've heard gurus say we may not have the best talent, but we're the best "team".  I kind of agree.  Reggie says this is the best locker room of his career.  

 

Yes!  Doesn't mean we're going to win the SB, but to me it means that the whole is better than the sum of the parts.

[OJl]

I support the #chuckstrong movement as much as the next guy, but #chuckstrong didn't win us 11 games;

#Chuckstrong didn't net us 7 4th quarter comebacks

#Chuckstrong didn't make the Pats and Fins foolish for giving up on Butler and Davis

#Chuckstrong didn't give us more special teams plays than I ever remember seeing from the Colts

#Chuckstrong didn't take us from 2-14 to 11-5 and in the playoffs

We got it for ourselves and gave it to Chuck. No doubt we played inspired, and no doubt we played motivated for Chuck, but I don't think Chuck's on Andrew's mind when he throws that game winning pass to Avery @ the Lions. I don't think Chuck's on Vontae's mind when he's cutting Andre Johnson off on a deep ball to rob the Texans of their #1 seed. I don't think Chuck's on Reggie's mind when he reaches across the goalline with one hand to upset the Packers.

Much love to Chuck but our boys win because they're winners. Let's get to Baltimore!

I get what you are trying to say.  Players win games.  But I give #chuckstrong a little more credit than you do.  I'm sure no player was consciously saying, "I've got to make this play for Chuck."  But this was a situation we've never seen before in the NFL.  And with Chuck being the man he is, his circumstances no doubt struck a chord with his players.  You mean to tell me that #Chuckstrong had nothing to do with the Green Bay comeback?  Or that last win against Houston with Chuck coming back for the first time?

 

I would argue that the motivation of #Chuckstrong got this team AT LEAST two wins which was huge in the grand scheme of things.

[Warhorse]

The events surrounding Mr Pagano had an effect on this team. There is no way to quantify the effect. It does not help anything nor bring any positive, IMO, to determine that it did make the difference or it didn't make a difference. But for the sake of the discussion, my heart says that his asking for players to give their all in the fight each game, and then for him to give the ultimate fight for his life, set an example for every man on the team to pay respect to by giving no less than 100% at everything they did all season.

[OJl]

I've heard gurus say we may not have the best talent, but we're the best "team".  I kind of agree.  Reggie says this is the best locker room of his career.  

 

Yeah, it was a good "team" in the truest sense of the word with a unique unifying motivational factor binding them.  However, look at all the numbers and this team had no business, and I mean ZERO, winning more than a handful of games.  The defense was atrocious.  The running game was pedestrian.  The O-line was one giant hole.  The upshot is we got a little lucky.  We got a guy who has GOAT potential at QB.  And we got a handful of rookies who are going to help this offense be elite next year.  Throw in a couple of nice FA finds.  It was a special year and a special team. 

[ConBro]

This is why I hope we do well next season.  If we bomb, this year will be written off as just emotionally driven.

This is my biggest worry about replacing BA if he takes a head coaching gig. I hate the media-- they will try the "Mark Sanchez 2.0" label if Luck fails to reach the playoffs next season if he is forced to learn a new system.

[Ryan Pelley]

LOL @ "#chuckstrong"

[BuildtheMonster1285]

Wow. #Chuckstrong didnt help?? Thats cold