This Article Is Brutal About The Colts

[chad72]

http://www.cbssports.com/#!/nfl/story/15564294/texans-have-easy-path-to-potentially-great-season

Key excerpts:

Caldwell went 24-8 in his first two seasons as the Colts' coach, but that was with Manning at quarterback. Without Manning? Caldwell is 0-1, which doesn't mean much, but there was a single decision Sunday that suggests he's the same guy who went 26-63 at Wake Forest. That decision came with less than two minutes left in the first half, the Texans inside the Indianapolis 20, leading 24-0 and about to score again. Caldwell called timeout, twice, to make sure the Colts -- who had mounted exactly 59 yards of offense in the half -- had enough time to drive 80 yards in the final 90 seconds.

Huh? Exactly. The Texans kicked a field goal for a 27-0 lead, then kicked off. The Colts were 80 yards away, and 21 seconds later they were punting. Houston's Jacoby Jones returned it 79 yards for a touchdown -- making it 34-0 at the half.

After the game, the Colts spit out variations of the cliché that an NFL season is a marathon, not a sprint.

"It's a journey, not a sprint," said cornerback Jerraud Powers.

"It's not a sprint, it's a marathon," said tailback Joseph Addai.

"It's a marathon, not a sprint," said Caldwell.

True. All of it. But somebody has to finish last in that marathon. Somebody always does.

[MAC]

but there was a single decision Sunday that suggests he's the same guy who went 26-63 at Wake Forest. That decision came with less than two minutes left in the first half, the Texans inside the Indianapolis 20, leading 24-0 and about to score again. Caldwell called timeout, twice, to make sure the Colts -- who had mounted exactly 59 yards of offense in the half -- had enough time to drive 80 yards in the final 90 seconds.

What pray tell is he suggesting that Caldwell should have done differently in that situation? NOT given his veteran QB of several hundred 2 minute drills the opportunity to try? It's standard operating procedure,and has nothing what-so-ever to do with Caldwells prior record, and is indicative of nothing.

I know that finger pointing is fun, but at least try to have some rationality behind it.

[chad72]

What pray tell is he suggesting that Caldwell should have done differently in that situation? NOT given his veteran QB of several hundred 2 minute drills the opportunity to try? It's standard operating procedure,and has nothing what-so-ever to do with Caldwells prior record, and is indicative of nothing.

I know that finger pointing is fun, but at least try to have some rationality behind it.

It is not my finger pointing, I am just quoting the scathing excerpts from it to discuss, just making it clear . The writer says he does not want to overreact to 1 game but I think the writer is in fact doing that and feeling good about it, it seems like that to me, from reading it.

[jskinnz]

What pray tell is he suggesting that Caldwell should have done differently in that situation? NOT given his veteran QB of several hundred 2 minute drills the opportunity to try? It's standard operating procedure,and has nothing what-so-ever to do with Caldwells prior record, and is indicative of nothing.

I know that finger pointing is fun, but at least try to have some rationality behind it.

Completely agree.

Does the writer think Caldwell called the TO's to enable Houston the chance to run the punt back? Or perhaps he was doing exactly as he should have in giving his offense, even as inept as it was yesterday, the chance to score before the half by maximizing the time they had left.

Caldwell deserves criticism but that was not one of them.

And the Wake Forest line is a joke. He took the path of least resistance and simply wrote something easy.

[Superman]

Any criticism of Caldwell's decision at the end of the half is absurd. Calling timeout and getting the ball back is the right choice in that situation. Nothing even remotely similar to the Jags timeout or the Jets timeout from last year. You get the ball back and have a chance to score at the end of the half. And then you have another chance to score when you get the kickoff in the third quarter. Best case scenario, you score twice and make it a two score game before the Texans get the ball back.

The writer seems to be suggesting that because Manning is out and because the offense was playing poorly, that you just give up trying to win. That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard in my life.

[chad72]

The writer seems to be suggesting that because Manning is out and because the offense was playing poorly, that you just give up trying to win. That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard in my life.

Yep, totally agree with that.

[pacolts56]

It is not my finger pointing, I am just quoting the scathing excerpts from it to discuss, just making it clear . The writer says he does not want to overreact to 1 game but I think the writer is in fact doing that and feeling good about it, it seems like that to me, from reading it.

Yeah....that column was a major tip of the hat to Peyton, and a pie in the face to anyone else who has their paycheck signed by Jim Irsay. Brutal indeed.

As far as his take on the Texans? He sounds almost ready to skip the formalities and give them the Lombardi trophy right now.

THAT part especially, I don't buy. IMO....the Texans are as capable of losing 7 games and missing the playoffs as they are of winning 12. And hiring Captain Kangaroo as their D-coordinator doesn't mean much after the Cowboys underperformed with him for years.

We'll probably see more of these kinds of articles...there's alot of haters out there.

[DalTXColtsFan]

Talking heads spouting nonsense like always.

[ruksak]

No surprise here. The "brutal" fact is, for an impartial, non-biased journalist, there is nothing positive they could contrive to say about the Colts performance Sunday.

I actually thought this article was somewhat kind.

[chad72]

Not sure if Paul Kuharsky reads the articles he links to in his AFC South blog, I got it from there.

There are more out there if you want to take the CHANCE to read them .

http://espn.go.com/blog/afcsouth/category/_/name/indianapolis-colts

[MAC]

It is not my finger pointing, I am just quoting the scathing excerpts from it to discuss, just making it clear . The writer says he does not want to overreact to 1 game but I think the writer is in fact doing that and feeling good about it, it seems like that to me, from reading it.

I know, that's why I said "he" instead of "you". I try not to shoot the messenger.

(Actually I did aim at you initially, then thought "ugh, oh - better read the article, he's probably just quoting directly. )

[MAC]

And hiring Captain Kangaroo as their D-coordinator doesn't mean much

lol

You're right, I never noticed that.

[Superman]

And hiring Captain Kangaroo as their D-coordinator doesn't mean much after the Cowboys underperformed with him for years.

Wade Phillips is a really good defensive coordinator. Always has been. He's not a good head coach, however, which is why he didn't work out in Dallas.

[braveheartcolt]

I wish we had Wade as our DC.

[CR91]

if caldwell continues to struggle i see him out of here. jeff fisher anyone?

[Blue Horseshoe]

if caldwell continues to struggle i see him out of here. jeff fisher anyone?

He already has a shirt for when he gets the job!

[manningstheman]

Sorry to who ever thinks this guy was caldwell bashing. He said it how it is. You just watched your team get punished for two quarters. We fumbled, we couldnt move the ball, if we did we got penatlies that just moved us back anyways. We were not mentally ready to make any kind of last minute drive down the field to score. A real coach, who has the team in mind, decides to pack it in for the half. He wants to get his troops minds right. He wants to tell the team its ok, that they know what to do to fix this game. Instead, you let a team that has been sitting on the sidelins looking like their mommas just slapped them, have to spend more time on the field and get kicked around some more. Come on, after that first half butt kicking did he think that Peyton was in the locker room with his cape on. Caldwell has no idea how to coach. If you cant even win games in college, how can u be expected to win games in the NFL.

[IndyTrav]

if caldwell continues to struggle i see him out of here. jeff fisher anyone?

The Colts will never get Fisher because they dont want a HC who has a mind of his own and who is willing to lead a team. They want Peyton Manning to do that as well.

[Smitto]

It seems to me like colts fans only want colts fans to complain not writers lol... the man is some what right. i dont think jim caldwell is a good coach he's not BAD but he's not that GOOD either... can anyone say Jim Tressel? at least he has a better college record lol

[coltfaninnewyork]

Keyshawn johnson called the colts dogs and said they layed down,Ditka said a injury to a key player is something you rally around.If these things are true that has to lay at the feet of caldwell,and the players.

[chad72]

Keyshawn johnson called the colts dogs and said they layed down,Ditka said a injury to a key player is something you rally around.If these things are true that has to lay at the feet of caldwell,and the players.

Leave it to MeShawn Johnson to pile it on and rub salt on our wounds. Coach Ditka was right on the Mike & Mike morning show, "everyone needs to look in the mirror and have a check up from their neck up (cool phrase) and go out and play with their pride as a Colt".

[coltfaninnewyork]

Leave it to MeShawn Johnson to pile it on and rub salt on our wounds. Coach Ditka was right on the Mike & Mike morning show, "everyone needs to look in the mirror and have a check up from their neck up (cool phrase) and go out and play with their pride as a Colt".

Do you think caldwell is at fault?I know he doesn't play but his job is to get these guys ready.

[chad72]

Do you think caldwell is at fault?I know he doesn't play but his job is to get these guys ready.

If the team comes unprepared to play failing to recognize bootlegs for the gazillionth time from a west coast QB like Colt McCoy (I can almost script that is what is going to happen), and cannot play stouter between the tackles on run D with the right gap assignments with the 12th man behind them vs Peyton Hillis, then it would not be far fetched to say Caldwell and his coaches continue to not make adjustments.

A lot is riding for the coaches and players on the Browns game, more than they realize.

[Blue Horseshoe]

I think Carter was dead on. This is who the Colts really are.

[21isSuperman]

Keyshawn johnson called the colts dogs and said they layed down,Ditka said a injury to a key player is something you rally around.If these things are true that has to lay at the feet of caldwell,and the players.

The Colts had been saying that they were out to prove that they were still a competitive team. The players weren't happy that everyone had written them off and wanted to show that they were talented enough to win without Peyton. While the team is certainly very talented, the execution yesterday didn't show it. They set out to prove the media wrong and ended up proving them right.

[Superman]

Sorry to who ever thinks this guy was caldwell bashing. He said it how it is. You just watched your team get punished for two quarters. We fumbled, we couldnt move the ball, if we did we got penatlies that just moved us back anyways. We were not mentally ready to make any kind of last minute drive down the field to score. A real coach, who has the team in mind, decides to pack it in for the half. He wants to get his troops minds right. He wants to tell the team its ok, that they know what to do to fix this game. Instead, you let a team that has been sitting on the sidelins looking like their mommas just slapped them, have to spend more time on the field and get kicked around some more. Come on, after that first half butt kicking did he think that Peyton was in the locker room with his cape on. Caldwell has no idea how to coach. If you cant even win games in college, how can u be expected to win games in the NFL.

This is so stupid.

The man gets dogged for supposedly not being aggressive enough, gets called a quitter, he can't make decisions on his own, he can't think on his feet, etc., etc. He made a routine call to get the ball back with a minute and a half left in the half, and with his team due to get the ball in the third quarter. His team is down four scores. If -- IF -- they can put some points on the board in the second quarter, they can cut the lead to three scores, and if they can get a touchdown to open the third, they can cut it to two scores. You have the timeouts, you can't take them with you, so you make a play to get the ball back. Not only do you get the ball back, but you do so with minimal damage.

The idea that he should just pack it in and go to the second half is only being bandied about because the coverage team blew the punt coverage. If you're so hungry to criticize the coach for something, criticize him for that, please, because it's entirely unacceptable that we have such a great punter and kickoff specialist but *still* can't cover kickoffs and punts to any reasonable degree. Criticize him for that, because in reality, the blown coverage is what cost us the Jets playoff game last year. Criticize him because the defense was off balance, or because the offense couldn't make routine plays. Please, get real, and deliver some real criticism. There's tons of valid criticisms out there just waiting to be used.

But stop with this revisionist idea that a good coach doesn't use his timeouts to get an extra possession at the end of the half. That's just insane. It doesn't make any sense. You look back at it and how it all played out, and the conclusion you come to is that the extra possession hurt us? No, what hurt us is that our offense was playing like crap (which didn't change after the half) and our punt coverage got caught with their pants down.

Please, please, please... Criticize the coaching staff, because the embarrassing loss was directly attributable to them. But this timeout issue is ridiculous.

[MCurtis32]

I think Caldwell's stupidity and Polians inability to work with a coach with a mind of his own is at the heart of a disfunctional front office. I believe Moore and Mudd and others could not work in this environment and "Retired" only to work with other teams. Irsay lets his Managers manage and stays out of the way. I hope he gets involved and makes some decisive moves in house soon. This crap could go on into next year and beyond. The Colts have lost most of what has made them great. Coaches and players.

[FireJimCaldwell]

Truth hurts

[manningstheman]

This is so stupid.

The man gets dogged for supposedly not being aggressive enough, gets called a quitter, he can't make decisions on his own, he can't think on his feet, etc., etc. He made a routine call to get the ball back with a minute and a half left in the half, and with his team due to get the ball in the third quarter. His team is down four scores. If -- IF -- they can put some points on the board in the second quarter, they can cut the lead to three scores, and if they can get a touchdown to open the third, they can cut it to two scores. You have the timeouts, you can't take them with you, so you make a play to get the ball back. Not only do you get the ball back, but you do so with minimal damage.

The idea that he should just pack it in and go to the second half is only being bandied about because the coverage team blew the punt coverage. If you're so hungry to criticize the coach for something, criticize him for that, please, because it's entirely unacceptable that we have such a great punter and kickoff specialist but *still* can't cover kickoffs and punts to any reasonable degree. Criticize him for that, because in reality, the blown coverage is what cost us the Jets playoff game last year. Criticize him because the defense was off balance, or because the offense couldn't make routine plays. Please, get real, and deliver some real criticism. There's tons of valid criticisms out there just waiting to be used.

But stop with this revisionist idea that a good coach doesn't use his timeouts to get an extra possession at the end of the half. That's just insane. It doesn't make any sense. You look back at it and how it all played out, and the conclusion you come to is that the extra possession hurt us? No, what hurt us is that our offense was playing like crap (which didn't change after the half) and our punt coverage got caught with their pants down.

Please, please, please... Criticize the coaching staff, because the embarrassing loss was directly attributable to them. But this timeout issue is ridiculous.

Our offense was playing bad? Really. You dont say. Well ok then lets put them back out there for another chance to fumble or throw and Int. Maybe we can get one of our recievers or runningbacks hurt too. No, sorry dude, I disagree. You dont watch football or know football if you think its not ok to say enough is enough for this half. Every team has done it. Dungy did it a few times in the first half. Even when everyone was saying go for it, he on a few occasions had the offense just let the time run out at the end of a half. Not very often, but he did do it. Sometimes you have to be that leader. A good leader and a good coach knows when to say lets take this into the locker room and figure this out. Because if you at all thought they still had a chance at the end of the half before the punt return. Well, you werent watching the same team play I was. You must have thought Peyton was in the locker room with his cape on too. Well dude, he isnt.

[amff]

Keyshawn johnson called the colts dogs and said they layed down,Ditka said a injury to a key player is something you rally around.If these things are true that has to lay at the feet of caldwell,and the players.

Analysts are what they are. IF they played or not they are analysts. None of those guys would have handled it differently. I for one feel sorry for the other 52 guys on the team outside of Peyton. To see your friend on the sideline, your leader being on onlooker must be tough. But to have your season ticket holders and some of your fan base jump ship becuase that guy is sidelined! Well thats a hypothetical kick i the pills. Yes its your job to go out and play and try to win. But it is hard to win if the people paying you dont back you up.

[tigerkz]

Please tell me you aren;t for real... People would be complaining if he hadn't tried to get the ball back. And this is why they say hindsight is 20/20. No one knew that the punt would turn into a punt return for TD.

[numerouno]

WOW! That was brutal, but everyone is jumping on this against the COLTS and I wanted so badly for them to win against the TEXANS. Everyone is always so ready to crown them the next champs after they beat the COLTS and then post degrading statements and comments about how bad Indy is. I really hope they can put this game in their rearview fast and move onward and upward!

[jskinnz]

Our offense was playing bad? Really. You dont say. Well ok then lets put them back out there for another chance to fumble or throw and Int. Maybe we can get one of our recievers or runningbacks hurt too. No, sorry dude, I disagree. You dont watch football or know football if you think its not ok to say enough is enough for this half. Every team has done it. Dungy did it a few times in the first half. Even when everyone was saying go for it, he on a few occasions had the offense just let the time run out at the end of a half. Not very often, but he did do it. Sometimes you have to be that leader. A good leader and a good coach knows when to say lets take this into the locker room and figure this out. Because if you at all thought they still had a chance at the end of the half before the punt return. Well, you werent watching the same team play I was. You must have thought Peyton was in the locker room with his cape on too. Well dude, he isnt.

Utterly, completely, 100% clueless.

[Fatboyslim11]

I think Caldwell's stupidity and Polians inability to work with a coach with a mind of his own is at the heart of a disfunctional front office. I believe Moore and Mudd and others could not work in this environment and "Retired" only to work with other teams. Irsay lets his Managers manage and stays out of the way. I hope he gets involved and makes some decisive moves in house soon. This crap could go on into next year and beyond. The Colts have lost most of what has made them great. Coaches and players.

Completely agree. Caldwell just isn't head coach material and Bill Polian's ego is such that he will never have a dynamic, forceful and independent man for the HC of the Colts. He will not tolerate anyone that outshines him and Irsay is really clueless (please refer back to the days when Irsay was Colts GM for the definition of a cluess failure).

[indy1888]

What pray tell is he suggesting that Caldwell should have done differently in that situation? NOT given his veteran QB of several hundred 2 minute drills the opportunity to try? It's standard operating procedure,and has nothing what-so-ever to do with Caldwells prior record, and is indicative of nothing.

I know that finger pointing is fun, but at least try to have some rationality behind it.

But yet, there have been times where he has not been this aggressive with Manning at QB. One game from last year that pops into my head immediately was on the road in Tennessee. They had all their timeouts and 50 seconds left and he called 2 running plays and went to half time.

And if this is about him being agressive and were talking about standard operating procedure, why was he kicking a field goal down 34 points later in the game on 4th down?

[shaunzo]

Not usually the biggest fan, but most everything that Doyel-Bag says in this article is true. Especially about the Manning MVP thing. I still don't know how there's any optimism about having Caldwell as a head coach, in this league, or any other league for that matter. Tell me one thing he's done that's been impressive, please tell me. Regardless of whether the timeout was the right call or not (kind of a no-brainer, coaching 101 call really), the guy just is not a good coach. He should be livid with the way our defense performed, but he just watched and watched as the Texans rolled over our lame duck scheme, standing there like a deer in the headlights. No changes, no blitz dialing, just status quo hope nothing bad happens, "bend don't break" approach. Oh but Mathis had a sack, yay!!!!

The long and short is that we as fans and the Colts as a team are royally screwed without Manning masking our deficiencies at head coach, defense, o-line, SPECIAL TEAMS, and running game. Hopefully this painful, season long reality check ( I can't imagine why we'd play Manning this season ) will inspire some head rolling in the front office.

And believe me, I really want to be wrong about all of this. I want Caldwell to prove me wrong, but he won't. Neither will Coyer, or our cornerbacks, or Kerry Collins. I guess I'd just like to see a little more heart and "stepping up" than what was on display Sunday. Did anyone else notice the disgust on Dallas Clark's face after only one possession? That was painful to watch, and if that's what we should expect every week without Manning, it's going to be a long, long season.

Just want to win

[coltsdan]

Not usually the biggest fan, but most everything that Doyel-Bag says in this article is true. Especially about the Manning MVP thing. I still don't know how there's any optimism about having Caldwell as a head coach, in this league, or any other league for that matter. Tell me one thing he's done that's been impressive, please tell me. Regardless of whether the timeout was the right call or not (kind of a no-brainer, coaching 101 call really), the guy just is not a good coach. He should be livid with the way our defense performed, but he just watched and watched as the Texans rolled over our lame duck scheme, standing there like a deer in the headlights. No changes, no blitz dialing, just status quo hope nothing bad happens, "bend don't break" approach. Oh but Mathis had a sack, yay!!!!

The long and short is that we as fans and the Colts as a team are royally screwed without Manning masking our deficiencies at head coach, defense, o-line, SPECIAL TEAMS, and running game. Hopefully this painful, season long reality check ( I can't imagine why we'd play Manning this season ) will inspire some head rolling in the front office.

And believe me, I really want to be wrong about all of this. I want Caldwell to prove me wrong, but he won't. Neither will Coyer, or our cornerbacks, or Kerry Collins. I guess I'd just like to see a little more heart and "stepping up" than what was on display Sunday. Did anyone else notice the disgust on Dallas Clark's face after only one possession? That was painful to watch, and if that's what we should expect every week without Manning, it's going to be a long, long season.

Just want to win

completely agree.

[MAC]

But yet, there have been times where he has not been this aggressive with Manning at QB. One game from last year that pops into my head immediately was on the road in Tennessee. They had all their timeouts and 50 seconds left and he called 2 running plays and went to half time.

And if this is about him being agressive and were talking about standard operating procedure, why was he kicking a field goal down 34 points later in the game on 4th down?

It wasn't Tennessee - I just looked - but there has been a time or two. Don't know what to tell you. We all assume that Peyton calls the plays, but when something like that happens we assume that the coach is at fault. We don't know what happened, but it's an extremely rare event, so perhaps there was a good reason. Regardless it doesn't change the fact that the right thing was done last Sunday.

As far as the field goal is concerned, my assumption is that by that point the only thing at stake was pride, and nobody wants to get shut out. What did they say during the broadcast - the Colts haven't been shutout since 1993? Shutouts are the worst. If they had finally gotten that far, come away with no points, and been shutout - what would this conversation be about? I had no problems with it. Note that on a second occasion they DID go for it on fourth down within field goal range. I had no problems with that either.

[Coffeedrinker]

But yet, there have been times where he has not been this aggressive with Manning at QB. One game from last year that pops into my head immediately was on the road in Tennessee. They had all their timeouts and 50 seconds left and he called 2 running plays and went to half time.

The situation is completely different, the Colts had a 21-7 lead.

And if this is about him being agressive and were talking about standard operating procedure, why was he kicking a field goal down 34 points later in the game on 4th down?

The only thing I can figure about that one is taking a page from Tom Landry's book... the hardest points to get are the first ones.

The loss against Houston was bad, but I heard an interesting thing on the radio after the game.... that was the 5th worst loss for the Colts in the Manning era. That is bad, but it also means. with Manning as the QB, the Colts have 4 worse losses. I know it won't prevent people from crawling out of the woodwork to state they told everyone so and if the Colts only ran the organization the way they(the fan) wanted them to, they would win every game and have a probowler at every position, but I'm sure there are some on this board that will think about that.

[MAC]

I still don't know how there's any optimism about having Caldwell as a head coach, in this league, or any other league for that matter. Tell me one thing he's done that's been impressive, please tell me. He should be livid with the way our defense performed, but he just watched and watched as the Texans rolled over our lame duck scheme, standing there like a deer in the headlights. No changes, no blitz dialing, just status quo hope nothing bad happens, "bend don't break" approach. Oh but Mathis had a sack, yay!!!!

None of us has much basis for judging his abilities as a coach. You may be completely right, but it seems unlikely that he would have earned Dungy and Polians faith in the first place if he was as incompetent as everyone suggests. For one thing, he brought in a new defensive co-ordinator who changed a lot for the better. Everyone was thrilled with the move at the time. By the way, wouldn't it be Coyer's responsibility to make adjustments mid game?

A lot of people here simply don't like the expression on Caldwell's face. I'm not sure what that has to do with anything. There is every reason to believe that he is an excellent leader and has the respect of his men. It may satisfy some fanly urges to see him jump up and down and yell, but that has nothing what-so-ever to do with his ability to coach. We aren't talking about Leo Durocher putting on a show to intimidate an umpire, we're talking about a living chess match with nearly a hundred pieces. If you are jumping up and down and yelling, you aren't thinking. I vote for thinking.

The only thing that we have reason to dispute is a couple of questionable time outs. I need a lot more evidence than that.