This Article Is Brutal About The Colts

[indy1888]

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.

It was Tennessee. We were up 21-0 and they had just drove down and scored to make it 21-7. There was 49 seconds left on the clock. There were 2 run plays and they went to halftime with all timeouts left i believe. I hated the call considering the Titans were getting the ball after half time. They went right down after halftime and scored again, 21-14 now and the game was a battle the rest of the way.

And no, sometimes we don't know if it's Caldwell or Peyton. But we do know it was Caldwell who went conservative before haltime in the superbowl. Manning admitted those calls came from Caldwell. And since no timeouts were used in the Tennessee game last year, you have to figure that was Caldwell's decision too.

[Superman]

It was Tennessee. We were up 21-0 and they had just drove down and scored to make it 21-7. There was 49 seconds left on the clock. There were 2 run plays and they went to halftime with all timeouts left i believe. I hated the call considering the Titans were getting the ball after half time. They went right down after halftime and scored again, 21-14 now and the game was a battle the rest of the way.

And no, sometimes we don't know if it's Caldwell or Peyton. But we do know it was Caldwell who went conservative before haltime in the superbowl. Manning admitted those calls came from Caldwell. And since no timeouts were used in the Tennessee game last year, you have to figure that was Caldwell's decision too.

Totally different scenario, considering the fact that we were up, not trailing. And there was only 49 seconds left. And the Titans were getting the ball first. Arguments both ways there, but I can understand disliking that decision a whole heck of a lot more than the decision to get the ball back.

[MAC]

It was Tennessee. We were up 21-0 and they had just drove down and scored to make it 21-7. There was 49 seconds left on the clock. There were 2 run plays and they went to halftime with all timeouts left i believe. I hated the call considering the Titans were getting the ball after half time. They went right down after halftime and scored again, 21-14 now and the game was a battle the rest of the way.

And no, sometimes we don't know if it's Caldwell or Peyton. But we do know it was Caldwell who went conservative before haltime in the superbowl. Manning admitted those calls came from Caldwell. And since no timeouts were used in the Tennessee game last year, you have to figure that was Caldwell's decision too.

I'm sure you're correct. I just looked at both Tenn games on NFL.com a second time without satisfaction - only to realize that it was 2009. The site isn't bringing up 2010 right now for some reason.

I don't recall Tenn specifically, but I most certainly remember the Super Bowl - and I was as upset as anyone at the time. Yes, Caldwell can be too conservative for my liking - as was Dungy (who used to coach as if he was expecting the Bucs D to trot on the field).

Still doesn't alter the fact that he did the correct (and aggressive) thing on Sunday. Whether that was only because we were so far behind that the brakes had fallen off along with the wheels remains to be seen.

[Superman]

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.

So the team didn't have a chance to win at the end of the half, even before the punt return? Really? Then what difference does it make that Caldwell used the timeouts? Why are you pretending that going into the locker room is going to fix all the problems the team is experiencing, when you're convinced that the game was effectively over before halftime? Why all the belly-aching? That's nonsense.

Fact is the biggest problem we had at that point was the scoreboard, and we had an opportunity to improve our standing on the scoreboard before the half. Yes, the offense was playing bad, but the cure for a poorly performing offense isn't halftime, it's better execution. And that comes with reps. The cure for being down 27-0 is scoring points, not running the clock out. So there's no rationale to support the idea that you're better off just giving up on the entire half (or the game, as you apparently would have it) when you still have a chance to score points. It's mindless.

You bring up Dungy. I remember him setting the offense loose in 2006 against the Patriots in the AFCCG, even though we were down 18 and had just thrown a pick-six. Offense went upfield, got a field goal on the board, and went into halftime down just two scores, instead of three. I remember being down 21-0 to the Bucs in 2003, Dungy using timeouts to get the ball back at the end of the second quarter with less than two minutes left, and the offense failing to score. In both instances, he was aggressive and got his team the ball back, but with different results. We came back in both games. The idea that Dungy would have been content just packing it in because we were so far behind is inane. It was under Dungy that we became the best team in the league at scoring before the half.

Stop spewing this garbage about timeouts. It makes zero sense. Like I said, there are tons of things to be critical about from Sunday's performance. The timeouts at the end of the half are not among them.

[JoKeR]

I can careless about a time out before the half.

Im angry in how the entire team seemed to be not ready. I can understand the problems on the offensive side but what about the defense and special teams?

I had the feeling during the whole game that the team had a preseason mentality. From coaches to players. Players, for the most part, played with no intensity and coaches just watched it happen! Yeah I know our coaches don't make a spectacle on the sidelines but when changes aren't being made on the field it makes us wonder.

For example, how in the heck do we still imploy 10 yard cushions between WRs and CBs?! That is something that should done when playing with a lead, not when your down 30 points!

[ruksak]

I can careless about a time out before the half.

Im angry in how the entire team seemed to be not ready. I can understand the problems on the offensive side but what about the defense and special teams?

I had the feeling during the whole game that the team had a preseason mentality. From coaches to players. Players, for the most part, played with no intensity and coaches just watched it happen! Yeah I know our coaches don't make a spectacle on the sidelines but when changes aren't being made on the field it makes us wonder.

For example, how in the heck do we still imploy 10 yard cushions between WRs and CBs?! That is something that should done when playing with a lead, not when your down 30 points!

Straight out I believe the absence of Tom Moore couldn't have been more apparent.

[JoKeR]

Can anyone explain why our defense is still useing soft zones on the outside? At no point in the game did the Colts have a lead. To me thats good coverage when the opponent is trying to catch up in a hurry.

[zachb]

The fact is jim caldwell is a very average coach! He like everyone has benifitted from peyton manning. Its time for a new attitude it gas not only to do with the loss against the texans it dates back to last year in the playoffs. He is not a leader he is a follower. That being said i believe that the colts as a team play much better this week and regain some pride. GO COLTS!!