Teams most likely to step back in 2013

[james_zeigler1994]

I just think its ****** because just because Arians is not running this Offense anymore doesn't mean a **** thing and I think Luck Will be 10X as good with an Offense he is really comfortable with.

[james_zeigler1994]

I don't agree with the fact the colts are stepping back I for one think the colts had a really good Off-season so far and it don't matter what division your playing and the colts have the 3rd most easy schedule in 2013 so I also will say this the Dolphins are not that good and I don't think they upgraded their secondary very much and the colts will have a better defense and a better running game this time around and luck I think will have another field day against that dolphins team just because the Dolphins overpaid Mike Wallace doesn't mean they are beating everybody they play.

[crazycolt1]

We had a relatively easy schedule last year, that being said it isn't too bad this year either. Personally I would rather see us have the league's toughest schedule but that's just me.

 

We were not the most talented team in the world last year, but we were one of the youngest teams, those youngsters will get better and we have added key scheme-fits to the squad... we should be a lot better, but I see us winning one game less.

 

That being said, it only counts what you do in the playoffs, and I believe we may have a playoff win in us this year.

 

Who knows though, it is an incredibly difficult task to make these predictions... too many teams and too much analysis and ifs/buts involved.

I agree with you on your comment. It is way too early to make any kinds of predictions. Too many variables come into the picture. Injuries can play a huge factor in OTAs, training camp, pre-season and a 16 game season. Articles like these just make for debates and opinions to be voiced. Just about every year there are 5 teams who drop out from the season before just as 5 teams seem to come out of nowhere and make noise. It's exciting to look forward to the up coming season but as a long time Colts fan, I have become to realize no one really knows till it's all over. 

[Crunked]

http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/teams_most_likely_to_step_back_in_2013/13615313

 

According to this article, the Colts are the team most likely to step back in 2013.

This is not surprising really, we over achieved mightily...so it would stand to reason, we climbed the highest therefore we are at risk of falling the farthest.....I would think most of us believe that won't happen, but serious math points to the contrary.....we will see......its all off season talk at this point, lets let the season dictate what we are, not the hyperbol

[AntonMcG]

It's not a prediction, it's based on opposing win/loss percentages. We were tied for the 14th hardest SoS in 2012.  We have the third easiest this year.  

 

Personally, I feel the AFC has more weaker teams than the NFC.  It's possible we win less games this year, but end up going farther in the playoffs.  I don't think the Pats, Ravens, or Texans are that much ahead of us.  IMHO, it's the Bronco's conference to lose this year.

 

Yes of course I know SoS isn't a prediction, I was referring to these predictions that we are making, and the media is making.

 

I agree that the AFC isn't strong, but I think the Pats will be right there alongside to Broncos. Still a great football team with a young and talented defense.

[AntonMcG]

I agree with you on your comment. It is way too early to make any kinds of predictions. Too many variables come into the picture. Injuries can play a huge factor in OTAs, training camp, pre-season and a 16 game season. Articles like these just make for debates and opinions to be voiced. Just about every year there are 5 teams who drop out from the season before just as 5 teams seem to come out of nowhere and make noise. It's exciting to look forward to the up coming season but as a long time Colts fan, I have become to realize no one really knows till it's all over. 

 

I wouldn't say it is too early to make predictions, I would say it is too early to make accurate predictions.. If we didn't make predictions at all we would have a pretty mundane off season!

[AntonMcG]

Not that great of a blog, IMHO, but here's where I agree completely with the writer...

 

"in a tough conference, a wildcard birth for the Colts seems extremely unlikely."

 

Frankly, a pregnancy with even a single Colts player would completely shock me, toughness of the conference notwithstanding.

 

Well observed. Grammatical incompetance amongst journalists make it very difficult to objectively consider any points they make. It is like a psychic using fortune cookies to tell your future.

[Holden89]

I dont know, I don't really have a problem with them predicting us to "take a step back".  We were a huge surprise last year, we WAAAAAAY over-achieved with the talent that was on our roster.  It's not that bold of a prediction.  Even going 10-6 (which would still be a good year that could end in a playoff berth) would technically be a step back.

 

 

Yes, we had a good offseason, but there are still some things that really worry me about this team.  (CB depth and pass rush chief among them)  Yes, Freeney didn't get a lot of sacks, but he was still double-teamed quite a bit. Now, Mathis has to be the guy.  I'm not so quick to just assume he can be. I think he has it in him, but he's never had to be the guy with the pass rush. Also, while I like the potential of Werner, there are still the concerns that he might not translate well into a 3-4. Who knows, there... I also trust Pagano and Grigson to see that kind of thing in a guy.

 

Our secondary still doesn't excite me that much.  Vontae is a very spotty player. When he's good, he's great, but he's prone to bad games. He's been that way his entire career, and I don't just expect that to completely go away.  I don't know what to expect with Toler.  Hopefully he can be an upgrade over powers.  Butler is a solid nickel, but I really don't like him on the outside...and Vaughn....no comment. Landry is a great physical player, but he's not stellar in coverage, and is a double move waiting to happen. We'll see how that goes.

 

All that being said, I still think we'll end up at LEAST 10-6 with a wildcard berth. I'm just saying maybe we shouldn't be so offended that a writer had the audacity to expect us to falter a bit this year....

[Smonroe]

Yes of course I know SoS isn't a prediction, I was referring to these predictions that we are making, and the media is making.

 

I agree that the AFC isn't strong, but I think the Pats will be right there alongside to Broncos. Still a great football team with a young and talented defense.

Sorry, I misinterpreted your post. I Brad Wells'ed you!

[lollygagger8]

I didn't even read it. I stopped before it got done loading up saying "yardbarker."

 

Sounds like a Brad Wells spinoff site if you ask me.  

[AntonMcG]

I dont know, I don't really have a problem with them predicting us to "take a step back".  We were a huge surprise last year, we WAAAAAAY over-achieved with the talent that was on our roster.  It's not that bold of a prediction.  Even going 10-6 (which would still be a good year that could end in a playoff berth) would technically be a step back.

 

 

Yes, we had a good offseason, but there are still some things that really worry me about this team.  (CB depth and pass rush chief among them)  Yes, Freeney didn't get a lot of sacks, but he was still double-teamed quite a bit. Now, Mathis has to be the guy.  I'm not so quick to just assume he can be. I think he has it in him, but he's never had to be the guy with the pass rush. Also, while I like the potential of Werner, there are still the concerns that he might not translate well into a 3-4. Who knows, there... I also trust Pagano and Grigson to see that kind of thing in a guy.

 

Our secondary still doesn't excite me that much.  Vontae is a very spotty player. When he's good, he's great, but he's prone to bad games. He's been that way his entire career, and I don't just expect that to completely go away.  I don't know what to expect with Toler.  Hopefully he can be an upgrade over powers.  Butler is a solid nickel, but I really don't like him on the outside...and Vaughn....no comment. Landry is a great physical player, but he's not stellar in coverage, and is a double move waiting to happen. We'll see how that goes.

 

All that being said, I still think we'll end up at LEAST 10-6 with a wildcard berth. I'm just saying maybe we shouldn't be so offended that a writer had the audacity to expect us to falter a bit this year....

 

Great post. Exactly my sentiments.

[Luck_Is_Skilled]

How can you take a step back from being Ranked dead last in the power rankings not even a year prior? Is there a 33rd team?

Seriously though, I love this. I love not being the All Hype team. I love the doubters. I love it.

We don't get any props from national media any how so screw em. I will say this, step back or not, we will be a force to be reckoned with for a long, long time.

[adamthyst]

I've read so many articles that have said this, and I'm not convinced. Sure, Arians is gone, but that doesn't mean a thing about stepping back to me because I'm happy with Pep Hamilton as the OC, and he was with Luck at Stanford so I think it's a system he should be familiar with. I'll wait for this season to start and see if anymore of these critics and doubters shut up.

[Boozeking25]

I would take that article with a grain of salt. Offensively, I think the Colts will be better than last year. I see Luck avoiding the sophomore slump and doing better in year 2. T.Y Hilton had an awesome rookie season and made a lot of plays for his ball club. He was quite the play maker. Majority of his TDs were burners; explosive plays for 40 yards and more. I expect the chemistry to be good there next year. I also like the addition of Darrius Heyward-Bay. He has great speed and will be a nice tool for Luck. His speed will also stretch the field and give other receivers opportunities to eat it up between the numbers. I like that pick up. Reggie Wayne also seems to be like fine wine. People seem to be slightly worried about Bruce Arians departure. They should take comfort in the fact that Luck is reunited with his college offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton. One aspect that Pep should adopt from Arian's game plan is utilizing Reggie Wayne in the slot. This helped attribute to Reggie's second best receiving season in yards. I would also like to see Luck hook up with Fleener more.

 

Now as for the defense, that's where the question lie. I like the Vontae Davis pick up. He's a good corner but can be inconsistent; good mixed with bad. Regardless, the corner position needs to be addressed and he's the best corner on the team. I like the Laron Landry pick up. He adds an element of toughness to the defense. He'll be used a lot in the box. He's great against the run and a good tackler. He's okay in coverage but he was an upgrade at that position. Interesting to see how Werner is going to transition. Really don't have any thought there, but it will be interesting to watch. The departure of Freeney is kinda huge in my opinion. People look at his stats and say he was barely a factor. That's where they are wrong. He didn't have the numbers but he definitely made an impact. He had 30ish QB pressures and drew double teams throughout the season.

 

With all that said, I still think the Colts have a shot to go to the play offs again. The AFC in general is pretty weak. I think the Texans will win the division and the Colts will get in as a wild card. I have wild cards coming out of the AFC South and AFC North. As long as the Colts have Luck under center, I like their chances. He's the best young QB in the league and will be a top QB in this league in due time without a doubt. From a national perspective, he got caught up in all the RG3 and RUssell Wilson hype but true football fans know the deal. http://forums.colts.com/index.php?/topic/18202-do-you-think-the-wilsorg3-hype-bothers-andrew/page-3#entry495717

 

The Colts will be fine and this is coming from an Eagles fan.

[RGIII]

Honestly, I think the Colts are a team that are actually a good bet to take a small step backwards when it comes to record.  It'll be very tough for them to go 11-5 again (or better) especially with the turnover you've had amongst the coaching staff and players.  I'd be shocked if there weren't signs of major improvement going forward in spite of that, though.  If Pep has learned anything from the guys he's worked with at Stanford your offense will be in far better shape in a few years than it would have been with Arians sticking around and Luck is a virtual lock to steadily improve his game over the next few years.

 

It's not the worst distinction in the world because you have to be at least decent to begin with to take a step back.  Teams like the Jaguars, Eagles, and Chiefs are at a point where they can't possibly get any worse so they're out of the running entirely.

 

Oh... and to preempt the inevitable response from one of the people with major insecurity about taking Luck over Griffin:  Yes, the Redskins are decent candidates to take a step back as well (particularly depending on your individual beliefs about the health of one player in particular).  No, I am not concerned at all.

[braveheartcolt]

I'm a little confused. The vast majority on here are categorically sure that we have upgraded our roster significantly. And we have some outstanding rookies from last year who can only take huge steps forward. And yet the vast majority think we will go backwards? 

 

A puzzler indeed, well for my simple mind.

[Nadine]

I dont know, I don't really have a problem with them predicting us to "take a step back".  We were a huge surprise last year, we WAAAAAAY over-achieved with the talent that was on our roster.  It's not that bold of a prediction.  Even going 10-6 (which would still be a good year that could end in a playoff berth) would technically be a step back.

 

 

Yes, we had a good offseason, but there are still some things that really worry me about this team.  (CB depth and pass rush chief among them)  Yes, Freeney didn't get a lot of sacks, but he was still double-teamed quite a bit. Now, Mathis has to be the guy.  I'm not so quick to just assume he can be. I think he has it in him, but he's never had to be the guy with the pass rush. Also, while I like the potential of Werner, there are still the concerns that he might not translate well into a 3-4. Who knows, there... I also trust Pagano and Grigson to see that kind of thing in a guy.

 

Our secondary still doesn't excite me that much.  Vontae is a very spotty player. When he's good, he's great, but he's prone to bad games. He's been that way his entire career, and I don't just expect that to completely go away.  I don't know what to expect with Toler.  Hopefully he can be an upgrade over powers.  Butler is a solid nickel, but I really don't like him on the outside...and Vaughn....no comment. Landry is a great physical player, but he's not stellar in coverage, and is a double move waiting to happen. We'll see how that goes.

 

All that being said, I still think we'll end up at LEAST 10-6 with a wildcard berth. I'm just saying maybe we shouldn't be so offended that a writer had the audacity to expect us to falter a bit this year....

 

I don't know Holden, him saying we won't get a wildcard berth..........is bold from my perspective

All based on us playing better than expected last year?

 

I'm committing this guys name to the record since I'm sure the post will be taken down so we cannot go back to him when we do get a wild card berth.........and..........well you know

 

Written by Shane Clemons on 

Tuesday, 14 May 2013 13:15.

This season will be largely determined by the success, or struggles, of second year quarterback Andrew Luck. With success, the Colts can likely come close to their success of last season, but in a tough conference, a wildcard birth for the Colts seems extremely unlikely. Don't get me wrong, the Colts are still moving in the right direction, but they're not quite there yet.

 

 

 

 

 

I also don't think it's a fair assumption that the teams success will be completely on Andrew Luck

[GoColts8818]

This isn't going to be popular but I could see it once we step back and take our Colts fan hats off for a second.  What I mean by that is that when it comes to the Colts most of us here tends to see the glass as half full all the time.  However, if you look at things in a different light you can make a case for the Colts taking a step back.

 

They did not beat a playoff team on the road and in fact of their four road wins last year two of them came against teams with the top two picks in the draft.  Another was over a Titans team that had the 10th overall pick.  Their best road win was over the Lions.  They got hammered by the Jets and Bears who both missed the playoffs although granted those were early in the year.  The lost a closer game to the Texans late in the year and probably had their worst game of the year in New England.  They also lost in Baltimore in the playoffs without scoring a TD.  To me this is the next step this team needs to take, prove it can beat a playoff caliber team on the road. 

 

They won several one score games last year.  They were nine and one in one score game.  They were a play away in most of those games from losing them.  Now while I don't think that record is going to reverse it's self but I don't think the Colts are going win nine out of 10 one score games again.  Those kinds of things tend to even out over time the more you play in them.

 

They did lose Arians and Arians was more than just the offensive coordinator last year.  On a coaching staff that doesn't have a tone NFL experience so losing a guy who probably had the most of it and replacing him with a guy who is just getting his feet wet as a NFL coach is a bit of a gamble. 

 

Last year's team was on a mission to get to the playoffs for Pagano.  Thankfully that motivation has been removed and hopefully doesn't come back (I think most of us agree having our be cancer free is far more important than having the motivation him being sick created last year). 

 

We are a young team with a lot of rookies from last year and rookies sometimes go threw Sophomore slumps.

 

Our schedule is harder than it was last year at least going into the season as it should be since we were once again a playoff team.

 

You add all that together and yeah I can see the case for a slump.  If it happens don't sweat it.  This happened to Peyton and his Colts.  Remember in 1999 they exploded and won 13 games against lesser teams.  The next year they went 10-6 and took a step back because the teams they played were better and truth be told the 13-3 team from the year before was probably closer to the 10-6 team we saw the following year talent wise.  Must like last year the 13-3 team just got on a role and came back to earth the next year.  The 1998 season really became a sign of times to come once that team got a little more experienced and a few more better players. In other words it proved that team COULD do it, namely the key players the teams were built around at the time, Manning, Edge, Marvin, and the o-line.  It could end up being that last year was a sign to come as our key players get experienced.  So taking a step back for one year isn't always a bad thing in terms of the long term future of the franchise.

 

With that said I think Grigson has put more talent on this roster than was on the team so I think and fully expect this team to be as good or better than it was last year. 

[Superman]

I'm a little confused. The vast majority on here are categorically sure that we have upgraded our roster significantly. And we have some outstanding rookies from last year who can only take huge steps forward. And yet the vast majority think we will go backwards? 

 

A puzzler indeed, well for my simple mind.

 

I like what we did this offseason, and I expect us to get better. But you never know. Free agent moves sometimes don't work out; draft picks sometimes turn out to be underwhelming. I think our roster is definitely better, but maybe not.

 

And even though I think we're better, I'm not so sure that's going to be reflected in the record. Doing better than 11-5 is a tall order.

[Crunked]

I like what we did this offseason, and I expect us to get better. But you never know. Free agent moves sometimes don't work out; draft picks sometimes turn out to be underwhelming. I think our roster is definitely better, but maybe not.

 

And even though I think we're better, I'm not so sure that's going to be reflected in the record. Doing better than 11-5 is a tall order.

I am kind of thinking it is possible to be better this year and still not be better than 11-5...lets not forget we over achieved given our talent pool to hit 11-5 IF (big if here) IF we finish by simply achieving what would be reasonable to expect from every player on this roster we could be 10-6 and improved.....geez I hate probabilities.......

[MAC]

http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/teams_most_likely_to_step_back_in_2013/13615313

 

According to this article, the Colts are the team most likely to step back in 2013.

Depends what you mean by step back. I'm expecting them to be a much better team, yet have a worse record. Last year had a lot of oddities and frankly I don't think that the extra miracle wins did anyone any short-term favors. I'd have MUCH rather had a "fun promising team" that earned a top ten draft pick

[John Dee]

I will not under value BA's impact on the Colts last season.    He did lead them to the playoffs.

 

BUT,  I am NOT sorry to see him gone.    Andrew Luck has got to be the toughest QB in NFL history after the continuous beating BA LET Luck have.      Had BA tried to adjust his O a little I would be more sympathetic toward him leaving.     But he did not ...  and I'm not.

 

 

Because without Bruce Arians, the Colts SUCK!!!

Yeah, I know the story by now. People really believe Bruce Arians is a magician or some sort of God. If they only knew