I was disappointed in the Offense's performance

[HarassedOffTheSite]

...in the Cleveland game.

Andrew kept it together but the Oline was something less than praiseworthy.

He rarely had a pocket that resembled...you know...a POCKET. And he took some shots. Looked a lot like last year. And we had a whopping 10 points halfway through the 2nd quarter.

That's not gonna hold water against the elite teams.

The defense was awesome...but I was very disappointed in the offensive line.

...just venting.

[chad72]

...in the Cleveland game.

Andrew kept it together but the Oline was something less than praiseworthy.

He rarely had a pocket that resembled...you know...a POCKET. And he took some shots. Looked a lot like last year. And we had a whopping 10 points halfway through the 2nd quarter.

That's not gonna hold water against the elite teams.

The defense was awesome...but I was very disappointed in the offensive line.

...just venting.

 

I think, if not for the Kenton Keith 2007 Chargers playoff game like tipped INT by the goal line, we could have been up 17-0. Need to polish on those turnovers to beat elite teams regardless. Our true test for our D will come against maybe the Dolphins and then the 49ers. If we can hold those guys to less than 25 pts, I can definitely see we can hang with the best. 

 

To me, the left side looked better than the right side of the line, from OG to OT. Even if we scored 20 pts vs the Browns before the half, we can still hold back our assessment stating it is pre-season or it is the Browns. The first 3 games will tell us a lot. I still believe we have a chance to beat the Seahawks at home, if not the 49ers on the road.

[Everyone]

I wonder how the Defense is going to hold up against a mobile QB,

[Kenny]

I think, if not for the Kenton Keith 2007 Chargers playoff game like tipped INT by the goal line, we could have been up 17-0. Need to polish on those turnovers to beat elite teams regardless. Our true test for our D will come against maybe the Dolphins and then the 49ers. If we can hold those guys to less than 25 pts, I can definitely see we can hang with the best. 

 

To me, the left side looked better than the right side of the line, from OG to OT. Even if we scored 20 pts vs the Browns before the half, we can still hold back our assessment stating it is pre-season or it is the Browns. The first 3 games will tell us a lot. I still believe we have a chance to beat the Seahawks at home, if not the 49ers on the road.

 

I didn't completely break down that play but it looked very catch-able, not Lucks fault(Not saying that's what you said either just stating). Considering our top 2 TE's were out I felt the O did good considering. With Allen and Fleener back the pocket will smooth out. I believe it was Thornton playing for McGlynn last night at RG, whoever it was looked pretty solid on the few plays I watched the line. Toler is crazy aggressive in the first 5 yards, was a beautiful sight to see.

[Superman]

We still haven't done anything impressive in run blocking, but the passing game looks good. The backs look pretty good, too, just not getting a lot of room to run, certainly not on a consistent basis. 

 

I know Pagano mentioned that Luck is running too much, and what I took from that is that we need to give him better protection. Personally, I like what Luck did in getting out and running. It stresses a defense and gives them another weapon to worry about. And while the pass protection had some hiccups, I think it settled down as time went on. 

 

And what I think is a silver lining is that the problems with the offensive line play seem to be with missed assignments and mistakes, especially against the Browns. I would rather see the linemen mess up, because that's fixable, than be dominated. The coaches have a lot of work to do, and I think maybe our playbook needs to be tightened up a little bit for the time being, while we nail down the fundamentals and develop some chemistry. 

 

The quarterback looks good. The receivers and backs look good. The tight ends are a work in progress, as a unit. The line is inconsistent, at best, but has the potential to get better as the season goes on (unlike last year, when they were just obviously a lost cause). 

[Bbswatching]

This is not gonna be the Manning high scoring team.  No matter how much we want it to be.  Its gonna be a middle of the road scoring team.  And as far as the line.  its still gelling.  Give it some time.  Patience!!!

[corgi]

Keep in mind that we were without our 1 and 2 TE's. Cleveland has a decent D, and Andrew did pretty much whatever he wanted to.

[BOTT]

Don't dismiss the talent on Cleveland's defense. That front seven has the potential to be nasty

[mo0nlighting]

The only disappointing thing I remember about the offense was the two minute drill, or lack thereof.  Had two cracks at it and didn't come away with anything.

[Andy]

It hasn't been that great all preseason, but still, the Colts' O starters still manage to put up a very good amount of points. 

 

I have a feeling the O-line won't be as much as a liability. What also should be considered is that the Browns have some real good talent up front with Kruger, Rubin and Jackson. That's not an easy defense, despite their terrible recent history.

 

Again, they seem like an upgrade over last year, but they aren't up to par with what they should be. The interior O-line is still holding them a bit behind. Cherilus and Castonzo have done well, imo. 

[BigQandTheManiac]

This is not gonna be the Manning high scoring team.  No matter how much we want it to be.  Its gonna be a middle of the road scoring team.  And as far as the line.  its still gelling.  Give it some time.  Patience!!!

we are going to have to be a high scoring team if we wanna stand a chance against the broncos, seahawks, and the 49ers.

[RomanianColtsFan]

The only disappointing thing I remember about the offense was the two minute drill, or lack thereof. Had two cracks at it and didn't come away with anything.

Subscribe. I was just about to post the same thing.

[Gavin]

We gave up 4 QB hits vs the Browns......We had 7 however, On that blitz by Kruger, Thornton fell down but I dont think that really affected the end result of the play, Luck just did not recognize the blitz pre snap I think, he double pumped on the play

[Gavin]

we are going to have to be a high scoring team if we wanna stand a chance against the broncos, seahawks, and the 49ers.

not necessarily, we will have to be an efficient team on both sides of the ball

[John Dee]

we are going to have to be a high scoring team if we wanna stand a chance against the broncos, seahawks, and the 49ers.

So when Indy gets all it's starters back,   on O and D.     Will Indy still NEED to outscore the opponent?

 

I mean after all the "ones vs ones" the last 2 weeks Indy has outscored the opponent 31 -6... 

 

  Just saying..  but it is what it is.

[crazycolt1]

We still haven't done anything impressive in run blocking, but the passing game looks good. The backs look pretty good, too, just not getting a lot of room to run, certainly not on a consistent basis. 

 

I know Pagano mentioned that Luck is running too much, and what I took from that is that we need to give him better protection. Personally, I like what Luck did in getting out and running. It stresses a defense and gives them another weapon to worry about. And while the pass protection had some hiccups, I think it settled down as time went on. 

 

And what I think is a silver lining is that the problems with the offensive line play seem to be with missed assignments and mistakes, especially against the Browns. I would rather see the linemen mess up, because that's fixable, than be dominated. The coaches have a lot of work to do, and I think maybe our playbook needs to be tightened up a little bit for the time being, while we nail down the fundamentals and develop some chemistry. 

 

The quarterback looks good. The receivers and backs look good. The tight ends are a work in progress, as a unit. The line is inconsistent, at best, but has the potential to get better as the season goes on (unlike last year, when they were just obviously a lost cause). 

I agree. It takes time for these players to learn to play together. We have yet to see the slotted starters all together on the field. It's unreal to expect these players to play like seasoned veterans at this point. One thing to keep in mind is the team hasn't opened up the playbook at this point in preseason. Too much attention is put in these preseason games as far as the finished product put out in week one. When you focus too much on the negative the positive is overlooked. 

[Nostrils]

Wahhhhh wahhhh wahhhh "I'm not happy...." Blah blah blah boo hoo...

That's all I read

[jmac_48]

Yes, the offense was not as efficient as I would like to see.

I have yet to see solid holes produced for our backs to run through.

Not going to matter who the back is if that doesn’t change, could be key to the entire season.

 

But I did see what resembled a pocket, that gave Luck time to go through his progressions, on many occasions.

I didn't see hard rush right up the middle, forcing the QB out immediately.

And when there was pressure it was mostly from the outside and was pushed past Luck affording him clear space to scramble upfield for positive gains.

 

Yes our QB was hit a few times, but not nearly as often or as vicious as what we saw last year.

Progress, not Perfection!  This offense is still developing, and we don't have all the pieces in place ATM.

 

I am not concerned, but there is still growth to be seen.

 

Then there is the defense that is kicking tail and taking names.

I guess we will see in 13 days when the first teamers play the whole game!

[AllYouNeedIsLuck]

This is not gonna be the Manning high scoring team. No matter how much we want it to be. Its gonna be a middle of the road scoring team. And as far as the line. its still gelling. Give it some time. Patience!!!

U mean this year or through the whole luck era?

[Stephen]

This offense will average 30 points a game.

[NewColtsFan]

Brian....

 

I don't know why you feel the need to vent?    The offense not only scored 17 points by the half, but only an interception that was our fault and not due to the Browns defense,  kept us from making it 24....

 

And, since you know football really well, you know that the o-line is the last thing to come together...   it always takes the most time...    it's like baseball, where pitching is ahead of hitting in the spring.    Some things just take more time.

 

Barring injuries,  this o-line should be decent...  certainly much better than last year....   give it a little time...

 

Someone else said it in this thread,  but it's worth repeating....   patience, my friend....   patience...

[Ohio Colt]

Thought the offense looked ready for the season and good enough to beat a lot of teams. Luck man, he's just something special. Did you see how the ball was out of his hand and then ON the receiver in a blink? It's like quiet velocity on his ball and accurate as can be.

 

The run game isn't there, and I dont expect it will ever really develop (like last season). But we're going to score a lot of points throwing the ball again.

[Stephen]

That my big question. How much will bradshaw effect run game?

[dw49]

Brian....

 

I don't know why you feel the need to vent?    The offense not only scored 17 points by the half, but only an interception that was our fault and not due to the Browns defense,  kept us from making it 24....

 

And, since you know football really well, you know that the o-line is the last thing to come together...   it always takes the most time...    it's like baseball, where pitching is ahead of hitting in the spring.    Some things just take more time.

 

Barring injuries,  this o-line should be decent...  certainly much better than last year....   give it a little time...

 

Someone else said it in this thread,  but it's worth repeating....   patience, my friend....   patience...

 

 

Gosh.. don't Cherilius , Thomas and Thornton have to make this a better unit than last year ? Plus that , last years group was beset with injuries. As you say , give it a chance. 

[BigQandTheManiac]

not necessarily, we will have to be an efficient team on both sides of the ball

i mean true..i understand wat you and JOHN DEE are saying...but let's be honest our secondary DID improve...but those 3 games??? you already know they are gonna put up good points...but then again i could be wrong....

[BigQandTheManiac]

So when Indy gets all it's starters back,   on O and D.     Will Indy still NEED to outscore the opponent?

 

I mean after all the "ones vs ones" the last 2 weeks Indy has outscored the opponent 31 -6... 

 

  Just saying..  but it is what it is.

i could be wrong...

[BlueShoe]

This thread makes for good debate about some topics, but lacks in the sanity department.

Folks we are in year 2 of a complete overhaul. In my 30 years of observing the ways of the NFL, I have never witnessed a team come so far this quickly. This team is built for the long stretch.

Calm down. Sit back and enjoy this ride. This is what greatness looks like in the beginning.

[GoColts8818]

I wouldn't say I was disappointed but I can see why people might have had a little concern after it.  Andrew Luck, by his own's coaches account, ran the ball too much and frankly was our best running attack at parts of the game (although Brown looked good at times in the game).  The offense still has some issues in the redzone they got their four times and scored on three of them but one was a field goal and they had the cardinal sin of a turnover in the redzone.  They also got into a bit of a funk after the turnover and took a little while to come out of it. 

 

With that said there was a lot to be encouraged by.  The first drive out of the locker after the half was great and was exactly what I was hoping for.  They were able to go in at half-time adjust and get out of the funk they were in at the end of the half.  That was very encouraging to see.

 

DHB has to this point silenced those who were concerned about his drops including making a couple of really hard catches along the way. 

 

Wayne looked in mid-season form not that that is a shock to anyone.  TY now has three TDs in three games.  We got a glimpse of how much they can use the fullback in the offense if they want too, making another weapon that teams have to account for. 

 

The line looked decent at times and bad at other times.  I do think you have to account for the fact Castonzo went out very early and Thornton was seeing his first action as well.  Also GC just didn't have a good game, it happens and hey there is a reason Kruger got as much money as he got this off-season too.  I do think the line is better at pass blocking right now than run blocking but at the sametime I think Grigson did that on purpose they know they have to protect Luck first.  With that said the line is still a work in progress. 

 

So far though, threw three games the first team offense is moving the ball very well.  They have some red zone issues at times and have had a little bit of a turnover problem (although not one to panic about) but all and all I think you have to like what you have seen from the offense so far.  Not perfect but with only a second year QB at the helm it's not going to be no matter how good he is. 

[superrep1967]

Thought the offense looked ready for the season and good enough to beat a lot of teams. Luck man, he's just something special. Did you see how the ball was out of his hand and then ON the receiver in a blink? It's like quiet velocity on his ball and accurate as can be.

 

The run game isn't there, and I dont expect it will ever really develop (like last season). But we're going to score a lot of points throwing the ball again.

This offense is still in Luck's hand. 

[Warhorse]

OK...I'll  bite.So the preseason matters? If so, then we looked better against the Browns in the preseason better than I hardly can ever remember us playing against the Browns during the Manning years.....and it seemed like we always played them. Many of those games we failed or nearly failed to score a TD.

 

All I care is, If we are 3rd and 3, and we go 23/32 pers, I want to know its a first down before the ball is snapped....and that Andrew gets hit less as the year goes on, which includes him throwing the ball away. How much do we ever see him do that?

[southwest1]

We still haven't done anything impressive in run blocking, but the passing game looks good. The backs look pretty good, too, just not getting a lot of room to run, certainly not on a consistent basis. 

 

I know Pagano mentioned that Luck is running too much, and what I took from that is that we need to give him better protection. Personally, I like what Luck did in getting out and running. It stresses a defense and gives them another weapon to worry about. And while the pass protection had some hiccups, I think it settled down as time went on. 

 

And what I think is a silver lining is that the problems with the offensive line play seem to be with missed assignments and mistakes, especially against the Browns. I would rather see the linemen mess up, because that's fixable, than be dominated. The coaches have a lot of work to do, and I think maybe our playbook needs to be tightened up a little bit for the time being, while we nail down the fundamentals and develop some chemistry. 

 

The quarterback looks good. The receivers and backs look good. The tight ends are a work in progress, as a unit. The line is inconsistent, at best, but has the potential to get better as the season goes on (unlike last year, when they were just obviously a lost cause). 

A nice overview here. It gives me a frame of reference of things to look for when I get to see the actual game Superman. I also like what CC1 & NCF said about being patient & not demanding perfection or flawless execution immediately in September either. 

[Stephen]

OK...I'll  bite.So the preseason matters? If so, then we looked better against the Browns in the preseason better than I hardly can ever remember us playing against the Browns during the Manning years.....and it seemed like we always played them. Many of those games we failed or nearly failed to score a TD.

 

All I care is, If we are 3rd and 3, and we go 23/32 pers, I want to know its a first down before the ball is snapped....and that Andrew gets hit less as the year goes on, which includes him throwing the ball away. How much do we ever see him do that?

last year versus the browns luck couldn't throw a td. This year he throws two.

[HarassedOffTheSite]

I hear everybody but this Oline still sucks. Holmes & Thornton can't get in their quick enough. Satele was getting thrown around like a rag doll. Perhaps Allen, Fleener & Bradshaw'll give us some more pop...but they're not skilled Olinemen...just not seeing it. And not prepared to roll with the same excuses from last year. We had an off-season and draft to address this...I thought we did...but the product looks the same.

I'll give'em some more time (in the hope dept). But I'm not holding my fire. They've got to get it together.

[OffensivelyPC]

The OL isn't there yet, I'll concede that.  But it takes time for an OL to work as one single unit (or as most say, "gel"), especially when you have 2-4 new additions.  We don't know what the final OL front will look like, but it could consist of 4 new linemen, Thomas, Hughes, Thorton, and Cherilus.   So, it may not look great now, but as we get closer to the playoffs, it very well may be a top 15 offensive line.  I won't hold my breath or anything, but right now, we just have to wait and see.

[chad72]

we are going to have to be a high scoring team if we wanna stand a chance against the broncos, seahawks, and the 49ers.

 

 

Seahawks are night and day between home and away, 49ers are a bit more consistent. Out of those 3, we have the best chance to beat the Seahawks, IMO, and I think we will.

 

The Seahawks' D will travel well and as long as we take care of the ball (rather have sacks than fumbles or INTs), we should be able to pull out a game in the low 20s, IMO.

[mjsimans]

...in the Cleveland game.

Andrew kept it together but the Oline was something less than praiseworthy.

He rarely had a pocket that resembled...you know...a POCKET. And he took some shots. Looked a lot like last year. And we had a whopping 10 points halfway through the 2nd quarter.

That's not gonna hold water against the elite teams.

The defense was awesome...but I was very disappointed in the offensive line.

...just venting.

 

I think whats more important than the number of points is the ball control. If you go back and watch, you will see that we controlled the clock for large chunks of time. Yes we only had 10 pts (should have been minimum 13) halfway through the 2nd quarter, but we did that in 3 maybe 4 possessions. Not too shabby....

[atapcl]

Brown's long run was a thing of beauty. Reitz had the DE sealed off. Looked like Thomas trapped a LB inside and Havili kicked a LB back out of the box allowing Brown to pick up a first down. I believe Thornton will help this team develop a solid running game. Allen is our best blocking TE and he did not play. Bradshaw has the reputation for being the best blocking tailback in the NFL. I don't expect perfection in the preseason but come playoff time I hope we are gelling.

[Archer]

Interesting topic.  I just watched the game last night (had to wait for it to show up on NFL network), and I was very impressed with the offense.  The only thing I was disappointed in was Cherilus' performance.  I was specifically watching Reitz, Linkenbach, and Thornton, and I was pretty impressed with all of them.  Predictably, Reitz struggled occasionally with the pass rush.  But, I feel like we wouldn't be dead if Costanzo missed a while.  Linkenbach seemed to do well in all phases at RG.  And I was most impressed with Thornton.  Very high energy.  When he'd completed his duties inside on pass pro, he always came out and put a blow on whoever was engaged with Cherilus.  He often got hits on multiple defenders when run-blocking and in pass pro.  I think he's going to be a good one.  In general, I think we moved the ball well against a good D, and our starters won basically 17-3 (with a freak int. keeping another 3-7 points off the board).  It was a butt-kicking!

[a06cc]

He'll have more time once Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener are healthy and ready to go. More two tight end sets will force defenses to drop more guys into coverage.

[ÅÐØNϧ 1]

Wahhhhh wahhhh wahhhh "I'm not happy...." Blah blah blah boo hoo...

That's all I read

    It got warmer & fuzzier ..