Offense that I am starting to hate

[Knuckles79]

I am not a coach nor am I a GM. How does this style offense best suit our personel . I get running the ball but Is it my illusion that we play better in a up beat style. We can run the ball to close out a game. Where are the quick slants and screens . We just seem plain jane to me.

[trueblueblood]

You have to be able to catch the ball in order to have a passing attack

[coming on strong]

pagano still thinks its 1960.......   its a pass first league and our offensive line sucks....

[HarassedOffTheSite]

You mean the offense where we drop passes all night? Yeah, I'm starting to hate that one too. ;/

[ConBro]

You have to be able to catch the ball in order to have a passing attack

Well said. If DHB and Fleener hang onto those passes, different ballgame. The best part about football is the ups and downs. The worst part of football is the ups and downs.

[HtownColt]

Dropped back 34 times, 13 designed runs.

Last run at 5min mark of 3rd quarter, went uptempo rest of game and put up 3 points.

If we catch the damn ball we would've scored a lot more, because DHB and Fleener were off to the races if they could hang on to the ball

[indy1888]

Dropped passes hurt.  But the offensive playcalling early in games is still poor at times.  I think Gruden said it best, it's like we mess around for a qtr or 2, get behind and then they let Luck play QB.   I thought we missed chances early in this one to jump on the Chargers and it bit us.  That rollout on 3rd and 1 in the first qtr are just the type of plays that make me shake my head.

[bestQBever]

This game really reminded me of the jets game from last year. ( and no, not because we scored 9 points) all this game tells us is that we are not there yet. we are getting very close but elite teams play good, and play good consistently. we still have many problems to fix such as O line, Interior D line, and mario harvey.

[Bleedin Blue]

I think the coaching staff learned a lot about our players from this game. Play calling will change...

[mintor]

defence play well , keep in the game too the last quarter , offence  sucked all game 3 fg,s  8 times had the ball.

[ReMeDy]

It was a Monday night game where Indy had to travel across the country to San Diego. The stadium noise clearly presented problems for the offense. Running the ball is your best option in this regard, especially early, because it takes the crowd out of it, gets the offense warmed up, sets up the play-action, and it's easier to communicate the play-call on a run play than the complexities of a pass play and all its designed routes.

[SilentHill]

You have to be able to catch the ball in order to have a passing attack

 

I hate to say this, but it has to be at least talked about that the lack of throws is causing Rust and sync issues with our QB/WR/TE's.

[House]

Well said. If DHB and Fleener hang onto those passes, different ballgame. The best part about football is the ups and downs. The worst part of football is the ups and downs.

The only reprieve I'll give Coby, is that he wasn't getting a touchdown there anyways, and we are likely kicking a FG regardless.

That being said. He needs to catch wide open passes. Otherwise what good is he.

[trueblueblood]

I hate to say this, but it has to be at least talked about that the lack of throws is causing Rust and sync issues with our QB/WR/TE's.

They get paid millions to catch footballs. There's no excuse, period

[Latski11]

The problem is that we are not using the guys that can make plays correctly.  Why are we using Richardson to block every play.  Why are we not using dump passes and screens to keep the opposing defense true.  Why are we not setting up our offense with good run plays to effectively utilize the play action that we have always been so good at?  Get the playmakers involved and use the RB's and TE's to open up the offensive schemes.

[mintor]

defence play well , keep in the game too the last quarter , offence  sucked all game 3 fg,s  8 times had the ball.

[SilentHill]

They get paid millions to catch footballs. There's no excuse, period

 

I call nonsense on this, i don't care what they get paid. If they are not getting the ball they will be rusty and out of sync and consequently out of rhythm. Think Ravens every year except last year.

[Zubulon Zellenzevo]

This isn't Peyton Manning's team or style stop comparing the way the Colts use to play to how the Colts are playing now. The change is good. A running game is great for any team, what they don't have is the OL to support it, that can open holes. The Colts tried several looks tonight but the receivers couldn't bring it in, too many dropped passes. Andrew Luck can't win every game by himself. There were many problems on Defense as well. This game was bad all around. I will say this though, very inconsistent football is being played by this Colts team. That is a strike you could easily throw towards Pep.

[trueblueblood]

I call * on this, i don't care what they get paid. If they are not getting the ball they will be rusty and out of sync and consequently out of rhythm. Think Ravens every year except last year.

That's like saying an astronaut is rusty from not being to the moon in a year. These guys are 1 percent of 1 percent of wide receivers who make it to the nfl level. They got to this level because they're the best at what they do. If a pass hits you in the hands, you. Catch. It. Period.

[Knuckles79]

I just feel if we started with a more up tempo pace our guys could you know get in rhythm and maybe have less drops .

[SilentHill]

That's like saying an astronaut is rusty from not being to the moon in a year. These guys are 1 percent of 1 percent of wide receivers who make it to the nfl level. They got to this level because they're the best at what they do. If a pass hits you in the hands, you. Catch. It. Period.

 

If that was the case, then no NFL WR would ever drop a pass ever.

 

There has to be a contributing factor to the dropped passes, it wasn't just a brain fart, like you said they are the best of the best, no way they have a small hand eye coordination problem for no reason.

[Knuckles79]

I just feel if we started with a more up tempo pace our guys could you know get in rhythm and maybe have less drops .

[trueblueblood]

If that was the case, then no NFL WR would ever drop a pass ever.

There has to be a contributing factor to the dropped passes, it wasn't just a brain fart, like you said they are the best of the best, no way they have a small hand eye coordination problem for no reason.

It's different if a db forces it out or makes a great play, but if a pass hits you square in the hands, you gotta catch it. Especially on 3rd down. They're taking their eyes off the ball and looking upfield. They teach you to look the ball in in pop warner. The main reason I'm so mad is after Reggie's drop on 3rd and 9, he's just sitting there alone on the bench with an "I don't care" look on his face. You'd think that after so many drops, you'd be on the sideline catching balls. Or something. Look at their coverages, their tendencies during the game instead of sitting there like a bump on a log

[mintor]

offense suck not hard too see ,  defense had us in the game tell 3.30 in the 4th period

[BleedinBlueSense92]

I kind of disagree with the people saying the defense played well. They held them to field goals on most of there possessions yes, but they allowed them to score on all but 2 possessions. I dont consider that a win when you allow them to have 7min+ drives all game long. I understand a field goal is better than giving up a touchdown, but the defense was not getting the Chargers off the field, the Chargers scoring points were getting them off the field. And finally, i'm certainly not a coach, but was anyone else somewhat disappointed by their choice to punt on 4th and 2 with our window of opportunity closing, with how are defense had been playing, knowing best case from the punt, the get the ball around mid-field?  still Go Colts.

[Narcosys]

Dropped back 34 times, 13 designed runs.

Last run at 5min mark of 3rd quarter, went uptempo rest of game and put up 3 points.

If we catch the darn ball we would've scored a lot more, because DHB and Fleener were off to the races if they could hang on to the ball

If you are talking about the DHB ball that was deep along the sideline early on, that wasnt really catchable.  It was prety far out there even for him.  He was barely able to stretch out with one hand and touch it.  Now fleener on the other hand....WOW

[Buck Showalter]

offense suck not hard too see ,  defense had us in the game tell 3.30 in the 4th period

Defense on the field almost forty minutes to the offenses twenty...

That says something about the defense too...

[OffensivelyPC]

Dropped passes hurt.  But the offensive playcalling early in games is still poor at times.  I think Gruden said it best, it's like we mess around for a qtr or 2, get behind and then they let Luck play QB.   I thought we missed chances early in this one to jump on the Chargers and it bit us.  That rollout on 3rd and 1 in the first qtr are just the type of plays that make me shake my head.

But for the dropped passes, we would have went into halftime with a comfortable lead.  Shoulda woulda coulda doesn't count, sure.  But we would be having a different conversation today if it had been executed properly.  Playcalling was fine, we couldn't catch the damn football.  Everyone had drops and they almost always seem to come on critical plays.  2 had TD potential, but at bare minimum would have put us in FG range, 2 more were on critical 3rd downs - all in the first half.

[Old Colt]

 

Well said. If DHB and Fleener hang onto those passes, different ballgame. The best part about football is the ups and downs. The worst part of football is the ups and downs.

 Everyone wants to blame Fleener and DHB, they dropped a pass, but so did Wayne, Hilton and TRich... it was team wide...

[Freenyfan102]

Its 3 and. 2 we pass the ball

[chrisfarley]

like gruden said on postgame internet taping, should let luck be luck and fire down the field and throw shrapnel.

[Jason_]

Well said. If DHB and Fleener hang onto those passes, different ballgame. The best part about football is the ups and downs. The worst part of football is the ups and downs.

 

 

So Wayne, Richardson and Hilton's drops were ok?

[Jason_]

Its 3 and. 2 we pass the ball

 

Even the best running teams can't run the ball on EVERY 3rd and short.  I didn't have a problem with it being a pass but it being a rollout to the left was a bit questionable.  However, even having said that, Luck is one of the few Qbs that can rollout to either side.  That was just a great play by the defender to get to Luck so quickly and a poor job of trying to block that defender by, I believe, Satele.  

[BadLuck]

Everyone wants to blame Fleener and DHB, they dropped a pass, but so did Wayne, Hilton and TRich... it was team wide...

The only two egregious ones were Fleener and TRich. DHB was overthrown. Even Gruden said it. Bad pass.

[Mameluc]

Im sorry but drop passes are part of it. we are screwing on, palyers and coaches,and then hoping andrew pulls a comeback.

 

everytime we open the formations we succeed...then for whatever reason we go fb TE 2 WR and we dont get a first down. 

its execution but it is also playcalling. it is no coincidence we have started all 6 games slow. We dont seem to ever get in a rhytm

[ConBro]

So Wayne, Richardson and Hilton's drops were ok?

No I didn't mean to single out those two drops... they all hurt.

[Dudley Smith]

I don't really mind the offense as much as I think the mindset in running it needs to change. This team has gotten away with playing very conservative the whole season until tonight, and it really bit them hard. The decision to punt on the 4th and 4 at like the Chargers 39 yard line in the 3rd quarter and the decision not to go for it at the very end of the game when the Colts' backs were against the wall are the type of decisions that need to go out the door in the future. The coaches must have more faith in Andrew Luck as the QB to make the play-- he usually does when he must-- so why not let him do it in those situations? When the defense could not get off the field the entire game outside of the 1st drive, those two decisions were mind-boggling-- both were conservative, but the 3rd quarter punt was especially irritating when the Colts were so close to getting points and needed points in a bad way. Even a field goal on that drive could have changed the game.

 

The offense is fine-- but the playcalling needs to get more aggressive and the coaches have to be more willing to put the game in Luck's hands. The offense moved the ball the best last night when Luck ran the no huddle. Go figure.