how to protect luck with this o-line

[OLD FAN MAN]

if we cant fix this o-line ,how do we keep luck in one piece behind this o-line? some thoughts, 1. short quick passes, 2. try to run the ball if we ever get a lead.3.if the game is gone, and we are too far behind put in hasselbeck, 4. if we get a big lead and the game is a lock put in hasselbeck, 5. put in 6 or 7 o-linemen to pass block ,any other ideas?

[TKnight24]

6. Call hike & take a knee

[Dustin]

Need more screens/draws.

[AllYouNeedIsLuck]

poison the opposing teams defensive lineman

[GoColts8818]

Stop getting down three scores before you can blink would help.  Once you do that the other team knows you have to pass and just pins their ears back and comes.  The Colts have to figure out a way to get off to quicker starts. 

[gacoop1]

I don't understand the hiring of Pep Hamilton to begin with, he appears hesitant in calling the right plays.  He looks lost, i don't know if you can attributed to adjusting to the NFL culture, but from what I see he doesn't cut it.  Mr Irsay, you need to cut your losses now and cut him, get a new OC and also look at your DC, he doesn't seem to cut it either....

[CroatianColtsFan21]

if we cant fix this o-line ,how do we keep luck in one piece behind this o-line? some thoughts, 1. short quick passes, 2. try to run the ball if we ever get a lead.3.if the game is gone, and we are too far behind put in hasselbeck, 4. if we get a big lead and the game is a lock put in hasselbeck, 5. put in 6 or 7 o-linemen to pass block ,any other ideas?

 

1. won't work cause our wr's can't get open quickly

 

2. we tried running the ball but it doesn't work - but yes, luck gets out of the harms way

 

3. & 4. why not play hasselbeck from the start, that way luck surely doesn't get hurt - 100% proof plan 

 

5. what good are 6 or 7 linemen who can't pass protect?

 

sorry for not having any constructive ideas, i just hope luck can survive this season and next season the o-line somehow miraculously gets fixed..

[coltfaninnewyork]

The problem with using a max protecion scheme is outside of hilton whos gonna get open.Since your likely to have a back blocking and  only 2 guys running routes.

[dudeski]

Ac, reitz, mcglynn, Thornton, cherilus.

[dudeski]

And lots of dump offs to the backs

[HarassedOffTheSite]

The Colts have to figure out a way to get off to quicker starts. 

 

[HarassedOffTheSite]

I don't understand the hiring of Pep Hamilton to begin with, he appears hesitant in calling the right plays.  He looks lost, i don't know if you can attributed to adjusting to the NFL culture, but from what I see he doesn't cut it.  Mr Irsay, you need to cut your losses now and cut him, get a new OC and also look at your DC, he doesn't seem to cut it either....

 

LAME POST OF THE MORNING NOMINEE

[NagelHausForge]

Has anyone else noticed that in the past couple games... Since Denver I believe... Luck has seemed very hesitant to run the ball.  I think if they come up with some designed runs that could help slow down the pass rush since you won't have the ends coming around as hard and they will play more contain. 

 

Granted, Luck would have to be smart about getting down or out of bounds but I think if we really want the best way to protect luck its to get him out of that joke of a pocket and let him make plays.

[lollygagger8]

Passes to RB's out of the backfield 

Screens

Slants

Quick Passes 

Run the ball to the outsides

Play action pass out of our whack "power formation"

 

Isn't this taught in OC Basics 101? 

[basketballsteve]

How about doing what the Chiefs first popularized in the 70's with Dawson using a "moving pocket" where the QB sprints to a spot? At least try this some of the time. It was used because Dawson's strength was the short passing game and play action passing. This might be a partially effective strategy considering Luck is very mobile, throws well on the run, and gives the receivers different routes and more time to run those routes even in the short passing game. Or keep it more current and copy some of the boot plays that the Texans run to get Luck outside the pocket where he'll often just have one rusher coming at him. Or go wildcat full time and move Andrew to linebacker.

[OffensivelyPC]

Whatever our starting lineup was against the 49ers.  That's what it should be.  If I recall, it was AC, Link, McGlynn, Thorton, and Cherilus.  Accounting for currently active players, that's the best we've been all year.  Why we do'nt do it anymore, I have no clue.

[OffensivelyPC]

I don't understand the hiring of Pep Hamilton to begin with, he appears hesitant in calling the right plays.  He looks lost, i don't know if you can attributed to adjusting to the NFL culture, but from what I see he doesn't cut it.  Mr Irsay, you need to cut your losses now and cut him, get a new OC and also look at your DC, he doesn't seem to cut it either....

Regarding Pep, i'ts not that he's lost, it's that his predictable play calling is catching up to him.  There's two reasons for that one is partly his fault, the other is not.  First, our players aren't doing him any favors by showing up on the field and looking absent.  But when we the fans can watch a game and know that it's a run more often than not, you can bet that the opposing team knows it too.  Part of that is his fault, but the biggest part of that is losing Reggie Wayne and Dwayne Allen.  I don't think people realize how much of a playbook literally gets cut out of existence because a guy gets injured.  It depends on who gets cut.  Some guys are more "important" than others.  It's one thing when it's a guy like Donald Thomas (though, his injury is just as damaging in terms of our blocking effectiveness).  Maybe a package or wto gets cut out of the playbook.  But when cornerstone guys like Dwayne Allen and Reggie Wayne get injured, you lose up to half of your playbook in some instances.  Naturally, your play calling gets even more predictable.

 

Other than our loss to San Diego, Manuski has been just fine.  He confuses me with his playcalling sometiems, but generally, our defense under his tenure has performed well all season.  When you draw up a plan that holds Peyton Manning to 140 yards through 3 quarters, and you only start getting beat in the 4th because you lost a couple of DBs (and we still stopped them when it mattered most - barely), you're doing good in my book.  Even Sunday's loss had more to do with lack of execution than it did bad scheme.  The defensive plan was fine.  The players were not.

[MIColtsFan]

Has anyone else noticed that in the past couple games... Since Denver I believe... Luck has seemed very hesitant to run the ball.  I think if they come up with some designed runs that could help slow down the pass rush since you won't have the ends coming around as hard and they will play more contain. 

 

Granted, Luck would have to be smart about getting down or out of bounds but I think if we really want the best way to protect luck its to get him out of that joke of a pocket and let him make plays.

yes, it has been driving me nuts. It was very evident in the Texans game with lanes up the middle open when Luck had no one open. He could of ran but he didn't and the hesitation was obvious. I think he has been told not to run, they are worried about injury or something. I think he is at his best when allowed to run on his instincts when the play call doesn't develop. He, like Peyton, is the better play caller than his OC. The next man up should be able to step in the role of the injured on the exact same call. I'd like to see more screens, this would of helped considerably in the Texans game. Go to the dink and dunk, it works for Brady, won them many a game and kept him on his feet too. 

[markabrown96]

Put a barbwire fence around Luck  

[corgi]

Put a barbwire fence around Luck  

Sign the Micker as a guard.

 

[jvan1973]

[#12]

Pep's West Coast system was supposed to protect Luck - a departure from Arian's system.  Yet, Luck is being hit as much as anyone in the league, is on pace to be sacked as much as last year and his completion % is dropping by the game.  Beating our heads against the wall with this power running game we do do not have the personnel to pull off is putting Luck in 2nd and long and 3rd and long consistently and it's forcing him to come from behind every game.  They are trying to protect Luck with a power runnning game, but it's having the opposite effect. 

 

More short passing on early downs.  More true WCO.  More passing to the backs.  Pass, get a lead, then run, not vice versa.  Run more out of passing sets. 

[optimusprimetime]

Keep him on the the bench....lol......I would move a couple guys around and see what works, the 49ers game line-up seem to work well......They got to do something, the definition of crazy is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.....I also realize that the Rams have one of the best front 4 in the NFL, so they had their work cut out for them.  McGlynn has a broken thumb now so that is not gonna help things and the Titans are not some team to take lightly, they got a good D too!  I also agree Pep needs less predictable plays, this teams passing game and running game is worse than last year....I know we had some injuries but I think a lot goes on Pep, Arians was unpredictable and defenses were more on the heels, Luck and T-Rich have a GIANT bullseye on them and defenses are swarming them........ The NFL is what have u done for me lately, lets win this week and move on.....By playoff time most will have forgotten about this game, hopefully.........GO COLTS!!!!

[TKnight24]

Whatever our starting lineup was against the 49ers. That's what it should be. If I recall, it was AC, Link, McGlynn, Thorton, and Cherilus. Accounting for currently active players, that's the best we've been all year. Why we do'nt do it anymore, I have no clue.

We don't do it because as long as Satele is healthy, he's starting

[optimusprimetime]

Also Vontae Davis the last 2 games is having issues with man coverage,  he was great all year until the last two games.  I can still see him in my nightmares chasing Johnson and Austin all the way to the endzone.  There was national talk of him playing at a pro bowl level, now these last 2 games have erased that!  

[OffensivelyPC]

We don't do it because as long as Satele is healthy, he's starting

[MB-ColtsFan]

Puh-leeze stop running the ball on 1st and 2nd downs! Mix it up a little.

I still think Luck has started off slowly basically because he only throws once every 3 downs. Since most of our first three possesions seem to be 3 or 7 and out that essentially equates to about 5 or 6 throws for the first quarter. No way to get into any kind of a groove with that.

My numbers may be a bit off, but I believe the overall thhought is valid. Luck needs to throw a bit more often early to get into the game. This will also keep some of the LB's honest and help the OL run block when we're in less-obviouse running formations.

[Old Colt]

Stop getting down three scores before you can blink would help.  Once you do that the other team knows you have to pass and just pins their ears back and comes.  The Colts have to figure out a way to get off to quicker starts. 

Great Point, plus bench David Reed, he constantly takes a kick off that is 7yds + in the end zone and runs it out to the 5-7yd line.  Luck and Company are handcuffed with terrible starting postion all year. But back to your point, if we don't give up the quick td's, they don't get to kick off and Reed can't mess things up......  Take a knee Reed, we'll gladly start fromn the 20 yd line!

[NewEra]

We don't do it because as long as Satele is healthy, he's starting

I'm willing to go take a bat to his knee! I will take one for the team!

[Ohio Colt]

Run the ball more, but that would require a running game to begin with

[lollygagger8]

I don't understand why Pep thinks Brown and Richardson are interchangeable. They are both good in space, but have completely different running styles. Plus, Richardson is a much better blocker IMO. 

 

We play our RB's in series instead of downs. We tend to use the same RB for a series of downs instead of switching it up for the right scenario. Like 3rd and short, it's obvious Trent should be back there, not Brown. 

 

Regardless, our "power formation" should be flushed down the toilet for everything except goal line situations. 

 

Hopefully we'll get a pick out of the A.Q. Shipley trade <- which was a mistake. 

[throwing BBZ]

Keep him on the the bench....lol......I would move a couple guys around and see what works, the 49ers game line-up seem to work well......They got to do something, the definition of crazy is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.....I also realize that the Rams have one of the best front 4 in the NFL, so they had their work cut out for them.  McGlynn has a broken thumb now so that is not gonna help things and the Titans are not some team to take lightly, they got a good D too!  I also agree Pep needs less predictable plays, this teams passing game and running game is worse than last year....I know we had some injuries but I think a lot goes on Pep, Arians was unpredictable and defenses were more on the heels, Luck and T-Rich have a GIANT bullseye on them and defenses are swarming them........ The NFL is what have u done for me lately, lets win this week and move on.....By playoff time most will have forgotten about this game, hopefully.........GO COLTS!!!!

 

 Gotta laugh at Arians "unpredictable.

 He got Universal Hate for his predictable offense.

 I would est. that 75% of his Predictable Big play Offense was when Andrew ran for his life, usually away from Castonzo`s man (left), making time for someone to get deep with him Winning on a number of passes that were almost Hail Mary. Think Reggie, and some TY.

 

 Andrew has to be fixed first. He is slow to make up his mind, so he holds onto the ball with guys wide open right in front of him.

 The line can`t block Anyone for more than 2 seconds, so until he Learns to throw quicker and more accurately, or gets at Least 2 New Exellent lineman, he will stink it up way to much.

 His completion % 4 of the last 5 games last year was in the 40`s as teams better maintained their rush lanes, limiting his scrambles. making him a pocket QB.

 Make him throw from the pocket, keep him from running, and his very questionable accuracy sticks out like a sore thumb.

  Low turnovers and penalties keeps us in games.

[James Harden]

[tenbears1971]

You will see a difference this week in effort from this team of that we can be sure. I think last week and the explosion of "Get your s$&$ together or this is your last season" lectures will make a difference.

Satelle is gone or bench fodder next season. McGlynn is the safer of the two ATM - due to his play at center in the SF game.

Losing Thomas and Allen killed any chance we had of running the ball, and protecting Luck, this year. We are just a really bad team right now between the tackles.

[dudeski]

Whatever our starting lineup was against the 49ers. That's what it should be. If I recall, it was AC, Link, McGlynn, Thorton, and Cherilus. Accounting for currently active players, that's the best we've been all year. Why we do'nt do it anymore, I have no clue.

thats not right

Flip the guards

[Moose Of Woe]

First down - Punt

[Gavin]

Lots of posts are way way off in here

[dudeski]

Lots of posts are way way off in here

example

[CanuckColt]

Watch the games closely...Luck hangs onto the ball WAYYYYYY too long...kinda like Big Ben.

Gotta go to more short quick passes and screen plays...(BTW, right up Bey's alley).

[Gavin]

Watch the games closely...Luck hangs onto the ball WAYYYYYY too long...kinda like Big Ben.

Gotta go to more short quick passes and screen plays...(BTW, right up Bey's alley).

BINGO!.....Well except right up Beys alley part, that was the reason for my comment