Polian On Maning - 10- 25 (Merge)

[bayone]

Bill Polian, who was a guest on Sports Illustrated writer Peter King's podcast Tuesday that, as of now, isn't available. But here's what we know through King's Twitter updates:

» Polian said Manning still could practice or play before this season is over.

» Polian said Manning could start jogging this week.

» Polian said he and Manning have talked about plans for next season and beyond.

http://bleacherreport.com/tb/bbFv6

[bayone]

Said he sees "nothing that indicates Jim Caldwell is not a good head coach.

https://twitter.com/#!/SI_PeterKing/status/128879371153977344

[GoGoColts]

Good post

[WSO]

I really want to hear what they were talking about in regards for next season and beyond

someone needs to infiltrate the Colts facility spy gate style

i kid i kid!

[bayone]

I really want to hear what they were talking about in regards for next season and beyond

so do I, the writer raised the issue was it about Luck and his feelings

» We wonder if the plans that Polian and Manning have discussed include grooming Andrew Luck for a few years before passing the torch.

Edited October 26, 2011 by bayone

[Zebra3]

In my opinion, this season will be the defining moment for the coaching staff at the Colts, the core players there and the fans here. What I am getting at is that we are clearly having a very poor year - abysmal actually. Until this weekend, I felt that the team had not yet given up. But the score this weekend tells me that either the entire defense is out due to injury, or they simply could not dig deep enough to hold the saints back - for whatever reason. The offense was not firing, however the last two weeks showed some promise at least, and confirmed that despite his relative inexperience and the performance gap between him and Peyton, Curtis Painter is at least fit to be a QB in the league. IIRC going into this week, he was in the top 50% of QBs in the NFL by rating this year.

So, as the season progresses, we as fans have to decide, are we here for the colts to support the team because they are the Colts, or are we only here to support the Colts when they are winners. It's a moment of decision and a defining moment for any fan. you have to decide how much you really love your team, if you really love them, then despite their situation, you continue showing that support and love for them. That is what being a fan is about.

For the players and coaching staff things are more challenging. Players can show their depth and strength by simply refusing to give up, no matter what. Sure it's dispiriting to lose game after game. But The colts know that there are highs and now that there are lows. Both are parts of the game, what matters this week is not how you performed last week, but how you perform this week. Players that give up, well, I'm sure that they will be cut, fans will writ them off, and things will be said. but amidst that, let's not forget to give credit to the players that stick with it and do to give up.

Finally, the coaching staff, and this does fall squarely on Jim Caldwell's shoulders - IMHO. There is no greater test of a coach's ability than a bad losing season. The head coach has to keep his staff motivated and focused, and they must keep the team motivated and focused. Up until last weekend's game I would have said that so far the coaching staff were actually doing really well. Despite the results if your coachs can keep your team motivated and focused through game after game, and you play a season without giving up at all, then the coaching staff has done a good job, no matter the results. This year we clearly have some extenuating circumstances that affect our performance on the field. But if our guys give up on games, if they stop showing up, that's a reflection on them, and on the coaches. if the players continue fighting from week to week, even when it's a lost cause, that tells you that the players are holding strong and that the Coaches are keeping them there. If the coaches can do that this year, if no matter the results they keep the team motivated and focused and playing hard to the very end, then can we say they did a bad job?

I can think of no greater challenge for a head coach and their staff than dealing with injuries to key starters and a franchise quarterback the keep them absent from the field for a season. If you want to evaluate how good a coach is, I think that you look at their performance in the face of adversity. I don't know how this season will pan out, but I suggest that everyone needs to just leave the evaluation of the coaching staff to the front office towards the end of the year.

I wasn't able to write this post last week as I wasn't here. Had I done so, I would have written the same thing, but this last game has made me add some qualifiers. I didn't see enough of the game to tell for sure, it was too ugly to watch. But is sure seemed that we either gave up, or were horribly outplayed. It reminds me of that Patriots/Redskins game game that ended up with the Redskins losing 52-7, the Patriots simply would not let up on a clearly defeated opponent. either way, we have to look at the next game to see whether our guys have given up, or not.

I always remain hopeful...

[bayone]

I am , have been since mid 50's and always will be a Colt fan,

I found that Polian comment worth noting as this is a much talked about topic here, That is Our coach or lack there of actually if I was to take a poll of forum members

Edited October 26, 2011 by bayone

[AlanNC]

If Polian is serious that he thinks Jim Caldwell is a good coach it is true he has lost something about judging talent. With some of the drafts lately and that statement WOW!!! :whiteflag:

[number28]

I agree with Polian. I just think Caldwell was thrown into a situation where any other coach would have also struggled.

[Jaric]

Listen, he's not going to publicly say anything against him until they fire him. No one in the organization is. That's not how it works.

You're the best thing ever until you aren't.

[Blue Horseshoe]

Ah yes.... The dreaded "vote of confidence"

[swflacoltsfans]

You never hear the bullet that gets you.

[FanFromtheWasteland]

Listen, he's not going to publicly say anything against him until they fire him. No one in the organization is. That's not how it works.

You're the best thing ever until you aren't.

Jerry Jones on Wade Phillips comes to mind

[dn4192]

If Polian is serious that he thinks Jim Caldwell is a good coach it is true he has lost something about judging talent. With some of the drafts lately and that statement WOW!!! :whiteflag:

1. There is no way that Polian or any other Gm would go out in public and bad mouth his HC no matter what he thinks.

2. Bill Polian has a far greater grasp of Caldwells' ability over anyone on any internet "chat" or Forum.

[Blue Horseshoe]

Jerry Jones on Wade Phillips comes to mind

Jerry is in his own little world. He fired one one of the most beloved coaches in NFL history and then fired his replacement 2 months after he won a championship.

[Gonzo]

That sounds suspiciously like a vote of confidence to me. :rules:

[Jaric]

Jerry is in his own little world. He fired one one of the most beloved coaches in NFL history and then fired his replacement 2 months after he won a championship.

That shouldn't have suprised anyone. If he will fire Tom Landry, he will fire Jimmy Johnson.

[coltfaninnewyork]

Bill hired him what do expect him to say?

[Andy]

Nothing...?

Belicheck and Tomlin did well without their QB, but this one is losing games 62-7 and is 0-7. He has no skills or no enthusiasm. His hiring was off a hunch by Tony Dungy, a pretty overrated coach in my opinion. He is a terrible coach, and if he we would be winning games.

[coltfaninnewyork]

That shouldn't have suprised anyone. If he will fire Tom Landry, he will fire Jimmy Johnson.

Legends can be fired but some who post here actually think caldwell deserves to stay.We know nothing only polian does.

[coltfaninnewyork]

If they start him in week 14 lets say and we win out i will be ticked,at that point lock up the draft pick and get ready for next year.Do not win some meaningless games and cost us a shot at controlling the draft.

[buccolts]

If they start him in week 14 lets say and we win out i will be ticked,at that point lock up the draft pick and get ready for next year.Do not win some meaningless games and cost us a shot at controlling the draft.

Hasn't history taught you that they won't start the starters at the end of the season unless everything's locked up?

[buccolts]

so do I, the writer raised the issue was it about Luck and his feelings

» We wonder if the plans that Polian and Manning have discussed include grooming Andrew Luck for a few years before passing the torch.

Has there ever been any indication of what Peyton plans on doing after his playing days are over?

Does he have any inklings of coaching?

[UnitastoOrr]

Been a Colts fan since 1963. I have seen the highs and I have definatley seen the lows. I can remember the time in 1963 when the Colts who were favored to win their conference failed and fired Weeb Ewbank. Then hired Don Shula. I remember then gettin to the championship in 64 and losing to the Browns. I remember the Colts in 1965 and Tom Matte and going into the 2nd Ot with the Packers.

i remeber the outcry for Shula's head after 1968 and the Super Bowl win in 1971. Then I remeber the purge of the Colts and Johnny unitas and Company then coming back with Burt Jones. This time period was a tougfh one because we had to get rid of players who were the bed Rock of the Colts. i disagreed with the moved then and was upset with the hiring of marchibroda, who then led to Colts to the playoffs with Bert Jones and the Sack pack. and finally the down and up times of moving to Indy. It has been a crazy time . My point is he has been at times a knee jerk reaction the Colts have been litered with being at the top and all of a sudden not fulfilling expectation and causing fans to wonder why and asking for heads to roll. i t will never change

I have really been in disbelief about the situation at the present. I agree the team has failed to pick up the slack. i feel the crumbling of the franchise this season is a combination of a couple of things

1) The present players need to be held accountable. Where are our leaders who are suppose to stand up and lead this team when a our number one player has went down. Where id reggie, where is Freeny, where is Saturda, where is clark, where is Mathis. This is their team they need to take responsibility for the showing of the following week. I do not doubt that they are imbarrased. just just stand back and hoping it will take care of itself is rediculous. Leaders step up. Now lead, get on someones butt. Who knows what is being said in the locker rooms or the practice fields.

2) The front office. they needed to prepare for this moment. they were caught off guard at the time of Peyton's injury. They had to feel in the back of their mind that the clock of luck was runnibg out. the sign should have been the fact that Peyton was playing in his 14th season. They had to start prepaing for his departure. Polian admitted in his talk today that time was running out and the team, and that this was an early picture of life after Peyton, he was right but the problem is that as good a GM as he is he didn't do anything about it. Everyone wants to compare the situation that went on with Cassel, and the Patriots a few years ago and they can figure out why the Colts weren't ready for this event. Well 1st off it was a abnormal thing it, most of the time doesn't work out to have that kind of season when your star goes out. But the other things is that the Patriots were prepared. The Colts were not.That is Bill polian's thought. the other thing is that I really feelno matter how you cut it Polian runs the ship. 55% of the time, and I think they control the coaching staff so much, until that is rectified we will always have second guessing of our coaches. Chris polian is not Bill polian, Bill has to get out of the picture, let Chris do it his way and give the coach his coaching space

3) Coaching has to change. The philosophy has got to be more consistent. Caldwell has to be allowed to coach his way. I do not think using the cover 2 is so much his idea but the idea of the front office and the fact that Dungy had so much success for it. Jim has got to make his players more accountable for what is going on. To Coyers defense you can't play man to man defense with players that are good at playing a 2 deep zone. That is like using round pegs in a square hole. Peopl efrom a graet basketball state should know this. Part of the problem I believe is that part of the defense that is in the middle of the field and that is the linebackers. We have let some good linebackers go that could have been much better at stopping the run along with stopping the pass and we let them go.That is front office. That being said Coyer and the defense has got to adjust and find something different, and use it, what do we have to lose. Caldwell has to step and change, shoot his job is on the line, he needs to coach the his way and get his coordinators to do something that will work. The offensive end has got to be better, Clyde Christianson has got to get it together. Example starting the game with the no huddle, I will give him credit though, because it was the No huddle that got the Colts going in the Bengals game. He has to realize who he was playing and the fact that he needed to limit the possesions of New Orleans. By thge way we are running the ball as well as we have, but do you really think we will do that when Peyton returns?

4) Lastly Irsay has got to take responsibility. He needs to stop trying to be the twitter king and he needs to get this organization back to the grindstone, telling fandon what is goibg on all the time with his cryptic musical tweets is just stirring the pot. he needs to step in and get it cleanedup by just doing his part as an owner and making sure each part of the organzation is working together and searching for answers. And opening up to the world as what is going on. Name one successful organization owner that does wht he does.

Lastly, I'm a Colts fan, I also believ that drafting in the late rounds for 13 years has hurt this group. Soot even the great Patriot teams and Steeler from time to time usaully about every 6 or 7 years gets draft picks in the top 10 or 15. that has helped them The Patriots were able to get a couple of high picks in draft day trades that took their high pick and they then recieved a couple of high picks that allowed them to trade for future picks in the future. But would they be where they were if they first, had not had a so so season and two, had they not been willing to depart with some of their older veterans.

Look I've been a Colt fan from long ago, I'm a Colt fan for now, and I will be a Colt fan in the futur. I will wear my Colts gear proudly, I will do my share of complaining, but I will hold judgement for after the season. Remember it could be worse. We could get Jim Tressel as a knee jerk reaction and who knows that coud be a bad thing. We may not get that high profile coach because they will want possibly more that we will be willing to give them, so ride it out and support them. They are going to get it figured out. There is too much pride all the way across to let this thing fail. I believe we are going to win a game or two and it may happen this week. Sooner or later self preservation will take over.

Go Colts

[coltfaninnewyork]

Hasn't history taught you that they won't start the starters at the end of the season unless everything's locked up?

lol,good one bro.

[number28]

Nothing...?

Belicheck and Tomlin did well without their QB, but this one is losing games 62-7 and is 0-7. He has no skills or no enthusiasm. His hiring was off a hunch by Tony Dungy, a pretty overrated coach in my opinion. He is a terrible coach, and if he we would be winning games.

Bellicheck and Tomlin never had vanilla soft players on defense

[doogansquest]

If Polian is serious that he thinks Jim Caldwell is a good coach it is true he has lost something about judging talent. With some of the drafts lately and that statement WOW!!! :whiteflag:

First of all, the draft we just had this past April was a freaking home run. Every pick was good, every pick fit a need, and every player had a great track record in terms of their size and durability. People keep conveniently ignoring the 2011 Draft and pointing to 08, 09, and 10. Well, really they just point to the 1st round picks from each of those, because the other players have been mostly solid. Now Brown is even showing us something behind an o-line that's doing it's job.

Next, why don't you outline for us exactly what goes on in the locker room, and at the meetings? Then tell me everything that you know, with 100% certainty, coach Caldwell is or isn't doing. Tell me what every single player on the team thinks of their coach, and whether or not they candidly believe he's doing a good job. Also, explain in detail how you know for a fact that our woes this year belong squarely on him.

Better yet, don't do any of that, because you can't. No one here knows a thing about coaching a professional team. No one here knows a thing about building a franchise. No one here knows at all who is (most) responsible. I don't, you don't, no one who "knows a guy" does either.

I am not a Caldwell homer. I do not see things through Caldwell/Polian colored glasses. I am not a fan of how things are going at this moment, and yet I know better than to pretend I know exactly what is transpiring. A very fine line separates the winners and losers in this league. A drop here, a fumble there, a silly penalty, whatever, and we're 5-2 without Manning. It could also go the other way and maybe we're 2-5 having only beaten the Texans and the Saints. Someone has to lose those games, and our players just haven't been consistent. A coach can't do anything more to keep his guys from fumbling.

Nothing...?

Belicheck and Tomlin did well without their QB, but this one is losing games 62-7 and is 0-7. He has no skills or no enthusiasm. His hiring was off a hunch by Tony Dungy, a pretty overrated coach in my opinion. He is a terrible coach, and if he we would be winning games.

Belichick did pilot an 11-5 team without his star QB; turns out Cassel is pretty good too. But they lost all 5 games to teams that made the playoffs, and they missed the playoffs. In the Manning vs. Brady debate, the 2008 season holds water, as the Patriots offense was putting up the same kinds of numbers it has for a while now. But the Patriots did miss the playoffs, so that's really not much different than going 0-16.

Tomlin didn't do anything. Ben Roethlisberger isn't the key to the Steelers. Their defense is. As long as that side of the ball was in-tact, they could have kept games close with Tavaris Jackson. Again, they weren't blowing people out, but they were in those games. A few balls bounced their way and they got the wins. I sincerely doubt Tomlin "willed" his team to win, or "coached" his players better on how not to fumble at the worst possible moment. Prove, without a shadow of a doubt, exactly how Tomlin was responsible for their 4-1 record without Ben. Leave no room for reasonable doubt, leave all opinions out of it, and make sure you are able to explain exactly how it was Tomlin who was responsible for it.

Is Tomlin not also held accountable for getting pasted by the Ravens earlier this year? How about the fact that the Steelers are DEAD LAST in the league in forcing turnovers in 2011?

Belichick has been smashed in the playoffs two years in a row, at home, against teams he beats in the regular season. Is that not the same 1-and-done mentality that deserves a firing? He even played his best WR in a meaningless game which lead to a season-ending injury. Isn't that thoughtless coaching? He had the best team ever assembled and puts up a paltry 14 points to the 5th seed from a vastly inferior NFC conference in the Super Bowl; he got out-coached then, right? What about the 4th and 2 play? The look on his face said it all; he threw his defense under the bus, right?

I can point out just as many mistakes that these coaches have made as Jim Caldwell during the same span of seasons. The fact is, coaches make mistakes, players have to execute, someone has to win or lose.

In my opinion, this season will be the defining moment for the coaching staff at the Colts, the core players there and the fans here. What I am getting at is that we are clearly having a very poor year - abysmal actually. Until this weekend, I felt that the team had not yet given up. But the score this weekend tells me that either the entire defense is out due to injury, or they simply could not dig deep enough to hold the saints back - for whatever reason. The offense was not firing, however the last two weeks showed some promise at least, and confirmed that despite his relative inexperience and the performance gap between him and Peyton, Curtis Painter is at least fit to be a QB in the league. IIRC going into this week, he was in the top 50% of QBs in the NFL by rating this year.

So, as the season progresses, we as fans have to decide, are we here for the colts to support the team because they are the Colts, or are we only here to support the Colts when they are winners. It's a moment of decision and a defining moment for any fan. you have to decide how much you really love your team, if you really love them, then despite their situation, you continue showing that support and love for them. That is what being a fan is about.

For the players and coaching staff things are more challenging. Players can show their depth and strength by simply refusing to give up, no matter what. Sure it's dispiriting to lose game after game. But The colts know that there are highs and now that there are lows. Both are parts of the game, what matters this week is not how you performed last week, but how you perform this week. Players that give up, well, I'm sure that they will be cut, fans will writ them off, and things will be said. but amidst that, let's not forget to give credit to the players that stick with it and do to give up.

Finally, the coaching staff, and this does fall squarely on Jim Caldwell's shoulders - IMHO. There is no greater test of a coach's ability than a bad losing season. The head coach has to keep his staff motivated and focused, and they must keep the team motivated and focused. Up until last weekend's game I would have said that so far the coaching staff were actually doing really well. Despite the results if your coachs can keep your team motivated and focused through game after game, and you play a season without giving up at all, then the coaching staff has done a good job, no matter the results. This year we clearly have some extenuating circumstances that affect our performance on the field. But if our guys give up on games, if they stop showing up, that's a reflection on them, and on the coaches. if the players continue fighting from week to week, even when it's a lost cause, that tells you that the players are holding strong and that the Coaches are keeping them there. If the coaches can do that this year, if no matter the results they keep the team motivated and focused and playing hard to the very end, then can we say they did a bad job?

I can think of no greater challenge for a head coach and their staff than dealing with injuries to key starters and a franchise quarterback the keep them absent from the field for a season. If you want to evaluate how good a coach is, I think that you look at their performance in the face of adversity. I don't know how this season will pan out, but I suggest that everyone needs to just leave the evaluation of the coaching staff to the front office towards the end of the year.

I wasn't able to write this post last week as I wasn't here. Had I done so, I would have written the same thing, but this last game has made me add some qualifiers. I didn't see enough of the game to tell for sure, it was too ugly to watch. But is sure seemed that we either gave up, or were horribly outplayed. It reminds me of that Patriots/Redskins game game that ended up with the Redskins losing 52-7, the Patriots simply would not let up on a clearly defeated opponent. either way, we have to look at the next game to see whether our guys have given up, or not.

I always remain hopeful...

Phenomenal post. Be careful though, or people will claim you think Caldwell is the greatest coach ever. It's not possible to see things reasonably, or admit we don't know everything, or even have hope going forward. You have to absolutely hate Caldwell when we're losing, and then be completely hypocritical when we're winning. You must only point out a few awkward coaching decisions or draft picks, forget everything else, and jump on the bandwagon to hate Jim Caldwell or else you are just a blind homer. If you call them blind haters, you will be flamed, and a moderator will stop you, not them, from posting.

Just a warning...

Edited October 27, 2011 by doogansquest

[UnitastoOrr]

There is no doubt that players make the difference. The question is would Dungy had been as successful without Manning. I think maybe so, but the thing that seperates Dungy from Caldwell is that Dungy seemed more in control. Caldwell does not. I agree the problem started when we went with Caldwell because he seemed to be a Dungy clone. Coaching does not work that way. You need coaches to be themselves and I do not thing Caldwell coaches his way. If he does then we really need to get rid of him because he is no Dungy. And again we need palyers, and a change of philosophy, times they are a changing and we need to change with them. People who fail to change are destines to failure, not sure who said it but it is very true here. Get ready to rebuild and retool, and lets hope that it turns out that Manning has the success that Elway had

[BOONE]

What a joke! I hope the man is just doing the B S thing

[chad72]

Ah yes.... The dreaded "vote of confidence"

I was reminded of Simon on American Idol. Whenever Simon blasts someone, they get a lot of votes from the public and stick around. The week that he praises, voters get lax and don't religiously call in and the person gets the boot .

[number28]

First of all, the draft we just had this past April was a freaking home run. Every pick was good, every pick fit a need, and every player had a great track record in terms of their size and durability. People keep conveniently ignoring the 2011 Draft and pointing to 08, 09, and 10. Well, really they just point to the 1st round picks from each of those, because the other players have been mostly solid. Now Brown is even showing us something behind an o-line that's doing it's job.

Next, why don't you outline for us exactly what goes on in the locker room, and at the meetings? Then tell me everything that you know, with 100% certainty, coach Caldwell is or isn't doing. Tell me what every single player on the team thinks of their coach, and whether or not they candidly believe he's doing a good job. Also, explain in detail how you know for a fact that our woes this year belong squarely on him.

Better yet, don't do any of that, because you can't. No one here knows a thing about coaching a professional team. No one here knows a thing about building a franchise. No one here knows at all who is (most) responsible. I don't, you don't, no one who "knows a guy" does either.

I am not a Caldwell homer. I do not see things through Caldwell/Polian colored glasses. I am not a fan of how things are going at this moment, and yet I know better than to pretend I know exactly what is transpiring. A very fine line separates the winners and losers in this league. A drop here, a fumble there, a silly penalty, whatever, and we're 5-2 without Manning. It could also go the other way and maybe we're 2-5 having only beaten the Texans and the Saints. Someone has to lose those games, and our players just haven't been consistent. A coach can't do anything more to keep his guys from fumbling.

Belichick did pilot an 11-5 team without his star QB; turns out Cassel is pretty good too. But they lost all 5 games to teams that made the playoffs, and they missed the playoffs. In the Manning vs. Brady debate, the 2008 season holds water, as the Patriots offense was putting up the same kinds of numbers it has for a while now. But the Patriots did miss the playoffs, so that's really not much different than going 0-16.

Tomlin didn't do anything. Ben Roethlisberger isn't the key to the Steelers. Their defense is. As long as that side of the ball was in-tact, they could have kept games close with Tavaris Jackson. Again, they weren't blowing people out, but they were in those games. A few balls bounced their way and they got the wins. I sincerely doubt Tomlin "willed" his team to win, or "coached" his players better on how not to fumble at the worst possible moment. Prove, without a shadow of a doubt, exactly how Tomlin was responsible for their 4-1 record without Ben. Leave no room for reasonable doubt, leave all opinions out of it, and make sure you are able to explain exactly how it was Tomlin who was responsible for it.

Is Tomlin not also held accountable for getting pasted by the Ravens earlier this year? How about the fact that the Steelers are DEAD LAST in the league in forcing turnovers in 2011?

Belichick has been smashed in the playoffs two years in a row, at home, against teams he beats in the regular season. Is that not the same 1-and-done mentality that deserves a firing? He even played his best WR in a meaningless game which lead to a season-ending injury. Isn't that thoughtless coaching? He had the best team ever assembled and puts up a paltry 14 points to the 5th seed from a vastly inferior NFC conference in the Super Bowl; he got out-coached then, right? What about the 4th and 2 play? The look on his face said it all; he threw his defense under the bus, right?

I can point out just as many mistakes that these coaches have made as Jim Caldwell during the same span of seasons. The fact is, coaches make mistakes, players have to execute, someone has to win or lose.

Phenomenal post. Be careful though, or people will claim you think Caldwell is the greatest coach ever. It's not possible to see things reasonably, or admit we don't know everything, or even have hope going forward. You have to absolutely hate Caldwell when we're losing, and then be completely hypocritical when we're winning. You must only point out a few awkward coaching decisions or draft picks, forget everything else, and jump on the bandwagon to hate Jim Caldwell or else you are just a blind homer. If you call them blind haters, you will be flamed, and a moderator will stop you, not them, from posting.

Just a warning...

yeah. be careful mate. They will go against you like they did to me. They want Polian, caldwell and everyone else fired.

[doogansquest]

There is no doubt that players make the difference. The question is would Dungy had been as successful without Manning. I think maybe so, but the thing that seperates Dungy from Caldwell is that Dungy seemed more in control. Caldwell does not. I agree the problem started when we went with Caldwell because he seemed to be a Dungy clone. Coaching does not work that way. You need coaches to be themselves and I do not thing Caldwell coaches his way. If he does then we really need to get rid of him because he is no Dungy. And again we need palyers, and a change of philosophy, times they are a changing and we need to change with them. People who fail to change are destines to failure, not sure who said it but it is very true here. Get ready to rebuild and retool, and lets hope that it turns out that Manning has the success that Elway had

How do you know Caldwell is not in control? I would like to see video, or an article, or an interview with a player confirming this.

By the way, first you complain that Caldwell is a clone of Dungy, and that just doesn't work in the NFL. They need to be their own person. Then you said that if Caldwell is doing his own thing, we need to get rid of him because he isn't Dungy... Hm...

Also, why do people assume that change always has to be monumental? Why does a philosophy have to be totally abandoned, discarded; a team torn down and rebuilt from the ground up? Changes occur every single season, whether or not the same basic scheme is in place. Making sweeping changes is the kind of disastrous maneuvering that gets so many teams in trouble in sports. Much like western countries get into trouble economically whenever the government sticks their hands in things it has no business touching (see: Obama turning a bad situation into a catastrophe). When something isn't working, it doesn't mean that everything has to change. Football doesn't change as much as everyone thinks. The game was a passing league before, so defenses adjusted. Then offenses became more run oriented to combat the changes in defense. Defenses switch back and viola, we're back to a passing league again.

There really isn't anything new that can be introduced to the league at this point. It comes down to execution, and we just aren't doing that right now.

Edited October 27, 2011 by doogansquest

[UnitastoOrr]

I'm not an expert, I am a fan, I live and die by the Colts.I'm just trying to say we need to step back, myself included, and look at the real picture and take it for what it really is. It is time to retool and prepare for the future and make rational rather bthan emotional decisions. Look I'm also a season ticket holder, have been one since 94. I live three hours away and I do not want to go back to the years when the Colts first came to Indy. I want this pain over as quickly as possible, maybe by going thru it now we will not have to completely start over. In my opinion the Jury is still out on Caldwell, Polian is a different beast. He needs to step up and change for the better. No I'm not a Caldwell follower just want to see if he makes any changes for the better or just stays the path

[Jaric]

yeah. be careful mate. They will go against you like they did to me. They want Polian, caldwell and everyone else fired.

[number28]

How do you know Caldwell is not in control? I would like to see video, or an article, or an interview with a player confirming this.

By the way, first you complain that Caldwell is a clone of Dungy, and that just doesn't work in the NFL. They need to be their own person. Then you said that if Caldwell is doing his own thing, we need to get rid of him because he isn't Dungy... Hm...

Also, why do people assume that change always has to be monumental? Why does a philosophy have to be totally abandoned, discarded; a team torn down and rebuilt from the ground up? Changes occur every single season, whether or not the same basic scheme is in place. Making sweeping changes is the kind of disastrous maneuvering that gets so many teams in trouble in sports. Much like western countries get into trouble economically whenever the government sticks their hands in things it has no business touching (see: Obama turning a bad situation into a catastrophe). When something isn't working, it doesn't mean that everything has to change. Football doesn't change as much as everyone thinks. The game was a passing league before, so defenses adjusted. Then offenses became more run oriented to combat the changes in defense. Defenses switch back and viola, we're back to a passing league again.

There really isn't anything new that can be introduced to the league at this point. It comes down to execution, and we just aren't doing that right now.

dude, they are gonna give you -1's like crazy. This is not a forum for original thinkers. They want you to think like them.

It's fire Caldwell and Polian here. That is the only acceptable thinking.

[doogansquest]

I'm not an expert, I am a fan, I live and die by the Colts.I'm just trying to say we need to step back, myself included, and look at the real picture and take it for what it really is. It is time to retool and prepare for the future and make rational rather bthan emotional decisions. Look I'm also a season ticket holder, have been one since 94. I live three hours away and I do not want to go back to the years when the Colts first came to Indy. I want this pain over as quickly as possible, maybe by going thru it now we will not have to completely start over. In my opinion the Jury is still out on Caldwell, Polian is a different beast. He needs to step up and change for the better. No I'm not a Caldwell follower just want to see if he makes any changes for the better or just stays the path

I too, am not an expert. But look, this team was in the Super Bowl two years ago, and was a lengthy IR list from possibly being there last year.

No team can "future-proof" themselves. Rebuilding happens from season-to-season. You can't ignore the now and just put all of the eggs in the tomorrow basket. If it doesn't pan out, you're set back for a long time. There has to be a balance. The Colts need to focus on each game this year. Then they need to focus on Peyton Manning's health. Then the Draft, etc. In 2012, the aim is the Super Bowl again. That doesn't change. Execution still wins games. You say it's best to make rational decisions, not emotional ones: I agree 100%. But an emotional decision is one where you seek to "get the pain over with as quickly as possible," or fire someone based on a few bad games. Rational decisions don't concern themselves with the pains of losing. They concern themselves with getting better and trying to win.

[utall]

I agree with Polian. I just think Caldwell was thrown into a situation where any other coach would have also struggled.

No doubt. Caldwell would fail if Manning is not playing. Why? Because Polian has built a crappy team. Why in the world would Polian blalme Calweld for that?

[doogansquest]

Robert DeNiro just makes everything so awkward, and it's hilarious!

dude, they are gonna give you -1's like crazy. This is not a forum for original thinkers. They want you to think like them.

It's fire Caldwell and Polian here. That is the only acceptable thinking.

I'm aware of that, but it doesn't concern me. People can believe what they say about welcoming every view point, and being open-minded; or they can hate me because I don't agree (entirely) with the masses.

It's always easier to agree with the mob. Being a part of the popular movement gives people a false sense of confidence, and they can simply regurgitate what everyone else says.

[doogansquest]

No doubt. Caldwell would fail if Manning is not playing. Why? Because Polian has built a crappy team. Why in the world would Polian blalme Calweld for that?

Really? Because we're a few plays from being 5-2 without Manning. Collins and Painter have had a knack for fumbling at the worst possible moments. I don't know how much of that is on Caldwell or Polian. How much of it is just great play from the other teams as well?

No way to really know that for sure.

[number28]

It's always easier to agree with the mob. Being a part of the popular movement gives people a false sense of confidence, and they can simply regurgitate what everyone else says.

BRILLIANTLY SAID!!!