Change Now!

[sfergson727]

Have you been in the locker room at half time to see that no changes have occured? Inspired play? Is that like having your "game face on"? Our special teams have bit butt for how many years?

Any * (most of them anyway, myself included) can see that there are no adjustments being made at the half. Ask yourself how many times the Colts have gone into the half with momentum only to come out flat? I'll give you a hint, it's happened consistently since Caldwell took over.

By your response, I take it you think the right coach can not improve special teams? I disagree. With the current line up (coaches and players) they stink up the place, but even mediocre players can shine with a good coach, much the same way they can shine with a stellar QB (Manning) We need a good coach.

Edited October 31, 2011 by sfergson727

[CoachLite]

Hope you are right

I hope you guys are right, too. I get a lot more done on Sundays when I don't have to watch the game. I'm boycotting watching any game coached by Jim Caldwell.

[JoKeR]

Anyone notice Caldwell getting irritated on the sidelines? IMO its because he doesn't know what else he can do to make this team play better.

Perhaps if he can't get a win he'll resign?

Edited October 31, 2011 by JoKeR

[Coltsman1788]

The players should be held accountable in practice by there head coach. Check back next week to see if that's the case.

It's sad that anyone would even have to break that down for him. Sad but not surprising.

[ColtsHoosiersBB]

So at no point it's the fault of the players? The same players who went 14-2 and 10-5 the last two seasons?

It is the responsibility of the coach to get the players to play the way he wants them to perform on the field.

I am just amazed that anyone would defend Caldwell and would want another year of him on the sideline?

[dn4192]

It is the responsibility of the coach to get the players to play the way he wants them to perform on the field.

I am just amazed that anyone would defend Caldwell and would want another year of him on the sideline?

Your right the past two years under his control have been so horrible...

[sfergson727]

Your right the past two years under his control have been so horrible...

They have been. Even though you meant to be sarcastic, you are absolutely correct. From a pure football/coaching point of view, the past two years have been a disaster. The Colts won last year and the year prior only due to Peyton's heroic play. Caldwell had zip to do with it. That is criminal. The coach should bring something positive to the team, not detract from it. Glad to see that you are starting to see the light.

[dn4192]

They have been. Even though you meant to be sarcastic, you are absolutely correct. From a pure football/coaching point of view, the past two years have been a disaster. The Colts won last year and the year prior only due to Peyton's heroic play. Caldwell had zip to do with it. That is criminal. The coach should bring something positive to the team, not detract from it. Glad to see that you are starting to see the light.

Well then Tony had zip to do with winning, Mike McCarthy in GB had nothing to do with it, Mike Tomlin in Pitts had nothing to do with it...and so on. This is like beating a dead horse, but at the point that any Joe Fan here can produce a resume where they have worked in an NFL teams coaching, scouting or other dept and can provide fundemental proof, then it's all opinion. Is Peyton a key reason they won, sure, but you can say the same for any great team that won was due to a great QB.

[sfergson727]

This is a lot like a dead horse, or colt in this case. I would like to point out though, that under Dungy, the team actually came out of half time enthusiastic and made appropriate adjustments. Under caldwell, they come out of half time asleep. Explaination please?

[Jason_]

Well then Tony had zip to do with winning, Mike McCarthy in GB had nothing to do with it, Mike Tomlin in Pitts had nothing to do with it...and so on. This is like beating a dead horse, but at the point that any Joe Fan here can produce a resume where they have worked in an NFL teams coaching, scouting or other dept and can provide fundemental proof, then it's all opinion. Is Peyton a key reason they won, sure, but you can say the same for any great team that won was due to a great QB.

So you're saying that Aaron Rodgers and Ben Roethlisberger are equally as talented as Manning?

[MAC]

Enough is too much, please mr. irsay, make any change. this team is far from as bad as record states. if this special team coach is on this staff tomorrow, shame on you.CALDWELL MUSTGO. if no coach is fired this week i am off the forum, which i know is a blessing to much of you, but i am a TRUE FAN. no more money on this staff will come out of my pocket!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What is firing a coach in mid-season supposed to accomplish, beside satisfying the blood lust of the distraught fans who want someone to blame? Who is going to be available to replace him? Who has time for due diligence? Do you think that it's actually going to help the team? Because if the primary goal is simply to personally scratch some itch of yours that doesn't do much for the Colts - or fans like me.

Nobody will be surprised if some coaching changes are made in the off-season, but mid-season changes aren't productive. They are usually just acts of passion and hubris - made famous by supreme knuckleheads like Jerry Jones, Al Davis, George Steinbrener, and our own Robert Irsay. Not co-incidentally, this is essentially a short list of some of my least favorite owners in the history of sports. The Colts under Jim Irsay take the high (and rational) road wherever possible, and I'm proud to support a team like that - win or lose.

You need to get a brown paper bag and breath into it until you stop hyperventilating, then pet your dog while watching an old episode of The Andy Griffith show or something. It's just football. I turned off the "emotional key" the day Peyton had his 3rd surgery. I'm still rooting for them, but I have no more expectation of satisfaction then I do when watching the Mets play in August - 20 games out of first. If I can extract some pleasure from it, great, but it's not a requirement.

[Jason_]

What is firing a coach in mid-season supposed to accomplish, beside satisfying the blood lust of the distraught fans who want someone to blame? Who is going to be available to replace him? Who has time for due diligence? Do you think that it's actually going to help the team? Because if the primary goal is simply to personally scratch some itch of yours that doesn't do much for the Colts - or fans like me.

The one possible scenario where I would say it would be beneficial to make the change now is if the Polians and Irsay were to decide they absolutely wanted either Cowher, Gruden, Fisher or Billick. IMO, these are the 4 (maybe just 3, never was sold on Gruden) best veteran HC candidates that will be available at the end of the year unless they wanted to look at a guy who was previously a HC but is now a coordinator like Dom Capers, Bill Callahan, etc. The other experienced HCs that might be available are guys that may be fired from their current HC position like Spags, Del Rio, Sparano etc.

If they were to decide that Cowher, Gruden, Fisher or Billick was absolutely the direction they wanted to go, then they could make the change now and give that coach a headstart in regards to evaluating the rest of the coaching staff and players.

However if they also want to consider candidates who are currently on staff with other teams then you're absolutely right in that making any changes mid-season would serve no purpose. I do see some logic in deciding to go with one of the big name FA coaches, but that doesn't mean it would definitely be the right thing to do.

[Jaric]

It's not going to happen now. You're going to have to be patient.

[super8todd]

What good is change going to do us now. the season is already over and a new staff is not going to be able to do any better. Maybe they get a head start on next year, but really, who is going to want to come in this mess mid-season?

[MAC]

The one possible scenario where I would say it would be beneficial to make the change now is if the Polians and Irsay were to decide they absolutely wanted either Cowher, Gruden, Fisher or Billick. IMO, these are the 4 (maybe just 3, never was sold on Gruden) best veteran HC candidates that will be available at the end of the year unless they wanted to look at a guy who was previously a HC but is now a coordinator like Dom Capers, Bill Callahan, etc. The other experienced HCs that might be available are guys that may be fired from their current HC position like Spags, Del Rio, Sparano etc.

If they were to decide that Cowher, Gruden, Fisher or Billick was absolutely the direction they wanted to go, then they could make the change now and give that coach a headstart in regards to evaluating the rest of the coaching staff and players.

However if they also want to consider candidates who are currently on staff with other teams then you're absolutely right in that making any changes mid-season would serve no purpose. I do see some logic in deciding to go with one of the big name FA coaches, but that doesn't mean it would definitely be the right thing to do.

I would agree. Not that I would necessarily want any of the guys you mentioned, but if they decide to make a change and the person they want may not be available later, than you move now. That, of course, wasn't the context of the comment that I was responding to however. The OP just wanted someone to pay for his personal discomfort, without regard to it's effect on the teams performance.

[Jason_]

I would agree. Not that I would necessarily want any of the guys you mentioned, but if they decide to make a change and the person they want may not be available later, than you move now. That, of course, wasn't the context of the comment that I was responding to however. The OP just wanted someone to pay for his personal discomfort, without regard to it's effect on the teams performance.

Yeah I know...that's why I blocked out the rest of your post because I knew it was directed at someone else. Was just responding to the one part and giving a possible reason for why I could see making the move mid-season.

as to the coaches I mentioned...I'd love to have Billick. I'm meh on Fisher. I don't think Cowher would be a good fit and I'd simply prefer not to have Gruden.

[MAC]

Yeah I know...that's why I blocked out the rest of your post because I knew it was directed at someone else. Was just responding to the one part and giving a possible reason for why I could see making the move mid-season.

as to the coaches I mentioned...I'd love to have Billick. I'm meh on Fisher. I don't think Cowher would be a good fit and I'd simply prefer not to have Gruden.

I like Billick too - although the fact that he hasn't coached a team with a functional offense since the 90s is somewhat of a concern. I kinda like Fisher. I like Gruden as a tv personality but not as a coach. I can't stand Cowher as either.

The key thing to me is that whomever comes in CAN'T have aspirations of being the defacto GM as well, and that they don't desire to tweak Peyton's role just to "control" him and put their stamp on the team. Most importantly, they need to bring superb defensive and special teams coaches with them. But if they keep Caldwell I'm fine with that as well. Wouldn't be surprised or disappointed if some lower level coaches were replaced though.

[SoldierColtsFan]

This is a lot like a dead horse, or colt in this case. I would like to point out though, that under Dungy, the team actually came out of half time enthusiastic and made appropriate adjustments. Under caldwell, they come out of half time asleep. Explaination please?

It's no use, all this person does is go from topic to topic defending Caldwell, facts don't matter. He is the 1%, because the rest of the 99% of the fans have seen enough of the man to know that we need to find another coach and a better staff.

[sfergson727]

It's no use, all this person does is go from topic to topic defending Caldwell, facts don't matter. He is the 1%, because the rest of the 99% of the fans have seen enough of the man to know that we need to find another coach and a better staff.

Agreed.

[number28]

Enough is too much, please mr. irsay, make any change. this team is far from as bad as record states. if this special team coach is on this staff tomorrow, shame on you.CALDWELL MUSTGO. if no coach is fired this week i am off the forum, which i know is a blessing to much of you, but i am a TRUE FAN. no more money on this staff will come out of my pocket!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

you are gonna leave the forum because the team is playing bad? So basically you were here because we played great all these years?

comon now

[MAC]

I would like to point out though, that under Dungy, the team actually came out of half time enthusiastic and made appropriate adjustments. Under caldwell, they come out of half time asleep. Explaination please?

It's kind of odd for you to state this after a game in which the Colts played better in the second half than in the first.

[tonychen]

at this point of the season no change will be necessary. let them play and get a pick as high as possible. then we should be good to go.

[LUVTHESHOE]

you are gonna leave the forum because the team is playing bad? So basically you were here because we played great all these years?

comon now

Winning or losing has nothing to do with it. I am just not going to get on here and read knuckle heads, yea butt every post and say what a great job this staff is doing. It has become pointless to get on here and voice any opinion, because even when you bring facts, and data supporting the decline of this team, there always a yea butt and a get better players post that follows within sixty seconds. so if something fresh comes up like a past due firing or a fesh hiring, then we will jump in and voice a thought on it. I know this if they offered this job to a real coach tomorrow , he would not say o lets just wait till next year. He would want to get started now. So i will continue to support the colts and can do that without arguing my opinion on this horrible staff until the past due changes are made. Go Colts!

[Coltssouth]

Which is what makes a forum great. Different viewpoints.

Arguing . . . no, but creating a good debate that makes me think . . . hummmmh? Ok. I see where you're coming from.

[HungarianColtsFan]

This whole change thread is a complex thing IMO.

Change is clearly needed in coaching, even for Caldwell's own sake. An 0-16 season with Colts (even without Manning) wouldn't appear attractive in his CV.

But if there is no capable HC right now who is tending to coach the team, we have to change until the off-season. But if there's a coach, suitable for Colts Mr.Irsay shouldn't hesitate.

I'm not keen on the thought of promotion of a Coordinator to HC. Coaching is far more complex job than coordinating, and a HC should go through a maturation progress (acquiring experience) before coaching an NFL team, that is targeting playoff. (I mean Colts will target playoff next season)

So I would demand "change now" carefully, however I am not satisfied with Caldwell's performance neither.

I think, if there would be any change, it would happen in the off-season. And I hope meaningful change will happen.