Andy's 2013-2014 Colts Report Card

[Andy]

The 2013-2014 Indianapolis Colts season was one filled with many highs and just as many lows. Here's how it graded out.

 

Game by Game Grade Analysis

Week 1 vs Oakland Raiders -- Win 21-17

The Colts did have a great gameplan on offense, and needed a late Andrew Luck effort to give the Colts the close win over the heavy underdog Raiders.

Grade: C+

Week 2 vs Miami Dolphins -- Loss 24-20

The Dolphins came in with the better gameplan and were able to pick apart the defense in the passing game, and the offense made some mistakes that ended up costing them.

Grade: C

Week 3 at San Francisco 49ers -- Win 23-7

In what was a perfectly designed gameplan, the Colts utilized the running game and completely shut down Colin Kaepernick in a game that was very one sided. This gets an A+ because the game was on the road and they were flawless on both sides of the ball. 

Grade: A+

Week 4 at Jacksonville Jaguars -- Win 37-3

The Colts completely demolished the Jaguars to the point where they had to take out Andrew Luck and the starters.

Grade: A

Week 5 vs Seattle Seahawks -- Win 34-28

The Colts went down early, but Andrew Luck led them back with several big plays and the defense made plays when it mattered. 

Grade: B+

Week 6 at San Diego Chargers -- Loss 19-9

The Colts were outcoached and outplayed by the Chargers, who dominated the time of possesion and shut down the Colts' offense.

Grade: C

Week 7 vs Denver Broncos -- Win 39-33

In Peyton Manning's return, the Colts were able to take a big lead, only to see it slip away, but they held on for the big win. They also managed to do a good job containing the Broncos' offense for the majority of the game. However, they lost Reggie Wayne for the season in the game.

Grade: A

Week 8 -- Bye Week 

Week 9 at Houston Texans -- Win 27-24

The Colts were down big at halftime, but they rallied to beat the Texans and it was thanks to a few big performances. 

Grade: C+

Week 10 vs St Louis Rams -- Loss 38-8

The Colts were outcoached, outplayed and outworked in this game, and allowed a lot of huge plays, most of them to Tavon Austin, who broke out. Luck also had a disgusting game. This is as worse as it gets. 

Grade: D

Week 11 at Tennessee Titans -- Win 30-27

The Titans took the early lead (you catching the pattern?) and were handily winning, but the Colts came back and were able to pull off the big victory thanks to Donald Brown (amongst others). 

Grade: B-

Week 12 at Arizona Cardinals -- Loss 40-11

The Colts traveled to Arizona to play Bruce Arians and the Cards, and they were out-everything'd again. The Colts were demolished from the start in this game. This was the 2nd worst game of the year.

Grade: D+ 

Week 13 vs Tennessee Titans -- Win 22-14 

In this game, the Colts were consistent, scoring points in all 4 quarters, and they were to put up a balanced attack on the ground and through the air.

Grade: B+ 

Week 14 at Cincinnati Bengals -- Loss 42-28 

The Colts were down by 14 at the half, and managed to score 28 points in the 2nd half. Too bad the Bengals did the same thing. The Colts had a terrible defensive performance and a slow start on offense. You can also add in that referee Jeff Tripplette gave the Bengals 7 free points.

Grade: B-

Week 15 vs Houston Texans -- Win 25-3

In what was a great all around performance on both sides of the ball, the Colts were dominant from the start and they didn't let go. 

Grade: A

Week 16 at Kansas City Chiefs -- Win 23-7

The Colts traveled to Kansas City to play the 11 win Chiefs, and they imposed their will, showing off a great running game, and forcing 4 turnovers. They came out with the easy victory. This game is an A+ because this game was on the road in one of the toughest stadiums in the league, and their defense shut down their offense the whole game after the Chiefs' first drive.

Grade: A+

Week 17 vs Jacksonville Jaguars -- Win 30-10

In this Jaguars game, the Colts took the early lead, and it was the defense that did all of the dirty work, controlling the Jaguars on offense and holding them to 3 points for 3 and a half quarters.

Grade: A

Playoffs

Week 18 (Wildcard) vs Kansas City Chiefs -- Win 45-44

In what was one of the greatest wins in Colts history, and one of the greatest wildcard matchups, the Colts were down by 28 points with about 13 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, but Andrew Luck fought back and TY Hilton had one of the best games in playoff history (for receivers) and the Colts took the game. The Colts showed up when it mattered, but they were pretty horrendous outside of that.

Grade: B

Week 19 (Divisional) at New England Patriots -- Loss 43-22 (Eliminated)

Few teams ever make it to the divisional round, and this game showed the Colts were not ready to take that next step. Andrew Luck hurt the Colts in many different ways and the defense had an extremely tough time stopping the Patriots' ground game, as they were able to run for 234 yards. The Patriots scored 43 points without Tom Brady. Wow.

Grade: C

  

Player Grade Analysis

*Every player who started at least 2 games*

*Grades are based on the player's impact over the entire season*

OFFENSE  

Andrew Luck (QB) – Andrew Luck had an efficient impressive season and commanded the Colts’ offense.Grade: A-

Donald Brown (RB) – Donald Brown took over the starting spot and never let it go and had a great season.Grade: B

Trent Richardson (RB) – A big disappointment this season who lost his job after only a few starts. Grade: D+

Ahmad Bradshaw (RB) – Bradshaw was injured for the majority of the season, but when healthy, he was a game changer. Grade: C-

Stanley Havili (RB) – Havili had some good games and some bad games, grading out to an okay season.Grade: C-

Reggie Wayne (WR) – Wayne was having another great season, before a torn ACL cut it short. Grade: B

TY Hilton (WR) – TY Hilton took a big step forward in his career by taking over the #1 receiver spot and doing a nice job with it. Grade: A-

Darrius Heyward-Bey (WR) – DHB was a huge bust, having one of the worst drop rates in the league and having little to no impact. Grade: D

Da'Rick Rogers (WR) – Rogers finished the season with a few decent performances, but it’s his potential that intrigues everyone. Grade: C-

Griff Whalen (WR) – Whalen became a nice target for Andrew Luck and seems like a very good fit in this system.Grade: C

Coby Fleener (TE) – Fleener improved in terms of blocking and catching this season and shows great potential going forward. Grade: B-

Anthony Castonzo (OT) – Castonzo had more good than bad this year, but needs to get a little more consistent.Grade: B-

Gosder Cherilus (OT) – Cherilus was the stud on the O-line with an almost flawless season with very few bad performances. Grade: B+

Mike McGlynn (OG) – McGlynn is a better center than guard, but they played him at guard for most of the season and he was horrendous there. Grade: D+

Hugh Thornton (OG) – It seems like they rushed Hugh Thornton a bit, and put him in the lineup early. He has good potential going forward. Grade: D+

Joe Reitz (OG) – Reitz graded out as probably the best interior lineman this season, but he didn’t see the field much due to injuries. Grade: C-

Jeff Linkenbach (OG) – Link didn’t play much, but actually wasn’t a horrible guard when he was in. Grade: D+

Samson Satele © – Satele had a few good games, but there was a lot of inconsistency on his part and he is very expendable. Grade: D+

DEFENSE

Cory Redding (DE) – Redding had another above average season and had a big impact on and off the field.Grade: B+

Fili Moala (DE) – Moala had a nice season across from Redding and proved to be a player to keep going forward. Grade: C

Ricky Jean Francois (DE) – Francois did a decent job this season, but has only a few good games to show for his work. Grade: C

Aubrayo Franklin (NT) – Franklin did a relatively good job as the nose tackle this season, but is expendable.Grade: C

Robert Mathis (OLB) – Mathis had by far the best year of his career and one of the better years you’ll see from a linebacker. He gets my first ever A+. Grade: A+

Erik Walden (OLB) – Walden did a nice job setting the edge this year and had a few games where he showed good pass rushing ability. Grade: B-

Jerrell Freeman (ILB) – Freeman took a big step forward this year and was at the top in just about every defensive category. Grade: B+

Pat Angerer (ILB) – Angerer had his ups and downs this season, and is a question mark going forward. Grade: C+

Kelvin Sheppard (ILB) – The Colts got the worse end of the deal in Sheppard, but he had his moments this year and has potential going forward. Grade: C

Antoine Bethea (S) – Bethea did not have that great of a season, but had some good moments. He’s a question mark going forward. Grade: C+

Laron Landry (S) – Landry started off strong, but injuries hurt him and he did not finish the season well. Grade: C+

Delano Howell (S) – Howell had two good games, but was pitiful in the others and is a backup at best going forward. Grade: D+

Vontae Davis (CB) – Davis had a very good season, despite a couple of bad games, with his highlight of the season coming in the Broncos game. Grade: A-

Greg Toler (CB) – Toler had a fantastic start to the season, but finished it badly. If he’s on, he’s great, if he’s not, he’s a liability. Grade: B-

Darius Butler (CB) – Butler had a lot of good moments this year, especially in the Seattle game, and is a nice piece to have going forward. Grade: B-

Cassius Vaughn (CB) – Vaughn proved that he’s nothing more than a backup, but provides good depth at cornerback. Grade: D+

SPECIAL TEAMS

Adam Vinatieri (K) -- Adam had a great season and is defying the odds at 41 years old. Grade: A-

Pat McAfee (P) -- McAfee had a great season punting the ball and continues to prove that he's a good tackling punter. Grade: A-

Matt Overton (LS) -- Overton did not have one bad snap this season and will be going to the Pro Bowl. Grade: A

OTHER IMPORTANT PLAYERS (Less than 2 games started)

Vick Ballard (RB) – Ballard was injured after one game, but at least that game was a positive one. Grade: D-

Dwayne Allen (TE) – Allen was also injured after one game, and only had one catch in that game. Grade: F

Lavon Brazill (WR) – Brazill had some very nice moments this year as a backup receiver and is definitely worth keeping going forward. Grade: C

Bjoern Werner (OLB) – Werner had a bit of a slow year, but didn’t see the field much, but the kid has potential.Grade: C-

Kavell Conner (ILB) – Conner was injured for a little less than half the season, but proved to be good in run stopping situations. Grade: C-

Josh Gordy (CB) – Gordy finished the season nicely in a backup cornerback role, and is worth keeping going forward. Grade: C-

 

 

Coaching Grade Analysis 

 

Offense -- Pep Hamilton (Offensive Coordinator)

Hamilton struggled early on at first adjusting to the quickness and many in-games changes that come with NFL football, but he eventually began to adapt and learn. He finished the season very nicely, making some great gameplans and putting together some great offensive performances. He has great potential in the NFL.

Grade: B

Defense -- Greg Manusky (Defensive Coordinator)

Manusky had his highs and his lows this season. Manusky put together some fantastic gameplans against the 49ers and Chiefs, and got his defense to show up at crucial times in games this season. I’d like to see more consistency on his part, and he also needs to learn how to change up his gameplan in games and to adapt, which seems to be his biggest weakness.

Grade: C+

Special Teams -- Tom McMahon (Special Teams Coordinator)

In his first season with the Colts, McMahon devised new plays and new blocking schemes on punt return and kick return, and the Colts were able to have to relatively nice seasons returning punts and kicks. He also found a winner in Sergio Brown, who had a great season on special teams. Kickoff and punt coverages were at an all time high with the exception of the Rams game.

Grade: B-

Coaching Staff -- Chuck Pagano (Head Coach)

Chuck Pagano had his ups and downs this season. There were many moments this year where he looked like a deer in the headlights, and didn’t know what to do in games. There were also other moments, where he looked like a top 8 coach and a genius. Pagano needs to captain a steadier ship. This team gets too inconsistent, and it hurts them many times. They fell behind by big margins in about 8 games this season, and won about half of those. The Colts should not be falling behind by a big margin at any point. This team is talented enough to make it close the majority of the time. He’s a great character for the players and they are all behind him, which is something you like to see if you’re a GM or an owner, and is a great figure in the locker room.

Grade: B 

 

Player Awards

Most Valuable Player: Andrew Luck -- Quarterback

Andrew Luck had a very efficient season and was outstanding early on in the season. Although he struggled a bit without Reggie Wayne, he was able to find his groove and win some unbelievable games, with the Chiefs wildcard game being the highlight of his season. Andrew Luck is the leader of the Colts' offense, and in command of it, and as we saw later in the season, audbiling a lot of the plays at the line. He is a fantastic quarterback to watch, and I feel like I'll be giving him this award for the next 12 years.

 

Offensive Player of the Year: TY Hilton -- Wide Receiver

This one could have gone to Andrew Luck, but I felt that TY deserved it. TY Hilton took the next big step in his career this year, as he had over 1000 yards receiving and 82 catches (and 5 TDs). Hilton took a complimentary role when with Reggie Wayne, but when Wayne went down and they needed someone to step up, TY did it in a big way. He became Andrew Luck's security blanket and the guy that made all the huge third down plays; something we've gotten used to have seen from Reggie. Hilton is an outstanding receiver who had an unbelievable year and the sky is the limit for him.

 

Defensive Player of the Year: Robert Mathis -- Outside Linebacker

Who else could I give it to? If you're nominated for NFL defensive player of the year, you have to be the defensive player of the year on your own team. Dwight Freeney left the team this year and many expected Mathis to take a step back. He did the exact opposite. At 32 years old, he had by far the best year of his career with 19.5 sacks and 8 forced fumbles, two numbers which we have never seen before in Colts history. He is an unbeliveable player that changed MANY games this season, and should be a menace for the next few years as his career slowly comes to a close.

 

Comeback Player of the Year: Donald Brown -- Running Back

At the beginning of the season, Donald Brown was an afterthought. It was suppose to be Vick Ballard and newly signed running back Ahmad Bradshaw to carry all the load, and it made sense because the Colts wanted a power running game, and they were two power running backs. However, Vick Ballard went down for the season after Week 1 giving Brown a chance to shine. Before he knew it, the Colts had traded a first round pick for another power running back, Trent Richardson. This pushed Donald Brown back again. After Ahmad Bradshaw went down with an injury, it made Donald Brown the backup to Richardson. Richardson did absolutely nothing as a starter, and eventually Donald Brown came in and took over the job for good. He was easily the most productive running back this season, and to think they went through 3 running backs before him...Brown was awarded several game balls as the season went on and finished with a 5.3 yardsper carry average. He is easily the comeback player of the year after seasons of mediocrity and/or little playing time. 

 

Final Statement

It was a hell of a roller coaster ride for Colt fans this season, experiencing highs in wins against 3 of the 4 teams in the conference championships (Broncos, Seahawks and 49ers), and a lot of lows, like the blowouts against the Rams and Cardinals, but one thing is for sure, this is one resilient football team, that is not out in any football game. If you didn’t think they were resilient in those games were they came back after being down at half time, then you must have been convinced after the Chiefs game, where they were down by 28 points in the 3rd quarter, and came back to win. Andrew Luck is commanding a very efficient, well designed offense that suits him almost perfectly. After Reggie Wayne went down, we also found out how big TY Hilton can become. This offense is filled with playmakers and the future is bright there, as long as they can shore up the interior line. On defense, they’ll need to put together more consistent performances in order to really take that next step in the NFL. They are a consistent defense away from being Super Bowl contenders. This was a fun year to watch, and to think that before last season, many predicted the Colts to make the playoffs in at least 3 years from that time (so next year from this season), this (and last) season has been a resounding success. 

[Gabriel Alexander Morillo]

Too generous on our losses imo and some of our closer come from behind wins. Like the individual grades-toler though.

[southwest1]

Wow Andy, you spent considerable time putting that detailed critique together. Very impressive! 

 

2 points: Increase the size of your font please. Not every person has perfect vision. I sure don't & small print is difficult to skim with ease. Also, do you think our DC should return another year? Explain your justification either way & suggest a worthy replacement in your eyes. Thank you.

 

"Defense -- Greg Manusky (Defensive Coordinator)

Manusky had his highs and his lows this season. Manusky put together some fantastic gameplans against the 49ers and Chiefs, and got his defense to show up at crucial times in games this season. I’d like to see more consistency on his part, and he also needs to learn how to change up his gameplan in games and to adapt, which seems to be his biggest weakness.

Grade: C+"

 

Broad brush strokes there Andy & not all that much analysis discussing Greg's strengths & weaknesses in your eyes. There is no right or wrong answer naturally. I am merely seeking more feedback as to why Greg should stay or go from the Colts.

 

Again, I do value all the hardwork you put into this thread. However, readers want to know what you believe & what ultimately drew you to those conclusions.  

 

There are different types of writing: Technical writing, deep literary analysis writing, investigative journalism writing, & in depth editorial writing. I just expected to see more on your own personality on paper Andy not a brief highlight summary throughout. I am not criticizing your information or style I just wish that there had been more meticulous detail on your impressions vs dry facts. 

 

Again, I realize that a lot of people post here as a stress release for fun & a break from the daily rigors of their complicated work & home life I get that. 

 

Personally, I would rather see a much shorter entry documenting your impressions of a few players & their progress or regression in your estimation than a week by week short sentence breakdown that really didn't benefit me as a reader at all. But your player award section was beneficial though in gauging what INDY accomplished this year standout players wise. Nice work there. 

 

These words are not meant to cut to the bone or be overly critical Andy. They are just my perspective on what you wrote & how I perceived it. Take it or leave it. That's entirely your choice. 

[braveheartcolt]

Fine job Andy. Only thing that made me scratch my head was rating Whalen and Rogers the same. Rogers was at least 1 or 1.5 points less effective.

And Rams game should have been an F, or probably a Z.

Appreciate the effort.

[Andy]

Wow Andy, you spent considerable time putting that detailed critique together. Very impressive! 

 

2 points: Increase the size of your font please. Not every person has perfect vision. I sure don't & small print is difficult to skim with ease. Also, do you think our DC should return another year? Explain your justification either way & suggest a worthy replacement in your eyes. Thank you.

 

"Defense -- Greg Manusky (Defensive Coordinator)

Manusky had his highs and his lows this season. Manusky put together some fantastic gameplans against the 49ers and Chiefs, and got his defense to show up at crucial times in games this season. I’d like to see more consistency on his part, and he also needs to learn how to change up his gameplan in games and to adapt, which seems to be his biggest weakness.

Grade: C+"

 

Broad brush strokes there Andy & not all that much analysis discussing Greg's strengths & weaknesses in your eyes. There is no right or wrong answer naturally. I am merely seeking more feedback as to why Greg should stay or go from the Colts.

 

Again, I do value all the hardwork you put into this thread. However, readers want to know what you believe & what ultimately drew you to those conclusions.  

 

There are different types of writing: Technical writing, deep literary analysis writing, investigative journalism writing, & in depth editorial writing. I just expected to see more on your own personality on paper Andy not a brief highlight summary throughout. I am not criticizing your information or style I just wish that there had been more meticulous detail on your impressions vs dry facts. 

 

Again, I realize that a lot of people post here as a stress release for fun & a break from the daily rigors of their complicated work & home life I get that. 

 

Personally, I would rather see a much shorter entry documenting your impressions of a few players & their progress or regression in your estimation than a week by week short sentence breakdown that really didn't benefit me as a reader at all. But your player award section was beneficial though in gauging what INDY accomplished this year standout players wise. Nice work there. 

 

These words are not meant to cut to the bone or be overly critical Andy. They are just my perspective on what you wrote & how I perceived it. Take it or leave it. That's entirely your choice. 

 

Thank you, I seriously appreciate the feedback, and will use what you said more in these types of articles.

 

In terms of Manusky, I don't think he deserves to get fired. The defense is improving and with a couple more playmakers, can start making noise in the league. The reason I think he should stay is because he's done a good job with what he has on the team, and the team had some fantastic defensive performances this season under Manusky's gameplans. There have been some bad ones too, but I see more potential with Manusky.

 

As for font, get glasses, I'm not making it bigger.

 

Jk, will do.

 

 

 

Fine job Andy. Only thing that made me scratch my head was rating Whalen and Rogers the same. Rogers was at least 1 or 1.5 points less effective.

And Rams game should have been an F, or probably a Z.

Appreciate the effort.

 

I just don't think I could give Griff a C+ in terms of impact on the team this year. Let's keep in mind that Rogers had a lot of big plays this year, more than Whalen if you ask me, but Whalen had more catches and more YAC yards. I'd say Griff is the better of the two, and Rogers is in between C and C- for the season. Those little details are tough to sort out when you have to choose between C and C-. 

[southwest1]

I do realize of course that while I may not care for or see the value in namely a game by game breakdown another individual may prefer for season ending analysis & reflection purposes. I get that. I really dislike ESPN's Sports Science segments but other people who are good with numbers, torque, & other elements of science positively love watching them. I need to remember that. 

 

Case in point below just as an example: 

 

http://youtu.be/2bjvEf9OrZA

 

Just a thought: In your individual player award section consider adding 2 more categories if they are relevant: 

 

Most Disappointing Player Who Under Performed & The Snake In The Grass Player...Meaning the unexpected player who made the biggest leap forward than no one saw coming. 

 

** When I say relevant I mean only include these categories above if a specific player fits that mold in a given year. Otherwise, leave it empty. 

 

Don't confuse Comeback Player of the Year with Snake In the Grass Player please.

 

Comeback usually refers to a veteran player Vs Snake Player means either a rookie, practice squad, undrafted player or free agent pickup who played lights out completely under the radar like ILB Jerrell Freeman 

[braveheartcolt]

Thank you, I seriously appreciate the feedback, and will use what you said more in these types of articles.

 

In terms of Manusky, I don't think he deserves to get fired. The defense is improving and with a couple more playmakers, can start making noise in the league. The reason I think he should stay is because he's done a good job with what he has on the team, and the team had some fantastic defensive performances this season under Manusky's gameplans. There have been some bad ones too, but I see more potential with Manusky.

 

As for font, get glasses, I'm not making it bigger.

 

Jk, will do.

 

 

 

 

I just don't think I could give Griff a C+ in terms of impact on the team this year. Let's keep in mind that Rogers had a lot of big plays this year, more than Whalen if you ask me, but Whalen had more catches and more YAC yards. I'd say Griff is the better of the two, and Rogers is in between C and C- for the season. Those little details are tough to sort out when you have to choose between C and C-. 

True. I suppose the difference between a C- and a C+ is about 5 catches!

[southwest1]

Thank you, I seriously appreciate the feedback, and will use what you said more in these types of articles.

 

In terms of Manusky, I don't think he deserves to get fired. The defense is improving and with a couple more playmakers, can start making noise in the league. The reason I think he should stay is because he's done a good job with what he has on the team, and the team had some fantastic defensive performances this season under Manusky's gameplans. There have been some bad ones too, but I see more potential with Manusky.

 

As for font, get glasses, I'm not making it bigger.

 

Jk, will do.

 

 

 

 

 

I already got glasses man. They are my John Lennon coke rimmed hippie glasses that make me look like a Navy Seal assassin when they the sun hits them & they turn onyx , pitch black in color. 

 

You have a great sense of humor Andy.   I will shut up now. And then there was massive public rejoicing.  :disco:  Hey! LOL! 

[jmac_48]

Vick Ballard (RB) – Ballard was injured after one game, but at least that game was a positive one. Grade: D-

Dwayne Allen (TE) – Allen was also injured after one game, and only had one catch in that game. Grade: F

 

Seriously? should be at least Incomplete.

 

And diminishes the value of your other grades.

 

If Satelee is not an F I don't know what is.

 

You write good stuff, but I think personal opinion/favoritism influences.

I appreciate your efforts and enjoy reading.

[southwest1]

Seriously? should be at least Incomplete.

 

And diminishes the value of your other grades.

 

If Satelee is not an F I don't know what is.

 

You write good stuff, but I think personal opinion/favoritism influences.

I appreciate your efforts and enjoy reading.

Bingo! jmac_48 knocked that 1 out of the park. Going, Going, Gone! 

[Andy]

Seriously? should be at least Incomplete.

 

And diminishes the value of your other grades.

 

If Satelee is not an F I don't know what is.

 

You write good stuff, but I think personal opinion/favoritism influences.

I appreciate your efforts and enjoy reading.

 

I definitely don't play favorites.

 

Satele had a bad season overall, but had a few good games, especially in the playoffs, where I thought he was pretty good. Besides that, yes he was awful.

 

An F signifies a complete fail in every single game, and having almost little impact on the season.

 

I gave low grades to Ballard and Allen because they have almost no impact on the season, but that was because of injury, so they couldn't control it. Would "Incomplete" be a better grade, maybe, but I wanted to stay consistent. 

[lollygagger8]

I like most of it. Except for Thornton getting the same grade as McGlynn and Satele. No way.

Thornton > McGlynn > Circus Monkey > Satele.

[ricker182]

I disagree with Pat McAfee's rating. He had quite a few muffed punts and had a lot of trouble pinning the other team deep on kickoffs (or kicking it out of the back of the endzone).

 

Also giving Allen and Ballard such low grades isn't right. Should be given no grade or an incomplete.