What must the Colts do to have a successful season?

[mattceinicram]

I think all our main goal this year is for our guys to win a super bowl, but obviously only one team gets to achieve that.  In your opinion, what must we accomplish for us to say this season is a success?  Do we need to win the division again?  Advance farther in the playoffs to the AFC championship round?  Get a first round bye?  I know we don't really know quite the state of our team yet until free agency and the draft is done, but I'd like to know your thoughts and expectations on this.

[ProblChld32]

IMO Focus on getting the rest of the Pieces now in FA and Draft. Before they can even talk about playoffs.

[1959Colts]

Get a better pass rush

[Mameluc]

get after the QB. someone not named mathis needs to be able to do it consistently

[CopenhagenColt]

First of all fix the O-line and keep Luck on his feet.

[throwing BBZ]

Have a Healthier season.

The O-Line WAS fixed with the departure of the Big Three. JMO of course. Go Colts!

 

 The Pass Rush IS improved because we will stop the run much better and be in better situations to be aggressive..

[jameszeigler834]

They need another pass rusher that can put up 15 to 20 sacks a season and that guy is not on the roster right now walden isn't it im not sure Werner is either hopefully that Adongo can do it.

[Nobody]

I really think we need to stop avoiding the OL and just fix it already

[BlueCollarColts]

Find another pass rusher. Hopefully Bjeorn Werner can help there, and Arthur Jones is pretty good for a 3-4 DE

[Nobody]

They need another pass rusher that can put up 15 to 20 sacks a season and that guy is not on the roster right now walden isn't it im not sure Werner is either hopefully that Adongo can do it.

Woah there, no way we can get a guy who can put up 20 sacks in addition to Mathis' ~20

[BlueCollarColts]

They need another pass rusher that can put up 15 to 20 sacks a season and that guy is not on the roster right now walden isn't it im not sure Werner is either hopefully that Adongo can do it.

We don't need a 15-20 sack guy, that's an elite pass rusher, we just need an 8-10 sack guy to help take the pressure off Mathis

[IndyD4U]

Make holes so that we can run the ball and stop the run.

[pgt_rob]

Run the dang ball. That should be number 1.

[#18forever]

If someone on the Colts can become what Mathis was when Freeney was still here then our pass rush would be amazing.

[Yoshinator]

I believe Werner could be that 10-15 sack guy if the Colts would start him over Walden. He got 2.5 sacks in only around half of a season while he was injured and maybe playing half the defensive snaps in the other 8 games. Werner can be a beast if Pagano has faith in him.

[ColtStronger]

This is about what the Colts need to do in order to have a successful season...  Although they're going in to the 3rd year of the program with all the new guys, I believe anything less than a SB appearance, is a failure.  I know that is asking a lot, but they're definitely talented enough to do so. 

[jameszeigler834]

Woah there, no way we can get a guy who can put up 20 sacks in addition to Mathis' ~20

I said 15 to 20 sacks a year.

[Bluefire4]

We could of went all the way last year if we have more consistent QB pressure and a better run game.

[Ja'Crispy]

First and foremost protect The Neard. Fix up that O line. On defense, generate a consistent pass rush.

[Drew1023]

This team is not good enough to win a super bowl.  If you are telling yourself that you are being delusional, I admire your support of this team but you are not seeing it objectively.  What would make this season a success as far as I am concerned is another divisional win and a trip to the playoffs.  That is what this team is capable of and what I feel it can achieve.  This is not a tier 1 team and not even close to the best team in the AFC and certainly not one of the best teams in the NFL. It is a good team and a team that can and should make it to the playoffs.  I think as a fan base we should consider getting to the playoffs a success. Anything more than that is exceeding expectations and we should be happy.

[Beauregarde]

I think all our main goal this year is for our guys to win a super bowl, but obviously only one team gets to achieve that.  In your opinion, what must we accomplish for us to say this season is a success?  Do we need to win the division again?  Advance farther in the playoffs to the AFC championship round?  Get a first round bye?  I know we don't really know quite the state of our team yet until free agency and the draft is done, but I'd like to know your thoughts and expectations on this.

Of course that is the goal but this is still a rebuilding team that has made the playoffs mostly because they play in the weakest division in the NFL. They are not likely to go 6-0 in the division again although 5-1 or 4-2 are still possible. But that means the wins have to come from outside the division. That schedule will be a little easier this year although there will be tough games with Denver and New England. Free agency has gone well but that O-Line still needs work and the coaches need to work hard with Luck to get him to make his reads with more speed and get rid of the ball sooner to help the O-Line with the pass rush. There is nothing wrong with Luck's release but he is a big slow to make his secondary reads and get the ball out of his hands. This is all to be expected from a QB just entering his third year. The Colts need to put more pressure on the opponent's QB with a pass rush that isn't solely Robert Mathis. I like what has happened in free agency so far. Center is a glaring hole that must be repaired and the O-Line just doesn't do a good job of protecting Luck (some of that is on Luck too) and creating a run game. I will be happy however the season turns out but I would hope to win the division although I expect pressure from a vastly improved and inspired Texans team. So, if they win the division and have a competitive game or two in the playoffs, that will be progress in my mind.

[Beauregarde]

This team is not good enough to win a super bowl.  If you are telling yourself that you are being delusional, I admire your support of this team but you are not seeing it objectively.  What would make this season a success as far as I am concerned is another divisional win and a trip to the playoffs.  That is what this team is capable of and what I feel it can achieve.  This is not a tier 1 team and not even close to the best team in the AFC and certainly not one of the best teams in the NFL. It is a good team and a team that can and should make it to the playoffs.  I think as a fan base we should consider getting to the playoffs a success. Anything more than that is exceeding expectations and we should be happy.

That is well said and it mirrors my views. Some fans have unrealistic expectations and they write things like the Colts are one of the top two teams in the AFC. Your analysis is about right in my mind.

[mattceinicram]

Notice I never actually said I think we're good enough to win a Super Bowl, I just said that's what we all obviously would want.  That's why I made this thread asking what we think would be a great year for what this team is at.

[Beauregarde]

We could of went all the way last year if we have more consistent QB pressure and a better run game.

No, we could not have done that. If would have been closer without the injuries but this is still a developing team. I agree that the O-Line and the running game is a big problem and we need more QB pressure. Werner won't be the answer to that in my opinion.

[#12]

- Stay healthy.

- Young roster and relatively inexperienced coaching staff need to mature.

- Based on your current roster, do whatever gives your team its best chance to win.  Don't pretend to be the Seahawks or 49ers.  Don't hammer a square peg into a round hole.

- Pray that some of the recently signed players and acquisitions from 2013 make the leap and/or exceed expectations. 

- Do well with the remaining cap space and draft picks.

 

Under the best scenario, I'm still not sure it's a team that has the roster and experience to compete with the top playoff teams for a championship, but we can give it a try.  We competed at a high level at times last year, but you have to do it for 16 games plus 3-4 playoff games. 

[Beauregarde]

This is about what the Colts need to do in order to have a successful season...  Although they're going in to the 3rd year of the program with all the new guys, I believe anything less than a SB appearance, is a failure.  I know that is asking a lot, but they're definitely talented enough to do so. 

Prepare to taste failure if that is your idea of a successful season. This is still a rebuilding team that is a few years from being a Super Bowl contender.

[Beauregarde]

Find another pass rusher. Hopefully Bjeorn Werner can help there, and Arthur Jones is pretty good for a 3-4 DE

Werner? Ha, ha, ha.........

[Nobody]

I said 15 to 20 sacks a year.

oh because that makes it so much better no OLB tandem gets 35-40 sacks a year. If someone else gets 15-20 then Mathis' production would have to plummet

[CopenhagenColt]

Anything less than a Super Bowl appearance a failure?

Setting the bar a little high are we?

 

We would all LOVE to see the Colts in the Super Bowl, but lets try to stay somewhat realistic here.

[ColtStronger]

Of course that is the goal but this is still a rebuilding team that has made the playoffs mostly because they play in the weakest division in the NFL. They are not likely to go 6-0 in the division again although 5-1 or 4-2 are still possible. But that means the wins have to come from outside the division. That schedule will be a little easier this year although there will be tough games with Denver and New England. Free agency has gone well but that O-Line still needs work and the coaches need to work hard with Luck to get him to make his reads with more speed and get rid of the ball sooner to help the O-Line with the pass rush. There is nothing wrong with Luck's release but he is a big slow to make his secondary reads and get the ball out of his hands. This is all to be expected from a QB just entering his third year. The Colts need to put more pressure on the opponent's QB with a pass rush that isn't solely Robert Mathis. I like what has happened in free agency so far. Center is a glaring hole that must be repaired and the O-Line just doesn't do a good job of protecting Luck (some of that is on Luck too) and creating a run game. I will be happy however the season turns out but I would hope to win the division although I expect pressure from a vastly improved and inspired Texans team. So, if they win the division and have a competitive game or two in the playoffs, that will be progress in my mind.

It's been their goal for the past 2 years.  I do admit it was unrealistic but that's what the front office and players expected of themselves.  I agree the Colts are in the weakest division, that being said they should EASILY win the AFC South to get an automatic bid into the playoffs.  They also have the weakest schedule this coming year, while coming off last season of having a particularly difficult schedule and maintaining their 11-5 record for a 2nd straight year.  They could possibly be the #2 seed next year and have a 1st round bye.  Through FA I believe they have patched some holes on D and should be ranked just outside the top 10 overall.  If they can fix the O-Line, which is a matter of staying healthy and picking up a C, then their offense should be top 5 overall.  Luck was pressured WAY TOO MUCH last year and the backfield was always getting blown up before the RB could hit the non existing holes.  With where they stand today I believe the Denver Broncos are the only team in the way of them making it to the SB. 

 

PS I said it would be a failure of anything less than a SB appearance, not winning it all (previous post).  However, I fully expect them to make it to the AFC Championship game to say the least.  That isn't unrealistic with the progress they continue to make!!

[Beauregarde]

It's been their goal for the past 2 years.  I do admit it was unrealistic but that's what the front office and players expected of themselves.  I agree the Colts are in the weakest division, that being said they should EASILY win the AFC South to get an automatic bid into the playoffs.  They also have the weakest schedule this coming year, while coming off last season of having a particularly difficult schedule and maintaining their 11-5 record for a 2nd straight year.  They could possibly be the #2 seed next year and have a 1st round bye.  Through FA I believe they have patched some holes on D and should be ranked just outside the top 10 overall.  If they can fix the O-Line, which is a matter of staying healthy and picking up a C, then their offense should be top 5 overall.  Luck was pressured WAY TOO MUCH last year and the backfield was always getting blown up before the RB could hit the non existing holes.  With where they stand today I believe the Denver Broncos are the only team in the way of them making it to the SB. 

 

PS I said it would be a failure of anything less than a SB appearance, not winning it all (previous post).  However, I fully expect them to make it to the AFC Championship game to say the least.  That isn't unrealistic with the progress they continue to make!!

I do not expect them to get there because they have done nothing to address that horrible offensive line. The players and the coaches know they are not good enough to get to the Super Bowl. They play in the South and they went 6-0 there and 5-5 on the rest of the schedule. Well, they are not going 6-0 this year so they have to be better outside the division. I see New England and Denver in that schedule. I also see a revamped Houston team that may win in double figures to and that team is being built to beat Andrew Luck and the Colts specifically. I would almost bet the Colts are a better bet to be one and done in the playoffs that getting anywhere close to that AFC Championship game. New England just got better. Denver got a whole lot better. The Colts have gotten slightly better but they still have big holes to fix.

[ColtStronger]

Prepare to taste failure if that is your idea of a successful season. This is still a rebuilding team that is a few years from being a Super Bowl contender.

If you're telling me they're not SB contenders and are a few years away please enlighten me of who exactly is in the AFC besides Denver?  Might I add we beat the 3 best teams in the NFL last year (Lost to another good team in an awful performance, we were only down 7 pts. to NE going into the fourth on the road.) 

 

Let me tell you our only 2 problems (if we fix our O-Line during FA) is CONSISTENCY (playing 60 mins of football, not just the 2nd 30 or playing to the level of our opponents) and staying healthy.  I don't care who is on our roster or coaching staff we will never win a SB if 5 great players are on IR by week 5 and other key guys get banged up for half the season.

[a06cc]

Stay healthy is the only thing that comes to mind.

[ColtStronger]

I do not expect them to get there because they have done nothing to address that horrible offensive line. The players and the coaches know they are not good enough to get to the Super Bowl. They play in the South and they went 6-0 there and 5-5 on the rest of the schedule. Well, they are not going 6-0 this year so they have to be better outside the division. I see New England and Denver in that schedule. I also see a revamped Houston team that may win in double figures to and that team is being built to beat Andrew Luck and the Colts specifically. I would almost bet the Colts are a better bet to be one and done in the playoffs that getting anywhere close to that AFC Championship game. New England just got better. Denver got a whole lot better. The Colts have gotten slightly better but they still have big holes to fix.

Colts may not go 6-0 in their division but I guarantee they don't lose more than 1 or 2 divisional game.  IDK why you would think Houston is a big threat to them.  Say they lose to Denver and NE, who else do they play that are hands down better than them?  I admit they got extremely lucky in 2011 going 11-5 last year maybe or maybe not, but no way with their schedule do they not improve this year

[a06cc]

We're not rebuilding, this team is building. This is year 3 and we've made it to the playoff two years in a row. Anything short of the Super Bowl is a failed season. We get the few pieces we need and stay healthy we're in the a Super Bowl.

[Colts_Fan12]

Fill that damned C spot with someone worth a crap

[C0LT5]

We could of went all the way last year if we have more consistent QB pressure and a better run game.

 

Yeah, our rush defense was definitely strong enough to get to the Super Bowl.

[schwamm]

Fill that damned C spot with someone worth a crap

has anyone even touched on how important the G spot is?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

hee hee.

[Colts_Fan12]

has anyone even touched on how important the G spot is?

hee hee.

I'd take one if them too lol Thomas has had two season ending injuries in notably starts and Thorton is still developing

[Coffeedrinker]

Every week if they score more points then their opponent, they will have a successful season.