Colts just need to get into the playoffs

[ponyboy]

Yes, let's get into the playoffs and go to NE so can drop another 40+ points on us for the FOURTH straight time in the Andrew Luck Era

It's not overreacting

The Jags, Giants, or Titans are not the teams we face in the playoffs

It's the Steelers, Patriots, Broncos..... You know, the teams we struggle with.

Why go to the playoffs if you can't beat the teams in the playoffs? Those "division leaders" you claim we're overreacting to are gonna be there in December/January...... To be the best, you must beat the best

It's that simple

 

Total nonsense. 

 

We beat Cincinnati.

We beat Baltimore.

We easily could have (should have) beat Philly.

We played with Denver after spotting them a big lead.

 

Traveling to Foxboro in January would be tough but anything can happen on any given Sunday.  Also, NE could easily be knocked off by somebody before we'd even have to travel there.  The OP is absolutely right.  Get into the playoffs and anything can happen.

[ColtsFanMikeC]

I feel like people are really overreacting to all of the "Colts are winless against other division leaders/winless in big games" mumbo jumbo that is getting thrown around here and in the media. First off, the Colts beat Cincy, who I believe is a division leader. Yes, AJ Green wasn't in that game but the Colts blew them out. I doubt Green was worth 27 points.

 

The last ten years or so should have shown NFL fans that all your team truly needs to do is to get into the playoffs to have a chance at a SB. A lot of times, the "best" team doesn't win the whole thing. Both years in the past ten that the Giants won the whole thing, they came out of a putrid NFC East and had been left for dead. The Ravens were one of the last teams anyone expected to win the whole thing two seasons ago, in fact some thought the young Colts had a chance to upset them in their very first game. When our Colts won in 06-07, the Colts were not one of the teams people thought had a chance. The defense had been awful at times at that season, and no one believed Manning had enough help to get it done. Yes, one of the favorites won it all last year, but just as often, if not more often, a team that is on no one's radar is the winner.

 

The more important question, whether or not the team is flawed (and this Colts team is with both the OL and DL), is whether they are good enough to knock off teams better than them. I think our Colts are, and I think the Pats loss, while very disappointing on multiple levels, has caused an overreaction with both our fans and the media. The Colts just need to focus on winning their division and once in the playoffs, anything can happen. This Colts team IS good enough to beat the Pats and Broncos even if they may not be as good a team. The Colts primary concern should be the Texans at this point since they are only a game behind, and the first step to that is to take care of business against Jax at home this coming weekend.

 

The defense was pitiful against the Pats and some coaching decisions were dubious, but as 06-07 showed us, a lot can change in the playoffs. The Colts just need to win the division and take one game at a time.

I agree with you 100%.

 

The Colts' players have plenty of talent.  I the Colts' coaches also have plenty of talent.

 

The salary cap is really working in the NFL, there is no other sports league where there is as much parity.  Other than the Raiders (and maybe the Jaguars, knock on wood), pretty much any team is capable of beating any other team.  We saw this with the (4-6) Rams dominating (7-3) Broncos last week.

 

I think I remember a quote from Tony Dungy along the lines of "The hardest thing to do in the NFL is to beat the same team twice".

 

The Colts, in the Pagano and Luck era have only ever lost back-to-back regular season games once (Broncos, then Eagles this year -- we should have won the game vs. Eagles and had a very well laid out game plan, we didn't execute and some costly turnovers late in the game killed us -- I had a soccer coach from the Argentinian national team train my squad in NJ once and he said 'a smart player doesn't make the same mistake twice' -- Luck is a smart player).  I think our first loss coming off a bye in this era was to the Pats last weekend.  Unfortunately, we played the Pats who were also coming off a bye, where Belichek has a very great record.

 

The parity of this league has made it so that coaching is critical.  Given Pagano and staff's track record -- I am optimistic that we lost to Denver and NE -- it is very tough to beat our team twice in one year.  It isn't impossible for a team to beat us twice, but I firmly believe that if we get to the big dance, we'll be prepared with adjustments  from both our coaches and players to correct for our losses. 

[braveheartcolt]

Just awoken from a deep sleep and I missed the Patriots winning their division.

Rip van Winkle.

[HungarianColtsFan]

I feel like people are really overreacting to all of the "Colts are winless against other division leaders/winless in big games" mumbo jumbo that is getting thrown around here and in the media. First off, the Colts beat Cincy, who I believe is a division leader. Yes, AJ Green wasn't in that game but the Colts blew them out. I doubt Green was worth 27 points.

 

The last ten years or so should have shown NFL fans that all your team truly needs to do is to get into the playoffs to have a chance at a SB. A lot of times, the "best" team doesn't win the whole thing. Both years in the past ten that the Giants won the whole thing, they came out of a putrid NFC East and had been left for dead. The Ravens were one of the last teams anyone expected to win the whole thing two seasons ago, in fact some thought the young Colts had a chance to upset them in their very first game. When our Colts won in 06-07, the Colts were not one of the teams people thought had a chance. The defense had been awful at times at that season, and no one believed Manning had enough help to get it done. Yes, one of the favorites won it all last year, but just as often, if not more often, a team that is on no one's radar is the winner.

 

The more important question, whether or not the team is flawed (and this Colts team is with both the OL and DL), is whether they are good enough to knock off teams better than them. I think our Colts are, and I think the Pats loss, while very disappointing on multiple levels, has caused an overreaction with both our fans and the media. The Colts just need to focus on winning their division and once in the playoffs, anything can happen. This Colts team IS good enough to beat the Pats and Broncos even if they may not be as good a team. The Colts primary concern should be the Texans at this point since they are only a game behind, and the first step to that is to take care of business against Jax at home this coming weekend.

 

The defense was pitiful against the Pats and some coaching decisions were dubious, but as 06-07 showed us, a lot can change in the playoffs. The Colts just need to win the division and take one game at a time.

 

Sorry but I disagree with You. I handled this game as a test or proof game for the Colts whether they have a shot at AFC title or not. And now, after the game I think colts don't have yet. Not because of loss, because the way we lost this game: we were manhandled, outplayed, out-coached, devastated, Pats were far better in every angle of the game and show how a real contender look like. This team has to learn and gain a lot coaching-wise and mental-wise to be serious contender of AFC. 

We will get to playoffs pretty sure, but we will take a wild card test, what can be passed with good chance. In later rounds we will meet such teams, we haven't matched  this season.

 

Yes You are right, anything can happen in PO, it is mostly question of staying healthy, still I think we haven't acquired the needed metal strength and toughness, physical playing style yet what is needed in playoffs. 

 

So however hard I'm rooting for the Colts I don't expect long playoff run this season. Most likely we will get past wildcard-round will be stopped after that. IF we face Pats again, a loss with a close margin would be more than satisfying. 

[Mr. Irrelevant]

We have to accept that the O-Line is a work in progress, there is no way around it.

 

But this Manursky dude, it doesn't work.

 

We need a new and better DC. I had high hopes that Pagano could help him more out after Chudzinski came aboard, but this defense still runs hot and cold, and I'm tried of it. I'm not for the "fire someone - anyone!", but I have lost faith in him, not the team or the players.

[RandomFan]

Actually to be the best you must beat the best in January

 

Dudley's point is that as long as we make the Playoffs we have a chance, any given Sunday right? Look at 2006... Defense steps up out of nowhere to win us the SB. There's a lot of football to be played between then and now and strange things can happen. You saying we will play NE in the playoffs and have 40+ dropped on us is as big a reach as me saying we will make the playoffs and blow away all before us in our SB conquest. Who knows what will happen, but I'd rather dream and hope then moan and mope. 

 

No its not. One of those scenarios is not a reach at all considering its already happened 3 recent times at both our place and their place. 

[sweetsurrender]

I feel like people are really overreacting to all of the "Colts are winless against other division leaders/winless in big games" mumbo jumbo that is getting thrown around here and in the media. First off, the Colts beat Cincy, who I believe is a division leader. Yes, AJ Green wasn't in that game but the Colts blew them out. I doubt Green was worth 27 points.

 

The last ten years or so should have shown NFL fans that all your team truly needs to do is to get into the playoffs to have a chance at a SB. A lot of times, the "best" team doesn't win the whole thing. Both years in the past ten that the Giants won the whole thing, they came out of a putrid NFC East and had been left for dead. The Ravens were one of the last teams anyone expected to win the whole thing two seasons ago, in fact some thought the young Colts had a chance to upset them in their very first game. When our Colts won in 06-07, the Colts were not one of the teams people thought had a chance. The defense had been awful at times at that season, and no one believed Manning had enough help to get it done. Yes, one of the favorites won it all last year, but just as often, if not more often, a team that is on no one's radar is the winner.

 

The more important question, whether or not the team is flawed (and this Colts team is with both the OL and DL), is whether they are good enough to knock off teams better than them. I think our Colts are, and I think the Pats loss, while very disappointing on multiple levels, has caused an overreaction with both our fans and the media. The Colts just need to focus on winning their division and once in the playoffs, anything can happen. This Colts team IS good enough to beat the Pats and Broncos even if they may not be as good a team. The Colts primary concern should be the Texans at this point since they are only a game behind, and the first step to that is to take care of business against Jax at home this coming weekend.

 

The defense was pitiful against the Pats and some coaching decisions were dubious, but as 06-07 showed us, a lot can change in the playoffs. The Colts just need to win the division and take one game at a time.

It is clear that our coaching is an issue. That does not bode well for the post-season but we will see how the next 6 games go and what improvements we can make.

[Valpo2004]

Not reading through the whole thread but we really havn't beaten one playoff team this season.  So I think we make the playoffs just because our division is weak and we've got a ton of low level opponents.  

 

But lets get real here, anything better then one and done in the playoffs will be a surprise.  

 

Defense has looked non existent against some of the better teams in the league.  The fact that they can cream the Bengals isn't that meaningful.

[colts8718]

Yes, let's get into the playoffs and go to NE so can drop another 40+ points on us for the FOURTH straight time in the Andrew Luck Era

It's not overreacting

The Jags, Giants, or Titans are not the teams we face in the playoffs

It's the Steelers, Patriots, Broncos..... You know, the teams we struggle with.

Why go to the playoffs if you can't beat the teams in the playoffs? Those "division leaders" you claim we're overreacting to are gonna be there in December/January...... To be the best, you must beat the best

It's that simple

We are a very flawed team on D and if we make the playoffs we won't be around very long anyway 

[Smash Mouth]

We are just a game up on the Texans and our injuries are mounting.  I watched the Texans on Sunday, they may have something in Ryan Mallet.  The Texan's defense can cause problems for us if the OL continues to implode.  The Colts have to be careful or they will be in a dog fight for the Division