Have the colts regressed?

[coltsfanatic24]

The defense was never good but Luck has regressed. He's turning the ball over too much for a QB in his 3rd year. The biggest differences I see with QB's like Rodgers, Peyton, and Brady from Luck is that he's holding on the ball for too long and doesn't have the velocity on his throws. The ball zips out of Rodgers and Brady hands and Peyton accuracy makes up for it. He doesn't always take what the defense gives him, tries to make the big play most of the time. 

 

He's been a turnover machine this year, it seems in almost every big game he throws a couple of INT's and fumbles. Last year playoffs he threw 7 INT's, has to improve this year. Rodgers doesn't have a good defense either, that's why he has to be near perfect to win. When Luck cuts down on the turnovers, we'll have a better chance of winning in the playoffs despite the bad defense. 

[jbaron04]

Really don't see how anybody can say no. But if somebody does I'd love to hear why.

when you say regressed What exactly do u mean because I voted no we havent regressed

[thestuman]

The Colts have definitely regressed.  Playoffs are one and done this year.

[throwing BBZ]

The Team is much sloppier than last season. We look poorly Coached overall!
Andrew has improved very little in the short game in 3 seasons. The guy just wants to wait and wait to throw it down field.
Very little development in his game and that is 100% on him.
 The O-Line lacks the physical skills to excel (a Grigson Problem) and plays dazed and confused, a Coaching Problem.
  A lack of pass rush against good QB`s is a killer.
 The good news - we are in the AFC South again next year.

[Restored]

I honestly believe this team has regressed unfortunately. Watching this Cowboys game felt a lot like that Pittsburgh game minus the offense getting some traction going. However, I would like to point out some things that may have been overlooked thus far with this team:

 

-The running game was non-existent because of the early deficit. Wasn't exactly a case of the Colts running with no success.

-Colts defense has played better against the run as of late but still struggles with runners who bounce it to the outside.

-This team has no downfield weapons outside of Hilton. Moncrief is serviceable in this department but is still a rookie and has much to learn.

 

 

At this point, I don't think there really is a lot the Colts can do schematically or personnel wise at this point in the year to try and improve. They will have to simply execute better.

[jimhegley]

I mentioned quite awhile ago how I thought the Colts had regressed and was called a "troll," and basically invited to stop sharing as a less than "faithful" fan.  All at once my opinion is popular!  They played much better last year, period!  I have to blame it on the coaching staff.  Pagano is a nice guy, but not a head coach.

[Indy_Forum]

I mentioned quite awhile ago how I thought the Colts had regressed and was called a "troll," and basically invited to stop sharing as a less than "faithful" fan.  All at once my opinion is popular!  They played much better last year, period!  I have to blame it on the coaching staff.  Pagano is a nice guy, but not a head coach.

Spot on! 

[RockThatBlue]

I hate saying this, but they have regressed big time. In fact, I hate saying this even more, but Luck seems to have regressed a lot. Maybe not his fault, maybe he's trying to be superman all the time and can't continue to do it all alone. But man, he needs help desperately.

We need a decent o line and a running game. As good as Luck is, he can't do it all. You can't expect him to bail us out every single time.

[tomloge]

We need a decent o line and a running game. As good as Luck is, he can't do it all. You can't expect him to bail us out every single time.

I agree with what you're saying.  He can't do it all.  He's trying, but he needs the line and a better running.  We need a running game period.

[RockThatBlue]

I agree with what you're saying. He can't do it all. He's trying, but he needs the line and a better running. We need a running game period.

I believe luck has been our leading rusher on two or three games. That's just speaks volumes about how pitiful our run game has been

[Corndog]

They have had 3 years under the current staff and haven't improved , arguably it's going backwards. I would classify that as a coaching problem. Looks like Pagano does well enough steering the ship but legitimate questions are being asked whether they can take the next step with him at the helm. He seems like a middle of the road coach to me.

Have been saying this since the Patriots loss, Pagano is not the coach to get this team to the promised land.  They seem to have leveled out this season.  The last two seasons they had bad losses, but good wins, this season they don't lose to bad teams but can't beat the top teams or even compete with them.  Also this year's team peaked too early and are in really bad form right now.  The playoffs are looking bleak and I don't even see us winning a game especially if we have to play the Chargers. 

[Defjamz26]

Not regressed, but moreso they haven't progressed. This is still the same 2-12 team,but with a star QB and re-tooled receiving core. I said just last week that alot of what Grigson did was "band aid" work with the FAs and project players. This is still a 2-12 team. Talent wise, were not that much better than a team like Jacksonville or Oakland. Luck and his receivers are just that good.

What's happening is teams are taking off the band aids and exposing us. So there isn't any regression,just no significant progression save for a few positions. Coaching is also an issue though.

[tomloge]

I believe luck has been our leading rusher on two or three games. That's just speaks volumes about how pitiful our run game has been

you're right, Luck has been the leading rusher.

[JTrouble]

The defense was never good but Luck has regressed. He's turning the ball over too much for a QB in his 3rd year. The biggest differences I see with QB's like Rodgers, Peyton, and Brady from Luck is that he's holding on the ball for too long and doesn't have the velocity on his throws. The ball zips out of Rodgers and Brady hands and Peyton accuracy makes up for it. He doesn't always take what the defense gives him, tries to make the big play most of the time. 

 

He's been a turnover machine this year, it seems in almost every big game he throws a couple of INT's and fumbles. Last year playoffs he threw 7 INT's, has to improve this year. Rodgers doesn't have a good defense either, that's why he has to be near perfect to win. When Luck cuts down on the turnovers, we'll have a better chance of winning in the playoffs despite the bad defense. 

When Luck can step up into the pocket to throw his ball has plenty of zip on it! Luck has not regressed imo. He's actually starting to check down to his rb's more here lately. If Luck is still playing like this behind a OL where he is not running for his life every other play or scraping his chin off the grass then I will agree. Luck has no running game either. I agree he is turning the ball over too much tho but I believe that has more to do with what I mentioned above + trying to do it all (he pretty much has to) than regression. Just my 2 cents

[peytonmanning18]

Yes, now lock this thread

[masterlock]

This year's team is probably no better overall than the 2012 squad that everyone thought "overachieved."

[Nadine]

They are not resilient, not functioning well as a team.  They need to get it together 

Don't know what the reason is....but hope springs eternal

[ColtStronger]

Really don't see how anybody can say no. But if somebody does I'd love to hear why.

UM they will be 11-5 with a division title for the 3rd straight year!  How have they regressed?  Perhaps no progress in those terms, but not regressing either.  Building a franchise takes time, be patient!  We've added more pieces to the puzzle and players have got more experience (desperately needed).  If you look at that aspect, we have made progress.  If you consider not making progress, a step  in the wrong direction, then I can agree with you, but as it stands we are where we should be as a franchise.  In no way should we have been 11-5 in the 2 previous seasons.  We were miles ahead of where we should've been.  Unless we lose at home in the playoffs I think we just need to continue to build on what we have, and correct problems along the way.

[ColtStronger]

They have had 3 years under the current staff and haven't improved , arguably it's going backwards. I would classify that as a coaching problem. Looks like Pagano does well enough steering the ship but legitimate questions are being asked whether they can take the next step with him at the helm. He seems like a middle of the road coach to me.

If you can name 5 programs or even 3 in the last decade to go from "worst to first" (total turnarounds), in a year or two time then I will say you're correct.  They must sustain or make progress though...Kansas City Chiefs the last 2 years, but they aren't making the playoffs this year, so they wouldn't count! 

[ruksak]

YES!  This team couldn't beat a bunch of high-schoolers, much less a playoff-caliber team.  It pains me to admit that, but it's true.  

Except for the 10 NFL teams they've beaten this year.......you mean other than them? 

[Gavin]

Except for the 10 NFL teams they've beaten this year.......you mean other than them? 

Jaguars twice

Titans

Ravens

Browns

Redskins

Bengals (without there #1 and 2 WR)

Texans twice

Giants

 

Couple good wins in there no doubt. Ravens and even Giants despite there struggles this season. Dont get me wrong, going on 11-5 hopefully again is great but really until we get some consistent competition in our division our success overall (Not talking individual success) comes in the post season

[conklincolt]

UM they will be 11-5 with a division title for the 3rd straight year!  How have they regressed?  Perhaps no progress in those terms, but not regressing either.  Building a franchise takes time, be patient!  We've added more pieces to the puzzle and players have got more experience (desperately needed).  If you look at that aspect, we have made progress.  If you consider not making progress, a step  in the wrong direction, then I can agree with you, but as it stands we are where we should be as a franchise.  In no way should we have been 11-5 in the 2 previous seasons.  We were miles ahead of where we should've been.  Unless we lose at home in the playoffs I think we just need to continue to build on what we have, and correct problems along the way.

we also won 3 titles in a row because the rest of the afc south did not progress either. Houston gets a qb and were in trouble. If we played in the afc east NE wins,if the afc west,denver or sd or kc wins. in the nort a toss up. Then that make hopefully a wild card team only and on the road.

[ruksak]

Jaguars twice

Titans

Ravens

Browns

Redskins

Bengals (without there #1 and 2 WR)

Texans twice

Giants

 

Couple good wins in there no doubt. Ravens and even Giants despite there struggles this season. Dont get me wrong, going on 11-5 hopefully again is great but really until we get some consistent competition in our division our success overall (Not talking individual success) comes in the post season

Oh I get it, I was parroting this exact same sentiment in the gameday thread. We haven't been the giant killers we were in the first two years of Luck. There has been noticeable regression IMO, referencing the Luck era. 

 

But the post I was answering made a facetious crack that we couldn't beat a high school team. We're in the playoffs due to our horrid division, I get it. 

[Coltsince4]

IMO Colts are probably the worst team in AFC playoffs at the moment but anything can happen.

[Two_pound]

How have we regressed? If you take out the 5 games against the teams we virtualy NEVER beat this defense is only giving up 300 yards a game. The real question is why do we stand around and look like we have never practiced in some games. It looked to me like the team gave up on Sunday after the nonsense taunting penalty on Freeman on that 3rd down stop. And if the coaches are no good and we don't have "elite" talent how have we been at top of most offensive categories all season?

[ruksak]

Last year we beat the two Super Bowl teams in the reg season. This year, we beat what, 1 maybe 2 teams that barely made the playoffs, and that's it. 

 

Yes, this is regression. 

[Malakai432]

Oh I get it, I was parroting this exact same sentiment in the gameday thread. We haven't been the giant killers we were in the first two years of Luck. There has been noticeable regression IMO, referencing the Luck era.

But the post I was answering made a facetious crack that we couldn't beat a high school team. We're in the playoffs due to our horrid division, I get it.

Your almost not worth it, run!! Let's get out of here, die, time to die, follow!! Follow me!! Run!! Retreat!!

[ruksak]

Your almost not worth it, run!! Let's get out of here, die, time to die, follow!! Follow me!! Run!! Retreat!!

3 people will get this, maybe even just 2. 

 

Subtlety, fellow nerd. 

[Malakai432]

3 people will get this, maybe even just 2.

Subtlety, fellow nerd.

What's the saying...... Great minds think alike!!!

[Hoosierdome93]

We have lost the chemistry we had early on for some reason. I believe we can find it and be strong in the playoffs.

[James Harden]

This team needs to be a machine...like Germany in the FIFA World Cup.

[Chucklez]

No they weren't... Goodness, man, you keep saying this, and it's so false that I don't even know where to begin. That team got blown out by the Jets and the Patriots, got taken apart by the Texans in Week 15, then got dismissed by the Ravens in the first round of the playoffs. How is that "sharper" in any way?

I'm not defending CanuckColt because we weren't better under Arians, but you cant put the defense getting shredded by those teams on Arians, he was an OC that was thrust into the head coaching job mid season. The slow offensive starts were on him though.

[Indy_Forum]

Last year we beat the two Super Bowl teams in the reg season. This year, we beat what, 1 maybe 2 teams that barely made the playoffs, and that's it. 

 

Yes, this is regression. 

Not to mention that being in a very weak division gives the Colts 6 games that they should easily win.

[Moopsiepuffs]

Of course they have regressed. Compare last season's wins with this year. It's laughable. If they played that schedule with the current roster, you're looking at 8-8 thanks to the horrible AFC South.

Add the fact New England beat them with the EXACT same game plan as last year's playoff game and you have your answer.

[csmopar]

Didn't peyton manning also have a bad 3rd year...what was it, 2000 or 2001 when we missed the playoffs? Also didn't peyton also have a 3-13 season....after all that, Irsay did bring in a new coach...let's see if he will do it again.

[Superman]

I'm not defending CanuckColt because we weren't better under Arians, but you cant put the defense getting shredded by those teams on Arians, he was an OC that was thrust into the head coaching job mid season. The slow offensive starts were on him though.

I'm not blaming the defense on Arians. Just stating that the team wasn't sharper or better under Arians, despite all this revisionist history.

[ColtsRule815]

Except for the 10 NFL teams they've beaten this year.......you mean other than them? 

Perhaps I should have been more specific and said that they couldn't do so while playing the way they did against the Cowboys.

[runthepost]

Didn't peyton manning also have a bad 3rd year...what was it, 2000 or 2001 when we missed the playoffs? Also didn't peyton also have a 3-13 season....after all that, Irsay did bring in a new coach...let's see if he will do it again.

Year 2 we was the second seed

[Hoosiernsavga]

regressed compared to what? We have regressed compared to how we were playing mid season. But we are playing at the same level we were playing last year.

I agree that we are playing about the same as last year. But I think we were better. No way this team could have beat Denver or Seattle last year. And the come from behind win against KC, I just don't see that in this team right now. Talent wise we should be better.

Also just shows how much we missed Mathis. He is a difference maker on D!

[GoColts8818]

I don't think so.  Frankly the more I think I about it the injury that really hurt was Bradshaw.  When the Colts had him other teams had to account for him and at least respect him.  Since he's been hurt other than the second half of the Redskins game the Colts offense has been in the deep freeze and the turnovers have exploded and I think that comes from teams knowing we can only do one thing so they just come at Luck all day long.