The "Colts play in the AFC South" excuse [Merge]

[Cynjin]

9-7; one game above .500. Not one team with 9-7 made the playoffs last year.

But enjoy being closet fans of the Texans to make yourself feel like you play in an ultra tough division like the AFC North. Colts got it so bad against these hard AFC South teams!

I'm not sure what your second part has to do with anything. The fact that no team with a 9-7 record made the playoffs has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that 9-7 is a winning record. Do you understand what a winning record is?

[Fx Stryker]

The AFC South has been the weakest division in the NFL since the realignment.

Colts had it made 10 years ago beating up cupcakes, will have it made for the next 10 years too.

Not it wasn't. Once again you sound stupid.

From 2002-2010 the AFCS, tied with the NFCE, had the best record against opponents outside of their division.

[shakedownstreet]

Jags won. Time for the parade.

 

much to the delight of all the tarps in the stands!

[BigQandTheManiac]

The AFCS was the best division in football from 2002-2010.

Well yes true

[PeterBowman]

At least noone has won the AFC south with a losing record

[Synthetic]

True but a 7-9 team did.

 

Wrong. 

 

Carolina was 7-8-1

 

Ties can be counted either way as a win or a loss, and it could easily been a win. 

 

Unless you're referring to the 2010 Seahawks. 

 

 

And both those two teams won in the playoffs both against teams with an 11-5 record. So much for being so terrible. 

[chrisfarley]

I thought the texans were gonna win the AFC south

look at the Texans schedule, they will win their next game, guaranteed!!!   you heard it hear first.   next week is a lock so go ahead and place your bets. 

[ruksak]

I'll worry about the other guys after we win a game and don't play like underachievers. 

[Jules]

OMG. Enough of the division talk at times.

 

It sucks. Jags and Titans will win the occasional game. Houston will continue to amuse us. We will beat the sorry AFC South cousins of ours and continue to struggle vs. better teams until proven otherwise.

 

And the NFC South is crappy too but the Falcons and Panthers are playoff material so I have to say so far they have looked better. Panthers/Falcons could legit give us trouble.

[Buck Showalter]

Jags, Raiders, & Browns all won today...

Who cares about strength of division, im worried about fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Human sacrifice! Cats & dogs living together! Mass Hysteria

[21isSuperman]

Did we really need another separate thread for this? Same exact conversation is going on in another thread.

This.

 

http://forums.colts.com/topic/40398-the-colts-play-in-the-afc-south-excuse/

 

Closing

 

Merged

[DalTXColtsFan]

The 2014 Colts didn't make the playoffs because they play in a weak division.  They made the playoffs because they were the 4th-best team in the AFC.  I'll spot you NE, Denver and Pittsburgh.  If you disagree, name 3 teams other than those 3 who would have won 11 or more games with the Colts' schedule.  

 

The 2013 Colts didn't make the playoffs because they play in a weak division.  They made the playoffs because they were the 4th-best team in the AFC.  I'll spot you NE, Denver and Cincinnati.  If you disagree, name 3 teams other than those 3 who would have won 11 or more games with the Colts' schedule.

 

The 2012 Colts didn't make the playoffs because they play in a weak division.  They made the playoffs because they were clearly one of the 6 best teams in the AFC.  Houston, Denver and New England were clearly the top 3 and Baltimore, Cincinnati and Indianapolis were clearly the next 3 (I won't bother ranking those 3).  If you disagree, make your case for who would have won 11 or more games with the Colts's schedule.

[MR. Blueblood]

10-6 is a winning record. 9-7 is not. That's one game above .500 that translates to an average team.

 

Whether you like it or not any record above .500 is a winning record.  If that makes them an average team in your opinion so be it, but you can not claim that 9-7 isn't a winning record no matter how delusional you are.

[GoColts8818]

Just a thought....if we were in the AFC East....during the 2010's, vs:

- Pats 0 and 6

- Jets 1 and 2

- Bills 1 and 2

- Dolphins 1 and 1

I would assume that our best option to make the playoffs would have been as the wildcard.

 

However we were the AFC South Champion 8 out of the last 12 years.

Well if they realigned the divisions we would probably be in the North with the Steelers, Bengals, and Browns (Ravens would go to the East and the Dolphins to the South).  Over that time the Colts are 0-1 vs. the Steelers, 2-0 vs. the Browns, and 2-1 vs. the Bengals (counting playoffs).  Steelers would be a bear but I would look at them much like the Titans at the start of the AFC South a team that was getting older while the Colts are younger and sooner or later the Colts would catch them.   

[GoColts8818]

Get back to me when the Colts actually have competition in a division and races them to the end, and not just teams that get swept by them every year. Then you can tell me about who is the worst. 

This is a very flawed argument.  For years the Pats would either sweep their division or go 5-1 vs. the division because the rest of the East was not very good.  Would anyone honestly suggest the Pats weren't a good team because they played in a bad division?  While it might have been a bad division the AFC east was never thought of as the worst because of the Pats.

 

Every team in the NFC South had a losing record last year.  The AFC South had a team in the AFCCG and another who was a game out of the playoffs with a playoff record.  The AFC South was better than the NFC south last year. 

 

With that said that was last year this is this year.  It doesn't really matter which division was worse last year. 

[GoColts8818]

The AFC South has been the weakest division in the NFL since the realignment. 

 

 

Colts had it made 10 years ago beating up cupcakes, will have it made for the next 10 years too. 

As of late it's been one of the weaker divisions of football but for the first six or so years it was around it would send at least two teams to the playoffs just about every year and one season sent both the division champion and both wildcard teams to the playoffs.

 

Also over the last 10 years the Colts have beat many top teams outside of their division including playing in two Super Bowls.  So the idea they just beat bad teams or cupcakes is false. 

[GoColts8818]

10-6 is a winning record. 9-7 is not.

 9-7 is a winning record.  It might not be a playoff record but it's a winning record.  The AFC South had two teams with winning records last year.  The NFC South had zero, so I guess if there had been a 9-7 team in the NFC South last year it would have been a playoff record...

[RockThatBlue]

You guys keep telling me how worse the NFC South is, even though they did not have a repeat division winner for several years until last year. Everyone thought for sure Atlanta had it in the bag at the end of last season, and Carolina proved otherwise. The NFC South is one of the most unpredictable divisions in the league, even if the teams look horrible. The Saints were supposed to win it back to back after we came off the SB win, but Atlanta proved us wrong. Before the Saints rise, Carolina was supposed to dominate the NFC South after their SB appearance, that didn't work out for them either.

This year, no one is for sure if it's going to be Carolina or Atlanta, but it's going to be one or the other.

AFC South, it's predictable every year; 3 crap teams for the Colts to beat up on, and yeah it does hurt the Colts. If they had more competition in their division, they could sharpen up experience playing good teams that would give them an edge in the playoffs when they're up against better opponents.

The texans would have won the NFC south last year.

[RockThatBlue]

Ya based on how we look so far and how the patriots look, we're not beating them this year

After one game you can tell this? You must have a crystal ball. What are the lottery numbers tomorrow night?

[Jules]

The texans would have won the NFC south last year.

 

Hard to say that and be a revisionist here due to different schedules both divisions played. They did lose to Carolina today who won the NFC South last year. And the Panthers beat the Jags last week.

 

Panthers have had a pretty good defense and overall team. I am not taking playing Carolina lightly at all this year. Or even Atlanta at times.

 

 

Look, I have to say this too. Why does anyone really care if our division even gets bashed? I make fun of them all the time. In real life we make fun of them a lot too. 

 

 

I think the biggest problem with our division year after year is there is often little improvement/movement. All 3 teams outside the Colts seem dead in their tracks in being horrible or being painfully mediocre. It's like it's stuck every year........the division gets stuck in mud. "Maybe" if the Titans QB proves to be the real deal though over time then TN can build around him and become more of a threat again. It would help the Colts improve too. And I would say we get stuck too since we often stay the same as well. The Colts are consistent with usually winning the division at 11-5. Problem is, we do have issues a lot vs. the top teams like NE etc......

[SteelCityColt]

9-7; one game above .500. Not one team with 9-7 made the playoffs last year. 

 

But enjoy being closet fans of the Texans to make yourself feel like you play in an ultra tough division like the AFC North. Colts got it so bad against these hard AFC South teams! 

 

But playoffs or not it's still a winning record.... I mean don't let silly facts like that stand in the way of your entertaining rant

[SteelCityColt]

So we keep hearing this 17-13 outside our division thrown around a lot... but rarely with any form of context. 

 

Let's start with looking at other AFC teams on a similar level to the Colts and their out of division records over the last 3 years... as a fun side game I've left the teams off as the point is more to look at the records to gauge some idea of the "norm":

 

22-8

18-12

22-7-1

18-12

13-17

21-9

17-13

15-15

 

By my reckoning that should be every playoff team from the last 3 years in the AFC. Now a quick test says to me there is 3 tiers going on here, 3 teams out in front, with a tier below (which the Colts slot into) and then the 2 teams who don't have a winning record outside their division. I'd even go as far as to say the 22-7-1 team is an outlier of sorts as they've never won a playoff game in that span (not that I wish to guessing game away ). 

 

Point being is this though, the Colts you'd think benefitting from such a weak division would stand out as outlier when it came to playoff teams in the AFC, instead there middle of the pack. Is that where we want to be? No, we want to be one of the 20+ teams as then we're probably looking at the 1 or 2 seed but its' not as bad as people make out. 

 

Some other food for though, given we've finished 1st,1st and 2nd and the wonderful asymmetrical nature of NFL schedules we've landed some pretty tough out of division match ups. When you say compare it to a team in the AFC North who could finish 3rd, be a wild card team and then benefit from a "easier" schedule the next year. Our Division rotations have been slightly unkind in that we've yet to land the NFC South, the other "cupcake" division. 

 

Point being though the Colts aren't on the level of the top top teams in the AFC over the last 3 years they don't benefit from the division as much as you think. Does this mean I'm happy with the current state of the team, no. But at least let's hang them for the right crime. 

[scooter4910]

Well if they realigned the divisions we would probably be in the North with the Steelers, Bengals, and Browns (Ravens would go to the East and the Dolphins to the South).  Over that time the Colts are 0-1 vs. the Steelers, 2-0 vs. the Browns, and 2-1 vs. the Bengals (counting playoffs).  Steelers would be a bear but I would look at them much like the Titans at the start of the AFC South a team that was getting older while the Colts are younger and sooner or later the Colts would catch them.   

You mean like the Cowboys?

[RockThatBlue]

As of late it's been one of the weaker divisions of football but for the first six or so years it was around it would send at least two teams to the playoffs just about every year and one season sent both the division champion and both wildcard teams to the playoffs.

Also over the last 10 years the Colts have beat many top teams outside of their division including playing in two Super Bowls. So the idea they just beat bad teams or cupcakes is false.

This.

[2006Coltsbestever]

The AFC East has been worse in recent years up until this season. The Bills haven't made the Playoffs since 1999, Dolphins 2008, and Jets 2010. Tom has had a cake walk for 4 straight years.

[Lucky Colts Fan]

Well... we are 3-0 against the AFC South and 0-3 vs the AFC East right now, so...

[ThatOneColtFan]

I mean it's true, our streak in this division is impressive, but the division is terrible. We play in the worst division in football and it's one of the reasons our season is still alive.

[throwing BBZ]

FOR YEARS we've all seen this. Some may agree with it and some don't. I'm in the don't camp. Stop pretending as if any of you know what it takes to win in the NFL. Every player in the NFL is the best in the world at what they do. There are far more players that never make it to the NFL than those lucky handful that do. Do I know what it takes to win in the NFL? No, but I've heard coach after coach and player after player say(as long as I can remember and have been watching football)how hard it is to win every week. It doesn't matter the team. We see it all the time. The best thing about football is the level of competition. The better team doesn't always win because the opposing team had a better gameplan that day and was able to execute. These are professional players on the best platform and stage they can play on, the NFL. I know many of us like to think(and I've been guilty of this myself)that a lot of the division games and other "average/below average" teams are a locked win, but that's never the case. I know that every week the coaching staff busts their butts to make sure they have a gameplan for everything about to come their way, offensively or defensively. 

 

"The Colts play in the AFC South that's easy wins every year" herp derp

 

It's not getting old. It IS old.

 

 More like the sad truth. So get real.

[C0LT5]

10-6 is a winning record. 9-7 is not. That's one game above .500 that translates to an average team.

 

You can't just change the definition of winning record to suit your needs. The only thing right here is 9-7 means an average team.

 

And sorry, but you do play in a weak division. It's not ignorance

 

Yes we have played in a weak division the last few years.

 

Ever since the AFC South was formed, the only competition they've had was a few years of Tennessee (that Kerry Collins team that went 13-3 who was a paper tiger), rare Jacksonville teams (including wild cards) and then two seasons of Texans winning a division.

 

Do you remember Steve McNair? He led his team to the 2002 title and a tie in 2003. In 2007 we were the best division in the NFL. 3 teams made the play offs with the Titans at 10-6 being the worst. In 2008 Tenn. won like you mention but you somehow discounted it because it doesn't fit your theory. As late as 2012 someone besides the Colts has won the division.

 

The table below is from http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stat-analysis/2014/nfl-division-strength-2002-2013 and it show that we obviously aren't the worst division since realignment.

 

Division Summary in Non-Division Games, 2002-2013

Division W L T Pct. PF PA PD AVG DVOA OFF DVOA DEF DVOA ST DVOA

AFC East 259 221 0 0.540 10,746 9,831 915 7.6% 1.7% -2.4% 3.5%

NFC East 253 226 1 0.528 10,885 10,504 381 4.3% 4.0% -2.0% -1.6%

AFC North 246 232 2 0.515 10,265 9,765 500 4.1% -2.0% -4.5% 1.5%

NFC South 251 228 1 0.524 10,665 10,295 370 1.1% -0.4% -1.7% -0.2%

AFC West 231 249 0 0.481 10,950 11,036 -86 0.6% 6.2% 4.2% -1.5%

AFC South 249 231 0 0.519 10,448 10,797 -349 -1.8% 1.4% 2.3% -0.9%

NFC North 225 255 0 0.469 10,908 11,006 -98 -3.6% -3.9% 0.8% 1.0%

NFC West 204 276 0 0.425 9,617 11,250 -1,633 -12.8% -9.0% 2.4% -1.4%

[C0LT5]

Wrong. 

 

Carolina was 7-8-1

 

Ties can be counted either way as a win or a loss, and it could easily been a win. 

 

Unless you're referring to the 2010 Seahawks. 

 

 

And both those two teams won in the playoffs both against teams with an 11-5 record. So much for being so terrible. 

 

Ties can only be counted as ties, why do you think there is a tie column?

[ColtStronger]

It all depends on how you look at things!  Are you an optimist pessimist or realist? 

 

Do you think that all NFL teams are professionals?  In which case the "Any Given Sunday" motto may seem appealing.  It is true that the bottom dwellers in ANY division CAN beat the top dog at ANYTIME.  I've seen it happen multiple times throughout the NFL.  They are rivals and no matter what give 100% while playing divisional foes...

 

Do you think that if a team backs into the playoffs 9-7 or 8-8, they don't deserve to be there?  The Steelers and Giants as a 6 seed have won the SB, so in that case, who really cares the record?

 

Do you think a record is what it is?  All 10-6 teams are equal, and inferior to ANY team with any more wins such as an 11-5 or 12-4?

 

Folks, that is why they play the game.  The NFL changes week after week.  Players get injured, or come healthy.  Teams start to build confidence and chemistry.  Let's just all admit that we really don't know!

 

But one thing is for sure, "If you're not first, you're last"!  Meaning if you don't win the SB, does it really matter if you're 0-16 (Lions) or even 16-0 (Patriots).  All that matters is that a team is playing the best football in December and January (but most definitely February) and win the SB.  As long as you punch you're ticket, you get a shot.  It's how it works, and there are many things in life that isn't fair, including football, but IT IS WHAT IT IS!  If a crybaby fan from another team has an issue with it, that team needs to get better, either to beat us, or to not care because they ARE better!

 

For the Colts being in a "weak division"?  Good for us!  We run it well.  Sucks for all those other teams who are in a "tough division".  Hate if you want, but nobody really cares, unless your a pessimist, in which case probably doesn't matter, because you're not on the team.  Were only fans and our opinions don't matter.  It's time to pull up our big boy pants and quit complaining about this age old debate.  Especially if you're a Colts fan, because if you are, you know they style of football the Colts play.  Our glaring weaknesses and strengths.

[Synthetic]

Ties can only be counted as ties, why do you think there is a tie column?

 

 

You quoted a post going all the way back in September.

 

 

Live in the now. 

[southwest1]

The AFC South has been the weakest division in the NFL since the realignment. 

 

 

Colts had it made 10 years ago beating up cupcakes, will have it made for the next 10 years too. 

If you want the Saints to join the AFC South Bogie, just ask. I'm cool with that & we will throw the Jags out. 

 

Get back to me when the Colts actually have competition in a division and races them to the end, and not just teams that get swept by them every year. Then you can tell me about who is the worst. 

I will admit to you publicly Bogie, I'm glad River Boat Ron/Ron Rivera doesn't coach in our division because he always gave Manning fits as a DC. He's smart & a tough son of gun to game plan against my friend. 

[Malakai432]

Colts are 17-14 outside the division and give up almost twice as many point outside the division. The Colts clearly benefit from weak competition more than any team in the league.

well, at least they sweep the division and split with the others that's good for 11 wins/yr!!!

I know I know, the goal is the super bowl. They do need to step up against non divisional opponents including quality opponents.

[indyspeed13]

the afc south is either the worst or second worst division.  the bucs and redskins look like the worst teams overall right now though.  

 

yeah the patriot fans use that as ammo to give us a hard time but the bottom line is that IT DOES NOT MATTER.  win the division and you are in.  let the haters hate i guess

I look at it like this the combined standings of the AFC east over the last 15 years excluding New England has been very poor. I haven't found a compiled list of it all because im lazy but im willing to bet that the AFC east over the last 15 years is just as bad if not worse than the AFC south excluding the colts over the last several years I mean at least there were some years when Jacksonville amd Tennesse were playoff teams Houston had a few playoff appearances too. I think outside of indy the afc south has had more playoff appearances than the afc east outside of NE. and they won 4 superbowls im willing to sacrifice playing in a weak division to have a shot at the SB every year

[bluephantom87]

For a team that many in the national media had predicted would be in the SB (including Vegas odds) the Colts still sit ONE game above the 2-5 Texans and Jags for 1st place in the  woeful AFC south! Now with the undefeated Panthers and Broncos looming along with the Falcons; toss in the Steelers in which big Ben should be back the season could get ugly REAL quick!! Don't worry though the Colts should win 3 more against the south giving them at least a 6-10 record entering the playoffs at 6-10....

[Malakai432]

For a team that many in the national media had predicted would be in the SB (including Vegas odds) the Colts still sit ONE game above the 2-5 Texans and Jags for 1st place in the  woeful AFC south! Now with the undefeated Panthers and Broncos looming along with the Falcons; toss in the Steelers in which big Ben should be back the season could get ugly REAL quick!! Don't worry though the Colts should win 3 more against the south giving them at least a 6-10 record entering the playoffs at 6-10....

 

 

Yeah I wonder if they will beat out the 2014 Panthers (7-8-1) and make the playoffs with a 7-9 or 6-10 record. 

[O-Ther]

Yeah I wonder if they will beat out the 2014 Panthers (7-8-1) and make the playoffs with a 7-9 or 6-10 record. 

 

Seahawks in 2010 won the NFC West with a 7-9 record so there's precedent

[Nesjan3]

im not sure whether or not to be happy that its very possible we host a playoff game with a losing record

[Synthetic]

Told y'all over and over, this team was going to struggle with the NFC South. All the flack the NFC South gets, it's at least a lot more competitive than the AFC South ever has been, and the teams can show up and make it tough. 

 

"No, you're insane" 

 

"No, the NFC South is worse than the AFC South"

 

You still have to play; a tough Carolina team, a mediocre Atlanta team with a good record, and a bad Tampa Bay team who's defense shows up every other game. 

 

 

 

You heard it from me; Carolina's defense is going to give the Colts issues. Do not judge that team by their record last year. Their defense has gotten better the last few years thanks to Ron Rivera, and they give teams a lot of problems that can't run the ball, and have to focus on passing (which the Colts did today) 

 

I've watched Carolina for several years now, and in the past few years they have really improved and made themselves competitive with the Saints, as well as the Falcons. On a good day, they can beat the living hell out of a team that relies heavily on the pass. 

 

 

I hope the Colts win, but Carolina isn't going to be easy.