Sports Illustrated Asks: Why isn't Grigson's Job also on the Line?

[Gavin]

You start Walden over Werner because Werner can't play.....and Walden is a solid hard nosed player.

Werner is as good as Walden at run contain

[BOTT]

Werner is as good as Walden at run contain

Not really

[deedub75]

Diluted

Dilaudid

[DalTXColtsFan]

To be fair, Manning was clearly hurt in the playoffs. Ware, Talib and Ward were all good pickups for the Broncs

 

<sarcasm>And nobody was hurt for the Colts</sarcasm>.  Why is it that every team *except* the Colts gets to make excuses????

[gacker65]

I do not dislike Grigson, I dislike some of his decisions.  Should he be held accountable, yes.  Grigson's decisions have a direct affect on how coaching staff does their job and he could cost the coaching staff their jobs by his bad decisions.

 

I don't to watch have a 14-15 year career with only 1 Super Bowl.

[Dark Superman]

I think they should both be fired if we tank another season.

 

I think besides the Davis trade, the best free agent we signed might have been Erik Walden. Grigson has been solid in Drafts, but his free agent signings haven't been very consistent.

 

I wouldn't mind a new head coach though and a new offensive coordinator.. but that's just me.

[GoColts8818]

I think they should both be fired if we tank another season.

 

I think besides the Davis trade, the best free agent we signed might have been Erik Walden. Grigson has been solid in Drafts, but his free agent signings haven't been very consistent.

 

I wouldn't mind a new head coach though and a new offensive coordinator.. but that's just me.

 Tank another season?

 

They haven't tanked one season since they have been here, in fact they have over achieved every season they have been here. 

 

Year one, no one expected anything from the Colts and they won 11 games an went to the playoffs.

 

Year two, people questioned if the year before was a fluke season and people thought they might be able to get back to the playoffs and they ended up winning the division and winning a playoff game.

 

Year three, people figured they would win the division but were still behind the big boys in the Pats and Broncos.  They ended up going to the AFCCG beating one of those big boys on the road in the playoffs to do it. 

 

I've asked this question before and I'll ask it again do you really think the Colts are in such bad shape that they need to blow up everything and start over?  If you fire the GM and Head Coach that is what you are doing.  A New GM and coach will bring in their own players.  Yes guys like Luck, Hilton, and Castonzo will be here but the bulk of the roster will be blown up and start over again.  Personally, while I think some tweaking still needs to be made they are not that far away from bring a Super Bowl team and I think part of that is getting younger guys a little more experience.  Heck I am not even willing to write off this season based on one week. 

 

I don't know what this season is going to bring but I really doubt it ends with both Grigson and Pagano fired.  One of them might not be back next season but I really doubt both go. 

[GoColts8818]

I do not dislike Grigson, I dislike some of his decisions.  Should he be held accountable, yes.  Grigson's decisions have a direct affect on how coaching staff does their job and he could cost the coaching staff their jobs by his bad decisions.

 

I don't to watch have a 14-15 year career with only 1 Super Bowl.

Vikings fans with Tarkenton, Bills fans with Jim Kelly, Dolphins fans with Dan Marnio, Cowboys fans with Romo, and others wish they had the one...

 

I get that people want to see more Super Bowl win but this idea that the Manning years were some how a waste just because they only won one championship is kinda of a depressing way to look at things.  Personally I enjoyed the Manning years even if they didn't get more championships largely because I remember the years before the Manning years when 8-8 was a good season and 9-7 and sneaking into the playoffs was a magical season. 

[chrisfarley]

Grigson is safe and will be around a long time

[Dark Superman]

Anything less than a Super Bowl is a tanked season to me.

 

Pagano has no fire. We are constantly outcoached.. outplayed.. and ran over.

 

This team needs a change.

[GoColts8818]

Anything less than a Super Bowl is a tanked season to me.

 

Pagano has no fire. We are constantly outcoached.. outplayed.. and ran over.

 

This team needs a change.

your expectations for what is a tanked season are unrealistic.

As for Pagano he has fire. That has nothing to do with if he's a good coach or not. Your other points do. I think on the whole he's done a good job as a head coach but not a great job. I looked around the league though and see a bunch of good but not great coaches. I remember when they fired Mora Tony Dungy made perfect sense and I just don't see that out there right now but we are a long way from the end of the season so things might change.

Speaking of this season if the Colts do win the Super Bowl, which despite how some post here is still possible, I doubt people are going to be saying this team needs a change. At the same time if they go 5-11 or something I am sure your wish will be granted.

[Dark Superman]

It's not only Pagano. I'm not sold on Manuskey and Pep either.

I just think the team could of done more to surround Luck with reasonable talent, instead of signing three guys who are past their primes and well into their thirties.

But you have valuable points and I don't disagree with you.

I guess we will have to wait and see what this season brings.

[cbear]

Presidents can lose their job after 4 years, but not a football coach?

 

11-4 records, PO every year and improving in them yearly?  That's a four year record they should be fired for?

[gacker65]

Vikings fans with Tarkenton, Bills fans with Jim Kelly, Dolphins fans with Dan Marnio, Cowboys fans with Romo, and others wish they had the one...

 

I get that people want to see more Super Bowl win but this idea that the Manning years were some how a waste just because they only won one championship is kinda of a depressing way to look at things.  Personally I enjoyed the Manning years even if they didn't get more championships largely because I remember the years before the Manning years when 8-8 was a good season and 9-7 and sneaking into the playoffs was a magical season. 

I never said that Peyton's era with the Colts was wasted.  With that said, they could been better with better FO decisions.  You could point out the good things Polian did, as I could point out all the below average.  

 

I'm not asking Grigson to get all Pro Bowlers, I am asking for a complete team.  A team made up with play makers on both sides of the ball and rounded out with solid players.

 

Yes, I remember when the Colts were basically a "pencil a W team" in the mid to late 80s.  I was in Cal during this time and watched the building of the 49ers' Dynasty and the much disliked Raiders win 2 SBs.

[GoColts8818]

I never said that Peyton's era with the Colts was wasted.  With that said, they could been better with better FO decisions.  You could point out the good things Polian did, as I could point out all the below average.  

 

I'm not asking Grigson to get all Pro Bowlers, I am asking for a complete team.  A team made up with play makers on both sides of the ball and rounded out with solid players.

 

Yes, I remember when the Colts were basically a "pencil a W team" in the mid to late 80s.  I was in Cal during this time and watched the building of the 49ers' Dynasty and the much disliked Raiders win 2 SBs.

yes Polian made mistakes, something ALL GMs do. He just went into the Hall of Fame, clearly he was pretty good at his job even with his mistakes. You know how many teams won more Super Bowls than the Colts while Polian was here? Three, the Steelers, Giants, and Pats. That's it. Two of those teams won it one more time than his teams did. So it's not like the Colts failed miserably under him. Towards the end his mistakes caught up to him which is how things go for GMs normally before they get fired, however I can live with the one truly bad season considering what the Colts had before it and have had after it.

Trust me I am sure Grigson wants that too but it's not like you go down to the local player shop and go I would like one well rounded team with a Hall of Fame QB please. It's a hard thing to get and is nearly impossible to hold on to thanks to the salary cap. Further more considering they blew up the roster after 2011 and most people thought they wouldn't be back in the playoff hunt until this season I'd say he's done a better job than was expected of him when he was hired trying to do that.

Honestly, had Grigson spent the last four years drafting defense and olinemen people would be complaining we were wasting Luck because he had no weapons. I think he set out to put the weapons in place first while trying to fix the line, Two of his moves on the line didn't work, GC and Thornton. So he's a little behind there but two others did in Mewhort and Holmes. So he's doing fair on the oline. On the defense he fixed the secondary right away, although will probably have to add one more corner and safety in the near future, the dline is young but was one of the few bright spots on Sunday, They should continue to improve. Maybe needs a body or two for depth, Linebbackers is the area that is going to need the most attention in years to come due to age of the core group and the fact they missed on Werner. Overall though I don't think the defense is in as bad of shape as people make it out to be at times.

All Grigson has done sense he's been here is build a team that keeps surpassing expectations. Even with his mistakes. Yet for reason I don't fully understand some fans here like to look past anything good he's done, take the winning for granted, and just focus on his mistakes. I really doubt Irsay will when he looks at things at the end of the season.

[gacker65]

yes Polian made mistakes, something ALL GMs do. He just went into the Hall of Fame, clearly he was pretty good at his job even with his mistakes. You know how many teams won more Super Bowls than the Colts while Polian was here? Three, the Steelers, Giants, and Pats. That's it. Two of those teams won it one more time than his teams did. So it's not like the Colts failed miserably under him. Towards the end his mistakes caught up to him which is how things go for GMs normally before they get fired, however I can live with the one truly bad season considering what the Colts had before it and have had after it.

Trust me I am sure Grigson wants that too but it's not like you go down to the local player shop and go I would like one well rounded team with a Hall of Fame QB please. It's a hard thing to get and is nearly impossible to hold on to thanks to the salary cap. Further more considering they blew up the roster after 2011 and most people thought they wouldn't be back in the playoff hunt until this season I'd say he's done a better job than was expected of him when he was hired trying to do that.

Honestly, had Grigson spent the last four years drafting defense and olinemen people would be complaining we were wasting Luck because he had no weapons. I think he set out to put the weapons in place first while trying to fix the line, Two of his moves on the line didn't work, GC and Thornton. So he's a little behind there but two others did in Mewhort and Holmes. So he's doing fair on the oline. On the defense he fixed the secondary right away, although will probably have to add one more corner and safety in the near future, the dline is young but was one of the few bright spots on Sunday, They should continue to improve. Maybe needs a body or two for depth, Linebbackers is the area that is going to need the most attention in years to come due to age of the core group and the fact they missed on Werner. Overall though I don't think the defense is in as bad of shape as people make it out to be at times.

All Grigson has done sense he's been here is build a team that keeps surpassing expectations. Even with his mistakes. Yet for reason I don't fully understand some fans here like to look past anything good he's done, take the winning for granted, and just focus on his mistakes. I really doubt Irsay will when he looks at things at the end of the season.

I did not say the Colts were bad while Polian was here, I said they could have been better.

 

I understand what you are saying about the weapons, but he passed on O-linemen that could have help .  Grigson passed on Glenn and took Luck's college BFF, a 1 dimensional TE.  Fleener has been average at best ( don't give me his stats, because VS other receiving TEs, he is average).  Grigson's drafts are not that over whelming, including the 2012 draft.  His draft board is to rigid, not taking in any player that falls or trades given to him.  None of our young WRs is route runners, except Griff (who hardly sees the field).  They are speedsters that can't get open under 20 yards where their speed is negated.

 

As far as the O-line, he has whiffed more than hit.  AC is a good LT and paired with Mewhort at LG, they were good.  At Center, Harrison was flat out bad and needs a few more years before he will be an average back up.  Shipley and Holmes was a decent combination last season and with Holmes starting this season, I saw in the 1st game flashes of how good he can be.  At RT, Grigson made some questionable choices.  I understand in 2012, why he got Winston, but Cherilus had me wondering.  Cherilus had just had 1 decent season with Detroit and we made him the 2nd highest paid RT.  I know that nobody else was going to pay him that considering that Cherilus is the reason Stafford got hurt (Cherilus has problems with speed rushers). Herramen played his last 2 years with nagging injuries that affected his play with Eagles and in the Bills game, I saw some of the same play as he had with the Eagles (below average).  Now Mewhort has been moved to RT, and if what I saw in the Bills game, Luck could be in trouble.

 

As for the Defense, well what I say but Grigson needs to do better.  I'm still not impressed with Davis, but he is the best that we have right now.  Would like to see what would happen if we had a good CB across from Davis.  Grigson drafting for the Defense has not been good until this year.  Parry and Anderson has shown flashes that could be of things to come.  Langford is solid.  Art, I was excited with us getting him, but his history of injuries is hurting us. Toler is below average with history of injuries. Mike Adams has been a bright spot in the DBs even with his age. Geathers is showing good when on the field.  Werner was over drafted but is developing into a decent Sam OLB.  We overpaid for Cole and from I have seen in preseason and against the Bills, he isn't going to be much better than Werner (don't count on a resurgence of Cole's play to 3 years ago when he played DE).

 

A well rounded team is easy to achieve, but takes a lot of work.  It means drafting players that fit the system and not always drafting BPA (no square pegs into round hole concepts).  It means a flexibility with your draft board.  It means going after good FAs not just a stop gap.  It means "potential" is the ability to improve your system.  It means "due diligence" is not enough.  It can be accomplished with out causing cap problems if you due your building through the draft.  It means a lot of work.  It means looking at all aspects of a player.

 

Grigson has done some good, but the bad over shadows the good

[theanarchist]

<sarcasm>And nobody was hurt for the Colts</sarcasm>.  Why is it that every team *except* the Colts gets to make excuses????

Not making excuse for them just saying. Any time a player like Peyton is hurt its clearly a big deal. Forget I even said anything.