Another Two Quarter Football Game-Why?

[King Colt]

The last two games are polar opposites of this years games where the Colts make a second half come back to win or lose. Is there anyone out there that can give a reason for this? They go from an offensive explosion and a rock solid defense yesterday to a nothing on both sides for the second half. My guess is one word, "character". Drew Breese was interviewed during the Purdue game Saturday and when asked why his team went from bad to good he said they recruited for character as opposed to zeroing in on talent alone. I can't think of another team in the NFL that cannot get it done for four quarters. Even if your team is losing you would expect them to play at the same level for four quarters. They will go nowhere if they are not the same team for a full sixty minutes and that is one big reason they trail the Texans.

[Indianapolis-Colts-Fan]

I can agree with that. When you're being challenged you want to stop trying so hard in most aspects in life. Explains the manning years. 

[Restored]

I honestly think its a mix of everything. I think the team is lacking in leadership player wise now that a lot of the Manning-era players are no longer on the team. Also, the team's coaching staff cannot seem to coach a game for four quarters. The playcalling is great at times and at other times is baffling. The team is just very inconsistent across the board.

[krunk]

Honestly you could feel the killer instinct die a little bit once we got up 21-0.   I believe some of the guys stop taking Tennessee seriously after that.  Especially in the second half you could kind of tell that was the case when you saw the execution change direction.  The blocking got worse, TY dropping the ball on that deep pass, Luck overthrowing the ball to Jack Doyle amongst other things.  Got to keep that killer instinct and just embarass them.  Toying around is the mark of mediocrity.  Go ahead and finish the dudes off for Gods sake!   Of course I still enjoyed the win, but we got to do better in that area.

[Dingus McGirt]

1 hour ago, King Colt said:

The last two games are polar opposites of this years games where the Colts make a second half come back to win or lose. Is there anyone out there that can give a reason for this? They go from an offensive explosion and a rock solid defense yesterday to a nothing on both sides for the second half. My guess is one word, "character". Drew Breese was interviewed during the Purdue game Saturday and when asked why his team went from bad to good he said they recruited for character as opposed to zeroing in on talent alone. I can't think of another team in the NFL that cannot get it done for four quarters. Even if your team is losing you would expect them to play at the same level for four quarters. They will go nowhere if they are not the same team for a full sixty minutes and that is one big reason they trail the Texans.

It's the locker room.  Keep them on the sidelines - they'll stay focused.  LOL

[Jdubu]

I am not sure what is causing this team to look so polished as they were in the first half and then so unhinged in the second half or in other games why they come out so awful and then come on with great play and pull out a win or make it appear they finally click. 

 

At times, I feel like they are thinking too much and outsmarting their selves. Remember a few weeks ago (San Diego I think) where they came out with tempo and had 3-5 step drops and ball out. We looked great with that. Then the next week we came out looking for the 20-30 yard patterns and Luck again looked like a clown trying to survive. Then our defense plays up tight and we take away passing routes and the run defense is stuffed, then we take our defense and pull them back and play 10 yards off and wow, we start getting picked apart and look like the defense we hate to see. I'm not sure what they are doing in this coaching staff. One thing is for certain in my eyes, Pagano isn't the coach to get this team to a super bowl. He is going to get us to a playoff series again and then back home. He doesn't have the killer coach mentality that a winning organization needs. 

[Creekside]

I think it's a talent issue. On defense there is a mix of young guys who will get better, and old guys who are on the downside of there careers. On offense it's mostly about a young line that will continue to improve (and may need an upgrade in talent). In both run blocking and pass protection they are too inconsistent...

[PeterBowman]

I will say this.....we can't get on them about slow starts lately that has been the bane of this team for so long.

 

 

now maintaining it is the next step.

[CanuckColtsFan]

The Titans adjusted. We have a 7th round 2nd year player at RG and a rookie at centre and RT. Also there were two drops and an overthrow. Vinny missed a makable field goal and it gave the Titans a bit of a lift. Let's keep in mind they only scored 17 pts and they never lead the game. Every time the Titans got within striking distance the O got it done. I'm not sure what people expect from this team. It's a div game, they are usually close. The killer instinct people talk about wanting was reflected in 5 sacks, ruining their run game, shutting them down on fourth and short, and Lucks clutch 3rd down pass. 

 

Just win.

[#12.]

In the Grigson/Chuck era, how many complete games has this team played?  Very few - shockingly few for a team that went to the playoffs 3 years in a row, and surprisingly, still  has a shot this year.  I'm not sure I've ever seen anything like it.  Under Chuck, they seem absolutely incapable of playing a complete game, or anything approaching a one.

[superrep1967]

3 hours ago, krunk said:

Honestly you could feel the killer instinct die a little bit once we got up 21-0.   I believe some of the guys stop taking Tennessee seriously after that.  Especially in the second half you could kind of tell that was the case when you saw the execution change direction.  The blocking got worse, TY dropping the ball on that deep pass, Luck overthrowing the ball to Jack Doyle amongst other things.  Got to keep that killer instinct and just embarass them.  Toying around is the mark of mediocrity.  Go ahead and finish the dudes off for Gods sake!   Of course I still enjoyed the win, but we got to do better in that area.

 

You got to give to other team credit. They are going to continue to fight it's a long game. There always is peaks and valleys in every game because the opposing team is well paid to and aren't going to give up. Just be happy with the win and how well the defense played. 

[RomanianColtsFan]

The quarterback play is also uneven, hot\cold for periods of time.

[braveheartcolt]

It's a sport, played by two teams, with humans not robots. In most team sports, momentum can be sparked by small things, and then it takes on a life of its own. That's why.......

 

Or because of Dwayne Allen.

[Fisticuffs111]

At this point it's kinda just who this Colts team is.

 

People talk about how good the offense is, and it is, but think about how great it would be if they didn't consistently come out or fall flat for a full half. It seems like there are lulls every game where we go 3 and out a few times in a row. And it's on everybody, playcalling, WR's dropping passes, the line letting up.

[imacoltfan]

3 hours ago, CanuckColtsFan said:

The Titans adjusted. We have a 7th round 2nd year player at RG and a rookie at centre and RT. Also there were two drops and an overthrow. Vinny missed a makable field goal and it gave the Titans a bit of a lift. Let's keep in mind they only scored 17 pts and they never lead the game. Every time the Titans got within striking distance the O got it done. I'm not sure what people expect from this team. It's a div game, they are usually close. The killer instinct people talk about wanting was reflected in 5 sacks, ruining their run game, shutting them down on fourth and short, and Lucks clutch 3rd down pass. 

 

Just win.

OMG a lucid, well thought analysis which makes perfect sense. You should be banned.

With the negatives from the STAR and the comments on most boards, I almost feel like the Colts lost yesterday. They made a game saving play on defense and a game clinching play on offense to get a win in the division against a team averaging close to 40 points in their last 4 games. 

[OffensivelyPC]

There are two teams playing in teh game and things change.  There's an ebb and flow to just about every game and it's because teams make adjustments in between every possession.  It has nothing to do with character or lack of desire, so please, just stop with that.  If you're going to point out character as a reason for it, at least point to who and when.  Otherwise, it's just a hollow assumption with no ground in much of anything factual.

[ztboiler]

8 minutes ago, OffensivelyPC said:

There are two teams playing in teh game and things change.  There's an ebb and flow to just about every game and it's because teams make adjustments in between every possession.  It has nothing to do with character or lack of desire, so please, just stop with that.  If you're going to point out character as a reason for it, at least point to who and when.  Otherwise, it's just a hollow assumption with no ground in much of anything factual.

Very much agree with you overall, but I'll give you some who and when on a characteristic level more than character.

 

Compare Luck and Manning.  Luck does his best work in a crisis.  It's not random, we've seen it since his rookie year.  But, he's never been as crisp with a lead.  He plays more tentative, which leads to hesitation, which leads to turnovers and incompletions.  He's best with the game on the line.

 

Manning was mostly the same all the time, period, but not nearly as good in a crisis.  Easier to build and keep a lead.

[The Lucky Neck Beard]

You know what I would love to see?  A fake kneel down at the end of a half.  No one would expect it out of us...  Frankly it would be great just to hear the 'Boo-ers'  go "booooo...yeah!!!"

[OffensivelyPC]

10 minutes ago, ztboiler said:

Very much agree with you overall, but I'll give you some who and when on a characteristic level more than character.

 

Compare Luck and Manning.  Luck does his best work in a crisis.  It's not random, we've seen it since his rookie year.  But, he's never been as crisp with a lead.  He plays more tentative, which leads to hesitation, which leads to turnovers and incompletions.  He's best with the game on the line.

 

Manning was mostly the same all the time, period, but not nearly as good in a crisis.  Easier to build and keep a lead.

I agree with that, and it is a clear example of how you can't always divorce the character or mental makeup of a player to what you see on the field.  It does matter.  It's why it's diagnosed and discussed to granular detail in the pre-draft process.  In a game where everyone has their flaws, you can't obviously ignore them.  I think though, what a lot of people here are trending towards isn't that sort of character, it's things like lack of desire.  And I'm not just seeing the same lack of effort as a lot of others are.

 

Everyone tries to make their jump shot playing basketball, but one small hitch in your form, and it goes awry.  Whether that's lack of mental makeup, fatique, technique, or the other guy just makes a move you didn't expect, no one should just assume that to miss is lack of desire.  

[Fisticuffs111]

49 minutes ago, ztboiler said:

Very much agree with you overall, but I'll give you some who and when on a characteristic level more than character.

 

Compare Luck and Manning.  Luck does his best work in a crisis.  It's not random, we've seen it since his rookie year.  But, he's never been as crisp with a lead.  He plays more tentative, which leads to hesitation, which leads to turnovers and incompletions.  He's best with the game on the line.

 

Manning was mostly the same all the time, period, but not nearly as good in a crisis.  Easier to build and keep a lead.

I think there's truth to that for sure. To me part of it is just how much better he looks going up tempo, when he's going by instinct, just trying to score. But I think you're right that when the game is slowed down, when we're trying to sit on a lead or when the offense is starting slow and methodically, he definitely looks tentative and makes more mistakes. Like he's overthinking things.

He thrives not only when they're down big but also when he's allowed to pump up the pace.

[braveheartcolt]

3 minutes ago, Fisticuffs111 said:

I think there's some truth to that for sure. To me part of it is just how much better he looks going up tempo, when he's going by instinct, just trying to score. But I think you're right that when the game is slowed down, when we're trying to sit on a lead or when the offense is starting slow and methodically, he definitely looks tentative and makes more mistakes. Like he's overthinking things.

Or maybe our receivers smear their hands with butter sporadically throughout the game......

[2006Coltsbestever]

Typically 95% of NFL teams that are Good play Great for only 2 QTRs. The Patriots and Cowboys have been an exception this season where they usually play a total game but that is it. That is how it is most seasons where you only have 2-4 teams that play complete games most of the year and those teams are Great.

[Fisticuffs111]

3 minutes ago, braveheartcolt said:

Or maybe our receivers smear their hands with butter sporadically throughout the game......

They're definitely not without their problems. Wasn't trying to come off as solely blaming Luck.

[Fisticuffs111]

19 minutes ago, 2006Coltsbestever said:

Typically 95% of NFL teams that are Good play Great for only 2 QTRs. The Patriots and Cowboys have been an exception this season where they usually play a total game but that is it. That is how it is most seasons where you only have 2-4 teams that play complete games most of the year and those teams are Great.

I just long for the days of 2013 and 2014 when we decimated teams at a decent clip. 2013 we won 5 games by 15+ points, 2014 I think we won 8 games by 15+ points. 2013 was mostly Titans/Jags blowouts, but 2014 was legitimately an impressive season in terms of blowing games open.

[2006Coltsbestever]

2 minutes ago, Fisticuffs111 said:

I just long for the days of 2013 and 2014 when we decimated teams at a decent clip. 2013 we won 5 games by 15+ points, 2014 I think we won 8 games by 15+ points. 2013 was mostly Titans/Jags blowouts, but 2014 was legitimately an impressive season in terms of blowing games open.

We were better than for whatever reason. We were actually a SB contender in 2013 and 2014 but had to face that machine at New England in the Playoffs. I think we potentially we can be Good with this Roster but a lot of it has to do with Andrew and staying healthy. I picked us to go 10-6 before the season started and it is still possible if we beat the Steelers. 9-7 will probably win the Division though.

[AZColt11]

6 hours ago, Restored said:

I honestly think its a mix of everything. I think the team is lacking in leadership player wise now that a lot of the Manning-era players are no longer on the team. Also, the team's coaching staff cannot seem to coach a game for four quarters. The playcalling is great at times and at other times is baffling. The team is just very inconsistent across the board.

This is pretty much what I was going to say.  Thanks.