Successful season

[CR91]

With the start of the season almost a week away, How would you define a successful season for the 2018 colts? Me personally, I still think we can make the playoffs, but I wouldn't call it a unsuccessful season if we don't. I think Luck finally playing a full season would be a great first step. How much play making ability can we get from the running game, and how far off is our oline. For the defense, I think pieces are there. I like what ive seen from Leonard and Moore along with Walker coming back. We could be better off there then we initially thought. CB and pass rush still need work imo. I am not going to set high expectations for the defense, but at least finishing in the top 20 would be an accomplishment. Overall my expectations are the playoffs, but more realistic would be 9-7. 

[PrincetonTiger]

I will be happy with a record above .500, would love the playoffs

[jvan1973]

Luck surviving the season would be a positive

[NewEra]

Luck being able to play the season. Winning season. Just a sign of us going in the right direction. I think we are under underestimating what a healthy Luck brings.

[RollerColt]

What do I want? A miraculous Super Bowl victory that silences all of Luck's critics. 

 

I imagine that Reich and his crew are looking at one thing at this point, and that is to win the division. Winning the division would be a pretty successful season. 

[aReggie7]

I don’t think it’s black and white how we should judge success this season. It’s really a gray area.

 

I would to look at a couple of areas in order to consider the season a success. First, I think it’s the development of the young players. They don’t need to be Pro Bowlers this year but do need to show improvement over the season. I think we need to see guys show enough flashes to feel good about them starting in 2019.

 

The other thing is coaching. I don’t think it’s fair to judge them purely on the record this season but more so at the improvement of the young players, creativity, game plan, and decision making.

[IinD]

I just don't want them looking like they don't belong in the NFL.

 

A sloppy, undisciplined and weak team.

 

I'm ok if they lose every game as long as they tried and went down swinging.

[Pacergeek]

I would define success as winning the AFC South. With Luck being the best QB in the division, I view this as a somewhat attainable goal

[aaron11]

at least 8-8, and maybe more importantly Luck staying healthy and being a top 5-10 QB 

[stitches]

For me priority this season should be developing the young players and getting Luck back into the groove of NFL football. I don't care much about how many games we win. A successful season for me would be Luck staying healthy and looking like his old self by the end of the year as well as finding players among the rookies and second year players who look like future building blocks for this team + 2-3-4+ of them looking like future pro-bowlers. We need difference makers all around the roster. 

 

Looking competent on the field as a team would be a good bonus and a preliminary condition to Ballard feeling more comfortable accelerating the building process by using some of the free agency money we have on impact players. I want this season to be the foundation for next year's fringe contender and the year after's legit contender. 

[The Fish]

If Luck is playing at a high level within the first month, I'd say "successful" (not, tolerable or okay) is winning the division, or at least getting in as a wild card and winning a game. Success actually entails some winning. Luck is good enough to make this team competitive, how much so is what we're waiting on seeing. I'd bet on tolerable though. 8-8, 9-7.

[chad72]

Success is player development over the year, Luck playing a whole season healthy, and finishing with a .500 record at least.

[pgt_rob]

43 minutes ago, ar7 said:

I don’t think it’s black and white how we should judge success this season. It’s really a gray area.

 

I would to look at a couple of areas in order to consider the season a success. First, I think it’s the development of the young players. They don’t need to be Pro Bowlers this year but do need to show improvement over the season. I think we need to see guys show enough flashes to feel good about them starting in 2019.

 

The other thing is coaching. I don’t think it’s fair to judge them purely on the record this season but more so at the improvement of the young players, creativity, game plan, and decision making.

 

2 minutes ago, chad72 said:

Success is player development over the year, Luck playing a whole season healthy, and finishing with a .500 record at least.

 

I really like that. Good perspective there guys. I think player development is definitely a huge key to being successful. Just seeing that will give us more confidence in the team knowing they can compete for a championship in the near future and not head backwards. If we can see our young guys improve and continue to hold that improvement, I think it's a successful year! That should hopefully play into the record/playoffs.

[DougDew]

That the offensive scheme succeeds in transforming Luck into either Nick Foles or Case Keenum.  If he becomes Carson Wentz I'd be ecstatic.

[basketballsteve]

9 wins, playoffs or not, solid, improving as the season goes along line play on both sides of the ball, Andrew plays at least 13 games.

[LockeDown]

I want to see Frank Reich be a QB whisperer to Luck.  I’d like to see Luck be strong in the first half and 2nd half. I’d like to see him not reverting back to 2nd half heroics, running 10 times, taking hits, etc.  if he operates the offense efficiently,  it will be successful to me.

[Stephen]

Defeating the patriots is the only thing that matters

[P'Son]

5-11 would be over-achieving.   Thus, successful. 

[Smonroe]

The Eagles were 7-9 in 2016.  I'd take that as a successful record this year as long as we can show the same type of progress.  Basically, I want us to trend upwards.

 

 

[Boiler_Colt]

I don't think a successful season this year is going to be measured by wins since I don't see this team winning more than 7 games. A success to me would be that you see Luck play at a level akin to his former self and you see growth and development from the young players with consistent improvement as the season goes on.

[Four2itus]

An affirmation of Ballard's future as a solid GM.

 

An affirmation of Reich's future as a solid HC.

 

A reaffirmation of Luck's presence as a great QB.

[coltsfeva]

3 hours ago, DougDew said:

That the offensive scheme succeeds in transforming Luck into either Nick Foles or Case Keenum.  If he becomes Carson Wentz I'd be ecstatic.

  Luck>Wentz already 

[2006Coltsbestever]

1. 9-7 and that 9-7 getting us into the Playoffs would be very successful after going 4-12. If we are 1 of 6 at the end in the AFC I will take it. We haven't made the Playoffs since the 2014 Season.

 

2. Luck playing all 16 games and staying healthy.

[HarryTheCat]

Anything 6-10 or better, with Luck playing in all 16 games and staying healthy, would be a good season for the Colts. There are still far too many holes on both offense and defense to be hopeful for anything more than that. The jury is still out on Ballard's first two drafts, and there hasn't been much FA value taken at all. 

[Freenyfan102]

Beating the Jags

 

[throwing BBZ]

2 hours ago, Boiler_Colt said:

I don't think a successful season this year is going to be measured by wins since I don't see this team winning more than 7 games. A success to me would be that you see Luck play at a level akin to his former self and you see growth and development from the young players with consistent improvement as the season goes on.

 

Very much this and drafting in the top 5.