All of these first 4 games have been close

[IcyRhythms]

I know many that don't understand the game of football like to point to one or two plays a game as to why we lose(or win, but more people point to those things when we lose). These have been some close games. We've had to play against some really good defensive fronts and some decent-good db's as well. I'm surprised we've kept it as close as we have with all of the injuries. I know many feel we're just tanking the season for some good offseason pickups. I refuse to believe that. Luck played out of his mind today. It was like watching an unrealistic game of Madden. Well, Madden's always been a bit arcade an unrealistic. BRING BACK 2K! ...I'll get off that

 

 I said all that to say that I think this is a good football team. We were a couple of better run plays, A LOT less penalties, and Luck not running when the opportunity presents itself away from winning most of(if not all)of these games. There are a couple of other issues that need work. That said, if I'm being honest, it doesn't look good against the Patriots. I know many will say the Pats aren't playing well right now, but they usually don't until November or December.

[ColtsBlitz]

I see it too. Just imagine cutting out the bad plays we have..... and we are 4-0. But!

 

We do make those mistakes and until we fix them, we are what our record shows. 

[cdgacoltsfan]

The Browns were close to being 16-0 last year.

[Stephen]

1 minute ago, ColtsBlitz said:

I see it too. Just imagine cutting out the bad plays we have..... and we are 4-0. But!

 

We do make those mistakes and until we fix them, we are what our record shows. 

we have been in all four games however penalties and mistakes by the offense have cost us in three of them. We aren't good enough to overcome center snaps into the zone and untimely holding calls.

[Introspect]

Kelly cost us this game....... No question

[IcyRhythms]

3 minutes ago, Introspect said:

Kelly cost us this game....... No question

There were no other players, plays, or forms of coaching that could have done a little more today? Just Kelly, huh?

[Colts_Fan12]

I'm ok weather we win or lose if we win great if we lose it gets us a good pick again to continue to add to this very good young team I've already seen enough improvement from this new staff that I'm already happy this year 

[jameszeigler834]

3 minutes ago, IcyRhythms said:

There were no other players, plays, or forms of coaching that could have done a little more today? Just Kelly, huh?

Thursday's game wont be close we are gonna get embarrassed in that game.

[2006Coltsbestever]

2 minutes ago, Colts_Fan12 said:

I'm ok weather we win or lose if we win great if we lose it gets us a good pick again to continue to add to this very good young team I've already seen enough improvement from this new staff that I'm already happy this year 

Losing hurts but we are not a bad team. I see us improving alot compared to last year. 

[IcyRhythms]

3 minutes ago, jameszeigler834 said:

Thursday's game wont be close we are gonna get embarrassed in that game.

Even if the Colts can somehow beat them, I won't be all that excited. I'll be happy about another win, sure. It just doesn't mean much to beat the Patriots when it's not November or December.

[2006Coltsbestever]

3 minutes ago, jameszeigler834 said:

Thursday's game wont be close we are gonna get embarrassed in that game.

How many points you give me, I say if we lose, we lose by 7 or less. I will take 7.5.

[Introspect]

5 minutes ago, Colts_Fan12 said:

I'm ok weather we win or lose if we win great if we lose it gets us a good pick again to continue to add to this very good young team I've already seen enough improvement from this new staff that I'm already happy this year 

I am with you

[IinD]

We're going to absolutely need a starter at either tackle spot next season. Not hating on Stanzo, but the T's ruin any good the interior does.

[JColts72]

And the Browns may be better then us. That will be too much to take.

[Colt Overseas]

The Marcus Johnson dropped pass on 3rd down cost us winning the game imo. We were moving the ball nicely at the time.

 

But this is the problem, we don't have a good receiving core at the moment. At the end of the day, Luck is papering over alot of cracks on offense. We don't have receivers that can get down the field (except TY), we don't have physical receivers, we don't have a lead back, we don't have any good healthy tackles. The only part of the offense other that QB where we have quality, is the interior of the oline and TE. 464 yards was an outstanding effort from Luck and should have been enough to win.

 

[IinD]

14 minutes ago, JColts72 said:

And the Browns may be better then us. That will be too much to take.

Lol.. They'd burn down Cleveland with a 3 or 4 win season..

[NewEra]

51 minutes ago, Introspect said:

Kelly cost us this game....... No question

He got us to a tie game at 7-7.....no question. 

 

Our defense aloud their their offense to match down the field and score. Luck fumbled the ball resulting in another TD.  

[JColts72]

1 minute ago, IinD said:

Lol.. They'd burn down Cleveland with a 3 or 4 win season..

Half way there.

[IinD]

2 minutes ago, JColts72 said:

Half way there.

That's like half a decade of winning for them. 

Good for them.. Lol

[superrep1967]

2 hours ago, IcyRhythms said:

I know many that don't understand the game of football like to point to one or two plays a game as to why we lose(or win, but more people point to those things when we lose). These have been some close games. We've had to play against some really good defensive fronts and some decent-good db's as well. I'm surprised we've kept it as close as we have with all of the injuries. I know many feel we're just tanking the season for some good offseason pickups. I refuse to believe that. Luck played out of his mind today. It was like watching an unrealistic game of Madden. Well, Madden's always been a bit arcade an unrealistic. BRING BACK 2K! ...I'll get off that

 

 I said all that to say that I think this is a good football team. We were a couple of better run plays, A LOT less penalties, and Luck not running when the opportunity presents itself away from winning most of(if not all)of these games. There are a couple of other issues that need work. That said, if I'm being honest, it doesn't look good against the Patriots. I know many will say the Pats aren't playing well right now, but they usually don't until November or December.

Yeah, not bad for a rebuilding year

 

[superrep1967]

44 minutes ago, NewEra said:

He got us to a tie game at 7-7.....no question. 

 

Our defense aloud their their offense to match down the field and score. Luck fumbled the ball resulting in another TD.  

Luck didn’t fumble it was a bad snap by Kelly

[superrep1967]

58 minutes ago, Colt Overseas said:

The Marcus Johnson dropped pass on 3rd down cost us winning the game imo. We were moving the ball nicely at the time.

 

But this is the problem, we don't have a good receiving core at the moment. At the end of the day, Luck is papering over alot of cracks on offense. We don't have receivers that can get down the field (except TY), we don't have physical receivers, we don't have a lead back, we don't have any good healthy tackles. The only part of the offense other that QB where we have quality, is the interior of the oline and TE. 464 yards was an outstanding effort from Luck and should have been enough to win.

 

I just wish he played that way in the first half these receivers drop to many passes 

[Dustin]

A few more playmakers on offense and this team could be a force next season. 

[strt182]

what about the 1 minute play clock the texans got on 4th down?

[coltsfansince65]

I know we wear a horseshoe on our helmets but close only gets you points in the game of horseshoes.

[NewEra]

11 hours ago, superrep1967 said:

Luck didn’t fumble it was a bad snap by Kelly

I know, I was talking about the actual fumble/strip that resulted in a fumble.

 

the bad snap by Kelly should have been a safety. I don't see how it couldn't have been. Luck recovered the ball and a defender jumped on him

[AZColt11]

I keep saying next season.  I know it sux, this is a now now now society.  BUT, I look long-term, and I think this season will be the stepping stone to several seasons of good, competitive ball coming up.

[John Waylon]

But it’s not a new phenomenon. 

 

We wrote the book on how to lose games we should have/could have won last season.

 

And the season before that we gave up a ton of ground to slow starts. 

 

This team lacks any kind of culture of consistency. It has for some years now. It doesn’t really matter if the games are close, we seem to excel at coming out on the wrong end of them. 

[aaron11]

close doesnt count for anything, most games are decided by 7 or less.  i dont really care when we get blown out either, a win is a win a loss is a loss

[chad72]

This team does not have enough leaders to win close games by making crucial plays. All this emphasis on youth at the cost of not having enough vet experience will be 2012 minus all the close games not going our way, IMO. Reggie re-signing with us in 2012 was the best thing that happened to our offense and TY's development. Bethea, Mathis and Cory Redding helped a lot with our first year. Coaches are not with players all the time, and the young ones associate with the vets better, IMO. Pagano, hate to say it, knew how the vets on the Ravens' D were important when he was DC, and probably championed retaining of several vets at that time in 2012 as HC, I would bet. 

 

If you want true player development combined with results, have the mix of vets and youth, not a broad brush of youth movement, IMO. I believed 9-7 was possible initially but now, I'd be happy to be 7-9 when it is all said and done due to our inability to put away close games.

 

I have reconciled myself to this being a mulligan season even if the division seems winnable even though I don't want to. The honeymoon is over for these new coaches. That is what they said in Detroit every year, when they kept losing several close games that it will get better. It never got better long term and that is a team in purgatory forever, I hope our case will be different as a Colts fan, I really do.

[IcyRhythms]

5 hours ago, chad72 said:

This team does not have enough leaders to win close games by making crucial plays. All this emphasis on youth at the cost of not having enough vet experience will be 2012 minus all the close games not going our way, IMO. Reggie re-signing with us in 2012 was the best thing that happened to our offense and TY's development. Bethea, Mathis and Cory Redding helped a lot with our first year. Coaches are not with players all the time, and the young ones associate with the vets better, IMO. Pagano, hate to say it, knew how the vets on the Ravens' D were important when he was DC, and probably championed retaining of several vets at that time in 2012 as HC, I would bet. 

 

If you want true player development combined with results, have the mix of vets and youth, not a broad brush of youth movement, IMO. I believed 9-7 was possible initially but now, I'd be happy to be 7-9 when it is all said and done due to our inability to put away close games.

 

I have reconciled myself to this being a mulligan season even if the division seems winnable even though I don't want to. The honeymoon is over for these new coaches. That is what they said in Detroit every year, when they kept losing several close games that it will get better. It never got better long term and that is a team in purgatory forever, I hope our case will be different as a Colts fan, I really do.

Well said

[BProland85]

18 hours ago, Dustin said:

A few more playmakers on offense and this team could be a force next season. 

 

They need probably 2 more talented WRs, one of them needs to be the starter opposite Hilton. Aside from that they still need at least 1, maybe 2 OTs, with one of them being able to start right away. 

 

Then after that, we need coaching that creates a more effective running game. THEN we'll be on our way. 

[BullsColtsFan1]

20 hours ago, 2006Coltsbestever said:

How many points you give me, I say if we lose, we lose by 7 or less. I will take 7.5.

I am usually with you, but I would take the Pats -7.5 in this game at home.  Especially if TY, Doyle, Mack, Leonard and Castonzo are all out.  Pats played better this last weekend and they are getting Edelman back.  I hope I am wrong but unless Luck throws for 460 and 4 TD's again and no turnovers, I honestly don't think it's close unfortunately :-(  

[Blueblazes]

I'm usually an optimist, but as Bill Parcells said, you are what your record is. 1-3 for us right now. The NFL is full of close games. 1-3 is 1-3. Did anyone expect different this season though, with like $53M left on the table under the salary cap, so that we can build for the future? It's hard to build for the future and win now as well. $53M brings in 3 game changers, but choosing to build for the future may pay off. Who knows.

[King Colt]

I don't get some people. They order a kit to build a bike and when it arrives they sit down and scream "it doesn't work!" not understanding, "some assembly required." The Colts are playing just like they are supposed to be playing in 2018 only better.

[ClaytonColt]

Some of you guys really like losing don't you?

 

We're very likely 4 days away from being 1-4 and everyone is so chill about it. When I consider the meltdowns which occurred when we were an 8-8 team for two years I struggle to balance that out.

 

I understand the concept of rebuilding but losing becomes a habit. The lower half of the NFL rankings is full of teams who set off on a rebuild but just ended up being continual also rans. We're acting like it's a simple process.

[IinD]

14 hours ago, chad72 said:

This team does not have enough leaders to win close games by making crucial plays. All this emphasis on youth at the cost of not having enough vet experience will be 2012 minus all the close games not going our way, IMO. Reggie re-signing with us in 2012 was the best thing that happened to our offense and TY's development. Bethea, Mathis and Cory Redding helped a lot with our first year. Coaches are not with players all the time, and the young ones associate with the vets better, IMO. Pagano, hate to say it, knew how the vets on the Ravens' D were important when he was DC, and probably championed retaining of several vets at that time in 2012 as HC, I would bet. 

 

If you want true player development combined with results, have the mix of vets and youth, not a broad brush of youth movement, IMO. I believed 9-7 was possible initially but now, I'd be happy to be 7-9 when it is all said and done due to our inability to put away close games.

 

I have reconciled myself to this being a mulligan season even if the division seems winnable even though I don't want to. The honeymoon is over for these new coaches. That is what they said in Detroit every year, when they kept losing several close games that it will get better. It never got better long term and that is a team in purgatory forever, I hope our case will be different as a Colts fan, I really do.

I think honestly Jim gave Ballard a couple of years to totally rip the team down from top to bottom, but hamstrung him a bit by keeping Pagano in year one. This was planned after he fired Grigs but he would never flat out say 'don't expect to win for a few years'.

 

Jim loves to win more then we do. He's always talked about how he loves Indy being a winner. 

 

I 100% believe Jim and Ballard's plan was to be good next year by spending money and allowing a year of development for this rookie class along with hitting on a few Leonard type picks next year.

 

Granted it can all backfire, but I don't think we're flying blind here. We needed a youth movement. Vets and higher priced guys are coming. 

 

If they don't spend next year, I'll officially be confused and question Jim and Ballard's vision.