Tim Hasselbeck called us Contenders.

[Smoke317]

He said with our run game, if we can hit a groove with our D, we can beat anybody.  He said he likes Frank & Jacoby.  He said we look like a playoff team because we're playing  "playoff" style football.  A style that travels well.  Which is exactly what I've been seeing this yeat...  It felt good to finally  get some recognition from somebody from ESPN.  I wish I could have recorded it.  Seems like we got a believer out there y'all. Go Colts!!!!

[NewColtsFan]

People at ESPN and everywhere else said those same things last season during our amazing run.   We were media darlings.

 

People here forget that...   one year is so long ago...    

 

If you want to get really juiced, go to NFL.com and see Adam Shine’s recap of the weekend.   The Colt’s win is the number one story.   And Shine can’t say enough good things about us! 

 

Go read that...   you’ll be glad you did!   

[PrincetonTiger]

Trent Green feels the same way

[southwest1]

15 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

see Adam Shine’s recap of the weekend.   The Colt’s win is the number one story.   And Shine can’t say enough good things about us! 

Just read it as you suggested NCF. It was a solid breakdown of our victory over the Chiefs. Not long, but well written. I like this line:

 

"Frank Reich is just an amazing, smart, aggressive, tone-setter of a coach." 

 

Always liked the term tone setter probably because it's on a similar level with trail blazer meaning we're gonna surprise a lot of people & underestimate us at your own peril folks. I'll take it. 

[southwest1]

8 minutes ago, PrincetonTiger said:

Trent Green feels the same way

Nice. I always liked Trent as both a QB & booth announcer guy. He knows winning football begins with a stellar offensive line & a solid ground game with excellent blitz pickup capabilities. 

 

Green is always fair with his criticism too. He's not striving to be malicious either. Just honest. 

[southwest1]

1 hour ago, Smoke317 said:

It felt good to finally  get some recognition from somebody from ESPN. 

 Yes, that is pretty rare on that cable channel isn't it? I'd be curious with what Rex Ryan thought INDY did to the Chefs I mean Chiefs last night. Love that Snickers commercial. Always made me chuckle. 

 

I respect Rex's defensive prowess/mind & I'd be interested to hear his thoughts on how INDY kept KC's QB in check at home. Just thinking out loud. 

[southwest1]

Off topic: My local minister AKA Pastor Jim is a H-U-G-E Chiefs fan. We always tease either other about our favorite squads. Indy either knocks them out of the playoffs or vice versa usually. I'll bet he was animated last night. LOL! He's a darn nice guy & part of me did feel bad for him last night, but I'm glad the Colts stunned the league last night. 

 

We always smack talk in a friendly way which team has the upper hand. We both get a kick out of it anyway. 

[Dark Superman]

Whoa, hold your horses Timmy!

[Stephen]

Will see how we fair over the next few weeks

[SteelCityColt]

If you'd said Matt Hasselbeck I'd have been on board.. but Tim? 

[Myles]

9 hours ago, Smoke317 said:

He said with our run game, if we can hit a groove with our D, we can beat anybody.  He said he likes Frank & Jacoby.  He said we look like a playoff team because we're playing  "playoff" style football.  A style that travels well.  Which is exactly what I've been seeing this yeat...  It felt good to finally  get some recognition from somebody from ESPN.  I wish I could have recorded it.  Seems like we got a believer out there y'all. Go Colts!!!!

He's right.   We are contenders.   We have a shot at the division and a shot at the playoffs.   I can't believe he would list us as Super Bowl contenders though.   

[Old Colt]

The Texans game will tell a lot about the remainder of the season, even though it is early.  If the Colts read too many of their clippings, the game can get ugly.  If they can hold them in check and get a win, then we can continue the "Contender" talk.  Lose, and a wildcard is likely your best hope barring any major injury on the Texan's part.  One game at a time, or at least the next game before we get too excited.  

[ColtStrong2013]

...is he wrong? 

[gspdx]

If - we can continue to run like we did against the Chiefs and

If - the D can get in a groove.

 

Consistency is the key.  We haven't been able to run like that consistently and our opponents are averaging 23 PPG.

 

I am not saying this isn't a good team but winning one game does not make us contenders.  I do hope to see much more of this kind of football though.

[Smoke317]

It's not just about beating the Chiefs.  It's about the style of football we play.  Grind on you for 60 minutes.  Our record says 3-2 but nobody has owned us.  Both losses were 1 possession games.

 

O.T. Loss to Chargers in a game we should have been kneeling out the win if not for missed kicks.  In the Raiders game we had the ball with 2 plus minutes with a chance to go down & tie. 

 

We're looking like a team that's gonna compete every Sunday.  Once Frank & JB catch their stride with the offense, we'll be even tougher to deal with...  Frank has us prepared every week.  I'm really enjoying this journey with this team.

[Four2itus]

1 minute ago, Smoke317 said:

I'm really enjoying this journey with this team.

This is the point. Wins are great, but if you don't enjoy the journey towards the wins, you could end up being that person with their arms folded in the back of the room, watching everyone having fun watching the journey/table. 

[Stephen]

9 hours ago, Old Colt said:

The Texans game will tell a lot about the remainder of the season, even though it is early.  If the Colts read too many of their clippings, the game can get ugly.  If they can hold them in check and get a win, then we can continue the "Contender" talk.  Lose, and a wildcard is likely your best hope barring any major injury on the Texan's part.  One game at a time, or at least the next game before we get too excited.  

Well if the texans do well versus the chiefs there is noway we should  underestimate  them.

[jameszeigler834]

18 hours ago, Dark_Superman said:

Whoa, hold your horses Timmy!

Ya I wouldn't quite go that far just yet now if the defense continues to play well after the bye and the offense can start scoring around 25-30 a gam on  consistent basis then maybe but otherwise I stay by my original prediction before the season started of not this year maybe next year.

[buccolts]

They like us. 

They really like us.

[jvan1973]

If they play like last Sunday the rest of the season they are 

[2006Coltsbestever]

2 minutes ago, jvan1973 said:

If they play like last Sunday the rest of the season they are 

I agree, winning at KC is really hard to do. Other than winning at Foxboro, this win is by far the best thing possible in 2019.

[John Hammonds]

Just hoooooold your horses, pals o' mine.

It was just last week when these very message boards crucified the Colts, Reich, Ballard, the team, the owner, all the way down to the 3rd ball boy on the left.

 

We're not world beaters.  We're not all that.  We're not even the bag of chips.

 

We still have issues defending against a determined running team.

We still have issues running out of the pocket to the right, even when the pocket hasn't collapsed yet.

We still have issues throwing to anyone not named Hilton or Doyle.

 

We're 3-2.  And I'm happy about that.

We're pretty good.  We have good players.  We are capable of winning games.

And we're gonna get a bunch of injured players back after the bye week.

 

Just remember the maxim:  You are never as good as, nor as bad as, your last game.

 

Take a deep breath.  Take the week off.  And come back ready to play football.

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

The way we are playing is playoff football. I agree with him.

[Coltsman1788]

Sunday was a great win.  The Colts showed how well they can play when it all comes together.  Problem is they have not played that well or that physically on both sides of the ball consistently enough...at least not yet. 

[LockeDown]

We always start our streak the 6th week.  So here we go... 

[braveheartcolt]

We are inconsistently consistent. To have a chance at a decent playoff run the passing game needs to move up a couple of notches. The threat of our running game combined with our pass blocking should make this achievable if JB and the WRs are good enough. I feel this is the key to success moreso than our defensive capabilities.

 

Like all teams, injuries will also play a part in post season success. 

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

I am not worried they won’t be ready for the Texan game. I am more worried about them not getting over confident the four games after. It’s  hard to get up for teams that have combined wins of 4. That is where we will see who this team is. They can’t play down to the competition.

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

19 minutes ago, braveheartcolt said:

We are inconsistently consistent. To have a chance at a decent playoff run the passing game needs to move up a couple of notches. The threat of our running game combined with our pass blocking should make this achievable if JB and the WRs are good enough. I feel this is the key to success moreso than our defensive capabilities.

 

Like all teams, injuries will also play a part in post season success. 

This is about the time the defense got it together last year. Let’s hope this team does the same.

[ojsglove]

Seems like the defense got going 1 game earlier this season.

[Thunderbolt]

It appears the Colts seem to find their groove back from late last season. 

 

Only difference is, a different signal caller.  Now all he(QB) needs to do is not to zone in on the WR too long.  Short passes are ok as long as it yields positive yardage and above all "Run the Damn Ball"

[ColtsBlueFL]

On 10/8/2019 at 12:24 AM, southwest1 said:

Just read it as you suggested NCF. It was a solid breakdown of our victory over the Chiefs. Not long, but well written. I like this line:

 

"Frank Reich is just an amazing, smart, aggressive, tone-setter of a coach." 

 

Always liked the term tone setter probably because it's on a similar level with trail blazer meaning we're gonna surprise a lot of people & underestimate us at your own peril folks. I'll take it. 

 

Some fascinating short snippets about our fantastic HC-

 

Polian always knew Frank would be a great coach, even as Jim Kelly's backup. Told him to contact him for a coaching opportunity once his playing career ended.

 

Frank learned to see the game in other perspectives preparing for both himself, and Jim Kelly. Hall of Famer Kelly once told HC Marv Levy “I never would have been the quarterback I was if not for Frank.”

 

Marv Levy has said  “He prepared as if every game was the Super Bowl. I guess ‘genuine’ is one of the best words I can use. He didn’t put on false shows.”

 

“He understands how exactly all the pieces fit together in order to build a winning team,” said Bill Polian, who was Buffalo’s general manager for part of Reich’s time there. “He subjugated his own desires to be a starting quarterback because he understood the value of his position, which in those days was the best backup quarterback in the NFL.”

 

On his two greatest comebacks, his head coaches said-

 

The Terrapins fell behind Miami 31-0 as the Hurricanes taunted them without mercy. At halftime, Coach Bobby Ross told players they would scrimmage that night, when they returned to Gossett Team House, if they didn’t play better. He approached Reich and said, “Frank, you’re the quarterback this half. We stood there for seven minutes looking at each other,” then-offensive coordinator Ralph Friedgen said. “Then we went out and scored [six] straight touchdowns.”

 

Versus the Oilers (Kelly out with knee), Houston took a 28-3 lead into halftime.  Marv Levy announces  “Frank, I understand you led the greatest comeback in college football history. Today, you’re going to lead the biggest comeback in pro history.” After first tossing a pick 6, Reich steered the Bills to a 41-38 overtime triumph.

 

Reich mentored Nick Foles through a situation few others in NFL history could relate to: He took over at quarterback for a Super Bowl contender. “There was a really strong connection between he and I on multiple levels,” Reich said. “The whole world thought that, when Carson Wentz or Jim Kelly went down, there’s no way you can win another game.”

 

When Josh McDaniels backed out of the Colts HC job and the football world mocked the Colts, Polian called team owner Jim Irsay. Having worked together for 15 years, the men converse in shorthand. “It’s a bad time, but there’s a happy ending,” Polian told Irsay. “Your guy is out there. He’s the Super Bowl-winning offensive coordinator.”

 

Voila! Once more, as an overlooked second choice, Reich has risen to a leading role where the odds were stacked against him.  He is truly Sincere, and he Totally Believes.  It's shown throughout his career, and it was demonstrated that he can get the guys to believe as well when he steered the Colts to the playoffs last year after a terrible start.

 

Really thankful for Ballard and Reich. I'll bet Jim Irsay rests easier these days.

[Four2itus]

12 hours ago, John Hammonds said:

Just hoooooold your horses, pals o' mine.

It was just last week when these very message boards crucified the Colts, Reich, Ballard, the team, the owner, all the way down to the 3rd ball boy on the left.

Since it appears that it needs to be proven to you first, I'll just say that we disagree on fandom. Believing before it is proven IS the greatest fan experience one can have in my world. So, I'm not holding any horses....I'm opening the gate, turning them loose,  and giving them a swat on the butt on the way out. 

 

As to the bolded, there is about 20% of the fans here who did no such thing. In fact, we fight a seemingly unstoppable tide of negativity that is a growing phenomenon in today's sports fan ...... to not believe in until it is safe to do so. 

 

All to their own, we all get to experience this new era of Colts football in our own way....you included. For me? The way this team is built, how it is staffed, and how the family mantra has become the vibe?....we are already champions. 

[ColtsBlueFL]

13 hours ago, John Hammonds said:

It was just last week when these very message boards crucified the Colts, Reich, Ballard, the team, the owner, all the way down to the 3rd ball boy on the left.

 

Well, it's the fanaticism of the fans!  To some, one week we are an unstoppable force. The next week buried at the bottom of a mammoth dumpster. We're pretty reasonable overall, though.

 

I've adapted a 24 hour rule.  I get excited, or bummed (depending upon the result), then let it go

 

Then concentrate on how they might get better (game pass, articles, members posts).  Then ( BB voice ) on to Cincinnati...  ;)

 

Others are much more tied into the results than I am.  I understand that.  Everyone has their own unique connection.

[southwest1]

On 10/9/2019 at 10:17 AM, ColtsBlueFL said:

 

Some fascinating short snippets about our fantastic HC-

 

Polian always knew Frank would be a great coach, even as Jim Kelly's backup. Told him to contact him for a coaching opportunity once his playing career ended.

 

Frank learned to see the game in other perspectives preparing for both himself, and Jim Kelly. Hall of Famer Kelly once told HC Marv Levy “I never would have been the quarterback I was if not for Frank.”

 

Marv Levy has said  “He prepared as if every game was the Super Bowl. I guess ‘genuine’ is one of the best words I can use. He didn’t put on false shows.”

 

“He understands how exactly all the pieces fit together in order to build a winning team,” said Bill Polian, who was Buffalo’s general manager for part of Reich’s time there. “He subjugated his own desires to be a starting quarterback because he understood the value of his position, which in those days was the best backup quarterback in the NFL.”

 

On his two greatest comebacks, his head coaches said-

 

The Terrapins fell behind Miami 31-0 as the Hurricanes taunted them without mercy. At halftime, Coach Bobby Ross told players they would scrimmage that night, when they returned to Gossett Team House, if they didn’t play better. He approached Reich and said, “Frank, you’re the quarterback this half. We stood there for seven minutes looking at each other,” then-offensive coordinator Ralph Friedgen said. “Then we went out and scored [six] straight touchdowns.”

 

Versus the Oilers (Kelly out with knee), Houston took a 28-3 lead into halftime.  Marv Levy announces  “Frank, I understand you led the greatest comeback in college football history. Today, you’re going to lead the biggest comeback in pro history.” After first tossing a pick 6, Reich steered the Bills to a 41-38 overtime triumph.

 

Reich mentored Nick Foles through a situation few others in NFL history could relate to: He took over at quarterback for a Super Bowl contender. “There was a really strong connection between he and I on multiple levels,” Reich said. “The whole world thought that, when Carson Wentz or Jim Kelly went down, there’s no way you can win another game.”

 

When Josh McDaniels backed out of the Colts HC job and the football world mocked the Colts, Polian called team owner Jim Irsay. Having worked together for 15 years, the men converse in shorthand. “It’s a bad time, but there’s a happy ending,” Polian told Irsay. “Your guy is out there. He’s the Super Bowl-winning offensive coordinator.”

 

Voila! Once more, as an overlooked second choice, Reich has risen to a leading role where the odds were stacked against him.  He is truly Sincere, and he Totally Believes.  It's shown throughout his career, and it was demonstrated that he can get the guys to believe as well when he steered the Colts to the playoffs last year after a terrible start.

 

Really thankful for Ballard and Reich. I'll bet Jim Irsay rests easier these days.

Phenomenal  reply CBFL. Beautiful job of reinforcing your point of why INDY is so fortunate to have Frank running things for us on the sidelines week in; week out. My favorite section of what you wrote is highlighted in red. Not every QB has the awareness or ability to put their dreams of leading a squad ahead of what is best for the overall team. Plus, I have a ton of respect for anything Marv Levy, Jim Kelly, or Bill Polian says. Good stuff. 

 

It's easy to see now why Reich is so successful once all the pieces meaning backstory falls into focus. Nicely done CBFL! I enjoyed reading it. You should write motivational speeches or folklore of NFL legends AKA diamonds in the rough that need more shine on a global scale anyway. 

 

You are among the best posters this forum has & that's not an exaggeration either. 

[ColtsBlueFL]

the players/GM/coaches write the stories, I just remember them and relay what I read/heard.

[Coffeedrinker]

I love this board.

 

The Colts lose to the Raiders and many on here talk about getting rid of Flus, maybe Ballard is not that good at drafting and Reich is not that great of a play caller and the overall talent of the roster is pretty low.

 

Then a week later and the Colts beat the Chiefs and now they are SB contenders, Ballard is GM of the year, Reich has to be considered one of the best coaches in NFL history and the Colts are deep at every position.

 

To me, the Colts still look like a 9-7 or 10-6 team.  They may be able to get into the playoffs and anything can happen in the playoffs.  The Colts are 3-2 and they have played teams with a combined record of (12-17).  I'm not saying they cannot go on a huge run and start dominating teams nor that they cannot improve throughout the season.  Just that, overall, so far this year the Colts have been playing like a good football team who are too inconsistent at the moment to be considered a serious contender.

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

Stephen A Smith said the same thing. He said NE, KC, Texans, and the colts are the contenders in the AFC.

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

58 minutes ago, Coffeedrinker said:

I love this board.

 

The Colts lose to the Raiders and many on here talk about getting rid of Flus, maybe Ballard is not that good at drafting and Reich is not that great of a play caller and the overall talent of the roster is pretty low.

 

Then a week later and the Colts beat the Chiefs and now they are SB contenders, Ballard is GM of the year, Reich has to be considered one of the best coaches in NFL history and the Colts are deep at every position.

 

To me, the Colts still look like a 9-7 or 10-6 team.  They may be able to get into the playoffs and anything can happen in the playoffs.  The Colts are 3-2 and they have played teams with a combined record of (12-17).  I'm not saying they cannot go on a huge run and start dominating teams nor that they cannot improve throughout the season.  Just that, overall, so far this year the Colts have been playing like a good football team who are too inconsistent at the moment to be considered a serious contender.

I fully expect the defense to greatly improve as the season goes on. It’s reminding me of last year. We ended up having the number one ranked defense the second half of the season. The struggle with the rookies the first half is going to pay off the second half of the season.

[Coffeedrinker]

5 minutes ago, Chloe6124 said:

I fully expect the defense to greatly improve as the season goes on. It’s reminding me of last year. We ended up having the number one ranked defense the second half of the season. The struggle with the rookies the first half is going to pay off the second half of the season.

I'm not sure where you are getting the #1 ranked defense the second half of the season but assuming that is correct, the Colts were helped a lot by playing teams with mediocre to bad QBs.

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

2 minutes ago, Coffeedrinker said:

I'm not sure where you are getting the #1 ranked defense the second half of the season but assuming that is correct, the Colts were helped a lot by playing teams with mediocre to bad QBs.

We didn’t end up as the number one. If you take the first six games out the colts allowed the fewest points in the league when we went on that winning streak. We shut out the cowboys and only allowed 7 points to the Texans and if you remember that shouldn’t of even been a TD. Can’t remember if that was the playoff game or the last regular season game.