Are the colts better then we thought they were?

[cbear]

We're better than most of the media thought we were, but except for the few cut and fire everybody types, I think most Colts fans here knew we were waayyy better than our record at the start. Just needed to be patient with pretty much no off season with the starters. 

[CR91]

1 hour ago, GoColts8818 said:

Yeah he wasn’t comfortable with what he was seeing that was for sure that or the elements really got to him.  Given he’s played well in the elements before I lean towards the colts defense being his problem.  He just wasn’t the same after Odum’s pick and near pick.  I think the Colts confused him which is credit to Eberflus.  
 

I will say I think Brady will kill them with the underneath stuff all day if the Colts don’t play a little tighter or develop a major pass rush in a week.  Brady is perfectly fine taking check downs and taking long drives down the field to score.

 

I kinda liked the Bills match up for the Colts D because the Colts D is built to stop what the Bills like, big shots down field.  I don’t like the Bucs matchup because Brady has zero problems being patient and taking what you give him as he marches it down the field.

 

Very true. But, that only works if we get pressure. We need to get to Brady early and often to stand a chance.

[chad72]

Here’s the main thing with this team. If a team like the Bucs takes the run game down to mediocre, if Wentz has to throw 40 times or more, that’s when the issues have happened. To prevent that, our D can never let the game get away from us and put us down 2 scores moving forward.

 

Then mistakes in the passing game happen, uncertainty in play calling happens (whether we still need to stick to the run), and it’s a ripple effect.

This team goes as far as the D goes, pure and simple. At some point guys who haven’t contributed in the past start playing harder and executing better on D and that typically can lead to playoff runs. For us we need a few lucky breaks to make it to the playoffs, and if we do, we should travel well.

[runthepost]

12 minutes ago, chad72 said:

Here’s the main thing with this team. If a team like the Bucs takes the run game down to mediocre, if Wentz has to throw 40 times or more, that’s when the issues have happened. To prevent that, our D can never let the game get away from us and put us down 2 scores moving forward.

 

Then mistakes in the passing game happen, uncertainty in play calling happens (whether we still need to stick to the run), and it’s a ripple effect.

This team goes as far as the D goes, pure and simple. At some point guys who haven’t contributed in the past start playing harder and executing better on D and that typically can lead to playoff runs. For us we need a few lucky breaks to make it to the playoffs, and if we do, we should travel well.

That’s a good point. Also when we play the Patriots, we know Bill is going to stack the box every possession, taking away Taylor and forcing Wentz to beat him.  I wonder how will they adjust to that

[BProland85]

3 minutes ago, runthepost said:

That’s a good point. Also when we play the Patriots, we know Bill is going to stack the box every possession, taking away Taylor and forcing Wentz to beat him.  I wonder how will they adjust to that

That’s where you hope Reich is able to unleash Wentz yet again the same way he was unleashed against the Ravens. 

[chad72]

30 minutes ago, runthepost said:

That’s a good point. Also when we play the Patriots, we know Bill is going to stack the box every possession, taking away Taylor and forcing Wentz to beat him.  I wonder how will they adjust to that

 

Patriots, when they had Van Noy and Elandon Roberts, Doug Pederson used the speed of his pass catching RBs in space to frustrate them in the SB with Foles at the helm. Blake Bortles "almost" connected with his RBs in the 2017 AFCCG but then Foles actually did by leading his RBs properly, which was a huge difference. We don't have a Zach Ertz to help us flood the zones for timely catches, so 2 RB formations and Hines in space to exploit their LBs in pass coverage if they have heavy line ups is the key to moving the ball vs the Patriots. We won't have the scoreboard pressure that a Brady can put on, with Mac Jones, if we don't turn the ball over and play a 60 minute game. 

 

It also means lots of 1-on-1s in pass coverage and Pittman/MAC in the red zone for boxing out, might be a good game to save our Strachan red zone plays for jump balls as well that we have not shown so far, IMO (having said that, may not be a good idea to use an inexperienced WR vs experienced well coached secondaries that use good body positioning most of the time, better to try vs Jaguars or Texans ). 

[coltsfeva]

8 hours ago, GoColts8818 said:

Yeah he wasn’t comfortable with what he was seeing that was for sure that or the elements really got to him.  Given he’s played well in the elements before I lean towards the colts defense being his problem.  He just wasn’t the same after Odum’s pick and near pick.  I think the Colts confused him which is credit to Eberflus.  
 

I will say I think Brady will kill them with the u play a little tighter or develop a major pass rush in a week.  Brady is perfectly fine taking check downs and taking long drives down the field to score.

 

I kinda liked the Bills match up for the Colts D because the Colts D is built to stop what the Bills like, big shots down field.  I don’t like the Bucs matchup because Brady has zero problems being patient and taking what you give him as he marches it down the field.

The thing is…Brady can’t hurt you, if he’s sitting on the bench 

 

[richard pallo]

I wouldn’t be surprised if the Colts became a predominantly run team first going forward.  I think Taylor’s performance might have convinced Reich that the running game can lead us to victory.  Especially that the OL is starting to hit on all cylinders.  He even said he decided to call running plays on every 1st and 2nd down in the second half against the leagues best run defense in the league.  It would make our passing game more effective and keep the other teams QB off the field.  Back to smash mouth which Reich is a fan of and we know he is old school.  I would love it.

[throwing BBZ]

 

  Yes! They ARE NOT the poorly coached, poorly assembled roster that 

so many of you "FANS" HAVE BEEN Trashing.
  They are a Rigo hip injury extra point away from 7-4. 
 They ARE a roster full of hard working, high character, will not quit Warriors that has a number of young players learning to play against veterans, and learning to play together.

  They are what they ARE,  A TEAM with good coaching (not perfect), a team that should be, and IS getting better week by week.  
 Wentz is coming along FAST, and kicking dirt in the face of those saying he had to be FIXED. You should be able to see that we are a quality, speedy wideout away Next season, from being an offensive Juggernaut!

[Superman]

3 hours ago, chad72 said:

Here’s the main thing with this team. If a team like the Bucs takes the run game down to mediocre, if Wentz has to throw 40 times or more, that’s when the issues have happened. To prevent that, our D can never let the game get away from us and put us down 2 scores moving forward.

 

The #1 rushing defense, vs the #4 rushing offense. It's a good challenge for us.

[Two_pound]

I've been saying for 3 years I wouldn't trade our roster for any other team in the league and I still say it. This team is loaded. Why we don't have more success is anyones guess. we could easily be 10-1 right now, we've lost to some vastly inferior teams.

[throwing BBZ]

12 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

Dear God….

 

Eberflus now has a front 4 that can create pressure and is recently getting better play from his corners who are healthier than they’ve been all season. 

 

 Wising up, like do i need to play this guy 7 yards off or 10?
 I'm being faced with numerous past comments of Mine that Rocks 4.52 speed will always cause him problems.
 Now, i don't see him getting smoked quickly needing to grab, or to just be chasing guys from two yards behind, back to the ball. For a number of games it has looked different. 
 Pressure has improved and it is Golden. And hopefully, health and experience also play a good part. But it is noticeable, and very very welcome.
 Little Rogers is getting more scrappy too!

 And then our George. I'm happy for him.
  34 year old Sendeho, well, he is looking smart enough to be where he is supposed to be. He is hanging in there ok. Go EB!  Go Colts!
 

[Superman]

12 minutes ago, throwing BBZ said:

34 year old Sendeho, well, he is looking smart enough to be where he is supposed to be. He is hanging in there ok.

 

Just close enough to be beat. He's clearly the weak link of the secondary right now. Hopefully Willis is back soon.

[Mr.Debonair]

You are what your record says you are. Just keep winning and things well sort themselves out

[Solid84]

5 hours ago, chad72 said:

Here’s the main thing with this team. If a team like the Bucs takes the run game down to mediocre, if Wentz has to throw 40 times or more, that’s when the issues have happened. To prevent that, our D can never let the game get away from us and put us down 2 scores moving forward.

 

Then mistakes in the passing game happen, uncertainty in play calling happens (whether we still need to stick to the run), and it’s a ripple effect.

This team goes as far as the D goes, pure and simple. At some point guys who haven’t contributed in the past start playing harder and executing better on D and that typically can lead to playoff runs. For us we need a few lucky breaks to make it to the playoffs, and if we do, we should travel well.

Very much this. Outside of Taylor and Pittman, who do we have? If the Bucs shut down JT it’s going to be a VERY difficult game if the defense can’t slow them down. 

[Nickster]

They seem way better than I thought they were after Sunday.  Watching the 2nd half of the JAGS game at the stadium I thought it would be a rough game, and it was.  For the Bills and their fans.  That is one of the worst beatings I've every seen.  At home and just totally dominated.  #1 ranked D.  Wow.  If we are this good, we are definitely in contention this year.

 

I think we are set up good for the playoffs now.  No guarantees, but right there.  There have been crazy results in the NFL this year, but that game was physical domination which is rare in this league among contending teams. 

 

The AFC has no one who is great in it, and really the entire league has more parity than I recall seeing.  

 

Impressive, dominating gluteus booting right there. 

[Nickster]

27 minutes ago, throwing BBZ said:

 

 Wising up, like do i need to play this guy 7 yards off or 10?
 I'm being faced with numerous past comments of Mine that Rocks 4.52 speed will always cause him problems.
 Now, i don't see him getting smoked quickly needing to grab, or to just be chasing guys from two yards behind, back to the ball. For a number of games it has looked different. 
 Pressure has improved and it is Golden. And hopefully, health and experience also play a good part. But it is noticeable, and very very welcome.
 Little Rogers is getting more scrappy too!

 And then our George. I'm happy for him.
  34 year old Sendeho, well, he is looking smart enough to be where he is supposed to be. He is hanging in there ok. Go EB!  Go Colts!
 

 

Pressure is far and away the most important thing for NFL defenses.  It makes everything smell close to roses even if it's produced in the outhouse. 

[coltsfeva]

1 hour ago, Solid84 said:

Very much this. Outside of Taylor and Pittman, who do we have? If the Bucs shut down JT it’s going to be a VERY difficult game if the defense can’t slow them down. 

  Here’s the thing: to some, there’s no true #2. Some of us would disagree:

TY can be a headache as a number #2

 Moe Allie Cox can be a mismatch.
Guys like Doyle and Pascal are solid and Hines can be a game changer.

There are some question marks at depth (Patmon, Strauchan, Cutee, Demicheal Harris) but not a bad group of players. Paris Campbell could return.

   In short, the receiving corps as a whole is underrated by many. 

   

[ClaytonColt]

We're better than I generally consider we are IF we ride Taylor and the defense forces turnovers.

 

The Bills was the perfect example of those two things happening in perfect harmony.

 

If either of those things don't happen though we look mediocre.....or worse. Hopefully we've absolutely nailed our offensive gameplay now and the defense can continue taking the ball away.

[Solid84]

1 hour ago, coltsfeva said:

  Here’s the thing: to some, there’s no true #2. Some of us would disagree:

TY can be a headache as a number #2

 Moe Allie Cox can be a mismatch.
Guys like Doyle and Pascal are solid and Hines can be a game changer.

There are some question marks at depth (Patmon, Strauchan, Cutee, Demicheal Harris) but not a bad group of players. Paris Campbell could return.

   In short, the receiving corps as a whole is underrated by many. 

   

Here's the thing:

TY has 9 receptions this year, 9! He's a non-factor. Same with Campbell. Best ability is availability.

Moe has games where he completely dominates with 2 TDS. Then he has games where he can't hold on to a football to save his life. Then he has stretches where he just disappears.

Doyle is a phenominal blocker! But he isn't a serious threat in the passing game any longer.

Pascal is like Moe - games where he dominates, games where he's useless and stretches where he disappears.

The receiver group is average at best with only Pittman standing out consistently.

We need another receiving threat, badly.

 

Edit: Look at the Jags games. They shut down JT in the last 3 quarters and we couldn't get anything done - 6 points in 3 quarters...

[ColtV]

3 hours ago, Mr.Debonair said:

You are what your record says you are. Just keep winning and things well sort themselves out

Exactly! And right now the Colts are 9th in the playoff slotting. It was a great win yesterday, but there is still an uphill climb

[TimetobringDfence!]

Yes, we are easily the best team in the AFC. Capable of hanging with Ari LAR and TB. Injuries and prioritizing the pass over the run killed us...Frank cost us two games in my opinion BAL and TEN...we should be 8-3...we need to go 5-1 to have a real shot...10-7 isn't proving you deserve it...

[coltsfeva]

42 minutes ago, Solid84 said:

Here's the thing:

TY has 9 receptions this year, 9! He's a non-factor. Same with Campbell. Best ability is availability.

Moe has games where he completely dominates with 2 TDS. Then he has games where he can't hold on to a football to save his life. Then he has stretches where he just disappears.

Doyle is a phenominal blocker! But he isn't a serious threat in the passing game any longer.

Pascal is like Moe - games where he dominates, games where he's useless and stretches where he disappears.

The receiver group is average at best with only Pittman standing out consistently.

We need another receiving threat, badly.

 

Edit: Look at the Jags games. They shut down JT in the last 3 quarters and we couldn't get anything done - 6 points in 3 quarters...

  TY has been hurt so, it’s understandable that his production is down but he has shown he can be productive and a problem for defenses. And he’s getting healthy. Campbell, (if he returns), has elite sped.

   Doyle lead the team in receptions against Buffalo. Granted, he’s not Kiddke or Kelsey but as your moniker says, “solid”. 
     As far as “needing another receiving threat” you can’t dismiss Hines. Tell me he’s “average”.

     I’m just going to agree with Frank. The guys they need to win it all, are already in the locker room. Maybe no 1,000 yard receiver but collectively, a pretty good group. The reason they can spread it around so much is because they have guys that are good players. It may seem as though guys like Pascal and MAC “disappear” but we don’t know if plays de-emphasize them.
       The Colts have better than an “average “ receiving group, IMO.

We’ll just have to agree to disagree. 

[jbaron04]

21 hours ago, SteelDragon said:

We’re better than our record. Period.

Schedule has been pretty tough. We’ve had many injury concerns and we’re breaking in a new Quarterback. If we can get healthy and can get some consistency and continuity, we could catch lightning in a bottle.

I would say we are what our record say we are. Inconsistent team which leads to us blowing leads and losing close games. Elite teams win them close games which is why they end up with the good records. But I will say I want to see us with a fully healthy secondary 

[Stephen]

21 hours ago, CR91 said:

Everything we heard all week was the colts wins were empty calories because we haven't beaten anyone, but after this win it got me looking at our past losses.

 

Seahawks look terrible and I'm really mad we lost to them.

 

Rams was unfortunate because Wentz got hurt with the game 27-24.

 

Titans Wentz might as well been in quicksand.

 

Ravens was just a meltdown of epic proportions.

 

Titans we gave it away.

 

I'm not saying we're a championship team, but we could easily be 9-2 and looked at in a much different light.

They are who we thought they were and they let the ravens and titans off the hook. If you want to crown them then crown them lol

[Stephen]

3 hours ago, coltsfeva said:

  Here’s the thing: to some, there’s no true #2. Some of us would disagree:

TY can be a headache as a number #2

 Moe Allie Cox can be a mismatch.
Guys like Doyle and Pascal are solid and Hines can be a game changer.

There are some question marks at depth (Patmon, Strauchan, Cutee, Demicheal Harris) but not a bad group of players. Paris Campbell could return.

   In short, the receiving corps as a whole is underrated by many. 

   

Campbell had marked Christmas as potential comeback when he got hurt, but we'll see

[Stephen]

3 hours ago, coltsfeva said:

  Here’s the thing: to some, there’s no true #2. Some of us would disagree:

TY can be a headache as a number #2

 Moe Allie Cox can be a mismatch.
Guys like Doyle and Pascal are solid and Hines can be a game changer.

There are some question marks at depth (Patmon, Strauchan, Cutee, Demicheal Harris) but not a bad group of players. Paris Campbell could return.

   In short, the receiving corps as a whole is underrated by many. 

   

No our wrs aren't underrated. We lost to titans because they forgot how to catch. Cox is and pascal are inconsistent. Dulin and patmon are invisible strachan is playing cards on bench with Mack lol

[TonyBungee]

No, but they might be better than we thought they were. 

[CanuckColt]

On 11/21/2021 at 7:38 PM, coming on strong said:

it was a good win but we still have a tough road ahead .   before the season started i thought we would be better then 11-5 from last year .  if we can beat the bucs everything changes completely for the colts and we will be back on track .

Yep...the next big game is vs the Bucs.

[Solid84]

The Bills defense is a lot like ours last year. Looked great against bad opponents, not so much against the contenders. We started strong and ended up average, I expect the same for the Bills. We exposed them and completely dominated them. 
 

The Bucs however are a different animal and if we can beat them I’m ready to call us a dark horse to make the Super Bowl.