What were our REAL expectations for this season?

[bluephantom87]

 

Most people had us winning anywhere from 3 to 6 games with a raw rookie qb paired with a rising star oc in Shane Steichen that would also begin a rookie campaign as hc. Some even said this was a reboot season with low expectations after losing BOTH starting corners and rolling with some rookies to helm the position. This was basically the SAME 4 win team with a few key pieces added. Things could get ugly others chimed in and.... 

 

ALL this was BEFORE we didn't have JT for nearly half a season due to a contract dispute, or before we lost the uber talented rookie qb in AR a few games in for the SEASON. This was also before we lost our best run stuffer in big Grove for six games due to suspension. Can I interest you in your cornerstone rt and center missing MULTIPLE games due to injury? Or how about the release of your emotional leader mid season who ONCE happened to be our BEST defensive player most of his young career? We played nearly the WHOLE season with the erratic yet limited Gardner Minshew as qb1 whose mostly been a career backup outside his short stint as starter with the Jags.

 

As stated before we were some botched ref calls away from ALREADY having 10 wins YET we still had a chance at home against a MORE talented team with a chance to win a nail biter with under 2 mins left DEEP in Texan territory and missed on a WIDE OPEN rb that dropped a shakey pass from the backup who we've ridden ALL season good or bad on 4th and 1 then I'll TAKE it because NO ONE saw this coming given the circumstances.

 

Shane has done an excellent job and has finally given this franchise HOPE with his culture change. As a matter of fact he has EARNED his COY consideration. He has earned my respect even more because he went out his way with a beautifully designed play that caught the opponent of guard just like he's been doing ALL season long which is why we were even in that position to begin with. Yeah it sucked to lose but man I'm pumped regardless of what Ballard does or doesn't do in the offseason because in Shane I trust.

[2006Coltsbestever]

At the beginning of the season assuming AR would play all year and be healthy, I had 8-8-1. We lost a lot of close games last year is why. I felt like with our roster, we would be at least .500. I was thinking even with Minshew about the same if he had to play some because he is a great backup and can win games. We were 9-8. I damn near nailed it. To the people bashing this team after last night, some saying we were trash even, had us winning 3-6 games. So those people look really ridiculous in reality complaining but people will be people  

[indyagent17]

I had an expectation that if a team we’ve already beat that hasn’t played a primetime game all season would come to Indianapolis and we beat them. No matter how you whitewash the season. It’s not about moral victories it’s not about playing with house money. The Colts simply failed yesterday. A lot of people feel that way in for a while.

[DougDew]

Somewhere around the same ol' .500.  I figured a couple of games under.  We were one game over.  Yawn.

[Mick J.]

I didn't have any expectations, just was somewhat excited about AR, possibly being a future franchise QB. Short lived in 2023.

 

As far as the Colts season, they simply overachieved in a season with a lot of bad to mediocre teams, and maybe 2-4 good ones. The roster still looks weak, except for the OL and DL. 

 

 

[Smonroe]

19 minutes ago, DougDew said:

Somewhere around the same ol' .500.  I figured a couple of games under.  We were one game over.  Yawn.

 

We were one game over with Minshew (the human roller coaster) at QB, not having JT for a lot of games, a defensive backfield that was extremely inexperienced, and limited weapons at WR.

 

I know a lot of it has to do with the schedule, but the takeaway should be that we must have really solid coaching.  

[cdgacoltsfan]

I said 10 wins. I wasn't on board with the Debbie downers or the let's tank another season crew.

[GoColts8818]

7 minutes ago, Smonroe said:

 

We were one game over with Minshew (the human roller coaster) at QB, not having JT for a lot of games, a defensive backfield that was extremely inexperienced, and limited weapons at WR.

 

I know a lot of it has to do with the schedule, but the takeaway should be that we must have really solid coaching.  

As much as I didn’t like his final play call last night I am not going to deny that Shane is a good coach and made a big impact on the team.  
 

Also, Ballard might not be the best GM in football some made him out to be years ago but he’s clearly better than some like to give him credit for.

[Stephen]

Had AR played I had us at 11 to 12 wins due to his mobile affect

[csmopar]

1 hour ago, bluephantom87 said:

 

Most people had us winning anywhere from 3 to 6 games with a raw rookie qb paired with a rising star oc in Shane Steichen that would also begin a rookie campaign as hc. Some even said this was a reboot season with low expectations after losing BOTH starting corners and rolling with some rookies to helm the position. This was basically the SAME 4 win team with a few key pieces added. Things could get ugly others chimed in and.... 

 

ALL this was BEFORE we didn't have JT for nearly half a season due to a contract dispute, or before we lost the uber talented rookie qb in AR a few games in for the SEASON. This was also before we lost our best run stuffer in big Grove for six games due to suspension. Can I interest you in your cornerstone rt and center missing MULTIPLE games due to injury? Or how about the release of your emotional leader mid season who ONCE happened to be our BEST defensive player most of his young career? We played nearly the WHOLE season with the erratic yet limited Gardner Minshew as qb1 whose mostly been a career backup outside his short stint as starter with the Jags.

 

As stated before we were some botched ref calls away from ALREADY having 10 wins YET we still had a chance at home against a MORE talented team with a chance to win a nail biter with under 2 mins left DEEP in Texan territory and missed on a WIDE OPEN rb that dropped a shakey pass from the backup who we've ridden ALL season good or bad on 4th and 1 then I'll TAKE it because NO ONE saw this coming given the circumstances.

 

Shane has done an excellent job and has finally given this franchise HOPE with his culture change. As a matter of fact he has EARNED his COY consideration. He has earned my respect even more because he went out his way with a beautifully designed play that caught the opponent of guard just like he's been doing ALL season long which is why we were even in that position to begin with. Yeah it sucked to lose but man I'm pumped regardless of what Ballard does or doesn't do in the offseason because in Shane I trust.

I had us at 3-14 at the best. And that was before JT and his drama. 

[teganslaw]

My expectation was having a 500 or winning season. I didn't expect them to enter the playoffs. 

[Indeee]

[holeymoley99]

1 hour ago, cdgacoltsfan said:

I said 10 wins. I wasn't on board with the Debbie downers or the let's tank another season crew.

I also had us at 10 wins.

[chad72]

I had us at 6 to 9 wins at the beginning of the season, based on how a few close games went. 

 

When there was a mid season poll, I said (regret saying it) that we would have the same record as the Carson Wentz season, 9-8  and little did I know, it would happen. 

 

 

[ColtStrong2013]

To be competitive- check  

To find out what this team was made of- check

Accountability-check 

dreams

Winning season- check 

Have a chance at division title- check 

 

My expectations went out the window when #5 went down. They overachieved. They gave me new reasons to be excited again. Disappointing for sure. Heart wrenching. So close. 

[twfish]

I was expecting 4 wins, was going to be estatic with 6. Felt like we had a low of holes and we were going into more of a rebuild/evaluation year. We didn’t bring in any huge FA signings aside from Gay and Ebukam and we let go players like Stephon Gilmore, Campbell, Okereke, and Yannick so it was clear this was the front offices view too.

 

It should honestly shows how much coaching matters. A team with more solidified starters last year was a much worse team under Reich and then Saturday then what this team being manned by majority of last years back ups coached up by SS. Having to rely on Minshew would have gave this team every excuse to give up and tank for a better pick but they clawed their way to a winning season. If the most rigged game I’ve ever seen in my life had gone our way we would be going to the playoffs.

 

Theres a few that did have some unrealistic expectations but the vast majority of the fan base didn’t expect this season to go this way, we can bring up old post that show that. If next year doesn’t result in us winning the south with a healthy Richardson I’ll be severely disappointed. But to have been a dropped ball on 4th and 2 away from achieving that this year all things considered shouldn’t be scoffed at.

 

Some “fans” on here would be calling for heads if we would have went 16-1 though.

[Dobbinblitz]

It was a good season for a 1sr time HC - something to build on The team was never going to push much farther with this backup QB. I think Strechen will continue to put his stamp on the organization and the way the team drafts and acquires players. The arrow is pointed up.

[Happy2BeHere]

Oh yea?? Well I had us going exactly 9-8 and losing to the Texans at home on a last minute failed 4th and 1 to our backup backup backup running back. I nailed it!! Successful season.  
 

in all seriousness…I was far more entertained this season than I was last season by a wide margin…so I feel it was a success and plenty of room to grow with a new HC and that’s good for me for the time being.

[John Hammonds]

I predicted 6 wins.  And I also set myself to not care about wins and losses.  What mattered was the development of our young QB.  When that young QB went down with an injury, I said that I would be satisfied with granting the other rookies lots of playing time.  Especially JuJu.  Again, not caring about wins and losses.  Then JuJu went down.  Again.

And we were winning.  So, I was like, ok, let's see if we can make the playoffs.

Ok, there was a negative side of me that predicted we would win just enough games to be out of the running for the players in the draft I wanted, but also not win enough to make the playoffs.  I was being cynical, and I knew it.  However, that's exactly what happened.  Oh, well.

[smittywerb]

Floor, 4 wins

Ceiling, 7 wins

 

i am very proud of this team and coaching staff.  We overachieved.  Looking forward to the future and hopefully Ballard does what’s needed to build this team into a contender.

[Dunk]

Had no expectations, but have always seemed to think we will finish over 500.

I thought even if we didn't win very many games, but Richardson started looking like a decent NFL QB as the season went on, I wouldn't be upset.

I can't say if he will be good or bad based on the amount of playing time he had, but can say he looks like he has a lot of potential.

The games this year were much more exciting than last for sure. We were competitive in most.  Bengals and Falcons are the only 2 I can remember feeling we were out of it,

Wish we could be playing next week, but all in all , entertaining season, and looking forward to see how improve the roster, and fare with Anthony at QB next season.

[Painterman]

 I watched 17 complete games this season compared to two in the last. Last year's team showed no heart and this year's team showed no quit, what a difference a year makes. Go Colts!

[ForTheMinshew]

Honestley, I thought this was going to be another rebuilding year. And once AR got hurt, I thought the season was over. I mean I'm not upset. Witnessing the Titans downfall, Jags eliminated, and the colts are pretty decent. With a healthy team comes a playoff team. Go colts! 

[Superman]

I don't usually make win/loss record predictions. But my expectations were that this was a year to evaluate the state of the roster, especially on offense, and develop the young QB. It's obviously an INC on the second part of that.

 

But on the first part, the OL looked like the worst part of the team in 2022. This year, they bounced back significantly. Not exactly the OL from 2019/2020, but definitely back to a strength of the team, rather than the liability they were in 2022. Our QBs in 2022 got sacked 60 times; this year, only 41 sacks, and that's with obvious limitations at QB. The offense was again functional, and even showed some promise of things to come. I felt like coaching had a big impact on the OL play in 2022, and I think things look much better there this year. 

 

I also thought we'd have our bumps and bruises in pass coverage and pass rush. Kenny Moore bounced back. We were intending to play a bunch of young, inexperienced players in the secondary. We lost two of them right away (Rodgers, Flowers), we cut Darius Rush, and Brents missed half the season. I thought Blackmon got better as the year went on, then he got hurt. Rodney Thomas got worse as the year went on, and he got benched, only to show up in the Texans game in the worst way, blowing another coverage in the end zone. Nick Cross showed some flashes, but too late in the year, IMO. Jaylon Jones was the only stable part of the secondary, and he was simply adequate.

 

I have other thoughts about the roster, but going from 4 wins to 9 wins with a limited QB and a patchwork secondary isn't too shabby. I definitely wasn't expecting 9 wins and a legitimate shot at the division back in August. I don't think we hit any impressive highs this season; even the Ravens win, while nice and fun, didn't make me think the Colts were ready to force their way into the top four of the conference or anything. But there is a lot of promise for the future. 

 

I think the Colts should treat 2024 as if they know they have their QB of the future, and build around Richardson. I'm not saying get reckless and go crazy, but I think the time is right for some serious moves with the roster. 

[OffensivelyPC]

7 hours ago, Superman said:

I don't usually make win/loss record predictions. But my expectations were that this was a year to evaluate the state of the roster, especially on offense, and develop the young QB. It's obviously an INC on the second part of that.

 

But on the first part, the OL looked like the worst part of the team in 2022. This year, they bounced back significantly. Not exactly the OL from 2019/2020, but definitely back to a strength of the team, rather than the liability they were in 2022. Our QBs in 2022 got sacked 60 times; this year, only 41 sacks, and that's with obvious limitations at QB. The offense was again functional, and even showed some promise of things to come. I felt like coaching had a big impact on the OL play in 2022, and I think things look much better there this year. 

 

I also thought we'd have our bumps and bruises in pass coverage and pass rush. Kenny Moore bounced back. We were intending to play a bunch of young, inexperienced players in the secondary. We lost two of them right away (Rodgers, Flowers), we cut Darius Rush, and Brents missed half the season. I thought Blackmon got better as the year went on, then he got hurt. Rodney Thomas got worse as the year went on, and he got benched, only to show up in the Texans game in the worst way, blowing another coverage in the end zone. Nick Cross showed some flashes, but too late in the year, IMO. Jaylon Jones was the only stable part of the secondary, and he was simply adequate.

 

I have other thoughts about the roster, but going from 4 wins to 9 wins with a limited QB and a patchwork secondary isn't too shabby. I definitely wasn't expecting 9 wins and a legitimate shot at the division back in August. I don't think we hit any impressive highs this season; even the Ravens win, while nice and fun, didn't make me think the Colts were ready to force their way into the top four of the conference or anything. But there is a lot of promise for the future. 

 

I think the Colts should treat 2024 as if they know they have their QB of the future, and build around Richardson. I'm not saying get reckless and go crazy, but I think the time is right for some serious moves with the roster. 

"Serious moves" that's a can of worms that you're going to have to elaborate on.  Serious moves as in...what?

 

Because I don't mind trading picks for players and vice versa, but we have little on the roster that I think would classify as ground breaking.  I think if there's a year that we move up in the draft, it could be this year if the right guy falls within trade-up distance.  I know everyone likes Harrison Jr. which I'd be on board for, but who knows where he's drafted this early on.  I hadn't even looked at other skill position players which I think is our biggest need - WR and CB amongst the top, and not necessarily in that order either.

 

I also think it depends on whether we keep Bradley - fingers crossed we have a change there, but not sure who's in the market.  But if we did, and shifted our defensive strategy to include more man coverage on the back end, I wonder who is on the trading block around the league - also probably too soon to tell.  

[Superman]

4 hours ago, OffensivelyPC said:

"Serious moves" that's a can of worms that you're going to have to elaborate on.  Serious moves as in...what?

 

Because I don't mind trading picks for players and vice versa, but we have little on the roster that I think would classify as ground breaking.  I think if there's a year that we move up in the draft, it could be this year if the right guy falls within trade-up distance.  I know everyone likes Harrison Jr. which I'd be on board for, but who knows where he's drafted this early on.  I hadn't even looked at other skill position players which I think is our biggest need - WR and CB amongst the top, and not necessarily in that order either.

 

I also think it depends on whether we keep Bradley - fingers crossed we have a change there, but not sure who's in the market.  But if we did, and shifted our defensive strategy to include more man coverage on the back end, I wonder who is on the trading block around the league - also probably too soon to tell.  

 

Serious moves relative to Ballard's way of doing things. I think this offseason should look more like the 2020 offseason than the 2022 offseason.

[Tsarquise]

The expectationa were to see how AR develops.