This colts defense WILL finish top 15 this year.

[BrentMc11]

wow tottally misread dat din see where u put playoffs...... so heck all around truth then good thread

What are you saying....OK...sentence please? Thought there was a point to be made....thanks.

[BrentMc11]

*Hides* :bag:

You can run but ya can't hide....

I love the DISCOVER card commercial with Bobby bowden....Peggy says "Call back 3 weeks." Bobby says "Dad-Gummit I aint too old to find you son.' Love it!

[StewieG]

I went to the bank today to deposit this promise for safe keeping but the teller said the bank doesn't accept this type of promise note.

Change banks

[NewColtsFan]

I love the optimism, but I wouldn't get my hopes up too high.

I wouldn't rule out when end up 15th on defense.... but our roster is so thin, that I can see injuries taking a toll and the quality of defensive play falling off before the season is out.....

We could be ranked 15th through November and fall off in December. Believe me, I hope I'm wrong.

My hunch is we'll end up somewhere around 17-20. Again, I'd love to be wrong here...

[Jules]

I love the optimism, but I wouldn't get my hopes up too high.

I wouldn't rule out when end up 15th on defense.... but our roster is so thin, that I can see injuries taking a toll and the quality of defensive play falling off before the season is out.....

We could be ranked 15th through November and fall off in December. Believe me, I hope I'm wrong.

My hunch is we'll end up somewhere around 17-20. Again, I'd love to be wrong here...

And if that happened that is not bad at all. Top 20 would please me a lot this season. Our offense will be much higher I believe then people anticipated.

Special teams need to join in the party too. ;)

[Blackhawk4]

Top 20 is somewhat of a stretch to be honest. I don't see us being in the upper half in defense.

[AFCSouth]

Bank on it.

We are so much more physical on defense, our run defense will be maybe the best since the 2006 playoffs.

I fully expect powers and bethea to absolutely own in the secondary.

Jerry Hughes will have a break out year and have 5 sacks (maybe more) this year.

Our pass rushing overall will be the best it has been in a long time with all the blitzes.

Also expect Mathis and Freeney to both have 10+ sacks once again this year.

I know it is preseason and I might be overly optimistic, but Pagano is putting his staple on this defense.

Does anyone agree? What do you guys think?

I absolutely agree. I have thought for some time that Pagano would turn our defense around just like Wade Phillips turned the Texans around. If this happens, then I think we will win 8 games. I can't wait for this season to unfold.

[braveheartcolt]

I really do think people are being very selective when putting so much faith in Hughes. I'll keep my judgement until he plays in games that count against starting Offenses.

[Superman]

I really do think people are being very selective when putting so much faith in Hughes. I'll keep my judgement until he plays in games that count against starting Offenses.

Some people will always find a reason to reserve judgment on Jerry Hughes. I'm not proclaiming him to be suddenly worthy of his draft status, or on his way to the Pro Bowl. But I think if someone can't admit that he's played very well in the preseason (which he hasn't done in his previous two years, by the way), then they're either being overly cautious or they have an agenda.

[coltsfanatic24]

we can be a top 10 defense but bethea would have to play like ed reed did for pagano's defense. most if not all of the top 10 defenses have at least 1 great safety that creates turnovers and get int's and bethea has the talent to do so.

[jbaron04]

Bank on it.

We are so much more physical on defense, our run defense will be maybe the best since the 2006 playoffs.

I fully expect powers and bethea to absolutely own in the secondary.

Jerry Hughes will have a break out year and have 5 sacks (maybe more) this year.

Our pass rushing overall will be the best it has been in a long time with all the blitzes.

Also expect Mathis and Freeney to both have 10+ sacks once again this year.

I know it is preseason and I might be overly optimistic, but Pagano is putting his staple on this defense.

Does anyone agree? What do you guys think?

Like the sound of that

[jbaron04]

I dont see Mathis and Freeney doing that well this year basically cause I have yet to see them do well in the preseason so I will elieve it when I see it. Jerry Hughes should continue to do well in this system I think. Bethea should do very well but Powers I doubt simply because I havent seen it yet and he has shown he cant keep up with the faster wide receivers, Pagano is putting his staple on the defense no doubt with all the pressure but we still have a ways to go before he gets all the pieces he needs for the Colts to be a true force on that side of the ball. We are 29th in the league in completion percentage allowed, so if opposing teams get the pass off its been completed 68.4 percent of the time only slightly down from last years 69.8, in the preseason last year (I know its preseason and still two games to go in it). With that said we have done really good (to this point) in total passing yards allowed (11th).

I normally agree with u not this time pagano is hiding freeney and Mathis so u don't get the film on them just yet if Hughes is doing go and freeney and Mathis can rush better an have better moves to rush why can't they still get 10 sacks each

[Gavin]

I normally agree with u not this time pagano is hiding freeney and Mathis so u don't get the film on them just yet if Hughes is doing go and freeney and Mathis can rush better an have better moves to rush why can't they still get 10 sacks each

It wont be Mathises role in the defense to rush as much as Freeney, Mathis will be in coverage quite a bit

[jbaron04]

It wont be Mathises role in the defense to rush as much as Freeney, Mathis will be in coverage quite a bit

Trust me no Matter what they say the gonna let the dogs loose

[Gavin]

Trust me no Matter what they say the gonna let the dogs loose

I have no doubt about that but I think some are gonna be dissapointed with the number of times Mathis rushes

[RW87]

I like the defensive scheme so far, but Mathis needs to be able to do his job. We won't crack the top 15, but pehaps somewhere between 15-20.

[jbaron04]

I have no doubt about that but I think some are gonna be dissapointed with the number of times Mathis rushes

Yeah

[braveheartcolt]

Some people will always find a reason to reserve judgment on Jerry Hughes. I'm not proclaiming him to be suddenly worthy of his draft status, or on his way to the Pro Bowl. But I think if someone can't admit that he's played very well in the preseason (which he hasn't done in his previous two years, by the way), then they're either being overly cautious or they have an agenda.

First off, I have no agenda. Secondly, on most plays, all I see him do is help his colleagues out of the pile. Maybe that is just the nature of his assignments. Sure, the sacks were good but we need more, I have Game Pass, so I may review the first two games with him and mind. I hope he turns out a keeper, I really do.

[JWF]

I dont know. Our secondary is still a big question mark in my eyes. Powers and Bethea are good but the rest....Zibikowski is a good tackler but man is he bad in coverage and the rest of our corners leave alot to be desired. I still think we are lacking depth along the D-line too.

Its going to be interesting to see how things go. Id certainly love to be wrong.

[Rich Cannon]

Top 15 huh, talk about jumpin the gun :slaphead: . If it happens ill be the first to purchase a crystal ball from the same store you got yours. I hope your right.

[ztboiler]

First off, I have no agenda. Secondly, on most plays, all I see him do is help his colleagues out of the pile. Maybe that is just the nature of his assignments. Sure, the sacks were good but we need more, I have Game Pass, so I may review the first two games with him and mind. I hope he turns out a keeper, I really do.

I don't even know where to start on this point. If your position is to withhold judgement pending results in the regular season - fair enough. If you are unconvinced based on preseason play, then you either haven't watched the games or have different expectations for an OLB in the NFL than most do and well....I must respect your opinion.

[braveheartcolt]

I don't even know where to start on this point. If your position is to withhold judgement pending results in the regular season - fair enough. If you are unconvinced based on preseason play, then you either haven't watched the games or have different expectations for an OLB in the NFL than most do and well....I must respect your opinion.

No need to respect my opinion ZTB, I'm just a fan. I watched the first half of the Steelers game earlier. The 2nd half probably had even more scrubs playing than starters, so I'll keep it to what I saw in the first 30 mins:

Hughes was out played by Addison. I think he (JH) had one good 'hurry' and a tackle on a RB which was set up for him. Otherwise he was always on the periphery. That's not a criticism, just what I saw. My concern is when he is in with the big boys, he will be ineffective.

Things I liked in the first half:

Luck. No need to elaborate.

AC - solid, and protected 12 well, although he may have contributed to the 1st interception, as the Steelers rusher got by him and was in Luck's face when he threw. I think he whiffed on one other play. Couldn't tell re his run blocking - to much going on for my old eyes to pinpoint.

TE's - good hands and solid blocking. I think both could be a big asset.

Addison. He was all over the place. Think he will be a star.

TY. Although he fumbled and scooped for the 2nd interception, I liked the way he pulled himself off the floor, fought off a Steeler, and brought down the guy with the ball. Good recovery.

The whole offense on that 40+ second drive + Adam's kick. Probably my favourite drive of the game....

There were other good things, but these stuck out. I'm afraid Hughes did not. Sorry.

[Superman]

First off, I have no agenda. Secondly, on most plays, all I see him do is help his colleagues out of the pile. Maybe that is just the nature of his assignments. Sure, the sacks were good but we need more, I have Game Pass, so I may review the first two games with him and mind. I hope he turns out a keeper, I really do.

Not saying YOU have an agenda, but many do. Hughes has definitely given us all reason to be cautiously optimistic about him. I still am, but I do think he's played very well so far in the preseason. We'll see how that goes moving forward, but I like what I see for now.

By the way, I'm not overly impressed with the sacks. The one against the Steelers was good, because he put up a good fight and made a strong tackle to finish the play. If that were Roethlisberger instead of Batch, he probably doesn't get the sack. The first one against the Rams, it was almost like Hughes opened his eyes and was right in front of the quarterback. He got there before he realized it.

And that's been the real difference with Hughes so far: he's been decisive, he's played hard, and he's had an impact on several plays every time he's been on the field. He doesn't look lost, and he doesn't look like the JV call up trying to fit in on the varsity team. Tackles, sacks, etc., that's all nice. But the difference has been in his impact, outside of the box score. He has a role that suits him in the new defense, one that utilizes his strengths rather than him trying to overcome his weaknesses. I think he looks very promising so far. Like you, I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop, but it's been all positive so far.