Is this the Year the Colts fade?

by BeansCarter on Aug 12, 2008 9:57 PM CDT Comment 7 comments

Ok I admit, the Colts have been an impressive team in recent years. Winning the division in each of the last 5 years is an accomplishment any team could be proud of. Though some might argue (quite convincingly) that Rex Grossman single-handedly lost that Superbowl for the Bears, I'll take the high road and give Manning credit for leading his team to victory.

A great team indeed.

But things are changing... Marvin Harrison is getting long in the tooth, being distracted by legal troubles, and his health is still questionable. Fanboy Colt disciples will claim that he has looked fantastic in training camp - we'll see once he starts getting hit properly how well he holds up. Ben Utecht is gone. Manning had an infected bursa sac removed and isn't there to practice. How serious was the procedure? Hard to say, but when a team starts filling its roster with backup quarterbacks, you know it's a concern of the FO. Bob Sanders is injury prone, yet somehow managed to get through 2007 basically unscathed. Could he repeat this feat? Not so sure he can.

Sure, Manning still has reliable targets in Dallas Clark, Reggie Wayne, and Anthony Gonzalez, but if something happens to any one of them, or if Peyton struggles with his injury recovery, this situation could quickly deteriorate.

Freeney, the highly paid superstar DE, basically has not played football in about 10 months. His Lisfranc injury is serious, and could linger for years to come. To expect him to ever return to top form is wishful thinking; it could happen, but the odds are against him.

A solid secondary and a decent linebacking corps does put the Colts in a good spot to play good defense again. But you slow down that offense, and put the Colts D on the field more, and you can expect them to fall off in effectiveness.

Besides, is Tony Dungy's heart still in it? I have a feeling he'd rather deploy his "quiet strength" and preach to prison inmates than coach football.

It is my sense that we will see the beginning of the great unravelling this year. My prediction, the Colts win 10 games and finish 3rd in the AFC South.

It will be so much fun for the Titans to maul this team this year.

Poll

Is this the year the Colts lose their grip on the AFC South?

Yes

27 votes

No

28 votes

They already have, just sit back and enjoy the show

19 votes

74 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs | Comment 7 comments

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Comments

They still have that wizard

who is named Peyton Manning. The Titans actually seem to match up best with the Colts better than the other teams in the division, or at least, they’ve been most consistent the past two years against them. However, since Manning’s injury is nothing serious (I think), I think Indy wins the division again. If they were fully healthy last year, perhaps we would have been treated to a Manning vs. Manning Super Bowl.

by TheElusiveShadow on Aug 13, 2008 3:18 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I voted "no" with the caveat that Bob Sanders is the most important player...

...on the team. If he goes down, then, yes, this is definitely the year they fall.

I say that because the Colts defense, while very good, is basically built on speed. Sanders is the key guy in the run-defense—especially tackling. If he is out, you can look for both LenDale White and Fred Taylor to dominate games against that Colts D. The impact of M. Jones-Drew and Chris Johnson is IMHO muted against a team with real speed on D. You need POWER. Which, I think, explains a goodly portion of the Titans’ success against the Colts. The Titans use power runs more than perhaps anybody in the League except maybe the Vikings.

This whole thing is a microcosm of the League this year. EVERYBODY now wants to run the spread offense and have that speedy Cover-2 Defense. The Titans Offense (and for that matter, the Jags, Vikings, and maybe the Steelers and Giants) all exploit this with great, though sometimes ugly, success.

This year will be the resurgence of the power run game. Enjoy it.

DannoE

Go read FRIDAY MAD SCIENCE at www.paperbackreader.com
Go Titans!

by DannoE on Aug 13, 2008 7:05 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

HA!

This should be filed under the “Humor” section. Truly laughable and definitely reaching…

Isn’t the old addage “Ignorance is Bliss”? Enjoy your view. We’ll see what happens when the season starts..

You guys over here really crack me up.

April in CA

by peytonsthebest on Aug 13, 2008 10:21 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Glad we can provide you entertainment

Titans Blogger at Music City Miracles

by Jimmy on Aug 13, 2008 10:36 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

What is an "addage?"

by gramsey712 on Aug 13, 2008 11:22 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

the answer is a resounding no

Injuries are a part of the game and if they bite the colts hard this year as it happened last year , that will be the only way the Colts falter. If that does not occur there is virtually no chance anyone in the division will take the AFC South crown and the Colts will, like they always are, Superbowl contenders.

by metal_militia on Aug 14, 2008 6:57 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I would like to point out

Tha Micheal Strahan had the same injury Freeney had and has still been very productive. I think it will be the same situation for freeney. The les frank is a little hard to determine so Ill stop ranting about it. Manning had the same Bursa Sac injury and college and had not showed any sign of slowing down. Ben Utecht has no impact since he left. And to question Dungy’s heart in the game is just wishful thinking.

by metal_militia on Aug 14, 2008 7:08 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs