We've tried our absolute best not to turn this into a Colts blog - we swear. When we began this effort about a month ago, our goal was to create a hybrid of all
our strongest interests, thereby satistfying at least a few readers. We figured, hey, someone has to be interested in at least
some of the things we are, right? Turns out we were correct. We have about 10x the daily visitors now as we did when we first began writing. Thanks to all those who've been reading. We don't know who you are, but we appreciate it. Now, the bad news. We have to make a Colts post. We know - you don't want it. But before we started this blog, we ran our own Colts site and while we don't have the time to maintain both any longer, we can't abandon our roots. So, with that short disclaimer, we dive into the topic at hand:
Five reasons the Colts will repeat:1.) Peyton Manning will find some way to improve in the offseason- To marginal football fans and those who don't listen for the rare moments when John Madden provides useful insight, one aspect of Manning's game was visibly different at the outset last season: his mobility. Manning realized that as much as his offensive line collapsed around him in the 2005 playoff loss to the Steelers, his inability to break outside the pocket and throw with accuracy hindered the Colts' offense nearly as much. So, typical Manning, he spent the entire offseason working on his footwork, enabling him to make big throws on the run that helped the Colts defeat the Giants, the Patriots (the first time), the Ravens, the Patriots (again), and the Bears, among others. Looking for one play that signified the Colts season? Early on in the Colts November meeting with the Patriots, Manning was flushed left out of the pocket, a linebacker bearing down. He shuffled toward the sideline, pumped and threw a deep post back into the middle of the field...right before he was crushed by a Pats' rusher. The play went for big yardage, set up the Colts' first score, and - most importantly - was an on-the-fly creation that would have been impossible only a year prior. That's what Manning did last year. Imagine what he has in store for an encore?
2.) The Colts new corners are bigger, faster, and more experienced than you think- The Super Bowl Champs lost their two starting corners (Jason David and Nick Harper) this offseason. Most media types are blowing this way out of proportion. Over the past three seasons, Harper developed into one of the top Cover 2 corners in football. But he's 32. David, a fourth-year corner, was solid in run support and an emotional leader, but a liability in coverage. Their replacements, former first- and second-round picks Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden are known mostly for the big plays each made in last year's playoffs. Jackson sent the Colts to the Super Bowl with his last-minute INT of Tom Brady in the AFC Championship Game, while Hayden sealed the Colts' first Indianapolis-based title with his pick six of Rex Grossman in Super Bowl XLI. But that's not the whole story. Jackson and Hayden offer the Colts two 6-ft., physical, 4.4 40 corners who are actually better suited for the Cover 2 than their predecessors. They have big-game history, yes, but they'll still be learning on the job. Yet, if you watched the Colt defense prior to the playoffs last year, you would have suggested addition by subtraction as a viable option for improving a historically porous run defense. That's exactly what the Colts have done. We won't even begin to discuss what we think about the departure of Cato June.
3.) Their schedule is begging them to- The Colts first five games are New Orleans at home, at Houston, at Tennessee, then Denver and Tampa Bay at home. With their two toughest games in that stretch in the RCA Dome, a 5-0 start is not only feasible, it's probable. The next stretch of their schedule is brutal: at Jacksonville, at Carolina, New England at home, and at San Diego. But here's the upshot: If the Colts split those games, they're 7-2 and likely at least tied for the AFC's best mark ten weeks into the season. Then, they host Kansas City, travel to Atlanta, have Jacksonville at home, and go on the road to Baltimore, site of one of the biggest revenge games the NFL will ever see. The Colts will likely drop the Ravens game, but none of the other three. That puts them at 10-3 heading into the home stretch. We know, what's so great about 10-3? This is what's so great about 10-3: at Oakland, Houston at home, Tennessee at home to finish the season. We saw what playing meaningful regular season games down the stretch did for the Colts' playoff readiness last year. And with the AFC as loaded as it is this year, do we really think a 13-3 - or even 12-4 - record won't be enough to get a one or two seed? If the Colts can get a bye, they can repeat. Beating a Denver or a Cincinnati in the Dome before taking on San Diego or New England is doable. Repeating last year's run through three of the NFL's top defenses, including that draining win at Baltimore, is unlikely.
4.) The New England defense is still old- Mike Vrabel, Teddy Bruschi, Adalius Thomas, Junior Seau. What do these four names in common? All four are 30 or older, and just one is in the prime of his career. Still, these four will figure prominently into the Patriots' defensive plan this year, a plan that has grown less and less effective as the New England linebacking core have entered the twilight of their individual careers. Vrabel and Bruschi deserved all the praise they received (and probably moreso, actually) when the Patriots were winning three Super Bowls in four years; they're different players now. In fact, the Patriot defense is not the same as the one that ran a 3-4 that left Peyton Manning flustered, arms afloat in defeat not so long ago. Manning has thrown for 300 yards the last three times he's faced this defense, and while the addition of Thomas will help, he's not going to do it alone.
5.) Never underestimate the element of surprise- The Colts began 2005 with 13 straight victories, took their foot off the gas, and exited the playoffs with a whimper. The Colts began 2006 with nine straight victories, their defense was exposed as they lost three out of four and the media wrote them off, but Tony Dungy and Co. stayed the course, made a few minor adjustments, and the Colts won their last five games. The return of Bob Sanders had a lot to do with it, as did the insertion of backup middle linebacker Rob Morris at strongside outside linbebacker. But what we think did it,what made the Colts able to overcome the odds, the detractors and every employee at ESPN was this: faith. The 2005 team and earlier Colts squads seemed to act as if a Super Bowl title was owed them because of their collection of talent. Last year's Colts were willing to do whatever it took to make it happen. Perhaps surprisingly, the team the Colts will put on the field this year will be even more talented than last year's. What will make - or break - this season is attitude. We, for one, think the Colts have the attitude to be the last one's left standing in Glendale.
That's right, we're saying the Colts are going to repeat. You may proceed to bombard us with your insults. At heart, we're all feedback whores, just like Peter King.
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