Can the Colts return to Miami for Super Bowl XLIV?

The NFL offseason is a special time of the year when the teams and their legions of followers are invigorated with renewed optimism.  Players and coaches endure mini-camps and toil in the hot summer sun, coming together in pursuit of a championship. 

 

Expectations can run as rampant as the crazed fans that love their teams.  Every team is undefeated and working with a clean slate—and so are the fans.  We can tout our team and even taunt others with our prognostications. 

 

Unfortunately there will always be those creepy fans who wield their predictions like a baseball bat with the intent of demoralizing and pummeling their opponents’ self-esteem.  Misunderstood enthusiasts or just bloodthirsty heathens, we’ve all encountered these fans at one time or another and there will be no escape from them this year either.

 

Since the arrival of Peyton Manning, Indianapolis fans have had realistic expectations to reach the Super Bowl in most years, and this one is no different. 

 

The shake-up in the coaching staff has grabbed most of the headlines this offseason but even with these massive changes, the Colts appear to have gotten stronger on paper.

 

Hall-of-Fame-caliber coaches Tony Dungy, Tom Moore, and Howard Mudd are gone, replaced by the untested Jim Caldwell, Clyde Christensen, and Pete Metzelaars.  Larry Coyer takes over as defensive coordinator and Ray Rychleski on special teams.

 

Coaching continuity has been disturbed, especially on offense where Peyton Manning has worked with the same offensive coordinator and line coach his entire career.  The Colts have anticipated this event and have had their successors in mind for some time now.

 

If the Colts are still going to be championed as Super Bowl contenders towards the end of the season, they will need vast improvement from the offensive line.  Last season was marred by inconsistency and young players forced into starting roles. 

 

The Colts loaded up on offensive linemen in the 2008 draft, but only Jamey Richard really stood out, starting at left guard and center when Jeff Saturday was injured.  Saturday has resigned after flirting with several teams in free agency and his importance to the line can’t be understated.  He is a veteran and former Pro-Bowler who has the complete trust of Manning. 

 

Right tackle Ryan Diem is the stalwart of the line and has shown remarkably consistency when healthy in his eight NFL seasons.  The jury is still out on opposite bookend Tony Ugoh.  Ugoh has been inconsistent and somewhat unimpressive for a high draft-pick. 

 

If Ugoh can come into his own as a force at left tackle and the young guys show improvement, the line should be in great shape for Pete Metzelaars. 

 

If the offensive line can improve, the running game should follow.  New running back Donald Brown was drafted in the first round to help last year’s pathetic running attack.  Joseph Addai faced a lot of criticism last year, but I expect the Brown pick to light a fire under his behind. 

 

The Colts were forced to be one dimensional last season and Donald Brown’s injection into the lineup should make the running game powerful again—a two-headed monster with plenty of kick. 

 

Peyton will need a good running game but the passing attack has proven it can carry the team and win games on its own.  Peyton has always been able to choose the right play and scatter his wide receiver around like well placed grenades. 

 

The only question is, who will step up at wide receiver?

 

Somebody must step up behind studs Reggie Wayne, Anthony Gonzalez, and tight end Dallas Clark.  The Colts didn’t go for one of the big-name receivers early in the draft, waiting until the third round to grab last year’s NCAA receiving leader, Austin Collie. 

 

I fully expect Collie to become an invaluable part of the receiving corps, but it might be a little too much to ask for him to be vital in his rookie campaign.

 

Pierre Garcon and Roy Hall are the most likely candidates and have experience in the system though neither has impressed and Garcon looked downright awful at times last year.  If these players don’t come through, the Colts will look to their free agent and undrafted signees, and they have a great track record for finding gems in the rough.

 

Perhaps the most important piece in the quest for another Super Bowl will be improved run defense.  Giving up 122.9 yards a game is abysmal and unacceptable, and the team has taken steps to correct it.  Last year, the Colts were just too small up front and the tackles were pushed around like rag dolls. 

 

The team has made a concerted effort to get bigger up front through the draft and free agency.  There are now six defensive tackles close to or over 300 lbs on the roster.  GM Bill Polian drafted Fili Moala and Terrance Taylor, both over 300 lbs in this years draft.

 

The bigger defensive tackles should stop teams from running up and down the field at will.  The Colts have had a lot of misfortunes with their DTs and even if only a few of the new big men pan out, it should pay dividends. 

 

The Colts also addressed a long time thorn in their side in the much maligned special teams department.  Long time special teams coordinator Russ Purnell was dismissed in favor of Ray Rychleski.   

 

Purnell was well-liked but just didn’t get the job done.  The Colts were simply dismal and painful to watch on special teams.  There were too many times where I hurled both the remote and obscenities at the TV after watching them give up field position after scoring drives.

 

The AFC south has become one of the leagues most competitive and exciting divisions, and the Colts will need improvements in all of these categories if they expect to reclaim their spot at the top of the division.  

 

I never thought I would say such a thing, much less watch the Tennessee Titans win the division with 90-year-old Kerry Collins at the helm. The division has become a force to be reckoned with. 

 

The Houston Texans have become the trendy pick to claim the division. They have been picking at the top of the draft since they came into the league, especially on defense.  They also have a good head coach and a decent quarterback, so most pundits figure it’s only a matter of time before they put it all together.   

 

Jacksonville will be the wildcard in the division.  You never know what you will get with the Jaguars.   They have always been a worthy adversary and if they can solve the team chemistry problems and get consistent play from their receivers, the Jags will be dangerous.

 

Expectations will be high for all the AFC South teams.  If the Colts can reclaim their spot on top of the division it will go a long way in helping them return to Miami and the Super Bowl. 

 

The Colts remain one of the premiere teams in the league. They might take a back seat to the Steelers, Pats, and Giants in most preseason polls, but with a better running game, run defense, and improved special teams play, a Super Bowl victory is not out of the question. 

Legendary Indianapolis Colts Coaches Retire, While the NFL Machine Rolls On

Two more coaching legends have officially departed the Indianapolis Colts.  Offensive coordinator Tom Moore and offensive line coach Howard Mudd, a pair of the NFL’s finest, have been forced into early retirement.

Both coaches chose early retirement rather than lose valuable pension benefits.  The story has been swirling around for weeks before recently becoming official.

I hoped that both men would be on the sidelines this fall but I was officially served the cold dish while tuning in for a nightly dose of SportsCenter.

It seems as if the whole world as we know it has gone mad in the midst of our nation’s economic crisis.  Companies are slashing workers, benefits and products like a bad 70’s horror movie, and the knife cuts right through the heart of America, from our cars to our beloved sports figures.

Their jobs were not eliminated like so many other Americans today, both men left on their own free will.  They are professional coaches and they will not be receiving foreclosure notices in the mail or sleeping in cardboard boxes under a bridge.

I will also admit that I have not done the proper research to fully understand their reasons for leaving or the NFL’s change in the pension program, but it still seems to be a sign of the times, another job related headline in a world full of depressing news.

The issue is burning in our American minds. 

Is my pension safe?  Can I afford to retire? Will I ever retire or am I going to work until my bones crack, my brain shrivels up and I drop dead?

It’s a shocking sight to wake up and see that even the mighty NFL is downsizing and the economic crisis has no boundaries.  Former coach Tony Dungy’s personal secretary was even dismissed from the team recently.

Like everything else, the NFL machine will continue to roll on; even if it’s most unique and invaluable parts are caught in the gears and spit out.

Clyde Christensen will take over as the new offensive coordinator—after already being named assistant head coach—and Pete Metzelaars will be the offensive line coach.  Both men have previous coaching experience in the NFL and with the Colts.

Metzelaars was in charge of the O-line at times last year when Mudd was recovering from knee replacement surgery.  Christensen has been involved with the Colts offense for eight seasons and was offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay for the 2001 season. 

The latter make me cringe just thinking about the anemic Bucs offense of those days.

The new coaches don’t come with the same pedigrees as the men they replaced, but few coaches will ever enjoy such lengthy and stellar careers. Moore spent 32 seasons in the NFL and owns three super bowl rings.  Mudd has coached 36 consecutive seasons in the league and has a ring of his own now.

Many will argue that Howard Mudd was more important to the offense. The Colts lead the league in fewest sacks in all 12 of Mudd’s seasons with the team.

Tom Moore is no slouch himself, and his influence on the offense extends beyond just sending in three plays and allowing Peyton Manning to decide at the line of scrimmage. 

He bought a wealth of experience and ingenuity to Peyton’s career.

Manning has known no other line coach or offensive coordinator during his eleven year playing career, and you would assume that he would eventually have to forgo this luxury at some point.

This also makes the re-signing of center Jeff Saturday more significant.  It gives the Colts another coach on the field and continuity along the line.

Perhaps with new personalities to work with, Manning and Christenson can tinker with the offense a little, add some new wrinkles and make it even more prolific.  Christenson has been with the team for eight years, so he and Manning should be very familiar with one another. There should be a level of trust between them and there has to be because a rift between player and coach can ruin a great offense.  Thankfully there is nothing that suggests such an event will ever occur.

Manning is no loose cannon. In fact, he is the consummate professional and on-the-field coach.  If any quarterback is more equipped to deal with the sudden loss of continuity, it’s Manning.  The Colts offense normally behaves like a well rehearsed and coordinated fighting machine, the envy of offenses at every level of football from Pop Warner to the NFL.

It takes an amazing amount of time and practice to maintain this level of success and it can bog down with any idiosyncrasy or flaw, making it vulnerable to its enemies.  Last year the unthinkable happened when Manning underwent two knee operations, missed pre-season time and inexperienced players were shuffled along the line.

When the Colts do bog down it can be painful and unsettling to watch.  It was only a few years ago Manning was criticized for complicating things by taking too long at the line of scrimmage while pointing and flapping his wings like a prized fighting rooster.  (Forgive me for the comparison Peyton; I know you played in the SEC.)

The effects of the coaching losses will be clear by the end of the season, but at least the new coaches will have a well-tested battleship to work with.  They won’t be going to war with a rusty schooner, and even though the Colts appear to be leaking Hall of Fame caliber coaches, Peyton Manning and crew won’t be acting like a gang of drunken sailors on shore leave.

Big changes for the Indianapolis Colts in 2009?

Are large scale schematic changes coming to the Indianapolis Colts this year?  As casual and serious football fans will probably agree, quite frankly, no. 

 

The Colts have won at least twelve games in six consecutive seasons so why ruin a good thing or change a wildly successful franchise?

 

Even if Tom Moore is not coordinating the offense, things should stay basically the same. I do not expect a switch to the west coast offense or heavy use of the “wildcat” formation.

 

I do predict, and this is no bold prediction at all, that there will be some defensive scheme changes.  The Colts hired Larry Coyer as their new defensive coordinator to replace the mostly successful Ron Meeks and one would think that if the head coach was happy with his defense he wouldn’t change coordinators.

 

Ron Meeks was hand picked by Tony Dungy and resigned earlier this year; he is now defensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers.  Meeks resigned but most close to the organization feel he was given a chance to resign before being shown the door.

 

Now it is up to Larry Coyer to put his stamp on this defense and given his history as Broncos D-Coordinator, Tampa Bay assistant head coach and extensive college coaching career including a lengthy stint at Iowa during the time new head coach Jim Caldwell was a player, he’s nobody’s clone. 

 

While the Colts won’t be switching to the 3-4 defense, it is reasonable to expect that a more liberal use of the blitz and man-to-man coverage will be utilized. 

 

Coyer was defensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos from 2003-2006.  While at Denver, he was blitz-happy and very fond of the “show blitz” scheme.  The show blitz system tries to confuse the offense with pressure and deception. 

The linebackers, safeties, and even corners “show blitz” and try to confuse the quarterback.  It is typified by lots of movement to keep the offense guessing if the blitz is coming or not.

 

In the show blitz based defense, the secondary can either drop into man or zone coverage.  Coyer more times than not used man coverage in this system during his stay in Denver.

 

Coyer will also have a new toy to play with in second year linebacker Philip Wheeler.  Wheeler, 6-2 240, starred at blitz happy Georgia Tech in college and was a fearsome pass rushing force and bad dream for any quarterback who held the ball for too long. Wheeler made sure quarterbacks enjoyed a taste of the turf nineteen times during his career at Tech. 

 

It is totally unrealistic to believe the Colts will switch to this defensive philosophy exclusively, and Coach Jim Caldwell has already chimed in on this subject on Colts.com. “I don’t anticipate a whole lot of difference in terms of what we’ve been doing,” Caldwell said.

“Our scheme is going to stay the same. You’re not going to see a blitz-happy team. We’re going to do the things it takes for us to be effective. I’m not saying you’re not going to see any more blitzes than normal, and I do think you’ll see just a little bit of an adjustment in flavor.”

 

Even though the Colts are labeled a cover-two zone team, this is somewhat of a myth.  The Colts are based out of the cover-two or “Tampa two”, named for Coach Dungy’s tweaking of the system during his days in Tampa, but they also apply liberal use of the cover-three and even man-to-man coverage. 

The Colts also blitzed more last season and Bob Sanders could often be found prowling near the line of scrimmage to provide run support.

 

The running game was a sensitive topic in Indianapolis last season as the team gave up 122.9 yards per game, good for a spot near the bottom of the barrel statistically. 

The good news is Larry Coyer’s defense in Denver was among the best at stopping the run, ranking in the top four in yards-per-game in consecutive seasons and the Colts have stocked up on big bodies at the defensive tackle position through free agency and this year’s draft. 

 

The Colts drafted 6-4, 303lb Fili Moala from USC in the second round, and 6-0, 319lb Terrance Taylor in the fourth in an effort to get bigger at the defensive tackle and boost the run defense. 

They also feature 300-plus pound Daniel Muir and Antonio Johnson added through free agency last year, undrafted free agent Adrian Grady and recently resigned 296 pound Ed Johnson. 

 

The defensive tackle position, last season an area of weakness, seems to be a team strength on paper at least.  The Colts almost appear to be jinxed at the position.

They spent a ton of money on Corey Simon who turned out to be a major disappointment, “Booger” McFarland helped the team win a Super Bowl only to have his knee blown out the following year, Monte Reagor suffered serious injuries in a horrendous crash while driving to practice, Quinn Pittock unexpectedly retired last year, and Ed Johnson was dismissed for disciplinary reasons. 

 

If the DT’s can stay healthy and trouble-free off the field, Colts fans should expect to see marked improvement in the run game and the defense as a whole. 

 

Larry Coyer might turn out to be the perfect fit to coach this defense. His resume certainly is impressive and the Colts could use a little bit of tweaking defensively, but fans will remember that it was Coyer’s defense who faced the Colts twice during the playoffs in 2003 and 2004 and were thoroughly torched by Peyton Manning and crew, giving up a mind numbing and frightening 90 points in those two games.

 

Coyer received a lot of criticism for a perceived lack of ability to adjust his schemes during games and over the course of a season, possibly a major factor in his dismissal from Denver despite having one of the statically better defenses in the league. 

 

One thing is for sure, the Colts will play the 13th toughest schedule in the NFL and quarterbacks will not be showing any mercy to the new coordinator, especially when Mr. Brady pays a visit on November 15.

 

Coyer will get a second chance to be an NFL Defensive Coordinator with the Colts but don’t expect to see wholesale changes in the defensive scheme.  The fact that Coyer spent the past two seasons in Tampa Bay is huge flashing sign that reads “I am well versed in the cover-two.”

 

The Colts will again rely on defensive team speed with plenty of zone coverage, but fans can expect Larry Coyer to put his own stamp on this defense, mixing in little flair with blitzes and man-to-man coverage while improving the run defense.

 

I think most Colts fans can live with these changes while the thirty one other teams in the league will hope they fail or otherwise self destruct, the Colts are plagued by a rash of season changing injuries and an “old school” defensive coach has run out of fresh ideas. 

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