That's true but the defense was just horrible at the beginning of last year... the defense didn't start to turn around until Pollard came on board... this year they're building on a good run from the end of last year so I expect them to be pretty strong to start the season, even thought the first couple of games will be against some pretty darn good teams and without Cushing in the lineup. Add on top of that the close games they should have won if not for poor field goal kicking and goal line debacles... hopefully things that they will improve upon for this upcoming year.
I get it now. The reason why the texans have a harder schedule than the colts is because the Colts don't play themselves twice. They still play a harder out of division schedule. That being said, The Ravens and Jets aren't exactly run of the mill 2nd place teams.
Just want to say not to sleep on the Jaguars. They were decimated last year on the Offensive Line from injuries and as a result way too inexperienced. They are supposedly opening up that offense, and while Garrad has no ability to run, he is a strong, and can make passes with decent time. I really think MJD will return to his stats a few years ago. With a better offense, their defense will also improve due to less fatigue, better field position, and not always playing from behind, even though they have little to no pass rush. If they can succeed with a keep away strategy I easily think they could make a run at .500. Also, don't forget how hard they always play the Texans.
Bartender! I'll have whatever ROXRAN is drinking! 12 wins??? Seriously: You first have to HAVE a running game before it can be considered improved.
This has been the expectation EVERY YEAR of the Kubes era! Strong Finishes of the year has never been a problem STRONG STARTS are. Rocket River
Well, statistically speaking....if we have the 4th worst running game in the NFL this year, it will be an improvement....
The Saints had a great passing offense in 2008 (like the Texans) and went 8-8. They put it all together in 2009, went 13-3 and won the Super Bowl. Easy as that
This should bring a smile to a few faces around here: Link: http://www.stampedeblue.com/2010/8/19/1630770/mike-chappell-2010-colts-offensive?ref=yahoo Mike Chappell: 2010 Colts offensive line is 'a mess" by BigBlueShoe on Aug 19, 2010 10:01 AM EDT in Colts News I missed this yesterday, but that doesn't make it any less relevant. Mike Chappell was a guest on Dan Dakich's show on 1070 The Fan on Tuesday. The discussion eventually focused on the Colts offensive line, and Chappell's observations are a cause for concern: Dakich: What about the line? I understand- Chappell: It's a mess. Dakich: It is a mess! It looked to be a mess to me, Chap. It looked like a mess. Chappell: And it's going to be a mess. Mike Chappell has covered the Colts for a looooooong time. When he raises a red flag about the status of the offensive line, it gets my attention. And from the way Chappell describes the injury situation with the line, we're starting to get into panic mode: I'd no more put Peyton Manning out in a game with that group than I'd put you out there. ... The line right now is not very good. Right now, I'm worried. The silver-lining here is that this is preseason, not Week Nine and the team is traveling to Philadelphia to play the Eagles. However, the o-line was a unit that the Colts placed extra emphasis (and criticism) on this past off-season. The group needed a strong, stable training camp to work out who would start, and where. But, with the current injury situation, that has been impossible. When discussing the line's rash of injuries, Chappell said: It's like that a lot normally in preseason, but not to this extreme. Chappell is optimistic that Jeff Saturday will be available for the season opener. Charlie Johnson is in a walking boot, and the sense is he will not start at left tackle against the Houston Texans. Basically, for the rest of preseason, we cannot make any serious judgments about the line or the running backs. In fact, Chappell suggested to Dakich that the Colts might play Peyton less than usual this preseason for fear the scrubs they have in there now will get him hurt. Oy. Not to be too much of a doom and gloomer, but I still do not understand why the Colts did not do more to address depth on the o-line this off-season. Why didn't they draft Charles Brown? Why did they cut Ryan Lilja? Both those guys would be pretty valuable right about now. This unit absolutely must play at a higher level than it did in 2009 if the Colts are to return to the Super Bowl. Right now, they aren't off to a good start. More stuff on the state of the Colts O-Line can be found here: http://www.stampedeblue.com/2010/7/8/1558800/the-steady-decline-of-the-colts
