Ask a Colts fan

I wouldn’t expect a lot more info. The Colts are pretty secretive. Just follow the practice reports and the gameday inactives once it’s into the week 3 to 9 range.

have decided not to comment on this question.

but seriously the shooting incident was just a total disaster on ESPN’s part. Charges were never filed against Marvin because of conflicting reports of whether he was the one shooting, and because they couldn’t prove his gun was used in a crime because shell casings were found in the “victim’s” car, allowing whoever was behind Marvin’s gun to claim (or actually have been acting in) self defense.

His accuser was an ex-con who plead to making false statements in the case.

I know you were kidding but the case pisses me off, because of how ESPN handled it.

because I think the offense is as good as ever and the D is now strong enough up the middle to start stopping the run reasonable well.

but there’ll probably be some more time from rookie slot man Austin Collie (a Stokley-Welker type), Jacob Tamme (a Clark clone) and maybe some splitback formations with both Addai and Brown.

I don’t expect much from the run game. Last week the backs picked up short yardage well, blocked and caught very well, but didn’t rack up much actual yardage on the ground. I’d expect repeats of that until the OL starts to gel.

The D looked good Sunday. They don’t have Sanders, but his backup Melvin Bullitt is a very good safety. I think he’s actually more of a dropoff in pass D than in run D from Sanders. Though run D is less needed from the safeties now that they have 4 300lbers to play DT, instead of starting 265 and 254 pound DTs for most of last year.

Sanders was taken off the PUP before the start of the season so they expect to have him before week 6 (when he’d be able to come back if the PUP’ed him). They refuse to discuss a timetable, but Polian said on NFL Network last week that Sanders’ knee has been cleared by his doctor, Bob just has to pass conditioning tests and get some practice time in before they’ll play him. Basically he has to live in the weight room until he builds back up enough strength in his legs to be effective.

I’ve been peeking at the 2010 late round OTs.

luckily Peyton is very aware and has a lightning release.

the Punter looks awesome already. Killed it in preseason and had both his punts downed inside the Jags 10 Sunday.

the coverage teams didn’t stand out either way and were actually good last year. It’s the returners that were terrible last year. They have their returner from 07 back (blown ACL in 08 preseason) who is a very good punt returner, but doesn’t do kickoffs well.

The Dolphins seem to have the kind of O that will have a really predictable result against the Colts D. They do the short stuff that the Colts give up well and with Pennington they won’t be taking random deep shots (which usually go poorly against a team that almost always was both safeties sitting over the top and has Freeney and Mathis coming off the edge). They’ll put up some points, not a ton, but either some or a solid amount (depending on the red zone success). So the way I see it that leaves how the game will go up to the offense. Which is what I like.

The early line is Colts -3.5 I’d take the Colts, but wouldn’t feel good about it (and if I wasn’t a Colts fan might take Colts straight up but Phins to cover).

and was pretty awesome filling in for Sanders. He doesn’t put the highlight hits on guys like Bob, but he’s very good in run support. I don’t think he’s quite as good as Sanders is pass coverage, but that’s a really underrated part of Bob’s game so it’s not a massive knock. The Colts D is built around not allowing the big play and Bullitt/Bethea fit that well as good cover guys who are sound tacklers. Neither are the big playmakers like Sanders, but they do their job without having to be covered for.

Bethea actually has a pro bowl under his belt. He was a 6th round pick and beat out a returning starter (who was a second round pick) in camp/preseason of his rookie year. He’s a excellent centerfielder and is good in run support. His clear flaw is his awful awful hands (now worse because he’s playing with one hand casted). Bethea will cover deep, he’ll knock down a lot of passes, but he’s probably not going to pick many off in his career.

Taylor vs Diem and Peezy vs Charlie Johnson

because the DEs fly upfield and the LBs drop at the snap. The DBs tackle well and the front 7 has a lot of speed so that makes up for some of it, usually limiting it to short gains, but it’s an effective way to move the chains methodically against them.

1. the OC Tom Moore gives Peyton 3 plays

2. Peyton picks one based off what the D shows,

3. he either snaps the ball or goes through a fake snap in his cadence and adjusts based off anything the D tips on the fake

4. repeat step 3 as time allows

A Colt is more like a (male) teen horse than a baby horse.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse#Age

Their punter had been a big time high school QB recruit who was converted to punter so he was the emergency 3rd QB. Now that he’s with the Redskins, replaced by a guy that’s doesn’t have QB experience they are carrying 3 QBs on the roster for the first time in years. Jim Sorgi is Mr. Clipboard and rookie Curtis Painter is the Apprentice Clipboard Holder.

I love talking NFL with people. I was excited to do this. Wrote it up during commercial breaks of MNF and posted as soon as the Chargers-Raiders game ended.

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/P/PageMi00.htm

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HuarBr00.htm

I wouldn’t expect him to play this week, but it’s not impossible.

TRUE!

it’s a dumb play off my last name not a reflection of my athletic skill

er he can. shit!

now im hungry

I would say you’re a sick individual.

;)

so I can follow the hated rivals goings on easily

(confession I do get allow with MaPatsFan and Marima well, but if it cancels it out I banned Babe Parilili at Stampede Blue)

but I think the Colts finally have the bulk again to not get totally run over. Because of the scheme they run and the amount of resources they spend on the offense, they’ll never be a dominating run D, but they can be good enough that teams can’t totally grind out the clock and be guaranteed long drives just by pounding the ball.

I don’t think the WC will work well. They flat out handled the unbalanced line stuff the Ravens threw at them last year despite being severely undersized and I don’t think the misdirection will phase them too badly since the D stresses execution over variation and is made up of all returning players (maybe minus CB where the returning starter at CB might just play nickel with a rookie, who looked awesome last week, in his place while he’s still getting in game shape after a blown ACL last season).

with Austin Collie playing the slot. They stopped playing Collie on the outside early in camp and just wanted him to learn the offense from the slot.

Down the road the just signed Hank Baskett might push Garcon for some time opposite Garcon, or take snaps outside in power situations.

but they’ll have a major impact. Ed and Antonio Johnson at DT. Two 300+ pounders (who can push the pocket a bit) in the middle. The Colts DL is bigger than it’s been in years, after they ran out the smallest DL the leagues seen, probably in decades (245/274, 254, 265, 268) last year.

that’s what it translates to and what he’s called on the Colts site.

no one say anything

I like lots of SBN blogs.

but the OL isn’t run blocking that well. No long runs and a good number of runs that were totally doomed by the blocking.

than travel or crown noise or fans pumping home players up. Homefield seems to start off strong and tails off as the game goes on and division games seem to have less of a home field advantage, which really makes it look like the effect is from players being outside of their comfort zone in the leadup to the game.

So I guess having played in Miami and at the stadium before is better than having not, but I’d bet if you dropped the Jacksonville Airport, Team Hotel and Stadium into Miami and played there the Colts would be even better off.

but there’s some young rivalries growing with the Jags and Titans. The AFC South is a very young division the teams don’t have a long history against each other which is why you don’t see the big “traditional” rivalry type games.

Re prediction picks: You win some, you lose some. For now I’ll refer anyone to by second place finish in the vastly larger sample size of last season. I also did reasonably well straight up.

The Phins will probably give Wayne more attention than the Jags did, but I think Clark and Tamme will shred them if they do. With Gijon a surprise addition to the injury report and Gonzo out I think we’ll see a very effective double TE attack.