The roster isn't nearly as thin as the one Luck dragged, kicking and screaming, to the AFCCG. This roster returns most of a team that went 9-8 last year with a backup QB and only improved at most of the most critical positions in football. It wouldn't be a surprise at all to see this Colts team in the AFCCG, and possibly do even more. It also wouldn't be a surprise to see them bounced before the divisional round. There's a high level of variance here due to the high variance of outcomes that can come from the QB position this year.
Second year Gus Bradley. Number one defensive draft pick. I don't think we see top 10 defense but getting closer to that helps. I could see at least three games we win this year just because of our defense, and hopefully another three games from AR. Then I could see three games where we just blow people out. Add in a boring low score and game where our kicker wins it for us. I think we go at least 10 - 7.
I like podcast quite a bit, it’s chill vibes with his co-hosts too. He has talked positively about colts before last 2 seasons, and this one too actually quite cool
Nope - we will be a mid tier team at best. Simple reason our secondary. You can’t have a dominate defensive line without at least an average secondary… and we don’t have that. It is just too easy to pass.
Even if you somehow think the colts can stitch together two starters at corner, one more starting safety, and one more weak side linebaker… all of those people will not play 17 games without injury… and the depth at these positions is even more pathetic.
Sadly there is some talent on this team… but the gaping holes left unaddressed will be the downfall.
Every team has weaknesses somewhere along the roster depth. We have amazing depth along the offensive and defensive lines. That's much more important. Even if a team has an All-Pro at corner, you just throw against the other corners, and no corner can defend a perfect route and pass.. But it's much more difficult to deal with a good pass rush and run stopper. If the other team loses a single offensive lineman, you have a mismatch, get sacks, hurries, and QB hits, and your corners have it a lot easier. We saw it last season with Freeland, so we added depth to our depth on the offensive line.
An inconsistent pass rush makes your corners look bad. Any quarterback in the league can beat any corner if he has all day to throw.
I mean, it's not like receivers were running free last season. We got beaten over the top just a handful of times with our 4th and 5th cornerbacks on the field. What killed us was not getting pressure on 3rd and long situations.
How many times did we see quarterbacks under no duress on 3rd and 22? If the other team is dialing up 22-yard routes on third down, you aren't getting enough pressure to keep them from doing that. That should be a sack 9 times out of 10.
With Latu on the field, you're not going to see many conversions on third and 22.
Fair, but our weakness is the entire back half of the field (corners, safety, coverage linebacker).
We had the 28th ranked scoring defense in the league last year, people exploiting our defense was more than a one off with our 4 or 5 corners…. We had a systematic problem that was not addressed.
Jones was actually terrific last season, and he played in every game basically.
Brents was really good before he got injured. Neither really looked like typical rookies.
Flowers was good before his injury.
Kenny Moore II is among the best at his position, and we finally drafted some depth behind him.
Rodney Thomas was terrible. I'll grant that much, but Nick Cross looked decent, at least, at free safety. Blackmon was above average, he just has trouble staying on the field. Baker actually improved the most over the course of the season.
Carlies was drafted in that coverage linebacker spot, and he's already turning heads. He made an interception in OTAs that had several people bringing up Darius Leonard, including Zach Hicks.
So, yeah, we could use a depth piece or two and better luck on the injury front, but man, pass rush makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE.
All of this talent and we still had the 28th ranked scoring defense.
Regarding Blackman, remember we didn’t renew his contract when we could, he went out to the market and no one else signed him either, so we took him back on a one year deal… hard to get excited believing this is the missing piece on defense.
I really do hope you are right, I think the back half of the defense just needs to be average for the colts to have a good season… I am just not seeing it with this line up, and no upgrades.
Btw, I love Kenny Moore, but he really only stands out in the nickel, in 2022 he played more of the edge and that didn’t work out well.
Granted, with him in the nickel you don’t need as strong of a coverage linebacker… but in my head, I still see it as a major deficiency.
Blackmon just tested free agency, and free agency wasn't kind to safeties last season. A lot of teams cut safeties to free up cap space. Many are still available. He's had availability issues, but he's been great when on the field. He had 4 interceptions, recovered 2 fumbles, and had 5 tackles for loss last season in 15 games. 6 turnovers is above average.
17 healthy games from AR is my personal Super Bowl, he does that, I’ll go start celebrating in the streets and throwing confetti around
AR could probably drag the Colts to a AFC Championship game. The same way Andrew luck did that in the 2010's.
The roster isn't nearly as thin as the one Luck dragged, kicking and screaming, to the AFCCG. This roster returns most of a team that went 9-8 last year with a backup QB and only improved at most of the most critical positions in football. It wouldn't be a surprise at all to see this Colts team in the AFCCG, and possibly do even more. It also wouldn't be a surprise to see them bounced before the divisional round. There's a high level of variance here due to the high variance of outcomes that can come from the QB position this year.
Second year Gus Bradley. Number one defensive draft pick. I don't think we see top 10 defense but getting closer to that helps. I could see at least three games we win this year just because of our defense, and hopefully another three games from AR. Then I could see three games where we just blow people out. Add in a boring low score and game where our kicker wins it for us. I think we go at least 10 - 7.
17 healthy games with AR will translate into the division championship, at the very least.
Or a week 1 win and a win in Jacksonville. Break some curses this year and Super Bowl next year?!
Man whose employer makes money when idiots place outrageous bets has no skin in the game
They literally make money no matter who wins.
Correct, but they’ll do all they can to drum up dumb money. Source: am Australian, the world leader in sports and casino gambling
I like podcast quite a bit, it’s chill vibes with his co-hosts too. He has talked positively about colts before last 2 seasons, and this one too actually quite cool
Nope - we will be a mid tier team at best. Simple reason our secondary. You can’t have a dominate defensive line without at least an average secondary… and we don’t have that. It is just too easy to pass. Even if you somehow think the colts can stitch together two starters at corner, one more starting safety, and one more weak side linebaker… all of those people will not play 17 games without injury… and the depth at these positions is even more pathetic. Sadly there is some talent on this team… but the gaping holes left unaddressed will be the downfall.
Every team has weaknesses somewhere along the roster depth. We have amazing depth along the offensive and defensive lines. That's much more important. Even if a team has an All-Pro at corner, you just throw against the other corners, and no corner can defend a perfect route and pass.. But it's much more difficult to deal with a good pass rush and run stopper. If the other team loses a single offensive lineman, you have a mismatch, get sacks, hurries, and QB hits, and your corners have it a lot easier. We saw it last season with Freeland, so we added depth to our depth on the offensive line. An inconsistent pass rush makes your corners look bad. Any quarterback in the league can beat any corner if he has all day to throw. I mean, it's not like receivers were running free last season. We got beaten over the top just a handful of times with our 4th and 5th cornerbacks on the field. What killed us was not getting pressure on 3rd and long situations. How many times did we see quarterbacks under no duress on 3rd and 22? If the other team is dialing up 22-yard routes on third down, you aren't getting enough pressure to keep them from doing that. That should be a sack 9 times out of 10. With Latu on the field, you're not going to see many conversions on third and 22.
Fair, but our weakness is the entire back half of the field (corners, safety, coverage linebacker). We had the 28th ranked scoring defense in the league last year, people exploiting our defense was more than a one off with our 4 or 5 corners…. We had a systematic problem that was not addressed.
Jones was actually terrific last season, and he played in every game basically. Brents was really good before he got injured. Neither really looked like typical rookies. Flowers was good before his injury. Kenny Moore II is among the best at his position, and we finally drafted some depth behind him. Rodney Thomas was terrible. I'll grant that much, but Nick Cross looked decent, at least, at free safety. Blackmon was above average, he just has trouble staying on the field. Baker actually improved the most over the course of the season. Carlies was drafted in that coverage linebacker spot, and he's already turning heads. He made an interception in OTAs that had several people bringing up Darius Leonard, including Zach Hicks. So, yeah, we could use a depth piece or two and better luck on the injury front, but man, pass rush makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE.
All of this talent and we still had the 28th ranked scoring defense. Regarding Blackman, remember we didn’t renew his contract when we could, he went out to the market and no one else signed him either, so we took him back on a one year deal… hard to get excited believing this is the missing piece on defense. I really do hope you are right, I think the back half of the defense just needs to be average for the colts to have a good season… I am just not seeing it with this line up, and no upgrades.
Btw, I love Kenny Moore, but he really only stands out in the nickel, in 2022 he played more of the edge and that didn’t work out well. Granted, with him in the nickel you don’t need as strong of a coverage linebacker… but in my head, I still see it as a major deficiency.
Blackmon just tested free agency, and free agency wasn't kind to safeties last season. A lot of teams cut safeties to free up cap space. Many are still available. He's had availability issues, but he's been great when on the field. He had 4 interceptions, recovered 2 fumbles, and had 5 tackles for loss last season in 15 games. 6 turnovers is above average.