The Indianapolis Colts finished their dismal 2011 season the same way that they began it, which was by losing to a division rival on the road. Thanks to all that happened in between the opening loss to the Houston Texans and the closing loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, though, the two games had a distinctively different feel. By the time the Colts took the field in Florida on January 1, fans had long since lost all hopes of Peyton Manning’s return this season, another playoff appearance or virtually anything else positive. In fact, for the first time that I can remember, I found myself rooting hard for the Colts to lose a game so that they could hold onto the first pick in the 2012 NFL draft and the chance to groom another franchise quarterback. The Colts and Jags made it interesting but, in the end, Indianapolis was no match for running back Maurice Jones-Drew and granted me my wish, falling by a final score of 19-13.

The story of this game featured many of the same chapters that the Colts wrote throughout the season. In particular, Jones-Drew rode Indianapolis’s weak run defense to a 169-yard performance that gave him the NFL rushing title with 1606 yards. That total also gave him the Jacksonville franchise record, eclipsing the 1572 yards that Fred Taylor racked up in 2003, and it further cemented the Colts defense as a breeding ground for big running days by the opposition. On the other side of the ball, the Colts couldn’t get their own running game moving, crafting just 56 yards on 22 carries. In a bit of symmetry, Jones-Drew broke Taylor’s mark on a 56-yard carry in the third quarter, matching Indy’s ground output for the day on one glorious play.

On the plus side, quarterback Dan Orlovsky threw for 264 yards and a touchdown, though he did throw two interceptions and was sacked three times. Austin Collie grabbed nine balls for 96 yards and also scored a touchdown, while Reggie Wayne picked up 73 yards in what could be his last game as a Colt. Linebacker Pat Angerer finished his breakout year with another strong performance that included 11 tackles, six of which were solo jobs. Antoine Bethea threw in 10 tackles for good measure (eight solo).

All in all, there wasn’t much positive to take from this game or this season, but at least it’s over now. We can turn our attention in earnest to the rebuilding that lies ahead and the fun of speculating about what the Colts will do with the number-one pick. Should be an interesting 2012.

Adam Hughes was raised, and still lives, in rural Indiana. He has been a Colts fans since the team arrived in Indianapolis on a snowy morning in 1984. The Blue and White eventually replaced the Chicago Bears as his #1 team, and Super Bowl XLI was a dream come true.

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Indianapolis —
The game — Indianapolis Colts (0-12, 0-3 AFC South) at Baltimore Ravens (9-3, 4-0 AFC North), M&T Bank Stadium (Shaw Sportexe Momentum Turf), Baltimore, MD, 1 p.m. (EST).

Coverage –CBS Sports (Bill Macatee, Steve Tasker); Colts Radio Network (Bob Lamey, Will Wolford, Kevin Lee); Sirius NFL Radio Channel 06 (Colts), Channel 85 (Ravens); XM NFL Radio Channel 233 (Ravens).

The coaches — Colts: Jim Caldwell (24-20, 3rd year); Ravens: John Harbaugh (41-19, 4th year). Caldwell has a 2-0 record against the Ravens. Harbaugh is 0-3 in games against the Colts.

The series –  10th regular-season meeting. Colts lead the series, 7-2. Indianapolis has won every meeting between the two franchises since 2002 (six straight regular-season victories), including a pair of post-season victories (15-6, 2006; 20-3, 2009). The last time that the Ravens won a game in the series occurred in 2001 (39-27 in Baltimore). The Ravens’ two series victories came in 2001 and 1998 (38-31 in Baltimore). Indianapolis won the first game of the series, posting a 26-21 victory in Indianapolis in 1996. The Colts have a 3-2 regular-season road record against Baltimore, including a 17-15 decision at M&T Bank Stadium in 2009.

Noting it — The Colts are closing in on tying the record for the worst regular-season start in franchise history. Indianapolis is currently 0-12 for the year. The 1986 team lost its first 13 games of the season before running off a three-game winning streak to close out the year…Indianapolis is the third home for the Colts’ franchise. The team initially began operations as the Dallas Texans in 1952 before moving to Baltimore for the 1953 season. The team was in Baltimore from 1953 to 1983 before moving to Indianapolis for the start of the 1984 season…QB Dan Orlovsky had career-bests in passing yards (353) and quarterback rating (113.2) in last week’s 31-24 loss at New England…DE Dwight Freeney needs half sack to become the 26th player with 100 career sacks. Freeney has registered 99.5 sacks during his NFL career…DE Robert Mathis has had four sacks in his last five career games against the Ravens…Baltimore offensive coordinator Cam Cameron grew up and attended high school in Terre Haute (South HS). Cameron, the stepson of former Indiana State football coach Tom Harp, played football and basketball at Indiana University. He also served as head football coach at IU….Ravens coach John Harbaugh is the brother-in-law of Indiana basketball coach Tom Crean.

Did you know? — Counting post-season games, the Colts defense has registered six interceptions in their last three meetings with Baltimore.

Did you know 2? — RB Donald Brown is shooting for his third straight games with a rushing touchdown this season.

Did you know 3? — WR Reggie Wayne, with his 52 pass receptions this season, has caught 50 or more passes in nine straight seasons.

Did you know 4? — WR Pierre Garcon has registered single-season best in receiving yardage (805) and has tied his career-high in touchdown receptions with six.

Stat of the week — Including postseason games, RB Joseph Addai has three rushing touchdowns in five career games with the Ravens.

The game plan — Continue to improve on offense. And keep tweaking the defense.

The Colts want to try, if possible, to control the tempo on offense. Indianapolis did a pretty good job against the Patriots defense last week, but the Ravens offer up one of the better defensive units in the league.

Continue their development of the running game, which has shown signs of improvement since the beginning of the season.

Defensively, the Colts can’t afford the communication issues that allowed three second quarter touchdowns at New England.

Getting consistent play from the cornerbacks is paramount, especially since there is only one starter available from the beginning of the season.

Key matchups — Colts QB Dan Orlovsky vs. Ravens rush DE Terrell Suggs. Orlovsky showed pretty good pocket presence last week against New England but was still sacked twice. Suggs, meanwhile, is a one-man wrecking crew for Baltimore with a team-high 10 sacks, two interceptions and five passes broken up.

Ravens RB Ray Rice vs. Colts’ run defense. Rice is coming off a 204-yard effort against Cleveland last week. Indianapolis’ run defense is allowing 99 yards per game and is ranked 26th in the league.

Colts secondary vs. Ravens QB Joe Flacco. Indianapolis cornerbacks are beat up and the safeties, with the exception of Pro Bowl free safety Antoine Bethea, are largely inexperienced. Flacco has completed 240-of-434 passes for 2,895 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

The Indianapolis Colts have finally made an organizational move in response to their 0-11 start to the season. Many fans felt that head coach Jim Caldwell would be the first in the organization to get fired. After a poor defensive effort against the Carolina Panthers, the team announced that they have fired defensive coordinator Larry Coyer.

Indianapolis’ defense is last in the NFL in points allowed per game. They rank 31st in rush yards allowed per game and 29th in yards allowed per game. The defense also has the fourth fewest sacks in the NFL. This is a defense that has Pro Bowl players in Dwight Freeney(notes), Robert Mathis(notes) and Antoine Bethea(notes). They have talented young players like Pat Angerer(notes), Kavell Conner(notes), and Jerraud Powers(notes). There is no reason why this defense should be performing this poorly.

As a fan I feel that this move was long overdue. Every game it’s seemed as if the defense has been poorly prepared and did not make adjustments to what everyone seemed to know the opposing offense wanted to do. Coyer came up with the terrible idea of constantly stunting speed rushers Freeney and Mathis which makes it more difficult for them to get to the quarterback. Coyer also refused to blitz and bring pressure when the defensive line was completely unable to pressure quarterbacks.

Mike Murphy will take over for Coyer as defensive coordinator for the remainder of the season. Murphy has been the linebackers coach in Indianapolis since 1998. Murphy is a proven veteran coach in the NFL and should be able to step right into the role.

There’s no certainty that Murphy will immediately turn around the defense in Indianapolis. At this point in the season there was no reason not to make the change. This is the same move I’ve been hoping would be made with Jim Caldwell. While that still may be the case after the season is over, this move shows that losing will not be accepted by the team. Coyer is the first to go but will surely not be the last. At 0-11, the team has many issues and fans can only hope that this is the first of many changes to be made.

Kyle Rapoza is a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network and has been a lifelong fan of the Indianapolis Colts. He attended Super Bowl XLIV in Miami and follows the team closely. Follow him on Twitter @kyler11.

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(Sports Network) – Does one man make a difference on how a team performs?

It seems that way with quarterback Peyton Manning and the winless Indianapolis
Colts, who will try once again for their first win of the season Sunday versus
the visiting Atlanta Falcons at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Manning hasn’t played a down this season due to his ongoing neck issues and
will most likely not play at all in 2011 despite remaining on the active
roster. In his absence, the Colts have lost eight consecutive games to start
the year and are virtually certain to have a streak of nine straight playoff
appearances end.

The four-time MVP is expected to occupy a roster spot for the remainder of this
tumultuous campaign and could make a cameo appearance sometime in the latter
weeks of the season. Manning hasn’t been cleared to practice yet, however, and
Colts vice chairman Bill Polian was recently asked about one of the game’s most
respected players making a comeback in 2011 rather than waiting for next
season.

“Well, I think that’s generally true. The only caveat would be I’m not sure we
would play him in ballgames,” Polian said of Manning. “For example, if our
offensive line was as beaten up at the end of the season as it is now, I’m not
sure we’d run the risk of playing him. Not to denigrate [substitute
quarterback] Curtis [Painter] in any way, but a guy coming off that long of a
layoff in front of a non-experienced line would be a little difficult.”

It couldn’t get any worse, however, for the Colts, one of the NFL’s two
remaining winless teams along with Miami. For now, Painter will remain the
starter until told otherwise as the Colts are prepare for a rare showdown with
the Falcons at home after playing their last three games on the road.
Indianapolis has scored just 17 points in losses at New Orleans and Tennessee
over the last two weeks and suffered a 27-10 setback to the Titans last Sunday.

Painter passed for 250 yards with a pair of interceptions against the Titans,
one week after going 9-for-17 for 67 yards and a pick in a 62-7 romp at the
hands of the Saints.

Indianapolis has struggled mightily without its offensive captain in Manning
and is 30th in total offense (294.9 ypg) and scoring (15.1 ppg). The team is
hoping a return to Lucas Oil Stadium to play in front of the home crowd will
lift some of the bewildered spirits.

“It’s always nice to have your home crowd, especially when you’re struggling
offensively,” said veteran center Jeff Saturday. “We like to get our crowd
involved, get them excited, and you can play off that momentum and feed off of
it. So it will be good to be back at Lucas Oil, and I look forward to seeing
some smiling faces and some good fans.”

The Colts will also host Jacksonville before their bye week.

Atlanta enjoyed its week off and will visit the Colts before returning to the
Peach State for three consecutive contests. It headed to the bye riding a
season-best two-game winning streak and a 4-3 record — good enough for a
second-place tie with Tampa Bay in the NFC South standings.

The Falcons took care of Carolina and Detroit before a one-week layoff and
will get a healthy Matt Ryan back under center. The quarterback missed a few
plays in the team’s 23-16 win over Lions with what appeared to be an ankle and
knee issue after left tackle Will Svitek unintentionally stepped on Ryan’s foot
in the pocket.

“Quarterbacks get a lot of notoriety and people’s eyes are always on you, so
they kind of see those things a little bit more so than some other positions,”
Ryan said of his injury. “But that’s par for the course in our locker room.
We’ve got a lot of guys who week in and week out, grind through a lot of
different things and show up on the field. I’m just trying to do like everyone
else.”

It’s difficult to be just like everyone else when you’re the quarterback and
face of the franchise, however, and the allure of Ryan going up against Manning
has worn off now that the latter has been relegated to coaching duties on the
sidelines.

Ryan kept his focus on the team and noted how they’re still things to improve
on and stay consistent with, such as winning football games. Only a game behind
the Saints in the division standings, Atlanta can’t let one slip away this
week.

Like all teams around the league, the Falcons have been hampered with injuries
this season. It was recently learned that left offensive tackle Sam Baker will
miss three-to-four weeks with a balky back and Svitek, who filled in for Baker
at Detroit, will take over as the starter. Rookie wide receiver Julio Jones has
missed back-to-back games with a hamstring issue and tight end Tony Gonzalez
missed some practice time this week with a back issue. Both offensive weapons
are expected to be ready for Sunday’s game, however, and Falcons leading
receiver Roddy White can’t wait to see Jones get back on the field.

“We’ve missed him and his big play ability and the things he brings to the
table,” White said. “I was happy to see him out there on Monday running
routes. He even stayed after practice and we got some work in catching balls.
He’ll be ready to fly on Sunday and we’ll be ready to go.”

Sunday’s game will be just the seventh matchup between the two teams since the
Colts re-located to Indianapolis from Baltimore in 1984.

SERIES HISTORY

The Colts own a commanding 13-1 lead in their all-time series with the
Falcons, with Atlanta’s lone win in the set a 28-21 triumph at the Georgia
Dome on Dec. 6, 1998. Indianapolis has defeated the Falcons three straight
times since, following up home victories in both 2001 and 2003 with a 31-13
decision in Atlanta during the 2007 campaign. The Falcons are 0-6 all-time
against the Colts on the road, with three of those setbacks taking place in
Indianapolis.

Both Atlanta’s Mike Smith and Indianapolis’ Jim Caldwell will be opposing one
another, as well as their counterpart’s respective team, for the first time as
head coaches.

WHEN THE FALCONS HAVE THE BALL

Ryan (1,683 passing yards, 9 TD, 8 INT) had nine interceptions in 16 games a
year ago, but is one pick away from matching that mark this season. He has
thrown a touchdown pass in six straight games since not having one in a Week 1
loss at Chicago, however, though his 63.1 passer rating against Detroit was his
second-lowest of the season and worst since a 55.1 showing in a loss to Green
Bay on Oct. 9. The former Boston College college standout has been sacked 18
times already this season for a Falcons team struggling in yards per play (21st
overall), net yards passing per play (24th) and scoring average (17th). Ryan
has played well against the AFC in his career, having gone 9-3 with 18
touchdown passes to three interceptions for a 96.0 quarterback rating. The
Falcons are 17-0 when Ryan has a rating of 100 or better, and he should have a
chance to get to that mark on Sunday. Atlanta is also 25-8 under Smith in games
played indoors, and each of its last nine games will be played inside a dome.
Gonzalez (35 receptions, 4 TD) leads the team in receiving scores and is second
on the NFL’s all-time list with 1,104 receptions. White (39 receptions, 3 TD)
is hoping the return of Jones will open the offense, while running back Michael
Turner (621 rushing yards, 6 TD) will have Jason Snelling as his new fullback
after the team placed Ovie Mughelli (knee) on injured reserve during the bye.
Turner has rushed for 100-plus yards in two straight games.

The Colts have been brutal on defense this season save for the efforts of
middle linebacker and leading tackler Pat Angerer (90 tackles) and defensive
ends Dwight Freeney (12 tackles, 5 sacks) and Robert Mathis (14 tackles, 4
sacks). Angerer posted 10 tackles against the Titans and has recorded that many
on four occasions this season. Freeney is a six-time Pro Bowl selection and the
franchise’s all-time leader in sacks, but hasn’t had one since a loss to Kansas
City on Oct. 9 for the Colts, who are 31st in total defense (402.9 yards per
game), 32nd in scoring defense (31.5 points per game) and tied for 30th with 12
sacks. Indianapolis is also 31st against the run and will have a tough time
stopping Turner after Javon Ringer and Chris Johnson combined for 94 yards in
last week’s win for the Titans. Mathis said the team practices hard, but just
can’t get over the hump on Sundays. Perhaps a return home can boost the
defense’s energy and lift Indianapolis to its first win. If the Colts can find
a way to slow down the Falcons’ run game and force them to pass, they may have
a chance. In the secondary, safety Antoine Bethea (64 tackles) is a solid
contributor behind two lesser-known cornerbacks in Jacob Lacey (30 tackles) and
Jerraud Powers (35 tackles).

WHEN THE COLTS HAVE THE BALL

Painter (1,123 passing yards, 5 TD, 4 INT) has been getting extended time under
center with Manning out due to neck surgery and hasn’t done much to help fans
forget about their beloved No. 18. The former Purdue standout is averaging only
168.3 passing yards with a touchdown and four interceptions in his last three
games, but had a career-best 79 yards rushing in the loss at Tennessee. Running
back Joseph Addai (257 rushing yards, 1 TD) has been bothered by a hamstring
injury and did not play against the Titans. He has missed two of the previous
three weeks because of the problem and had just eight yards on two carries in
the blowout loss at New Orleans. Addai hasn’t rushed for more than 86 yards in
a game this season, but owns 12 rushing touchdowns in 17 career games against
the NFC. Rookie Delone Carter (305 rushing yards, 2 TD) has handled the load in
Addai’s absence and leads the Colts in rushing yards and carries (74). He was
held to 46 yards on nine carries against Tennessee, one game after ripping off
a career-best 89 yards and a touchdown on 10 touches in the loss to New
Orleans. Fellow running back Donald Brown (153 rushing yards, 2 TD) is still
relevant in Indy, and even more so now that Addai is nicked up. Indianapolis’
offensive line has been plagued by injuries this season, but rookie tackle
Anthony Castonzo returned to practice after missing several games with an ankle
injury and should play Sunday.

Atlanta must not take the Colts lightly and hope veteran defensive end John
Abraham (12 tackles, 3 sacks) can muster some pressure up front. Abraham had a
sack his last time out, ending a string of four straight games without getting
to the quarterback, and owns at least one in two of three career meetings with
Indianapolis. Linebackers Curtis Lofton (64 tackles) and Sean Weatherspoon (60
tackles, 2 sacks), who lead the Falcons in tackles, also have to be wary of
Carter or Brown even if Addai is unable to go due to injury. Safety Thomas
DeCoud (37 tackles) is tops on Atlanta with three interceptions, while
cornerback Kelvin Hayden (11 tackles, 1 INT) spent the first six years
of his career with Indianapolis and won a Super Bowl with the team. He is
enjoying a strong first season as a nickel defender with the Falcons and will
have a chance to go against some former teammates this week. The Falcons are
solid against the run this season, allowing 98.4 yards per game, and shouldn’t
have a problem slowing down the Colts’ ground attack. Atlanta is not that
impressive against the pass, however, as it is just 23rd in that category
(265.6 ypg). The Falcons have forced at least one turnover in each of the last
26 games, the longest active streak in the NFL.

KEYS TO THE GAME

Colts wide receivers Pierre Garcon and Reggie Wayne and tight end Dallas Clark
combined for 18 receptions last week in defeat and will be counted on to help
out the struggling Painter once again on Sunday. It’s difficult to imagine a
team losing when three different players have 60 or more receiving yards, but
the Colts found a way and hope history doesn’t repeat itself Sunday.

Winning at home for the Colts used to be as common as someone embarrassing
themselves on Facebook or Twitter. Now they are 0-3 as the host this season
after going 17-5 at Lucas Oil Stadium from 2008-2010, and it appears loss No. 4
at home is on the horizon unless they can reassert their dominance there.

Under Smith, the Falcons are 2-1 following a bye week and went 4-0 in November
last season en route to earning the NFC’s top seed. Smith must not let the time
off be a factor for his team against a hungry and winless Colts squad, as
Atlanta had been playing well before the break.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

It will be the Michael Turner show on Sunday, as the bowling ball-type running
back will rush for more than 100 yards in a game for the fifth time this
season. Turner has to be foaming at the mouth for this chance to run against a
banged-up Colts’ defense and is on pace for another 1,300-yard season. Though
Atlanta is tops in the NFL with a league-leading five turnovers inside the red
zone, it shouldn’t have to worry about adding to that total since Indianapolis
has experienced trouble moving the chains this season. The Falcons haven’t had
that problem, converting 45.7 percent of their third downs, which ranks sixth
in the NFL and third in the NFC.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Falcons 30, Colts 17

The Sports Network

In the midst of an 0-7 start to the season, many Indianapolis Colts fans are searching for answers. The offense, defense and special teams are playing poorly and the team is not winning games. Without Peyton Manning(notes) many fans expected the offense to struggle. Curtis Painter(notes) has played as well as anyone could have expected through his first four starts. The Colts defense has played much worse than anyone could have imagined. They are only missing two key players after injuries to Gary Brackett(notes) and Melvin Bullitt(notes).

The Colts defense currently ranks last in the NFL in points allowed and third-down efficiency, 31st in rushing yards and first downs allowed and 30th in total yards allowed. These defensive statistics show just how poorly the Colts defense is playing. They are playing this bad despite still having Dwight Freeney(notes), Robert Mathis(notes), Antoine Bethea(notes), Jerraud Powers(notes), and Antonio Johnson(notes) from the Super Bowl team of 2009. The talent is certainly there so something else is missing that is causing the Colts to play this poorly.

Many Colts fans felt that changes were needed after the poor start to the season. Cornerback Kevin Thomas(notes) moved into the starting lineup in the week seven loss to the New Orleans Saints. Thomas didn’t play exceptionally well but is now expected to remain a starter. At this point there is no reason not to let Thomas learn and see if he can develop into a future starter at cornerback. The Colts desperately need the help in the secondary and the move to bench Lacey and start Thomas is possibly the first out of several moves for the Colts in the coming weeks.

The real change that may be needed is with the Colts defensive scheme. Defensive coordinator Larry Coyer was chosen by head coach Jim Caldwell after he got the job. Coyer’s philosophy just doesn’t seem to work. The Colts take no risks and players are never in positions to create turnovers and turn the game in their favor. Every time a defensive player leaves they tend to thrive in another system. Colts fans used to think Jim Jennings was one of the worst cornerbacks in the NFL because he constantly gave 10-15 yard cushions to receivers and allowed them constant completions. Once Jennings left and signed with the Chicago Bears, he began playing extremely well and has been a high caliber starter on a top defense in the NFL. Kelvin Hayden also has an interception on the season in limited playing time with the Atlanta Falcons.

Colts fans should be heavily concerned about the performance of the defense so far in 2011. There are certainly talented young players on defense but something is clearly going wrong. As a fan it is noticeable that there is a problem within the Colts organization. I think the players that are there are capable of playing good defense and stopping opposing teams.

The true problem is with the Indianapolis coaching staff. This season has made it clear that if the Colts hope to return to the Super Bowl anytime soon, it’s time to look for a new coaching staff. Jim Caldwell and Larry Coyer are the ones to blame and take the fall for the Colts awful season. The players are playing hard and playing with a lot of heart but they are being out coached every week. With deficiencies in the scheme and philosophies, it appears very unlikely that the Colts’ defense will see much of an improvement in 2011.

More Colts commentary from this Contributor:

Should the Colts Trade Peyton Manning If They Draft Andrew Luck? Fan’s Take

Should the Indianapolis Colts Fire Jim Caldwell: A Fan’s View

Peyton Manning Still May Play in 2011: A Fan’s Take

Kyle Rapoza is a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network and has been a lifelong fan of the Indianapolis Colts. He attended Super Bowl XLIV in Miami and follows the team closely. Follow him on Twitter @kyler11.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.