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Indianapolis Colts reshuffle the deck by firing…

Jadouin — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:39:00 +0000

Less than 24 hours after a season-ending loss at Jacksonville gave Indianapolis the No. 1 pick in April’s draft, Irsay fired the team’s vice chairman and general manager and decided to keep coach Jim Caldwell at least until he finds a replacement for the father-and-son team.

“It was a very tough decision for me,” the Colts owner said Monday. “I had a chance to talk to them both, I had a chance to express to them, and Bill in particular. You know how hard it was and the appreciation the franchise has for all that has been done by Bill, and obviously, him and I go back 30 years. So this is difficult, this is the tough part of this business.”

For more than a decade, the Polians and Irsays seemed to operate in lock step.

Irsay sided with Polian after the 2001 season when the then team president and coach Jim Mora clashed. He thought enough of Chris Polian to begin the transition from father to son and he repeatedly supported Polian publicly even when fans were unhappy with Polian’s decisions and reactions.

But after 13 straight losses, a 2-14 record without Peyton Manning and the second-fewest wins in the franchise’s Indianapolis era, Irsay had no choice.

“I’m grateful for all the support the fans have shown us in good times and bad,” Polian said in a statement issued by the team. “Indianapolis has been a wonderful place to live and work. Most of all, I would like to thank the players, coaches and staff who have played the pivotal role in this magnificent journey. I will miss them all.”

Nobody ever doubted how much influence the elder Polian had on the game or the Colts.

He helped create the league’s salary cap structure and was a longtime member of the league’s rule-making competition committee.

He was the architect of four Super Bowl teams in Buffalo, the rapid ascension of Carolina’s expansion team and the Colts’ resurgence. Six times, he was named NFL executive of the year by The Sporting News. He drafted the Colts’ career leaders in passing (Manning), rushing (Edgerrin James) and sacks (Dwight Freeney), and the No. 2 receiver in franchise history (Reggie Wayne). His teams won two Grey Cups in the Canadian Football League, played in eight NFL championship games and five Super Bowls, and the 10-game improvement from 1998 to 1999 set a league record. In 2006, Polian finally got his elusive Super Bowl ring.

The cornerstone for all that success in Indy, though, was Manning, and the inability to find an adequate backup proved Polian’s undoing.

Manning missed the entire season with a neck injury after signing a five-year, $90 million deal in July. The Sept. 8 procedure was his third neck surgery in 19 months, and the Colts went through three different quarterbacks before getting their first win.

Players also became increasingly dismayed by the comments Polian made on his weekly radio show. The most vocal critic was Manning, probably the only person in the organization with more leverage than the team’s vice chairman.

That’s all for today.

Polians out in Indianapolis

Galeopernia — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 12:08:01 +0000

A young Indianapolis Colts fan tries to cheer up his team against the Atlanta Falcons at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday. Didn’t work. The Falcons defeated the Colts 31-7. (GETTY IMAGES)

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TORONTO -

Who knew that Peyton Manning’s pain in the neck was contagious? It’s turned into an injury that took down the big players in the Indianapolis Colts’ front office.

It’s been hardly a secret for the past decade that Manning’s brilliance as a quarterback was central to the Colts’ steady string of successes, including a Super Bowl title.

Nobody realized, though, how quickly the house of cards constructed by vice-chairman Bill Polian and his son Chris, the club GM, would fall apart without Manning. Both were dismissed Monday.

“It’s a new era,” said owner Jim Irsay during a late-afternoon press conference.

“We’re moving into exciting times by my estimation. The search for a GM begins immediately. We have not talked to any teams or potential GMs yet. This is not like ’97 where we replaced the GM in matter of hours. It will be a matter of time, possibly a couple of weeks.”

After a season without Manning, who has had three neck surgeries in the last year, produced two victories and a chance at the Next Big Thing — Andrew Luck — Irsay came to the conclusion that maybe it was time for some new blood in the Colts’ executive suite.

“It was time,” said Irsay. “It was the right decision to make. Fourteen years is a long time in this league. It’s an intuitive decision. A lot goes into it.”

And, once Irsay gets rolling on this franchise renewal process, the broom could get even broader. He said Monday that head coach Jim Caldwell’s status is still under review.

So, less than 24 hours after the Colts put the capper on a 2-14 season with a loss in Jacksonville, Irsay sent the Polians packing, with the potential for vets like Reggie Wayne, Jeff Saturday, Ryan Diem and Robert Mathis, (all free agents) to follow in the not-too-distant future.

You might even be able to add Manning’s name to that list. The Colts have to decide whether to pick up Manning’s $28-million option in March and if this turns into a total rebuild, then what would Irsay want with a 36-year-old superstar quarterback with health concerns?

That becomes especially problematic if he has Luck waiting in the wings to be the centrepiece of the next generation of Colt excellence.

As far as Bill Polian is concerned, he was the architect of many moves in the late ’90s and into the new century that created the framework around which Manning could work his magic. His hiring of Tony Dungy was a coup, along with the trading of Marshall Faulk and the subsequent draft of Edgerrin James. The Colts won at least 10 games in every season but one from 1999 through 2010.

Unfortunately, the last five Indianapolis drafts have not produced many impact players as the core of the team got older. Still, Polian can be proud of his record that has earned him NFL Executive of the Year honours six times.

He built Super Bowl teams in both Buffalo and Indianapiolis, with a stop in Carolina in between where he constructed a team that went to the NFC title game.

The Colts were a broken franchise when Polian arrived in 1997 but he ended up with the No. 1 draft pick that he used to select Manning, an immediate star, over Ryan Leaf, a massive bust.

It is difficult to predict how the Manning/Luck situation is going to play out. If Irsay, or his new GM, is able to confidently judge that Manning is going to be able to stand the rigors of regular NFL play again, then there is no reason why Luck couldn’t take a backup role for a season or two before growing into the role as Manning fades into the sunset.

Manning has suggested that he could work with a young quarterback.

“I think I can co-exist with any player I’ve ever played with,” Manning told reporters on Sunday. “I think I’ve always been a good teammate in that way.”

The elephant in the room is not so much Luck but the $28 million that must be paid to Manning early in March as part of his contract. There has been talk of a renegotiation — but not by Manning.

The alternative would be to cut Manning but it would be a very sad way to part company with somebody who was, and remains, an Indianapolis icon.

The futures of Wayne, Saturday and Mathis, as well as several other high-priced veterans, probably rest with Manning.

If he is back and ready to play, then the expectation will be there to contend. But if he’s not in the picture, then many of those veterans will not be there, either, as the rebuild begins.

That’s all the news for today.

Indianapolis Colts fire Polians as cleansing…

Astelsope — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 04:33:36 +0000

Team owner Jim Irsay fired team vice chairman Bill Polian and his son, Chris, the Colts’ general manager on Monday. He said there was a good chance coach Jim Caldwell will be back next season, but his evaluation was not over.

He also must still decide whether a healthy Peyton Manning and a new quarterback can co-exist in the same locker room, and which veteran free agents come back next year, if any.

“I don’t think there’s ever been a year in the NFL where a team went 2-14 and there’s not been changes,” defensive captain Gary Brackett said Monday, less than 24 hours after a season-ending loss at Jacksonville.

Outsiders had expected the first order of business to be the firing of Caldwell, who won 14 straight games and advanced to the Super Bowl in his first season as Colts coach. Caldwell said he simply went about his business Monday, speaking with Irsay following the 19-13 loss at Jacksonville and with both Polians on Monday, part of his usual routine.

“You lose as many games as we lost in a year, there’s a problem, there’s an issue,” Caldwell said. “But when we were 14-2, the way you guys put it, my job was in limbo then, right?”

The elder Polian had constructed Super Bowl teams in Buffalo and Indy, and an NFC title contender at Carolina.

But troubling signs emerged this season as the Colts lost time and time again — 13 straight at one point — with Manning sidelined to recover from Sept. 8 neck surgery. And it was Manning who suggested he and Bill Polian were not on the same page.

Polian said on one of his weekly radio shows that he and the four-time league MVP had discussed the possibility of establishing a transition plan at quarterback and that Manning was OK with it. Manning later said the two had never discussed the 2012 draft plans, which include the No. 1 pick amid speculation that the Colts will take Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck to groom as Manning’s successor.

Then, just before Christmas, Polian told local reporters that Manning would fail his exit physical, a move that would actually help the Colts because it would allow him to continue working out at the team complex during the offseason.

“That was kind of news to me,” Manning told reporters Sunday, then said he probably could pass the physical.

Fans have been clamoring for the ouster of Caldwell and both Polians. Irsay, a frequent poster on Twitter, has been listening.

“I want 2 thank all ColtsFans..here,throughout the country n abroad,4ur tremendous,loyal support all year long. Ur feedback is heard n noted,” he tweeted Monday morning.

For their part, players offered support for Caldwell, who just wrapped his third year as head coach in Indy.

“One thing about Jim is that he’s a stand-up guy, and guys respect that,” cornerback Jerraud Powers said. “He’s a great coach, a good guy, and it was unfortunate situation this year. But he never lost the locker room.”

The longer and, perhaps, more critical debate is how to rebuild this team and what to do at quarterback.

Manning never played after undergoing his third neck surgery in 19 months, a fusion of two vertebrae.

He did, however, start throwing to teammates in mid-December and received good reviews from both Bill Polian, who was watching, and running back Joseph Addai, who was catching balls. Doctors familiar with the procedure who did not treat Manning say he should return to a high level of play now that the fusion has healed.

If he is healthy, Irsay has promised to bring back Manning regardless of the $28 million bonus he is owed in March.

But after posting the NFL’s worst record without Manning, the Colts also have won the Luck sweepstakes, potentially putting two franchise quarterbacks on the same roster.

“I think I can co-exist with any player I’ve ever played with,” Manning said Sunday. “I think I’ve always been a good teammate in that way.”

If Manning returns, Irsay might be more likely to bring back former Pro Bowlers Robert Mathis, Jeff Saturday and Reggie Wayne, all of whom are now in their 30s, and keep other key high-priced cogs in the Colts’ success such as Brackett and safety Melvin Bullitt.

“I think when you’re playing, you’re so entrenched with the people you go to work with every day,” Saturday said. “It’s different for us to go out and think like an owner. But whatever decisions, we’ve got to take it as a community and move on.”

He’d clearly had enough of the Polians, though.

Bill Polian drew the wrath of fans in 2009 when he pulled the starters in the third quarter against the New York Jets, costing the Colts a chance at a perfect season after going 14-0. At the time, Polian told listeners that the team’s goal was to win the Super Bowl, not go undefeated. Indy wound up losing the Super Bowl, too.

When Manning went down this season, Polian came under fire for not having a capable backup in place, signing Kerry Collins out of retirement and fueling speculation that the team was interested in Brett Favre. He told radio listeners that he accepted the blame.

What are your opinions.

The Colts v. Jags – A Preview for Sunday’s game

liegreven — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 23:42:07 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS —
The game — Indianapolis Colts (2-13, 1-3 AFC South) at Jacksonville Jaguars (4-11, 2-3 AFC South), EverBank Field (Grass), Jacksonville, FL, 1 p.m. (EST).

Coverage CBS Sports (Spero Dedes, Steve Beuerlein); Colts Radio Network (Bob Lamey, Will Wolford, Kevin Lee); Sirius NFL Radio Channel 113 (Colts), Channel 112 (Jaguars); XM NFL Radio Channel Channel 233 (Jaguars).

The coaches — Colts: Jim Caldwell (26-21, 3rd year); Jaguars: Mel Tucker (1-3, 1st year). Jim Caldwell has a 3-2 career coaching record against the Jaguars. Tucker is Jacksonville¹s interim head coach and has never faced Indianapolis in his current role.

The series — 22nd regular-season meeting. Colts lead series, 15-6. The Jaguars have posted wins in two of the last three matchups. Indianapolis, though, has won four of the past six and six of the past 10 meetings. The Colts have a 7-3 record against Jacksonville in road games. Six of the last eight games have been decided by a touchdown or less. Seven of the last eight meetings have been decided by 10 points or less. Eight of the last eight matchups have been decided by 14 points or less. Jaguars PK Josh Scobee has provided the margin of victory for Jacksonville in three of the series meetings (53 yards with 0:38 left on 10/24/04; 51 yards with 0:04 left on 9/21/08; and 59 yards with 0:05 left on 10/3/10).

Noting it QB Dan Orlovsky has completed 34-of-58 passes for 326 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions over the past two weeks in wins over Tennessee and Houston. Orlovsky has a 95 passer rating in fourth quarter as a Colts starter in 2011ŠRB Joseph Addai had two rushing touchdowns in his last meeting at JacksonvilleŠWR Reggie Wayne needs 113 receiving yards to reach 1,000 for the eighth consecutive season. Wayne has 887 receiving yards this seasonŠWayne has caught two touchdown passes in his last two games, wins over AFC South rivals Tennessee and HoustonŠWR Austin Collie has hauled in four touchdown receptions in his past four meetings with the JaguarsŠDE Robert Mathis has registered three sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in his last two gamesŠMathis needs 1.5 sacks to reach 10 for the fifth time in his NFL career.

Did you know? With Minnesota winning last Saturday against Washington, it’s down to Indy and the Rams as to who will get the No. 1 pick in the 2012 NFL draft. But draft positioning is the farthest thing from the mind of the Colts.

Did you know 2? The Colts have never been swept by an AFC South opponent since the division came into existence in 2002. The Titans and Texans fell the last two weeks and Jacksonville is up next.

Did you know 3? WR Pierre Garcon needs 75 receiving yards to reach 1,000 for the first time in his NFL career. Garcon has six touchdown receptions this year, which ties his single-season best (2010).

Did you know 4? DE Dwight Freeney has recorded nine career sacks against Jacksonville. DE Robert Mathis is aiming for his third straight game with a sack against the Jaguars.

Stat of the week Reggie Wayne has 1,599 receiving yards against the Jaguars, the most against any opponent.

The game plan – Finish. That’s the goal heading into the Jacksonville game on Sunday.

Finish with a sweep of AFC South teams after knocking off Tennessee and Houston the last two weeks. Finish on offense when you’re in the red zone.

Find a way to punch the ball into the end zone. And finish on defense. Finish the turnaround that started in the second half of the loss to Baltimore.

Simply put, the Colts must be able to have a sustained running game while taking advantage of passing situations. Defensively, Indianapolis has to be able to slow down the Jaguars running game. And they must find a way to force mistakes by a rookie quarterback.

Key matchups – Colts WR Reggie Wayne vs. the Jaguars secondary. Wayne usually plays well against Jacksonville and he has played well over the last two weeks in wins over the Titans and Texans. Depending on how his offseason contract negotiations go, Sunday’s game with the Jaguars could very well be Wayne’s last in an Indianapolis uniform.

Jaguars QB Blaine Gabbert vs. the Colts’ pass rush. Indianapolis didn’t do a bad overall job against Gabbert earlier in the season, although there were some crucial breakdowns in the second half of that game that allowed the rookie signal caller to break free of the pocket and make some plays downfield. That can’t happen on Sunday.

Colts run defense vs. Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew. Jones-Drew is considered to be the best running back that Indianapolis’ defense faces on a regular basis. He has been tough for the Colts to stop completely. They’ve slowed him down some on occasion, but Indianapolis — who came very close to drafting Jones-Drew in 2006 and teaming him with RB Joseph Addai — has yet to completely shut him down.

Leave your comments on the news below.

Reggie Wayne is Still an Elite Receiver: Fan’s…

Squaggede — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 04:11:00 +0000

The Indianapolis Colts have struggled in 2011. The opened the season 0-13 and looked as if they had a possibility of going winless on the season. Then the team dug in and won two games in a row to move to 2-13 on the season. Through the ups and downs, Reggie Wayne has always been there and has had a very good season.

Indianapolis’ statistics are down across the board on offense from what fans are used to seeing. Peyton Manning has not played this season and the quarterback play has been just awful. Kerry Collins and Curtis Painter were downright awful for the first 11 games of the season. Dan Orlovsky has been a big improvement and has the team playing better football lately.

Even with the poor quarterback play, Reggie Wayne has hung in there and is quietly having a very good season at 33 years old. A lot of talk has been made recently about Wayne’s upcoming free agency and that the December 22 matchup against the Houston Texans could have been his last game at Lucas Oil Stadium. If it was, Wayne didn’t disappoint. He didn’t disappoint this entire season when you factor in what he’s had to play through.

With one game left to play, Wayne has 67 receptions for 887 yards and four touchdowns on the season. Wayne has an average of 13.2 yards per catch which is higher than his averages of the last two seasons. You can’t fault Wayne for the fact that his quarterbacks have been awful and have not been able to get him the ball.

Indianapolis has two wins on the season and both wins were clinched with touchdown catches by Reggie Wayne. This is no coincidence.

Reggie needs 113 yards in the finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars on January 1 to finish off his eighth straight season with over 1,000 yards receiving. This would be an amazing feat when fans look back on this seasons Indianapolis Colt team.

Wide receiver Pierre Garcon currently has one more catch and 37 more yards on the season than Wayne. Garcon has been the beneficiary of several deep balls early in the season and yardage that has been added on late in blowout losses. Wayne has consistently made the big plays and catches in key situations. Anyone who argues that Garcon has become the better player is simply not watching the games.

It’s impossible to say what would have been in Indianapolis if Peyton Manning had not missed the season. What I do know is that Reggie Wayne has not lost a step and deserves to be re-signed in Indianapolis to complete his career there. If anything, he needs to be rewarded for the work he has put in over the last 11 seasons. Fans have to appreciate the work Reggie Wayne has put in all season in 2011.

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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Colts finally get 1st win, beating Titans 27-13

elallieva — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 14:11:06 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS (AP)—The Indianapolis Colts piled up wins for more than a
decade. Their victory Sunday might go down as one of their most memorable.

After 14 straight losses, 50 weeks without a win and 14 years between
non-Peyton Manning victories, the Colts don’t have to worry about 0-16 anymore.
They’re 1-13.

Dan Orlovsky threw a touchdown pass and had the key block to spring an
80-yard touchdown run that sealed Indianapolis’ 27-13 victory over Tennessee,
giving Orlovsky the first win of his NFL career.

“To finally get one, and in the aspect of a lot of certain situations, it
feels great,” Orlovsky said. “I’m very humbled to be a part of it. I’m happy
for a lot of people on this team, for a lot of people in this organization. It
is a lot better than the feeling we have had lately.”

And for a change, the Colts had plenty to smile about.

Orlovsky had lost his nine previous NFL starts including the season-finale
in Detroit’s 0-16 season. He’s the first quarterback not named Manning to win a
game for the Colts since December 1997 when Jim Harbaugh was the quarterback.

Brown ran 16 times for a career-high 161 yards, tying Tom Matte’s franchise
record for longest run, set in 1964. The breakout performance might also
temporarily quiet some of Brown’s biggest critics, who have labeled him a
first-round draft bust.

Indy’s much-maligned defense forced three turnovers, scored a touchdown on
Jacob Lacey’s 32-yard interception return and stopped Tennessee (7-7) on fourth
down with less than 2 minutes left so Orlovsky could run out the clock with the
traditional kneel-down.

Even coach Jim Caldwell got some support.

“I just want to say how happy I am for Coach Caldwell, our coaching staff
and for our players for how diligently and spectacularly they’ve worked and
prepared through all this difficulty,” team vice chairman Bill Polian said.

But the celebration was muted. After the last defensive stop, Indy’s players
and coaches simply raised their arms as the remaining fans cheered loudly.

The good news was that Colts avoided becoming the first team in franchise
history to go 0-14.

The bad news: They’re still playing for the No. 1 draft pick, which goes to
the team with the worst overall record and will have to do it without Manning.
Polian ruled him out of the last two games just minutes after the victory.

“It (winning) means a lot, but we’re a proud ballclub so one game out of 13
or 14, we still have a ways to go,” defensive end Robert Mathis said.
“Everybody held the fort today. We just kept chopping wood and the tree fell
today.”

For Tennessee, it’s an inexplicable loss that could keep them out of the
playoffs.

By closing the season with three straight wins, the Titans could have
controlled their own destiny. Now, they’ll probably have to win their last two
and get help.

“In the first half, we played uninspired football on the offensive side of
the ball and we still had a 6-3 lead because the defense played very well,”
Titans coach Mike Munchak said. “You have to run the football and we couldn’t.
Not only could we not run it, we were losing yards and that put us in a tough
spot. The turnovers start creeping in and (Jared) Cook fumbles the one that
could’ve been the chance to get something going then the interception happened.
That’s really what killed us.”

There were plenty of other problems, too.

Matt Hasselbeck returned from his calf injury but didn’t play well,
finishing 27 of 40 for 223 yards with no TDs and two interceptions. Chris
Johnson ran 15 times for 55 yards. And when Jake Locker got the Titans back in
the game after relieving Hasselbeck, the defense couldn’t corral Brown.

Locker’s 7-yard TD pass to Nate Washington with 3:43 left got the Titans to
20-13.

But on Indy’s next offensive play, Tennessee’s defense appeared to have
Brown cornered in the backfield. That’s when Brown reversed field and Orlovsky
jumped in front of the defender closest to him, running a basketball pick. It
was just enough to get Brown a wide-open lane, and he sprinted right through it
80 yards for Indy’s longest run since Matte in 1964.

“He was about to go down. Akeem Ayers came in there for the tackle. Donald
just got out of it. I went in for the tackle, and the quarterback cut me off,”
safety Michael Griffin said. “From there I don’t know what happened, but we
have to tackle better.”

Indy opened the scoring with a 47-yard field goal that ended a of more than
500 minutes in which the Colts never had the lead

Rob Bironas answered with two field goals before halftime to give the Titans
the 6-3 lead.

This time, Indy needed only about 10 minutes to retake the lead. Orlovsky’s
18-yard TD pass to Reggie Wayne made it 10-6. Lacey followed that with his
interception return and Vinatieri made it 20-6 after Indy forced a punt
following a muffed kickoff that went out of bounds inside the 1.

Locker’s TD put the game back in doubt, but Brown wrapped it up with the
long run.

“You just feel like a dark cloud has been removed for the time being, of
course,” the excited Mathis said. “Back to work Tuesday, trying to do it
again.”

Notes: Colts running back Delone Carter left in the first half with an
undisclosed forearm injury and did not return. … The Titans are 0-4 at Lucas
Oil Stadium. … Locker was 11 of 16 for 108 yards with one TD after relieving
Hasselbeck. … Johnson had eight catches for 54 yards.

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Indianapolis Colts Vs. Tennessee Titans: Fan’s…

MrbolgarLub — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 23:45:00 +0000

The Indianapolis Colts are still in search of their first victory of the season in week 15. This is not what I expected to be writing about at the beginning of the season, but here we are. Indianapolis has only three games remaining to avoid finishing the season winless. This week they will face the Tennessee Titans at home on December 18.

This game will be the best chance for Dan Orlovsky to show what he can do against an average team. In his first two starts, Orlovsky faced the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens and was not terrible. He was clearly better than Curtis Painter and he actually moved the ball and helped the team score points on offense. There is no reason why he should not do significantly better against the Tennessee Titans.

Indianapolis needs to try to air it out downfield to Pierre Garcon and Reggie Wayne in this game. They have nothing to lose and need to be more aggressive in this game. As a fan of the team, it remains frustrating that the coaching staff refuses to do anything unconventional in an attempt to win. Why not go for it on every fourth down? There is no downside to it at all at this point. There is no reason why fans should expect anything different from Jim Caldwell this week though. It’s as if he has no idea that he is coaching for his job.

Colt fans early in the week appeared lucky enough to be facing rookie quarterback Jake Locker. Matt Hasselbeck now looks like he is on pace to start against the Colts. Whichever quarterback gets the start, they should have no trouble moving the ball against the Colt defense. One sign of hope is that Indianapolis generally does a very good job defending against running back Chris Johnson. If they can slow Johnson down, they may even stand a chance in this game. Tennessee does not have an explosive offense and should not be able to run away in this game.

I think this is a game where Indianapolis remains competitive and can put themselves in a position to win the game. They will likely fall short like every other game this year. At this point, fans can only hope that Dan Orlvosky will pull off his fourth quarter magic and make the game appear closer than it really is again. Orlovsky has shown that he is great at scoring points in the fourth quarter when the game is out of hand. Luckily, I think he’ll be able to do that and give fans hope that the game was actually closer than it really was.

Prediction: Titans 24, Colts 17

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Winless Colts offer viewers a grueling endurance…

tomaPalfcooff — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 20:15:38 +0000

I get paid to watch the Indianapolis Colts. I don’t know how anyone else does it.

Don’t get me wrong. You have to admire Colts fans who stick by their team, which is now stuck at 0-13 after a 24-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday in Baltimore.

Loyalty in sports often ranks as a low priority among professional athletes as they jump from team to team, but it’s a requirement for true fans. Your team is your team whether it’s good, bad or Colts ’11. You don’t abandon it for another bandwagon, no matter how frustrating; just ask Cubs fans.

So, kudos to Colts fans who have persevered from Collins to Painter to Orlovsky, a football version of Tinkers to Evers to No Chance.

Still, this latest Colts exercise was more torturous than ever, almost impossible to endure and a cinch to mentally dispose of five minutes later.

By my unofficial count, there were two moments worth watching:

1. Dwight Freeney’s 100th sack. The great defensive end devoured Joe Flacco like he was engaged in some sort of salute to classic Pac-Man. Freeney just swallowed him whole. For Freeney, who was shut out in his attempt to make Tom Brady his 100th victim, it was a week late but sweet nonetheless.

2. Reggie Wayne’s one-handed grab. The greatest catch of the season didn’t count since Dan Orlovsky’s pass was a sliver too wide. Wayne went up with one hand, his arm stretching like made of elastic, and pulled in the pass. He was out of bounds. And, in a way, that captured Wayne’s season: Supreme talent wasted.

Beyond that, the only suspense was whether the Colts would break their 1954 record for fewest offensive yards in a game. They tried their worst, but failed when a fourth-quarter Orlovsky completion to Wayne put them well past the 67 yards set 57 years ago. Maybe next week.

Colts coach Jim Caldwell likes to say things are never as good or as bad as they seem, although we haven’t had to contemplate any good illusion for a while. In that light, Orlovsky is not as good as he looked against the Patriots [team stats]’ bend-and-crack-and-sometimes-break defense nor as bad as he looked against the Ravens’ Super Bowl-worthy defense.

But, wow, was Orlovsky discombobulated by Baltimore. Toward the end, before he threw a touchdown pass to Jacob Tamme as time expired – a personal moment of semi-excitement as it cemented my predicted 24-10 final score – he seemed to be taking the snap and throwing a pass simultaneously. And then he’d still get hit by a minimum of two Ravens.

On the bright side, Anthony Castonzo now has some good film on the difference between being a consistently strong left tackle and being a human blocking dummy for Terrell Suggs. I’m sure it was not a fun learning experience, but should be a valuable one moving forward.

Speaking of moving forward, and other good news, the Colts have three games left, including their final two home games in a five-day span. They play the Titans at home next Sunday, followed by the Texans on NFL Network’s Thursday Night Football on Dec. 22. Then it’s off for Christmas. (Dear Santa, we’d like two lock-down corners and some luck. Or some Luck, depending on Peyton Manning’s health.)

The end finally arrives on Jan.1 on the road in Jacksonville. The Colts’ New Year officially begins Jan. 2.

Colts fans will keep watching for three more weeks. It’s become a test of devotion now. The reward remains the prospect of the most entertaining NFL Draft since 1998. Now you couldn’t pay me to miss that.

———

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Peyton Manning is Throwing a Football Again: Fan’s…

Moseexpotte — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 09:17:00 +0000

Peyton Manning can still throw a football! As minor as this seems, this is big news for fans of Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. It’s been over three months since his last surgery and Manning recently got news that he is progressing. Coach Jim Caldwell announced on December 14 that Manning has begun throwing the ball again. He has yet to participate in practice but throwing the ball is a step forward.

The most important news will be whether Manning’s body responds well to increased activity. If he suffers no setback, Manning would very much be on pace to play at the beginning of the 2012 season. If he is in fact healthy, there is no doubt he should be playing for the Indianapolis Colts. Andrew Luck could also be in Indianapolis, but there is no doubt that Peyton Manning would be the quarterback.

As a fan of the team, it’s nice to hear any positive news on Manning. Indianapolis Colt fans have had very little positive news in 2011 and any progress for Manning is great news. Indianapolis is trying not to go winless after an 0-13 start to the season in 2011. Fans have had to suffer through seeing Manning watching the team from the sidelines this season.

For fans who questioned all year why Manning was still on the active roster, they may soon have an answer. If Manning is healthy enough and gets cleared to practice, he should. It will help a lot more to have him line up on the field and throw to the ball to Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark and Austin Collie than equipment managers and trainers. This is the reason Indianapolis has held out a roster spot for Manning in 2011. Owner Jim Irsay recently said that Manning is unlikely to suit up and play in games in 2011 at this point.

Even if they end the year 0-16, fans should all be encouraged if Manning is in pads and practicing with teammates soon. As a big fan of Manning, it leaves me excited and encouraged for the future.

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Fantasy Football Preview: Indianapolis Colts in…

Motherloadcheatsw — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 03:13:00 +0000

Note: The opinions expressed here are my takes on each player’s individual matchup. As always, use your best judgment and conduct your own research on who to start or bench each week. You know your individual team and/or league situation better than anyone else.

Dan Orlovsky, QB

Averaging just 14.70 fantasy points per game in the last four weeks, Orlovsky is not the fantasy quarterback you want on your team leading you in the playoffs. He scored just 8.44 fantasy points last week against the Baltimore Ravens but looks to have a better matchup this week against the Tennessee Titans. Tennessee is giving up 15.54 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks this season but even if he were to hit his average, confidence is low during the playoffs when solid games are necessary.

Donald Brown, RB

Averaging 9.80 fantasy points per game in the last four weeks, Brown has been a surprise performer for owners in deeper leagues. He had a tough game against the Ravens last week scoring only 2.20 fantasy points but looks to rebound this week against the Titans. Tennessee is allowing 18.41 fantasy points per game to running backs this season but much like Orlovsky, my confidence in him during the playoffs is slim. RB Joseph Addai is also back in action but remains unreliable for the rest of the season.

Reggie Wayne, WR

Averaging 9.30 fantasy points per game in the last four weeks, Wayne remains one Indianapolis Colts player I am confident in throughout the fantasy playoffs. He scored just 4.10 fantasy points last week against a tough Ravens team but looks to rebound this week against the Titans. Tennessee is giving up 17.61 fantasy points per game to wide receivers this season, so while he is not expected to have a huge game, he is a reliable No. 3 receiver this week.

Pierre Garcon, WR

Averaging 11.70 fantasy points per game in the last four weeks, Garcon is undoubtedly the best fantasy player on the Colts’ team. While he scored only 4.60 fantasy points last week against the Ravens, he has a good matchup against the Titans and remains Orlovsky’s top target. His risk lies only in the fact Orlovsky is under center.

Jacob Tamme, TE

Both Tamme and TE Dallas Clark should not be given any consideration during the fantasy playoffs. While Tamme did score 7.30 fantasy points last week, it was due to a single 13-yard touchdown reception.

Adam Vinatieri, K

Averaging just 5.50 fantasy pointsper game in the last four weeks, Vinatieri is best suited on the waiver wire for the remainder of the season. It is sad for a kicker who has had such a great career, but history does not translate into fantasy points when gunning for a league championship.

Defense

Averaging 4.30 fantasy points per game in the last four weeks, the Colts’ team defense belongs on the waiver wire with Vinatieri for the remainder of the season.

Sources:

All data provided by Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Football

Paul Rados is an avid fantasy football participant and a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow him on Twitter @PSRados or leave him a message on Facebook. For a complete look at his freelance work please visit his Blog.

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Colts Ravens preview

Lullyguigue — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 18:16:19 +0000

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.

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Indianapolis Colts Injury Report, Week 14: Dallas…

Enaskrairee — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 07:02:01 +0000

Read More: Dallas Clark (TE – IND), Brody Eldridge (TE – IND), Terrence Johnson (DB – IND), Drake Nevis (DT – IND), Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Indianapolis Colts at Baltimore Ravens, Dec 11, 2011 1:00 PM EST

The Colts’ path to 0-16 got a little bit easier this week, as they have lost three more regulars for the season due to injuries. Colts DB Jerraud Powers (elbow), CB Terrence Johnson (ankle), and now DT Drake Nevis (lower back) were all placed on the injured reserve this week.

The good news is that tight end Dallas Clark was a full participant in practice and could play this weekend along with fellow tight ends Brody Eldridge and Ryan Mahaffey.

Here is the full injury practice report from NFL.com:

LB A.J. Edds (Ankle) – Did Not Participate In Practice –

WR Anthony Gonzalez (Groin) – Did Not Participate In Practice –

DE Robert Mathis (Not Injury Related) – Did Not Participate In Practice –

C Jeff Saturday (Not Injury Related) – Did Not Participate In Practice –

WR Reggie Wayne (Not Injury Related) – Did Not Participate In Practice –

TE Dallas Clark (Fibula) – Full Participation in Practice –

TE Brody Eldridge (Hand) – Full Participation in Practice –

DE Dwight Freeney (Not Injury Related) – Full Participation in Practice –

TE Ryan Mahaffey (Concussion) – Full Participation in Practice –

LB Pat Angerer (Knee) — Limited Participation in Practice –

LB Ernie Sims (Toe) – Limited Participation in Practice

That’s all the news for today.

New England gears for Indianapolis invasion

Veperymnl — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 10:18:18 +0000

Don’t think the New England Patriots take the winless Indianapolis Colts for granted.

In his weekly press conference at Gillette Stadium Wednesday, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was pretty adamant about this coming Sunday’s game.

He reminded reporters that preparation is no different for him than other weeks even if the Colts are 0-11.

“We talk about it every game,” Belichick said. “It doesn’t matter. The 16 games on our schedule, they’re all the same. It’s our team against that team that week. We look at, try to learn about our opponent and scout them and pick up tendencies and strengths and weaknesses and all that, but how we match up against that team that day is all that matters.”

The Colts, who is missing star quarterback Peyton Manning and a slew of other key players, are 21-point underdogs.

Although the New England defense is dead last in the NFL in total yards per game, pass net yards per game and first downs per game, Indy is the distinct owner of the NFL’s worst stat — last in points allowed.

Still it doesn’t faze Belichick at all.

“The rest of it is a bunch of garbage,” Belichick said. “You guys can write about it all you want but it doesn’t matter, really. The winner of this game will be decided by which team plays better on Sunday, not what happened four weeks ago.”

Quarterback Tom Brady even said he wasn’t looking forward to seeing the Colts’ Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis on the defensive side.

“I think they’ve got some players that can really play,” Brady said. “I’ve played Dwight Freeney a bunch. I wish he was out this week, but he’s in there again. He’s a phenomenal player. If I could be a defensive end, I’d be like him, and Robert Mathis on the other side. Both those players can really wreak havoc and strip sacks.”

Brady knows New England will have to play just like they did a week ago.

“They’ve been in a lot of close games,” Brady said. “They haven’t won them, but they’re in them. We have to go out there and we have to try to play really well, play more consistent, kind of like we did last week. We played more consistent than we had the previous week. We’ve got to go out there and play very consistent this week, too.”

Indianapolis announced this week they will have 6-foot-5 journeyman Dan Orlovsky under center this Sunday instead of Curtis Painter.

Patriots linebacker Rob Ninkovich said it doesn’t matter.

“I don’t know what they’re going to do with their situation with the quarterback but whoever is out there, we’re going to play them,” Ninkovich said. “Whatever the Colts decide, we’re going to have to prepare for.”

Orlovsky will have dependable receivers to throw too as well.

Indy still has superstar Reggie Wayne (47 receptions for 652 yards and a pair of touchdowns) and Pierre Garcon (46 receptions for 655 yards and four touchdowns).

“He’s fast,” New England safety James Ihedigbo said about Garcon. “He’s a run and catch type of guy … he’s dangerous with the ball in his hands. They do a good job of getting the ball to him. He can kind of do his thing. He’s definitely an explosive threat.

“Reggie is still the same but he has a different guy throwing him the ball. He is definitely one of the best players at his position.”

Ihedigbo himself said the Patriots need to improve each week even if they’re playing the winless Colts.

“We have the mentality as a team that it is about us,” Ihedigbo said. “The type of team that we want to continue to be, excelling at areas to get to where we want to go. So playing the Indianapolis Colts, it’s an opportunity for us to play the type of football that we want to. Record don’t matter to this team. It is based upon the game on Sunday and what each team brings to the table.”

So come Sunday, New England knows better not to let its guard down.

They’re still in the hunt for the best record in the AFC.

“In the NFL, it does not matter because there are players on every team,” Ninkovich said. “You have to respect everyone on the team. You have to go out there and play every week. Take one game at a time.”

Contact Steven Sanchez at ssanchez@tauntongazette.com

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Patriots Coach Bill Belichick Not Looking Past…

xiaofeifei — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 06:58:14 +0000

By Alex Boeder

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Nov 30, 2011 – Admittedly, without Peyton Manning, the Indianapolis Colts versus New England Patriots rivalry has lost most — if not all — of its luster. But even though the Colts have fallen on the hardest of times without the injured Manning behind center, Patriots coach Bill Belichick took great offense to the idea that his team would treat this weekend’s opponent any differently, via NFL.com.

When a television reporter suggested it’s easier gauge a team’s progress by facing a strong opponent, Belichick cut her off.

“Yeah … I don’t agree with that,” he said. “So, you can go ahead on your soliloquy about that, but I just don’t agree with that. You don’t think you can gauge a team based on how a player blocks Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis? I mean, who else would you gauge it against? What? Are you kidding me? Covering Reggie Wayne, (Austin) Collie, and (Pierre) Garcon — you don’t think you can gauge your coverage based on those players? I don’t care what their record is. You don’t think there’s better receivers around than them? Better pass rushers than Freeney and Mathis? I mean, I’m not sure what games you’re watching here.”

Not everyone sees the upcoming Colts/Patriots game in such a compelling light as Belichick — in fact, even the NFL rescheduled the Dec. 4 matchup from the Sunday evening prime time slot to 1:00 p.m. ET.

But even while Tom Brady versus Dan Orlovsky does not have the same ring to it, Belichick and the Patriots will be up for the game. And that they should be — after all, Indianapolis has likely reached the point where beating New England would make up for some — if not most — of their troubles in 2011.

Read More: Tom Brady (QB – NEP), Peyton Manning (QB – IND), Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots

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Colts Panthers preview

baconbarks — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 17:43:40 +0000

Indianapolis —
The game — Carolina Panthers (2-8, 0-2 AFC South) at Indianapolis Colts (0-10, 0-3 AFC South), Lucas Oil Stadium (FieldTurf), Indianapolis, IN, 1 p.m. (EST).

Coverage — FOX Sports (Chris Myers, Tim Ryan); Colts Radio Network (Bob Lamey, Will Wolford, Kevin Lee); Sirius NFL Radio Channel 91 (Panthers), Channel 104 (Colts); XM NFL Radio Channel 228 (Colts).

The coaches — Colts: Jim Caldwell (24-18, 3rd year); Panthers: Ron Rivera (2-8, 1st year). This is the first time that Caldwell has faced Carolina as a head coach.

The series — 4th regular-season meeting. The Panthers lead the series, 3-1. Indianapolis’ only win in the series occurred in the last meeting as the Colts posted a 31-7 win in Charlotte on 10/28/07. Carolina won the three previous matchups (1995, 13-10, Clemson; 1998, 27-19, RCA Dome; 2003, 23-20 in OT, RCA Dome). The Panthers are the only team that Indianapolis has not beaten in a home game.

Noting it — Former Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison will be inducted into the franchise’s Ring of Honor at halftime of Sunday’s game with Carolina. Harrison joins Jim Harbaugh, Bill Brooks, Robert Irsay Sr., Chris Hinton, Ted Marchibroda, Tony Dungy and the 12th Man in the Ring of Honor…Indianapolis vice chairman Bill Polian served as Carolina’s general manager from 1994-96…Panthers defensive backs coach Ron Meeks was the Colts’ defensive coordinator from 2002-08…Carolina offensive consultant Ricky Proehl played wide receiver for Indianapolis in 2006…Panthers LB Jordan Senn (2008-09), TE Ben Hartstock (2004-06), RB Josh Vaughan (2010), and P Jason Baker (2004) have all played for Indianapolis. Hartstock was a former draft pick of the Colts…Indianapolis DE Tyler Brayton (2008-10) and S Stevie Brown (2011) have both played for the Panthers…RB Joseph Addai had 100 yards rushing with three TDs (two rushing and one receiving) in his only meeting with the Panthers (10/28/07)…In two career games against the Panthers, WR Reggie Wayne has 11 catches for 239 yards and two touchdows…DE Dwight Freeney needs 1.5 sacks to become the 26th player with 100 career sacks…DE Robert Mathis needs 1.5 sacks to record 80 for his NFL career…Carolina tight ends coach Pete Hoener served as Indiana State’s offensive line coach and offensive coordinator from 1978-84. Hoener was also as an assistant coach at Purdue.

Did you know? – Wayne needs eight catches to have at least 50 receptions for nine consecutive seasons.

Did you know 2? — WR Pierre Garcon needs 164 receiving yards to surpass his career-best of 704 yards, which was set last season.

Did you know 3? — Rookie RB Delone Carter ranks second among first-year running backs in the AFC with 327 rushing yards. Carter trails Miami’s Daniel Thomas, who has 406 rushing yards.

Did you know 4? — CB Jerraud Powers is aiming for his third consecutive game with an interception. Powers had picks against Atlanta and Jacksonville.

Stat of the week — The Colts have a 13-9 record after a bye week.

The game plan — Find a way to win. Scratch out a victory. Make plays on both sides of the ball.

Offensively, the Colts have to show more consistency in their possessions. Indianapolis continues to shoot themselves in the foot with untimely penalties and unforced errors.

Defensively, keeping the Carolina quarterback contained in the pocket is key. The Colts can’t allow any breakouts, or breakdowns, in assignments. Play the scheme, follow the game plan and play smarter.

Key matchups — Colts QB Curtis Painter vs. Panthers RDE Charles Johnson. Painter has been sacked 14 times this year. Johnson, meanwhile, has a team-leading seven sacks in 2011. The Indianapolis signal caller is more mobile than he’s given credit for, but is slow sometimes in getting rid of the football.

Panthers QB Cam Newton vs. Colts DEs Dwight Freeney/Robert Mathis. Indianapolis has had success in the past in putting pressure on big mobile quarterbacks, such as Steve McNair, Donovan McNabb, Duante Culpepper and Vince Young. But whether they can provide enough pressure against Newton remains a big concern.

Colts CB Jerraud Powers vs. Panthers WR Steve Smith. Powers is hands down Indianapolis’ best cornerback. Smith, meanwhile, is a game-breaking receiver who can make plays all over the field. He has caught a team-high 56 passes for 992 yards and five touchdowns this season.

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