Indianapolis Colts Blog Fan Site and Schedule with NFL News » super

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.

Colts expect to play for win, not for No. 1 pick

fouccefly — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 02:45:19 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS — Colts defensive end Robert Mathis couldn’t care less about the No. 1 draft pick. All he wants is another win.

Some of Indianapolis’ die-hard fans are urging the team’s brain trust to take a different tack, benching starters and losing Sunday’s season finale at Jacksonville so it can get the top pick.

“It’s better not to respond to that at all,” Mathis said when asked about the fans’ plea. “We play to win.”

The stakes are high.

Since moving to Indianapolis in 1984, only the 1991 Colts (1-15) produced fewer than three wins.

The Colts (2-13) have never finished with a losing record in AFC South play, and the last time anybody beat the Colts twice in the same season was 2007 when San Diego won at home in the regular season and in Indianapolis in the second round of the playoffs.

A victory over the Jags (4-11) would keep all of those streaks intact and allow the Colts to take a three-game winning string into next season, something they haven’t done since the 2006 Super Bowl-winning run.

The message coming from the top is simple: Keep on winning.

“We’re not going after anything but a win in Jacksonville, look at the last half century of SupBowl winners — how many had 1st pick,” Jim Irsay wrote on Twitter late Tuesday night.

Fans have a different view.

A win, coupled with a loss by St. Louis (2-13), would drop the Colts from the No. 1 overall slot down to No. 2, and likely out of the Andrew Luck sweepstakes. Most expect the Stanford quarterback to go in that top slot, whether the Colts or Rams have the pick or trade it.

The possibility of losing the No. 1 pick didn’t even seem plausible three weeks ago when the Colts were still winless. Two wins in five days, over division rivals Tennessee and Houston, and an extended break after last Thursday’s win have suddenly created doubts.

It’s not the first time the Colts have faced such a predicament. After going 0-10 in 1997, Indy won three of its next five, then needed a loss at Minnesota in the season finale to secure the No. 1 pick. It worked out with the selection of Peyton Manning, and the die-hards believe it would all work the same way again this year.

The Jags have a hand to play in this, too.

With Maurice Jones-Drew a near lock to win the league’s rushing title and an interim coach running the team, a Jags loss would not just help their draft position but could also prevent the Colts from taking another franchise quarterback they’d have to face twice a year for more than a decade.

“That’s not a part of my thinking at all,” Jaguars interim coach Mel Tucker said.

Indy’s players and coaches are saying the same thing.

Still, Colts fans point to 2009 when the team benched most of its key players early in the second half of Game 15, throwing away a chance at a perfect season. In the regular-season finale, most of the starters were yanked early at Buffalo. Back then, Bill Polian, now the team’s vice chairman, said the perfect season was not a goal but winning the Super Bowl was.

The Colts also lost to New Orleans in the title game.

Now, with seemingly nothing to gain and everything to lose, those who covet the No. 1 pick argue Indy should do the same thing.

Don’t count on it.

“In this locker room, everyone wants to be in there,” said Curtis Painter, who replaced Manning against the Jets in 2009. “Back then, I think the guys wanted to play then, too. Every guy wants to play and there’s certainly no difference this year.”

Notes: The Colts practiced Wednesday without starting quarterback Dan Orlovsky after his wife delivered triplets. That temporarily put Curtis Painter back in the charge of the starting offense, a tradeoff some Colts fans are willing to make given the circumstances. To their dismay, coach Jim Caldwell said Orlovsky, who has won two straight, should return to practice Thursday and should play Sunday.

What do you guys think about this.

The Five Greatest Games in the Colts/Patriots…

Orarbalge — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 11:22:00 +0000

The Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots have been one of the greatest rivalries of the last decade in the NFL. Peyton Manning(notes) and Tom Brady(notes) are the two greatest players of this era and have produced memorable games every year. This season, their game was moved out of primetime as the Colts are struggling and are currently 0-11 playing without Peyton Manning. Listed below are the five greatest games in the rivalry between the Colts and Patriots.

2006 AFC Championship Game, January 21, 2007, Colts 38, Patriots 34

This was the game that the Colts finally defeated their rivals and earned a trip to the Super Bowl. For Colts fans, defeating their rivals in the AFC Championship may have been equally as important as the Super Bowl. Going into this game the Patriots had their number and this was the game where Manning finally mastered Bill Belichick’s Patriots.

November 15, 2009, Colts 35, Patriots 34

This game is remembered as the 4th and two game. Indianapolis trailed 31-14 in the fourth quarter and pulled off a miraculous comeback. Led by Peyton Manning, the Colts were on a roll in the fourth quarter and Bill Belichick knew it. This caused him to make his boldest coaching move he’s ever made. With a six point lead and the ball on their own 28 yard line, Belichick chose to go for it and came up short. Manning then got the ball with a short field and Indianapolis scored on a touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne(notes).

2004 AFC Divisional Playoffs, January 16, 2005, Patriots 20, Colts 3

Peyton Manning once again ran into the New England Patriots in the playoffs and once again got sent home by the Patriots. In the snow the Patriot defense got the best out of the NFL MVP as Manning’s record against New England moved to 0-7 with this loss. Many Indianapolis fans thought the team was good enough this season to overcome the Patriots and were let down once again.

November 7, 2005, Colts 40, Patriots 21

Peyton Manning was winless in Foxboro in his career going into this game. Finally Manning and the Colts were able to defeat their nemesis on their home field. Manning threw for 321 yards and three touchdowns. Marvin Harrison(notes) and Reggie Wayne both played outstanding games for the Colts. Harrison had nine catches for 128 yards and two touchdowns. Wayne had nine catches for 124 yards and one touchdown. The Colts dominated this game from start to finish. As an Indianapolis fan, it was a relief and a big accomplishment for the team to finally win on the road in Foxboro.

November 30, 2003, Patriots 38, Colts 34

The 2003 regular season matchup between the Colts and Patriots once again did not disappoint. This game is memorable for New England’s goal line stand to end the game. New England was winning 38-34 when the Colts only needed to gain one more yard for a touchdown to win the game. Willie McGinest(notes) stopped Edgerrin James(notes) on a fourth down rush to end the game and keep the Colts out of the end zone.

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.

Feel free to leave your comments below.

Five Things the Colts Need to Focus on During…

aabulgarForeva — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 12:17:00 +0000

The Indianapolis Colts will not lose a football game this week. They also will not play a game this week. At 0-10 on the season, there is certainly a lot for the team to work on during the bye week. Here are five things for the team to focus on during the bye and for the final six games of the season.

Start Dan Orlovsky(notes)

The point to this season is now to evaluate players for the future. Curtis Painter(notes) received his chance to show that he deserves a job in the NFL and failed. Painter is not a quarterback worthy of a roster spot in the NFL. It’s now time to find out if Dan Orlovsky is. Someone will have to backup either Peyton Manning(notes) or Andrew Luck next season. It’s time to find out if that can be Dan Orlovsky.

Give More Carries to Delone Carter(notes)

Delone Carter needs to be given a chance to do more over the final six games. He should be given more carries and a chance to prove himself for the future. Carter has 84 rushes for 327 yards and two touchdowns on the season. This is an average of 3.9 yards per carry. He was unfairly benched although he has only two fumbles on the season. Both Curtis Painter and Kerry Collins(notes) fumbled four times on the season and never lost their job because of it. Carter deserves more of a chance to prove himself.

Find a Kick Returner

Joe Lefeged(notes) is a good young safety but has no future as a kick returner in the NFL. Blair White(notes) was adequate as a punt returner but will never have the speed to elude defenders. The Pierre Garcon(notes) experiment is a good thought but has not paid off at all. Indianapolis badly needs a threat on special teams. Their blocking is bad and the returners are awful. The team needs to finally find someone to add this dimension to the team for the future.

Find a Pass Rush

Opposing teams have given extra attention lately to pass rushers Dwight Freeney(notes) and Robert Mathis(notes). Freeney and Mathis are tied for the team lead with five sacks each through 10 games. They started the season playing very well but are noticeably making less plays lately. Only one other player, Tyler Brayton(notes), has more than one sack on the season. The defense has been consistently picked apart because they are unable to put pressure on the opposing quarterback. Even blitzing has been ineffective this season. If the Colt defense can find a pass rush down the stretch, it may help the team win a game in 2011.

Search for a New Head Coach

Word has gotten out that Bill Polian will be scouting Stanford and Andrew Luck this weekend at their November 19 game against California. Maybe in addition to Luck, Polian can begin his search for a new head coach. Every fan out there has to be wishing that Jim Caldwell is coaching his final six games in the NFL. If the team goes winless there is no way that Caldwell can return. It’s time for Bill and Chris Polian and Jim Irsay to begin quietly exploring candidates who can lead the team back to another Super Bowl.

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

That’s all the news for today.

Probability Of Colts Going Winless: 2.2 Percent

royarlguavy — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 07:55:48 +0000

Just two seasons ago, the Indianapolis Colts made it all the way through Christmas with an unblemished 14-0 regular season record, leading many to believe that the team could make history with a perfect season.

Now the team is attracting attention for just the opposite reason. But just as the 2009 Colts did not win every game (they lost its final two regular season games as well as the Super Bowl to the New Orleans Saints), the probability of the Colts not winning a game this season remains low. According to AccuScore, the Colts have just a 2.2 % chance of going 0-16.

The Indianapolis Colts are in the exact opposite situation of the Packers. The Colts are winless in their first eight games and ranked offensively and defensively in the bottom third of the league. After another big loss Sunday, Indianapolis has a 0-percent chance of winning the division or making the playoffs. They have a better chance of losing every game this season at 2.2 percent. That percentage is low thanks to upcoming games against two of the worst teams in the league, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Carolina Panthers.

Keep the good news coming!

Thanks for visiting our blog =).

Fan Take: The Collapse of the Indianapolis Colts…

gcEaganb1 — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 21:03:00 +0000

Dwight Freeney. Reggie Wayne. Robert Mathis. Dallas Clark. Jeff Saturday.

Peyton Manning
2010

All of the aforementioned players don the blue and white for the Indianapolis Colts, a franchise which has seemingly traversed the wayside without the on-field presence of All-Pro quarterback Peyton Manning. The Colts have yet to notch their first victory (0-7) this season.

Are you sensing the same problem I am? I mean, the fact that the Colts are falling into the depths of despair right before our eyes and they have too many good players to

This could mean one of two things: 1) The quarterback situation, consisting of replacing Manning with Matt “I look like a stoned surfer” Painter, has completely altered the very core of what has made the team so strong for so long or 2) The team lost confidence and bravado when Manning was deemed ineligible to play to due injury.

When Peyton Manning was declared out for a large portion of the season due to a neck injury, Curtis Painter was thrust into the limelight to fill in for a legend of the game. Things haven’t really worked out as planned with the little notice the organization had in regards to Manning’s health and how bad it really was (or at least how much they led the media to initially believe).

But when you really look at it, Painter has not been all that bad. Actually, he has been quite serviceable and currently ranks in the top 12 of NFL quarterbacks in terms of passer rating—which is higher than quarterbacks like Michael Vick, Matt Ryan, Mark Sanchez, Jay Cutler and Philip Rivers. Granted, Painter has not had to do too much in terms of running the team or taking complete control of games. But he has fared better than Kerry Collins did to start the season.

And after all, the Colts have been associated with having an explosive offense for the past decade, winning a Super Bowl in the process and making another Super Bowl two seasons ago. The flow of the team is dictated by offensive prowess and timely defensive plays.

When the Manning drama hit the airwaves just a couple weeks before the preseason, most wondered how the Colts would react without one of the game’s all-time greats being under center in a position he has occupied since being drafted over a decade ago. Many figured the Colts would win six or seven fewer games considering many good players were still around to pick up the pieces, but to be in Week 8 and not have one victory is worse than I think anyone imagined.

As the season drags on and the pressure of achieving that elusive first victory is actually the worst kind of pressure facing this team not living up to its potential, more people will wonder whether Manning really is that big of a deal in Indianapolis. His statistics and MVP trophies and Super Bowl ring all speak for themselves, but can one player mean so much to his team that things completely go haywire when he’s not on the field? Even when Tom Brady was injured a couple years ago, the New England Patriots were lucky enough to have a reliable backup in Matt Cassel who led them to a pretty good season.

Painter is not exactly Cassel, but Cassel is also not exactly Brady either. It was different circumstances for a better Patriots team at that time, and maybe the window is closing quicker than we expected on the current Colts franchise.

Whatever it is, and whatever Manning’s future consists of in terms of playing again this season or any season, the 2011 season for the Indianapolis Colts has been one that the coaches, players and fans would rather soon forget.

Sources:

Yahoo! Sports NFL Page

NFL.com

Colts.com

ESPN NFL Page

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

Feel free to leave your comments below.

Five Worst Moments in Indianapolis Colts History:…

LabeGuarcerak — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 22:51:00 +0000

While the Indianapolis Colts have been one of the most successful franchises recently, they have also had their share of disappointing moments. Many of the worst moments in franchise history came during the playoffs and occurred when fans felt the team could have and should have won in big games.

Losing Super Bowl XLIV

Being in attendance at this game makes the loss even more difficult but this is a game the Colts should have won. In the stadium and with the Colts leading 10-0 I was sure I was about to witness a Super Bowl victory. Having Peyton Manning(notes) throw an interception to Tracy Porter(notes) and have it returned for a touchdown made the game even more difficult for Colts fans.

Loss to Steelers in 2005 Playoffs

This loss hurt because the Colts were clearly the best team in the NFL that year and all signs pointed toward this being the year they would finally win a Super Bowl. This was one of the wildest endings to a game ever as well. As a fan of the Colts, I still wonder how the Colts lost this game. Mike Vanderjagt’s missed field goal makes this one of the worst moments in franchise history.

2004 Playoff Loss to Patriots in the snow

This was another game where the Colts were just not able to get over the hump and defeat their arch rivals. On January 17, 2005 the Colts lost to the Patriots 20-3 and could never get in the game against the Patriots. The Colts were the better team for the entire regular season but could not overcome the Patriots in the playoffs at Foxboro. Another loss to the Patriots was a very difficult moment for Colts fans.

Hail Mary loss in 1995 Playoffs to Pittsburgh

Nobody expected this Colts team to play great and make the Super Bowl but they were incredibly close to doing so. The Colts were good this season for the first time since moving to Indianapolis and came within inches of defeating the Steelers and going to the Super Bowl. Jim Harbaugh’s hail mary attempt was very close but still painful for Colts fans to watch.

Marvin Harrison’s(notes) injury in 2008

Before that injury Marvin Harrison was one of the best wide receivers in the NFL and was an unstoppable weapon for Peyton Manning. Harrison’s amazing statistics often get lost amongst other wide receivers but he was great for a long period of time. Harrison showed no signs of slowing before the injury and could have been a major contributor for the team for a long time if not for the knee injury he sustained.

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

If you like reading our blog, remember to bookmark it.

Top Five Saints Vs. Colts Games in History: Fan’s…

volaspouple — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 23:42:00 +0000

Saints and Colts

Needless to say, the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts have played a couple of big games in recent history. Their most memorable contest came on the grandest of stages, the Super Bowl. However, this is not the only big game that the Saints and Colts have played. Take a look back at the top five games played between the Saints and Colts.

5. 9/6/2007: Colts def. Saints 41-10

As a Saints fan, I will always remember this as the “Jason David game.” GM Mickey Loomis has rarely gotten it wrong in New Orleans. But his biggest gaffe was signing CB Jason David(notes) away from the Colts. Coming off their Super Bowl win, Colts QB Peyton Manning(notes) exposed David in man coverage and the NFC South champion Saints were doomed to wander the Purgatory of mediocrity over the next two years.

4. 12/17/1967: Colts def. Saints 30-10

In my opinion, the 1967 Baltimore Colts are the greatest NFL team that did not make the playoffs. That year, the Colts finished with a record of 11-1-2 and all they got for Christmas was an early end to the season. At that time, the NFL had not yet instituted the wildcard and the Los Angeles Rams, who also went 11-1-2, won out over the Colts in the tiebreaker. The Colts final win of the season came against the Saints in New Orleans’ inaugural season.

3. 10/12/1986: Saints def. Colts 17-14

Neither New Orleans nor Indianapolis was very good in 1986. However, the Saints began to show signs that the winds of change were coming to New Orleans. Under new owner Tom Benson, New Orleans brought in GM Jim Finks and head coach Jim Mora and it didn’t take long for the Saints to become winners for the first time. Against the Colts in 1986, the New Orleans defense forced four turnovers to keep Indianapolis winless through week 6.

2. 9/27/1998: Saints def. Colts 19-13 (OT)

Speaking of the winds of change, they were gusting through Indianapolis in 1998 as rookie QB Peyton Manning experienced growing pains in his rookie season. Many fans may not remember this, but the Saints thrilling victory over the Colts put New Orleans at 3-0 under head coach Mike Ditka that year. New Orleans defeated the Colts when QB Danny Wuerffel hit TE Cam Cleeland with a 33 yard TD pass in OT.

1. 2/7/2010: Saints def. Colts 31-17

The greatest game ever played between the Saints and Colts is an obvious choice. In the 2009 regular season, both the Saints and Colts carried undefeated records well into December. So Super Bowl XLIV was a rare matchup of the top seeds in the AFC and NFC. After a close game most of the way, New Orleans CB Tracy Porter(notes) picked off Manning and ran it back for a TD. This was the biggest win in Saints history and fans like me will never forget this game.

Patrick Michael was born and raised in New Orleans and currently resides in the Big Easy. As such, he is a lifelong, diehard New Orleans Saints fan. His highlight as a Saints fan was experiencing the magical Super Bowl season of 2009.

Sources

“Boxscore finder: New Orleans Saints vs. Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts,” pro-football-reference.com

Indianapolis Colts Vs. New Orleans Saints: A Fan’s…

Cleattfooro — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 01:31:00 +0000

The Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints week seven matchup was supposed to be one of the premiere games on the 2011 NFL schedule. When the game was scheduled nobody expected the Colts to be sitting at 0-6. The Saints are currently at 4-2 like many fans expected. The Colts will still be without Peyton Manning(notes) and the Saints will play the game with coach Sean Payton in the press box after his injury on the sidelines in week six. Peyton and Payton have huge impact on their teams and luckily for the Saints, their Payton will be in his normal role on Sunday.

The game was expected to be a rematch of Super Bowl XLIV between two of the best teams in the NFL. Now the Colts are amongst the worst teams in the league and the Saints are right where everyone expected them to be. While the Colts are currently 0-6, they have been in contention in nearly every game.

For the Colts to win in New Orleans they will need to play their best game yet and play much better defense than they have in their last few losses. The Colts have had troubled slowing down opposing offenses and Drew Brees(notes) and the Saints are the best offense the team has faced yet. Brees has too many weapons for the Colts to sit back in a zone and allow Brees to pick them apart. If the Colts don’t get big games out of Robert Mathis(notes) and Dwight Freeney(notes) the defense could be in for a long day.

The Colts offense is surely capable of moving the ball on the Saints defense but will need to turn drives into seven points if they want any chance of winning. This is the game in which coach Jim Caldwell needs to play unconventional and be more daring. If the Colts face a fourth down he needs to go for it. The Colts should have trick plays and onside kicks ready. They will need every bit of help they can get against the Saints.

For Colts fans hoping for payback after the Super Bowl loss, this will not be the week to get it. The Colts simply are not good enough and are not the same team without Peyton Manning. Before Manning’s surgery this was the one game on the schedule that I circled when the 2011 schedule was released. While I will still be cheering for my team, the Colts stand very little chance in this game.

Prediction: Saints 34, Colts 13

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

Subscribe to our feed!.

Five Best Moments in Indianapolis Colts History: A…

celebritynakeda — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 21:34:00 +0000

The Indianapolis Colts have been one of the most successful franchises in the NFL over the last few decades. Since moving to Indianapolis in 1984, they have bad many great moments. Five stand out above all others for fans of the Colts.

Drafting Peyton Manning(notes)

The Colts were lucky to draft a once in a lifetime player with the first pick in the draft in 1998. If it weren’t for Manning none of the other top moments in franchise history would have ever happen. For much of his career, the Colts have been one of the top franchises in the NFL and Manning is the reason for it. Drafting Manning over Ryan Leaf in 1998 likely saved football in Indianapolis and was the greatest moment in Colts history.

Winning Super Bowl XLI

Super Bowl XLI was my happiest moment as a Colts fan. Winning a Super Bowl is the biggest accomplishment a team can achieve and the Colts were due when they won in 2007. Peyton Manning finally broke through and led the Colts to their first Super Bowl championship in Indianapolis. I’ll never forget the Super Bowl game played in the rain and Kelvin Hayden’s interception return for a touchdown that clinched the victory.

Winning 2007 AFC Championship over the New England Patriots

While the Super Bowl win was a huge win for the franchise, the win over the Patriots may be the biggest game in Colts history. The Patriots were Manning and Colts’ nemesis and prior to this game the Colts were never able to defeat them in the playoffs. After falling behind 21-3, the Colts rallied and won the game in the fourth quarter to defeat their rivals and earn a trip to the Super Bowl.

Defeating the Patriots in 2009 Regular Season

This game will often be remembered as the game when Bill Belichick’s Patriots went for it on 4th and 2 deep in his own territory in the 4th quarter and the Colts pulled off an amazing 4th quarter comeback. The ending of the game is one of the greatest finishes I’ve ever seen. Reggie Wayne’s(notes) amazing touchdown catch to win it capped off a great moment in Colts history.

Monday Night Game against Tampa Bay in 2003

This game will go down as one of the best Monday Night Football games in history. Peyton Manning led the Colts to an unbelievable 4th quarter comeback and then the Colts won the game in overtime. Manning has led some unbelievable comebacks but this may be the best.

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

Gotta run!.

New Orleans Saints host Indianapolis Colts Sunday

elallieva — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 11:28:31 +0000

The New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts will meet for the first time since they tangled in Super Bowl XLIV.

The Colts will enter the Louisiana Superdome – where the championship banner hangs – Sunday night.

Saints cornerback Tracy Porter, a Port Allen native, returned an interception 74 yards for a touchdown to lift the Saints to a 31-17 win in the Super Bowl.

Last season, both teams reached the playoffs only to be ousted in the opening round.

The Saints have started the 2011 season with a 4-2 record. They are tied for the NFC South lead following a loss to Tampa Bay last week.

Meanwhile, the Colts have fallen on hard times. Without New Orleans native Peyton Manning at quarterback, the Colts have stumbled to a league-worst 0-6 record.

That’s all for today.

Indianapolis Colts Coach Jim Caldwell talks about…

BalpPeaniaFap — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 02:27:11 +0000

Indianapolis Colts Coach Jim Caldwell had a teleconference with New Orleans media Wednesday morning. Posted below is a transcript of the call.

Any team is going to have trouble dealing with a losing streak. Most of the guys in your locker room certainly haven’t. How is the morale and is this tough to deal with?

“Yes, we have a lot of guys with a lot of pride and we’ve had great tradition here. Obviously, this is not a comfortable situation and it should not be. The guys are hanging in there, focused and we just have to keep getting better.”

What are your thoughts on the job Curtis Painter has done?

“He’s making progress. Every week he does some things a little better. He’s getting a good sense of the system. He’s been able to make some plays for us. I anticipate that as for one of the few times in his career here, he’s been able to take all the reps to prepare for a ballgame. I think you’ll see that learning curve continue to climb.”

Does it help to have guys like Reggie Wayne and Pierre Garcon who have experience and aptitude for catching the ball?

“There’s no question about that. One thing is that a best friend for you (young quarterback) is a running game and the second best is obviously some receivers who can take short passes and turn them into long gains, guys that have been in the system and understand like Reggie, obviously Pierre and Dallas Clark, so many guys that have been around here a while. It certainly helps them a lot.”

How has Joseph Addai done?

“Yes, Joseph has been making progress. He was out last week. He’s making progress and we’re hopeful. He’s coming along and we’ll see how he goes. He won’t practice today. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.”

How have things changed in this being the first rematch from the Super Bowl?

“There are a lot of guys on this team that weren’t here, so obviously every season is a little bit different. That was a little ways back. We have a lot of competitors here. There are a bunch of competitors down there. It’s obviously going to be a great game. It’s a night, nationally televised. I think there are a lot of things we’re looking forward to. I don’t think anyone’s expressing anything about a rematch. It’s a new year, new season. There’s a lot of water under the bridge. In terms of the challenge they represent, they’re a great team. Drew Brees is having a great year throwing the ball. Obviously, they have some weapons to get it to. (Jimmy) Graham’s doing a great job, (Darren) Sproles is doing a nice job. The rest of their cast are doing a great job. The offensive line and defense give you all kinds of problems and the special teams unit is very good. You have your hands full.”

Does matching wits with the coaching staff enter into your mind at all since there hasn’t been much change on either side since the Super Bowl?

“What’s in my mind is getting our team ready to play against a very talented team. Coach Payton does a great job of getting his team ready. Obviously, we’re going to do likewise.”

Did Tampa do anything significantly different against the Saints last week from your vantage point?

“No, I just think that Tampa’s a good team. Obviously, we struggled with them, but they can do some things very, very well. They rush the passer well, put pressure on you, they obviously run the ball well and they have a good, solid kicking game. Overall they don’t make a lot of mistakes and they capitalize on the mistakes that you make. I just saw two teams battle. That’s the way it is in this league. It’s anybody’s game. That’s how we’ve been for the last five weeks in the thick of it and not able to make a play down the stretch what it usually comes down to, you have the ball and you’re driving down the field to try to get a score to tie it or win it and the opposition has the ball and obviously trying to basically do the same thing or sustain a lead. Those games are always tight. I didn’t see anything any differently in the Saints and Buccaneers game over the weekend.”

Will you stand on a different place on the field after watching Sean Payton go down over the weekend?

“I’ll do what I normally do. You have to certainly be aware down on that sideline. I worked for Joe Paterno at Penn State for a number of years, for eight years and have seen what’s happened to him on the sideline. It’s not something that’s unheard of. There are a lot of guys flying around on that field, a lot of bodies flying. You’re just fortunate by the grace of god that I haven’t sustained a significant injury. I’ve been run over before though on the sideline.”

Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.

Colts bench Manning for Sunday to end ironman run

Fonkilzaridos — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 00:17:06 +0000

Peyton Manning’s streak of 227 consecutive starts for the Indianapolis Colts, the second-longest run by any NFL quarterback, will come to an end Sunday, the team announced on Wednesday.

The Colts said they will start backup Kerry Collins at Houston in their NFL season opener, ending a run of 208 regular-season starts in a row plus playoffs for the 35-year-old superstar who has a five-year contract worth $90 million.

“To say I am disappointed in not being able to play is an understatement,” Manning said. “I simply am not healthy enough to play and I am doing everything I can to get my health back.”

Manning, who sparked the Colts to a 2007 Super Bowl triumph, has not fully recovered from neck surgery last May 23 to repair a nerve. He had back pain after practicing last week for the first time. New tests have been scheduled.

“The team will do fine without me, and I know for sure that I will miss them much more than they miss me,” Manning said.

“The best part about football is being out there on the field playing with my teammates. It will be tough not to be out there playing for the organization and our fans.”

Only retired Brett Favre, whose run of 297 games in a row ended last season, has played more consecutive NFL games at quarterback since Manning’s streak began after he was drafted first overall in the 1998 NFL Draft.

“It’s going to be a little different without Peyton. He is one of a kind,” Colts coach Jim Caldwell said. “Most teams have had quarterbacks that have missed time. Ours has just been highly unusual.”

The Colts are entering uncertain territory but remain confident.

“He is a great player,” Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney said of Manning. “There are 52 other guys on the team. One guy does not win the game.”

Collins, 38, came out of retirement a few weeks ago to join the Colts in case Manning was not ready to start. Collins took the New York Giants to the Super Bowl in 2001.

“I really do feel like I’ve come a long way in a short period of time,” said Collins. “My comfort level is still pretty high.”

Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.

Are Indianapolis Colts, Peyton Manning already…

guecerafe — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 19:28:47 +0000

By JIM LITKE
Indianapolis, you were warned.

Fans in every NFL city think the Super Bowl host jinx is just a myth until it lands on their town. But there’s a variety of reasons why no team that has provided the stadium for the big game has ever played in it. And at the rate they’re piling up reasons, the Colts — host of February’s title game — might be the first knocked out of the running even before the regular season kicks off.

After a decade as the league’s most stable franchise, and arguably its most successful, Indy is suddenly the capital of chaos. A bad wing threatens to snap Peyton Manning’s NFL-best consecutive-games streak, and depending on who you talk to, it might be the least worrisome of his injuries. Owner Jim Irsay has been on a Twitter binge, mischievously tweeting that he was chasing one aged quarterback (Brett Favre) when he wasn’t, then announcing the actual signing of another (Kerry Collins) before letting his team in on it. Not everyone thought it was funny.

“Who says Kerry’s going to be the starter?” star receiver Reggie Wayne grumbled, putting in a bid for longtime backup Curtis Painter to get the job. “Just because we bring him in doesn’t mean he’s the starter.”

And then there’s this: Indy just hired disgraced former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel as a game-day consultant to help with video-review challenges, but decided he won’t start until he has served his NCAA suspension and then some. The last time things were anywhere near this crazy was 10 years ago and four questions into a postgame press conference and Jim Mora, the coach at the time, was standing at the podium.

“Playoffs? You kidding me? Playoffs? I just hope we can win a game! Another game!”

Mora was replaced by Tony Dungy at the end of the 2001 season and that hasn’t been a problem since. The Colts won a Super Bowl, reached another, made an NFL record-tying nine straight postseason appearances and won more regular-season games than anybody. So steady was the organization, from Irsay and vice chairman Bill Polian on down, that Dungy basically handed his clipboard to longtime assistant Jim Caldwell in January 2008, and the team barely skipped a beat — until this past offseason.

Everyone assumed the steadiest franchises would be hurt the least by the lockout; just the opposite appears to have happened to the rock-steady Colts. The first hint of a crack in the foundation appeared in late May, when Manning underwent surgery on his neck. But that seemed almost routine when Irsay handed him a five-year extension worth $90 million at the end of July. Since then, reports on Manning’s readiness have been all over the map.

He was held out of the preseason, then upgraded from the physically-unable-to-perform list just in time to merit a “doubtful” on the injury for this weekend’s opener against Houston. Yet fans encouraged by Manning’s uncanny ability in past seasons to show up for the bell should remember that not a single Colt listed as “doubtful” all of last season played the game that week. Given the uncertainty surrounding Manning’s status at the moment, and how much it has unsettled the rest of the team, they’d take one week without him in a heartbeat.

The Colts have already auditioned more free agents in this preseason camp than the total for nearly the past decade. And talk about mixed signals. In Collins’ only preseason appearance, Wayne and front-line receivers Dallas Clark and Pierre Garcon, as well as top running back Joseph Addai, stayed glued to the sideline. That indicated Manning was likely to be ready. Now, the Colts are stacking up running backs and getting Collins as many repetitions with the first team as time allows. Plus, Painter still has a job, indicating Manning is unlikely to be ready until, well, until when?

“As of now Peyton continues to deal with a complicated neurological recovery, the end date of which is unpredictable,” the Colts said in a statement.

Anyone who knows more is invited to call Caldwell.

“It’s been an incredible feat,” the coach said. “He’s been an iron man, there’s no other way to put it. It’s doubtful that he plays this week, but it takes a very unusual individual to have that streak.”

Much the same could be said about the Colts’ unbroken run of success. What’s been almost as remarkable, up until now, anyway, is how well they’ve managed to keep nearly all of the drama that accompanied bottled up between the white lines.

Jim Litke is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at jlitke@ap.org. Follow him on http://twitter.com/JimLitke

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

Colts re-sign K Vinatieri to three-year extension

haimeia — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 03:18:07 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The best clutch kicker in league history is staying put. So is Bob Sanders’ replacement.

On Wednesday, Adam Vinatieri and Melvin Bullitt both agreed to three-year deals, keeping them in Indianapolis. Details of the deals were not immediately available, and team spokesman Avis Roper said the Colts would not confirm any transactions until later this week because players cannot officially sign contracts until Friday.

Vinatieri’s agent, Gary Uberstine, confirmed the move in an e-mail to The Associated Press. Bullitt took to the local airwaves to confirm his deal.

“It was `Let’s get this done, let’s move past it, let’s get ready for the season,’ ” he told radio station 1070 The Fan Wednesday afternoon.

Bullitt has been a backup to the oft-injured Bob Sanders since joining the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2007, but is expected to become a full-time starter this season after Sanders’ release. Sanders, the 2007 NFL defensive player of the year, signed with San Diego before the NFL lockout began.

Getting both deals completed quickly at least provides some answers for a team scrambling to put its roster together before players report to training camp Sunday.

Still, the biggest concern — a new long-term contract for four-time MVP Peyton Manning — has not been resolved . Team owner Jim Irsay has repeatedly promised to make Manning the highest-paid player in league history. Tom Brady currently holds that distinction with an annual average salary of $18 million.

Indy placed the exclusive franchise tag on Manning in February, a move that prevents him from negotiating with other teams and would pay Manning about $23 million this season if he signed the deal. Clearly, the Colts would prefer a long-term deal that lowers Manning’s salary cap number for this season and clears enough room to sign more of their own free agents.

“I hope it can get done quickly and I think it should get done quickly,” Irsay said Monday night. “Under this system, you can’t pay a player $25 million or you won’t be able to compete.”

While the Manning negotiations continue, the Colts have been busy signing undrafted rookies and agreeing to deals with Vinatieri and Bullitt.

The 38-year-old Vinatieri is one of just seven players in league history to score 500 or more points with two different teams (Patriots, Colts).

He made the 48-yard field goal that gave New England its first Super Bowl win after the 2001 season He also made the tying kick in regulation and the winner against Oakland in the snow during the 2001 playoffs, a game best remembered as the “tuck rule” game. Two years later, Vinatieri made another Super Bowl winning kick against Carolina.

And he played an integral role in the Colts’ 2006 Super Bowl run, making five field goals in a 15-6 win at Baltimore, going 3 for 3 against New England in the Colts’ AFC title game comeback, and 3 for 4 on a rainy Miami day to help beat Chicago in the title game.

After missing much of the 2009 season following hip surgery, Vinatieri played in all 16 games in 2010 and made 26 of 28 field-goal attempts.

Bullitt came into the league as an undrafted free agent in 200, started 21 games in 2008 and 2009 and had five interceptions in his first three NFL seasons. Last year, after replacing the injured Sanders as the starter again, Bullitt had season-ending surgery on his right shoulder in October.

More roster moves should be coming by Friday night.

Irsay has acknowledged the Colts will have to cut some players, perhaps even a “well-known” player. Though he did not identify any individuals as potential cap casualties, speculation has centered on longtime right tackle Ryan Diem. He is scheduled to make $5.4 in base salary this season, the last on his current deal.

“I’m like everybody else, I suspect something is going to happen,” said Cliff Brady, Diem’s agent. “I know they’re trying to get Charlie Johnson done.”

Johnson has been the starting left tackle the last two seasons in Indy and is an unrestricted free agent.

Indy used its first two draft picks in an obvious attempt to upgrade the offensive line. But it’s unlikely the Colts want two rookie linemen protecting their high-priced franchise quarterback, who is still rehabbing from offsesason neck surgery.

In addition to Bullitt, Johnson and Vinatieri, the list of free agents Indy would like to retain includes running back Joseph Addai and linebacker Clint Session, both starters.

Another possible cap cut could be cornerback Kelvin Hayden, whose base salary this season is expected to be nearly $9 million. It was Hayden who picked off the pass against Chicago and returned it for a touchdown to seal the Colts’ Super Bowl win.

“We are talking to some of our own guys,” general manager Chris Polian said Tuesday. “We will not have the ability to retain all of our free agents. We will try to retain as many as we can, but I would not expect that to be 100 percent across the board.”

What do you guys think about this.