SB Nation - Mike Hart

Monday "Practice Estimation"

shake n bake — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:20:19 -0000

Thursday night game means that to comply with the leagues requirement of 3 injury reports teams need to give a "Practice Estimation" on Monday, reporting which players they'd expect to hold out of practice if they were conducting a practice today. As you'd expect for the day after a game, the lists are long. Really it's more telling to look at who isn't listed. In the Colts case that list is actually shorter and we'll start with that.

Players Not Listed (count on them playing)

Curtis Painter, Mike Hart, Jacob Tamme, Gijon Robinson, Dallas Clark, Austin Collie, Hank Baskett, Micheal Toudoze, Mike Pollak, Jeff Saturday, Ryan Lilja, Antonio Johnson, Fili Moala, Erwin Baldwin, Philip Wheeler, Freddy Keiaho, Ramon Humber, Cody Glenn, T.J. Rushing, Jaime Silva, Devon Hall, Justin Snow, Pat McAfee, Matt Stover

Players that would've rested (likely playing)

Dwight Freeney, Antoine Bethea

The Injured (who knows?)

Joseph Addai (knee), Gary Brackett (foot), Raheem Brock (back), Donald Brown (chest), Melvin Bullitt (shoulder), Keyunta Dawson (knee), Kyle DeVan (shin), Ryan Diem (hamstring), Eric Foster (back), Aaron Francisco (ankle), Pierre Garçon (knee), Anthony Gonzalez (knee), Kelvin Hayden (knee), Tim Jennings (ankle), Charlie Johnson (foot), Jacob Lacey (Biceps), Peyton Manning (glute), Robert Mathis (quad), Daniel Muir (hamstring), Jerraud Powers (Hamstring), Jamey Richard (Shoulder), Tom Santi (hand), Clint Session (calf), Chad Simpson (back), Tony Ugoh (hip), Adam Vinatieri (knee), Reggie Wayne (foot).

Colts.com link

Recap Week Fourteen: Colts 28 - Broncos 16

BigBlueShoe — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:14:13 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

3 days ago: Indianapolis Colts offensive tackle Ryan Diem (71) celebrates with a fan after Indianapolis defeated the Denver Broncos, 28-16 in an NFL football game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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When the game was over, after the players exchanged pleasantries, the coaches shook hands at midfield, and the media did their round of post-game interviews and pontifications, Colts owner Jim Irsay gathered the team in the locket room and asked them to do something they probably hadn't done all season: Reflect.

Sunday's win over the very resilient Denver Broncos was the Indianapolis Colts 22nd straight regular season win, breaking a record held by the arch-nemesis of this franchise: The New England Patriots. The win also gave the Colts more victories in one decade than any other team in NFL history. Consider these outstanding, absolutely mind-boggling accomplishments, and then recall (or reflect, if you will) in your own minds the days of Jeff George, Eric Dickerson, Mike Pagel, George Wonsley, and Art Schlichter. Recall the 1-15 team from 1991, which scored a total (A TOTAL!) of 13 touchdowns for the entire season. Recall the 3-13 1997 team, which saw the Colts start the season 0-10. For all you old-time Colts fans, I know these names and these years are still pretty sharp in that noddle upstairs. So, when you look back on those years, and then look at what these Colts this decade have accomplished...

... yeah, I get why Jimmy Irsay wanted his guys to reflect a bit. Colts head coach Jim Caldwell summed it up well:

When you can go 22 straight in this league, that’s an accomplishment. That’s difficult to do. Obviously, it’s built on the shoulders of several guys who aren’t even in that locker room. There were some guys last year who were on the team that weren’t part of it this year. But, never the less, they built a cornerstone. [Former Colts head coach] Tony [Dungy] included in that group. When you look at the 113, now 114 victories in a decade, that’s a lot of wins, and a lot of guys took part in that.

For such a key, historical victory to come at home against a worthy opponent like the Broncos makes the win all the more special. Yes, many people will talk more about Brandon Marshall's historic day catching the football (21 catches, 200 yards, 2 TDs). People will talk about Peyton Manning throwing 3 INTs. It's how things go. Press and other media enjoy focusing more on individual accomplishments than on what a team does collectively.

For us, we will look at this win from the historical perspective. We will look at this win and how it will define this team, and this franchise moving forward. For while it did place the Colts into the upper pantheon of great NFL franchises of all time, more critical for the here-and-now is that the win locked up homefield throughout the AFC Playoffs. It created a first round bye, which is so very critical now that the Colts are injured and need some guys to get back healthy.

It also pushed the Colts record to 13-0 (same record as the currently undefeated Saints), making this the first time in 89 years of the NFL that two teams have entered the mid-December point of the season undefeated.

(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

The game itself was like so many Colts games this season: A tale of two different sets of quarters. In the first and fourth quarters, the Colts dominated the Broncos. In the second and third, its was the other way around.

However, consistently throughout the entire game, the Colts defense was there making big plays to secure the victory. During a post-game recap will Colts radio announcer Bob Lamey, Colts President Bill Polian likened this game's defensive effort, intensity, and execution to the Baltimore Ravens playoff game the Colts won back in the 2006 playoffs. Jim Caldwell, who was with the Colts during that playoff game as an assistant coach, took it one step further:

"I'm not certain I've seen a better defensive effort than what our guys put forth today," Colts coach Jim Caldwell said. "They were very, very tough."

One of the key areas of weakness for this Colts team over the years was not red zone defense or limiting big plays, which is what Indy did to Denver's offense all afternoon. The weakness was short yardage, and allowing the opponent to convert on critical third and fourth down plays. In 2009, this new Colts defense, coached by former-Broncos assistant Larry Coyer, seems to excel when a critical stop is needed.

Despite Brandon Marshall's near-Herculean effort to catch anything and everything thrown at him, the Broncos never led in this game. The closest they ever got was five points, and that was in the fourth quarter. On two drives in the first half, the Colts defense stoned the Broncos on fourth down, including a very key fourth down stuff of Knowshon Moreno on the Colts 41 yard line. The Broncos went for it early on fourth down because the score was 14-0 Colts, and Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels didn't seem to have a lot of early faith in his defense.

(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

The Broncos would go for it again on fourth down; this time in the second quarter in Colts territory at the 45 yard line. Once again, they were stuffed.

In the second half, the Broncos clawed their way back into the game due in part to three second half INTs thrown by Peyton Manning. Granted, two of the INTs were off deflections. So, killing Manning for those seems a bit excessive. Regardless, prior to today, the Colts were 0-11 when Peyton Manning throw three or more INTs in a game.

The Broncos, however, were unable to capitalize fully on the Mannng INTs. One amazing stat that rarely gets discussed: The Colts have yet to surrender a TD off a turnover all season long. That stat alone is likely why this Colts team is 13-0.

Josh McDaniels maximized his team's offensive sets by isolating Brandon Marshall on the Colts new fan whipping boy, Tim Jennings. Jennings was playing because of a hamstring injury Jerraud Powers sustained earlier in the game. To Jennings' credit, he played and fought hard. He even got the better of the Denver offense by snagging an INT off Kyle Orton, who was clearly picking on him all game long. But, the reality is the Broncos wanted to isolate the 6'2 Marshall on the 5'8 Jennings, and it worked (somewhat) for them.

Tim Jennings (23) struggled against Brandon Marshall

(AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

However, while a lot of people want to bash Jennings, the reality is for a player of his talent, he played very well. Marshall grabbed 21 footballs out of the sky, but not one reception was what is often called a "big gain." Sure, some were for key first downs. Two were for short touchdowns. But, none were for 50-yard TD strikes, which is what Denver needed if they were to have any hope of taking the lead in that game.

Down 21-0, playing a methodical, move-the-chains kind of game is not going to help you gain the lead. You need to score, and score quickly. Obviously, you don't want to panic, but taking nearly two and a half quarters to score 16 points is not going to help you beat a team like the Colts. By keeping all of the Broncos offense "in front of them," so to speak, the Colts defense was able to provide the offense a cushion of recovery, as they seemed to have fallen asleep during the third quarter.

When the fourth quarter rolled around, after the defense had contained Denver much of the day, Indy's offense woke up. They went on their seemingly patented, opponent throttling drives: 14 plays, 80 yards, consuming 7:19 of clock, culminating in a one-yard TD pass from Manning to Dallas Clark, who had three TDs on the day. The final drive iced the game, which concluded with yet another fourth down stop by the Colts defense.

(AP Photo/AJ Mast)

This game, probably more so than any other this season, summed up well these "new Colts." Teams in the past, perhaps even the stellar championship team of 2006, likely could not overcome a 3 INT performance by Manning, who also had 4 touchdowns on the day, I might add. These "new Colts" absolutely stoned the Broncos rushing attack, limiting them to 3.2 yards rushing for the game. Meanwhile, Joseph Addai continued to impress, averaging 4.2 a rush, while Mike Hart showed why he will likely get more playing time as this team moves closer to post-season play. On the foot-to-the-throat drive to ice the game, Hart made several key runs to move the chains and gain first downs. This kind of running was hard, physical, punishing running; the kind of stuff we don't often see from Donald Brown or Joseph Addai.

Credit goes out to the Denver Broncos, who never quit despite being down 21-0 early. We've seen a lot of teams quit this season. Heck, we likely saw Randy Moss quit on his team just yesterday. The Broncos didn't quit. Moocho respect for that. Hats off to their fan community at Mile High Report.

The Colts now enter the silly time, where the next three game have absolutely no meaning whatsoever. With so many players likely injured, and with the next opponent, the Jacksonville Jaguars, scheduled for this Thursday night, it might not be possible for the Colts to "rest starters" as they prepare for post-season play.

But, there is plenty of time to discuss options on what they should do moving forward. Right now, we savor the win. We savor the history. We savor the greatness that is Indianapolis Colts football. Colts owner Jim Irsay says it best:

"The way we are around here, we love to win," Colts owner Jim Irsay said. "To have that type of greatness, it's something that's unprecedented. When you think about 20, 30, 80 years from now, people will be referring back to you, it's really special."

Go Colts!

Quick Recap: Colts 28 - Broncos 16

BigBlueShoe — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 21:27:14 -0000

More photos » by AJ MAST - AP

3 days ago: Indianapolis Colts tight end Dallas Clark, right, pulls in a pass for a touchdown in front of Denver Broncos safety Renaldo Hill in the second quarter of an NFL football game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

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You cannot say enough about the absolutely monster games played by Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall and Colts tight Dallas Clark. Marshall, who could have caught howitzer shells if they were shot at him from a cannon, set an NFL record with 21 catches for 200 yards and 2 TDs in one game. If you had this man on your fantasy team this week, God bless you. Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, Dallas Clark (aka, the best tight end in football) had 5 catches today. Three of those five were touchdowns. BIG touchdowns; the last TD by Clark being the biggest.

When the Broncos regained momentum after a dreadful first half for them, which saw the Colts jump out to a 21-0 lead, the Broncos scored a TD to cut the Colts lead 21-16. However, the Broncos were unable to convert the two-point conversation, keeping the Colts lead at 5 points. The Colts offense was awful in the third quarter, with Peyton Manning throwing three INTs on the day, two off deflections. The Colts offense took over, and then went on one of their foot-to-the-throat drives to kill an opponent.

On a HUGE third down completion to Austin Collie, Peyton Manning was able to charge life into Indy's dead second half offense. With some hard running by Mike Hart and some key first downs by Joseph Addai and Collie, the Colts orchestrated an 80 yard drive that consumed over 7 minutes of clock, culminating in Clark's third TD of the day from Manning.

The Clark TD iced the game, which was an absolutely huge win against a very good Denver Broncos team. This is the first the Colts won a game with Peyton Manning throwing three INTs. If there was ever a statement that this team has a legit defense, that's it. This defense can overcome a rather sub par performance from Peyton.

The win locks up homefield advantage for the Colts throughout the AFC playoffs.

The win also breaks the NFL record for most consecutive regular seasons, which the Colts entered the game tied with the New England Patriots at 21. By beating the Broncos, the streak now belongs to the Colts at 22.

The win also breaks the total wins for a decade, held by the great Joe Montana-led San Francisco 49ers teams of the 1980s.

This is what it is all about folks!

Big, BIG props to the Denver Broncos. They are a good football team, and I would not be surprised to see them later in the playoffs. While the community at Mile High Report is likely upset with the loss, they can take comfort in the Jaguars losing to the Dolphins, making it a little easier for their team to get in the playoffs.

Enjoy the win, everybody. This was a great win for a great franchise.

Go Colts!

Poll

Week Fourteen game balls?

Recap Week Thirteen: Colts 27 - Titans 17

BigBlueShoe — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:00:35 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

10 days ago: Indianapolis Colts running back Joseph Addai (29) celebrates a touchdown in the first quarter against the Tennessee Titans in an NFL football game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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12-0.

Only six other teams in NFL history have started 12-0 in this league. One of those teams was the 2005 Colts.

21 regular season wins in a row, tying an NFL record, which was much fawned over when it happened, held by the New England Patriots.

An NFL record seven straight seasons with at least 12 wins.

Tying the 1990s San Francisco 49ers, winning the team's 113th game this decade.

These are all records that are to be cherished, respected, and honored. Many will try to dismiss or diminish these accomplishments, but such talk is the action of haters and fools. This football team we know and love, these Indianapolis Colts, have achieved some very special, very awe-inspiring feats of late, and it is my sincere hope that each and every one of you does not fall into the black pit of cynical thinking by looking for ways to poke holes in all these accomplishments. And while it is certainly not the custom of the team to sit back and think "Gosh, we built a powerhouse this decade," we fans are permitted to enjoy the special accomplishments our beloved Colts have worked very hard to give us.

The Colts reached many of these amazing milestones with a tough 27-17 win over their division rivals, the Tennessee Titans. The Colts led from start to finish, forcing Vince Young into several critical mistakes, miscues, and misfires while also containing the volatile Chris Johnson by holding him out of the endzone. The win gives Indy the sweep of the regular season series over Tennessee. The Colts had already won the AFC South going into the game, but by beating the Titans it all but assures that the Flaming Thumb Tacks will not make the playoffs in 2009.

The way Indy won the game was also special. They "out physicaled" the Titans and beat them to the punch, mentally. At no point in the game was that more obvious than in the closing seconds of the second quarter. Indy was pushing the Titans off the line of scrimmage and driving to attempt a field goal. The previous series, the Titans scored on an impressive TD drive to cut the Colts lead 21-10. The Colts had two timeouts and less than 20 seconds to get into FG range. However, on a first and ten from the Titans 45 yard line, with 10 seconds left on the clock, Titans defensive end Tony Brown did what we have seen the Titans do all year: Freak out and lose composure. After a play, he got into an altercation with Kyle DeVan, who had been blasting Ford and other Titans off the line of scrimmage all day. Brown grabbed DeVan's facemask and poked him in the eye right in front of a ref.

Flag.

15 yard penalty. Colts ball at the Titans 30. Colts kick a FG from 43 yards out to go into halftime 24-10.

Thank you, Tony Brown.

That play right there just about summed up the game. The Colts were more physical and more mentally tough than a Titans team that is often (incorrectly) lauded for such things. And while there are many positive things I took from this game that relate to the Titans, the bottom line is there is a reason the Colts swept them this year, and that Tony Brown penalty (which should have gotten the punk ejected I might add; Ron Winters is a schmuck) gives you a clear indicator why.

Outstanding young receivers Pierre Garcon (85) and Austin Collie (17)

(AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

There's lots to take away from this game:

I cannot say enough good things about Kyle DeVan. The first quarter TD run by Joseph Addai was to the right, and made possible by some great blocking up front by DeVan and Ryan Diem. DeVan took his man nearly ten yards back on that Addai run, which put Indy up 7-0. The other Addai TD run, a 1 yard run on first and goal, was also to the right. Once again, DeVan sealed off his man extremely well and Ryan Diem once again opened a big hole for Addai and run through. Benching the second round bust that is Mike Pollak for Kyle DeVan was an excellent move on Jim Caldwell's part. Earlier this year, running right was an exercise in futility for the Colts. Now, they are blasting one of the best run defenses in the league off the line while running right.
Tony Ugoh started at left tackle today; in for an injured Charlie Johnson. Titans defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch, who lined up opposite of Ugoh, recorded three total tackles for the entire game and no sacks. Nice job, Tony.
The Colts broke the Titans back holding them to zero points on the goal line stand in the late-third quarter. In years past, that's an easy Titans TD. With this year's defense, the Colts hunker down and get nasty on the goal line. The Titans had seven chances to score in the red zone on that drive, and missed on each attempt. Damn fine defense, gentlemen!
Pierre Garçon has arrived. 99 receiving yards... IN THE FIRST QUARTER! Holy Mount Union, Batman! The kid finished with 136 for the day and averaged, AVERAGED!, 22.7 yards a catch. He did not see the endzone on Sunday. However, Austin Collie, the other "kid" who has arrived at wide receiver, did. Collie grabbed a 4 yard TD on third-and-goal from Peyton Manning. Once again, Manning and Collie make Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck look foolish. On the TD throw, Manning looked off Collie, and when Bulluck left his zone to follow Manning's eyes, Manning went back to Collie in the back of the endzone to go up 21-3.
We had a Mike Hart sighting, and the sighting was a good one. Some tough running from the second year player.
The fourth quarter drive to, essentially, ice the game was the kind of drive I absolutely go nuts for. After stopping the Titans again in the redzone, with Jeff Fisher opting to go for it on fourth down again only to come away with zero points, the Colts took over at their own 10 yard line. They then proceed to march 77 yards, consuming 7:23 minutes of clock while holding onto a 24-10 lead. It is at this point in the game where time of possession matters. This is when you want and need to run the ball, and the Colts did it. Indy scored another FG to cap the drive, all but ending any chance the Titans had of mounting a comeback. These kinds of drives are the ones that make champions. You put your foot on the throat of the opponent, and you squeeze the life out, slowly. That's what that drive was. It reminded me a lot of the fourth quarter drive in the playoffs in 2006 against the Ravens, where the game was iced with an Adam Vinatieri FG. Today, Matt Stover (former Ravens kicker who played in that 2006 playoff game) did the icing.

(AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Like all games, both wins and loses, there are negatives. The 56 yard kick return by Kenny Britt was frustrating, especially after seeing this special teams unit play so very well all season long. The Jacob Lacey pass inference call was stupid on Lacey's part, but not as stupid as Daniel Muir once again failing to bring down a QB when he's got the dude in his grasp. We saw Muir (who has played brilliantly all season) whiff on a sack against David Garrard in Week One, and he did it once again against Vince Young on Sunday.

Speaking of Vince Young, while he was awful throwing the ball in the redzone Sunday, and made some poor decisions that, to be honest, should have given him three picks on the day (one caught, two dropped) I must say that Vince has indeed improved. And yes, the Colts were given a gift with Nate Washington dropping that sure TD pass after he beat Jerraud Powers, but the Titans were also handed a gift later when Kelvin Hayden did not haul in Vince's terrible sideline throw. Had Hayden made that catch, it's a pick six the other way.

Is Vince a smart quarterback now? No. He's still pretty clueless reading defenses and making good decisions with the football. However, he did show significant improvement on Sunday throwing the football. Both of his TD throws were crisp, accurate, and thrown with velocity from the pocket. That's a good sign if you are a Titans fan. All this running around and option-draw-crap is fun for a while, but it doesn't consistently win you football games. Throwing accurately from the pocket does.

So, despite his terrible INT to Lacey in the second quarter, and his poor red zone throws, Vince did show me he has improved from the over-hyped sack of crap he was from 2006-2008. He's building on something. It's taken him four years to do it, but he has progressed.

With the Titans all but eliminated from the playoffs, all talk of Chris Johnson for MVP should cease. If it doesn't, the people screaming for it need to be ignored. Johnson is a magnificent player. He had averaged 160 yards a game during the Titans five game winning streak. However, the Colts bottled and contained CJ, holding him out of the endzone and preventing any splash plays. This was a game the Titans had to have to stay alive; the kind of game an MVP steps up and helps his team win. Johnson didn't do that today, and much of the reason why he didn't was the Colts defense. Though Johnson is no longer a serious MVP candidate, I personally believe he has supplanted Adrian Peterson as the best RB in football. Johnson can do everything Peterson can, and also NOT fumble.

Overall, this was an impressive win. To be that physical and that mentally tough against a team that was red hot coming into this contest sends a message. I know that as a fan I am very proud of how this team has developed, despite injuries and other distractions this team has achieved some truly lasting feats. With the Saints defeating the Redskins in an overtime thriller, we have (again, for the first time in 89 years of the National Football League) two 12-0 teams in December. That's special. This Colts team is special. Enjoy the special.

Go Colts!

Week 13: Wednesday Injury Report

shake n bake — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:01:12 -0000

10 players sat out practice and the Colts have once again listed some players who practiced fully on the report. Notably sitting was Freeney, Brackett, Don Brown and Charlie Johnson. Notable return from Kelvin Hayden.

Did Not Participate: Antoine Bethea (rested), Gary Brackett (foot), Donald Brown (chest), Keyunta Dawson (knee), Aaron Francisco (ankle), Dwight Freeney (abdomen), Anthony Gonzalez (knee), Charlie Johnson (foot), Jim Sorgi (shoulder), Adam Vinatieri (knee)

Limited: Tom Santi (hand)

Full Participation (but injured enough for the report): Joseph Addai (knee), Kyle DeVan (shin), Kelvin Hayden (knee), Ramon Humber (calf), Tim Jennings (ankle), Peyton Manning (glute), Robert Mathis (neck), Jerraud Powers (knee), Jamey Richard (shoulder), Jeff Saturday (calf), Tony Ugoh (knee), Reggie Wayne (foot)

Colts.com link

The roster moves make some more sense now. Donald Brown has a new injury, causing the Mike Hart signing. Josh Thomas was replaced with another DE which means we know little about Freeney and Dawson's status and 2 O-linemen were added to the PS likely because 5 of the Colts 8 O-linemen appear on the report today.

Colts re-sign Mike Hart and sign Ervin Barwin to active roster; Kelvin Hayden expected to return this week

BigBlueShoe — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:35:58 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

Indianapolis Colts cornerback Kelvin Hayden (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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There has been a flurry of news on new (and old) players added to the active roster along with injury status updates. Much of the news is filtering in from an outstanding new widget on CBS Sports' website. It is essentially a "live ticker" of team specific information which CBS refers to as "Rapid Reports." The ticket is maintained by none-other-than John Oehser of IFR. So, unlike other supposed information ticker services, the content from here is legit and accurate. We've added the widget to the site, along the right hand column (scroll down).

Anyway, back to the updates.

Well, to start, even though they worked out Dominic Rhodes yesterday, the Colts opted to re-sign Mike Hart to the active roster. Hart has been battling back from last year's knee injury, and has been cut and re-signed to both the active roster and practice squad at various points this season. The Colts also signed defensive end Ervin Baldwin to the active roster. Baldwin (6'2, 260 pounds) was drafted in the seventh round by the Bears last year. He's familiar with Tampa 2, and his signing seems to suggest what PhilB wrote about earlier today: Dwight Freeney might not go again for the second week in a row.

Again, with Freeney, it seems to be a wait-and-see situation. A lot of this is precautionary, and does not seem the kind of thing that could screw-up his play moving forward.

The Colts also signed center Keith Gray and guard Drew Radovich to the practice squad.

Also, we have an Adam Vinatieri update! It seems Vinatieri is progressing quite nicely and could return to kicking very soon. According to Oehser:

K Adam Vinatieri (right knee) is closer to returning, Colts coach Jim Caldwell said. Caldwell said a decision will be made on keeping K Matt Stover if and when Vinatieri returns.

Personally, and this is just my gut instinct and not based off any info I've gotten, I think Indy might consider keeping both Adam and Matt on the roster going into the playoffs. Vinatieri is the Colts current and future kicker. So, any talk that Stover or Pat McAfee will replace him is just nonsense. However, Stover has been very reliable this year filling in for Vinatieri, showing that even at age 41 he can still hit the big kicks. If Indy is not 100% certain that Adam is completely healthy by the playoffs, they may keep Stover on the active roster just in case.

There were a ton of FanPosts and FanShots that many of you placed up on the site updating everyone on the the news. Thanks (and a special tip) to those that did so.

Seahawks Lost Their Edge, Could The Colts Find Theirs Once Again?

KingRichard — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:59:09 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

2 months ago: Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, left, and a former teammate, Seattle Seahawks running back Edgerrin James, shake hands following an NFL football game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009. The Colts defeated the Seahawks 34-17. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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Uh oh, here we go again boys and girls.

Edgerrin James was recently cut by the Seahawks for reasons unknown. Some speculate it was due to lack of production, others believe the Seahawks want to go young. Both are legitimate I believe it was because of the latter, but that's just my opinion.

Naturally every Colts fan is going to be asking themselves whether the Colts should consider signing Edge. There's no hiding the fact that the Colts running game is abysmal at best right now. Rookie running back sensation Donald Brown has shown what a game-breaking running back can do when put behind a mediocre line, busting out some huge gains.

The disturbing thing regarding the running game to me is the way the Colts handling the situation right now. While Donald Brown was sidelined with a shoulder injury this past Sunday, the entire workload was put on Addai's shoulders. As I mentioned in my latest rant, it's puzzling to me as to why none of the other running backs were used in that game. Going into last season everyone was very high on Mike Hart. A 6th round pick out of Michigan, he showed us a lot of grit in the pre-season games he played. He showed that same determination with the two carries he had in the Baltimore game before he tore his ACL. The Colts did the proper thing this past offseason in drafting the leading rusher in the nation in the first round this past April, but we still deserve to see what Mike Hart is able to do, especially with him recovering from that devastating knee injury. This was a perfect game for him to be tested in my opinion. The 49ers run defense is quite stout and I believe we could have learned a lot on how healthy Mike Hart's knee is, but that wasn't the case. He was no where to be seen and that is extremely frustrating.

Chad Simpson on the other hand is nothing more than a role player and that's all he'll ever be. There's nothing wrong with that, but when you're the #3 running back on the depth chart with the #2 guy on the sideline, I expect to see more than ONE carry out of you. That wasn't the case.

So again I ask, what gives?

Before I answer that question, let's get back to Edge.

The last time I brought up the idea of bringing Edge back it was a melee. I was being attacked left and right by the faithful of Stampede Blue for merely posing a question; would you cut Addai to bring back Edge? I never stated what my stance on that topic was, but yet I was lambasted to no end nonetheless. It's all good though, it didn't hurt my feelings. It was just a very controversial topic, and you all know just how much I love to bring up controversial topics.

Now to answer my question about the running back depth issue, my opinion is this. The Colts showed me that they have absolutely no trust in the running back depth behind Donald Brown. By not even letting Mike Hart hit the field and only giving Chad Simpson ONE carry is just absurd.

In knowing that, the possiblity of Edge returning isn't nearly as crazy as you all may think. I think Edge is finally realizing that his days are numbered and unless he wants to waste a few more years on garbage teams he's going to have to suck it up and assume a mentor role on a good team for league minimum. What better team to do that on than the Colts, his one true home.

Granted he may not hit the field all that often, but ask yourself this: Who do you trust more, Edge or Hart and Simpson? My answer is Edge times infinity.

Poll

Should the Colts sign Edge?

Yes

676 votes

No

304 votes

Maybe -- explain in comments

85 votes

1065 votes | Poll has closed

Random Musings Of The King Week 8

KingRichard — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:05:23 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

Caldwell: Jennings get the hell out of my way, you suck. I came over here to talk to a real football player. As for you Mr. Addai, I'd like to see you in my office, I've got an idea that could save your football career. Oh and if you see Sorgi tell him I said, "Brown chicken brown cow." He'll know what it means.

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Welcome back suckers, to yet another edition of this pile that are my random thoughts. After the success (or failure depending on how you look at things) of the first go around I began contemplating whether I should continue to spill my guts and make this an ongoing series. I think too many of you are starting to see the inner workings of my brain and will use it against me in some fashion, kind of like the Jedi Mind Trick, except less awesome.

In today's edition we'll cover the Colts win (or near loss, again depending on how you look at things) against the raggin' 49ers, Peyton Manning's epic failure, a couple winless teams who finally decided to get with the program and play like they've got a pair, and much much more. So stick around for the the jump (or not).

First up: The Colts' Win

So the Colts are 7-0 to start the season for the 100th time, excuse me while I yawn. Some people out in the media world don't seem too impressed, claiming that the Colts "eeked out a win" or some such nonsense. Say what you will but I was quite impressed with the win yesterday. Before I get into that I want to comment on one thing real fast. What's wrong with Peyton? How do you reel off so many awesome games and then lay that turd against the Forty-Freakin-Niners? Reggie was WIDE OPEN! So was Garcon! Get your head out of your ass PEYPEY and start threading that needle again before everyone starts rumors that Irsay wants to see what Sorgi's got in him ala Vince Young in Tennessee.

Anyways, the running game was non-existent yet again. Addai's stat line looked something like:

bunch of runs, horrible ypc average, hardly any yards, no tds

Y'know, the norm.

The passing game was shoddy at best as well. There were too many out-of-sync plays that were reminiscent of last season for my liking. Many Tylenol were consumed throughout the course of this game.

Week 8 game ball: Dwight Freeney. Sure you could argue that Addai's donkeypunching TD pass was game ball worthy, but the fact that he still sucks at running the ball killed him in the end. However, when you tie a franchise record you will always get major kudos from me no matter how awesome or pointless it is.

What I I find amazing is that Mathis was the original record holder and no one even knew it. Like, I knew because I know everything, but i'd be willing to bet most Colts fans and 99.9% of fans around the league would have never guessed Robert Mathis held some record over Freeney's head like that. I don't mean that in a taunting, HA HA U TINK YER DA BEST BUT I GOTCHER NUMBA BOYEEEE!, kind of way. It just goes to show you how good BOTH of those guys are. Congratulations Freeney!

Week 8 goat: Adam Vinatieri. Yes, it's a crazy pick I know, but hear me out. Obviously Vinatieri didn't play, but he was totally shown up by someone who is even older than he is, who also went an entire game without missing chip-shot field goals. Maybe we should consider keeping this Stover fellar around eh?

The one encouraging note from this win, aside from getting a win: This team showing the desire to win and not just go through the motions and hope everything works out in their favor. What I mean is, the call Peyton or whoever the hell made to run that halfback pass took some real balls, and I like balls. The Colts could have easily pussed out and just settled for the field goal. But I say no! %#$@ a bunch of that. GO FOR THE JUGULAR! I mean, if I was in that huddle and someone had said, "I think we should just play it conservatively and we'll get the 3 points and move on" I would have judo chopped them in the ACL, even Peyton Manning if if came to that. NO, you don't "play it safe," you go for the killing strike! THIS IS FOOTBALL! YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME! And win the game they did. Mad props from the King.

The discouraging note from this win: Where were the other running backs? Where was Mike Hart? Are we ever going to see this guy play again or what? Brown was out because of his shoulder injury, so the Colts thought it was a good idea to let Addai shoulder the load? Seriously? I just realized there are a lot of questions in this paragraph, I wonder why that is? Let's see how long I can continue to ask questions.

Damn.

Update on Gonzo WEOTCH!: Um, we have no further news to report at this time.

Seriously, what gives? This is yet another display of the Colts and their shady injury reporting. They initially said Gonzo would be out from 2 to 6 weeks (GEE THATS A BIG GAP THERE DUDES), and it's been what? 7 weeks already and the guy hasn't even hit the practice field? Wow. This has Marvin Harrison 2007 written all over it.

What really chaps my ass is how the Colts FO treats this like it's top secret information and we have no clue what's going on. Um, excuse me, could you throw me a freakin bone here please? Anyone? Bah. Is that goofy tent not working anymore or what? I knew that was all just some scam.

Will someone get the 49ers some cranberry juice for the love of god!

Listen, I don't know if those losers were faking those cramps or not and I don't really care. What I do know is they were owned my Joseph Addai...'s...arm. HA! ha hahahahaahhaha.

The Cardinals laid down the sucketh against the hapless Panthers.

Teehee. It's fun being right. So much for that excellent run defense eh Cardinals? DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart make you look stupid.

Mandatory page break.

We've survived Favregeddon! Horaaay!

You have to admit that you are impressed with how well Favre is playing. It's obvious that he can still play pretty good when he's motivated enough. I just can't help but wonder how the Packers and their fans are feeling right now. Your former god just spanked your ass twice in a matter of weeks all because the Packers FO told him to FO. Yeouch. I still have faith in Rodgers though, just not his sieve of an o-line. Can a brother get some pass protection up in this piece?

Speaking of the Vikings, can you say Percy Harvin for Rookie of the Year? The Vikings are seriously loaded with some badass talent. It's pretty cool to see yet another Florida Gator kick some tail in the pros. At times I wish the Colts had a chance to draft him but I know the Colts wouldn't have used him the same way the Vikings do.

FAVRE. FAVRE DOLLAR. FAVRE DOLLAR FOOTLONG.

I don't blame Jamal Lewis for wanting out of that cesspool.

If you hadn't heard, Jamal Lewis said he's retiring after this season. When was the last time you heard a player say he's going to retire at the age of 31 midway through a season. That's how bad it sucks to be a member of the Browns organization. THINK ABOUT IT.

Good news for the Colts, bad news for the Texans: Owen Daniels out for season.

This is good for the Colts for two reasons:
1) That's one less good player that the Colts will have to cover come Sunday.
2) Dallas Clark will probably attend the first Pro-Bowl of his career...in Miami. I'm not really sure who comes out on top on this one.

It's a shame Daniels tore his ACL, he sure was having a monster year. But there's no use in crying over spilled milk, I expect the Colts the go into this game to dominate them regardless.

FANTASY ALERT: I also heard that their star in the making Steve Slaton was benched for fumbling too much. I'll leave it up to you to figure out who is supposedly replacing him. Hint: if you are in a league with me don't waste your time, I already picked him up.

Finishing touches.

I figure I should end this on a good note and send a little love to the Rams and Titans organizations; congratulations on not sucking as bad as the 2008 Lions.

Oh, and if you don't agree with everything I just said then you can get the $@#% out of my article you bum.

Recap Week Eight: Colts 18 - 49ers 14

BigBlueShoe — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:44:42 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

about 1 month ago: Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell looks on during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009. Indianapolis won 18-14. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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Fans and media have grown accustomed to seeing the 2009 Indianapolis Colts blowing out teams left and right on route to a 6-0 start, winning 15 straight regular season games (dating back to last season). Against the San Francisco 49ers, we were promised some "real" competition.

And the game did not disappoint.

The 49ers jumped out to an early 7-0 lead, the result of a 64 yard Frank Gore TD in the first quarter. The Colts struggled to respond on offense, scoring only field goals rather than touchdowns when their team was in the redzone. And because we are all so very, very SPOILED this year, with offense exploding out of nearly every game the Colts have played, there were many Colts fans who spent halftime wringing their hands, wondering if the Colts were as good as advertised. Some fans were ready to "jump off the ledge" after Alex Smith drove the 49ers offense 89 yards in 1:11, capping the drive with an 8 yard TD pass to Vernon Davis with roughly 30 seconds left in the half.

However, at the end of the TD, Davis was flagged for excessive celebration, and 15 yards was tacked onto the end of Indy's kick return. In 25 seconds, Peyton Manning drove the Colts to the 49ers' 13 yard line. Matt Stover then kicked a FG to cut the lead 14-9.

From that point on, the Colts shutout and shutdown the 49ers, and exposed SF's coach Mike Singletary for the petty, immature bum he really is.

The 49ers did not score a single point in the second half. Their running game was stuffed and their passing game smothered. Frank Gore ran for 91 yards on 13 carries. That's 7 yards a carry. But, this is one time where the stats really lie to you. 64 of those 91 yards came on one play, which featured normally sure tacklers Jerraud Powers and Antoine Bethea attempting to "hit" Gore rather than "tackle" him. After that play, the Colts held Gore to 9 carries for 20 yards. To put it mildly, Gore got lucky on his 64 yard run. The rest of the game, he was stuffed. The Colt then turned their pass rushers loose on Alex Smith, who was decent on one series and terrible throughout much of the game.

In a nutshell, this was a game that really showcased the Colts defense, who helped make up for the lack of cohesiveness from the offense. Again, these are the new Colts. These Colts don't just play defense.

They dominate with it.

Let me first say the obvious one more time: Mike Singletary is a bum. I said it in my quick recap. I say it again. BUM. For all his silly talk of "playing tough" and being "tough minded," this schmuck is nothing more than a poser. In the third quarter with the Colts driving to gain the lead, Indy started gaining success by running a hurry-up offense. From the booth, Colts radio announcers Bob Lamey and Will Wolford noted that 49ers players were receiving signals from 49ers coaches to "go down" and "fake an injury" in order to stall the Colts offense. This was a tactic used by Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots years ago, and it was dusted off and used liberally by Mike Singletary and his cadre of puppets on the sideline. The tactic designed to stop the game, rest the defense, and disrupt the Colts offense all while not sacrificing a time out.

In other words, it's cheating.

Mike Singletary. Bum.

Image: 4.bp.blogspot.com

The strategy didn't work, as Indy scored the go-ahead TD on a 22 yard pass from Joseph Addai to Reggie Wayne to start the fourth quarter. Yes, I did type that correctly. On first and 10 from the SF 22, Addai ran left and threw to a wide open Wayne in the endzone. The score gave Indy the lead for the first time in the game, and they would hold on to win.

Later on in the game, with the Colts driving in the fourth quarter, looking to run out clock or (possibly) pad the lead and ice the contest, they went hurry-up again. The 49ers countered with signals from the sideline, and down went Takeo Spikes. Spikes complained of "cramps." He was helped off the field by training staff after a significant delay. A few plays later, Spikes was back out on the field, making tackles and seemingly a-okay.

Despite the cheating, the Colts drove the length of the field, converted a fourth and inches deep in 49ers territory, and ran out the clock. Ball game. Colts win.

When the chips are down, when things look bleak, when the game is getting out of hand, some teams and their head coaches respond with guts, determination, and courage. When the game was getting out of hand for Mike Singletary, he opted to cheat. Tells you something about the man.

For all of Singletary's bravado, all his speeches and all his pants dropping antics to motivate grown men who make millions of dollars playing a game, Singletary is nothing more than a coward. When you have to resort to cheap tactics in order to win, you are not "tough." You are not a "winner." You are a "cheater." And for all of Singletary's shenanigans, for all his last minute defensive adjustments, for all of his tricks... his team surrendered 410 yards of offense and lost the game. They are now 3-4 and have lost three in a row. Nice work, Mike. Keep it up, ya bum!

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne celebrates a fourth-quarter touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers in an NFL football game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009. The Colts defeated the 49ers 18-14. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Switching gears from the fake head coach to the real won, for the first time since the NFL merger, a rookie head coach has started 7-0. That coach is Jim Caldwell. And unlike Singletary, Caldwell did not have to resort to cheating in order to extend Indy's regular season winning streak to 16 games. He didn't even need a TD pass from Peyton Manning. What he needed was some outstanding defense, some excellent special teams play, and a little flare from Tom Moore, who made a brilliant play call on the Addai to Wayne TDs. Here are some more observations:

Once again, the Colts struggled to run the ball consistently against a tough run defense. However, when the Colts needed some tough, short yards, Joseph Addai came through. He carried for 21 of Indy's 22 carries. The only other carry not made by Addai was done by Chad Simpson, who lost a yard on the carry.
Where was Mike Hart? I saw him on some passing downs, but he did not carry the ball at all Sunday.
The Colts held the 49ers to 5.1 yards a pass.
With the Broncos losing to the Ravens 30-7, the Colts are the lone undefeated team in the AFC. They also will likely have the #1 scoring defense after 8 weeks.
Matt Stover was 4-4 on FGs, and Pat McAfee was outstanding using his big leg to reverse field position. In the past, former-Colts punter Hunter Smith would not be able to make the kinds of kicks McAfee is making.
Peyton is the fastest player ever to 4,000 career completions.
Reggie Wayne tied a career high with 12 catches. He also gained 147 yards and 1 TD. He did it all on a gimpy leg. Reggie Wayne is the best WR in football. Period.
Dwight Freeney recorded a sack, which is now at least one sack in 8 straight games. The sack came when the 49ers were driving to re-take the lead. It came on third down. It knocked them out of FG range. It was a big time, clutch sack.
Bob Sanders got an INT. Welcome back Bob.
Mike Pollak was replaced in the second half by Kyle DeVan. I think the Colts have given up on Pollak.
After the game, Bill Polian praised Jamie Silva for "hanging in there" as a kick returner, which is "not his strong suit," according to Polian. Silva was excellent on kick coverages, registering 4 tackles.

Many thanks to Fooch and the 49ers fans at Niners Nation. While I'm sure some of them will not take kindly to me calling their coach a bum, I'll just say that Singletary is not good enough for the storied franchise that is the 49ers or their great fans. They deserve a classy coach. Not a cheating punk.

Back to the game, for me personally, I think these kinds of games are important. The 49ers are not a bad football team. Even though their coach is a laughable faker, they have a good defense and some solid pieces to build on with their offense. So, for the Colts to overcome their offense's problems and win the game shows me something. It should also show YOU something, and to the people complaining at halftime that the Colts "should be winning," shame on you. This is the NFL. Nothing is guaranteed. Anyone can beat anyone, any given Sunday. One week you're great. The next, you suck. The key is not getting caught up in the hype or the hate.

This is an excellent Colts team, and if you are too spoiled to enjoy wins like this, then watch something else. I LOVE wins like this. I LOVE watching our defense eek out a gutty win. I LOVE watching two, key late game drives to ice a game. I love it. I Love it. I LOVE IT!

And you should too. Go Colts!

49ers-Colts: Containing Manning and Co.

Fooch — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:07:34 -0000

You may have read that headline and thought I had some grand insight into stopping the Colts prolific passing attack. In reality, I'm not all that sure what the 49ers can do. We've had plenty of discussion in the FanPosts Q&As on each site, but I thought it was a topic worthy of pulling out for a little expanded discussion.

The 49ers are somewhat fortunate in the fact that Donald Brown won't be on the field. Joseph Addai is a very solid running back, but he's struggled a bit this year (3.3 ypc), while Donald Brown was snapping off some of the bigger runs. Mike Hart (0 carries) and Chad Simpson (6 carries) would appear to be the two replacements that might spell Addai on occasion. This is big because the Colts do enjoy using the play action on occasion, so maybe this will cut the effectiveness of that down a little bit.

However, even with a potentially limited rushing attack (if at all) there is the always potent Colts passing attack. Of course, first you're talking about a current big 3 of QB Peyton Manning, WR Reggie Wayne and TE Dallas Clark. Joseph Addai is a very capable receiver out of the backfield. Now they're adding in some young weapons like Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon. We don't know what either will do long term, but Collie is looking especially good early on.

So if you're the 49ers, and your offense remains questionable in terms of scoring points (yes Smith had a good half, but it's too soon to tell how that extrapolates out), what do you do to at least keep the score reasonable and give you a puncher's chance?

This is definitely a post for our new Colts readers to comment on. In the Stampede Blue Q&A I posted, there was one particularly interesting comment. Others can feel free to clarify or counter this. I've shortened it to the pertinent portion:

The deep safety approach generally works (to some extent) against Manning

...Now while it limits the big plays, it does not stop Manning, of course, as he says "fine, I’ll take the 5-15 yarders all day." Last week is an example, along with 2006, 2006, 2007….. The trick is then for the D to step up and stop a pretty slick passing game, and for our guys to not drop balls. But as always, if you force a team to make ten short plays instead of one huge one, there is always the possiblity of a fumble, INT, penalty to kill drives….

I've been sitting here thinking about the 49ers defense, and I'm just not sure what personnel and formations to utilize. The Colts offensive line has done great work keeping Manning on his feet, but you still need to attempt to apply some heat. You give Manning all day and you could double every receiver and he'd still find an open guy.

It's especially interesting that the 49ers will now be deploying Dashon Goldson with the green dot for the transmission of plays. This is particular pertinent this week given Peyton Manning's proclivity for calling so many plays at the line of scrimmage. It helps having a safety observing the entire field for making adjustments, but is it possible having somebody new doing it could lead to some wasted timeouts when the defense is not getting aligned quickly enough?

In the end, how would you defend the Colts offense? Bring extra blitzers and pray your DBs can handle the receivers 1-on-1? Play a deeper defense and give up the dink and dunk stuff underneath like we've seen them do before? Make no adjustments and play them like anybody else?