SB Nation - Jordan Senn

Panthers Sign LB to Replace Injured Johnson - Updated

Jaxon — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:39:42 -0000

If you were taken off guard by the Panthers roster move earlier today so was I. I think the Panthers kept the severity of Johnsons injury under wraps until they could locate a replacement. It seems I recall him going out against the Dolphins but never heard anything else about it.

The Panthers filled his roster spot with LB Jordan Senn, formerly with the Colts. We can feel safe to assume Ron Meeks had some influence here.

Senn adds depth at linebacker but also provides a needed body on special teams. He played with Indianapolis as an undrafted rookie in 2008 and was released before the start of this season. Senn was later re-signed and played in two games before being released again.

I love the thought of some help on special teams. Doesn't seem he could be any worse. I'll see if I can get us some feedback from the Colts blog.

So Landon Johnson' misfortune now gives LB James Anderson an golden opportunity. Anderson played very well in the preseason, playing fast and instinctive. I'm 90% confident he will play as well if not better than Landon Johnson. So don't fret Panther fans. Though it always sucks to lose a player for the season (for the player too) I think once again the Panthers have the depth to withstand a big letdown.

Update by Jaxon Wed 9:38am:

Here's so info the guys over at Stampede Blue were kind enough to provide about Senn:

He was a backup WILL and special teamer

racked up a lot of tackles whenever he got PT, but they always seemed to be either in pursuit or with him getting knocked back. Last year he played (as an injury fill in) in front of Phil Wheeler who is in the starting lineup now.

He was cut because the Colts had 4 LBs with starting experience in the system, another who was expected to step into a starting role this year and the 6th LB spot went to the best STer, which was apparently Ramon Humber instead of Senn.

You can read the rest of the comments here but it would appear this guy was brought in for Special Team play mostly.

All kinds of roster and practice activity for the Colts

BigBlueShoe — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:02:16 -0000

More photos » by J Pat Carter - AP

Indianapolis Colts' Melvin Bullitt (33) argues about a penalty call during second half of an NFL football game Monday, Sept. 21, 2009, in Miami. The Colts won 27-23. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

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We mentioned the release of Jordan Senn last night and the re-signing of Chad Simpson. The Colts have also added Terrail Lambert, a rookie free corner agent out of Notre Dame, to the practice squad (Tip to tim55). The squad now includes John Gill (DT), Taj Smith (WR), Tom Santi (TE), Devon Hall (DB), Glenn Cody (LB), John Matthews (WR), Jaimie Thomas (OG), and Lambert.

But all these moves fall by the wayside when they are compared with the news that both Gary Brackett and Bob Sanders returned to practice yesterday (Tip to metal_militia).

Brackett, who has been out of the line-up since Week Two against the Dolphins, will push Freddy Keiaho back to the bench despite Keiaho playing some of the best football of his career the last few weeks. Keiaho was once the starting weakside backer for the Colts, but lost his job to Clint Session. Freddy now seems to have found a home as a reserve middle linebacker.

For Bob Sanders, what else needs be said?

Bob has missed just about every meaningful practice since January. It is an encouraging step forward to see him practice, but let's not get all happy and tingly under the skin just yet, especially when we read what kind of practicing he is doing. From Mike Chappell:

Coach Jim Caldwell said Sanders participated in the team’s light workout Monday, has steadily "ramped up’’ his rehabilitation regimen and anticipates Sanders practicing in a limited capacity this afternoon. The NFL’s 2007 Defensive Player of the Year has been inactive for the first four games of the season.
Asked if there is a chance Sanders could be available for Sunday night’s game in Nashville against the Tennessee Titans, Caldwell replied, "At this point, I would not be able to tell you that in earnest.’’

Bob has not been in contact drills, or played contact anything, since there was snow on the ground. I understand the importance of practice, and seeing him on that field makes me feel better about Indy not placing him on PUP to start the season (a player cannot practice while on PUP until Week Six). But, I'm not getting caught up in the often silly "Will Bob play?" game.

As I said yesterday, I honestly do not care if he does or not.

Obviously, I'd prefer if he did play. I mean, who wouldn't? But, I think Melvin Bullitt has earned the starting strong safety job. The Colts can use Bob the way they used Melvin when Bob started. And if Bob plays well enough to beat out Melvin for the starting job by December, that's great! But, for me, Melvin Bullitt is a better safety right now than Bob Sanders because Melvin stays on the field.

No updates yet on the status of Kelvin Hayden, who is still fighting a hamstring problem.

Colts cut Jordan Senn (again); Colts sign Chad Simpson (also again)

BigBlueShoe — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 02:22:27 -0000

More photos » by Al Behrman - AP

Colts decide to give Chad Simpson (right) another chance. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)

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This part of the business is the part that leaves a bad taste. In today's Indy Star, Phil Richards penned a nice piece on linebacker Jordan Senn, who has been one of the primary nickel linebackers the Colts have used in recent weeks. He was also one of the better players on special teams. Senn was cut in early September when the Colts had to trim down to 53, but was re-signed prior to the Arizona Cardinals game, and played 40 snaps in that game.

Today, despite the nice publicity in the morning paper, Senn was waived once again, according to Aaron Wilson of NFP. Taking his place on the roster, the Colts re-signed Chad Simpson.

Yes, THAT Chad Simpson.

The same Chad Simpson who has been awful as a kick returner and provides little, if any, upside at running back over Mike Hart (who was promoted from the practice squad this past week prompting Simpson's release prior to the Seahawks game). Also, Indy re-signing Simpson appears odd given that, just yesterday, Bill Polian seemed to suggest that Simpson kind of, well, sucked as a kick returner:

Our special teams have improved greatly this year. We've only had problems (previously) with kickoff coverage. (The) return game is a function largely of the returner. If you have a dynamic returner, you're going to have good returns as you saw with T.J. (Rushing Sunday) on the punt return.

Notice how Chad Simpson, who had been the primary kick returner since Week One, was not included in the "dynamic returner" discussion. I wrote about this just a few hours ago, and now Simpson is back in the fold?

Maybe I'm reaching or misreading Polian's quote a bit, but, regardless, I'm still scratching my head at this roster move.

Clearly, the move suggests that Gary Brackett is healthy enough to return this week, but even with Gary back playing nickel linebacker, Senn is still a better option to have on the team than Simpson, especially on special teams. I mean, Senn was playing more than Philip Wheeler was.

Just doesn't make sense.

Colts v. Cardinals Game Review: Putting the Pieces Together

Colts Homer — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:09:14 -0000

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

2 months ago: After making a catch, Indianapolis Colts' Pierre Garcon, left, tangles with Arizona Cardinals' Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009 in Glendale, Ariz. Both received penalties on the play. The Colts defeated the Cardinals 31-10. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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This was a fun game. My favorite games are the ones when you know that your team is going to win throughout the entire game, and it makes it even better since I didn't think that the Colts would be able to beat the Cardinals with all of the things stacked up against them (No Brackett, Hayden, Gonzalez or Sanders, short week, tired defense, etc.). The Colts had a lot of adversity for this game. They even made the Colts underdogs. That's unbelievable. Obviously, the Vegas people aren't going to make that mistake again. Right now the Colts are probably going to be favored by double digits for the Seahawks game. I'm very happy that they're back playing on Sunday afternoons. I know that it is better for the Colts fans outside of the Midwest, but I'm a greedy person and I enjoy sleeping. The analysis is below.

QBs-Peyton Manning is unbelievable. He has lost two of his top three receivers from 2008, and he is better than ever. Besides Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, his other top receivers are a second-year player out of D3 Mount Union and a rookie out of BYU. Most QBs wouldn't be able to make that work. Peyton does. The Brady v. Manning debate is on hold. We are seeing what Peyton does with only two top targets and a bad right side of the line. Peyton is second in the league in passing touchdowns and passing yards. If we are going to be making early predictions, I'll say that number 4 is not out of the stretch of the imagination. After the Saints start to look human, Manning will emerge past the Brees hoopla. Bursa sacs were holding Manning back.

The rest is after the jump.

RBs-This was a huge concern of us all after the Chargers loss. It was clear that Addai-Rhodes was not going to cut it. Rhodes was a decent back but nothing special and Addai was always banged up. Fast forward 8 and a half months, and the running attack is lethal. Addai is amazingly consistent. On first down he seems to always get 5 or 6 yards at least. Joseph Addai has come back with a vengeance. He is proving haters wrong and he is looking like the Addai of old. And then there's Donald. Donald Brown looks like a future star. There is no questioning this draft pick now. Brown is very explosive when he gets in the open field. That 70 yard reception was brilliant! He breaks tackles which honestly surprised me as I thought that wasn't going to be a part of his game. For people wondering why he isn't starting right now, look at the differences pre-snap with him in the game. On multiple occasions Sunday night Brown had to be moved around by Peyton to get into position. Once Brown gets a hold of the playbook he will be the main back.

WRs/TEs-This is why Polian is a future Hall of Famer. Somehow he found Pierre Garcon out of Mount Union. Mount Union plays in a nearly century old football stadium that seats 5,000. Mount Union is a dynasty, but the fact that Polian found this diamond in the rough just shows his genius. Garcon is emerging as a great third receiver. He's very explosive, and to say he is a big play threat is an understatement. My guess is that once Anthony Gonzalez returns they will continue to give Garcon playing time on the outside with Gonzalez in the slot. That's why he didn't take Hakeem Nicks or Kenny Britt. Austin Collie has become a nice receiver. He's not the Stokley big play threat yet, but he has good hands and can get the first down. On third down, going to Collie is a great idea. He plays smart and he knows where the first down line is. Garcon is the better receiver right now, but Collie definitely has a future on this team. Reggie Wayne is also pretty good I've heard. He's leading the league in receiving yards right now and he makes the most ridiculous plays. He's working his way onto the All-Pro team. Speaking of All-Pros, Dallas Clark is the best tight end in the league. He's left John Carlson, Jason Witten, Antonio Gates and Tony Gonzalez in the dust. Clark is reaching his prime, and I would not be surprised to see a nice 1,000 yard, 10 touchdown season out of him. Once Gonzalez gets back, Clark is going to be even tougher to guard. Peyton has the weapons to win yet another MVP.

OL-Left side good, right side bad. That's the best way to describe this line. You could use better grammar, but that is as simple as it gets. Charlie Johnson has been a pleasant surprise and has proven doubters like me wrong. He's a good run blocker and so far he hasn't given up a sack this season. Ryan Lilja is reminding us on why he got that contract instead of Jake Scott. Lilja is a great run blocker. Running to the left side is better than ever with Lilja back. He's a sleeper for the Pro Bowl this year. Saturday is Saturday. He's been great this year and he did well last night. No one is doubting him. The right side is getting ugly. Whenever a former 2nd round pick is rotating with a former center that most recently was seen with the Boise Burn of af2, it's a bad sign for that former first day pick. When that former 2nd round pick is in his second year, it's embarrassing. Kyle DeVan is a good player and there is a reason why he is still with the team, but Pollak was a second round pick. He's not good at all. His play resulted in the interception, and he is clueless on the stretch play. Pollak is a liability, and Diem isn't much better. Running to the right is a death sentence for the drive. There is absolutely no blocking at all. This is the biggest need going into the 2010 draft. I'm perfectly content with Charlie Johnson starting at left tackle down the line, but I do not want Ryan Diem. I would support them moving Ugoh to the right tackle position and grooming him into a future starting job.

DL-Talk about a nice recovery. Against Miami the defensive line was pretty bad. Obviously Dwight Freeney played well in Miami, but no one else really did. Ed Johnson looked lost (and high), and Antonio Johnson was always getting pushed off the line. On Sunday night, I was almost sure that Big Ed was starting in the backfield. How a man that big can get off the line that fast is beyond me. Eric Foster is also becoming a nice rotation player. He played some defensive end as well as defensive tackle last night, and he did great at both positions. He is probably the best at batting down balls on the defensive line, and of course he is great at stopping the run. Antonio Johnson was not as impressive as Foster or Ed, but he didn't do anything to hurt the Colts, which is better than what we could say about the defensive tackles from 2007 and 2008. Without Dwight Freeney for the next two to three weeks, the defensive end position will be very different. As we saw Sunday night, Freeney is superhuman. On almost all 51 passes he hit Warner. He embarrassed Mike Gandy out there. With Freeney out, we will see more of Raheem Brock. Robert Mathis will take over for Freeney in the "Embarrassing Offensive Tackles" department, but there will have to be a rotation. Philip Wheeler played some defensive end Sunday night, and I have always thought that he would be a nice fit at defensive end. Throw in Keyunta Dawson and I can go two games without Freeney.

LBs-Freddy Keiaho didn't suck last night? I know, surprising. He didn't do anything terrible. I am still stunned. Everything I've seen from him would suggest that Kurt Warner would have torn him apart. Keiaho still should not be playing, but it does make Gary Brackett's injury less scary. On the outside, I am very content with Tyjuan Hagler and Clint Session. There is a reason why Hagler is starting over Wheeler, and Session has continued to play well. They are doing very well in stopping the running game. Obviously right now they are no David Thornton or Marcus Washington, but I feel fine with them back there. Jordan Senn did not impress me at all last night. If they have to play a backup linebacker, I would prefer to see Ramon Humber.

DBs-Once Kelvin Hayden and Bob Sanders get back, this will be the best secondary in the league. Jerraud Powers didn't play as well last night as he did against Jacksonville, but he is still the future of the cornerback position along with Hayden. Marlin Jackson did well as the nickelback last night. Is he worth re-signing? I'm not sure. Without a salary cap next year, I say go ahead. It pains me to say this, but Jennings did not suck last night. I still do not want him out on the field since we've all seen what happens when he is sucking. With Hayden hopefully coming back, it won't be a problem. Jacob Lacey is becoming one of my favorite rookies. He was very clutch Sunday night. His stop at the one yard line was HUGE. The next play was the Bethea interception. If Lacey can keep it up, he will work his way into the 4th spot above Tim Jennings. At safety, Antoine Bethea has played well this year. He still isn't the Pro Bowler from his second season, but he is a very good player and a quality starter. Melvin Bullitt has always played well in place of Bobzilla, but he isn't Bob Sanders. Once this team gets Sanders back, it will be even better in pass and run defense. Hopefully Bob will practice this week.

STs-Adam Vinatieri may be losing it. He is very, very close to being 2-5 this year, and he doesn't even kick off anymore. I think that this is the last year for Vinatieri. Next year Andrus will be the kicker. Vinatieri has not looked good this year. In fact, the whole field goal unit has looked bad. The blocking is weak and Vinatieri has been weak. On the other hand, McAfee is still great. On 11 kickoffs, he has 3 touchbacks. McAfee is still punting well. He's averaging about 45 yards per kick and he has 2 kicks inside the 20 on 9 punts. The return game is as expected. Simpson cannot return kicks and Rushing is a decent punt returner.

Top 5 players from the Colts-Cardinals Game

5. Pierre Garcon: Garcon is definitely stepping up when he has to. With Marvin Harrison and Gonzalez gone, he needed to become an acceptable target for Peyton. He's gone above and beyond that. Garcon had his great touchdown where he burnt the corner, and he played well for the rest of the game too. Garcon will end up getting more targets as the year goes on.

4. Reggie Wayne: Wayne is leading the league in receiving yards at this point, and last night he made one of the best catches of his career for a touchdown. He is a big target, and he has shown that he can get it done without Marvin on the other side of the field.

3. Joseph Addai: On 13 carries he got 63 yards and he made two big catches. One was the touchdown screen and the other was when he had to extend his body to come down with a pass that easily could have been a pick. Addai is getting back into 2006 form.

2. Peyton Manning: Manning is the best QB in the league. He is a favorite for the MVP again this year, and he is on pace to throw over 35 touchdowns and 4900 yards. He's pretty good, and Sunday night was his best game so far. He is doing this without Anthony Gonzalez. WOW.

1. Dwight Freeney: Even though Peyton was phenomenal, holding a very good offense to 10 points is a great feat, and Freeney was the main reason. His constant pressure got Warner to make bad throws and it got some sacks too.

Next up, Seattle Seahawks.

Colts re-sign Jordan Senn; Gary Brackett is "day-to-day"

BigBlueShoe — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:48:01 -0000

More photos » by David Kohl - AP

Cincinnati Bengals receiver Andre Caldwell (87) celebrates after catching a touchdown pass between Indianapolis Colts linebacker Jordan Senn (51) in the first half of a preseason NFL football game, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/David Kohl)

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Mike Chappell gives us the scope, saying that the Colts have re-signed linebacker Jordan Senn, a solid back-up middle linebacker and good special teams player. It's not known at this time who the Colts cut to make room for Senn. Judging from many of your comments in several game and post-game threads, most of you are probably hoping Tim Jennings got his walking papers.

Re-signing Senn means the Colts are uncertain about Gary Brackett's status for next week at Arizona against the Cardinals. Brackett described his status as day-to-day, which is encouraging for someone with a knee injury. Brackett went down in the fourth quarter of theMonday night game against the Dolphins.

Colts v. Bengals Preseason Review: It's Over!

Colts Homer — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 03:54:51 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

3 months ago: Indianapolis Colts receiver Taj Smith celebrates after scoring against the Cincinnati Bengals in the first half of a preseason NFL football game, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

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Finally! The long preseason is over. Very soon we will see who gets cut and who makes the roster. If anyone watched the embarrassment of this game, they know how hard it is to try and find something good from this game. Obviously it needs to be said that almost all of the players that played today are in no way expected to contribute this season, but it was still ugly. It gave us a grim glimpse of life without Manning (and Addai, Brown, Wayne, Saturday, Freeney, Mathis, etc...). Now we know how Lions fans feel in the regular season. Here is a position-by-position rundown of today's "game".

QBs

~I thought both of them played well. Sorgi played the first half and Painter played the second. Both showed good accuracy and didn't make any big mistakes passing. A Sorgi interception got called back but that was mostly Tamme's fault for dropping the pass. Sorgi did lose a fumble. This game didn't show us anything knew. Sorgi is the second best QB on the roster and Painter is the future Sorgi.

RBs

~Simpson and Ball both played well to be honest for their situations. The guards didn't play very well today, but Ball was able to get 3.4 yards per carry (which would have been average on the team last year) and Simpson had 16 yards on 4 carries. Walter Mendenhall had one big run but did nothing to show he deserves to be close to a roster spot. This will be one of the most highly anticipated cuts. Will Hart or Ball make it? Will both of them be on the 53 man roster? I would guess when cut day comes that will be headline here at Stampede Blue.

WRs/TEs

~Taj Smith was pretty awesome today. His touchdown catch was a thing of beauty when he got the ball in tight coverage. He had 5 catches for 59 yards and was targeted an amazing 11 times. Jacob Tamme also got a lot of looks and did decent. His dropped pass which resulted in an interception was ugly though. John Matthews still sucks.

~Kyle DeVan and Tony Ugoh were good. Jaimie Thomas and Jamey Richard were bad. Ugoh was playing great at left tackle and had to compensate for the surprisingly awful performance by Richard. Richard looked like he didn't care and was very slow. Another reason why preseason is too damn long. DeVan should have clinched a roster spot tonight but Steve Justice could somehow keep a roster spot.

DL

~The way they handle the D-line shows that the Colts couldn't care less about the preseason. Honestly, the only way they could show how little they cared to an even further extent would be to not show up at all. They play 4 DTs and no defensive ends because the defensive end position is locked up. Adrian Grady proved to be a complete monster and I don't think he will get cut. I have a gut feeling that Daniel Muir could be on his way out. It depends on how the team would feel about cutting someone who was looking like he could be starting in Week One.

~This is the most confusing unit on the team. One week Mike Tauiliili looks like a star and the next he is a non-factor. Jordan Senn didn't play all that well tonight and Freddy Keiaho showed his uselessness with missing easy tackles. I think that Ramon Humber has to make the roster. I mean, there is no way they can keep someone like Keiaho over him, can they?

~For the corners, Jacob Lacey played well except on the first drive. He is practice squad bound, but he looks like a future Colt. He's great in man coverage.

~Jamie Silva played great. He led the team in tackles and had a sack. He was a stud today and I think he locked up a roster spot.

Special Teams

~Adam Vinatieri missed a field goal and Pat McAfee had a punt blocked and may or may not have been injured. Someone would need to clarify that for me. From a kicking standpoint, it was an ugly game.

~Jamie Silva is not a punt returner unless 5 yards a return sounds acceptable to you. Simpson wasn't as bad as usual at returning kicks, but he isn't making the roster because of it. That's for sure.

Roster prediction after the jump.

QB
Peyton Manning
Jim Sorgi
Curtis Painter

RB
Joseph Addai
Donald Brown
Mike Hart
Lance Ball

H-B
Gijon Robinson
Tom Santi

WR
Reggie Wayne
Anthony Gonzalez
Austin Collie
Pierre Garcon

TE
Dallas Clark
Jacob Tamme

LT
Charlie Johnson
Tony Ugoh

LG
Ryan Lilja
Jamey Richard

C
Jeff Saturday
Kyle DeVan

RG
Mike Pollak
Dan Federkeil

RT
Ryan Diem

LE
Robert Mathis
Keyunta Dawson
Marcus Howard

UT
Ed Johnson
Fili Moala
Eric Foster

NT
Antonio Johnson
Terrance Taylor
Adrian Grady

RE
Dwight Freeney
Raheem Brock

WILL
Clint Session
Ramon Humber

MIKE
Gary Brackett
Jordan Senn

SAM
Philip Wheeler
Tyjuan Hagler

CB
Kelvin Hayden
Marlin Jackson
Jerraud Powers
TJ Rushing

FS
Antoine Bethea
Matt Giordano
Jamie Silva

SS
Bob Sanders
Melvin Bullitt

K
Adam Vinatieri

P
Pat McAfee

LS
Justin Snow

Practice Squad
RB Walter Mendenhall
WR Taj Smith
OL Jaimie Thomas
OL Tom Pestock
DL John Gill
LB Mike Tauiliili
DB Jacob Lacey

I like this roster and I really don't have very many problems with it. Usually I will be apprehensive about publishing a roster prediction because I just don't agree with all of it, but I like this one. Muir being booted is obviously the most controversial along with Jennings leaving, but if this team wants the 53 best players, this is probably the way to go.

Is Ed Johnson really that big of a difference maker?

BigBlueShoe — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:04:22 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

7 months ago: FILE - In this Jan. 13, 2008 file photo, Indianapolis Colts Ed Johnson gestures during an NFL divisional playoff football game against the San Diego Chargers in Indianapolis. After being expelled from Penn State, going undrafted only to earn a starting job with the Colts and then losing his job after being arrested on a drug possession charge in September, Johnson is back with the Colts with another chance to restore his reputation. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)

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Last Saturday against the Detroit Lions, Colts coach Jim Caldwell scratched DT Ed Johnson from the game even though he had practiced all week and was healthy enough to play. Mike Chappell explains why:

That was coach Jim Caldwell's plan going into the third preseason game. That game is when conditions most mirror those of the first game of the regular season, and Johnson isn't eligible to play in the Sept. 13 opener against Jacksonville.

"We wanted to look at our team without him,'' Caldwell said.

The result was a Detroit offense that dominated the line of scrimmage in the first half, converting on numerous third down situations and utilizing a diligent running game. So, if Caldwell indeed wanted this game to "mirror those of the first game of the regular season," then the third pre-season game was a complete and utter disaster from an execution standpoint. Even with a bad (and beaten up) offensive line last year, the Jaguars were still able to run the football at will on the Colts. This year, their line is improved, they've added Torry Holt at wide receiver, and David Garrard is healthy.

The the Ed Johnson-less Colts play like they did late Saturday, the Jags might get another 300 yard rushing day.

Now, before we continue, I'll state that I am aware that several Colts starters did not play on defense Saturday. Even though he was healthy, Gary Brackett was held out. Why? Who knows. Maybe they wanted to see if Freddy Keiaho could step in for Brackett. Hopefully, they learned what we learned: Freddy can't play MIKE. Also absent was Bob Sanders, Dwight Freeney, Kelvin Hayden, and Antonio Johnson (for much of the game).

But, as we have seen for years and years, the Colts have a habit of incurring big injuries at inopportune times. This forces key reserves like Daniel Muir, Jordan Senn, Jamie Silva, Matt Giordano, Fili Moala, and Keyunta Dawson to step in and play significant snaps. From what I saw Saturday, many of these same players were terrible doing the most basic, fundamental things all football players should know how to do: Tackle and pursue.

No disrespect to the Lions, but our back-ups should be able to get them off the field, especially in third and long situations. Twice on one drive (which resulted in a Lions TD), the Colts got Daunte Culpepper into third and long (9 and 13, respectively). Twice, Culpepper converted. Back-ups or not, that is unacceptable.

Like many of you, what the first half of last Saturday's game looked like was what every game looked like last year for the Colts. And, just like Saturday's game, the Colts were without Ed Johnson for 90% of the season last year. This begs the question, is Ed really THAT important?

Take a look at 2007, Ed Johnson's rookie year and his first as a starting defensive tackle (a nose tackle then) for the Colts. The Colts defense allowed only 3.8 yards a carry and was #1 in the league in points allowed. They were ranked 15th in run defense, 6th in yards per carry, and 9th in rushing TDs allowed. This allowed their offense to stay on the field longer and have more opportunities to score.

Fast forward to 2008.

The Ed Johnson-less Colts defense was 24th in rushing yards allowed, 19th in rushing TDs scored (18 TDs), and allowed 4.2 yards a carry. They were dead last in forcing offenses in three-and-outs, and were dead last in preventing teams from converting on third down. This contributed to Indy dropping to 13th in points per game on offense, as Peyton Manning had fewer and fewer chances to score points.

Now, other factors did play into the defensive regression of 2008. Bob Sanders missed much of the year (again), and key reserves like Quinn Pitcock were also gone. But since the emergence of Melvin Bullitt, I'm starting to sense that it is not Bob's absence that the Colts cannot do without. It's Big Ed's.

Key to overcoming our reliance on Ed is for reserves like Daniel Muir to stop whiffing on tackles he should make! The Colts also cannot afford to lose Gary Brackett for any length of time either. The defense struggled even more after Brackett went down last December with a broken leg, and the depth behind the MIKE spot is sorely lacking.

It's important to note that there is a very strong possibility that Bob Sanders could start the season on PUP. This would shatter any and all hope of Sanders ever shaking loose the stigma that he is an "injury-prone" player who cannot be relied upon. With the possibility of both Bob and Ed out for Week One, and with key players like Raheem Brock and Antoine Bethea nursing hand injuries, one has to be concerned that this Colts defense is not up to snuff; that they have not improved from last season's disaster.

In any case, after considering all this, I have to say I like how Caldwell ran things last Saturday. I make the comment often that the Colts "do not care about pre-season." The reason I say this is because they often sit starters and play lots of people who will, ultimately, either get cut before the season starts, or are back-ups. For me, the game is "taken seriously" when the starters start and play most of the game. That's why they are starters.

However, it seems Caldwell is looking at how good his team is sans key players like Sanders, Big Ed, and Gary. He seems to be working on shoring up the obvious weaknesses in the event one or several of these key players gets hurt and has to miss time. I applaud that, but make no mistake, if the Colts want to beat the Jags Week One, they cannot have a repeat performance of what we saw in Detroit, back-ups or no.

Colts v. Lions: Players to Look For

Colts Homer — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 04:53:12 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

This better not happen today, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. The Eagles recovered the fumble. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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It's the starters' preseason game. 5 starters are out (Brock, Lilja, Sanders, Vinatieri and Hayden), but we will see Peyton, Wayne, Gonzalez, Charlie Johnson, Robert Mathis, Dwight Freeney and all of those guys playing in the second quarter. After seeing what happened to Tom Brady against the Redskins, I am much more nervous for this game than I should be. All it takes is a right defensive end getting to Peyton, hitting him on his blindside and hurting his shoulder like what they did to Brady. Good thing the Colts are starting their most talented left tackle...Oh wait.

Charlie Johnson

This is Johnson's game. He has to keep Peyton standing up or else we will see Ugoh at left tackle in Week One. Ugoh has outplayed Johnson in the preseason so far, and if it happens again, Mudd and Caldwell can't justify starting Johnson. The most important thing about the offense is to keep Peyton Manning on his feet so he can throw a few touchdowns a game. If that doesn't happen, someone needs to go. In this case, it is Johnson. If a right end nails Manning I will be very upset with Caldwell and Mudd for not starting the better left tackle.

The rest are after the jump.

Jim Sorgi

Sorgi is back! Get happy, everyone. Sorgi will be able to play so the "Out with the old, in with the new" fallacy will go away now. We will see that Sorgi is better than Painter and people can be quiet about that. He won't throw off his back foot in the redzone directly to a defender. He won't scramble out at any kind of pressure and throw on the run instead of stepping up in the pocket. I think once people see Sorgi on the field again they will realize how much of a better player he is than Curtis Painter.

Pierre Garcon

Garcon really needs to play well if he is going to see the field this year. He's dropping too many passes. I'm not Peyton Manning and I don't know how he thinks, but dropping a Peyton Manning pass would probably be the equivalent of dropping someone's baby. That's not going to fly in the regular season. Austin Collie is really good as we have seen. Caldwell and Co. aren't going to send out players just because. Garcon has to earn his spot on the field. So far he hasn't done that. If he drops some passes today it will be hard to justify him actually playing.

Fili Moala

I want to see him do something. I want to see him get to Matt Stafford and punish him for coming out early. Moala has been rather quiet this preseason. I was expecting him to make some more noise. Today is his chance. The defensive tackle position is very crowded. He needs to live up to expectations pretty quickly if he wants to see the field early and often. With the Johnsons appearing to be the starters for Week Two, Moala needs to make a case that he is starter material for Week One.

Ramon Humber

Humber has to keep on playing like he has. Adam Seward is gone, so he now has a great chance on making the roster. He is in a big competition with Freddie Keiaho and Jordan Senn for a roster spot, and he is definitely the least experienced being a UDFA. The fact that Keiaho has a job in this league shows how much experience matters to the Colts. Humber has been really good, and he has a great chance of actually making the final cut, but he will have to prove to be better than Keiaho and Senn.

Freddy Keiaho

Like I was saying above, Keiaho is definitely not guaranteed to make the roster. Hell, the only reason he is with the team is that they weren't comfortable with the backup linebackers. I'm sure if they front office and Caldwell knew how good Senn and Humber would turn out to be they wouldn't have signed him. Keiaho has to earn a spot like every other backup linebacker. Seward getting cut shows that no backups are locks to be on the final roster. Keiaho is not one of the top 6 Colts linebackers right now, and he has to step it up if he wants to make the 53 man squad.

Tim Jennings

He is just not that good. Jennings is not as good as Jerraud Powers, and it has shown this preseason. Jacob Lacey has even played much better. It's not just keeping the nickel back spot. It's keeping a roster spot. Jennings has not had the career a second round pick should have. Jennings has to justify that he is better than Jerraud Powers who has been a nice surprise.

This is the best preseason game for looking at the starters. For the most part people put way too much stock into the preseason. I feel bad for the people who use the preseason to draft for fantasy. It's obvious that teams don't really care how good players do in the preseason. That's why Lance Ball is a Colt and not a Ram. Ball was phenomenal in his rookie year's preseason with the Rams, but he didn't make the final roster. This third game is different. It is now just two long weeks until the season starts. For this game we will see a lot of the starters. If Mike Pollak struggles it will be something of concern unlike the first two preseason games. The same goes with all of the question mark starters. If you really want to put stock into a preseason game, today is your day.

First Depth Chart Released: Here's Some Analysis

Colts Homer — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:43:01 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

4 months ago: Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning makes a throw during the NFL team's football training camp in Terre Haute, Ind., Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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Tip to Aerostar and his hilarious avatar for first posting this.

The first depth chart of the year is released. Yes, we all know about Charlie Johnson being the starting left tackle over Ugoh, but I found other tidbits just as astounding and surprising. I need to remember that this isn't the final roster, but it does show Caldwell's impressions. We have been looking at tweets and reports and even first-hand accounts, but Caldwell is the man who makes the final decisions, and this gives us a peek into his thought process. This is also very telling of who will be cut and who will make the roster. Note that the PUP list players are listed at the bottom, so like Aerostar said, don't grab your pitchforks and torches and head out for Caldwell when you see Sanders listed as the #3 strong safety.

My position-by-position analysis is after the jump.

Quarterbacks
Peyton Manning
Jim Sorgi
Curtis Painter
Chris Crane

No surprises there.

Running Back
Joseph Addai
Donald Brown
Mike Hart
Chad Simpson
Lance Ball

Coming into training camp, people would have said you were crazy if you had Chad Simpson, who was just plain bad last year over the promising Lance Ball, but now Simpson is above Ball. Everything I've heard out of training camp has Simpson being a phenomenal player. Ball does have practice squad eligibility left, so there is that. Last year Lance Ball dominated in preseason for the Rams much like Mike Hart did for the Colts and ended up not making the roster, so it is hard to say that if Ball has a great preseason he will make the roster.

H-Back
Gijon Robinson
Jacob Tamme

Again, we are seeing Tamme listed as an H-back while his skill sets fit more of the tight end/slot receiver role that Dallas Clark plays. That confused me.

Wide Receiver
Reggie Wayne
Pierre Garcon
Roy Hall
Austin Collie
John Matthews

Anthony Gonzalez
Brett McDermott
Taj Smith
Sam Giguere

A lot of things to note here. First, Austin Collie behind Pierre Garcon and Roy Hall? That surprised me. Collie has been practicing as the slot receiver while Garcon has been the fourth and Hall hasn't really been heard from. Second, who's this Brett McDermott? Taj Smith has supposedly been very impressive, but he is listed behind McDermott. That shocked me. Giguere is obviously listed last because he is on the PUP list.

Tight End
Dallas Clark
Gijon Robinson
Jacob Tamme
Tom Santi
Jamie Petrowski

So Santi is fourth. That disappoints me since I am such a Santi fan. Gijon Robinson holds onto the second receiver job for now. This could seriously change this preseason. Santi was out for training camp and preseason last year and has battled injuries for his career, so he could surprise the coaches who have seen very little from him so far.

Left Tackle
Charlie Johnson
Tony Ugoh
Michael Toudouze

These are some names that have been around for a while, but usually Ugoh would be above Johnson. That continues to shock me. The Colts gave up a first round pick for Ugoh in the most deep running back class I can remember. Some players that were left when the Niner picked were receivers Donny Avery and Eddie Royal, tight ends Dustin Keller and John Carlson, and running backs Matt Forte, Ray Rice and Kevin Smith. Keep that in mind when deciding whether Ugoh was a bust or not.

Left Guard
Ryan Lilja
Jamey Richard
Jaimie Thomas

It's nice to see Lilja in a depth chart again. That is the biggest addition of the offseason. They are getting back an outstanding offensive guard that will have a chip on his shoulder. I expect left guard to be the strongest position on the line other than center with Jamey Richard being the backup. Richard is going to be one of Polian's diamonds in the rough picks. It isn't looking great for Thomas to make the roster right now, but training camp could change that.

Center
Jeff Saturday
Steve Justice
Kyle DeVan

No surprise with Saturday at the top. Justice really needs to step it up because he was awful last season in both the preseason and regular season. The DeVan signing keeps looking weirder now that he isn't making any impact.

Right Guard
Mike Pollak
Dan Federkeil
Brandon Barnes

Pollak is another young offensive lineman who needs to step it up. This really is a huge question mark. Pollak was not good last year, but at least he will have a training camp to get ready for the season. Federkeil, straight outta Medicine Hat, has been a long time Colt and has played well when given the opportunity. Barnes was another weird signing who hasn't panned out.

Right Tackle
Ryan Diem
Corey Hilliard
Tom Pestock

Diem was the only healthy lineman last year, but he wasn't great. I would not be surprised to see Ugoh starting on the right side one day. Hilliard played well at the training camp I went to and he could make the roster. Pestock is in the same boat as Barnes and DeVan. All three will be in the UFL soon enough.

Left Defensive End
Robert Mathis
Keyunta Dawson
Marcus Howard

This surprised me a lot. Not only is Robert Mathis starting, but Raheem Brock isn't even listed as a left defensive end. Dawson's move to defensive end must be going well now that he is listed above Howard, someone who I think could make a huge impact. I do not want to see Mathis starting. He isn't great against the run, and he is much more effective as a pass rush specialist.

Nose Tackle
Anthony Johnson
Daniel Muir
Terrance Taylor
Adrian Grady

This shocked me to be honest. I thought Mookie was in trouble with his injury, but now he is a starter. He earned it after last season, but with the way Muir has been playing and the drafting of Taylor I thought he may have been the odd man out. Besides AJ, nothing surprises me. Muir has almost guaranteed himself a roster spot now, and things aren't looking good for Grady.

Under Tackle
Ed Johnson
Fili Moala
Eric Foster

I don't know how Ed Johnson is an under tackle. He's a huge man. This doesn't seem right. I think the defense will be a little different next year, which is a good thing. There will be better run defense and hopefully the Johnsons could even get pressure on the QB. Fili Moala isn't starting, but he isn't a wasted pick. Let's see how he does with the preseason. Foster better make the roster.

Right Defensive End
Dwight Freeney
Raheem Brock
Curtis Johnson

Things aren't looking good for Johnson. He could very easily not make the roster after minimal playing time last year. He is a good pass rusher, but there are much better lineman, and I think he is the odd man out. Nothing surprising at RDE.

SAM
Philip Wheeler
Tyjuan Hagler

No surprises here.

MIKE
Gary Brackett
Adam Seward
Freddy Keiaho
Mike Tauiliili

This shocked me. Keiaho is listed as a middle linebacker, and he's third on the depth chart? He may not even make the roster. Special teams may save him. Besides that, no surprises.

WILL
Clint Session
Jordan Senn

Senn is the backup WILL right now. He was a special teams stud, so maybe he will make the roster. The 2008 UDFAs were a very special group. Maybe he will continue to be a part of it.

CB
Kelvin Hayden
Dante Hughes
TJ Rushing
Jacob Lacey

Marlin Jackson
Tim Jennings
Jerraud Powers
Michael Coe
Nick Graham

To me, this looks like Hughes may be winning the nickelback job, something that would please me. Hughes was built for the Tampa-2, and if he can stay healthy, he can be a very good player. He was another third round pick that was starting to look like a bust, but maybe he can end up breaking the curse. Rushing and Coe may be the odd men out when it comes to making the roster. Losing Rushing would disappoint me, and Coe could have been a great special teams player, but when a team has great depth, good players end up getting cut.

SS
Melvin Bullitt
Jamie Silva
Bob Sanders

This may be the most talented group on the team. Bullitt was an absolute stud filling in for Sanders last year, and Silva is a great special teams player. Sanders is obviously an amazing player, but he has to stay healthy. I'm not sure if I can take more of his injuries.

FS
Antoine Bethea
Matt Giordano
Travis Key

Bethea is in his contract year, so I expect him to really step it up. Giordano is a great gunner who has found his place on the roster. Key is a training camp player and nothing more. No surprises here.

P
Pat McAfee

Obviously.

K
Shane Andrus
Adam Vinatieri

PUP players are listed last, so that's why Andrus is the team's kicker. Vinatieri should be healthy by the Jaguars game, so this is what I expected. Keep Vinatieri off the field and let him rehab.

Holder
Pat McAfee
Jim Sorgi

How can you hold the ball AND the clipboard at the same time? Obviously Sorgi isn't going to win this job.

PR
TJ Rushing
Pierre Garcon
Jerraud Powers

This may be the way Rushing makes the roster. He is a great punt returner. I did not know that Powers was a returner, so that surprised me. Garcon is not a good returner so hopefully Rushing makes the roster or Powers beats him out for the job.

KR
Chad Simpson
TJ Rushing
Austin Collie

Simpson being named the starter shows how bad the kick return game is. Hopefully they draft someone like Perrish Cox next year so this isn't a problem anymore.

Long Snapper
Justin Snow
Jacob Tamme

Good old Justin Snow. He's been around forever, and I couldn't be happier. He has a great job.

I do not expect all of these to stand. Obviously Ed Johnson isn't starting Week One because of suspension, but there is no way AJ is going to be a regular starter. I also expect Ugoh to start Week One as well. Overall, this was a shocking depth chart. I can't wait to see these guys play on Friday.

What to Expect: Linebackers

Colts Homer — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 02:34:56 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

This man will change the way we see Coach Dungy's precious Tampa-2 defense. Look for a man with extremely long dreads to be punishing QBs this season. Terre Haute, Ind., Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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The linebackers are very interesting to say the least. Some think that the unit is a major weakness, others like me think that there are 3 capable starters that will make a big impact on defense. Two former starters are now backups, which shows how much more talent there is on this team. Philip Wheeler and Clint Session will be major impact guys on blitzing. I am excited to see these linebackers blitz. Session is a big man now, and Wheeler has always been big. Some QBs are going to wish they stayed home. Needless to say, I am very excited about the defense. They are going to be the best Colts defense we have seen in a while.

1. Which linebacker do you expect to have the most tackles?

2. Do you expect Gary Brackett to be re-signed after this season?

3. Which player do you expect to have a bigger impact next season: Clint Session or Philip Wheeler?

4. Which player do you expect to have a bigger impact over his Colts career: Session or Wheeler?

5. Which backup linebacker do you expect to have the biggest impact on defense: Freddy Keiaho, Tyjuan Hagler or Adam Seward?

6. Do you expect Mike Tauliili, Jordan Senn and/or Ramon Humber to make the roster?

7. Do you expect Tyjuan Hagler and/or Freddie Keiaho to ever be regular starters for the Colts again? (barring injuries to Session, Brackett or Wheeler)

8. Do you expect Philip Wheeler to break the third round curse?

9. Which linebacker do you expect to have the most sacks?

10. Which linebacker do you expect to have the most interceptions?

My answers are after the jump as always.

1. Brackett will have the most tackles by a good margin.

2. No. Sadly, Brackett will not be re-signed and he will play for a different team in 2010.

3. Wheeler will have a huge impact both in run defense and in pass defense. Session will still be a good run stopper but Wheeler will establish himself as a far better player.

4. Wheeler will have a good career with the Colts and could even get the second contract so many previous Colts linebackers didn't receive.

5. Seward will have the biggest impact on defense because he will fit in better in the new Bears version of the Tampa-2.

6. None of them will even come close.

7. No. Their time is done barring injury. They will be very good special teamers though.

8. Yes he will break it and vanquish it once and for all.

9. Wheeler will have between 3 and 5 sacks this year.

10. Brackett will have the most interceptions and could very easily lead the team.

In unrelated news, I went to the morning practice today and got to see the Colts goal line offense and defense in work. Here are some notes.

~Muir and Foster both could be very good goal line fullbacks. Foster has the mobility and Muir can actually block. I have a feeling that both of them are going to be on the final roster and Antonio Johnson will be left off sadly.

~The goal line pass defense is insane. No QB could find anyone to throw to all day no matter which corners and safeties were in. We are in for a special treat watching this pass defense.

~The stretch play out of the I-formation worked pretty well. Muir had some nice moves and blocked well. Without Muir those plays would have been stuffed though, which is a cause for concern.

~I have good news and bad news. The good news is that when the team blitzes, they are in the backfield in a second and are ready to kill a quarterback. The bad news is that the offensive line does not look like it can block the blitz coming from the inside.

Overall, this is a special team and I can't wait. One week until Colts football finally starts. We will get to see the rookies play a real game and everything. I know I am ready.