SB Nation User Blog: AussieColtsFan

Jerraud Powers: Old Man

AussieColtsFan — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:00:51 -0000

There are a number of reasons why the Colts are currently 9-0. Peyton Manning, Dwight Freeney, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, Robert Mathis, just to name a few, are the primary reasons the Colts are undefeated. But the contribution of the youngest player on the Colts roster has also been vital to the Colts success. I am, of course, referring to Jerraud Powers, the rookie cornerback taken from Auburn in the 3rd round of the 2009 draft.

Before I begin, I should probably explain the headline. For those who missed Phil Richards article on Powers or were simply unaware, his nickname among the Colts playing group is "Old Man". The reason for this is explained by Jim Caldwell:

Jerraud acts as if he's been here on this earth before. He is just wise beyond his years in terms of the way in which he acts and functions.

A feeling echoed by Gary Brackett:

Out there talking with him, it's almost like we've played before. The way we communicate and we can talk football language as far as route combinations and what things we should be alert for, he's ahead of his years.

Powers' maturity is noticable both on the field and off it when he is in front of the media, and I believe it is one of the reasons he has played well through the first half of the season.

Before looking at the impact Powers has had, I thought it would be a good idea to go back and review the reactions of us Colts fans to this pick. First a pre-draft scouting report :

Strengths:

Above average athleticism...Okay speed...Quick with a burst...Smooth with fluid hips...Great hands and ball skills...Decent leaping ability...Is technically sound...Good footwork and uses his hands well...Physical and aggressive...Sufficient instincts and awareness...Solid production.

Weaknesses:

Does not have the ideal height or bulk that you look for...Isn't very strong...Not a great tackler...Struggles to get off blocks...Won't offer much in run support...Takes too many chances...Durability concerns.

Coming out of college Powers was seen as having good coverage skills but lacking in size, tackling ability and physicality in general. As BBS stated this was puzzling given that corners who play in the Tampa 2 have to be able to tackle. This pick was also confusing given the depth of the Colts secondary. The Colts already had their two starting cornerbacks in Kelvin Hayden and Marlin Jackson, a solid nickelback in Tim Jennings and two young developing corners in Michael Coe and Dante Hughes. As a result Colts fans, myself included, were left scratching their heads at this pick. To quote a few of the responses:

I dont know about this guy

Does he have good coverage skills at least?

People said his scouting report is eh. I dont like this pick

I'm not a fan now

I need to see him tackle in preseason if I will ever like him.

Powers was off my radar entirely. But it’s scary having to rely on Jennings, Hughes, Coe and/or Powers as potential starters if our two outside corners go down. I’m not sure that any CB drafted would have alleviated that fear, so I guess we’re just going to have to hope that BP thinks this guy can develop into a potential starter or NB next year.

The general feeling among fans was that this was a wasted pick and as a result BBS gave this pick "Low Marks".

So far this season, Powers has been anything but a wasted pick and appears to be another Polian gem. After outplaying Tim Jennings and the other CBs through the preseason and as Marlin Jackson gradually returned from a serious knee injury, Powers was a first week starter at right corner. After Marlin suffered another serious knee injury and Hayden was injured, the Colts were forced to rely on Powers and another rookie in Jacob Lacey. Although neither has starred, both have played well enough to minimise the impact these injuries could have potentially had. Through 8 games this year, each of which he has started, Powers has: 45 tackles, 1 interception, 7 pass defence, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recovery’s. Although not jaw-dropping numbers, they are solid. Simply watching him play reveals that he is much more then the numbers indicate. Some of his highlights to date include:

An 8 tackle game against the Cardinals
A forced fumble and fumble recovery against the 49ers
10 tackles, 1 interception and a heads-up fumble recovery for a touchback against the Texans.
A great game against one of the most potent passing attacks in the NFL (New England). Almost (and probably should’ve) had a game winning pick.

Through his 8 games he has also played against some of the top receivers in the league including: Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Nate Burleson, Andre Johnson, Randy Moss, and Wes Welker. Against these elite receivers he has more then held his own. Although his play has gone somewhat unnoticed, there is little doubt in my mind that Powers is a future star, a thought shared with Melvin Bullitt:

In my opinion, he's a future Pro Bowler.

The Showdown

AussieColtsFan — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 02:29:57 -0000

The Showdown

A nice vid of Manning and Brady to help you get even more excited for the game tomorrow.

The Showdown

AussieColtsFan — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 02:26:37 -0000

The Showdown

A nice vid of Manning and Brady to help you get even more excited for the game tomorrow.

An Inspirational Colt

AussieColtsFan — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:04:51 -0000

An Inspirational Colt

A great story that highlights the class of Jim Irsay and the Colts organisation as a whole. Well worth a watch.

Post from a Colts Fan

AussieColtsFan — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 08:51:09 -0000

Dashon Goldson (quote via Mercury News):

A lot of quarterbacks try to fool you. They'll use their hard count and try to get you to show your hand, show your blitz, but when you've been in the game for a while, you can tell when a bluff is called.

I can't wait to see how he translates Manning's gaelic (tip to Colts blogger Indy Lori who originally found the vid):

In all seriousness it should be a good matchup and I am very much looking forward to the game. I'll also take this opportunity to back up coltsfan723's comments and thank you guys for the way you have "cross-blogged" with us. Goodluck, Go Colts!

Freeney Salutes You!

AussieColtsFan — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 08:38:39 -0000

Freeney Salutes You!

Explanation of Freeney's sack celebration.

We're holding the ball, we're unprotected, just sitting there defenceless. So they've got to stay...

AussieColtsFan — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 01:15:55 -0000

We're holding the ball, we're unprotected, just sitting there defenceless. So they've got to stay away from me. They deserve to get flagged.

Tom Brady's take on the increase in roughing-the-passer calls. Quote via The Canadian Press.

Colts need more SB Titles

AussieColtsFan — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:57:46 -0000

Came across a very well written article by Matt Snyder from NFL Fanhouse which looked at the performance of the Colts during the Manning era. As the title of the article suggests, Synder states that in order for the Colts, and Manning, to be immortalized as a truly great team and quarterback, they need to win at least one more title. I tend to agree with him.

Snyder begins by highlighting the Colt's outstanding regular season record over the past 6/7 years and how it compares to other great teams:

That's right, after beginning this season 5-0, the Manning-era Colts are now 80-21 since the beginning of 2003. The '70s Steelers went 87-27-1 from 1972-1979. From 1981-1998, the 49ers were always pretty stout, but they never put together a six-plus season run where they played close to .800 ball like the current Colts (they came closest from 1987-1992 when they went 75-20). The '90s Cowboys went 70-20 in their best stretch. From 2001-2007, the Patriots went 86-26. Shula's '70s Dolphins, at 67-16-1, check in as the best competition.

However regular season records are not remembered, rings are. Years from now, rightly or wrongly, people will look back on this team and judge it based on how many titles it won. As Matt says:

Should the Manning-era Colts not win another Super Bowl here in the next few years, they will be just another team who won a Super Bowl, instead of being considered among the immortal groups in the NFL

It is simply how teams are judged. Look at New England for example: the Patriots are seen by the majority of people (or at least the majority of the media) as the best team of the decade because they have won the most Super Bowl titles. I would argue that the Steelers are the best team of the decade (mostly because they didn't cheat to win their rings) but I agree with the use of Super Bowl titles as a measure of a teams success. Super Bowls are the sole reason player's play the game. I therefore completely agree with Snyder, that in order for the this team to be viewed as a truly great team, they need at least one more title.

Unfortunately players, like teams, are often judge based on the number of rings they have. The most common pro-Brady argument in the Manning-Brady debate is that Tom has won more titles then Peyton and is therefore a better quarterback. Obviously anyone with half a brain knows that Super Bowls are won by teams, not quarterbacks alone and therefore should only be used to judge teams. However this is not the case. As Matt states Peyton will be also be judged based on the number of titles he wins (or doesn't win):

It all starts with Manning, who is easily one of the top-10 quarterbacks of all-time. In fact, you could make an argument for the best ever (and his stats will show it before he retires). The only argument you can make against him? The one I'm talking about right now: "he's only won one Super Bowl!"

To a certain extent I agree with him. As a Colts fan (who pride's himself on being as unbias as possible, in other words not a complete homer) I believe Peyton Manning will retire as the G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All Time), regardless of how many titles he wins. He can make all the throws, reads defenses better than anyone, works harder then anyone, makes those around him better, leads (and at times carries) his team, and is truly humble by nature. He is simply the best. But as Snyder says, in order for Manning to be viewed by everyone, as undeniably the best QB of all time, he needs to win at least one more title. If not there will always be that argument: "He only won one Super Bowl". Matt Snyder sums it up best:

In order for the Manning-era Colts (or even Polian-era Colts, if you prefer) to be truly appreciated, they need to bring home the hardware one more time. If they are really serious about being a transcendent team, they'll do it at least twice -- just for good measure.

After all, that is what a truly immortal team would do.

He's right.

Poll

How many more titles do the Colts and Peyton need to win to be considered a truly great team?

None

15 votes

1

38 votes

2 or more

22 votes

75 votes | Poll has closed

I've got that snarl. I've got that mean streak, that tenacity like I know I can. The sky's the...

AussieColtsFan — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:56:27 -0000

I've got that snarl. I've got that mean streak, that tenacity like I know I can. The sky's the limit.

Fili Moala on his readiness to play. Quote via Indy Star.

NFL Videos - Playbook: Colts vs. Titans Recap

AussieColtsFan — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:52:17 -0000

NFL Videos - Playbook: Colts vs. Titans Recap

Nice clip analzying Manning's two touchdowns to Collie and Jacob Lacey's coverage skills.