SB Nation User Blog: KingRichard

There's nothing like a little Twitter smack talk

KingRichard — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 23:42:24 -0000

There's nothing like a little Twitter smack talk

Indy's very own Raheem Brock tweets @ former Colts player and current Broncos player Darrell Reid (Footz95) about this Sunday's contest.

"@Footz95 yo someone just told me if we beat yall sun.we get homefield advantage!I hope yall ready for this 60min ass kickn..we on a mission!"

Well said sir.

And if you were curious, here's Reid's retort:
"@RaheemBrock Here U Go. I Wasn't Gonna Start But If Dats How U Wanna Play Son. I Know Ya'll Weaknesses"

There's nothing like a little Twitter smack talk

KingRichard — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 23:42:22 -0000

There's nothing like a little Twitter smack talk

Indy's very own Raheem Brock tweets @ former Colts player and current Broncos player Darrell Reid (Footz95) about this Sunday's contest.

"@Footz95 yo someone just told me if we beat yall sun.we get homefield advantage!I hope yall ready for this 60min ass kickn..we on a mission!"

How Would Reggie Bush Look In A Colts Uniform?

KingRichard — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:01:24 -0000

More photos » by Jeffrey M. Boan - AP

Reggie Bush doing his best Joseph Addai impersonation.

Browse more photos »

Don't even asking me if I'm joking, because I'm not.

As if you weren't aware, the Saints beat down the Patriots Monday night without Reggie Bush. But what does that really say? Is Reggie Bush extremely overrated, or are the Saints just that good on offense that missing a dynamic player like Reggie Bush wouldn't cripple them?

I think it's the latter, and how could you argue with that? The same could be said about the Colts on both offense and defense. Don't believe me? Just look at the injury report.

Reggie Bush is due to make $8 million next season. That's a huge jump from his current $2.585 million he's making this year. And according to some sources, Reggie Bush's days in New Orleans may be coming to an end.

Obviously Florio's comments are just speculation, but I don't think anyone would argue that $8 million is way too much for Reggie Bush to be making next season. So what happens if he gets cut? Should the Colts take a gander at him? I think so.

There are quite a few roles Reggie Bush could assume if he were to become a Colt. Everyone knows Reggie Bush out in space = deadly (youtube him if you have to), and the Colts' need for a dynamic returner for both kickoff and punts is nearing the point of desperation. Would Reggie fulfill this need? Yes, yes he would.

Reggie could also have an impact on offense as well. He's clearly a better receiving threat than a prototypical running back. For Reggie to thrive in an offense, you need some prolific receivers to take some of the heat off of him and force the defense to single cover him or play zone, which works right into his strength.

Reggie Bush could be the Colts' Percy Harvin basically. Think about it.

Thoughts?

Poll

Reggie a Colt?

Sure why not

706 votes

You're nuts

466 votes

1172 votes | Poll has closed

Official, Public, Sincere Apology To Mr. Joseph Addai

KingRichard — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:22:04 -0000

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

18 days ago: Indianapolis Colts running back Joseph Addai (29) is tackled by a host of Houston Texans, including linebacker Brian Cushing (56), during the second quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

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Listen, I'm not going to make this some long, drawn out sob-fest. I'm just going to cut to the chase and be done with this argument once and for all.

My feelings about Addai's production the past couple years has been well documented and I'm not about to try and hide from my comments or play coy about what I've said. I stand by my comments and forever will because that's what I believed and how I felt at the time.

Personally, I think that takes some balls. To stick by what you say, man up to it, and deal with the criticism/shitstorm that will inevitably follow, especially on a topic such as this. So I think I deserve a little credit for that don't you think?

The cause for my change of heart and sudden realization was this past Sunday's game against the Houston Chok--er Texans.

The numbers were anything but spectacular -- 15 rush for 69 yards, 3 catches for 13 yards -- but the numbers don't even begin to tell the story that is Joseph Addai's 2009 season.

Something was different about him and for the past few weeks I just couldn't put my finger on it. It wasn't a physical change, like he bulked up during the offseason, or that he suddenly turned into a burner and was scorching the field with his juking abilities, although it awesome to see Addai juke Ray Lewis out of his jock. It was something else.

It was attitude.

For whatever reason, he's been playing balls out, no holds barred, physical football this season. And my god is that an ever refreshing, relieving feeling. You can see it when he starts hitting holes (and/or his own lineman) that he's running with a sense of urgency and purpose. That was not the case throughout the 2008 season when he was very hesitant and skittish when it came to taking on a contact and that ultimately reflected in his stat line and the Colts balance on offense.

As I've said many times before, I never wanted to see Addai fail because his production, or lack there of, had a direct affect on the team's success. All I ever wanted was for Addai to produce like we know he can, like he did in his rookie season. In my eyes he's playing at the level once again. The numbers don't necessarily reflect that, but who cares? What matters is doing your job to the best of your ability and laying it all out on the line to win football games and Addai has clearly shown that this season.

And if Addai's resurgence doesn't get you pumped, just think about the guy who is currently backing him up and the things he can do when given a chance to play. Now that's what I'm talking about!

With that said, let the thrashing begin! Be kind, please bring lube.

Go Colts!

That happened today, when the NFL sent out a notice that the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans...

KingRichard — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:32:43 -0000

That happened today, when the NFL sent out a notice that the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints could both clinch their divisions in Week 12.

The Colts will clinch the AFC South if they beat the Texans and the Jaguars lose to the 49ers on Sunday.

From PFT.

"Wow," defensive end Robert Mathis said. "All you can say is wow. That's a lot of...

KingRichard — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:49:44 -0000

"Wow," defensive end Robert Mathis said. "All you can say is wow. That's a lot of disrespect."

"Total disrespect," linebacker Clint Session said. "They disrespected us and they got what they deserved."

Robert Mathis and Clint Session on Belichick's decision to go for it on 4th and 2.

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

KingRichard — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:00:54 -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 00:50:26 -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.

COLTS (-12.5) over Niners Five weeks ago, I promised to keep riding the Saints until they lost....

KingRichard — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 15:52:20 -0000

COLTS (-12.5) over Niners
Five weeks ago, I promised to keep riding the Saints until they lost. Then I took the Dolphins last week. Stupid? Of course. Well, I'm going to make up for it by riding the Colts until they lose. That's the best team in football. Right now, anyway.

(That reminds me: More than a few Colts fans thanked me during signings this week for "coming around on Peyton" or "finally appreciating Peyton." As if I had been irrationally biased against him this entire time. Look, you can't tell me Manning didn't reinvent himself to some degree in 2008 and 2009. I always thought he was the A-Rod of football: great when it didn't matter, sketchy when it did. You may disagree. But that's how I felt. This season, he has reached "I will never, ever, EVER bet against that guy in a night game" status. Which is saying something. He owns that team. Owns it. I love rooting against the Colts, but when someone owns a team to that degree, how can you not appreciate it? I mean, it's unclear if Jim Caldwell is even alive. For all we know, Manning is doing the QB-coach thing like Paul Crewe in "The Longest Yard." Amazing season by him.)

The Sports Guy Bill Simmons continues his wean himself off of Tommy Terrific's testicles and is coming over to the dark side.

Say what you will about Billy Simmons but I've always liked this guy. Yeah he's a NE/Boston homer to the core, but it takes a lot of pride swallowing to say some of the things he has lately about Peyton and the Colts, this quote proves such.

Just remember people, the media and Patriots ballwashers can say what they want but in the end the Colts will have the last laugh.

Go Colts!

The WildColt: Should The Colts Try It To Makeup For Their Running Woes?

KingRichard — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:25:29 -0000

More photos » by J. Pat Carter - AP

Miami Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown (23) prepares for the snap while running a Wildcat play during the second quarter of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts on Monday, Sept. 21, 2009, in Miami. (AP Photo/J. Pat Carter)

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It wasn't that long ago that the Dolphins carved up our beloved defense with this offensive scheme. I personally thought it was cool to watch this thing in action even though they nearly beat the Colts using it. The effectiveness of it is almost mindblowing. Don't believe me? Here are the stats for the Dolphins in their first five games running the Wildcat courtesy Dave Hyde of SI.com:

As for the Dolphins, let's not rely on expert commentary. Let's talk cold, dry statistics. They've run 48 Wildcat plays in five games and average 6.6 yards per play. They average 4.7 yards a play out of their base offense.

That's 40 percent more yards per play out of the Wildcat.

The Wildcat makes traditional Power O running plays look like kids play.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that the last stat is a bit skewed. The Dolphins, outside of the Wildcat offense, are lacking in many areas. Their offensive yards per play statistic would probably be a lot better if Tedd Ginn knew how to catch a football. So obviously if the Dolphins were dynamic in any other way aside from the Wildcat it probably would appear to be as amazingly uber as it is. But I digress.

Regardless of the skewed stats, the Wildcat has proven to be one of the greatest running schemes this league has ever seen. Yes, even better than Denver's famed zone blocking scheme where even running backs like Joseph Addai could become a 1500+ yard rusher. What? You didn't actually think the Broncos were that good at picking running backs did you?

The question that should be asked is, why is the Wildcat so effective? More specifically, why are the Dolphins so damn good at running the Wildcat?

Explanation after the jump.

The reason the Dolphins are so good are utilizing the Wildcat is quite simple really: It is their offense.

No other team in the league has dedicated as much time and resources in making this scheme work. Does it really surprise you when teams like the Eagles, Jaguars, Cardinals, Jets, and the Browns fail miserably at this offense? I know what you are thinking, the Browns fail at life so it's no shock that they can't run the Wildcat either. I get it, but my point stands.

It's not surprising to me because when you run it only once or twice a game, it is considered a gimmick/gadget play, and those types of plays are coin flips. They could produce big gains and possibly even touchdowns, or they could become complete busts.

Practicing this type of scheme is one thing, but perfecting it is another. Fortunately for the Dolphins, they also have a pretty good coach in Steve Bush who used to run this type of offense as a college coach. Aside from that, they have the proper personnel to run it. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams provide this offense with a great 1-2 punch and their offensive line is much improved over last year.

The question still lingers though; could or even should the Colts run it? The answer is no.

It's really not a matter of whether the Colts could run it, because I think they could. Lose a guy here, add a guy there, and voila, you've got the personnel to run the WildColt. I also believe our coaching staff is smart enough to understand and coach this scheme. But would it be effective enough to warrant implementation? Would the Colts dedicate practice time to learning all of the nuances to this scheme and try to utilize it like the Dolphins do?

While those are good questions to be asking, they still don't address the problem with the Colts running it.

The problem is that it conflicts with how the Colts offense is configured at present time, thus making it useless.

To no one's surprise, the central figure in the Colts' offense is Peyton Manning. The way it's set now, every person on the offense was hand selected to fit this scheme. They all have to cater to Peyton's abilities, not the other way around. The WildColt would nullify the play-action passing game which has been a staple of this offense for years. The Colts' offense is clearly better in both the pass and run with Peyton on the field. When Peyton lines up under center, even on 3rd and a mile, the opposing defense never really knows whether it's going to be a run or a pass. More often than not it's the latter, but that shadow of doubt that clouds their mind is still a competitive advantage in favor of the Colts.

So again, technically the Colts could run this scheme. In the end however, I don't think it'd be nearly as successful as having Peyton on the field running the show. Or in layman's terms, Peyton > WildColt.

Tip to metal_militia for the inspiration to write this.