SB Nation User Blog: jdb

Panorama of Conseco Fieldhouse.

jdb — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:59:36 -0000

Panorama of Conseco Fieldhouse.

A panorama of the RCA Dome before game time.

jdb — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:57:46 -0000

A panorama of the RCA Dome before game time.

4th row at the Dome for the Super Bowl XLI celebration.

jdb — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:53:16 -0000

4th row at the Dome for the Super Bowl XLI celebration.

No Open Thread? Guess This Will Work

jdb — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 21:08:46 -0000

Suppose we can put the open thread here. Off to a good start with TJ's return. And since I have to havea certain number of characters, why the hell are the refs wearing those ugly-ass cold weather threads in Oakland? It can't be that cold.

Go Colts! Make Manning's first visit to Oakland a good one (I can't believe this is his first visit TO Oakland in his career...)

Colts Propaganda

jdb — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 04:32:12 -0000

Now that we are into the Week Before Armageddon, I can finally make the post I've been itching to make all week.

http://www.charlieweisatemybaby.com/2007/10/28/football/nfl/colts-vs-pats-vote-for-good-over-evil/

Here's just one of the seven I made.

In case you are curious, the original I based it on is here:
http://www.library.northwestern.edu/govinfo/collections/wwii-posters/img/ww0207-60.jpg

Schedule

jdb — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 15:51:07 -0000

To quote one of my favorite SNL skits, "who are the ad wizards that came up with this one?"

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071024/SPORTS03/710240466/1100

The week becomes even more truncated when a Monday night road game is followed by a road game the next Sunday. Over the past decade, the NFL schedule makers have set up that scenario -- away Monday, away Sunday -- 24 times. Draw your own conclusion as to the impact: Road teams are 12-12 in their ensuing Sunday games, and have lost seven of the past 10.
But the odds are further stacked against the Colts. The Panthers were off last weekend. Carolina last played, and won, Oct. 14 at Arizona. Sunday marks only the third time since 1997, and the first since 2004, that a team has played away from home on Monday and again the next Sunday against a team coming out of its bye.

(Emphasis added)

This is a dangerous game, IMO. A very rare away-monday night/away next Sunday vs. team off Bye combined with the potential to look ahead at the Patriots. Really, what the hell were the schedule makers thinking when they drew this up?

Greg Aiello, the NFL's vice president of public relations, said the league is sensitive to every team's scheduling concerns and attempts to minimize what might be considered inequities.
"But sometimes it is unavoidable when you are constructing a 256-game schedule," Aiello wrote in an e-mail. "It's just the way it worked out this year."

So he's saying that this schedule quirk was just plain unavoidable? I'm not saying they did it on purpose, but to have it turn out this way - did they even try to fix it to make it a bit more fair?

Update [2007-10-24 12:2:7 by jdb]: : Ahhh the internet. Found the video of said SNL skit.

Finally some news on Ugoh (& other injuries)

jdb — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 15:47:11 -0000

A story in the Star today finally sheds a little light on what happened to Tony Ugoh Monday night:

Backup Charlie Johnson played most of the second half after Colts left tackle Tony Ugoh suffered a shoulder injury, but Dungy said Tuesday that he thinks Ugoh "will be fine."

So it wasn't the shore foot that they speculated on the broadcast Monday night. Hopefully as Dungy said he'll be fine for Sunday vs. the Panthers.

From the same story:

Dungy also said wide receiver Marvin Harrison told him near the end of the game that he felt as good as at the start. Harrison missed the Tampa Bay game with a bruised left knee and the Colts limited his snaps at Jacksonville.
Keith was hit in the head when his helmet came off during the first half, but he returned to the game. Safety Matt Giordano did not return after suffering a strained hamstring on the final kickoff.
Dungy reported no other injuries.

Looks like we came out of the game okay. Hopefully Giordano is okay as he's a beast on special teams and we need him there to spell Sanders and keep him healthy for the playoffs.

The Colts & The Salary Cap

jdb — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 20:53:25 -0000

From the diaries, jdb from Charlie Weis Ate My Baby stops in to set the record straight on the salary cap. --BBS

This comment by Bucsfan got me thinking about this myth of The Colts Pay Too Much Money to Peyton

How is the Colts depth with Peytons large cap number?

Which lead to me doing some internet searching and finding this gem from a Pats blogger who doesn't seem to have updated since July

To all the Colts-haters out there, take solace in knowing one thing. This was a "one and done" situation for the Colts. They won't come close to the Superbowl next year.
...
[insert John Clayton article talking about all of the Colts free agents after last season and how they are "losing so much"]
...
What does this all mean? Well, in short....there are going to be some changes in Indy. Guys will have to restructure, which may happen, but will all of them? Doubtful. So all in all, we're not looking at the next dynasty here folks...we're looking at a one and done.

So really, are the Colts that bad off in the salary cap? Has Polian really been managing this team horribly?

This man is smiling because he just won the Super Bowl, eliminated the national debt and solved world hunger all with 7th round draft picks and undrafted free agents.

First, Bucsfan's comment about depth. I think this weekend's game against Tampa Bay with 6 starters missing disproved that little meme once and for all. When you have a GM like Bill Polian who consistently makes the best use of low draft picks and undrafted free agents, you can afford to pay your top players more by consistently unearthing gems from the low rounds and the undrafted players. Has any other team made more use of the low rounds and undrafted players than the Colts and had the success with them that Indy has had?

Onto the cap....

In 2001, the Colts had only $1.256 million in cap room (19th in the league). Yet their best years were ahead of them. In 2007 (yes, this is from a different source so the numbers may not be completely comparable but they should give a good idea) this Colts had projected cap room of $5.9 mil, 29th in the league*.

So the Colts have dropped 10 spots in the league in cap room since 2001 but have managed a record of 71-30 (70.3%), 4 division championships, 5 playoff visits and a Super Bowl up through week 5 of 2007. They have been able to hold onto or fill key components that are in low supply of top flight producers (QB, WR, DE, FS, K, OL) while making good decisions on important positions that are in higher supply and used good scouting to find unheralded pieces that fit the Colts scheme at low cost (RB, CB, LB, TE).

So in the end I guess that yes, Polian and Irsay are going to have to walk a much finer line and rely on their top notch scouting even more in the future as the cap slowly tightens. But to say that the money paid to Manning, Freeney, Harrison, Wayne etc has been done foolishly and at the expense of depth and the future is exaggerated at best and plain wrong at worst.

*The reason that a cap space number 4x bigger than 2001 is ranked 10 lower is due to the new CBA for 2006 that raised the cap by a significant margin. The cap was $85.5 mil in 2005 an is around $109 mil this year.

Hmmm now that I've written this, I'm happy with how it turned out. Guess I should crosspost this to Charlie Weis Ate My Baby

Poll

How soon will the Colts cap situation hose the team?

Craphonso!

jdb — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 14:02:46 -0000

I just have to give some love to my favorite name on the Colts roster - Craphonso Thorpe! he came in and gave a great effort after riding the practice squad all year. Dare I say he looked better than Rushing at return duties? I honestly wouldn't mind if Thorpe took over that job. And when Dallas went down Thorpe stepped right into a starting WR spot. I don't think he was thrown to but damn, to be on the practice squad one day and then running with the first team on Sunday, gotta give some love for that.

I hope with Hall on IR that Thorpe stays on the active roster. And I hate a guy losing a job due to injury, but I wouldn't mind see Craphonso! keep the return job.

Training Camp Thoughts: 8/7 Full Team afternoon practice

jdb — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 22:37:08 -0000

HOT. Even hotter today than yesterday. My car thermometer said it was 111 degrees in my car at the end of practice. Yikes! Glad I didn't leave any live animals in there.

The afternoon practice was another full team practice, with a couple different drills I hadn't seen: Goal Line with downs marked and 2 Minute Drill with downs marked.

First up the non-practicing players. I noticed more this time so it's not like all the new ones got injured in this morning's practice. I hope. heh:

I think I saw DT Quinn Pitcock (#72) was out there again but I can't be sure. I wish the Colts would give an injury update on the team here soon.
RB Kenton Keith (#36)
DB Antonio Smith (#37)
DB Brandon Condren (#42)
LB Rocky Boiman (#50) Saw him later and he had tape on his left ankle.
LB Clint Session (#55)
C Jeff Saturday (#63) he didn't have any braces or tape so it didn't look like anything major. could be just holding him out of two a days.
OG Rick Demulling (#64)
OG Ryan Lilja (#65)
OT Gabe Hall (#72o)
OT Charlie Johnson (#74) That might explain why Federkeil has been getting so much time at LT.

Pre-Practice Observations
-------------------------

WR Aaron Brown (#14) was first on the practice field by far. Was already out there stretching and catching passes from that ball-chucker machine.
WR Roy Hall (#83) also came out early and caught some balls from the machine. Can't say he's not working hard to make the team.
Gonzo, even with the shaved head, has the hairline of a 55 year old man. Trainer! Get this man some Grecian Formula!!!
Not pre-practice, but later on in offense-only drills they had some offensive players lining up as 'defense' while the offense ran plays and formations. At one point Peyton was "playing" safety. kinda jogged toward a pass and didn't even try to swat it down. Come on Manning! You gotta knock those passes down! :D
It is WEIRD seeing #28 and #32 playing defense now...

Full Team KR/Coverage
---------------------
* Some players I noticed as blockers: RB Luke Lawton (#45), C/OG Dylan Gandy (#57), DE Jeff Charleston (#60), DT Dan Klecko (#90), DT Darrell Reid (#95)

*I know they can't tackle in this drill, but daaamn there were some wide open holes that would have been big gains in flag football. KR coverage doesn't have me convinced it's better over last year.

WR Drills
---------
* Having to round a dummy, then cut back, Gonzo made the first bad/dropped catch I've seen from him in two days. Of course Marvin and Reggie didn't drop a one I think. heh
*A drill where the WR had to smack/fight through 4 dummies in a line then catch a pass. Marvin went through like butter. Reggie actually got tripped up and got a laugh out of the crowd. WR John Standeford (#84) and WR Aaron Brown (#14) both were perfect on this drill, as was Roy Hall. I tell you, you can sure see his upper body strength in that drill.
* A drill with some passes highlighted something BBS said in his update: Roy Hall does indeed have trouble digging for those low passes.

2QB/2WR Drill
-------------
This drill has two QBs drop back and two WRs go out in patterns.

QB Jim Sorgi (#12) looking a bit more accurate today at least early in the practice. .. no wait I was wrong. Threw to the left and too high again.
Reggie "Not The Camp Fodder Punter One" made a great adjust along the back of the endzone on a high and behind him pass by QB Josh Betts (#9)
Roy Hall does look better today than yesterday, but I still think he's bound for the practice squad.

4-on-5 Passing Drill
--------------------

AWESOME over the shoulder catch by Dallas with a defender all over him.
You know, BBS didn't like his hands but RB Luke Lawton just made an excellent catch across the middle in traffic.

11-on=11
--------

They started piping in some crowd noise for the drills after this
Wayne had a greaaaat knee level catch on a low thrown ball.
DB Dante "The DB Formerly Known As Daymeion" Hughes (#20) is definitely getting reps in at corner. Had some decent passes defended.
Saw the defense make a couple really good reads on draw plays. Maybe they won't get burnt by this play OVER AND OVER like last year? I can dream.
In this drill they were really mixing the lineups around, first team line with 2nd team receivers and QB, all sorts of mish mashing on D.
They split RB DeDe Dorsey (#25) out wide left on one play. Now THAT is interesting....
WR Craphonso (hehe) Thorpe (#15) had a reallly good leaping catch along the back of the endzone and looked to keep is feet in bounds. I'll say it - I think he looks better than Hall.
On one play DE Jeff Charleston (#60) got a wide open rush on Sorgi. If this would have been contact drills Sorgi would still be putting his head together. Ugoh got beat on that one.... :\
Gonzo doesn't mind getting dirty run blocking either. On one play they put him in motion in from the slot and he went in and did a decent job blocking a DE.
Standeford might actually do more than ride the practice squad this year. He's looked really solid.
There are flashes... FLASHES of the D looking good against the run, but it still will need work.
Speaking of, Dante Hughes showed some good run support ability on a couple plays. Gotta love DBs who can get up to the line quick on a run play.
Great pick by DB Michael Coe (#32) when he jumped in front of Moorehead and had open field. Pass by Betts.

7-on-7
------

Addai is continuing to impress me with the improvement of his catching ability, making a crazy catch in traffic and somehow kept moving toward the goal like.
They're running the split backs again with Addai and DeDe in the backfield on either side of Manning. I really want to see them run this in the preseason to see what they might do with it.
DB TJ Rushing (#34) had a great pick off QB Mike McGann (#2). Looks like he'll get looks at DB as well as returner this season.
Mark it, dude. TE Gijon Robinson (#47) will make the 50 man roster. he's been taking reps at fullback and in these drills made two good catches in traffic.
Gonzo's hands are amazing. Surrounded by two defenders, he turned and attacked back at the pass, made a quick spin and gained an extra few yards before being "downed"
McGann intercepted again, this time by DB Antoine Bethea (#41).
Ahhh Rob Morris. I really owe you an apology for all those things I said about you prior to your triumphant saving of the LB corps last year. He had a couple good pass breakups in coverage so maybe he'll improve that part of his game this year (which would be most excellent). Of course it was against McGann and Betts, so .. grain of salt.

11-on-11 2 minute drill
-----------------------
Manning at QB

LB Freddy Keiaho (#54) allllmost picked off Manning on the second play of the 2 minute drill. He FLEW across the field from covering the flat and had it right in both hands but dropped it. You could tell he was upset he let that go. Crowd gave him a good cheer though. BBS is right, he is so much better than Cate June, and its so obvious, it's crazy that anyone would think losing June is a negative for this team.
Come on Gonzo, it's 2 minute drill! When you catch a pass near the sideline you DO NOT cut back inside.
Makes up for it two plays later with a great jumping catch and run right to the sideline. Manning really does seem to be looking for him alot in this 'drive'.
Manning to Harrison, TD. Poor DBs, they really have no chance.

Sorgi at QB

DeDe made a great catch in stride and headed for the sideline, first down. This is why I want to see that split back formation some.
heaven help us if Manning goes down. Sorgi just overthrew a pass to the left again.
False start, #76, LT Dan Federkeil. The spirit of Tarik Glenn haunts this place! :D
4th and long, Sorgi holds on to the ball too long and gets 'sacked' by Darrell Reid.

That's it for my two days at Training Camp. I would like to go back for possibly the Saturday night practice on the 18th. If anyone is interested in having a Stampede Blue get together at that practice, leave a note in this diary.

Hope you all have enjoyed the updates and the rambling, bullet point infested format.