Same old Colts? Indianapolis Colts 2010 season preview
The Indianapolis Colts have been the most consistently winning team of the decade in the NFL. Every year, they find a way to win and win often. The team has gone ten straight seasons in which they finished with 12 wins. The only chip on their shoulder was not winning a Super Bowl since 2006, when they took out Super Bowl XLI. Some still argue that the Colts must win more championships and that they’ve still underachieved in the playoffs considering the talent they have.
The Colts’ success has been mainly due to one man, Peyton Manning. Manning is a four-time MVP and will surely break all career-passing records one day. If Manning wins more Super Bowls, he won’t only be called the best quarterback today, but he’ll be in the discussion of greatest pivots of all time.
The Colts will have to overcome their devastating loss in the Super Bowl last year. Down seven points with minutes to play, Manning saw a pass picked off and returned for a touchdown by cornerback Tracy Porter, sealing the Saints' first Super Bowl win.
The Colts were close to a 16-0 season last year, but essentially rolled over after a 14-0 start, pulling starters early in the last two games. This year will likely feature similar results, as the Colts have retained their personnel.
On offence of course there’s Manning. He has a dynamic receiving corps. He and Reggie Wayne make a lethal combination, but he also has young talents in Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie, Anthony Gonzalez and even tight-end Dallas Clark. Wayne is a gifted athlete and an elite wide-out. Garcon has a great combination of speed and power and is extremely intelligent for such a young receiver. Collie is sound and goes under the radar while Gonzalez has great hands and gets yards after the catch.
Dallas Clark provides a major X-factor at tight end. Clark plays off the line of scrimmage and out of the slot, providing mismatches with defenders.
It’s amazing how the Colts control the ball so well without a solid running game. Their running game is their one weakness, but it never seems to matter with how good their passing game is. Running backs Joseph Addai and Donald Brown are both former first-round picks. Addai is an elusive back but doesn’t always make wise choices. Brown is a good blocker and has breakaway speed.
Any improvement from the running game last season, which ranked last in the NFL, provides a good boost and adds a dimension to the offence.
The offensive line’s weaknesses are often masked. While the o-line only allowed 10 sacks last season, it was not due to their blocking. Manning is just so good at avoiding sacks and getting rid of the ball quickly. His awareness in the pocket is remarkable and makes life easier for the line.
Jeff Saturday is unbelievable at centre, but he is the bright spot. Charlie Johnson lacks athleticism at left tackle, Tony Ugoh has been a disappointment at right tackle, while Mike Pollack and Andy Alleman lack the required power as guards. This unit must take blame for the Colts’ abysmal ground game. They’re fortunate to have Peyton Manning behind them.
The Colts’ defensive line features two of the league’s best pass-rushers in defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. Both have a freakish combination of speed and power and constantly make blockers miss. However they have trouble staying healthy. Take away these two, and the defence is mediocre.
At defensive tackle, Daniel Muir has good lateral movement and is capable of shedding blocks. His partner, Antonio Johnson is sluggish though and inconsistent.
The line-backing corps seems to change annually, as the team constantly lets linebackers leave to free agency in their prime. Gary Brackett is the exception. Brackett is a steady force and excellent defensive leader. He is also remarkably fast. Clint Session on the weak side is explosive and strong side linebacker Phillip Wheeler drops back well in coverage and limits offensive gains.
The Colts secondary should receive a boost this year, if strong safety Bob Sanders stays healthy. Sanders played only two games last season with his nagging knee injury. When healthy, he is one of the league’s best. Free safety Antoine Bethea was the one who kept the secondary going in Sanders’s absence. His awareness, coverage range and open-field tackling have compensated for untested cornerbacks.
Those cornerbacks include Jacob Lacey and Jarrod Powers. Powers looks like he will eventually become a great corner, while Lacey manages to hang on to his starting job, despite a lack of speed or quickness.
Mr. Clutch Adam Vinatieri will be back this season, after missing last season with a bad knee. At 37 years old though, you have to wonder what his range will be. Punter Pat McAffee has the easiest job in the NFL because he barely has to do anything with Peyton Manning constantly leading the offence to scoring drives. On return duties, Jamie Silva will likely earn the job. Once again, with a Manning-run offence, all he really needs to do is avoid fumbling to do the job.
This Colts team is virtually the same as last year, and will likely earn similar results. They have proven that they can win even with injuries to key players, unless the injured party is Manning. Only an injury to the franchise quarterback would really doom this team. With the lethal passing attack and deep talent, anything less than a Super Bowl would be a very big disappointment.
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