NFL.com Season Preview: Colts

by Bullard47 on Aug 27, 2008 5:37 PM EDT

I thought I would just drop this nugget on you guys, and highlight a few things that stuck out to me. You can read the full article here.

Going out of order, I would like to point out this section:

Colts will be better than you think if ...

Marvin Harrison can mount any kind of comeback to his old form. Harrison missed 11 games last year with a knee injury and caught only 20 passes in the five games he did play. He hasn't done much in camp to change the feeling that, at 36, his days as an impact player are numbered.(emphasis added)

Now I don't know what this guy saw, but everyone else I know who actually went to camp said that Marv looks like the old Marv, and that he has a chip on his shoulder to boot. I guess look for the Colts to be better than you think.

The second nugget is about my man Anthony Gonzalez:

On the hot seat

Wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez had a solid rookie season with 37 catches, 376 yards and 3 touchdowns but he dropped a lot of balls. That has to stop if he's to take over as the No. 2 target in Indianapolis' passing game.

I'm glad that Speedy is now in the "hot seat" in his second NFL season, after putting up a good rookie season for a WR despite missing games due to injury. Gonzalez, as a third receiver, was rated 1st in DVOA amongst all receivers and 14th in DYAR. He also caught 37 cautches for 576 yards and 3TDs. His catch rate was 73%, higher than all other receivers in the top ten in DVOA and all but one in the top ten in DYAR. So saying that he is on a hot seat is a little ridiculous.

The last bit, which I think is positive, is the following:

And the defense that finished third in total yardage allowed and second in pass defense despite producing only 23 sacks.

...

Despite it all, the Colts' pass defense allowed only 8.9 yards per reception (second in the NFL) and had 22 interceptions to only 16 touchdowns allowed. Imagine what they'll do if they actually start to get to the quarterback again?

Indeed, imagine us with our more experienced safeties and corners, with The Fright back 100%, Mathis back 100%, Brock back 100%, Ed Johnson with a year under his belt, an interesting prospect at DT in Eric Foster, and Marcus Howard and Curtis Johnson in the DE rotation? Sounds like QBs and WRs should be scared...

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Stampede Blue's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Stampede Blue's writers or editors.

Tweet Comment 4 comments | 2 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Drops?

Gonzalez had the 9th best catch % of any WR in the last 13 years and he did it playing most of the year on the outside. To squeeze an ugly amount of drops in with a 73% catch rate Peyton would have had to have been super-humanly accurate on passes to Gonzo. A QB hitting a WR with a catchable ball on 73% of passes is excellent. He’s Peyton, but I don’t think even he could hit Gonzalez accurately on the 80-85% of passes that would be needed for Gonzalez to have dropped more than 3-4 passes.

"I ain't racin'
I'm just sprintin'
cuz I don't wanna finish
they diminish
I replenish"
-Lil Wayne "Let the beat build"

by shake n bake on Aug 27, 2008 7:02 PM EDT reply actions

He probably only watched the Colts game against the Patriots when Gonzalez dropped that pass in the endzone after he dislocated one of his fingers not too many plays before. AG has one of the most reliable hands in the league, even as a rookie last year and definately more reliable than T.O.

by ColtsFanNChiTown on Aug 27, 2008 10:30 PM EDT reply actions

Gonzalez Does Have Questionable Hands

I expect our receivers to catch every pass with a dislocated thumb about the same as I expect them to score a touchdown on every catch. If you can’t catch a bullet from Peyton Manning with a dislocated thumb, you probably are on the hotseat.

http://naptownsfinest.com

by Colts Homer on Aug 27, 2008 11:26 PM EDT reply actions