Pre-season Preview 2009: Indianapolis Colts at Detroit Lions

by Brad Wells on Aug 28, 2009 11:46 AM EDT in Game Preview

This third pre-season game will feature both team's offensive and defensive starters playing into the third quarter. We Colts fans will have a first hand look at #1 overall pick Matthew Stafford and the #2 overall pick in the 2007 draft, Calvin Johnson. The Lions also sport a new coaching staff headed by former-Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. Schwartz ran a 4-3, Cover-2 style defense in Tennessee. They rarely blitzed, and often got pressure with their front four. However, their corners often played a bit more man-to-man, making it not quite a Tampa-2 defense, but pretty close. But in Detroit, with former-Chiefs defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham calling the shots on D, I think we shall see more blitzing from the Lions.

Unlike last year (where the "third" pre-season game was more of a "let's get this over with" game than an evaluation game), this game will hopefully showcase a few new wrinkles that we Colts fans have been buzzing over this entire off-season. So far, both the offense and defense have been pretty vanilla. Now, with starters getting cemented a bit more into their roles and an entire training camp come and gone to digest the new wrinkles, we should hopefully see of of these new things Larry Coyer and Jim Caldwell have been talking about.

My list of things I'll be looking for during the 1pm Eastern pre-season game tomorrow is after the jump...

Charlie Johnson needs to show me something. The Lions do not have an impressive defensive front. They are rebuilding, but likely will be well-coached. If CJ has trouble controlling the likes of Cliff Avril, we have some very, VERY serious problems.
Tony Ugoh needs to win his job back. Detroit's starters aren't anything great. Their back-ups are even worse. If Ugoh is inconsistent against the back-ups for the Lions, then join me in a collective "Oy vey!"
One of the side effects of an overly aggressive defense with new blitz packages is the chance for giving up big plays in the passing game. One of the reasons the Colts pass defense was so dominant under Ron Meeks was because they rarely, if ever, gave up big plays in the passing game. This is why I've always stressed that running the ball and stopping the run are secondary to the pass. If you have a great run defense but surrender points and yardage in the passing game, you haven't got a prayer. This is a passing league, folks. And in a passing league, a team cannot surrender big plays in the passing game to the opponent and expect to win. Detroit's Calvin Johnson is arguably the best WR in football. I'd like to see how Indy's back-ups defend him.
Donald Brown. I'd like to see him get more touches.
Pierre Garcon. This is his moment to shine, to show something. We know Austin Collie's role. He's the slot receiver. Now, I want to see Garcon actually live up to the buzz. He has all the tools, and has had some great practices. I want to see him play a game where he doesn't drop an easy pass.

What are all of you looking for and evaluating?

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I’m looking for Peyton to stay upright and nobody to suffer any more injuries, even a bloody hangnail.

How can you not love a team that does this?

by LovinBlue on Aug 28, 2009 11:55 AM EDT reply actions

You mean

what Peyton got in the AFC Championship Game? It sounded really painful.

Now a proud annoyance on Stampede Blue, 18to88, Indy Football Report, and Phil B's blog.

Man, I need a life...

Random fact of the week from the empty void that is my mind: Whenever I think of Tom Brady, my thoughts immediately turn to this.

by Cassieper on Aug 28, 2009 10:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Pretty much

a miracle at LT.

"I throw, you catch. It's NOT that hard!"
Peyton Manning, SNL, 2007

by peytonsthebest on Aug 28, 2009 11:55 AM EDT reply actions

I will be watching the DLine

and hoping we don’t get torched by Kevin Smith. I figure the Lions are coming in wanting to definitively win this game, so let’s see whether we can handle a capable rusher.

by LTTelamon on Aug 28, 2009 12:01 PM EDT reply actions

O-line and D-line is what I'll be watching

I hope CJ doesn’t get Peyton killed out there. I had an awful dream the other night that opposing DEs were knocking Peyton down like BoBo clown. It was horrible. Also I really what to see what to if the D-line will perform like last week against Philly since the Eagle’s O-line was all back-ups except for the center.

Do I believe in aliens?" Stephon Marbury asked. "I don't know, because I've never seen one. But I believe in Jesus because I saw him in the shower the other day."

by KMR24 on Aug 28, 2009 12:13 PM EDT reply actions

BTW

The picture of the young Blake Olderman is priceless.

Dun nuh nuh nuhhhh!!!! Super Mathis

by hoosier in sodak on Aug 28, 2009 12:22 PM EDT reply actions

I realise

that most of the preseason either Jackson/Hayden or both have been out of the lineup, as well Bethea/Sanders. but we have been giving up some passing yards. I’ve been wondering if maybe the focus on being much more physical upfront has taken some of the priority away from the secondary and good coverage.

I don’t think so, the talent that the big blue secondary consist of is top of the league, and there is absolutely no doubt about that, best secondary in the league. But this preseason there have been some lame coverage.
Game 1 VS. Vikings
Rosenchopper – 10-13 91 yds

Game 2 VS. Eagles
Mcnabb – 5-7 77 yds 1 td
Feeley – 16-20 136 yds

I’d like to see the run controlled, but i’d also like to the the secondary shut dudes down.

by Hitstick Killer on Aug 28, 2009 2:38 PM EDT reply actions

hmmm

Just “realized” I can’t spell to well

by Hitstick Killer on Aug 28, 2009 2:42 PM EDT reply actions

lol

too well?

"I throw, you catch. It's NOT that hard!"
Peyton Manning, SNL, 2007

by peytonsthebest on Aug 28, 2009 2:49 PM EDT up reply actions

I was giving you slack assuming you were British

How can you not love a team that does this?

by LovinBlue on Aug 28, 2009 3:11 PM EDT up reply actions

LOL

LovinBlue, re-read your comment above about the hangnail, you sound quite bloody British yourself!

"You can't defend the perfect throw, what can I say?" Peyton quoting Marino

by Indy Lori on Aug 28, 2009 3:51 PM EDT up reply actions

I think she meant bloody

as in having red bodily fluid coming out of the finger.

Now a proud annoyance on Stampede Blue, 18to88, Indy Football Report, and Phil B's blog.

Man, I need a life...

Random fact of the week from the empty void that is my mind: Whenever I think of Tom Brady, my thoughts immediately turn to this.

by Cassieper on Aug 28, 2009 10:57 PM EDT up reply actions

either interpretation would work

either way, no hangnails for my Peyton!!

How can you not love a team that does this?

by LovinBlue on Aug 29, 2009 12:31 AM EDT up reply actions

Don't you mean BLUE body fluid?

Because we all BLEED BLUE! GO COLTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"You can't defend the perfect throw, what can I say?" Peyton quoting Marino

by Indy Lori on Aug 29, 2009 9:22 AM EDT up reply actions

I'd like to see Sorgi play.

So I can compare him with Painter with my own eyes.
I’d like to see our D sack Stafford. I know Freeney wants to baptize him.
An interception of Culpepper or Stafford would be nice.
I’d like to see our Offense on a 2 minute drill.
Can Collie pull in a TD?
And just for fun, I’d like to see Stafford’s face when he watches the Master run an offense.
GO COLTS!!!!!!!

"You can't defend the perfect throw, what can I say?" Peyton quoting Marino

by Indy Lori on Aug 28, 2009 3:28 PM EDT reply actions

Wish List 1.0

Would like to see some long drives on offense with at least 1 TD.
Good start by the defense with a lot of 3 and outs.
Better special teams play (mostly with the return game). Also I would like to see a return man step up and win the job.
More consistency or at least some improvement from Charlie Johnson
Continued improvement from Addai (he has looked really good so far this preseason)

NO injuries….

"I'm looking for Ray Finkle....and a clean pair of shorts."

by AceOfSpades on Aug 28, 2009 3:55 PM EDT reply actions

Great point on the D BBS

again I am all for blitzing and adding more wrinkles, but I dont think we should make the base tampa 2, where we rush 4 and drop 7, almost non existant. This should still be a D we use when teams are forced to do nothing but pass or in 3rd and long situations. With the pass rushers we have up front and the time QB’s need for there receivers to get down the field for a deep pass, the tampa 2 should still be a major staple of our defense. The only time I think we should blitz on 3rd down are on intermediate to short yardage situations.

by metal_militia on Aug 28, 2009 7:25 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs