ESPN's Paul Kuharsky REALLY Likes The Colts, Tony Ugoh

by Brad Wells on Aug 30, 2010 4:32 PM EDT in 2010 Colts News

Paul Kuharsky, when he isn't scolding me for not writing under my own name (even though I kinda sorta do), is writing very complimentary things about the Indianapolis Colts:

Honestly, I look over their depth chart and I can’t find anyone I feel like I’ve been super down on. I like this team, I think it’s potentially better than last season’s team. Strongside linebacker Philip Wheeler is a guy that I’ve doubted in the past who I think is in position to be better than I thought. Same, perhaps, for Tony Ugoh, though it’s awfully hard to make any sort of offensive line judgment since injuries have scrambled things so much. Once Charlie Johnson is healthy, I still think we could see Ugoh at left guard. I think he’s in the best place he’s been mentally and that it could pay off.

Interesting thing about Ugoh is that he looked better last Thursday night against the Packers at left tackle than he did the week before against the Bills. Ugoh left the Packers game early with a toe injury.

Many have suggested Ugoh is a better guard than a tackle. He looked better at guard than tackle in training camp. Unfortunately, because of Charlie Johnson's ankle injury, we have yet to see Ugoh play guard in preseason.

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Funny feelings... no proof whatsoever.... is that Ugoh..

may actually do pretty well as a tackle once he overcomes his blocker’s block…. ;)

If you see my smilieys, think of E.M.H. - our COLTs King of Smileys!

by Manning4ever on Aug 30, 2010 5:30 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

rec'd

for “blocker’s block”

How can you not love a team that does this?

by LovinBlue on Aug 30, 2010 5:45 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

rec'd for having the same pose as Peyton...

like your new Avatar! :)

If you see my smilieys, think of E.M.H. - our COLTs King of Smileys!

by Manning4ever on Aug 30, 2010 7:58 PM EDT up reply actions

I dunno about his opinion of Wheeler

I mean, the guy’s not a bad LB. Not at all. Man, I’d match him against anything coming out of the opponent’s offensive backfield any day. But the problem is that he’s not a good cover LB, and that’s unfortunately a fatal flaw in the Colts scheme. Send him at gaps or to clean up what the D-line can’t get at, he’s huge. Have him try to follow an eligible receiver, and you feel like crying.

I like the guy. I love the fact that Indy’s got one LB who can smack running- and fullbacks one good one. But he gives up so much in pass coverage… seriously, if only he could cover, there’d be no hand-wringing. But it doesn’t look like he can.

Someone please tell me I’m wrong. We’ve lost enough people from his draft class.

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"How can a pickup truck contain enough mass to unfold into a towering machine? I say if Ringling Brothers can get 15 clowns into a Volkswagen, anything is possible."

Roger Ebert, Transformers review.

by E.M.H. on Aug 30, 2010 5:58 PM EDT reply actions

I just hope Angerer is learning the strong-side calls

I’d love to have him out there over the TE instead.

by slash196 on Aug 30, 2010 6:01 PM EDT up reply actions

when they go to the nickel, it's been brackett and session, with the Sam going to the bench

Ideally in a base 4-3 the strong-side backer should only have to cover a TE. Here’s to hoping that Wheeler’ll improve by having to cover Clark and Tamme everyday in practice.

"To be a great football coach, you have to be smart enough to do it well, and dumb enough to think it's important." -- Can't remember whom I am paraphrasing.

by zherebyonki on Aug 30, 2010 7:00 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, but when the pass rush tires out, he has to chase the guy all over the place.

And it becomes like covering a slightly slower receiver, which unfortunately is still an issue for him. Still, though, you are indeed right: Ideally he’s only covering a TE who’s either ultimately just out there to lead block, or is running a short route as the second-to-last checkdown. In those cases, you’d hope he could cover that restricted an area.

Thankfully, not everyone uses their TEs like Indy does. Dallas can go anywhere on the field.

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"How can a pickup truck contain enough mass to unfold into a towering machine? I say if Ringling Brothers can get 15 clowns into a Volkswagen, anything is possible."

Roger Ebert, Transformers review.

by E.M.H. on Aug 30, 2010 7:25 PM EDT up reply actions

i think i saw in preseason that Kavell Conner and Humber were used in the nickel also

when Session was DNP. Seems the Colts like their coverage skills at least a little better than Wheeler’s.

"To be a great football coach, you have to be smart enough to do it well, and dumb enough to think it's important." -- Can't remember whom I am paraphrasing.

by zherebyonki on Aug 30, 2010 7:39 PM EDT up reply actions

I think Ugoh will stay at tackle and Charlie will go back to guard.

by 18to87 on Aug 30, 2010 6:33 PM EDT reply actions

whoa... that's a stretch. Seriously?

Careful what you wish for... "A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have." Gerald Ford, 38th US president

by teej813 on Aug 30, 2010 6:53 PM EDT up reply actions

why is this a stretch

Ugoh’s rookie year that line up looked pretty good. I really think our guard situation is much worse than our tackle and we should put whoever is the better guard there.

by kasey_junk on Aug 30, 2010 6:55 PM EDT up reply actions

i think tackle is thinner than guard

T: CJ, Diem, Ugoh, Linkenbach (Terry gets cut IMHO along with JWilliams and Marinelli)
G: Devan, Richards, Pollack, McClendon (JThomas gets cut & Martinez goes to the PS).

With Saturday that would give 9 OL, pretty typical for the Colts historically.

If Ugoh plays LG, Linkenbach is the primary back-up at both tackle positions. I’d rather have the insurance at T.

"To be a great football coach, you have to be smart enough to do it well, and dumb enough to think it's important." -- Can't remember whom I am paraphrasing.

by zherebyonki on Aug 30, 2010 7:08 PM EDT up reply actions

ugoh/johnson at guard tackle

Is only relevant if they are both healthy. If that is the case I don’t see it as a stretch to think that Ugoh at T and Johnson at G. If Ugoh goes down then Johnson slides out, if Johnson does then one of the other G steps in.

What I don’t know is if Ugoh at T and Johnson at G is the best mix, it could be terrible, but it’s not a stretch to think about.

by kasey_junk on Aug 30, 2010 7:34 PM EDT up reply actions

I think this is a possibility...

But I think it is more likely that Johnson plays T and Ugoh tries his hand at the guard position. I agree that Ugoh had a fairly strong rookie year, and I feel that he has a lot of talent physically so I was very excited to hear that they were trying to get him on the field next to Johnson. If Johnson is hurt Ugoh can slide to T and is Ugoh is hurt the other guards can move around.

Hopefully we see Charlie and Ugoh playing together in Houston.

by INDIANABANNER on Aug 30, 2010 8:36 PM EDT up reply actions

I don't trust either one

I just can’t bring myself to trust Ugoh and Wheeler. Ugoh’s lack of “trench toughness” just bothers me, especially with guys like Saturday and CJ, who really stand out as tough O-linemen.

I just don’t know what to think about Wheeler. I have decided I am going to bitch and moan about Wheeler all year long. He just can’t do anything right. He is always getting beat and he can never, freaking ever be in the right formation. I just think this guy is a mess and his time will be short as a starter.

by davis3217 on Aug 31, 2010 12:54 AM EDT reply actions

haha... this is funny...

I have decided I am going to bitch and moan about Wheeler all year long

If you see my smilieys, think of E.M.H. - our COLTs King of Smileys!

by Manning4ever on Aug 31, 2010 2:57 AM EDT reply actions

Kuharsky kiss of death

We’re doomed.

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMED

by eltharion_doa on Aug 31, 2010 3:58 AM EDT reply actions

hahaa..... i was thinking the same thing....

in fact, i grew to enjoy the media bashing the Colts and thinking that it will have a terrible season….. (so Phil Simms, cool your enthusiasm….) luckily, Mr. Kuharsky has granted my wish and he wrote that……

Nate Dunlevy compares this year’s Colts to last year and sees a better team. I’ve said multiple times that I agree, though I can’t say it ensures the same or better results. Aug 312010 2:17 PM ET By Paul Kuharsky

so now I can sleep like a baby at nite….
:)

If you see my smilieys, think of E.M.H. - our COLTs King of Smileys!

by Manning4ever on Sep 1, 2010 1:37 AM EDT up reply actions

Apparently Kuharsky doesn't know anything about LTs, and he can't catch a punt to boot.

somebody email him and ask him why Tony got cut.

"To be a great football coach, you have to be smart enough to do it well, and dumb enough to think it's important." -- Can't remember whom I am paraphrasing.

by zherebyonki on Sep 9, 2010 5:00 PM EDT reply actions