EXTREME MAKEOVER: Colts Edition

by coltsfan500 on Sep 12, 2011 11:05 PM EDT

I have been a Colts season ticket holder since 2005. I have seen ups (Pats v. Colts AFC Championship 2006, Jets v. Colts AFC Championship 2009) and downs (Steelers v. Colts Divisional Round 2005, Chargers v. Colts Wild Card 2007, Jets v. Colts Wild Card 2010) with mine own two eyes. I've been a Colts fan since around 1996 when Jim Harbaugh lead the franchise to its first day in the sunshine since the move the Indianapolis. I have been on cloud nine following the team chasing Superbowls (TM) and had vomit in my mouth and couldn't sleep for days after witnessing atrocious defensive meltdowns. I have been and will be a devout Colts fan, therefore I will use "we" at liberty when discussing the team below. Here is what I know...

1. The Colts defense is underachieving and has been since 2006. There is no doubt in my mind that Freeney and Mathis are beasts. Gary Bracket and Melvin Bullitt play with heart. Antoine Bethea is an overacheiver. Unfortunately, it seems to me like the scheme is out of date and the personnel are not good enough together to run it well. Ron Meeks began the decent after Dungy's retirement and Coyer has done nothing to change the direction of this part of the franchise. The story has always been that this defense is designed to play with a lead. It's pretty hard to get a lead when your defense is giving up points every time the opponent has the ball. This defense looks largely like the one that Dungy brought from Tampa eight years ago. Our opponents have eight years of footage of this defense.

2. We have a coach that makes mental errors in crunch time. See the dictionary for definition of "stupid timeout call" - Colts vs. Jags 2010 and Jets vs. Colts wild card round 2010. Enough said, we know that story. He may be humble, well read and an outstanding United States citizen, but before he took over this Colts team at it's zenith his football coaching record was not very good (NCAA 26-63). I firmly believe you can pin the two "stupid timeout call" losses above on him which would mean that 20% of the Colts losses since he became head coach were directly due to his decision making. Yikes.

3. Outside of Vinatieri and McAfee special teams is a mess on both sides of the ball. I blows my mind that even with the rule change this year, we consistently give up at least 40 return yards on kicks 6 yards deep in the end zone. The rule change this year was supposed to greatly benefit teams with shoddy special teams like the Colts. Part of me believes the conspiracy theory that by having Polian throw around his weight on the competition committee, the Colts are able to push through a favorable rule change every few years. We can't even capitalize on the rules we make ourselves! We turn over the personnel each year and get the same result. This has to be a result of a) the special teams scheme we employ, b) the type of personnel that are required to back up our offensive scheme and defensive scheme, c) coaching. It's probably all of the above, although I'd lean toward (b).

4. The Colts cannot run the ball consistently. It appears that the office is doing something about this by addressing the offensive line issues and employing a different type of RB. Addai and Brown are holdovers from a different era. I believe Brown would have been good in this offense in 2004. When the stretch play became extinct, so did Brown and Addai (less so) become ineffective. The future is Carter and Spann and Evans. This is the one area that I think will come around over the course of the year.

5. I knew, heck we all knew, that Peyton Manning wouldn't be QB of this team forever. I hope Peyton has a full recovery but am realistic and understand that there is a chance the Jets game last year might have been the last snap for the Legend. Even if/when he returns we only have three to four good years left out of the GOAT, and what if he "gulp" SLOWS DOWN??!?!?!.

If we don't fix issues 1, 2 and 3 what are we going to have in those last years of Peyton's career? More of the same. Shoddy defense, mental breakdowns, porous special teams and fewer and fewer of those legendary comebacks that kept perfect seasons intact and playoff hopes simmering.

This team needs an EXTREME MAKEOVER. Here's my opinion of how it can be done in rapid fashion:

Trade the valuable components of this team that represent a bygone era. Throw sentimentalism out the door. Stockpile draft picks / young talent for Wayne, Clark, Freeney, Mathis, Bethea. Likely these guys are the only vets who will net the Colts anything valuable. We want 2012 and 2013 picks and developmental athletes. A couple years with 5 or so picks in the first 3 rounds can go a long way to restocking the shelves. The EVIL HOODIE does this all the time and look how competitive the Pats are year-in and year-out. Even when Brady went down in game 1 2009, his team finished 11-5.

Fire the coaching staff at the end of this season. I'm sure that Irsay will hire someone respectible to coach for the next few years and keep the seat warm for The Franchise. Pay Peyton for a lifetime services contract that will keep him as OC after he's finished playing, then later HC. In the near term, snag a DC that will employ a 3-4 or anything other than a Cover-2 base defense. I don't care if we play from the 46 all the time. Use draft picks and reassemble D over the next few years. New scheme/new faces. Hopefully this will have a pull through effect on special teams. Personally, I think we missed the boat on Leslie Frazier...

Find the quarterback of the future. I'm not big on drafting quarterbacks early. It is a high risk move that damages teams more often than it pays off. I make an exception for Luck because I drink the Kool-aid. It's doubtful that he would be there where the Colts would likely draft next year. He's a number one pick and the Colts aren't the worst team in the league this year, even without Peyton.

I honestly do not believe that given these moves the team would be that much worse off in the event of a Peyton return in 2012 than if the Colts stuck with the status quo. Certainly if Peyton is unable to return to football as a player the team would be a year ahead on rebuilding.

What do you think Irsay intends by this tweet?

"There will b some shocking,dramatic,inspiring,unimaginable things happening n Coltsland the next 18 months...buckle up,stay faithful,BELIEVE" - Jim Irsay

Poll

Do these ideas to MAKEOVER the Indianapolis Colts have merit?

I'm a believer let's press reset!

49 votes

Some of these ideas have merit, but such radical change is not necessary

82 votes

No way, just do what we do!

10 votes

I'll do whatever Bill and Chris tell me to do.

6 votes

147 votes | Poll has closed

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.

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Comments

I agree that we need to draft the QB of the future,

because honestly it makes a WHOLE lot more sense to draft a QB before the team has to suffer a few seasons with a scrub there. Do it like the Packers and get a Rodgers while our current QB is still around. Sure, it worked with getting Manning off a terrible year, but I don’t have to remind you that he’s on a higher level than a lot of other guys even when he was a rookie. Whether it’s Luck or somebody else we need to get a first (or even second if it’s a quality pick) QB. This castaway, out of retirement, or 7th round pick QB thing isn’t going to work.

Dallas Clark: Some tight ends catch. Some block. Clark just owns.

by Sir Sci on Sep 13, 2011 1:08 AM EDT reply actions

Rodgers is a unique exception. He’s a top 10 talent who fell to the Packers in the 20s. Nearly all QBs who are successful in the league at top 15 picks. The problem with getting a QB this year is that he’ll be ready for a second contract (aka the big one) as Peyton is retiring. We’d have to pay a lot of money to someone unproven.

Basically, if we want to make another couple title runs with Peyton in his last years we’ll have to be prepared to be bad for a few years after he retires.

by TrueBlue87 on Sep 13, 2011 6:32 PM EDT up reply actions

Rogers was actually projected number 1 but the 49ers picked Alex Smith instead

49ers did not think he was athletic enough and he fell to #24.

"Peyton Manning came to LA and didn't even call me"

by PV Mike on Sep 13, 2011 7:04 PM EDT up reply actions

I stand corrected.

More importantly, the point remains the same.

by TrueBlue87 on Sep 13, 2011 7:33 PM EDT up reply actions

I agree with 99% of this post...

But you can’t just trade away Freeney, Mathis, Wayne, Clark, and Bethea. Our defense is bad enough as it is – bottom third of the league. Imagine it with absolutely no pass rush and absolutely no safety play. Wayne & Clark also mean too much to our offense to just trade away. And the market wouldn’t be there for a pair of 32 y/o pass-catchers coming off of injury.

I agree that our defense needs a complete makeover – which is a shame because that can take years to accomplish without the proper personnel. Can we stay with a 4-3? I think we have to because of Freeney, and the lack of play-maker linebackers. But we’d need to get bigger up front – much bigger. Upgrade both DT spots, let Mathis walk and sign an all-around DE to pair with Freeney so we don’t give up 200 yards rushing. We need CB’s who can play on the LOS and actually match up 1 on 1, and we need some linebackers who actually have some instinct (look how bad our LBers were against Houston’s playaction rollouts). As you can see, it’d be a difficult transition.

Realistically though, let’s hope Manning can come back at 100%, either this year or next – which immediately solves our offensive problems for the next 3 years. Cut Gary Brackett (replace him with Angerer), trade whatever it takes to move up in April’s draft and select a dominant DT. Imagine this defense with Suh, Ngata, or Wilfork in the middle. Would still love some more cover-CB’s, but that’s more about the system than the personnel.

And oh yeah, fire Caldwell, bring in someone who actually coaches and commands respect. Fire Coyer, and bring in anybody who doesn’t run a vanilla Cover-2.

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by kmbryant09 on Sep 13, 2011 9:49 AM EDT reply actions

Trade the valuable components of this team that represent a bygone era. Throw sentimentalism out the door. Stockpile draft picks / young talent for Wayne, Clark, Freeney, Mathis, Bethea. Likely these guys are the only vets who will net the Colts anything valuable. We want 2012 and 2013 picks and developmental athletes. A couple years with 5 or so picks in the first 3 rounds can go a long way to restocking the shelves. The EVIL HOODIE does this all the time and look how competitive the Pats are year-in and year-out. Even when Brady went down in game 1 2009, his team finished 11-5.

That opportunity left the building in 2007. We need to stockpile young talent but we can not trade the core we already have. Also the scheme is fine you could play 3-3-5 every down if you have the right personnel to execute it correctly and it will be good enough to win a championship. Look at the Bears another Tampa-2 team and look at their defense I do not see any problems there they have the personnel and execute it correctly. Another Tampa-2 type of a team is the Lions and of course the Bucs and although they are young both defenses are improving and will be top 10 defense’s in the league. The Tampa-2 scheme works with the right personnel and if executed properly the biggest problem with the Colts are the NT whomever it is playing does not do a good job at it and size of the NT is not the issue and our LB’s size is again not a issue but they get burned way too often on the play action pass and every year it is the same problem over pursuing on running downs. The LB’s have to control their gaps and once a hit on the runner is made both LB’s and DB’s have to swarm to the ball. We see this every stinking year it is insane. The blame has to be placed on both the coaches and the players the scheme is not hard to play but the players do the same thing year in and year out I do not know what is going on in their heads.

by dave1251 on Sep 13, 2011 1:53 PM EDT reply actions

there is a massive flaw with this assertion

and that is that Peyton Manning can still return as an elite player and finish out the rest of his deal. How can you think of the future if Manning still plays? you are essentially wasting the renaming years on his contract to rebuild a championship team that will take about 5 years to get to.

by metal_militia on Sep 13, 2011 3:52 PM EDT reply actions

My thoughts exactly.

If we do this might as well move Manning as well. I’m sure he’d be pleased with the promise of a great team right after he retires.

by ActionOxford on Sep 13, 2011 7:11 PM EDT up reply actions

I don't really think changing up this defense and infusing it with youth significantly makes it less of a contender

It is glaringly obvious that Peyton has carried this team for the last several years in many ways, but perhaps the most useful in orchestrating comebacks after defensive failures have turned leads to deficits or created deficits in the first place. He also has taken rather middle of the road talent (Stokely, Addai, Blair White) and made look like stars. I love Reggie, but I don’t know if you put him with Alex Smith whether or not he would be a number one WR over a guy with natural talent like Crabtree.

I believe we will have more of the same over the next few years even if Peyton comes back 100% and that’s more of the same of 2010, not 2006 and 2007. We waste the value of the stars we have on the roster and push off paying the piper for the drafting whiffs of the last few years. I do believe that guys like Clark, Freeney, Mathis and Bethea have trade value. They might not net us 2012 first rounders, but maybe a 2013 first rounder or 2012 second, third, fourth rounders. They won’t have this value three or four years down the road.

by coltsfan500 on Sep 14, 2011 11:26 PM EDT up reply actions

trades in the NFL...

They just don’t really happen all that much anymore.

by derrickhatchet on Sep 13, 2011 7:15 PM EDT reply actions

No trades necessary, just needs a more creative defense

We should never get rid of guys WE know have the skills and talent to make this team better, I can’t think of anyone else I’ll rather have than Wayne at WR, Freeney and Mathis as DEs, Clark as TE and Bethea as FS. These men are proven to be skilled players and getting rid of them makes absolutely no sense.

What the Colts need is a better philosophy and/or scheme and tons of creativity, let me makes this clear: DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS

We have two CBs (Powers and Tryon) who both are capable of playing both man and zone coverage. What do y’all think we should do?

Switch up the coverage shells and have Powers playing man-to-man while Tryon plays zone coverage and then have Tryon play man-to-man while Powers plays zone. Coyer can also have them both playing man coverage on one play and have them both playing zone coverage on another play. That way it’ll take more time for the QB to figure what shell our CBs are playing.

If we are playing the Tampa 2 scheme, the MLB needs to play coverage better, I have been a Colts fan since 2003 and I’ve only seen 3 LBs who excel in playing coverage in the middle. Cato June, Tyjuan Hagler, and now Adrian Moten, these 3 LBs have great instincts and awareness like most Safeties, they should be watching the middle of the field between the FS and SS to prevent short yard completions over the middle.

Antoine Bethea must drop back in coverage at all times. He is considered a poor man’s Ed Reed and one of the few Safeties that can actually rival Reed when it comes to ball-hawking. Coyer must resist in having Bethea cover TEs and try calling more Cover 3 shells to utilize Bethea’s best attribute: Ball-Hawking.

Melvin Bullitt is better as a run supporter than a cover Safety, he has the best closing speed of any defender on the Colts, if he drop 8 men in the “box”, Bullit should be the 8th man.

Colts fan since Tony Dungy's 48th Birthday.

Free will is an illusion, but pragmatically, the illusion of self (ego), choice, freedom, consciousness, are all necessary for the game or struggle to move. No struggle, no universe.

Get well soon, Peyton Manning

by ColtsFan504 on Sep 14, 2011 1:32 AM EDT reply actions

See my post above.

Creativity does not win championships. Execution does.

by dave1251 on Sep 14, 2011 4:12 PM EDT up reply actions

I know that

but our defense is very predictable nowadays, no matter how well you execute it. If the QB know what the defense is doing, he will call a play to exploit the weakness. Manning has been doing for years.

Colts fan since Tony Dungy's 48th Birthday.

Free will is an illusion, but pragmatically, the illusion of self (ego), choice, freedom, consciousness, are all necessary for the game or struggle to move. No struggle, no universe.

Get well soon, Peyton Manning

by ColtsFan504 on Sep 14, 2011 6:26 PM EDT up reply actions

I disagree

Manning does some of this to try and exploit a weakness against a play but that will not matter if the O-line whiff’s on their assignment or the receiver runs the incorrect route. On defense if your front four is pressuring the QB on passing play and stuffing the run on your running plays it really does not matter what coverage you play behind the line. Because it will not be successful. How many time have we seen on passing downs our DB just squat and look into the backfield at the QB to see him get smashed but Freeney or Mathis? The DB’s were completely burned but it did not matter because the QB was placed on his behind. But if he was given another .5 of second it would of been a 20 yard completion the other way. If tampa-2 is played correctly can you score? Yeah against any defense you can score but you have to execute your drives correctly. Because with a tampa-2 base if played correctly it will take a 10-15 play scoring drive and you have to execute your 10-15 plays well or you turn the ball over our your going to have to punt the ball. If your front four control the line of scrimmage you will win the battle. If they do not you can attempt to bring a extra blitzer but if the opposing QB picks this up or the O-line picks this you will get burned if the opposing offense with worth a nickel.

by dave1251 on Sep 15, 2011 3:38 PM EDT up reply actions

I like these ideas

A little confusion can go a long way. I remember when we had some defensive struggles against the glitter kitties and played a 4 linebacker set (looked like a 4-4-3). That was successful when it was employed. If we’re going to maximize the existing talent we need to employ much more deception in the game plan.

That being said, I’m advocating a change out of scheme as I think a little deception is not enough to make a significant difference with the personnel we have. Also, if the special teams unit sucks because of our small fast guys required to run our D, then we’re never going to see improvement in that phase of the game until we ditch the scheme.

by coltsfan500 on Sep 14, 2011 11:30 PM EDT up reply actions

First Round QBs

First round picks in general will not be as big of an issue going forward with the new CBA – we need to get out in front of that reality as these picks will become more valuable (and we will get a fairly high on this year – unfortunately).

by kmart-nc on Sep 14, 2011 12:17 PM EDT reply actions