FanPost

The Indianapolis Colts Will Represent the AFC in the SB This Year. Here's Why.

OK I waited a full 5 minutes to give you guys time to get off the floor from laughing at the prediction I just made regarding this year's Colts team. You should get a bigger laugh out of this: "I'm dead serious." I know the football gods and sports personalities out there who actually get paid to make predictions have the Colts so far off the NFL radar that it would take at least 3 years to find them, yet I am going against all conventional wisdom and logic with my prediction and get this; I'm going to back my claim up with verifiable data that can only come from the mind of yours truly: The unflappable X ray vision of "Deywalka." Are you ready for the ride children? strap on your set belts and lace up your boots my pretties! Here we go.

Exhibit A: Andrew Luck

With all of the turnover, coaching changes, and new philosophies brought in, how in God's green acres are the Indianapolis Colts going to the SB this year? That's a perfectly good question to ask and I'll give you a perfectly good answer lad! 1st off we will start with the new commander and chief in the huddle: Andrew Luck. Yeah I know he's a rookie. But this is no ordinary rookie ladies and gentlemen! Luck has something we haven't seen since Neo and "The Matrix." Something we haven't seen since Bruce Leroy and the "The Last Dragon!" He's the One. He's got (the glow). Look at the reports coming in from training camp:

"He looks like a 3rd or 4th year player" says former coach Tony Dungy.

C Samson Satele on Luck: "You watch bro. He’s crazy good. There’s nothing I can teach the man right now. I mean he’s that great."

New OC Bruce Arians: "He (Luck) just gets it."

These are not the words one would use for some ordinary, wet behind the ears, boot shaking, snot nosed, knocked knee'd rookie! This kind of praise is usually reserved for players who have actually been in the league for well, "3 to 4 years." Andrew Luck has been described as a man with a "photographic memory." Given the way he has displayed control of the offense the way he has so far and with little to no OTAs due to NCAA regulations that still applied until he officially graduated from Stanford is beyond remarkable.

Exhibit B: The WRs

Unlike prospects like Trent Richardson and Brandon Weeden, Luck isn't coming into a situation that would be the equivalent of a one horse town. He will actually have some pretty nice toys to play with in his rookie campaign. For starters he'll have an old, crafty veteran in Wayne, a solid route runner in Collie, and a burner in Donnie Avery. Throw in the top two TEs coming out of college, a shifty speedster in TY Hilton and this offense has the potential to be down right nasty. I'm talking "Madden NFL 13" nasty.

Exhibit C: The RBs

Even though most Colts fans have given Donald Brown the "bust" label, in his defense he hasn't had A: enouugh opportunities, and B: an offensive line that can open up running lanes for him to use his speed. He will get both this year under the new regime in Indy. Vick Ballard brings a nice combination of power and speed, something the team hasn't seen since Zack Crockett, and adds another intriguing prospect to the Colts in what looks to be their shift to a more power oriented running game. Did I say that Luck would have a nice set of toys at his disposal on game day?

Exhibit D: The defense

This is probably the most underrated portion of the team altogether. The critics think the Colts D will be worse than last year's. I'm of the mindset that they will be a lot better. If you listen to the critics, whenever they give an opinion of a team that they are unfamiliar with, especially one that has had the amount of change the Colts have had in one year they tend to write them off. So why am I so optimistic and going against the grain of conventional thinking on this one? Because one year turnarounds have been done before in this league, many times... Take Houston for instance. They haven't had a defense ever since they came into the league. Enter the acquisition of new DC Wade Phillips and they have gone from worst to top five. And they did it with only one off season. So while all the so called "experts" put all the emphasis on personal, I put mine on coaching and scheme. That means a player like Justin King although a bust for the Rams, may turn out to be a gem for the Colts. Rams fans can laugh all they want to at us picking him up, but the thing they fail to mention is that the ENTIRE defense of the Rams sucked and that that reality is not something they can pin on King alone. It's hard to shine in a puddle full of "mud." That being said, I'm giving King the benefit of the doubt until further notice.

As I close I do so in the voice of Howard Beal from the 1976 classic: "Network" to address all those naysayers from FOX, ESPN etc. who think the Colts will be bottom dwellers again this year: "Colts fans if you're as tired as I am of the disrespect our team has been getting from the world wide sports news listen to me. I want you to go and turn off your TV sets. Then go over and open up your windows and shout: "I'm mad as hell, and I'm not gonna take it anymore! Yes that's it! Say it again! "I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore!" Halleluiah! Thank you Jesus! Where's the Tylenol?

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.