Nothing says Shoot me now! like a pre-season overtime game. Honestly, why do they let these things go to OT? Does anyone really care if a pre-season game gets tied? So silly. Anyway, unlike the HoF game, it looked like a regular old pre-season game out there, complete with sloppy play, turnovers, and players not knowing what the hell is going on.

Typical pre-season.

Colt Homer posted his more than solid game recap over at Naptown, and for the most part I agree with him. Also, some nice comments in the game thread. Thanks to MasterRWayne for setting that up. My Internet was down all day yesterday because of some grid issue. I was in hell. Here are some observations from the game:

• The Panthers ran the ball 48 times. 48! Are you kidding me? Gee, do you think Panthers coach John Fox was trying to send a message to his team in their first pre-season game? Carolina averaged 4.3 yards a carry and generated over 200 yards rushing on 48 friggin' attempts. Either Fox is really wanting to run the football this year in Carolina, or he's trying to get his RBs killed. Poor tackling from Indy's linebackers resulted in some good gains early on for the Panthers. With guys like Jordan Senn, Kyle Shotwell, and Danny Verdun-Wheeler (who was signed just a few days ago) playing LB for you, those things are going to happen. None of these guys are making the team anyway.
• Carolina seemed to game plan the game and did an awful lot of blitzing. Is that cheap and silly for a pre-season game? Yes, but Carolina's coaches are desperate this year, and need to get this team to the playoffs in order to retain their jobs. Desperate teams do desperate things. The blitzing was unexpected, and not something Indy could game plan for. LT Tony Ugoh struggled because he'd never matched up with Julius Peppers before, and wasn't given a chance to study Panthers game film because (unlike Carolina) the Colts didn't game plan this pre-season game. I actually liked that they blitzed because it provided some adversity for the young guys.
  
• Like I told you, Marvin Harrison is fine. If Peyton Manning had been in there and Carolina blitzed like that, Indy would have been up 21-0 in the first quarter with Harrison scoring 2 of those TDs on long bombs. Marvin had a nice catch going out-of-bounds early.
• I'm starting to believe a little bit. For the second straight week, Indy's special teams coverage units have looked good. Very good. 4 Carolina punt returns netted -1 yards, and 3 kick returner netted 68 yards. Adam Vinatieri looks as strong and healthy as I've ever seen him, even in New England. He is booming the ball on kickoffs, and players seem to know their assignments and are tackling the ball carrier well. Again, starting to believe a little bit.
• Jim Sorgi continues to un-impress. He had two turnovers, resulting from poor pass protection because the Panthers were blitzing in pre-season. Despite the bad protection, Sorgi has to protect the ball better. Jared Lorenzen looked much better with the second unit. I still like Quinn Gray better.
• Mike Hart continued to solidify his place on the roster: 2 rushes for 20 yards, 2 catches for 21 yards. Kenton Keith continues to fall further and further into oblivion. He dropped some passes (shocking, I know) and rushed 1 time for 1 yard. Why did Indy cut Clifton Dawson, who at least showed some young potential, and not this waste of space?
• Though Indy will run more 3 WR this year, the Colts got some good TEs for 2008. Gijon Robinson impresses in the passing game, and Jacob Tamme was about as good as it gets, snatching 2 TDs. Tamme is a real weapon in the red zone, and will likely find his way there if the Colts go 2 TE inside the 20.
• T.J. Rushing's returns were very good. He's separating himself from the pack. Pierre Garcon did not play because of a hip injury.
• I disagree with Colt Homer on Devin Aromashodu; he isn't getting cut. For the second straight game, he looked good. I still think Indy will carry 6 WRs this year. I can see Colt Homer's thinking, but Aromashodu and Garcon are both good WRs who can play special teams. I think Indy keeps them both on the active roster.
  
• Brandon Condren makes me feel very good about safety depth. Unlike the LBers, Brandon can actually tackle the ball carrier.
• To the people complaining about the defensive line, saying it reminds them of the 2006 regular season, PLEASE RELAX and remember this is pre-friggin-season. Quinn Pitcock's absence is not the reason Carolina ran the ball 48 times. The Colts have the same 3 DTs the rotated for much of the 2007 season (Ed Johnson, Keyunta Dawson, and Raheem Brock) and have added a gem out of Rutgers named Eric Foster. Foster is a stud, and anyone who doesn't see that isn't watching the games or practices. The Colts run defense will be just fine once the rotation gets set, Dwight Freeney returns, and Bob Sanders is unleashed on the civilized world. Guys like Foster and Brock are learning new roles, and Dungy is looking hard at players like Joe Bradley and Colin (not the dumb actor) Ferrell. If the Colts feel that adding someone like Booger McFarland for depth would help, they'd do it. Bill Polian and Tony Dungy love Booger, and Booger loves the Colts. Obviously, since they haven't signed Booger at this point, they feel good about their DT situation. Calm down. Relax. And remember it is still early August.

As fans, we were spoiled a little bit by the Hall of Fame game, which had the feel of a regular season game in terms of execution and level of play. Last night's game was more a typical pre-season game. Per usual, there were many positives, and those players that showed more negatives and positives will likely not make the active roster in 4 weeks.

For a Panthers fan's take, head over to the always reliable Car Scratch Reader. Look for more insights and analysis throughout the day and week, including MasterRWayne's take on the game.

So, the rumors were true. Quinn Pitcock retired. Thanks to JakeTheSnake for the Fan Shot on the subject. It's a bit sad because Pitcock was known as a fierce competitor at Ohio State. He played in National Championship games, and came on strong last year as a good rookie DT. Now, he doesn't want to play football anymore. As annoying and disappointing as it is, look at it this way. Quinn had the bullocks to retire early in camp rather than pull a Corey Simon. He didn't cheat or steal money from the Colts, and he was honest in his decision. The Colts likely respected that, and both parties have moved on. I wish Quinn good luck, and hope nothing awful has happened.

We can sit hear and joke that the Curse of the Third Round Pick has popped up again, but guys like Freddie Keiaho (3rd round, 2006), Dante Hughes (3rd round, 2007), and Philip Wheeler (3rd round, 2008) are proving to be good young players. The loss of Pitcock (sigh, I'll really miss making fun of that name) is also at a position (snicker) the Colts are full at (snicker, snicker). Raheem Brock, Ed Johnson, Keyunta Dawson, and the new kid Eric Foster are all good DTs. Big Ed has a chance to become something special, and Brock has always been a consistent player.

Still, even with solid depth after Pitcock's retirement, why not bring back Booger McFarland for a physical? You know he wants to play. You know he'd love to come back to Indy. He'd take a role as a rotating overtackle (I think that's the right position, shake n bake) on the Colts line. He loves Dungy, and mentored Ed Johnson last year. The key is his health, but even that is negotiable. If he's rehabbing now, but will be ready by, say, Week 3, why not sign him?

Booger even has a website up. Notice the team uniform he's wearing.

I talk a lot about how I really liked layers like Booger McFarland, Edgerrin James, and David Thornton. All are good people, and made a lasting impression on the team and community. I'd kind of like to know who you miss the most. I recently did a piece on draft busts (as did Colt Homer), but I'd like to balance the negativity of talking about busts by talking about players you miss.

For me, I miss watching Booger McFarland, mainly because his short tenure in Indy totally changed the defense. Not only did he anchor the Super Bowl 41 team, but after Booger injured his knee in training camp last year (an injury that might have ended his career) he mentored rookie Ed Johnson all throughout the season, watching film with him and teaching him tips.

Booger is a great player, and an even better person. I will always consider him a Colt even though most of his career was spent in Tampa Bay.

Who do you miss the most?

Big Ed Johnson's goal is to get to training camp as a leaner, meaner player. Johnson's playing weight was roughly 300 pounds last season. He wants to play at 290 in 2008. Why?

"I can come in much better shape than I did last year," Johnson said just before the start of the Colts’ organized team activities - 14 days of on-field work that will continue through mid-June at the team’s training facility.

"I can be quicker and faster and do things that personally I know I can do better and have done better in the past that I know I can improve on. I think at the end, by doing that, I would be a much better player, and that would make our defense even better..

Johnson credits Booger McFarland for helping him through last season, which saw Big Ed start all 17 games at DT in Booger's place.

During that time, Johnson said McFarland – a 1999 first-round draft selection acquired by the Colts in a mid-season trade the previous season – helped him significantly.

"I talked to Booger a lot last year," Johnson said. "During the week, I would watch film with him. He would call me and if I had questions, I would call him. He helped me out a lot. He showed me a lot of little things – secret, veteran stuff – learning how to watch film, things to look for, things like that. They were things that made the whole process of being a rookie, playing fast, easier.

"It had a great impact on me. You don’t ever look at it as someone trying to take your place. We’re all teammates and you have the same goal in mind, just like when I was in school and a young guy would come in. I wouldn’t not try to help him because I thought he was trying to take my place.

"You do everything for the good of the team. In the end, I think that’s what it comes down to. It was all about the team. He helped me out a lot and I appreciate it."

Booger still has not signed with another team. It seems he's having trouble coming back from his knee injury, which he suffered during training camp last year. I really miss Booger, and I still say he was one of the most important players Bill Polian ever brought to Indy.

Pro Football Weekly has a theory on why the Colts traded FB Luke Lawton to Philly:

By trading FB Luke Lawton to the Eagles for a conditional 2009 draft pick Friday, the Colts sent a message that they’re reverting to their core spread-offense principles. The Colts experimented with Lawton as a traditional fullback in ’07, but it’s readily apparent that the team will employ two tight ends instead of a fullback when they want to power the football in ’08.

Another reason Lawton might have been traded is the Colts might decide to move TE Gijon Robinson (6'1, 255 pounds) to H-Back or fullback.

Kenton Keith thinks the Baltimore Ravens are the Indianapolis Colts' chief rivals. Sorry, but huh? 

Funny line from 18 to 88:

Tom Brady says he's slow and can't jump. He blames it on his ankle injury. If Peyton Manning had come out with a line like this a couple of months after losing the Super Bowl, everyone in New England would kill him for being a wuss. Soooooo.

Tom Brady is a wuss who makes excuses.

  Over at Behind The Steel Curtain, contributing writer WolfpackSteelersFan has a well researched article up offering a Quantitative Analysis of the Greatest QB in NFL History. Based on his research and analysis, Peyton Manning is the greatest QB in the modern NFL era; better than Terry Bradshaw, Ben Roethlisberger, Tom Brady, Joe Montana, or Mr. John Unitas.

Peyton Manning is still playing, and therefore may drop in production and hurt his rankings. But, up to this point in his career, he has clearly been the most productive QB of the Modern Era, at least in the regular season.

Wolfpack's article is excellent, and coupled with mgrex30's article yesterday comparing Indy to the "Greatest Show on Turf" Rams, that's two excellent stats-driven articles in a row.

Should I apply to take over Will Leitch's spot at Deadspin.com? More importantly, would Gawker hire an SB Nation writer?

Colts fans are no obsessed with Indy's new "mystery" tackle, a guy no one drafted but many are talking about: Eric Foster out of Rutgers. For many of you, you thought Indy should have signed or drafted someone like Howard's Rudolph Hardie, a 6'1, 270 pound DT. Hardie (signed by Detroit) offered speed and pass rushing ability from the DT position, something Indy has not had since Booger McFarland got hurt last year. For you Hardie lovers, I get the feeling you will like the potential Eric Foster offers.

Foster, like Hardie, is roughly 6'1 and 277 pounds and is known as a pass rusher from the DT position.

Not much is written on Hardie in terms of scouting reports. In the draft, he went as "experts" though he would: Undrafted. But Foster signed with a team that likes undersized d-linemen, and will give undrafted rookies a fair chance. The one scouting report I found said this:

Strengths:
Excellent quickness...Is pretty strong...Offers a lot of versatility...Has a terrific first step...Does a nice job in pursuit...Relentless with a non-stop motor...Nice instincts and awareness...Good athleticism...Nice production...A hard worker...Team leader.

The team lader part cannot be over-stated. Foster was the glue that held the 2007 Rutgers team together, and he was a big part of Rutgers' resurgence as a significant college football program. Here's a taste of Foster;s outspoken leadership at Rutgers:

Eric Foster Locker Room Chant (via biglou77)

The familiar "weaknesses" we see applied to players like Foster are he's too small and not bulky enough. However, consider last year's 7th round pick out of Texas A & M: DE Keyunta Dawson. Key was drafted weighing 270 pounds. We all assumed he would play DE, and Dawson was converted to DT and excelled at the position in 2007. Remember this from SB Nation's Texas Tech blogger?

Strengths:  I've always loved Dawson's motor, he is a tireless worker, and understands that you can't take off any plays.  Despite double teams, Dawson was still a very moderately effective pass rusher.  In 2005 Dawson only had 2.5 sacks, but had 62 tackles.  In 2006 Dawson was much more effective where he had 63 tackles, 9.5 tackles for a loss, 6.0 sacks and 11.0 quarterback hurries.  Dawson's 40 time (4.76) is comparable with other defensive ends in this draft:  Gaines Adams ( 4.64), Jamaal Anderson (4.75), Adam Carriker (4.9), Jarvis Moss (4.7), and Anthony Spencer (4.73).  His general quickness in comparison to his size will be his greatest attributes, and would think that the Indy coaching staff would simply allow Dawson to be a rush end in the same mold as Freeney.  Dawson is a better than average athlete which would allow him to make plays, as a defensive end, but maybe not athletic enough to play linebacker.

Amazing how similar Dawson sounds compared to Foster. In college, Foster had 6 sacks in 2006 and 7 in 2007. Foster has impressed Colts coaches at both the rookie and mandatory minicamps, and if he can display his talents at Training Camp, there will be a place on the 53-man roster for him.

Foster (like Ed Johnson, Keyunta Dawson, and Quinn Pitcock) might be another Bill Polian gem at DT.

Jamie Silva was a serious playmaker in college. Photo: Scouts.com

I'm taking a break from bashing Mike Florio to actually talk about something important: Free agent rookies!

Now, I know some of you out there are scoffing, making fun of the fact that I care about who the Colts sign as rookie free agents. The truth is rookie free agents as important, if not more important, than the draft. Don't believe me? Ok then, who had a bigger impact on the Colts in 2007: Anthony Gonzalez, or Ed Johnson? You can make a strong argument for both, but I personally think Johnson edges out Gonzo because without big Ed the Colts defense reverts back to the regular season defense we all were tortured with in 2006. Remember when we all stated that the Colts could not afford to lose Booger McFarland, and then two days into training camp they did... for the season! McFarland was quickly replaced by an undrafted, free agent rookie named Ed Johnson. Johnson started every single game at DT for the 2007, and the Colts defense became the #2 defense in football.

So, when I say undrafted free agents are important, I damn well mean it! Oh, and nobody finds diamond-in-the-rough rookies via free agency like Bill Polian. No one.

Today, we'll focus a bit on two gents the Colts signed as rookie free agents: DE Curtis Johnson out of Clark Atlanta and SS Jamie Silva out of BC.

Both Curtis Johnson and Jamie Silva were Scouting Combine invites, and both have very strong scouting reports available at NFL.com. Both fit the bill for a Cover 2-style defense. Both are high character individuals with speed, explosiveness, and a knack for getting the football.

Starting with Silva, NFL.com compares him to Arizona's Corey Chavous:

Few safeties in the professional ranks have the instinctive feel for the ball and knowledge of the action in front of him that Chavous displays. Silva plays with the same field vision, ball anticipation and determination. He is a physical tackler who excels in run support and does a nice job of impeding the ballcarrier's forward progress with his hard-hitting wrap-up tackling skills. He has small, yet natural hands to make the interception and is very good at gaining placement in attempts to reroute the receiver. What he lacks in hip fluidness and explosive second gear, he makes up for with solid tackling skills, taking proper angles and great anticipation skills. Toss in his total disregard for his own well-being, determination to make the play and an added bonus with his kamikaze-style of play on special teams and you have player who is certain to be a fan favorite.

The Colts have some excellent depth at safety with Bob, Antoine, Giordano, and Melvin Bullitt. However, if a player like Bullitt is to retain his job in Indy, he needs to prove that he can become an excellent special teams player. With Silva, he seems to have the speed and ballhawking ability needed to play safety in Dungy's Cover 2, but it is not another safety Indy needs.

Indy needs a special teams ace, and if Silva can play the kind of special teams that the Scouting Combine people think he can play, he could beat out Bullitt. Small side note, Silva could have played college ball at IU, but rejected their offer.

Curtis Johnson Photo: Patsy Collier

With Curtis Johnson, the Colts have another speed rusher off the edge similar to 5th round pick Marcus Howard. Scouts compare Johnson to Joey Porter, who played DE in college, but was transitioned to LBer in the Pittsburgh 3-4 package.

Johnson is not as instinctive as Porter in locating the ball and will need to totally revamp his pass drop and coverage skills, but he has a violent hand punch to overpower big blockers and a good burst off the edge to be a superb edge rusher. His strong hands have seen him have good success dislodging ballcarriers from the ball. With his ability to wreak havoc in the backfield, he will bring instant value in pass-rushing situations. He is also a very capable coverage defender on special teams. The big thing here will be getting Johnson a patient coach. Doing so could unearth a Pro Bowler before long. He was tried at both inside and outside linebacker in postseason all-star action and held up very well on the edge. The mental aspect of playing inside will be too much for him to grasp at this early stage of his possible shift to a stand-up defender from one with his hand on the ground. Look for Johnson to become the first noteworthy CAU product since former NFL fullback Chuck Evans (1993-2000), who was drafted in the 11th round in 1992.

Like with Silva, Johnson could find his niche on the team as a special teams gunner. However, I'm of the mindset that the more pass rushers Indy has, the better. Losing Freeney, Mathis, and Brock killed Indy's chances of repeating last year. I do not want that to happen again, especially with excellent secondary Indy has. Johnson's one problem is his lack of bulk. He's taller than Robert Mathis and Marcus Howard, but weighs less. He will need to add some muscle in order to stay healthy in the NFL. Johnson was considered on of the "best kept secrets" in college football after he impressed many during his last year in college.

If Curtis Johnson displays the same knack at getting to the QB as he did in college, adding him (along with Howard and potentially Rosevelt Colvin) would make Indy's pass rush even more deadly.