Stampede Blue: FanPosts

college football open thread

2009-11-07T08:18:51Z

well everyone another week of college football is before us. im sure there are some big story lines for us to see this week but i really dont know many. i do know that now after Oregon beat my (Trojans) they got to keep winning if they want to go to BCS which is highly unlikly or at least they will go to the rose bowl. then we also have Iowa trying to go to 10-0. will they finally be able to have control of a game before the second half. wait and see.....

lets us use this thread to talk about the college games and anything else if there are no other good games ( NO INJURY TALK ALLOWED) we dont need it we want not to think about it and if you do and we have a unexpected announcement it will be on you as far as you jinxing us :) have a great day everyone!!!

The Day of Depth- An analysis of current injuries and their effects on our depth

2009-11-06T19:28:36Z

So, are you awake yet today? If you are at least somewhat awake (and I've been awake for about 30 hours now), you know that someone must have really pissed off the football gods yesterday, because they are now raining injuries on the Colts. So, my purpose in making this FanPost right now is two-fold. First, I want to get all of the injuries in one place for easy access. Also, I want to examine the positions afflicted with the injury curse (not an injury bug; I've upgraded it to a curse) and see who is left starting and what quality of depth is available for these positions. Because injuries have affected seemingly every part of this team, I'm going to do this unit-by-unit. By the way, those in a fragile emotional state might not want to read the rest of this FanPost. Don't wanna get sued for something that might happen to you ;-)

The analysis format is this:

Unit: Starters if the game was played today (Any healthy depth if the game was played today), List of injured players with injury description, Any other analysis of this position (like depth issues)

Let's start off on a good note with the offense, shall we?

Running Back: Joseph Addai (Donald Brown, Mike Hart, Chad Simpson), Since Brown practiced fully on Wednesday and Thursday, I have to assume he's 100% healthy and ready to go Sunday, This is one of our best positions, injury-wise, right now. Brown was previously hurt but seems fine now, and Addai-Brown makes an efficient 1-2 combo.

Quarterback: Peyton Manning (Jim Sorgi, Curtis Painter), Some speculated that Peyton was sick last Friday, but the team said it was a planned resting period and will become a regular thing. I'll trust that they're not stupid enough to lie to us, Once again, we're completely fine here. No injuries to date.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon, Dallas Clark, Austin Collie (Gijon Robinson, Hank Baskett, Jacob Tamme, Justin Snow), Anthony Gonzalez- arthroscopic knee surgery on 11/05/09 to clean out loose stuff remaining in the knee, supposed to be back in 2-3 weeks, Wayne, Clark, and Collie are awesome, and are consistently making Peyton (and us) happy, that's for sure. However, Gonzo is a great and consistent receiver who should have a bright future ahead of him if he can stay healthy. Right now, Gonzo's injury rates as a pretty big loss mostly because Garcon has seemed to forget how to catch the ball again. We saw his drops in preseason, and they're back. It's also important to remember that we literally haven't had Gonzo all season, so we should see a solid bump in the offense upon his return, unlike our offense getting worse until he gets back, if that makes sense. Unless Garcon can become the receiver he was against Miami and Arizona again, this offense will continue to struggle a little bit by its standards until Gonzo makes his triumphant return.

Offensive Line: Charlie Johnson, Ryan Lilja, Jeff Saturday, Mike Pollak/Kyle DeVan, Ryan Diem (Dan Federkeil, Jamey Richard, Tony Ugoh), No injuries to date. The only one the whole year has been to Charlie Johnson to my knowledge, and he's completely fine now, The lack of depth here is concerning. There's only 4 players readily available to sub for an injury, and the Colts usually scratch 2 of them. Other than that, we're fine with what we have on the O-line.

Now let's move on to the defense:

Defensive Line: Dwight Freeney, Dan Muir, Antonio Johnson, Robert Mathis (Keyunta Dawson, Raheem Brock, Eric Foster, Fili Moala, Josh Thomas), Aside from Ed Johnson getting axed for fatness and Dwight Freeney having a somewhat tender knee, nothing to report here, This is also one of our best spots. The injury curse tried to infect Dwight Freeney, but Dwight Freeney instead ______________ (insert comically appropriate action here).

Linebackers: Philip Wheeler, Gary Brackett, Clint Session (Freddy Keiaho, Ramon Humber, Cody Glenn), Tyjuan Hagler- ruptured biceps (ouch), out of the year, Our starters are still great. Brackett and Session are beasts, and Wheeler should do fine as long as he's not a reincarnation of Gilbert Gardner. Our depth here is basically gone. Keiaho can fill in for Brackett, and did OK when he filled in earlier this year, but I have absolutely no confidence in the other 2 backups. We absolutely cannot take any more injuries here or we are in serious trouble.

Defensive Backs: Jerraud Powers, Jacob Lacey, Melvin Bullitt, Antoine Bethea (Tim Jennings, T.J. Rushing, Aaron Fransisco, Jamie Silva), Bob Sanders- torn biceps (ouch again), out for the year. Marlin Jackson- torn ACL, out for the year. Kelvin Hayden, knee injury, out for around 4 weeks, It speaks to our early depth that we can lose 3 starting caliber DB's and still have an excellent starting backfield, which we have with Powers, Lacey, Bullitt, and Bethea. Powers, Bullitt, and Bethea have earned my complete trust with their play (Bethea is having a Pro-Bowl year right now), but I'm still a little apprehensive about Lacey. I want to see a couple more games from him to establish some consistency. But now, say good-bye to our secondary depth as it is 100% gone (3:45 mark). We have Jennings and Rushing as semi-adequate backup. If we get one more injury back there, our pass D could be toast. For now though, we once again have good starters, and they need to hold on until Hayden comes back in a month. Until then, nail a horseshoe above your door and grab a rabbit's foot stuffed with 4-leaf clovers. The Colts need all the luck we can get.

Overall injury analysis: For now, we should be fine. Only a couple of our actual starters are down for the count, and they have been replaced by great depth hand-selected by Polian. Also, two of our most important players in Gonzalez and Hayden will most likely be back within a month. However, our depth in wide receiver and any defensive position not on the defensive line is completely shot. We pretty much literally have no one left to "step up" if someone else gets injured. So, now is not the time to panic as we should not see much change in our offense's or defense's performance in the coming weeks. However, you are allowed to panic if we do suffer another injury in the hard-hit places. I'll be panicking along with you. For now, grab the nearest leprechaun and hope that the Colts are not put in this scenario.

Taj Smith?

2009-11-06T18:59:38Z

I loved Taj Smith after watching him sell out for catches in training camp and a bit in pre-season as well. With a number of injuries opening up roster spots, Gonzo injured for another few weeks, questions about Garcon and Baskett's abilities to catch the ball, any chance we bring up Smith from the PS? Or Giguere, for that matter.

Is there anyone else we should be bringing up from the PS to fill those empty spots?

Projecting This Week's Game-Day Scratches

2009-11-06T18:18:45Z

Well I guess determining who will be scratched from this week's game just got a little easier - UGH! Here are my assumptions for who will not be active for Sunday - who you got?

Anthony Gonzalez (knee)
Kelvin Hayden (knee)
Curtis Painter (healthy scratch)
Mike Pollak (wishful thinking?)
~~Bob Sanders~~ ~~(elbow!)~~
Jamey Richard (wild ass guess)
Jamie Silva (I have a bad feeling about his hip injury in practice the other day)
Tony Ugoh (unless he's gotten it together in practice)
Adam Vinatieri (knee)

~~Of course all of this may change if Sanders' injury really turns out to be season-ending.~~

Bob Sanders done for year

2009-11-06T18:08:27Z

Sweet jesus. Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings once again, but I just saw Schefter on ESPN say that Bob has a torn biceps tendon that will require season-ending surgery. Don't know what else to say. What a horrible week. Go Bullitt. Thank god we can outscore people. This is getting f***ing ridiculous. Will Bob play for us again? Who knows. So much for the tremendous depth in our secondary. We still have excellent players, but the depth is pretty much gone....

Will Reggie top Marvin as Peyton's best WR?

2009-11-06T16:15:44Z

Good Question.

Link above to an interesting bit on Reggie Wayne.

At the end of the item, the writer asks the question, at the end of Peyton's career, who will be considered the best WR he ever played with, Reggie or Marvin?

I thought this was would make a great debate. Of course it's impossible to know what the future holds for Reggie, but at the rate he's going, things look pretty darn good for him.

What do you guys think? Has Reggie even come close to Marvin?

Go Colts! Pound the Texans!

Twitter Updates from Adam Schefter

2009-11-06T15:03:13Z

Colts have signed veteran free agent defensive end Josh Thomas and have placed defensive back Marlin Jackson on injured reserve.

More Colts: WR Anthony Gonzalez underwent arthroscopic right knee surgery yesterday to clean out loose particles. And....

And Colts S Bob Sanders visited with Dr. James Andrews yesterday to see how severe his left elbow injury is. Still awaiting word on it.

Looks like Colts WR Anthony Gonzalez's latest knee surgery will sideline him another two to three weeks.

A Thought on Jackson's Injury

2009-11-06T13:29:37Z

The recent news about Marlin Jackson being done for the rest of the season has me thinking. First, I have to wonder if he's played his last game as a Colt. I really like him as a player and think that, when healthy, he and Kelvin Hayden are one of the best CB tandems in the league. But with the emergence of Jerraud Powers and Jacob Lacey, it seems that Jackson may be expendable. If I'm not mistaken, this is the last year of his contract and I would not be surprised at all to see the Colts let him go in free agency. Second, who seems to be the heir apparent to the nickel spot that Jackson has been playing in (albeit on a limited basis) this season? I know it could very well be Lacey or Tim Jennings but what do you guys think of trying Melvin Bullitt out in this spot? The guy's a real playmaker and has shown that he has what it takes to be a starter in the NFL. I have to think that he might be a viable option here as well.

Did the Colts just get lucky?

2009-11-06T13:26:35Z

As many of you have heard by now, Marlin Jackson is done for the year with a torn left ACL. This is a great guy who has been a positive part of the team, involved in charities and the such. He's also one of the guys who made major contributions to the Colts SB win. He's also probably just played his last snaps as a player for the Colts too.

However, I think the Colts just hit the lottery with his injury. Many of us have speculated who the Colts would re-sign come the offseason. As we know, there is Melvin Bullitt, Antoine Bethea, and Marlin Jackson, as well as a few others. Most have said let's worry about re-signing Bullitt and Jackson, letting Bethea go.

I've always felt that would be a stupid part on our part and I think the Colts just lucked out in not having to make that choice. With Jackson going down with a 2nd ACL injury in as many seasons, the Colts cannot afford to dump the money he would have commanded in free agency into him. A guy with two bad knees playing corner is not exactly someone I want getting 50 million dollars. Especially with the money the Colts already dropped on both Hayden and Sanders.

We were very fortunate to pick up two very, very good defensive backs in Powers and Lacey super cheap. These guys are signed for a few years at a much cheaper rate than Jackson would be. They have played VERY well thus far in the NFL for being rookies, and this comes amid having the entire defense have to adjust to a slightly different style. Imagine these guys coming in next year with a full grasp on the defense?

I got nothing but love for Jackson, but the reality here is simple: His knees have done him in as a CB for the Colts. He could possibly be brought back in to fill a role as Jennings does, but I seriously doubt he will play for us again.

Poll

Will Marlin Jackson be re-signed by the Colts?

Marlin Jackson done for season

2009-11-05T22:50:04Z

As zkmavz pointed out in a comments section, Marlin Jackson is out for the season with torn knee ligaments.

http://twitter.com/Adam_Schefter/status/5461973147

Crappity crap crap crap. Next man up and all that. I'm about ready for our depth to stop being tested. I know Marlin hadn't done a lot this year, but this hurts. It seems like the entire defense is banged up or out for the season. Can we have another bye, please?

What To Watch For: Colts vs Texans week 9

2009-11-05T21:22:32Z

Im sitting at home bored out of my mind so I decided to try a new post. I don't know if I'll do this week to week, I'll just have to see what kind of feedback comes from it.

The last time these two teams met was week 11 of the 2008 season. Peyton Manning passed for 320 yards and two touchdowns and led the Colts passed the Texans, 33-27. Although the Texans have given the Colts fits in the past, the Colts own the Texans, leading the rivalry series 13-1.

Now, I will list some things things that I will be keeping an eye on and things I think could ultimately decide who wins this game.

1) Texans toughness: Houston has won 3 in a row to improve their record to 5-3. I for one saw the Texans as an on and off team at the beginning but they have answered questions about their ability to find consistency and play well for more than a game or two. This week, this Colts team is going to provide a huge test for the ever improving Texans team. I think the Colts pretty much have the AFC locked up, but if the Texans even want a shot at the Title then they HAVE to beat Indy on Sunday.

2) Dwight Freeney vs Duane Brown: Freeney ABUSED the rookie last season and recorded 3 sacks in 2 games. Freeney's ability to make Schaub uncomfortable in the pocket will have a huge effect on the outcome of this game. With that said Brown has played well this year giving Schaub time to get the ball out and down field.

3) Joel Dreessen's ~~and James Casey's~~ ability to fill in for Owen Daniels: Owen Daniels was lost for the season to a knee injury last Sunday. Well on Monday the Texan fans found out that back up TE James Casey had to undergo knee surgery to repair some damage. Casey is expected to return after the BYE week just in time to play the Titans. I really don't know a whole lot about Dreessen, except that he has mostly functioned as a blocker throughout his 4 years with Houston.

Also, Jake over at BRB has a pretty neat little "Five on Five" article up where he breaks down some key matchups that should either make or break the game. I recommend going over and checking it out, I found it rather interesting.

Most Impressive Rookie Thus Far?

2009-11-05T14:55:34Z

The Colts have received some serious contribution from young players this season, particularly the rookie class. In your opinion, which Colts rookie has been the most impressive to this point in the season? I think the only one I've left off the list is Cody Glenn. Heck, I even threw Curtis Painter in the mix just for good measure. Enjoy, and please feel free to leave a comment explaining why you made your choice.

Poll

Most Impressive Colts Rookie:

Flex Scheduling for Indy

2009-11-05T04:41:35Z

I was prepared to watch Game 6, but since it is a blowout, I started tinkering around with the schedule, seeing what games can be flexed and what not.

The rules are in Wek 11-17 NBC can flex a game in. FOX and CBS protect 5 games that cannot be flexed. No team can be on SNF more than 4 times and in primetime more than 6 times (includes Thursday games). So far, the Colts are scheduled for 5 primetime games, all of which will be played or have been played (@MIA, @ARI, @TEN, vs NE, @ JAX).

I fully expect NBC to flex the Baltimore-Indy game in Week 11. Currently, they have Philly-Chicago. There are no other good games, as CBS protected Jets/Pats. That is awful for the Colts, as they would probably be the first team to ever play 5 road primetime games in one seasons, and have a Sunday Night game in Baltimore a week after hosting the Pats on SNF, and a week before our real showdown with Houston, the one in Reliant.

Anyway, as for the other weeks, here are the protected games and NBC game currently:

12.) Current: PIT @ BAL.

FOX protects CHI @ MIN. I predict they stay with the Pittsburgh Baltimore matchup. Great rivalry, should be a tight division race.

Expected: PIT @ BAL

13.) Current: NE @ MIA

CBS protects TEN @ IND, and FOX protects DAL @ NYG. The only other game I could potentially see them putting here is the Philly Atlanta game. I think that they will, mainly because NBC likes to use its power and flex games even if the normal game is good. Also, if NE blows them out this week, they will flex it.

Expected: PHI @ ATL

14.) Current: PHI @ NYG

CBS protects SD @ DAL and FOX protects GB @ CHI. With DEN @ IND not available as the Colts have been maxed out on primetime, the only real possibility is New Orleans @ Atlanta. I expect New Orleans to be undefeated at this point, and seeing that they flexed in awful games in 2007 just becuase the Pats were unbeaten (like the BIlls and Eagles games) they flex it in.

Expected: NO @ ATL

15.) Current: MIN @ CAR

CBS protects CIN @ SD and FOX protects GB @ PIT. Both FOX and CBS were smart. Especially CBS, as they had the foresight to protect a Cincy game. This is definitely getting flexed out, as this is not the matchup that NBC envisioned. The only matchup left is Chicago Baltmore. This would be Baltiomore 5th primetime and Chicago's 6th, so Chicago is gone for future flexing.

Expected CHI @ BAL

16.) Expected: DAL @ WAS

CBS protects BAL @ PIT. Not a good week as of now. The only opportunities are Saints/Bucs if the Saints are still undefeated and Denver/Philly. Since Denver and Philly should have major playoff implications, and I doubt NO is still unbeaten, I'll go with the latter.

Expected: DEN @ PHI

17.) Current: N/A

There is no preset game, and there are no protected games, so this will go down to either of two scenarios: games where either NO can go undefeated (IND cannot be on again) or a game that decides a division. Just looking, the only intriguing division matchup is Philly/Dallas, and other good matchups are GB/ARZ, NE/HOU and CIN/NYJ. I'll say that PHI-DAL definitely has division implications, and it will be a weird twist of last year, which ended with a 44-6 philly thrashing.

Expected: PHI @ DAL

So, in conclusion:

11.) PHI @ CHI becomes IND @ BAL

12.) PIT @ BAL stays at PIT @ BAL

13.) NE @ MIA becomes PHI @ ATL

14.) PHI @ NYG becomes NO @ ATL

15.) MIN @ CAR becomes CHI @ BAL

16.) DAL @ WAS becomes DEN @ PHI

17.) PHI @ DAL

This was pointless, as I doubt I am close to right, but it was fun for me to investigate and pass time as the Yankees roll.

THE STATE OF THE TEXANS: WEEK 9 EDITION

2009-11-05T04:25:26Z

I didn't believe he lead the NFL either

1. Matt Schuab

Guess what StampedeBlue fans! Matt Schuab actually leads the NFL in passing yds. (He actually has 115 more yds than Manning) I'm not going to get into a debate into who's better. (Manning is) However, Schaub should get some praise. He's having the best year in his NFL career. To date, he leads the league with 2,342 passing yds, 16tds, and 7 int's. Schuab is leading his team to a potential playoff run! (This would be a first for the Texans!) Jokes aside, Schuab is pretty good. He's been surrounded by play makers such as Andre Johnson, Owen Daniels, Steve Slaton, and others. However, Owen Daniels is out for the season and Andre Johnson sustained a serious injury two weeks ago against the Bills. We will see how good Schuab really is in utilizing his back ups. Still, Schaub is going to put the Colt D to work this Sunday. He better be ready for a ferocious pass rush.

Classic Case of Fumblitis

2. Steve Slaton

Steve Slaton wishes he could go back to his rookie year. So far this season he's accumulated 342 rushing yds and 2 tds. However, Staton has been diagnosed with fumblitis. In his last 8 games he's coughed up the ball 7 times! This spells trouble for the Texans, since the Colts are great in causing turnovers. Slaton was benched last week and had to watch Ryan Moats run wild on the Bills. Moats is a 5 year journeyman and looks likes he found a home in the Texans organization. Last week he racked up 126 rushing yds, 25 receiving yds, and 3 tds. The most impressive stat was that he never fumbled the football. (Then again, it was the Bills) Moats has started a RB controversy with the Texans. Whoever starts this Sunday better be ready for the hard hitting Colts. (Here's to hoping Slaton starts)

Don't adjust your screen...he really is that big

3. Andre Johnson and Co.

Andre Johnson is a natural born beast. I hate to say it, but he's the best well rounded receiver in the NFL. At 6' 3" this guy's has the speed, height, and the power of a running back. His league leading 697 receiving yds and 4 td's is making Schuab's life a lot easier. However, Johnson's performance last week wasn't great. He was held to 63 yds that was most likely caused by an injury he sustained in week 7 against the Bills. Still, two weeks is good enough for any superstar to get back on track. I wouldn't expect anything less than a 100 yd game from this guy.

As for their WR's the Texans are looking O.K. across the board. Kevin Walter is their number 2 guy with 261 receiving yds and 1 td. Walter isn't great, but he shouldn't be taken lightly. (He only averages about 44 yds a game) Jacoby Jones on the other hand is the complete opposite. This guy is explosive and can take it all the way on any play. The only problem is he's a better returner than receiver. Watch out for this guy on Sunday. The Colts better practice their ST's coverage.

It isn't looking to good for their TE's. Their pro-bowl TE Owen Daniels was lost last week to a season ending injury. Their back up Anthony Hill is said to have caught the swine flu. (Better use that hand sanitizer) To top it off their 3rd string TE James Casey is also out to undergo meniscus knee surgery. So (drum roll please) we will most likely see Joel Dreessen as an every down TE. (Don't expect anything from him)

A New and improved Texan D

4. The O-Line and Defense

It's a safe bet to say that the Texan O-Line does a decent job. They've been protecting Schaub so far and have only allowed 13 sacks. They do have their ups and downs when it comes to rushing though. They sort of reflect the Colt running game in a few aspects. Overall, it will be interesting to see if the Colt D-Line can rattle the Texan O-Line.

With all those early first round picks, out the past following seasons. It would be a crime if they didn't end up with a good defense. Mario Williams and Amobi Okoye have lead the D-line in stopping the run as well as stopping the pass. (Watch out for whoever Mario Williams matches up against) I expect a sack from Mario at the most. As for their LB's, they've discovered a gem in rookie Brian Cushing to compliment DeMeco Ryans. These two have a nose for the football and are sure tacklers. (Expect some extra hard hits) Now as for their Secondary. (Manning might have a field day). The Texans CB's worth mentioning are Glover Quin and Dunta Robinson. Both are decent in stopping screens passes and runs. However, these guys are terrible in pass coverage. As for their safeties... only Eugene Wilson is well rounded in all areas. Overall, the Texan D is a young group. (Expect Manning to exploit their inexperience)

Check out the injury report straight from the Texans team website

As always Don't forget to Comment and Recommend this post!

Lets keep this post alive until next week when I analyze the Dreaded Patriots...

Perception altering Reality: Why the Colts are better than the Saints

2009-11-04T23:21:01Z

The new Colts/Saints debate is the latest case study in perception skewing reality. The following is why the Indianapolis Colts are a better football team than the New Orleans Saints. While both teams have tremendous offenses, smart coaches and quarterbacks, professional attitudes and staunch determination. The Colts are a more complete team with more maturity and experience, since for at least the third time in four seasons, they've started 7-0. For that exact reason, however, sports media is over hyping the Saints, evident in power rankings across the nation.

It seems like year after year, the Colts get off to a fast start, become the last unbeaten team in the league, and spend the last week or two of the season resting their starters. Just three seasons ago they became the first team in NFL history to win 13 straight by an average of at least a touchdown. As fans and anchors and analysts we've become so accustomed to the Colts' monstrous regular season success, that it's become nearly impossible for them to impress anyone. While the Saints have certainly played well, I won't deny that, they've done nothing to prove they are better than the Colts while showing at least a few reasons, in my opinion for why they are worse, more on that later.

But between you and me, I hope the Colts get the lowest power rankings possible with the least media hype. Staying under the radar is always a good thing especially for the Colts, just look at their super bowl run. So really I don't mind them not being ranked first, though my BCS experience has conditioned me to believe that rankings are important, so long as the rankings are made with respect and logical reasoning, rather than hype, feel good stories, and flawed perception. All from which the Saints are benefitting, to their dismay I'm sure. What annoys me the most however, are the excuses made for the Saints but not for the Colts, most notably after last weekend. In week three against the Bills, Drew Brees goes 16/ 29, 172 yards, no TDs, no INTs, and a 73 passer rating. All the media talked about was how gritty this Saints team was, being able to beat a horrendous Bills team, currently ranked last in rushing yards allowed, with decent, mistake free play from their quarterback. If that were Kyle Orton's stat line, he would be praised for being such a valuable game manager while Brees is said to have an off day. The next week, same result, except against an unbeaten Jets team, which has since been exposed, I'd say, losing twice to the Dolphins. But when Peyton Manning puts up 347 with no touchdowns or interceptions against an unfamiliar and tenacious Niners team (arguably the greatest 3-4 team of all time), people start asking, "What's wrong with Peyton." Two days later, the Colts drop in the Power Rankings and Peyton drops in the MVP watch behind the Saints and Brees, respectively. While headlines say that the Colts struggle against the Niners, they say the Saints show their fortitude against the Bills, Jets, Dolphins, and Falcons.

While I have come to accept the fallacy that "newer is better", one that I think Obama benefited from, not that he doesn't deserve it, it's another thing entirely to seek to create an icon in the Saints, which I believe ESPN, among other sports publications, is doing. I believe they see the media cash cow which is the story of the immaculate Saints rising from the ashes of once defeated New Orleans to save a city, a people, and an economy in desperate need of hope and a hero. I say this with only the best for the people of the Big Easy, but anything besides reasoned, logical, unbiased coverage of the Saints is just bad journalism and a mockery of "expert" analysis, not to mention irresponsible. While their current run is great for the city, what happens when the media over hypes this team, gets NOLA's hopes up, and they lose in the divisional round after a first round bye and three weeks of meaningless games. I'm not suggesting Katrina 2.0, but the city will be devastated, and the team will have a tough time bouncing back in 2010. Now, back to why the Colts are better. As I stated near the beginning, the Colts are a more complete team. I’m going to say that the offenses are even. The Colts have just as many weapons as the Saints, especially when Gonzalez returns, are just as hard to cover, and are just as dynamic. Some would argue that the Saints have a better running game, and I would probably agree. The Colts have better and more complete backs, however, in Brown and Addai who, in addition to running, both block and receive extremely well. For the Colts though, putting up big rushing numbers are not as important as establishing the run as a legitimate threat for both setting up the play-action and converting in short yardage situations. Note, Joseph Addai has the highest conversion percentage of any back in the NFL since 2006 in converting 3rd and 4th and short and goal line situations. At over 80%, that’s higher that AP, LT, and Brandon Jacobs to name a few. The Saints backs are unreliable, fumbling twice in huge situations Monday night.

Also, I would say special teams are just close enough to be even, a slight advantage going to the Saints, although Colts coverage teams are playing incredibly well this year. For me it’s the defense that makes all the difference. In scoring defense, the Colts are 1st in the league; the Saints are 17th. While highlight reels show Frank Gore’s 64 yard TD run, analysts claim a poor run defense for the Colts, ignoring the fact that they held him to 24 yards on 17 carries outside of that run. When the Saints give up 442 yards and 27 points to the Falcons, their defense is "much improved." It doesn’t matter who the Saints have played and who the Colts have played. Outside the Bills and the Jets, the Saints have had to score in droves since the defense had given up over 20 points in each contest. The only team to go over seventeen points against the Colts were the Dolphins (23 points), a team which would have beaten the Saints if Ted Ginn could catch, scoring 37 against the Saints. Offenses for all teams are less reliable in the playoffs, given elite competition. And when they get there, the Saints will have to be able to shutdown teams much better than the Jets and Bills. Right now, I doubt their ability to do this. While several analysts are comparing this Saints offense to that of the 2007 Patriots, I think they are closer to the 2004 Colts who were able to jump out to early leads and allow there defense to feed on pass desperate opponents.

The Saints defense is opportunistic at best and porous at worst. They allow big plays and have not shown an ability to keep their team in the game by forcing three and outs, but they’ve benefiting greatly from turnovers and, of course, Sharper’s pick-sixes. Come January, if the Saints face a team that could match them point for point, perhaps the Vikings, they better hope their defense can lean on the luck they’ve had so far. I will argue all day with anyone who says the Saints are outside the top 5 teams in the NFL right now, but they are certainly not the best. Their number one ranking is merely a result of hype, popularity, and excitement, not facts. Yes I am a huge Colts fan, and you can say that my opinion is just as biased as those who clamor over the Saints. But I've been paying close attention to sports media, and I think Peter King is the only "neutral" journalist to give the credit, I believe, the Colt's deserve (even though he ranks them second). As our friends at 18 to 88 say, "It isn't homerism if you're right." And in this case I believe I am. Your thoughts?

Poll

Who do you think is better?

Texans fans

2009-11-04T19:25:14Z

Hi all. I'm placing this in the Fan Posts area because this is more for our community than it is a blog "story," which gets shot out to places like Yahoo, CBS Sports, etc.

As you have probably noticed, the Texans have finally gotten what John Bena and I sometimes refer to as "the nuts of competitiveness." In other words, the team is actually good this year. This means that the loud minority of immature Texans fans will post things here and at Battle Red Blog in an effort to goad and troll Colts fans down to their level.

In my humble opinion, this kind of stuff has the chance to degrade the discussion of the game down to the level we once had with Pats Pulpit, before MaPatsFan took over as the head blogger there. Discussions were mean-spirited. Names were called between bloggers. It was a mess.

I don't want our relationship with Tim at BRB to descend to that because Tim is a fine blogger.

So, please, I ask you not to go to BRB and comment in any trash talking threads or the thread Colt Homer made, asking Texans fans for their comments on the game. Colt Homer's thread was quickly engulfed by readers at BRB who we have banned here because of trolling. It's unfortunate and (personally) annoying, but I think it is best if we kind of ignore BRB a bit this week.

Obviously, you all can do whatever you want. I can't (and wouldn't) stop you from venturing there. I just ask that you please not "feed the trolls," so to speak. People like shake n bake and I will monitor our site, making sure comments do not descend into madness. We may have to delete some things, and if we accidentally delete something of yours, please forgive.

As always, thanks for being a wonderful community.

--BBS

Ouch....

2009-11-04T19:23:31Z

I have a feeling that Gonzo is done for the year with news coming about him getting a second opinion. This stinks! Way too many injuries, and I am not convinced with Garcon as our #2 WR...plus, our DB's are banged up and Hagler out for the year....and all this just in time for the toughest stretch of our schedule! Yet, I still have faith!

http://blogs.indystar.com/philb/2009/11/hagler_on_ir_more_news.html

Open Thread for Wednesday, humpday, my bday etc

2009-11-04T18:52:24Z

So its wednesday. The worst day of the week except its my bday. I got no plans until later on and im bored so lets get a thread going!! Plz?

topics: hagler out for the season, should we resign edge, do i wear the black jacket or the white jacket tonight? How badly are we gonna beat the Texans?

also which cat is cuter?

This cat?

via www.thesecretdiaryofadriancat.com

or this cat?

via dennisjudd.com

Oh and go colts!!

Tyjuan Hagler Done For Season

2009-11-04T18:29:00Z

Oehser's reporting that Hagler tore a bicep and will be done for the season. Is this a repeat of the injury he had previously? At any rate, Wheeler takes over the spot and, according to Caldwell, Humber will also compete. LB Cody Glenn comes up from the practice squad.

This is definitely a hit; Hagler was playing very well. That said, many of us have been clamoring to see Wheeler and we've all been excited about his potential. Now it's time for the youngster to show up and start knocking out some Texans.

Here's the link to Oehser's piece:http://indyfootballreport.com/index.php/archives/4219#more-4219

Colts Haven't Played Anyone?

2009-11-04T15:04:39Z

While the Indianapolis Colts are 7-0, there has been a lot of criticism that they haven't played any decent teams and that this somehow makes their perfect record mean less. Ignoring the fact that they've beaten playoff teams from the 2008 season, I'd like to point out that the Colts have already beaten a playoff team from this season. Having swept the NFC West, the Colts have recorded a victory over a team guaranteed to hold a playoff berth at the close of the 2009 season. We may not yet know which team this will be but we can be certain that their "W" column is one lower thanks to Indy. How's that for some in-depth analysis?