Game Preview
Week Nine: Texans at Colts Preview
by BigBlueShoe on Nov 5, 2009 11:17 AM EST
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The 5-3 Houston Texans are off to their best start in franchise history, and while it has been nice to see the team many of us here always thought would eventually get good, I can't say I'm surprised that more than a few Texans fans have reacted to their team's early success by acting like a bunch of drunken frat boys.
Personally, I'm glad I give some Texans fans someone to hate, make fun of, toss verbal insults to, whatever. And I admit, I enjoy the attention. I really do. But, I learned long ago that when a band of mindless "fans" get an idea into their head that their team is magnificent and your team sucks, you aren't going to be able to change their minds with reason. You can't make logical arguments to sharks when someone throws chum in the water. You can't reason with zombies when someone throws a screaming cheerleader into a stadium full of them. And, you can't convince a group of silly Texans fans that this Sunday's game is not a good match-up for their team when they have finally been given a taste of "the nuts of competitiveness."
Texans fans don't care that I've always praised their teams, talked well about them to other bloggers, and taken untold buckets of crap from those same bloggers when (at the end of the year) the Texans are usually the worst team in the AFC South. None of these olive branches matter to them. With me, Texans fans see a Hoosier born Colts fan who has spent a lot of time in New York, and whose mentality is very much "Yeah, we own you. Do somethin' about it! Oh what's that? You can't? Then shuddap already!"
Now that the Texans fans have tasted "the nuts," their arrogant posturing before games has gotten more nauseating. It's like what we saw from the Titans last year, and what we saw for years from Jaguars fans. Not so strangely, both those fanbases are pretty silent this season. I guess Texans fans are trying to pick up the slack for the other AFC South teams.
Texans fans' posturing is why, after the Colts kick the utter crap out of the Texans again this Sunday, I'll sit back and laugh at these silly little Houston fans who think they can "trash talk" a fanbase whose team has a 13-1 record against them.
Yeah, I thought you'd be disappointed by enjoy that opening to our weekly preview. After the jump, we get to the really good stuff.
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Week 8 Statistical Preview - Colts vs. 49ers
by mgrex03 on Nov 1, 2009 9:37 AM EST
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Week 8 brings the San Francisco 49ers to Lucas Oil Stadium, and it creates an interesting matchup for the Colts. As has been talked about all week, Alex Smith will be starting for the 49ers, making his first start since Week 9 of 2007. Smith also made his first career start the last time these two teams played, back in 2005, which was a 28-3 easy win for the Colts, on their way to starting 13-0.
Coming into this week, the Colts are ranked 1st Offensively, 16th Defensively, and 4th Overall, according to the Winning Stats Power Rankings. The 49ers are 25th, 9th, and 22nd respectively. Pretty good defense for the 49ers, but a really bad offense. Remember, though, that the offense now has a new QB, and a shiny new receiver to throw to.
More specifics, and the table, after the jump.
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Week Eight: 49ers v. Colts Preview
by BigBlueShoe on Oct 29, 2009 11:22 AM EDT
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The 49ers and their fans are a chippy bunch. Their mentality going in is to suggest that the Colts "have not beaten anyone," and that the 49ers are just the kind of "tough" team that will tame the paper tiger Colts. The problem with this thought process is the Colts have indeed beaten quality teams, one of which is the 49ers division rivals: The Arizona Cardinals. The Colts walked into University of Phoenix Stadium on a short week not long ago and beat the snot out of Kurt Warner and his Red Bird teammates.
So, unless the 49ers feel their division is lunch meat, it's pretty safe to say that the "they haven't beaten anyone" phrase is a load of moose crap. For more info debunking this, check out this article at 18to88.
Also, with the 49ers defense allowing players like Matt Schaub to throw 4 TDs in one game and letting Matt Ryan drop 329 yards and 2 TDs on them at home, then talking tough while you are traveling to face Peyton Manning and the Colts offense is probably not the best strategy.
And while it might be fun for fans to say "the Colts haven't played anyone," the silliness of that statement is further dismissed because players like Peyton, Reggie Wayne, Joseph Addai, Dallas Clark, Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis, Bob Sanders, Kelvin Hayden, Matt Stover, and Gary Brackett have all been there, done that. They most certainly have "played someone" in their careers, and all have big, shiny rings to prove it.
When you look at these teams, the Colts are NOT a good match-up for the 49ers, and if the 49ers think that by changing certain aspects of their defense this will give them an edge, they've got another thing coming.
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Week 7 Statistical Preview - Colts vs. Rams
by mgrex03 on Oct 25, 2009 10:13 AM EDT
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The Colts, coming off of a bye week, set their sights on staying undefeated today when they travel to St. Louis to take on the Rams. Dome road games are always great, because it's like another home game, just with some additional noise. Although today, from the sounds of it, many Hoosiers are making the 4 hour trek across I-70 to the game.
SPOILER: Southern Illinois is very boring to drive through. Not quite like Kansas, but very boring.
Coming into this week, the Colts are ranked 2nd Offensively, 19th Defensively, and 6th Overall, according to the Winning Stats Power Rankings (full rankings below). The Rams are 27th, 31st, and 31st respectively. #2 Offense vs. #31 defense. Yikes.
More specifics, and the table, after the jump.
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Week Seven: Colts v. Rams Preview
by BigBlueShoe on Oct 22, 2009 11:09 AM EDT
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It's been a long time since the Colts walked into the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis to take on the Rams. The last time they played there was 2001, a season where the Colts won only 6 games and the Rams were well on their way to their second Super Bowl appearance in three years. Since then, both franchises have gone in opposite directions. The Rams had (roughly) a two or three year run of dominance, with an offense dubbed "The Greatest Show on Turf." With players like Kurt Warner, Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt, and Marshall Faulk on the roster, this was a team people feared to play.
Today, none of those players remain.
The Rams are 0-6 and searching for an identity under new head coach Steve Spanuolo, the man who crafted the devastating New York Giants defenses in 2007 and 2008. They have young prospects like Stephen Jackson, Chris Long, and rookie offensive tackle Jason Smith. This is not a team devoid of talent, despite their current record.
And it is very encouraging that Colts coach Jim Caldwell is not letting the Colts players get lulled into thinking this is some kind of "easy" game. Practices immediately following the bye were physical, fast, and designed to get the team sharp quickly. Indeed, Caldwell said he wanted the group to jump back into action "with both feet," not cruise their way back into activity.
These practices are also for getting players who have battled injuries back into the fold.
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Quick Recap: Colts 31-Titans 9
by BigBlueShoe on Oct 11, 2009 11:34 PM EDT
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The Colts started this game off rocky. They scored early on a Peyton Manning to Reggie Wayne TD, but penalties, miscues, and turnovers allowed the Titans to get into the red zone Colts territory three times. However, in all three cases, the Titans were denied the endzone. The Titans settled for field goals, which were not enough to stop the juggernaut that is Peyton Manning and the Colts offense.
The games was, in many ways, a coming out party for rookie wide receiver Austin Collie. For the last two weeks, it's been Pierre Garçon with the big plays. Tonight, Collie got in on the action. His 39 yard TD reception just before halftime was a thing of beauty, fighting for the TD between Titans defenders. Collie caught 8 balls for 97 yards and 2 TDs, and his TD before the half with 17 seconds left from Manning really seemed to break the Titans back. The TD drive was done in 57 seconds and started at Indy's 7 yard line.
The game was also provided much maligned cornerback Tim Jennings with a bit of redemption. After committing a terrible mistake early in the game on a Colts punt return, bumping into T.J. Rushing and causing a costly fumble, Jennings (who was benched tonight in favor of Jacob Lacey) played inspired football. On the Titans first drive to open the third quarter, Jennings made an outstanding INT, outfighting Titans receiver Justin Gage Nate Washington for the football on a quick slant. Lacey also played a whale of a game, showcasing some impressive coverage skills.
The Colts offense took over and turned Jennings' INT into a touchdown, Manning's second of the night to Collie.
Defensively, Larry Coyer's unit shut down the Titans rushing attack, limiting them to just 90 yards. This is now the third week in a row the Colts have completely dominated another team's running game. In addition, the Colts pass defense held Titans quarterback Kerry Collins to just 164 yards passing.
Yes, there were some sore spots, namely Tony Ugoh, who played about as bad at left tackle as I've ever seen a tackle play. I don't know if it was his knee that hurt his game, or if he has become THAT bad. Daniel Federkeil eventually replaced Ugoh in the second half.
However, regardless of some these issues, the Colts are and they have looked dominant getting to this point. Peyton Manning has thrown for over 300 yards in five consecutive games. The defense has held yet another opponent under 20 points.
Now the team moves into the bye week, looking to get healthy and clean up some of these sore spots. 5-0 looks and feels good!
Go Colts!
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Week 5 Statistical Preview - Colts vs. Titans
by mgrex03 on Oct 9, 2009 3:16 PM EDT
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The first week of the year, I was asked if I'd start previewing games, and I thought it was a great idea. I wanted to wait a few weeks into the season, so that the stats wouldn't be taking wild swings based on one game. With this week being a divisional game against the Titans, I thought I'd start my previews.
I'll be using all the Winning Stats we've looked at all summer, as they tell us more than those silly counting stats the NFL uses. Let's get to the numbers...
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Week Three: Colts v. Cardinals Preview
by BigBlueShoe on Sep 25, 2009 11:23 AM EDT
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The last time the Indianapolis Colts ventured down to Wyatt Earp country was way back in the day when George W. Bush's father was president, Jeff George had upside, and Macaulay Culkin was beating out the late-Patrick Swayze in the box office wars. Yep, 1990 was when the Colts last played the Arizona Cardinals in the state of Arizona. They were called the Phoenix Cardinals back then, and their bird logo was much less "ferocious" than it is now.
Aside from changing their logo, getting a beautiful new stadium, and inviting the entire state of Arizona to be the "home" of their team (as opposed to just Phoenix), what the Cardinals have managed to do recently is become relevant. For much of their existence in the desert (after moving from St. Louis back in 1988), they were the doormat of both the NFC East (the old division) and the NFC West (their current, geographically correct one). But, with a rejuvenated quarterback in Kurt Warner, a smart head coach, and arguably the most under-rated safety in football (Adrian Wilson), the Cards are no longer an easy team to laugh off and dismiss on your team's schedule.
As we work to do every week, we'll breakdown match-ups and bring in some insight from opposing team's fans for the game. Unlike last week's contest, which featured the Miami Dolphins trying to keep Peyton Manning off the field, the Cardinals will likely attempt to utilize their potent offense to score points early, allowing their pass rushers to tee-off on Manning in order to throw off his timing.
For the Colts, the task of attacking the Cardinals offense poses more problems than anything the "Wild Cat" threw throw at Indy Monday night.
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