From John Clayton, football guru-master:
Championship teams are built around five key positions -- quarterbacks, receivers, cornerbacks, tackles and defensive ends who are playmakers.
- Quarterback: Check! Manning is the best in the league.
- Receivers: Check! There is no better receiving corps in the NFL than Harrison, Wayne, Stokley, and Clark.
- Tackles: Check! I assume Clayton means both offensive and defensive tackles. OTs Tarik Glenn and Ryan Diem are outstanding... when healthy. Diem was hurt in the playoff game against Pittsburgh, and that cost us. On defense, Corey Simon and Monte Reagor are as good as it gets.
- Cornerbacks: MIA. I like Nick Harper and David Macklin, but they are not Super Bowl CBs. Marlin Jackson has potential, but they are talking about moving him to Safety. CB is a question mark for Indy.
- Defensive ends who are playermakers: Um, CHECK! Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis are complete studs, and define the label "playmaker." Freeney is the best defensive player in the league, period. Brock is also a force at both DT and DE.
So, of those five key positions to potentially win a championship, the Colts are dominant in four. That bodes well, but an upgrade at CB (Ty Law, anyone?) might just put them over the top.