2011 NFL Week Ten: Inside The Colts Numbers

I envy the people who can put a positive spin on the 2011 Colts. I really do. I know most of you enjoy reading about the good parts of this team, which do appear on occasion, but this team has really hit rock bottom. It didn't suddenly hit me after the 17-3 loss to the Jaguars, which was probably much worse than it looked. It's taken weeks and weeks of seeing the same players giving maximum effort, but just not being good enough, getting blown out week after week.

There have been times the past month or so where we'll see something a little different, whether it be a different defensive look, some blitzes here or there, or even an end-around to Pierre Garcon, which we saw on Sunday, that show that even though 95% of the time the coaches are content to doing the same-old-thing, they are at least trying something.

It's just this team, the 2011 Colts, are historically bad. I mean really, really bad. I'm sorry I can't sugarcoat it for you. A post later this week will show you just how bad they are.

As for Sunday's game with the Jaguars, a game many expected the Colts to at least contend in, it was just more of what we've grown to see from them in 2011. Here are some notes:

• Elias: Sunday was the fifth straight game the Colts have played without leading at any point in the game, which matches the longest such streak in franchise history, and the longest since the Jets went five games without a lead in 2005. They've lost the last five by a combined 164-44 margin.
• Reggie Wayne had three catches on Sunday, moving him to 19th place all-time in receptions with 829, passing Larry Centers. Next on the list is Rod Smith, who has 849 for his career.

The numbers are worse than you can imagine. Don't say I didn't warn you...

Non-Adjusted Stats for Week 10:

Adjusted Stats for Week 10:

Some thoughts:

• On the surface, the Colts defense didn't play bad. They made some plays, including another interception by Jerraud Powers, and other than the one really long, back-breaking drive, they got the Jaguars off the field. But remember how atrocious the Jaguars offense was? Look at the adjusted numbers and see how the Colts defense would have fared against an average team. Yep, more of the same.
• They did "slow down" Maurice Jones-Drew, but it didn't help very much. Look at the Win/Loss for the two running stats. Teams were 1-15 this weekend when they were above average on both sides of the ball in either RB Success Rate or Yards per Carry. Basically running the ball well was a bad, bad thing this weekend.
• The offense didn't commit many penalties, although there were a couple false starts, at home, by wide receivers.
• I'm officially done with Curtis Painter. I don't know if Dan Orlovsky can win a game, but I certainly now know Painter cannot. I think throwing three interceptions on the same drive drove the nail in the coffin.

Season Stats through Week 10 (Adjusted):

Just one thought:

• The Colts are now dead last in both Offense and Defense, and have a firm grasp of being the worst team in the last 11 years. Like I said above, I'll have a post on it later this week, but just chew on that. A list of teams that includes the expansion Texans and the 0-16 Lions, and the Colts are worse than them all.
  

Week by Week Comparisons:

I think this team really could have used the Bye week right around Week 6 or so, and of all years to have a super-late off week, this was the worst of them. I never would have fathomed the kind of production we've seen from the Colts this season, but it is what it is. Irsay, Polian, Caldwell, etc. can all talk about how this team is "close" and are just committing "correctable errors".

Can any of you really buy that when looking at these numbers?