FanPost

This is the perfect (and maybe last) year for Pagano to prove himself

Let me start by saying I have been a Grigson and Pagano fan from day 1. I've always been appreciative of these men. Pagano is a high character guy (unlike some coaches, I would be SHOCKED to see him blatantly cheating), a guy who can help "recruit" players here and by all means, get's his guys to bust their butts for him. Grigson is a solid GM, knows players inside and out, has found players from anywhere and everywhere and has generally drafted well. Both guys have had their faults, like Pagano and game preparation/slow starts and in game questionable moves and Grigson with moves like trading for TRich and below average or bad signings/picks like Werner and Landry. Overall, Grigson has assembled an awful lot of talent for a team that was so bad just a few years ago, enough talent where I think this is our year.

We have progressed every year for the last 3 years. While 11 wins hasn't changed, we have advanced further and further in the playoffs. This is the year where we need to be in the Super Bowl barring some huge injury. We have more talent on offense than any team in the league. Our RB's are better, and good RB's have proven they can get 4.5 - 5 ypc in this offense the last 2 years. Our WR's are better than ever with the man who tossed 40 TD's last year in his 3rd year taking another step. Our TE's are good and should only improve especially if Allen is finally health. Our offensive line will be the best of the Luck era, and while not great, there is more than enough talent there for us to run the ball and give Luck time to throw.

On defense, we add an accomplished pass rusher (plus get one back from injury, hopefully), add a better DE than we lost due to age if nothing else, add a better S than we lost and add 5 draft picks and a number of solid UDFA options. Yes, we have question marks in different places, but we have solid veteran players at every position on D to go along with young talent at every single position (Stanford brothers on the D-Line, Newsome at OLB, Muamba, Sylvestre and Herrera at ILB, Smith and Geathers deep). Chuck is a defensive "guru", and he needs to get it figured out to be an above average D who can defend good teams with a little success and not just the bad offenses.

If coached up right, we should have the best O in the league and a slightly above average D to go along with very good special teams. That's a Super Bowl team to me. Especially in a year where the AFC could be down. Denver travels to Indy and won't be a threat later in the year unless Peyton can find a fountain of youth, Steelers have a rebuilt (not that good) D and might start in a hole without Bell, Ravens still have Flacco during the regular season to go along with a difficult schedule and finally the Cheatriots come here to Indy, lost virtually all of their CB's, their NT and will be without their starting QB for 4 games. This is the year to get over the hump by beating the Cheaters in Lucas Oil twice... in week 6 and in the playoffs. There are no excuses this year not to get it done. We should be in Super Bowl 50.

If Chuck can do it, and I hope and believe he can, give the man a nice extension. If he can't, given the fact that we have a very favorable schedule, the Cheaters lose their QB for 1/4 of the season and we host the next best 2 teams in the conference which should give us home field, I have to question if Chuck is the guy to get us over the hump. We might know by week 6, because if those Cheatriots go 2-2 or 3-1 without Brady and come in here and win, we have little chance of going on the road to Foxboro in January (possible, but not likely). This needs to be the year Pep's offense blows up and Manusky's Chuck's D becomes good enough. If not, I will say as a long time Chuck supporter, it's time to move on. If it doesn't happen this year, it won't. Everything is in our favor. Time to get it done Mr. Pagano.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Stampede Blue's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Stampede Blue's writers or editors.