Don Banks NFL Power Rankings: Training camp edition - Patriots #1

[patriot lifer]

Losing Dungy is a big question mark, but I've noticed around here that for years Pats fans were saying the Colts would go nowhere until "One-And-Dungy" left. Or that Dungy was the "most overrated coach ever", "an average coach with a great team", etc etc etc.

Now that he leaves suddenly Dungy was holding the Colts together around here and they're going to fall apart without him. It's Colt hate and I get it, but every team changes coaches at some point.

Like I said, Dungy leaving is a question mark, but the Colts knew this would happen and groomed Caldwell as his replacement. Caldwell knows the team and he knows the players.

Anyway, the point is anyone writing off the Colts are going to be in for a rude awakening. The D line is much improved and the O line is healthy which were their biggest problems last year. Brown and Addai are a damn good RB tandem and the receiving corp looks strong. Gonzo will have a big year and there is a fight for the 3rd spot. But Wayne, Gonzo and Clarke are a great threesome.

Seriously, the Colts are looking as good as they have in years talent wise. Dungy leaving is the only negative, and nobody knows how that's going to play out. Personally I don't think Manning is going to be affected and as long as he's playing at a top level the Colts are going to be a contender.

as for the flip-flopping on Dungy's impact on the team, of course that was just typical fan behavior towards a rival and their coach (he was the self-annointed moral arbiter of the universe afterall). the talent is definitely there. I think their decline will be rooted more in an increased focus on the short-term (drafting and such) and the culture. Dungy created an environment where players wanted to and did work very hard, and they wanted to play for Indy. For example, Detroit has a sh*tty culture while the Eagles it's strong.

There will be a lag for this to take effect (if ever, maybe this guy turns out to be a great coach), but I suspect a strong year out of the Colts nevertheless. As for the increased talent on the team, i think most would say that every team (and fans) feels that way this time of year.

 

[Frezo]

Seriously, the Colts are looking as good as they have in years talent wise. Dungy leaving is the only negative, and nobody knows how that's going to play out. Personally I don't think Manning is going to be affected and as long as he's playing at a top level the Colts are going to be a contender.

BCF, I wouldn't be surprised if the Colts are just as good without Dungy. There is still a lot of talent there and good ol' Payaton isn't about to let any work ethics slack off. As long as he's there the team will be competitive at the top of the league.

 

[BigtimeColtsfans]

as for the flip-flopping on Dungy's impact on the team, of course that was just typical fan behavior towards a rival and their coach (he was the self-annointed moral arbiter of the universe afterall). the talent is definitely there. I think their decline will be rooted more in an increased focus on the short-term (drafting and such) and the culture. Dungy created an environment where players wanted to and did work very hard, and they wanted to play for Indy. For example, Detroit has a sh*tty culture while the Eagles it's strong.

There will be a lag for this to take effect (if ever, maybe this guy turns out to be a great coach), but I suspect a strong year out of the Colts nevertheless. As for the increased talent on the team, i think most would say that every team (and fans) feels that way this time of year.

Yeah, most teams feel that way of course, but you and I know there's a difference between a team that's won 12 or more for many years with a HOF QB VS most teams. The Colts are a SB caliber team, won a SB a couple of years back with much of the same personel, and this year going in at least, as opposed to last year, they are healthy.

As for what Dungy did for the team, I agree his impact was great. But don't forget Manning and Polian too. The Colts don't pick up free agents, so I don't know about players wanting to come here and how much that impacts the Colts. They build through the draft mostly. And Polian is the guy behind that. He's built winners everywhere he's gone. As long as he's here I'm not worried about the Colts having talent.

And Dungy wasn't the "self appointed more voice" or whatever you said, lord. You guys need to let it go. The guy is a christian. People want to hear what he says. The guy by all accounts walks the walk.

I don't see you Pats fans *****ing about Jim Brown, who has battered woman and done some very shady things over the years, every time he's in the news counseling some guy in jail, which he does constantly. There are thousands of people that go into prisons, or counsel troubled youth, etc. I don't see Pats fans *****ing about any of that though. It's just Dungy doing it that seems to bother Pats fans, which of course is just more hating. I get it, but it's silly. Dungy is a good guy doing what he believes is right. He gets a lot of attention because of his high profile.

But hating on a guy because he counsels troubled teens? Or visits guys in jail? How bitter is that?

 

[patriot lifer]

I don't see you Pats fans *****ing about Jim Brown, who has battered woman and done some very shady things over the years, every time he's in the news counseling some guy in jail, which he does constantly. There are thousands of people that go into prisons, or counsel troubled youth, etc. I don't see Pats fans *****ing about any of that though. It's just Dungy doing it that seems to bother Pats fans, which of course is just more hating. I get it, but it's silly. Dungy is a good guy doing what he believes is right. He gets a lot of attention because of his high profile.

But hating on a guy because he counsels troubled teens? Or visits guys in jail? How bitter is that?

he toots his own horn when he does all this stuff. i call it brand advertising (maybe that's why I bought his book jk). the overly self-righteous don't always get nothin' but love

 

[PATRIOT64]

Yeah, most teams feel that way of course, but you and I know there's a difference between a team that's won 12 or more for many years with a HOF QB VS most teams. The Colts are a SB caliber team, won a SB a couple of years back with much of the same personel, and this year going in at least, as opposed to last year, they are healthy.

As for what Dungy did for the team, I agree his impact was great. But don't forget Manning and Polian too. The Colts don't pick up free agents, so I don't know about players wanting to come here and how much that impacts the Colts. They build through the draft mostly. And Polian is the guy behind that. He's built winners everywhere he's gone. As long as he's here I'm not worried about the Colts having talent.

And Dungy wasn't the "self appointed more voice" or whatever you said, lord. You guys need to let it go. The guy is a christian. People want to hear what he says. The guy by all accounts walks the walk.

I don't see you Pats fans *****ing about Jim Brown, who has battered woman and done some very shady things over the years, every time he's in the news counseling some guy in jail, which he does constantly. There are thousands of people that go into prisons, or counsel troubled youth, etc. I don't see Pats fans *****ing about any of that though. It's just Dungy doing it that seems to bother Pats fans, which of course is just more hating. I get it, but it's silly. Dungy is a good guy doing what he believes is right. He gets a lot of attention because of his high profile.

But hating on a guy because he counsels troubled teens? Or visits guys in jail? How bitter is that?

**** the Colts...Enuff said

 

[TruthSeeker]

[Dungy support comments]

It's a hopeless battle to support Tony Dungy on this board. Between the general Colts hate, the blown out of proportion comments, the specific Colts hate, the disagreement with some of his Christian values and the inflamed rhetoric from a few posters, there's essentially no hope for a rational discussion of the man in this forum.

 

[Shockt327]

The Colts should be on the verge of missing the playoffs this season - Jax,Tennessee and Houston have caught up to Indy as many have said.

Indy will go 9-7 this season is my guess

Seems like we say this every year.

 

[BigtimeColtsfans]

Seems like we say this every year.

That's what I said, for the past few years it was the Jags. Now it's the never finished higher than 8-8 Texans who are going to do it.

We'll see, and some day the Colts will fall, it happens to every team, but other than wishful thinking there is no reason to say the Colts are going to stumble this year. Like I said, the D line has been revamped, and the O line and QB are healthy. Those were the biggest problems last year, and they have all been addressed.

I can't wait for the season to start.

 

[Yfz01]

This sounds like wishful thinking. This is a QB dominated league and you're talking about P. Manning v. Mssrs. Collins, Garrard, and Schaub. My money's on the colts.

QB's are overrated.

/signed "A Vikings fan"