NJPatsfan26
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Yeah, we used to be outgained and outprettied but we'd win because the other team would make a mistake and we would make the big play when needed. Now we make the big mistake (Gaffney at Indy) or the big blown coverage (3rd and 15 in OT vs. the Jets). More solid football and we win those games. The only mitigating factor is we are ridiculously young in the back 8 so this could (that's could, not will) be a temporary thing.
The team used to be full of grizzled veterans in their prime, with only a very rare appearance by a rookie. Now, the defense is full of rookies and second year players. Not surprisingly, we're seeing a lot more mistakes made on the field.
Offensively we are making tons of mistakes now, which we didn't used to do even though we had Jermaine Wiggins, JR Redmond, 7th rd pick David Givens, castoff David Patten, etc etc.
Offensively we are making tons of mistakes now, which we didn't used to do even though we had Jermaine Wiggins, JR Redmond, 7th rd pick David Givens, castoff David Patten, etc etc.
Now, the defense is full of rookies and second year players. Not surprisingly, we're seeing a lot more mistakes made on the field.
Offensively now we have second year players or players who are not 'grizzled vets' as you put it, and we still make tons of mistakes, when we didn't before. Unknown guys like Jermaine Wiggins and JR Redmond were on the first Superbowl winning drive.
Patten was 27 but by no means known as a good player when we got him, but he made plays for us. Now we have seen experienced guys like Gaffney and Caldwell make huge drops.
Defensively yes, it was mostly old guys before.
Wait... you're judging this based upon one drive?
I am judging from a 3 year body of work, which you seem to not be able to see since McDaniels' nuts are covering both of your eyes.
I am judging from a 3 year body of work, which you seem to not be able to see since McDaniels' nuts are covering both of your eyes.
Of course when tombonneau started this thread comparing this year's Colts to the Pats of 2001-2004, what he really was doing was clearly stating that McDaniels sucks and time to pile on.
You are talking about one game with the Patriots.
Saying the Colts have been playing mediocre to average football is watching the game. The Colts were outplayed by a bad Browns team with their better QB out of the game for most of the game. They played horrible defense vs. the Patriots. They nearly lost to the Texans twice. They should have lost to the Vikings.
There has been only a handful of games where I thought the Colts played good or great football. Otherwise, they played so-so to decent at best football with teams just allowing them to hang around and let them win. The team has a 0.6 margin of victory per game and in hindsight they haven't had the hardest schedule in the world. When you beat your competition for the season by an average of less of a point per game, that isn't good football unless you have one statistically anomally where one opponent won by 30 points or something like that.
The Colts deserved to lose the game yesterday and one play made the difference between them losing and winning. And they had about three to four other games where that happened. They could easily be 4-8 right now than 8-4 if it wasn't for a handful of plays. You could never say that about the Patriots of 2003 or 2004.
The Colts are playing good football based on this year's level of play I guess since no one is playing consistent football. But typically I would say it wasn't great football.
It dawned on me yesterday as I watched the Colts win another game they really "shouldn't have won" -- making something five for the season -- that what I was watching was old school New England Patriots football.
The team isn't amassing a ton of yards or points, but you know what? They score TDs in the red zone.
The team occasionally gives up yards and I doubt ranks highly in many defensive categories. But you know what? They have one of (if not THE) best red zone Ds in the league, rarely giving up TDs.
So as I watched that game thinking the Browns "should have won", I realized they had the ball inside the ten twice, maybe three times, and came away with FGs. And that's not luck. That's the Colts being a good team that knows how to win games.
And I couldn't help thinking it all looked a bit too familiar ...
PS
With much disgust, I'll be putting down some $$ on whatever the latest Colts Super Bowl odds are ...
It dawned on me yesterday as I watched the Colts win another game they really "shouldn't have won" -- making something five for the season -- that what I was watching was old school New England Patriots football.
The team isn't amassing a ton of yards or points, but you know what? They score TDs in the red zone.
The team occasionally gives up yards and I doubt ranks highly in many defensive categories. But you know what? They have one of (if not THE) best red zone Ds in the league, rarely giving up TDs.
So as I watched that game thinking the Browns "should have won", I realized they had the ball inside the ten twice, maybe three times, and came away with FGs. And that's not luck. That's the Colts being a good team that knows how to win games.
And I couldn't help thinking it all looked a bit too familiar ...
PS
With much disgust, I'll be putting down some $$ on whatever the latest Colts Super Bowl odds are ...
Good observation. Largely because I was thinking the same thing alast weekend, when I just knew Cleveland would lose.
Dominating for 2 quarters does not an entire game make.That's the same sick feeling I get every single time I watch the Colts and that's pretty much the essense of this thread. For example in the Steelers game, Pittsburgh was dominating them, Ben throws a ridiculous pick. Even though Pittsburgh is winning you just know it.