Poor Indianapolis can never catch a break

[BradyIsBuddha]

Well said.

 

[Rob0729]

I don't really see how the defensive woes are an aberration. We shut down KC, which it seems anyone can do. We shut down the Jets, again it seems anyone can do that.... for that matter they can do it to themselves. We got white-washed by the Dolphins.

Ronnie Brown ran over some of our guys. I only saw some of the highlights since i don't live in NE, but I got to see quite a bit of stiff legged Patriot defenders in those highlights. Not to mention some DBs who lunged down low and got trampled. Matt Cassel has no effect on any of that.

The running game is probably stinking because our o-line stinks. Running the ball isn't about talent so much as it is about toughness. Some teams do it with size & swagger like Minnesota & Dallas, while teams like Denver do it with technique.

We're not doing it with anything, and it goes back to last year. The o-line is playing soft.

Well, based on Sunday's game the Dolphins are a Super Bowl favorite. Don't try to argue otherwise, the Pats are the reigning AFC Champions and were 4th in points allowed and first in points scored by far and the Dolphins scored 38 points on them and totally shutdown their offense. If the Dolphins don't win the AFC East by three games, it will be shocking now.

There is no way you can shoot down this theory because it was obvious that they were looking past the Jets and Cards and the true test was the Pats. I mean anyone can look past the Jets and Cards.

Stop it. It was one game. The Pats went 12-4 in 2006 and lost 21-0 to the Dolphins that year and they went 6-10. In 2004, the Pats went 14-2 and lost to the 4-12 Dolphins where Brady threw two costly interceptions to give away the game (apparently that means Brady isn't that good of a QB because no good QB would throw two costly INTs with the game at hand against the lowly Dolphins).

 

[chrisfx811]

Rob,
I agree with your points about past losses to the Dolphins, however, this loss was not preceded by good performances against good teams. KC is vying with STL for the title of 'worst team in the NFL', and the Jets still suck.

I do agree with CHFF about the Fins/Pats series being weird too.

Anyway, we're pretty far o/t here.
Back to the Colts,
Only Denver stands a chance to maintain a solid lead when compared to the other front runners. Tennessee has the D, but their poor O leaves them susceptible to losses down the road and falling back to the Colt's grasp. Same thing with the Ravens, imho.

Buffalo is a well balanced team, but lack of winning experience may show, then again it may not as evidenced by their 2 comeback wins.

As they stand now, everything the Colts are dealing with can be rectified by mid season as none of the injuries appear to be season ending. Manning's injury should work itself out, the o-line could be back together, although Saturday's decision to play through may cost them later, and Sanders should be back by the NE game. Does Freeney bow out at some point? Maybe. Does Marvin learn how to hold onto the ball again? Idk. Is Addai due for a setback? Seems so, given his recent bouts with nagging problems.

 

[Rob0729]

Rob,
I agree with your points about past losses to the Dolphins, however, this loss was not preceded by good performances against good teams. KC is vying with STL for the title of 'worst team in the NFL', and the Jets still suck.

I do agree with CHFF about the Fins/Pats series being weird too.

Anyway, we're pretty far o/t here.
Back to the Colts,
Only Denver stands a chance to maintain a solid lead when compared to the other front runners. Tennessee has the D, but their poor O leaves them susceptible to losses down the road and falling back to the Colt's grasp. Same thing with the Ravens, imho.

Buffalo is a well balanced team, but lack of winning experience may show, then again it may not as evidenced by their 2 comeback wins.

As they stand now, everything the Colts are dealing with can be rectified by mid season as none of the injuries appear to be season ending. Manning's injury should work itself out, the o-line could be back together, although Saturday's decision to play through may cost them later, and Sanders should be back by the NE game. Does Freeney bow out at some point? Maybe. Does Marvin learn how to hold onto the ball again? Idk. Is Addai due for a setback? Seems so, given his recent bouts with nagging problems.

Jeez, the Pats beat the Chiefs even after they lost Brady and had to scramble to revise the gameplan to accomodate Cassel and they totally dominated the Jets no matter the score. Yet those games mean nothing, but the Dolphins who were playing like they have nothing to lose with a bunch of trick plays is really a true measuring stick. Eventhough even in a normal year people say you can't really judge a team until they get 5-6 games under their belt.

Does free agency start midseason? If so, why do the Colts benefit from it and not the Pats? The only way the Colts rectify their defensive problems is to acquire about four or five new starters especially at DT. Even with Sanders, the Colts' defense played like crap the first two games. Sanders was in for Forte to run all over the them and most of Peterson's yards. Their defense is going to suck all year.

Besides, why do the Colts benefit from players coming back, but the Pats don't. You don't think the return of Stephen Neal won't help to stabilize the o-line? You don't think the return of Maroney and Jordan getting back to 100% won't help the running game that stalled on Sunday?

This time 2003, the Pats were going to be lucky to sneak into the wild card. They lost big to Buffalo (31-0) who went 6-10 that year and Washington who went 5-11 that year. The Chargers were 1-3 after four games last year and they lost to KC during that stretch and KC was 4-12 last year. Yet, the Chargers went to the AFC Championships. Not that I am predicting the Pats will be that successful, but there are plenty of examples of early season losses by good teams against bad teams and many times big.

You are overracting about the Patriots based on one game. Unlike the Colts, the Pats have at least held the lead and won two games this year. The Colts could easily be 0-3 right now.

 

[chrisfx811]

Rob,
I guess my main thing about the Colts being helped more by time to heal, is that we know TfB isn't coming back.
The health of our rb's is important, but I didn't see much from the o-line as last season waned that gives me confidence it will change this season. Our running game came from the threat of Brady to everyone being an option last year, not a bruising o-line.

I see what you're saying about previous Pats seasons, and I agree we've been spoiled by the 2006-2008 run the Pats had during the reg season. No real test so to speak, and the Pats are 2-1, but the 1 was a true shellacking... gadget plays or not, they went for TDs, which is something our offense is struggling for. The D is healthy, and that's who gave up the points Sunday.