The biggest Manning ballwasher at it again

[TouchdownColts]

It could very well be that the Colts didn't really lose that much in talent-level. The players that left can be replaced by others with similar talent. However, they did lose some in the experience and leadership department. I'm not sure if the players that are supposed to step into the vacated CB and LB spots are up there. And when you promote players, you'll have to find replacements for their back-up positions. Furthermore I don't think any Colts players (apart from their PK ) has had experience playing with a bulls eye on their chest. Becoming a champion is one thing, defending a title is something completely different. Every opponent will be ready to take them on. And it is more the rule than the exception that teams that have won a championship lose a bit off their edge. And it's not just the Pats that will be looking forward to a rematch. I can imagine the Chargers want to make their point on being the best team in the NFL (and/or AFC).

going back to the football talk, the colts have had the bullseye on their backs the past 2 seasons. Going 13-0 and 8-0 back to back made each team come to try and knock them off. The Colts are used to being one of the top teams that everyone guns for, i think they will handle that pressure easily this year

 

[dhamz]

And lord willing Sanders will make a extended appearence in the regular season.(But even if he doesn't we all know what he can do when its crutch time)

More often than not it is crutch time for Bob Sanders.

 

[cblesz]

going back to the football talk, the colts have had the bullseye on their backs the past 2 seasons. Going 13-0 and 8-0 back to back made each team come to try and knock them off. The Colts are used to being one of the top teams that everyone guns for, i think they will handle that pressure easily this year

C'mon, BigBlue...did they win the Superbowl those years? Hmmm, I think not. It is different when you are the Super Bowl Champions.

 

[TouchdownColts]

C'mon, BigBlue...did they win the Superbowl those years? Hmmm, I think not. It is different when you are the Super Bowl Champions.

you keep saying Big Blue and I have no idea what you're talking about. My alias on the Indystar is Bo0MeR incase thats what your talking about. I still think the colts will be ready for the pressure, but its obvious we won't see eye to eye on this

 

[PatsMyBoyz!]

Colts fans are something else. How can a Pats fan be a troll on a Pats board? You Colts fans have as many posts here as some of the regulars on this board so you tell me who's obsessed. I don't post on your board,I don't even read it. Obviously there's no need to,you're all here anyway.
Maybe this will all end if once again Pats fans express a Hearty Congratulations for winning the AFCC and the SB.:rocker: Isn't it awesome? We understand-we've been through it three times so far.
Of course,as you're all apparently discovering given the fact you're still here looking for that seemingly ever-elusive validation,the bloom has faded because we once again face a new season full of new challenges, and we're all 0-0 once again
Anyway as to the article, power rankings keep changing once the season gets underway so I don't hold much stock in those no matter who's on top at any given time.
In all fairness though, maybe the Colts have improved in ways that aren't so obvious to us as Pats fans and I'm quite certain Napolian knows what he's doing in that regard. We really only know about our own team and even then there's always some disagreement. So show a little confidence in your team;there's no reason to continue to defend them here.
IMHO Prisco's article is just one of many-actually this one's not as noxious towards the Pats as so many others we've seen lately.
I'm ok with that though,because as someone once said,The Worst Thing To Be Is A Paper Champ.

Again,congratulations on winning a SB,and I again look forward to our matchups this upcoming season.

 

[VJ11]

going back to the football talk, the colts have had the bullseye on their backs the past 2 seasons. Going 13-0 and 8-0 back to back made each team come to try and knock them off. The Colts are used to being one of the top teams that everyone guns for, i think they will handle that pressure easily this year

Not the same deal. When you are the champ, everyone will be extra motivated to knock you off from Day 1. When you emerge as a contender during the season, as the Colts did the previous seasons, opponents take it in stride. The Colts have proven one thing in the last 4-5 seasons, that they are able to take their level up one peg at a time. It took them 4 seasons to advance from the second round of the play-offs to the SuperBowl. Colts fans better pray that "fat cat" syndrome doesn't set in with their players. Their main motivating driving force of the last 4 seasons is now gone.

 

[Kevin The Pat]

Agreed, #1 until knocked off the perch. That is how it works.

^Yup

But Colts fans need to face it. Thier defense SUCKED last year and it just caught lightning in a bottle just at the right time. Plus it's even worse this year. They'll win the AFC south but the Titans are gonna give them one heckuva run for their money. The Colts will get knocked out in the divisional round easy.

 

[sieglo]

New England, whose defense was #2 in points allowed last year, added the top free-agent defender, drafted a stud safety/corner, has a veteran corner coming off of a career year, as well as two starting safeties coming back from injury, and their defense is "flawed." We won't even mention the offensive additions.

You forgot to mention that the Pats still have the greatest defensive mastermind in the hstory of the game as their head coach.

 

[TomBrady'sGoat]

Anyone mind telling me if/when the troll gets rid of the sig so I can un-"ignore list" him?

Remember, every time you create a visually obnoxious sig God kills a kitten.

 

[He Ban Me]

If you could outrun Hughes i would give you $1000.

I'm in. Make it 2K.

 

[godef]

On the defensive side, many forget that the Colts had one of the worst regular season rushing defenses of all time last year. That being said, how much worse could the colts get this year then?? I look at some addition by subtraction. While Cato June was statisically one of the colts strongest defensive players anyone who actually watched colt games knows the liability he was in the tacking area. Our coaching staff is very high on keicho and I believe he will be a upgrade to Cato as far as not getting trucked and pancaked by recievers

That's about the most hilarious spin I've read in a long time. You know it's going down hill fast when they use addition by subtraction in their reasoning and even acknowledge it!

2006 Colts = 2005 Steelers

 

[He Ban Me]

The Patriots lost this game because they lost the very winable regular season game against Indy. That is what sent them cross country to the Chargers, got them tired and the flu. That regular season game was the first time I had great respect for Manning. They had nothing going the whole game but he and Harrison just killed us with long balls to the sideline over and over again.

This is the most sensible post of them all. This is EXACTLY how I feel about the '03(?) VERY WINNABLE 34-38 game in the Dome. Can't remember final w-l's, but we lost, and had to go to Foxboro. You get what you get.

 

[He Ban Me]

going back to the football talk, the colts have had the bullseye on their backs the past 2 seasons. Going 13-0 and 8-0 back to back made each team come to try and knock them off. The Colts are used to being one of the top teams that everyone guns for, i think they will handle that pressure easily this year

Uh, 9-0

 

[PatsFanInVa]

The Colts are #1.

We got some excellent off-season talent.

This team has never played a snap together. This team has never yet shown its reaction to adversity. This team has never dealt with the spotlight together.

Oh yeah, I have high hopes. Oh yeah, I can see how adding a couple of sub-4.4 receivers and an all pro linebacker could help out.

But it's May.

Other point: the whole flu thing? That is an excuse. It may be factual. Many excuses are. That is why illness is considered an "excused" absence in school. That is the hard thing about excuses; they feel very valid when you are making them. The preference for results over excuses says, "We did not win. End of story."

Next season is coming. Last season is history.

We'd like our hardware back now. Nobody thinks those guys in Indy are just going to give it to us. So, we'll take it.

From where I'm sitting, the 07 crew has every opportunity to do so.

PFnV

 

[workhorse]

Cannot wait to see Daymeion Hughes cover Randy Moss...

Why do you continue to think that Hughes will be on Moss this year?

 

[He Ban Me]

Why do you continue to think that Hughes will be on Moss this year?

Listen, I already have a Hitman on the case, no worries

 

[Caspir]

Oh no, someone somewhere said the Patriots aren't the best. Alert the authorities. They shouldn't let this guy write articles anymore. How dare he say the Patriots aren't the greatest thing ever. A good number of Patriots "fans" around here sound exactly like Yankee fans.

 

[FilPats]

Well, we now have the disrespect card. Where's Rodney. Go Pats:rocker:

 

[PatsSteve1]

I'm amazed anyone pays attention to any rankings Pete Prisco puts out. I didn't read it, and won't bother, but having the previous year's SB Champ the favorite the next year isn't real shocking. The Colts CB losses, I read that in the posts here, probably are easily replacable because they weren't that good at CB last year.

 

[BelichickFan]

The Colts are #1.

We got some excellent off-season talent.

This team has never played a snap together. This team has never yet shown its reaction to adversity. This team has never dealt with the spotlight together.

If you look at power rankings as what's proven for sure, you could be right although the Colts have had some losses - 3 defensive starters are gone so you can say they haven't shown their reaction to adversity either.

But regardless, I look at power rankings as "which team do I think is the best". Of course I don't know. But neither does anyone know how the Colts will play as defending champions. What I do know is the Colts have lost several starters and gained nothing other than rookies. I also know that if the Colts were better than the Patriots last year it was just by a little bit and we have added some serious talent. No I don't know for sure how it'll play. But when I think about the most likely scenario it's that the Patriots are solidly improved over last year and the Colts, at best, are equal to what they were. So my best guess, thus my ranking, is the Patriots are #1. And the Chargers are #2.