My Favorite Thing Going Into Week 1

[ChaosTheory]

Almost nobody thinks we're going to do anything this year. Maybe I hear it more because I'm in Texans Land, but outside a select few that cover the league, everyone I hear from has the Colts lined up for a Top 9-11 pick in the '25 draft. That's my favorite place to be.

Frankly, I think most of these takes are retarded. Like "AR is a running back", "he panics in the pocket and runs every chances he gets", and of course, "the Colts did nothing in the offseason."

The ones that aren't retarded, are skewing heavily towards AR getting injury. It's not if, it's when. That's a more understandable take. However, they pretend like '23 didn't happen. This roster already had the backup play almost 90% of the snaps and was a bad short pass away from the Division title. We now have Flacco at backup QB, who was arguably one of the few backups better than Minshew.

Beyond that, our best offensive weapon (JT) only started 7 games and was injured. We were still Top-10 in rushing and Top-10 in scoring without JT and AR. Now that understandable take is drifting back towards retarded. How does more AR, more JT, and Flacco as backup = a worse situation? Maybe that's me, but we'll see.

The only other non-retarded critique is the secondary. Again, understandable. But again, there's a however... At CB, Gilmore wanted out of his contract, Rodgers got suspended for gambling, Flowers played three games before he tore his Achilles, and Brents only really played 6 or 7 games.

It's much more stable this year going into the season. We didn't bring in the FA's like people always want, so you can always argue that. But I'll just remind you that everyone said the same about the OL last offseason. Same personnel a year removed from a disastrous '22 (far more disastrous than our DB's could have hoped to be in '23) and the coaches/Ballard were comfortable bringing them back. They trusted their judgment and it worked out.

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The short of it is that our boys are being slept on en masse. Personally, I think that's fun. I think a lot of people have a generic, lazy assessment of AR and, more importantly, don't realize how good Steichen is. It's similar for our defense (and secondary in particular). Also... I've watch a ton of Latu since we drafted him... I'll just say I won't be surprised if people don't know what they're in for with this kid.

I'll be around a bunch of Texans fans this Sunday and I can't wait. You know... they won the Super Bowl already, if you haven't heard.

[Hoopsdoc]

They may well be better than people think this year but they have to prove it.

AR is going to have to stay healthy and play like he’s capable of.

The secondary is going to have to hold up.

A lot will have to go right for them to be really good.

Either way, I don’t expect a win on Sunday.

[CletusPyle]

From what we have seen so far I am not sure how anyone could know how good or bad this team is going to be....the preseason was a total waste, I don't think this team will be ready Sunday and I am afraid it could get ugly!

[YDFL Commish]

From what we have seen so far I am not sure how anyone could know how good or bad this team is going to be....the preseason was a total waste, I don't think this team will be ready Sunday and I am afraid it could get ugly!


I'm sorry, but I disagree that we don't play well vs the Texans. I believe that Steichen playing the starters in preseason game 3 is going to pay dividends during week 1.

The only scary thing for me is our secondary. If they just play average, then we will beat the Texans.

[apballin]

Taylor is gonna carry us to victory

It amazes me how nobody is talking about how he had almost 200 yards on them with a bad ankle

[sherck]

I agree with Chaos.

I was actually pretty shocked that we were in the position we were in during week 17 of last year. One bad pass away from winning the division from a backup QB to a backup RB.

Our roster is solid. Not great but solid with really good pieces to it. It is, perhaps, the most solid all around roster the Colts have had in forever.

That said, I still think it all comes down to AR. If he has a season that even hints of the season that C.J. had last year, then we are in good shape. If not, I do not have a ton of faith in Flacco at this age of his life. We will, again, be an 7-9 win team missing the playoffs.

However, if JT is back to from, the O-line plays likes last year and AR plays most/all of the season? This could be a fun team to watch week in and week out.

[Colts And Orioles]

o


My apologies for impeding onl Chaos Theory's lthread, but we have a thread for tomorrow night's Opening Day game between the Chiefs and the Ravens in the NFL section.


http://www.coltfreaks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=185363

o

[ChaosTheory]

From what we have seen so far I am not sure how anyone could know how good or bad this team is going to be....the preseason was a total waste, I don't think this team will be ready Sunday and I am afraid it could get ugly!

The reason I don't make predictions is because you never actually know what a team is until several weeks-halfway through the season. But I don't think the preseason has been a waste. It looks like a real game, but they're evaluating from a bit of a different angle.

I'm sorry, but I disagree that we don't play well vs the Texans. I believe that Steichen playing the starters in preseason game 3 is going to pay dividends during week 1.

The only scary thing for me is our secondary. If they just play average, then we will beat the Texans.

Going off what I mentioned to Cletus... until we get into the season and know for sure, it's just inductive reasoning. The baseline is what I mentioned before... basically inches away from the Division.

Ostensibly, we should be upgraded at QB, RB, and even in the secondary. Even without bringing any new DB's in, the secondary should be improved after a year of experience and (hopefully) less injury.

If everything else only stayed at par for the course, we should already be better. But I don't expect everything else to just stay par.

[CletusPyle]

I'm sorry, but I disagree that we don't play well vs the Texans. I believe that Steichen playing the starters in preseason game 3 is going to pay dividends during week 1.

The only scary thing for me is our secondary. If they just play average, then we will beat the Texans.

I hope you are right, maybe these preseason games are completely meaningless? I just didn't see anything during preseason to lead me to believe this team is ready for the first game. I saw several other teams in preseason that looked sharp offensively and seemed to take the games much more seriously.

[apballin]

I hope you are right, maybe these preseason games are completely meaningless? I just didn't see anything during preseason to lead me to believe this team is ready for the first game. I saw several other teams in preseason that looked sharp offensively and seemed to take the games much more seriously.

I believe they didn’t wanna show anything in preseason…. An offense with no film can be as dangerous as the most powerful offense

[Pez]

I'll be around a bunch of Texans fans this Sunday and I can't wait. You know... they won the Super Bowl already, if you haven't heard.

Great post ChaosTheory, I called out my favorite bit.

I don't get the media man-love for the Texans. They've made the playoffs 7 times and never made it past the divisional round. They almost always get blown out... 41-28 loss to Pats in 2012, 34-16 loss to the pats in 2016, 51-31 loss to the Chefs in 2019, 34-10 loss to the Ravens in 2023. (honorable mentions, the 21-7 loss to the colts in 2018 WC round, and the 30-0 playoff shutout to the chefs in the 2015 wildcard).

The colts don't even have to do much to make a statement on Sunday. Any sort of win will do. It's a division game at home, we need to hold serve.

[sherck]

Last time the Colts did not lose their week 1 game?

A 20-20 tie to HOU in 2022.

Last time the Colts won their week 1 game?

2013 in a 21-17 win over the Raiders.

Seriously, we have not won on opening weekend in a decade!

I hate to say it but while I have some high hopes for the season overall, I picked against us winning on Sunday. I just don't think we are ready.

And, you know, the Texans have already won the Super Bowl! :)

[Colts And Orioles]

o


The Colts are 1/2 of a game ahead of the Ravens in the overall AFC standings ...... hang on to that lead for 18 more weeks, boys.

o

[albany ed]

I really would love seeing the Colts win a season opener. It's been way too long since they've done that.

[omahacolt]

the problem with the "we were one bad pass away from winning the division" is that we arent playing the same schedule. we played some real shit qb's last year. much tougher this year.

divisional teams added a lot of talent. we did not.


with AR healthy, we should threaten to make the playoffs. not adding talent to the secondary was a mistake imo

[Discflinger]

Well, we may have one less elite qb to play next week. Love's acl is intact, but I doubt that he plays.

[ChaosTheory]

the problem with the "we were one bad pass away from winning the division" is that we arent playing the same schedule. we played some real shit qb's last year. much tougher this year.

Very true. But the same can be said about the Texans. We played largely the same schedule and same QB's.

We had 3 uncommon opponents:

Colts played:

LV - Aiden O'Connell
NE - Mac Jones
LAR - Matthew Stafford

Texans played:

DEN - Russell Wilson
NYJ - Zach Wilson
ARZ - Kyler Murray


2024 We get:

PIT - Russell Wilson
DEN - Bo Nix
NYG - Daniel Jones


2024 they get:

KC - Patrick Mahomes
BAL - Lamar Jackson
DAL - Dak Prescott

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I also get the adding talent part... but I think some returning young guys will look different and our talent level and QB-RB is much higher (even with AR's inevitable growing pains).

[ChaosTheory]

I'm not even claiming one way or the other, who will win. Like I mentioned, I don't do predictions.

It's more about the on-paper hype that HOU is getting vs. the on-paper sleep IND is getting.

[apballin]

I'm not even claiming one way or the other, who will win. Like I mentioned, I don't do predictions.

It's more about the on-paper hype that HOU is getting vs. the on-paper sleep IND is getting.

As we all know paper champions don’t mean shit. As far as I’m concerned they added a couple washed up big name guys including Autry who’s suspended for the first 6 games.

[Discflinger]

Hunter? I kind of remember another team making a push for him but he went for the home town.

[Discflinger]

Still waiting to see who has the guts to kick off the season. C&O has my money. I would bet the field, however.

[omahacolt]

I'm not even claiming one way or the other, who will win. Like I mentioned, I don't do predictions.

It's more about the on-paper hype that HOU is getting vs. the on-paper sleep IND is getting.

does seem to me that a lot of the colts enthusiasm in the media cooled down with AR in the preseason. which is an odd thing to overreact to. fucking preseason

[ChaosTheory]

does seem to me that a lot of the colts enthusiasm in the media cooled down with AR in the preseason. which is an odd thing to overreact to. fucking preseason

Spot on. As soon as AR threw that pick-six in Cincinnati.

[Hoopsdoc]

Spot on. As soon as AR threw that pick-six in Cincinnati.

Which wasn’t even his fault. Freaking Granson with a diaper on his head turned the wrong way.

I’m irritated that I have to see that all year.

Though i totally get why he’s doing it.

[apballin]

Hunter? I kind of remember another team making a push for him but he went for the home town.

I’m glad because we ended up with Latu

[Brylok]

I like week one because I still have hope and optimism. Let's break the losing streak today.