A new coach. Seven key veterans who are not getting any younger. Nine rookies and a defense that had major flaws in terms of stopping the run last season.
Did I mention that Bob Sanders is again unable to answer the bell due to injuries?
Are you ready for some football Colts fans?
In an off season that provided a farewell to a Hall Of Fame player and a equally stellar coach, the Indianapolis Colts certainly have a plethora of questions to answer when they take the field Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium to open their 2009-2010 season.
Coach Jim Caldwell has the indelible task of replacing the immensely popular and extremely successful Tony Dungy who stepped down after going 85-27 and delivering a Super Bowl title in 2007. While his shoes will undoubtedly be hard to fill, Caldwell is confident in his ability to do such, and he knows the comparisons to Dungy have only begun to be made.
“I’m too old to worry about comparisons,” chuckled Caldwell recently when asked about the matter. “Often times in our business people will come in and say lets make this big change or that big change.
“I am simply looking to build on what has already been established.”
But there can be no doubt Caldwell has already made his mark with his approach and the veterans on the roster will tell you that quickly.
“He’ll call guys out and say what needs to be said,” added veteran center Jeff Saturday when asked about the style of his new coach. “I think Jim made that clear on day one.”
And then there is Peyton Manning, fresh off a season that saw him start slowly with a knee injury and finish it strongly in typical Manning fashion. He is simply looking for the Colts to hit the ground running, and avoid the slow start they experienced last year.
“I feel the winning atmosphere Coach Dungy created here will carry through under Coach Caldwell,” added Manning. “Coach Caldwell assures me he has a plan and I am confident we will be successful.”
How Caldwell handles the veterans will indeed be a major part of any success he has this year and while he has a bumper crop to work with, Father Time is creeping up on his personnel.
Dwight Freeney, Reggie Wayne, Ryan Diem, and Raheem Brock all have been in the NFL eight years.
Manning and Saturday, along with kicker Adam Vinatieri have been honing their crafts for over 11 years each.
Is the window of opportunity closing for this current lineup?
Probably so. Can they realistically compete for a Super Bowl bid? Yes, but only if a much maligned run defense improves and someone emerges as a viable number two receiver for Peyton Manning which would prohibit the opposition from doubling up on Reggie Wayne. The Colts did very little in the off season to address these deficiencies, but they did add a talented running back in the form of Donald Brown who left the University Of Connecticut as the sixth all time leading rusher in Big East Conference history. He will be someone to watch closely as the Colts look to reduce the carries of starter Joseph Addai and extend his career accordingly. Again, while running the football was an inconsistent virtue for this team last year, stopping the run was a nightmare for this defensive unit and without improvement in that area, it may again be an unreasonable burden placed on the offensive unit.
Predictions? While many alleged experts have the Colts going 12-4 and battling the Tennessee Titans for the division crown, I envision a more modest season at 10-6 and a playoff berth through a wild card entry. One thing is for sure, it will be interesting and with all of the regular season home games sold out, you can catch the Colts on television each and every week.
Notes: The Colts kept three quarterbacks on final cut day when they retained Purdue’s Curtis Painter.
Fourth round draft pick Terrance Taylor, a defensive tackle from Michigan was among those cut to get down to the NFL mandated active roster of 53 players. Some had projected Taylor to contribute to the Colts defense, but it did not work out.
The Colts home opener against Jacksonville can be seen Sunday on CBS starting at 1 p.m.
Danny Bridges, who thinks the Colts should leave the roof closed at Lucas Oil Stadium regardless of the weather outside, can be reached at (317) 578-1780, or Bridgeshd@aol.com.
