under way
By BARATO BRITT
The wait is over.
With this week’s arrival of the NFL regular season, the city of Indianapolis is in a buzz never before seen. The customary anticipation of an Indianapolis Colts breakthrough is gone. In its place is the excitement that comes with a team having been to the pinnacle, and looking to stay on top.
The defending Super Bowl Champs began their conquest of dynasty status Thursday, in a showdown against the NFC South Champion New Orleans Saints, who shocked the football world last year coming within a single game of a Super Bowl berth.
With week one of their regular season complete, several questions still remain. While the Colts’ core is intact and largely healthy for their championship defense, there has been enough change to speculate whether this year’s version can match last year’s output on both sides of the ball. Based on offseason and preseason movement, the following topics may determine whether these Colts can achieve greatness. Again.
Is the youth movement ready?
From rookies Anthony Gonzales and Tony Ugoh to new defensive starters Kelvin Hayden and Marlin Jackson, youth abounds in critical positions on the Colts depth chart. Ugoh, the Colts starting left tackle, is unquestionably under the largest microscope and will be tested, as he has yet been in his young career. To expect Ugoh to protect Peyton Manning as adequately as recently retired Tarik Glenn may be reaching; however, that appears to be the expectation.
Will the real defense stand up?
A dominant, lock down squad, or one with more holes than Swiss cheese, it is still to be determined which defensive unit will materialize this season. The Colts have been dealt a severe blow to the run defense with a season ending injury to Anthony McFarland, and lost several components of that unstoppable force that dominated throughout the playoffs last year. Throughout the preseason, the Colts showed signs of maintaining the momentum experienced in the playoffs.
Hungry, anyone?
Hard to imagine a team led by head coach Tony Dungy and a meticulous planner in Manning would be complacent entering the year following one in which all their critics were silenced. Still, even a team as mentally tough and veteran savvy as the Colts can suffer emotional overload. Of course, everyone is saying the right things, and there has been about as much passion as one can expect during the preseason. But few on the Colts roster have been in this situation before.
There is only one way for the Colts to answer these questions, and it will likely take 17 weeks to determine. One thing is certain; the ride that is the 2007-2008 Indianapolis Colts regular season will be one for the books.
