Today's game against Jacksonville is the first time in a long time that the Colts have been in a virtual must-win situation. Here are the only other games of the last decade that even come close:
November 2, 2008 vs. New England: Colts were off to a 3-4 start after a blowout loss in Nashville to the Titans, who had opened up at 7-0. It was a Sunday Night game against Matt Cassel and the 5-2 Patriots at Lucas Oil Stadium. A sloppy 18-15 win kick-started a nine-game win streak that saved their season.
November 8, 2004 vs. Minnesota: Colts entered a Monday Night duel with 5-2 Minnesota at a sluggish 4-3. Manning and Dante Culpepper traded blows for five straight possessions before Mike Vanderjagt won it with a 35-yard field goal with seconds left. The win sent the Colts on an eight-game wins streak before a loss in the season-finale.
November 10, 2002 at Philadelphia: the Colts were 4-4 and didn’t seem to be going anywhere after a three-game losing skid including a home loss to the first-place Titans in the week prior. Manning and Indy carved up the 5-2 Eagles, one of the top defenses in the league entering the game, as Manning threw for 319 yards and James Mungro paced the rushing attack with 114 yards on the ground in a 35-13 romp.
December 11 and 18, 2000 vs. Buffalo and at Miami: a potential playoff spot was on the line in the AFC East as the Bills and Colts each entered the game at 7-6. Edgerrin James ran for three scores as the Colts pounded Buffalo 44-20. The next week, the Colts knocked off the division-leading Dolphins 20-13 to lock up a Wild Card spot in a tight race that included the 9-7 Jets as well. In a cruel twist of fate, less than a month after their win in South Beach, the Colts were eliminated in the playoffs by the Dolphins in overtime.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Perfectly Average
Many times in sports, you can skip steps.
In 2006, George Mason wasn't known as a mid-major power and they hadn't made a Sweet 16 appearance before. The 1997 Marlins had never even made the playoffs before winning the World Series. Florida State, a nothing program prior to the 1980's, was 10-2 in Bobby Bowden's second year in 1977 and was dominant for the next two decades.
Unfortunately, the Pacers don't have that luxury.
.
Following last night's loss to Atlanta, Indiana is an even 11-11. They're 6-5 at home, and 5-6 on the road. They've knocked off the Lakers in Los Angeles and they've beaten-up on Denver. They've also lost by 26 in Philadelphia, and have fallen twice to the nine-win Bucks. The Pacers are 16th out of 30 NBA teams in scoring (99.6 ppg), and 17th in scoring defense (97.4).
.
In a word, the Pacers are perfectly average.
There's nothing wrong with being a middle-of-the-road team - the Pacers are 139-189 over the last four seasons combined. This season is just the second step for this franchise, and not all teams can go from the basement to the top of the staircase in one year.
Finally, there is a young core to build around. Darren Collison hasn't overshot, or undershot, expectations. He's exactly what most Pacers' fans thought he was going to be. Brandon Rush is showing signs of life in year three, and may finally live up to his potential. Roy Hibbert continues to grow, and it's hard to see someone with his work ethic not succeeding. Being on the end of the bench during the World Championships was the humbling experience that Danny Granger needed, and he's responded by becoming a stronger team player. A.J. Price, Tyler Hansbrough, and Josh McRoberts have contributed when given proper minutes. All of the players on this list, outside of Granger who is 27, are 25 or younger and none of them have played more than three seasons in the league.
Average doesn't equal championships, but don't go shoveling dirt on 2010-11. This isn't a throwaway year. If the season ended today, the Pacers would be the 7th seed in the East and find themselves in the playoffs for the first time since 2006. After the top five (Boston, Orlando, Chicago, Miami, Atlanta) in the East, there appears to be a big drop-off. There isn't any reason to believe that the Pacers can't compete with the Knicks, Bobcats, Bucks, Raptors, Sixers, Pistons, and Cavaliers for three playoff spots.
Conseco Fieldhouse is still half-empty, and I may still have to ask someone behind the bar to turn on the Pacers game when I'm at a downtown establishment, but this team is slowly on its way back up. Average may not be that far off from bad, but it's a heck of a lot closer to good.
In 2006, George Mason wasn't known as a mid-major power and they hadn't made a Sweet 16 appearance before. The 1997 Marlins had never even made the playoffs before winning the World Series. Florida State, a nothing program prior to the 1980's, was 10-2 in Bobby Bowden's second year in 1977 and was dominant for the next two decades.
Unfortunately, the Pacers don't have that luxury.
.
Following last night's loss to Atlanta, Indiana is an even 11-11. They're 6-5 at home, and 5-6 on the road. They've knocked off the Lakers in Los Angeles and they've beaten-up on Denver. They've also lost by 26 in Philadelphia, and have fallen twice to the nine-win Bucks. The Pacers are 16th out of 30 NBA teams in scoring (99.6 ppg), and 17th in scoring defense (97.4)..
In a word, the Pacers are perfectly average.
There's nothing wrong with being a middle-of-the-road team - the Pacers are 139-189 over the last four seasons combined. This season is just the second step for this franchise, and not all teams can go from the basement to the top of the staircase in one year.
Finally, there is a young core to build around. Darren Collison hasn't overshot, or undershot, expectations. He's exactly what most Pacers' fans thought he was going to be. Brandon Rush is showing signs of life in year three, and may finally live up to his potential. Roy Hibbert continues to grow, and it's hard to see someone with his work ethic not succeeding. Being on the end of the bench during the World Championships was the humbling experience that Danny Granger needed, and he's responded by becoming a stronger team player. A.J. Price, Tyler Hansbrough, and Josh McRoberts have contributed when given proper minutes. All of the players on this list, outside of Granger who is 27, are 25 or younger and none of them have played more than three seasons in the league.
Average doesn't equal championships, but don't go shoveling dirt on 2010-11. This isn't a throwaway year. If the season ended today, the Pacers would be the 7th seed in the East and find themselves in the playoffs for the first time since 2006. After the top five (Boston, Orlando, Chicago, Miami, Atlanta) in the East, there appears to be a big drop-off. There isn't any reason to believe that the Pacers can't compete with the Knicks, Bobcats, Bucks, Raptors, Sixers, Pistons, and Cavaliers for three playoff spots.
Conseco Fieldhouse is still half-empty, and I may still have to ask someone behind the bar to turn on the Pacers game when I'm at a downtown establishment, but this team is slowly on its way back up. Average may not be that far off from bad, but it's a heck of a lot closer to good.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Swing and Miss
If you need a reason why the Colts have apparently fallen off a cliff in 2010 with their disappointing 6-6 record, look no further then some of their most recent Draft classes. It's unfair to make a blanket judgement on the 2010 class, mostly because those players are still rookies. Even though Jerry Hughes has been a disappointment, he should be given more than twelve games to prove himself, as should the rest of the group.
However, if you look at the 2007, 2008, and 2009 Draft classes, Bill Polian has been missing a lot more than he's been hitting.
2007
1 – WR Anthony Gonzalez
2 – OT Tony Ugoh
3 – CB Dante Hughes
3 – DT Quin Pitcock
4 – S Brannon Condren
4 – LB Clint Session
5 – WR Roy Hall
5 – CB Michael Coe
7 – DE Keyunta Dawson
2008
2 – OG Mike Pollak
3 – LB Philip Wheeler
4 – TE Jacob Tamme
5 – DE Marcus Howard
6 – TE Tom Santi
6 – C Steve Justice
6 – RB Mike Hart
6 – WR Pierre Garcon
7 – C Jamey Richard
2009
1 – RB Donald Brown
2 – DT Fili Moala
3 – CB Jerraud Powers
4 – WR Austin Collie
4 – DT Terrance Taylor
6 - QB Curtis Painter
7 – P Pat McAfee
7 – OG Jaimie Thomas
Of these 26 players, ten (all highlighted in red) are no longer with the team, including more than half of the nine player 2007 Draft class. An even more glaring issue: only four of the 26 players (Session Moala, Powers, Collie/Garcon - take your pick for #2 WR) are healthy starters. Out of the entire 26 player group, there are really only a handful of players that you could say are valuable at this point. Jerraud Powers (3rd, 2009) looks like a future Pro Bowler and is already the best cornerback on the team. Austin Collie (4th, 2009) is a perfect fit for this offense. With some more seasoning, Pierre Garcon (6th, 2008) could be a star, and regardless, he was a sixth-round steal out of Mount Union. Pat McAfee (7th, 2009), Jacob Tamme (4th, 2008), and Mike Hart (6th, 2008) have stepped up to the plate when asked to do so.
It's not that the Colts haven't tried to address their offensive and defensive line issues. Ten of the 26 players they drafted in the 2007-09 classes were either offensive or defensive lineman. The problem is that none of them have made any sort of significant impact: Ugoh, Pitcock, Dawson, Pollak, Howard, Justice, Richard, Moala, Taylor, and Thomas. Only one of those (Moala) is a current starter, while the others that are still with the team are low-level backups (Pollak, Dawson, Richard, Thomas), with little-to-no upside. Ugoh, who was cut before the season, was perhaps the biggest bust of the Polian era. The Colts traded their 2008 first round pick to trade into the 2007 second round to select him out of Arkansas. Small injuries (cough laziness cough) cost Ugoh time in games and practice, and judging by how much this offensive line has struggled, the fact that the Colts were willing to cut their losses tells you all you need to know about Ugoh.
It's foolish to ask Bill Polian to hit a home run in every Draft class, but he was pretty darn close from 2003-06. In those Drafts, the Colts selected six future Pro Bowlers (Robert Mathis, Cato June, Dallas Clark, Joseph Addai, Antoine Bethea, Bob Sanders), several top-end starters (Jake Scott, Kelvin Hayden, Marlin Jackson, Charlie Johnson), and a few other somewhat impact players (Jason David, Tyjuan Hagler).
The Colts will go into this offseason needing to do more than just tinker. Their offensive line needs a complete overhaul, and it's time to start restocking the depth at several key positions - most notably in the defensive secondary. With the Colts likely to get a pick in the lower 20's, a position they haven't been in since 2002, this 2011 Draft becomes the most important of the Polian era.
However, if you look at the 2007, 2008, and 2009 Draft classes, Bill Polian has been missing a lot more than he's been hitting.
2007
1 – WR Anthony Gonzalez
2 – OT Tony Ugoh
3 – CB Dante Hughes
3 – DT Quin Pitcock
4 – S Brannon Condren
4 – LB Clint Session
5 – WR Roy Hall
5 – CB Michael Coe
7 – DE Keyunta Dawson
2008
2 – OG Mike Pollak
3 – LB Philip Wheeler
4 – TE Jacob Tamme
5 – DE Marcus Howard
6 – TE Tom Santi
6 – C Steve Justice
6 – RB Mike Hart
6 – WR Pierre Garcon
7 – C Jamey Richard
2009
1 – RB Donald Brown
2 – DT Fili Moala
3 – CB Jerraud Powers
4 – WR Austin Collie
4 – DT Terrance Taylor
6 - QB Curtis Painter
7 – P Pat McAfee
7 – OG Jaimie Thomas
Of these 26 players, ten (all highlighted in red) are no longer with the team, including more than half of the nine player 2007 Draft class. An even more glaring issue: only four of the 26 players (Session Moala, Powers, Collie/Garcon - take your pick for #2 WR) are healthy starters. Out of the entire 26 player group, there are really only a handful of players that you could say are valuable at this point. Jerraud Powers (3rd, 2009) looks like a future Pro Bowler and is already the best cornerback on the team. Austin Collie (4th, 2009) is a perfect fit for this offense. With some more seasoning, Pierre Garcon (6th, 2008) could be a star, and regardless, he was a sixth-round steal out of Mount Union. Pat McAfee (7th, 2009), Jacob Tamme (4th, 2008), and Mike Hart (6th, 2008) have stepped up to the plate when asked to do so.
It's not that the Colts haven't tried to address their offensive and defensive line issues. Ten of the 26 players they drafted in the 2007-09 classes were either offensive or defensive lineman. The problem is that none of them have made any sort of significant impact: Ugoh, Pitcock, Dawson, Pollak, Howard, Justice, Richard, Moala, Taylor, and Thomas. Only one of those (Moala) is a current starter, while the others that are still with the team are low-level backups (Pollak, Dawson, Richard, Thomas), with little-to-no upside. Ugoh, who was cut before the season, was perhaps the biggest bust of the Polian era. The Colts traded their 2008 first round pick to trade into the 2007 second round to select him out of Arkansas. Small injuries (cough laziness cough) cost Ugoh time in games and practice, and judging by how much this offensive line has struggled, the fact that the Colts were willing to cut their losses tells you all you need to know about Ugoh.
It's foolish to ask Bill Polian to hit a home run in every Draft class, but he was pretty darn close from 2003-06. In those Drafts, the Colts selected six future Pro Bowlers (Robert Mathis, Cato June, Dallas Clark, Joseph Addai, Antoine Bethea, Bob Sanders), several top-end starters (Jake Scott, Kelvin Hayden, Marlin Jackson, Charlie Johnson), and a few other somewhat impact players (Jason David, Tyjuan Hagler).
The Colts will go into this offseason needing to do more than just tinker. Their offensive line needs a complete overhaul, and it's time to start restocking the depth at several key positions - most notably in the defensive secondary. With the Colts likely to get a pick in the lower 20's, a position they haven't been in since 2002, this 2011 Draft becomes the most important of the Polian era.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Ignorance is Bliss
After Auburn's blowout win over South Carolina in the SEC Championship Game, they'll play for a National Championship. Also, their quarterback Cam Newton, who accounted for six touchdowns in the game, will likely be the most lopsided Heisman Trophy winner in college football history.
Four days ago, the NCAA could've taken all of that away.
Auburn declared their star quarterback ineligble on Tuesday, and then immediately filed for him to be declared eligible. The NCAA granted their request, but in doing so, went against one of their most important rules.
NCAA Bylaw 12.3.3: "individuals or entities are not allowed to represent a prospective student-athlete for compensation to a school for an athletic scholarship.”
The NCAA cleared Newton because they “couldn’t find sufficient evidence that either Cam, or Auburn, knew of the situation with his father.” Um, that’s great and all, but whether or not Cam Newton had any idea what his father was doing is completely irrelevant. The Bylaw clearly states that no one is allowed to “represent” Cam - but his father did. The NCAA admitted that rules were broken when Cecil Newton and Kenny Rogers (not the pitcher) tried to arrange a pay-for-play system with Mississippi State during Cam’s second recruiting rodeo. So, by keeping Cam Newton eligible, the NCAA essentially ignored their own Bylaw, and in the same breath opened up a very dangerous can of worms.
As has been said all this week by pundits nationally, what is to stop family members/friends/coaches from coming to schools recruiting their children/friends/players with their hands out? Even a player can organize an elaborate pay-for-play scheme, as long as he finds a middle man. All the player has to do is plead ignorance. The worst thing that the NCAA could do is turn around months later and rule Cam Netwon ineligible. That’ll likely mean another flawed National Champion, and the 2nd tarnished Heisman in five years.
Four days ago, the NCAA could've taken all of that away.
Auburn declared their star quarterback ineligble on Tuesday, and then immediately filed for him to be declared eligible. The NCAA granted their request, but in doing so, went against one of their most important rules.
NCAA Bylaw 12.3.3: "individuals or entities are not allowed to represent a prospective student-athlete for compensation to a school for an athletic scholarship.”
The NCAA cleared Newton because they “couldn’t find sufficient evidence that either Cam, or Auburn, knew of the situation with his father.” Um, that’s great and all, but whether or not Cam Newton had any idea what his father was doing is completely irrelevant. The Bylaw clearly states that no one is allowed to “represent” Cam - but his father did. The NCAA admitted that rules were broken when Cecil Newton and Kenny Rogers (not the pitcher) tried to arrange a pay-for-play system with Mississippi State during Cam’s second recruiting rodeo. So, by keeping Cam Newton eligible, the NCAA essentially ignored their own Bylaw, and in the same breath opened up a very dangerous can of worms.
As has been said all this week by pundits nationally, what is to stop family members/friends/coaches from coming to schools recruiting their children/friends/players with their hands out? Even a player can organize an elaborate pay-for-play scheme, as long as he finds a middle man. All the player has to do is plead ignorance. The worst thing that the NCAA could do is turn around months later and rule Cam Netwon ineligible. That’ll likely mean another flawed National Champion, and the 2nd tarnished Heisman in five years.
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