Indianapolis Colts: Linebackers Are Hidden Gem on Season and for Success

It’s very easy to get lost in the shuffle if you are a member of the Indianapolis Colts, with the likes of superstars Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, and Dallas Clark always in the headlines and doing countless interviews (and commercials in Manning’s case).

Even on the defensive side of the ball where the Colts in recent years have struggled, it is not so tough to get lost in the crowd. Playing with and behind perennial all pro Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis, and often injured but highly touted Bob Sanders, one can even get lost on this side of the ball as well.

Maybe it’s a good thing for certain Colts’ players and maybe not. But the fact of the matter is the Colts’ linebacking corp was one of the hidden gems this season for Indy and one of the many reasons they finished the regular season 14-2 with a first round bye and home field advantage heading into the postseason.

With new defensive coordinator Larry Coyer at the helm, the Colts blitzed and utilized their linebackers more often than they have in recent years. Among the players to benefit from this was third-year man Clint Session.

Session, a fourth-round draft pick by the Colts out of Pitt in 2007, is a guy who, like most draft picks of the Colts, was not the conventional choice for linebacker, but fit their system to a “T”.

So far on the year Session leads the team in tackles with 103 (84 solo, 19 assists), albeit while being held out of the final two games against the Jets and Bills—another subject for another day.

Session, in his first year at the weakside position, is ahead of linebacking mate and defensive captain Gary Brackett in tackles, as Brackett currently has 99 tackles (80 solo, 19 assists) on the season.

Both players have thrived this year under the new leadership and system of Coyer, and that has not gone unnoticed by their teammates and others around the league.

“I watched him [Session] in Miami as a high school player,” Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. said. “Very intense, fast and extremely explosive. He is a perfect fit for Indy’s run and hit defense.”

Both Brackett and Session are not the tallest trees in the forest either, mind you, but that stature often plays to their advantage. You can barely see them at times on the field, as they are both built similarly—short, compact and very explosive to the ball.

This explosiveness and new system instilled by Coyer have really played to both Session and Brackett’s advantage, as well as the Colts’, particularly their run D (spotty in past years), which has benefited from them both.

This linebacking tandem has really solidified the defense for the Colts this season, along with the play (before his injury) of Tyjuan Hagler and Phillip Wheeler; the Colts have a strong youthful future with their linebackers to build on.

All that remains to be seen is if that both Brackett and Session can remain with the Colts when the new free agency rules take effect in the NFL (Brackett is a free agent after this season). And it seems that in the past with the Colts, they have not been kind (financially) to linebackers. They have tendencies to let them walk for whatever reason.

One thing is for sure though. If they can retain both of these players after this season to long term deals, the Colt roster of stars will need to make room for two more players.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

NFC Playoffs: Green Bay Packers Vs. Minnesota Vikings — It Could Happen

Yes, sports fans, it is almost upon us—the NFL postseason. One looming matchup that could actually happen is one I’m sure everyone in Wisconsin and Minnesota would relish.

The NFC playoffs and perhaps even the NFC Championship game could see a rematch of the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings.

Now obviously a lot would have to transpire for this game to become a reality, but what a game it would be if indeed it played out that way in the playoffs.

Imagine Brett Favre, the prodigal son of Green Bay, heading back onto the field in the postseason, not as the leader of the Packers, no, but as the enemy, in order to face the new star of the franchise, Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers has been given the daunting task of filling the shoes of future Hall-of-Famer Brett Favre as the signal caller for the Green Bay Packers.

Although Favre has been given most of the spotlight this season as QB of Minnesota, Aaron Rodgers’ season has been just as good as or perhaps even better than Favre’s.

Stats alone—and stats do not lie—have told a similar story for both of these quarterbacks this season:

Brett Favre—29 TDs / 7 INTs / 3,886 yards

Aaron Rodgers—29 TD’s / 7 INTs / 4,199 yards

Both have passer ratings over 100 and completion percentages over 63 percent. Rodgers did add another four rushing touchdowns on the year, while Favre is not known for his rushing ability.

However, the one stat this season where Rodgers is not equal to or better than Favre is head-to-head wins. Minnesota swept the season series, as Favre got his “revenge”, if you will, over his old team.

Though the Vikings and the Packers mathematically have a shot to finish the regular season with the same record (11-5), Minnesota holds the tie breaker due to their-head-to-head record.

Brett Favre was signed by Minnesota in order to take them further into the playoffs and improve on their regular season record. Even with a potential week 17 loss to the Giants, their record would still be one better than last season’s 10-6 mark when they had Tavaris Jackson at the helm.

Rodgers, on the other hand, has had his share of ups and down the past two seasons since taking over for Favre in Green Bay. Last season’s record of 6-10 after Favre’s departure had many Packer fans questioning the move.

But with the rebound season, Rodgers and the Pack have new-found life heading into the postseason. With the second ranked overall defense and a solid ground attack, the Packers are heading into the playoffs with some momentum and could ride that wave all the way to the NFC Championship game. Then there is the possibility somewhere in the playoffs of a “rubber match” with the Minnesota Vikings and Brett Favre.

You know Packer fans want another shot at Favre and the Vikes, but perhaps not as much as Rodgers himself. In order to prove to all the nay-sayers that he can get the job done without Favre, he must do so when it counts.

And with the recent decline of the Minnesota defense, as they limp toward the finish line with a 1-2 record, the Vikings actually look to be one of the more vulnerable teams in the playoffs.

Of course, there is still a lot of football to be played out, games to be won, and playoff seeding to be set. But oh what a game it could have the potential to be.

The old guard giving way to the new age.

The passing of the proverbial torch [in a way] from Favre to Rodgers.

Closure for the Packers if they were to beat the Vikings in the playoffs.

There are many scenarios you can play out in your head if you are a Vikings or Packers fan. But one thing is certain: If this matchup were to actually happen, I believe it could be one for the ages.

It could jump start the promising career of one quarterback and perhaps be one last shot at Super Bowl glory for the other.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

To Play or Not To Play: Has History Taught the Indianapolis Colts a Lesson?

To play or not to play? That is the question the Indianapolis Colts tend to struggle with around this time of year.

A question or situation I am sure 90 percent of the teams in the NFL would love to have to grind over. They are almost always assured of making the postseason and more often than not have sealed up home-field advantage.

The following are the records for the Colts the past five years:

14-2 (2005)
12-4 (2006)
13-3 (2007)
12-4 (2008)
13-0 (2009)*

*through week 13

As you can see, each year they have had at least 12 wins and are almost always faced with this type of late-season decision, which has, at times, haunted them.

 

2005

After wrapping up another AFC South division title and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs in Week 14, the Colts starters shut it down for the remaining two weeks of the season against Seattle and Arizona.

The result was a first round loss in the divisional round to the Pittsburgh Steelers and then-rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger 21-18.

Colts’ fans will most remember two plays from this game: the Roethlisberger tackle after Bettis fumbled at the goal line and Mike “our idiot kicker” Vanderjagt’s wide right field goal that is still curling towards someplace other than between the goal posts.

Result: First round loss.

 

2006

Starting in Week 13 and losing back-to-back games to divisional rivals Tennessee and Jacksonville, the Colts were forced to play the starters throughout the regular season.

They ran off three straight wins against Cincinnati, Houston, and Miami to go into the playoffs with momentum.

From there they went on to play Kansas City in the wild-card round and busted up KC 23-8.

With that victory, they moved on to play the Ravens in Baltimore and came away from there with a very hard fought 15-6 victory to setup the showdown with New England in the AFC Championship game in Indy.

After trailing by 18 points at the half, Peyton Manning and the Colts made one of the biggest rallies in playoff history to beat the Patriots 38-34 and move on to Miami.

They eventually beat the Chicago Bears in the Super Bowl to give Manning his first Lombardi trophy.

 

2007

This was the season many (including this writer) thought the Colts had a real shot at repeating as Super Bowl champs. They were basically bringing their entire team back from the year before and were now used to having some success in the postseason.

With their 13-2 record, the Colts again found themselves in a situation to rest players coming down the stretch.

So what do they do?

After beating the Texans on Dec. 23 they rest their starters the next week against the Titans and did not play another game until Jan. 13 against the San Diego Chargers.

The Colts’ starters had not played since Dec. 23, a 21 day lay-off for a team that is all about timing.

Result: The Chargers’ backup quarterback Billy Volek scored the game-winning touchdown on a one yard sneak to once again knock the Colts out of the playoffs in the first round.

 

2008

The 2008 season once again saw a great season from the Indianapolis Colts. However, it saw a better one from their AFC South division rivals the Titans who won the division with a 14-2 mark.

The Colts, unable to win the division with a 13-3 record, were forced to travel to San Diego to meet the 8-8 Chargers—the winners of the AFC West.

Again, in Week 17, the Colts elected to rest their starters for the playoffs. The result, a 23-17 overtime loss in San Diego in which the Colts never got possession of the ball after Darren Sproles broke of a 22-yard touchdown run to seal the victory and send the Colts home early.

 

2009

Which now brings us to Week 14 of this NFL season. The Colts are once again in prime position heading to the playoffs with an unbeaten record of 13-0, AFC South winners, and have already clinched home-field advantage throughout the post season.

An all too familiar place for the Colts to be in, but this year is different. There is another team with the same mark—the New Orleans Saints.

New head coach, Jim Caldwell, is a lot like his predecessor—Tony Dungy—but a little less hesitant to make different calls in similar situations.

Caldwell has said “Healthy players will play.” Does this mean we will see the starters in the games the rest of the years? Does this mean he is going for the unbeaten regular season?

Or, does this simply mean he wants the offense, which is largely based on the timing of the receivers with Peyton Manning, to be ready and sharp heading into the playoffs?

There are more rookies and players without playoff experience, so maybe Caldwell wants them ready to play as if it were just another week of the season.

One thing is certain, the Colts are once again poised to make the playoffs in a similar fashion as they have the past five seasons.

The question is, has history taught them anything or do they continue their struggles in January?

I say, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it—play ’em.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

AFC Playoffs: How It Shapes Up

As the NFL heads into Week 15, there are still a lot of uncertainties in the AFC as far as who’s in and who’s out in the postseason.

The only given right now is the Indianapolis Colts at 13-0 have already clinched the AFC South and home field advantage for the entire playoffs meaning the road to Miami and the Super Bowl will go through Lucas Oil Field in Indy.

Now, how do the other divisions stack up?

Who gets the final two wildcard spots in the AFC?

Lets dive right into the divisional races.

AFC South

The Colts wrapped this one up and put a big bow on top last weekend with their win over Denver so it’s done.  Easy enough. The only question remaining here is whether the Colts will play their starters in the next three games or rest them for the playoffs.

Personally, this has proven unsuccessful the last few seasons; I say if healthy, play them.

AFC North

The division once thought to be the toughest in football has been, well, less than stellar this season. With the freefalling Pittsburgh Steelers, losers of five in a row against the likes of Oakland, Kansas City, and Cleveland, one has to think the Super Bowl hangover is for real.

Cincinnati (9-4) leads the division over Baltimore (7-6) and took both games from the Ravens this season, giving them the tiebreaker if it came down to that

The Bengals have three games remaining against the Chargers (in San Diego), at home to Kansas City, and away to the Jets. Two very winnable games in there so I say the Bengals finish the regular season at least with an 11-5 record, winning the AFC North.

AFC East

The New England Patriots, despite a quitting Randy Moss (allegedly), find themselves again in control of this division at 8-5 ahead of the Miami Dolphins at 7-6. The Pats took both contests this season against Miami and with their last three games against “lesser” opponents in Buffalo, Jacksonville, and Houston, it’s tough to pick against the Pats.

New England would have to drop at least one of its last three games and Miami would have to win out against Tennessee, Houston, and Pittsburgh to take the division away from the Patriots.

Not likely in this writer’s eyes so I will stick with the Patriots for the division.

AFC West

Denver has given this division away on a silver platter to the Chargers over the last few years. Not to take anything away from San Diego, but collapses by the Broncos have given them this division in recent years.

Apparently nothing has changed in 2009 for Denver. They started the season 6-0 with the Chargers going 3-3, then promptly lost their next four games as San Diego has now won eight in a row.

The Chargers also took care of the Broncos in the season series by taking both games by at least 10 points or more including a 32-3 beatdown in Denver’s house in Week 11.

I see no reason San Diego cannot finish out the season with three more wins to finish 13-3 and once again take advantage of bad midseason play by the Broncos and take the AFC West.

Wildcards

Where oh where to begin with this mess in the AFC right now for the final two wildcard positions. There are still mathematically six teams in the hunt, albeit some are extreme long shots.

Those teams are Miami, NY Jets, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, and Denver. All do still have shots to make the playoffs. Obviously, some have dug themselves in deeper holes than the others.

To me the only real threats to the wildcard are Denver and Baltimore because of their favorable schedules.

So here is how I have the AFC playoffs with division winners, wild cards, and seeding:

#1 – Indianapolis Colts
#2 – San Diego Chargers
#3 – New England Patriots
#4 – Cincinnati Bengals
Wildcard 1 – Denver Broncos
Wildcard 2 – Baltimore Ravens

Wildcard Game 1 – New England over Baltimore

Wildcard Game 2 – Cincinnati over Denver

Divisional Round Game 1  – Indianapolis over Cincinnati

Divisional Round Game 2 – San Diego over New England

AFC Championship Game – Indianapolis over San Diego

Much like them getting New England off of their back in the 2006 AFC Championship Game, the Colts will finally shake the Chargers, sending themselves off to Miami for another shot at the Lombardi Trophy.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Jim Caldwell-Indianapolis Colts: Time to Give Him His Just Due

So you say you want me to take over a team that was coached by one of the most well-respected coaches to ever stride the sidelines in the NFL?

And you are saying I am going to be without five of my defensive starters from a year ago?

No Bob Sanders.

No Marvin Harrison.

No Anthony Gonzalez.

And to top it all off, let’s throw two rookie wide receivers and cornerbacks in there as well, how’s that?

Sure Mr. Irsay and Mr. Polian, I can do that for you, no problem.

This is what Jim Caldwell has faced so far this season with the Colts.

There is to be a bit of a drop off expected when you replace your head coach in the NFL. You can even argue the fact that if you don’t make the playoffs or come out of training come a little sluggish the fans will understand.

New system, new coach, new almost everything as far as coaching is concerned.

But first year head coach Jim Caldwell has come out of the gates with his Colts so far through week 11, still without a mark in the loss column. Undefeated and already clinched the AFC South title for 2009.

Not bad for a first year coach, wouldn’t you say?

And yes, you can argue he has Peyton Manning as his quarterback and one of the best wide outs in the game in Reggie Wayne, along with one of the best tight ends with Dallas Clark.

The facts still remain that its Jim Caldwell that has this team believing, even before they step foot on the field, they are not going to lose.

It’s not just No. 18 that gets this team going from week to week. It’s the preparation, the practice, and the belief instilled by Jim Caldwell that has the Colts to 11-0 this season.

The Colts this past Sunday polished off yet another divisional opponent after being down 17-7 heading into halftime. But still, the Colts and their fans somehow knew their team would be the one walking off of the field with a victory.

It’s become common place for the Colts to be down late in games and somehow come back to win. Five times in a row as a matter of fact, actually setting a new NFL record for comeback wins in a season.

But can it last?

Will it last?

How has it lasted?

Those answers come from the top and none more than straight from the head coach himself.

As I stated earlier, he has his team believing they will not lose before they step onto the field.

In meetings and practices through the week, Caldwell gets his unbeaten Colts prepared to do battle with the target on their back. Yet they contest, THEY are the hunters not the hunted.

It’s tough to argue with a team that has yet to see their first loss of the year. The team that has already clinched their division crown in week 11 of the season. The team that battled back, for five straight games, after halftime to finish off their opponents.

Many teams have been up on the horseshoes but none to date have been able to close them out.

And it all starts with the head man Jim Caldwell.

Much like his predecessor in Tony Dungy, Caldwell is not much of a vocal coach. Although when he needs to, he will raise his voice in practice to instill what he wants that particular player to do or not do.

But it’s his even keel on the sidelines and, as some players have said, during halftime when he tells them there is still a half of “Colts” football to be played and there are NOT out of it.

They seem to draw from him and continue to grind it out all the way until the last play of the game if need be, to get the victory. And so far this season, it has worked.

With a make shift secondary, starting two rookie corner backs that have faced the likes of Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Andre Johnson, and Larry Fitzgerald, the Colts have ground out nothing but 11 wins in a row and 20 straight regular season games to begin the season.

Without the future hall of famer Marvin Harrison for Manning to throw to, the offense has found ways to move the ball with two first-year starters at wide receiver.

Losing their first round draft pick from two years ago in Anthony Gonzalez, to what looks to be for the season.

Down 17, no problem. Down 20, big deal. On the ropes on the road, no issue there.

The Colts keep finding ways to win behind the calm, even-keeled coach that I believe has earned the just due coming to him.

You may argue he has an on-field coach in Peyton Manning but the fact remains this is now Jim Caldwell’s team and not the Tony Dungy team he has just taken over.

He has them believing they WILL win no matter what and who is to argue with a mark of 11-0, unbeaten, and the division champs right now?

 

 

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Memo To The NFL: Fines Do Not Hurt Players, Suspensions Hurt Players

If there is one thing I believe the league and commissioner Roger Goodell are doing wrong, it’s the fining of players.

It absolutely baffles me that you believe a fine of say, $10,000 actually means anything to a player who’s game check is probably $200,000 plus.

Not to mention, the fine to the “employee” of the league and the team is tax deductible.

It’s a write off for any professional athlete, actually.

Now yes, they may be without that money for a while, but ultimately it does not concern them—obviously.  If it did, they would probably no longer do whatever earned them the fine in the first place, for fear of the repercussions! 

But in today’s NFL and in other pro sports, this is sadly not the case.

Lets a take a look at an example of just what I mean here in the NFL. Now, obviously the easiest target/example will be Chad Ochoinco (Johnson).

Mr. Ochocinco was recently fined $20,000 by the league for his attempted “bribe” of an official to get a call to go his team’s way.

Now, even if Ochocinco’s intentions were playful and a joke, the NFL is not going to sit idly by and let anyone believe for second, jokingly or not, that an official can be bought or bribed by players to affect the outcome of the game.

Now I know it was all in fun and I actually laughed too when I saw it, but the fact remains I knew a big fine was coming.

I honestly thought the $20,000 was a bit low for something the league considered such an outrage, but that’s what he got.

Now after giving an example of what I am talking about here in this piece as far as fines go, let’s get back to my original point of fines not hurting professional athletes.

The only sure fire way to hurt a professional athlete is very simple and it holds true to anyone really.

Suspend them without pay—period.

If you suspend an athlete without pay, he is now being held accountable for his actions more than any tax deductible fine is going to hurt them or deter them from doing that action.

Professional athletes make their money by playing the games they are getting paid to play. You take the chance to play away from them, you then hit them where it hurts the most, in their wallets.

And not in a tax deductible fine way.  No, this is a you don’t get paid way. Much worse to anyone that is trying to make a living wouldn’t you agree?

If the NFL and other leagues would take the initiative and suspend players without pay it would most definitely deter them from committing that act again. As they would know it could possibly mean not receiving their paycheck in their next game(s).

Not to mention, it could also hinder them from reaching a certain statistical point in which bonuses kick in from their contracts.

A very stiff punishment maybe, but not when you take into consideration some of the things that have occurred on the field recently and in the past that have injured players or made the NFL out to be something they do not want to be.

It’s a very simple solution to me for the NFL. If you want to truly control the flamboyant end zone celebrations and all the cheap shots that happen. All you need to do is set the bar saying you WILL suspend that player if found guilty of the infraction and will do so from that point on.

No player in any league actually plays for the team they are on anyway; they play for the only true team they know—themselves.

There may be no “I” in team, but there is also no “we” either.

They are looking out for number one and number one only.

You take something away from them, the next time they are in that same or similar situation, they will re-think it before it happens and most likely will not continue with the infraction then, or in the future.

Now, yes, of course, you will still see helmet to helmet hits, personal fouls etc. But, I believe if the league were to set a precedent early on about this policy, you would see a decline in penalties of that nature.

If you want to control professional athletes, hit them where it hurts them the most—in their wallets.

 

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Colts:Running Back Joesph Addai Gets Little Credit For Big Contributions

A lot of Colts fans lately are quick to unload on Joseph Addai, as they think he is the issue with the Colts running game this season. But I believe it has more to do with the offensive line and play calling than with Addai himself.

Oh how quickly fans turn on a player if he does not live up to his body of work in the past. But I believe Addai gets little credit for the big contributions he has made this season for the Colts.

Let’s just look at what he has done for Indianapolis so far this season through nine games.

First off, the most important contribution in my opinion, he has racked up 10 touchdowns for the Colts. He has six rushing, three receiving and has thrown for another one.

That attributes to 60 points this season for Indy, and it actually puts Addai behind only running backs Maurice Jones-Drew, Adrian Peterson, and tied with Michael Turner for most points scored towards their respective teams. (Other than kickers and quarterbacks)

Not bad company to be in, wouldn’t you say?

Addai is also averaging a touchdown a game (six points) for the Colts this season with two of those being the game winning scores. One against the Texans in a close divisional game where he had a 2-yard run to win it and the other a 22-yard passing touchdown to Reggie Wayne to help the Colts defeat the San Francisco 49ers. Again, the game winning score for Indy.

He may not be averaging what he has been known to run for, but then again, the Colts have not exactly been a running team so far this season either.

They have attempted 357 passing plays to only 201 rushing plays with Addai seeing 126 of those carries so far this season. That is 156 more passing attempts than rushes, meaning the Colts only run the ball a mere 36 percent of the time.

With his 126 carries of the Colts 201, Addai is only running the ball 23 percent of the time in the Colts offense this season. This is a big drop off to what they and he are use to.

That makes it very hard for a running back to get the yardage the fans think or rather expect him to get after what he produced in his rookie season in helping Indy all the way to a Super Bowl victory over the Bears in 2006.

The Colts that season had a much more balanced offensive attack than they do so far this year. That season (2006) they ran the ball 439 times or 44 percent of their plays with Addai seeing 226 carries for 52 percent of the carries.

A far cry more than his averaging this year and will most likely see as the Colts have been throwing the ball more than they normally have in the past.

Still, the fact remains Joseph Addai is a very important piece in the Colts offense this season. Not only does he get the job done when he is called upon to run the ball in most of the first and goal situations, but he is also one of the better receiving backs in the NFL.

He is averaging over 6-yards per reception out the backfield on his 36 catches this season, adding to the three receiving touch downs he has.

Addai is also a key player in the pass blocking for Peyton Manning.  He is very good about picking up the blitzers and still finding a way to get open underneath or out in the flat for an easy check down target for Manning to use as an outlet.

So Colt’s fans, how about cutting Joseph Addai a little slack this season, what do you say? Not only is he averaging those six points per game for the Indy this season, other than Peyton Manning’s 120 points scored on 20 touchdown throws, he leads the Colts in scoring with those 60 points he has accounted for.

As the season wears on it seems one of the sure fire players the Colts can count on is and will be number 29 in the backfield.

He may not get the pub run Manning, Wayne, or Clark get on the Colts or even anywhere near the run Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson, or Ronnie Brown get. No. He just has more TDs and points than almost all of the players I just mentioned.

So next time you feel the need to bash the running game or the running back, take a look at the facts before you cast the first stones at him. You may find he is the reason the Colts pulled out some games and are where they are sitting now in the league.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Colts:Running Back Joesph Addai Gets Little Credit For Big Contributions

A lot of Colts fans lately are quick to unload on Joseph Addai, as they think he is the issue with the Colts running game this season. But I believe it has more to do with the offensive line and play calling than with Addai himself.

Oh how quickly fans turn on a player if he does not live up to his body of work in the past. But I believe Addai gets little credit for the big contributions he has made this season for the Colts.

Let’s just look at what he has done for Indianapolis so far this season through nine games.

First off, the most important contribution in my opinion, he has racked up 10 touchdowns for the Colts. He has six rushing, three receiving and has thrown for another one.

That attributes to 60 points this season for Indy, and it actually puts Addai behind only running backs Maurice Jones-Drew, Adrian Peterson, and tied with Michael Turner for most points scored towards their respective teams. (Other than kickers and quarterbacks)

Not bad company to be in, wouldn’t you say?

Addai is also averaging a touchdown a game (six points) for the Colts this season with two of those being the game winning scores. One against the Texans in a close divisional game where he had a 2-yard run to win it and the other a 22-yard passing touchdown to Reggie Wayne to help the Colts defeat the San Francisco 49ers. Again, the game winning score for Indy.

He may not be averaging what he has been known to run for, but then again, the Colts have not exactly been a running team so far this season either.

They have attempted 357 passing plays to only 201 rushing plays with Addai seeing 126 of those carries so far this season. That is 156 more passing attempts than rushes, meaning the Colts only run the ball a mere 36 percent of the time.

With his 126 carries of the Colts 201, Addai is only running the ball 23 percent of the time in the Colts offense this season. This is a big drop off to what they and he are use to.

That makes it very hard for a running back to get the yardage the fans think or rather expect him to get after what he produced in his rookie season in helping Indy all the way to a Super Bowl victory over the Bears in 2006.

The Colts that season had a much more balanced offensive attack than they do so far this year. That season (2006) they ran the ball 439 times or 44 percent of their plays with Addai seeing 226 carries for 52 percent of the carries.

A far cry more than his averaging this year and will most likely see as the Colts have been throwing the ball more than they normally have in the past.

Still, the fact remains Joseph Addai is a very important piece in the Colts offense this season. Not only does he get the job done when he is called upon to run the ball in most of the first and goal situations, but he is also one of the better receiving backs in the NFL.

He is averaging over 6-yards per reception out the backfield on his 36 catches this season, adding to the three receiving touch downs he has.

Addai is also a key player in the pass blocking for Peyton Manning.  He is very good about picking up the blitzers and still finding a way to get open underneath or out in the flat for an easy check down target for Manning to use as an outlet.

So Colt’s fans, how about cutting Joseph Addai a little slack this season, what do you say? Not only is he averaging those six points per game for the Indy this season, other than Peyton Manning’s 120 points scored on 20 touchdown throws, he leads the Colts in scoring with those 60 points he has accounted for.

As the season wears on it seems one of the sure fire players the Colts can count on is and will be number 29 in the backfield.

He may not get the pub run Manning, Wayne, or Clark get on the Colts or even anywhere near the run Adrian Peterson, Chris Johnson, or Ronnie Brown get. No. He just has more TDs and points than almost all of the players I just mentioned.

So next time you feel the need to bash the running game or the running back, take a look at the facts before you cast the first stones at him. You may find he is the reason the Colts pulled out some games and are where they are sitting now in the league.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Colts: Key Defensive Injuries Force Rookies To Step Up and Respond

The Indianapolis Colts have been hit by the injury bug and hit hard, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

With season ending injuries to key personnel including strong safety Bob Sanders and cornerback Marlin Jackson, the Colts have been forced to count on their rookie players to step up into the starting roles.

We’ll start at the corner position where rookie Jacob Lacey has been making a name for himself among the Colts players and opposing teams.

Lacey, an undrafted rookie free agent out of Oklahoma State, has filled in for the injured Kelvin Hayden and exceeded anyone’s expectations so far this season. He is seventh on the team in tackles with 35 (27 solo, 8 assists) six passes defended and one interception returned for a touchdown on the year through eight games.

The rookie, who was called on to defend one of the best wide outs in the game last week against the Houston Texans [Andre Johnson] held him to a lot of underneath passes from Schaub limiting his normally aggressive downfield play making capabilities.

Johnson did not catch a touchdown pass in the game while Lacey was defending him. Although he did have 103 receiving yards in the game, for the most part Lacey held him in check only allowing the short stuff in front of him and never gave up the big play.

Now we’ll go across the field to the Colts other rookie starting cornerback due to injuries in Jerraud Powers. Powers a third round draft choice by the Colts out of Auburn took over when fifth year man Kelvin Hayden went down with a knee injury in week two against the Dolphins.

Powers has only turned this into a huge positive for himself and the Colts. He is third on the team in tackles with 40 (33 solo, 7 assists) has forced a fumble, picked off a ball and has five passes defended.

Powers and Lacey have given the Colts a much needed lift on defense in the secondary as first year starters than anyone could have possibly imagined. This outstanding play has helped the Colts to be the number one scoring defense in the NFL through week nine allowing only 13.5 points per game.

Though the rookies are playing well now for the Colts, this Sunday will prove to be a different test all together for the young duo.

Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Wes Welker and the high powered New England Patriots offense come to Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis for a Sunday Night Football showdown between arguably the best two quarterbacks in the game in Manning and Brady.

Both Powers and Lacey will have their skills, and I am sure their last nerves, tested to the brink and beyond when they peer across the line to see Randy Moss or Wes Welker looking back at them.

It will surely be a trial by fire of their skills, mental toughness, and muster when they go up against these two deep threats for the Patriots.

One thing is certain for both of these young talented players and for the Colts. If these two young corners can continue to play and develop as they have so far this season, the future is certainly very bright for them and the Colts to be a force to be reckoned with in the AFC.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Colts-49ers: Trickery a Day After Halloween Helps Colts Remain Unbeaten

158.3 is a perfect quarterback rating in the NFL. That was the rating for the player who threw the go-ahead touchdown for the Colts, the first perfect rating achieved since Ken Dilger in 2001.

It was not Peyton Manning. Nope, it was running back (former high school quarterback) Joseph Addai.

That’s right—for the first time since Nov. 30, 2008, Manning was held without a throwing touchdown in a game. He left that duty on Sunday to the high school All-American quarterback, Addai.

It was Addai’s first career passing TD as a pro, and the result was perfect. Reggie Wayne stretched himself out at the end line to keep both feet in bounds to give the Colts their first lead of the game seven seconds into the final quarter.

“I was just trying to get the ball out there,” Addai said. “In practice, I’m just kind of spotting up there, kind of looking, reading my keys. I don’t really have a key to read, but I kind of sit back there like a real quarterback.”

While Manning did finish the game 31-of-48 for 347 yards, things did not begin the way the Colts and their fans are using to seeing the offense start off games. Peyton and the Colts got nothing going on their first few possessions of the game.

Rookie punter Pat McAfee had seven punts on the game, his most this year. He did an excellent job of pinning the 49ers back in their territory, averaging 41 yards a punt and booming one down the field 60 yards.

The incredible precision we are used to seeing from Manning was not there to start the game. He had more balls underthrown, overthrown, and just plain missed than I have seen from him in a while.

With Manning and the offense out of sync of sorts to start the game, the Colts turned to their defense to help them stay in the game, which they have not had to do so far this season.

The Indy “D” responded, and responded well.

After allowing Frank Gore to slip through the line for a 64-yard touchdown score, they kept him and rookie running back Glen Coffee to 35 yards rushing the rest of the game. Not only did they keep the 49ers running game in check, they also forced San Fran into a dismal 2-of-10 rate on third down conversions, a key stat in their win on Sunday.

The 64-yard TD run from Gore was the first touchdown Indy has allowed since week four of the season.

Bob Sanders intercepted Alex Smith in the first quarter and returned it 29 yards to give the ball back to Manning and the offense. Unfortunately, and to the dismay of Manning, they had to settle for a Matt Stover 33-yard field goal.

In the second half the Colts offense found its stride a little more and began to move the ball down the field. However, Manning and the Colts offense had to continue to settle for field goals instead of touchdowns.

Once the Colts had closed the gap to 7-6 early in the second quarter, San Fran shot back with a nine-yard TD strike from Smith to Vernon Davis with 33 seconds left on the clock. One problem with their touchdown though: They received a 15-yard excessive celebration penalty that gave the Colts even better field position on the ensuing kickoff.

Manning and the offense needed only three plays to move the ball into position to set up the newly acquired kicker Stover for a 31-yard boot to make it 14-9 at the half.

The score remained at 14-9 until the Colts pulled out the halfback option play and saw Addai hit a wide-open Reggie Wayne in the end zone for the go-ahead and eventual game-winning TD.

“I thought we weren’t quite as sharp as we have been at times,” Manning said. “There’s definitely some areas we can improve on.”

 

Game Notes

Wayne had a career-high 12 catches for 147 yards.

Manning became the fourth player in NFL history to have 4,000 completions. He also became the fastest player in NFL history to achieve this, doing it in only 183 games.

Jim Caldwell became the first coach since the 1970 merger to win his first seven NFL games.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Next Page »

NFL Sport Channel Latest

• Just How Far Would You Go?
• Sorry Rex, But It Isn’t Happening
• Super Bowl Predictions: Five Stat-Free Reasons Why the Eagles Will Reach The Super Bowl
• Seahawks Attempt to Turn Corner With Heavy Pursuit of Pete Carroll
• Bill Cowher Unlikely to Coach in 2010