What Indianapolis Colts Must Improve Most Coming out of Week 10 Bye posted by Colts Fan

A bye week in the NFL is not just about getting banged up players back to full strength, it is also a time to self evaluate as a team and see what areas need improvement moving into the later half of the season.

While the Colts have a lot of positives that have led them to a 6-3 record and first place of the AFC South, there are a few areas in particular that need addressing if they hope to make the playoffs, and the biggest area is Andrew Luck.

Yes Andrew Luck has already established himself as an elite Quarterback, which is impressive, given his young age in the league, BUT that can also come back to bite him and the Colts if he’s not careful.

He knows he’s good and feels at times that it all rests on his shoulders to lead his team to victory. This isn’t college where you can rifle a ball into anywhere, look to Cook on Washington as a prime example. This isn’t college, this is the NFL where corners and safeties will and do make gun slinging quarterbacks pay.

Luck is this team. He is their undeniable leader and if his decisions are bad or too ambitious, the Colts will suffer which they have a few times already this year.

With 9 pics already on this season, Luck makes bad decisions like throwing loft passes over the field just to avoid a sack. Arguable the most dangerous throw in the game as he is not seeing where he is throwing, but just throwing to avoid the sack, and that’s when game changing pics happen. Ball security, not a loss of downs, need to be on Luck’s mind moving forward.

Can Andrew Luck Lead The Indianapolis Colts To A Superbowl? posted by Colts Fan

The Colts were 11-5 last year and from all indications, they’ll have another winning record on the way to dominating the AFC South. The Colts believe that quarterback Andrew Luck is ready to take the next step as a primetime player. The third-year pro threw 23 touchdowns and 3,822 yards last season and he should improve his completion percentage even more.

One reason why the Colts should be better this year is their better supporting cast. Tight-end Dwayne Allen will come back from a hip injury that sidelined him last year and he might just be Luck’s favorite target. The team also signed former Giant Hakeem Nicks, and Reggie Wayne will also be back to help the offense.

The Colts will have Anthony Castonzo and Gosder Cherilus at tackle, and the two surrendered seven sacks last year.

The Colts are also hoping that Trent Richardson will play better this year. The team lost running back Donald Brown to the San Diego Chargers, and he was the undisputed top running back last year.  But if Richardson continues his struggles, the team will have Ahmad Bradshaw taking over.

The Colts are fine when it comes to offense but they have troubles preventing their opponents from scoring. Case in point was their first-round playoff game versus the Kansas City Chiefs where Alex Smith just torched the secondary of the Colts.

The team front-office did not sign anyone who could help the defense. Mike Adams, a 33-yard old, just doesn’t fit the bill. It would be up to the front seven to make up for the shortcomings of the secondary. Sophomore Bjoern Werner should step up, as well as new additions Arthur Jones and D’Owell Jackson.

Free Agency 2013: Two Weeks Later posted by Joe Anello

Okay everyone, it’s been long enough since my last check-in that a slew of impactful transactions have taken place in NFL free agency. So without further adieu, let’s go around the league!

(Here are my takes on the moves from day one and days two and three of free agency.)

WR Greg Jennings signs a 5-year $47.5 million deal ($18M gtd.) with the Minnesota Vikings

This move was almost a necessity for the Vikings AND Jennings. Minnesota was in dire straits at the receiver position after they traded away Percy Harvin to the Seahawks. Jennings wasn’t getting any more money than the Packers offered him, so he oddly walked away from that deal and signed with the division rival. He’ll be THE focal point in Minnesota at the receiver position. Maybe this eases Adrian Peterson’s rage over the trading of Harvin. Maybe.

LT Jake Long signs a 4-year, $36 million deal ($16M gtd.) with the St. Louis Rams

Shabam. And the real domino in the tackle game falls. Long’s extended physical delayed this deal from getting done sooner, but he’s now a Ram. If he’s legitimately healthy and returns to form, the Rams aren’t going to miss that money in the slightest. So what does this mean for incumbent LT and former second-round pick Roger Saffold? Uh… it means he’s on his way to the right side. Or to a trade. Once Long was signed, it set a real benchmark for other tackles on the market, as we’ll see later.

Free Agency 2013: Days Two and Three posted by Joe Anello

Welcome back everyone! I would have posted this last night but the lack of sleep Monday night really caught up with me. Now I’m back and ready to pick apart the transactions of days two and three of NFL free agency. Let’s get that money man!

OG Gosder Cherilus signs a 5-year, $34 million deal with Indianapolis Colts.
Additional signings: OG Donald Thomas (4 years, $14 million), LB Erik Walden (4 years, $16 million), S LaRon Landry (4 years, $24 million)

This is a group of Colt signings that I didn’t discuss in the day one recap because I was exhausted and there were too many to address. Cherilus was overpaid, but I get it. Thomas’ deal is tolerable and revamps the interior of their line. I don’t feel confident that Walden’s contract will prove to be money well spent. Still, signing Landry as well gives Chuck Pagano a play-making safety in his secondary. The Colts are spending, but not as crazily as the Dolphins.

WR Wes Welker signs a 2-year, $12 million deal with the Denver Broncos

Okay, I have a LOT to say about this deal. I took to Twitter to express my thoughts shortly after the news broke, but I felt utterly hindered by the 140-character limit. I was really upset by the news that New England only offered Welker $10 million (including incentives). He’s only been one of the hardest workers on your team for the past six seasons and this is how he gets rewarded? EFF YOU PATS.

Welker’s caught 100 balls in his entire run with the Pats and hasn’t shown signs of slowing down. So imagine my surprise when I heard the Broncos only had to pay him $12 million… for two years!  If he, in this odd-as-hell receiver market, shouldn’t get more than $6M a year, I obviously don’t know football.

The Final Drive: 2013 Wild Card Round posted by Joe Anello

Wild Card weekend in the NFL is a wrap! Note that this late posting is a testament to the dangers of kitties. (When you’re allergic to them.) There were bad offenses, great defenses, and ugly injuries to be found in the four match-ups, so let’s get through all the stories in The Final Drive!

(13-4) Houston Texans 19

(10-7) Cincinnati Bengals 13

The first half was a show of ugly offense, with three field goals by the Texans and only a pick-six by the Bengals to account for all the points on the board. Houston suffered because of failed third down conversions and a drop from Andre Johnson at the goal line, forcing them to settle for kicks. Andy Dalton threw a costly interception, but it was essentially wiped away as Leon Hall picked a Schaub pass and ran it back 21 yards to take a momentary lead. But the Bengal offense didn’t score at all in the first half. They barely improved.

In a trending theme of Saturday passing statistics, Cincinnati had -6 net yards passing at halftime. That prompted a “U-G-L-Y. You ain’t got no alibi. It’s ugly.” from Mike Mayock at halftime. (You have no idea how much Microsoft Word just hated that sentence.) When the Texans came out in the third quarter and mounted a touchdown drive, it practically was an insurmountable lead. The Bengals had no chance.

On a key drive in the fourth quarter, (while they were only down six), the Bengals were closing in on the redzone when they had to burn a timeout (play-calling disaster). On the ensuing play, they lost five yards due to a false start penalty. Then they went for it on fourth down (and failed), meaning the six point lead held.

The Opening Drive: 2013 Wild Card Round posted by Joe Anello

It’s that time of year. The NFL Playoffs are upon us, and with it come the unmitigated disasters that are my picks against the spread. (Which means I’m not picking winners or losers, but I’m predicting if a team will win by or keep it closer than the designated spread. Odds are grabbed from VegasInsider.com.) We’ve got some stellar match-ups as well, so without any further BS, it’s time to start the playoffs with this Wild Card edition of The Opening Drive!

(10-6) Cincinnati Bengals at

(12-4) Houston Texans

4:30 PM ET, NBC

In typical playoff fashion, the Wild Card round starts with what is most likely to be the most lackluster match-up of the weekend. This solid Bengals team (that apparently no one outside of Cincinnati believes in) heads to Houston to face a Texan squad that was in near free-fall the last month of the season. It’s not exactly thrilling drama (even though it is a rematch of last year’s playoff game), but this I think game is going to very tight. The Bengals can’t explode offensively and the Texans haven’t been lighting up the scoreboards lately. They’d prefer to get Arian Foster going anyway, which means a slower paced game, full of that exciting clock management stuff. Cincy has a shot at getting passes completed on the outside if A.J. Green can handle the one-on-one match-up with corner Jonathan Joseph. I believe he can, so Andy Dalton has to be able to find him consistently in order to free up the running game and the underneath passes to tight end Jermaine Gresham.

The Final Drive: Week 17, 2012 posted by Joe Anello

Oh man. The drama from week 17 in the NFL was palpable! I don’t have time to lather you up with a witty intro, so let’s get right into The Final Drive!

(10-6) Cincinnati Bengals 23

(10-6) Baltimore Ravens 17

Well the Ravens probably didn’t want to win this game. Consequently, they looked a tad disinterested. Not a lot to talk about here though. Moving on!

(6-10) Tennessee Titans 38

(2-14) Jacksonville Jaguars 20

This game had no playoff implications whatsoever, but I wanted to touch on the fact that the Titans scored FOUR touchdowns in a span of five minutes without touching the ball on offense. Darius Reynaud ran back two punts for scores while Zach Brown pick-sixed Chad Henne twice. That’s impressive as hell. But it might not be enough to save Mike Munchak’s job.

(11-5) Indianapolis Colts 28

(12-4) Houston Texans 16

Anyone else really interested in seeing how Houston performs in the playoffs? They went from almost the de facto number one seed with a bye all the way down to the three spot with what should be a tough game against the Bengals coming in round one. For the Colts, they might be emotionally peaking at the right time. It’s time for Luck to show his stuff in the postseason.

(9-7) New York Giants 42

(4-12) Philadelphia Eagles 7

It was a mighty effort against a crappy opponent, but the Giants’ losing their prior two games was too much to overcome. They’re 9-7 once again, but this season they have nothing to show for it. Maybe next year Eli. And I’ll likely be acknowledging Andy Reid’s final season/career in Philly tomorrow, when I’m writing about his dismissal. EEP!

The Opening Drive: Week 17, 2012 posted by Joe Anello

This is it everyone. The final week of the 2012 NFL season. Only a few months ago we were trying to figure out if the Cardinals were for real and if Peyton Manning would ever fully recover. (No and Yes, are those answers, by the way.) Now, in the final slate of games, we will discover who will make it into the playoffs and the bottom feeders’ order in the April draft. Let’s get into the games with The Opening Drive!

(10-5) Baltimore Ravens at

(9-6) Cincinnati Bengals

Baltimore could maybe get to a three seed with a win here, but the Bengals can’t change their slot at all. Honestly, both teams aren’t going to care about winning this game. The Ravens want to play the Colts in round one of the playoffs, I’m sure. That means they need to stay in the four spot. In the three, they’ll just see the Bengals for a second straight week. Cincy just has to get ready for the Patriots. Ugh.

(12-3) Houston Texans at

(10-5) Indianapolis Colts

Let’s see how strong #ChuckStrong really is! Now he’s back on the sidelines and the Texans are in town and looking to grab home field throughout the AFC playoffs. I don’t think the Colts are good enough to hang with Houston unless the Texans get really dumb and don’t pound the rock with Arian Foster. Houston should seal up the one seed here. Something else to watch for? See if J.J. Watt can break the single-season sack record.

The Final Drive: Week 16, 2012 posted by Joe Anello

Week 16 is in the books! The playoffs are nearly set in stone, with only two possible slots and a few seedings left to be decided. But the drama isn’t over yet! Let’s run through the results of week 16 in The Final Drive!

(7-8) New Orleans Saints 34

(8-7) Dallas Cowboys 31

Stunningly enough, this loss did little to hurt the Cowboys’ playoff chances. They’re still operating under a “win and in” situation heading into the season finale against the Redskins in week 17. Here’s my issue with this team: Tony Romo had a career day (416 yards, 4 TD’s), but the Cowboy defense did nothing to help him out. Drew Brees threw all over the secondary, leading to more shots of Rob Ryan perturbed on the sidelines.

(11-4) Green Bay Packers 55

(5-10) Tennessee Titans 7

The Packers seem to be streaking at just the right time, thanks to ridiculous play from Aaron Rodgers. Uh… this game is barely worth talking about it was such a slap-around.

(10-5) Indianapolis Colts 20

(2-13) Kansas City Chiefs 13

Andrew Luck sets the single season rookie passing yardage record in the same game his Colts clinch a playoff slot. Well done Mr. Luck. And now they get their head coach back from cancer. It’s a great story. I’m kinda done with it already. For Kansas City… they’re one loss closer to the number one overall pick… in a terrible draft. Whoops.

(9-6) Washington Redskins 27

(4-11) Philadelphia Eagles 20

Eagles still suck. The ‘Skins are pretty good. Even with their win, the ‘Skins still have to play the Cowboys in a “win and in” contest. So… nothing’s really changed.

The Opening Drive: Week 15, 2012 posted by Joe Anello

I gotta say, week 15 of the NFL season is here and it is absolutely stacked. Almost all of the early games on Sunday have playoff implications, which ensures the excitement starts early! Let’s go through the most intriguing match-ups of the weekend!

(8-5) New York Giants at

(11-2) Atlanta Falcons

Woof. This is not a bad game at all. The Super Bowl Champs head south to face a Falcons team that just gave up an odd game to the Newton-led Panthers. It’s going to be interesting how much the Giants flip their proverbial switch for this one, seeing as how they’ll very likely meet in the playoffs. (But the G-Men still have to get there.) If the Falcons are going to be taken seriously, Sunday would be a good way to start.

(7-6) Washington Redskins at

(5-8) Cleveland Browns

Word broke early Saturday that RG3 will not start in this game, meaning Kirk Cousins will be taking the reins against a stout Brown defense. This is definitely the best candidate for the “Trap of the Week.” I’ll give the ‘Skins’ coaching staff a lot of credit for the way this team has played thus far, because they’re certainly maximizing their talent. But without a dynamic QB like Griffin, this Washington offense might not have enough explosiveness to put up many points.

Colts' Arthur Jones suspended four games for PED use (Shutdown Corner)

Add Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Arthur Jones to the long list of players who will miss games at the start of the coming season because of NFL suspension. Jones will sit the first four games after violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs, as reported by the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson and others. Signed by the Colts to a five-year, $33 million contract ($16 million guaranteed) in 2014, a deal that reunited him with his defensive coordinator in Baltimore, Chuck Pagano, and was meant to shore up the Colts’bad run defense. [read full article]

From Yahoo Sports

NFL suspends Colts defensive lineman Art Jones for 4 games (Yahoo Sports)

[read full article]

From Yahoo Sports

Indianapolis adds tight end, releases young quarterback (Yahoo Sports)

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- The Indianapolis Colts have signed free-agent tight end Emil Igwenagu, clearing room on their 90-man roster by putting quarterback Josh Woodrum on waivers Tuesday. [read full article]

From Yahoo Sports

Patriots quarterback Brady ends 'Deflategate' legal fight (Reuters)

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady on Friday said he would end his legal battle against the National Football League over the decision to suspend him for four games as a result of the "Deflategate" scandal. On Wednesday, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York declined to review its April decision to reinstate the suspension of Brady, 38, who was twice the league's most valuable player. Brady was suspended after the NFL discovered under inflated footballs were used in the Patriots' 45-7 rout of the Indianapolis Colts in the January 2015 AFC championship game. [read full article]

From Yahoo Sports

Colts commission artist to create statue of Peyton Manning (Yahoo Sports)

[read full article]

From Yahoo Sports