Colts time is now

[swiper]

But you gotta beat the Bills first.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/06/08/colts-players-know-our-time-is-now/

[Joe Fo Sho]

I talked with a guy this weekend at a party that works in the scouting department for the Colts. He was a younger guy, probably 28 or so, who analyzes game film for the Colts' future opponents. He said it's been his job to scout their first 2 games of the season, of which one is the Bills. The guy didn't even seem remotely worried about us. He basically said EJ is one of the worst QBs in the league right now and then he just laughed at me when I mentioned Tyrod Taylor. I can't really say that I blame him at this point, but it just seemed like he was overconfident. I hope we wipe that smirk off his face real quick. Maybe he was just annoyed with me because I told him that the road to the Superbowl runs through Buffalo this year.

[better days]

Well, I hope the entire Colts team is overconfident.

The Ralph will be rockin for that game.

Good luck to Luck being heard by anyone on the Colts team.

I expect a false start or two in the first qtr by the Colts.

[feldspar]

I talked with a guy this weekend at a party that works in the scouting department for the Colts. He was a younger guy, probably 28 or so, who analyzes game film for the Colts' future opponents. He said it's been his job to scout their first 2 games of the season, of which one is the Bills. The guy didn't even seem remotely worried about us. He basically said EJ is one of the worst QBs in the league right now and then he just laughed at me when I mentioned Tyrod Taylor. I can't really say that I blame him at this point, but it just seemed like he was overconfident. I hope we wipe that smirk off his face real quick. Maybe he was just annoyed with me because I told him that the road to the Superbowl runs through Buffalo this year.

The Colts haven't been drafting well.

[Joe Fo Sho]

The Colts haven't been drafting well.

He actually said he used to focus on the draft for them, but this year moved to professional scouting for offseason free agency. This guy is definitely not very high up on the ladder for them, but maybe they're trying to shift things around after recognizing their poor drafting ability.

[PromoTheRobot]

I talked with a guy this weekend at a party that works in the scouting department for the Colts. He was a younger guy, probably 28 or so, who analyzes game film for the Colts' future opponents. He said it's been his job to scout their first 2 games of the season, of which one is the Bills. The guy didn't even seem remotely worried about us. He basically said EJ is one of the worst QBs in the league right now and then he just laughed at me when I mentioned Tyrod Taylor. I can't really say that I blame him at this point, but it just seemed like he was overconfident. I hope we wipe that smirk off his face real quick. Maybe he was just annoyed with me because I told him that the road to the Superbowl runs through Buffalo this year.

Is this guy's job to just scout offense? Did he bother to look at our defense? Does he even know Matt Cassell is a Bill? Was this guy even legit?

[feldspar]

He actually said he used to focus on the draft for them, but this year moved to professional scouting for offseason free agency. This guy is definitely not very high up on the ladder for them, but maybe they're trying to shift things around after recognizing their poor drafting ability.

Still, that's part of the problem too...the Colts have been having to rely too heavily on free agency in part because of their failure to draft well. I think they have the oldest roster in the NFL right now in terms of average age. This reliance on free agency could come back to bite them in a big way in the not-too-distant future, especially when Luck demands his ridiculous contract he's got coming to him. Luck was perhaps the biggest no-brainier 1st overall pick I've ever seen, and the main reason for that team's turnaround.

Don't get me wrong, I think the Colts will be really good this year and will be contenders.

But anybody that kind of laughs off the competition in any NFL game is a fool..not a smart outlook at all, and I don't care how good your team is. Good teams do not do that, and I hope this upstart scout knows this; on the other hand, I hope he doesn't know that and the Bills teach him that lesson.

[Joe Fo Sho]

Is this guy's job to just scout offense? Did he bother to look at our defense? Does he even know Matt Cassell is a Bill? Was this guy even legit?

The guy was not lying, if that's what you're asking. I confirmed it with a few friends of mine because I was surprised the someone who works for the Colts would be in my friends house. He was in town because his brother just had a kid, he grew up there and his father is friends with my buddy's dad.

I don't know exactly what his specialty was, but like I said, he was definitely not high on the food chain. He might have just been playing it off like he's not worried, after all...why would he be telling someone that he just met that he's worried about his team losing to the Bills? It was just weird that he had nothing nice to say about the Bills, it kind of pissed me off.

[WagonCircler]

He basically said EJ is one of the worst QBs in the league right now .

This sounds like the setup for one of those "Everybody knows that" commercials.

[Joe Fo Sho]

Still, that's part of the problem too...the Colts have been having to rely too heavily on free agency in part because of their failure to draft well. I think they have the oldest roster in the NFL right now in terms of average age. This reliance on free agency could come back to bite them in a big way in the not-too-distant future, especially when Luck demands his ridiculous contract he's got coming to him. Luck was perhaps the biggest no-brainier 1st overall pick I've ever seen, and the main reason for that team's turnaround.

Trading a 1st for Trent Richardson is one of the worst moves by any team in recent memory. The Colts are definitely not flawless by any stretch of the imagination.


Don't get me wrong, I think the Colts will be really good this year and will be contenders.

I don't think anybody in their right mind would disagree with this, but we definitely have a chance to upset them week 1 at the Ralph.


But anybody that kind of laughs off the competition in any NFL game is a fool..not a smart outlook at all, and I don't care how good your team is. Good teams do not do that, and I hope this upstart scout knows this; on the other hand, I hope he doesn't know that and the Bills teach him that lesson.

Church.

[better days]

Still, that's part of the problem too...the Colts have been having to rely too heavily on free agency in part because of their failure to draft well. I think they have the oldest roster in the NFL right now in terms of average age. This reliance on free agency could come back to bite them in a big way in the not-too-distant future, especially when Luck demands his ridiculous contract he's got coming to him. Luck was perhaps the biggest no-brainier 1st overall pick I've ever seen, and the main reason for that team's turnaround.

Don't get me wrong, I think the Colts will be really good this year and will be contenders.

But anybody that kind of laughs off the competition in any NFL game is a fool..not a smart outlook at all, and I don't care how good your team is. Good teams do not do that, and I hope this upstart scout knows this; on the other hand, I hope he doesn't know that and the Bills teach him that lesson.

I heard John Clayton talk about young QB's in regards to Russell Wilson.

Clayton rightly said after a young QB gets paid his big contract, the team will regress because of cap issues.

It happened to the Ravens with Flacco, it will happen to the Panthers & the Seahawks.

And Luck will make more than the other QB's without question.

You know the Colts will be affected when Luck gets PAID.

[HAMMER]

I would have been equally as dismissive of you. Andrew Luck vs. Manuel or Cassell isn't much of a contest. They did just play in the AFC Championship game after all.

[Joe Fo Sho]

I would have been equally as dismissive of you. Andrew Luck vs. Manuel or Cassell isn't much of a contest. They did just play in the AFC Championship game after all.

Yeah probably, who the hell am I anyway? Just some guy.

[Night Train]

Indy D is very average. Frank Gore, who lost his starting job in San Fran, is now their RB. Hmmm...

Luck better have a big game in the opener. Against our D ? On the road ? Not buying it.

[Jimkelly12203]

While I do not believe that it is ALL about the QB in this league (as though it was the only thing you need), many people do make that argument, and Luck is strong evidence that it has some validity. IDK how that team gets to the AFC Championship game, but it did. And they'll make the playoffs again this year. But I do think at home against our D it will be a game we can win. Now, give me a star QB and a great OL, and yeah I think you make the playoffs every year even if the rest of the team is comprised of just a random sampling of NFL caliber talent.

[Joe Fo Sho]

While I do not believe that it is ALL about the QB in this league (as though it was the only thing you need), many people do make that argument, and Luck is strong evidence that it has some validity. IDK how that team gets to the AFC Championship game, but it did. And they'll make the playoffs again this year. But I do think at home against our D it will be a game we can win. Now, give me a star QB and a great OL, and yeah I think you make the playoffs every year even if the rest of the team is comprised of just a random sampling of NFL caliber talent.

Well they played the Bengals in the wild card round. The Bengals and Andy Dalton choke every year in the playoffs. Then they got to play an injured Peyton Manning. They definitely deserve some credit for that win, but the Broncos were not playing as well as they should have been playing. The Colts did not have a particularly difficult road to the AFC championship game last year. However, to their credit, they still played well enough to get there.

Not to mention they get to play the Jaguars and Titans twice a year, may as well throw the Texans in there, too. That's 5 or 6 wins a year for them. The Texans are getting better, but the Colts still own them and that division.

[feldspar]

I would have been equally as dismissive of you. Andrew Luck vs. Manuel or Cassell isn't much of a contest. They did just play in the AFC Championship game after all.

Quarterbacks do not play each other...ever. They play against the other team's defense. This isn't head-to-head boxing we are talking about.

Who won the Kyle Orton vs. Aaron Rodgers matchup? That's right, Kyle Orton beat Aaron Rodgers. Would you ever dream to make that claim? Because it was Kyle Orton that forced Aaron Rodgers to complete 40% of his passes for 185 yards, throw 2 Ints, no TDs, and a have a 34 passer rating. Is that correct?

Mark Sanchez beat Tom Brady and Peyton Manning in playoff games too, I guess you'll also say.

Let's not be simplistic about it.

And if Luck gets hurt, what happens then? Are they **** out of luck?

[better days]

While I do not believe that it is ALL about the QB in this league (as though it was the only thing you need), many people do make that argument, and Luck is strong evidence that it has some validity. IDK how that team gets to the AFC Championship game, but it did. And they'll make the playoffs again this year. But I do think at home against our D it will be a game we can win. Now, give me a star QB and a great OL, and yeah I think you make the playoffs every year even if the rest of the team is comprised of just a random sampling of NFL caliber talent.

The Colts got to the AFC Championship game the same way the Patriots* did.

By winning their division.

You get in the playoffs, & anything can happen.

[swiper]

Indy D is very average. Frank Gore, who lost his starting job in San Fran, is now their RB. Hmmm...

Luck better have a big game in the opener. Against our D ? On the road ? Not buying it.

Indy upgraded over this off-season. They have won 11 games 3 seasons in a row. To think the lowly Buffalo Bills will beat them just because the game is in Buffalo is not too smart.

Andrew Luck can change the course of any game. Now he has Gore and Johnson. Unless the Bills defense is that of the 1985 Bears, the Bills will be underdogs.

http://www.kspr.com/sports/nfl-draft-preview-colts-upgrade-ongoing/21051914_32531164

[ParanoidAndroid]

Well they played the Bengals in the wild card round. The Bengals and Andy Dalton choke every year in the playoffs. Then they got to play an injured Peyton Manning. They definitely deserve some credit for that win, but the Broncos were not playing as well as they should have been playing. The Colts did not have a particularly difficult road to the AFC championship game last year. However, to their credit, they still played well enough to get there.

Not to mention they get to play the Jaguars and Titans twice a year, may as well throw the Texans in there, too. That's 5 or 6 wins a year for them. The Texans are getting better, but the Colts still own them and that division.

Sounds like the Patriots* and the AFC East.

[feldspar]

Indy upgraded over this off-season. They have won 11 games 3 seasons in a row. To think the lowly Buffalo Bills will beat them just because the game is in Buffalo is not too smart.

Andrew Luck can change the course of any game. Now he has Gore and Johnson. Unless the Bills defense is that of the 1985 Bears, the Bills will be underdogs.

http://www.kspr.com/sports/nfl-draft-preview-colts-upgrade-ongoing/21051914_32531164

I think the Colts had the easiest strength-of-schedule last year, or somewhere very close to it. Did you notice the division they are in?

[swiper]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/schedule/_/name/ind/year/2014

[Mace]

I'm grudgingly buying into Luck being the real deal, I'm stingy with anointed QB's, but it just seems to me Indy isn't going anywhere with their defense and o-line not being so great. I'm not real sure their coaching is all that either.

[Oaf]

Indy upgraded over this off-season. They have won 11 games 3 seasons in a row. To think the lowly Buffalo Bills will beat them just because the game is in Buffalo is not too smart.

Andrew Luck can change the course of any game. Now he has Gore and Johnson. Unless the Bills defense is that of the 1985 Bears, the Bills will be underdogs.

http://www.kspr.com/sports/nfl-draft-preview-colts-upgrade-ongoing/21051914_32531164

I agree with this, but it being week 1 at Buffalo, I give it even 50-50 odds. We almost took the Patriots opener in '13 with EJ as a rook, no reason we can't do the same and potentially pull it out.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

Indy upgraded over this off-season. They have won 11 games 3 seasons in a row. To think the lowly Buffalo Bills will beat them just because the game is in Buffalo is not too smart.

As was noted, the Colts have feasted on the weakest division in football over the last three years. Tennessee, Houston, and Jax obviously each play 10 games a year outside the AFC south. Over the last three seasons, they've gone by my count 27-63 when not playing each other.

Indy is a good team and it will be a tough fight, but that is a 9 win team masquerading as an 11 win team because they get to smack their division around like a handball.

[Strongman]

The guy was not lying, if that's what you're asking. I confirmed it with a few friends of mine because I was surprised the someone who works for the Colts would be in my friends house. He was in town because his brother just had a kid, he grew up there and his father is friends with my buddy's dad.

I don't know exactly what his specialty was, but like I said, he was definitely not high on the food chain. He might have just been playing it off like he's not worried, after all...why would he be telling someone that he just met that he's worried about his team losing to the Bills? It was just weird that he had nothing nice to say about the Bills, it kind of pissed me off.

Did you tell him thanks for giving us Jerry Hughes?

[GingerP]

I heard John Clayton talk about young QB's in regards to Russell Wilson.

Clayton rightly said after a young QB gets paid his big contract, the team will regress because of cap issues.

It happened to the Ravens with Flacco, it will happen to the Panthers & the Seahawks.

And Luck will make more than the other QB's without question.

You know the Colts will be affected when Luck gets PAID.

Seems like a good problem to have when compared to having no franchise QB.

[don137]

Not sure why this guy is acting all cocky. I think the Colts are one of the worst run organizations in the NFL as far as scouting. If they didn't have Luck they would be drafting in the top 5. Heck you put Luck on the Bills team and you would have Super Bowl favorites. They attracted good talent like Andre Johnson because he wanted to play with Luck. It's nothing their front office did. Their drafting has been very pedestrian.
BTW, thanks for Jerry Hughes.

[HHURRICANE]

If we beat the Colts it will be a miracle. This team is early on favorites to win it all.

[better days]

Seems like a good problem to have when compared to having no franchise QB.

It is nice to have a decent QB.

But the money these just above average QB's like Flacco & Newton are making is CRAZY.

Those guys are not good enough to carry a team on their back like Peyton Manning & Brady.

So with little cap space, unable to keep good players, those teams will regress according to Clayton.

[better days]

If we beat the Colts it will be a miracle. This team is early on favorites to win it all.

The Colts will most likely come into this game as the favorite, but I doubt it will be by a lot of points.

I would think 6 points or less. It will be no miracle if the Bills win this game, it will be a good Bills team & home field advantage that give the Bills the win.

[swiper]

Did you tell him thanks for giving us Jerry Hughes?

That should have shut him right up.

- - - Updated - - -


The Colts will most likely come into this game as the favorite, but I doubt it will be by a lot of points.

I would think 6 points or less. It will be no miracle if the Bills win this game, it will be a good Bills team & home field advantage that give the Bills the win.

The outcome will likely set the stage for both teams moving forward into 2015.

[Strongman]

A player like Luck can go a very long way in masking a lot of an organization's shortcomings. Without him, they are a 3-4 win team.

[PromoTheRobot]

If we beat the Colts it will be a miracle. This team is early on favorites to win it all.

Mark this down: Luck will be looking out of his earhole for most of the Bills game.

[starrymessenger]

I like our chances in that game. Rex has things to prove as a HC in Buffalo, but no one is better at scheming to shut down a franchise QB, including even a future H of Famer like Brady, than Rex. He's done it with defences that leave something to be desired. He should be even better at it with what he now has to work with.

[Meathead]

cuck the folts

[swiper]

Mark this down: Luck will be looking out of his earhole for most of the Bills game.

I'd like to see that. No really. I would.

[better days]

I'd like to see that. No really. I would.

It will happen. The only question is who gets to him the most?

[Generalissimus Gibby]

I would not count out Indy or the Patriots. Remember we just missed the playoffs . . . again . . . for the 15th straight year. I think we will be better than last year if we don't get injured, but our OL is still vulnerable, our QBs are substandard, and our DBs are inexperienced. Hopefully we can finally get into the post season, but lets not be marking down Indy as an automatic win. I mean I like us at home and all, but we are playing the AFC runner up from last year and they have at least on paper bolstered their roster

[Ingtar33]

I talked with a guy this weekend at a party that works in the scouting department for the Colts. He was a younger guy, probably 28 or so, who analyzes game film for the Colts' future opponents. He said it's been his job to scout their first 2 games of the season, of which one is the Bills. The guy didn't even seem remotely worried about us. He basically said EJ is one of the worst QBs in the league right now and then he just laughed at me when I mentioned Tyrod Taylor. I can't really say that I blame him at this point, but it just seemed like he was overconfident. I hope we wipe that smirk off his face real quick. Maybe he was just annoyed with me because I told him that the road to the Superbowl runs through Buffalo this year.

I can't take a team seriously that lose to the browns.

[better days]

I would not count out Indy or the Patriots. Remember we just missed the playoffs . . . again . . . for the 15th straight year. I think we will be better than last year if we don't get injured, but our OL is still vulnerable, our QBs are substandard, and our DBs are inexperienced. Hopefully we can finally get into the post season, but lets not be marking down Indy as an automatic win. I mean I like us at home and all, but we are playing the AFC runner up from last year and they have at least on paper bolstered their roster

Gilmore, McKelvin, Graham, Aaron Williams, Duke Williams are all vets with experience.

I don't know where you get the DB's are inexperienced.

And while the OL may be vulnerable, it will no doubt be much better than last year when the Bills went 9-7.

And I don't think anyone is counting the Colts game as an automatic win, but the realists view it was a winnable game.

And if Brady does not play the 2nd game, I really like the Bills chances to win that game & expect the Bills to be the favorites in that game.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

I would not count out Indy or the Patriots. Remember we just missed the playoffs . . . again . . . for the 15th straight year. I think we will be better than last year if we don't get injured, but our OL is still vulnerable, our QBs are substandard, and our DBs are inexperienced. Hopefully we can finally get into the post season, but lets not be marking down Indy as an automatic win. I mean I like us at home and all, but we are playing the AFC runner up from last year and they have at least on paper bolstered their roster

Nobody outside of Boston should ever count the Colts as an automatic win, but nobody outside of Nashville or Jacksonville should count them as an automatic loss either.

[Mr. Pink]

The Colts will never win anything of value in the postseason until they can supplement Luck's ability with some semblance of anything else. That team can only go as far as Andrew Luck can carry it. They can't even pretend to run the football to keep a defense honest and their own defense is lackluster at best.

However, as long as Luck is in Indy, they'll be a playoff team year in and year out.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

However, as long as Luck is in Indy, they'll be a playoff team year in and year out.

And as long as Indy is in the AFC South