Indianapolis Colts Season Review
It isn't fair when you think about. The Colts let go of arguably the greatest quarterback of all time in Peyton Manning to enter a rebuilding year and they draft one of the young quarterbacks on the rise in Andrew Luck. Although he looks like a caveman, the man can play football. The Colts were able to go 11-5 this season, only to lose in the divisional round in the playoffs. After a successful season for the Colts, we can take a step back and see that their stats were just average and need to upgrade a few positions to maximize their potential.
The Colts were an odd team. They could beat some of the best teams and look amazing, but then lose to some average or subpar teams and look out of place at times. They would beat Seattle, Denver, and San Francisco but fall short to the Rams, Dolphins, and Chargers. The Colts can continue to make the playoffs but will never really be a contender unless they are more consistent.
The lack of a real running game truly hurt the Colts. Their 3rd leading rusher on the team was Andrew Luck. Despite his athleticism, he shouldn't be a leading rusher. As I said from the moment it happened the trade for Trent Richardson was a disaster. Trent Richardson is not an elite running back in this league. He only managed to average 2.9 yards a carry and only had 458 yards for the Colts. The offense was a complete different person when Donald Brown was in the game. The first order of business is to get him resigned. It took a while, but Donald Brown is starting to blossom both in the passing and running game. His ability to pick up blitzes and then sneak out behind the defensive line and make plays is uncanny. He rushed for 537 yards and averaged 6.4 yards a carry. Clearly this offense is better with Donald Brown in the lineup. I am curious to see how Ahmad Bradshaw will bounce back from his injury. That could be interesting if the Colts can get him rolling again.
In order for the Colts to be an elite team, they have to upgrade a few positions. First, wide reciever. Yes they have Reggie Wayne and Ty Hilton. Yes I love both of those players, Reggie Wayne is aging (still might have the best hands in football) and Ty Hilton could use some help. This is a talented wide receiver group. Not to mention Hakeem Nicks openly expressed his interest in playing with Andrew Luck. Statistically this offense was average last season. Ranked 14th in total points(24.4), 15th in yards per game(341.8), 17th in passing yards(232.8), and 21 in rushing yards(108.9). Upgrades are needed on the offensive line. But more importantly they need to focus on the defense. Vontae Davis is a free agent. Profootballtalk reports that Colts and Davis are close on a deal. Signing the former Brown's linebacker D'qwell Jackson will help the NFL's 26th ranked rushing defense. Look for the Colts to address the defense line through free agency and the draft.
Colts won the division in 2013...they are just a few upgrades away from winning a super bowl in the near future.
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