My take on the schedule

[Kray007]

Baltimore…When you face the Ravens, your first thought always travels to their formidable Defense. But, the fact is that, last year, they surrendered a lot of points to good Offenses…41 to Buffalo, 38 to the Lions, 37 to KC, 44 to Houston, 32 to Cincinnati. On Offense, Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry are a powerful 1 2 punch, but…Henry is 32 years old, an age at which Father Time usually begins to win the race, especially for a RB. Jackson’s game was once predicated on a unique set of gifts, prowess with both his arm and his legs. But, age does things. He’s isn’t the 23 year old who rushed for 1200 yards in 2017. Last year, he gained less than 350 yards on 67 carries. His arm might still be formidable, but his Receiving corps consists of Zay Flowers, Mo, Curly, and Shemp. He has a suspect O Line, and an aging TE.

Kansas City…The Chefs tell us that Patrick Mahomes is far ahead of schedule in his rehab, but playing at a high level just 9 months after suffering a catastrophic knee injury is a big ask. At the very least, we’ll be facing a Quarterback hindered by mobility issues, and mobility is a big part of Mahomes game. His favorite target, Travis Kelce is 37 years old. Their Receiving corps doesn’t scare the bejeepers out of you, and the Offensive Line has only one elite player in Center Creed Humphrey. On D, they racked up 30 sacks, with their best pass rusher, Chris Jones, tallying 7. The aforementioned Jones makes them solid vs the run, but they have a run of the mill pass D.

Houston…the Texans and the Colts always play tough games, and there’s no reason to think that that’ll change anytime soon. With a return to health by Daniel Jones and company, one win isn’t too much to ask, especially considering that the jury is still out on Stroud, who benefits from a strong, eclectic group of skill players. They’re stll trying to cobble together an Offensive Line, hoping, among other things, that Braden Smith’s apparent decline is an illusion. On D, they have a very nice cast, but Danielle Hunter saw his 30th birthday almost 20 months ago. Two days before Halloween, he turns 32, and I gotta figure that everyone here joins me in the hope that, this year, he turns into a pumpkin.

Washington…The Commanders are a mess. Two years ago, they made the playoffs by bringing in a bunch of aging vets who staged a revival of George Allen’s Over The Hill Gang strategy. At Quarterback, they have Jayden Daniels who regressed in his second year, a Receiving corps short on talent save a 31 year old Terry McLaurin, and a very nice piece at RB named Rachaad White. Their OL is solid at LT and RG. On D, they have no one special. Nick Cross was brought in to solidify their back end, and, personally, I’m looking forward to seeing him trying to cover Josh Downs and Alec Pierce.

Pittsburgh…The Steelers are always a tough ask for the Colts. But, they’ve moved on from Mike Tomlin, and are waiting, with bated breath, to see if a 43 year old Quarterback reenlists. If Rodgers doesn’t come back, they have Mason Rudolph, who won’t keep Lou Anarumo awake, into the wee hours, trying to come up with solutions. They have a decent pair of Receivers in Pittman and Metcalf. On D, they have 4 outstanding players in Watt, Highsmith, Heyward, and Dean…great name for a law firm, almost as good as Dewey Suem and Howe. The rest, however, is nondescript, Watt is turning 32, and with any luck, will find himself sitting in the pumpkin patch along with Danielle Hunter.

Tennessee… is Tennessee

Minnesota…is contemplating trotting out Kyler Murray at Quarterback, and that tells you a lot. Justin Jefferson is a high quality piece at Receiver, and it’ll be entertaining to see him go up against Ward or Gardner. They have little that scares you in the Tight End room, and two very nice Offensive Tackles in Darrisaw and O’Neill. Unfortunately for them, however, the best player they have inside is Will Fries.

Jacksonviille…I’m not going to suggest that the Jags accomplished a lot with smoke and mirrors, but I will point out that their Cinderella season crashed and burned once they got into the playoffs. Obviously, they’re only as good as Trevor Lawrence, but I wouldn’t want to hang my hat on that guy. They don’t have much at RB, their Receivers are undistinguished, but they do have a good TE in Strange. On D, they have two really good players in Hines Allen and Antonio Johnson at Safety. Oluokun and White give them a solid, if unspectacular, Linebacker room. Montaric Brown is a decent Corner, but I wouldn’t want to leave him on an island with Alec Pierce. The biggest problem they have is that they lost Devin Lloyd in free agency, and I got the feeling that he was the beating heart of that D.

Dallas…The Cowpokes went 7-9 on the season, looking good on O. On D, however, they did a pretty good imitation of the Clanton boys at the OK Corral. 511 points surrendered. Dak Prescott has elite talent, but that never seems to translate into sustained success on the field. In Lamb, Pickens, and Williams, they’ve surrounded him with a solid cadre of skill personnel. They have an OL best described as middling and a D consisting of Quinnen Williams and the ten dwarves. They might have a hard time winning a shootout with SMU.

Miami…No one has broached the idea, yet, but…. With the decision to entrust the Offense to Malik Willis, in this corner of the NFL Cinematic Universe, the Fins look to have decided to double down on sucking for Arch.

New York…The Giants are high as a kite on Jackson Dart. They think that the reason the sun rises in the morning is because he wants it to, They have a solid Receiver room, a couple of good backs, and a line that shows signs of gelling. On D, the plan seems to be to unleash the hounds in Carter, Thibodeaux, Burns, and Reese and hope they get home before the opposition can take advantage of the other guys on the field for whom mediocre might be a compliment.

Philadelphia…the Eagles have a solid roster, so it’s no wonderbfthat they cruised to an 11-5 record. They did, however, play an inordinate number of close games. It’s a team with few flaws. One strange anomaly does show up, though. Even though they went 11-5, on Offense, they had only the 1th best passing offense, and were 18th best at rushing. On D, same story. Number 23 against the pass, 18th vs the run. The biggest question mark on the team is Saquon. At 29, he’s reached the sge where Father Time makes his move in the back stretch.

Cincinnati…On O, the Bengals are loaded at the skill positions, but thin on the line. The hope is that Chase and Highins get open before the pocket collapses. Fortunately for the Bengals, Burrow’s elusiveness allows him to escape pressure and make plays. Running the ball, Chase Brown is serviceable. On D, the sum is greater than the total of the individual parts. They lost Trey Hendrickson and you have to figure it has an impact. But, they added Sexy Dexy from the Giants. The rest of the D has pretty pedestrian talent, save from one Corner and a Safety.the key to the game will be coverage by Sauce and Mooney and whether they can handle Lawrence.

Cleveland…if DeShaun Watson can manage to resurrect his career, they might be okay. Any D with Myles Garrett and five plus 70 PFF defenders in the intervior of the D gives you a shot. The perimeter Defenders, however, seem mediocre.

[Racehorse]

I agree. This schedule might seem scary, but there are a lot of ????? with our opponents.

[Colts And Orioles]

Originally Posted by Racehorse

I agree. This schedule might seem scary, but there are a lot of ????? with our opponents.

o


That's the good news.

The bad news is that the Colts have almost as many question marks as do their opponents ....... the biggest of which are whether or not Daniel Jones will be ready by Opening Day, whether or not Jones will have all of his mobility back if he is back by Opening Day, and which QB will play in his place (Anthony Richardson or Riley Leonard) if he is not ready by then.

o

[Kray007]

Originally Posted by Colts And Orioles

o


That's the good news.

The bad news is that the Colts have almost as many question marks as do their opponents ....... the biggest of which are whether or not Daniel Jones will be ready by Opening Day, whether or not Jones will have all of his mobility back if he is back by Opening Day, and which QB will play in his place (Anthony Richardson or Riley Leonard) if he is not ready by then.

o

Add in questions about Buckner’s health and whether Mooney Ward will retire.

[ChaosTheory]

Originally Posted by Kray007

Add in questions about Buckner’s health and whether Mooney Ward will retire.

I've personally never really liked the Guardian Caps that make players look like bobbleheads...

But I want Charvarius Ward to wear two of them this year. And Ogletree still has to warm up in the parking lot.

[Oldcolt]

One big reason we have been mediocre for the last few years is an anemic pass rush. We get pressure and sacks but we cannot get them when the game is on the line against good teams. Until we can find an alpha pass rusher (or figure out a way to get pressure on another way when it counts) we are going to have a hell of a time beating quality teams. The defensive backfield, if it stays moderately healthy, does give some hope on that level in my mind-but it is a longshot.

[Kray007]

Originally Posted by Oldcolt

One big reason we have been mediocre for the last few years is an anemic pass rush. We get pressure and sacks but we cannot get them when the game is on the line against good teams. Until we can find an alpha pass rusher (or figure out a way to get pressure on another way when it counts) we are going to have a hell of a time beating quality teams. The defensive backfield, if it stays moderately healthy, does give some hope on that level in my mind-but it is a longshot.

We all love it when the Defense features one of those guys, a Dwight Freeney, a Reggie White, or a Myles Garrett. Instinctively, we believe that having one of those guys is the key to hoisting the Lombardi in February. But is it? When was the last time that a team with a big time, league leading, prototypical edge rusher won a Super Bowl?

[Kray007]

Originally Posted by ChaosTheory

I've personally never really liked the Guardian Caps that make players look like bobbleheads...

But I want Charvarius Ward to wear two of them this year. And Ogletree still has to warm up in the parking lot.

Take no chances. He ought to wear one while mowing his grass or shopping for groceries.

[Racehorse]

Originally Posted by Kray007

We all love it when the Defense features one of those guys, a Dwight Freeney, a Reggie White, or a Myles Garrett. Instinctively, we believe that having one of those guys is the key to hoisting the Lombardi in February. But is it? When was the last time that a team with a big time, league leading, prototypical edge rusher won a Super Bowl?

They discussed this on the radio in our area a while back. The conclusion was that teams do not win with a Freeney, Watt, Garrett, etc. They win with a overall defense that keeps scoring down, and an offense that scores well. Often, an elite pass rusher commands too large of a chunk of the salary cap, as they are paid very well.

Oh, and defenses that create turnovers. That is why the Mathis Colts did well. He got the sack, but also stripped the ball.

[Colts And Orioles]

Originally Posted by Racehorse

They discussed this on the radio in our area a while back. The conclusion was that teams do not win with a Freeney, Watt, Garrett, etc. They win with a overall defense that keeps scoring down, and an offense that scores well. Often, an elite pass rusher commands too large of a chunk of the salary cap, as they are paid very well.

Oh, and defenses that create turnovers. l That is why the Mathis Colts did well. He got the sack, but also stripped the ball.

o


Whenever that subject is broached, I always think of the game that Freeney and Mathis won it for us against the Browns ...... Peyton Manning and the Colts' offense put up a grand total of 3 points against the Brown that day ...... but midway through the 4th quarter,


Fast-forward to 49:45 ....... Freeney knocked the ball loose, and Mathis picked it and ran for what proved to be the game-winning TD.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubix1UaGSug




FINAL SCORE: )) COLTS -10 lllllllll BROWNS - 6


https://www.jt-sw.com/football/boxes...008-13-ind-cle

o