Are the Colts going to be able to stop the run? [Archive]

Sports Guy

08-06-2007, 05:24 PM

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp07/news/story?id=2962811

They also terminated Corey Simon's deal.

geschinger

08-06-2007, 05:52 PM

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp07/news/story?id=2962811

They also terminated Corey Simon's deal.

They'll have to do something. Maybe Warren Sapp if the Raiders cut him which seems like a real possibility. But to answer your question, no the Colts will not be able to stop the run. But they weren't able to last year either and things worked out okay.

square634

08-06-2007, 06:00 PM

In the end, when it mattered in the playoffs, they did stop the run.

As a Ravens fan, let's just say I will not be devastated if they are even worse against the run this year :D I feel bad for McFarland that he got such a bad injury, but I must say I wish no good fortune on the Irsay family.

geschinger

08-06-2007, 06:02 PM

In the end, when it mattered in the playoffs, they did stop the run.

As a Ravens fan, let's just say I will not be devastated if they are even worse against the run this year :D I feel bad for McFarland that he got such a bad injury, but I must say I wish no good fortune on the Irsay family.

They got the favorable matchups. KC at home who let them off the hook by not running enough, the Ravens didn't have the horses to exploit the weakness and the Patriots also in Indy who got lured into a shootout type of game. The Colts would of been toast if they had to play a team like SD. The Colts offense should be better this year and hopefully that will make up for the lack of defense. Kind of the opposite of the Ravens Super Bowl team.

square634

08-06-2007, 06:04 PM

KC had one of the best running games the entire year. If the Colts had been that bad in the playoffs, they would have been burned by the Chiefs.

geschinger

08-06-2007, 06:07 PM

KC had one of the best running games the entire year. If the Colts had been that bad in the playoffs, they would have been burned by the Chiefs.

Inexplicably they didn't try to exploit the Colts weakness. I think they had well under 20 runs the entire game. Plus even as bad as the Colts defense was it was still night and day when they played at home.

Sports Guy

08-06-2007, 06:20 PM

Actually, the opposing teams stopped the run against themselves much more than what the Colts did.

To think otherwise is being a huge homer.

geschinger

08-06-2007, 06:27 PM

Actually, the opposing teams stopped the run against themselves much more than what the Colts did.

To think otherwise is being a huge homer.

There is some truth to that. Although it would be equally true that one would have to be a huge homer to think that the Ravens were well suited to exploit the Colts weakness against the run. What were they - bottom 10% of the league in YPC?

Sports Guy

08-06-2007, 06:40 PM

There is some truth to that. Although it would be equally true that one would have to be a huge homer to think that the Ravens were well suited to exploit the Colts weakness against the run. What were they - bottom 10% of the league in YPC?

You can take the Ravens out of the equation if you want...Had the Pats been smart, the Colts lose that game...definitely.

Had the Chiefs tried to throw the ball and open up the COlts defense some, they may lose the game.

BaltimoreTerp

08-06-2007, 08:51 PM

They had problems all last year, but managed to come together in the playoffs.

Of course, that was WITH Corey Simon and Booger McFarland.

So, they lost their two top defensive tackles, plus Cato June and both starting cornerbacks.

That's not a good offseason for a defense.

Sports Guy

08-06-2007, 08:55 PM

They had problems all last year, but managed to come together in the playoffs.

Of course, that was WITH Corey Simon and Booger McFarland.

So, they lost their two top defensive tackles, plus Cato June and both starting cornerbacks.

That's not a good offseason for a defense.

Well, the other side to this is a healthy year(assuming) for Sanders and they likely won't have much of a corner dropoff.

geschinger

08-06-2007, 09:21 PM

They had problems all last year, but managed to come together in the playoffs.

Of course, that was WITH Corey Simon and Booger McFarland.

So, they lost their two top defensive tackles, plus Cato June and both starting cornerbacks.

That's not a good offseason for a defense.

Corey Simon did not play at all last year. The Colts wisely planned ahead for the loss of their starting CBs. They've drafted several DBs on the 1st day in the last couple of years and it is quite conceivable that they might end up being better off once those newbies get their footing. They certainly posses more raw talent than their predecessors. They also already have a replacement for Cato June ready to step in who will probably perform at a higher level. June didn't play that well last year and Keiaho looks like a keeper.

Stopping the run is going to be the achillies heel of the defense again this year. But hopefully what should be an improved offense will allow the Colts to overcome it.

utvolzac

08-19-2007, 02:54 PM

I really don't think stopping the run will be that big a deal for the Colts this year. They're offense is so good, that they are usually ahead in the score. Part of their defensive philosophy is capitalizing on the Offense making the opposing team play from behind. To keep up with the Colt's O, most teams have to abandon the run and throw the ball, which is right up the Colts D's alley with their impressive pass rushers.

geschinger

08-19-2007, 06:49 PM

I really don't think stopping the run will be that big a deal for the Colts this year. They're offense is so good, that they are usually ahead in the score. Part of their defensive philosophy is capitalizing on the Offense making the opposing team play from behind. To keep up with the Colt's O, most teams have to abandon the run and throw the ball, which is right up the Colts D's alley with their impressive pass rushers.

It's crucial that the Colts get to an early lead as that definitely helps overshadow the run defense. But there will be times where the Colts don't get the ball first and times where the defense does slow them down for a series or three. As a fan, nothing is more frustrating than seeing the opposition having drives of 12 plays or longer, 10:00 minutes or longer which happened consistently last year. Unfortunately it seems like it'll be more of the same this year unless some unlikely names really step up.

pgsentinelmike

09-08-2007, 12:41 AM

On paper, you'd think the best way for Indianapolis to stop the run would be to run up such a huge lead that it would force the other team to abandon the running game.

Then again, a combination of teams not running enough against the Colts and the Colts playing better against the run helped Indianapolis win the Super Bowl.