Colts Gab

By and large, the Indianapolis Colts have been an high-octane offensive team, with a bend-but-not-break defense. But with some astute signings on the defensive side of the ball (Gary Brackett, Antoine Bethea, Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis and a finally healthy Bob Sanders) totalling in the neighborhood of $242 million since 2006, the Colts should finally be able to reap some benefits.

Fortunately for the team, their defensive coordinator Larry Coyer has a system in place that will enable the defensive line and subsequently the secondary to be able to be more aggressive than in the past.

As in any professional team sports, with so much money invested in the defense, playing time will be hard to come by, save for the usual suspects.

Assuming that Freeney, Sanders and Mathis remain healthy through the entire 2010-11 season, the Colts’ defensive line can be lethal, especially in passing situations. And Sanders – we already know about his pass coverage abilities; that goes without saying.

The defensive line, for the most part, is set with Freeney and Mathis as bookends with wither Eric Foster and Daniel Muir spelling each other at defensive tackle.

Linebacker is likely going to consist of Brackett, Clint Session and either Phillip Wheeler or Cody Glenn starting. Fortunately, the Colts have many options at LB, so this is a position of strength.

The secondary, depending on the health of some players, will probably have Bob Sanders and Melvin Bullitt at safety and Jerraud Powers and probably Jacob Lacey at cornerback.

But when the smoke clears, there will be battles at all of the defensive positions, save for the DEs, a couple of the LBs and certainly playing time in the secondary. Suffice it to say, the secondary is deep. And let’s not forget about Jerry Hughes. Although one would assume he is a defensive end, there is the possibility that he can also do some pass rushing at one of the linebacker slots.

If Coyer can whip the defense into decent shape and resemble or even improve over last year, they will make Peyton Manning’s job that much easier.

After all, that’s what they’re supposed to do, right?

Photos: Colts.com

For the 31st pick of the NFL Draft, many expected the Colts to draft an offensive tackle or someone like that. People were just hoping for someone who can contribute on offense.

But I guess the Colts will do that in the later rounds, picking up Jerry Hughes, defensive end/linebacker from TCU. In my opinion, I really don’t see this as that bad of a pick.

I say Hughes could be one of the futures of the Colts. I think the Colts will rotate him at many positions. He could be a very valuable asset to the franchise. Before we get into this, let’s take a look at his career profile in college and such.

Hughes was probably the anchor of this Horned Frogs’ defense. His last two seasons have been the most significant of his career, putting up 31 tackles and 15 sacks in 2008 and 32 tackles and eleven sacks in 2009.

For his career, Hughes has had 142 tackles, 28 sacks, and three interceptions. Hughes is also a fast athlete for his size at 6′3″ and 260 pounds.

After seeing his stats, it seems like he is one of those combo 3-4 linebackers you see today. Putting up tackles and sacks. But since Indy has lost Raheem Brock, the Colts will look to replace him with Hughes.

The Colts are known for fast defenders. I mean, just look at Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney, possibly the fastest defensive-end combo in the league. Hughes will be just another one of them. He will look to pair up with Mathis, Freeney, and Daniel Muir.

The Colts could also do this, too: put Mathis at left defensive end, Hughes at right defensive end, and Freeney and Muir as the tackles. It might fit better. But the Colts probably might not be look towards that.

Just an idea.

Indy sometimes does a rotation with their ends. Hughes could play DT and sometimes replace Mathis and Freeney at end when they need breaks throughout the game. We seen it happen last season. Sometimes Mathis and Brock went into rotations.

The Colts also do more with Hughes.

They could use him as a DE/LB combo. He could play some minutes at the linebacker position. Since TCU played a different defense, I believe, Hughes will probably have to adjust to the 4-3.

Like I said before, he is playing defensive end as the Colts announced. Bill Polian says the Colts have been looking for third pass-rusher for a while. It could work with Hughes at linebacker sometimes.

The Colts could use him in a blitz package when they put him at LB.

It’ll look pretty good to me.

But as the day ended yesterday, the Colts got who they got and they’re happy to have him. I am, too. I say it’s an excellent pick.

The Colts should get him into business right away. Probably start him somewhere or be in a rotation with Mathis and Freeney. But whatever they do, Hughes is gonna make a difference.

Get excited Colts fans.

This year is gonna be different.

With the Super Bowl a week away, there’s some sad news that has started already for the Colts. Star defensive end Dwight Freeney had a torn ligament which would make it difficult for him to play in the Super Bowl against the high-powered offense of the New Orleans Saints.

“He is under the care of our athletic training staff,” Team Spokesman Craig Kelley said. “Nothing we have seen changes our diagnosis that he is questionable. He has a third-degree, low basketball sprain.”

It means Freeney has a complete tear in the ankle ligament. I see the Dwight playing. I doubt he will not play this game. 100 percent, actually. But even if Freeney does play in my mind, it’s going to be questionable of how effective he will be.

“He has had injuries before where they said [he's] not going to play and he has come back,” Colts tight end Dallas Clark said during the Pro Bowl. “He is a competitor, he is one of the toughest guys on our team and I never expect him to miss anything.”

I think Freeney will be alright. It would be horrible without him. The Colts will lose another important player to squad. There was Bob Sanders and Marlin Jackson. Don’t let it be Dwight this time. Especially if it’s Super Bowl time.

Don’t worry.

Defensive end Dwight Freeney did not travel with the team to Houston and will not play against the Texans in week 12 with an abdomen injury, reports ESPN on Twitter. Freeney leads all Colts with 9.5 sacks. Freeney was selected by Indianapolis with the 11th selection in the 2002 NFL Draft out of Syracuse.

Dwight Freeney did not practice Wednesday, according to the Texans’ official website. Freeney has been recovering from a knee ailment, but the source noted that his absence was non-injury related. He is having a fine year with eight sacks so far.

Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney might play Sunday. Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and left tackle Walter Jones will not.

Hasselbeck is out with a broken rib, Jones has not played since having knee surgery in August and both are inactive.

Reports this week indicated Freeney would miss two to three weeks with a strained right quadriceps. Freeney said he would try to play.

Colts safety Bob Sanders, linebacker Gary Brackett and cornerback Kelvin Hayden, receiver Anthony Gonzalez, offensive linemen Tony Ugoh and Jamey Richard and defensive tackle Fili Moala were inactive.

The Seahawks deactivated cornerback Josh Wilson, linebacker Leroy Hill, defensive tackles Red Bryant and Michael Bennett and tight end Cameron Morrah.

An injured quadriceps muscle could very well keep Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney out for a bit, according to an ESPN report, with the initial prognosis being issued by an unnamed source.

According to team spokesman Craig Kelley, the team would not provide a more detailed injury report on Freeney until Wednesday (today); Freeney’s agent, Gary Wichard, did not respond to any emails sent his way. The injury occurred during the third quarter of Indianapolis’ win over the Arizona Cardinals last Sunday night; Freeney walked off the field under his own power, and according to team president Bill Polian, Freeney said that:

“if he could walk, he could play.”

I can only speak for myself here when I say that assuming that the quad injury is what it appears to be, Freeney should sit out a week or two until the quad is vastly recovered. The team will need his presence for the long haul of the balance of this regular season and beyond, so trying to be a hero will not achieve neither Freeney’s or the Colts’ overall goals.

From: Pro Football Talk.com

Well, when a guy has a $72 million contract, he can afford a $20,000 fine or two. Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney, after Saturday night’s loss to the Chargers, unloaded to Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports regarding the quality (or lack thereof) of the officiating. “Those were the worst [expletive] calls I’ve seen in a long time,” Freeney said. “To have a game of that magnitude taken out of your hands, it’s just disgusting. It’s not like they made one [expletive] bad call – it’s three calls, in overtime.

On one the ball’s 50 feet over [Chambers’] head. And they have the nerve to call defensive holding? When they can’t even call one friggin’ offensive holding the whole game? What’s going on? They need to start investigating some other [expletive].” On one hand, Freeney has learned well from G.M. Bill Polian, on the other hand, there’s no way Freeney doesn’t get fined.

All night long it looked as if it was going to be one of those nights for the Colts. They were getting beat at the line of scrimage, were not able to stop the Jags offense, and despite a good night from Peyton Manning, they were just a step slower than the more motivated Jaguars.

That is until the end.

The Colts finally caught the Jaguars at the 6:28 mark of the fourth quarter after an Adam Vinatieri 45-yard field goal tied the game at 24. Then less than two minutes later, Jags QB David Garrard made a game-changing mistake, throwing a pick that Keiwan Ratliff played perfectly, taking it back 35 yards for the score.

But there was still time left.

And the Jags were able to get the ball back deep in their own territory with 2:34 to go, needing to go 90 yards for the game-tying score. They were able to gain big yards in chunks, and with :48 seconds left were already down to the Colts 17.

That’s when two monster plays took place. The first would be one that actually went against the Colts, a niffty pass and catch from Garrard to Maurice Jones-Drew that gained them 10 yards. Problem with the play for the Jags was Jones was hurt on the play, and even though there was plenty of time on the clock, the injury with no timeouts caused the refs to enforce a 10 second clock runoff, taking the time from :27 seconds to :17.

Then after an incomplete pass, the Colts defense stepped up for another huge play, as Dwight Freeney ran through the Jags line, getting to Garrard who had no shot to throw, slinging him down for a 9-yard loss that put him back to the 16. The most important thing – the clock kept running, and the Jags were helpless to stop it as it hit zero before the Jags were able to run another play.

Game over.

And with it, the team is headed to the playoffs. Yes, their backs will be against the wall as the number five seed, but for a club that has come up with big plays the last eight weeks, their ability to do it again on Thursday night shows just how good this team can be in the postseason.

While the Colts offense is getting a lot of kudos for Sunday’s 35-3 trouncing of the awful Bengals, let’s remember how impressive this Indy defense has played the last two weeks. Yes, it’s been against subpar teams in the Browns and Bengals, but they have not allowed a TD in two games, and Sunday Kelvin Hayden took a pick to the house, the second straight week the D has scored.

“We did a great job game planning, and we knew their quarterback would get rattled if we got some pressure,” Hayden said. “I just tried to take advantage of it.” Hayden picked off two passes, and all day they made sure that whoever was at QB for the Bengals didn’t have much in the way of opportunity to throw or scramble.

“Those close games are good for morale. They build character,” Colts defensive end Robert Mathis said. “But you also want to win like this, everybody having fun and you just pin your ears back and go.” Mathis along with Dwight Freeney are making this Colts team one that no one wants to play in the playoffs.

Now it the time for this club to keep building on this current momentum. Even though they are not the South champs, have the feel of a team that can go a long way in January, and that’s all that you can ask for.