What's the Deal with the Offense

In recent years I have noticed that our offense has been not running quite as effectively as it had in years past.  Those years where Peyton would set records were absolutely incredible years to be a Colts fan.  In recent seasons, this one, and two or three years prior to this our offense has taken somewhat of a step back.  It was much more noticeable this season with the injuries, but in recent years the offense has not been that "Well oiled machine" we Colts fans grew accustomed to.


Whats the problem?


I think its personnel, and personally this is why I think Manning is the greatest.  


In my previous post I incorporated the regular season records from the most recent decade, and it marked the team's consistency.  In the last 13 seasons, NFL team rosters have turned over, and new and improved players have come aboard.  13 seasons ago, and all the way up until 2009, the Colts number one receiver was Marvin Harrison.  In 1996 Harrison was drafted 19th overall by the Indianapolis Colts.  Harrison was the Colts number one receiver for multiple years.  In 2001 the team selected Reggie Wayne as the next receiver to lead the team.  But for multiple seasons Wayne and Harrison ran routes on either side of the field, making it a nightmare for defenses.  In 2003 the Colts signed Brandon Stokley and drafted Dallas Clark.  Also don't forget Edgerrin James was in there.  With those five weapons, and arguably the best quarterback in the league, there is no doubt why the team's offense was, at times, unstoppable.

If you notice, in 1998, Manning's rookie season, which is when the team began its run of dominance, the receiving corps of many teams were very different.  The Colts have consistently drafted in the 20's and 30's of the first round, and therefore bringing their chances of hitting on a home-run rookie lower and lower.

In 2009 I felt that the pieces had fallen into place.  The Colts finally had the slot reciever that they had been missing in Stokley with Austin Collie.  Dallas Clark was putting up numbers that the tight end position had never seen.  And Pierre Garcon stepped in for former first round pick Anthony Gonzalez to fill the shoes of Marvin Harrison.


Though injuries took away players like Clark, Collie, Gonzalez, and Addai this season, I still think the biggest hurdle for our offense is Pierre Garcon.


Had these injuries set in and the man to the right of Manning was Harrison (obviously in his prime) the season would have been much different.  But with the Colts consistency, they have not been able to draft very high in early rounds, so not only has this hurt the skill positions, but also the offensive line, and the running game, etc.  Like I said Harrison was the Colts first round pick, Garcon? He was selected in the 6th round.

His hands are not as solid as Marvin's.  He also has been known to be, "Not on the same page as Manning" on multiple occasions this season.  And to my knowledge, he is not as dedicated of a worker.  Now maybe Gonzalez stays healthy in 2009 Garcon never gains that position, but the reality is that we use him, almost exclusively, to run a clear out route by just sending him deep.  He is incredibly fast.  The first round selection to replace Harrison, Gonzalez, has not been able to stay on the field.


Pierre is skilled, but his deficiencies, especially in catching the ball, has really hurt the Colts in the past two season.  I just remember, sitting on my couch, watching Super Bowl XLIV and seeing that ball hit Garcon right in between the 8 and the 5 and then fall to the ground.  It was the turning point, and the onside kick over shadowed it, but his drops have been something that we didn't see much out of Harrison.


I hope his hands don't come back to bite the Colts, but you never can tell with this guy.  Sometimes you get some of the most spectacular catches, and other times you get the drop.