Happy draft day blog fam! This is part four of the game by game analysis of the Colt's schedule. It's not scientific, its not very stat heavy, its just one die hard Colts fan's opinion of the schedule. If Peyton remains in Indy, and the offense comes back healthy, and the defense puts it together like I think it finally can, this team will be incredibly tough.
You see we slung together 10 wins without our top two middle of the field pass catchers (Clark, Collie). We were down Addai, our best runner and pass protector, and Charlie Johnson played hurt all season. That's just the offense.
Bullitt got hurt trying to fill Bob Sander's shoes. And Brackett was out for a few games, plus Powers, Hayden, Tryon, and Lacey all were injured at some point in time. Yeah, we're basically getting half a squad coming off IR.
Again to get some background on why we are doing this, or why my criteria is for grading, read the introduction. To figure out where we had the Colts going after four games, click here.
Part three was games 5-8, that is available here.
Anyway, here is Part 4:
Week 9
11/6 ATLANTA FALCONS 1:00 PM FOX
This has the potential to be a loss. Atlanta is a good team, but they are traveling to Indy. Atlanta, though a tough team, is that much harder to beat in the Georgia Dome (just ask the Packers, oh wait...). I also think finally returning home after the three game road trip (Cincinnati, New Orleans, Tennessee) will give the team energy. I honestly don't see this game being all too close. Atlanta is good, but I think it had the potential for us to pull away late and not let it be a close game.
Colts win 31-21
8-1
Week 10
11/13 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 1:00 PM CBS
Jacksonville plays us tough every time. However I'm not too sold on them this upcoming year. Last season they had everything fall in place in a way for them to take their first division crown ever, and simply crumbled. They crumble every year. They may snag a win against us every once and a while, but take away to fumbles in the red zone last season (Wayne, Eldridge) and Hayden's dropped pick-6 against Garrard. I say all of this because that loss was ours to win. And we rolled with Collie in the lineup on the second meeting, then he suffered his second concussion and the offense got stagnant. Colts get big for a division game, at home, and win it, in a tight one.
Colts win 35-31
Week 11
BYE
I love the placement of the bye. We should have a decent record, and this is a chance to get healthy.
Week 12
11/27 CAROLINA PANTHERS 1:00 PM FOX
HAHAHAHA. I have nothing else to say. The only thing not going for us here is that it's not prime-time. At home. Coming off a bye. The worst team (record wise last season). Colts have a stat-padding day.
Colts win 42-17
10-1
Week 13
12/4 @ New England 8:20 PM NBC
I would love this to be directly following the bye week. That extra week of preparation would be awesome. New England always plays us tough. Allow me to play spoiler. The Pats will get up by 10 or more in the first half. The first drive of the second half will be very disconcerting, and you will, as a Colts fan, want to give up. Then our defense will figure them out, and start to get a couple stops, the offense will put it all together. You see, last season, without Collie, Clark, Addai, Bullitt, and Brackett, we still should have won. If Manning's arm doesn't get hit as he goes to throw, he won't throw that last pick, and we go ahead and win in regulation. This time, in primetime (the reason I make that a big deal, is because we step it up when the lights shine the brightest), we will hopefully be more healthy, and we, in my humble opinion, are a more talented team than New England. However, they keep it close.
Colts win 35-31
11-1
Conclusion
This is the easier part of the schedule with 3 of four home games, and closes out with a rivalry game on the last week of this quarter. The Colts could be here. New England always plays us tough. I just don't think we can let last year happen again. There are a lot of "revenge" games (@ Houston, @ New Orleans, @ New England) and consequently those are some of our toughest games. I think due to our previous results, we prepare harder and play these games like the Colts should!
Check back in tomorrow for the last four games (the toughest part of the schedule in my opinion).
Until then comment down below with what you think. Do you think that the Colts can do this well? Yes, No, Maybe? Which games outcomes do you agree with? Disagree with?
Tweet