Five big questions for the '09 Colts

Sports

May 1, 2009

BY Todd Taylor The Hendricks County Flyer Fri May 01, 2009, 11:43 PM EDT

It seems no matter what they do, the Colts are good for 12 wins a year these days. But this is still a team with some obvious questions going into camp. Here are the five biggest ones.

5.) Where’s the help at linebacker?

With the recent resigning of Freddy Keiaho the Colts didn’t lose anything at linebacker this offseason, but they didn’t gain anything either. For the first time since 2001, the team didn’t draft a linebacker.

Gary Brackett will be 29 this season and is coming off his first major injury. Across from Keiaho either Tyjuan Hagler or Clint Session will start at the other outside linebacker position — and neither is proven.

4.) Who replaces Marv?

While Marvin Harrison wasn’t himself last season, he still commanded respect from opposing secondaries and opened things up for Peyton Manning’s other targets.

Harrison’s departure means more defensive focus on Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark. Anthony Gonzalez will be asked to step up, but is he really a No. 2 receiver or more of a slot guy? We will find out.

The Colts did draft BYU wideout Austin Collie (6-0, 200) in the fourth round. He isn’t the biggest or fastest guy, but he led the nation in receiving yards and should be able to step in as the No. 3 or No. 4 receiver before too long.

3.) Who is the coach?

What do we really know about Jim Caldwell?

He was head coach at Wake Forest from 1993-2000 and compiled a brutal 26-63 record. He was Peyton Manning’s “quarterback coach” for a few years, but what does that job entail?

For the past few years he’s been Dungy’s right-hand man and most recently was dubbed the “head coach in waiting.”

The Colts consistently find themselves in a lot of painfully close games. They tend come out on top more often than not. Will Caldwell be able to push the right buttons and continue the trend?

2.) Can they stop the run?

Colts president Bill Polian selected two defensive tackles in the 2009 draft which was twice as many as he’d drafted in the previous six drafts … combined. Guess you could say it was an area of need. Or as Polian would tell you, they just happened to be the best two players available.

Will drafting these two guys — Fili Moala (6-4, 303) in the second round and Terrance Taylor (6-0, 319) in the fourth — shore up the gaping hole in the middle of the defensive line? The Colts better hope so.

Bob Sanders’ health is also vital to stopping the run. If staying on the field continues to be a struggle for him, Melvin Bullitt will be forced to take his breakout season to the next level.

1.) Can they fix the running game?

Any quarterback becomes mortal without a running game and the Colts were atrocious in that department last season.

From an offensive line standpoint the team didn’t upgrade, and will instead hope that getting healthy will suffice. Starting guard Ryan Lilja returns after missing the ’08 season with injury and Jeff Saturday and Tony Ugoh enter camp healthy.

The Colts lost Dominic Rhodes, but replaced him with Connecticut running back Donald Brown who should compliment Joseph Addai nicely. But the Colts’ Achilles Heel has long been third-and-short and fourth-and-short situations — they just can’t get that yard on the ground.

While Brown can do everything the Colts like out of the backfield — run, block, and catch — at 5-10, 210, he’s not going to be the guy to get you that tough yard.

Text Only

Sports

Hawks clip Orioles
INDIANAPOLIS — In basketball, it is said teams live and die by the three. Last night, the Avon Orioles girls’ basketball team fell victim to the Decatur Central Hawks 3-pointers.

February 8, 2012 1 Photo
Bethesda falls to Indiana Deaf
BROWNSBURG — After losing to Indianapolis Deaf 37-24 just over two weeks ago, the Bethesda Christian girls’ basketball team matched up with the Deaf Hoosiers Tuesday night. This game was much closer, but the Patriots’ result was the same as the Deaf Hoosiers knocked Bethesda from the first round of sectional action with a 42-38 victory.

February 8, 2012 1 Photo
Speedway shoots down Cadets
CLAYTON —The IHSAA tournament can often bring out the best in a basketball team. It certainly worked out that way on Tuesday night for the Speedway Sparkplugs girls’ basketball team. After taking a 16-point defeat to Cascade just 10 days earlier, the Sparkplugs followed leader JoJo Daghe’s 40-point outburst and turned the tables on the Cadets with a 72-61 decision in the Class 2A Sectional 44 at Cascade High School.

February 8, 2012 1 Photo
Hornets sting Warriors
BEECH GROVE — Despite a tough season, any team can make a run come sectional time.

February 8, 2012
County sends multiple grapplers to semistate
MOORESVILLE — County wrestling teams advanced 18 grapplers into the Evansville semistate this weekend and came away with six individual champions at the Mooresville regional over the weekend.

February 8, 2012 3 Photos
Orioles end drought, win sectional title
PLAINFIELD — Winning 8-of-12 events, the Avon Orioles girls’ swim team took home the hardware from the Plainfield sectional Saturday afternoon. The Orioles celebrated as coach Jon Karr leapt into the pool as the assistant coaches and team followed him into the water after the awards ceremony.

February 8, 2012 2 Photos
Mistakes cost Patriots fourth title
INDIANAPOLIS — It would have been the most remarkable final play in Super Bowl history.
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady wound up from just beyond the 50-yard line and threw a high-arching pass into the center of the end zone. Tight end Aaron Hernandez attempted to box out three New York Giants defenders in the end zone and leap for the ball.

February 6, 2012 2 Photos
Simply Super!
INDIANAPOLIS — It was a vintage Manning come-from-behind performance in the ‘House That Peyton’ built.

February 6, 2012 1 Photo
Eli(te) status
INDIANAPOLIS – Early this season, Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning made headlines for mentioning that he considered himself among the game’s best quarterbacks.
There is no debate anymore.

February 6, 2012 1 Photo
Cadets push past Patriots, 50-43
BROWNSBURG —Senior night festivities took place before the Bethesda Christian Patriots and Cascade Cadet boys’ basketball teams took the floor Friday night. Unfortunately for Bethesda and its seniors, the Patriots could not come away with a victory as the visiting Cadets pulled out a 50-43 win.

February 3, 2012 1 Photo
More Sports Headlines

Sports

Search Results

Five big questions for the '09 Colts

Has Indianapolis done a good job of hosting the Super Bowl?

Site Map