Posts tagged Pierre Garçon
Flying Under the Radar: Brody Eldridge
Apr 12th
Brody Eldridge at Training Camp 2010 | Robert Scheer/The Star
Eldridge was the Colts 2010 fifth round draft pick. It is doubtful any offensive player taken in the fifth round by the Colts has ever carried the kind of expectations Eldridge absorbed, though. Not only was Eldridge the second-half of an extremely potent tight end combination in college, he also was a pure blocking tight end that had experience as an offensive lineman.
That alone was not what sparked expectations for him, though. It was the understanding that some of the most dominant offensive seasons during the Peyton Manning-era came out of a strong two tight end formation with competent blocking tight ends. While no one was going to usurp Dallas Clark, Eldridge took over the starting spot formerly held by the perennially “just good enough and healthy enough to stay on the roster” Gijon Robinson.
Needless to say, expectations for Eldridge were pretty high to start off the year. With the return of Anthony Gonzalez to the field, visions of an unstoppable offense able to react and adapt to any defensive scheme imaginable ran wild. While there isn’t a major cry that he was “bad” or a “bust,” there really isn’t any affirmation for him out there either, and that’s where I step in. More >
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Colts Flying Under the Radar: Blair White
Feb 11th
Blair White Scores a Touchdown against the Chargers in Week 12. (Michael Conroy | AP Photo)
Blair White is a prime example of a player who spent considerable time on the field but, in many ways, “flew under the radar.” Including the Wild Card playoff loss to the New York Jets, Blair White was on the field with the Colts offense for 539 out of 1138 snaps.
While he is more of a typical wideout, White found himself replacing Austin Collie in the slot — in a year where Collie was having one of the most impressive partial seasons in recent memory. While Collie may deserve numerous stories this off-season lauding his greatness, the undrafted rookie behind him should not be overlooked.
Add to Collie’s rather large shadow that White was the team’s fifth string receiver, did not put up gaudy yardage totals, and made a couple of glaring mistakes, and it is easy to end up with the perception that White is a lackluster receiver.
What makes White good enough to be on this list? More >
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Game Stats: Cowboys v. Colts
Dec 9th
After the debacle against the Chargers, and the heart breaker against the Patriots, the Colts dropped another game. They gave the Cowboys 17 points to start the contest, and had the chance to pull out a last minute victory on three occasions. Unlike previous weeks, no single unit can carry all of the blame.
The Colts had multiple series where one good play after another would get completely erased by a horrible play or decision. Manning threw interceptions on the heels of key defensive stands, Eric Foster jumped on top of an opponent to negate an amazing goal line stand, and Wayne tallied his only drop to erase a chance for the offense to win after taking the kickoff in overtime. In the end the Colts fell to 6-6, one game behind Jacksonville, and head into a short week — at least three players left the game with injuries.
It makes more difficult to know that some guys had great games. Antoine Bethea was absolutely everywhere and tallied 15 tackles, Pierre Garcon caught EVERY SINGLE throw his way, Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis both had a sack, Jeff Saturday returned to form, and even Manning was not terrible statistically.
On to the stats.
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Game Stats: Chargers v. Colts
Dec 4th
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Blair White catches his breathafter scoring against the Chargers(Don Larson | Colts.com)
The Colts offensive struggles have doomed the team the past two weeks — as poor decisions and poor timing stifled a last minute come from behind victory against New England, and handed the Chargers 20 points. While the team won’t make excuses, fans should realize that Manning’s limited options at wide receiver, running back, and tight end have ruined Indy’s offensive cohesion. Add poor performances from both offensive tackles, and the situation gets even worse.
While there were numerous things for fans to complain about, there were also enough positive signs to make one hopeful. The biggest was the fact that despite common perception, Jeff Linkenbach has actually been an improvement over Mike Pollak at right guard (albeit a modest one). Receivers Blair White and Jacob Tamme are becoming very stable for Manning, showing both good timing and hands. The Colts also found a use for Donald Brown. He may not function as a pass blocker, or have the vision to effectively run through a gap, but he showed an edge on quick slant routes that gives him a tangible positive.
Let’s move on to the stats. More >
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Game Stats: Double Feature – Weeks 8 & 9 Pt. I (Offense)
Nov 18th
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There were consistent statistical themes through Weeks 8 and 9, along with some big differences. Some of the stats are combined for both games, but areas of particular note are separated and highlighted as necessary. Injuries played a big part in both games. The Colts lost Mike Hart and Anthony Gonzalez in Week 8, and Austin Collie in Week 9. Clint Session played well despite severe injury.
As I’ve tried to explain throughout the season, I am always looking to improve the stats I record. In keeping with that philosophy, I am introducing a few new stats into this analysis. The new additions include run play direction and gap on offense, along with opposing run play direction, Colts blitzes, and distinguishing between broken and missed tackles on defense.
* Previously, only “MTs” or missed tackles were recorded, but a better phrasing would have been “broken tackles.” Missed tackles will only be used to track players who take bad angles or fail to hold edges. This should help distinguish between someone physically screwing up a tackle, and someone mentally screwing it up.
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After Review: Bengals v. Colts
Nov 15th
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Dhani Jones: Oh look, something I can grab onto. (Brent Smith | Reuters)
It was a frustrating game for Colts fans, who saw their defense force five turnovers and never had the luxury of feeling like the game was completely in hand. When the Colts led early by 17, conventional wisdom would have said that Indianapolis would win the game for sure, based upon the theory that down two scores to the Colts at any point in the game is a losing proposition for any team.
There is a problem with that theory right now, and that problem is that the Colts today are not the Colts when they were healthy and with all of their starters on the field. Add into this that the Colts played very conservative with key players throughout much of the game, including limiting Freeney and Mathis’ snaps throughout much of the second and third quarters, and the Bengals were given an opportunity to keep the game close. More >
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Bengals 17, Colts 23 – Quick Reaction
Nov 14th
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Kelvin Hayden returns another interception for a touchdown. (Brent Smith | Reuters)
The Indianapolis Colts (6-3) managed to survive against the Cincinnati Bengals (2-7) on Sunday, and in doing so, grabbed sole possession of first place in the AFC South. The Colts started fast, and appeared poised to run the Bengals out of the building, but inconsistency from the offensive line, a Carson Palmer trip to a time machine, and yet another officiating blunder allowed the Bengals an opportunity to steal a win at the end of the game. Jump for my quick thoughts on today’s game.
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Check it to Pancakes Episode 13: Week 9 – Colts v. Eagles
Nov 5th
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In this episode the team reviews the Colts prime time domination of the Houston Texans, delves into the Colts’ depressing injury situation, and previews the Week 9 match up with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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Succeeding in Face of Injuries is Par for Colts Course
Oct 26th
(Brent Smith | Reuters)
Nothing is guaranteed in the NFL. It is often said that “NFL” stands for “Not For Long,” and this idea flies in the face of teams who have had sustained success, particularly in the salary cap era. Somehow, someway, the Indianapolis Colts are a team that have found a way to be nearly immune to the forces at play in professional football that exist to make it next to impossible for teams to dominate.
If the Colts are going to continue their success in 2010, it has become clear that they will have to overcome a rash of injuries to key players. In some ways, the task seems insurmountable. The likelihood that the Colts can maintain their record of consecutive 12-win seasons shrinks by the week and by the day. How or why should fans expect the streak to continue, foresee a playoff berth, or have even a shroud of hope that the Colts could actually compete for another chance to play for a world championship?
The reason is pretty easy to locate. Over the last five years the Colts have had to overcome adversity, perform in the face of obvious team weaknesses, and have regularly been considered one of the best teams in the league — and one of the top contenders to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. In all but one of those years they have dealt with the loss of key players for dozens of games. Take a look. More >
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