Indianapolis Colts: Can They Rebound In 2016?
The Indianapolis Colts have basically owned the AFC South since its inception in 2002. But the team was dethroned as division champions this past season. What’s next for Andrew Luck and company?
It’s somewhat of a statistical oddity but a fact nonetheless.
The Indianapolis Colts finished 8-8 this past season and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2011. It marked the first time since 1996, a 9-7 campaign by the club, the team didn’t win or lose 10 or more games.
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The team’s forgettable showing in 2015 was more than just a case of a team not having its starting quarterback all season. Andrew Luck lasted only seven contests while Matt Hasselbeck and Josh Freeman also wound up starting at least one game. Add in relief appearances by Charlie Whitehurst and Ryan Lindley and this area was certainly a mess.
There were a lot of issues with the entire club. Only three teams in the league gained fewer yards on the ground. Apparently, veteran running back Frank Gore was more than a little upset about his play in his first year with the organization. More specifically, the 15th-leading rusher in NFL history was disappointed with not reaching the 1,000-yard mark for a ninth time in his career.
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“I’m not over it,” said the former San Francisco 49ers workhorse to Mike Wells of ESPN recently. “I’m not going to be over it until I do it. I’ve been blessed that they kept me to get the opportunity to do it again. To go after my goals again, to be the one to get the 100 yards that they didn’t have in years. To get that 1,000-plus yards (in a season).”
If you think this is about individual glory, think again. The lack of a ground attack has been a sore spot for a team that has watched Luck get battered and bruised for three-plus years.
In April’s draft, the Colts used exactly half of their eight selections on help for the offensive line. That includes University of Alabama center Ryan Kelly, a first-round selection. General manager Ryan Grigson also added tackles Le’Raven Clark (3-Texas Tech) and Joe Haeg (5-North Dakota State) as well as center Austin Blythe (7b-Iowa).
While Indianapolis wasn’t overly bust in free agency in terms of shoring up the defense, the most notable pickup being cornerback Patrick Robinson (who’s expected to start opposite Vontae Davis), the Colts added some youth to a unit that remains a problem area.
Grigson added the likes of safety T.J. Green (2-Clemson), defensive tackle Hassan Ridgeway (4-Texas), inside linebacker Antonio Morrison (4b-Florida) and outside backer Trevor Bates (7-Maine) to a group that was 26th in the league in yards allowed, 25th versus the run and 24th against the pass.
Head coach Chuck Pagano has to hope that veterans such as outside linebackers Robert Mathis and Trent Cole and strong safety Mike Adams step up in a big way. The loss of inside linebacker Jerrell Freeman to free agency (Chicago Bears) was a major setback. He was the team’s second-leading tackler this past season and enjoyed a career year.
Perhaps even more significant is the fact that the Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans all look much-improved following strong offseasons and productive drafts. And let’s not forget that it was the Texans and not the Colts that actually captured the AFC South in 2015.
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Apparently, it’s going to take a lot more than a good Luck for the Colts to rebound this fall.