PREVIEW: 2008 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

by GMoney, The Money Shot

Two years ago, Peyton Manning finally reached the pinnacle of his professional career by winning the Super Bowl. He and his Colts teammates followed that up last year by...losing their first playoff game...at home...to a Norv Turner coached team? That couldn't be possibly be true. Anyway, the Colts are looking to rebound from the disappointing end of their 2007 season. But it doesn't appear that the breaks are going their way so far. Injuries are already starting to mount and no one, and I mean NO ONE, thinks that Jim Sorgi could lead any team to more than 4 or 5 wins. With Indianapolis opening a new stadium this year, there are many things to be excited about as well as some potential roadblocks that could derail the season for this proud franchise.

YAY!
Peyton Manning is still around and it always seems that he could win ten games in his sleep. Joseph Addai, in his third year, should be walking right into his prime as a top-flite running back in the NFL. Jeff Saturday continues to lead a cohesive offensive line unit. Reggie Wayne has morphed into one of the 3-4 best wide receivers in the league. Dallas Clark has some of the best hands in the business. Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis should provide a ton of pressure on opposing QB's. Bob Sanders is just a machine in the secondary.

BOO!
As great as Peyton is, his knee is a definite concern. Speaking of bad knees, Marvin Harrison's is so bad that he has resulted this past offseason to shooting his enemies as opposed to chasing them down and having a pleasant and meaningful conversation. They are counting on having a breakout season from Anthony Gonzalez, but he is still a large question mark since no one knows really what to expect. It feels like they lose key contributors every offseason but only try to replace them through the draft and not through free agency. The cupboard, depth-wise, is somewhat bare. While he hasn't said that this is it, many suspect that Tony Dungy is, in essence, a lame duck coach and that he will move on after this year. Even Adam Vinatieri started to show his age last year by missing some kicks that are normally automatic. The team's playmakers are getting older and injuries are always a concern (see: Peyton and Marvin and Bob Sanders and Freeney).

SAY WHAT?
I truly believe that this team is on the downside of their past dominance. The coach is likely gone in a few months, the QB hasn't taken a snap in months, and the defense will need to be a force to win because the offense won't be racking up the points like in year's past. As I said earlier, the Colts can win 10 in their sleep and that's exactly what I'm predicting. The Colts go 10-6, finish 2nd in the AFC South behind the Jags, and win a game before bowing out in the playoffs. It just feels like this team is going to take a few steps back in 2008.