Throughout the course of the regular season, 2005 seemed like a year of destiny for the Indianapolis Colts. Stuck with the notion that they couldn’t win in the playoffs on the road – and that Peyton Manning, despite setting the single-season TD record, couldn’t win the big one – they steamrolled their way to a 14-2 record, having flirted with an undefeated season after winning the first 13 games of the season.
They appeared unstoppable. The offense was as productive as ever, ranking second in the league in points and third in yards per game. The defensive unit finally resembled a squad under Tony Dungy’s guidance; only the Bears allowed fewer points. But once again, regular season appearances were deceiving.
The sixth seeded Steelers up-ended Indy in the Colts’ first playoff game, shocking a team whose only goal was to win the Super Bowl. A shaky first half dug them a hole they could not dig out of, and a tackle by a quarterback led to a blown field goal that lost the game. In effect, 2005 will always be remembered as the season that got away in Indianapolis.
And now, for the first time since 1999, the team’s foundation has undergone changes, and not good ones. Instead of bringing quality players in, they watched integral pieces leave.
The Big Three is no more, as Edgerrin James and his 75 career touchdowns move to warmer pastures in Arizona. The only big acquisition in the offseason was the signing of Adam Vinatieri (a.k.a. Adam Victory), who replaces Mike Vanderjagt, the most accurate regular season kicker ever, as he heads to Dallas with the non-enticing choker label.
Yes, all of a sudden, it’s the offense that’s the question mark. With James departed, the Colts have a hole to fill at RB. Dominick Rhodes will likely get the most carries, but they have big aspirations for Joseph Addai, a rookie out of LSU who they picked in the first round (he had a 4.9 avg in his senior season).
With the running game now a perceived weakness (or weaker than it was), the ramifications could carry over to the passing game. Without having the threat of James on the field, the ever-present play-action passes in Peyton’s arsenal might not be as effective; defenses will also be dropping more players into coverage as they will be less concerned with the run.
However, it’s not like Manning doesn’t still have weapons to throw to – in fact, his weapons could compare to those on a U.S. naval base. He’s got Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne as his one and two - both of whom had over 1,000 yards receiving in ’05 - with Brandon Stokley in the slot and Dallas Clark at tight end, although Stokley’s ankle injury appears to be serious. Yes, Peyton has more targets than an archery range, and with the same offensive line coming back, he will have time to hit them.
The defense looks to be as strong as last year, as well, although they didn’t bring in a new playmaker outside of second round picks Tim Jennings and Freddie Keiaho (and considering them a playmaker might be a stretch). They have one of the two best DE combinations in the league with Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis (the G-Men boast the other), and LB Cato June, a safety in college, looks to have another monster year behind them. The emergence of their two safeties, Bob Sanders (91 tackles) and Mike Doss (77 tackles) gives the secondary some luster, as well.
Looking ahead to the schedule, the Colts have a tough opener Monday Night in New York against the Giants, but after that, it eases up going into their sixth-week bye. In weeks two through five, they face Houston, Jacksonville, the Jets, and Tennessee, with the only road game against the Jets. They can realistically be 5-0 going into the bye.
Coming out of the bye, however, they have their work cut out for them. In a six-week span, they will play Washington, Denver, New England, Buffalo, Dallas, and Philadelphia. That’s a brutal stretch to the say the very least.
Overall, the Colts should be a playoff contender, and they will be playing with a chip on their shoulder as a result of last year’s outcome. It all comes down to Peyton: as Manning goes, so will the Colts. The offense is all on his shoulders for the first time since Edge’s knee injury, and he has to step up to keep the Colts moving. Of course, for a player of his caliber, he should be up to the task.
