Indianapolis Colts

NFL Previews - Indianapolis Colts

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Indianapolis Colts 2007 Preview

(My Sportsbook) - Heavy is the head that wears the crown, so goes the saying, though you would have to imagine that Peyton Manning feels no extra weight at this moment.

Manning is finally a champion, having guided his Indianapolis Colts through a gauntlet of 2006 playoff opponents that included old antagonist New England, and the pressure to deliver a title is finally off the shoulders of the 10- year veteran.

The pressure to repeat is on, of course, and if Manning and his team is slow out of the gate in September, the pundits will begin decrying the dreaded Super Bowl hangover and wondering whether that offseason appearance on Saturday Night Live and a slew of new commercial endorsements had sapped Manning's focus.

The Colts certainly can't afford to underachieve in an AFC that looks stronger than ever, what with New England seemingly rebuilding itself for the sole purpose of beating Indianapolis and San Diego still upset that its 14-2 season was not followed with a single postseason win.

But the Patriots and Chargers are under the most pressure in the league because of what they have not accomplished. Indy certainly can't rest on its laurels, but Manning and company already know they have the ability to deliver the goods.

The Colts have the hardware, and head wear, to prove it.

Below we take a capsule look at the 2007 edition of the Indianapolis Colts, with a personnel evaluation and prognosis included therein:

2006 RECORD: 12-4 (1st, AFC South)

LAST PLAYOFF APPEARANCE: 2006, defeated Chicago, 29-17, in Super Bowl

COACH (RECORD): Tony Dungy (60-20 in five seasons with Colts, 114-62 overall)

OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Tom Moore

DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Ron Meeks

OFFENSIVE STAR: Peyton Manning, QB (4397 passing yards, 31 TD, 9 INT)

DEFENSIVE STAR: Bob Sanders, S (27 tackles, 1 INT)

OFFENSIVE TEAM RANKS: 18th rushing, 2nd passing, t2nd scoring

DEFENSIVE TEAM RANKS: 32nd rushing, 2nd passing, 23rd scoring

FIVE KEY GAMES: New Orleans (9/6), at Jacksonville (10/22), New England (11/4), at San Diego (11/11), at Baltimore (12/9)

KEY ADDITIONS: WR Anthony Gonzalez (1st Round, Ohio State), T Tony Ugoh (2nd Round, Arkansas), G Rick DeMulling (from Lions), DT Quinn Pitcock (3rd Round, Ohio State), LB Clint Session (4th Round, Pittsburgh), CB Daymeion Hughes (3rd Round, Cal), S Brannon Condren (4th Round, Troy)

KEY DEPARTURES: RB Dominic Rhodes (to Raiders), FB James Mungro (not tendered), WR Brandon Stokley (to Broncos), WR Terrence Wilkins (not tendered), WR Ricky Proehl (not tendered), T Tarik Glenn (retired), DT Montae Reagor (to Eagles), DT Corey Simon (released), DT Anthony McFarland (expected to miss season/injured), OLB Cato June (to Buccaneers), CB Jason David (to Saints), CB Nick Harper (to Titans), S Mike Doss (to Vikings)

QB: With his legacy secure via the Super Bowl win, opposing defensive coordinators now get to witness the horror of a relaxed Manning. The 31-year- old Manning has about three seasons of his "prime" left, and should take a giant step toward many of the NFL's most hallowed passing records this season. Backup Jim Sorgi, who did not throw a pass last season, was the subject of this recent headline in satirical newspaper The Onion: "Peyton Manning Shows His Backup Proper Way to Hold Clipboard." If Sorgi ever has to play meaningful time, the Colts are in trouble.

RB: Indianapolis was so certain that second-year-pro Joseph Addai (1081 rushing yards, 40 receptions, 8 TD) could be its every down running back that the team allowed Dominic Rhodes to escape via free agency, while neither drafting a running back nor targeting a veteran on the open market. While fantasy enthusiasts undoubtedly like the lack of a grey area within the running back situation, if Addai goes down, there is no one with any type of pedigree to replace him. The top backup candidates are DeDe Dorsey, who played in 13 games last season but is still awaiting his first NFL carry; Kenton Keith, a first-year free agent out of New Mexico State; and Clifton Dawson, a rookie scatback out of Harvard. Defensive tackle Dan Klecko can play fullback when the team requires one, but the team's thin nature along the d-line increases the chances of pure fullback Luke Lawton, who has NFL experience with the Jets, making the team.

WR/TE: You can debate the merits of Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh all you want, but the Colts' dynamic receiving duo of Marvin Harrison (95 receptions, 12 TD) and Reggie Wayne (86 receptions, 9 TD) remains the most consistent and productive in the league. Harrison has posted more than 80 catches, 1,100 yards, and 10 TDs in each of the last eight seasons, and shows no signs of slowing down at the age of 35. That said, the 28-year-old Wayne might instill more fear in the hearts of opponents at this stage of his career. Wayne made his first Pro Bowl last season after recording career-highs in catches and yards (1310). Indy used its first-round draft pick on Ohio State's Anthony Gonzalez, who should be an ideal slot receiver in the mold of Brandon Stokley. Another ex-Buckeye rookie, Roy Hall, should stick as well but will have a more difficult time getting on the field. Aaron Moorehead (8 receptions, 1 TD) has spent parts of four seasons on the Indianapolis roster, but could be battling practice squad holdover John Standeford for the final spot at receiver. The tight end rotation is set, with Dallas Clark (30 receptions, 4 TD) and Ben Utecht (37 receptions) receiving most of the reps and Bryan Fletcher (18 receptions, 2 TD) available if someone goes down.

OL: The Colts were shocked when all-important starting left tackle Tarik Glenn retired on the eve of training camp, leaving a giant hole in what had been a solid trench group. Glenn's absence means that second-round draft pick Tony Ugoh could be pressed into service as Manning's primary protector, with backup Charlie Johnson called in if Ugoh fails. The rest of the line - left guard Dylan Gandy, center Jeff Saturday, right guard Jake Scott, and right tackle Ryan Diem - should remain in place, though part-time 2006 starter Ryan Lilja could threaten Gandy for a job. Other backups should include guard Rick DeMulling, who is back in Indy following a two-year stint in the purgatory that was Detroit, and possibly 2006 fifth-round draft choice Michael Toudouze.

DL: The interior defensive line is in a shaky position as 2007 begins, and not only because that unit bore some responsibility for the team's rank of 32nd against the run last season. Sixteen-game starter Anthony McFarland (33 tackles, 2 sacks) is out for the year with a knee injury suffered early in camp, former starter Corey Simon was waived after failing his pre-camp physical, and would-be stopgap Montae Reagor signed a free agent deal with Philadelphia in the offseason. That leaves the undersized Raheem Brock (47 tackles, 3 sacks) to man one spot, with his backup Darrell Reid (26 tackles) still in place, and perhaps third-round draft choice Quinn Pitcock on the other side. Fringe NFL player Dan Klecko (4 tackles) and free agent Ed Johnson could also figure prominently into the mix. There is not nearly as much strife at end, where Dwight Freeney (29 tackles, 6 sacks) and Robert Mathis (65 tackles, 10 sacks) will continue to torment passers and Josh Thomas (21 tackles, 1 sack) and Bo Schobel (19 tackles) are capable backups. Freeney signed a lucrative contract extension in the offseason and needs to boost his 2006 sack total in order to live up to it.

LB: An undersized linebacking crew received much of the blame for the Colts' problems at stopping the rush last season, yet the team did little to address that area in the offseason apart from allowing Cato June to escape via free agency. Middle backer Gary Brackett (120 tackles) and strong side man Rob Morris (55 tackles) return to their positions, while the inexperienced Freddy Keiaho (19 tackles) is among the top candidates on the weak side. There is not much depth behind that trio, with fourth-round draft pick Clint Session and special teams mavens Rocky Boiman (20 tackles, 1 INT), Keith O'Neil (13 tackles), and Tyjuan Hagler (7 tackles) all perhaps one injury away from playing meaningful time on defense.

DB: A major key to the resurgence of Indianapolis' defense in the 2006 playoffs was the play of strong safety Bob Sanders, who when healthy, is among the most fearsome defenders in the league. Sanders started training camp slowed by a shoulder problem, but has set a personal goal of playing in every game this season. He will be joined at safety by Antoine Bethea (90 tackles, 1 INT), who had a promising rookie year. With ex-starters Jason David and Nick Harper having relocated in the offseason, former role players like Marlin Jackson (82 tackles, 1 INT) and Kelvin Hayden (36 tackles) are expected to play a key role at cornerback. if either fails to measure up to the task, second-year players T.J. Rushing (2 tackles) and Tim Jennings (7 tackles) will be called upon along with rookies Daymeion Hughes (Cal) and Michael Coe (Alabama State). If one of the safeties goes down, the backup forces include third-year-man Matt Giordano (25 tackles, 1 INT) and rookie Brannon Condren (Troy).

SPECIAL TEAMS: He didn't kick the third Super Bowl game-winner of his career, but Adam Vinatieri (25-28 FG) won yet another ring, his first as a Colt, last season. Vinatieri proved his value in a Divisional Playoff upset of Baltimore, when he nailed five field goals in a hostile environment to account for all of Indianapolis' points. Punter Hunter Smith (44.4 avg.) remains one of the best in the business, and long snapper Justin Snow will have a job again as well. With Terrence Wilkins not having been asked back, backup corner T.J. Rushing will get first crack at return duties.

PROGNOSIS: It seems a given that the Colts will be machine-like offensively, and while a couple of major injuries could alter the scoring abilities of this team immensely (think about what Indy would look like without Manning pulling the trigger, for starters), there is no good reason to expect the club to do anything less than thrive. Defense is another matter altogether. This was a unit that did what it had to do in the 2006 playoffs, but it was never a terrific group. Indy did not improve its defense in the offseason, failing to bring in some much-needed reinforcements among the front seven, and the club is already paying the price for its inattention. If Sanders is healthy (a big if), the team should have the playmakers to keep its head above the waves more often than not. But take a good look at the starting lineup on defense and ask yourself if you like that group to measure up to the New England or San Diego offense in a one-game scenario. That answer should be "no," which is why you can expect the Colts to bow out of the playoffs some time before the Super Bowl round.

August 27, 2007, at 04:56 PM ET

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