Indianapolis Colts Season Preview

(Courtesy of My Sportsbook) - The song plays on for the Indianapolis Colts. Once again, Tony Dungy's team is expected to tear up the offensive end of the field, with its Pro Bowl quarterback, running back, and litany of talented receivers giving defensive coordinators everywhere nightmares. And once again, the Colts' defense will face constant scrutiny and unending questions about whether their unit has the talent to take the team to what would be its first Super Bowl appearance since 13 years before the franchised shipped out of Baltimore one cold night following the 1983 season.

The front office of the small-market Colts knew that few would complain about a repeat of the 522-point juggernaut that excited fantasy football enthusiasts and put lots of paying customers in the RCA Dome seats every week during 2004. So it made efforts to keep the heart of its offensive core intact, spending not one free agent dollar on re-tooling a defense that has been its undoing in just about every loss of the past half-decade. Again, the Colts will be fun to watch, but there still remains little reason to suspect anyone will be watching them take the field in Detroit on Feb. 5. Below we take a capsule look at the 2005 edition of the Indianapolis Colts, with a personnel evaluation and prognosis included therein:

RB: Edgerrin James (1548 rushing yards, 51 receptions, 9 TD) had his best and most complete season since 2000 last year, and was named to the Pro Bowl squad for his efforts. The Colts were uninterested in giving James a long-term extension, and there were whispers that the club was attempting to deal him in the offseason, but the market for an injury-prone, 27-year-old running back with a questionable attitude was apparently limited. James will be backed once again by Dominic Rhodes (254 yards, 1 TD), and fullback James Mungro (7 receptions, 3 TD) can play tailback in a pinch as well. Indianapolis drafted former Wisconsin star Anthony Davis in the seventh round of the April draft, but at 5-7, 200 pounds with recent injury problems, Davis was seen as a long shot to make the roster. Mungro could have competition for the starting fullback job from former Steelers practice squad player J.T Wall.

WR/TE: Manning welcomes back his full arsenal of receivers, with Marvin Harrison (86 receptions, 15 TD), Reggie Wayne (77 receptions, 12 TD) and Brandon Stokley (68 receptions, 10 TD) all returning to give defensive coordinators fits. The 33-year-old Harrison shows no signs of slowing down, and was named to his sixth consecutive Pro Bowl last season. Stokley missed time in training camp with a separated shoulder, and could miss the opening regular season game. If he's out, the No. 3 receiving slot will likely be occupied by either Brad Pyatt, Aaron Moorehead, or Troy Walters, who combined for just four grabs last season. Tight end Marcus Pollard (29 receptions, 6 TD) is gone after 10 seasons in Indianapolis, but Dallas Clark (25 receptions, 5 TD) is more than ready to step into the No. 1 role. Ben Hartsock (4 receptions), a third-round pick in the 2004 draft, will now assume the all- important role of No. 2 tight end.

OL: There is some turnover here, as guards Rick DeMulling and Tupe Peko have both departed after combining for 19 starts a year ago. Dungy is counting on Ryan Lilja and Jake Scott, who were both part-time starters in 2004, to settle in at left and right guard, respectively. The line is set elsewhere, as left tackle Tarik Glenn, center Jeff Saturday, and right tackle Ryan Diem were all reliable starters in 2004. The team signed free agent Joaquin Gonzalez, an 11-game starter in Cleveland last year, to serve as a backup at tackle, and also drafted Dylan Gandy (4th Round, Texas Tech) and Robert Hunt (5th Round, North Dakota State) to add further depth. Also in camp are tackle Makoa Freitas, who played in all 16 games for Indy a year ago, and center/guard Trevor Hutton, who appeared in four contests.

DL: This area of the defense has long been the most stable, as tackles Montae Reagor (41 tackles, 5 sacks), Josh Williams (35 tackles), and Larry Tripplett (28 tackles) are all capable, while ends Dwight Freeney (34 tackles, 16 sacks), Robert Mathis (36 tackles, 10.5 sacks) and Raheem Brock (47 tackles, 6.5 sacks) are among the most-feared pass rushers in the AFC. The Colts drafted Vincent Burns (3rd Round, Kentucky) to be a situational run-stopper off the edge, and added another potential light pass-rusher, a la Freeney and Mathis, in Jonathan Welsh (5th Round, Wisconsin). End Josh Thomas (8 tackles, 1 sack), who played sparingly in 2004, will have to work hard to crack the regular rotation in '05.

LB: The Colts ranked just 24th in the league against the run last year, and will require a stronger effort from their linebackers in order to reverse that trend. The biggest change could come in the middle, where the team has been unsatisfied with Rob Morris (77 tackles, 3 sacks) and could make a move to third-year man Gary Brackett (36 tackles, 2 INT). The two outside backers, Cato June (110 tackles, 2 INT) and David Thornton (92 tackles, 1 INT) should again be starters, but the team needs both to come up with more big plays. With Jim Nelson (61 tackles) departed after a strong 2004 as a backup, the Colts are looking for reserves such as Gilbert Gardner (15 tackles) and Kendyll Pope (2 tackles) to become a reliable part of the rotation this season. Fifth-round draft choice Tyjaun Hagler (Cincinnati) should also get a chance to show what he can do.

DB: Indianapolis seems to constantly be seeking better play out of its cornerbacks, and drafted Marlin Jackson (1st Round, Michigan) and Kelvin Hayden (2nd Round, Illinois) to push holdovers Jason David (51 tackles, 4 INT), Nick Harper (77 tackles, 3 INT) and Donald Strickland (20 tackles) this season. Strickland missed the final 12 games of 2004 with a shoulder injury, and will have plenty of competition in reclaiming his starting slot. Von Hutchins (45 tackles, 1 INT), who started one game in 2004 and scored a touchdown on the first pick of his career, will also be in the mix at corner. The team let 13-game starter and strong safety Idrees Bashir (57 tackles) slip away in the offseason, and is expecting second-year man Bob Sanders (34 tackles) to come in and claim the vacancy. At free safety, Mike Doss (46 tackles, 2 INT) will be the starter as soon as he serves a two-game suspension following an offseason conviction on misdemeanor drug charges. Joseph Jefferson (30 tackles, 1 INT), who started three games in 2004, is the leading candidate to start in Doss' absence. Gerome Sapp (27 tackles) and Waine Bacon (13 tackles, 1 INT) will get an opportunity to crack the depth chart at safety, as will Hayden and fellow rookie Matt Giordano (4th Round, California).

SPECIAL TEAMS: Mike Vanderjagt (20-25 FG, 59-60 XP) remains among the most reliable kickers in the NFL, but the team has never been satisfied with his kickoffs and drafted Dave Rayner (6th Round, Michigan State) to handle those responsibilities. Hunter Smith (45.2 avg.) will reclaim punting duties after a strong 2004 campaign. Troy Walters (5.7 punt return avg.), who missed most of 2004 due to injury, is back to compete for punt return duties. Dominic Rhodes (24.8 avg., 1 TD) should again serve as the primary kickoff returner. Brad Pyatt (5.9 punt return avg., 23.0 kickoff return avg.) also has plenty of experience on special teams and can step in if needed.

PROGNOSIS: Little has changed in Indianapolis, which is both a positive and a negative as the team heads into 2005. The offensive attack, which welcomes back nearly all of its principles, should be scorching once again. The defense, which was 24th against the run and 28th against the pass in 2004, has scarcely been tinkered with. The Colts still need a run-stopping force at middle linebacker, still need at least one shutdown corner, and could probably use at least one experienced safety if they wish to advance to their first Super Bowl in 35 years. None of those are present, which means more of the same in Indianapolis: plenty of exciting football, probably another AFC South title, and a playoff exit sometime during the month of January.