The 2008 edition of the Colts should be an exciting thing to watch. While Marvin Harrison is another year older, if he can recover from his injuries his presence alone will be a booster for this team. While he may never reach Jerry Rice’s records, he is still one of the greatest receivers of all time. Reggie Wayne, Anthony Gonzalez, and even Dallas Clark have all benefited from having him around. Peyton Manning will look to lead this crew to another division title and playoff run in 2008.
KEY ADDITIONS:
1) Dominic Rhodes – Rhodes comes back to Indianapolis after spending a year in Oakland. After taking Darren McFadden in the first round of the draft, the Raiders no longer had a need for Rhodes’ services. Rhodes should occupy the same role as before he departed…providing relief to Joseph Addai. If he can regain his Super Bowl performance form, Rhodes will once again compliment Addai nicely.
2) Mike Pollak – The second round pick will look to add some much needed depth to the offensive line. Pollak was a center in college, but is versatile enough to move to guard in the NFL if needed. He can spend some time learning from Jeff Saturday, but will probably look to compete for playing time at guard in the near future.
KEY LOSSES:
1) Rocky Boiman – Boiman departed to Philadelphia in the offseason, and will provide a spark to the Eagles defense. Last year he had 44 tackles and two interceptions. The former 4th round Titans pick is still young (28), and has a lot of gas left in the tank.
2) Rob Morris – Morris only had 12 tackles last year, appearing in only 2 games. He had great success in 2001 and 2002 when he recorded 114 and 100 tackles respectively. Morris was a great leader in the locker room, and his departure may not be felt as much on the field as it will be in the locker room.
Key Weaknesses:
While there are no glaring holes on this team, one area that stands out from the rest is the linebacking corps. Freddy Keiaho had a good year in 2007 with 81 tackles, and Gary Brackett had another 100+ tackle season. Tyjuan Hagler had 48 tackles on the other side of Brackett, but will also have another year under his shoulder. Team could look to try and expose the 4th year player early in the season, and how he performs could pave the way for how successful this team can be.
Key Strengths:
Everyone knows the obvious strength on this team is Peyton Manning. The crew around Manning however, is what helps make him special. He and Marvin Harrison have formed the greatest 1-2 punch in history. While Harrison isn’t the player he once was, Anthony Gonzalez and Reggie Wayne appear ready to pick up his “slack” (if you can call aging slack). Add a dynamic and versatile back in Joseph Addai, and you have a solid offense that will put points on the board.
2008 Predictions
While the Colts don’t exactly play in an easy division, they always seem to come away with the division title. The Jaguars have a good solid team, and the Titans have their moments. The Colts have played at a different level than the rest of the division since Peyton Manning came into his own, and expect another repeat title from the Colts in 2008.
Here is a look how the 2008 schedule looks for the Colts:
Week/Opponent
1 Chicago
2 @Minnesota
3 Jacksonville
4 Bye
5 @Houston
6 Baltimore
7 @Green Bay
8 @Tennessee
9 New England
10 @Pittsburgh
11 Houston
12 @San Diego
13 @Cleveland
14 Cincinnati
15 Detroit
16 @Jacksonville
17 Tennessee
The Colts play in a competitive AFC South. A potential loss could occur to Jacksonville down in Florida week 16, but otherwise look for the Colts to end the year 5-1 in the division. In addition, look for the Colts to have a bye in the first round along with the Patriots, and another AFC title game could very well come down to the Colts and the Patriots….which are always entertaining to watch.
Outside the division, wins against Chicago, Minnesota, Baltimore, Green Bay, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Detroit are quite possible. An ending record of 13-3 and a first round bye are great possibilities.
