On the Lines
by Dave Gardner
The Colts struggled last season with injuries to both their offensive and defensive lines. This offseason has been dedicated to repairing those ailing units.
Only a little over a year ago, the Colts and their star quarterback, Peyton Manning, finally conquered their demons and won the Super Bowl. Although they returned to a strong record of 13-3 last year (including a meaningless loss in the regular season finale in which Jim Sorgi had more pas attempts than Peyton Manning), they fell short of their goal of repeating as champions in their first playoff game, losing to the Chargers — that would be the last game in the RCA Dome.
Now the Colts prepare to move to their new home, Lucas Oil Field, which — much like the RCA Dome — is built for a team that relies on speed and finesse on both offense and defense. But, if last year was any indication, the Colts are ready to move past that identity — the identity which haunted them for three playoff losses at New England. It was last year that the proved the Colts’ lines had been more critical to their overall success than anyone had previously noted.
While injuries ravaged the offensive and defensive lines, the units struggled to perform consistently.
On offense, the Colts didn’t have a 16-game starter at either tackle position. In a stretch during October and November, in fact, the Colts were without both Tony Ugoh and Ryan Diem, the starters at left and right tackle, respectively. Charlie Johnson, a 2006 sixth-round pick, was forced to start five games in place of Diem and another five games in place of Ugoh. Veteran guard Jake Scott and first-year player Michael Toudouze also saw time on the outside.
Yes, the Colts still ranked in the top five in total offense in the league, but that statistic doesn’t tell the whole story. Here are a few that do. Peyton Manning was sacked 21 times, the most since 2002. The Colts passing offense was outside of the top five for the first time since 1998, which was Manning’s rookie year (they were ranked sixth both times). Finally, their backs only averaged 3.8 yards per rush.
Defensively, it was a similar story. The Colts lost Anthony “Booger” McFarland in August last year to a torn ACL, then lost star right defensive end Dwight Freeney week ten loss to the Chargers, and finally lost left defensive end — and sack leader for the second season in a row — Robert Mathis for the final three games of the season. The result was a Colts defensive line that was 26th in the league in sacks, with just 28.
Yet from the shaky play of both lines last year, the Colts should be rewarded this year. On the defensive line, they found gems like undrafted free agent defensive tackle Ed Johnson, who is penciled in as the starter next to Raheem Brock this season, and reserve defensive end Josh Thomas, who played admirably in three games down the stretch. On offense, Tony Ugoh gained valuable experience at left tackle and should be expected to make a huge leap in his second year under offensive line guru, Howard Mudd. Role players and backups like Johnson, Toudouze and Dylan Gandy all gained valuable in-game experience on the offensive line.
While the Colts were forced to plug in inexperienced players last season, they will be able replace possible injured starters this year with players who started games last year. Surely, the staff will feel more comfortable — and so will the players themselves — inserting backups into the starting lineup. This is a team that will be returning 21 of 22 starters from last year and now will also have the additional benefit of a solid bench. That’s a troubling thing for opponents this season.
And if any questions remained with the roster as it stood in March, they were answered in Radio City Music Hall in April. The Colts clearly focused on the lines first. They selected three offensive linemen who all played center in college: Mike Pollack (2nd round), Steve Justice (6th round), and Jamey Richard (7th round). Pollack will likely replace Jake Scott, who left via free agency to Tennessee, at right guard and is the heir-apparent to three-time All-Pro Jeff Saturday.
They also selected defensive end Marcus Howard of Georgia, a physical specimen who, at a svelte 220 pounds, clocked a sub-4.45 forty-yard dash. He was a first-team All-SEC as a senior, recording 41 tackles and 10.5 sacks. He will be used to spell Dwight Freeney or Robert Mathis on passing downs as a pure edge rusher. Finally, they picked up two tight ends, Jacob Tamme (4th round) and Tom Santi (6th round). While Tamme may contribute more as a Dallas Clark-like slot receiver than as a bookend tight end, they both will be vital in the two tight end set that the Colts offense runs frequently.
The Colts could have kept the same roster from last season and still made it to the playoffs. With all the skill positions in place on offense (they’ll be fine with or without Marvin Harrison), and an excellent back seven on defense, they were in place to win at least ten games. However, as they prepare for the first season in a new stadium, it should be ready to host more than just the eight regular season games.
They’ll still be a team that plays best on a fast field, but because of the rough times that they went through last year, they’ll be tough to beat on any field this season.