Heading into the great white north, the Colts must fight and claw just to have a shot at the playoffs. Having let go of the chance to control their own destiny by getting beat in an embarrassing game against the Texans. (the score wasn’t that bad it’s just embarrassing anytime you lose to the Texans. Especially at home, in a must win position)
Again Rob Chudzinski is trying to improve after a disappointing loss. “Every week is a different challenge so the teams that you play bring different challenges. We went out and we didn’t make the plays. There was maybe a guy here or a guy there. Overall, I am not going to point to one single play or one single guy, but we didn’t make the plays that we needed to do to win. We didn’t play like we are capable of playing and how we had been playing. Again, we are striving and working for that kind of consistency. That is what we want to have and we want to get to that point where we are consistent and playing at the level that we have shown and have been able to play at throughout different times of this season. We know all the challenges, we’ve talked about the issues and the injuries and all those kind of things that play into that as well. We can play better and we will play better.”
The Colts are going up against one of the best defenses in the NFL on Sunday. They have talent all over the field. The secondary especially is a mix of young talent and veteran players. Rob Chudzinski has his eyes on that secondary. “(Xavier) Rhodes is a great player, a great young player, one of the best young corners in the league. You look around and you watch the tape. (Terence) Newman has been there forever and been playing at a high level and is really playing good football right now. It will be a great challenge for our guys outside. It will be a little different challenge since these guys get up a little closer and tighter to the line of scrimmage and really challenge them. We are going to have to play physical and that goes for all areas including receivers.” (Rhodes happens to be the player that was draft pick that was selected just after a fella named Bjorn Werner.) After the Colts wide receivers failed to get open much of the game against the Texans this past Sunday, they have to find a way to get separation and help Luck get the ball out of his hands quickly. Anything to help alleviate some of the pressure from an ailing o-line.
There have been games that the coaching staff has put together a great plan to help get the quarterback some time. Somehow every time Luck is playing, they seem to forget that they need to help him not take as many hits. Regardless, it is hard to say how Chudzinski will gameplan this week but one thing is certain, the Vikings like to get after the quarterback.“they are an outstanding front. You look all the way from their inside guys to their outside guys. (Everson) Griffen and the things he does, one of the best pass rushers in the league if not the best. (Brian) Robison inside and all the way across, you just keep looking at 90 numbers coming off the bench and making plays. It’s going to be a big challenge for us. We feel like we have made strides up front as the season has gone on. We are striving for consistency so this will be a real test for us.” Keeping Luck upright is a season long topic of discussion. This week is no exception. Luck will be behind yet another patchwork O-Line thanks to injuries. Rookie Joe Haeg has been a plug and play piece on the line all season long and will continue that routine on Sunday. Joining him on that line will be some new faces since Jack Mewhort and Denzelle Good will be missing. Le’Raven Clark and Jeremy Vujnovich will try to step up. Mewhort is a huge loss as he has been the best o-linemen for the Colts this season. Anthony Castonzo has virtually disappeared. Hopefully he, and the rest of the o-line, will realize what needs to be done to elevate the level of play to keep Luck alive and fighting.
After how well the Colts played in Green Bay (granted Green Bay has not been stellar this season) let’s pray they find some inspiration on the road again. They need to win out and wish upon a star for losses for the Texans the rest of the way out.
This article by Colts Authority’s Jim Osborne tries to figure out the Colts problems this year.
The Indy star outlines the playoff picture.
All quotes courtesy of the Indianapolis Colts PR department
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