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The 2010 Indianapolis Colts: More of everything you love

I became a Colts fan when I was in my teens. Back when Jim Harbaugh was running the huddle, and a year before the Colts leapt into the AFC championship game. As I kid who grew up watching and loving the slow pace of baseball, and who had moved on to the flash and speed of basketball. The speed and grace of wide receivers, the brash, smashmouth play of running backs, and the lumbering, all-but-axewielding play of defenders running down the quarterbacks appealed to me on all fronts. I was hooked.

When the Colts drafted Peyton Manning in 1998, I couldn’t decide if I was elated they’d selected the Volunteer, or upset that they had passed on Ryan Leaf. Both were highly heralded coming into the league. As luck would have it, Leaf went nowhere fast and was out of the league as quickly as he entered it, and in time, Manning has proved himself one of the most cerebral players in all of sports history.

I say this all leading into the fact that this year could be the most exciting year to be a Colts fan in the last 15 years. Yes, even eclipsing the 2006 Superbowl team.

First things first: Jim Caldwell has proven he has the chops to not only spell Tony Dungy, but might be a better coach in the long run(ok, probably not, but you can’t argue that he didn’t win every game he set out to last year, save the Superbowl). The apprehension of having an untested coach is gone. He’s proven he can make this team work.

At the quarterback spot, Peyton will be returning to hopefully be near the top of the league in every positive statistical category. Manning is a rock who simply will not be moved. I don’t know if it’s possible for him to improve from the heights he’s reached, but I don’t see him declining.

Running back is a position of vital importance to any team, but often takes a back seat to the passing game. The Colts are a primary example of that school of thought. Joseph Addai is returning and is almost certainly the team’s first option. However, second year RB Donald Brown showed flashes of brilliance last season, and only has upside from where he is now. Third year man Mike Hart has his moments, but isn’t overly effective.

Tight end is another gold star spot for the Colts with perennial Pro-Bowler Dallas Clark. Clark is a premiere receiving TE in the NFL, and is always a threat to go deep. He spreads the offense with speed that burns linebackers and size that renders safeties and corners largely ineffective. Any ball thrown Clark’s way is usually caught and goes for big yardage. Couple that with his presence in the red zone and his abilities playing a slot receiver and he adds a great dimension to the Colts’ passing attack.

The most exciting part of the Colts’ offense this year is the wide receiver core. Reggie Wayne is always among the elite in yards per game, per catch, touchdowns, and catches. Pierre Garçon emerged as a deep ball threat with sure hands last year, stepping in for Anthony Gonzalez when he went down in week 1 with a knee injury. And speaking of Gonzalez, he’ll be available this season, bringing back his size and great catching abilities that made him a popular target for Terrelle Pryor at Ohio State just three years ago. Second year receiver Austin Collie came up huge for the Colts in 2009 as the primary slot receiver. This BYU standout snagged a TD in week 4 against Seattle, and 2 in week 5 against the division rival Tennessee Titans, and finished with 7 for the season. His numbers can only go up. The question becomes who plays where? Odds are Wayne and Garçon play on the outsides where they seem most comfortable, and Gonzalez and Collie fill the slots, although we’re likely to see Wayne and Clark both see receptions from the position.

On defense, all of the most important pieces are returning- defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis will continue to cause nightmares for opposing quarterbacks and running backs. Mathis gains a lot from Freeney’s freakish speed of the corner beating the offensive line. While teams double up on Freeney, Mathis gets to the QB and RB a lot. Raheem Brock was released by the Colts in the off season, but has been replaced with rookie Jerry Hughes from TCU. Hughes is another speedy DE who will no doubt take snaps when Freeney and Mathis are out of the game for rest or(God forbid) injury.

Defensive captain Gary Brackett will be back to help lead the linebacker core again, and the LBs gain the services of rookie Pat Angerer, who Tom Jones of tribstar.com refers to as “a clone of … Gary Brackett.”

A fan favorite, corner back Marlin Jackson left the team to join the Philadelphia Eagles, but fans shouldn’t fret. Veteran corner Kelvin Hayden will be back with the team, healthy, and paired with either second year CB Jerraud Powers or Jacob Lacey. Both Powers and Lacey stepped up to fill in for injuries, and after a shaky week or two, they came into their own and did excellent shut down work on the outside.

As for the rest of the DBs, veteran Antoine Bethea will return to continue business as usual, and oft-injured former Defensive MVP Bob Sanders will return to hopefully lay down more brutal hits on opposing receivers and unfortunate RBs who get through the Colts’ defensive line.

Other unmentioned rookies: DB Kevin Thomas, USC, Tennessee OG Jaques McClendon, OU TE Brody Eldridge, Cincinnati DE Ricardo Matthews, Clemson DB Kavell Conner, and DB/KR Ray Fisher of Indiana.

All in all, the Colts’ offense has improved in the receiving core, Manning still holds down the QB position, RB Donald Brown looks primed to make noise and threaten Addai for more playing time, and the defense can only get better with experience.

Colts fans, get ready to see another solid season filled with thrills, a deep playoff run, and a really good shot at seeing another Superbowl appearance. In 2010-11, expect to see the Colts lift the Lombardi trophy once again.