Monday, November 17, 2008

I told you so?

Earlier this week I wrote, "I think the Colts are about to go on the offensive and Marvin will be a big part of it." So far, so good.

I was a little worried after Marvin put up only one catch in the first half against Houston. But then it happened. The second half. Thirty minutes that could have major implications for the rest of the season. 8 catches. 6 first downs. 1 touchdown. Am I being overly dramatic? Probably, but you have to admit it felt pretty good to see #88 reach back to grab the ball, keep his knees off the ground, and fight to get in the endzone for 6.

Is it time for I told you so? Uh, no. It was just one game. Remember that Marvin had 8 catches against the Bears in week 1 and promptly disappeared for two months. But, I expect to see a lot more out of Marvin from here on out.

What a difference a week makes. Here are the Colts updated receiving stats:

PlayerNoYdsAvgLongTD
Reggie Wayne5679014.1655
Anthony Gonzalez4047311.8582
Dallas Clark3945911.8293
Marvin Harrison3943411.1674

DZ Comments: I sure hope you are right. This is one time I won't mind being wrong. The six first downs were significant. These weren't short passes the D didn't mind giving up. They were chain moving catches. Watching him fight for the ball and the score helped quiet people who questioned his desire (which I didn't and wouldn't do). Ultimately, you are right. One week proves nothing. Let's see he show up big on Sunday night in a tough game, and a lot more of us will believe.

8 comments:

shake'n'bake said...

Dempster re-signs with the Cubs, 4 years, 52 million, 13 million a year. That makes him the 5th highest paid Cub.

Anonymous said...

I laugh that FO was all, "why are de Coats fans cheering for Marvin makin' first downs?"

Because we should TOTALLY boo him keeping our offense on the field when our defense looks like it's never actually played in an NFL game before.

They also mucked up making fun of Melvin Bullitt, when the 61 yarder to Kevin Walters stalled out to field goal. Because yes, he should leave Andre Johnson UNCOVERED just on the off chance Sage Rosenfelds loses his mind and throws to Kevin Walters anyways.

Still sad no one noted that the Colts running game came alive after Travis Johnson went out. The funk of the Colts offense has always been a lack of consistent no huddle. Indy forcing Houston to waste a time out with a quick snap was sweet.

Out to San Diego now, I wonder who Cromartie plays? Because outside of him, their pass D is horrific. And no Merriman meaning less good pressure from them. Time to carve them up and get to 7 and 4.

shake'n'bake said...

Quinton Jammer is good too. It's because they have no pass rush without Merriman and because a lot of their strength in pass D last year was an insanely high INT% which according to Brian Burke's Advanced NFL Stats is mostly dependent on who you play and chance.

Deshawn Zombie said...

Johnson was only credited with one tackle in the first half (after a 10 yard gain). His injury did correspond with an increase in rushing though. I'll have to look at the tape to see how much he mattered.

Demond Sanders said...

Colts fans aren't stupid. It has been widely accepted on talk radio that this is Marvin's last season in Indy because of his contract.

Whether or not that's actually true I think fans are going to continue to pay him some serious tribute as this season wears on.

Anonymous said...

I watched the game as it happened. A play or two right after Johnson went down, Addai blasted off a carry for 9 or 10 yards right up the gut.

Making an impact on the game isn't all about making tackles, as evidenced by the mere threat of Freeny and Mathis rushing the passer. Even if we can't get sacks, teams are abandoning a lot of what they do at times to keep the pass rush at bay.

Quentin Jammer's decent, but without Merriman and Phillips to force mistakes by the QB, there are massive holes. If Bob plays, we should blow the doors off the Chargers, even if the score is close.

Interesting to note, again, that the Jags have never swept the Colts in the season series since the AFC South was established.

Deshawn Zombie said...

I wasn't doubting you. I'm just saying I'll try to visually confirm it. It's not the kind of thing that would show up on the stat sheet. You (or someone) made a comment in the chat at the time, and it seemed to hold true. I just want to check where the Colts were running.

Deshawn Zombie said...

No one mentioned the Travis Johnson injury because he came back and played the rest of the game. He just didn't make any plays. It was a massive non-issue in the run game.

Sorry.