|
By the end of the 1996 season,
Jim Harbaugh's medical chart was packed with so many scribbles,
notes and numbers that it had grown to resemble a textbook on
sports injuries. Over the course of the year, the Colts
quarterback suffered a broken nose, ligament damage in his left
knee, numerous bruises from being brutalized by the Bills in an
overtime loss, a chipped tooth, a deep gash in his mouth and a
pinched nerve in his neck. Wile E. Coyote never got pummeled
this bad.
"I took way too many shots," says Harbaugh, who finished the
season with the worst passer rating in his three seasons with
Indianapolis. "Every week I was in the training room for
something. After a while it gets hard to go out there and do the
things you need to do."
So after the Colts lost to Pittsburgh 42-14 in the AFC wild-card
game, Harbaugh engaged director of football operations Bill
Tobin in a heart-to-heart. The 33-year-old QB made it clear that
the offensive line, which had surrendered 43 sacks, absolutely
had to be upgraded if Indy was to make the playoffs a third
straight time. Tobin apparently agreed, because in April's draft
the Colts used their first two selections on Tarik Glenn, a
335-pound left tackle from California, and Adam Meadows, a
292-pound guard from Georgia. Both should contribute quickly,
but Harbaugh shouldn't expect a pass-protection fortress to
magically appear. After all, the starters on the line still
include tackle Tony Mandarich, one of the most exquisite busts
of all time, and guard Eric Mahlum, who has missed 12 games to
injuries over the past two years.
"Our offensive line needs some time to play together and build
as a unit," says Tobin. "But we've got some talent there."
Nevertheless, the line looms as the Colts' biggest offensive
question mark. Though running back Marshall Faulk was dreadful
last season—his rushing total of 587 yards was less than half
that (1,282) of his rookie year, in 1994—there were simply no
holes for him to slip through. Faulk has fully recovered from a
toe injury he sustained in Week 2 against the Jets, and with
improvement on the line, there's no reason he can't again be one
of the top-five backs in the NFL.
Also assuming a greater role will be second-year receiver Marvin
Harrison, who in '96 became the first rookie to lead the Colts
in receptions and receiving yards since Matt Bouza did so in
1982. If Harrison continues to flower, he could be a Pro Bowler
for years to come.
A Pro Bowl player is something the Colts haven't had on defense
since Duane Bickett in 1987. Defensive end Tony Bennett played
Pro Bowl-caliber ball at times last season, but this year he may
have a tougher go of it because tackle Tony Siragusa, whose
interior penetration often freed up Bennett, signed with the
Ravens as a free agent.
The Colts will also miss Siragusa's leadership. Many of the
players believe that the defining moment in Indy's two-year run
as a playoff team came during the final regular-season game of
'95, in which the Colts needed a victory over New England to
make it into the postseason. At halftime, with Indy trailing
7-0, Siragusa knocked over tables, threw chairs and made such a
mess that the floor of the locker room looked like a Jackson
Pollock painting. But his tirade inspired his teammates, and
Indy rallied to win the game 10-7.
Siragusa isn't the only one gone. The defense will be without
linebacker Trev Alberts (who was likely to retire) and defensive
backs Ray Buchanan (free agency) and Eugene Daniel (retirement
or free agency). Bennett and fellow linebacker Quentin Coryatt
will have to do a better job of rushing the quarterback—in each
of the past three seasons the Colts have had just 29 sacks—to
take the pressure off cornerbacks Carlton Gray and Dedric
Mathis, who failed to intercept a single pass between them last
season.
"It may sound corny," says second-year Indy coach Lindy Infante,
"but this team's strength is not so much located in one
individual position. Rather, in each of the last two years the
big things for us have been heart, character and work ethic.
This has been a group that works well against the odds."
Though 19 starters missed a total of
78 games in 1996 because of injuries, the Colts still pieced
together a playoff season. Obviously, they are blessed with good
karma. If it keeps up—and if Harbaugh keeps staggering back to
the huddle—another trip to the postseason is within reach.
—by Lars Anderson
|
