 |
| |
|
 |
 |
||
 |
 |
||
 |
|||
EVENTS
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE |
Plugging holes Colts sure to focus on upgrading defense in offseason
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- A season that looked so promising ended in a too-familiar fashion. Despite a Pro Bowl trio that led the NFL in rushing, passing and receiving, the offense couldn't carry the load by itself, and the Indianapolis Colts again exited the playoffs after one game. "We had our ups and downs. We won 10 games and made the playoffs, which I feel is a darn good accomplishment," head coach Jim Mora said Sunday. "The thing I'm disappointed in is we're not still in the playoffs." After the biggest turn-around in NFL history a year earlier -- 13-3 after consecutive 3-13 seasons -- the Colts started the 2000 campaign as one of the favorites to reach the Super Bowl. And for good reason. The offense, led by Peyton Manning, Edgerrin James and Marvin Harrison, was one of the league's most potent. But the defense, especially against the run, was among the worst. After the Colts lost three consecutive games late in the season, they sneaked into the playoffs by winning the last three games, but they blew a 14-0 lead and lost to the Miami Dolphins 23-17 in overtime on Saturday. The Dolphins' Lamar Smith rushed for a playoff-record 209 yards and two touchdowns, a pretty good indication of what ailed the Colts all season. "Obviously, we've got to make our defense better," team president Bill Polian said. "The question is how well you play, how well you execute the techniques. We've got to get better, but we have to be very specific how we get better." The Colts won the AFC East and received a first-round bye in 1999 but lost to Tennessee in a divisional playoff game. "The constant to get beyond that is to get if not a dominating defense, to get at least a reliable defense," Polian said. "As well as we played on offense ... you still have to have a reliable defense to play at the highest level. That's where we need to go." This year, the Colts were hurt at midseason with the loss of rookie linebacker Rob Morris, a first-round draft pick, with a knee injury. Then spotty play at defensive end and at cornerback forced a pair of lineup changes late in the season. Now, among the five unrestricted free agents the Colts also have to deal with in the offseason are defensive back Jason Belser, linebacker Dwight Hollier and defensive tackle Bernard Whittington. "Our clear preference is to keep our own," Polian said. "However, I can't predict where the market will go. ... If you keep player X, are you willing to let player Y or player Z go?" Except for the uncertainty with tight end Marcus Pollard, also an unrestricted free agent, the offense should be intact. Mora, in fact, said he can't think of a single area in the offense that requires significant attention. Manning led the NFL with 357 completions and 4,413 yards and became the first quarterback in league history to reach 12,000 yards passing in his first three seasons; James led the league in rushing for the second consecutive year and became only the second running back in NFL history with more than 4,000 yards from scrimmage in his first two seasons; Harrison tied for the league lead with 102 receptions and became the only Colts player with more than 1,000 yards receiving twice. Also, the Colts' line tied the New York Jets for the fewest quarterback sacks allowed. But it wasn't enough. "I know the expectations at the beginning of the year were very, very high for this team, and that was based strictly on what our record was last year. I personally think they were too high," Mora said. "We struggled all year. ... When I say we struggled, it's not a negative comment on our football team, because it's hard for everybody. It's a very competitive business," he said. "But this team played hard all year. Their work ethic was excellent." Mora and Polian would not speculate on specific moves, although they left little doubt the defense would get a high priority. "We're not a big defensive team," Mora said. "We both feel it would be to our advantage to be a little bigger up front. We certainly need to get more physical up front, and maybe we can do that with some of the guys we have here." He said the goal for 2001 still is to win the Super Bowl. "But you also have to be realistic," Mora said. "I felt we were going to be a good football team this year, but I felt it would be tough to win as many games as we did last year. So in a league as competitive as this, with a lot of unknowns, you never know."
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
