| AFC South : Colts |
Stadium : RCA Dome
Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Record : 6-3 |
Head Coach : Tony Dungy 3rd Year |
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In the eternal quest for balance between offense and defense, the Colts are nearing their fruition. Elite status was achieved in 1999 when the Indianapolis Colts jumped to the forefront of offensive teams in the NFL behind the franchise quarterback Peyton Manning and offensive weapons Marvin Harrison and Edgerrin James. |
The offense has not been a problem the past five years. The defense however finished in the bottom half of the league in the last three seasons of previous head coach Jim Mora. The surprise release of Tony Dungy from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the hiring of John Grudan allowed the defensive guru the chance to coach the Indiana football franchise. The defense improved immediately in Dungy's first year while the offense struggled somewhat because of injuries to star running back Edgerrin James.
The lack of a solid running game left Manning and wide out Marvin Receiver to work double time to keep the Colts offense running. During the 2002 season the Colts increased their defensive ranking to 8th from 29th but the offense fell from 2nd to 12th. With James basically recovered from injury, the Colts narrowly missed the big dance during the 2003 campaign. The offense rebounded and the Colts went to the AFC Championship game versus New England. |
One of the telltale signs that the Colts are becoming a proven team is the playoff performances of QB Peyton Manning in 2003. Flawless games tossed by the franchise player against Denver in the Wild Card round and Kansas City in the division round solidifying Manning as a playoff proven QB. Actually, Manning's 337 and 304 yard games versus the Broncos and Chiefs collectively maxed out the NFL's passer rating system. |
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Manning and the Colts wound up on the losing end of the 2003 AFC Championship to the eventual World Champion New England Patriots. Peyton Manning was brought back to reality with four interceptions despite 237 yards of passing. Still, the post season gave Manning some redemption by winning for a change to erase some of the doubts cast upon him by the fans and media for his previous playoff failures. The 2003 post season was a step away from the Marino stigma for Manning and the Colts franchise as his playoff explosion can only mean good things for the club. The comparisons to Marino stemmed from the fact that with all of the playoff records Dan Marion achieved, not one time did he ever secure a Super Bowl Ring. |
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A look at the rest of the squad reveals that the Indianapolis Colts are vastly in tact from the 2003 team. Some hits were taken to their depth, but in this day and age a dominant offensive unit and competent defensive unit can and do win Super Bowls. The team brass focused on resigning players during the offseason rather than going after free agents. With that stated, Manning is in his prime and Marvin Harrison continues to be a top performer. Couple those offensive powerhouses with developing receiver Reggie Wayne, a solid offensive line, and a consistent running attack from James and you have several opportunities to get into the end zone. The Colts have already shown that offensive prowlness in the shootout win versus the Green Bay Packers in Week 3. Manning threw five touchdowns for the fourth time in the last two seasons to topple Bret Favre and the powerhouse Packers. |
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Defensively, the Colts should remain a formidable force behind head coach Tony Dungy. Whatever personnel holes Indianapolis encounters, Dungy should be able to fill. Additionally the development of defensive end Dwight Freeney may help establish himself as a legitimate pass-rush star in the league. Up and coming safeties Mike Doss and Bob Sanders should boost the defense into the top half of the league statistically. If the defense improves at all, Manning and company should get the chance to grab what Marino never could, a Super Bowl title. |
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Tickets.cc has Colts tickets available for the 2004 NFL Season. Choose from an array of seats and ticket pricing for the RCA Dome in Indianapolis and all Colts road games. |
