Why a loss was a win (in the long run, at least)

[GP]

There is a saying that sometimes you "win even when you lose."

Well, in the NFL it would be nice if it worked that way sometimes (especially for us right now).

But something happened in the 4th quarter of the Colts that made me pick up the pieces to the TV remote control (after I had flung it at the TV repeatedly during quarters 1-2). I saw "hope" when last year I would have seen players yelling at each other, coaches staring blankly into the stands with their mouths agape, and sometimes we saw people NOT on speaking terms or even looking at each other. We also saw lots of "Sorry, dude..." between our o line and QB after botched plays.

No, I saw Kubiak standing firm on the sideline with his play sheet in hand. I saw our players continuing to line up and play. I saw a shell-shocked QB fake pump one way and then rifle a pass to AJ a split-second later. I saw Babin (deemed a bust by many here) get a sack and get into the QB's grill for the second straight game. I saw hustle in the face of a blow out, and I saw playcalling that was anything but conservative.

I saw two guys (Dayne and Gado) come onto the field with no chemistry amongst our team players who themselves had all camp to build chemistry with one another, and I saw them carry the rock and smack the Colts around when they got their chances. Don't get me wrong, I'd like to have DD out there...but after the singing/cutting/Practice Squad signing/active roster signing/cutting/and all over again of our running backs, and with the recent trade of Morency/Gado...well, it was a worrisome time for us as fans. And thos two guys have contributed nicely. Think what happens if we had that rhythm earlier in the game? It would've been closer.

Alas, it DIDN'T happen earlier, but you have to be happy with the fact that they bowled over and through defenders WHEN the play developed and they had wiggle room to make a play.

I saw a coaching staff dedicated to leaving Mario at DE...and you could see the rookie feeling more comfortable. You could see he was running faster, and that he was looking better than against the Eagles.

I saw TDs to two different TEs, the first in 23 games according to the commentators. It's no secret to the NFL analysts and commentators that we had been a team reluctant to look the TE's way as much as other teams do. And that lack of a threat coming off the end of the line has been a missing element that has limited the opportunities of the WRs and RBs. It adds another dimension to our gameplan that affords Carr an extra option in the face of aggressive defenses. One of the things that had me up in arms about last weekend's Eagles game was what I felt was a lack of TE in our gameplan.

Thus, I really look forward to facing two mediocre teams in Miami and Washington who were touted to be strong teams...but have looked out-of-sync as of late. Daunte's lack of mobility is showing, and Brunell is also less mobile (and even LESS than last year).

No, the team I saw in the 4th quarter was a team who realized it wasn't going to beat the Colts THIS time. But then again, what demons does Peyton deal with in terms of not making it to the Big Show? He SHOULD be there. And he knows this. So as much as we wanted to win, we will have our moments in the future. And Peyton has to exorcise some demons that will claim his legacy and all its records if he cannot make it to the Big Show. And as wrong as that is, as asinine as that is, it's how it works. It's why Peyton is "disgusted" at having to punt when he's up 230-10 in the 3rd quarter: He hasn't been successful in HIS eyes.

Go Texans!

 

[Hottoddie]

I agree. Nice post.

 

[Second Honeymoon]

I agree with 99% of the aspects of the post. Dayne and Gado both showed signs that they can carry the rushing load, and Carr looking to his TE was also a plus (even if game was way out of hand by that point). Mario looked like more of a potential force and looked more comfortable....

I also agree that Kubiak did a good job of keeping the team focused even in the face of another inevitable defeat...that means a lot to me as a fan...that was something Capers rarely managed...Capers would just crawl in a shell and accept the loss for what it was on the surface....there are always positives to take out of every game, win or loss. this is true and hopefully over time Kubiak can affect enough change so that we may be more competitive in the near future....

doug from the woodlands

 

[Texan Asylum]

There is a saying that sometimes you "win even when you lose."

Well, in the NFL it would be nice if it worked that way sometimes (especially for us right now).

But something happened in the 4th quarter of the Colts that made me pick up the pieces to the TV remote control (after I had flung it at the TV repeatedly during quarters 1-2). I saw "hope" when last year I would have seen players yelling at each other, coaches staring blankly into the stands with their mouths agape, and sometimes we saw people NOT on speaking terms or even looking at each other. We also saw lots of "Sorry, dude..." between our o line and QB after botched plays.

No, I saw Kubiak standing firm on the sideline with his play sheet in hand. I saw our players continuing to line up and play. I saw a shell-shocked QB fake pump one way and then rifle a pass to AJ a split-second later. I saw Babin (deemed a bust by many here) get a sack and get into the QB's grill for the second straight game. I saw hustle in the face of a blow out, and I saw playcalling that was anything but conservative.

I saw two guys (Dayne and Gado) come onto the field with no chemistry amongst our team players who themselves had all camp to build chemistry with one another, and I saw them carry the rock and smack the Colts around when they got their chances. Don't get me wrong, I'd like to have DD out there...but after the singing/cutting/Practice Squad signing/active roster signing/cutting/and all over again of our running backs, and with the recent trade of Morency/Gado...well, it was a worrisome time for us as fans. And thos two guys have contributed nicely. Think what happens if we had that rhythm earlier in the game? It would've been closer.

Alas, it DIDN'T happen earlier, but you have to be happy with the fact that they bowled over and through defenders WHEN the play developed and they had wiggle room to make a play.

I saw a coaching staff dedicated to leaving Mario at DE...and you could see the rookie feeling more comfortable. You could see he was running faster, and that he was looking better than against the Eagles.

I saw TDs to two different TEs, the first in 23 games according to the commentators. It's no secret to the NFL analysts and commentators that we had been a team reluctant to look the TE's way as much as other teams do. And that lack of a threat coming off the end of the line has been a missing element that has limited the opportunities of the WRs and RBs. It adds another dimension to our gameplan that affords Carr an extra option in the face of aggressive defenses. One of the things that had me up in arms about last weekend's Eagles game was what I felt was a lack of TE in our gameplan.

Thus, I really look forward to facing two mediocre teams in Miami and Washington who were touted to be strong teams...but have looked out-of-sync as of late. Daunte's lack of mobility is showing, and Brunell is also less mobile (and even LESS than last year).

No, the team I saw in the 4th quarter was a team who realized it wasn't going to beat the Colts THIS time. But then again, what demons does Peyton deal with in terms of not making it to the Big Show? He SHOULD be there. And he knows this. So as much as we wanted to win, we will have our moments in the future. And Peyton has to exorcise some demons that will claim his legacy and all its records if he cannot make it to the Big Show. And as wrong as that is, as asinine as that is, it's how it works. It's why Peyton is "disgusted" at having to punt when he's up 230-10 in the 3rd quarter: He hasn't been successful in HIS eyes.

Go Texans!

Great post shafe...I love the optimism. Ditto...

 

[ColtsAreClass]

Yes, but 1 problem. That wonderful 4th quarter you wrote a book about was scrub time and nothing more. The Colts new they'd won. The coaches probably told whoever was left on, not to go crazy and stay healthy and if we give up points, that's preferable to injuries. The Colts D was thinned out with backups and 3rd stringers, which is partly why the Colts O stayed the distance, making sure there was a healthy buffer, as well as trying a few things out with Addai.

So you take solace from getting a couple of TDs in scrub time. Personally, I think whatever happened when the game was clearly dead was practice, nothing more. Nice story though. You nearly had me convinced.

 

[Napa Auto Parts]

Yes, but 1 problem. That wonderful 4th quarter you wrote a book about was scrub time and nothing more. The Colts new they'd won. The coaches probably told whoever was left on, not to go crazy and stay healthy and if we give up points, that's preferable to injuries. The Colts D was thinned out with backups and 3rd stringers, which is partly why the Colts O stayed the distance, making sure there was a healthy buffer.

So you take solace from getting a couple of TDs in scrub time. Personally, I think whatever happened when the game was clearly dead was practice, nothing more.

So are you trying to say that our great QB david carr is not as good as P.Manning we got alot of posters that would not agree with that assesment.
you guys got lucky to get a win we had you well in reach the whole game all we needed was 15 more quarters and we would of eventually tied.

 

[Reddevil63]

Yes, but 1 problem. That wonderful 4th quarter you wrote a book about was scrub time and nothing more. The Colts new they'd won. The coaches probably told whoever was left on, not to go crazy and stay healthy and if we give up points, that's preferable to injuries. The Colts D was thinned out with backups and 3rd stringers, which is partly why the Colts O stayed the distance, making sure there was a healthy buffer, as well as trying a few things out with Addai.

So you take solace from getting a couple of TDs in scrub time. Personally, I think whatever happened when the game was clearly dead was practice, nothing more. Nice story though. You nearly had me convinced.

Enjoy the road to playoff disappointment

 

[texflex513]

So are you trying to say that our great QB david carr is not as good as P.Manning we got alot of posters that would not agree with that assesment.
you guys got lucky to get a win we had you well in reach the whole game all we needed was 15 more quarters and we would of eventually tied.

way to kiss the feet of a colts fan LOL!!!

 

[rockabilly]

I think we will get our first victory agains the Redskins next week. When is the last time (scrubs in or not) that you saw the Texans continue to try in the 4th down by that much?

We looked good early against the eagles. We looked good late against the colts. Now I think its time we look good all game against the Redskins. I think Gado should get the start. He looked great out there as did Dayne. I think Lundy needs to move down that depth chart. And just think, once Dayne and Gado learn that playbook entirely and build a chemistry....we will have a solid running game.

 

[ColtsAreClass]

Enjoy the road to playoff disappointment

You have to get there to lose one.

 

[texflex513]

So you insult me and tell me to get lost and I'm the classless one? Just because I put some pipe dream into perspective, doesn't mean I'm being arrogant saying something like "We Owned You" would be though and I never implied anything like that.

Thanks for the well thought out, measured response though.

WOW great response.....still here???

 

[Houston_Fanatic]

Yes, but 1 problem. That wonderful 4th quarter you wrote a book about was scrub time and nothing more. The Colts new they'd won. The coaches probably told whoever was left on, not to go crazy and stay healthy and if we give up points, that's preferable to injuries. The Colts D was thinned out with backups and 3rd stringers, which is partly why the Colts O stayed the distance, making sure there was a healthy buffer, as well as trying a few things out with Addai.

So you take solace from getting a couple of TDs in scrub time. Personally, I think whatever happened when the game was clearly dead was practice, nothing more. Nice story though. You nearly had me convinced.

Nobody cares what a Colts fan thinks right now - your opinion is irrelavent.

 

[ColtsAreClass]

Nobody cares what a Colts fan thinks right now - your opinion is irrelavent.

Haha. OK. BTW: Which one of the 3 wise monkeys are you?
When you watch your next game, why not put on a blindfold and ring a handbell for 4 hours, so you can't let reality spoil your opinion.

 

[Houston_Fanatic]

I agree with the OP. As frustrating as the beginning of the game was (almost a mirror image of last week's game) I was proud of our guys to hang in there until the very end. And I saw some things from them that I liked and we can build on.

We are rebuilding after all.........

 

[ColtsAreClass]

I agree with the OP. As frustrating as the beginning of the game was (almost a mirror image of last week's game) I was proud of our guys to hang in there until the very end. And I saw some things from them that I liked and we can build on.

We are rebuilding after all.........

Great thoughts. Perhaps next game, they can give up 40 points in the 1st quarter and then have 3 great quarters when the other team take all their starters off.

 

[LBC_Justin]

Great thoughts. Perhaps next game, they can give up 40 points in the 1st quarter and then have 3 great quarters when the other team take all their starters off.

your going to get real bored real fast on our forums. We like to talk about football here, if you like name calling and put downs head over to the Jags board. They love that stuff. We prefer to talk about football.

oh and by the way. Most of us know tons about playoff football and even more about playoff dissappointment. When the city of Houston was awarded the Texans, our city had hosted more NFL games than Indy, Tennesse and Jacksonville combined. (Stir on that for a while.)

Enjoy your run. Peyton is awesome and will carry your team to many more wins. But I warn you to savor it. It won't last forever.

 

[ColtsAreClass]

your going to get real bored real fast on our forums. We like to talk about football here, if you like name calling and put downs head over to the Jags board. They love that stuff. We prefer to talk about football.

oh and by the way. Most of us know tons about playoff football and even more about playoff dissappointment. When the city of Houston was awarded the Texans, our city had hosted more NFL games than Indy, Tennesse and Jacksonville combined. (Stir on that for a while.)

Enjoy your run. Peyton is awesome and will carry your team to many more wins. But I warn you to savor it. It won't last forever.

My reply was an apt response to a deserving poster. As for football talk; I'm fine with football talk and did respond to football talk, but also bounced the smack back.

But you're right about being bored quick on this forum. After all, apart from the game, the rest of the discussion is like a 1 trick pony. There's only so many threads about how your team needs to drastically improve that any sane person can take.

As for how many games your city has hosted; So what? What does that matter? How many teams have you hosted and what does the fact that it's more than 1, tell you?

 

[texflex513]

My reply was an apt response to a deserving poster. As for football talk; I'm fine with football talk and did respond to football talk, but also bounce the smack back.

But you're right about being bored quick on this forum. After all, apart from the game, the rest of the discussion is like a 1 trick pony. There's only so many threads about how your team needs to drastically improve that any sane person can take.

As for how many games your city has hosted; So what? What does that matter? How many teams have you hosted and what does the fact that it's more than 1, tell you?

Have you visited the patriots forum lately????Pay them a visit im sure they miss your post there....GEYTON MANNING the best REGULAR SEASON QB in the NFL....win a super bowl and then talk trash its not about beating a new and struggling franchise...its about at least making it to the big show and GEYTON has yet to get you there good luck though..GO HORSESHOES!!!

 

[Houston_Fanatic]

I am glad our next two games are Home games. The last 2 games are history. I think we have a chance to beat the Skins.

 

[Hervoyel]

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to gpshafer_1976 again.

I think that might have been the best post you ever wrote gp. Good stuff and never mind the Colts troll. We haven't sprayed in a while so we're seeing some of those. The bug man will be here on Monday morning to take care of it.

"ColtsAreClass" is true. Too bad you can't always describe their fans that way.

 

[SAMURAITEXAN]

Nice post GP.

 

[Stampede]

Great thoughts. Perhaps next game, they can give up 40 points in the 1st quarter and then have 3 great quarters when the other team take all their starters off.

ah, so here we have the south end of that north bound horse. Get the hell out of Dodge.

 

[Texanfan4ever]

GP, great post!!!!

 

[edo783]

Yes, but 1 problem. That wonderful 4th quarter you wrote a book about was scrub time and nothing more. The Colts new they'd won. The coaches probably told whoever was left on, not to go crazy and stay healthy and if we give up points, that's preferable to injuries. The Colts D was thinned out with backups and 3rd stringers, which is partly why the Colts O stayed the distance, making sure there was a healthy buffer, as well as trying a few things out with Addai.

So you take solace from getting a couple of TDs in scrub time. Personally, I think whatever happened when the game was clearly dead was practice, nothing more. Nice story though. You nearly had me convinced.

See, that's just BS. Both teams subbed players through out the game. At one point in the second quarter, they noted that the only starter that the Texans had in was Seth Payne, so I guess y'all were working against our second string, no wonder you did well. The truth is that up until the final 2-3 min. both teams had mostly starters in the game. Even on the final Texans poseession the Colts had 6 starters in on Defense, so the idea that it was all 2nd and 3rd stringers is total BS.

 

[footballguy69]

All this talk about us scoring against 3rd stringers? Anyone who has played this game knows that in a 53 man squad there are no 3rd stringers except for the #3 QB which is only activated in an emergency according to rule. Everyone else plays some regardless if only on special teams. This is not pre-season!!!!!!!

 

[whiskeyrbl]

You have to get there to lose one.

I'LL take the fact that we are not going to the playoffs considering that we are in anew system, new coach,20 some odd new players and a tough first half schedule. So we know why David Carr and company will be watching the SB,but whats funny is so will Peyton and co..... Can u say CHOKE, ONE MORE TIME.........

 

[painekiller]

I don't have to write the article this week, You did it for me. That gets props from me.

 

[Hottoddie]

But you're right about being bored quick on this forum. After all, apart from the game, the rest of the discussion is like a 1 trick pony. There's only so many threads about how your team needs to drastically improve that any sane person can take.

Then why don't you just leave? You're not welcome here anymore.

And, for the record, you started the smack talk with your very first post.