Stampede Blue
And we are now back for yet another NFL season together following our beloved Indianapolis Colts. Let me kick things off by saying that this is probably the least optimistic start of the year I have been a part of since following the team. From every single standpoint, this seems like just a wasted year for the franchise, but because we love the team no matter what, we carry on. Hopefully the players and coaching staff can flip the narrative, winning on Week 1 for the first time in what seems like forever would certainly help towards that goal.
There has been a lot of talk about Zaire Franklin this offseason, especially after last year’s ending. To be honest I did not expect him to be back with the team, even more so after we changed defensive coordinators, but he is still the starting linebacker, team captain, and somehow the position managed to get even worse. Last season I believed that the Colts had perhaps the worst linebacker room in the entire NFL, and somehow it got even worse. The only player with meaningful experience is Franklin, and he is not a player I think is good for the team. They will be tasked with covering Jonnu Smith in the passing game, and preventing speedster De’Von Achane from reaching the second level. It will be really interesting to watch how Franklin performs with Anarumo, and if the linebacker position is not as bad as it seems.
The Dolphins lost their best tackle in Terron Armstead, and now Patrick Paul will be taking over the left side. Last season Paul allowed 15 total pressures on just 229 pass blocking snaps, while Armstead allowed 16 over 501. An offensive line is only as strong as its weakest link, and for the Dolphins that seems to be Paul. Latu had a solid, albeit unspectacular, rookie season, but he has been reportedly among the biggest surprises at camp, and pressuring Tagovailoa consistently is imperative if the Colts are to get the win. It will also be really interesting to watch how Anarumo deploys the defensive line, and what differences there are with Bradley.
First of all, what a glorious name. I had to double check whether it was actually real or not, and indeed it is. The Dolphins traded Jalen Ramsey to the Steelers, getting Minkah Fitzpatrick back in Miami, and as a result Duck is now the starting cornerback, alongside newly acquired Jack Jones. Logic would indicate that Jones will mostly be lined up opposing Michael Pittman Jr., leaving Downs with a potentially easy matchup, as Duck was not impressive last season when on the field. The young wide receiver has had two productive seasons, even despite having to deal with several different quarterbacks, and is one of my potential breakout candidates this season.
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