Re: Returning to former glory - An Indianapolis Colts dynasty (M13 CCM)
2012 NFL SEASON PREVIEW
NFL Injury Report - Preseason
Pos
Player
Injury Note
HB
Trent Richardson (CLE)
Broken Jaw - 2 Weeks
DT
Kyle Williams (BUF)
Dislocated Knee - 2 Weeks
OLB
Terrell Suggs (BAL)
Broken Ribs - 2 Weeks
G
Brian Waters (CAR)
Pulled Groin - 2 Weeks
T
Andrew Whitworth (CIN)
Knee Cartilage Tear - 3 Weeks
CB
Tramon Williams (GB)
Foot Fracture - 3 Weeks
DE
Cliff Avril (DET)
Dislocated Hip - 4 Weeks
DT
Sione Pouha (NYJ)
Broken Hand - 6 Weeks
DT
Domata Peko (CIN)
Fractured Shoulder Blade - Out for Season
HB
Ray Rice (BAL)
Fractured Shoulder Blade - Out for Season
PROJECTED NFL RECORDS
NFL Power Rankings - Preseason
RK (Projected Record)
Team
Preseason Record
Next Game
1 (14-2)
Green Bay Packers
4-0
vs. San Francisco 49ers
2 (10-6)
Philadelphia Eagles
4-0
at Cleveland Browns
3 (9-7)
New York Giants
4-0
vs. Dallas Cowboys
4 (9-7)
Dallas Cowboys
4-0
at New York Giants
5 (9-7)
Seattle Seahawks
4-0
at Arizona Cardinals
6 (11-5)
Baltimore Ravens
3-1
vs. Cincinnati Bengals
7 (10-6)
Chicago Bears
3-1
vs. Indianapolis Colts
8 (9-7)
Pittsburgh Steelers
3-1
at Denver Broncos
9 (8-8)
Cincinnati Bengals
3-1
at Baltimore Ravens
10 (9-7)
Detroit Lions
3-1
vs. St. Louis Rams
11 (8-8)
Minnesota Vikings
3-1
vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
12 (12-4)
Houston Texans
2-2
vs. Miami Dolphins
13 (13-3)
Atlanta Falcons
2-2
at Kansas City Chiefs
14 (11-5)
Denver Broncos
2-2
vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
15 (10-6)
New Orleans Saints
2-2
vs. Washington Redskins
16 (8-8)
Washington Redskins
2-2
at New Orleans Saints
17 (7-9)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2-2
vs. Carolina Panthers
18 (4-12)
Kansas City Chiefs
2-2
vs. Atlanta Falcons
19 (5-11)
Miami Dolphins
2-2
at Houston Texans
20 (6-10)
Tennessee Titans
2-2
vs. New England Patriots
21 (11-5)
New England Patriots
1-3
at Tennessee Titans
22 (12-4)
San Francisco 49ers
1-3
at Green Bay Packers
23 (6-10)
New York Jets
1-3
vs. Buffalo Bills
24 (8-8)
Buffalo Bills
1-3
at New York Jets
25 (7-9)
San Diego Chargers
1-3
at Oakland Raiders
26 (5-11)
Oakland Raiders
1-3
vs. San Diego Chargers
27 (5-11)
Indianapolis Colts
1-3
at Chicago Bears
28 (4-12)
Cleveland Browns
1-3
vs. Philadelphia Eagles
29 (6-10)
Carolina Panthers
0-4
at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
30 (4-12)
St. Louis Rams
0-4
at Detroit Lions
31 (3-13)
Jacksonville Jaguars
0-4
at Minnesota Vikings
32 (5-11)
Arizona Cardinals
0-4
vs. Seattle Seahawks
Game to Watch: San Francisco 49ers @ Green Bay Packers
Game to Avoid: San Diego Chargers @ Oakland Raiders
Projected Blowout: Philadelphia Eagles over Cleveland Browns
Nail Biter: Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants
Re: Returning to former glory - An Indianapolis Colts dynasty (M13 CCM)
COLTS MAKE TWO ROSTER MOVES
The Indianapolis Colts made two roster moves heading into their opening day clash with the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. The Colts released Mr. Irrelevant, rookie quarterback Chandler Harnish and 3rd year cornerback out of Purdue, Brandon King. Indianapolis wasted no time in filling the vacated roster spots as they resigned Linebacker Moise Fokou, who was released just a week earlier in the final cut day of 2012 preseason. Also signed was Tight End Donald Lee, who is now in his 10th year in the NFL after being drafted in the 5th round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins.
Matchup Preview *|* September 9, 2012
@
Indianapolis Colts (0-0, 0-0 Away)
Chicago Bears (0-0, 0-0 Home)
Injury Report
No Players Injured
Corey Wootton/Dislocated Ankle 1 Week
Stacy Andrews/Shoulder Tear 1 Week
Game Notes
Where: Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
Date: September 9
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C), partly cloudy
Referee: Wayne Elliott
TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf
Though the Indianapolis Colts got a lengthy look at what life would be like without Peyton Manning last season, they have to be feeling a whole lot better about their quarterback situation with Andrew Luck under center.
The Chicago Bears, meanwhile, are undoubtedly looking forward to Jay Cutler's return from injury - all the more with Brandon Marshall at his disposal.
Luck makes his highly anticipated debut Sunday at Soldier Field as the Colts take on a Bears team hoping to have eight-time Pro Bowl linebacker Brian Urlacher available.
Selected No. 1 overall in the draft after an outstanding career at Stanford, Luck - arguably the most NFL-ready rookie quarterback since Manning in 1998 - has some big shoes to fill.
For the first time in 15 years, Manning will be wearing a different uniform. The Colts decided to let the four-time MVP go after he missed the entire 2011 season due to a series of neck operations, releasing Manning in March following a storied career in Indianapolis.
"I know that if I woke up every morning trying to compare myself to Peyton, I think I would go crazy. It's impossible," Luck told the Colts' official website.
"I realize that, so I am going to go out there and do the best I can. I'm going to put my best forward, and if one day I can be mentioned alongside Peyton in quarterback lore, it would be a football dream come true. Until then I will try to do my best and not get worried about the comparisons."
With Manning now in Denver, Luck will do his best to get the Colts back on track. Indianapolis went 2-14 last season to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2001, but Robert Mathis, Dwight Freeney, Adam Vinatieri and Reggie Wayne are still around to help ease Luck's transition.
In addition to handing the keys to a rookie QB, the Colts are also welcoming a new coach. Indianapolis fired Jim Caldwell after three seasons and hired Chuck Pagano, who spent last season at Baltimore's defensive coordinator.
"I don't think anybody is viewing it as a rebuilding season," Luck said. "There are great players on this team. Guys that have made the playoffs for X amount of years in a row, and then maybe missed out last year, so I know they are hungry. I just hope that I can help them achieve that goal."
While some of the uncertainty surrounding Indianapolis stems from Luck's lack of experience, the veteran-laden Bears are dealing with their fair share of issues.
Chicago, though, hopes to have solved one of its biggest problems by acquiring Marshall from Miami, giving Cutler a legitimate No. 1 receiver for the first time since he joined the Bears in 2009. Cutler and Marshall proved to be one of the league's more dynamic duos during their time in Denver -- then-QB coach Jeremy Bates is now doing the same job in Chicago -- and appear primed for another big season.
"We did some good stuff when we were in Denver," Cutler told the Bears' official website. "We were young. (Coaches) Mike Shanahan and Jeremy Bates were very good about putting us in situations for us to be successful, being very safe and at the same time trying to be explosive."
Cutler should also benefit from Alshon Jeffery's presence. The 6-foot-3 receiver was taken in the second round of the draft.
"We've got some guys that can play football on the outside. There's no doubt about that," Cutler added. "Hopefully, it's going to make my job easier just being able to get them the ball and let them work."
Bears fans will be getting their first look at Cutler since he suffered a season-ending broken right thumb while trying to make a tackle following an interception against San Diego in Week 11. Chicago improved to 7-3 after winning that game but finished 8-8 following dismal displays from Caleb Hanie and Josh McCown.
While Chicago appears to be in much better shape with Jason Campbell now backing up Cutler, much of the team's success could hinge on how Urlacher's left knee holds up. He was injured during the final game of 2011 and underwent arthroscopic surgery.
Urlacher though did play some part in each of Chicago's preseason games, getting through without much trouble.
In addition to Urlacher's status, the offensive line remains a question mark. Chicago was tied for 27th in the league with 49 sacks allowed last season, a total Mike Tice knows needs to come down.
"I have trouble sleeping at night until I know that our quarterback is protected," said Tice, who replaces Mike Martz as offensive coordinator.
The line will also need to come up big for Matt Forte, who enters this season fresh off signing a four-year, $31.5 million contract. Forte ranked third in the league with an average of 123.9 scrimmage yards last year but missed the team's last four games with a sprained ligament in his right knee.
Though Forte is likely to see the majority of the carries, recently signed Michael Bush should also get plenty of work.
Sunday marks the second meeting between Chicago and Indianapolis since the Colts defeated the Bears 29-17 in Super Bowl XLI. Chicago won 29-13 at Indianapolis on Sept. 7, 2008, behind 123 rushing yards and a touchdown from Forte.
Re: Returning to former glory - An Indianapolis Colts dynasty (M13 CCM)
CUTLER LEADS BEARS TO 30-20 WIN OVER COLTS
CHICAGO -- Jay Cutler and the Bears weren't about to let Andrew Luck upstage them. Instead, they outplayed the visitors.
Cutler threw for 254 yards and two touchdowns, 141 of which to rookie receiver Alshon Jeffrey who put up a touchdown, as the Chicago Bears spoiled Luck's debut, beating the Indianapolis Colts 30-20 Sunday in the season opener.
"We got the guys," Jeffrey said. "We have the pieces. We have the coaches."
Matt Forte ran for 95 yards to go with 5 yards receiving. Newcomer Michael Bush added 14 yards, and the defense did its part, holding Luck in check.
He was 15 of 42 for 281 yards with two TD passes to Donald Lee and Reggie Wayne. But Luck got sacked twice and threw an interception -- to Lance Briggs -- in an up-and-down start for a rookie with huge shoes to fill. All he has to do is prove the Colts were right to take him with the No. 1 pick in the draft and part with Peyton Manning after he missed last season with a neck injury.
"There will be a lot of positives, a lot of negatives, we'll try to learn from it," Luck said. "I'm still disappointed fresh off what happened but we'll get over it."
Reggie Wayne, one of Manning's old targets, caught three passes for 75 yards and a touchdown. But it was a familiar result for a team with new management and a new coach in Chuck Pagano after winning just two games.
Then again, it was hardly a surprise.
The Bears are eyeing big things, and with a team that has been together for a number of years, it would come as no surprise if the Bears are a top team in the NFC come the playoffs.
With their Pro Bowl running back and strong-armed quarterback leading the way, they racked up 347 yards which helped them to build a 7-point halftime lead -- in their first game with Mike Tice as coordinator.
Cutler shook off a rough start and completed 20 of 31 passes. He was sacked three times in the 1st half as Chicago's O-Line was being physically outmatched. But nevertheless, the Bears caught fire despite the fact the Colts kept Matt Forte and Brandon Marshall quiet throughout the game.
The Bears believe they are poised for a playoff run after injuries wrecked a promising season a year ago, sending them to an 8-8 finish. New general manager Phil Emery revamped the roster and brought in a go-to receiver, reuniting Cutler with his old friend from Denver in Marshall in that blockbuster trade with Miami.
But rookie Alshon Jeffrey was Chicago's key receiver as he put up 7 receptions for 141 yards and a touchdown as he overshadowed Marshall and Cutler's reunion.
"The chemistry he (Cutler) has with 17 (Jeffrey) surprised me today." Pagano said. "They haven't been together long."
Cutler said the opportunities for Jeffrey to make plays were there.
"I thought Indy, they underestimated him," Cutler said. "They were going to let him make plays because they thought he wasn't a threat. They wanted to stop the run, make us throw to Brandon (Marshall), play double coverage on him and they were going to play man against us and try to beat us outside."
One big concern for Chicago is the fitness of Linebacker Brian Urlacher. After initially injuring his knee in the 2011 season finale, Urlacher had surgery over the offseason. However, twice in Sunday's game, he limped off holding his right knee, the knee that was surgically repaired. Despite this, Urlacher returned both times.
The Colts lost two players on the defensive side of the ball through injury. Linebacker Jerry Hughes was diagnosed with a Torn Bicep and undergo a scan to reveal full extent of the damage. Indianapolis also lost Sergio Brown to a broken collarbone, an injury that Chuck Pagano thinks will not keep Brown out for a while.
"Sergio (Brown) has been diagnosed with a broken clavicle. He's had an x-ray and will see a specialist to determine if he needs surgery. We think he's not going to be out for long as best-case scenario is around 6 weeks. With Jerry (Hughes), its a torn bicep. He'll undergo and MRI when we return to Indianapolis. Again, we don't think it requires surgery and we believe he'll miss the same amount of time."
Indianapolis Colts at Chicago Bears
Sep 9, 2012
1ST
2ND
3RD
4TH
SCORE
Indianapolis Colts (0-0)
7
10
3
0
20
Chicago Bears (0-0)
3
17
3
7
30
Team Stats Comparison
IND
CHI
Total Offense
359
347
Rushing Yards
92
105
Passing Yards
267
242
First Downs
15
16
Punt Return Yards
28
21
Kick Return Yards
165
77
Total Yards
552
445
Turnovers
2 (-2)
0 (+2)
3rd Down Converstion
4-15 (26%)
7-17 (41%)
4th Down Conversion
1-3 (33%)
0-0 (0%)
2-Point Conversion
0-0 (0%)
0-0 (0%)
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals
1/0
1/2
Penalties
1-5
2-25
Posession Time
18:52
41:08
Indianapolis Colts
PASSING
C/A
YDS
TD
INT
Andrew Luck (R)
15/42
281
2
1
RUSHING
ATT
YDS
AVG
TD
Vick Ballard (R)
16
80
5.0
0
Weslye Saunders
4
10
2.5
0
Andrew Luck (R)
1
2
2.0
0
RECEIVING
REC
YDS
AVG
TD
T.Y. Hilton (R)
5
84
16.8
0
Reggie Wayne
3
75
25.0
1
Donnie Avery
2
46
23.0
0
Coby Fleener (R)
2
61
30.5
0
Austin Collie
1
6
6.0
0
Donald Lee
1
2
2.0
1
Vick Ballard (R)
1
7
7.0
0
DEFENSE
TACK
SACK
INT
TD
Darius Butler
6
0.0
0
0
Antoine Bethea
6
0.0
0
0
Pat Angerer
5
1.0
0
0
Fili Moala
5
1.0
0
0
Jerraud Powers
5
0.0
0
0
Vontae Davis
5
0.0
0
0
Jerry Hughes
5
0.0
0
0
Joe Lefeged
4
0.0
0
0
Tom Zbikowski
3
0.0
0
0
Dwight Freeney
3
0.0
0
0
Robert Mathis
3
1.0
0
0
Cory Redding
2
0.0
0
0
Kavell Conner
2
0.0
0
0
Brandon McKinney
1
0.0
0
0
Cassius Vaughn
1
0.0
0
0
KICKING
FG
XP
PTS
LONG
Adam Vinatieri
2/2
2/2
8
51
PUNTING
NO
YDS
AVG
IN20
Pat McAfee
6
275
45.8
2 (1)
KICK RETURN
RET
YDS
AVG
TD
Donnie Avery
2
50
25.0
0
T.Y. Hilton (R)
5
115
23.0
0
PUNT RETURN
RET
YDS
AVG
TD
Mewelde Moore
5
28
5.6
0
Chicago Bears
PASSING
C/A
YDS
TD
INT
Jay Cutler
20/31
254
2
0
RUSHING
ATT
YDS
AVG
TD
Matt Forte
31
95
3.0
0
Jay Cutler
4
-4
-1.0
0
Michael Bush
1
14
14.0
0
RECEIVING
REC
YDS
AVG
TD
Alshon Jeffrey (R)
7
141
20.1
1
Matt Forte
5
5
1.0
0
Kellen Davis
3
42
14.0
1
Brandon Marshall
3
43
14.3
0
Earl Bennett
1
16
16.0
0
Devin Hester
1
7
7.0
0
DEFENSE
TACK
SACK
INT
TD
Lance Briggs
7
0.0
1
0
Charles Tillman
6
0.0
0
0
Brian Urlacher
5
0.0
0
0
Kelvin Hayden
5
1.0
0
0
Courtney Greene
4
0.0
0
0
Nick Roach
3
0.0
0
0
Chris Conte
3
0.0
0
0
John Henderson
3
0.0
0
0
Major Wright
3
0.0
0
0
D.J. Moore
2
0.0
0
0
Julius Peppers
1
0.0
0
0
Geno Hayes
1
0.0
0
0
Israel Idonije
1
1.0
0
0
Tim Jennings
1
0.0
0
0
KICKING
FG
XP
PTS
LONG
Robbie Gould
3/4
3/3
12
51
PUNTING
NO
YDS
AVG
IN20
Adam Podlesh
6
266
44.3
1 (1)
KICK RETURN
RET
YDS
AVG
TD
Devin Hester
1
29
29.0
0
Eric Weems
1
25
25.0
0
D.J. Moore
1
23
23.0
0
PUNT RETURN
RET
YDS
AVG
TD
Devin Hester
3
21
7.0
0
The Bears meet NFC North rivals the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night at Lambeau Field whilst the Colts once again face off against NFC North opposition as they meet the Minnesota Vikings in Indianapolis.
Re: Returning to former glory - An Indianapolis Colts dynasty (M13 CCM)
Regarding my last post, the match reports for every game will be around the same length. I want to make this dynasty as detailed as possible. Feedback on them is welcome.
12-27-2012, 05:05 PM
Green Bay Packers
Philadelphia Eagles
New York Giants
Dallas Cowboys
Seattle Seahawks
Baltimore Ravens
Chicago Bears
Pittsburgh Steelers
Cincinnati Bengals
Detroit Lions
Minnesota Vikings
Houston Texans
Atlanta Falcons
Denver Broncos
New Orleans Saints
Washington Redskins
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Kansas City Chiefs
Miami Dolphins
Tennessee Titans
New England Patriots
San Francisco 49ers
New York Jets
Buffalo Bills
San Diego Chargers
Oakland Raiders
Indianapolis Colts
Cleveland Browns
Carolina Panthers
St. Louis Rams
Jacksonville Jaguars
Arizona Cardinals
