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2009 Indianapolis Colts NFL Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd on August 20, 2009

colts 82009 Tony Dungy stepped down as Indianapolis Colts head man after a great run with the organization, but I don’t expect his departure to be the end of Indy’s AFC South dominance. Jim Caldwell will take over for Dungy and I expect this to be about as flawless a head coaching change as you will ever see. Caldwell began working with Dungy in 2001 at Tampa Bay and has served as an assistant for the Colts for the last seven years. Indy did not win the AFC South in 2008 despite a 12-4 record, but it also got off to a slow 3-4 start when Peyton Manning was still finding his rhythm following knee surgery. Despite the coaching change and the loss of Marvin Harrison, the Colts should be right in the thick of things with a chance to get right back on top of the AFC South. NFL odds makers have listed the Indianapolis Colts at +1200 to win Super Bowl XLIV.

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Offense - Peyton Manning got off to an uncharacteristically slow start in 2008 after undergoing procedures on his left knee in the offseason. So I guess you could say the 4,002 passing yards and 27 touchdowns he ended up with weren’t too shabby. With Manning entering the 2009 season at full strength, I expect the Colts to get out of the gate a lot faster.

The running back position received a boost this offseason when the Colts picked up Connecticut running back Donald Brown through the draft. Joseph Addai will remain the starter, but Brown will be a nice compliment after Indy lost Dominic Rhodes to Buffalo. Former Michigan star, Mike Hart, could also see some action.

Harrison is gone, but Peyton still has a deep stable of wideouts to sling the pigskin to. Reggie Wayne leads the way as one of the game’s elite receivers and is joined by playmaker Anthony Gonzalez and versatile tight end Dallas Clark.

The offensive line should be among the best in the NFL with the depth that was created a season ago when several rookies had to step in and learn on the job when a couple key vets went down. Now Jeff Saturday and Ryan Lilja will be back to join Tony Ugoh, Ryan Diem, and Charlie Johnson in a deep unit.

Defense – Up front, the Colts are led by ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. Freeney has been consistency you can count on, tallying a franchise-best 70.5 sacks during his seven-year NFL career. Mathis has been a big play guy for the Colts since 2003 as well. Look for these two to team with tackles Keyunta Dawson and Eric Foster to form a formidable front.

Gary Brackett will once again man the middle linebacker spot, but their is still plenty of competition for the outside positions. A number of guys figure to see playing time on the outsides, but I look for Clint Session to move over to the weak side after starting on the strong side in 2008 to make room for 2008 draft pick Phillip Wheeler on the strong side.

There is no more important player to the defense than strong safety Bob Sanders. Plain and simple, when Sanders is on the field, the Colts are a better unit and we saw that first hand when they made their Super Bowl run in the 2006 season. Sanders missed 10 games last season, but he is going to have to find a way to stay healthy for Indy to have a shot at winning another championship. He is joined by safety Antoine Bethea, who is coming off a monster 126-tackle, two-interception season, and cornerbacks Kelvin Hayden and Marlin Jackson in the starting lineup.

Prediction: 1st AFC South - I have the Indianapolis Colts pegged first in the division in my AFC South predictions. The Colts finished with just one fewer win than the Titans in 2008 despite a slow start. I expect Indy to get out of the gate much better and to reclaim its division title in 2009. The Colts will have plenty to prove in their first season without Dungy and an early exit in the playoffs should leave them very hungry this season. The Colts are listed at +130 to win the AFC South Division.

Take your man to the cleaners this season with the help of Jimmy Boyd’s NFL expert picks!

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