Indianapolis Colts: Bill Polian the Main Ingredient in Formula to Their Failure

Regardless of who likes them or not, nobody could have predicted this bad of a hangover for the Indianapolis Colts this season.

The Colts have played their worst football in years over the past month, and legendary quarterback Peyton Manning has not been himself either.

Manning's recent numbers over the past month are comparable to his rookie year, but there are too many reasons for his inconsistency. In fact, Peyton doesn’t deserve to take the full blame.

Let’s take a look at the laundry list of problems for this former AFC power, as the Colts look to recapture the season and take the division title with four games left to play.

Offensive Line

Peyton Manning's protection has been at its worst since the early days of his career, as Ryan Deim and Jeff Saturday are the only bright spots thus far.

Left tackle Charlie Johnson has had a tough task replacing Pro-Bowler Tarik Glenn since 2006, but Johnson was only drafted in the sixth round. He's done a poor job protecting Manning's blindside this season, and it's quite unfortunate that he's had to start. 

Johnson did not play offensive lineman until his senior year in college.

As for the guards Kyle Devan and Mike Pollack, both men have only five years of NFL experience combined. Neither man has started very many games for the Colts, as Bill Polian should have considered bringing in some veterans.

The line as a whole has not given up too many sacks, but over the past month Peyton's been hit and hurried far too often.

Second-round pick left tackle Tony Ugoh was also released because of performance earlier this season, but he might prove to be a better protector than Johnson the way things look right now.

I'm sure the Colts would love to have Ryan Lilja at right guard this season, but you can blame Bill Polian for that.

Dallas Clark's Absence

Dallas Clark was without a doubt the most important position player for Peyton Manning on the Colts offense.

Clark's numbers have been gaudy over the past few seasons, but his importance to this offense spans far beyond statistics.

His unusual gift of tremendous speed to accompany his size forces defenses to double-team him with both a safety and a linebacker. Clark's constant double-teaming of course allows either Reggie Wayne or Pierre Garcon to be single-covered on the outside.

I can't forget about Clark's blocking ability either. He is the best blocking tight end in the NFL, which is the main characteristic that people don't look at when they compare Jacob Tamme's season with Clark's pace.

He means everything to Peyton Manning in the middle of the field, and the Colts miss him dearly.

An Anemic Running Game

Indianapolis ranks near the bottom of the league in offensive rushing yards.

Both Joseph Addai and Mike Hart have been injured, but the offensive line has been pathetic as well. A measly 16 rushing yards against San Diego and 40 rushing yards against Dallas forced Peyton Manning to throw. Donald Brown has been pathetic with his cutback decisions and decisiveness in the backfield as well.

By default, the less effective the run game is, the more Manning must throw.

Addai will be back soon, but he never bursts for big gains anyway. Addai will definitely assist Manning as a blocker, but I question the level of his effectiveness when he returns. 

It's time for a new running weapon in Indianapolis.

Predictability

Peyton Manning is on pace to break an NFL record for passes attempted in a season by a quarterback.

The absence of the running game also takes away Peyton Manning's phenomenal ability to play-action pass, because opposing defenses never have to bite. These defenses can sit back and pick off Manning all day long.

By dropping seven men in coverage, a defense can zone the middle of the field while double-teaming Reggie Wayne on the outside. As we saw yesterday against Dallas, Peyton depends on Wayne to get open, and has been forcing throws into double coverage.

Manning has become predictable, as his sharp ability to read defenses before the snap appears useless. He’s made several mistakes with his reads too, throwing four interceptions for touchdowns over the last two weeks.

Throwing the ball 50 times a game will never result in success for the Colts this season, because compared to last year, Manning has lost his weapons, and the time in the pocket he needs.

Because of the lack of time in the pocket, Manning’s offense has changed to a short-intermediate type. The routes are simpler and shorter to account for the rushing yards that are not produced on first or second down, and because there is not much time to let downfield routes develop.

Peyton himself has shouldered the blame for the offensive struggles, as expected, but one can see the frustration in his face. He said yesterday: “I’m throwing, and I’ll continue to throw.” He’ll have to really cut down on his mistakes in these last four games, as the Colts can take the division if they win them all.

Bill Polian’s Decisions

Although he might not be the first man to blame when we think about the Colts being 6-6 this season, Bill Polian should take the most blame in my opinion.

Beginning with the offensive line, he’s assumed the same strategy that he does with the rest of the team: fill in the blanks.

After losing Tarik Glenn to retirement in 2007, he was never replaced. Instead, Tony Ugoh (released this season) and Charlie Johnson were brought in.

Polian also blamed offensive line play for the Colts 2009 Super Bowl loss, and released veteran Ryan Lilja. He’s greatly missed right now, considering that a second-year pro is starting in his place.

The point is, an offensive line aside from a quarterback is the one area of a football team than should not be toyed with. A strong line takes time to build, and those veterans that have earned their stripes are cherished by a quarterback.

The lineman-by-committee strategy has dismantled Indianapolis’ passing game to a great extent, as over the past four years the line has progressively declined.

Perhaps trading higher into the draft or pursuing big names in free agency would have kept this team fresh, instead of letting the age progress and filling the defense in with no-names.

It’s not hard for Peyton Manning to make Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie, Blair White or Jacob Tamme look good, but the quarterback has no control over the defense.

Both Bob Sanders and Melvin Bullitt have been hurt for long periods of time this season, but Polian has left Aaron Francisco to start at strong safety.

Next, with the departure of Marlin Jackson last season, the Colts had Jacob Lacey and Jerraud Powers starting on the corners. Both of these kids have potential, but they leave the secondary extremely vulnerable because of inexperience. Powers and Lacey were rookies in 2009, and are both permanent starters in 2010.

As two last key departures, both Nick Harper and Cato June left the Colts after winning the Super Bowl in 2006. June was the team’s best linebacker, and Harper was a starter. The defense as a whole gets younger, and the run defense gets worse. Polian’s priorities appear to be skewed over the past four seasons.

It bothers me to think of the possibilities if Polian perhaps explored the free-agent market or moved up in the draft. He’s never been a great early round drafter, but the Colts could have used a first-round caliber lineman after 2006. Bill Polian might be as good as any GM at finding the diamonds in the rough of the later rounds, but he needs to change his ways.

In terms of free agency, I don’t understand any of Polian’s reasons for staying put. This team is a perennial Super Bowl contender every season, which to most great players means the most when they decide to change teams. Indianapolis has a great selling point for any offensive lineman wishing to find a new team because Peyton Manning makes every lineman’s job easier.

One big defensive signing would have made a huge difference for a defense that’s nearly last at stopping the run. Rookies and second-year pros lack technique, which is why Gary Brackett, Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis need help.

Polian’s priority is to keep Peyton Manning happy, but with that in mind he should upgrade the rest of the roster while Manning is still around. Peyton without a doubt has more pressure on his back than any other quarterback who’s contending for the playoffs. The crazy part is, it’s been like this for years.

Polian’s time in Indianapolis figures to be as long as Manning’s so he needs to make some moves fast, because he knows Manning has not been signed yet and a lockout could be nearing.

With four games left, the Colts season is still alive, but it’s doubtful that they will go far even with a playoff berth. The AFC might be too strong this season, but it should be interesting to see if the Colts can indeed fall any further.