Tony Dungy heads into his eleventh season as an NFL head coach, and his fifth season with the Indianapolis Colts. Dungy has set milestone coaching records, including the earning of one hundred career victories and one hundred regular season victories. Dungy has won more games as head coach than any other team in the NFL, from 1999-2005, earning a .638 winning percentage in the process, which ranks second among active NFL coaches. Each of his seasons with the Indianapolis Colts has been marked by ten-plus victories and a trip to the playoffs.
With Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison sticking around for a while, the Colts core still looks to be pretty healthy. The Indianapolis Colts feature one-two leadership from coach Tony Dungy and quarterback (slash on-field coach slash football historian slash play guru) Peyton Manning, which should provide enough of a guarantee that winning the Super Bowl last season won’t lead to laziness and a mediocre follow-up.
The Indianapolis Colts saw high numbers last season in terms of total offense and points per game, and should have little trouble repeating those efforts. Although Manning at quarterback literally defines durability and skill for the position, tough rivals in the conference may prove to be obstacles in the post season. Adding to this, the Indianapolis Colts remain less than perfect and slightly undersized on defense.
The Indianapolis Colts pick up some key offensive additions, including wide receiver Anthony Gonzales and guard Tony Ugoh, both out of the draft. On the other side of the ball, however, the Colts saw key losses including linebacker Cato June, cornerback Nick Harper and others. Lingering uneasiness about their ability to stop the run may take on greater significance this season in light of these key losses. The Indianapolis Colts will undoubtedly see added pressure from rival New England Patriots, who made key moves in the off-season to further bolster the team and make another run for the Super Bowl.
