Know Thy Enemy: Indianapolis Colts

Big Blue Shoe, from Stampede Blue was kind enough to stop by and answer a few question for us. Head over to Stampede Blue for all things Colts and hope that Larry Johnson's foot sprain isn't as bad as Dwight Freeney's.

Is there any reason, save Bob Sanders, why this defense is now one of the better units in the NFL?

Better players, and older players just more comfortable with things. Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden are just better than Jason David and Nick Harper. Second year FS Antoine Bethea has developed into a stud. Finding diamond-in-the-rough rookies like DT Ed Johnson and DT/DE Keyunta Dawson. Also, Gary Brackett, the MLB, is playing the best football of his life right now. I’m not sure how the lose of Dwight Freeney to IR and the addition of Simeon Rice will affect this team, but they have more playmakers now than they did last year.

What are the reasons the Colts are able to draft so effectively?

Bill Polian. He’s the best, period. There is no better GM in football at isolating collegiate talent and drafting (or signing) that talent than Polian. Other GMs, like New England’s Scott Pioli, are very good at pinpointing free agents, but Polian is a master of the draft. He’s a former scout himself, so he knows what to look for in players. He’s also got a top notch scouting department which has a very good relationship with the coaching staff. You’d be surprised how continuous scouts can be with coaches. This group, directly under Polian’s guidance, is the best scouting crew in football.

What are you impressions of the Kansas City Chiefs so far this season?

Total enigma. Offense looks horrible, and I expected them to win 3 or 4 games this year TOTAL. Yet, here they are at and still in the division hunt. Their defense has improved, and Jared Allen is playing out of his mind.

What match ups do you think the Colts will exploit this Sunday?

Brodie Croyle. They will pressure him into mistakes. It’s smart to start Croyle, but I think the Colts’ defense will swarm him even without Freeney. Without Larry Johnson, Croyle will have a hard time getting into a rhythm.

Why has the Colts' special teams unit been performing poorly this year?

Because their ST coach stinks. The ST has been bad for years now, and ST coach Russ Purnell has done nothing to improve it despite a HoF kicker, a good punter, and a bunch of fast, athletic gunners. We started a petition to fire him over at Stampede Blue.

My answers to Big Blue Shoe's questions are right here.