News From Terre Haute, Indiana

Colts

October 26, 2009

From the Press Box: Donald Brown vs. Joseph Addai, time to start the debate?

St. Louis — Donald Brown vs. Joseph Addai ... is it time for the debate over who should shoulder the Indianapolis Colts’ running load to begin?

If Sunday was the time for the debate, it was over by technical knockout in the second quarter of the Colts’ 42-6 victory over the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome. On Brown’s second run from scrimmage, he strained his left shoulder. He did not return and was not on the sideline during the second half.

To that point, however, Brown was doing his talking in the Colts’ running back debate with his legs ... and the rookie from Connecticut was very persuasive.

Brown rushed for 58 yards — on just two carries. One run was a 45-yard scamper, the longest of the season for the Colts.

Truth be told, Brown has been getting it done all season as the Colts have used him to spot starter Addai, especially in situations where Brown’s quickness can be used to the Colts’ advantage. Brown averaged 3.5 yards per carry going into the game against the Rams, just a shade over Addai’s 3.4 average. Brown’s average ballooned to 4.6 per carry after his truncated Sunday stint.

Brown can also be a potent option in the passing game. He’s made seven catches for 138 yards, a cool 19.7 yards per catch.

So far, the Colts have been perfectly happy to have Brown as part of a two-back package. For his part, Brown doesn’t expect it to change.

“I just want to contribute in any way possible. The two-back system adds a dimension to our offense and makes us more potent. It’s a great attribute to have,” Brown said.

The debate, if there’s to be one, isn’t really about who starts.

The Colts so deftly use their offensive personnel when their talents warrant it in the game that starting at most positions is not really important so long as players see the field. And its clear that both Addai and Brown should both still be seeing the field.

The debate is more about how and when Brown is used.

Addai was OK on Sunday, but just OK. He rushed for 64 yards but averaged 3.2 yards per carry, not outstanding by any means, and he had just one catch.

Addai seemed to have trouble hitting holes provided by the Colts’ offensive line, a pattern that’s been evident throughout the season. There were a few plays where it seemed Addai wasn’t in sync with his blockers on the outside. On the other hand, Addai would seemingly be more adept than Brown at grinding out yards.

The debate is this — do the Colts choose to give Brown more carries? Do they choose to let him string together a few series in a row to see if he can maintain the explosiveness he’s had in short bursts? Can Brown consistently hit holes Addai seems to inconsistently hit at the moment? These are all questions that run through one’s mind when Brown is showing what he can do on the field.

Conversely, would more responsibility be a case of too much be too soon for Brown? The rookie has a smaller body than Addai, would additional punishment negate the effect he has on the offense right now and take away his explosiveness? It’s a legitimate concern.

This is the way the debate should be framed ... one that Colts coach Jim Caldwell has to consider as the 6-0 Colts continue to hone what is already a diamond-star-rated offense into, well, an even shinier diamond.

“Donald has done something that I think is highly unusual with young guys; he continues to improve. Oftentimes you will see them plateau a little bit, but he hasn’t done that yet,” Caldwell said. “It is important, especially for a young player, that you show improvement each week and he does that.”

The running back debate might be moot pending the outcome of Brown’s shoulder strain, but the injury — Brown said he just fell on it and he’d be “all right” after the game — is only delaying the inevitable.

Whether it’s now or in the near future, the Brown-Addai debate is going to come to a head. That can only be good for the Colts, as “debates” over depth are the kind that any team hopes to have.



Todd Golden is sports editor of the Terre Haute Tribune-Star. He can be reached at (812) 231-4272 or todd.golden@tribstar.com



Text Only | Photo Reprints
Colts
  • Colts welcome Manusky aboard as defensive coordinator

    On Thursday, Indianapolis Colts general manager Ryan Grigson, coach Chuck Pagano and potential No. 1 draft pick Andrew Luck led the parade.
    Grigson and Pagano confirmed the hiring of several assistant coaches, including defensive coordinator Greg Manusky, Marwan Maalouf (special teams), Roy Anderson (safeties), Alfredo Roberts (tight ends) and Brandt Boyer (assistant special teams).

    February 3, 2012

  • Mathis, Garcon at top of Colts’ wish list; Wayne isn’t

    Expect defensive end Robert Mathis and wide receiver Pierre Garcon to be priorities for the Indianapolis Colts during free agency.

    February 2, 2012

  • Manning tiptoes around health questions

    Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and team owner Jim Irsay came to an agreement last week to keep any lingering issues about Manning's future with the team on the backburner during Super Bowl week.

    February 1, 2012

  • SPT 013112 01 Weatherford.jpg Back home again in Indiana

    Former Indianapolis Colts coach Jim Caldwell has landed a job as quarterbacks coach for the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens announced Caldwell’s hiring Monday.
     

    January 31, 2012 1 Photo

  • Patriots first to arrive in Indy

    Welcome to Super Bowl Week.

    January 30, 2012

  • Pagano wants aggressive defense with Colts

    When the Colts went looking for a new head coach, a good portion of the team’s fans made it clear that they wanted a departure from the laid-back style of former coaches Tony Dungy and Jim Caldwell.

    January 27, 2012

  • Irsay: Manning comments should have stayed in-house

    Not only did the Colts introduce new head coach Chuck Pagano during an afternoon press conference, team owner Jim Irsay also made his feelings known about recent comments that quarterback Peyton Manning made.

    January 27, 2012

  • colts coach Colts go with defensive specialist

    The Indianapolis Colts, after a weeklong search process, finally landed themselves a head coach Wednesday.

    January 26, 2012 1 Photo

  • SPT-121811-CALDWELL-MUNCHAK.jpg Caldwell can’t survive 2-14 season in Indy

    The offseason moves just keep on coming for the Indianapolis Colts.

    January 18, 2012 2 Photos

  • Colts fire head coach Caldwell

    Tribune-Star correspondent Tom James reports that Colts head coach Jim Caldwell has been fired. No other details are known at this time.

    January 17, 2012

  • Colts hire Eagles exec Grigson as GM

    The Indianapolis Colts formally announced former Philadelphia director of player personnel Ryan Grigson as the team’s new general manager Wednesday.

    January 12, 2012

  • Colts hire Eagles executive Grigson as GM

    The Indianapolis Colts have hired Eagles executive Ryan Grigson as their new general manager.

    January 11, 2012

  • Irsay: Colts are in 'rebuilding stage'

    So are the Indianapolis Colts in a retooling or a rebuilding mode heading into the offseason?
    If you ask the players, they would prefer to use the retooling philosophy. In their minds, get some injured players back and the Colts can be right back in the thick of the AFC South title race and once again be a contender for the AFC championship.
    Team owner Jim Irsay, though, sees a tougher road ahead.

    January 6, 2012

  • Colts give the boot to Polian duo

    It didn’t take long for Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay to start making moves with his team.
    One day after Irsay’s Colts dropped a 19-13 road decision to Jacksonville, giving Indianapolis a 2-14 record and the No. 1 pick in the 2012 National Football League draft, longtime Colts executive Bill Polian and his son, vice-president/general manager Chris Polian, were both fired.
     

    January 2, 2012

  • Interesting subplots abound in Colts-Jags game

    This afternoon’s AFC South matchup between the Indianapolis Colts (2-13) and Jacksonville Jaguars (4-11) is the regular-season finale for both teams.

    January 1, 2012

  • Colts players a fan of Murphy's promotion to defensive coordinator

    Cohesion. That’s the word the keeps coming up when coach Jim Caldwell and many of the team’s players are asked about the turnaround of the Indianapolis Colts’ defensive unit.

    December 30, 2011

  • To win or to lose? For Colts fans, it's not an easy question

    With the No. 1 draft pick on the line if the Indianapolis Colts were to lose Sunday at Jacksonville, it’s easy to see why a lot of the team’s fans wouldn’t mind seeing the team fall to the Jaguars.

    December 29, 2011

  • Colts’ Freeney to play in seventh Pro Bowl

    Despite a team record of 2-13 heading into the final week of the National Football League regular season, there was some good news coming out of the Indianapolis Colts’ West 56th Street facility Tuesday night.

    December 28, 2011

  • Colts’ last game not without questions

    Are the Indianapolis Colts treating Sunday’s game at Jacksonville as the final game of the season or just the next game on the schedule? 
     

    December 27, 2011

  • Colts-Houston Colts celebrate second straight division victory

    Indianapolis Colts fans finally got a little luck on their side Thursday night at Lucas Oil Stadium.
    It may not have been Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, who is expected to the top pick in next spring’s National Football League draft.

    December 23, 2011 1 Photo

  • With latest win, Colts provide suspense for 2012 draft position

    Now that the Indianapolis Colts have posted two straight wins in their last two games, including Thursday night’s 19-16 victory over AFC South champion Houston, many of the team’s fans find themselves in quite a quandary.
    The Colts will take a 2-13 record into next week’s New Year’s Day regular-season finale at Jacksonville.

    December 23, 2011

  • Colts face another tough running test

    The credit for the Indianapolis Colts’ win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday can go in a couple different directions.

    December 22, 2011

  • Colts taking no risks with injured Manning

    Both Bill Polian and Jim Caldwell are looking to the future when it comes to injured quarterback Peyton Manning.

    December 21, 2011

  • More wins to come?

    With a win finally under their belts, the Indianapolis Colts (1-13) now look forward to two days of intensive work beginning today.
     

    December 20, 2011

  • FINALLY! THEY WON

    It was a day of firsts for the Indianapolis Colts.

    December 19, 2011

  • Polian hopes to set ‘record straight’

    Indianapolis Colts vice chairman Bill Polian didn’t like what he was hearing prior to and during Sunday’s National Football League home game with the Tennessee Titans.

    December 19, 2011

  • Polian shares thoughts on QB situation

    With the Indianapolis Colts’ chances of clinching the No. 1 pick in the 2012 National Football League draft getting closer with each succeeding loss, talk among fans and team observers invariably goes to the possibility of the team selecting Stanford junior quarterback Andrew Luck.

    December 18, 2011

  • Colts prepared for Hasselbeck or Locker

    The Indianapolis Colts defense is preparing to face a two-pronged offensive attack when the Tennessee Titans visit Lucas Oil Stadium Sunday.

    December 16, 2011

  • Colts could still become spoiler

    Time is running short for the 2011 Indianapolis Colts.

    December 15, 2011

  • Colts have three more chances to win

    The Indianapolis Colts may be 0-13 for the season, but the team keeps battling.
     

    December 13, 2011

Latest News
Multimedia

Like us on Facebook!
Community Calendar
Loading…
Events by eviesays.com
TribStar.com Poll
Join the Conversation
Helium
Front page
AP Video
Recording Superstar Whitney Houston Dead at 48 Police: Houston Found Dead in Her Hotel Room Palin Brings Anti-Washington Message to CPAC Obama Scraps Birth Control Mandate Maine GOP Chairman Says Romney Wins Caucuses Raw Video: Deadly Blasts in Syria US Airmen's Killer Sentenced to Life in Germany Androgynous Model Walks Runway As Man and Woman Fans 'Speechless' Over Houston's Death Navy Names Ship for Gabrielle Giffords Snow Strands Italian Towns Raw Video: Rough Seas Stop Oil Removal Latest Jason Wu Collection Shows Chinese Roots ShowBiz Minute: Madonna, Beresford-Redman, Pawsc 5 Killed in Wrong-way Crash on I-10 in La. Uzbek Man Pleads Guilty in Plot to Kill Obama The Pits: Israelis Spit Olives for Glory Stars Show Support at AMFAR Charity Gala Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life Winter Slamming North Asia, Parts of Europe
NDN Video
Recording Superstar Whitney Houston Dead at 48 Fans 'Speechless' Over Houston's Death Romney Tops Santorum in CPAC Straw Poll First glimpse of Blue Ivy Carter Absolute Lin-sanity Hate to be Rude: Bubba Watson Peek inside Barbie's closet Test on Comforter in Powell Unit Shows Blood Angry Dad Shoots Teens Laptop Hero Driver Saves Kids From Burning Bus Funeral to be held for Powell boys Sandusky on having to stay inside and people turning on him Uzbek Man Pleads Guilty in Plot to Kill Obama Woolly Mammoth Caught on Camera? Did JLo 'Assault' Marc Anthony on Camera? Christie Brinkley's Runway Slip Toddler forced to run half-naked in snow Halle Wants to Leave the Country Northern Lights shine above earth Plane makes perfect belly landing
Parade
Magazine

Click HERE to read all your Parade favorites including Hollywood Wire, Celebrity interviews and photo galleries, Food recipes and cooking tips, Games and lots more.
  • -

    March 12, 2010

activity
Real Estate News