There may be a more depressing way to start the week than staying up past normal bedtime in order to watch your football team get the crap kicked out of it, but right now I can't think of one. This Indy Star writer has a pretty good handle on the bad season we could have (or should have) seen coming from a long way off:
The problem is, he has no running game, zilch, even when opponents are playing their two safeties back in Zionsville. The Colts have long been a lousy running team, but this is the worst run game Manning has had at his disposal during his time in Indianapolis. Thirteen carries, 24 yards. And no, Joseph Addai's eventual return doesn't make it all better overnight.
The problem is -- and the problem will remain -- the team's offensive line. Wasn't Colts president Bill Polian going to address this problem in the offseason? In fact, he made it worse, letting Ryan Lilja leave for no apparent reason. Tony Ugoh was a bust. Mike Pollak is a bust. Jeff Linkenbach, a free agent rookie, is completely overmatched.
And it might be added that, as good as Manning is at reading defenses, he's pretty one-dimensional as a quarterback: He throws the ball. I've seen a couple of college quarterbacks this year who are great passers and dangerous run threats, too. Now, they're fun to watch.
Remember how much in a snit we got last year when the coaching staff decided not to go for a perfect season? Ah, if only . . .
