Actually, they had a year ago, everything very differently presented at the NFL team in Indianapolis. Desired coach Josh McDaniels, praised for his innovative offensive concepts, had pledged the Colts for the upcoming season. McDaniels, that was the plan, would lead Andrew Luck and his team back to their old size, but with the ever-injured but very capable quarterback.
But the day before his performance McDaniels backed down and remained as an offensive coach with the New England Patriots - a rival of many years. Instead of presenting the bearer of hope, Colts manager Chris Ballard therefore now in front of the television cameras in February 2018, tried to explain the situation and spoke in the very specific sentence: "The rivalry is back on" - "The rivalry is back" ,
In fact, the Colts and the Patriots were once great rivals. But while the Patriots had been in the Superbowl for the fourth time in seven years in February 2018, the Colts had stumbled only four miserable victories in the preseason. Even in the NFL, where every loser team within a year to succeed in the rise to the top, Ballard's announcement seemed a bit full-bodied.
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Coach Franck Reich
How well that has worked with the revival of the old rivalry, shows now a year later. The Colts manager made several happy decisions within a few months and built a team with tremendous future potential. Instead of McDaniels he signed the inconspicuous, but considered Frank Reich as a coach. And almost as important: In the draft, Ballard secured the talent Quenton Nelson in the first round.
Already during his time in college Nelson enchanted the experts as a guard with a mixture of force and technique. There was no attacking defender in the league who would not have been knocked down by the 150-kilogram colossus. So Nelson got written then only one task in the studbook: Andrew Luck protect.
A team on a mission
Colts quarterback Luck is not only one of the most expensive players in the league, but certainly one of the most gifted. But after the great early years in the league Luck injured in recent seasons again and again. Especially because his offensive line often protected him insufficiently. Nelson changed that fundamentally. He became the cornerstone on which manager Ballard built a fortress around his quarterback with further good commitments.
Watch a video analysis of the start of the NFL playoffs here:
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It did not work right away, with a win from six games, the start of the season went completely wrong. But over the course of the season the Colts became the hottest team in the league. She won nine of her last ten matches, led by an outstanding quarterback Luck, again one of the top players in the league.
Now in the first playoff round against the Houston Texans. Not only do they have the defensive counterpart to Quenton Nelson with the huge JJ Watt, but also quarterback Deshaun Watson plays a strong season. But the Colts are not only younger and more talented than their Houston division rivals - they're on a mission, too.
After all, a special opponent could be waiting for two playoff victories: the New England Patriots, with coach Josh McDaniels. At the latest then it says: The rivalry is back.