Upcoming Indianapolis Colts Season

The upcoming 2009 National Football League season is right around the corner and there are many questions for the Indianapolis Colts of the AFC Southern Division. While they finished in second place with a record of 12 wins and 4 losses and made the playoffs for the 7th straight year, they have many new challenges ahead of them. Tony Dungy has led them to the playoffs in each of his seven years as head coach, but he has retired. New coach Jim Caldwell has never been a head coach in the NFL, but he was the Quarterback coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2001 and the Indianapolis Colts from 2002-2008. As it now stands, he will also have the majority of the same coaching staff as the Colts had last year, so it should be an easier transition for him.

In the 2009 college draft, the Colts' first round pick was Donald Brown from the University of Connecticut. He was the only college running back to rush for more than 2000 yards and should improve their running game a great deal. With Brown and Joseph Addai, the Colts now have two running backs that can make great running plays anytime they carry the ball.

Drafted second by the Colts was former stand out defensive tackle Fili Moala from the University of Southern California. His big frame of 6’4” and 303 pounds should help to shore up the middle of the defensive line. This will help stop the run, which ranks a lowly 24th and allowed an average of 122.9 yards per game in 2008. With three times Most Valuable Player Peyton Manning at the Quarterback position, the offense should run with the smoothness of a finely tuned engine.

While the Colts face some major changes for 2009, the chances are better than most to make a return visit to the playoffs and be a Super Bowl contender.