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NFL: COLTS: THE POLIAN CORNER

/noticias.info/ By staff - Colts.com

Week 11: Colts at Cowboys
Bill Polian, in his ninth season as Colts president, has a resume unique in the NFL. One of two men to win NFL Executive of the Year five times, Polian in the 1980s built the Buffalo Bills into a four-time Super Bowl participant. In the mid-1990s, he built the expansion Carolina Panthers into a team that made the NFC Championship Game in its second season, 1996. Since joining Indianapolis in 1998, he built the Colts from a 3-13 team in 1997 and 1998 into one that has made the playoffs six of the last seven seasons, including an AFC Championship Game appearance after the 2003 season and AFC South titles in 2003, 2004 and 2005. Each week during the season, in The Polian Corner, Polian and Colts.com cover issues pertinent to the Colts and the rest of the NFL.

Q: A 17-16 victory over the Buffalo Bills Sunday. The victory moved the Colts to 9-0 for a second consecutive season, making them the first team in NFL history to win their first nine games in successive seasons . . .

A: I'm very proud of this team and this coaching staff and the whole organization for what they’ve done. It’s very difficult to win a game in the National Football League, much less to win nine straight. We proved that Sunday. But to accomplish something like that speaks to maturity and resolve and work ethic and discipline. Those are all things to be very proud of.

Q: Judging from the results around the NFL Sunday, home-field advantage apparently means very, very little . . .

A: I was thinking about this early Monday. We’ve had three games at home - Jacksonville, Houston and now Buffalo – where the opposition has basically said, 'We are not going to get into a seven-step drop passing game with you in your building. We’re just not going to do it. We’re going to run the ball, run the ball, run the ball, throw three-step drop quick passes, even on third down. We’ll run the ball on third down if we have to. If we have to punt it, we’ll punt it. And we hope that somewhere along the line you’ll make a mistake or we’ll win the special teams battle and we can win the game.’ Buffalo did it to a tee Sunday – almost to perfection. They won everything in the special teams except kicking the last field goal. They almost did the darned-near impossible. In a certain sense, it says, ‘Look, we’re going to find ways strategically to obviate your home-field advantage. That’s a tribute to our defense and to our pass-rushers and to our crowd. But it makes for interesting tactical decisions along the way in a football game like that.

Q: A question regarding the letter Colts Owner and Chief Executive Officer Jim Irsay recently sent to the fans to get things in the RCA Dome at home games calmed down a little. Can you explain?

A: First of all, I don’t think he’s in any way saying we’re among the rowdier buildings in the league. What he’s really saying is, ‘Look, let’s be aware of this. Let’s make sure we continue to be the toughest place in the league to play, but let’s make sure we’re also fan- and family-friendly as well. It’s really designed for the fans to focus on what it takes to really be a class building. He’s saying to be loud and proud and it’s OK to let particularly circumstances dictate when to stand and sit, but we need to have respect for our neighbors, especially with respect to abusive language, foul language, things of that nature. We’ve got a lot of kids who come to the games, look up to the players and look up to the fans as well. We want this to be a family-friendly place and that’s what Jim’s aim is in writing the letter.

Q: It seems rookie running back Joseph Addai has emerged as a real difference-maker. Do you see him being a 30-to-35-carry a game guy in the future, or do you see him continuing to share carries with another running back?

A: I think as time goes by his workload will increase. Don’t forget that he’s a rookie. He now has played 12 games, which is the equivalent of the entire season he played last year at the college level. (Veteran) Dominic Rhodes has done a terrific job carrying a part of the load at running back. I anticipate that that would stay that way the rest of the season. Part of the reason that Joseph was so effective and such a difference-maker at the end (against the Bills) is because he has fresh legs in there. That’s a real factor. I believe you need two running backs in the National Football League these days. I don’t believe, given the ferocity of defenses and the size of defenses, and the way people play and the length of the season that you can go with one feature back that does everything. Even L.T. (Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson), as you might know, has a backup who plays a good bit. I think you need two.

Q: The letter Jim Irsay sent to fans seemed to indicate he doesn’t want fans to stand during the games. Did you see it that way?

A: I don’t think the letter is aimed at anybody who gets excited and stands up and yells when we make a great play, whether it’s offensively or defensively or on special teams. If you’re excited and thrilled, that’s what we want you to be. That’s why we work so hard to put such a great team on the field. That’s not the issue. The profanity, the fighting . . . that kind of untoward behavior that occasionally goes on – there’s far less of it, believe me, in this building than many others in the league. That’s what it’s aimed at, and again, we want to make it fan-friendly for families. That’s the No. 1 priority, but at the same time, we want to retain that same passion and excitement and fervor that has made this building the toughest place in the National Football League to play. The (NFL) players voted last year and said this was the toughest place in the league to play and that’s the way we want to keep it.

Q: And now, the Quick Change of the Game . . .

A: The quick change was after the (88-yard) kickoff return (by Bills cornerback Terrence McGee) when the defense went out there and pushed the Bills and forced them to settle for a field goal. That changed the entire momentum of the game. I think had they scored a touchdown there, it would have been hard for us given the way they were playing and the way we were playing. It would have been a difficult order to come back and win that game, but the defense rose up and was able to stop them in a very difficult situation and force them to kick a field goal. Then, we took it from there.

Q: On that play, rookie safety Antoine Bethea chased McGee down and prevented a touchdown.

A: He’s done a magnificent job. He’s really doing a terrific job. He’s an example of a lot of what goes on with our players. I was looking through a magazine (recently). Some guru had picked all the impact rookies. Antoine was not among them. Why? Likely because he doesn’t even know who he (Bethea) is. There’s no rookie in the secondary (in the AFC) who has had as much impact as Antoine Bethea, except perhaps Donte Whitner in Buffalo. He hasn’t had (Colts safety) Bob (Sanders) with him except for one game. I think he’s our second-leading tackler if I’m not mistaken. It just proves all of the kinds of all-star teams and things of that nature are really not worth the paper they’re printed on. It takes a while for a player in Indianapolis or St. Louis – or even San Diego, for that matter – to get some notoriety because they’re just not household names, so to speak. But he certainly deserves recognition for a tremendous rookie year.

Q: Is there any thought to having Sanders just rest until the playoff run?

A: We’re going to try to get him back as soon as he is able to go on a normal practice schedule. That may be this week. We’ll see. He came awfully close to going Sunday, but he wasn’t 100 percent and we wanted him to be 100 percent. We also want him to have a full week of practice – or as much practice as we can get him during the week – in order to make that work.

Q: The NFL, as part of its “flexible scheduling” plan, announced this week the Colts-Eagles game on November 26 will be moved to 8:15 p.m. from a scheduled 1 p.m. start. This will inconvenience some fans. Can you discuss the process?

A: This is mandated by the league. It’s not something we have control over. They (league officials) choose the game. I think this may be the only game this year at home that is affected. That’s a surmise on my part,
but I would think the only other game that might be of note and be a flex candidate would be Jacksonville (December 10) and that is at Jacksonville. They’re trying to limit the number of games they flex in a given year in any given ballpark. It so happens that this is Thanksgiving weekend, which really complicates peoples’ travel schedules and I understand that. I’m empathetic toward people who made travel plans, but there isn’t anything we can do about it. The league schedules it and they determine in their sole judgment who ought to be flexed and that’s sort of the way it’s turned out. Hopefully, it will be the only one we have this year that is flexed at home. I don’t believe you can be on NBC any more than four times during the course of a year. We’ve been on twice now, so this would be the third time. Jacksonville potentially could be a fourth time. It’s difficult, I realize, but there just isn’t anything we can do about it.

Q: One reason for the Colts’ success in recent years is their success in the college draft. When it comes to scouting a college player, what’s that process like and what do you look for in a player?

A: It would take some time to go through the entire process in detail. Basically, what we try to do is find a player who fits a prototype we’ve developed for each position. I’ll talk about the safety position since we mentioned Antoine and Bob earlier. By the way, Bob was a household name to everyone in scouting. It was just the gurus who didn’t know who he was. He was well-known to everyone in scouting. What we look for is a player, No. 1, who has good football temperament – intelligence, work ethic, desire, the ability to process information, good character. That’s the starting point. Then, we look for speed, explosion and toughness – those three things. Then, finally, the instinct it takes to play the game – the natural instinct it takes to make plays. Antoine Bethea has all of that. Now, why was he in the sixth round? Well, No. 1, he went to Howard University. No. 2, he played in a system that was basically a three-deep system where he did a lot of the things he does for us, but wouldn’t do a lot of the things he would do for other teams. He was sort of the perfect fit for us. Sometimes, you’ll get one like that. Other times, you get a player like Bob who failed many, many peoples’ physical examinations because of his ankle problem. As a result, he drops down in the draft, so you get an opportunity to pick him. Other times, you have a choice between someone like (Colts quarterback) Peyton Manning and (former San Diego Chargers quarterback) Ryan Leaf and you’ve got to make that one. Other times, frankly, you might be looking for a defensive player and there are none there who fit the mold and you take the best player who turns out to be (Colts wide receiver) Reggie Wayne. There is lots of folklore surrounding the draft and lots of noise, but the bottom line is you had better believe in the principles you use to select players and then stay with them. That’s what we try very much to do.

Q: Anything stand out from late in the game?

A: Probably the most significant was (Colts defensive end) Dwight Freeney’s sack there in the fourth quarter that knocked them back and put them in a position where they had a longer field goal to make. The ball was outside the upright, thank goodness, and away we went. He has had two really great games. He really played well against New England and he played well Sunday. The statistics really don’t mean anything. He has been doing a heck of a job.

Q: Colts quarterback Peyton Manning seems to be wearing one of those “play-calling” wrist bands some other quarterbacks wear . . .

A: It’s just a wristband. He gets the plays from (Offensive Coordinator) Tom (Moore) over the headset. He doesn’t need a cheat sheet.

Q: Another question regarding Colts Owner Jim Irsay’s letter. Shouldn’t Colts fans be standing and screaming when the other team has the ball?

A: Absolutely right. We want the building to be the hardest place in the National Football League to play and we need the fans’ support. It’s really important to have the fans on our side. We want people to be polite, but nevertheless a big part of the game. The fans are a big part of the defense. It certainly helps. Teams change their whole approach in the way they play us in this building. They believe it is difficult to get the ball snapped from the shotgun, take a seven-step drop and prevent our pass rushers from coming up the field and getting after them on a consistent basis with the crowd noise in this building. That’s a tribute to our fans. We’ve got to keep that up.

Q: Why doesn’t rookie linebacker Freddy Keiaho play more?

A: I think you’ll see more of him as the season goes along. (Middle linebacker) Rob Morris has a lot of experience, obviously, and he did a good job Sunday. I think until (middle linebacker) Gary (Brackett) is back, Rob will get the bulk of the playing time because he can get us lined up. He knows the audibles. All of those things Freddy has to learn and get used to, but you’re going to see a lot more of Freddy as the year goes along, too.

Q: The flex schedule could be interpreted as a major inconvenience for fans, particularly those traveling from out of town. Any thoughts?

A: I certainly share your concern. It is true the owners voted to go with flex scheduling, but it was an absolute critical part of the television package. In approving the television package, they approved flex scheduling. Quite frankly, in this situation, someone’s ox is always going to be gored. The NFL is following suit with what the colleges have done for about 5-to-8 years now, which is the times are very, very flexible. In college football, they can range anywhere from noon to 7 or 8 at night. That’s a little different because it’s a Saturday and you usually can get home on a Sunday. I sympathize. I know where you’re coming from. It’s a difficult business decision where you have to balance the needs of television against the needs of the live audience. It’s never perfect. It’s not that we don’t feel empathy. We certainly do, but in the end, it’s something that we’ve got to do because the league mandates we do it and hopefully, it won’t inconvenience too many people.

Q: On the road again this week, this time against the Dallas Cowboys. They are a team that has been very good offensively and defensively, yet they have a 5-4 record. With Tony Romo in at quarterback in place of Drew Bledsoe, it seems a totally different football team . . .

A: I wouldn’t say totally different, but what he has brought them is the ability to get out of the pocket and escape the rush, which was a difficult issue for Bledsoe and it was difficult for them to protect a quarterback who was not mobile. Romo has taken that problem away. He has been pretty resourceful and cool under fire. He’s not a rookie, although most people don’t know that. He has been around a while and played in NFL Europe. He has given them a spark. He has a big arm. He can throw on the run. He can make plays with his feet. He has some talent there he can use to help make plays with his feet. I would expect to see a running-game, play-action, bootleg type game from them. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if they played us very much the way Houston played us (in September). He is capable of making all those kinds of plays. They have really good runners in (Marion) Barber and Julius Jones, who can go downhill. I suspect that’s what we’ll see. Defensively, they’re a 3-4. DeMarcus Ware is one of the best outside linebackers in the league. They have a really big, powerful front. Their linebackers are good and solid and they have good people in the secondary. It should be a very, very good ballgame. It’s an awfully tough test for us going down there on the road again.

Q: And it’s hard to imagine their return game being as good as that of Buffalo.

A: They’re pretty good. (Dallas special teams coach) Bruce DeHaven, an old colleague of mine from Buffalo, is an outstanding coach and he’ll have some things cooked up for us. We’ve got to do a good job covering. It’s rare you lose in one phase the way we did Sunday and lose the turnover battle and win a game. We’ve got to clean that up, because certainly if we give the Cowboys extra times at bat, they’re going to take advantage of it, especially in Texas Stadium. notas_de_prensa_archivo