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Indianapolis Colts C Jeff Saturday (Michael Conroy/AP Photo)
THE DAILY DIGEST | Indy Football Report Editor John Oehser takes a look at what they're saying about and what's going on around the AFC Champion Indianapolis Colts . . .
The biggest news around the Colts early this week: the comments by C Jeff Saturday regarding the comments made by Colts President Bill Polian shortly after the Super Bowl about the play of the offensive line.
Saturday, a four-time Pro Bowl center, said there was little question that not only was he hurt by the comments, but his line mates were, too.
“Obviously, as an offensive lineman, you take it personal, because that's our job,” Saturday said in an interview with Dave Furst of WRTV-6 in Indianapolis. “I know I've talked to every lineman. It hurt everybody. That's not what you want to be said. I've looked at it and I don't agree. You just have to move on and make the best of it.”
Two days after the Colts' 31-17 loss to New Orleans on February 7, Polian on his weekly radio show said, “Our offensive line, by our standards, did not have a good game. They were outplayed by the Saints' defensive line.”
Saturday, the Colts' most-tenured starter aside from Colts QB Peyton Manning said he didn't agree with the assessment, noting that the Colts not only did not allow a sack in the game, but also rushed for 99 yards on 19 carries, with RB Joseph Addai rushing for a 77 yards on 13 carries.
"I've looked at the film," he said. "I've watched it and, yeah, obviously he has his right to his opinion and he's gonna say it. I went back and looked at it. I looked at the numbers again. We rushed the ball for well over five yards a carry.”
Saturday also noted that after Saints Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams made headlines by saying the team needed to get some “remember me” hits in the pass rush, no such hits occurred.
“We didn't give up any sacks,” Saturday said. “Peyton got hit maybe a couple times. He was hit very few times, especially in comparison to what they had done in the playoffs and throughout the season – how many hits they were getting on quarterbacks and all the talk from their defensive coordinator – the remember me hits . . .
“I don't think they had a remember me shot.”
Saturday attributed Polian's comments to the emotions following a disappointing, season-ending loss.
“I think any time you make comments right after a game, everybody's heated and passionate about it," he said. "I was proud of the way the offensive line played and have a lot of respect for the way each and every guy stepped up and handled the challenge. . . .
"The reality is he runs the ship. “I don't think there's any way you can change anybody's opinion. Hopefully, he'll go back and watch the film or tell us what he wanted us to do better, or that will come through (Head Coach Jim) Caldwell or however that seems to work out. I don't ever like things being done in the press. I would have much rather him sat us down if that were really the case or he really felt like that. Like I said, it's the day after the game. You're still hot. He probably hadn't slept since we lost. I know I hadn't. I didn't sleep good.”
Saturday also said that a little more three weeks after the Super Bowl he hasn't quite put the loss in the past completely.
“Obviously, we were extremely disappointed in he way the season ended,'' Saturday said. “You get there and feel like you have the team to win it all and you don't play good. It's a tough way to end the season. I've talked to a number of guys who have been around the game for a long time. They tell me, “In years, you'll be happy about going to the Super Bowl, experiencing it.'
“I'm not there. Right now, that's not the feeling I have.” . . .
IFR Analysis: A couple of thoughts here. One is that Saturday handled this about as well as one could have expected. I'd encourage anyone to watch the video to see Saturday's tone. His comments will undoubtedly be portrayed as an angry fire-back and a potential rift, or at the least something possibly causing lingering resentment. There seemed more hurt and resignation in Saturday's tone than anger, and while the linemen unsurprisingly aren't happy about the statement, it's not likely the sort of unhappiness that's going to have any drastic lingering effects. Also, there's little question that Saturday is sincere in his thought that the Colts' offensive line played well in the Super Bowl. This is a guy who was as honest as possible an offseason ago about the play of the line, and very forward about the need to improve from what he considered a sub-par 2008 season.
Another thought on the issue: it involves the quickness with which many observers have written off Polian's comments on the line as incorrect, misguided or uttered in anger. Polian, remember, had two days following the Super Bowl to watch tape and consider his statements. Isn't it possible that Polian – who has built six Super Bowl teams – saw something he deemed important? One thought I keep going back to is what some of the Saints players were saying after the game, that essentially they were going to allow the Colts to run if they wanted, but they absolutely didn't want Manning to beat them consistently passing. That could account for a team that had struggled to run at times during the season averaging more than five yards a game in the Super Bowl.
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