Indianapolis Colts RB Joseph Addai
Indianapolis Colts fans owe RB Joseph Addai a bit of an apology.
The blogosphere does, too.
Considering how Addai has played the last three games, considering his role in one of the most dramatic, memorable games in the history of a franchise that has delivered multiple such games in recent seasons, they won't likely mind giving it.
Addai, a 2006 first-round draft choice, was beaten up, criticized, singled out and basically forgotten about as a quality player by many during the past offseason.
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Nine games into the regular season, Addai isn't leading the NFL in rushing, and he's not close. He's not the shining megastar on a team with no shortage of such players.
But he is a big reason the Colts are 9-0.
"Joseph Addai has in my opinion had his two best games in a long, long time [in the last two games]," Colts President Bill Polian said Monday on his weekly radio show.
A few years back, it would have seemed silly to writed about Addai being vindicated. A 2006 first-round draft selection, he rushed for 1,000 yards in his first two seasons and after the second, he made the Pro Bowl. Then, things got more difficult. A lot more difficult.
Rather than deliver a third 1,000-yard season, Addai last season delivered one about half that productive. A reason was injuries, something neither he nor the team addressed that much, but something each party admitted after the season hampered his effectivenes.
Throughout the offseason, Addai was criticized in the blogosphere, blamed for the Colts' 23-17 overtime playoff loss to San Diego, for the Colts' 31st-ranked running game, for not hitting holes quickly enough, for not running hard enough, for not being durable enough. In any discussion of offseason Colts worries, Addai was mentioned early and often.
Then, in April, the Colts drafted RB Donald Brown in the first round.
Considering the hallelujah choruses in the blogosphere, Addai handled the situation with class. He said later he was bothered a bit by the selection, but even so, he embraced the younger player not only because he knew Brown would help the team but because that's what veterans do. Dominic Rhodes did it for him in 2006. This year, Addai said it was his turn.
Throughout the preseason and early part of the season, one of the questions I was asked most often on Indy Football Report was when Brown would become the starter.
Something happened on the way to Addai becoming a has been.He became very much a still is.
Consider:
* Against Houston two weeks ago, Addai caught a touchdown and ran for another. The Colts won, 20-17, to take a significant step toward a sixth AFC South title in seven seasons.
* In the Colts' 35-34 victory over the New England Patriots this past Sunday, Addai rushed for another touchdown and caught another touchdown pass. He also rushed 10 times for 41 yards, and his 13-yard run set up the Colts' game-winning touchdown in the final minute.
"It's all Joseph," Polian said. "There's not a lot of running room there. We know we don't have an offensive line where everybody is designed to be 325 pounds and knock the opposing team off the football. That's not what we do. When there has been room, he has made big plays and when there hasn't been room, he has put those pads down and gained four yards and five carries.
"It has been fine. If we run this way for the rest of the season, we're going to be perfectly OK."
Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell this week said while Addai isn't necessarily a 100-yard-per-game back within the team's scheme, he is very effective "particularly within the way in which we play."
"Depending upon the ballgame, Joe might approach those numbers depending on how many times we give it to him," Caldwell said. "It's not like he's getting 25 carries. His average per carry is around four yards this past game, but if you give it to him enough times, he's one of those guys where you say, 'He's a pretty good back.'"
This past Sunday against New England illustrated Addai's value. With Brown returning from a shoulder injury and dealing with a sore back, he also had what Polian said this week were some "recognition issues" on blitz pickup. Addai, while perhaps not the breakaway, big-play threat that Brown provides, has versatility critiical for a running back in the Colts' offense.
"You don't have to worry about pass protection when he's in there," Caldwell said. "You don't have to worry about whether or not he's s going to catch the ball out of the backfield. There are a lot of teams that have to substitute by committee. If they're going to throw it, they have to bring a pass protector. If they're going to run draws or screens, they have to bring the guy in who's a bit more fleet-footed. We look for guys who can do it all, who don't have to change in and put, who you don't have to use a specialty sort of substitution with our offensive set."
This is not to imply that the Colts see their RB situation as Brown vs. Addai. Not even close. On the day they drafted Brown, Polian and Caldwell said the selection was neither a message to Addai, nor an indictment of his play. Likely, Polian said, it would extend Addai's career and both Polian and Caldwell said Brown's addition would help both the Colts and Addai.
That wasn't greeted with much acceptance in the blogosophere or by many fans at the time. The easy thing to believe was that the Colts wouldn't draft a running back in the first round unless there was something drastically wrong with the one they had. The truth is the NFL is a two-back league, and the Colts now have two big-time backs -- one that's a rookie with a lot of big-play ability, and the other who's a big reason they're 9-0.
And who these days is pretty deserving of an apology.
REVIEWING BILL POLIAN'S WEEKLY RADIO SHOW
Bill Polian’s weekly radio show | Part One | “If we run this way . . . we’ll be perfectly fine”
Bill Polian’s weekly radio show | Part Two | Defense executed when it mattered against Patriots
Bill Polian’s weekly radio show | Part Three | Victory over New England garantees nothing
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COLTS 2009 MIDSEASON REPORT: PART TWO. HERE.
*** READ JOHN OEHSER'S INDIANA PACERS COVERAGE. HERE.
MAGNIFICENT SEVENS: WEEKLY COLTS THOUGHTS . . .
Magnificent Seven I: Seven training camp thoughts and observations
Magnificent Seven II: On the Colts' defensive tackle position and WR Reggie Wayne
Magnificent Seven III: On the Colts' running backs and offensive line
Magnificent Seven IV: On the Colts' offense, OG Ryan Lilja and WR Anthony Gonzalez
Magnificent Seven V: On S Melvin Bullitt and QB Peyton Manning
Magnificent Seven VI: On RB Donald Brown and the start of the season . . . at last
Magnificent Seven VII: On WR Reggie Wayne, the OL and blitzing
Magnificent Seven VIII: On WR Reggie Wayne, QB Peyton Manning and DE Dwight Freeney
Magnificent Seven IX: On DE Robert Mathis, S Bob Sanders and DE Dwight Freeney
Magnificent Seven X: On QB Peyton Manning's start and life without DT Ed Johnson
Magnificent Seven XI: On RB rotation, DE Dwight Freeney and S Bob Sanders
Magnificent Seven XII: On WR Reggie Wayne, TE Dallas Clark and running game
Magnificent Seven XIII: On offensive balance and resting QB Peyton Manning
Comments
I think you are correct. Addai is much deserving of an apology. He has run hard and played good football when he has the ball. He's done his job, and then some more (the option pass against the 49ers, which you left out but is an example of how much the Colts trusts this guy).
Also, I admit I was kind of giving up on Addai as a #1 RB. He seemed to have lost his stride and, most important, his desire to gain those difficult yards. However, it seems rest and Brown's addition has helped a lot to keep Addai fresh, explosive and motivated. It's not exactly the double trouble of the Panthers, but the Colts seemed to have found a good combo that can make big things down the stretch (and don't forget about Chad Simpson, loved how he went straight ahead and pounded back the Pats front; hehe, I bet they didn't see that one coming)
Yea if you've watched the past few games it's easy to see that Addai is giving it his all. He runs hard, but he just isn't that effective at shedding tacklers, which most of the time, greet him around the line of scrimmage. But he is extremely versatile and does the small things. People don't realize how important he's been, and it's hard to keep my mouth shut around my friends who bash Addai's play. We could have a 5 yards a rush back, but a lot of them fumble the ball as well. How often does Addai fumble the football? He tries hard and does the small things, and that's what we need. He's been excellent around the goaline as well, people forget that.
Real Colts fans were never down on Addai. It was obvious his drop in production is in large part due to shoddy run blocking.
Everyone agrees that to go deep in the playoffs you have to have a balanced attack. The Colt's running game is again their Achillie's, as it's ranked near the bottom of the league. A year ago Addai's inability to gain a yard sent the Colts packing against San Diego. Bill Polian called it "unacceptable" and made a wise move in drafting the nation's leading rusher in Donald Brown. Brown's college film footage shows that he is the total package. A big play north-south runner who can catch and block. Addai's tentativeness has developed into a bad habit. I believe Brown is the answer to a balanced attack. Go Colts!
I have always liked Jojo but I always am yelling at him when I watch the TV. I think that his average yards per run are good and you can argue that the colts just dont run enough to give him the yards to make him a great back but that is not why I yell. I yell because every play he runs is always a sweep to the outside and instead of cutting it up into the first open hole he takes it to the sideline and gains a couple of yards. Dammit Jojo stop being scared of tacklers! Juke the hell out of them (like you did Lewis) or blow them up! BTW Moore call plays where he has to take them up the middle and bench him if he hesitates before he hits the line.
If Addai started getting mean and stopped acting like the area behind the line of scrimmage is "Dancing with the Stars" then I think his yards per carry and total overall yardage would greatly increase.
I apologize. I have been lightly bashing him THIS season. He has done an excellent job in blocking and coming out of the backfield, and he is starting to find some running room. Keep up the good work Addai!!!
I'm sorry Addai!
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