Colts embrace enormous expectations as camp starts
ANDERSON — Punter Pat McAfee pulled into the parking lot at Anderson University on Saturday morning and it immediately became clear to him what this Indianapolis Colts season could become.
"The first guy I saw was (running back) Frank Gore. And you think, 'Oh, I get to play on a team with Frank Gore. He's pretty damn good,' " McAfee recalled after reporting for training camp.
"And you say, 'Who's the quarterback? Oh, Andrew Luck is the freaking quarterback.' And then you say, 'Man, there's Andre Johnson and T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief, Griff Whalen, a whole new O-line.' The defense is ready to rock. We're ready to do this thing. I'm excited to be here and this is just gonna be a fun year and a fun camp. I'm so lucky to be a part of it.
"As soon as I saw that we signed Andre Johnson and Frank Gore… I kind of looked in the mirror and said, 'Probably not a lot of punts for you this year, buddy.' "
So, yeah, the Colts have some pretty lofty expectations for 2015. You do. The media do. Likewise, the Colts have some high expectations of their own.
Saturday was where it all began. If this season is to end with raining confetti, if the Colts really are going to hoist a Lombardi Trophy in early February – their own stated goal – then you should remember Saturday as the starting point.
The Colts have spent months sidestepping the elephant in the room: the fact that they are expected to challenge for a Super Bowl championship and anything less will, potentially, be seen as a disappointment.
But there finally was some acknowledgment Saturday of these facts as camp got underway.
To a point, anyway.
"There's a bunch of great players," Luck said. "You look around and there's a bunch of studs. But I don't think you compare rosters year to year and say, 'Oh, we have a better chance this year.' I think there's some folly in that."
That's the ever-present diplomacy coming out of Luck. But even he knows what every NFL observer learned long ago: The Colts, after offseason moves that have brought together Johnson, Gore and what already was one of the most potent offenses in football, are in position to contend.
Take it from a man who knows something about playing on great teams.
"Talent level only gets you so far, but we've got the talent," said kicker Adam Vinatieri, a participant in five Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and Colts.
"We filled some of the holes we needed to fill. Obviously, our offense, you look at it and you just shake your head and go, 'OK, this is gonna be a fun one.' Defense and special teams, it's the same thing. We've got a good core of guys."
But rarely do things in the NFL play out the way they are scripted. The Colts felt they were in position to make a run at the Patriots heading into the AFC Championship Game, and everyone knows how that ended —with a 45-7 pasting.
Along those lines, Johnson, the veteran receiver who won a mere two playoff games in 12 seasons with the Houston Texans, arrived Saturday to join a team that has more reason for optimism than any he's ever been associated with.
Yet Johnson remained understated and modest, per usual, and was actually a voice of reason in the face of all the outside predictions.
"I think we have a good team. It looks good on paper," he said. "But if you don't go out there and execute the plays you need to execute and stop people on defense and play good on special teams, then you're not going to win games. It's not going to take just one side of the ball. It's going to take everybody for us to get this done as a team."
And as a team, the Colts have lots to prove. Can they run the ball consistently given their unproven offensive line? Can they stop the run on a regular basis? Can they keep opposing passers off their spot with the pass rush? Can Luck continue the rate of progression he has shown in his first three seasons?
The answers will begin to reveal themselves when practices begin Sunday. There is hard work ahead, but winning requires that kind of effort.
Vinatieri knows what winners look like, and he was asked whether he sees the qualities of a champion in his current team. His answer was something more tangible than predictions, something that impacts winning in a meaningful way.
"Every year is different," Vinatieri said. "But it's pretty exciting this year just to see what we have and the commitment. This offseason, we had almost 100 percent participation the entire way through. I'm seeing guys who are coming back in shape and ready to go with smiles on their faces to start this thing off.
"I'm excited to see how far we can go this year, because I think we can do a lot of great things."
Follow Star reporter Stephen Holder on Twitter: @HolderStephen.
COLTS TRAINING CAMP
Location: Anderson University, 1100 E. 5th Street, Anderson, Ind.
Directions: Take exit 26 off Interstate 69. Take a left on State Road 9/Scatterfield Road and go 5 miles. Turn left onto East 8th Street, then make a right onto Walnut Street.
Parking: $5 per vehicle.
Colts City: Open everyday their is practice. It includes interactive inflatables, sponsor booths, social media tent, give-a-ways, Colts In Motion traveling museum, Play 60 Zone, Colts Pro Shop, concessions, Goodwill collection (all donors receiver a Colts seat cushion).
Schedule
(subject to change)
Sunday-Tuesday
12:30-5 p.m.: Colts City.
1:55-4:40 p.m.: Practice.
Wednesday
5-9:30 p.m.: Colts City.
6:25-9:10 p.m.: Practice.
Thursday
No practice
Friday-Aug. 10
12:30-5 p.m.: Colts City.
1:55-4:40 p.m.: Practice.
Aug. 11
No practice
Aug. 12-13
12:30-5 p.m.: Colts City.
1:55-4:40 p.m.: Practice.
Friday, Aug. 14
12:30-5 p.m.: Colts City.
1:55-4:10 p.m.: Practice.
PRESEASON SCHEDULE
Aug. 16: At Philadelphia, 1 p.m., WXIN-59.
Aug. 22: Vs. Chicago, 7:30 p.m., WXIN-59.
Aug. 29: At St. Louis, 8 p.m., WXIN-59.
Sept. 3: Vs. Cincinnati, 7 p.m., WXIN-59.