Peyton Manning and the Colts fell short in the Super Bowl this past February, but that hasn't deterred the NFL oddsmakers from making Indianapolis the favorite in 2010.
Fortunately for the sake of QB Peyton Manning, the Indianapolis Colts already have a Super Bowl title under their belts. If they didn't, Manning would be spending his entire offseason answering questions as to why he can't lead his team to a Super Bowl in spite of the fact that he is one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever take a snap in this game.
Indianapolis is the favorite to win the Super Bowl once again at +800, and the debate is on as to whether or not the Colts are worthy of NFL odds like that.
A Stock That Could be in Decline: QB Peyton Manning
We aren't ones to say that Manning can't do something, but last year looked just a tad bit different for a man who once looked indestructible and unbeatable. Sure, the Tennessee Volunteer threw for 4,500, marking the fourth straight season that he reached the 4,000+ yard plateau, and his 33 TD passes was the second most in his career. But something just wasn't the same about Manning.
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There were games in which he looked awfully mortal, like when he threw three picks against the Broncos in Week 14 or getting picked off in three straight games from Week 3 to Week 5.
Yes, we're nitpicking. Like we said, the numbers and the offensive output for Manning were there. But now, at the age of 34, he is going to have to break in a new offensive coordinator, as veteran OC Tom Moore finally called it a career after 2009. At some point, Manning is going to decline in production, and we are afraid that this might be the year. Don't sell on Manning quite yet, but we aren't exactly lining up to buy more of his shares either.
The Forgotten Stock to Pick Up: WR Anthony Gonzalez
Remember Gonzalez? With WR Marvin Harrison still in the fold, the Ohio State man caught 57 balls for 664 yards and four scores in 2008. Last season was supposed to be a breakout year for Gonzalez, but a preseason injury ended his 2009 campaign before it even got started. Yes, WRs Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon have built a rapport with Manning, but we still believe that Gonzalez is going to be the best man for the job when Manning is in trouble.
This is a stock that you can pick up off of the scrap heap for next to nothing right now, but especially if coverage starts to roll more towards WR Reggie Wayne's side, Gonzalez might find himself open quite a bit. Hauling in 80 receptions doesn't seem like it is totally impossible. Buy low on Gonzo.
Stock Under Pressure: Clyde Christensen
Christensen is the man that is going to take over for Moore. Truth be told, Manning needs an offensive coordinator calling plays for him about as much as Lindsey Lohan needs another bottle of alcohol. However, someone has to take over the role of OC to help direct the other facets of the Colts' offense that Manning isn't barking out at the line of scrimmage.
Christensen's first order of business is going to be figuring out how to get Indianapolis some semblance of a running game again. Finishing an NFL-worst 80.9 YPG rushing just isn't acceptable at this level, though thanks to Manning, the Colts did march all the way to the Super Bowl last season.
Running back Joseph Addai only had 828 yards all season long, a number which he would like to see improved. Because of Manning, we will buy Christensen in his first year as the OC in Indy, but if anything happens to his signal caller, he is going to be a tough commodity to buy.
Buying or Selling the Indianapolis Colts
The Colts have a season win total of 10.5, which is yet again another tremendously lofty number to reach. The AFC South is a very tough division once more, with both Houston and Tennessee fielding playoff caliber teams, while the Jacksonville Jaguars are probably playing for their coach's job this season.
Defensively speaking, Indy ranked eighth in the NFL last year, allowing just 19.2 points per game. This came against a schedule that included a number of teams that finished just outside the playoffs in the AFC and several others that did get in. The slate is a lot tougher this year than it was when Indy was playing the weak NFC West last season.
But when push comes to shove, it's hard to not see this team winning at least 11 games as long as Manning is upright. Indy is still worth buying, even coming off of the AFC Championship last season.