NFL 2009: Colts hoping new look, including coach Jim Caldwell, won’t change run of success

Caldwell, revamped Colts look to maintain success

INDIANAPOLIS — Jim Caldwell is ready to mix it up in Indianapolis.

He wants the defense to be more aggressive, doesn’t worry about the lofty standards established by his predecessor, doesn’t mind making the tough decisions or occasionally airing his complaints publicly.

Yes, some players think Caldwell’s hard edge is just what the Colts need to make another Super Bowl run in 2009.

“He’ll call guys out. He’ll say things that need to be said in a different way,” three-time Pro Bowl center Jeff Saturday said. “I think Jim put his stamp on it from Day 1.”

For the Colts, this is a big change.

Though Caldwell spent the past eight seasons working under Tony Dungy, a man Caldwell reveres, the two are hardly clones. The soft-spoken Dungy usually took the high road, nonchalantly brushing off criticism of players, while the sometimes outspoken Caldwell has already sent a few messages to players through the media in hopes of getting better results.

Clearly, Caldwell is taking a tougher approach to replicate Dungy’s success and build upon it with a familiar foundation.

Three-time MVP quarterback Peyton Manning is back for his 12th NFL season. Former NFL defensive player of the year Bob Sanders is still the defensive leader. Caldwell also has former Pro Bowl players scattered throughout the offense and defense and takes over a team that has won at least 12 games in an NFL record six straight seasons and made the playoffs seven straight times.

Caldwell’s challenge: Proving that his philosophy will produce similar results to those that defined the Dungy era.

“I’m too old to worry about those kinds of things (comparisons),” the 54-year-old Caldwell said. “I’m a guy that has been around a little bit. I’ve been a part of this program. So some of those wins, I was a part of those, too. We’re just kind of building up on that whole process.”

Caldwell couldn’t have hand-picked a better spot for his first NFL head coaching job.

He has Manning, the reigning MVP who is healthy after missing all the 2008 preseason with an infected bursa sac in his left knee. He has Pro Bowl receiver Reggie Wayne, poised for an even bigger season with the record-setting Marvin Harrison no longer around. He has former league sacks champion Dwight Freeney, who may be healthier this year now that he is nearly two years removed from foot surgery.

But there are also big questions as Team Stability morphed into Team Change.

Gone are Dungy, who retired in January, and Harrison, released a month later in a salary-cap dump. Caldwell has brought in a new defensive coordinator, Larry Coyer, and a new special teams coordinator, Ray Rychleski, to beef up the Colts’ two most glaring weaknesses.

Caldwell didn’t hesitate to move Charlie Johnson in at left tackle after demoting former second-round draft pick Tony Ugoh during training camp, and Sanders still has not practiced since having offseason knee surgery. The Colts haven’t said when Sanders is expected to return.

The overhaul could have been even worse.

Tom Moore and Howard Mudd, the only offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Manning worked with in his pro career, announced their retirements in May before pulling a Brett Favre and returning just before training camp. Mudd has already said he will retire after this season.

“I think everybody is glad to have those guys back and that’s obviously what we are used to,” Manning said. “They bring an unbelievable amount of experience to the team and it’s very valuable.”

Caldwell, meanwhile, continues to build the Colts in his own tough-guy image.

He wasted no time in cutting fourth-round draft pick Terrance Taylor last weekend when it became clear Taylor didn’t fit into the Colts plans — even though Caldwell and team president Bill Polian expected Taylor to be a run-stuffing presence when they selected him in April.

And though he’s stressed better coverage units on punts and kickoffs, Caldwell wants the Colts to take advantage of their defensive speed with more blitz packages. That’s why Coyer is here.

“I think you’ll see some things that people haven’t seen before,” cornerback Marlin Jackson said with a wry smile. “We’ve not shown everything yet. It will be different, but it will be exciting.”

In Indy, though, the big question will be whether Caldwell’s style works?

He hasn’t had a head coaching job since leaving Wake Forest in 2000, but Colts players have already embraced Caldwell’s approach. Even if takes some getting used to.

“We have no time to look back,” Manning said. “There is no question that he is going to coach from coach Dungy’s book in a lot of ways. At the same time he has some things that are unique to his style, and the team is learning those as we move forward.”