NFL VETERAN AND CBS ANALYST RECENTLY VISITED INDIANAPOLISINDIANAPOLIS – Charley Casserly has a unique perspective as an NFL analyst for CBS Sports. Casserly in 2011 will be entering his fifth season on the network pre-game show, a stint that developed after a distinguished 29-year tenure in the NFL with Washington and Houston.
Casserly served as a general manager for 16 of those 29 seasons. Casserly's tenure with Washington spanned the 1977-1999 seasons. He was elevated to the general manager post in 1989. Casserly joined the Houston Texans in their 2002 expansion. Since seeing the Colts closely during that time and while with CBS, he has insights of the players who have helped Indianapolis play to the elite levels in the league.
Through organizational and coaching leadership, Colts players have been imparted with the approach to take each season as an individual entity regardless of the previous season's outcome. He notes the Colts have done this admirably, including one player in particular.
"I think that's important for all teams. When a season is over, every year is a new year. You get no points for last year. You get no wins for last year. You get absolutely nothing. Every coach will tell you, 'Every year's a new year.' Everybody knows that. Obviously, some coaches do that better than others. Players have hangovers from seasons. Sometimes it's success, winning a Super Bowl and a feeling, 'Hey, it's automatic we go back,' or losing a Super Bowl or championship game, 'Hey, we're right back there again.' I think that one of the things of the Colts that's impressive," said Casserly. "I think Peyton Manning has something to do with that. Being around him, every year is a new year. Every year is a challenge. Every year he wants to get better. Every year it seemed to me he would come into the year with clear objectives with what he wanted to get done. He's your leader on the field, so I think that's important. I think when you've had coaches that aren't overly emotional, I mean emotional in the sense of being up and down, of not being steady, reliable leaders, you're going to have that (inconsistency). If you have steady, reliable leaders that are demanding when their personality lets them be demanding, then I think you're going to have success that way. I've always thought the Colts were a team that played each season for that season."
Casserly is among the many observers who have seen Manning play at record levels throughout his 13-year career. He is among those who note Manning's aptitude and dedication.
"The first thing is intelligence. This guy is a brilliant player. I don't know any player who has been ever asked to do as much as he does on the field as far as calling the game. We talk about in the old days that quarterbacks called the plays. Well, the offenses were much simpler and so were the coverages. The game has changed dramatically from a complexity point of view. So, you have intelligence. Then you have drive and work ethic, things he has talked about to me in the past about having two-week camps with just one player working him on routes in the off-season as a young guy to get him ready. I think it's the intelligence. I think it is the work ethic, the leadership by example and demanding the people around him. I think all these things are off the charts. From a physical point of view, I think just his size. His height is 6-5. He has a great ability naturally to see things. You couple with that with all the work ethic that gets him to that point, the intelligence. I think there is a physical edge there, too, that he has."
The Colts offense has performed at a prodigious level that has seen the unit produce 5,000 net yards offense in 13 consecutive seasons, while topping 400 points in 10 of those years. Casserly is impressed by those accomplishments.
"It's hard to do it in one year. How many teams can do it for one year? It's incredible. They've done it for a long period of time. Historically, it's hard to believe you're going to have that kind of run very often, if not again. A lot of it gets back to the quarterback, Peyton Manning. You're talking about a guy who's going to be talked about, 'Is this the best guy to ever play that position?' Now, he has to have talent around him, which the team always has had good receivers. They've always had a tight end, and you've got excellent coaches and good continuity. It's a combination of all those things, but certainly a lot of the credit has to go to Peyton Manning."
On the other side of the ball, defensive end Dwight Freeney has been a difference-maker throughout his career. Casserly has seen Freeney operate and develop season after season. He claims teams must prepare for Freeney specifically.
"I think it all starts with (Dwight) Freeney. He is the guy when you play the Colts, you have to set your offense to stop. If you don't account for Dwight Freeney, then you're going to have a long day throwing the football. He's an explosive guy off the ball, a great ability to duck under. He has such speed and quickness off the ball (that) you have to defend that first. Once you defend that, it opens it up for the inside move," said Casserly. "He has a great ability to make himself small, bend the shoulder and get to the quarterback. He is the number one guy you have to stop, and you have to stop the outside rush. It's interesting watching him, the guy has gotten stronger through the years. He's learned to play the run better, more effective there."
In addition to solid drafting by the club, Casserly says the club has had solid success in supplementing the 53-man roster with undrafted free agents. Players added through this avenue are the result of outstanding work throughout the year by the organization.
"There are three things that go into that. One is good scouts. It's a scout being able to identify talent. Secondly, it's a system that everyone can identify with. In other words, the scout understanding exactly what type of player fits into the system. It starts with the scout being able to identify the characteristics that will fit. It's scouting number one. Number two, is having a clear system that everyone understands. Number three is the coaches' development of the players. You need to have coaches that can develop players that are a little bit raw as a product. The Colts have done a great job with this, no question."
