WERC82

Our roster isn't nearly as bad as many people say it is. Reich made it look bad, and Steichen is correcting that. It hasn't shown in in the win column to the extent impatient fans would like to see but, the offensive stats prove it. This is especially true when you consider Minshew's limitations. Now, Bradley is making the defense look bad. Obviously the roster needs a couple of pieces but they're hard to find, keep and pay. I say our weakness on offense is pass catchers that can block, and offensive linemen that can get outside and down field in front of the RB's. On defense, depth on the line and a consistent pass rushing threat player. A couple of guys might be but Bradley's schemes aren't creating enough opportunities to prove who that is. We might not have all pro DB's but again, we don't know because Bradley can't figure out how to get enough pressure so those backs don't have to cover for 5 seconds. Rosters get too much blame. Coaches don't get enough. All the athletes in the NFL are good. Not all the coaches are.

You can't play Dungy ball constantly in today's league. The athlete's are too good. Particularly the dual threat QB's. Bradley doesn't take enough chances at blitzing. Like Reich, he doesn't seem to take advantage of momentum or a hot hand. Also like Reich, he wants players to adapt to his system rather than tweaking his system to adapt to the players. For Pete's sake, he thinks he can consistently get pressure rushing only four even without his strongest lineman, Grover. Made no adjustments to compensate for that missing piece. Forcing turnovers and making momentum changing plays come from taking chances, doing something different, unexpected. He's as predictable as Reich was. It put his players at a disadvantage. He has to go.

A Frank Reich team is the easiest team to for every opponent to beat. He is why we only won four games last year, lost the most important match-ups and looked totally unprepared every week. Even in seasons where we were better than 500 or made the playoffs we won in spite his poor preparation, leadership and schemes. Luck, Rivers, Taylor, a strong Oline and an opportunistic defense carried him. He is the reason the Panthers lost their first 6 games and he'll be the reason they lose this Sunday.

They talent is there but Bradley's schemes are Reichish. Rush four straight ahead all day is too easy to block. Then you have DB's that have to cover too long. Which leads to down too many points to keep running the ball on offense. Bradley's play calling put our defenders at a disadvantage, just like Reich's offense did for our offensive line. When your tendencies are so predictable you're gonna get beat more often than not. The only thing we for sure lack in talent is a marquee edge rusher and pass catchers that can block. That and Minshew is our QB. The rest is masked by a terrible defensive scheme and playing from behind because of it.

Most "experts" have us as sellers. Why? Because contracts on guys like Leonard and Kelly are to expensive for what we're getting from them on the field. Problem is everyone we'd like to get a player from knows those contracts are too high. So, we'll be unloading any cap space saving players we can and getting almost nothing in return...if we make any moves at all. This is/has been Ballard's weakness from day one. Drafts well but pays to much when the rookie contracts are up. Then we end up with a guy who's production/value/trade-ability frequently plummets.

I like what I'm seeing from Steichen so far minus two things, one we haven't seen from a Colts HC in decades, killer instinct. We're putting up points every week. The running game has flashed. The passing game has flashed. The defense has flashed. When anyone of those things starts to flash keep the opponent on the ropes with it and pound away. Too often we go away from what's working, essentially outsmarting ourselves. Teams adjust and we bail. Counter their adjustments but don't abandon what made them adjust. That puts them in control and now you're letting what they do control what you do. The other thing that he needs to work on in practice, film study and in meetings is blocking for pass catchers and runs outside the tackles. Our linemen need to do a much better job staying in front of whoever has the ball, and our pass catchers need to be way better at blocking on pass and running plays. No lead is safe in the NFL and Steichen needs to get that in his staff's head, especially Bradley's. Don't subscribe to a Tony Dungy mentality, get the lead and protect it. Subscribe to, if we can score 100 points we're gonna. Subscribe to, if we can sack you 10 times, force 10 fumbles and 10 picks we're gonna. Subscribe to, if I punch you in the mouth and you're stunned, I'm gonna punch you 5 more times before you shake it off. This is pro ball not your local peewee team, you aren't gonna hurt anybody's feeling. If it does that somebody doesn't belong in the league. No More Mr. Nice Guys.

This roster isn't nearly as bad as Bradley's coaching, and Minshew's ineptitude makes it look. We need to be more aggressive with the pass rush, especially without Grover on the line. We ain't getting pressure rushing four without him. So draftwise, an impact player on the Dline and whatever it takes to get Marvin Jr or another real game breaking threat at WR. But before we get there Ballard needs to step out of his own shadow before the trade deadline and take some chances on a couple of deals. Oh, and a post season game or two is still very much in reach with 9 games remaining. If the Broncos can beat the Chiefs we can surely beat any team left on our schedule. If the 49ers can lose 3 in a row teams were chasing can stumble. For the wildcard there are 8 teams in front of us that have played one fewer games. We have five of them left on the schedule. 4 of the teams we're chasing for the wildcard are one game up. One team is two games up. In all likelihood we move up a spot or two on our bye week, and the Jags 3 game lead is not impossible to catch.

Tony Dungy's legacy lives on. Bend, don't break defense gets you beat. The league's best defenses get after the QB with blitzes. Without Grover on the line we have almost no chance to pressure a QB rushing only four. Bradley should know that, and should have schemed differently. His philosophy makes us look like we have less talent than we actually do. He's very much like Frank Reich. He tries to fit players into his schemes instead of scheming to fit his players. Oh, and Leonard should be dealt before the deadline. Highest paid cheerleader in the league, and just like a cheerleader he's a part time employee. Not the only guy I'd deal but the best option that could yield a decent return. Others I consider that have value include Cox, Pierce, Speed, Kelly and even MPJ. We need pass rushing and pass catching weapons that impact games on a regular basis. We also need pass catchers that can block.

If I'm on the Colts roster as a defender I want to be traded if Gus Bradley isn't fired.