rockywoj

Vs the 3-0 Pittsburgh Steelers, I have a bad feeling about this. Going to miss watching the game, as I will be on a football excursion to see the Chiefs vs Chargers live in LA.

To the bolded, I saw a pass by Rodgers yesterday where he just slightly overthrew the receiver. Nobody said boo about him being inaccurate. I said right away, if that was Richardson, everybody would be crying how inaccurate he is! AR is soooo raw, so the whining of inaccuracy is laughable, really. As Manning’s struggles should reveal, give the kid some rope, *. Is patience really that much of a lost art?

So, patience!

Oh contrare, I’d say it says more about Shane Steichen’s skill set as a coach.

Excerpt from an article at NFL.com … ”… One player the Colts can lean on while Richardson gets his sea legs: running back Jonathan Taylor. After last year's hold-in and injury issues, the star running back looks back to his old self. JT bursts through the line like a Mustang on fire, leaving linebackers in his wake. On Sunday, Taylor totaled 12 carries for 103 yards and +55 rushing yards over expected, his most RYOE in a game since Week 15 of 2021. He also forced five missed tackles across 14 touches. Shane Steichen's decision to bench the star back during the entire fourth quarter because the Colts were in pass mode belies credibility. Even if Taylor isn't a prolific pass catcher out of the backfield, sitting your best offensive weapon for an entire quarter is folly -- hopefully one Steichen doesn't repeat. If defenses are going to sit back to slow Richardson's deep attack, Taylor should gobble up chunk gains. At this point, Taylor is the most consistent thing going for Indy. The 25-year-old back owns a game-changing gear and can shoulder a massive load. His presence and production should help settle Richardson down during the roller-coaster dips. Taylor hasn't looked fully healthy in a couple of years. He did this past Sunday. The Colts need to ride that stallion.” The above referenced article kind of echoes my feelings on the matter.

They were indeed great players, but honestly, so far from what I’ve seen, JT seems to me that he is even more of a break the play for a huge gainer than either of those HOF players you named. Time will tell whether JT will himself turn into a HOF candidate, but his ability to break the play open as a home run threat, to me, it’s thus far unmatched.

“That’s on me.”

A good offensive coordinator would go out of his way to scheme getting the ball into JT’s hands in the open field. No player on the Colts is as dangerous as JT with the ball in their hands. I’d go so far as to say I am hard pressed to name a Colts player EVER that is more dangerous with the ball in their hands than JT. I find it mind boggling that a team has a game changing star, but proceeds in such a lackadaisical manner in utilizing him. Yeah, he might whiff a reception here or there, but that is simply the price you pay. Scheme in more plays in a more effective way to get JT in space with the ball, often. And guess what then? Defences will start concentrating on trying to shut JT down. And then guess what? The offence will open up for other players. It’s not rocket science! Like earlier said by others, and by me, JT ought not EVER be taken off the field unless he’s in dire need of a breather or injured or a game is entirely out of reach one way or the other, especially in critical moments! SS’s excuse was utter bee ess, wanted to give some backup Jag some reps, my gawd! <face palm> I’m not going to write Steichen off just yet, but this last game was a MAJOR bloody strike in my books. He is definitely in need of redeeming himself. And one last thought … if I were that reporter that asked about JT being taken out on that critical 3rd down and then for too much of the last quarter, I’d have immediately followed up on Steichen’s answer asking, let me get this straight, you took out the Colts most dynamic offensive game changer to give an unaccomplished backup some reps!? And you took out your most dynamic player because you wanted to concentrating on a passing games with a bunch of, so far, scrubs? Ooooookay then.

JT is a game breaking star player, Sermon is a JAG. JT may not be great at catching the ball, but he’s serviceable at it. Bigger issue is simply throwing the ball where it’s catchable. Earlier in the game the so called “drop” he had, it was a very poor throw and even if he had caught it, because of him having to twist around to try and corral it, it was most likely not going to be a 1st down anyway. Bottom line, JT is the man and he should only be taken out when he needs a breather, is hurt, or the game is out of reach. To take him out in key moments of a game for no good reason, like saying they wanted to get the JAG some reps, that’s just ridiculous. Like an earlier poster said, this is not preseason. At key moments in a game, you put your best guys out there and you get the ball into the hands of your star playmakers. Big negative points for SS on this point.

To the bolded, if true, that is a big concern because so far this season, MPJ is not showing much at all.

In the past, when the Colts would turn in a pathetically discouraging performance to lead me to conclude they’re a bad team, just as I am giving up on their chances, they’d surprise me by turning things around. I just don’t see it happening again, this time. Bears win. But then again, last week I said, mark my words, Colts WILL beat the Packers, so what do I know.

What a horrible 3rd down call. And now I am in the camp of going back to the other kicker. This game is having the look of one of the most disappointing Colts game in a very long time.n:(

That doesn’t look good for Buckner.

That was a bad throw, but Taylor should’ve caught it. Pretty sure he would’ve been stopped short anyway, though. Ergo, bad start to the 2nd half.

Clearly the goal is to spot GB 17 points.

Wow, just EPICALLY horrendous run defence.

Very disappointing. Blackmon continues to not be available way too often.

This is basically a worst case scenario for the Colts secondary. What now?

Mmmm, memories of the great Bert Jones! Thank you.

In Green Bay next week, Colts win!

I said it in the game day thread, this was the most encouraging opening day loss for the Colts over the past 11 years!

As I recall, there was the fake to JT, then AR went over the middle to a well covered Pittman, incomplete. Meanwhile, though, after the fake hand off JT ran out to the sideline about 5 yards downfield totally uncovered. Had AR tossed the easy throw to JT, it was an easy 1st down and out in space, JT might’ve turned it into a HUGE gain! AR / Steichen have to learn to get it into JT’s hand on easy throws out in space. I cannot emphasize this point enough.

I made that observation in the game day thread. AR missed him, barely on that early miss on the right side, but the 2nd time down the left, the throw was perfectly on the money had AD not been held. Same with the pick, had Granson not slipped, throw was on the money. AR looks really impressive. And remember, Luck was still sailing balls high even in his last, most impressive, season, leaving me at the time to conclude he’d likely never reach Manning’s level of accuracy. (Sadly, never got to find out definitively due to Luck’s premature retirement.)

I was going to say, for the majority of the Manning years the Colt’s run defense was horrendous, sans the SB winning playoff run.

I am usually all for just taking the easy points, but in that instance, there was ZERO downside. You make it, you’re tied. You miss and a FG still puts you into the lead, just like would still be required if they went for 1. And consider, at the end if they had made it, game would’ve been tied. Had they gone for 1, the end outcome remained the same, Colts needing a FG for the win. Honestly, I am shocked this 2pt decision is getting such scrutiny, especially in this day and age of aggressive moves & mathematical metrics. If ever there was a justifiable 2 pt attempt, this was it! Coach made the correct call there, and I thought JT was going in on a cakewalk. Shocked he somehow got stopped.