zibby43
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Posts posted by zibby43
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Make a call to see what's up? Or hard pass?
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1 hour ago, Moosejawcolt said:
Not sure he would have made that much of a difference. This D starts and stops with the D line. They don't get pressure and below average qbs looking like Hall of Famers. Plus our corners r gamers but lack talent. I don't think a safety could impact thoae glaring weaknesses. We will add talent in the off season via the draft and free agency. Look for a lot of new starters on the D next year. Based on our talent on D, it shouldn't b hard for a rookie and/or free agent to come in here and take a starting spot. Take a pic of the starting D this year. I think it changes a lot next year.
Good point about the pressure. That said, having a ball hawk FS on the field forces the opposing QB to account for him (whether it be that FS causing confusion or uncertainty pre-snap or forcing a look-off prior to a pass). Forcing the opposing QB to process what the FS is doing can extend the play that little bit, which helps the pass rush.
1 hour ago, WoolMagnet said:What is "What Hugh Grant most commonly says during flu season" Alex.
oh, sorry, thought i was on the jeopardy forum.
I just about spit water all over my computer screen. That was one of the funniest posts I have ever seen, anywhere. I needed that laugh. Well done, sir.
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He hasn't had the flashiest season, but his absence today was glaring.
The secondary looked very disorganized for stretches of the 2nd and 3rd quarters.
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When you read something this, and pair it with the results we've seen the past 2-3 weeks, you start to become optimistic about the improved protection becoming a trend. Beyond the personnel upgrades, you see the schemes, coaching, and culture mixing together to produce real results.
Great article.
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OP has a point. I don't think he's being overly negative.
In a close games, mistakes like that will cost you the game. In the past, mistakes like that led to further mistakes.
There was no implosion today. Next step is playing a crisp, mistake-free game. Today was something to build on.
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That was one of the best breakdowns of what Ballard has done that I've seen anywhere. Great to be able to go through everything chronologically, and I appreciate the details/context you provided as well.
I think your assessments erred on the positive side, but that's totally fair, given how young the team is.
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He's the real deal.
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10 hours ago, a06cc said:
AC has played one game next to Nelson. Having him next to him is not going to help him develop. Nelson came in ready. Guess what? He also actually played his rookie season.
When I was at a clinic taught by one of the best OL coaches in the country, he talked about how having a veteran tackle can help a rookie guard by helping him with communication and working together to combat line games like twists and stunts.
You must know more than him.
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I've been really impressed by Nelson. Having a player of AC's caliber next to him now will further help his development. Heck, just having some stability at that LT position alone is a positive for Big Q.
Really encouraged by Smith as well. I can't believe I'm typing this, but if the Colts draft a talented LT and sign another RG/RT in the off-season, this line will start to look formidable.
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I expect Nelson's grade to rise with AC back.
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10 hours ago, ColtsBlueFL said:
I can see that, at least on the surface. But He wasn't on some deserted tropical island since then.
"Since 2014, Jones has worked as a sports performance consultant for numerous professional and collegiate programs."
"Jones’ philosophy focuses on designing specific nutritional and workout programs for each individual player on the roster to maximize their performance while maintaining year-round health. His approach takes nutrition and body composition down to the molecular level and is based on what players do at their position."
Let's see how things pan out next year as this program gets in full gear even through the whole off season. And that is where the players must really buy in and follow it without much team guidance (CBA off season rules).
Haha very good point! I bet there have been moments this season where he has wished he was on a tropical island.
I truly appreciate you sharing that link. It looks like Jones has implemented all of the things I mentioned earlier in the thread. And then some.
My other concern was whether the players were utilizing the resources to the fullest (a concern you reference above). If they aren't, I agree with you that time should help. Also, the guys that have gotten those nagging injuries will see the consequences of not devoting the required time to training, eating, sleeping, and recovery.
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5 hours ago, ColtsBlueFL said:
{snip}
Rusty Jones... the pioneer of modern sports performance / nutrition. Here's a great article on how Ballard lured him out of retirement -
Thanks for posting. The title of the article is giving me a good chuckle at this point in time.
This nugget, too: "The aim wasn’t simply performance; it was to turn one of the NFL’s most injury-prone teams into one of the most durable."
I'll wait another year until I pass judgment. But the fact that he came out of retirement isn't something that excited me at the time, or now. This field evolves quickly.
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55 minutes ago, threeflight said:
Chubb...again plays a game changing position and today he was a gamechanger.
A DE who sacks the Qb is worth his weight in gold.
A guard, no matter how good he is, is just a guy due to the position he plays. It just is not that important.
A guard is the guy that helps stop the double-A gap blitz. Stopping that blitz keeps #12 upright and healthy. Sacks are wonderful but this is still a QB-driven league.
C'mon man. I'm not trying to be disrespectful or rude, but this is basic stuff.
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16 minutes ago, AZColt11 said:
Well, you know, it's been 6 games already. What? Our rookie guard isn't a ProBowler yet? Cut him! Heck, let's just replace everybody every season and see where that gets us!
I'm amazed by the lack of patience some people continue to exhibit. If it doesn't happen yesterday it's too late.
I know, right? I get the frustration with the abysmal start, but some of the gripes are just baffling.
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3 minutes ago, Superman said:
Some players just aren't going to come off the field. Leonard is an every down backer, AC is a LT. Those guys don't get subbed out. But in the case of Leonard, the defense was on the field way too long against the Eagles and Texans, so fatigue is a legitimate concern there.
I get that, and agree with some of it. I think hamstring injuries are most likely an issue with conditioning, recovery and hydration, which are all on the player. So it's possible that the players aren't optimizing the resources available to them to get and keep their bodies ready.
But many injuries are a matter of circumstance, and are unavoidable to any reasonable degree in such a physical sport. Ligament tears, twisted joints, contact injuries, etc., those aren't a matter of culture. There's no one and nothing to blame for Deon Cain's ACL, or Geathers' neck/concussion, etc.
Totally agree that at some positions, high snap counts are a reality. OL is a great example. CB is another. And I also agree that Leonard is an every down guy; he's the one with the headset out there (which is pretty impressive for a rookie).
That said, it would be great to have some depth in that LB group, so if Leonard gets dinged up on a play, he doesn't feel that pressure to stay in there and get hammered on while he's vulnerable. At some positions, the Colts have to plug in guys that were recently on the Practice Squad for meaningful snaps, and that's scary.
DL depth is absolutely vital in this scheme. I think the Colts are okay there, especially if Lewis comes back and Hunt is alright. But it needs to get better for this scheme to work. Guys need to be fresh to generate pressure with 4.
Re: the injuries, I'm in 100% agreement that contact-related injuries need to be thrown out. Ligament injuries are tricky, too. You can do everything right in terms of strength and flexibility and none of it matters if a cleat gets stuck or a guy gets rolled up on from behind by a 300-lb lineman.
With the new S&C regime and programs in place, it's going to take time for the full benefits to be on display. I'm curious to see where things will be in year 2. What has disappointed me is that we've had this onslaught of muscle pulls/strains (many of the same variety) despite the fact these new programs have been in place since the off-season.
Regardless, all of this is speculation on my part.
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5 hours ago, threeflight said:
Nelson is ranked mid to lower bottom or all guards in the NFL so far this year.
That isn't All Pro to me.
And btw....Chubb with 3 sacks so far today.....THOSE are gamechangers.Quenton Nelson PFF grade for '18 thus far: 65.1
Chubb PFF grade for '18 thus far: 64.1
Chubb has 4.5 sacks on the season. Margus Hunt has 4 and didn't play today.
Nelson has had to play with a revolving door next to him at LT. With AC back, I expect Big Q to play even better. Any more hot takes?
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4 hours ago, Coltsman1788 said:
Sounds like they might need to hire you. Lol
Hah! I appreciate it. I'm no expert by any means. But I've tried to follow how tech has revolutionized strength, conditioning, nutrition, and recovery at the collegiate and professional levels.
2 hours ago, Superman said:I'm pretty sure the Colts are doing all the stuff you mention here, and more. They talked about all of this stuff when they hired Rusty Jones, and they literally rebuilt the training facility to bring their equipment up to date.
I'm sure they are. Every team is. What I failed to emphasize is that the devil is in the details with respect to these methods. And the details matter a lot.
A lot of the responsibility falls on the players. Do guys go in to get a workout/lift in just for the sake of doing it? Ho-hum, we ticked that box. Or do they create competition with their teammates to get better? And actually measure that improvement?
For example, some teams organize themselves into smaller groups/squads that compete for winning in the weight room for any given week. Not only is every week a competition, every rep is a competition. The winners and losers for any given week are posted for everyone on the team to see.
That's how you build a good culture within your team. A relentless desire to improve. An accountability. That competition and professionalism is infectious.
2 hours ago, Superman said:If players can't hold up a third of a season because camp was tough, how are they going to hold up for an entire season and into the playoffs?
This.
2 hours ago, DougDew said:My opinion is totally speculative and unscientific, but I think the reason our players get injured a lot is because they are mid level talent that needs too overextend their bodies to make the plays needed. Combine that with being out of position, slow to see the play, and they have to strain to get to where they need to be, then hit or adjust at funny angles.
A convoluted explanation for saying that the injuries over the past few years is due to a lack of talent.
Anything can happen to any great player, but the ones who are in the correct position and have great talent can make plays without overtaxing their bodies.
I think you're onto something here, but I would explain it a different way. Curious to see whether you'd agree with my slightly different expression of your thought.
The Colts still don't have any semblance of quality depth. The end result is key players are left playing way too many snaps (e.g., Darius Leonard). Too many snaps leads to fatigue. Fatigue increases injury susceptibility.
Fatigue also leads to bad fundamentals, which can also result in injury.
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1 hour ago, NewEra said:
Those drops and volleyball to ints are brutal momentum/drive killers
So true. And they show up week after week. The Hines drop in the end zone was infuriating.
Ebron irritates me with his effort (or lack thereof) on some of the more difficult catches. He lazily tries to one-hand catch some throws, instead of selling out with two.
And I fully realize Ebron is the least of our problems right now, but his effort does not set good examples for the younger guys. That also goes to culture.
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46 minutes ago, love the shoe said:
well those huge chunks were there today when not blitzing , that is why I was asking , do something different
When I say chunk plays, I mean explosive plays that go for 6. And you can't just "do something different." This Cover 2 4-3 is built on rushing the passer with 4 guys. Occasionally they may blitz.
The Colts are trying to keep everything in front of them. Force the other team to execute and sustain drives. The defense had been pretty good at this for most of the season.
That didn't work today because the Jets were gifted outstanding field position (short fields) again and again via turnovers. They were in field goal range all the time. So the strategy at that point is not to just bring the house and get burned for 6 instead.
Credit to the Jets' kicker for ruthlessly and methodically capitalizing upon every single Colts miscue.
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3 minutes ago, love the shoe said:
why don't we ever blitz ????
Because when you blitz and don't get there, you are down numbers coverage-wise.
And when you don't have lock-down guys on the back end (in either the secondary or LB corps), you are exposing yourself to huge chunk plays.
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The culture is eerily reminiscent of last year. The Colts find ways to beat themselves - turnovers, undisciplined penalties, drops, and lack of attention to detail.
I am concerned about the culture in the strength and conditioning program as well. And that can be on the players if they aren't serious about spending the time required to take care of themselves properly. Are they eating right? Are they coming in early to stretch?
The amount of non-contact injuries (muscle pulls, strains, sprains, etc.) is completely unacceptable for a professional sports franchise.
There are proven techniques used today to specifically prevent these sorts of problems: using GPS on players to monitor their workloads/exertion levels during the week (on the practice field, in the weight room). The GPS tracks distance traveled, “explosive plays,” and “load” (load = the physiological toll a movement takes).
Think high-tech Fitbits. These GPS units even track sleep, which is a vital component in recovery.
Furthermore, there are now ways to test and evaluate each player's physical makeup and how *their* major muscle groups and joints work. If a player has uneven quads/hamstrings (from a strength or flexibility standpoint) or a history of ankle injuries, these deficiencies can be identified and the player can be trained accordingly for strength/injury prevention purposes.
Aside from training and injury prevention, there have been huge jumps made in the recovery and nutrition fields. As I mentioned above, sleep tracking is vitally important.
I don't know how cutting-edge the Colts are at this level. But at a certain point, injuries are not bad luck. They are a part of the culture of your organization because you don't have the proper programs or personnel in place. Or, if you do, the players aren't utilizing those resources to the fullest.
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1 hour ago, Valpo2004 said:
The problem I have with that though is that most teams rely on the quick passing game. Our old style of forcing the ball downfield a lot was an aberration.
While teams do take chances on a couple plays to try and get the ball down field, they mostly rely on the quick passing game. Tom Brady has made a career out of it. Peyton Manning too used to protect himself by getting the ball out quickly.
So they are doing ok in how football is normally played on this level. The old system was abnormal for how much pressure it put on the OL to pass protect.
I agree that most successful offenses today utilize the quick game. But these offenses also have a vertical, downfield dynamic as well (e.g., this year's Chiefs team, the Eagles, NE, and Pitt).
If you rely solely on short to intermediate, you make yourself easy to defend, no matter how creative you are or how well you execute.
Finally, my primary purpose was not to voice any dissatisfaction with the offensive scheme. It was to caution against using the OP's metric as a barometer for offensive line performance (specifically, the backup OTs).
Hope that helps to clarify.
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1 hour ago, Scott Pennock said:
That is what Haeg, Clark, Webb, Good and Smith et al have given up in sacks per drop back so far this year.
Seems pretty low for as much moaning and groaning that has been going on...
Could they run block a bit better, yes. Could they pass block a bit better, yes. But they have kept Luck a heckuva lot cleaner than most of you care to admit!
When Castonzo returns then that helps stabilize everything and whomever is playing the best between Good/Clark/Smith will only help to improve throughout the second half of the season.
Respectfully, that number is very deceiving.
Part of what has made that statistic possible is "protecting" the offensive line throughout the majority of the opening games.
Reich has mostly relied on the quick passing game. Hardly any 7-step drops or downfield/vertical passing game. There hasn't been a ton of play-action, either. Don't know how effective PA would be with the abysmal running game.
What has happened when the coaching staff has asked the backup OTs to protect for 7-step drops and play-action? Sacks. Like what happened at the end of the Eagles game near the goal line. Or pressure.
The interior of the OL hasn't been incredible either. They have had trouble picking up twists and stunts inside.
All that said, I do agree that getting AC back would be absolutely huge.
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I admire your optimism good sir!
Some aspects of this team have me encouraged, but others are much worse than I imagined.
If this team wins more than 6 games, I will be shocked.
The good:
- Luck is way better than virtually everyone (including me) thought he would be.
- Leonard is the real deal.
- Turay is showing development.
- Nelson is performing as expected.
- Hines is becoming a match-up nightmare when lined up as a WR.
- T.Y. Hilton continues to ball out.
The bad:
- WR corps is one of the worst in the NFL. Not the worst. But one of the worst.
- Safety play is much worse than I imagined it would be. Farley deserves a look back there.
- The pass rush disappeared in NE.
- This team does not have high-quality, or even "above average" starters at OT when AC is out.
- Related to the point about the OT position, this team is missing critical depth at key positions like CB and LB.
The ugly:
- Injuries.
- Injuries.
- Injuries.
- The Colts' strength and conditioning program is underwhelming. When I see several guys go out with the same types of injuries (e.g., hamstrings), that starts to raise the red flags for me.
The technology and methodology exists in the S&C world to analyze different players' biological/physiological weaknesses and to customize training programs that will strengthen these weak areas (for not only performance gains but for injury prevention purposes).
There's almost nothing you can do to avoid contact-related injuries, but muscle strains and pulls are an entirely different story. The amount of muscle strains and pulls is truly unacceptable for an NFL franchise.
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Lions are taking calls on Golden Tate.
in NFL General
Posted
As one of the best YAC WRs in the entirety of the NFL, I think Golden Tate would be an outstanding fit in this offense.
He has incredibly strong hands. For the right "price," I would absolutely consider it.