bluephantom87

I thought you were making the point that Caserio has done nothing special simply because he had Stroud. I simply pointed out some of the other things that Caserio has done also in his short amount of time with the Texans. My other point was IF Stroud is that special then we could've gotten him instead of staying pat. We're on the same page because IF you have read any of my posts I've been harping on that fact that we won almost 10 games with the limited Minshew at qb and really was one WIDE OPEN drop by a rb on a shakey pass to possibly go on to win the game late deep in Texan territory and possibly the division. I am an AR and Steichen fan. Going into the game you knew Stroud would outperform Minshew. What we needed was for that defense to take away Stroud's ONLY receiving weapon that could hurt us in Nico Collins with Dell and Brown being out. Of course he singlehandedly racked up nearly 200 yds in pass catching including a 75 yd td bomb on their VERY first offensive play.

We had the opportunity to grab Stroud also but chose to stand pat and hope that he fell to us with rumors flying that his stock had dropped drastically due to his low scores on the Wonderlic test. Rumor also had it that the Texans preferred Young due to the Bama ties that hc Ryan liked or Richardson. All this was BEFORE the Panthers jumped in to take the top pick and by all reports it was a house divided with Frank liking Levis, the owner liking Young and the organization liking Stroud. Everyone had the Colts moving up just 3 spots to take the number one pick overall since they were in dire need for a qb and most thought Stroud would be that guy ESPECIALLY coming off that performance against the vaunted Georgia defense in the national semis in college. Of course teams have moved up to snag their guy like the Chiefs moving 17 spots from 27 to 10 to snag Mahomes or the Bills moving up 5 spots to take Allen. Don't forget the Ravens jumped back into the 1st rd to snag the soon to be TWO time league MVP in Lamar Jackson. Nick Caserio has done an excellent job in just a couple seasons BEYOND just drafting Stroud. He's nailed the hc hire in Ryan as well. Moved up in the same draft a pick right behind Stroud and took their defensive conerstone piece in Will Anderson Jr. Picked rookie wr Tank Dell who's turned into that wr1 burner before his season ending injury to pair with their other stud wr in Nico Collins who was drafted a couple of seasons ago along with their shutdown corner in D Stingley. Caserio also snagged wr N Brown and te D Shultz from the Cowboys to give Stroud passing weapons galore!! Now the Texans have WON the division already as we sit STILL waiting on Ballard to start making some bold moves to push the Colts over the hump! We have a solid built team that's respectable but NOT good enough to make noise and that's pretty much been the summary of Ballard's long tenure season after season.

Most people had us winning anywhere from 3 to 6 games with a raw rookie qb paired with a rising star oc in Shane Steichen that would also begin a rookie campaign as hc. Some even said this was a reboot season with low expectations after losing BOTH starting corners and rolling with some rookies to helm the position. This was basically the SAME 4 win team with a few key pieces added. Things could get ugly others chimed in and.... ALL this was BEFORE we didn't have JT for nearly half a season due to a contract dispute, or before we lost the uber talented rookie qb in AR a few games in for the SEASON. This was also before we lost our best run stuffer in big Grove for six games due to suspension. Can I interest you in your cornerstone rt and center missing MULTIPLE games due to injury? Or how about the release of your emotional leader mid season who ONCE happened to be our BEST defensive player most of his young career? We played nearly the WHOLE season with the erratic yet limited Gardner Minshew as qb1 whose mostly been a career backup outside his short stint as starter with the Jags. As stated before we were some botched ref calls away from ALREADY having 10 wins YET we still had a chance at home against a MORE talented team with a chance to win a nail biter with under 2 mins left DEEP in Texan territory and missed on a WIDE OPEN rb that dropped a shakey pass from the backup who we've ridden ALL season good or bad on 4th and 1 then I'll TAKE it because NO ONE saw this coming given the circumstances. Shane has done an excellent job and has finally given this franchise HOPE with his culture change. As a matter of fact he has EARNED his COY consideration. He has earned my respect even more because he went out his way with a beautifully designed play that caught the opponent of guard just like he's been doing ALL season long which is why we were even in that position to begin with. Yeah it sucked to lose but man I'm pumped regardless of what Ballard does or doesn't do in the offseason because in Shane I trust.

How many times did Reich put it in JT's hands with the game on the line ONLY to get stuffed? 3rd and two or 4th and one with that same old run up the middle crap over and over against a stacked box? We constantly complained and sometimes it would even be Hines put in that position. Teams KEY on your best players in that situation ESPECIALLY with a rb!! Beautiful play designs have been refreshing this year. Shane has been pulling the okey doke ALL season long and it got us to this point so I'm not whining about a WIDE OPEN back that dropped a suspect pass from an erratic backup qb who Shane has ridden the WHOLE year. Like Shane said he has confidence in all his NFL roster players to make a play when called upon and the MORE I watch analysts speak upon the nasty unsuspected play call that caught the Texans off guard the more I can't wait to see Shane with some more EXPLOSIVE talent.

Not anything to write home about for a so called great gm. He should be grateful for Shane's UNLIKELY win total this season or those numbers would be a lot worse!!! To think Josh McDaniels could’ve been a possibility... Yikes!!

Shaking my head!!!!! This is a SOLID team that had HORRIBLE coaching last season and in general overall that led to a 4 win campaign. Gus and most of his defensive staff are the holdovers and I dare say should've been let go also LAST season along with Reich, his offensive staff and later on the no experience Jeff Saturday. Gus has been FIRED at multiple stops running this passive defense of his that's simply NOT good enough in today's PASSING nfl. Gus gets WAY too much credit for the Legion of Boom defense in Seattle. Yes he was there initially but they DIDN'T take off until Dan Quinn took over as dc and besides that Ballard has NOT amassed nowhere near that type of talent to run that once in a generation type defense. Stroud had TWO of his top receivers out yesterday and the ONLY one who could hurt you was Nico Collins. Most analysts said the Colts should double him and FORCE others to beat you. Guess what Collins had NEARLY 200 YDS RECEIVING by himself INCLUDING a 75 yd td bomb against single coverage by Ju Ju on their very FIRST play. Wow! Gus is the SAME dc from a season ago that gave up some EPIC comebacks as teams scored at record paces and that was with Gilmore and Rodgers at corner with Moore in the slot. Yes they established a Colt sack record this season but finished near the bottom of the league in pressure rate which means we feasted on some very inept offenses with bad qb play or backups. Most of those sacks were not IMPACTFUL either because they'll give up those yds right back plus some on the VERY NEXT play. Seen enough of Gus already including LAST season. Now on to Shane... It's AMAZING that some on here are WHINING about him and HOW the season ended INSTEAD of sitting back and appreciating the job he ACTUALLY did. To FLIP a 4 win team is hard enough UNLESS you've INSTANTLY infused it with some uber type talent and that DIDN'T happen! This is basically the SAME team that just added a couple of pieces but lost much more in the process. Top two corners GONE! Your best player in JT OUT most of the season due to contract dispute! Your best run stuffer OUT six games due to suspension! Your uber talented rookie qb OUT for the season! You played most of the season with a LIMITED backup qb who can best be described as erratic at best and HIS backup is probably a guy (in Ehlinger) that shouldn't even be on a nfl roster. Your conerstone rt and center has been in and out all season YET here we were!!!! An almost 10 win team that got screwed by the refs in the Browns game who STILL had a chance LATE in a ballgame at home against a more talented team to go to the playoffs and came down to a beautifully designed play in which the UNLIKELY was WIDE OPEN on 4th down! Which by the way Shane has been doing ALL season long. Ask Justin Herbert about Shane who won ROY under Steichen and arguably hasn’t been the same since. How has the Eagles offense and Hurts looked without Shane after appearing in a SB just a season ago? Steichen has changed the culture of the team and will only get better after his ROOKIE season as hc. So maybe in the end it's SOME on this board who CAN'T recognize good coaching because we've been deprived for SO long!!! Shane was a COY candidate for a WELL deserved reason...

This is SO true and ONE of the problems. Time to start making some BOLD moves in the draft and start taking the BEST available player in positions of need INSTEAD of reaching for players with high RAS scores in the lower rds that outside a few didn't even PLAY at a consistent high level against ELITE competition in college. Having the SAME needs constantly on a YEARLY basis is almost mind boggling now. Wr1 should be PRIORITY number 1 to pair with Pittman. Give AR as MANY weapons in the passing game like most teams do for a young qb!! A sack specialist de should be next and a TOP tier veteran cb to pair with the young inconsistent corners that I'm not so sure are even good enough to become upper tier but it's still to early to tell due to a lot of injuries at the positions. Getting a new young and aggressive dc will also do wonders for the defense. Not sure why some want a te when that room is full of unused players.

Seems to be the SAME needs on a yearly basis after ALL this time with Ballard. Same ol same ol with nothing new but unfulfilled years mounting under his tenure as gm.

Those are BELOW mediocre results. Today's game is made of aggressive gms looking for quick turnarounds or all in types trying to hold that Lombardi. Of course there are teams in general that are not really trying to win due to cheap owners or inept front offices. We fall somewhere in between. Ballard has been very methodical in his slow long term approach . Safe low cost moves in FA (outside Buckner) and he has been SOLID but NOT exceptional overall in the draft. Stands pat but mostly trades down to aquire more LOWER rd picks while searching for that diamond in the rough. I don't know how many more years that Ballard has to turn this team into SB contention but he seems to have a limited ceiling with his 80's team build formula which is okay if you're simply satisfied with having a respectable team. The division has gotten tougher and the Colts are NOT dominant on EITHER side of the ball. A change is needed at dc but Gus is Ballard’s guy so we'll see how that plays out. Hopefully AR can stay healthy because I think he can become special but if he can't one can ONLY wonder what Stroud or soon to be 2 time league MVP Lamar Jackson would have looked like being paired with Steichen while wearing the Shoe...

Ballard will just replace him with ANOTHER low round pick and expect him to pan out. Time to start trading UP and DRAFTING some studs instead of trading down getting meh types overall ESPECIALLY if you're not seeking game changers in FA. Crazy that the Texans as reported by ESPN could end up with the COY in Ryan, offensive ROY in Stroud, defensive ROY in Anderson, EOY in Caserio and possibly a division title depending on the Jags outcome tomorrow.

Everyone seems to FORGET that BEFORE the refs botched that game in the end that the Colts gave up a THIRTY yard pass play down the sidelines on a 3rd and 25 by a backup qb for the Browns to keep that game winning drive alive THUS setting up an opportunity for the refs to determine the outcome.

This is ONE of the MAIN problems!!! Quit SETTLING on these old retread coaches that's been fired at multiple stops. It's too easy to attack this basic soft zone defense! The team sack record means nothing because most came against some awfully BAD offenses this season. They can't make stops when it matters. I've seen them on a NUMEROUS of occasions get a sack then turnaround on the very NEXT play and give up a 20 yd or more play. Coming into this game with Dell and Brown out the only receiving option for Stroud was Nico Collins who MOST dcs would've doubled but NO he hit the Colts for nearly 200 yds!!! Are you kinding me? How about that WIDE OPEN td pass to the little used Beck for the Texans? I hope this is the END of the Gus era as dc. I saw ENOUGH last season with some HISTORIC collapses and that was WITH Gilmore and Rodgers at corner.

That's why it was a good play because Moss or JT would have been keyed on!! The dude was WIDE OPEN. Shane has been successful ALL season scheming up the UNLIKELY in key situations which is one reason why THIS team even SNIFFED a possible playoff berth after a 4 win campaign last season.

So wrong! The team is not GOOD enough period and they've been playing with a backup qb most of the season. The OVERALL talent level is solid but NOT special outside a couple of players. One being the rb that they DIDN'T want to pay!!! This pretty much is the same team that won 4 games last season and that was WITH Gilmore and Rogers at corner. I point them out because some use that excuse for Bradley and the defense with having young corners. On the Texans game winning drive Stroud went 7 for 7 and overcame some long down situations. I didn't have a problem with the 4th and 1 call because like Joe Buck and Aikman said he was WIDE OPEN!!!! Reich or Pagano wouldn't have won 3 games with this team....

Totally agree!!! Caserio has also done a better job in amassing more talent in just TWO seasons than Ballard has in nearly EIGHT. By the way like Joe Buck said the back was WIDE open on the 4th and 1. Now go get a young coach on defensive from the Ravens, Browns, Niners, Jets or Steelers and hire them as dc.

Let me back that up.... I meant to the top spot so THREE up because remember the Colts were always rumored to move up pre draft. I'm not getting into that Ballard's fault nonsense because I was simply saying that Stroud would make this game personal but SINCE you went there I'm quite sure Ballard is doing just fine with his methodical going on 8 yr approach vs Caserio's 2 yr AGGRESSIVE one that has playmakers at the PREMIUM spots across the board like the formula used by many other gms of PLAYOFF caliber teams in today's league. I say again we are not dominant in anything and possess just solid talent overall after ALL this time which is NOT good enough for ACTUAL playoff runs. A run built team in a passing league but hey we have a lot of high RAS scores. Shane (COY candidate) is making the under .500 Ballard appear slightly better this season by masking the voids BUT as usual with CB there's always NEXT season. This defense allowed ONE receiver to kill them KNOWING he was the only option with Dell and Brown being out. Following a sack this defense will give up a nearly 20 yd play on the very next play. Oh well...

Just LIKE the Falcons game Minshew was under a lot of pressure!!

Stroud will make this game personal because the Colts CHOSE not to move up just 2 picks to snag him! I hope the Colts win but I also HOPE that the Gus era will be over soon!! Giving up a 75 yd td pass on their very FIRST play is almost laughable given the MAGNITUDE of this game and with Nico Collins pretty much being their ONLY receiving threat with both Dell and Brown being out.

It's Minshew.... He'll hit some and miss some

They will hype Stroud because he likley is the offensive ROY and seems to be another great qb in the making. Ironic that the Colts CHOSE not to move up just 2 picks to snag him. Hopefully AR ends up being better (injuries being the question mark) under the watchful eye Steichen but this game will be the measuring stick of WHAT Ballard has built in going on 8 yrs vs what Nick Caserio has accomplished in just 2 SHORT seasons! Don't forget Caserio also jumped up in the same draft to snag the likely defensive ROY in Will Anderson with the 3rd pick overall. So the media sees something in the making with the Texans just like they did with the Jags quick turnaround a couple of seasons ago.... BUT the Colts can QUIET ALL THE NOISE tonight with a victory!!! Go Colts....

He will LOOK like Mahomes IF Bradley comes with that soft zone and no pressure all night!!! This is the game where the defensive looks need to be mixed up!!! Go out swinging and let's get aggressive!

Oh my bad... I thought you meant Shane also. Yes Gus is who he is.

The dc needs to go, the talent needs a few more pieces on BOTH sides of the ball and Shane should be considered for the COY award with the job he's done OVERALL!!! We are in this position because of the smoke and mirror job he's done on offense. Coming into today there were ONLY three teams in the NFL that had 5 games of at least 200 yds passing and 150 yds rushing in the SAME game... the Niners, Phins and Colts!!!! If you think anybody could've just came in and took this 4 win team to a playoff possibility while rolling with a limited but spunky backup qb then I think you're being a bit unrealistic.

People are putting TOO much into the Colts overall sack numbers this season in which a lot were padded against some of the WORST offenses in the league! How many are GAME CHANGING sacks or drive stopping ones? Most of the time it's the opposing qb MISSING on a strike to end their drive. They will get a sack and then the VERY next play give up a LONG pass of 20 or more yards. We are SETTLING with Gus!!!! No stunts or movement up front! No disguises or multiple looks and SOFT coverage on the backend. We will NEVER be a top defense with that BASIC philosophy because it's too easy for today's offenses to attack! Stroud is going to have a field day unless Gus changes things up....

Agree... but at this point I could care less WHO Bradley likes because the Colts should move on from Gus at season's end.