Ne-Ca-Higher

Blame Eberflus, not Hooker. On those long completions, the safeties were positioned in mid-level zone coverage and had no responsibility for covering deep. Re-watch the game and see how they were deployed before making silly comments like Hooker was confused (Aikman) and he let receivers blow by him (commenters here).

Should have taken Darnold when Ballard had the chance. No guard -- even Nelson -- is remotely worth a promising young QB.

Nelson's failure to hold ground against Heyward cost Brissett and the team. Several times this year linemen and even linebackers have gotten the better of him one on one. Is he hurt? Was he tired? If not, he better strengthen those legs or work on his footwork and lean. He's not the guy we expect to be bull rushed like that.

Ballard's biggest mistake by far was not drafting Sam Darnold. That decision will haunt us for 10-15 years, as the Jets have him and we don't. Think: Browns passing on Roethlisberger so the Steelers could grab him and torment them. We're too good to draft that high again, and getting a stud QB prospect after pick 15 is highly unlikely. Now we'd have to trade Nelson, Hooker, and a first rounder to move up. That said, I'd do it. You have to go back to 2006 to find a really crappy starting QB in the Super Bowl. Too bad we have to overpay for something that was right there for the taking.

Ohio State fans know that receivers don't get on the field if they don't block well. And that's AFTER they've proven themselves on special teams. Watch how many starters the Buckeyes use on special teams.

Hard to say which part of your observation is the lamest. Rivers was late with the throw??? Sure, now that we know Hooker could reach it. Look at the play again and watch the receiver. He's actually IN THE AIR expecting to catch it. Few could make that play??? It was a completion for a TD against ANY OTHER d-back in the NFL. Even Ed Reed wouldn't have gotten to it. Lucky one-handed catch??? See Russell Wilson's tipped pass. See his insane one-handed catches against the machine. See his one hander against Darnold and at practice. Watch his one-handed catches in high school. He'll do it again and again.

Hoyer will be starting by week 6. Ballard HAD Darnold!!!

I'll have what you're drinking. Any QB who is so fragile removes himself from consideration.

Nothing in Jacoby's past indicates he's more than a fill-in NFL starter. Kelly is not a top prospect, but every team's fan base rallies around a young QB when the veteran is struggling. Unless and until the Colts get a real top prospect -- a Mayfield, Darnold, Trubisky, Watson, Mahomes -- they will be on the outside looking in. Ballard could have had Darnold simply by staying put! The idea that an NFL GM would trade down and draft a guard instead of a top QB prospect when his injured All-Pro QB wasn't a sure bet to return healthy is mind-boggling. Enjoy watching Nelson, like the hapless Brown's fans watched Joe Thomas for ten years.

Ballard had the #3 pick in the draft and should have stayed put and drafted a QB (Darnold), as I said at the time. Now we can enjoy watching Nelson pancake his foes while the Colts lose 24-10. And to add insult to injury, we can watch Darnold lead the Jets to the playoffs. My mantra: Always draft a QB prospect in the top 5. After all, a QB deficiency is why you got that high pick in the first place.

Certainly, Andrew's injuries were severe and nearly unrelenting. Having proved his NFL QB worth, banking lots of dough along the way, and now beginning a family, it's not shocking that he decided to retire. He deserves our respect and thanks for his sacrifices and amazing performances. It's time to consider another Colt, Malik Hooker, and his travails. Malik's first significant sports injuries occurred at the end of his only starting season for the Buckeyes when he injured his labrum (hip) and suffered a sports hernia. Despite these serious injuries, Malik finished the game against Michigan and ran down and stole a TD pass from Watson to Renfro in the Clemson playoff loss. Surgery and a long rehab followed. It cost him in the NFL draft, as teams worried about his injuries and inability to participate in the drills at the combine. He thankfully fell to the Colts and Ballard snapped him up. Malik worked diligently to rehab from his surgeries, missing the preseason. He played at an extraordinary level to start his NFL career, winning over Colts fans who may have questioned spending a first round pick on a safety. Then a cheap shot took out his ACL and MCL. These injuries threatened his career big time. He once again diligently rehabbed his ACL after the MCL healed itself. He returned sooner than many others who'd suffered ACL tears. He played well last year but wasn't really himself. This year, Lord willing, he'll display the incredible athleticism and ball hawking that led many to predict he was the next Ed Reed. (If you go back and watch Reed's college highlights, you'll see that Ed never made a play as great as the one Malik did against Clemson, and Malik made such plays twice before that same year!). Malik doesn't have Andrew's cache as an NFL star. He plays a position that doesn't command the super salaries that good QBs get. But if Andrew needed some perspective on what it takes to overcome the adversity of severe, nearly unrelenting injuries, he only needed to look across the locker room. Let's hope that Malik's fire and pride continues to pay dividends for Ballard and the Colts.

Trading down and drafting Nelson instead of staying put and taking a top QB prospect was a huge mistake. Brissett is good enough to get us 6-8 wins, just enough to insure we won’t have a shot at a top tier QB prospect for years.