NewColtsFan

While you’re ragging on Ballard for the draft pick DE’s he missed on, guys like Justin Houston, Denico Autry, Engokwe (sp?) and now Ebukam all send you their warmest regards! How quickly you forget.

And to think we have a poster who wrote yesterday that he doesn’t think we have a DL coach good enough to get the most out of our D-lineman. Goodness gracious.

The year has completely exceeded all expectations. Steichen has been as good as anyone could hope for. AR was better than expected. As a fan, I couldn’t be happier. At the start if the year, I thought the Colts might be picking top-10. Now it looks like we’ll be picking top-20. Who’d of thunk it? Not me!

Honestly, I’d love to know if our corners have the autonomy to decide how close or how far back they want to play? Or is everything strictly determined by Bradley’s call on any given play? I wish the media would ask him that. If they have, I missed it.

I don’t dispute it. All I’m saying is that on balance the Colts defense did well yesterday. Dont know if you saw any of my other posts, but in one, I stressed that I’d be fine if Bradley is let go next year. I wouldn't defend him beyond saying that this whole season was devoted to playing the kids and letting them take their lumps while they learned on the fly. But I prefer a more aggressive defensive approach for the 24 Colts and beyond. I’d prefer a more Steichen-like approach to defense for the Colts future. Fair enough.

Thank You! Thank you very much!! I’ll be here all week! Don’t forget to tip your servers!! <rim shot!!>>

I want to be clear with my answer here… I very much refer the Steichen offense to the Frank Reich offense. No comparison. I think Shane is next generation, very advanced. I’ve never seen so many receivers schemed open in my life. Frank’s offense seemed very old school and traditional. Very 20th century, not 21st. But I don’t see much difference in this one aspect. Both coaches helped pick the quarterbacks they worked with. So Frank has a type. So? He was successful with all. He made all of them better than they were before Frank got them. All became better with Frank. The fact that AR is different than Minchew doesn’t mean much. Mobile quarterbacks are rare, and Shane had already been with Gardner. He picked the QB’s he wanted. Im fine that we don’t agree on what the definition of a whisperer is. We’re not going to agree. But I think for 2023 and beyond I’m glad Steichen is our HC. I think the franchise is in good hands. Fair enough?

Huh? I was specifically talking about today, and today only. And your response immediately talks about what the defense did last week. Are you even slightly aware of what you’re writing? All I’m saying is that it’s OK to point out when Bradley’s defense does good. They did mostly good today. They mostly sucked last week. I defended the first half last week, but not the second. If Bradley is fired after this season, I won’t be crying for him. I’d like a more aggressive defense. I just try to be more nuanced than just good and bad. Things are a bit more complex than that.

Thanks. Appreciate the clarification. And agreed.

I don’t think it’s hard to turn this around. You’re so afraid to say the words Gus Bradley’s defense did a good job that you have to turn it into the Pittsburgh offense was inept. This is not a you problem. Nit singling you out. This has been an issue for this community since its beginning. Once this community has decided a player, or coach or executive isn’t good then that becomes a very popular viewpoint. The person gets reduced to a cartoon character. Everything they do is bad, and if they do something good few want to publicly give credit. When I arrived in 2012, it was Castanzo sucks. And he’d only played one year. And it took a few years before that went away. Now it’s Bradley sucks and it goes with Frank sucks. It was that way when Grigson fell out of favor in 15/16, and really got ugly when Pagano became unpopular in 2017. It’s disappointing to me, but it is what it is.

Didn’t our bad prevent defense just give up 7 points. The other 7 came from a special teams error. And the defense had 4 sacks and three turnovers. So how was our defense bad? How were they enabling?

You just can’t help yourself. Dont forget Rogers, he gambled. Can’t believe Irsay didn’t fire him on the spot.

Read the comments in this thread. Some are suggesting he could eventually replace Grover.

Well…. Off the top of my head, this would be a rare poor season for Vrabel, though I’d guess they weren’t great last year either. And he’s now using a rookie quarterback. Could Vrabel be fired? Sure. But you’d think ownership would have his back in this kind of situation. If they fired him, I think he would be in huge demand. And if he goes elsewhere and does well, wouldn’t Tennessee management and ownership look as bad as possible. I think Vrabel has a great reputation in NFL circles. I wouldn't say Vrabel’s seat is cold, but I’d guess it’s no worse than a little bit warm. As for kicker-room unhappiness? I’ll believe it when there is more credible info and sources. I’ve yet to see that.

Holy Flipping Cow?!? I didn’t think this was even possible. Sometimes the surprises here are more stunning than I thought they could be. Wowza….

@richard pallo What are you confused about? Maybe I can explain or clarify for you?

It possible the Colts move on from Grover. These days it sure seems like anything is possible. But while all of us probably don’t know enough about finding a cheaper option at NT, what we DO know is that Tennessee, fighting for their playoff lives in mid-December, chose to cut a decent player because of attitude and effort. Does that sound like a Ballard kind of guy?

I’d like to take a moment to give this community tremendous credit over this issue. We talk about the issue of where Manning lives at least once a year. And while I’ve never taken a poll, it seems to me that our community seems to mostly say the following: That, if they could, they’d live where Peyton lives too. They’d pick the Beverly Hills of Denver over the Beverly Hills of Indianapolis. And no one says that as a knock on Indy. I live in a really nice part of So Cal. But there are other places that are even nicer and I’d move there if I could. And that’s not a knock on where I live. But better is better. I get the impression that Peyton is still very fond of Indy and the community that still loves him. I think you read way too much into way too little. Just my two cents, and perhaps not worth even that much.

I’m going to guess Vrabel stands a better chance of returning than “numerous Titans players.”

May I introduce you to Grover Stewart? He says hello! I’d guess the Colts would like to bring him back. Do you think the Colts would prefer Tart to Stewart?!? Not me. Especially with Tart not playing hard in a critical game with so much on the line. It’s OK to sign a guy like that to a make-good contract, but not to sign him as your starting NT over Stewart. That view is a big head scratcher to me.

If Irsay doesn’t have faith in Ballard, why did he give him a new big contract just a few years ago? Why did he publicly call Ballard the best GM in football just before the first the first game of the 22 season? Your argument is based on opinion. My argument is based on facts. (New contract, highest public praise). Look, you simply don’t know how NFL teams are run. You were the one who recently shouted to this community that the Colts only have Josh Downs because of Reggie Wayne. That didn’t age well. Decisions on the nature of what the Colts are doing at QB — the most important position on the team — have always included Irsay. This isn’t a secret, it’s that way with every team. When the decision means whether you’re trying to have a winning season that year OR your drafting a rookie, and willing to take your lumps for a year like the Colts have done THIS YEAR, a decision like that is made WITH the owner. He has to be on the same page with the GM. During the window of 19-22, the Colts publicly said they were in a window to try and win NOW. That the team was built to win NOW. The team was ready to win if they could get the QB right. That was their thinking and approach. When the season imploded last year, that changed the entire thinking. And that’s why the Colts drafted a quarterback and didn’t take a win-now approach. I’m absolving Ballard AND Irsay who work together, even if you don’t know it.

Developed is a relative term. But the term being debated is quarterback whisperer. Frank made every quarterback he dealt with better. Either better than they had ever been, better than they were just the year before, or better than Colts fans thought they’d be. Better. If you want to reduce it to a can of paint, that’s your call not mine. We see this differently. Not a surprise.

Luck was coming off a year of surgery. Brissett had never started. Rivers was coming off a very down year, so down, the Colts might’ve been the only team interested. Rebounded to have a very good year even when iractice was limited by Covid. Same with Wentz. Came off a down year. Not clear anyone else was interested. Again, rebounded sharply to have a very good year until the final two games. Had such a good year, Ballard was able to trade him for a good haul of picks. Same with Ryan. If that doesn’t work for you, fine. But I think you’ve narrowed your definition to help your argument.

They may be rose colored, but at least they work.

Not the QB whisperer people have painted him to be? Frank got the best year out of an injured Andrew Luck. Got a good year out of Brissett until he got hurt. Got a very good year out of Philip Rivers in a year limited due to Covid. Got a very good year out of Carson Wentz until the last two weeks when a wave of Covid hit Wentz and other top players. Got a decent half-season out of Matt Ryan. The problem with last year’s team was the terrible OL. Not sure your view of Reich holds up to facts.