If the season is to be saved, we have to make a change....

[Buck Showalter]

Still no need to panic people. If we lose to the Titans than we have major problems. I fully expect us to kick the Titans butt and Andrew to have a huge day.

or the Colts will go in and barely eek out a win, but still sputter on offense for the first half and allow the Titans to hang in the entire game...

much like the story line from most games last season...

 

Oh wait it is in TN, I feel a tahsty 0-3 coming on...

[bananabucket]

The fact that Pep is STILL with the team is inexcusable.  He he never once shown a semblance of competence. 

[2006Coltsbestever]

or the Colts will go in and barely eek out a win, but still sputter on offense for the first half and allow the Titans to hang in the entire game...

much like the story line from most games last season...

 

Oh wait it is in TN, I feel a tahsty 0-3 coming on...

Yeah, I know tonight wasn't good. We will see next game. Go Colts.

[ReMeDy]

They ran out the clock with 3 really nice screen plays in their final possession, all 20 seconds of it, for what it's worth. Still not real sure what they were trying to accomplish there, but apparently those plays do exist in the playbook.

Probably to pad Luck's stats to make him look better. Hey, gotta find a silver lining someone!

[krunk]

Speaking of changes I think Varga needs to be the one that comes in and spells Gore.  Varga seems to be more shifty and just bowls over guys for big gains when he's running. At this point I'm a little bit more trusting of him. I think Robinson is more suited for 3rd down passing situations and running out of the shotgun.

[zibby43]

The defense was great. And they got robbed with a handful of ticky tack penalties in the secondary. Up until that second TD drive, they were holding us in the game.

 

The thing that concerns me was that there was ZERO pass rush despite constant empty sets.

 

Fitz was just quick-firing everything.  Did Anderson have the only sack?

[SteelCityColt]

you know I right I'm not gonna sit here and act like the D played great when we "shutdown" Ryan freaking Fitzpatrick

You're not "right" but you're entitled to your opinion, just don't be surprised that people don't agree with it.

While it might "just" be Ryan Fitzpatrick they have a solid O line and a solid running game with half decent receivers, that's a massive help whoever your QB is. Remember they laid 30 points on a Browns D which on paper that's better than ours.

So no I'm afraid I disagree, for a D missing every starting CB they played amazingly well and kept the game respectable and put us into a position to win right up to the end despite the O turning it over 5 times.

[NewColtsFan]

Was really on the verge of deleting my account and then I seen this. You're always the one defending Pep and now you've jumped ship. Now this, this is a sight for sore eyes. I like this version of NCF

 

Thanks.....    I think Pep did a pretty decent job his first two years under pretty difficult circumstances.   I've long HATED his tendency to give up on the run way too early.    But all in all,  I though he adjusted on the fly both years.   I was in favor of bringing him back for this year even thought I didn't love him.

 

But the first two games have been so horrible...   so terrible....   so mind numbingly awful....   that he has lost me.   Yes, he can coordinate the Colts again bad to average teams.    But against good teams?    Not so much.    If the Colts are to get to the next level,  a change must be made and it must be made as soon as possible.

 

I can't believe how terrible Luck looks, how the entire offense looks.   And I put all the blame on Pep.   

 

I just don't see the upside of keeping him now?    I really don't.    But I doubt we'll get lucky.   The Colts will not likely make the move I'd like....   but I hope they do before the season is over.    Before it's too late to be saved.

[will426]

But lets say you want to blame the oline and receivers. So alter the gameplan. Have look throw quicker on short slants and dump off to backs to get a rhythm going. Basically, do what the Patriots would do. But standing back there, holding the ball too long, trying to get the ball down the field is just bad strategy.

I blame Pep 100%. There are no options but long passes.

yeah I hate that people are blaming the line so much manning had a horrible line his last couple years with us..he simply started passing the ball very fast with timing routes and once he went down we saw the how not good the line really was

[SteelCityColt]

Thanks.....    I think Pep did a pretty decent job his first two years under pretty difficult circumstances.   I've long HATED his tendency to give up on the run way too early.    But all in all,  I though he adjusted on the fly both years.   I was in favor of bringing him back for this year even thought I didn't love him.

 

But the first two games have been so horrible...   so terrible....   so mind numbingly awful....   that he has lost me.   Yes, he can coordinate the Colts again bad to average teams.    But against good teams?    Not so much.    If the Colts are to get to the next level,  a change must be made and it must be made as soon as possible.

 

I can't believe how terrible Luck looks, how the entire offense looks.   And I put all the blame on Pep.   

 

I just don't see the upside of keeping him now?    I really don't.    But I doubt we'll get lucky.   The Colts will not likely make the move I'd like....   but I hope they do before the season is over.    Before it's too late to be saved.

 

So it's been a very strange experience lately for me personally watching the last two games. 

 

Before I've watched and it's been a rollercoaster experience, highs, lows, but I always felt we were making progress if somewhat slowly at times. The last two games I've just felt we've reached the end of the road in terms of how far the team can go with the current setup so yes a change needs in my opinion. As to whom and when, that I'm more undecided on. 

 

You can argue that anything would have to wait to the offseason for numerous reasons but as the Ravens showed making a co-ordinator change isn't unheard of. 

[ColtsConsistency]

My gameplan before the game started was this (I'm no Offensive Coach by any means and it's easier to see what'd work and what wouldn't in retrospect, but again this was before the game started):

Use Coby And Dwayne back and forth, as well as pound the ball with Gore, going to the wide receivers when possible, but not as your first option. The receivers should have used more crossing and slot routes than seam routes. See what worked as ND adjust accordingly. Anyway, who cares now right?...It's on to Tennessee!

[MarshND]

If I were Irsay, I would hold off on any changes regarding Pep. I would let the new GM and/or new Head coach make that call.

[JColts72]

Start with changing OL coach who must not watch Blitz package film, Pep who has Gore sit on 3rd down. What's the point of having him? Any rookie can play 2 downs, and his horrible ability to not adjust, which goes for all of the coaching. GM at fault for his woeful FA and draft moves that are not working out.

[Detectacon]

Forget changing assistant coaches. The buck stops with Pagano. Nice guy, great health recovery story but Bruce Arians coaches circles around him.

THIS!!! I said Bruce leaving was a big loss. Bruce = Super Bowl.

[coltsfanatic24]

Pep called some good plays but the penalties stopped the Colts from doing anything. The offensive linemen couldn't block and Moncrief was the only WR getting separation. I'll give Hilton a pass this game because Revis does the same to WR's like Megatron, Julio, etc. We loss this game because the offensive linemen couldn't give Luck enough time to consistently step up in the pocket and make throws.

[lollygagger8]

Irsay: Don't Pep Le Pew stink up the place anymore. 

 

 

His complete ineptitude and inability to make in-game adjustments, is somehow worse than his complete lack of calling correct plays for the situation we are in. 

I agree with the original poster about being able to call the plays before they happen based on the personnel formations. I did it from my couch ALL night. 

 

Gore starts heating up, Pepe takes him out. 

 

Jets brought blitz after blitz and where were the slants? Throws to RBs? Screens? 

 

DID WE EVEN THROW A PASS TO A TE?? 

 

 

 

Time for Pepe to kick rocks and get Chud in there. 

[Gavin]

Irsay: Don't Pep Le Pew stink up the place anymore. 

 

 

His complete ineptitude and inability to make in-game adjustments, is somehow worse than his complete lack of calling correct plays for the situation we are in. 

I agree with the original poster about being able to call the plays before they happen based on the personnel formations. I did it from my couch ALL night. 

 

Gore starts heating up, Pepe takes him out. 

 

Jets brought blitz after blitz and where were the slants? Throws to RBs? Screens? 

 

DID WE EVEN THROW A PASS TO A TE?? 

 

 

 

Time for Pepe to kick rocks and get Chud in there. 

"DID WE EVEN THROW A PASS TO A TE??"

 

Nope. Fleener has 1 target in 2 games. Allen 6 targets but that was before injury

[JColts72]

Pep called some good plays but the penalties stopped the Colts from doing anything. The offensive linemen couldn't block and Moncrief was the only WR getting separation. I'll give Hilton a pass this game because Revis does the same to WR's like Megatron, Julio, etc. We loss this game because the offensive linemen couldn't give Luck enough time to consistently step up in the pocket and make throws.

Turning the ball over 5 times did not help either, so not all of the game lost was due to holding. It's becoming the same garbage every week...we were up against a top D, they had great secondary, etc, if we only did this, we only did that to win. This team has no Fire in them. Owner on down to coaches and players need to get their heard out of the sand. It's time to accept responsibillty to put a NFL PRO team on the field. as this is becoming the follies here.

[#12.]

Amazing but true: if they win this week, they're in first place. Unless someone thinks Jacksonville is beating the Patriots, that is.

If I were Chuck, after two weeks of this, this would be my message to the team.

[MR. Blueblood]

To sit in that stadium last night and watch what was the #3 offense in the league last season, with the additions of Gore, Johnson, and Dorsett, and see them struggle mightily to put 7 pts on the board was excruciatingly painful.  Granted they shot themselves in the foot several times with penalties and turnovers, but the play calling was pitiful.  And I don't care who you are you aren't going to win many, if any, games in the NFL when you have 5 turnovers.

 

The boo birds were out last night, and I know Irsay heard them all from his suite, he might've even been one of them himself, lol.  Nobody is happy watching this team, how could you be, except for maybe the D, it was about the only positive you could take away from this game.  On what should've been a great night for Colts fans, with Saturday going into the ROH, it turned out to be another nightmare of a game to watch.

 

We've got an "easy" stretch of the schedule coming as we have half of our division games coming in the woeful AFC South.  It might allow them to gain some momentum, but at this rate I wouldn't look at any of those games as a certainty.  It's a sad day when the Jags have a better record than Colts.

 

While I would be all for pulling the trigger on Pep, and even Pagano today, I don't believe it happens until after the Patriots game.  This team, as it looks after week 2, will be lucky to not be blown out of the building by halftime in week 6.  Another ugly loss to the Pats and I don't see how any of the staff would or could be exempt from getting the pink slip.

[Surge89]

Sorry, but Pep has to go. The sooner the better.

The offense is a complete disaster.

Luck looks confused and lacking confidence. That's on Pep.

The running game is spotty at best and that's on Pep.

The passing game is a horrible mess and that's on Pep. Does he even know it's OK to pass to tight ends and running backs? Almost everything is to a wide receiver.

Pep doesn't understand the difference between college football and the NFL. He's still trying to use things that worked at Stanford and tries to make them work at the Professional level.

I rarely want to see 6 or 7 OL. Not with all our weapons. I don't want to see David Parry at fullback. I don't want to see Josh Robinson or the Vega kid in crucial situations -- trying for a 1st down or inside the 10. That's why we brought in Frank Gore. I think the Gore fumble was brought on by a poor exchange with Luck that wasn't clean. I could be wrong, but that's what I thought I saw.

I think we give away plays by alerting everyone in the stadium of our intentions by personnel groupings on down and distance. I sit at home and call out "pass" or "run" depnding on down and distance and where we are on the field. I'm not wrong that often. All we're doing is making our job much, much harder than it has to be.

Honestly, I hope we all wake up tomorrow to find Pep has been let go and Chudzinski is the new OC. The sooner this happens, the better off the Colts will be.

NCF

The TE game is the biggest glaring missing spot. If you rematch the game Fleener had about 8 plays where he blocked then flexed to outlet and Luck would just throw something downtrend instead of an open Fleener. Quite disappointing.

[chad72]

No he didn't. Arians is a really bad play caller. Not as bad as Pep has been this year, but bad nonetheless. He's a pretty good head coach, though. 

 

'Arians' and 'delayed RB dump offs' doesn't belong in the same sentence.

 

But I agree with the last line there. The first third and two, which was followed by AV's missed field goal, is a perfect example of poor situational play calling. 

 

Hmmm...not entirely true. In Luck's rookie year, Luck saw Donald Brown streaking across underneath open and missed spotting him and Arians, "lovingly", pointed it out. Arians is quick to make adjustments and if it involves delayed RB dump offs, he will do it. He has used Ellington in the passing game enough times in Arizona too. It is just not a staple of his offense by any means, that we all agree on .

[Colts_Fan12]

You're not "right" but you're entitled to your opinion, just don't be surprised that people don't agree with it.

While it might "just" be Ryan Fitzpatrick they have a solid O line and a solid running game with half decent receivers, that's a massive help whoever your QB is. Remember they laid 30 points on a Browns D which on paper that's better than ours.

So no I'm afraid I disagree, for a D missing every starting CB they played amazingly well and kept the game respectable and put us into a position to win right up to the end despite the O turning it over 5 times.

the guy couldn't hit the broad side of a barn we were lucky it was him out there if it would have been a half way decent starter we would have been destroyed by 30 points

[Stoney]

Pep has gotta be the first to go and then Grigson has gotta be the next one in line. I'm not completely against Pagano because I think he does an OK job with the talent he's been provided. We win that game last night if our best player doesn't turn the ball over repeatedly and Gore doesn't fumble at the 1. What can Pagano do about that?

[BleedsBlue4Colts]

Beef up the O-Line. Been saying this for the last few years. We can't continue to bring in a top QB and then lay all responsibility on him. It happened with Peyton and now Andrew.  The pocket was collapsing right and left. Offense looked so bad. Thank God the Defense didn't let it become a total rout.

 

I have been a Colts fan since the late early 70s. I love this team. I don't love how it's being managed. I don't care much for New England, but they protect their QB and see where that's got them. If we have to eat this season in order to rebuild, so be it. But don't leave the QB hanging because we don't have the brains to build up the offense.

 

That's my humble opinion.

 

Go Colts!

[bnerl]

Poor play by the O-line and an All Pro night by Revis are to blame. Luck needs to be relaxed in the pocket and the line aint giving him that.

[chad72]

If it wasn't Ryan Fitzpatrick and it was Tom Brady, they would have put up 40-50 points on us, IMO, yesterday.

 

Fitzpatrick's limitations and our D playing its heart out despite all the DB injuries with limited pass rush is what kept the Jets to 20 points.

[Colts_Fan12]

If it wasn't Ryan Fitzpatrick and it was Tom Brady, they would have put up 40-50 points on us, IMO, yesterday.

Fitzpatrick's limitations and our D playing its heart out despite all the DB injuries with limited pass rush is what kept the Jets to 20 points.

nope your wrong can't be real about anything on here. Even when what you said tho is the complete truth. It wouldn't even have to be Brady could have a QB with talent like Flacco and we would have got 30 put on us. Still don't get signing Trent Cole guy looks completely done. So the pass rush is damn near useless

[#12.]

Yes, I would pump the brakes on glorifying the defense. We're talking about a journeyman QB on the 28th ranked offense from a year ago. Plus, they reeled it in and played conservatively with a 10 point lead.

Through two games, I've seen little to suggest this defense has improved. Interior line play might look a little better, but everything else looks worse. What will Brady and Roethlisberger do this defense? Hopefully getting healthy at corner helps some.

[Colts_Fan12]

Yes, I would pump the brakes on glorifying the defense. We're talking about a journeyman QB on the 28th ranked offense from a year ago. Plus, they reeled it in and played conservatively with a 10 point lead.

Through two games, I've seen little to suggest this defense has improved. Interior line play might look a little better, but everything else looks worse. What will Brady and Roethlisberger do this defense? Hopefully getting healthy at corner helps some.

Pitt and NE will break the scoreboard

[ColtsBlueFL]

I wasn't meaning to connect Arians to the delayed RB dump offs. I was meaning where was that in Pep's play calls for a check down relief valve. Arians IMO blows Pep away as far as play calling and that is why I said people miss him as our OC. I agree he is a much better head coach than and OC.

 

It's worthwhile pointing out Bruce Arians is 23 - 11 since taking over the Cardinals as HC, and that he is also the play caller as well.  His fingerprints are on every Cardinals game, as this article shows-

 

http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nfl/cardinals/2015/09/19/cardinals-bruce-arians-rarely-lays-up-when-calling-plays/72467206/

 

Luck got hit a lot, but Luck connected on big chunk plays often, especially 3rd down.  Had many 4th quarter comebacks with out makeshift D not holding down opponents very well.  Now Luck just gets hit a lot.  With nothing but Interceptions and fumbles to show for it.  Very sad.

 

We have turned the ball over 9 times in 2 games. Pitiful   0 - 2

 

Jets have created 10 turnovers in 2 games.  2 - 0.

 

I'm sick of penalties (because our blocking ability/technique stinks) and especially interceptions!!  (and fumbles).

[SteelCityColt]

the guy couldn't hit the broad side of a barn we were lucky it was him out there if it would have been a half way decent starter we would have been destroyed by 30 points

 

63.8% 4TDs 2Ints at a rating of 94.3 is hardly "not being able to hit a barn door". Fitz played well last night in doing what was needed to win and nothing more. 

 

If you can't see the D played very well given the circumstances then I'm not sure what to say to you 

[IndyD4U]

Irsay: Don't Pep Le Pew stink up the place anymore. 

 

 

His complete ineptitude and inability to make in-game adjustments, is somehow worse than his complete lack of calling correct plays for the situation we are in. 

I agree with the original poster about being able to call the plays before they happen based on the personnel formations. I did it from my couch ALL night. 

 

Gore starts heating up, Pepe takes him out. 

 

Jets brought blitz after blitz and where were the slants? Throws to RBs? Screens? 

 

DID WE EVEN THROW A PASS TO A TE?? 

 

 

 

Time for Pepe to kick rocks and get Chud in there. 

But we targeted an OG in the red zone and passed three other times with Gore on the sideline...smh

[Colts_Fan12]

63.8% 4TDs 2Ints at a rating of 94.3 is hardly "not being able to hit a barn door". Fitz played well last night in doing what was needed to win and nothing more.

If you can't see the D played very well given the circumstances then I'm not sure what to say to you

he didn't do anything they played as conservative as humanly possible with the lead. And he also has gained those stats against the Colts and Browns.

[lollygagger8]

"DID WE EVEN THROW A PASS TO A TE??"

 

Nope. Fleener has 1 target in 2 games. Allen 6 targets but that was before injury

 

I want to cry, but the anger is still in the way. 

[Colts_Fan12]

The D played fine but there is no way in hell im gonna be praising them when they have played against Fitzpatrick and Taylor so far. Thank god we drafted Anderson or we would be screwed on every part of the D.

[throwing BBZ]

I'm not saying he isn't handicapped by the lack of talent on the Oline, but that does not excuse the befuddling game plans for the first two games this year. The Jets and Bills are both blitz heavy teams that play press coverage, yet the game plans do little to help Luck or the Oline. It's as if Pep thinks the Oline is the best in the NFL and he doesn't need to adjust his game plan to account for all the blitz and press coverages the Colts are seeing.

 

 The plays are the same stuff everyone uses, you just have to execute it. Absolutely Absurd that Pep and staff don`t know their job.   Andrew looks ____ against good D`s quite often.

 He picks a guy to throw to pre-snap and hangs onto him too long. Over and over and over...

 And he CAN`T make a quick check and throw highly accurately to his checkdown, his brain-arm just doesn`t work that way.

 His Passion is to take/make time to make the big downfield +20 yd throw of which Super Bowl contending teams play well against.

  He has a long way to go on his short game which will make his poor decision making problem get better. I say year 6.

[King Colt]

1. Field position.

2. Mistakes.

3. Penalties.

Add them up and you lose.

[NewColtsFan]

So it's been a very strange experience lately for me personally watching the last two games. 

 

Before I've watched and it's been a rollercoaster experience, highs, lows, but I always felt we were making progress if somewhat slowly at times. The last two games I've just felt we've reached the end of the road in terms of how far the team can go with the current setup so yes a change needs in my opinion. As to whom and when, that I'm more undecided on. 

 

You can argue that anything would have to wait to the offseason for numerous reasons but as the Ravens showed making a co-ordinator change isn't unheard of. 

 

Nice post.    I'm with ya,  I feel ya.

 

The strange thing about the Ravens change,  is that one happened I think something around week 13 or 14!    And it worked!

 

I hope we don't wait for that.    I can't believe how terribly screwed up Andrew Luck looks.    Completely lost out there.

 

I appreciate that you don't want to over-react,  or appear to panic,   but I'm not sure how many times you want to put the team at risk by continuing to flounder with this offense.

 

Never seen anything like this in nearly 50 year of being a football fan.     

[Superman]

The thing that concerns me was that there was ZERO pass rush despite constant empty sets.

 

Fitz was just quick-firing everything.  Did Anderson have the only sack?

 

Anderson did have the only sack.

 

But in 36 dropbacks, Fitzpatrick got rid of the ball in 2.5 seconds or less 25 times. There wasn't a lot of opportunity for pass rush. That's partly because our coverage was neutered due to the injuries. We were already a little passive on the back end to begin with, and then Davis went out and it got worse.

 

Your point is true, though. We don't have a lot of pass rush. Mathis looked decent, but was on a very limited snap count, and still drew a lot of attention. Newsome was inactive, but he didn't do a whole lot in the preseason either. Part of the goal is to penetrate with the down linemen, and that's a little better than it was a year ago, but we still need more disruption up front.