Michael Lombardi's take on the Colts

[Trueman]

Lombardi has a podcast called GM Street with the Ringer. He had some interesting things to say about the Colts that I thought you guys might want to read. Here's the conversation he had after the Patriots game:

Host: What was your main takeaway from this game?

ML: Well, I thought the Colts started the game without 8 starters on the field , and clearly missed them. By the time the game got goin' they missed two more guys. Losing Darius Leonard , to me -who's one of the best young rookies in the league- hurt them because this is a zone team. They play nothing but Tampa; they really don't wanna get into a man-to-man game very often. They did a little bit last night , but they don't want to do it, and without Leonard and that speed underneath, that really became a problem for em'. So... you know, for me, it was really a good win for the Patriots. I think defensively you could see they still have some warts , but you know, Luck threw the ball 59 times , which is never gunna be recipe to win a game. He turns the ball over twice, and I think that the Patriots did exactly what they had to do. Brady's two interceptions were the result of dropped passes.

Host: Can you just talk about the Colts , and Luck? I mean, their record's not great obviously, but it does seem like this team has a little bit of ability and drive to bounce back.

ML: Hey look, they're the best 1-4 team that I've seen. I mean, they were 47% on 3rd down last night , and they were the best 3rd down team in football goin' into the game. And, they didn't have T.Y Hilton in the game! I mean, if T.Y Hilton's on that field, they're a different offense and the Patriots have to play differently. I mean, they had some critical drops in the game... I think this Colts team is startin' to come around. I think Andrew Luck's starting to get more comfortable with his arm. I think he's willing to drive the ball. Last night I thought he drove it more than he had in previous weeks. And defensively they need their guys back and they need to be able use their speed. I think they're gunna be a tough out- they're never gunna go away. Of the 5 games , this was really the only one they didn't have a chance in the 4th quarter to win the game -- and yet, and you said, ..I mean, until he throws that interception, they gotta really good chance. They missed a FG , which they typically never do..... so I like the Colts teams. I like what Frank Reich's doing . I like their defensive coordinator, I think he's done a good job . They play a lotta zone- they're smart , they don't give away the game, they force you to beat em'. And the Patriots did last night. So, all's not lost. You're 1-4 , but I think the future's much brighter in Indianapolis.

Host: Is there a chance that we're dealing with a , you know, 1996-97 San Antonio Spurs situation, where this team has their Andrew Luck, they have you know, the pieces there ... but, if they don't have a great season this year, they get another high draft pick; you know, something like they did with Quenton Nelson last draft ... and you add another blue-chip guy to this team and now we're looking at this next wave with a healthy Luck. Is that a possible bright side to this situation , even though they are 1-4 at this point?

(kind of a poorly worded question/example , I know)

ML: I think there's no doubt. I think that they're cleanin' up from the Ryan Grigson mess. And it's still  gunna be a clean up. It's a clean up that's gunna require more than just 6-12 months clean up. You're gunna have to put the yellow suits on with the mask and go in there (I'm assuming he means a biohazard suit lol). I mean, it's taking some time because there's gunna be some cleanup after that disaster. And I mean, I think the team's starting to respond, you can see they don't quit, they keep playin' hard. You know, they accepted the challenge. They all knew that they were playing with one hand tied behind their back with 10 guys not on the field , but they kept competing. I think these are the kind of games that you build for the future. I mean, they come back next week against the Jets , and they'll give the Jets everything they can handle. You know, they're a better team than the Jets right now -- but they gotta be healthy.  That's the most important thing. And I think Ballard and another draft will really do well for them. 

 

[Lef]

Really great stuff. Thank you for posting. 

[Four2itus]

I really loved, "Host: Can you just talk about the Colts , and Luck? "

[NewColtsFan]

 

Good of you to do all that posting!

 

Very much appreciated!

 

 

[NewEra]

I agree with everything he said. That's what I see while watching. Not all the doom and gloom and the sky is falling crap some players post. 

 

I have an unlimited supply of throat punches if * to hand out. Oh yeah, I'm not that guy anymore lol....ugh doing the right thing sucks

[DougDew]

 

Insightful.

[USAFHoosier]

Great article and I agree. They are hopefully getting everyone back this Sunday, minus the IR guys. The future is looking bright with the new coaching staff and Ballard’s maneuvers. We should see a lot more progress in the coming weeks as the young guys continue to get experience.

[jameszeigler834]

1 hour ago, Trueman said:

Lombardi has a podcast called GM Street with the Ringer. He had some interesting things to say about the Colts that I thought you guys might want to read. Here's the conversation he had after the Patriots game:

Host: What was your main takeaway from this game?

ML: Well, I thought the Colts started the game without 8 starters on the field , and clearly missed them. By the time the game got goin' they missed two more guys. Losing Darius Leonard , to me -who's one of the best young rookies in the league- hurt them because this is a zone team. They play nothing but Tampa; they really don't wanna get into a man-to-man game very often. They did a little bit last night , but they don't want to do it, and without Leonard and that speed underneath, that really became a problem for em'. So... you know, for me, it was really a good win for the Patriots. I think defensively you could see they still have some warts , but you know, Luck threw the ball 59 times , which is never gunna be recipe to win a game. He turns the ball over twice, and I think that the Patriots did exactly what they had to do. Brady's two interceptions were the result of dropped passes.

Host: Can you just talk about the Colts , and Luck? I mean, their record's not great obviously, but it does seem like this team has a little bit of ability and drive to bounce back.

ML: Hey look, they're the best 1-4 team that I've seen. I mean, they were 47% on 3rd down last night , and they were the best 3rd down team in football goin' into the game. And, they didn't have T.Y Hilton in the game! I mean, if T.Y Hilton's on that field, they're a different offense and the Patriots have to play differently. I mean, they had some critical drops in the game... I think this Colts team is startin' to come around. I think Andrew Luck's starting to get more comfortable with his arm. I think he's willing to drive the ball. Last night I thought he drove it more than he had in previous weeks. And defensively they need their guys back and they need to be able use their speed. I think they're gunna be a tough out- they're never gunna go away. Of the 5 games , this was really the only one they didn't have a chance in the 4th quarter to win the game -- and yet, and you said, ..I mean, until he throws that interception, they gotta really good chance. They missed a FG , which they typically never do..... so I like the Colts teams. I like what Frank Reich's doing . I like their defensive coordinator, I think he's done a good job . They play a lotta zone- they're smart , they don't give away the game, they force you to beat em'. And the Patriots did last night. So, all's not lost. You're 1-4 , but I think the future's much brighter in Indianapolis.

Host: Is there a chance that we're dealing with a , you know, 1996-97 San Antonio Spurs situation, where this team has their Andrew Luck, they have you know, the pieces there ... but, if they don't have a great season this year, they get another high draft pick; you know, something like they did with Quenton Nelson last draft ... and you add another blue-chip guy to this team and now we're looking at this next wave with a healthy Luck. Is that a possible bright side to this situation , even though they are 1-4 at this point?

(kind of a poorly worded question/example , I know)

ML: I think there's no doubt. I think that they're cleanin' up from the Ryan Grigson mess. And it's still  gunna be a clean up. It's a clean up that's gunna require more than just 6-12 months clean up. You're gunna have to put the yellow suits on with the mask and go in there (I'm assuming he means a biohazard suit lol). I mean, it's taking some time because there's gunna be some cleanup after that disaster. And I mean, I think the team's starting to respond, you can see they don't quit, they keep playin' hard. You know, they accepted the challenge. They all knew that they were playing with one hand tied behind their back with 10 guys not on the field , but they kept competing. I think these are the kind of games that you build for the future. I mean, they come back next week against the Jets , and they'll give the Jets everything they can handle. You know, they're a better team than the Jets right now -- but they gotta be healthy.  That's the most important thing. And I think Ballard and another draft will really do well for them. 

 

Luck turned it over one time the other INT I charge to Zach Pascal.

[smittywerb]

Basically what a lot of us have said around here.  Good to hear!

[LJpalmbeacher2]

Michael Lombardi is obviously a very intelligent and insightful man.

[Devildog]

It's refreshing to see someone actually saying something positive. 

[Flash7]

6 minutes ago, LJpalmbeacher2 said:

Michael Lombardi is obviously a very intelligent and insightful man.

Just like everyone else who has good things to say about the Colts. The second they say anything to the contrary.. bums! All of them!

[Trueman]

1 hour ago, jameszeigler834 said:

Luck turned it over one time the other INT I charge to Zach Pascal.

You had to quote the entire thing to say that?

 

[jameszeigler834]

25 minutes ago, Trueman said:

You had to quote the entire thing to say that?

 

Yes I did.

[Boiler_Colt]

1 hour ago, jameszeigler834 said:

Luck turned it over one time the other INT I charge to Zach Pascal.

Nah, we all know Brady is the only QB where the INT is never his fault. Luck'll probably get blamed for the Wilkins fumble too.

[AZColt11]

I would concur with him.  I don't think THIS year will amount to much other than getting all these young guys some experience, but I think it will pay high dividends down the road.  Problem is most fans don't want to wait for down the road.  They want it all and they want it now...….just like kids.  

[Moosejawcolt]

I have the NFL ringer saved on my pod cast.  I think it one of these best nfl showsto listen to...that includes tv

[chad72]

Michael Lombardi was after all the GM and VP for the Browns from 2013-2014. So, he does see the forest for the trees, and sees it from a GM point of view.

 

Definitely respected around the league and was a refreshing take on the Colts. 

[Hoose]

Trueman, many thanks for this and many other solid posts. You are a great addition to this board for those of us who relish a thinking person’s perspective. 

[chad72]

31 minutes ago, AZColt11 said:

I would concur with him.  I don't think THIS year will amount to much other than getting all these young guys some experience, but I think it will pay high dividends down the road.  Problem is most fans don't want to wait for down the road.  They want it all and they want it now...….just like kids.  

 

If we can build a real bad OL and D to go with it like the Seahawks built by hitting on their draft picks, I am not going to complain. Right now, a few Ws would be nice to give us those flashes of hope, hard to stay positive without a few Ws to validate the direction of our coaches and GM, I am sure they want it just as bad as we fans do too.

 

I am not expecting playoffs this year, to be honest but I do want a well rounded team, on offense and defense next year capable of winning more than this year.

[IinD]

He called Grigson's roster job a disaster.. Lol. Sad but true.

[AZColt11]

9 hours ago, chad72 said:

 

If we can build a real bad OL and D to go with it like the Seahawks built by hitting on their draft picks, I am not going to complain. Right now, a few Ws would be nice to give us those flashes of hope, hard to stay positive without a few Ws to validate the direction of our coaches and GM, I am sure they want it just as bad as we fans do too.

 

I am not expecting playoffs this year, to be honest but I do want a well rounded team, on offense and defense next year capable of winning more than this year.

Therein lies the rub.  He could go all-in for winning this year with the cap $$$ they have and bring in all these FA's like Dez, Bell, etc.  But would that even guarantee anything?  Sure, it could work, but it may not.  In fact, it would have some potential to go the other way entirely.  Even if it didn't, you are stunting the growth of a very young nucleus who is trying to build a winning culture and police their own locker room.  Bringing in high-profile vets who are set in their own ways may not mesh well with that, and would likely be only short-term fixes even if they did help the win total.  By letting these young guys take their lumps yes, it does suck and the bottom line is affected for this season, but they are building the room, they are getting invaluable experience, and it also lets the front office and coaches gauge who should remain as the core group and who should walk or be a back-up.  Then you can add pieces around that core.  I think once you have developed a good young corp to work with, and established the atmosphere in the locker room that you want, THEN it makes sense if you feel you are close enough to contend for a title to add vets to the mix.  I'm not sure we're there yet.  In fact, I highly doubt we are.  I think next year MIGHT be a possibility though, especially if they continue to play as they have thus far.  And is doing it the draft way a guarantee either?  Nope.  Just ask Cleveland who has seemingly been at this for decades.  BUT I think recent history has shown a greater propensity for long-term success doing it the slower way via the draft over quick FA fixes in the long run.  And that is what Ballard is trying to do here: long-term sustained success.  Only time will tell if he's right, and I'm OK with that.

 

Sorry, that got long winded, didn't it?

[lollygagger8]

Ballard cleaning up that Grigson mess y'all 

[PeterBowman]

Also keep in mind that Irsay, himself, has stated repeatedly that he's willing to have a couple down years in order to be a long term consistent contender. They're thinking long term. This isn't the year to go all in. That's what I think hurt the previous regime the most. The too soon success...so instead of going through a proper rebuild(which I think they're doing now). They were too good too early and went all in. Which backfired spectacularly.

[chad72]

33 minutes ago, PeterBowman said:

Also keep in mind that Irsay, himself, has stated repeatedly that he's willing to have a couple down years in order to be a long term consistent contender. They're thinking long term. This isn't the year to go all in. That's what I think hurt the previous regime the most. The too soon success...so instead of going through a proper rebuild(which I think they're doing now). They were too good too early and went all in. Which backfired spectacularly.

 

This would also mean the end of this year could be a good time to buy season tickets??

[Defjamz26]

If this is supposed to be a fluff piece to make it seem like the Colts aren’t as bad as people think, I disagree. We already know the team is young and is still cleaning up after Grigson. Lombardi didn’t reveal anything insightful in that regard. But those 2 handicaps are exactly why we know the Colts won’t be good this season. Trying to give them participation trophies for a good effort is pointless. This season is for evaluating the young players that Ballard has acquired and seeing which of Grigson’s remaining players have any value. This is a talent assessment season.

 

Essentially what Lombardi is saying is that the Colts have the right staff in place but just need better talent. Either way you slice it, it comes out to the Colts aren’t good this year and aren’t going to be.

[Peterk2011]

1 hour ago, Defjamz26 said:

If this is supposed to be a fluff piece to make it seem like the Colts aren’t as bad as people think, I disagree. We already know the team is young and is still cleaning up after Grigson. Lombardi didn’t reveal anything insightful in that regard. But those 2 handicaps are exactly why we know the Colts won’t be good this season. Trying to give them participation trophies for a good effort is pointless. This season is for evaluating the young players that Ballard has acquired and seeing which of Grigson’s remaining players have any value. This is a talent assessment season.

 

No. It is - as the title of the topic says - Lombardi's take on the current Colts. Not more, not less.