Or is it time to REALLY look at Reich

[bluephantom87]

I know a topic has been started about Ballard and one of the biggest gripes from many is our receiving core. I think once the NFL decided to change its philosophy and made rules to favor the offense which allowed for more scoring, splash plays downfield and to highlight the qb, receivers benefitted greatly. Now with that being said I think our receivers ARE good enough. Maybe not elite but they can do some damage if UTILIZED and SCHEMED to their strengths.

 

Across the board over the weekend I watched many games and was amazed at all the wide open offenses. Qbs putting up massive numbers and points while keeping defenses off balance. I don't know how many times I saw receivers uncovered making plays. All the multiple formations, pre snap motions to create confusion and mismatchs, rubs, picks, misdirection, receiver reverses etc etc. Do all these teams have top o-lines? Russell Wilson raved about his new young oc who came from McVay's system and how he kept the Colts on their heels with no idea on what was coming which lead to big plays. Russ had been very vocal over the last couple of seasons about the predictable run first tight offense, with a suspect o-line and having to just make plays on his own when the run breaks down on 3rd and longs. (Reminds me a little of the Luck years under Chuck)

 

This is NOT a ONE GAME reaction because I've seen enough of Franks playcalling over the years now to see the same old stale, non creative, old school type of offense. What good does it do for Ballard (who has some faults too) to draft big receivers if you don't play to their strengths like fades in the red zone? How about Campbell and his speed on quick slants, bubble screens and reverses if you don't have time to get him deep? How about Hines in space like Sproles who gave MANY defenses nightmares instead of running him up the gut on a 2nd or 3rd down. How about getting JT off tackle some with some sweeps or pitches when teams start stacking the box. Pittman would be a nightmare if lbs were forced to cover him. Mo-Allie can cause problems with his size, catch radius and speed as a te. Let the late round gem at receiver go out and make plays. Of course we have Pascal our Mr reliable and swiss army knife. Frank was fired in San Diego as the oc because the offense was stagnant. He was oc in Philly by title alone because Peterson called the plays. 

 

How about the 4th down calls? I don't have a problem with being aggressive it's the plays that go with it. Which mostly end up being a run or sneak up the gut against a stacked box which PLAYS right into the hands of the defense. Better playcalling on the downs before would help. The Cowboys offense and Dak took off once oc Moore took over the playcalling duties from hc Garrett who by the way is now the oc of the Giants and their offense is very bland at best. By all accounts our new oc Brady is supposed to be a great offensive mind with fresh ideas so let's see what he can do because I've seen more than enough of Frank as a playcaller and I'm not even touching his decisions on when to take the points or go for it in the flow of a game.

[Shive]

 

I get the frustration, but I wouldn't consider Reich's playcalling to be "stagnant". He's usually pretty solid at scheming WR's open and has a reputation as such. I wasn't happy with all of his playcalls, but we also had terrible execution throughout the game, so I have a hard time blaming his playcalls when players aren't executing what is being called.

[Flash7]

The Colts want to be a tough, run between the tackles type of offense. A run first offense in a passing league.

 

Honestly, it's boring. I tune in to watch my favorite football team play, hopefully win, and also to be entertained. It's all in the name of entertainment. Grown ups playing a kids game.

 

Let it be fun again. Air it out. Be creative.

 

 

 

BTW - I like Reich; want him to be the head coach, just give the play calling duties to someone else.

[PrincetonTiger]

18 minutes ago, Shive said:

 

I get the frustration, but I wouldn't consider Reich's playcalling to be "stagnant". He's usually pretty solid at scheming WR's open and has a reputation as such. I wasn't happy with all of his playcalls, but we also had terrible execution throughout the game, so I have a hard time blaming his playcalls when players aren't executing what is being called.

[throwing BBZ]

29 minutes ago, bluephantom87 said:

I know a topic has been started about Ballard and one of the biggest gripes from many is our receiving core. I think once the NFL decided to change its philosophy and made rules to favor the offense which allowed for more scoring, splash plays downfield and to highlight the qb, receivers benefitted greatly. Now with that being said I think our receivers ARE good enough. Maybe not elite but they can do some damage if UTILIZED and SCHEMED to their strengths.

 

Across the board over the weekend I watched many games and was amazed at all the wide open offenses. Qbs putting up massive numbers and points while keeping defenses off balance. I don't know how many times I saw receivers uncovered making plays. All the multiple formations, pre snap motions to create confusion and mismatchs, rubs, picks, misdirection, receiver reverses etc etc. Do all these teams have top o-lines? Russell Wilson raved about his new young oc who came from McVay's system and how he kept the Colts on their heels with no idea on what was coming which lead to big plays. Russ had been very vocal over the last couple of seasons about the predictable run first tight offense, with a suspect o-line and having to just make plays on his own when the run breaks down on 3rd and longs. (Reminds me a little of the Luck years under Chuck)

 

This is NOT a ONE GAME reaction because I've seen enough of Franks playcalling over the years now to see the same old stale, non creative, old school type of offense. What good does it do for Ballard (who has some faults too) to draft big receivers if you don't play to their strengths like fades in the red zone? How about Campbell and his speed on quick slants, bubble screens and reverses if you don't have time to get him deep? How about Hines in space like Sproles who gave MANY defenses nightmares instead of running him up the gut on a 2nd or 3rd down. How about getting JT off tackle some with some sweeps or pitches when teams start stacking the box. Pittman would be a nightmare if lbs were forced to cover him. Mo-Allie can cause problems with his size, catch radius and speed as a te. Let the late round gem at receiver go out and make plays. Of course we have Pascal our Mr reliable and swiss army knife. Frank was fired in San Diego as the oc because the offense was stagnant. He was oc in Philly by title alone because Peterson called the plays. 

 

How about the 4th down calls? I don't have a problem with being aggressive it's the plays that go with it. Which mostly end up being a run or sneak up the gut against a stacked box which PLAYS right into the hands of the defense. Better playcalling on the downs before would help. The Cowboys offense and Dak took off once oc Moore took over the playcalling duties from hc Garrett who by the way is now the oc of the Giants and their offense is very bland at best. By all accounts our new oc Brady is supposed to be a great offensive mind with fresh ideas so let's see what he can do because I've seen more than enough of Frank as a playcaller and I'm not even touching his decisions on when to take the points or go for it in the flow of a game.

 

 You don't like his coaching... Whaa

He is here, find another team. 

 

[Superman]

Reich was really bad on Sunday. And he's been bad before. He's also been good before. 

 

I've consistently used the limited QBs as an excuse for Reich. I assume we haven't seen what he really wants to do with a QB with any consistency since late 2018. And even Sunday, he said before the game that he'd keep the reins on Wentz, given the circumstances. I don't agree with that decision, but it appears obvious that he was conservative in his use of the QB, and with trying to pound the ball with the RBs.

 

If Reich can loosen up a little bit and help the offense get into a rhythm, then maybe he can find that flow he had in 2018 with Luck. But if he's going to be conservative and stubborn, and continually put his offense in 2nd and long, 3rd and long, and have multiple three and outs at pivotal points of the game, then he deserves lots of criticism.

[The Fish]

21 minutes ago, Flash7 said:

The Colts want to be a tough, run between the tackles type of offense. A run first offense in a passing league.

 

Honestly, it's boring. I tune in to watch my favorite football team play, hopefully win, and also to be entertained. It's all in the name of entertainment. Grown ups playing a kids game.

 

Let it be fun again. Air it out. Be creative.

 

 

 

BTW - I like Reich; want him to be the head coach, just give the play calling duties to someone else.

This is why complaining about play calling is a strange proposition. There's an element when things don't work, where it gets assumed that if they can't run, they could throw or vice versa. I think the Colts issues are more involved than picking the correct play, as of now.

 

Right now, they're balancing a few things that aren't going to make life easier on the scheme. Braden with the foot, Kelly with his elbow, Q with the foot, Fisher with the ACL comeback.. This team is built right there and 4 of the 5 guys have some issues. Yet, they have to run the ball, they have to protect Wentz literally and figuratively (by running the ball) because he's new and didn't get much practice. If they're going to throw the ball 40 times a game, who's getting those targets? I'd like to see some all 22, to get an idea of who's getting downfield separation, or if a guy like Campbell isn't being used that way..

 

I'm all in on the complaining, but it does need to be balanced a bit.

 

[stitches]

IMO Reich is 

6 minutes ago, Superman said:

Reich was really bad on Sunday. And he's been bad before. He's also been good before. 

 

I've consistently used the limited QBs as an excuse for Reich. I assume we haven't seen what he really wants to do with a QB with any consistency since late 2018. And even Sunday, he said before the game that he'd keep the reins on Wentz, given the circumstances. I don't agree with that decision, but it appears obvious that he was conservative in his use of the QB, and with trying to pound the ball with the RBs.

Yep. Reich is naturally conservative coach/playcaller. This to me is incredibly clear and has been clear for a while. The only thing that's his saving grace is him actually going for it on 4th down, which from what I gather is him actually trusting an analytics guy in the booth for most of those. And he's had some bad luck/bad playcalling resulting in unsuccessful 4th down conversions that I fear he will start going against the analytically correct decision in the future. He had a weird statement about it fter the game on Sunday, too . 

 

The first red flags for me were his statements about the run game/playaction relationship, about our OLine performance, etc. after that 2018 season. IMO it's clear he's an old school coach with a pinch of trust in his analytics guy in the booth. IMO Luck was huge reason for the offensive success in 2018(i.e. making changes to playcalls at the LoS)... This offense has serious trouble with establishing rhythm and flow in the offense and it usually looks best in 2 cases - scripted plays in the beginning of the game when him and the coaching staff actually have prepared and predetermined what will be run, and hurry up offense, when a lot of the responsibility is on the QB to get his teammates lined up and ready and get them in good plays.  

 

6 minutes ago, Superman said:

If Reich can loosen up a little bit and help the offense get into a rhythm, then maybe he can find that flow he had in 2018 with Luck. But if he's going to be conservative and stubborn, and continually put his offense in 2nd and long, 3rd and long, and have multiple three and outs at pivotal points of the game, then he deserves lots of criticism.

IMO Reich is probably best with a QB who he trusts to make the calls on the LoS and if that QB is naturally aggressive that's the best combination that meshes two styles in a somewhat balanced fashion. I was happy with how Wentz didn't go all heroball on Sunday, but maybe in the future I would actually like him to freelance a little bit more. He seemed to do a LOT of work making adjustments and audibles at the LoS, but I'd like it if he took some more chances downfield... (disclaimer - haven't watched all 22 so no idea if he had open receivers downfield and he just missed them(i.e. Brissett), or just nothing was open and protection wasn't great. 

[John Hammonds]

It's true.  Frank Reich is not Andy Reid.  Nor Bill Belichick.

He's also not Adam Gase, either.  And thank goodness for that!

 

He's a fair to good coach, whose leadership skills outweigh his playcalling skills.

Could we have a better coach?  Sure.

Could we have a far worse coach?  Oh, yeah.

 

I'll keep the bird in the hand for now, rather than pining for the two in the bush.

[twfish]

I like Reich as a head coach. I think he is a great leader of men, the players respect him and play hard for him. Despite us not making the 4th down plays (we made a ton of them last year, we just sucked Sunday) I still like that we go for it and he puts faith in the players to get the job done..... I HATE Reich as the play caller for the offense though. I think he is incredibly vanilla and predictable. I was honestly in awe when we ran the exact same play back to back. Missed a lot of opportunity's with the play action pass. 

 

I honestly believe we have some seriously talented WR's but Reich does them zero justice. Its painful when you see guys being schemed wide open on other teams but somehow we cant do that. Let our OC call the plays instead of Reich and ill be happy...

[JediXMan]

Can we stop running Hines on 3rd and short situations when we have JT, Mack and Wilkins already ugh.

[bluephantom87]

29 minutes ago, throwing BBZ said:

 

 You don't like his coaching... Whaa

He is here, find another team. 

 

 

First off Frank is a first time hc so he will make some overall COACHING mistakes that he will learn from such as when to take the points or go for it based on the flow of the game. I never said I didn't want him as hc, I said he needs to give up the playcalling. As of now I like Frank as hc his players seem to respect, like and play to their abilities for him. As far as looking for another team NO the Colts are my team ride or die! If you believe NOTHING can be questioned about the Colts then either stay off the MB that discusses Colts football or stay away from topics that that might step on your sensitive toes.

[GoColts8818]

3 minutes ago, JediXMan said:

Can we stop running Hines on 3rd and short situations when we have JT, Mack and Wilkins already ugh.

Now this I agree on.  I’ve been on this since last year.  I think they think they are surprising teams with it or not making it obvious by putting the pass catching back in there and in truth when you do it every time teams know what’s coming.  Last year I hoped they would realize it’s not working and do something else but now I am resigned to the fact that that’s what they are going to do and I just sigh.

[bluephantom87]

I have no problem with Frank the hc. His playcalling is my issue. He has room to grow as a first time hc but he ALREADY has a track record as a playcaller. I just think it's time to get creative and open this offense up with a new playcaller so we can start putting defenses on their heels. We are way too predictable and have been for a while now.

[CanuckColt]

Reich is a good "players coach" but his gameday coaching is below average.

[Superman]

41 minutes ago, stitches said:

IMO Reich is 

Yep. Reich is naturally conservative coach/playcaller. This to me is incredibly clear and has been clear for a while. The only thing that's his saving grace is him actually going for it on 4th down, which from what I gather is him actually trusting an analytics guy in the booth for most of those. And he's had some bad luck/bad playcalling resulting in unsuccessful 4th down conversions that I fear he will start going against the analytically correct decision in the future. He had a weird statement about it fter the game on Sunday, too . 

 

The first red flags for me were his statements about the run game/playaction relationship, about our OLine performance, etc. after that 2018 season. IMO it's clear he's an old school coach with a pinch of trust in his analytics guy in the booth. IMO Luck was huge reason for the offensive success in 2018(i.e. making changes to playcalls at the LoS)... This offense has serious trouble with establishing rhythm and flow in the offense and it usually looks best in 2 cases - scripted plays in the beginning of the game when him and the coaching staff actually have prepared and predetermined what will be run, and hurry up offense, when a lot of the responsibility is on the QB to get his teammates lined up and ready and get them in good plays.  

 

IMO Reich is probably best with a QB who he trusts to make the calls on the LoS and if that QB is naturally aggressive that's the best combination that meshes two styles in a somewhat balanced fashion. I was happy with how Wentz didn't go all heroball on Sunday, but maybe in the future I would actually like him to freelance a little bit more. He seemed to do a LOT of work making adjustments and audibles at the LoS, but I'd like it if he took some more chances downfield... (disclaimer - haven't watched all 22 so no idea if he had open receivers downfield and he just missed them(i.e. Brissett), or just nothing was open and protection wasn't great. 

 

4th down decisions are separate from play calling, for me. You can be aggressive in go-for-it situations, and still conservative as a play caller, and vice versa. It's two separate things. So while Reich is more aggressive on 4th down, his general play calling still trends toward being more conservative.

 

Also, when your running game is rolling, I don't care if you run the ball 50 times in a row. If it's working, and you're scoring points and controlling the clock, you have my approval. If you're stubbornly running on first down and your offense can't get going, then we have a problem. 

 

And in general, I'm not too worried about what a play caller says, I'm worried about what he does. Coaches speak in cliches. If he says 'we want to run the ball to establish play action,' my ears perk up, but if he uses play action without worrying about the run being established, then I'm fine with it. But yeah, Reich has been more true to the cliches than I'd like.

 

Still, I think you're assuming a lot about Luck's adjustments at the line. Rivers had freedom to change plays at the line, and still trended conservative, especially with downfield shots (and yes, there were opportunities last year that Rivers just didn't pull the trigger on, for anyone wondering). 

 

On the other hand, I'm assuming that with a capable QB that he trusts, Reich will loosen up, and we might see more of the 2018 flow. Hopefully I'm right and you're wrong.

 

And even if I'm right, I still think having the HC as the primary play caller is a disadvantage, and I'd love to see that change at some point. Not holding my breath, though.

[Superman]

I want to see stats on play action results vs back to back play action results. 

[krunk]

Does he need to consider giving up the playcalling duties to Brady at some point? I mentioned this last year. Sirriani looked pretty good in his debut.

[chad72]

1 hour ago, Flash7 said:

The Colts want to be a tough, run between the tackles type of offense. A run first offense in a passing league.

 

Honestly, it's boring. I tune in to watch my favorite football team play, hopefully win, and also to be entertained. It's all in the name of entertainment. Grown ups playing a kids game.

 

Let it be fun again. Air it out. Be creative.

 

 

 

BTW - I like Reich; want him to be the head coach, just give the play calling duties to someone else.

On the other hand, Nick Sirianni looked really good with multiple RB formations used in tandem with a QB like Hurts, plenty of motion with WRs and split TEs, and ample RPO options for Hurts too.

[DougDew]

After the SB, I remember many comments here spoke about how KCs offense couldn't do anything because the oline caused Mahomes to run for his life.

[EastStreet]

 

 

 

The knives seem to be coming out more and more. He's getting pelted by a lot of media too. And frankly, that's where things start to go down hill. He needs to show something this year IMO. I don't want him gone. If things don't work out this year, I'd rather see him simply give up play calling, than be fired.

 

• Things I really like about Reich
  • Great "guy". Honest, loyal, kind, etc. Phenomenal face for the team
  • Good people person, seems to manage the personalities well
• Narratives that are silly to me
  • He's a QB whisperer.... he's probably a better QB coach than play caller, but the narrative itself is tired. There isn't a whole lot of data showing QB improvement that can't be accounted for by improved OL, and conservative scheme.
  • He's an offensive genius.... He wasn't great with the Chargers, and he didn't call plays in Philly.
• Things that drive me nuts
  • At times, lack of team preparation.
    • The opening losses (not solely a Reich problem)
    • Bad decisions like not giving Hoyer 1st team reps all week when there was a decent chance he's start
  • Going totally against the grain, or against simple logic/common-sense at times with game plans, like going air raid all game vs teams that had bottom tier run-Ds. Then next week not throwing vs bad pass Ds... 
  • Stale and/or conservative offense. We play a bend don't break D, but we play an O that feels like it's bend don't break too lol. Feels like rinse/repeat. I'm all for rinse/repeat is it works well. But when it doesn't, need to see less repeat.
  • Stubbornness. I don't know if it's stubbornness, or just inability to adjust well. Either way, doesn't matter.
  • No feel for the game. Analytics are great, but there has to be a human ingredient on calls. There examples of this are growing, and he doesn't seem to be learning.
  • Misc
    • Running your APB up the gut on short yardage and goal line situations... Once in a while is fine to keep teams honest, but just use your power back (who by the way can also catch)... 
    • Forgetting quickly about things that worked very very well. Like the sail routes to MAC in the MN game last year. Doesn't have to be MAC, but lets see the route.
• The musical chair QB excuse is good excuse, but it runs out this year

[DougDew]

The team has/had 3 first round picks on the oline, pick 37, and Glow.  We drafted a ground and pound RB from a power college system, and resigned our primary back from the past three years, who we never cut because he doesn't catch the ball.  And we have Doyle and MAC as the TEs, and a very good run blocking WR is in the game at least 50% of the snaps.  And how may snaps has Parris taken in the NFL?

 

And you folks think the offense is supposed to look more wide open?

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

Reich needs the same quarterback for a few years before I make any determination on him. It takes time to build a relationship where the coach and QB get on the same page. Developing that chemistry doesn’t happen overnight. A bad coach doesn’t go to the playoffs two of the three years with different QB. Should of went with Jacoby if the team hadn’t been decimated with injuries.

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

31 minutes ago, chad72 said:

On the other hand, Nick Sirianni looked really good with multiple RB formations used in tandem with a QB like Hurts, plenty of motion with WRs and split TEs, and ample RPO options for Hurts too.

Once this team gets some playing time together all of these kind of options should be on the table with Wentz mobility. Brady is supposed to be a good offensive mind. I just don’t think after no one practicing in camp ect it’s going to just appear. Ifs going to take some time before we see it. We will probably need some patience. I know alot of us have said 22 is where it will really be at. Use this year to develop the chemistry and learn with the pass catchers. Then in 22 they will just hit the ground running with no learning curve. Then you also have Dayo on defense really added to the mix. I am prepared for struggles this season but hope to see improvement all year. Then next year it’s just go time. If he doesn’t get creative with Wentz in the next couple of years and win then it will probably be his time to go. He has what exactly he wanted in a QB now. 

[stitches]

 

^ take a look at this. Conservative! 

[aReggie7]

35 minutes ago, Wentzszn said:

Reich needs the same quarterback for a few years before I make any determination on him. It takes time to build a relationship where the coach and QB get on the same page. Developing that chemistry doesn’t happen overnight.

 

I have criticisms of Reich and I think EastStreet summed a lot of them up.

 

But I think you make a great point here. Sure, Rivers and Wentz played for Reich before but they still need time to develop chemistry not only with Reich but the other players too.

 

We should only look back to the Manning era to see how important chemistry was and the time it takes for players/coaches to develop it. That was an amazing era and loaded with great talent which everyone recognizes that. To your point about needing time to develop chemistry though that's something that gets overlooked with that group. There was great stability with Manning coming in with Tarik Glenn at LT, Marvin Harrison as his #1 WR, and Jeff Saturday as the C from his second/third year and beyond. Then there was Tom Moore. Maybe nobody is more overlooked than Tom Moore. Having him as the OC, from day 1 and through a coaching change, that helped tremendously. I know that's not a direct comparison with Reich being the HC but I think it helps underscore the importance of chemistry and time to develop it.

[DougDew]

2 minutes ago, stitches said:

 

^ take a look at this. 

Looks like the play caller or the LOS play caller had little confidence in the passing game, or was protecting the QB.

[EastStreet]

13 minutes ago, Wentzszn said:

Reich needs the same quarterback for a few years before I make any determination on him. It takes time to build a relationship where the coach and QB get on the same page. Developing that chemistry doesn’t happen overnight. A bad coach doesn’t go to the playoffs two of the three years with different QB. Should of went with Jacoby if the team hadn’t been decimated with injuries.

 

5 minutes ago, Wentzszn said:

Once this team gets some playing time together all of these kind of options should be on the table with Wentz mobility. Brady is supposed to be a good offensive mind. I just don’t think after no one practicing in camp ect it’s going to just appear. Ifs going to take some time before we see it. We will probably need some patience. I know alot of us have said 22 is where it will really be at. Use this year to develop the chemistry and learn with the pass catchers. Then in 22 they will just hit the ground running with no learning curve. Then you also have Dayo on defense really added to the mix. I am prepared for struggles this season but hope to see improvement all year. Then next year it’s just go time.

 

Folks look for 22 for the run, yes, but they expect a lot of improvement in several areas by the 2nd half of the season. 

 

We don't need to go far or anything this year, but If we don't see some type of sustained positive trending this year, we don't need to see another year... 

[stitches]

6 minutes ago, DougDew said:

Looks like the play caller or the LOS play caller had little confidence in the passing game, or was protecting the QB.

The thing is - with Reich usually all the long-term game neutral pass % stats are in the same realm. He just is conservative. Or never trusts his passing game and protection.

[EastStreet]

1 minute ago, stitches said:

The thing is - with Reich usually all the long-term game neutral pass % stats are in the same realm. He just is conservative. 

Bingo

[DougDew]

9 minutes ago, stitches said:

The thing is - with Reich usually all the long-term game neutral pass % stats are in the same realm. He just is conservative. Or never trusts his passing game and protection.

What is the "expectation" component based on?

 

I think when we keep Mack around for three years, who despite not being a pile mover still never caught the ball, it says all that we need to know about what kind of offense we should expect to see.

[Thunderbolt]

Reich needs to take a different approach, first let someone else do the play calling for the offense that's why you have an OC. Second, needs to put a little fire on this team, looks to mellow, quiet, need some physicality and energy and hold players accountable.  Thirdly, preparation prior to the game not evident.  Lastly, if any of the aforementioned isn't followed I would say it would be a  long, dreary, cold weather season and change might occur.

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

17 minutes ago, EastStreet said:

 

 

Folks look for 22 for the run, yes, but they expect a lot of improvement in several areas by the 2nd half of the season. 

 

We don't need to go far or anything this year, but If we don't see some type of sustained positive trending this year, we don't need to see another year... 

Yes this is exactly what I said. We need to see improvement as the year progresses so we can say yes Wentz is the guy. It would be really nice to be playing at a high level by the end of the year and maybe make the playoffs so there is no doubt who the future is. Sure would be nice to roll into 22 with the same players or even some upgraded weapons and just hit the ground running next year. Just once it would be nice to have some consistency and not wonder who the QB will be. 
 

There are no more excuses for Reich because he has his QB now.

 

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

20 minutes ago, DougDew said:

Looks like the play caller or the LOS play caller had little confidence in the passing game, or was protecting the QB.

Well he did give two interviews before the game Sunday and flat out said the playbook wouldn’t be all the way open. In one he said he wanted to keep wenhz in the pocket as much as possible.

[EastStreet]

6 minutes ago, Wentzszn said:

Yes this is exactly what I said. We need to see improvement as the year progresses so we can say yes Wentz is the guy. It would be really nice to be playing at a high level by the end of the year and maybe make the playoffs so there is no doubt who the future is. Sure would be nice to roll into 22 with the same players or even some upgraded weapons and just hit the ground running next year. Just once it would be nice to have some consistency and not wonder who the QB will be. 
 

There are no more excuses for Reich because he has his QB now.

 

 

I'm talking more about Reich, not Wentz.... 

[stitches]

10 minutes ago, DougDew said:

What is the "expectation" component based on?

 

I think when we keep Mack around for three years, who despite not being a pile mover still never caught the ball, it says all that we need to know about what kind of offense we should expect to see.

The guy who posted it says it takes variety of factors into account - down and distance, time, etc. 

 

 

 

 

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

23 minutes ago, ar7 said:

 

I have criticisms of Reich and I think EasyStreet summed a lot of them up.

 

But I think you make a great point here. Sure, Rivers and Wentz played for Reich before but they still need time to develop chemistry not only with Reich but the other players too.

 

We should only look back to the Manning era to see how important chemistry was and the time it takes for players/coaches to develop it. That was an amazing era and loaded with great talent which everyone recognizes that. To your point about needing time to develop chemistry though that's something that gets overlooked with that group. There was great stability with Manning coming in with Tarik Glenn at LT, Marvin Harrison as his #1 WR, and Jeff Saturday as the C from his second/third year and beyond. Then there was Tom Moore. Maybe nobody is more overlooked than Tom Moore. Having him as the OC, from day 1 and through a coaching change, that helped tremendously. I know that's not a direct comparison with Reich being the HC but I think it helps underscore the importance of chemistry and time to develop it.

Plus the center, LG, and QB missed almost all of camp. There is nothing like actual games. Our backup QB took all the snaps in camp. If all of this hadn’t happened things might be different. Then add Wentz is still recovery from foot surgery. I do think it will all come together by mid season. The question is how will the rest of the division be and will we still be able to make the playoffs.

 

Reich has a lot of work with when it comes to Wentz. He showed stuff we haven’t seen from a QB since Luck with his scrambling and running ability.

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

2 minutes ago, EastStreet said:

 

I'm talking more about Reich, not Wentz.... 

I am just talking about everyone. Reich should improve as the offense gets more comfortable. He has his guy now so there are no more excuses.

[DougDew]

12 minutes ago, stitches said:

The guy who posted it says it takes variety of factors into account - down and distance, time, etc. 

 

 

 

 

But despite the data mining, he's still defining the standard he measures teams against.  

 

It sounds like the Colts run the ball more than the standard expects them too.

 

Isn't that what we're all saying?  That the Colts are more conservative than other teams.  

 

We are the team that kept a non pile driving non catching RB as its #1 RB for three years....gladly, apparently...to run through creases the oline provided.  Conservative offense is the implicit expectation we should be working with here, IMO. 

[Myles]

2 hours ago, JediXMan said:

Can we stop running Hines on 3rd and short situations when we have JT, Mack and Wilkins already ugh.

It was so disappointing on that 3rd and 3.