2021 Rams at Colts Postgame Thoughts

[philba101]

1. (Prediction: If Carson Wentz gets hit 15 times again (Lookout for Aaron Donald), he will be on IR before game 3. The Jacob Eason error (not a misspelling) will begin.

 Tuesday at 03:39 PM)

I hate being right about these things. But some things are as predictable as a Colts goal line play call. Maybe he doesn't go to IR but the results are the same.

2. Conversely, if the O-line problems don't get fixed, it is not going to matter what QB is behind center for us, including Wentz. That QB will either get hurt or struggle to gain any momentum. 

3. The poor and predictable play calling continues. For years the Colts have insisted on using the power package on the goal line. Every offensive player inside the tight ends. Run the ball up the middle into a clump of waiting defenders. These plays might look/feel great when our line is dominating like in the playoff game in Houston in 2019, but our line is clearly not dominating anyone right now, and probably won't be for some time now.  Spread the field so the defense is forced to do the same. Show some creativity besides an underhand flip pass to a waiting defender. I was really hoping Reich would continue to be the aggressive play caller that helped the Eagles defeat the Patriots in the Super Bowl. But every coach seems to get conservative/predictable when they come to Indy, Reich is no exception.

4. Why are we even debating about what Quarterbacks to sign? We all know that the Colts are going to do what they always do, be predictable. Stick with Eason, ride it out, keep us afloat until Wentz gets back to get injured again. 

5. The bad news is we get to watch the Colts seasonal meltdown with an inside view this year. It will be hard for Reich and Ballard to run from their internal mistakes when they will be documented on Primetime TV this year via Hard Knocks. What is the old saying? Misery loves company. I think I will pass on witnessing that.

[Fluke_33]

1 hour ago, JediXMan said:

Don’t go into the Titans- Colts predictions thread it pessimistic city in there lol.

What do you think the first thing i did after reading that?  i went into that thread of course.  lol.

[shasta519]

Many are focusing on the OL issues (rightfully so), but the defense not even being average is probably a bigger deal regarding the rest of the season.

 

We know the OL is a bit banged up and we have a proven track record (since 2018) to assume it will get better.

 

But we don't really have that with the defense. We don't even have any recency bias on it because it's been since the middle of last season that they consistently played at a high level.

 

So much TC hype too for so many players too.

 

My big overreactions after two games:

• Leonard - He looks pedestrian out there, aside from the occasional splash play. Clearly not 100% and seems hesitant. On pace for about 100 TKLs, which is really low for him. Pass coverage looks even worse than last year. Definitely hurt, but the bigger question is whether he is going to be able to get right for a long time.
• Okereke - The offseason hype was puzzling. He's been bad enough that people are pining for Anthony Walker.
• Paye - The DROY candidate who people were pegging for 10+ sacks. Looks to be very promising, but not sure if he has actually even gotten to a QB yet. Still has a ways to go before he is the game-changing ER we hope he is.
• Stewart - Been solid. Playing higher snaps than ever, which could be a good thing or a bad thing.
• Muhammad - Currently the team leader in sacks. Has been his usual solid self, but he's not really a game changer.
• DeFo - Elite player, but hasn't been his usual game wrecker self like last year. Likely facing double teams because of the lack of threats around him.
• Lewis - Getting beat out for snaps by Muhammad apparently. Lewis hasn't been a bad player, but he's a JAG.
• Banogu - Can't even get on the field. All those offseason narratives and has played 10 snaps while the DL is struggling getting pressure.
• Moore - He's still a great nickel CB, but has been getting picked on again this year. His pass coverage is trending in the wrong direction.
• RYS - Surprisingly, Rock has the lowest passer rating of any DB, though he's only been targeted twice on short passes (probably because his DB mates are getting picked on). He's been fine, but hasn't really been tested yet because teams don't have to throw it his way.
• Carrie - Was really bad in the preseason and hasn't been much better in the regular season.
• Blackmon - Playing the same as he was late last season. Gets beat deep and has a propensity to miss tackles.
• Willis - Made a nice INT on an errant pass, but has been really bad this year. Willis and Blackmon being the next great S duo in the NFL seems like wishful thinking in the short-term. 

Could be that some of these guys are just already banged up. Rhodes being out hurts and obviously Leonard not being at 100% hurts. But not sure when Rhodes will be back (and what he will look like at age 31 coming off an injury)...and who knows if Leonard can get healthy without extended rest.

 

I just don't know where the immediate improvements will come from. But hopefully, it's the opposite of last year, where they start off slow and then get hot in the second half. Right now, this defense looks like a bottom 1/3 or bottom 1/4 unit in the NFL. The pass coverage is really bad and the DL also isn't getting any real pressure. Even more puzzling, the typically stout run defense isn't there. 

 

And if Eason has to start for a few games, the defense is only going to get tested more.

[rockywoj]

33 minutes ago, cbear said:

Fisher played well as did Q of course. Kelly, Glow, Davenport were terrible. Kelly didn't get any push and whiffed on several plays. Glow played against Donald a bunch, but still. Pryor looked decent. 

 

I don't have a problem with four runs from the 1 yard line. How many times in the past have we complained about getting fancy when we need a yard? I would have taken the fg, but if I went for it, I would have pounded it on 4th as well. 

 

I still would like to see all 5 olinemen playing for a couple games before we start making crazy statements. Last year, I believe the starting line played almost every game together.

 

That left side was solid. Q was even back to scanning the line to see who to help as Fisher didn't need any. And with a healthy Smith back, maybe Glow starts paying attention to his own assignment. 

 

We didn't play well consistently against a very good team but it was a winnable game down to the wire. Assuming Wentz isn't hurt badly, I still think we'll be OK. 15 games to go. 

On the 1st & goal from the 1, I agree with committing going for it on all 4 downs. I am even ok on the power run attempt on 1st down, but after that play failed, I would’ve committed to 3 more consecutive runs, but 2nd, 3rd, & 4th downs I would’ve tried 3 consecutive running plays from spread out offenses, so as to spread out the defense.  Going back 2 decades now, the Colts have almost always failed from the bunched up power run formation.  I wish they would toss it out from the playbook. 

[Zoltan]

2 hours ago, Wentzszn said:

I am not going to sugar coat things but the oline is probably built better to protect a pocket passer then a guy like Wentz. Eason will probably also take more checkdowns AI Hines and Taylor will probably have better games.

I mean with how they are performing and Davenport in the line up, a pocket passer would be in the ICU. Wentz was often making the first defender miss in the pocket and then scrambled out. He wasn’t scrambling out of clean pockets. 

[throwing BBZ]

22 hours ago, EastStreet said:

 

The gut shovel is a timing play. 

Wasn't off target.

Donald blew up the play.

 

Even Frank said so on his presser 15 minutes ago.

 

It was a dumb call against one of the best iDLs in the league, in a spot where your OL is weak and has not been working.

 

    If Donald were lined as an end the call is ok.

   If Donald is lined up in the middle you EXPECT Donald will penetrate and disrupt the play just as he did.

  So, Wentz should have checked out of the play. What Wentz did do was so totally messed up, just bizarre.

 

 

[Dingus McGirt]

1 hour ago, philba101 said:

1. (Prediction: If Carson Wentz gets hit 15 times again (Lookout for Aaron Donald), he will be on IR before game 3. The Jacob Eason error (not a misspelling) will begin.

 Tuesday at 03:39 PM)

I hate being right about these things. But some things are as predictable as a Colts goal line play call. Maybe he doesn't go to IR but the results are the same.

2. Conversely, if the O-line problems don't get fixed, it is not going to matter what QB is behind center for us, including Wentz. That QB will either get hurt or struggle to gain any momentum. 

3. The poor and predictable play calling continues. For years the Colts have insisted on using the power package on the goal line. Every offensive player inside the tight ends. Run the ball up the middle into a clump of waiting defenders. These plays might look/feel great when our line is dominating like in the playoff game in Houston in 2019, but our line is clearly not dominating anyone right now, and probably won't be for some time now.  Spread the field so the defense is forced to do the same. Show some creativity besides an underhand flip pass to a waiting defender. I was really hoping Reich would continue to be the aggressive play caller that helped the Eagles defeat the Patriots in the Super Bowl. But every coach seems to get conservative/predictable when they come to Indy, Reich is no exception.

4. Why are we even debating about what Quarterbacks to sign? We all know that the Colts are going to do what they always do, be predictable. Stick with Eason, ride it out, keep us afloat until Wentz gets back to get injured again. 

5. The bad news is we get to watch the Colts seasonal meltdown with an inside view this year. It will be hard for Reich and Ballard to run from their internal mistakes when they will be documented on Primetime TV this year via Hard Knocks. What is the old saying? Misery loves company. I think I will pass on witnessing that.

Good for you.

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

I think I am changing my mind about the colts defense Sunday. This is a offensive league and we only allowed ten points at halftime. The one gripe I have is after they took the lead we let them go back down the field so easy. A good defense has to stop them there after we took the lead. Good defenses make the critical stop.

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

Reich actually said in his presser they almost went for it on 4th down on the FG where we tied it at the end. He said going for it was almost as green as the FG. Imagine if he had went for it and they missed it lol. I assume Wentz getting hurt changed that plan if there was any thought of going for it.

[Btown_Colt]

15 minutes ago, Wentzszn said:

I think I am changing my mind about the colts defense Sunday. This is a offensive league and we only allowed ten points at halftime. The one gripe I have is after they took the lead we let them go back down the field so easy. A good defense has to stop them there after we took the lead. Good defenses make the critical stop.

Hurry, change it back 

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

25 minutes ago, Btown_Colt said:

Hurry, change it back 

I can change mind mind after thinking about it. We all know first impressions and emotions aren’t usually as bad as what you think at the time. Anyone that says they haven’t changed their mind on certain things after thinking about it for a day is lying. That’s one reason we have conversations. Sometimes someone can make you think of something you haven’t thought of. Anyone who isn’t willing to have a open mind is close minded.

[EastStreet]

7 hours ago, throwing BBZ said:

 

    If Donald were lined as an end the call is ok.

   If Donald is lined up in the middle you EXPECT Donald will penetrate and disrupt the play just as he did.

  So, Wentz should have checked out of the play. What Wentz did do was so totally messed up, just bizarre.

 

 

 

I read a stats somewhere that Donald is between the Ts (B and A gaps) like 90+% of the time. And guessing that would be higher at the goal line... I'm sure Reich has those stats..  So if it's pretty much a guarantee where he'll be..... why call the play....

 

 

[Moosejawcolt]

9 hours ago, shasta519 said:

Many are focusing on the OL issues (rightfully so), but the defense not even being average is probably a bigger deal regarding the rest of the season.

 

We know the OL is a bit banged up and we have a proven track record (since 2018) to assume it will get better.

 

But we don't really have that with the defense. We don't even have any recency bias on it because it's been since the middle of last season that they consistently played at a high level.

 

So much TC hype too for so many players too.

 

My big overreactions after two games:

• Leonard - He looks pedestrian out there, aside from the occasional splash play. Clearly not 100% and seems hesitant. On pace for about 100 TKLs, which is really low for him. Pass coverage looks even worse than last year. Definitely hurt, but the bigger question is whether he is going to be able to get right for a long time.
• Okereke - The offseason hype was puzzling. He's been bad enough that people are pining for Anthony Walker.
• Paye - The DROY candidate who people were pegging for 10+ sacks. Looks to be very promising, but not sure if he has actually even gotten to a QB yet. Still has a ways to go before he is the game-changing ER we hope he is.
• Stewart - Been solid. Playing higher snaps than ever, which could be a good thing or a bad thing.
• Muhammad - Currently the team leader in sacks. Has been his usual solid self, but he's not really a game changer.
• DeFo - Elite player, but hasn't been his usual game wrecker self like last year. Likely facing double teams because of the lack of threats around him.
• Lewis - Getting beat out for snaps by Muhammad apparently. Lewis hasn't been a bad player, but he's a JAG.
• Banogu - Can't even get on the field. All those offseason narratives and has played 10 snaps while the DL is struggling getting pressure.
• Moore - He's still a great nickel CB, but has been getting picked on again this year. His pass coverage is trending in the wrong direction.
• RYS - Surprisingly, Rock has the lowest passer rating of any DB, though he's only been targeted twice on short passes (probably because his DB mates are getting picked on). He's been fine, but hasn't really been tested yet because teams don't have to throw it his way.
• Carrie - Was really bad in the preseason and hasn't been much better in the regular season.
• Blackmon - Playing the same as he was late last season. Gets beat deep and has a propensity to miss tackles.
• Willis - Made a nice INT on an errant pass, but has been really bad this year. Willis and Blackmon being the next great S duo in the NFL seems like wishful thinking in the short-term. 

Could be that some of these guys are just already banged up. Rhodes being out hurts and obviously Leonard not being at 100% hurts. But not sure when Rhodes will be back (and what he will look like at age 31 coming off an injury)...and who knows if Leonard can get healthy without extended rest.

 

I just don't know where the immediate improvements will come from. But hopefully, it's the opposite of last year, where they start off slow and then get hot in the second half. Right now, this defense looks like a bottom 1/3 or bottom 1/4 unit in the NFL. The pass coverage is really bad and the DL also isn't getting any real pressure. Even more puzzling, the typically stout run defense isn't there. 

 

And if Eason has to start for a few games, the defense is only going to get tested more.

Awesome break down. U can argue all u want about how Ballard was left with no talent and the qb situation. One thing I will hold him accountable to is the construction of this defence. This is the style of the defence he wanted to play; the Seattle style. These r all his players and I only see one player that is a star and he never even drafted him...Buckner.  I have seen very little improvement from Everflus' 1st year and I am not really sure sometimes if he is the problem. I think it is more scheme and lack of talent to carry out the scheme.

[EastStreet]

Good post

 

10 hours ago, shasta519 said:

Many are focusing on the OL issues (rightfully so), but the defense not even being average is probably a bigger deal regarding the rest of the season.

 

We know the OL is a bit banged up and we have a proven track record (since 2018) to assume it will get better.

 

But we don't really have that with the defense. We don't even have any recency bias on it because it's been since the middle of last season that they consistently played at a high level.

 

So much TC hype too for so many players too.

OL concern is spot on as it's negating a lot of things (running and passing), and impacting our D downstream (mental and snaps).

 

But it's definitely not the only issue. While the OL can likely get healthy, our D really doesn't have injury to point to. Teams are just exploiting a lot of things many of us identified last year. 
 

10 hours ago, shasta519 said:

 

My big overreactions after two games:

• Leonard - He looks pedestrian out there, aside from the occasional splash play. Clearly not 100% and seems hesitant. On pace for about 100 TKLs, which is really low for him. Pass coverage looks even worse than last year. Definitely hurt, but the bigger question is whether he is going to be able to get right for a long time.

All very true and spot on. Not much we can do at this point, so frustrating situation. My buddy said move him to MIKE (swap him and Oke). I could see that possibly improving the overall short term, but not sure it's a long term fix. Our LBs are both asked to do a lot though, but Leonard would be much better in the middle IMO than Oke. Just not sure Oke can tackle in traffic at WILL. Less traffic outside though (kinda), which might help Oke.

 

10 hours ago, shasta519 said:

• Okereke - The offseason hype was puzzling. He's been bad enough that people are pining for Anthony Walker.

Nobody should be surprised he's struggling making tackles and shedding blocks. Clear in college, crystal clear in draft profiles, same the last two years. I get it, everyone wants to expect improvement, but it's just not reality for every player. He's got a ceiling. Not saying he can't improve, but he's not turning into to someone he's not.

10 hours ago, shasta519 said:

• Paye - The DROY candidate who people were pegging for 10+ sacks. Looks to be very promising, but not sure if he has actually even gotten to a QB yet. Still has a ways to go before he is the game-changing ER we hope he is.

 

Too soon to judge right now. He didn't get home 1st game, but graded very well. Grades aren't out for this last week, but wouldn't be surprised if he did well again.

 

I know not getting home stinks, but he's also been up against two good LTs. So if he's grading well so far, that should pay dividend later, especially when up against lesser LTs.

 

He also just needs time to refine from over-relying on power/speed.

10 hours ago, shasta519 said:

• Stewart - Been solid. Playing higher snaps than ever, which could be a good thing or a bad thing.

Been a bright spot, that's for sure. Steady incline year over year. Might have something to do with Defo getting doubles?

10 hours ago, shasta519 said:

• Muhammad - Currently the team leader in sacks. Has been his usual solid self, but he's not really a game changer.

More of a "motor" player, than game changer. Good depth or rotational guy. Not 3 down starter.

10 hours ago, shasta519 said:

• DeFo - Elite player, but hasn't been his usual game wrecker self like last year. Likely facing double teams because of the lack of threats around him.

Only one sack, but has a TFL and is leading the team in QB hits IIRC. 

Not worried. As the guys around him improve (confident Paye will), he'll get more 1 on 1 looks.

10 hours ago, shasta519 said:

• Lewis - Getting beat out for snaps by Muhammad apparently. Lewis hasn't been a bad player, but he's a JAG.

This one is a head scratcher to me. Had a better pressure % per snap than most players on the team last year. 

Pretty sure his usage has changed. Meant to pay more attention. 

10 hours ago, shasta519 said:

• Banogu - Can't even get on the field. All those offseason narratives and has played 10 snaps while the DL is struggling getting pressure.

Just needs more development.... I kid.

10 hours ago, shasta519 said:

• Moore - He's still a great nickel CB, but has been getting picked on again this year. His pass coverage is trending in the wrong direction.

Burnt toast in 2 straight games. He's elite shallow/near the LOS, not the best vs vertical threats. Product of scheme to a large extent.

10 hours ago, shasta519 said:

• RYS - Surprisingly, Rock has the lowest passer rating of any DB, though he's only been targeted twice on short passes (probably because his DB mates are getting picked on). He's been fine, but hasn't really been tested yet because teams don't have to throw it his way.

He's played well before. Not sure if this year's play is imaginary or not lol.... 

But with teams watching film, and choosing to pick on others, I'm going to make the assumption he's better right now, or at minimum opponents think he's better (than our other DBs). lol.. 

We shall see.

10 hours ago, shasta519 said:

• Carrie - Was really bad in the preseason and hasn't been much better in the regular season.

He's a much better NB than outside CB. He's meeting depth CB expectations IMO. Not bad with Rhodes out. 

Can't complain much.

10 hours ago, shasta519 said:

• Blackmon - Playing the same as he was late last season. Gets beat deep and has a propensity to miss tackles.

Gong to bet more and more teams pick on him and Willis while in C2. They'd be crazy not too. He needs to end up as a SS. We don't have a true FS now, so we're stuck.

10 hours ago, shasta519 said:

• Willis - Made a nice INT on an errant pass, but has been really bad this year. Willis and Blackmon being the next great S duo in the NFL seems like wishful thinking in the short-term. 

The wishful thinking last season was off the hook. Willis is tremendous in the box. He's nothing but a liability elsewhere. The FO chose to skimp on S this season, so our options are limited. You'd figure they'd be smarter with scheme plan.

10 hours ago, shasta519 said:

Could be that some of these guys are just already banged up. Rhodes being out hurts and obviously Leonard not being at 100% hurts. But not sure when Rhodes will be back (and what he will look like at age 31 coming off an injury)...and who knows if Leonard can get healthy without extended rest.

 

I just don't know where the immediate improvements will come from. But hopefully, it's the opposite of last year, where they start off slow and then get hot in the second half. Right now, this defense looks like a bottom 1/3 or bottom 1/4 unit in the NFL. The pass coverage is really bad and the DL also isn't getting any real pressure. Even more puzzling, the typically stout run defense isn't there. 

 

And if Eason has to start for a few games, the defense is only going to get tested more.

 

Our schedule gets easier, so our D will look better. Then people will forget the punch you in the nose obvious stuff and sing "elite defense" again... until maybe the playoffs or Tom Brady says high later in the year.

 

The OL will heal, and get better. Need that to happen, and need Wentz to heal. Once that happens, I'm fairly confident in the O.

[Nickster]

12 hours ago, shasta519 said:

Many are focusing on the OL issues (rightfully so), but the defense not even being average is probably a bigger deal regarding the rest of the season.

 

We know the OL is a bit banged up and we have a proven track record (since 2018) to assume it will get better.

 

But we don't really have that with the defense. We don't even have any recency bias on it because it's been since the middle of last season that they consistently played at a high level.

 

So much TC hype too for so many players too.

 

My big overreactions after two games:

• Leonard - He looks pedestrian out there, aside from the occasional splash play. Clearly not 100% and seems hesitant. On pace for about 100 TKLs, which is really low for him. Pass coverage looks even worse than last year. Definitely hurt, but the bigger question is whether he is going to be able to get right for a long time.
• Okereke - The offseason hype was puzzling. He's been bad enough that people are pining for Anthony Walker.
• Paye - The DROY candidate who people were pegging for 10+ sacks. Looks to be very promising, but not sure if he has actually even gotten to a QB yet. Still has a ways to go before he is the game-changing ER we hope he is.
• Stewart - Been solid. Playing higher snaps than ever, which could be a good thing or a bad thing.
• Muhammad - Currently the team leader in sacks. Has been his usual solid self, but he's not really a game changer.
• DeFo - Elite player, but hasn't been his usual game wrecker self like last year. Likely facing double teams because of the lack of threats around him.
• Lewis - Getting beat out for snaps by Muhammad apparently. Lewis hasn't been a bad player, but he's a JAG.
• Banogu - Can't even get on the field. All those offseason narratives and has played 10 snaps while the DL is struggling getting pressure.
• Moore - He's still a great nickel CB, but has been getting picked on again this year. His pass coverage is trending in the wrong direction.
• RYS - Surprisingly, Rock has the lowest passer rating of any DB, though he's only been targeted twice on short passes (probably because his DB mates are getting picked on). He's been fine, but hasn't really been tested yet because teams don't have to throw it his way.
• Carrie - Was really bad in the preseason and hasn't been much better in the regular season.
• Blackmon - Playing the same as he was late last season. Gets beat deep and has a propensity to miss tackles.
• Willis - Made a nice INT on an errant pass, but has been really bad this year. Willis and Blackmon being the next great S duo in the NFL seems like wishful thinking in the short-term. 

Could be that some of these guys are just already banged up. Rhodes being out hurts and obviously Leonard not being at 100% hurts. But not sure when Rhodes will be back (and what he will look like at age 31 coming off an injury)...and who knows if Leonard can get healthy without extended rest.

 

I just don't know where the immediate improvements will come from. But hopefully, it's the opposite of last year, where they start off slow and then get hot in the second half. Right now, this defense looks like a bottom 1/3 or bottom 1/4 unit in the NFL. The pass coverage is really bad and the DL also isn't getting any real pressure. Even more puzzling, the typically stout run defense isn't there. 

 

And if Eason has to start for a few games, the defense is only going to get tested more.

Our D had deceptive numbers.  It feasted on bottom feeders and fasted on good teams. We weren’t top half last year, but I think we are worse in the short term without the vets on the DL we didn’t resign.  I thought it would happen.  Paye may be a really good player who gets a lot of sacks, but I see his trajectory more towards an edge setter not necessarily a sacker like Clowny.  Elite speed, but primitive technique with the feet that limits getting home. Dayo who knows?

 

I just think we are headed towards being pretty bad.  If Paye and Dayo end up being great, the D could make a drastic improvement.  But So far, CB project d linemen draftees have been underwhelming.

 

DL is killing us right now.

[EastStreet]

3 hours ago, Nickster said:

Our D had deceptive numbers.  It feasted on bottom feeders and fasted on good teams. We weren’t top half last year, but I think we are worse in the short term without the vets on the DL we didn’t resign.  I thought it would happen.  Paye may be a really good player who gets a lot of sacks, but I see his trajectory more towards an edge setter not necessarily a sacker like Clowny.  Elite speed, but primitive technique with the feet that limits getting home. Dayo who knows?

 

I just think we are headed towards being pretty bad.  If Paye and Dayo end up being great, the D could make a drastic improvement.  But So far, CB project d linemen draftees have been underwhelming.

 

DL is killing us right now.

 

DBs will look better as we start playing meh QBs, and everyone will go back to believing we are a good pass D.... 

 

DL will actually truly improve with Paye getting experience, but they'll likely be overrated too as our schedule softens.

 

LB pass D will likely look better. Worried about Oke vs the run (Henry) this week though. Ooof.

[shasta519]

6 hours ago, Nickster said:

Our D had deceptive numbers.  It feasted on bottom feeders and fasted on good teams. We weren’t top half last year, but I think we are worse in the short term without the vets on the DL we didn’t resign.  I thought it would happen.  Paye may be a really good player who gets a lot of sacks, but I see his trajectory more towards an edge setter not necessarily a sacker like Clowny.  Elite speed, but primitive technique with the feet that limits getting home. Dayo who knows?

 

I just think we are headed towards being pretty bad.  If Paye and Dayo end up being great, the D could make a drastic improvement.  But So far, CB project d linemen draftees have been underwhelming.

 

DL is killing us right now.

 

Yeah, I posted multiple times about the night and day difference of the defense between the first half and second half of the season. There are always factors to consider for that disparity, but it happened and it seems like most people just assume it's the defense that was elite after the first 3 weeks of 2020. And that wasn't the case...and definitely hasn't been the case so far. 

 

And like you said, the Colts defense stat-stuffed against really bad teams, namely HOU and JAC. HALF of their sacks last year came in 4 games against those two awful teams. Even DeFo got 7 of his 9.5 sacks against those two teams (in 3 games at the end of the season). 

 

I am excited about Paye being a good starting ER though. But he's still developing and it might be a little while before he makes an impact. 

But beyond the DL not doing much at all (despite the massive amount of draft capital on it), I am really concerned about the pass coverage for this team. Waiting to see the updated stats, but I would assume so far that they have been a bottom 5 pass defense. 

[shasta519]

3 hours ago, EastStreet said:

 

DBs will look better as we start playing meh QBs, and everyone will go back to believing we are a good pass D.... 

 

DL will actually truly improve with Paye getting experience, but they'll likely be overrated too as our schedule softens.

 

LB pass D will likely look better. Worried about Oke vs the run (Henry) this week though. Ooof.

 

Perhaps. But if those rookie QBs are playing better football by the time the Colts play them (which is not out of the question), there might not be a lot of meh QBs on the schedule (outside of MIA and HOU). 

 

I think defense being overrated has been a thing for a long time. I do expect some improvement, just not massive improvements, like the ones needed to overcome an offense that isn't very dynamic or high-scoring. 

[Nickster]

5 hours ago, shasta519 said:

 

Yeah, I posted multiple times about the night and day difference of the defense between the first half and second half of the season. There are always factors to consider for that disparity, but it happened and it seems like most people just assume it's the defense that was elite after the first 3 weeks of 2020. And that wasn't the case...and definitely hasn't been the case so far. 

 

And like you said, the Colts defense stat-stuffed against really bad teams, namely HOU and JAC. HALF of their sacks last year came in 4 games against those two awful teams. Even DeFo got 7 of his 9.5 sacks against those two teams (in 3 games at the end of the season). 

 

I am excited about Paye being a good starting ER though. But he's still developing and it might be a little while before he makes an impact. 

But beyond the DL not doing much at all (despite the massive amount of draft capital on it), I am really concerned about the pass coverage for this team. Waiting to see the updated stats, but I would assume so far that they have been a bottom 5 pass defense. 

Lotta draft capital in the secondary too man.  Dline covers a lot of ugly though.  It’s like Obi wan Kenobi.  Help us defensive line, you’re our only hope.

[bertjones7]

On 9/20/2021 at 2:26 PM, philba101 said:

1. (Prediction: If Carson Wentz gets hit 15 times again (Lookout for Aaron Donald), he will be on IR before game 3. The Jacob Eason error (not a misspelling) will begin.

 Tuesday at 03:39 PM)

I hate being right about these things. But some things are as predictable as a Colts goal line play call. Maybe he doesn't go to IR but the results are the same.

2. Conversely, if the O-line problems don't get fixed, it is not going to matter what QB is behind center for us, including Wentz. That QB will either get hurt or struggle to gain any momentum. 

3. The poor and predictable play calling continues. For years the Colts have insisted on using the power package on the goal line. Every offensive player inside the tight ends. Run the ball up the middle into a clump of waiting defenders. These plays might look/feel great when our line is dominating like in the playoff game in Houston in 2019, but our line is clearly not dominating anyone right now, and probably won't be for some time now.  Spread the field so the defense is forced to do the same. Show some creativity besides an underhand flip pass to a waiting defender. I was really hoping Reich would continue to be the aggressive play caller that helped the Eagles defeat the Patriots in the Super Bowl. But every coach seems to get conservative/predictable when they come to Indy, Reich is no exception.

4. Why are we even debating about what Quarterbacks to sign? We all know that the Colts are going to do what they always do, be predictable. Stick with Eason, ride it out, keep us afloat until Wentz gets back to get injured again. 

5. The bad news is we get to watch the Colts seasonal meltdown with an inside view this year. It will be hard for Reich and Ballard to run from their internal mistakes when they will be documented on Primetime TV this year via Hard Knocks. What is the old saying? Misery loves company. I think I will pass on witnessing that.

 

I posted similar comments to your point #3 in another post.  Stop the old school football of trying to overpower your opponent especially when the OL is struggling.  Run out of 3 Wr set, spread the field and give your rb some space to pick a hole.  Drives me nuts

 

"For years the Colts have insisted on using the power package on the goal line. Every offensive player inside the tight ends. Run the ball up the middle into a clump of waiting defenders. These plays might look/feel great when our line is dominating like in the playoff game in Houston in 2019, but our line is clearly not dominating anyone right now, and probably won't be for some time now.  Spread the field so the defense is forced to do the same. "

[EastStreet]

6 hours ago, shasta519 said:

 

Perhaps. But if those rookie QBs are playing better football by the time the Colts play them (which is not out of the question), there might not be a lot of meh QBs on the schedule (outside of MIA and HOU). 

 

I think defense being overrated has been a thing for a long time. I do expect some improvement, just not massive improvements, like the ones needed to overcome an offense that isn't very dynamic or high-scoring. 

 

Our O will be better than our D once the OL and Wentz are healthy. Our O has looked pretty decent if you take into the account the context that our OL has been trash, RZ woes, injuries, we have a new QB, and our early schedule, etc..

 

The OL being healthy will mean better ground game (which we're still averaging 110ish). I predicted a slow start here, and it happened almost exactly as I thought. 

 

The passing game has also been decent despite all of our issues. Wentz has been one of the most pressured QBs, which has also translated into him scrambling at a high rate. He's been pretty good when he's had time.

 

That's all against a good D, and an elite D. Our defense on the other hand looked like a disaster in both games. So I think it will be our O overcoming a D more than the other way around.

[ojsglove]

On 9/20/2021 at 8:03 AM, throwing BBZ said:

 

 This talking head is such a LOSER!  

 Oh yes, every team should be able to put out a healthy, quality o-line under all circumstances, all season long. Life is tough in the NFL.

 Gee, Aaron Donald IS pretty good.

 We do have a number of young players that are playing a lot of very mediocre snaps. That is why a Wise fan should have the common sense to accept this as a "DEVELOPMENT" Season.  

 Yes, by December we are going to have a much better sense of where the ceiling is for our 2nd and 3rd year players. 

 It is painful to watch a D-line be so ineffective. As were our LB'ers, as was Moore. As was our safeties.

 But we WERE in the game against a TOP Team. 

  All this "fan" whinning is sickening!!  This is your team. They kept fighting, and will keep trying to get better.

 

 These modern day GLADIATORS are putting their long term physical health on the line every day to Entertain You.

 Win, Lose, or Draw these are Your Warriors, Your Coaching Staff, digging with all they have to be their best on game day. But so are their opponents!

 GO COLTS!  

And making wads of money playing a game.

[JediXMan]

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

9 minutes ago, JediXMan said:

How much do you think this is the oline getting used to hold on that extra second with a QB that can extend plays? Although this play didn’t involve the extending of a play. Who is that running wide open down field? Edit it was Dulin. Wentz saw it too. That is a great play design that really stretched the field. Awful play by kelly.

[JediXMan]

7 minutes ago, Wentzszn said:

How much do you think this is the oline getting used to hold on that extra second with a QB that can extend plays? Although this play didn’t involve the extending of a play. Who is that running wide open down field? Edit it was Dulin. Wentz saw it too. That is a great play design that really stretched the field. Awful play by kelly.

It seems to be Dulin. Naw Kelly just got beat badly. It shows you our WRs can get open when the right plays are called. Gotta fix these OL issues though.

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

Just now, JediXMan said:

It seems to be Dulin. Naw Kelly just got beat badly. It shows you our WRs can get open when the right plays are called. Gotta fix these OL issues though.

I like how we stretched the field and created so much space. That looked  to be just a go route by Dulin. Man he is fast.

[EastStreet]

7 minutes ago, Wentzszn said:

I like how we stretched the field and created so much space. That looked  to be just a go route by Dulin. Man he is fast.

 

I've been asking for vert routes for a while. We didn't run much of them last year. 

But they do require more OL pocket time, so probably not a smart play call when your OL sucks.

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

1 minute ago, EastStreet said:

 

I've been asking for vert routes for a while. We didn't run much of them last year. 

But they do require more OL pocket time, so probably not a smart play call when your OL sucks.

Like I was saying earlier the oline may be having issues adjusting to the longer developing plays since we didn’t really run many last season. Something that will come. The lack of practice killed them. 

[EastStreet]

Just now, Wentzszn said:

Like I was saying earlier the oline may be having issues adjusting to the longer developing plays since we didn’t really run many last season. Something that will come. The lack of practice killed them. 

Presently, it's about injury... 

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

2 minutes ago, EastStreet said:

Presently, it's about injury... 

we think it is. With the tackle situation yes. But with Kelly everyone is just suspecting he is still hurting.

 

I want to see Fries or Pryor at tackle if smith doesn’t play. It can’t get worse then davenport. 

[colts89]

36 minutes ago, JediXMan said:

There were so many plays just like this one where Davenport and Glow got destroyed right away by the Rams DL immediately where Wentz had to run for his life or got sacked. They were all similar in just how quickly their DL manhandled those guys

 

I appreciate Reich defending the OL by saying they weren't the only issue, but they have been rightly the most critizied for their play.

[EastStreet]

1 minute ago, Wentzszn said:

we think it is. With the tackle situation yes. But with Kelly everyone is just suspecting he is still hurting.

 

I want to see Fries or Pryor at tackle if smith doesn’t play. It can’t get worse then davenport. 

 

Kelly is clearly still gimpy.

 

Fries will be a guard. And he was a 7th rounder. And he's a rook. And he's lacking big time in strength right now.

You don't want to see him at Tackle.

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

42 minutes ago, EastStreet said:

 

Kelly is clearly still gimpy.

 

Fries will be a guard. And he was a 7th rounder. And he's a rook. And he's lacking big time in strength right now.

You don't want to see him at Tackle.

It can’t get worse then it has been.

[Colt.45]

1 hour ago, EastStreet said:

 

Kelly is clearly still gimpy.

 

Fries will be a guard. And he was a 7th rounder. And he's a rook. And he's lacking big time in strength right now.

You don't want to see him at Tackle.

 

 

I was listening to something from one of the Rams reporters earlier today and found another report detailing same thing. Joseph-Day watches his film, i'll say that much. Anyhow, his comment about Kelly's stance made me wonder how badly Kelly is hurting.

Interesting comments about Carson too

 

 

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

4 minutes ago, Colt.45 said:

 

 

I was listening to something from one of the Rams reporters earlier today and found another report detailing same thing. Joseph-Day watches his film, i'll say that much. Anyhow, his comment about Kelly's stance made me wonder how badly Kelly is hurting.

Interesting comments about Carson too

 

 

He was the one that blew up the play of that video posted where Wentz needed just a half second more. Could just be bad technique also.

[EastStreet]

6 hours ago, Wentzszn said:

It can’t get worse then it has been.

Fisher's snaps likely increase. He may even go 100% or close to it. 

We don't know about Smith yet. We do know that Pryor played well at RT when Davenport was at LT looking bad.

 

So why do you want a guy (Fries), who is seen by almost every draft guru to be a guard, and a long shot to make the roster as a depth guy. One that most say needs to work on S&C for a solid year and get his body right/strong.

 

It can get worse

[EastStreet]

5 hours ago, Colt.45 said:

 

 

I was listening to something from one of the Rams reporters earlier today and found another report detailing same thing. Joseph-Day watches his film, i'll say that much. Anyhow, his comment about Kelly's stance made me wonder how badly Kelly is hurting.

Interesting comments about Carson too

 

 

 

I posted info on SJD somewhere (maybe earlier in this thread or PFF thread), but yes, he's a boss. Good grades, top 10 win rate, student of the game type of guy.

 

He was super kind above, calling Kelly nice things, why he explained how he destroyed him lol... 

 

I absolutely think Kelly is still gimpy, but a I also don't think Kelly is as some think to begin with. Definitely no the best OC in the league, not a top 3. Maybe top 5ish but that's even pushing it.

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

35 minutes ago, EastStreet said:

Fisher's snaps likely increase. He may even go 100% or close to it. 

We don't know about Smith yet. We do know that Pryor played well at RT when Davenport was at LT looking bad.

 

So why do you want a guy (Fries), who is seen by almost every draft guru to be a guard, and a long shot to make the roster as a depth guy. One that most say needs to work on S&C for a solid year and get his body right/strong.

 

It can get worse

If Pryor plays that is fine. I just don’t want to see Davenport again.

[basketballsteve]

On 9/19/2021 at 9:03 PM, coltsfan_canada said:

 

The Jacob Eason era is over we've entered the Brett Hundley era now.

[EastStreet]

27 minutes ago, basketballsteve said:

The Jacob Eason era is over we've entered the Brett Hundley era now.

 

Jacob, we hardly knew ye.....

RIP Jacob.