Jump to content
Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts Fan Forum

Some thoughts on the season so far


Solid84

Recommended Posts

So, having slept on week 3’s less-than-optimal performance, I have some thoughts on some questions I have been asking myself.

 

Is what we have seen, so far, the sealing for the Colts in the 2021 season?

No. I don’t think it is, but if anyone thinks we’re coming out of the 2021 season with 10+ wins and a playoff berth they are either blind fanboys or deluding themselves.

 

Will the Oline get it together?

Yes, the Oline will improve. We need the ol’ gang back together for that to happen, but I think it can still be a top 10 unit for the season.

 

If our Oline group gets back to elite form, what will that mean?

It doesn’t mean drastic improvements, in my opinion. Our WR group are just terrible, honestly. At their best they are an average group. If Carson can’t find them with 4+ seconds to throw the ball, Oline improvements won’t change that.

The run game might improve, but once teams get wise to our not-so-stellar WRs they will just stack the box.

 

So, how about this defense?

I said before the season started that letting Autry and Houston walk was a big boo-boo. Our two lead edge rushers no longer on the team, our rookie and 3 underperformers have shown what they are – a rookie and 3 underperformers.

With no pressure being generated our secondary is being exposed big time. It’s just a horror show.

I don’t see this changing during the season. Even if Kwity has a eureka-moment and takes off the 3 stooges (Lewis, Turay and Banogu) aren’t getting anything done.

 

Aaaand the coaching…

If there’s going to be a turnaround this season it has to start with the coaching. I don’t even know where to start here. Frank has not been able to get the guys ready for week 1 throughout his tenure with the Colts. His playcalling has had flaws and the worst part is he keeps making the same mistakes – it’s infuriating. Time and again he pulls the same bone-headed red zone plays. Time and again he just… forgets(?) the run and keeps using an ineffective pass game.

I really hope he gives up playcalling and lets Brady have a shot at it.

Eberflus’ defense has been exposed this season and he NEEDS to make some changes for there to be any improvements at all.

 

Let’s talk Ballard…

I have been a huge fan of Ballard’s and greatly admire his ability to find a price for the player he wants and stick to it even with fans clamoring and other buyers showing interest. That shows guts and confidence. But…

His approach to teambuilding (Building through the draft) is really hurting us now. He has whiffed on too many picks now and his refusal to bring in A-grade players during free agency is creating serious holes in our roster.

I’m calling Parris Campbell a bust, there, I said it and I’m not taking it back unless he takes of like a rocket. We so badly need at least one more playmaker (besides Hines) on offense. The go-to guy who will pull us out of the muck when things are going bad.

Turay, Lewis and Muhammed are rotational guys at best and Banogu is a bust. His refusal to bring in A-grade edge rushers or pay-up to at least keep the standard we had last year is making the defense look like a bottom 10 unit. Are Autry and Houston old? Yes they are, but they are also half the teams sack-production walking out the door.

Meanwhile, we have paid our own (and good on Ballard for doing that), but now they are banged up (Leonard) or injured (Smith on O) leaving us with no cap space and in desperate need of playmakers (WR and/or TE on O and DBs and ERs on D).

 

So, having talked about the bad, what about the good and the decent?

Hines: Give this man the ball for crying out loud!!!!

Taylor: Ride this guy into the sunset!!! Let’s at least try to open up the passing game.

Wentz: Just… give him a chance, Oline, pleeeease…

I know Nelson and Leonard are viewed as Ballard’s best work in most people eyes, but the DeFo trade is the single best thing he has done in my eyes. The guy is a gem.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Reich's biggest problem is he doesn't scheme his players into scenarios where they can succeed. He just thinks every player is plug in play in his great "offense". 

 

Hines is great in space, yet Reich continues to stubbornly send him up the middle like he and JT are the same player. Meanwhile your stud RB sits on the sidelines and gets 10 carries. 

 

Parris Campbell is supposed to be some speedster WR, yet Dulin gets schemed a play, but nothing for Campbell? 

 

Mo-Allie Cox has needed more plays for him for 2 years. Yes, I understand that he is a great blocker, but whenever he gets the ball good things happen so just leave him in and block. 

 

Why does Reich keep calling runs up the middle regardless of the situation? They run great to the left side, but barely ever do it. Or even worse, they'll try to run to the right behind backup LT who is playing RT. 

 

Oh, and expecting Eason to come in and play almost air Raid offense when Wentz got hurt at the last two minutes (instead of having him throw quick sideline passes) still baffles me. 

 

Firing Dave DeGuglielmo for being "mean" really worked wonders for this O-Line. *eyeroll* 

 

Plus, this whole trading back to the 2nd round and getting more picks instead of getting premium talent isn't looking like the greatest strategy either. This absolute/utter lack of a pass rush is killing this team. 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, lollygagger8 said:

Mo-Allie Cox has needed more plays for him for 2 years. Yes, I understand that he is a great blocker, but whenever he gets the ball good things happen so just leave him in and block. 

 

This absolute/utter lack of a pass rush is killing this team. 

 

 

MAC can't block and get the ball.

We spent 2 1R (Buckner and Paye) and 1 2R  (Dayo) on pass rushers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, craigerb said:

MAC can't block and get the ball.

We spent 2 1R (Buckner and Paye) and 1 2R  (Dayo) on pass rushers.

 

He can't? LOL 

 

There's supposed to be a question mark at the end of that statement. 

 

And you know what I'm talking about with all the 2nd rd picks. Turay, Banogu, Lewis

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, lollygagger8 said:

 

He can't? LOL 

 

There's supposed to be a question mark at the end of that statement. 

 

And you know what I'm talking about with all the 2nd rd picks. Turay, Banogu, Lewis

 

 

With all that draft capitol our d line should be elite . Will say Lewis had a decent ball game week 3 . What baffles me is in camp our d line players treated o lineman like rag dolls why does it not translate into games . Scheme would be my guess .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 9/27/2021 at 7:57 AM, Solid84 said:

So, having slept on week 3’s less-than-optimal performance, I have some thoughts on some questions I have been asking myself.

 

Is what we have seen, so far, the sealing for the Colts in the 2021 season?

No. I don’t think it is, but if anyone thinks we’re coming out of the 2021 season with 10+ wins and a playoff berth they are either blind fanboys or deluding themselves.

 

Will the Oline get it together?

Yes, the Oline will improve. We need the ol’ gang back together for that to happen, but I think it can still be a top 10 unit for the season.

 

If our Oline group gets back to elite form, what will that mean?

It doesn’t mean drastic improvements, in my opinion. Our WR group are just terrible, honestly. At their best they are an average group. If Carson can’t find them with 4+ seconds to throw the ball, Oline improvements won’t change that.

The run game might improve, but once teams get wise to our not-so-stellar WRs they will just stack the box.

 

So, how about this defense?

I said before the season started that letting Autry and Houston walk was a big boo-boo. Our two lead edge rushers no longer on the team, our rookie and 3 underperformers have shown what they are – a rookie and 3 underperformers.

With no pressure being generated our secondary is being exposed big time. It’s just a horror show.

I don’t see this changing during the season. Even if Kwity has a eureka-moment and takes off the 3 stooges (Lewis, Turay and Banogu) aren’t getting anything done.

 

Aaaand the coaching…

If there’s going to be a turnaround this season it has to start with the coaching. I don’t even know where to start here. Frank has not been able to get the guys ready for week 1 throughout his tenure with the Colts. His playcalling has had flaws and the worst part is he keeps making the same mistakes – it’s infuriating. Time and again he pulls the same bone-headed red zone plays. Time and again he just… forgets(?) the run and keeps using an ineffective pass game.

I really hope he gives up playcalling and lets Brady have a shot at it.

Eberflus’ defense has been exposed this season and he NEEDS to make some changes for there to be any improvements at all.

 

Let’s talk Ballard…

I have been a huge fan of Ballard’s and greatly admire his ability to find a price for the player he wants and stick to it even with fans clamoring and other buyers showing interest. That shows guts and confidence. But…

His approach to teambuilding (Building through the draft) is really hurting us now. He has whiffed on too many picks now and his refusal to bring in A-grade players during free agency is creating serious holes in our roster.

I’m calling Parris Campbell a bust, there, I said it and I’m not taking it back unless he takes of like a rocket. We so badly need at least one more playmaker (besides Hines) on offense. The go-to guy who will pull us out of the muck when things are going bad.

Turay, Lewis and Muhammed are rotational guys at best and Banogu is a bust. His refusal to bring in A-grade edge rushers or pay-up to at least keep the standard we had last year is making the defense look like a bottom 10 unit. Are Autry and Houston old? Yes they are, but they are also half the teams sack-production walking out the door.

Meanwhile, we have paid our own (and good on Ballard for doing that), but now they are banged up (Leonard) or injured (Smith on O) leaving us with no cap space and in desperate need of playmakers (WR and/or TE on O and DBs and ERs on D).

 

So, having talked about the bad, what about the good and the decent?

Hines: Give this man the ball for crying out loud!!!!

Taylor: Ride this guy into the sunset!!! Let’s at least try to open up the passing game.

Wentz: Just… give him a chance, Oline, pleeeease…

I know Nelson and Leonard are viewed as Ballard’s best work in most people eyes, but the DeFo trade is the single best thing he has done in my eyes. The guy is a gem.

You're begging the oline to give Carson a chance, after coming to the conclusion that that development won't lead to any remarkable improvements ...ok.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 9/27/2021 at 8:28 AM, lollygagger8 said:

Reich's biggest problem is he doesn't scheme his players into scenarios where they can succeed. He just thinks every player is plug in play in his great "offense". 

 

Hines is great in space, yet Reich continues to stubbornly send him up the middle like he and JT are the same player. Meanwhile your stud RB sits on the sidelines and gets 10 carries. 

 

Parris Campbell is supposed to be some speedster WR, yet Dulin gets schemed a play, but nothing for Campbell? 

 

Mo-Allie Cox has needed more plays for him for 2 years. Yes, I understand that he is a great blocker, but whenever he gets the ball good things happen so just leave him in and block. 

 

Why does Reich keep calling runs up the middle regardless of the situation? They run great to the left side, but barely ever do it. Or even worse, they'll try to run to the right behind backup LT who is playing RT. 

 

Oh, and expecting Eason to come in and play almost air Raid offense when Wentz got hurt at the last two minutes (instead of having him throw quick sideline passes) still baffles me. 

 

Firing Dave DeGuglielmo for being "mean" really worked wonders for this O-Line. *eyeroll* 

 

Plus, this whole trading back to the 2nd round and getting more picks instead of getting premium talent isn't looking like the greatest strategy either. This absolute/utter lack of a pass rush is killing this team. 

 

 

Gugs has been fired every season since we fired him....he's on his fourth team in four years, and not even coaching in the NFL or a power five college.... That wasn't a bad move.  Strausser might have been.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 9/27/2021 at 7:57 AM, Solid84 said:

Our WR group are just terrible, honestly. At their best they are an average group. If Carson can’t find them with 4+ seconds to throw the ball, Oline improvements won’t change that.

The run game might improve, but once teams get wise to our not-so-stellar WRs they will just stack the box.

We have a second round slot receiver forced to play on the outside, and can't show up to play.

 

We have a second round second year player who is the most talented receiver we have.

 

But our most consistent receiver, Pascal, is a UDFA? at one point and who most knowledgeable fans thinks should be WR #4 on a normally talented WR group.

 

And how much longer can Doyle last?  Moe is not the answer, can't seem to get on the field or thrown to when he's on the field.  Oh yeah, we've got a guy named Gransen doing something.

 

Pittman is a nice piece, but at this point, the receiving group is bottom five NFL and may be the worst group in the league.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, SchlicterSZN said:

You're begging the oline to give Carson a chance, after coming to the conclusion that that development won't lead to any remarkable improvements ...ok.

You don’t get the point. No I don’t think giving Wentz more time in the pocket will give us a whole lot, because the WRs aren’t getting free. 
 

That doesn’t mean I want him to get sacked 3+ times per game and get injured further, come on….

 

Like it or not Wentz is our QB and by far the best one we have right now. Personally I think he’s done well all things considered and have no issues at all having him on the field this year and next as a minimum. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Popular Now

  • Thread of the Week

  • Topics

  • Posts

    • The closer we are getting to the draft the more I see Turner being projected outside the top 10. Still, Latu is a gamble - he was medically retired after his sophomore season and told he would never play football again due to a neck injury, Transferred to UCLA and was eventually cleared. He just seems like the type of player who has the goods, but will fall in the draft due to health concerns.
    • There's a lot of analysis to be done here, IMO. I don't know all the answers, but some questions that should be addressed are what's the difference between the success rate of a first round pick and that of a second/third round pick, historically? How do you value that difference? I think I've seen stats that say first rounders are starters at a higher rate than other rounds, but is that influenced by the bias of the team that drafted the player in the first round? (Probably.) It's probably fair to say that the players taken in the first round are more likely to be difference makers than the players taken later, but I think there are position groups where the difference is negligible, and I think WR is one of them.   And then, if you get into a climate where everyone is selling in the first round, then the value probably flips at some point.    Also, I don't necessarily think of the draft as a crap shoot. Yes, it's arbitrary, but I think some front offices are good at drafting, and some are bad at drafting; but the difference isn't as wide as general perception would indicate. And there are lots of dependent variables -- coaching, health, etc. -- that influence the outcome of each pick.    I do think more picks is the way to go to maximize value. But to build the best roster? That's a different arm of the discussion. Like you said later on, we've been trading down, and we don't have a great roster.    You also make a good point about the rookie contract vs trading for an established player, and that's not to be ignored. But my point is that if you're going to base your appetite for risk on your level of conviction in the player, I'd rather take the big swing on the established player than on a draft prospect, despite the difference in contract status. The ideal mix is to target a second or third year WR so you can at least get some of the rookie contract. Ballard reportedly asked for Jaylen Waddle and Christian Watson last year. 
    • I really don’t see that type of Defensive player in this draft. But there’s always surprises. But I agree, we’ve got to go offensive fire power this year. At least in the first. 
    • If they want to beat the Texans they will
    • I don’t think we’ll address the DL at all in rounds 1-4. I think we’re happy with who we have currently and will give the new DL coach a chance to see what he thinks over the next season. 
  • Members

    • Solid84

      Solid84 6,515

      Senior Member
      Joined:
      Last active:
    • Superman

      Superman 20,579

      Moderators
      Joined:
      Last active:
    • Nadine

      Nadine 8,117

      Administrators
      Joined:
      Last active:
    • midmoColtsfan

      midmoColtsfan 0

      New Member
      Joined:
      Last active:
    • MikeCurtis

      MikeCurtis 4,551

      Senior Member
      Joined:
      Last active:
    • adubb84

      adubb84 1,345

      Senior Member
      Joined:
      Last active:
    • w87r

      w87r 13,680

      Moderators
      Joined:
      Last active:
    • dw49

      dw49 1,313

      Senior Member
      Joined:
      Last active:
    • bWild

      bWild 70

      Member
      Joined:
      Last active:
    • BlackTiger

      BlackTiger 1,134

      Senior Member
      Joined:
      Last active:
×
×
  • Create New...