Colts offseason discussion / Ballard Grievances (merge)

[jvan1973]

46 minutes ago, LJpalmbeacher2 said:

 

So you don't think people's comments who are fans of a certain team matter??? The ones who watch every Sunday for years and years??? 

....but my opinion on Ballard isn't based on other fans comments, it based on his lack of success going on 8 seasons and him still operating same as before. And I will say that the fans leaving the negative comments are basing their opinion of him with the same criteria as me. 

 

What I'd like to know is the fans that have a favorable opinion of Ballard is "what are they basing their favorable opinion on???? .....certainly not a sub .500 record with only one playoff win and zero division titles in what has been a weak division. 

 

What I would like to know is,  some folks like yourself think the league is rigged.    How can Ballard succeed in your opinion if they aren't the chosen team to win?   How can you claim the league is rigged and then complain that the GM is failing?   Quite the conundrum 

[ColtStrong2013]

35 minutes ago, jvan1973 said:

What I would like to know is,  some folks like yourself think the league is rigged.    How can Ballard succeed in your opinion if they aren't the chosen team to win?   How can you claim the league is rigged and then complain that the GM is failing?   Quite the conundrum 

I thought that was LJ but couldn’t remember for sure, so I didn’t say anything. 😂 

[Jason_]

1 hour ago, RollerColt said:

For the record. I vehemently disagree with the idea we tanked on purpose. That would mean Caldwell, Polian and everyone involved was fine with being fired.

 

So here are the couple of reasons why I can't completely rule it out.  

 

First, you don't really need all that many people involved.  It could have been done with only 3 people and a mandate to a 4th (more on that in a sec).  The 3 people would be Irsay, Caldwell and Christiansen.  

 

I do think they all thought they could be competitive with Kerry Collins, but that crashed and burned pretty quickly and it became pretty apparent that the roster wasn't quite as good as a lot of people had previously believed.  At this point, Irsay realizes it's time to move on from Polian and do a pretty hefty overhaul of the roster, but he does believe in Caldwell and Christiansen so he plans to keep them.  He tells them to just make sure the offense doesn't get on any kind of a roll.  He also tells Caldwell to make sure Coyer doesn't get creative or blitz. 

 

Also, Caldwell was still the HC when Irsay hired Grigson.  Once Grigson was hired, both Caldwell and Christiansen were still the HC and OC.  In fact, both Grigson and Caldwell interviewed Steve Spagnuolo to be the new DC.  Rumors were that Spags perhaps showed interest in the job but he would in no way work under Caldwell.  It wasn't long after that interview took place that Caldwell was also fired.  As for Christiansen, he was the one member of the coaching staff that was retained for 2012, though he was moved from OC to QB coach.

 

Remember, after Coyer was fired, he gave an interview where he said his playcalling was handcuffed and that he was told he wasn't allowed to blitz.  Said something about it being an organizational mandate or something like that.  

 

I remember the defensive playcalling that season very vividly.  It was only a few games into the season when it was starting to infuriate me how often I saw them running Tampa 2 coverage.  Every team runs Tampa 2 coverage sometimes, not just teams that are designated as a tampa 2 defense.  I started keeping an excel spreadsheet tracking every defensive playcall in every colts game.  The amount of time they were in tampa 2 coverage was ridiculous and we had discussions about it here.  Towards the end of the season, during one of the games, the announcers even started talking about it and a graphic was put on screen showing the top 5 teams than ran tamp 2 coverage the most.  The team that ran tampa 2 coverage the 2nd most frequently ran it on around 20-22% of the time.  Numbers 3, 4 and 5 were also in the low 20%.  The Colts were number 1 at something well over 55-60% of the time.  

 

So, was Coyer's playcalling handcuffed to ensure the defense would be as bland and predictable (and therefore ineffective) as possible?  Or had he just become an incompetent DC by that point?  

 

Not saying it did happen, but I also can't say that it didn't and I don't think it's as far fetched an idea as some would think.  Take that for what it's worth.  

[RollerColt]

3 minutes ago, Jason_ said:

 

So here are the couple of reasons why I can't completely rule it out.  

 

First, you don't really need all that many people involved.  It could have been done with only 3 people and a mandate to a 4th (more on that in a sec).  The 3 people would be Irsay, Caldwell and Christiansen.  

 

I do think they all thought they could be competitive with Kerry Collins, but that crashed and burned pretty quickly and it became pretty apparent that the roster wasn't quite as good as a lot of people had previously believed.  At this point, Irsay realizes it's time to move on from Polian and do a pretty hefty overhaul of the roster, but he does believe in Caldwell and Christiansen so he plans to keep them.  He tells them to just make sure the offense doesn't get on any kind of a roll.  He also tells Caldwell to make sure Coyer doesn't get creative or blitz. 

 

Also, Caldwell was still the HC when Irsay hired Grigson.  Once Grigson was hired, both Caldwell and Christiansen were still the HC and OC.  In fact, both Grigson and Caldwell interviewed Steve Spagnuolo to be the new DC.  Rumors were that Spags perhaps showed interest in the job but he would in no way work under Caldwell.  It wasn't long after that interview took place that Caldwell was also fired.  As for Christiansen, he was the one member of the coaching staff that was retained for 2012, though he was moved from OC to QB coach.

 

Remember, after Coyer was fired, he gave an interview where he said his playcalling was handcuffed and that he was told he wasn't allowed to blitz.  Said something about it being an organizational mandate or something like that.  

 

I remember the defensive playcalling that season very vividly.  It was only a few games into the season when it was starting to infuriate me how often I saw them running Tampa 2 coverage.  Every team runs Tampa 2 coverage sometimes, not just teams that are designated as a tampa 2 defense.  I started keeping an excel spreadsheet tracking every defensive playcall in every colts game.  The amount of time they were in tampa 2 coverage was ridiculous and we had discussions about it here.  Towards the end of the season, during one of the games, the announcers even started talking about it and a graphic was put on screen showing the top 5 teams than ran tamp 2 coverage the most.  The team that ran tampa 2 coverage the 2nd most frequently ran it on around 20-22% of the time.  Numbers 3, 4 and 5 were also in the low 20%.  The Colts were number 1 at something well over 55-60% of the time.  

 

So, was Coyer's playcalling handcuffed to ensure the defense would be as bland and predictable (and therefore ineffective) as possible?  Or had he just become an incompetent DC by that point?  

 

Not saying it did happen, but I also can't say that it didn't and I don't think it's as far fetched an idea as some would think.  Take that for what it's worth.  

Thats fair, very well thought out! Appreciate your opinion on this.

[ColtStrong2013]

8 minutes ago, Jason_ said:

 

So here are the couple of reasons why I can't completely rule it out.  

 

First, you don't really need all that many people involved.  It could have been done with only 3 people and a mandate to a 4th (more on that in a sec).  The 3 people would be Irsay, Caldwell and Christiansen.  

 

I do think they all thought they could be competitive with Kerry Collins, but that crashed and burned pretty quickly and it became pretty apparent that the roster wasn't quite as good as a lot of people had previously believed.  At this point, Irsay realizes it's time to move on from Polian and do a pretty hefty overhaul of the roster, but he does believe in Caldwell and Christiansen so he plans to keep them.  He tells them to just make sure the offense doesn't get on any kind of a roll.  He also tells Caldwell to make sure Coyer doesn't get creative or blitz. 

 

Also, Caldwell was still the HC when Irsay hired Grigson.  Once Grigson was hired, both Caldwell and Christiansen were still the HC and OC.  In fact, both Grigson and Caldwell interviewed Steve Spagnuolo to be the new DC.  Rumors were that Spags perhaps showed interest in the job but he would in no way work under Caldwell.  It wasn't long after that interview took place that Caldwell was also fired.  As for Christiansen, he was the one member of the coaching staff that was retained for 2012, though he was moved from OC to QB coach.

 

Remember, after Coyer was fired, he gave an interview where he said his playcalling was handcuffed and that he was told he wasn't allowed to blitz.  Said something about it being an organizational mandate or something like that.  

 

I remember the defensive playcalling that season very vividly.  It was only a few games into the season when it was starting to infuriate me how often I saw them running Tampa 2 coverage.  Every team runs Tampa 2 coverage sometimes, not just teams that are designated as a tampa 2 defense.  I started keeping an excel spreadsheet tracking every defensive playcall in every colts game.  The amount of time they were in tampa 2 coverage was ridiculous and we had discussions about it here.  Towards the end of the season, during one of the games, the announcers even started talking about it and a graphic was put on screen showing the top 5 teams than ran tamp 2 coverage the most.  The team that ran tampa 2 coverage the 2nd most frequently ran it on around 20-22% of the time.  Numbers 3, 4 and 5 were also in the low 20%.  The Colts were number 1 at something well over 55-60% of the time.  

 

So, was Coyer's playcalling handcuffed to ensure the defense would be as bland and predictable (and therefore ineffective) as possible?  Or had he just become an incompetent DC by that point?  

 

Not saying it did happen, but I also can't say that it didn't and I don't think it's as far fetched an idea as some would think.  Take that for what it's worth.  

[Jason_]

1 minute ago, ColtStrong2013 said:

 

hey, if the mods wanted to re-enable the laughing reaction just for that post, I would not take any offense whatsoever lol

[NewColtsFan]

2 hours ago, LJpalmbeacher2 said:

 

So you don't think people's comments who are fans of a certain team matter??? The ones who watch every Sunday for years and years??? 

....but my opinion on Ballard isn't based on other fans comments, it based on his lack of success going on 8 seasons and him still operating same as before. And I will say that the fans leaving the negative comments are basing their opinion of him with the same criteria as me. 

 

What I'd like to know is the fans that have a favorable opinion of Ballard is "what are they basing their favorable opinion on???? .....certainly not a sub .500 record with only one playoff win and zero division titles in what has been a weak division. 

 

I recently saw an interview with Ballard that was done by this website.   Only I didn’t see it on this website, I happen to see it on YouTube.   And there, you can leave comments.   And the comments there were so hateful, I doubt they would have been allowed had they been made here.  The mods would’ve deleted them and then suspended the posters.   My point is, people who leave comments like that are often the extreme part of a fan base.   That’s why many websites don’t have comment sections anymore.  Takes up too much bandwidth and produces almost zero light, but tons of heat (read anger).  
 

As for why I support Ballard, that’s a horse that has been beaten to death.  I have no problem with those who do not like Ballard.  But I think we’re now in the key moment of his career.   I think the vast majority here believe he’s tied to Richardson.  If AR works out, and the Colts have success, then Ballard stays.  If he doesn’t then Ballard will eventually be fired.  And that will happen in the next 1-3 years.  It’s all about AR and how much success he and Ballard can bring to the Colts in the near future.  

[AwesomeAustin]

6 hours ago, stitches said:

I really don't want to boil down everything to "Grigson had Luck"... You know how I feel about the QB position. It's incredibly important. But even at the peak of evaluation of its importance, it's what? Like... 20-25% of the success of the team? You still need a team around that one guy who can give you an advantage, but you cannot waste that advantage with the rest of the roster and that's what Grigson did. 

 

As a volume, I agree that Ballard has done "more" at certain positions but IMO that has a lot to do with the pure volume of picks he accumulated(and this is absolutely to his credit, you know I like this approach). And again, I'm not here to defend Grigson. But Grigson hit big on his important positions(or inherited his big time players - AC) and his teams had more success than Ballard's teams have had so far. Grigson was truly a terrible GM and evaluator of talent. But the (few) hits he had at important positions elevated his team" to heights that Ballard's hits on guards and linebackers and running backs have not been able to replicate, despite me preferring Ballard as an evaluator and drafter. 

Correct about the QB. Drew Brees had 8 seasons on teams with a .500 or worse record were he played in majority of the games. That’s almost a decade of losing in his career.  I do think the Colts have a really good roster. If AR is everything the Colts planned for him to be, they should have some success the next three years. This is an AFC championship appearance roster with great QB play. 

[Hoose]

12 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

I recently saw an interview with Ballard that was done by this website.   Only I didn’t see it on this website, I happen to see it on YouTube.   And there, you can leave comments.   And the comments there were so hateful, I doubt they would have been allowed had they been made here.  The mods would’ve deleted them and then suspended the posters.   My point is, people who leave comments like that are often the extreme part of a fan base.   That’s why many websites don’t have comment sections anymore.  Takes up too much bandwidth and produces almost zero light, but tons of heat (read anger).  
 

As for why I support Ballard, that’s a horse that has been beaten to death.  I have no problem with those who do not like Ballard.  But I think we’re now in the key moment of his career.   I think the vast majority here believe he’s tied to Richardson.  If AR works out, and the Colts have success, then Ballard stays.  If he doesn’t then Ballard will eventually be fired.  And that will happen in the next 1-3 years.  It’s all about AR and how much success he and Ballard can bring to the Colts in the near future.  

I agree with this, but it also begs the question of when Ballard will put the talent around AR that he will need to succeed. Because right now, management is betting it all on improvement of the current  crop of players. And that feels like a bad gamble. The secondary has little experience and Ballard doesn’t appear like he’s inclined to change that. Even though he acknowledged the need for serious improvement there at the end of last season. There are no explosive WRs on the roster at the moment. Nor a proven force at TE. Even though Ballard noted the need to improve in that area. 
No one hopes more than me that Woods and Ogletree and Pierce will somehow emerge as big time playmakers. But don’t hold your breath.

This draft will be critical in the effort to improve the team around AR. If the Colts are still treading water at the end of this season, Ballard’s leash could get yanked sooner than you may think possible. 

[OLD FAN MAN]

3 hours ago, LJpalmbeacher2 said:

 

So you don't think people's comments who are fans of a certain team matter??? The ones who watch every Sunday for years and years??? 

....but my opinion on Ballard isn't based on other fans comments, it based on his lack of success going on 8 seasons and him still operating same as before. And I will say that the fans leaving the negative comments are basing their opinion of him with the same criteria as me. 

 

What I'd like to know is the fans that have a favorable opinion of Ballard is "what are they basing their favorable opinion on???? .....certainly not a sub .500 record with only one playoff win and zero division titles in what has been a weak division. 

 

you said it all, great answer

[LJpalmbeacher2]

3 hours ago, ColtStrong2013 said:

the prior general manager wrecking a generational qb. The success rate of the majority of GM’s. The wins this franchise has had with mediocre qb play, and a different qb for every single season opener of Ballard’s career. I just want to see what his teams look like with above average, and most important stable, qb play. I want to see 2 seasons of what his qb can do. I’m betting we get it too.

 

Well, since he's the one responsible for the roster,  its on him having a different opener at QB every season. 

[LJpalmbeacher2]

2 hours ago, jvan1973 said:

What I would like to know is,  some folks like yourself think the league is rigged.    How can Ballard succeed in your opinion if they aren't the chosen team to win?   How can you claim the league is rigged and then complain that the GM is failing?   Quite the conundrum 

 

That's could very well be true and Ballard may not be totally the blame. However, since you think the season isn't scripted like so many do now  AND everything is legit, what's your reasoning on being a Ballard supporter amid his 8 seasons of failing???

How do you support losing for so long?

[ColtStrong2013]

5 minutes ago, LJpalmbeacher2 said:

 

Well, since he's the one responsible for the roster,  its on him having a different opener at QB every season. 

But it’s all rigged, so it’s calculated. 
 

😂 

[NewColtsFan]

7 minutes ago, LJpalmbeacher2 said:

 

That's could very well be true and Ballard may not be totally the blame. However, since you think the season isn't scripted like so many do now  AND everything is legit, what's your reasoning on being a Ballard supporter amid his 8 seasons of failing???

How do you support losing for so long?

“you think the season isn’t scripted like so many do now…”

 

Define “so many do now”.    Who are these people and how many of them are there?   

[OLD FAN MAN]

4 minutes ago, LJpalmbeacher2 said:

 

That's could very well be true and Ballard may not be totally the blame. However, since you think the season isn't scripted like so many do now  AND everything is legit, what's your reasoning on being a Ballard supporter amid his 8 seasons of failing???

How do you support losing for so long?

I cant understand how many support a losing gm for so long and blame his failures on other people he hired or the owner or the previous gm

[ColtStrong2013]

2 minutes ago, OLD FAN MAN said:

I cant understand how many support a losing gm for so long and blame his failures on other people he hired or the owner or the previous gm

cmon old fan man- you know 8 years is not THAT long… Football fans have to be the most impatient people in sports. 

[OLD FAN MAN]

3 minutes ago, ColtStrong2013 said:

cmon old fan man- you know 8 years is not THAT long… Football fans have to be the most impatient people in sports. 

just almost a decade or half of and 18 year olds life lol caserio did it in 2 seasons

[ColtStrong2013]

2 minutes ago, OLD FAN MAN said:

just almost a decade or half of and 18 year olds life lol caserio did it in 2 seasons

damn. It’s almost like Chris Ballard did that in year 2 with Andrew Luck too… and then he retired. Wonder how things would go in Houston if CJ Stroud retired next season. 

[ColtStrong2013]

6 minutes ago, OLD FAN MAN said:

or half of and 18 year olds life lol

like i said earlier. Colts fans have been spoiled. Those born in the ‘90s only knew winning until they were in their twenties… 

[Jason_]

5 minutes ago, ColtStrong2013 said:

damn. It’s almost like Chris Ballard did that in year 2 with Andrew Luck too… and then he retired. Wonder how things would go in Houston if CJ Stroud retired next season. 

 

also, didn't Caserio get a little bit of help from the Browns?  

[OLD FAN MAN]

2 minutes ago, ColtStrong2013 said:

damn. It’s almost like Chris Ballard did that in year 2 with Andrew Luck too… and then he retired. Wonder how things would go in Houston if CJ Stroud retired next season. 

difference is luck was not brought in by ballard,  stroud was brought in by caserio , how did we do with the  ballards first qb 

[LJpalmbeacher2]

2 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

“you think the season isn’t scripted like so many do now…”

 

Define “so many do now”.    Who are these people and how many of them are there?   

 

51.976 % .......Lol

 

Its a lot that believe, exact number I have no idea. But not just on internet but many float their ideas wherever/whenever people talk sports. 

I think some books like authors Brian Tougy and what fans have seen in recent years watching has opened their eyes or at least has them watching from a different perspective than before. 

Regardless, its still entertainment for many, like WWE, and something to try to enjoy and not take so serious regardless of someones belief or suspicion.......like a movie or tv show on HBO. 

 

[OLD FAN MAN]

7 minutes ago, ColtStrong2013 said:

like i said earlier. Colts fans have been spoiled. Those born in the ‘90s only knew winning until they were in their twenties… 

there is nothing wrong with winning ask some kc fans

[NewColtsFan]

58 minutes ago, Hoose said:

I agree with this, but it also begs the question of when Ballard will put the talent around AR that he will need to succeed. Because right now, management is betting it all on improvement of the current  crop of players. And that feels like a bad gamble. The secondary has little experience and Ballard doesn’t appear like he’s inclined to change that. Even though he acknowledged the need for serious improvement there at the end of last season. There are no explosive WRs on the roster at the moment. Nor a proven force at TE. Even though Ballard noted the need to improve in that area. 
No one hopes more than me that Woods and Ogletree and Pierce will somehow emerge as big time playmakers. But don’t hold your breath.

This draft will be critical in the effort to improve the team around AR. If the Colts are still treading water at the end of this season, Ballard’s leash could get yanked sooner than you may think possible. 

 

OK….  First, I don’t think you read my post very closely.  Toward the bottom I literally wrote if Ballard and AR don’t have success then CB will likely be fired in 1-3 years.    
 

Your response was if the Colts don’t have a good year this year,  Ballard could lose his job sooner than I think.   Sooner than one year?   I think Irsay is unpredictable, and it could happen next January.   Or Jan of 26 or beyond. 
 

As to the roster, there are a lot of young players on this roster right now that should get better this year and next.   Also, there is the matter of the draft in 3 weeks.  And then the FA and draft in 25 and 26.   
 

You want answers now when many of the answers won’t come for 1-3 years.  
 

As to the quality of the roster,  there’s a difference of opinion in the community.  There’s a group that thinks the roster is poor and that’s why the Colts have struggled for years.  And there’s another group here who believe the roster is actually pretty good, but as Ballard noted at his season ending press conference, we’ve struggled because he hasn’t gotten the QB right.  And if we had, the Colts might be viewed very differently.   Clearly, I’m in that camp.   
 

And that’s why we are in the Make or Break phase of Ballard’s career.  Either he and AR have success in the next few years or Ballard’s time with the Colts could end in the next 1-3 years. 
 

Hope that clarifies. 

[RollerColt]

13 minutes ago, OLD FAN MAN said:

difference is luck was not brought in by ballard,  stroud was brought in by caserio , how did we do with the  ballards first qb 

Ballard’s first true attempt at drafting a franchise QB is still playing out. He could still be a great player… 

[ColtStrong2013]

15 minutes ago, OLD FAN MAN said:

there is nothing wrong with winning ask some kc fans

 

i have. They say Ballard’s the best we’ll get. 

[Hoose]

7 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

 

OK….  First, I don’t think you read my post very closely.  Toward the bottom I literally wrote if Ballard and AR don’t have success then CB will likely be fired in 1-3 years.    
 

Your response was if the Colts don’t have a good year this year,  Ballard could lose his job sooner than I think.   Sooner than one year?   I think Irsay is unpredictable, and it could happen next January.   Or Jan of 26 or beyond. 
 

As to the roster, there are a lot of young players on this roster right now that should get better this year and next.   Also, there is the matter of the draft in 3 weeks.  And then the FA and draft in 25 and 26.   
 

You want answers now when many of the answers won’t come for 1-3 years.  
 

As to the quality of the roster,  there’s a difference of opinion in the community.  There’s a group that thinks the roster is poor and that’s why the Colts have struggled for years.  And there’s another group here who believe the roster is actually pretty good, but as Ballard noted at his season ending press conference, we’ve struggled because he hasn’t gotten the QB right.  And if we had, the Colts might be viewed very differently.   Clearly, I’m in that camp.   
 

And that’s why we are in the Make or Break phase of Ballard’s career.  Either he and AR have success in the next few years or Ballard’s time with the Colts could end in the next 1-3 years. 
 

Hope that clarifies. 

I’m not taking issue with your points, which are well made. I just think Ballard’s timeline may not be tied to AR’s performance alone. Because the kid needs more talent around him. And if that talent shows itself to be as insufficient as I think it currently is, you’ve got to have issues with the guy choosing that talent. 
I do hope that (1) the current crop of youngsters gets dramatically better, and (2) that this draft is a game changer. I’m just not very confident about either one. 
 

Hope I’m wrong. 
 

[OLD FAN MAN]

11 minutes ago, ColtStrong2013 said:

 

i have. They say Ballard’s the best we’ll get. 

i sure hope not or we are doomed to be just average forever

[NewColtsFan]

44 minutes ago, LJpalmbeacher2 said:

 

51.976 % .......Lol

 

Its a lot that believe, exact number I have no idea. But not just on internet but many float their ideas wherever/whenever people talk sports. 

I think some books like authors Brian Tougy and what fans have seen in recent years watching has opened their eyes or at least has them watching from a different perspective than before. 

Regardless, its still entertainment for many, like WWE, and something to try to enjoy and not take so serious regardless of someones belief or suspicion.......like a movie or tv show on HBO. 

 

The NFL is a multi multi BILLION dollar business.   The league has EVERYTHING to lose and NOTHING to gain by fixing games.   And all it would take is one former league executive to confess.  Just one, and the league’s credibility would implode.  And yet it hasn’t happened.   
 

The opinion of a guy like Bubba Smith is worthless because he offers no proof, just an opinion.   And it doesn’t help his cause that the next year heavily favored Minnesota lost to KC.  And no one from the Vikings says they lost because the game was fixed for KC.  They accept that they got outplayed.   So Smith just looks like a sore loser.

 

The idea that the NFL is somehow equal to WWE is beyond silly.   One is theater, sold as entertainment.  The other is a game with top athletes and coaches who are as competitive as anyone on the face of the earth.  
 

There’s no upside to fixing games, only downside. 

 

 

[ColtStrong2013]

28 minutes ago, OLD FAN MAN said:

i sure hope not or we are doomed to be just average forever

Sounds like that’s what you hope for. The more you talk, the more it sure feels like it. You didn’t see any positives last year to give you hope that things will improve going forward? 

[GoColts8818]

3 hours ago, Jason_ said:

 

So here are the couple of reasons why I can't completely rule it out.  

 

First, you don't really need all that many people involved.  It could have been done with only 3 people and a mandate to a 4th (more on that in a sec).  The 3 people would be Irsay, Caldwell and Christiansen.  

 

I do think they all thought they could be competitive with Kerry Collins, but that crashed and burned pretty quickly and it became pretty apparent that the roster wasn't quite as good as a lot of people had previously believed.  At this point, Irsay realizes it's time to move on from Polian and do a pretty hefty overhaul of the roster, but he does believe in Caldwell and Christiansen so he plans to keep them.  He tells them to just make sure the offense doesn't get on any kind of a roll.  He also tells Caldwell to make sure Coyer doesn't get creative or blitz. 

 

Also, Caldwell was still the HC when Irsay hired Grigson.  Once Grigson was hired, both Caldwell and Christiansen were still the HC and OC.  In fact, both Grigson and Caldwell interviewed Steve Spagnuolo to be the new DC.  Rumors were that Spags perhaps showed interest in the job but he would in no way work under Caldwell.  It wasn't long after that interview took place that Caldwell was also fired.  As for Christiansen, he was the one member of the coaching staff that was retained for 2012, though he was moved from OC to QB coach.

 

Remember, after Coyer was fired, he gave an interview where he said his playcalling was handcuffed and that he was told he wasn't allowed to blitz.  Said something about it being an organizational mandate or something like that.  

 

I remember the defensive playcalling that season very vividly.  It was only a few games into the season when it was starting to infuriate me how often I saw them running Tampa 2 coverage.  Every team runs Tampa 2 coverage sometimes, not just teams that are designated as a tampa 2 defense.  I started keeping an excel spreadsheet tracking every defensive playcall in every colts game.  The amount of time they were in tampa 2 coverage was ridiculous and we had discussions about it here.  Towards the end of the season, during one of the games, the announcers even started talking about it and a graphic was put on screen showing the top 5 teams than ran tamp 2 coverage the most.  The team that ran tampa 2 coverage the 2nd most frequently ran it on around 20-22% of the time.  Numbers 3, 4 and 5 were also in the low 20%.  The Colts were number 1 at something well over 55-60% of the time.  

 

So, was Coyer's playcalling handcuffed to ensure the defense would be as bland and predictable (and therefore ineffective) as possible?  Or had he just become an incompetent DC by that point?  

 

Not saying it did happen, but I also can't say that it didn't and I don't think it's as far fetched an idea as some would think.  Take that for what it's worth.  

If anyone truly believes the Colts tanked in 2011 I have some land on the moon I’d to like to speak to them about selling…

[RollerColt]

Quote

“The Jaguars lost a 1,000-yard receiver in Ridley and a Super Bowl champion cornerback in Darious Williams. The Titans moved on from an 11.5-sack defensive end in Denico Autry, a 163-tackle linebacker in Azeez Al-Shaair and an 1,100-yard rusher in Derrick Henry. The Texans parted ways with a 12.5-sack pass rusher in Jonathan Greenard and a six-sack veteran in Sheldon Rankins. Meanwhile, the Colts' biggest losses were Gardner Minshew and Zack Moss, who could only have returned to backup roles.”

 

[Jason_]

7 minutes ago, GoColts8818 said:

If anyone truly believes the Colts tanked in 2011 I have some land on the moon I’d to like to speak to them about selling…

 

wouldn't be the strangest thing to ever happen 😝

[OLD FAN MAN]

18 minutes ago, ColtStrong2013 said:

Sounds like that’s what you hope for. The more you talk, the more it sure feels like it. You didn’t see any positives last year to give you hope that things will improve going forward? 

i hope ballard changes his method and gets some playmakers. sorry if i sound like i want more being average but i want us to win and ballards current method is not keeping up with the texans or other elite teams. last year i didnt see hope on defense but i did see hope with ar , ballard needs to upgrade ars weapons ,we need gamechangers 

[ColtStrong2013]

1 minute ago, OLD FAN MAN said:

i hope ballard changes his method and gets some playmakers. sorry if i sound like i want more being average but i want us to win and ballards current method is not keeping up with the texans or other elite teams. last year i didnt see hope on defense but i did see hope with ar , ballard needs to upgrade ars weapons ,we need gamechangers 

We don’t know if we aren’t keeping up with them yet… We beat them in Houston with half of AR and lost by what might be just a few plays at home with the division on the line, and a backup qb going head to head with wonderboy CJ stroud. They’ve made moves. But this isn’t Madden. They aren’t guaranteed to work better. It’s now a 1 year deal for Diggs. A more expensive one now too. He may re-sign. He may not. We don’t know at this point. This is the year to judge, imo. We’ll have a pretty good idea by Thanksgiving where this team’s standing in the division/league is. 
 

im hopeful some of our young guys elevate this year. I’ve seen some glimpses to know it’s possible. I want to see Jelani Woods healthy and on the field. I want to see Pittman’s potential with qb stability, and another year with Steichen. I want to see JT healthy and back to 2021 form. That’s just on offense. I agree the defense has some work to do. But I don’t think they’ll get worse, I think they’ll improve quite a bit this year. Just in growth on the backend, a new defensive line coach to tweak things up with a couple ends in contract years. We’ll see what we do in the draft/ remaining free agency. I think Bradley’s going to be coaching for his job. I think moving the ball better on offense will help defensively.
 

I’m hopeful things come together more this season than ever. Might not lead to the success you need to see to be satisfied. But I think we have a winner at the helm in Shane Steichen. He’s certainly not going to want to disrupt things by bringing a new GM in. He didn’t accept this job with that understanding… He bought in to where the team is headed under his leadership and influence/working relationship with Ballard and co. 

[OLD FAN MAN]

2 minutes ago, ColtStrong2013 said:

We don’t know if we aren’t keeping up with them yet… We beat them in Houston with half of AR and lost by what might be just a few plays at home with the division on the line, and a backup qb going head to head with wonderboy CJ stroud. They’ve made moves. But this isn’t Madden. They aren’t guaranteed to work better. It’s now a 1 year deal for Diggs. A more expensive one now too. He may re-sign. He may not. We don’t know at this point. This is the year to judge, imo. We’ll have a pretty good idea by Thanksgiving where this team’s standing in the division/league is. 
 

im hopeful some of our young guys elevate this year. I’ve seen some glimpses to know it’s possible. I want to see Jelani Woods healthy and on the field. I want to see Pittman’s potential with qb stability, and another year with Steichen. I want to see JT healthy and back to 2021 form. That’s just on offense. I agree the defense has some work to do. But I don’t think they’ll get worse, I think they’ll improve quite a bit this year. Just in growth on the backend, a new defensive line coach to tweak things up with a couple ends in contract years. We’ll see what we do in the draft/ remaining free agency. I think Bradley’s going to be coaching for his job. I think moving the ball better on offense will help defensively.
 

I’m hopeful things come together more this season than ever. Might not lead to the success you need to see to be satisfied. But I think we have a winner at the helm in Shane Steichen. He’s certainly not going to want to disrupt things by bringing a new GM in. He didn’t accept this job with that understanding… He bought in to where the team is headed under his leadership and influence/working relationship with Ballard and co. 

I like shane too and if any coach can help us it would be him, I just hope he can influence ballard to upgrade some positions

[ColtStrong2013]

11 minutes ago, OLD FAN MAN said:

I like shane too and if any coach can help us it would be him, I just hope he can influence ballard to upgrade some positions

I think he has plenty of influence. I think Frank did too… which is why I’m quick to defend Ballard. 
 

I think the start of Steichen’s career is the turning point. The draft, last season’s performance above expectation, bringing a lot back—> this draft is big for this franchise. No way to sugarcoat it. If stacking drafts is the key, then we need to hit big on this draft like I believe we did last year, and we need 2022 class of Pierce, Woods, and Cross to elevate. Raimman already has. Going back further, the 2021 class, mainly Paye , Dayo, and fries need to elevate as well in contract years. I don’t think Granson will be here past this season. If we luck into Brock Bowers, then I think he’s done before the season even starts. 

[LJpalmbeacher2]

1 hour ago, NewColtsFan said:

The NFL is a multi multi BILLION dollar business.   The league has EVERYTHING to lose and NOTHING to gain by fixing games.   And all it would take is one former league executive to confess.  Just one, and the league’s credibility would implode.  And yet it hasn’t happened.   
 

The opinion of a guy like Bubba Smith is worthless because he offers no proof, just an opinion.   And it doesn’t help his cause that the next year heavily favored Minnesota lost to KC.  And no one from the Vikings says they lost because the game was fixed for KC.  They accept that they got outplayed.   So Smith just looks like a sore loser.

 

The idea that the NFL is somehow equal to WWE is beyond silly.   One is theater, sold as entertainment.  The other is a game with top athletes and coaches who are as competitive as anyone on the face of the earth.  
 

There’s no upside to fixing games, only downside. 

 

 

 

I really don't want to beat a dead horse and tired of the same ole same ole. But there have been plenty of people talking besides bubba smith.

Like the CB from the Bucs (Smith) who was SB MVP and said they knew the plays before the snaps which is why he had like 2 interceptions according to him......The HC's from the Brownies & Dolphins that admitted they were paid/offered $$$ to lose..... ex players and SB participants and HOF's like Jerry Rice, Marshall Faulk, QB Warner etc.... etc....etc..... Not to mention numerous books written on the subject. Even you spun a "conspiracy" theory on the colts last year(but you was wrong lol)

Some choose to believe, some question what they see and some don't see or play naive to it. 

Regardless to what group a person is in , it should be viewed as Entertainment to those that still watch and many of them gamble on it and try to guess the script and profit on it..

 

No reason to get all defensive about something that you don't have anything to do with and that more and more people are steadily increasing the opposite opinion that you are "saying you have". 

 

So lets drop it ok and agree to have different opinions. 

[LJpalmbeacher2]

2 hours ago, Hoose said:

I’m not taking issue with your points, which are well made. I just think Ballard’s timeline may not be tied to AR’s performance alone. Because the kid needs more talent around him. And if that talent shows itself to be as insufficient as I think it currently is, you’ve got to have issues with the guy choosing that talent. 
I do hope that (1) the current crop of youngsters gets dramatically better, and (2) that this draft is a game changer. I’m just not very confident about either one. 
 

Hope I’m wrong. 
 

 

I doubt this draft will be a game changer.....as in adding several high impact players that will contribute at a high level immediately. 

I do think that AR5 will be a elite QB and be similar if not better than Josh Allen type. 

But I don't have confidence that AR5 will have the supporting cast to make this franchise a legitimate SB threat year after year. I fear he may have to carry this team on his back and lack the players and coaches that the upper tier teams have and he will be going up against. 

Of course we can always hope its our turn to win, but if AR5 will be as good as I think he should be, our turn should be a regular occurrence with the proper support. 

[ColtStrong2013]

6 hours ago, LJpalmbeacher2 said:

 

I really don't want to beat a dead horse and tired of the same ole same ole. But there have been plenty of people talking besides bubba smith.

Like the CB from the Bucs (Smith) who was SB MVP and said they knew the plays before the snaps which is why he had like 2 interceptions according to him......The HC's from the Brownies & Dolphins that admitted they were paid/offered $$$ to lose..... ex players and SB participants and HOF's like Jerry Rice, Marshall Faulk, QB Warner etc.... etc....etc..... Not to mention numerous books written on the subject. Even you spun a "conspiracy" theory on the colts last year(but you was wrong lol)

Some choose to believe, some question what they see and some don't see or play naive to it. 

Regardless to what group a person is in , it should be viewed as Entertainment to those that still watch and many of them gamble on it and try to guess the script and profit on it..

 

No reason to get all defensive about something that you don't have anything to do with and that more and more people are steadily increasing the opposite opinion that you are "saying you have". 

 

So lets drop it ok and agree to have different opinions.