Why is Ballard not improving his Secondary?

[ShuteAt168]

18 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

No remote?   What are you talking about?   Cross made it clear he and Downs are good friends and Cross didn’t do it on purpose and feels bad about it. 
 

And if Simmons goes elsewhere, so be it.  The Colts will find another safety they’re comfortable with.  And I’m a guy who wants the Colts to sign Simmons. 

When did Cross said he felt bad? I’d like to read that because I missed it. Do you have a link? Thanks. I just read he said “end of the day it’s football” and he was making a football play. 

[ShuteAt168]

17 hours ago, NewColtsFan said:

Ballard is the same guy that signed Rodney McCloud.  A nobody.   And all he did was have the best year of his career, with grades in the mid-80’s. 
 

You're one of the many here who didn’t understand what the Colts did last year with the secondary.  That we’d let the kids play and learn on the job.  So the kids made mistakes for all to see.  But now you and others want those guys replaced by better.  Replacing all those guys now defeats the whole purpose of playing them  last year.  How do we know if they’ll be better if we don’t let them play and show what they can do?   
 

I hope tomorrow we wake up to find out Simmons is a Colt.   I just won’t freak out if he doesn’t.   I trust Ballard and so does the owner.  I think your comment about not trusting Ballard and he hasn’t earned it is frankly embarrassing.   The reason this team has struggled for years is (1) he hasn’t gotten the QB right which he said so in January,  and (2) the terrible OL in 2022 which ended up with the team firing their OL coach, Shafer. 
 

Im just asking you to tap the brakes a little to see what happens. 
 

 

54-60-1. It’s “embarrassing” that some fans don’t  trust a GM with that record? Lol. I’d feel more embarrassed to be a simp for a GM with that record? Or maybe your trust comes from all his playoff success the past eight years! I hope every move CB made this offseason pay off but there’s little reason to trust him. 

[NewColtsFan]

5 minutes ago, ShuteAt168 said:

When did Cross said he felt bad? I’d like to read that because I missed it. Do you have a link? Thanks. I just read he said “end of the day it’s football” and he was making a football play. 

You know full well Cross didn’t say that literally.   He said something like Downs is my guy, implying they’re close or tight.  His comment about it’s just football was his way of saying the incident was not personal its business.  Cross is trying to win a starting job and he made a dumb mistake.  

[NewColtsFan]

13 minutes ago, ShuteAt168 said:

54-60-1. It’s “embarrassing” that some fans don’t  trust a GM with that record? Lol. I’d feel more embarrassed to be a simp for a GM with that record? Or maybe your trust comes from all his playoff success the past eight years! I hope every move CB made this offseason pay off but there’s little reason to trust him. 

Ah, you’re back after taking some time off this summer.  Nice for you.  
 

But this argument you present is the same one you’ve presented before.  Perhaps you simply cut and pasted it for convenience?   So I’m not going down that rabbit hole with you again.  There’s no point. 
 

As I’ve stated repeatedly, Ballard has been ranked somewhere between 14 and 19 for roughly a year or more.  I’ve completely agreed with it.  I’ve gone out of my way to repeatedly say that if AR doesn’t work out Ballard will be fired and should be fired.  So all your talk of me being some devoted fan boy who backs Ballard blindly is badly misplaced.  
 

Finally….  In a thread about signing Simmons I find it ironic that no one has mentioned this, from Ballard’s major January news conference when he said this at the end: 
 

Paraphrasing:  we haven’t won more because we didn’t get the quarterback right all these years.  
 

All the talk about the other positions are fun and interesting, but they miss the bigger picture.  The Quarterback.  And I’m not looking to start a debate about that.  We’ve killed that dead horse many times over. 

[RollerColt]

All of this could be simple in that: 

 

A. Simmons is asking too much. 

 

B. Simmons doesn't want to come to Indiana and would rather play somewhere else. 

 

Especially if it's B, there's not much we can do. 

 

Time to move on, folks. Gotta know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em. And right now boys, it's foldin' time. 

[ShuteAt168]

7 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

Ah, you’re back after taking some time off this summer.  Nice for you.  
 

But this argument you present is the same one you’ve presented before.  Perhaps you simply cut and pasted it for convenience?   So I’m not going down that rabbit hole with you again.  There’s no point. 
 

As I’ve stated repeatedly, Ballard has been ranked somewhere between 14 and 19 for roughly a year or more.  I’ve completely agreed with it.  I’ve gone out of my way to repeatedly say that if AR doesn’t work out Ballard will be fired and should be fired.  So all your talk of me being some devoted fan boy who backs Ballard blindly is badly misplaced.  
 

Finally….  In a thread about signing Simmons I find it ironic that no one has mentioned this, from Ballard’s major January news conference when he said this at the end: 
 

Paraphrasing:  we haven’t won more because we didn’t get the quarterback right all these years.  
 

All the talk about the other positions are fun and interesting, but they miss the bigger picture.  The Quarterback.  And I’m not looking to start a debate about that.  We’ve killed that dead horse many times over. 

You don’t like the record posted because even you can’t refute that fact (54-60-1). You said the poster should be embarrassed by not trusting CB. Do you really believe that? A Colts fan who knows CB’s record and lack of playoff success should be “embarrassed?” You are very comfortable calling CB critics “haters.” I’d say “fan boy” or “simp” works as the opposite. No offense, just trying to be accurate . 

[NewColtsFan]

9 minutes ago, RollerColt said:

All of this could be simple in that: 

 

A. Simmons is asking too much. 

 

B. Simmons doesn't want to come to Indiana and would rather play somewhere else. 

 

Especially if it's B, there's not much we can do. 

 

Time to move on, folks. Gotta know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em. And right now boys, it's foldin' time. 

Hmmm?   It’s not time to move on unless Simmons has officially signed with another team.   The Colts are in the running until they’re not. 

[RollerColt]

3 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

Hmmm?   It’s not time to move on unless Simmons has officially signed with another team.   The Colts are in the running until they’re not. 

Are we though? I'm not so sure. 

 

I haven't seen any major chatter on him being tied to the Colts from any of the major insiders like Rapaport or Schefter. 

[Superman]

6 minutes ago, RollerColt said:

Are we though? I'm not so sure. 

 

I haven't seen any major chatter on him being tied to the Colts from any of the major insiders like Rapaport or Schefter. 

 

Yeah, it seems like the writing is on the wall and he's going to the Saints. They apparently even freed up some cap space. However, he left New Orleans without a contract, so I guess the door is still open. But just barely...

[NewColtsFan]

1 minute ago, ShuteAt168 said:

You don’t like the record posted because even you can’t refute that fact (54-60-1). You said the poster should be embarrassed by not trusting CB. Do you really believe that? A Colts fan who knows CB’s record and lack of playoff success should be “embarrassed?” You are very comfortable calling CB critics “haters.” I’d say “fan boy” or “simp” works as the opposite. No offense, just trying to be accurate . 

Theres nothing to refute.  That’s Ballard’s record.   What’s the famous Parcell comment?   You are what your record says you are.  That’s why I’ve supported the view of Ballard’s ranking.   
 

As for the comment about embarrassing….  I took it as far as I could publicly.  To say more would be highly inappropriate and risk me getting suspended.  I’d prefer that didn’t happen.  
 

I can share with you privately but I don’t think you’d like it.  
 

But I’m willing to say this…. Your steady drum beat of Ballard’s record is what I’d expect from any regular Colts fan. It’s as superficial as can be.  But it’s not what I’d expect from a journalist or a journalism professor.  Those are people who aren’t looking for a simple easy story.  They search for context and understanding.  That’s why I’m always surprised we can’t find common ground.  We should be able to.  It’s your choice that we don’t. 

[ShuteAt168]

29 minutes ago, NewColtsFan said:

You know full well Cross didn’t say that literally.   He said something like Downs is my guy, implying they’re close or tight.  His comment about it’s just football was his way of saying the incident was not personal its business.  Cross is trying to win a starting job and he made a dumb mistake.  

Oh, my apologies. When you said Cross made it clear he “felt bad about it” I assumed that somewhere Cross had made it clear he felt bad about it. 

[jvan1973]

4 hours ago, Yoshinator said:

I'm probably the only person who doesn't bash Ballard in a coddling matter lol. I have no filter on this subject. You should never fear offending people when telling the truth. 

The irony in this post is amazing.   You literally let truth offend you all the time

[cdgacoltsfan]

50 minutes ago, ShuteAt168 said:

54-60-1. It’s “embarrassing” that some fans don’t  trust a GM with that record? Lol. I’d feel more embarrassed to be a simp for a GM with that record? Or maybe your trust comes from all his playoff success the past eight years! I hope every move CB made this offseason pay off but there’s little reason to trust him. 

In order to win in the NFL, you need an elite QB. He had one but he quit on the team....like a week before the season. Remember? And just an FYI, franchise QBs don't grow in trees .

[jvan1973]

9 minutes ago, ShuteAt168 said:

Oh, my apologies. When you said Cross made it clear he “felt bad about it” I assumed that somewhere Cross had made it clear he felt bad about it. 

Who cares?  Cross and Downs know each other.   A public apology isn't necessary.   It's football.   Injuries happen.  Would the injury to Downs be less egregious if it was 11 on 11?    Have we seen video of the incident?  Did Cross do more than he should have,  or did they get tangled up going for the ball?   What ever apology was made or wasn't has nothing to do with you

[Rolltide_gocolts]

Here’s the thing I’m noticing in moments like this….We talked about Ballard not having the stones to make a move up in the draft, when in fact he did!!  I’m sure Ballard has tried to get a deal done with Simmons, reality is it takes 2 to tango… and players don’t like the idea of playing for the colts right now .. 

[MikeCurtis]

59 minutes ago, RollerColt said:

All of this could be simple in that: 

 

A. Simmons is asking too much. 

 

B. Simmons doesn't want to come to Indiana and would rather play somewhere else. 

 

Especially if it's B, there's not much we can do. 

 

Time to move on, folks. Gotta know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em. And right now boys, it's foldin' time. 

Yep

 

it is what it is

 

Time to play football

[2006Coltsbestever]

1 hour ago, BeanDiasucci said:

 

I think it's true that fans will come back here if the Colts start winning in a big way. I would expect to see some of that. But I also wonder if the addition of multiple Colts' groups and sites on Reddit, Facebook, Instagram, and other websites and social media is a significant factor in the decrease in activity here (the official Colts Reddit page has 150K members). Colts.com may be facing a lot more competition for Colts fans than it was six years ago, or even a couple of years ago. It may be that former Colts.com posters didn't miss last season by not being here, but that they enjoyed it elsewhere.

 

I should learn just to laugh and forget it when people call others haters, although in this case, few Colts fans hate Ballard or criticize him aggressively (and if they do, why shouldn't they be allowed to do that, even if they're wrong?). I think calling these posters haters is an effort to devalue their opinions and/or silence them. Here's an idea to even the scales -- in response to "haters," how about we start calling Ballard lovers "maters" because they want to protect Ballard like his mom would (mater means mom) or like his mate would (mater also means someone who mates). It's stupid and I need to do better, but at least it's more original than that angsty 2010s teen cliche, "You're a hater."

 

Okay, that's way too much from me. Later Mater! 

I have checked out some of those other sites with the exception of Facebook, I don't do Facebook. They allow more freedom of speech in those sites is why they are gaining steam. I still like it here better, but I am loyal because this site overall has been good (great at 1 time) and has let me speak my mind somewhat at times.

[ADnum1]

5 hours ago, shasta519 said:

Not to mention the last time we saw the secondary play, outside of Blackmon, was also against CJ Stroud in Week 18. And Nico Collins nearly went for 200 yards.

200 yards ?

 

Did our pass defense even show up for the game ?

[2006Coltsbestever]

2 minutes ago, ADnum1 said:

200 yards ?

 

Did our pass defense even show up for the game ?

He caught the 75 yard TD pass to start the game that was the balk of it.

[ADnum1]

10 minutes ago, 2006Coltsbestever said:

He caught the 75 yard TD pass to start the game that was the balk of it.

That's good to know that we limited Nico to a 125 yards for the rest of the game !

[cdgacoltsfan]

49 minutes ago, Rolltide_gocolts said:

Here’s the thing I’m noticing in moments like this….We talked about Ballard not having the stones to make a move up in the draft, when in fact he did!!  I’m sure Ballard has tried to get a deal done with Simmons, reality is it takes 2 to tango… and players don’t like the idea of playing for the colts right now .. 

Nope ...99% of players want the most $'s ...if a team is willing to over pay...that's the team they will choose.

[2006Coltsbestever]

10 minutes ago, ADnum1 said:

That's good to know that we limited Nico to a 125 yards for the rest of the game !

 not really but I know you are being sarcastic 

[DynaMike]

17 hours ago, Yoshinator said:

Yep. Absolute garbage. There are a lot of people who are ok with this too. Dodds is just as big of a coward as Ballard. No leadership up top on this team. Ballard and Dodds couldn't run a pee wee football team, and Irsay isn't doing anything to overrule them.

Wow! Cowards? Maybe they just have a different opinion on how to handle things. You assume that your chosen action is the righteous way, so Ballard & Dodds must agree with it, but they don't act because they are "cowards." Maybe they truly believe that another way is better, and are sticking to their beliefs (IE not being cowardly) about it? It's fine to disagree with someone's beliefs, but to attack their character because they see a different way forward is a bit much.

 

I am personally so-so on signing Simmons. He is older, not super fast, & will likely want more money & term. If we sign him (especially to a 1 or 2 year contract at reasonable $) then that's fine for this year & for a veteran presence, but I don't think he is the ultimate answer for us right now.

 

All of this doesn't even account for if Simmons even wants to come here! I love my Indiana peeps, but for many people around the country, choosing between living in Indianapolis or New Orleans is an easy decision, and it's not Indy. Now consider that this is a young, rich African American man making the choice, and it's not even close.There are many non-cowardly reasons that Simmons might not end up here. 

 

Add me to the list of people who dislike when people use the term 'garbage' to describe below average. It seems to fit in with the whole 'you are either great or terrible' mindset which is just inaccurate, and a bad way to run a franchise. That said, IMHO that post was garbage.

 

[2006Coltsbestever]

5 minutes ago, cdgacoltsfan said:

Nope ...99% of players want the most $'s ...if a team is willing to over pay...that's the team they will choose.

Unfortunately I agree with this. I guarantee you if the Saints offer him 6 Mill a year and Ballard goes 8, he will come here. Saints aren't a SB contender at all.

[ADnum1]

9 minutes ago, 2006Coltsbestever said:

 not really but I know you are being sarcastic 

I was just yanking your chain !

[ColtStrong2013]

25 minutes ago, ADnum1 said:

That's good to know that we limited Nico to a 125 yards for the rest of the game !

really though- Stroud threw for 380 on us at the beginning of the season, and then 264 with the division on the line. So we did see improvement. His efficiency was high, but his total production was limited that last game. But he also was pretty light with weapons, so there is that too. 

[AKB]

2 hours ago, Superman said:

I think I'm asking a legitimate question. How should Bradley be evaluated? Let's agree that the personnel needs to be better. So now what? Are we unable to judge Bradley on the defensive results until the personnel is "good enough"? 

 

would you want to be judged as a defensive coordinator with that secondary? 

[MikeCurtis]

1 hour ago, ADnum1 said:

200 yards ?

 

Did our pass defense even show up for the game ?

They went to the wrong stadium

[2006Coltsbestever]

6 minutes ago, MikeCurtis said:

They went to the wrong stadium

[Superman]

1 hour ago, AKB said:

 

would you want to be judged as a defensive coordinator with that secondary? 

 

Talk about a non-answer…

 

So is it fair to say that you don’t think Bradley should be judged as a DC until the personnel meets your standards?

[GoColts8818]

What if the Colts called Simmons and he said I don’t want to play for you?  I believe it’s known he wants to play for a team who has a chance to win and he might not see the Colts as that.

 

Clearly I don’t know that but it’s not always as easy as saying we want x player.

[BProland85]

2 hours ago, Rolltide_gocolts said:

Here’s the thing I’m noticing in moments like this….We talked about Ballard not having the stones to make a move up in the draft, when in fact he did!!  I’m sure Ballard has tried to get a deal done with Simmons, reality is it takes 2 to tango… and players don’t like the idea of playing for the colts right now .. 

And players all want to play for the Titans lol? I don’t buy that argument. 

[RollerColt]

8 minutes ago, GoColts8818 said:

What if the Colts called Simmons and he said I don’t want to play for you?  I believe it’s known he wants to play for a team who has a chance to win and he might not see the Colts as that.

 

Clearly I don’t know that but it’s not always as easy as saying we want x player.

It’s interesting how when a player chooses any of the other 31 teams it’s because of varying factors from money, to team talent, fit, scheme, contention, coaching among others.

 

But when talking about the Colts it always boils down to us “not offering enough money”. 
 

I don’t see it being that easy the we could just simply buy ourselves free agents… 

[ShuteAt168]

3 hours ago, jvan1973 said:

Who cares?  Cross and Downs know each other.   A public apology isn't necessary.   It's football.   Injuries happen.  Would the injury to Downs be less egregious if it was 11 on 11?    Have we seen video of the incident?  Did Cross do more than he should have,  or did they get tangled up going for the ball?   What ever apology was made or wasn't has nothing to do with you

Steichen called Cross out for the play. Several media members have too. It was a 7-7 non contact drill. So no, they didn’t just get tangled up. I think Cross is a tool for not saying “sorry my fault” but I’m not losing sleep. A poster said Cross “felt bad” about it and I wondered where that info came from. Turns out he didn’t say it. I’m truly impressed in a strange way that every single thing you took the time to type out is wrong. 

[AKB]

1 hour ago, Superman said:

 

Talk about a non-answer…

 

So is it fair to say that you don’t think Bradley should be judged as a DC until the personnel meets your standards?

no, that's not fair to say. he should always be evaluated like everyone else. 
with that being said, you have to account for things out of his control. such as the personnel placed in front of him. 

good talent on line --> ranked 5th in sacks
bad talent in secondary ---> ranked 29th-30th in most categories.

it sure isn't rocket science. and no, I wasn't on PFF sites when I found that article, I was on a different colts site where it was being discussed. you sure do make a lot of assumptions about me. 

 

as for the non-answer remark, I have answered most things you've responded to, and going further into most topics will divulge into semantics and cyclical banter while we split hairs about what word means. just not interested in it. like I said earlier, I engage with the conversation so far as I feel like it has something to offer. you seem to disagree with almost everything I say, or find a way to complain about anything that is presented. so with that being said I think I've exhausted the point to you. if you want to ignore it and make the priority something else, that's alright. 

[2006Coltsbestever]

For some people, PFF is the bible and all end to football. Why don't more people use eye test and come to the conclusion they really believe like I do rather than rely on a system that is flawed.

[2006Coltsbestever]

Posters in here like Superman, NewColtsFan, W87r, Jared, and a few others, if they would ignore PFF and just go by their eye test on who is bad, average, good, or great, I would trust them more to be honest. 

[Goatface Killah]

6 hours ago, ShuteAt168 said:

54-60-1. It’s “embarrassing” that some fans don’t  trust a GM with that record? Lol. I’d feel more embarrassed to be a simp for a GM with that record? Or maybe your trust comes from all his playoff success the past eight years! I hope every move CB made this offseason pay off but there’s little reason to trust him. 

A simp is seeking affection in return for their actions Shute. I dont think anyone wants affection from Chris Ballard.

 

If youre gonna use childlike words you picked up on some incel youtube page at least use the term in the correct context. 

 

I dont think Chris Ballards record is bad at all considering all the adversity hes faced as GM of the team. And yes I do believe in him as GM.  

 

 

[throwing BBZ]

1 hour ago, ShuteAt168 said:

Steichen called Cross out for the play. Several media members have too. It was a 7-7 non contact drill. So no, they didn’t just get tangled up. I think Cross is a tool for not saying “sorry my fault” but I’m not losing sleep. A poster said Cross “felt bad” about it and I wondered where that info came from. Turns out he didn’t say it. I’m truly impressed in a strange way that every single thing you took the time to type out is wrong. 

 

 Who cares?  Cross and Downs know each other.   A public apology isn't necessary. What ever apology was made or wasn't has nothing to do with you.  ALL TRUE!

 You must be the only person that doubts that Cross wishes his teammate hadn't got hurt. It's implied. 

 So much freaking out, pure meltdown posts here. 

 

 

 

 

[GoColts8818]

1 hour ago, throwing BBZ said:

 

 Who cares?  Cross and Downs know each other.   A public apology isn't necessary. What ever apology was made or wasn't has nothing to do with you.  ALL TRUE!

 You must be the only person that doubts that Cross wishes his teammate hadn't got hurt. It's implied. 

 So much freaking out, pure meltdown posts here. 

 

 

 

 

This was what I was getting at the other day when I said this is the definition of making a mountain out of mole hill.  Think for one second if it was Blackmon who did this would anyone be nearly as upset as they are right now?  I highly doubt it because people already don’t like Cross and are looking for any excuse to go see he sucks.  
 

I am not going to defend what Cross did.  It was dumb.  I’ve also said I don’t think Cross is the guy the Colts thought they were getting when he was drafted.  With that said he didn’t take Downs head off or put him out for the season.  Yes it sucks Downs got a high ankle sprain but this is football injuries happen.  I mean we’ve seen how many guys rupture their Achilles in non contact injuries over the past few years?  These things happen.
 

It didn’t have to happen but it did.  So all you can do is address it and move on from it.  It sure sounds like Shane wasn’t happy when it happened, nor should he have been, so I am going to guess he addressed it.  Now you move on, and despite what some people want that doesn’t mean you just release him.  If you cut a football player every time they did something dumb you wouldn’t have a team left by the end of training camp.  Does it put Cross in the dog house and maybe make the Colts look a little harder at making a move at FS?  I hope so, but that’s about as much as what’s going to happen right now.  
 

As for should people be mad about it or you want to fine.   I also think it’s perfectly fine to go dang that sucks for my football team but you know what he didn’t tackle me and give me a high ankle sprain so I am not really upset about it because it didn’t directly impact me.  Despite what some think it’s okay not to take everything that happens with your favorite sports team personally.