Colts vs Packers post game thread

[JediXMan]

Anyone else think we’d be at least 1-1 if Josh Downs never got injured? If he returns and the offense starts getting better I’m just saying.

 

 

[smittywerb]

1 minute ago, JediXMan said:

Anyone else think we’d be at least 1-1 if Josh Downs never got injured? If he returns and the offense starts getting better I’m just saying.

 

 

 

Idk, I think our problem right now is playcalling.  Too much passing, not enough running.  If we stay the course, having Josh back might be a bad thing, at least to me lol

[ADnum1]

3 minutes ago, JediXMan said:

Anyone else think we’d be at least 1-1 if Josh Downs never got injured? If he returns and the offense starts getting better I’m just saying.

 

 

It's doubtful. 

 

AR would just overthrow him

[BeanDiasucci]

16 minutes ago, Superman said:

 

The idea that you can't play Taylor if you're behind in the fourth quarter is the main problem. I don't know why that idea is taking off today, but it's not based in fact. 

I'm not saying that's the way it should be, but isn't that what happened yesterday?

[DougDew]

4 hours ago, Restinpeacesweetchloe said:

Looks like Ballard has even made Steichen sound dumb. Does he understand just having Taylor in how that could open the pass.

 

 

You keep asserting that having JT would have opened up the passing game.  Did you not watch the previous 3 quarters when we had JT in the game, and running effectively, and the passing game stunk?  

[dw49]

1 minute ago, DougDew said:

You keep asserting that having JT would have opened up the passing game.  Did you not watch the previous 3 quarters when we had JT in the game, and running effectively, and the passing game stunk?  

 

How about a few hand offs to JT in the 4th quarter when GB was playing the pass. Maybe we get a big run or two ?

[DougDew]

23 minutes ago, BeanDiasucci said:

I'm not saying that's the way it should be, but isn't that what happened yesterday?

I don't think people are asserting that you can't play JT in the 4Q.  I think people are trying to understand the logic behind what happened, and I would offer...not advocating this as a winning strategy....that HCs tend to think of purely passing the ball when they are down two scores in the 4Q.  (kind of a analytics thing and a time/clock thing.  A failed pass costs 5 seconds, a failed run (no gain) costs you 25 seconds.  Add that up over the course of a run-dominated series and it probably costs a team one or two possessions)

 

Even Shane mentioned that they only ran the ball twice (did he mean the entire 4Q?).

 

So IF you are going to a nonbalanced pass-first offense, history with the Colts show that JT is not the RB that's typically in the game.  I'm not saying its a winning strategy and Shane should not be criticized.  I'm saying that the Colts tend to rotate JT out more...or use him less...when the strategy becomes less balanced and pass first.   The fact that JT did not come back in at all maybe means that the clock worked against a normal RB rotation by that time.

[DougDew]

2 minutes ago, dw49 said:

 

How about a few hand offs to JT in the 4th quarter when GB was playing the pass. Maybe we get a big run or two ?

Fine with me, but that's not the same thing as keeping him in to open up passing plays.

[Superman]

23 minutes ago, BeanDiasucci said:

I'm not saying that's the way it should be, but isn't that what happened yesterday?

 

It's the way it's being framed, and perpetuated. I think there's more to it than meets the eye. Or maybe less, to be specific.

[chad72]

3 hours ago, BeanDiasucci said:

 

You're probably right, but Sermon has been in the league 3+ years and has caught a total of seven passes for 46 yards. Taylor may not be a great receiver but in 4+ seasons he has 125 receptions for 987 yards. Taylor has of course had far more opportunities, yet I'm not buying it that Sermon brings anything to our passing game that warrants taking Taylor out for a whole quarter. 

I was truly expecting Goodson. Last year vs Texans, right call and personnel, bad execution.  This year, Sermon wasn’t the right guy and JT caught one and dropped one.

 

After watching Brady and Mahomes, I’m realizing hitting an RB with a lower center of gravity in stride accurately also separates the best QBs.

[Superman]

2 minutes ago, chad72 said:

I was truly expecting Goodson. Last year vs Texans, right call and personnel, bad execution.  This year, Sermon wasn’t the right guy and JT caught one and dropped one.

 

After watching Brady and Mahomes, I’m realizing hitting an RB with a lower center of gravity in stride accurately also separates the best QBs.

 

I don't think the Goodson play compares at all. That play call worked, the guy was open, and it should have been a first down. 

 

The 3rd and 1 yesterday didn't look like it had any chance at all. Maybe Richardson had a shot if he kept it, maybe he didn't run it correctly... but I didn't see that one as having a good chance to succeed. 

[BeanDiasucci]

50 minutes ago, Superman said:

 

It's the way it's being framed, and perpetuated. I think there's more to it than meets the eye. Or maybe less, to be specific.

There's some exaggeration in response to what happened Sunday. I doubt anybody thinks Taylor won't ever play when the Colts are down. At the same time, the Colts might be making me an atheist - I don't want to see any Sermon on Sunday.

[Dobbinblitz]

As a team, pretty ugly that Cross had the best defensive run grade at 77.3.

Ouch! Franklin PFF Run Defense grade 38.9

[ColtStrong2013]

3 minutes ago, Dobbinblitz said:

As a team, pretty ugly that Cross had the best defensive run grade at 77.3.

Ouch! Franklin PFF Run Defense grade 38.9

not in the least bit surprised… cross has been making tackles both at the line of scrimmage and at the next level. Franklin talked the talk all offseason… has not even shown he can walk this season. 

[DougDew]

39 minutes ago, BeanDiasucci said:

There's some exaggeration in response to what happened Sunday. I doubt anybody thinks Taylor won't ever play when the Colts are down. At the same time, the Colts might be making me an atheist - I don't want to see any Sermon on Sunday.

True.  This also speaks to backup RB talent.  If the RB rotation favors the backup RB in certain situations as the game clock becomes an issue, then we need a better backup because we expect him to make more plays than in the first half.  

 

If SS said it was just a simple rotation, but we only ran twice in the 4Q, then JTs absence was just a timing thing where we ran out of clock, and Shane had little intention of doing anything besides passing.  Maybe that is the issue.

[Dobbinblitz]

In each of the first 2 games of the season Will Fries has edged out Nelson on Run Blocking grades. Both led the team in Pass Blocking tied at 84.1. Against GB

[dw49]

1 hour ago, DougDew said:

Fine with me, but that's not the same thing as keeping him in to open up passing plays.

 

No it isn't but it's legit

[Patrick Miller]

2 hours ago, ADnum1 said:

It's doubtful. 

 

AR would just overthrow him

Yep.

[KB]

8 minutes ago, Dobbinblitz said:

In each of the first 2 games of the season Will Fries has edged out Nelson on Run Blocking grades. Both led the team in Pass Blocking tied at 84.1. Against GB

Fries looks likes he's gonna be expensive this next offseason

[DougDew]

5 minutes ago, dw49 said:

 

No it isn't but it's legit

I get it, but its a problem isn't it.  If your best player on offense is a RB, its a problem.  If you average 9 YPC and score 3 points, the good RB performance kinda doesn't really do much.  As you get closer to the goal line, the entire field becomes "the box" so its pretty hard to keep punching it in with the run in he red zone.

 

Look, if JT busts off a long run and scores, great.  But he really hasn't done that since when...2021?   I don't think Shane is content with crossing his fingers and hoping that happens again, like fans do, as the end of the game is approaching.

[dw49]

9 minutes ago, DougDew said:

I get it, but its a problem isn't it.  If your best player on offense is a RB, its a problem.  If you average 9 YPC and score 3 points, the good RB performance kinda doesn't really do much.  As you get closer to the goal line, the entire field becomes "the box" so its pretty hard to keep punching it in with the run in he red zone.

 

Look, if JT busts off a long run and scores, great.  But he really hasn't done that since when...2021?   I don't think Shane is content with crossing his fingers and hoping that happens again, like fans do, as the end of the game is approaching.

 

He dealt with some injuries the past 2 years. GB played 2 deep safeties most of the game. Maybe he breaks one otherwise ? With AR , JT , 4 pretty good WR and a good O Line ,  there is no reason this offense shouldn't be effective. The play calling yesterday was terrible . Couple that with a bad AR day and 5-6 dropped passes and you get 10 points.

 

[dw49]

2 hours ago, Superman said:

 

I don't think the Goodson play compares at all. That play call worked, the guy was open, and it should have been a first down. 

 

The 3rd and 1 yesterday didn't look like it had any chance at all. Maybe Richardson had a shot if he kept it, maybe he didn't run it correctly... but I didn't see that one as having a good chance to succeed. 

 

That was just an utterly terrible play call. 

[DougDew]

6 minutes ago, dw49 said:

 

He dealt with some injuries the past 2 years. GB played 2 deep safeties most of the game. Maybe he breaks one otherwise ? With AR , JT , 4 pretty good WR and a good O Line ,  there is no reason this offense shouldn't be effective. The play calling yesterday was terrible . Couple that with a bad AR day and 5-6 dropped passes and you get 10 points.

 

Or maybe he just got lucky in 2021 for a few games where defenses didn't expect him to do what he never did before that, then shut him down the rest of that season and subsequent seasons.  And it's foolish to expect him to ever bust another one the rest of his career.

 

AR connected on a few deep passes vs HOU, but couldn't sustain drives through the air.  The Colts passing game is not yet NFL caliber, and hasn't been for several seasons. 

[1959Colts]

2 hours ago, Superman said:

 

I don't think the Goodson play compares at all. That play call worked, the guy was open, and it should have been a first down. 

 

The 3rd and 1 yesterday didn't look like it had any chance at all. Maybe Richardson had a shot if he kept it, maybe he didn't run it correctly... but I didn't see that one as having a good chance to succeed. 

The problem with that play was... Nobody blocked the GB linebacker

[dw49]

9 minutes ago, DougDew said:

Or maybe he just got lucky in 2021 for a few games where defenses didn't expect him to do what he never did before that, then shut him down the rest of that season and subsequent seasons.  And it's foolish to expect him to ever bust another one the rest of his career.

 

AR connected on a few deep passes vs HOU, but couldn't sustain drives through the air.  The Colts passing game is not yet NFL caliber, and hasn't been for several seasons. 

 

He's one of 3 active NLF RBs averaging 5 yards per carry for their career. I wouldn't say he's been "shut down."  

[JediXMan]

2 hours ago, Superman said:

 

I don't think the Goodson play compares at all. That play call worked, the guy was open, and it should have been a first down. 

 

The 3rd and 1 yesterday didn't look like it had any chance at all. Maybe Richardson had a shot if he kept it, maybe he didn't run it correctly... but I didn't see that one as having a good chance to succeed. 

I liked that he tossed it and avoided a unnecessary hit that likely wouldn’t ended in a first down anyways.  Bad play call should’ve just ran it twice if needed. 

[Defjamz26]

5 hours ago, krunk said:

Does anyone here think the Packers thought in the 4th qtr as behind as we were that we were going to be running the football? I mean we needed the clock on our sides and running runs the clock out. Steichen has pretty much told us in few words "hey we needed to pass heavy". I will agree JT needed to be in the game on that stupid option play maybe, but for the most part I understood what he alluded to.

I’m more upset with him not being in on that play where we literally needed 2 yards, as opposed to him not being in the 4th quarter.

 

However I also don’t get the commitment to Sermon, and to a lesser extent, Goodson. They both had the best games of their career against the Steelers last year, and it seems like the staff is still hanging their hat on that. Sermon is not a proven receiving back or a proven clutch player. Goodson didn’t really get any snaps, but I just feel like he made the game based on again a handful of splash play (seems to be the theme for this team) and there not being any real competition.

[krunk]

1 hour ago, Defjamz26 said:

I’m more upset with him not being in on that play where we literally needed 2 yards, as opposed to him not being in the 4th quarter.

 

However I also don’t get the commitment to Sermon, and to a lesser extent, Goodson. They both had the best games of their career against the Steelers last year, and it seems like the staff is still hanging their hat on that. Sermon is not a proven receiving back or a proven clutch player. Goodson didn’t really get any snaps, but I just feel like he made the game based on again a handful of splash play (seems to be the theme for this team) and there not being any real competition.

I think Hull should be #2 to be honest. He can run and he's got a good set of hands.

[Defjamz26]

The 33rd team just posted that Malik Willis was 3rd behind only Kyler Murray and Derek Carr for EPA per drop back. Again, the score abd box score do not tell the full story of this game. Willis moved the ball effortlessly though the air when he needed to. If they had really needed him to throw more, there’s no doubt in my mind he would’ve found success. The run defense is covering up just how awful this secondary is.

[Two_pound]

Does anyone ever wonder how our opponents can seemingly have tight coverage on our backs, te's, and wr's so our qb's have to "thread the needle" so to speak(Manning and Luck were always making throws that you don't know how they ever completed their passes). But for the past 52 years we don't cover anyone, seriously, I've watched every game since 1996(Sunday ticket) and the most frustrating thing about Colt football is we don't guard anyone. Opponents wonder through our secondary uninhibited virtually every play. It can't be that hard to cover someone sometimes, our opponents do. Even though through the first 2 games this season we've had A LOT of wide open receivers and backs, this offense is loaded, give Richardson time he'll get the ball to them.

[DougDew]

10 hours ago, dw49 said:

 

He's one of 3 active NLF RBs averaging 5 yards per carry for their career. I wouldn't say he's been "shut down."  

Goodness, that 5 YPC career average includes the anomalous 60 yarders that he hasn't gotten since 2021.  You said the same thing I did except you put a stat behind it.

 

Defenses shut JT  down the last 3 games of 2021.  That's why the offense collapsed...no...it wasn't Wentz......Wentz had his big play threat taken away so the offense was put entirely on him and the passing game.  That was the difference in the offense from the middle of that season and the end of that season....JT not making big plays anymore.  

 

Ability to score points via the run game is important when there are limited possessions.  Driving 50 yards with a lot of run plays that results in no score....like what happened the entire game......burns clock that you need for multiple possessions to score twice.  Its better to go three and out with 3 filed passes because it only costs you 15 seconds of clock.  Hopefully the next possession connects on a few passes.  A few successful runs are not likely to get first downs, but burn clock in the last quarter.

 

C;mon man, nearly everybody who wanted JT in the game wasn't thinking about the clock, they were just wishing he would bust a long one like the ones they remember from 2021.  It's what Colts fans do. 

 

And now they'll want AR to throw a bomb to AP....and both of those wishes that will hardly ever come true again will make them think the play calling/coaching some how fails the players when the offense doesn't score.

[jvan1973]

8 minutes ago, DougDew said:

Goodness, that 5 YPC career average includes the anomalous 60 yarders that he hasn't gotten since 2021.  You said the same thing I did except you put a stat behind it.

 

Defenses shut JT  down the last 3 games of 2021.  That's why the offense collapsed...no...it wasn't Wentz......Wentz had his big play threat taken away so the offense was put entirely on him and the passing game.  That was the difference in the offense from the middle of that season and the end of that season....JT not making big plays anymore.  

 

Ability to score points via the run game is important when there are limited possessions.  Driving 50 yards with a lot of run plays that results in no score....like what happened the entire game......burns clock that you need for multiple possessions to score twice.  Its better to go three and out with 3 filed passes because it only costs you 15 seconds of clock.  Hopefully the next possession connects on a few passes.  A few successful runs are not likely to get first downs, but burn clock in the last quarter.

 

C;mon man, nearly everybody who wanted JT in the game wasn't thinking about the clock, they were just wishing he would bust a long one like the ones they remember from 2021.  It's what Colts fans do. 

 

And now they'll want AR to throw a bomb to AP....and both of those wishes that will hardly ever come true again will make them think the play calling/coaching some how fails the players when the offense doesn't score.

He has a 5.4 ypc this season.   He needs to get the ball more

[DougDew]

44 minutes ago, jvan1973 said:

He has a 5.4 ypc this season.   He needs to get the ball more

That's fine, he probably should have.  But since we don't know the outcome of something that never happened, its not like it cost us the game.  Folks are simply looking for a way to put this game on Shane when it was AR's QB play that cost us the game.

 

This 4Q criticism of Shane via JT is just nuts.  

 

NFL.com play by play 4Q...down 10-3: 

 

• JT catches a pass, then he runs 29 yards, he runs 1 yard, then Sermon loses 4 yards on that stupid option play...but its still a makeable 50 yard FG, which Gay misses.  That drive cost 2:32 off the clock.
• GB then takes over 3 minutes off of the clock and scores a FG, making it 13-3 or 2 score deficit.
• About  9 minutes on the clock and down by two scores, 
• AR throws a 30 yard pass, an incomplete pass on first down, then his horrible pick. (whether JT is on the field now is irrelevant, since we only had the ball for three plays, one of them a successful pass play)
• GB then drives 6 minutes and scores a FG, making it 16-3 and a two TD deficit
• Colts down two TDs with about 4 minutes left...and what...fans wonder why JT isn't on the field?  (they think he'll bust another long run of 30 yards)
• Colts pass without JT on the field...AND THEY SCORE THEIR ONLY TD OF THE GAME...by passing the ball and JT on the bench.
• GB kills some clock and,punts
• AR throws the deep pick.  Clock done.

Good lord, the amount of pure shilling for AR by trying to say Shane cost the game is simply delusional.

 

Shane was right, they only ran the ball twice in the 4Q because the D couldn't get off the field and GB ate clock while putting them 2 TDs down with about 4 minutes left.

 

 

[jemack]

13 hours ago, dw49 said:

 

That was just an utterly terrible play call. 

They were already containing the edges for AR. I wish they'd take the cuteness out of their plays and just focus on the basics while AR adapts. It just looks silly right now.

[shasta519]

2 hours ago, DougDew said:

That's fine, he probably should have.  But since we don't know the outcome of something that never happened, its not like it cost us the game.  Folks are simply looking for a way to put this game on Shane when it was AR's QB play that cost us the game.

 

This 4Q criticism of Shane via JT is just nuts.  

 

NFL.com play by play 4Q...down 10-3: 

 

• JT catches a pass, then he runs 29 yards, he runs 1 yard, then Sermon loses 4 yards on that stupid option play...but its still a makeable 50 yard FG, which Gay misses.  That drive cost 2:32 off the clock.
• GB then takes over 3 minutes off of the clock and scores a FG, making it 13-3 or 2 score deficit.
• About  9 minutes on the clock and down by two scores, 
• AR throws a 30 yard pass, an incomplete pass on first down, then his horrible pick. (whether JT is on the field now is irrelevant, since we only had the ball for three plays, one of them a successful pass play)
• GB then drives 6 minutes and scores a FG, making it 16-3 and a two TD deficit
• Colts down two TDs with about 4 minutes left...and what...fans wonder why JT isn't on the field?  (they think he'll bust another long run of 30 yards)
• Colts pass without JT on the field...AND THEY SCORE THEIR ONLY TD OF THE GAME...by passing the ball and JT on the bench.
• GB kills some clock and,punts
• AR throws the deep pick.  Clock done.

Good lord, the amount of pure shilling for AR by trying to say Shane cost the game is simply delusional.

 

Shane was right, they only ran the ball twice in the 4Q because the D couldn't get off the field and GB ate clock while putting them 2 TDs down with about 4 minutes left.

 

 

 

Agree. It's not like the Colts have been scoring on sustained drives with JT. The only TD drive I can think of was because they got a blocked punt that put them goal to go.

 

The offense has been dependent on deep pass plays. Pierce has played great, but the fact that the passing offense has run through him means there are deficiencies elsewhere. 

 

People were very confident that the offense was going to be this juggernaut with AR, but maybe it's not? 

 

2023 (without AR; Weeks 5-on): 23 ppg and #14 in EPA/play

2024 (with AR; Weeks 1-2): 23.5 ppg and #18 in EPA/play

 

So far...not much difference from last year to this year, despite AR being back and AD being added to the WR room. Maybe this will change in the coming weeks, but it's also possible we will have to adjust expectations. 

[DougDew]

11 minutes ago, shasta519 said:

 

Agree. It's not like the Colts have been scoring on sustained drives with JT. The only TD drive I can think of was because they got a blocked punt that put them goal to go.

 

The offense has been dependent on deep pass plays. Pierce has played great, but the fact that the passing offense has run through him means there are deficiencies elsewhere. 

 

People were very confident that the offense was going to be this juggernaut with AR, but maybe it's not? 

 

2023 (without AR; Weeks 5-on): 23 ppg and #14 in EPA/play

2024 (with AR; Weeks 1-2): 23.5 ppg and #18 in EPA/play

 

So far...not much difference from last year to this year, despite AR being back and AD being added to the WR room. Maybe this will change in the coming weeks, but it's also possible we will have to adjust expectations. 

Ironically, for years with frank's offense we had sustained between the red zone drives and TOP, but no big scoring plays.  This season, we have had some big plays but no sustained drives, really.  The defense that keeps AP from breaking big plays will tend to also keep JT from making long runs.

 

If it stays like this, defenses will force the Colts to do everything underneath, and that's ARs biggest weakness.  I assume defenses would be content to let the Colts churn the field at 4 to 5 YPC from a RB, because the field becomes "the box" in the red zone, and we really don't have a short yardage punching running game for red zone running.  AR needs to figure out the underneath game. 

 

And no, specific play calling won't undo that issue.

[dw49]

4 hours ago, DougDew said:

Goodness, that 5 YPC career average includes the anomalous 60 yarders that he hasn't gotten since 2021.  You said the same thing I did except you put a stat behind it.

 

Defenses shut JT  down the last 3 games of 2021.  That's why the offense collapsed...no...it wasn't Wentz......Wentz had his big play threat taken away so the offense was put entirely on him and the passing game.  That was the difference in the offense from the middle of that season and the end of that season....JT not making big plays anymore.  

 

Ability to score points via the run game is important when there are limited possessions.  Driving 50 yards with a lot of run plays that results in no score....like what happened the entire game......burns clock that you need for multiple possessions to score twice.  Its better to go three and out with 3 filed passes because it only costs you 15 seconds of clock.  Hopefully the next possession connects on a few passes.  A few successful runs are not likely to get first downs, but burn clock in the last quarter.

 

C;mon man, nearly everybody who wanted JT in the game wasn't thinking about the clock, they were just wishing he would bust a long one like the ones they remember from 2021.  It's what Colts fans do. 

 

And now they'll want AR to throw a bomb to AP....and both of those wishes that will hardly ever come true again will make them think the play calling/coaching some how fails the players when the offense doesn't score.

"GOODNESS" here is his yearly average per carry.

 

2020    232 for 1169  5.00

2021    332 for 1811   5.50

2022    192 for   861  4.50

2023    169 for   741  4.40

2024      28 for  151   5.4  

 

Career  953 for 4753  5.00

 

2022 was injury ridden. Played multiple games on a bad ankle that never healed.

2023 held out and it looks weeks for the ankle to be at full strength . Plus he played with Garder Minshaw and teams crowed the LOS. Inferring  his 5 yard per carry average is not "legitimate" is way off base. Should we apply your standard to Barry Sanders , who also had a 5 yard career average ? 

 

As to the last 3 games of 2021 . It wasn't Taylor that missed a wide open TY Hilton for a game winning TD vs LV. It wasn't Taylor that played QB poor enough vs Jack. for the Colts to cut him.

 

Here are Taylor's last 4 games in 2021 . Not quite like you describe . For the last 3 that you bring up , he still averaged 4.7 per carry.

 

VS NE   29 for 170   5.9

VS AZ   27 for 108   4.0

VS LV    20 for 108   5.4

VS Jack 15 for 77     5.1

 

[Superman]

12 minutes ago, dw49 said:

"GOODNESS" here is his yearly average per carry.

 

2020    232 for 1169  5.00

2021    332 for 1811   5.50

2022    192 for   861  4.50

2023    169 for   741  4.40

2024      28 for  151   5.4  

 

Career  953 for 4753  5.00

 

2022 was injury ridden. Played multiple games on a bad ankle that never healed.

2023 held out and it looks weeks for the ankle to be at full strength . Plus he played with Garder Minshaw and teams crowed the LOS. Inferring  his 5 yard per carry average is not "legitimate" is way off base. Should we apply your standard to Barry Sanders , who also had a 5 yard career average ? 

 

As to the last 3 games of 2021 . It wasn't Taylor that missed a wide open TY Hilton for a game winning TD vs LV. It wasn't Taylor that played QB poor enough vs Jack. for the Colts to cut him.

 

Here are Taylor's last 4 games in 2021 . Not quite like you describe . For the last 3 that you bring up , he still averaged 4.7 per carry.

 

VS NE   29 for 170   5.9

VS AZ   27 for 108   4.0

VS LV    20 for 108   5.4

VS Jack 15 for 77     5.1

 

 

I don't understand this argument, or this attempt to delegitimize Jonathan Taylor's production. He's a borderline great RB who needs to have more than 12 carries/game, particularly when he's averaging nearly 9 yards/carry. 

[throwing BBZ]

4 hours ago, DougDew said:

That's fine, he probably should have.  But since we don't know the outcome of something that never happened, its not like it cost us the game.  Folks are simply looking for a way to put this game on Shane when it was AR's QB play that cost us the game.

 

This 4Q criticism of Shane via JT is just nuts.  

 

NFL.com play by play 4Q...down 10-3: 

 

• JT catches a pass, then he runs 29 yards, he runs 1 yard, then Sermon loses 4 yards on that stupid option play...but its still a makeable 50 yard FG, which Gay misses.  That drive cost 2:32 off the clock.
• GB then takes over 3 minutes off of the clock and scores a FG, making it 13-3 or 2 score deficit.
• About  9 minutes on the clock and down by two scores, 
• AR throws a 30 yard pass, an incomplete pass on first down, then his horrible pick. (whether JT is on the field now is irrelevant, since we only had the ball for three plays, one of them a successful pass play)
• GB then drives 6 minutes and scores a FG, making it 16-3 and a two TD deficit
• Colts down two TDs with about 4 minutes left...and what...fans wonder why JT isn't on the field?  (they think he'll bust another long run of 30 yards)
• Colts pass without JT on the field...AND THEY SCORE THEIR ONLY TD OF THE GAME...by passing the ball and JT on the bench.
• GB kills some clock and,punts
• AR throws the deep pick.  Clock done.

Good lord, the amount of pure shilling for AR by trying to say Shane cost the game is simply delusional.

 

Shane was right, they only ran the ball twice in the 4Q because the D couldn't get off the field and GB ate clock while putting them 2 TDs down with about 4 minutes left.

 

 

 

 Excellent reality check Doug.

[DougDew]

1 hour ago, dw49 said:

"GOODNESS" here is his yearly average per carry.

 

2020    232 for 1169  5.00

2021    332 for 1811   5.50

2022    192 for   861  4.50

2023    169 for   741  4.40

2024      28 for  151   5.4  

 

Career  953 for 4753  5.00

 

2022 was injury ridden. Played multiple games on a bad ankle that never healed.

2023 held out and it looks weeks for the ankle to be at full strength . Plus he played with Garder Minshaw and teams crowed the LOS. Inferring  his 5 yard per carry average is not "legitimate" is way off base. Should we apply your standard to Barry Sanders , who also had a 5 yard career average ? 

 

As to the last 3 games of 2021 . It wasn't Taylor that missed a wide open TY Hilton for a game winning TD vs LV. It wasn't Taylor that played QB poor enough vs Jack. for the Colts to cut him.

 

Here are Taylor's last 4 games in 2021 . Not quite like you describe . For the last 3 that you bring up , he still averaged 4.7 per carry.

 

VS NE   29 for 170   5.9

VS AZ   27 for 108   4.0

VS LV    20 for 108   5.4

VS Jack 15 for 77     5.1

 

You said CAREER because that's what you meant.  If you meant per season, then my response would have been different. 

 

Some might think my response was probably wrong because it is not supported by pointless facts....they don't even know the difference between being right and wrong, but think right comes from a "fact size competition".  

 

Here is the crux of anything to do with JT...ever.

 

• How many RBs can bust off 60 yard TDs:   about 1.
• How many RBs can churn out 4 YPC on a drive:   About 42, And another 80 in college.

 

So having Sermon in the game when you are not relying upon winning the game by a 60 yard run...like a HC would have to be a complete dope to rely on that to win the game.....late in 4Q.... means basically nothing. 

 

 I wish people would stop using such a pointless stat like YPC to Monday-morning QB the play calling.