Colts Thread

Surprised Hankins got released. But if he didn't fit the new defensive scheme, it's for the best. Would've liked an extra pick for him though.

Yeah the Hankins release was a little surprising, though understandable if it's a scheme fit issue, as he is an out and out NT in a 3-4 set, which we won't be playing next season. That said, while he is certainly a solid starter, he is playing short of his $10 million a year contract, as he is just a run stuffer, with little pass rush. In reality, he isn't offering that much more than what Al Woods is, and he is only being paid a quarter of Hankins' wage. With a extra 2019 second round pick I though we wouldn't get with a trade down with the Jets, my slight disappointment in him being released is offset by this pick, because we definitely can get a player of similar capabilities in the second round.

With regards to the FA is so far, my only disappointment is that we haven't signed any good interior offensive linemen. Being honest, I would paid Andrew Norwell the money the Jags paid him or a little more to get him here. It's definitely rich, but necessary given the situation we have with Luck. I am happy enough we didn't pay Ryan Jenson the money the Bucs did though. I expect we will use at least 1 pick in the first two rounds of this year's draft on linemen. I think Quenton Nelson will be second on Ballard's board too after Chubb.

But overall I'm fine with the way Ballard is trying to rebuild the roster. At the end of the day, he will be judged on his drafts, and he has really provided the ammunition with Sunday's trade to add some quality players in the next two years. It would be terrific if Chubb falls to us at 6th overall, I think there is a reasonable chance of that happening.

Right folks.. who are we thinking then? I think it's as simple as if Chubb is there it's gonna be him, if not then Nelson is being picked - just can't see them trading back.. more chance of Broncos trading back instead of the Colts.

I'd like Chubb but he doesn't have fluid hips and is quite a slow bender (7.37s 3 cone). I think he will make for a very solid DE in the league but probably not a elite pass rusher. I think in his prime years he will be around 10 or 11 sack DE, maybe a little more. That said I would draft him at 6, he is genuinely elite against the run, has great hands, power and explosiveness. He had 54.5 TFLs in college which is crazy, his floor is very high imo.

I'm torn but I would prefer to trade back if we get a good deal. I guess we will know in 2 hours!

Given who was on our board, I like the pick. It's a super safe pick, but he was the best player on our board. And he plays in a position of weakness, heightened by the Andrew Luck situation so we can't argue. I think this guy will be a multi pro-bowler that will be a mainstay in this organisation for years. Also, if Mewhort can return to his best our line could really come together.

Darius Leonard LB SC State.

Braden Smith G Auburn.

So Leonard is a good athletic off ball linebacker which is something we badly badly needed. I like the pick.

Not in love with going for another guard. Obviously Ballard doesnt feel Mewhort has a long term future. I would have picked Connor Williams there, and you have the RT position sorted with the option of moving him to guard if needed.

Overall ok but I would love to have selected Landry, must be medical concerns with him.

decolts wrote: »

Hi all - so what did you all make of the season opener? Shot ourselves in the foot again just like last season when we had leads but there is definite positives to take from the game. The penalties / mistakes cost us badly in the second half - the two quick penalties, geathers and turay gave away in the 4th quarter killed us off, the TY drop in the 3rd quarter, and then of course Doyle to finish off the day with a nasty fumble - one which was very preventable - he didnt need to get that first down, we had timeouts left! Really feel like Luck was going to get the win for us with that drive.

Positives though from the game:
- Luck! Definite rustiness in there but to come back and throw 39 (i think) of 52 and 300+ yards was a great sight - yeah he had some shakey throws in there but just great to see him back!
- Leonard looks like a massive talent - much needed!
- RB group - young / inexperienced but add in Mack and it could be an exciting group

The next few weeks are going to be very tough weeks and big improvements will be needed to get any wins but have to remain positive!

Great review.

Overall, I was desperately disappointed to lose the game, I thought we played most of the best football on Sunday. But your right, there was alot of positive and the team definitely looks to be on the right direction.

Here are some of my notes to add to yours:

- Just on Luck, he is a great QB but also it was good to see the oline and play calling much better. We actually have a (very) good interior now and I though Haeg and Webb did as best they could despite being backups. Get Costanzo and Good back in there and with an up tempo offensive playcalling, I think we will keep Luck clean.

- On the play calling, we don't have a great wide receiver group, especially after Hilton, but I think Reich and Sirianni are maximizing the talent available to them, especially the way we use the TEs. I loved the play calling, it was up tempo, quick release, alot of no huddle and it suits Luck down to the ground. He was fully in control out there and looked very comfortable. We were the best team on 3rd down this weekend (75pc), which is good considering it was a good Bengal defense. This is a massive improvement improvement from the Pagano era where we were awful. The running game wasn't great but with Costanzo and Mack back with Turbin later, it should improve. I think we will be around the top 10 offenses this year with Luck throwing for over 4,000 yards like 2016.

- I think on defense, we are obviously very young and made a few key mistakes, that ultimately were costly. I thought the starting safeties were rusty which in fairness was to be expected. But I'm much more excited about the future because they will get better. Players like Leonard, Turay, Wilson, Hooker, Moore III, Skai Moore, Walker, they are nowhere close to their ceiling yet along with Ridgeway who is off a excellent pre-season. I think next year's draft with the depth at defensive line, it will be a big help, because we struggle a bit against the run.

Overall, I think it will be a bit of a rollarcoaster season. We will proabably ship a big beating here and there but overall I think we still have an outside chance of making the playoffs. Getting Costanzo, Ridgeway and Mack back will give us a good boost for next week. I think we are going in the right direction anyway.

letowski wrote: »

Great review.

Thanks! You too!

Like you I was super gutted after the game - you'd think after last season we'd be used to that but it felt (most of the way thru the game) that we were going to do it! It has only made me more excited for the season ahead though - as you say there will be no doubt be some heavy defeats in there but I think we're going to get to see some exciting football over next few months!

Those defensive players you've listed off have a lot of talent between them so that is going to be fun to watch those guys develop this season.

I know we are light on the WR group but I was still pleased with them at the weekend - Grant surprised me - he limited in talent but Luck obviously trusts him - I think he was targetted 11 times, and he caught 8 of those.. I'll take that! Would've liked to have seen more of Ebron - thought he would be more involved but sounds like Reich plans on using him the same throughout the season but lets see what happens there!

Here's hoping the hurricane doesnt stop the game from going ahead at the weekend... I need my Colts fix!

Yes agreed there is quite alot to be positive about at the mid point in the season. I think 3-5 record is about right for this team. I hate using hindsight, but not taking the draw against the Texans is coming back to bite us a little. We would only be 1 game off a tie for the lead in the AFCS. But I'm backing Frank Reich and the call. I'm pleased the direction this team is going under his coaching.

We are growing offensively since the poor offense that played against the Redskins in Week 2, especially in the last 3 games. I said it in a post just above that with Costanzo and Mack back we would be able to get a more balanced offense, but my expectations have been exceeded. Mack has looked amazing and is firmly establishing himself as a proper RB1. Costanzo and the rest of the oline has looked as good as I have seen it, and that predates the mess of the Grigson/Pagano years. I'm very pleased with the guys and Nelson particularly is brilliant (see below ). This has meant Luck has been super efficient the last 2 games and is looking as good as I have seen him. That's huge and the play calling especially the commitment to run the ball is giving Luck a luxury he has never had. We are the 5th highest scoring offense behind KC, NE, LAR and NO so they're in great company. If we could get a good WR2, honestly we would be about set.

Our defense on the other hand isn't very good and played poorly yesterday. They have had some good games like against the Redskins and the Eagles but overall I think the simple, soft zone coverage scheme is being figured out fairly easily my other teams and they are just marching down the field at will. I know we do have that 'bend, don't break' scheme but I still would prefer if Eberflus could mix it up a bit and try and get more pressure on the QB. I guess the reality is we have limited talent at CB and on the dline. I think in the next draft, I wouldn't be surprise we draft an interior and edge defensive player and a CB with our first round and 2 second round picks. But there have definitely been positives none the less. Leonard is a stud and I think Hooker is playing very well, Hooker's stats may not show this but he is ensuring we are not getting beat over the top. Young players like Turay, Kenny Moore and Walker have played well. As I said, if we can get upgrades at CB and on the dline, hopefully Eburflus can call more of an aggressive game. But overall, I think this is where we were expecting our d to be at. It was encouraging though that they are making plays, statistically were doing well at getting takeaways.

https://twitter.com/BaldyNFL/status/1056978263069937664

Whether they make it into the playoffs or not, it's been encouraging. Only real disappointment for me was the Jags game.
And the more the Ravens/Steelers/Titans keep winning, the more i think it's going to be what costs them the playoffs spot.

I'm loving Nelson's enthusiasm - seeing a long play down the field and as soon as the plays over, he's there helping the guys up. :-)
And it's nice to see the difference Kelly makes when he's there and when he's not. Some of the holes Mack went through yesterday were amazing.
Leonard is a beast. It's just a pity he plays for the Colts and so gets ignored by just about everyone in the media.

Whatever happens in the last 2 games, it's a definite improvement in the team and hopes are high for next season.
And Luck is definitely back. :-)

The bend and don't break thing scares me. But it's working at the minute. Autry is having a good time at the moment too. 3 great games in a row, hope he can keep it up. :-)

Yeah after the Jags game, I was quite deflated, I thought we had blown our chances, but the last last 2 weeks we have been excellent.

While our offense has been consistent most of the year, I think the main reason for our surge has been the defense, and I never taught I'd be saying that last September. Leonard obviously has been excellent all year but up front I think Hunt, Autry and Sheard are doing a stellar job against the run. Autry for sure has really emerged in recent weeks causing chaos but I think moving Hunt to Nose Tackle was a really smart move as he is outstanding at penetrating the A-gap. Desir, Moore and Walker have also been playing some very solid football this season. I am excited about our future on defense and Eburflus had done a hell of a job maximising the talent he has.

I think there is a chance we can make the playoffs, we need to win out and hope the Chargers do us a favour this weekend. It hard to know how we would do if we made the playoffs. It would be a good barometer test for the team, esp on defense to see where we are. I feel though, that on offense despite having an elite QB we probably dont have enough playmakers to fully take teams on in a shootout if that were to happen. This team cannot afford to lose TY, Ebron and Mack. I think depth at WR is going to hurt us.

Anyway this year has been a blast so far. We have the youngest team (excluding Vinnie) and next offseason we have an extra 2nd round and the highest cap space so there is loads of capital there to keep getting better.

I have to say, I actually wanted them to go for it in OT against the Texans. Was gutted it didn't work, and was disappointed with the Loss, but I didn't have an issue with them going for it.

I then hated when they went for it on the first drive against the Jags. I even told the TV to take the points!

I'm not sure I'd call the offence consistent. Some games were all Luck, others were all Mack and then some in the middle. So I'd probably call them adaptable. Which is great as the opposition don't know what's coming at them.

Apart the games Mack did the majority of the work, Luck has still thrown more than I'd like. I think he's 2nd in attempts for the season, just behind Big Ben. And I know there's been no mention of any pain or tiredness with his shoulder but I'd rather not risk it. This is his first season back and we want him around for another 10 years at least.

So, I'm hoping for more run first games like the Cowboys and Titans games. And then Luck can run a bit of play action and hit Hilton long for a few touchdowns. It all sounds so easy in my head.

But yeah, the defense has been encouraging. The front 4 and the Leonard and Walker have been encouraging. And I hope they keep it going and finish the job.

Only other thing I have to say is, I don't see Ballard opening the cheque book in the off season. He'll do what he did this year and fine a few guys who fit the culture of what he's building, so I just can't see Bell or any other big name arriving. And I'm ok with that.
Keep the money for paying Leonard, Nelson, Kelly and all the others already in the the place showing they bleed blue together.

Can't disagree. Kelly and Doyle missing has hurt the run game. It has hurt the passing game as well, but as always Luck makes up for things like that.
A north south bruising back wouldn't be a bad thing either. But with other holes in the roster, I don't think it's likely. Plus with Hines and Wilkins, I'm not sure there's room.
But definitely agree, Reich has don't a great job maximizing the talent there. Same goes for both the OC and DC, the 3 have done brilliantly and I'm hoping they'll all be still together next year.

The main thing about Ballard spending next year is that he continues to pick the right players that'll fit the culture. That the team comes first and everyone is accountable. After that, I don't mind how big or small their name is. I don't think we have to worry too much about the draft picks. Hasn't Ballard always said he starts in the trenches, so he's going to stock up in good players in there.

I also see Leonard and Luck both snubbed from the Pro Bowl. And Luck was even snubbed from the snub list some places put out! :-)

Found this on Leonard the other day, and even though I'm rooting all the way for him, if I could I'd root for him more. Hope this link works:

https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/nfl/colts/2018/11/08/rise-and-rage-colts-rookie-darius-leonard/1923003002/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Who would've thought we'd be in this position after week 6? Tho it always looked like we were so close to turning things around and then that's what happened.. the players deserve some credit for sticking at it and believing in the system! Even being down 2 tds and not playing well yesterday I still believed they were going to turn it around.. they've just got that sense about them now that they won't let a lead get the better of them.. and with Luck anything is possible!

Such a massive game next week now.. we can win our division, be a wildcard or not make the Play-offs at all! Massive pain that it's the late game now but sure will try my best and stay up for it.. either that or stay away from the internet and watch it on game pass the next morning! Not sure I could hold on for that tho!

kmart6 wrote: »

Titans have lost Jurrell Casey and Mariota is questionable at the minute.

They have lost Logan Ryan too who locked down Ebron in our last game, about the only thing the Titans did well on defense that day. Of course Ebron is likely out now that he only has the week to pass concussion protocol. But Kelly is a bigger loss imo. I think we would have to fancy our chances if it comes down to a Luck v Gabbert, but I think Mariota plays. He has to play, even if he is only at 70%.