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Colts Thread

davyjose

Didn't know where to put this, but figured we've enough heads on here interested in the Colts to start a thread.

So anyway... after 2 games, our big trade of the summer, CB Vontae Davis (2009 1st round pick), has a perfect passer rating against him. Our defense is overall pretty bad, and he's not had long to adjust to our schemes, but that's a shocking stat considering the 2 QB's in question are the good, but not great Cutler and Ponder. He's given up receptions on 10/11 targets for 143 yards & 2 TDs.

I'd have hoped he'd step in and be one of the leaders in our D, and the guy deserves time, but c'mon man. Make some plays.

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McG

and what about that defence?

things are definitely looking up and we've a heap of cap space which hopefully can be put to productive use. I fully expect us to be contending for #1 seed in AFC next year.

not_quite_last

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. :-)

decolts

Yeah the jags game could be it alright, you also have to looks at the Texans game and the decisions that were made then but they're decisions I could nearly understand as I don't think anyone expected us to be in this position now and that the tie would've been so important!

It's mad to think how many players have just absolutely shone this season! I know I'm going to even forget some now but here goes..
The whole O-Line.. obviously.. but in there (outside of Nelson!) I think Smith has been a brilliant draft pick.. he's brought a massive improvement to the line. Kelly has been brilliant this season - it's a shame he does get injured quite often in a season, be it concussion or something else!
Secondary.. we've got some serious young talent back there now - Desir..Odum and I think Wilson is going to be a star - he seems to be getting his act together and is showing on the field what he can do!
Then on the DL - Lewis is showing us now what he can do after being injured for so long, and Autry has turned into a great Free Agency pick-up! He's becoming a sack machine!
The of course you have Leonard, again like Nelson I dont think I need to talk about him! He's just been immense!! I like Walker there also - if he can just start catching the ball! Not sure how many times he should've had an interception only to drop it!
Mack has been class - showing all the potential we had glimpses of last season and now doing it consistently! I really like Hynes for the options he gives us as an extra receiver.
WR's... Hilton is just such a consistent top class performer! I like Pascal, think he's moved up from Rogers at this stage.. I thought Rogers would push on this season but it hasnt been happening for him.
TE's.. again goes with saying but Ebron has been a top FA signing.. Doyle on injured reserver isn't far from ideal but I think with Ebron, Hewitt and Alie-Cox we should have sufficient cover there.. Alie-Cox showed yesterday he can be a real useful blocker, he was immense in Mack's second TD.
And Luck is being Luck - the guy is so talented! What a comeback season after that injury.. to come back from that mentally as well as physically is unreal.. When he is on it the Colts are a hard team to stop!

Looking to next season then with the cap space, the extra 2nd round draft pick.. the sky is the limit!

Deco99

I think Ballard has been smart and not thrown money at guys. There's a real hunger there in the D, alot of guys out to prove people wrong. Maybe when you spend the money on the big names the D doesn't quite follow. (This is the point where I may be talking thru my arse....but..) The rams spent money on Suh, Talib, Peters and has it worked out? I think Ballard mentioned value for money was important and that's why they didn't spend alot of cap last off-season. The value wasn't there.

I do think, likes of Leonard and Nelson are getting the attention they deserve from media, I keep reading about Leonard for DROTY, but if you compare it to hype surrounding the Browns it's a bit under appreciated the job Reich and co have done. Browns winning super bowl next year apparently.

Looking forward. I don't see Steelers and Ravens winning away to Saints and Chargers so it's win at home against giants (gotta be heavy favourites) and win on road to Titans (hammered in LucasOil but theyre a good team)

decolts

I love this guys weekly Nelson tweets.. it really shows how my of a beast the guy is!

https://twitter.com/BaldyNFL/status/1074718931120730112?s=19

letowski

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.

letowski

My point about how well Sheard /Autry /Hunt are playing up front

https://twitter.com/ColtsEdwardsC/status/1074771566460837888?s=19

not_quite_last

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.

letowski

not_quite_last wrote: »

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.

Yeah, I agree that at certain games in the season, particularly early on, our offense lacked balance between the run and the pass. But overall, we have been fairly consistent in being around the Top 10 ranking in total offense. I think what has hurt our run game this year has been due to Kelly, Doyle and Mack missing large chunks of the season. As good a year as Mack has had, and he is a RB1 imo, I would love for us to compliment him next year with a physical, heavier, North/South running back. And we need an upgrade a WR2 that has size. But overall, I think Reich has done a fantastic job with maximizing his resources on offense.

I agree also I don't see Ballard spending too much next off season, but I think there is probably a good chance he spends more than last season (Ebron, Slauson, Autry, Grant, Howard were the biggest FA signings last year). I could see him going after someone like Tyrell Williams who would be a upgrade over Grant as well as continuing to look for players on both the fronts. Also, it's worth noting, that next years draft is considered historically strong in the front 7 defensively, which is a good thing for us. As good as our defensive line has played in recent weeks, Sheard, Hunt and Woods are 30 or over so we will need more young talent coming through there.

not_quite_last

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

not_quite_last

And speaking of making everyone accountable, Kemoko Turay dressed but didn't play one snap against the Cowboys. They asked Eberflus why and he replied:

"Just more in practice," the defensive coordinator said of Turay on Tuesday. "Guys will play in the games based off what they show in practice. If you hustle in practice and you hit the ball in practice and you rush the way you are supposed to rush, run the games the way we are supposed to run the games and execute, and have production in practice, then we obviously are going to play those guys in the games.

"If you don’t have that and you have situations where you aren’t executing at the standard that we have, then you might not play as much. He’s aware of that and he’s going to get in there, work his tail off this week to execute in practice and play to our standard."

It's handy the there's better dept on the d line to do this, but it's good to see. And hopefully Turay will learn from it and get back to working hard.

Deco99

Win and in...simples. That comeback would fill you with confidence. Struggling against the giants would not.

letowski

Deco99 wrote: »

Win and in...simples. That comeback would fill you with confidence. Struggling against the giants would not.

Yeah I thought our defense struggled for most of the game, we couldn't get to Manning and their TE's went to town on us. I felt like Walker was a big loss in the center of our defense. Infairness, this isn't the first time we have struggled on D and have came up with a big turnover to win the game, so they deserve credit for that. Also Rigo had another excellent kick to pin the opposition deep. All and all, the winning of the game for us was another vintage Luck & Hilton show.

So very straight forward next week. I kind of wish the game didn't get flexed to the primetime slot as I'll have to stay up all night to watch it. But it's understandable. I think it's going to be a very tough game to win. The Titans really have an identity with the way they are playing on defense complimented with the run game on offense. I expect the defense will get a very large serving of Derrick Henry next week, but the good news is that our run D has been very stout in dealing with Elliot and Barkley the last two weeks. I think our defense and their offense will cancel each other out and the winning of the game will come down to how well Luck does against this good Titan's D. I hope Kelly and Ebron can make it back. I have a feeling we will win, Luck is after all 10-0 against Tennessee and I trust him more than Mariota/Gabbart.

Deco99

Are we talking 9.30 game or 1.20 in morning?

kmart6

1:20AM. It was flexed to SNF.

decolts

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

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

letowski

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%.

Deco99

How we fixed for tomorrow?

kmart6

Mariota out, Gabbert in.

Claude Burgundy

What time is the game starting ? It will be 2:30 before i'm home from work

kmart6

Just started.

Deco99

Great route by Inman makes the TD. Butler pi crucial

kmart6

Wilkins has ran 3 times, Glowinski has been penalised on all 3!

Deco99

kmart6 wrote: »

Wilkins has ran 3 times, Glowinski has been penalised on all 3!

Na? Really? It was haeg on TD?

kmart6

Think I had that posted before they clarified tbh.

Over now, Titans never looked really challenging, Colts let them hang in too much, Texans won't not take advantage of that next week.

letowski

Yeah jeez that was stressful enough to watch. We are dangerous in the playoffs but only if Luck doesnt have those crazy moments like he did in the 2nd quarter. Make no mistake we beat a depleted Titans team today with little offense.

I think we can go to Hilton Stadium and win but we need a much better performance than the last 2 weeks. We need Kelly back, I felt Luck had alot of his plate having to constantly go to the LOS and give Beohm audibles.

But overall Im delighted, I could never imagine us making the playoffs. But right now Im shattered lol.

letowski

kmart6 wrote:

Wilkins has ran 3 times, Glowinski has been penalised on all 3!

Yeah penaties were killers, we have alot to clean up on. But at least our run game was good.

Boy Nelson is something else. Pity the Wilkins TD was called back, that was a beautiful sight seeing Nelson escort him in!!

Deco99

In the playoffs, that was not a possibility at start of year. Best hopes were a fully fit luck getting back to form by year end and hoping a few of the rookies stood out and further development of the likes of hooker/Kelly in to top calibre players. At 1-5 you're looking at next year's draft and hoping the poor year doesn't ruin the youngsters. Instead, and this is off the cuff...Luck has been brilliant, O-line is possibly best in league with a little depth too, Nelson a sensational draft pick it seems. Kelly really special too when fit, niggles beget niggles so not thinking he is injury prone long term. Mack has delivered on back of that to degree I wouldn't think we are in market for Lev Bell, use that capital elsewhere. Ebron has been spectacular offensively, mo alie Cox is very interesting prospect. Hilton is Hilton and maybe they've found something in Inman. The big success story is the defense, Leonard should be all Pro and if he isn't DROY it's a disgrace, this from a pick criticized as a reach. The DBs have all performed better than expected. Autry, Hunt performing at high level.

kmart6

letowski wrote: »

I think we can go to Hilton Stadium

NRG Stadium no?