Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Back half of the program begins with the four o'clock
hour each and every day. Here on the A team,
it's Adam Wesler and Adam Clanton here with you. We've
been talking Colts Texans throughout the week. Our final show
of the week is today and we traveled to Indianapolis
for some insight on the Colts. James Boyd, who joins
us from the Athletic covers the NFL on the Colts
morning show host as well one of seven point five
(00:21):
the Fan, James, if you'll answer me this quick question
as we get started, was this your final radio show
of the week.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
It is to get guests sometimes, so I just try
to come through for the guy.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
I apologize, I heard none of that. The mistake was
on our end. Do you have a show Thursday or
Friday this week?
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Yeah? No, so tomorrow or Friday, get to go home
and see the families for a little bit. But I
want to come through for you guys, because I know
how it is trying to get guests this time of
the week, this time of the year. So always good
to help another radio crew out.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
I appreciate that, very good answer. Sorry you had to
say it twice, but because I asked you that I
wanted to see if you and your co host all
major predictions this morning, and by how much did you
expect the Colts to beat the Texans by?
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Yeah. So I want to say I might have been
the only one who picked the Colts this week, but
I picked them to win twenty four to twenty. And
I really chose them because I figure, Hey, if you're
ever going to show some mental fortitudes, it is now
you've lost two or in last three you got Houston
coming in here. We have our little playoff prediction model
over at the Athletic where it says if the Colts
(01:26):
win this game, they have a seventy four percent chance
to win the AFC South. If they lose this game,
they only have a forty four percent chance to win
the AFC South. So a huge one coming up on Sunday.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
It's funny that you mentioned that I actually reference the
Athletics playoff probabilities in terms of how high the Texans
chances rise to with a victory this week rise to
sixty three percent, they'd only be seven and five. Obviously,
plays out the results of the other game simulates those games,
so the I assume the expectation is, well, they're good
enough to go on the road to beat a team
(01:55):
that hasn't lost any games at home, so the idea
that they could win more of their remaining games also
stands out. There is that kind of the thinking of
you're getting the Texans likely with a return of CJ. Stroud,
and it makes it that much more difficult with when
you're catching them. They were three and five, they were
zero to three. Now they're the hard charging Texans.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Absolutely, And I get some of the people around here
trying to tell me, oh, well, they've been hot with
Davis Mills and it's not gonna do the thing with
Tja Shroud bs. I'm like, TJ. Strout has cooked you
all the last couple of few games they've messed up
against each other. So I think he's gonna be a
huge addition to that lineup being healthy, and the Nico
Collins has been a terror for this team to kind
(02:38):
of try to contain over the last few matchups. And
then the last thing I'll look at is Danil Hunter
and Will Anderson Junior. This defense number two scoring defense
in the NFL, dyreak havoc and for a Colts offense,
that has kind of been off kilter for Daniel Jones
who's dealing with a fibula injury. Those are factors you
have to consider. So I certainly think that if the
Colts again are going to show some backbone, the time
(03:01):
is now. But also Houston has to feel like this
is our opportunity to go out there and take what's ours.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
I can't think of anything worse, James than dealing with
a fibula injury and having to play Will Anderson Junior
and Daniel Hunter.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Oh absolutely, man. We were trying to, you know, get
some information out of Daniel O the day and of
course he was iron plaid on that front. But the
weird part about it, you all is Daniel Jones was
not on the injury report ever until last Thursday. So
even at the beginning of last week he was fine,
full participant in practice. Thursday's injury pops up and we're like, okay,
(03:37):
that's a little if it's a little weird, Like what
can you do to a fiby level besides crack it
or break it? You know, we don't think the injury
at all, but we kind of didn't think too much
of it, and then saw his performance against Kansas City,
and a lot of that had to do with the
pressure they put on them and him missing some throws.
When he had to run, his gait was noticeably off,
So I wonder if that would be a factor went
(03:58):
forward when you face the teams like Houston, which they've
been very great, you know, with their front seven, and
if they bring more pressure. He struggled against Blitz. As
of Lake, are you able to get out of it?
Can you be mobile or will you be limited because
of the city l injuries?
Speaker 3 (04:11):
James, what's it been like there? Because it's always fascinating.
You know that the most popular guy on the roster
is always the backup quarterback, but that's not how this
went down. And I don't think I mean, if you
pulled one hundred NFL followers, die hard, casual, what have you?
Speaker 2 (04:26):
All?
Speaker 3 (04:27):
Points in between? No one, I don't think would have
ever predicted that Daniel Jones would have the type of
season he's had and that the Colts are having the
type of season they've had. But it's it's not just
that there's layers to this, like the Anthony Richardson situation.
What's it been like covering a team like this? And
all of a sudden, Daniel Jones is leading it to
perhaps a division championship.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Well, I'm used to chaos and things not making too
much sense. My first year on the beat with twenty
twenty two when they hired Jeff Saturday off an ESPN set,
and I, my goodness, is my welcome to the NFL
mo right. Actually, my first game I've recovered in the
NFL was the tie in twenty twenty two between the
Texans and the colt So I should have known from
then it'll get weird. So it's been a weird year
(05:09):
from this standpoint of we knew Anthony Richardson was gonna
be in a QB competition, and when they chose Daniel
Jones over it, Okay, I kind of get it. Anthony
struggled a lot, he's had injury history, He got accurate
all the above. But Daniel is a guy who was
twenty games under five hundred with the Giants and was
coming off, you know, being kicked out of that franchise
(05:30):
and shifted away. And so I thought, if they were
gonna have a winning record, let alone be eight and three,
it would be because they're kind of using him as
like a game manager. He's you know, running the ball
a little bit, a little RPO action, those types of things,
you know, run pass option. But now you know, at
least early on in the year, they were just utilizing
him just a drop back passer and he was cooking.
(05:51):
But as of late, he's come back down to earth.
And even then, despite all of the kind of issues
that's kind of popped up recently, it's still as remarkable.
And no nobody here in Indianapols would have predicted that
he will be eight and three. A lot of people
were mad that they didn't stick with Anthony Ursius him
because he's a number four pick a couple of years ago.
But now he's like an afterthrow. Actually he's on ir
you know, dude on an eye injury. He had a
(06:11):
freak accident Darrin Walhams back in Week six and hasn't
been available since, and no one's even talked about it.
And I guess the biggest inflection plan I can tell
you is after Daniel Jones has five turnovers against the
Pittsburgh Steelers, none of us on the beat, even Ash,
are you changing quarterbacks. And that to me was the
biggest indicator of this guy. Is their future quarterback, and
(06:32):
this guy has earned the title of being QB one.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
James Boyd from the Athletic and one O seven to
five to the fan there in Indianapolis joining us here
on Sports Talk seven to ninety. All that being said
about Daniel Jones and his excellence this season thus far,
is that not still the game plan though? For any team,
make Daniel Jones beat you by attempting to stop Jonathan Taylor.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
Absolutely, their most important player is Daniel Jones, but their
best player, skips player is Jonathan Taylor. Always his skilled
position because the left guard Quentin Nelson's probably on the
Hall of Fame Trajectory's made the Pro Bowl every year
his career, YadA, YadA, YadA. But JT is having a
monster season. And I do think to a certain extent,
if you have to ask teams right now pick your poison,
(07:14):
JT or DJ, you're going with Daniel Jones. You're choosing
him to kind of prove you wrong in a sense,
to kind of rewrite his career, and as of late
that has not been the case. He was playing at
a top five QB level early in the season, all
the stats backed it up. But he's tapered Offins. Then
he's looked like the old Daniel Jones the last few weeks.
And so I look at Houston and they're probably thinking,
(07:36):
all we have to do is trust our run defense.
It's top five in the league so far as as
far as average, you know, rushing yards per game they've
given up. You know that they've been very stout in
that department. How do we stack the box make sure
that JT doesn't beat us with a home run run?
And how do we force Daniel Jones to beat us?
And if that's the case, we'll live with that. And
so far the last couple of outings, most teams that
(07:58):
have been good with that, you know, they lost to
their last three. They could have lost that game, you know,
in Berlin against Atlanta if it weren't for JT going off.
So I think Houston is looking at this like, look,
don't let JT get you know, two hundred yards and
we should be able to walk in there and won
a huge game and then put ourselves in driver's seat
to win the division.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
You brought up Nico Collins, and I don't think people
realize just how phenomenal he's been against the Colts. These
last couple of seasons, last three games against them, averaging
one hundred and fifty two yards receiving. The Colts obviously
made a pretty significant move at the deadline. They just
haven't seen a whole lot of field time together for
different reasons. But having Ward and Moore an Sauce Gardner
on the field together, is this something not by design
(08:39):
but obviously as partial to what could be the result.
They need that those guys out there to stop guys
like Nico Collins.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Oh absolutely, I'm thinking back to week four when they're
starting cornerback at least one of them on the outside
was like Xavin Howard and he got barbecued by Pukla
Nicola and then he retired a couple days later, and
I know he post and he was talking about, you know,
hey God and family and all that and no disrespect him.
I was thinking, hey, God, might have you know came
knocking to go a few minutes earlier than you expected
(09:09):
after he went against Pook and the cool who left
Jesus against you so and all that in mind, I
was thinking, if you go up against Nico Collins, that'll
be the same type of matchup, the same type of outcome.
So it's certainly a huge upgrade night and day from
where they were earlier in the year. But even then,
I still would not match up Sauce or Severi's award
one on one with Nico. I think that Nico is
when he's healthy, he's one of the best wide receivers
(09:31):
in the league. The evidence is backed it up the
last few matchups, and they always trold me here, you guys,
because I'm a big Nico Collins fan, just a fan
of the football and how he plays it. He's a
physical dude, he's a dog, and I think that he
is somebody who can be a game changer. So yeah,
a lot of attentionion will go his way and it
only helps you have saut Gardner at your disposal, But
do not put him on an island one on one
because I still think Nico has the upper hand in
(09:53):
that regard.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
What do you think ultimately, I mean, we're sitting here
the day before Thanksgiving? What do you ultimately think happened
in the AFC South? And that has to include the
stupid Jacksonville Jaguars.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
Yeah, I think a lot of it comes down to,
you know, a lot of huge division opponents matchups. If
the Coats of the last six games for them are
against division opponents, they who got two games against Houston,
two games against the Jaguars, the pesky Jaguars. That is
so I was still again based off the start of
the season, how things have gone so far? Put the
(10:27):
Coats or atop the total poll and say that they
can get it done, win their first division titles in
twenty fourteen. But boy, they have gotten no help since
the last few weeks that kind of unfolded. I mean,
they left Berlin a few weeks ago number one team
the AFC, and since then literally everything that they needed
to happen to help them has not happened. So I'm
very curiously how shakes out, Guys. It makes for a
(10:49):
lot of fun matchups coming down the stretch here, and
to me, it already feels like the playoff atmosphere. And
you know, even though the playoffs what is six weeks away,
over a month away, it feels like for you know, Houston,
for the Colts, for the Jaguars, and was trying to
get in there and making sure you're not you know,
a wild card and making sure you're not you know,
putting yourself at risk of missing the playoffs entirely. You
want to go out there and win the division, and
(11:09):
it's very much uppo grabbed here.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Yes, these six and five Texans the only team remaining
on the Colts schedule that's not currently inside the playoff picture. James,
we truly appreciate your assistance this afternoon, and have a
wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoy the game on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Same with you, all guys. Have a good one.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
James Woyd joining us here on the A team. We
will have a little reaction to what he said on
the other side here on the A team.