December 31, 2024 • 43 mins
Jeffrey Gorman, Larra Overton and JJ Stankevitz dive into what went wrong in the Colts' Week 17 loss to the New York Giants and why this one feels as tough to digest as any in recent memory. They also look ahead to a few things in Week 18 and what may come after the Colts end their season on Sunday against the Jaguars.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome to the Official Colts podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Joining on the Colts Audio Network, we want to welcome
you as well as.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Say hi to you guys on the YouTube network.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
We come to you in morning, and I don't mean
that before twelve noon.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Kind of a morning m O.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
You are on I NNG obviously the playoff Alonzo morning,
Alonzo morning.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Yeah. I wish we were talking.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Remember remember that guy, he was good, he was good.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Oh boy?
Speaker 2 (00:31):
All right, guys, Yeah, it's it's it's deflation around here.
It's deflation around Indianapolis. Disappointment is everywhere, no bigger than
in that locker room. I know people roll their eyes
when they hear that, but we've been there, guys. We've
been there in the in the ninety plus degree days
up at Westfield, watching this team come together and watching
the promise of it was and kind of the rugby
(00:52):
and taken out right from underneath us.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
The Colts team.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Yesterday, no chance for playoffs, obviously, one game remaining. You
hate to be in that position, you know, having a
game that really doesn't matter at that point of the year.
But I just you know, I'm just putting it off there.
What I've been hearing in the temperature of the city
of Indianapolis and Colts fans disappointment over another big opportunity
that falls short. JJ, if you can touch on.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
It, yeah, I mean I think a lot of anger
and there's nothing I can say to wipe it away.
I mean, players are angry. Like I thought to Forrest
Buckner today he had a media availability over Zoom. He
was angry, he was frustrated. I think whatever emotion you're
(01:40):
feeling about this Colts team is valid right now because
they had a chance to beat a thirteen lost New
York Giants team and they could not do it. Had
they done it, we would be sitting here on this
couch right now talking about you win against the Jaguars,
you get too things to break your way over the weekend,
(02:01):
you're in the playoffs, and instead, this team feels as
far away from the playoffs of playoffs of the as
they have felt in a couple of years. That that's
where it feels like right now. In Zion, Franklin talked
a lot about it. He's like, look, potential just means
you haven't done it yet, and we keep you know,
the Colts had playoff potential this year, but they didn't
do it. So, you know, I don't really know what
(02:22):
else there is to say about it. It's just it.
It is crushingly disappointing, and whatever our our listeners, our
viewers are feeling right now is totally valid.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
There's been some big opportunities, big games. Saw it last season,
saw it season before, saw it this year. Hey, you
had to, you know, things had to get going. What
is it is it? Is there an elixir out there?
What is it that can't get this team over the
next step? And obviously we're talking about a playoff dropt
that's going in year after year after year, and let's
not forget about an AFC self title that's now going
on a decade.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
I have got old school to my you know, notepad
and paper because I went back and went through the
postgame sound from yesterday and you know I do I
echo it, ja ja said DeForest Buckner on Monday. Was
was fantastic, just in terms of I thought, going into
you know, what they're experiencing as players and just you know,
giving some perspective on what his experience and what that
(03:13):
has been.
Speaker 5 (03:13):
So that's certainly worth a.
Speaker 4 (03:14):
Watch if you want to, you know, hear from his perspective. Certainly,
you know, one of the most respected guys in the
locker room, one of the most veteran guys in this
locker room. But something that when I look to post
games Sunday afternoon MetLife Stadium, hearing from guys like zaire
As JJ mentioned Michael Pittman Junior, what alarmed me a
(03:38):
bit was the fact that when these guys were asked
about what has it been in these do or die
elimination situations that you guys haven't been able to get
it done, And a number of them just talked about
when you go into these games, you have to have
a like a heightened intensity. There has to be greater
(03:59):
attention to details. Attention to detail lack thereof is something
to Forrest Buckner mentioned on Monday. Zirare Franklin hit it
on it on Sunday, and I just think when you
have a collective message of this is something that we're lacking,
I think there's concern, you know, surrounding that, but you know,
at least you're pinpointing on Okay, we know what some
(04:20):
of the concerns are and some of what the issues
are perhaps, but that's just what we're hearing right now
from those guys and what they're seeing, what they're experiencing,
that some of the common thread in these types of situations.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
It's almost it's almost baffling that this happened again. I mean,
you think back to twenty twenty one the Jaguars game,
where you got like zey, you know, you got flat
out beat in that game. You got flat out beat
in this game. That's those are Zia Franklin's words after
the game. And for it to happen again, is it
(04:57):
really is? You know? And I think a lot of
players kind of this too after the game, where they
were asked sort of these big picture questions about like,
you know, why why do you think this happened? And
there was just a lot of like, I don't know,
which you know, and you can go back to the
attention to detail and some of the things that created
this loss.
Speaker 5 (05:17):
But level of execution wasn't.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
I it's the scope of it. It's the scope that
this happened again that I think is so just stunning
that and I think a lot of players felt that
way of you know that this is stunning that has
happened again.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
I think also because you look to some of these
were in prior seasons. You have a situation this year
that it just recently happened. You were in Denver and
you didn't get it done. So you would have thought, hey,
here you have a second chance, that you were not
promised things kind of fall your way on Saturday.
Speaker 5 (05:53):
How was it not?
Speaker 4 (05:54):
Man, We've got to redeem ourselves for not getting it
done in Denver. There's such a re experience in which
you can look to to what didn't get you the
result that you needed in Denver when you had an
opportunity to put yourself in a fantastic position to be
in command and likely.
Speaker 5 (06:11):
Get a playoff spot.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
So the fact that it wasn't even that you have
to maybe look back to last season or you know
some of these previous you could have just looked to
two weeks ago.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're right, Larah.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
This thing.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
You know, I want to nitpick with you guys a
little bit on this, okay, because I want to preface
this by saying I can't tackle anyone. I mean, I
can't tackle anyone. I can't catch a football on Sunday.
I'm not there. I'm not that guy. But when you
talk about players and a standard that is being set
in the NFL locker rooms the elite athletes across the world.
I don't want to nitpick on this stuff, but the
(06:45):
little stuff Week seventeen of the season, we're dropping or
dropping pitches, We're dropping passes, we're missing tackles. We have
plenty of defenders around a ball carrier that are coming
up short those That's what I'm trying to ask is like,
can you guys give me some insight on that, because
at this point of the game, we talked about, we
(07:06):
talked about how much this game meant. We talked about
the other seasons as well, but the urgency of this game.
And they have drops here, drops there, miss tackles there,
misstackles here that all add up, you know what I mean.
There were some big spark There were some Star Wars
plays by the Giants yesterday that simply should not have happened.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
Yeah, the New York Giants had six plays of thirty
or more yards that and three of them went for
touchdowns in that game. I was looking back at it.
Since at least twenty fourteen, the Colts have not allowed
a single player to have three thirty yard touchdown passes
in a game. And they gave up three to Drew Lock.
(07:45):
Of all people who look, I'm a Zoo guy. Yeah,
I'm a Drew Lock apologist here. He's a good he's
a better football player than he gets credit for. But
it's a career years, it's a career game game rather
I Drew Lock, and it came when you needed to
to win to stay alive in the playoffs. It and
I almost feel like I just want to get up
and walk off this podcast set because like, what else
(08:07):
is there to really say about it? When we all
watched the same thing and we all saw the same mistakes,
And I don't honestly have any really good insight into
why it happened. It just it did. And it's something
that the guys on the field. You can tell how
it ate at DeForest Buckner, it ate at Zire Franklin,
(08:29):
it was eating at Kennymore the second you know, those
guys Ryan Kelly after the game. How just it? It
really kind of it's not gonna leave how they feel
about this season for a really long time, if ever,
because this season's going to be remembered as a disappointment
for those guys, and they're going to think back to
(08:49):
the Denver game, They're going to think back to the
Giants games like we we we did this to ourselves
as something to Forrest Buckner said, Right, Lara.
Speaker 4 (08:59):
That's exactly what I was just going to Jays. That's
where I was going to kind of pick up on.
You know, the common thread about at all is that
a lot of this is not that the Colts have
gotten beat it's the Colts have beaten themselves.
Speaker 5 (09:09):
In those situations.
Speaker 4 (09:11):
That's the common thread among all of this, and I
think that could be what's most frustrating about all of it,
is that when you have had these opportunities, that's really
what it's been. It has been you know, costly mistakes,
and it has been self inflicted.
Speaker 5 (09:24):
It's been all of those things.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
Why I'm not exactly sure that's probably the talent's there.
Speaker 5 (09:30):
I mean, the talents there.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Something that players have steadfastly stood by is the talent
is there on this team. And I do think that's
what makes it harder to swallow. Like if you're this
upstart team that you're you're kind of punching above your
weight and you kind of you just run out of
steam at the end of the year, and it's like, hey,
you know what, though, like, we we feel really good
(09:54):
about the direction that we're going because we competed in
these games and maybe, yeah, we don't maybe we don't
have the talent, but we played really good football this
year for what we had. The Colts feel like their
level of talent being up here and the results being
down here. That's a big gap that they've got to
figure out how to bridge.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
I also think one of the things that's concerning is
you just also are getting to the end of the
year in which you don't.
Speaker 5 (10:19):
Necessarily feel like that this group. Excuse you, pardon me
my email.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
Here, I just muted my computer. Yes it was already muted.
Speaker 5 (10:27):
I should have.
Speaker 4 (10:28):
Well, I was listening to post game sound. That's that's
why it was up, So excuse me on that. But
you're getting to the end of the year. You're in
Week eighteen, and you still don't feel like this group
put together a complete sixty minute performance, not one single time.
I mean, we heard it, you know, over and over.
We have to more complimentary and have to do all
these things. And you felt like you got that going
in the Denver game, and then that, you know, fell apart.
Speaker 5 (10:49):
I thought that you know what was it.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
I'm like now losing track of games here. You know,
you felt better about it against Tennessee for a majority
of that game, but then you had a lapse defensively
exactly there were parts of it still did not put
together a four quarter back. I mean, what do you
look to going into this one as being like, Okay,
this was the best in all three phases game that
(11:13):
this team.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
I mean the Colts of every single one of their
seven wins has been by one possession. Yeah, And I
think that that's kind of become this telling stat of
you can convince yourself early in the year that that's
a good thing, that hey, you're able to win these
close games, and that's something we can really lean on.
But when you get down to the end of it,
if you haven't won a game by more than a score,
and it's hard, it's really hard to win a game
(11:35):
in the NFL by more than one score. I want
to preface it by saying that. But to not do
that this year, and you still have a chance against
the Jags in Week eighteen, but to not do that
in a game that mattered for the playoff race, I
think is it goes to your point of just you
never really played that complimentary football that you know. This
is something Shane Steiken talked about yesterday. We just we
(11:55):
haven't played a complimentary game this year, and I think
that is one thing that shows it. Just you haven't
won a game by more than six points this season.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
The points, defensive breakdown, special teams breakdown. We saw that
to open up the second half. That's not a good way.
You know, we lost the turnover battle in this But guys,
I do want to find some bright spots here. And
though I think for the whole matter whether he goes
next week or whether he sits behind whoever plays quarterback
next week, I thought Joe Flacco came in here a
one year contract, like he did a one year gig,
and did the best that he could and had some
(12:24):
bright spots. And yesterday I'm sorry, guys, this is the NFL.
You know it better than anybody. You throw up thirty
three points, you finished with three hundred and thirty yards,
two tds, the two interceptions though that he was and
you have two receivers that have one hundred yards in reception.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Got to run.
Speaker 5 (12:39):
It's a winning effort, yes, and running back that should
be a win.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
That should be a win.
Speaker 5 (12:43):
But we can guess. Really the turnovers weren't what killed.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
You, right exactly, so like the bright spot at the
quarterback position right now for yesterday, speaking good on you, Joe,
I mean you did what you had to do. Obviously,
we don't like the two picks. We didn't have Anthony
richardson there.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
One of those picks is also in like desperation, right
it was you know that I'll give him one. Yeah, really,
I'm sure he'd give himself both, but like I'll give
him the one. Sure where he overthrew in the Belton
the safety made that great play. But other than that,
I mean, I thought he played about as good of
a game as you can expect a backup quarterback to play.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
And the stats were there for the specialists. The stats
were there for Jonathan. We saw JT.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
It wasn't you know, he hasn't had that many carries
for that little last yards, but it's still one hundred
and twenty five. He did, you know, two receivers with
over one hundred, like we saw Kyler Grant the first time,
big catches thirty some yards and stuff. I mean it
was an offensive output that does not spell defeat.
Speaker 4 (13:32):
The first time the Colts have had in the same
game a one hundred yard rusher and two one hundred
yard receivers.
Speaker 5 (13:40):
Since do you know, Oh that is good?
Speaker 1 (13:43):
Since what to one season a rusher? Let's go back to.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Let's go back to the decade of greatness. Let's go
back to Peyton with with Reg with either stokely Reg
Harrison and either a die or eddern.
Speaker 4 (13:59):
You've you've got it, oh five two thousand and five,
Drin Marvin and Reggie Week nine against the New England Patriots.
So there's promise there that you see from this offense
and the weapons that you are And the thing is,
those are your guys moving forward, right, These are guys
who are going to be part of this plan building
in the off season.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
I think, like when we are able to take a
full step back from this season and really kind of
take a more sober analysis of this team, I think
the one guy who I'm going to keep coming back
to is Alec Pierce. The season he's had and the
strides he has made. That dude, Like, I think it's
become clear to me that we knew we always had
(14:40):
this in him, but he needed an offense that would
give him a chance to do it. And you know,
last year with Gardner, it was a lot of RPOs
and that's not what his specialty is. And it worked.
It wasn't like it was a bad plan. It was
the right plan for the last year's team. But this year,
with quarterbacks who are going to push it downfield more,
you're seeing him. I mean, like Flacco just drops back
and it's like, all right, forty five fifty yards down,
(15:00):
feelish to see if Al can go make a play
and he does. The contested catches he's making in the
end zone on some of those drag routes are like
very very impressive plays. I think for my money, I
might say he's made the biggest leap of any colts
player this year, and that is really encouraging if you
look at it too. He right now, if the season
(15:22):
ended today, which it doesn't, he would become the first
player since DeShawn Jackson in twenty ten to average at
least twenty one yards per catch on thirty five or
more catches.
Speaker 5 (15:31):
It's nice, Oh, I love it to Shawn Jackson.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
Yeah, it's actually Mike Wallace to remember him break downfield
threat for the Steelers. He also did that in twenty ten.
So what the season we've seen from Alec Pearce has
been straight up impressive, straight up good, straight up and
encouraging thing for this Colts team going forward. I don't
no one, We're not We're not into the like, oh,
let's talk about encouraging the twenty twenty five. Yeah, but
like again, that's what I'm saying when I when I
(15:55):
really take a look at this, I think I'm gonna
keep going back.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
To, oh yeah, he showed out.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
I mean, well, and.
Speaker 5 (15:58):
Hey, let's let's get another game like that this week too.
You know, let's see it again.
Speaker 3 (16:03):
I don't know what he needs for it, but there's
a good chance that if he has call it, five
catches for one hundred yards, that he's going to wind
up leading the NFL in yards perception. Right right now,
he's one catch off the pace of being qualified.
Speaker 4 (16:16):
And one of the things that I was talking with
Alec about because he's our guest this week on Colt
Sore sixty, was how he established the rapport with both
Anthony and Joe to be so productive and effective with
each of them, because we saw week one it was
the sixty plus yard bomb, beautiful ball Anthony, you know,
off the back foot throwing to Alec, hitting him in
(16:37):
the end zone. And then in week six the game
at Jacksonville when Joe comes in, he goes for over
one hundred yards in the fourth quarter on three receptions
with a touchdown.
Speaker 5 (16:48):
On the comeback.
Speaker 4 (16:50):
And so just I think that one of the things
that is impressive too about Alec is the variety of
different quarterbacks that he's worked with now over the course
of his ten and in particular this season, had that
type of production that you look to. And he just
said he tries to come in with the same just
with consistency every day, just tries to be consistent in
(17:11):
order to gain the trust of whoever it is that's
under center. And he said that the two guys who
have really helped him in terms of the growth that
we have seen, the consistent downfield threat that he has emerged,
as he said, it's Reggie and it's Pitt. Those are
the two guys who have reiterated their confidence over and over,
you know, in him and what.
Speaker 5 (17:29):
He can do. And hey, all right, let's get one
more of those type of games out of you. At
Lucas Soil Stadium to close out the air.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
Hey, the good news, you know, as far as we'll
find the good from this game, believe you me. As
we talked about Michael Pittman Junior obviously had a great afternoon,
Jonathan Taylor a great afternoon. And then like on the
flip side, like finding the good in this thing is
is Malik Neighbors had a career day, had a career.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
Day and it's a really good play.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
Yeah, and just show it's a really good He's had
a quarterback carousel as well out there and he's already
in one year. Yeah, he's a great player. Showed what
he meant to the Giants yesterday and stuff like this.
But I want to tip my hat to a kid
that you know is my Alec Pierce of the defense
and I would call Jalen Jones and what we have
the future looking like for that young man and the
way he plays and you know he's got ding for
(18:15):
a couple of pis and stuff like that. But boy,
he's a tough, tough guy. He's a long guy, big stretch,
long arm, and I think he's one of those guys
that is gonna be here for a while and I
think he's one of those guys that we're gonna have
to build on from twenty five and beyond.
Speaker 3 (18:27):
He's a good football player, YEA, a guy who has
absolutely earned a, you know, a role on this team,
hopefully a starting role in this team next year. The
thing I will say, though, and this isn't about Jalen
Jones and this isn't about Alec Pierce. This is whenever
you have a season that ends in disappointment, like this
cult season is going to end in, I think you
kind of have to operate like there will be changes,
(18:49):
and that's something that players have talked about. You know,
everyone kind of knows. Jonathan Taylor, I thought, was really
eloquent talking about it after the game about how you
know they're going to be changes. To Forrest Buckner said,
there're gonna be changes. It's gonna be coomfortable. But I
think that is what kind of has to happen. You
have to take a look at everything. I think when
you do take a look at everything, you're gonna look
at Jalen Jones and say that's a good player. He's
made a lot of improvement this year. We think he
(19:11):
can continue to trend up. I just I think to
kind of start projecting out on a lot of players
here is sort of like, well, where where are the
Colts going to get better in twenty twenty five? And
I think it can come from guys internally being better,
It can come from guys coming in externally, It can
(19:33):
come from a lot of different places and avenues. But
whatever it looks like, however it's done, it has to
be better because right now. And Jonathan Taylor again, I
thought he had another really really smart thing after the
game or he talked about the standard for this team
needs to be winning or making the playoffs. But to
(19:55):
make the to make that the standard, you got to
make the playoffs, and we haven't done that. And he
was pretty passionate. He's like, the standard for being an
Indianapolis Colt is that you got to be in the
playoffs every year. But the Colts haven't made the playoffs
now and since twenty twenty And you can't establish that
standard until you do it. And the Colts just haven't
been able to do it.
Speaker 5 (20:13):
And the only constant is changed, right.
Speaker 4 (20:15):
You talked about it the season ending in disappointment, Well,
it ends in disappointment for everyone except for one team, right,
except for the Super Bowl champions, And even when you
are a super Bowl champion, there are changes that happen
within that roster, right with everything that goes on and
with your comments regarding Jonathan Pitt touched on that Sunday
after the game as well. He said, you know, the
(20:35):
first season I was here, we did make the playoffs,
and I just thought that was, you.
Speaker 5 (20:40):
Know, commonplace, he said, I'm going to like, I just
thought we'd do it every year.
Speaker 4 (20:46):
That was a little bit taken for granted, and that
was the expectation. And then you haven't been able to
match that since that game in twenty twenty when you
went to Buffalo and.
Speaker 5 (20:55):
Pitt said, he's like, we've got to do something different.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
I do think the like you're right, layer, Like every
thirty one teams on the season with disappointment, it's different
levels and it's like different, very right, Like, obviously you
lose the super Bowl, you're like, oh man, we were
we were close, right, hell hell of a year. But
you know that's gonna stick with us losing the super Bowl.
But if you lose the super Bowl, you're losing it
(21:19):
to the best team in the NFL. The level the
Colts are at is you lost your shot at the playoffs,
losing to a team that going into that week was
the worst team in the NFL. And you know that
that's a tough pill to swallow when it's that that's
how you go out right as opposed to like how
we got beat by a better team. Yeah, like yeah,
(21:40):
you know the giants of players too. Malik Neighbors, like
we mentioned, is an awesome football player. He's a superstar
already in this league. They got, you know, Wandale Robinson's
a really good player. Brian Burns cave that guys impossible
on third down.
Speaker 5 (21:53):
Yeah, like the I mean the.
Speaker 4 (21:55):
Tackles he broke, like second, third, fourth effort by that guy, right,
So you give them credit.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
But I think if you look at these two rosters,
the Colts have more talent, and that is what I
think makes it so difficult for those guys to kind
of digest, is like we should have beat that team
and now you got to sit there. And that's the
same thing in twenty twenty one with the Jacks, where
we you know, Colts had more talent than that team,
but they didn't show it that day and it didn't
(22:22):
matter because they lost. That I think is where this
disappointment really is gonna It's gonna stick.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
Yeah, this will stick for a while. Guys, I want
to ask you about something that happened. We talked about
this in the offseason. You got close with them, find
out some tidbits about him off the field and stuff.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
But let's just come out with it. Let's just talk
about it.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
Thirty three quarterback sacks this year with one game to go.
Last year set a club record with fifty one. Charlie
Partchers comes in in his first year.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
You know, Chris Ballard.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
Said from day one when he was ballad here offensive line,
defensive lines where you win lose football.
Speaker 5 (22:55):
Games, build through the trenches.
Speaker 3 (22:56):
Right, That's it.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
That's it.
Speaker 2 (22:57):
So how can that drop off be either I'm going
to you on this, but I want to start with Lara.
Quarterback pressures are a thing we talked about. It wasn't
there last year. Maybe it is this year. We'll find
out from JJ. But I'm saying, from from fifty one
last year to thirty three with one game.
Speaker 1 (23:12):
Left, what is that?
Speaker 2 (23:13):
Because the personal has been there, and on top of that,
you take that sixteenth overall pick leatu Lato Latu and
you throw him in that room as well.
Speaker 4 (23:20):
Lara, Man, that's a loaded question. You're really throwing it
at me, you know, I do. I do want to mention.
Of course you sorely missed, and I think people may
have overlooked when Samson Ebicom sustained that injury.
Speaker 5 (23:33):
And that is significant.
Speaker 4 (23:34):
That is your that's your leading sack guy from last season.
Speaker 5 (23:41):
You know what, Jeffrey, I don't know. I don't know
if it's an effort thing because we injury come in.
Get what we've seen.
Speaker 4 (23:48):
I've watched so many situations in which in which you're
rushing and you're sending guys and they get close and
it's almost just whiffs, you know, on quarterbacks, and it
just does not seem like this unit collectively is playing
as fast as maybe they previously have.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
Yeah, the numbers in this case, I think are telling.
Colts are thirtieth in the NFL and pressure rate twenty
eight point eight percent of opponent dropbacks. Now there's context there.
Some of the context is the Colts have not maybe
had as many opportunities to rush the passer in advantageous
down in distant situations because they've been giving up a
(24:31):
ton of yards on the ground, and you're letting teams
get into those situations. Or you know, it's second and
ten and you complete a six yard pass to a
tight end and all of a sudden, third and four
is a lot different than third and eight, So you
maybe didn't have as many of those, which then magnifies
these situations you do get on third and fourteen where
you're not able to get a pass rush. I think
(24:51):
teams have got the ball out quicker on the Colts
this year, just kind of anecdotally, that's been a focus.
So you know, you've seen a lot of the Giants
did at all the time. This quick pass system e
league neighbors where you don't have time to get home
on a pass rush. So there is some context to
that number. But being thirtieth is that that's tough, that
that's really hard to win. You look at the other
(25:12):
teams that are the culture down there with it's the Panthers,
the Patriots, got the Falcons. There a team that might
make the playoffs, the Titans, the Jaguars, the Cardinals.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
The quarterback pressures bottom of the league, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (25:22):
The bottom bottom pressure r.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
Very telling stat of flowers who goes, but hey, more answers.
Speaker 5 (25:28):
I don't know. I'm just gonna'm gona throw. They talked
about injuries, like think about you did have to Forest.
Speaker 3 (25:34):
Missed a lot of time.
Speaker 4 (25:35):
Yeah, so that is that is something that I would
consider pretty significant immigrants game.
Speaker 5 (25:40):
Absolutely not to make excuses.
Speaker 4 (25:42):
I just think that those are like, I don't know
how any more we can attempt to, you know, iterate
the importance of DeForest Buckner and the influence that he
makes when he is there up front.
Speaker 5 (25:56):
But I think that you know, the time that you
miss him, you sorely, you know, missed him.
Speaker 3 (26:00):
The other thing, too, is like I don't want to
make pressure rate out to be this thing that's like
the deciding factor. The team that's number one in pressure
right this year is a Cleveland Browns and they might
get the number one overall pick.
Speaker 5 (26:10):
Really yeah, so is that just Miles Garrett? That is
I mean, that's like.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
It's having the best defensive player on the But you know,
I mean you look there at the fifth in pressure
rate is the Chicago Bears, team that doesn't won in
ten games. You've got the New York Jets at eighth.
They're a team that's having a season from hell. So
it's not it doesn't guarantee you success, but I do
think it's it's a decent enough marker of if you
(26:39):
get after the quarterback consistently, you're gonna have You're gonna
just have a better chance to win. And that doesn't
necessarily mean that your front is failing to get after
the quarterback all the time. It could be, hey, teams
are scheming you out of it, They're they're put in
committing extra bodies to it. They're not in these third
and longs where you can really pin your ears back
and get after the quarterback. So there are a lot
(26:59):
of other factors that do go into it.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Yeah, for sure, guys, the fan base and social media
is talking quite a bit. We've heard and read and
seen what everyone's saying over this whole thing. And obviously
not playing for the playoffs this year puts us in
that you know sort of thing. But I want to say, like,
like that game against Jacksonville, A lot of people roll
their eyes and stuff like that when you talk about that,
But I just want you guys to compound on them
(27:22):
with this with me on this, that's an important game.
This Jacksonville Jaguars game coming up is an important game,
not only for players on the field, but for coachers,
coaching staff, everybody and the morale of this team going
into the next year. I know, you know, I'm searching,
We're searching for stuff to grab at now. But I'm sorry, guys,
you got to end on a positive note, and especially
(27:44):
the future being bright here, young quarterback in the building,
et cetera, et cetera. But you have to go take
care of business and this one in that matter. I'm
sorry if it's just me, this is a hugely important
game for a lot of men in that locker room.
Speaker 4 (27:56):
I asked coach Stichen about this because they said, Shane,
you have reiterated importance on finishing in so many scenarios
of the course of the season, talking about, you know,
finishing on tackles, finishing in the red zone, settling you know,
go or getting touchdowns, not settling for field goals and situations,
you know, finishing the first half of games, finishing the
(28:19):
fourth quarter of games. I said, how important is it
to finish this season with a win? And that's what
he said to just finishing and having a positive note
to end on.
Speaker 5 (28:28):
You know, although the playoff.
Speaker 4 (28:30):
All the playoffs you know, aren't an opportunity, aren't to
possibility any longer. Still, just the tone of finishing on
a win collectively, you know, at least kind of improves.
Certainly it's not gonna you know, overcome the disappointment necessarily
that you're feeling, but it is certainly going to make
you feel a heck of a lot better. And you know,
(28:52):
with a division win at home, all of those things
can really help, just in terms of the morale that's
within this locker room before again this team departs and
know it will never be that same group together.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
I think sometimes the thing that we lose sight of
when we're talking about this and this is kind of
like collectively just people who are employed to talk and
write and you know, do these things about football players,
is like how special it is for these guys to
play in a game, to play in an NFL game
and to go out there. You know, like Ryan Kelly,
I think, talked about it, like, you know, he was
(29:29):
asked like, you know, if this is the end of
your career at the Cult, he's going to be a
free agent after this year, Like what are you going
to miss? And he kind of got choked up. He
talked about just like being out there with the guys
and like that is so meaningful to a lot of
players on this football team, that opportunity to go out
and do it. And I don't want to discount that
in the least bit. This game has no implications on
(29:49):
the playoffs. You can write it off and say it
doesn't matter, But there are gonna be a lot of
guys who are going to take that field on Sunday
and this game is going to matter to them, and
that is how you finish the season. It's not necessarily
about getting certain stats, although you know for Zire Franklin
it I think it matters and it should matter. That
he leads the league in tackles. That is an accomplishment
that he can look back on at the end of
(30:11):
his career and say I led the NFL in tackles.
That's a big deal. Alec Pierce could look back on
this year and say I led the NFL in yards
per reception. That is an accomplishment. That is something that
you should celebrate. But I think more than anything, it's
just you get to celebrate being a football player and
this game it might again you might feel like it
(30:32):
should be a letdown for these guys. But I do
think there are enough veterans and pros in that locker
room who are going to go out there and they
are going to play like the stakes are as high
as possible and give it the effort because they love
what they do and they love playing football. They love
playing with these guys on this team, and I do
think that matters, and we absolutely should not lose sight
of that.
Speaker 5 (30:52):
And the way in which they respond this week.
Speaker 4 (30:54):
What you see out of guys this week in how
they prepare and how they treat this game will tell
you a whole lot of those are the guys you
want to bring back and you want to build upon
for the future or not.
Speaker 5 (31:04):
That tells you everything.
Speaker 3 (31:05):
So I did this story in twenty twenty two, and
to me, it's like one that's just it's gonna be
lodged in my brain as long as I cover the NFL.
I talked to Ryan Kelly, DeForest Buckner, some of the
guys on the team in late December about like what
are you still put in your body through? You know,
I talked to Paris Campbell for it, like what are
you still put your body through? And they all told me,
like to a man, you cannot like, you cannot not
(31:30):
take it seriously because if you go take the field
on Sunday and you didn't do everything you could to
get ready to play, you are doing yourself a disservice.
You're doing your teammates a disservice. It's gonna lead to
only bad things for you. So there's only one way
to go about playing in the NFL, and it's doing
it the right way and doing everything you can. And
I think those same guys, you know, you're Buckner's, you're
(31:51):
Kelly's or Quinton Nelson's, who, by the way, is having
an awesome football season. You want to talk about bright
spots on this team, Q is, Hey, he's had one
of his best seasons in Indiana. Lessen my money, Oh,
no question, but that there there are there are a
lot of pros in that locker room who I think
this is this is the week to step up and
show a lot of There are a lot of young
guys on this team who maybe have never experienced something
(32:13):
like this before. And in those guys to step up
and show them, hey, this is the last week of
the year. We still prepare, We still go practice hard,
We still go out and do all the little things
right to go play. I do think that's important for
this football game, no.
Speaker 1 (32:27):
More important in the quarterback position. Larrea. I'll start with you.
Speaker 2 (32:30):
In your eyes, what's a successful offseason look like for
Anthony Richardson? What what does that look like in your eyes?
Preparing for his third year in the NFL as a starter,
uh in this league? What what does that look like
for you? And I know we've we we haven't had
much to look at it. You know, he's been injured
and whatnot, so coming off injury. So, but what does
it look like for you?
Speaker 4 (32:50):
I think developing a continued chemistry with the pass catchers
within this offense, doing what it takes to get time
with those guys. It's working out with guys individually, it's
working out with those guys collectively, finding a way to
get on the same page with those guys because there
have just been too many situations where you have drops
and miscues, miscommunication and critical situations that all of those
(33:15):
guys collectively have to find out, you know, have to
be on the same page. That's what you got to
use this time to do. And I don't just mean
spending time.
Speaker 5 (33:21):
On the field together.
Speaker 4 (33:22):
You guys got to like go out to dinner together,
maybe you know, you go, you get out and you
just learn about each other and you have to find
that connection. I mean, I think that that's one of
the things that you see about great teams and great
offenses is that they have a dynamic in which you
know exactly what you're gonna get out of each and
(33:44):
every guy week in and week out, and there is
a level of I'm gonna give my all for this
quarterback out there. I have complete faith, complete trust, you know,
in this guy, and I'm going to make sure that
I'm getting in the exact right spot. I know my
exact route he can on me. I'm going to make
sure that if he targets and comes my way, I'm
going to be there for him. I'm going to make
(34:04):
that grab. You've got to establish for me that level
of cohesiveness and continuity across the offense, kind of starting
with your quarterback.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
I think it's just going to be important that you know,
hopefully Anthony can head into this offseason healthy. You know
that he didn't have that last year he his rookie year.
You know, you're going through combine and pro days and
thirty visits and all that, and your head's spinning and
then you show up and here's this gigantic playbook. Go
learn it. I think like an off season where you know,
and he's still dealing with the back spasms. We'll kind
(34:35):
of see what his availability is this week. But if
he can go have a full, healthy off season, I
do think that will benefit him. Yeah, in twenty twenty five, heasm,
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
Backspasm has been a touchy word around here for a thing.
I just want to say this. I, as I've said before,
preface it. I am not in an extreme athlete, but
at over fifty years old, I have backspasms in about
two or three times a year, and they're all mobilizing Guys.
When I say I'm mobilizing, I mean you can't move.
You're walking good and everything. You feel a little twinge
(35:06):
and all of a sudden he goes zoop and you're like, oh,
I can't bend down, I can't take a step, I
can't do anything like.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
That's a backspasm.
Speaker 2 (35:12):
So for the young man's sake, I'm just gonna say
I've been around the other half as a guy up
in the bleachers, but not as an elite athlete. But
backspasms they're not something to score around with.
Speaker 4 (35:20):
I just think continuity is going to be so important
because there has been so much stop and start for
this offense with you know, guys who have been in
and out of the rotation. I think it's really been
difficult to know exactly what this offensive identity is and
can be and for them to develop a lot just
because that group has not been on the field together
(35:41):
nearly enough this season.
Speaker 5 (35:42):
So to me, it's continuity. It's chemistry among.
Speaker 4 (35:46):
The quarterback and those past catchers. And they did do
work last offseason. That's not to say this would be
something novel, right, We know that they got together. You
know last year, they had some time together, you know,
in different places and all of that. But you've got
to do it and to a different degree, differentferent level,
with a different intention this year.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
Well, definitely disappointed. Obviously, you Colts fans and followers of
the NFL can understand our disappointment. Once again, I started
this podcast by saying, morning, good morning, but it's not
a good morning.
Speaker 3 (36:12):
It's morning with a U.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
But if you're gonna celebrate these mornings with us. You're
also gonna celebrate the wins and championships with us, So
thank you for being here, guys. I just wanted to
say I appreciate you guys doing this coming in answering
hard questions on this stuff. We're gonna keep it short
this week. We're gonna go out there and get a
win against the Jacksonville Jaguars and find out what offseason
moves it will be in the hamper around.
Speaker 1 (36:33):
The corner, because you know they'll be happening.
Speaker 2 (36:35):
Whether that's pro personnel with the player, whether it's coaching staff,
does not matter. Every year in the NFL there is
some changeover. We're gonna bring you the latest on that.
But Jacksonville Jaguars is the next thing up. And that's
where I want to keep this one at. Is to
stay positive and go into the offseason with a victory
against the team that you're better than.
Speaker 3 (36:53):
Yeah, and then we'll have everything covered in the off season,
and then we'll have everything yet. Yeah, the regular season
may end, but our content yeah doesn't.
Speaker 5 (37:01):
Say Hey, somebody just have an answer for Brian Thomas.
Speaker 2 (37:04):
Yep, great one, because again, and I'm not I'm not
taking another real good t and off on a Thomas. Yeah,
really good player, But it just seems like in this
in this darn offense, when they have the superior athletes
like the Mileage Neighbors out there and the Josh Jacobs
out there of the you know, their best players are
having their best games against this defense, that needs to stop.
(37:24):
That sort of thing needs to stop. So once again,
if you could say it once again, the game plan against.
Speaker 5 (37:29):
The Jaguars is stop Brian Thomas.
Speaker 2 (37:30):
There, it is stop Bryan Thomas, the number one draft
choice out of LSU guys.
Speaker 4 (37:35):
Anything in closing here, can I throw just one kind
of off the football field? This is our final podcast
of twenty twenty four. It is always a delight getting
to sit down and do this each week with you all.
Are you all either big New Year's Eve resolutions people?
Speaker 1 (37:51):
Oh yeah, resolutions?
Speaker 4 (37:52):
Sure?
Speaker 5 (37:53):
Yeah. How do you feel about the resolution?
Speaker 3 (37:55):
About like resolutions necessarily? Yea, yeah, I mean I guess
it's not like a resolution to be like, I'm just
going to start like a healthier habit and see if
that works. I've had some years where I've been successful
and others where i have not. So yeah, I know know,
last year I was successful, joined joined Oswell Fitness. At Oswell,
(38:17):
I've been going.
Speaker 5 (38:18):
You were there at six am today, Yeah, going.
Speaker 3 (38:19):
Six am multiple times a week ever since. And feel
really we were there on Christmas Eve together yep, uh
huh so yeah, so you know, I'm making you know,
but we'll see. I don't know if I have anything
up my sleeve this year. Maybe stop eating so many cookies.
Speaker 1 (38:32):
I want to go to you. You go to me.
I want to go to you.
Speaker 3 (38:34):
Yeah, tell me you already have, Like the daily mile.
Speaker 4 (38:37):
The daily mile is kind of the every year, you know,
renewing tradition, so to speak. So yeah, I got to
keep up, you know, accomplished this past year, achieved year
five daily miles.
Speaker 5 (38:49):
So I want to keep that going moving forward.
Speaker 4 (38:52):
I do.
Speaker 5 (38:53):
I'm a little crazy about it. I like a resolution.
AT's shocking. I like a goal. I like it shall.
I like to have like a little list at the
end of every year. I do a list of so
this year, twenty four things for.
Speaker 4 (39:07):
Twenty twenty four nice that I've accomplished or you know,
kind of things that reflect upon positively, and then twenty
five goals for the upcoming year.
Speaker 5 (39:15):
That's great, twenty five. So it's a little bit.
Speaker 3 (39:18):
That's very thorough.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
That's very thorough.
Speaker 3 (39:20):
It's yeah, it's very thorough.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
And the reason I'm saying that is because my fiance
just last night. Yeah, we're talking about resolutions in twenty
twenty five, and we just kind of came onto it
and said, to heck with the resolutions, what are we.
Speaker 1 (39:31):
Going to do to get better?
Speaker 4 (39:32):
I like that?
Speaker 1 (39:33):
So that's what we did. We threw some off of
each other.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
And it's TBD because we still got some time before
the new year comes in. Yes, we said, hey, what
are we going to do different to get better? So
that's what our list is, and hopefully in a few
of the twenty twenty five shows coming up, I'll tell
you if I'm either a failure, a complete failure, or
actually I've done something well, I can.
Speaker 5 (39:50):
Text your fiance, I know if if we're accomplishing these.
Speaker 3 (39:53):
Okay, So one other thing that's just kind of off
the It is football related though. Eight forty five pm
for Notre Dame Georgia. What are we doing?
Speaker 1 (40:02):
That's right?
Speaker 3 (40:03):
What are we doing?
Speaker 1 (40:04):
Kick? Isn't it? Yeah? Yeah, you gotta take care of
the West Coast. That's a CFP so you go.
Speaker 3 (40:08):
Yeah, Notre Dame in Georgia, famously west coast. I know
what I'm just saying, New Orleans, the West coast city.
Oh yeah, it's not the ratings. The ratings, Yeah, I know,
it's the ratings. Eight forty five. That's a good one. Yeah.
I go to sleep at nine o'clock and.
Speaker 1 (40:26):
That'll be a four hour game. It really will. Those
games end up being I'm not gonna sleep.
Speaker 3 (40:30):
I'm gonna be I'm gonna be a zombie on a
Thursday because I'm gonna be up watching that game. Why
why are we doing this to ourselves? Put the Fiesta
Bowl on at eight forty five. That's in Glendale, not
in New Orleans, Louisiana, between two teams that are in
the Eastern time zone. It just I'm over it. I'm
gonna watch it. Everyone.
Speaker 5 (40:51):
Plenty of time on Bourbon Street prior to the game.
Speaker 1 (40:54):
That's right.
Speaker 3 (40:54):
Oh God, that is gonna be a devauchery, fresh sewer smell.
Speaker 2 (41:02):
I love and I love New Orleans, but I've been
on Bourbon Street when it's been around, you know, celebrations,
Marty Grawn, Super Bowls included, and you know it gets
a little.
Speaker 3 (41:09):
Yeah, I'm already tired of thinking about it. But again,
I'm an idiot, So I will be up watching.
Speaker 5 (41:15):
That whole game fast Twitch, and you'll be just fine.
Speaker 3 (41:17):
Exactly. I'm gonna'm probably gonna pound one of those fast Twitches,
which are delicious, by the way, and have two hundred
milligrams of caffeine. Pounding that thing around like ten thirty.
Speaker 2 (41:27):
Till six in the morning, you would tucker, what's going
on on the eve? Anything you guys going out? You
go after it New Year's No, we.
Speaker 5 (41:33):
We have a great tradition with our friends, the Hearty's. Yeah,
we're hanging with the Hardys. We got a good Hardy party.
Speaker 3 (41:43):
Uh at Hardy No, no Frisco melts for us.
Speaker 5 (41:47):
They do have the Hardy fan does have.
Speaker 1 (41:52):
Or twice chriscal and men at Hardy Fresh those sticks.
What come on, let's go.
Speaker 5 (42:00):
No, we do have a great menu, a great spread
coming up. So I actually I gotta go to the
store tonight so I can get everything ready to go.
Speaker 4 (42:06):
And you and.
Speaker 1 (42:08):
I heard from your social media you and your wife
Betsy are headed to a rave.
Speaker 3 (42:12):
It starts at eleven thirty. We're big, We're big partiers
these days.
Speaker 1 (42:16):
What do you do you do?
Speaker 5 (42:18):
Oh, I don't know if I should say, do you
queue up the countdown? Countdown for the for the kiddos?
Speaker 3 (42:23):
Like, uh so last year I missed it because we
had the game against the Raiders and then the previous
year's bedtimes at you know, seven o'clock, so just they
went no, But I don't know. We'll see this year.
Speaker 5 (42:34):
Okay, we'll see little ball drop.
Speaker 3 (42:36):
I will also not be awake at midnight. Yeah, right,
guarantee with you on that.
Speaker 4 (42:40):
JJ.
Speaker 2 (42:40):
I think Joe writes to what we all know from
Colch Audio Network and and and all the works he's done.
Speaker 1 (42:44):
A former player grad.
Speaker 2 (42:45):
He says, at about nine o'clock, he always resets the clocks.
Speaker 1 (42:48):
Gay, kids, it's almost a gaggle of children.
Speaker 2 (42:50):
I know, he's like twelve kids. So about you know,
like eight forty five, it's like, hey, fifteen minutes, you
know it's gonna be He kind of does the move.
But guys, I appreciate it. Let's have some fun next week.
Speaker 5 (42:59):
Fristal melts for everybody, Risco.
Speaker 2 (43:00):
Melts and French toast sticks for everybody. And I just
again thank you both for being here and also thank
you for watching because this is tough times.
Speaker 1 (43:08):
We wish we were coming at.
Speaker 2 (43:09):
You with a little bit of different temperature in this
studio and our makeshift living room here, but we're gonna
keep you giving you the latest and greatest, especially with
these two at Larra Olverton on Twitter, x at JJ Stankowitz,
and of course Colts dot com has the latest.
Speaker 1 (43:22):
Thanks for watching on YouTube.
Speaker 2 (43:24):
Thanks for our Colts Audio Network listeners, Ava, Thanks for
all you do behind the camera. Wish we were coming
at you with a little more champagne and balloons and everything,
but you know what, it's soon right around the corner.
May take us next year or the year after, but
this team will get there. Thanks for everything you guys do.
All right, talk to you that
Welcome to the Official Colts podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Joining on the Colts Audio Network, we want to welcome
you as well as.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Say hi to you guys on the YouTube network.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
We come to you in morning, and I don't mean
that before twelve noon.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Kind of a morning m O.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
You are on I NNG obviously the playoff Alonzo morning,
Alonzo morning.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
Yeah. I wish we were talking.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Remember remember that guy, he was good, he was good.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Oh boy?
Speaker 2 (00:31):
All right, guys, Yeah, it's it's it's deflation around here.
It's deflation around Indianapolis. Disappointment is everywhere, no bigger than
in that locker room. I know people roll their eyes
when they hear that, but we've been there, guys. We've
been there in the in the ninety plus degree days
up at Westfield, watching this team come together and watching
the promise of it was and kind of the rugby
(00:52):
and taken out right from underneath us.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
The Colts team.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Yesterday, no chance for playoffs, obviously, one game remaining. You
hate to be in that position, you know, having a
game that really doesn't matter at that point of the year.
But I just you know, I'm just putting it off there.
What I've been hearing in the temperature of the city
of Indianapolis and Colts fans disappointment over another big opportunity
that falls short. JJ, if you can touch on.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
It, yeah, I mean I think a lot of anger
and there's nothing I can say to wipe it away.
I mean, players are angry. Like I thought to Forrest
Buckner today he had a media availability over Zoom. He
was angry, he was frustrated. I think whatever emotion you're
(01:40):
feeling about this Colts team is valid right now because
they had a chance to beat a thirteen lost New
York Giants team and they could not do it. Had
they done it, we would be sitting here on this
couch right now talking about you win against the Jaguars,
you get too things to break your way over the weekend,
(02:01):
you're in the playoffs, and instead, this team feels as
far away from the playoffs of playoffs of the as
they have felt in a couple of years. That that's
where it feels like right now. In Zion, Franklin talked
a lot about it. He's like, look, potential just means
you haven't done it yet, and we keep you know,
the Colts had playoff potential this year, but they didn't
do it. So, you know, I don't really know what
(02:22):
else there is to say about it. It's just it.
It is crushingly disappointing, and whatever our our listeners, our
viewers are feeling right now is totally valid.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
There's been some big opportunities, big games. Saw it last season,
saw it season before, saw it this year. Hey, you
had to, you know, things had to get going. What
is it is it? Is there an elixir out there?
What is it that can't get this team over the
next step? And obviously we're talking about a playoff dropt
that's going in year after year after year, and let's
not forget about an AFC self title that's now going
on a decade.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
I have got old school to my you know, notepad
and paper because I went back and went through the
postgame sound from yesterday and you know I do I
echo it, ja ja said DeForest Buckner on Monday. Was
was fantastic, just in terms of I thought, going into
you know, what they're experiencing as players and just you know,
giving some perspective on what his experience and what that
(03:13):
has been.
Speaker 5 (03:13):
So that's certainly worth a.
Speaker 4 (03:14):
Watch if you want to, you know, hear from his perspective. Certainly,
you know, one of the most respected guys in the
locker room, one of the most veteran guys in this
locker room. But something that when I look to post
games Sunday afternoon MetLife Stadium, hearing from guys like zaire
As JJ mentioned Michael Pittman Junior, what alarmed me a
(03:38):
bit was the fact that when these guys were asked
about what has it been in these do or die
elimination situations that you guys haven't been able to get
it done, And a number of them just talked about
when you go into these games, you have to have
a like a heightened intensity. There has to be greater
(03:59):
attention to details. Attention to detail lack thereof is something
to Forrest Buckner mentioned on Monday. Zirare Franklin hit it
on it on Sunday, and I just think when you
have a collective message of this is something that we're lacking,
I think there's concern, you know, surrounding that, but you know,
at least you're pinpointing on Okay, we know what some
(04:20):
of the concerns are and some of what the issues
are perhaps, but that's just what we're hearing right now
from those guys and what they're seeing, what they're experiencing,
that some of the common thread in these types of situations.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
It's almost it's almost baffling that this happened again. I mean,
you think back to twenty twenty one the Jaguars game,
where you got like zey, you know, you got flat
out beat in that game. You got flat out beat
in this game. That's those are Zia Franklin's words after
the game. And for it to happen again, is it
(04:57):
really is? You know? And I think a lot of
players kind of this too after the game, where they
were asked sort of these big picture questions about like,
you know, why why do you think this happened? And
there was just a lot of like, I don't know,
which you know, and you can go back to the
attention to detail and some of the things that created
this loss.
Speaker 5 (05:17):
But level of execution wasn't.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
I it's the scope of it. It's the scope that
this happened again that I think is so just stunning
that and I think a lot of players felt that
way of you know that this is stunning that has
happened again.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
I think also because you look to some of these
were in prior seasons. You have a situation this year
that it just recently happened. You were in Denver and
you didn't get it done. So you would have thought, hey,
here you have a second chance, that you were not
promised things kind of fall your way on Saturday.
Speaker 5 (05:53):
How was it not?
Speaker 4 (05:54):
Man, We've got to redeem ourselves for not getting it
done in Denver. There's such a re experience in which
you can look to to what didn't get you the
result that you needed in Denver when you had an
opportunity to put yourself in a fantastic position to be
in command and likely.
Speaker 5 (06:11):
Get a playoff spot.
Speaker 4 (06:12):
So the fact that it wasn't even that you have
to maybe look back to last season or you know
some of these previous you could have just looked to
two weeks ago.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're right, Larah.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
This thing.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
You know, I want to nitpick with you guys a
little bit on this, okay, because I want to preface
this by saying I can't tackle anyone. I mean, I
can't tackle anyone. I can't catch a football on Sunday.
I'm not there. I'm not that guy. But when you
talk about players and a standard that is being set
in the NFL locker rooms the elite athletes across the world.
I don't want to nitpick on this stuff, but the
(06:45):
little stuff Week seventeen of the season, we're dropping or
dropping pitches, We're dropping passes, we're missing tackles. We have
plenty of defenders around a ball carrier that are coming
up short those That's what I'm trying to ask is like,
can you guys give me some insight on that, because
at this point of the game, we talked about, we
(07:06):
talked about how much this game meant. We talked about
the other seasons as well, but the urgency of this game.
And they have drops here, drops there, miss tackles there,
misstackles here that all add up, you know what I mean.
There were some big spark There were some Star Wars
plays by the Giants yesterday that simply should not have happened.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
Yeah, the New York Giants had six plays of thirty
or more yards that and three of them went for
touchdowns in that game. I was looking back at it.
Since at least twenty fourteen, the Colts have not allowed
a single player to have three thirty yard touchdown passes
in a game. And they gave up three to Drew Lock.
(07:45):
Of all people who look, I'm a Zoo guy. Yeah,
I'm a Drew Lock apologist here. He's a good he's
a better football player than he gets credit for. But
it's a career years, it's a career game game rather
I Drew Lock, and it came when you needed to
to win to stay alive in the playoffs. It and
I almost feel like I just want to get up
and walk off this podcast set because like, what else
(08:07):
is there to really say about it? When we all
watched the same thing and we all saw the same mistakes,
And I don't honestly have any really good insight into
why it happened. It just it did. And it's something
that the guys on the field. You can tell how
it ate at DeForest Buckner, it ate at Zire Franklin,
(08:29):
it was eating at Kennymore the second you know, those
guys Ryan Kelly after the game. How just it? It
really kind of it's not gonna leave how they feel
about this season for a really long time, if ever,
because this season's going to be remembered as a disappointment
for those guys, and they're going to think back to
(08:49):
the Denver game, They're going to think back to the
Giants games like we we we did this to ourselves
as something to Forrest Buckner said, Right, Lara.
Speaker 4 (08:59):
That's exactly what I was just going to Jays. That's
where I was going to kind of pick up on.
You know, the common thread about at all is that
a lot of this is not that the Colts have
gotten beat it's the Colts have beaten themselves.
Speaker 5 (09:09):
In those situations.
Speaker 4 (09:11):
That's the common thread among all of this, and I
think that could be what's most frustrating about all of it,
is that when you have had these opportunities, that's really
what it's been. It has been you know, costly mistakes,
and it has been self inflicted.
Speaker 5 (09:24):
It's been all of those things.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
Why I'm not exactly sure that's probably the talent's there.
Speaker 5 (09:30):
I mean, the talents there.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Something that players have steadfastly stood by is the talent
is there on this team. And I do think that's
what makes it harder to swallow. Like if you're this
upstart team that you're you're kind of punching above your
weight and you kind of you just run out of
steam at the end of the year, and it's like, hey,
you know what, though, like, we we feel really good
(09:54):
about the direction that we're going because we competed in
these games and maybe, yeah, we don't maybe we don't
have the talent, but we played really good football this
year for what we had. The Colts feel like their
level of talent being up here and the results being
down here. That's a big gap that they've got to
figure out how to bridge.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
I also think one of the things that's concerning is
you just also are getting to the end of the
year in which you don't.
Speaker 5 (10:19):
Necessarily feel like that this group. Excuse you, pardon me
my email.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
Here, I just muted my computer. Yes it was already muted.
Speaker 5 (10:27):
I should have.
Speaker 4 (10:28):
Well, I was listening to post game sound. That's that's
why it was up, So excuse me on that. But
you're getting to the end of the year. You're in
Week eighteen, and you still don't feel like this group
put together a complete sixty minute performance, not one single time.
I mean, we heard it, you know, over and over.
We have to more complimentary and have to do all
these things. And you felt like you got that going
in the Denver game, and then that, you know, fell apart.
Speaker 5 (10:49):
I thought that you know what was it.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
I'm like now losing track of games here. You know,
you felt better about it against Tennessee for a majority
of that game, but then you had a lapse defensively
exactly there were parts of it still did not put
together a four quarter back. I mean, what do you
look to going into this one as being like, Okay,
this was the best in all three phases game that
(11:13):
this team.
Speaker 3 (11:14):
I mean the Colts of every single one of their
seven wins has been by one possession. Yeah, And I
think that that's kind of become this telling stat of
you can convince yourself early in the year that that's
a good thing, that hey, you're able to win these
close games, and that's something we can really lean on.
But when you get down to the end of it,
if you haven't won a game by more than a score,
and it's hard, it's really hard to win a game
(11:35):
in the NFL by more than one score. I want
to preface it by saying that. But to not do
that this year, and you still have a chance against
the Jags in Week eighteen, but to not do that
in a game that mattered for the playoff race, I
think is it goes to your point of just you
never really played that complimentary football that you know. This
is something Shane Steiken talked about yesterday. We just we
(11:55):
haven't played a complimentary game this year, and I think
that is one thing that shows it. Just you haven't
won a game by more than six points this season.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
The points, defensive breakdown, special teams breakdown. We saw that
to open up the second half. That's not a good way.
You know, we lost the turnover battle in this But guys,
I do want to find some bright spots here. And
though I think for the whole matter whether he goes
next week or whether he sits behind whoever plays quarterback
next week, I thought Joe Flacco came in here a
one year contract, like he did a one year gig,
and did the best that he could and had some
(12:24):
bright spots. And yesterday I'm sorry, guys, this is the NFL.
You know it better than anybody. You throw up thirty
three points, you finished with three hundred and thirty yards,
two tds, the two interceptions though that he was and
you have two receivers that have one hundred yards in reception.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Got to run.
Speaker 5 (12:39):
It's a winning effort, yes, and running back that should
be a win.
Speaker 1 (12:42):
That should be a win.
Speaker 5 (12:43):
But we can guess. Really the turnovers weren't what killed.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
You, right exactly, so like the bright spot at the
quarterback position right now for yesterday, speaking good on you, Joe,
I mean you did what you had to do. Obviously,
we don't like the two picks. We didn't have Anthony
richardson there.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
One of those picks is also in like desperation, right
it was you know that I'll give him one. Yeah, really,
I'm sure he'd give himself both, but like I'll give
him the one. Sure where he overthrew in the Belton
the safety made that great play. But other than that,
I mean, I thought he played about as good of
a game as you can expect a backup quarterback to play.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
And the stats were there for the specialists. The stats
were there for Jonathan. We saw JT.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
It wasn't you know, he hasn't had that many carries
for that little last yards, but it's still one hundred
and twenty five. He did, you know, two receivers with
over one hundred, like we saw Kyler Grant the first time,
big catches thirty some yards and stuff. I mean it
was an offensive output that does not spell defeat.
Speaker 4 (13:32):
The first time the Colts have had in the same
game a one hundred yard rusher and two one hundred
yard receivers.
Speaker 5 (13:40):
Since do you know, Oh that is good?
Speaker 1 (13:43):
Since what to one season a rusher? Let's go back to.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Let's go back to the decade of greatness. Let's go
back to Peyton with with Reg with either stokely Reg
Harrison and either a die or eddern.
Speaker 4 (13:59):
You've you've got it, oh five two thousand and five,
Drin Marvin and Reggie Week nine against the New England Patriots.
So there's promise there that you see from this offense
and the weapons that you are And the thing is,
those are your guys moving forward, right, These are guys
who are going to be part of this plan building
in the off season.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
I think, like when we are able to take a
full step back from this season and really kind of
take a more sober analysis of this team, I think
the one guy who I'm going to keep coming back
to is Alec Pierce. The season he's had and the
strides he has made. That dude, Like, I think it's
become clear to me that we knew we always had
(14:40):
this in him, but he needed an offense that would
give him a chance to do it. And you know,
last year with Gardner, it was a lot of RPOs
and that's not what his specialty is. And it worked.
It wasn't like it was a bad plan. It was
the right plan for the last year's team. But this year,
with quarterbacks who are going to push it downfield more,
you're seeing him. I mean, like Flacco just drops back
and it's like, all right, forty five fifty yards down,
(15:00):
feelish to see if Al can go make a play
and he does. The contested catches he's making in the
end zone on some of those drag routes are like
very very impressive plays. I think for my money, I
might say he's made the biggest leap of any colts
player this year, and that is really encouraging if you
look at it too. He right now, if the season
(15:22):
ended today, which it doesn't, he would become the first
player since DeShawn Jackson in twenty ten to average at
least twenty one yards per catch on thirty five or
more catches.
Speaker 5 (15:31):
It's nice, Oh, I love it to Shawn Jackson.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
Yeah, it's actually Mike Wallace to remember him break downfield
threat for the Steelers. He also did that in twenty ten.
So what the season we've seen from Alec Pearce has
been straight up impressive, straight up good, straight up and
encouraging thing for this Colts team going forward. I don't
no one, We're not We're not into the like, oh,
let's talk about encouraging the twenty twenty five. Yeah, but
like again, that's what I'm saying when I when I
(15:55):
really take a look at this, I think I'm gonna
keep going back.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
To, oh yeah, he showed out.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
I mean, well, and.
Speaker 5 (15:58):
Hey, let's let's get another game like that this week too.
You know, let's see it again.
Speaker 3 (16:03):
I don't know what he needs for it, but there's
a good chance that if he has call it, five
catches for one hundred yards, that he's going to wind
up leading the NFL in yards perception. Right right now,
he's one catch off the pace of being qualified.
Speaker 4 (16:16):
And one of the things that I was talking with
Alec about because he's our guest this week on Colt
Sore sixty, was how he established the rapport with both
Anthony and Joe to be so productive and effective with
each of them, because we saw week one it was
the sixty plus yard bomb, beautiful ball Anthony, you know,
off the back foot throwing to Alec, hitting him in
(16:37):
the end zone. And then in week six the game
at Jacksonville when Joe comes in, he goes for over
one hundred yards in the fourth quarter on three receptions
with a touchdown.
Speaker 5 (16:48):
On the comeback.
Speaker 4 (16:50):
And so just I think that one of the things
that is impressive too about Alec is the variety of
different quarterbacks that he's worked with now over the course
of his ten and in particular this season, had that
type of production that you look to. And he just
said he tries to come in with the same just
with consistency every day, just tries to be consistent in
(17:11):
order to gain the trust of whoever it is that's
under center. And he said that the two guys who
have really helped him in terms of the growth that
we have seen, the consistent downfield threat that he has emerged,
as he said, it's Reggie and it's Pitt. Those are
the two guys who have reiterated their confidence over and over,
you know, in him and what.
Speaker 5 (17:29):
He can do. And hey, all right, let's get one
more of those type of games out of you. At
Lucas Soil Stadium to close out the air.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
Hey, the good news, you know, as far as we'll
find the good from this game, believe you me. As
we talked about Michael Pittman Junior obviously had a great afternoon,
Jonathan Taylor a great afternoon. And then like on the
flip side, like finding the good in this thing is
is Malik Neighbors had a career day, had a career.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
Day and it's a really good play.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
Yeah, and just show it's a really good He's had
a quarterback carousel as well out there and he's already
in one year. Yeah, he's a great player. Showed what
he meant to the Giants yesterday and stuff like this.
But I want to tip my hat to a kid
that you know is my Alec Pierce of the defense
and I would call Jalen Jones and what we have
the future looking like for that young man and the
way he plays and you know he's got ding for
(18:15):
a couple of pis and stuff like that. But boy,
he's a tough, tough guy. He's a long guy, big stretch,
long arm, and I think he's one of those guys
that is gonna be here for a while and I
think he's one of those guys that we're gonna have
to build on from twenty five and beyond.
Speaker 3 (18:27):
He's a good football player, YEA, a guy who has
absolutely earned a, you know, a role on this team,
hopefully a starting role in this team next year. The
thing I will say, though, and this isn't about Jalen
Jones and this isn't about Alec Pierce. This is whenever
you have a season that ends in disappointment, like this
cult season is going to end in, I think you
kind of have to operate like there will be changes,
(18:49):
and that's something that players have talked about. You know,
everyone kind of knows. Jonathan Taylor, I thought, was really
eloquent talking about it after the game about how you
know they're going to be changes. To Forrest Buckner said,
there're gonna be changes. It's gonna be coomfortable. But I
think that is what kind of has to happen. You
have to take a look at everything. I think when
you do take a look at everything, you're gonna look
at Jalen Jones and say that's a good player. He's
made a lot of improvement this year. We think he
(19:11):
can continue to trend up. I just I think to
kind of start projecting out on a lot of players
here is sort of like, well, where where are the
Colts going to get better in twenty twenty five? And
I think it can come from guys internally being better,
It can come from guys coming in externally, It can
(19:33):
come from a lot of different places and avenues. But
whatever it looks like, however it's done, it has to
be better because right now. And Jonathan Taylor again, I
thought he had another really really smart thing after the
game or he talked about the standard for this team
needs to be winning or making the playoffs. But to
(19:55):
make the to make that the standard, you got to
make the playoffs, and we haven't done that. And he
was pretty passionate. He's like, the standard for being an
Indianapolis Colt is that you got to be in the
playoffs every year. But the Colts haven't made the playoffs
now and since twenty twenty And you can't establish that
standard until you do it. And the Colts just haven't
been able to do it.
Speaker 5 (20:13):
And the only constant is changed, right.
Speaker 4 (20:15):
You talked about it the season ending in disappointment, Well,
it ends in disappointment for everyone except for one team, right,
except for the Super Bowl champions, And even when you
are a super Bowl champion, there are changes that happen
within that roster, right with everything that goes on and
with your comments regarding Jonathan Pitt touched on that Sunday
after the game as well. He said, you know, the
(20:35):
first season I was here, we did make the playoffs,
and I just thought that was, you.
Speaker 5 (20:40):
Know, commonplace, he said, I'm going to like, I just
thought we'd do it every year.
Speaker 4 (20:46):
That was a little bit taken for granted, and that
was the expectation. And then you haven't been able to
match that since that game in twenty twenty when you
went to Buffalo and.
Speaker 5 (20:55):
Pitt said, he's like, we've got to do something different.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
I do think the like you're right, layer, Like every
thirty one teams on the season with disappointment, it's different
levels and it's like different, very right, Like, obviously you
lose the super Bowl, you're like, oh man, we were
we were close, right, hell hell of a year. But
you know that's gonna stick with us losing the super Bowl.
But if you lose the super Bowl, you're losing it
(21:19):
to the best team in the NFL. The level the
Colts are at is you lost your shot at the playoffs,
losing to a team that going into that week was
the worst team in the NFL. And you know that
that's a tough pill to swallow when it's that that's
how you go out right as opposed to like how
we got beat by a better team. Yeah, like yeah,
(21:40):
you know the giants of players too. Malik Neighbors, like
we mentioned, is an awesome football player. He's a superstar
already in this league. They got, you know, Wandale Robinson's
a really good player. Brian Burns cave that guys impossible
on third down.
Speaker 5 (21:53):
Yeah, like the I mean the.
Speaker 4 (21:55):
Tackles he broke, like second, third, fourth effort by that guy, right,
So you give them credit.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
But I think if you look at these two rosters,
the Colts have more talent, and that is what I
think makes it so difficult for those guys to kind
of digest, is like we should have beat that team
and now you got to sit there. And that's the
same thing in twenty twenty one with the Jacks, where
we you know, Colts had more talent than that team,
but they didn't show it that day and it didn't
(22:22):
matter because they lost. That I think is where this
disappointment really is gonna It's gonna stick.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
Yeah, this will stick for a while. Guys, I want
to ask you about something that happened. We talked about
this in the offseason. You got close with them, find
out some tidbits about him off the field and stuff.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
But let's just come out with it. Let's just talk
about it.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
Thirty three quarterback sacks this year with one game to go.
Last year set a club record with fifty one. Charlie
Partchers comes in in his first year.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
You know, Chris Ballard.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
Said from day one when he was ballad here offensive line,
defensive lines where you win lose football.
Speaker 5 (22:55):
Games, build through the trenches.
Speaker 3 (22:56):
Right, That's it.
Speaker 1 (22:57):
That's it.
Speaker 2 (22:57):
So how can that drop off be either I'm going
to you on this, but I want to start with Lara.
Quarterback pressures are a thing we talked about. It wasn't
there last year. Maybe it is this year. We'll find
out from JJ. But I'm saying, from from fifty one
last year to thirty three with one game.
Speaker 1 (23:12):
Left, what is that?
Speaker 2 (23:13):
Because the personal has been there, and on top of that,
you take that sixteenth overall pick leatu Lato Latu and
you throw him in that room as well.
Speaker 4 (23:20):
Lara, Man, that's a loaded question. You're really throwing it
at me, you know, I do. I do want to mention.
Of course you sorely missed, and I think people may
have overlooked when Samson Ebicom sustained that injury.
Speaker 5 (23:33):
And that is significant.
Speaker 4 (23:34):
That is your that's your leading sack guy from last season.
Speaker 5 (23:41):
You know what, Jeffrey, I don't know. I don't know
if it's an effort thing because we injury come in.
Get what we've seen.
Speaker 4 (23:48):
I've watched so many situations in which in which you're
rushing and you're sending guys and they get close and
it's almost just whiffs, you know, on quarterbacks, and it
just does not seem like this unit collectively is playing
as fast as maybe they previously have.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
Yeah, the numbers in this case, I think are telling.
Colts are thirtieth in the NFL and pressure rate twenty
eight point eight percent of opponent dropbacks. Now there's context there.
Some of the context is the Colts have not maybe
had as many opportunities to rush the passer in advantageous
down in distant situations because they've been giving up a
(24:31):
ton of yards on the ground, and you're letting teams
get into those situations. Or you know, it's second and
ten and you complete a six yard pass to a
tight end and all of a sudden, third and four
is a lot different than third and eight, So you
maybe didn't have as many of those, which then magnifies
these situations you do get on third and fourteen where
you're not able to get a pass rush. I think
(24:51):
teams have got the ball out quicker on the Colts
this year, just kind of anecdotally, that's been a focus.
So you know, you've seen a lot of the Giants
did at all the time. This quick pass system e
league neighbors where you don't have time to get home
on a pass rush. So there is some context to
that number. But being thirtieth is that that's tough, that
that's really hard to win. You look at the other
(25:12):
teams that are the culture down there with it's the Panthers,
the Patriots, got the Falcons. There a team that might
make the playoffs, the Titans, the Jaguars, the Cardinals.
Speaker 1 (25:20):
The quarterback pressures bottom of the league, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (25:22):
The bottom bottom pressure r.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
Very telling stat of flowers who goes, but hey, more answers.
Speaker 5 (25:28):
I don't know. I'm just gonna'm gona throw. They talked
about injuries, like think about you did have to Forest.
Speaker 3 (25:34):
Missed a lot of time.
Speaker 4 (25:35):
Yeah, so that is that is something that I would
consider pretty significant immigrants game.
Speaker 5 (25:40):
Absolutely not to make excuses.
Speaker 4 (25:42):
I just think that those are like, I don't know
how any more we can attempt to, you know, iterate
the importance of DeForest Buckner and the influence that he
makes when he is there up front.
Speaker 5 (25:56):
But I think that you know, the time that you
miss him, you sorely, you know, missed him.
Speaker 3 (26:00):
The other thing, too, is like I don't want to
make pressure rate out to be this thing that's like
the deciding factor. The team that's number one in pressure
right this year is a Cleveland Browns and they might
get the number one overall pick.
Speaker 5 (26:10):
Really yeah, so is that just Miles Garrett? That is
I mean, that's like.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
It's having the best defensive player on the But you know,
I mean you look there at the fifth in pressure
rate is the Chicago Bears, team that doesn't won in
ten games. You've got the New York Jets at eighth.
They're a team that's having a season from hell. So
it's not it doesn't guarantee you success, but I do
think it's it's a decent enough marker of if you
(26:39):
get after the quarterback consistently, you're gonna have You're gonna
just have a better chance to win. And that doesn't
necessarily mean that your front is failing to get after
the quarterback all the time. It could be, hey, teams
are scheming you out of it, They're they're put in
committing extra bodies to it. They're not in these third
and longs where you can really pin your ears back
and get after the quarterback. So there are a lot
(26:59):
of other factors that do go into it.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Yeah, for sure, guys, the fan base and social media
is talking quite a bit. We've heard and read and
seen what everyone's saying over this whole thing. And obviously
not playing for the playoffs this year puts us in
that you know sort of thing. But I want to say, like,
like that game against Jacksonville, A lot of people roll
their eyes and stuff like that when you talk about that,
But I just want you guys to compound on them
(27:22):
with this with me on this, that's an important game.
This Jacksonville Jaguars game coming up is an important game,
not only for players on the field, but for coachers,
coaching staff, everybody and the morale of this team going
into the next year. I know, you know, I'm searching,
We're searching for stuff to grab at now. But I'm sorry, guys,
you got to end on a positive note, and especially
(27:44):
the future being bright here, young quarterback in the building,
et cetera, et cetera. But you have to go take
care of business and this one in that matter. I'm
sorry if it's just me, this is a hugely important
game for a lot of men in that locker room.
Speaker 4 (27:56):
I asked coach Stichen about this because they said, Shane,
you have reiterated importance on finishing in so many scenarios
of the course of the season, talking about, you know,
finishing on tackles, finishing in the red zone, settling you know,
go or getting touchdowns, not settling for field goals and situations,
you know, finishing the first half of games, finishing the
(28:19):
fourth quarter of games. I said, how important is it
to finish this season with a win? And that's what
he said to just finishing and having a positive note
to end on.
Speaker 5 (28:28):
You know, although the playoff.
Speaker 4 (28:30):
All the playoffs you know, aren't an opportunity, aren't to
possibility any longer. Still, just the tone of finishing on
a win collectively, you know, at least kind of improves.
Certainly it's not gonna you know, overcome the disappointment necessarily
that you're feeling, but it is certainly going to make
you feel a heck of a lot better. And you know,
(28:52):
with a division win at home, all of those things
can really help, just in terms of the morale that's
within this locker room before again this team departs and
know it will never be that same group together.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
I think sometimes the thing that we lose sight of
when we're talking about this and this is kind of
like collectively just people who are employed to talk and
write and you know, do these things about football players,
is like how special it is for these guys to
play in a game, to play in an NFL game
and to go out there. You know, like Ryan Kelly,
I think, talked about it, like, you know, he was
(29:29):
asked like, you know, if this is the end of
your career at the Cult, he's going to be a
free agent after this year, Like what are you going
to miss? And he kind of got choked up. He
talked about just like being out there with the guys
and like that is so meaningful to a lot of
players on this football team, that opportunity to go out
and do it. And I don't want to discount that
in the least bit. This game has no implications on
(29:49):
the playoffs. You can write it off and say it
doesn't matter, But there are gonna be a lot of
guys who are going to take that field on Sunday
and this game is going to matter to them, and
that is how you finish the season. It's not necessarily
about getting certain stats, although you know for Zire Franklin
it I think it matters and it should matter. That
he leads the league in tackles. That is an accomplishment
that he can look back on at the end of
(30:11):
his career and say I led the NFL in tackles.
That's a big deal. Alec Pierce could look back on
this year and say I led the NFL in yards
per reception. That is an accomplishment. That is something that
you should celebrate. But I think more than anything, it's
just you get to celebrate being a football player and
this game it might again you might feel like it
(30:32):
should be a letdown for these guys. But I do
think there are enough veterans and pros in that locker
room who are going to go out there and they
are going to play like the stakes are as high
as possible and give it the effort because they love
what they do and they love playing football. They love
playing with these guys on this team, and I do
think that matters, and we absolutely should not lose sight
of that.
Speaker 5 (30:52):
And the way in which they respond this week.
Speaker 4 (30:54):
What you see out of guys this week in how
they prepare and how they treat this game will tell
you a whole lot of those are the guys you
want to bring back and you want to build upon
for the future or not.
Speaker 5 (31:04):
That tells you everything.
Speaker 3 (31:05):
So I did this story in twenty twenty two, and
to me, it's like one that's just it's gonna be
lodged in my brain as long as I cover the NFL.
I talked to Ryan Kelly, DeForest Buckner, some of the
guys on the team in late December about like what
are you still put in your body through? You know,
I talked to Paris Campbell for it, like what are
you still put your body through? And they all told me,
like to a man, you cannot like, you cannot not
(31:30):
take it seriously because if you go take the field
on Sunday and you didn't do everything you could to
get ready to play, you are doing yourself a disservice.
You're doing your teammates a disservice. It's gonna lead to
only bad things for you. So there's only one way
to go about playing in the NFL, and it's doing
it the right way and doing everything you can. And
I think those same guys, you know, you're Buckner's, you're
(31:51):
Kelly's or Quinton Nelson's, who, by the way, is having
an awesome football season. You want to talk about bright
spots on this team, Q is, Hey, he's had one
of his best seasons in Indiana. Lessen my money, Oh,
no question, but that there there are there are a
lot of pros in that locker room who I think
this is this is the week to step up and
show a lot of There are a lot of young
guys on this team who maybe have never experienced something
(32:13):
like this before. And in those guys to step up
and show them, hey, this is the last week of
the year. We still prepare, We still go practice hard,
We still go out and do all the little things
right to go play. I do think that's important for
this football game, no.
Speaker 1 (32:27):
More important in the quarterback position. Larrea. I'll start with you.
Speaker 2 (32:30):
In your eyes, what's a successful offseason look like for
Anthony Richardson? What what does that look like in your eyes?
Preparing for his third year in the NFL as a starter,
uh in this league? What what does that look like
for you? And I know we've we we haven't had
much to look at it. You know, he's been injured
and whatnot, so coming off injury. So, but what does
it look like for you?
Speaker 4 (32:50):
I think developing a continued chemistry with the pass catchers
within this offense, doing what it takes to get time
with those guys. It's working out with guys individually, it's
working out with those guys collectively, finding a way to
get on the same page with those guys because there
have just been too many situations where you have drops
and miscues, miscommunication and critical situations that all of those
(33:15):
guys collectively have to find out, you know, have to
be on the same page. That's what you got to
use this time to do. And I don't just mean
spending time.
Speaker 5 (33:21):
On the field together.
Speaker 4 (33:22):
You guys got to like go out to dinner together,
maybe you know, you go, you get out and you
just learn about each other and you have to find
that connection. I mean, I think that that's one of
the things that you see about great teams and great
offenses is that they have a dynamic in which you
know exactly what you're gonna get out of each and
(33:44):
every guy week in and week out, and there is
a level of I'm gonna give my all for this
quarterback out there. I have complete faith, complete trust, you know,
in this guy, and I'm going to make sure that
I'm getting in the exact right spot. I know my
exact route he can on me. I'm going to make
sure that if he targets and comes my way, I'm
going to be there for him. I'm going to make
(34:04):
that grab. You've got to establish for me that level
of cohesiveness and continuity across the offense, kind of starting
with your quarterback.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
I think it's just going to be important that you know,
hopefully Anthony can head into this offseason healthy. You know
that he didn't have that last year he his rookie year.
You know, you're going through combine and pro days and
thirty visits and all that, and your head's spinning and
then you show up and here's this gigantic playbook. Go
learn it. I think like an off season where you know,
and he's still dealing with the back spasms. We'll kind
(34:35):
of see what his availability is this week. But if
he can go have a full, healthy off season, I
do think that will benefit him. Yeah, in twenty twenty five, heasm,
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
Backspasm has been a touchy word around here for a thing.
I just want to say this. I, as I've said before,
preface it. I am not in an extreme athlete, but
at over fifty years old, I have backspasms in about
two or three times a year, and they're all mobilizing Guys.
When I say I'm mobilizing, I mean you can't move.
You're walking good and everything. You feel a little twinge
(35:06):
and all of a sudden he goes zoop and you're like, oh,
I can't bend down, I can't take a step, I
can't do anything like.
Speaker 1 (35:11):
That's a backspasm.
Speaker 2 (35:12):
So for the young man's sake, I'm just gonna say
I've been around the other half as a guy up
in the bleachers, but not as an elite athlete. But
backspasms they're not something to score around with.
Speaker 4 (35:20):
I just think continuity is going to be so important
because there has been so much stop and start for
this offense with you know, guys who have been in
and out of the rotation. I think it's really been
difficult to know exactly what this offensive identity is and
can be and for them to develop a lot just
because that group has not been on the field together
(35:41):
nearly enough this season.
Speaker 5 (35:42):
So to me, it's continuity. It's chemistry among.
Speaker 4 (35:46):
The quarterback and those past catchers. And they did do
work last offseason. That's not to say this would be
something novel, right, We know that they got together. You
know last year, they had some time together, you know,
in different places and all of that. But you've got
to do it and to a different degree, differentferent level,
with a different intention this year.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
Well, definitely disappointed. Obviously, you Colts fans and followers of
the NFL can understand our disappointment. Once again, I started
this podcast by saying, morning, good morning, but it's not
a good morning.
Speaker 3 (36:12):
It's morning with a U.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
But if you're gonna celebrate these mornings with us. You're
also gonna celebrate the wins and championships with us, So
thank you for being here, guys. I just wanted to
say I appreciate you guys doing this coming in answering
hard questions on this stuff. We're gonna keep it short
this week. We're gonna go out there and get a
win against the Jacksonville Jaguars and find out what offseason
moves it will be in the hamper around.
Speaker 1 (36:33):
The corner, because you know they'll be happening.
Speaker 2 (36:35):
Whether that's pro personnel with the player, whether it's coaching staff,
does not matter. Every year in the NFL there is
some changeover. We're gonna bring you the latest on that.
But Jacksonville Jaguars is the next thing up. And that's
where I want to keep this one at. Is to
stay positive and go into the offseason with a victory
against the team that you're better than.
Speaker 3 (36:53):
Yeah, and then we'll have everything covered in the off season,
and then we'll have everything yet. Yeah, the regular season
may end, but our content yeah doesn't.
Speaker 5 (37:01):
Say Hey, somebody just have an answer for Brian Thomas.
Speaker 2 (37:04):
Yep, great one, because again, and I'm not I'm not
taking another real good t and off on a Thomas. Yeah,
really good player, But it just seems like in this
in this darn offense, when they have the superior athletes
like the Mileage Neighbors out there and the Josh Jacobs
out there of the you know, their best players are
having their best games against this defense, that needs to stop.
(37:24):
That sort of thing needs to stop. So once again,
if you could say it once again, the game plan against.
Speaker 5 (37:29):
The Jaguars is stop Brian Thomas.
Speaker 2 (37:30):
There, it is stop Bryan Thomas, the number one draft
choice out of LSU guys.
Speaker 4 (37:35):
Anything in closing here, can I throw just one kind
of off the football field? This is our final podcast
of twenty twenty four. It is always a delight getting
to sit down and do this each week with you all.
Are you all either big New Year's Eve resolutions people?
Speaker 1 (37:51):
Oh yeah, resolutions?
Speaker 4 (37:52):
Sure?
Speaker 5 (37:53):
Yeah. How do you feel about the resolution?
Speaker 3 (37:55):
About like resolutions necessarily? Yea, yeah, I mean I guess
it's not like a resolution to be like, I'm just
going to start like a healthier habit and see if
that works. I've had some years where I've been successful
and others where i have not. So yeah, I know know,
last year I was successful, joined joined Oswell Fitness. At Oswell,
(38:17):
I've been going.
Speaker 5 (38:18):
You were there at six am today, Yeah, going.
Speaker 3 (38:19):
Six am multiple times a week ever since. And feel
really we were there on Christmas Eve together yep, uh
huh so yeah, so you know, I'm making you know,
but we'll see. I don't know if I have anything
up my sleeve this year. Maybe stop eating so many cookies.
Speaker 1 (38:32):
I want to go to you. You go to me.
I want to go to you.
Speaker 3 (38:34):
Yeah, tell me you already have, Like the daily mile.
Speaker 4 (38:37):
The daily mile is kind of the every year, you know,
renewing tradition, so to speak. So yeah, I got to
keep up, you know, accomplished this past year, achieved year
five daily miles.
Speaker 5 (38:49):
So I want to keep that going moving forward.
Speaker 4 (38:52):
I do.
Speaker 5 (38:53):
I'm a little crazy about it. I like a resolution.
AT's shocking. I like a goal. I like it shall.
I like to have like a little list at the
end of every year. I do a list of so
this year, twenty four things for.
Speaker 4 (39:07):
Twenty twenty four nice that I've accomplished or you know,
kind of things that reflect upon positively, and then twenty
five goals for the upcoming year.
Speaker 5 (39:15):
That's great, twenty five. So it's a little bit.
Speaker 3 (39:18):
That's very thorough.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
That's very thorough.
Speaker 3 (39:20):
It's yeah, it's very thorough.
Speaker 2 (39:21):
And the reason I'm saying that is because my fiance
just last night. Yeah, we're talking about resolutions in twenty
twenty five, and we just kind of came onto it
and said, to heck with the resolutions, what are we.
Speaker 1 (39:31):
Going to do to get better?
Speaker 4 (39:32):
I like that?
Speaker 1 (39:33):
So that's what we did. We threw some off of
each other.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
And it's TBD because we still got some time before
the new year comes in. Yes, we said, hey, what
are we going to do different to get better? So
that's what our list is, and hopefully in a few
of the twenty twenty five shows coming up, I'll tell
you if I'm either a failure, a complete failure, or
actually I've done something well, I can.
Speaker 5 (39:50):
Text your fiance, I know if if we're accomplishing these.
Speaker 3 (39:53):
Okay, So one other thing that's just kind of off
the It is football related though. Eight forty five pm
for Notre Dame Georgia. What are we doing?
Speaker 1 (40:02):
That's right?
Speaker 3 (40:03):
What are we doing?
Speaker 1 (40:04):
Kick? Isn't it? Yeah? Yeah, you gotta take care of
the West Coast. That's a CFP so you go.
Speaker 3 (40:08):
Yeah, Notre Dame in Georgia, famously west coast. I know
what I'm just saying, New Orleans, the West coast city.
Oh yeah, it's not the ratings. The ratings, Yeah, I know,
it's the ratings. Eight forty five. That's a good one. Yeah.
I go to sleep at nine o'clock and.
Speaker 1 (40:26):
That'll be a four hour game. It really will. Those
games end up being I'm not gonna sleep.
Speaker 3 (40:30):
I'm gonna be I'm gonna be a zombie on a
Thursday because I'm gonna be up watching that game. Why
why are we doing this to ourselves? Put the Fiesta
Bowl on at eight forty five. That's in Glendale, not
in New Orleans, Louisiana, between two teams that are in
the Eastern time zone. It just I'm over it. I'm
gonna watch it. Everyone.
Speaker 5 (40:51):
Plenty of time on Bourbon Street prior to the game.
Speaker 1 (40:54):
That's right.
Speaker 3 (40:54):
Oh God, that is gonna be a devauchery, fresh sewer smell.
Speaker 2 (41:02):
I love and I love New Orleans, but I've been
on Bourbon Street when it's been around, you know, celebrations,
Marty Grawn, Super Bowls included, and you know it gets
a little.
Speaker 3 (41:09):
Yeah, I'm already tired of thinking about it. But again,
I'm an idiot, So I will be up watching.
Speaker 5 (41:15):
That whole game fast Twitch, and you'll be just fine.
Speaker 3 (41:17):
Exactly. I'm gonna'm probably gonna pound one of those fast Twitches,
which are delicious, by the way, and have two hundred
milligrams of caffeine. Pounding that thing around like ten thirty.
Speaker 2 (41:27):
Till six in the morning, you would tucker, what's going
on on the eve? Anything you guys going out? You
go after it New Year's No, we.
Speaker 5 (41:33):
We have a great tradition with our friends, the Hearty's. Yeah,
we're hanging with the Hardys. We got a good Hardy party.
Speaker 3 (41:43):
Uh at Hardy No, no Frisco melts for us.
Speaker 5 (41:47):
They do have the Hardy fan does have.
Speaker 1 (41:52):
Or twice chriscal and men at Hardy Fresh those sticks.
What come on, let's go.
Speaker 5 (42:00):
No, we do have a great menu, a great spread
coming up. So I actually I gotta go to the
store tonight so I can get everything ready to go.
Speaker 4 (42:06):
And you and.
Speaker 1 (42:08):
I heard from your social media you and your wife
Betsy are headed to a rave.
Speaker 3 (42:12):
It starts at eleven thirty. We're big, We're big partiers
these days.
Speaker 1 (42:16):
What do you do you do?
Speaker 5 (42:18):
Oh, I don't know if I should say, do you
queue up the countdown? Countdown for the for the kiddos?
Speaker 3 (42:23):
Like, uh so last year I missed it because we
had the game against the Raiders and then the previous
year's bedtimes at you know, seven o'clock, so just they
went no, But I don't know. We'll see this year.
Speaker 5 (42:34):
Okay, we'll see little ball drop.
Speaker 3 (42:36):
I will also not be awake at midnight. Yeah, right,
guarantee with you on that.
Speaker 4 (42:40):
JJ.
Speaker 2 (42:40):
I think Joe writes to what we all know from
Colch Audio Network and and and all the works he's done.
Speaker 1 (42:44):
A former player grad.
Speaker 2 (42:45):
He says, at about nine o'clock, he always resets the clocks.
Speaker 1 (42:48):
Gay, kids, it's almost a gaggle of children.
Speaker 2 (42:50):
I know, he's like twelve kids. So about you know,
like eight forty five, it's like, hey, fifteen minutes, you
know it's gonna be He kind of does the move.
But guys, I appreciate it. Let's have some fun next week.
Speaker 5 (42:59):
Fristal melts for everybody, Risco.
Speaker 2 (43:00):
Melts and French toast sticks for everybody. And I just
again thank you both for being here and also thank
you for watching because this is tough times.
Speaker 1 (43:08):
We wish we were coming at.
Speaker 2 (43:09):
You with a little bit of different temperature in this
studio and our makeshift living room here, but we're gonna
keep you giving you the latest and greatest, especially with
these two at Larra Olverton on Twitter, x at JJ Stankowitz,
and of course Colts dot com has the latest.
Speaker 1 (43:22):
Thanks for watching on YouTube.
Speaker 2 (43:24):
Thanks for our Colts Audio Network listeners, Ava, Thanks for
all you do behind the camera. Wish we were coming
at you with a little more champagne and balloons and everything,
but you know what, it's soon right around the corner.
May take us next year or the year after, but
this team will get there. Thanks for everything you guys do.
All right, talk to you that
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