November 22, 2024 • 40 mins
On this episode of Twentyman in the Huddle podcast presented by Microsoft, Tim Twentyman is joined by Lomas Brown, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Stephen Holder, previewing the Detroit Lions’ final AFC South matchup of the season with they visit the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Go off up under center, single back behind him. On
second down, they give it to jamiir hesitates got slapt
looking for the edge till the end zone touchdown, Detroit Lyons.
Welcome to The Huddle Podcast and we are in Week twelve.
Lomas Brown, Week twelve.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
This move and t T I mean, this season, but
it always does that. But I guess because this is
a special season, seems like it's moving a little faster.
So yeah, it's been. It's I can't believe it.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Week twelve already obviously next to me, Lion's great does
a great job with the color analyst for ninety seven
to one. And wait before we start, I want to
clear a little something up because I had TJ lang
on last week and I was looking at some of
the comments and I was getting like this mini me
stuff like why TJ's double years, Like TJ is a
(00:55):
big guy. How big are you?
Speaker 2 (00:58):
So so I'm like saying four and a half. Okay, yeah,
so TJ. But I've dropped a little weight because I
used to be a big In my first six years
in the league, I was three fifteen. My last twelve
years in the league, I weighed between two seventy five.
So right now, tt, I'm probably about two fifty.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Years good, Yeah, trying to hang in.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Look, I tell people, I'll have to block anybody anymore,
so i have to walk around at three hundred.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
But I'm not I'm not a little guy.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
No, yeah, like I'm not.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
But I was getting all these comments and I'm sure
I'm going to get something now and being next to you,
but yeah, you and TJ got me looking like I'm
mini me over here, and i just want people out
there to know that I'm not a small I'm above average.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
You know what, Dan Miller.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Feels real secure when me and TJ in the booth.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
All right, well, they just keep rolling long, I mean
nine and one. Obviously, what they did last week was impressive,
you know, to have a second game of row with
fifty plus points. You said a franchise record was six
hundred and forty five yards, thirty eight first downs. I mean,
and the defense played just as well. This is a
football team that just is clicking on all cylinder.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
I mean, they are t t and if you go
off talk about the coaching, the phenomenal, phenomenal job that
Ben Johnson, that Aaron Glenn, that Dave Phillips have done,
and of course coach Campbell. And then you look at
what Hank Freley has done with the offensive line where
he's had the move pieces in and out, but they've
(02:30):
been flawless pretty much the whole season. Look at Calvin Sheppard,
now whether he has to deal with with Alex Ben gone,
but some of the things he's had to do with
losing Derek Barnes early. And I just look at what
Terrell Williams has done as a coach our defensive line.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
It was the bomb tt you know that.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Man, we were getting after people and still are but
again when the Adien was there. So and then in
the secondary, how our secondary has come along with Aaron
Glenn and helping our secondary coach. So, man, you look
at all phases of these this team and the one
our field goal.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Kicker just fifteen for fifteen, thank you well.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Just perfect, just perfect on the year. So it's been
it's been great. You're right, it's been great.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
It's been complimentary football, which you love to see. And
by the way, I love the.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Bloomfield Oh yeah, shout to the Ravens Bloomfield black Hole.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
I know you helped coach football there. The offensive on.
My son plays hockey and baseball. They're so nice, a
nice touch. But look, you're here because let's get into
the three keys for Alliance win. They go on the
road to get nine straight. I think, you know there's
three areas that that they've got to play pretty well.
And I think first off, defensively, Anthony Richardson is making
(03:48):
his second start after being benched. You look at last
week's performance against the Jets, probably his best game as
a professional, twenty for thirty passing, two hundred and seventy
two yards, a touchdown, no turnovers. That's been the big
thing with him long over one hundred passering, plus he
added two touchdowns. If you're a Colts fan, you love
to see that performance, especially the way that he was
(04:11):
throwing the ball in the pocket. But if you're the
Detroit Lions, I think that's the key, right. I think
he's at his best when he gets outside the pocket,
when he can use his legs to make plays. I
think if you keep him in the pocket, you make
him throw and he ends up beating you that way, Well,
you tip your cap and you say, hey, no problem.
But that's the recipe for this Lion's defense. Right, keep
(04:34):
him in the pocket, make him.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
A passer, absolutely, so t T he's a floor of
the gather. I'm a floor of the gather. So I
watched him for the little time that he was there.
Always felt he should have stayed another year at Florida two.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
But when you talk about all.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
The money and everything that comes with the NFL, it's
hard to tell a young man to stay in college.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
But I felt he should have.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
And you've seen it early in this season, like you say,
this Jets game, what was his best game of the
year to me? Still though, he's gonna give you opportunities.
And that's why to your point, what you're saying, we
need to keep him in that pocket and let him throw.
We want him to throw the ball. You normally don't
say that about certain quarterbacks in this league, but he's
(05:18):
one that I think I think he was second and
off target throws, you know, amongst quarterbacks. And so he's
gonna give you that opportunity. And especially with our defense
as a man as optimistic as especially the bag half
look t t best safety tandem in the league, no
(05:38):
question question, no question question. So they gonna, you know,
they're gonna be lurking and he has to know that.
The offensive coaching staff for the Coats has to have
to know that. So I expect him to try to
keep it short with his throws. I don't expect him
to try to go downfield, which they.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
Say he's pretty good with the loan ball.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Going downfield, but I just don't expect that out of
him because of Kirby Joseph, because of.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Franch branch Brian Brant.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
So I expect him to be in there. And you're right,
that's gonna be the important thing. But t T, that's
still one of my sore spots. I know we got
our guyszadare Is, but one sack, one sack last week
on Matt Jones. Who Matt Jones. So so that's what
(06:26):
I'm saying. That's it's still concerning.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
Now.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
I know Aaron Glenn and them, they'll figure out something,
but that's still a concerning spot for me right now.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Yeah, you talk about throwing the ball down on the field,
that I mean, they do have Alec Pearce twenty two
point seven yards per reception. That's their Jamison Williams, that's
their God, They're gonna take a couple of shots. But
again to your point, forty eight percent completion percentage for
Richardson this year, lowest in the NFL. You know, he's
got five touchdowns first seven picks. Again, to your point,
he's gonna give you opportunities. To me, that's what you
(06:55):
want to do. Last time, the Lions faced a rushing quarterback,
Kyler Murray, you know, week three, I thought they did
a great.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Job on him.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
Look, Kyler had five rushes for forty five yards. One
was a twenty one yarder, which is mixed in there,
but they held that team to seventy seven yards rushing.
They made him a passer and that's not the strength
of that team. And that's why we saw in the
second half, you know, the Lions, you know, come away
with that victory. So I think that's the recipe. You
look back to week three, you say, hey, make Anthony
(07:24):
Richardson a passer. If he completes those balls down the
field to Alc Pearce and Michael Pittman and Danai Mitchell,
the rookie like that. They've got some talented and Jonathan
Taylor obviously too, that's gonna be big too. But I
think that's the recipe for this Lions defense. Make him
a pocket passer. And if you beat you again, tip
your cap and say a nice job, young man. Two
(07:44):
weeks in a row. Good for you. But that's the
way you gotta be.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
And t t to me.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
You if you're Aaron Glenn, you work on some things.
You're thinking farther down the line. You're thinking of who
we have to face, who we could possibly face quarterback,
And to me, you work on some things. So everybody said,
we can't contain, so maybe we send pressure. Maybe you
work on disguising and sending different blitzes at him just
(08:11):
to rather him, just to see how they work. So this,
I think this is a perfect Like these last couple
of games, I hate to say them, I kind of
treated them like exhibition games where you could work on
some things.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
You could do some things you.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Typically wouldn't do, just so you can see how they'll
work when we really need them in the moments that
are going to come up. Because these guys are thinking
Super Bowl, which everybody is right now, So you got
to be thinking the heads. Yeah, you play in the moment,
but you're thinking ahead of the moment because you know
(08:45):
what you have to face and everything you want to
know how you get matchups, how you create different matchups,
different advantages. So I think that's where Aaron Glenn. I
think that's where Ben Johnson. I think that's where Dan Campbell,
and I think that's where they are right now, with
thanking the head, knowing that the task is now, but
(09:07):
being able to thank ahead to what's coming up.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
I like it all right. Second one, another huge injury
on defense, and the second key for me is is
continuing that defensive production minus another guy. Alexandeloni broke his
forearm last week. Tough loss for this defense. Now he's
got the green die, just the production loanman, the heart
and soul of that defense. What he means, he sets
(09:30):
the tone for them. I think he's the best cover linebacker.
So you lose that part of it as well. How
do they continue to be just as productive now without
Derek Burns, without Aiden Hutchinson, and now without the heart
and soul Alexander.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Yeah, I said there's probably like two weeks ago on
Radio TT, I said Alexanderlone was one of the most
underrated NFL players, not just linebacker, not just on this team,
one of the I'm serious, I don't think he was
a preciated nationally like he should have been. And the numbers,
like you say, he's been putting up consecutive games, putting
(10:07):
up tackles, you know, some of the things that he
does in the courts, like you say, the emotional leader,
that guy that wears the emotions on the team. And
it's gonna be hard. It is gonna be hard. And
I know the one thing that they don't want to do.
You don't want to overload Jack Campbell. You don't want
to do that because he's still a young guy in
(10:27):
the second year, still learning, So you don't want to
put too much on his plate. You know, where you
slow him down, where you got him thinking, where he's
not reacting like he has been reacting because he's been
playing great.
Speaker 4 (10:40):
Yes, he had and downhill T I love it, man.
I mean he think about all of them, meet, think
about Kirby, everybody come up. See it's contagious.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
One get one, Okay, I want to try to outdo that,
so everybody's trying to get so yeah, So it's gonna
be it's gonna be adjustment. And I just don't think
one person gonna be able to do it. T. T.
I think they're gonna have to do it, maybe by committee,
maybe you get Brian Branch. You know what I would
if this could have happened. I thought this would have
(11:15):
been the perfect scenario, if a five two melifu, if
you could have stayed healthy. Maybe because he has linebacker size,
we could have played him in the box man. He
could have covered tight ends, he could have covered the
slot possibly, but he would have been another and forcer
down there. Now, I think maybe you do it with
Brian Branch more on there.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
I don't know. I don't know how Aaron Glenn.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
Of course, with the guys we have now hopefully Rodrigo
and all of them, they keeps away to me, you know.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
I think that's the one guy that has to step
up the most. And look, every time we've talked to
Kelvin Sheppard, he's been like, I consider Malcolm a starter.
He was obviously a starter as a rookie when he
came in here. You know, the team drafted Jack and
played Jack, and so he moved into a reserve role.
But they've always viewed him as a guy that can
step in and start. And to me, if he elevates
(12:05):
his play now to your point, you don't have to
put as much on Jack, you know, like you put
more on on Malcolm. And then you've got guys like
Ben Neman, Trevor Nuwaski, Ezekiel Turner who they just got
guys that have played football in this league, veteran guys
that are gonna have to step up as well. And Look,
if there was one room I think at the beginning
of the year, and I don't know if you would
(12:26):
agree with this, that that could maybe handle some injuries
and do that, it was that linebacker room because they
were really really deep in that linebacker. Now, losing Derek's big,
Losing Alex is big.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
Great thing.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
Is Alex gonna be back for the playoffs at six
to eight weeks? But to me, I think they can
get away with it. Guys like Malcolm, guys like Neiman,
guys like Nauwaski step up a little bit and Loman.
It's so great to have this secondary behind it. I
mean that to me is so huge too. When you've
got the secondary playing as well as they are. Yes,
I think that takes some of the pressure off those linebackers.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Man, TT just think about what Brian has done and
shure them my mem I how bad our secondary used
to be our I mean, whe our receivers would come here,
everybody would have career days. Every receiver that we played
would have career days against us, and we knew it,
we expected it because we weren't good back there. And man,
(13:19):
just to see where we are, Man, we got the
baby legion, the boom starting. I'm telling you, man, well
how they're constructed right now? We got a little we're
starting our little baby. I don't know what we're gonna
call it t T, but they gonna have to get
the name.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
You're gonna have them. Boys. Man, there's something else.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
Team by far not so close getting trading for Carlton,
drafting Terry on And we haven't even seen Nis Rakestraws
exactly because they're just so talented. On me and what
he brings. Not a big guy, but he plays a
big game in that slot. And then obviously we've talked
about the safeties with eleven picks between them.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Come on, man, our safety leading the league right curve,
the lead league in the league.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
And I think Brian Branch is going to be an
All Pro student. I think both those guys, I think
that helps the lines are put a lot on that
secondary this year with some of the injuries they've had
in the front seven, and that continues now and those
guys have stepped up all year line. They're gonna have
to continue to do that last eight games this season.
All right, Let's get to the third big key for me,
and it's let Sonic and Knuckles just continue to go
(14:29):
to work. Isn't that combination just fund Oh my god,
some of your calls. I always love that when they
go back and do the Dan Miller's highlights stuff like that.
I love You're reacting, don't there you go?
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Oh my god, developing t T is so much fun
my book?
Speaker 3 (14:50):
How much would you.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
Have loved blocking for these two?
Speaker 3 (14:52):
See? That's what I'm saying that.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
And I tell these guys, man, man, if we could
have not in all fairness, it takes to make a
Berry Sanders. I joke and say it takes a Sonic
and the Knuckles to make a Berry Sanders. But man,
those guys, man, they are unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Tt.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
I keep saying the thing to me, what David Montgomery
is I knew from a distance when he was in Chicago.
I knew the dude had power right, because he had
you know, he could run through tackles and they had
to stop him. What I didn't know till he got
here was how shifty he was in tight spaces. He
(15:32):
can make guys missing, I mean in tight spaces, and
I'm like, wow, this guy here.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
And that's so impressive to me.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
That impressed me more than And he never loses yards, man, never,
I mean it's gonna take two or three guys to
bring him down.
Speaker 3 (15:47):
He always going forward.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
But the most impressive thing is how he makes guys
missing tight spaces. And then sonic, Man, I'm telling you, man,
he looked so he's so fast, he looked slow. They
look like they're running the slow motion. But remember if
you ever watched the Flash. Anytime they showed the flash,
they had to show him in slow motion, right because
(16:10):
you couldn't see him. And that's how they look when
they running away from people. Man, it's unbelievable to speed
on those guys. But how Jamiir is just able to
just cut in on a dime? Man, I mean B
used to jump cut, That's how B used to do.
But Jamiir he plants and cuts. He doesn't jump cut.
(16:30):
And it's a difference when you're able to do that
and come out of that cut after you plan it
with that skin, you go to your no speed as
a matter of fact, seem like you gay. It's like
a burst that you come out of that with. So
it's just unbelievable to watch these guys. I know Peny
and them, I Man, I know those guys when they
watch film because we used to do it. Man, you
(16:52):
just sit back and you just enjoy the show. They
don't get the chance to enjoy it why it's happening.
They just hear about it. But on Mondays you get
the chance to sit back because we use it used
to always be five plays that Barry was gonna do.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
You'd be like, how did he do that? How did
he make that guy? Miss? And I know.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
Glove, We used to sit back that we've bet Wait
a minute, Glove, And it may be only a one
yard run t T, but it's gonna be the best
one yard run you ever seen in your life from
Barry And I know Penay, Taylor, all those guys, Frank,
all those have to just enjoy what they have behind
them and witnessing.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
On the podcast last week and I asked him how
much he liked, and he said, oh, I'm about to
show people how much I love and that block getting
David in there at the end. I mean, they they
have such a benefit running behind that all. Oh yeah,
I mean you look at yards before contact and stuff
like that. I mean, it's amazing. But we talked about
Brian Branch and Kirby Joseph as the best safety duel
(17:55):
in the league. It's not close. This is the best
running back duel and.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
It's thank you You and Zach over.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
Eight hundred scrimmag yards. They both have nine touchdowns in
ten games. I mean, some of the numbers that they're
heading toward as a pair are unparalleled in this league.
Nine times this year they both rushed for excuse me,
nine times since they've been here. The last two years,
they both rush for a touchdown in the game. Lines
are nine to zero in those games. I mean, it's
(18:22):
just the numbers keep adding up. It's such an advantage
to have two guys.
Speaker 3 (18:26):
Like this, it really is. They really because you could
change it up. You know, you could change it up.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
And the good thing, you could take this outside in
bad weather. You know what I'm saying, Because you got
it doesn't matter. It could be snow, it could be rain.
It just doesn't matter. When you got a running game
like this and you have two different type of guys
that you could put in there, and then it relieves
the guys too. And like I heard Jamiir say and
I heard David say, they feed off each other man. Anytime, man,
(18:54):
when you don't have jealousy like that, when those guys
really like each other and feed off each other, man,
they can't be stopped. I'm serious, they can't be stopped.
I'm telling you, t T. I keep saying, you know,
I do the show with ab Anthony Bellino, and he's saying,
don't say it.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
We're going this year. We're going, man, t T we going.
I got here in nineteen eighty five. This is the best.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
This organization is looked, This is the best the team
is look including our ninety one team. Throw that in now,
you throw the ninety five team up in there. I mean,
the only thing could stop us. I shouldn't even say
it is we know, just the injury bug. That's the
only thing to me.
Speaker 3 (19:35):
T T.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
Especially at the level we're playing that how everybody's focused,
how the coaches are focused in if we stay that way.
That's the only thing I can see stopping us this year.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
Really, I know, I know, man, I'm man, I'm gonna
I've been covering for fifteen years now. There you go
by far, the best team, absolutely, and you've been around
a lot longer than I have.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
I'm telling you, it's the best. I've been.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
Coaching staff, best coaching staff they've had since I've been
here since eighty five.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
I don't know how it was before I got here.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
I can only speak back the eighty five best coaching
staff ever, the front office best ever it's ever been.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
You know.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
So again, everything's clicking right now, man, it really is.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
It really is.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
Well, see if they can continue clicking in Indy, get
nine in a row, get to ten wins in eleven,
that would be huge. Things are kind of tight up there,
a lot on the top of the NFC, and so look,
Dance talked about it. To accomplish what they want to accomplish,
they want everything to go through the true Yes, So
you got to keep winning football games. You got to
go on the road and win games you're expected to win.
Sunday's one of them. Lomas Brown, as always, I appreciate it. Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
Yes, I got a busy show.
Speaker 1 (20:48):
For you guys, say I will have I'm on Ross,
Aint Brown on a little bit. Stephen Holder's got all
your Indianapolis news, so stay tuned. Welcome back to the
twenty in the Huddle podcast. The man next to me
needs a little introduction. He is, I'm on Raw, I'm
on Ras Saint Brown, All Pro wide receiver, the guy
who caught eleven passes for one hundred and sixty plus
(21:11):
yards and a couple of touchdowns last week. You're having
a heck of a season, man, Thank you. Hey, I
want to get this first. You got a podcast, Sat
Brown Podcast. How much do you like doing the podcast?
Entering the podcast world?
Speaker 5 (21:22):
Yeah, it's so. I've been doing it now, I would
say three years. But the first year was kind of
just like we didn't do it every week, wasn't consistent.
But last year was consistent every week. This year been
doing it every week also, so I will say it's
more time people think, you know, you gotta do it
every week, whether you win, lose, have a good game,
bag game, whatever it is. But it's fun, you know,
get to talk to other people, really ask them questions
(21:45):
that you know you want to know. Obviously I have
a script and there's questions that you know, they want
me to ask. But at the end of the day,
it's my podcast, it's our podcast, and I'm gonna ask
the question that I want to know. And it's kind of,
you know, a little off of for like sometimes with
the media you got to answer, you know, the questions
correctly or.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
A certain way.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
A certain way.
Speaker 5 (22:05):
Sure, on my podcast, I feel like everything goes, everything flies,
you say what you want, and that's kind of what
I enjoy about it.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
And that's why it's popular, I think, because you get
that other side right all right, the celebrations. I saw
one of the like they I don't know who was
marketing it, but I saw an ornament of the headstand.
Whenever you see in them is comment.
Speaker 5 (22:24):
Yesterday, I said, there's an ornament, I want it. I said,
I heard it, but I wanted to get it too.
I don't know where to get it.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
So I saw it on Twitter with the ornament. But
these things are becoming hilarious. You gotta let me inside. Now,
where did these come up with? Is it just something
in the locker room. Do you guys have like a
meeting time plan for these like, how do some of
these celebrations come about?
Speaker 5 (22:44):
So I would say every week it's different. So usually,
you know, so we play the Titans and Chris Johnson
was known for doing that dance that Jamiir did when
he scored.
Speaker 3 (22:53):
So I was gonna do it.
Speaker 5 (22:55):
Jamiir is like, no, let me do I'm a running back.
Speaker 3 (22:56):
Chris Johnson did it.
Speaker 5 (22:57):
I said, okay, you can have that one because Chris Johnson,
Chris john some one's running back. But sometimes so if
you're playing a different city, you know, you want to
do a dance that's in the city. That's usually pretty cool.
Some cities they don't have popular dances. So when we
played San Francisco last year, they had a few Bay
Area dances and Jamier did that I think after he scored.
But a lot of times i'm you know, scrolling through
social media on TikTok and there's dances on there, things
(23:20):
that are going viral at the time, or like the
one that I did last week against you know, last
game against the Jaguars, the dragon ball Z one. I
was just scrolling and someone did in high school I think,
and it looked crazy. I was like, I gotta do it.
Or the headstance. Someone did it like it was a
d two player college on Saturday. He did it, and
so a lot of them. I'm just taking, you.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
Know, from other people's research time.
Speaker 5 (23:43):
It's awesome. I will say that the Titans game was
the one game where I wasn't really prepared to do anything,
and so that, you know, I wish I could have
that one back.
Speaker 1 (23:51):
We're we're all excited about what's next. What the relationship
you have with with David Engineer. It looks like it's
a pretty close one. I don't know if you've seen
some of the statistics, but I think if if you
get in the end zone, Jamiir gets in the end zone,
you guys will become only a second trio in NFL
history to go back to back seasons with all three
ten touchdowns. I think Randy Moss, Chris Carter and the
running back over there the only other times to do it. Yeah,
(24:14):
Just what is it about that relationship those two guys
that that it is really close? Say that that's kind
of built a bomb between you guys.
Speaker 5 (24:22):
Yeah, I think you know when excuse me, when David
you know, first got here last year and at Jamir
guy at the same time. You know, I didn't know
too much about David, but I knew a little bit
because my brother was Chicago with him and he said,
David is a great guy. Actually played you know, call
of duty with him before he was even on the team,
So I knew a little bit about David. I knew
(24:43):
he was a funny guy. And then Jamier. He's more
reserved if you don't really know him. But once you
get to know Jamiir, he you know, he opens up.
He's funny, loves to joke around. I mean he's messing
around twenty four to seven. He's probably never serious even
on the football field. He's always messing around. So those
two together, I think, you know, they complimented each other
so well on the field with their skill set. And
then for me, you know, I like to have fun
(25:05):
mess around too, So all three of us, you know,
we have a great, great relationship, and it's just to
be out there with them on the field. It's so
fun for me just to be you know, blocking for
them out there sometimes to see what they do, and
it keeps me on my toes because I feel like,
you know, certain runs, I'll be on the back side
and the run is going right, I'm on the left side,
and I'm up here like, Okay, the ball is not
(25:26):
gonna come my way. And the moment you think it's
not come my way, they'll break three tackles or Jimiro
make two guys miss and it come my way. And
so it really you know, for me, I always gott
to lock in on on in the run game stuff
because with those two guys in the backfield, it's they're
liable to pop anytime.
Speaker 1 (25:42):
And it's speaking of relationship, that relationship you have with Jared,
it seems really really special. I know you guys work
out in California, they have the off season two but
I mean seeing it's getting to a point where if
you have less touchdowns than incompletions, I mean, it's an
odd game. And eleven for eleven last week. That's not
the first time you guys have done that. Just what
makes that relationship with you two so special? Why are
(26:04):
you guys just you look like you're on such the
same page more than any other quarterback receiver duo in
the league right now.
Speaker 5 (26:11):
Yeah, I think it's a combination of everything, you know,
the work, the obviously that we put in together, the
work that he puts in in the film room. Ben,
you know, calling plays against premier looks on defense that
we know are gonna work. You know, me understanding, you
know where the soft spot is in the defense. And
I think bigger than all that for that stat to
(26:33):
keep going with the targets and catches, I think it
really is on Jerry because last game, you know, there
was a few plays that were designed to go to me.
I was the first read and I wasn't open, And
so he's not just forcing throws to me even if
I'm not open. He's you know, he's throwing it when
I am open or when I'm about to be open,
things like that. So he's doing a great job of
progressing and going through his reads, you know, if I'm
(26:54):
not open, and the second options that I hope he's
always getting to check down to the running back. So
I think he's doing a phenomenal job of of hitting
the open guy. It's not always me. I'm not always
going to be open, even if the players design for me.
Jame was not always going to be open. So you
never know what you're gonnaet out there on defense, and
he's doing a great job of just going through his reads.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
That's a great thing about your team. It's that third
fourth read. It's pretty darn good play, you know, So
that's just natural for a quarterback to feel comfortable doing
that and going down and finding the open guy. Just
the city and and what winning has done to the
city and what the span base has turned into. Now,
how much fun has that been to watch? Because it
(27:32):
obviously wasn't that way when you first got here, right,
there were some tough times, But to watch that part
of it grow and develop, how much fun is that?
And how badly do you want to bring winning football
a super Bowl to the to this fan base?
Speaker 5 (27:47):
Yeah, I mean, it's it's amazing to see every you know,
every Sunday, I feel like we're spoiled, whether it's the
one o'clock game, a Sunday night game, Monday night game.
In Detroit, it's packed out before we even get to
the field. So player intros, you look out from the tunnel,
everyone's in their seat. And I feel like at some
places it's not like that certain cities, So just that
(28:10):
in itself, to see everyone in their seats before the
game starts is amazing. Sometimes I think to myself, I
wonder what it's like to be a fan of the
Lions for this long and to see him finally win.
Speaker 1 (28:21):
Now.
Speaker 5 (28:22):
Sometimes I wish I was in their shoes, just to
be able to sit back and enjoy and really, you know,
see this team, see our team do what we're doing
right now. But you know, would you rather be than
on the team. So I'm glad that I'm on the team.
I'm so excited that the fans, you know, the fans
that have stuck with us for so long, they finally
get to see, you know, winning football and cheer us
(28:44):
on every week. And I feel like they believe we're
gonna win every week. And that's the best part, no
matter who we're playing. But the biggest thing that I
want is, you know, I don't know if if we
ever get to win the Super Bowl, I don't know
where the parade would be, but the parade is probably
the thing that I'm looking forward to most millions.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
It would be millions. I mean, they would shut down
Detroit probably for multiple days. A couple real quick ones.
The touchdown streak, you're at eight twelve. You can start
to get names like Jerry Rice. How important is it
to you? Is it something you think about or is
it just kind of one of those things that happens.
If it happens, it happens, or is it is it important?
Speaker 5 (29:18):
Yeah, the more that people bring it up, I feel like,
the more that it's brought to my attention and the
more I maybe I'm thinking about it. But when I'm
out there, like last game, you know, obviously I want
to score every game. I think every player wants to
score every game as much as they can, have as
many yards as they can win the game and do
all that stuff. So last game, obviously, you know I
(29:38):
want to score. But it's funny how you know there's
certain plays where you think you're going to score, you
don't score in the plays where you might not think
you're going to score it's gonna be a five yardy game,
or the players where you score. So like the last week,
I score in the shallow route, and I mean that's
the last time I scored in the shallow route was
Week one last year versus Kansas City. So it's been
a while sot to score on that route. Usually those
(29:58):
plays only go for like ten fifteen, So it's been
just clicking. Everything's been going my way. Hopefully it continues
to go my way, our way. But I wouldn't say
something that I'm thinking about going in every week. I'm
just looking to have a good game, do whatever I
can help the team win. And the biggest thing is
is winning every week.
Speaker 1 (30:16):
Winning every week. Well, let's get to ten this week.
It should be fun to watch you guys again on
the road. You guys seem to you know, you know,
have that that kind of us against everybody mentality on
the road. You're fun to watch. And uh it's it's
a great offensive performance again upcoming hopefully. So thanks for
joining me. Appreciate you. Keep that touchdown street going. Good
(30:36):
luck Sunday.
Speaker 3 (30:37):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
Welcome back to the Twin in the Huddle podcast, and
I'm very happy to welcome in. Stephen Holder does a
great job for ESPN. He's Colts NFL report over there
you need anything Indianapolis Colts. He is the guy to
check in with. Steven. Thanks for joining me. I appreciate you, man, Hey,
thanks for having me.
Speaker 6 (30:57):
Looking forward to Sunday.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
Yeah, it should be a good and let's start with this.
You know, obviously Anthony Richards, it's been up and down
season for him, you know, going through the Benching gets
the starting spot back last week, and from the outside
looking in, that was really his best performance, you know,
staying in the pocket, making big throws down the field,
also getting out had the two touchdown runs. But twenty
(31:21):
of thirty for two seventy two no interceptions, that's the
big one there. Played pretty well. That's got to be
a great sign for him and the Colts, right.
Speaker 3 (31:31):
It really is.
Speaker 6 (31:32):
It's I think they've they've spent this entire season, you know,
looking for reassurance that they had the right guy, and
that had been elusive until now. So it's it's the
I think, the first or the biggest at least sign
that he is the guy they think he is.
Speaker 3 (31:48):
Now.
Speaker 6 (31:49):
You gotta do it next week and the week after,
et cetera. But you got to start somewhere. And I think, really,
when you when I look at Anthony Richardson this year,
I see a guy that maybe was trying too hard
at times, and I don't think this was the intent
per se, but sitting him down for two weeks, the
one benefit of it was at least one of the benefits,
(32:11):
I should say, is that it allowed him, I think,
to just kind of compose himself take a deep breath.
There's so much pressure on these young quarterbacks. So he
looked like a guy who had a load taken off
of him, frankly when he came back into the lineup,
and so I thought that enabled him to play a
different kind of game.
Speaker 3 (32:27):
So let's see what he does on Sunday.
Speaker 1 (32:29):
Yeah, to your point, it's all about stacking him, right.
I mean, you can do it one week, but the
good ones in this league, the guys that are around
for a long time, do it consecutive week. Stack them
and it's rare that they have a bad one. So
that'll be big for Indy. But I would listen to
Gus Bradley's press conference earlier in the week, and he
certainly seems to understand the test that his unit faces
this week against the Detroit Lions averagine thirty three point six.
(32:53):
Just what does he do? What buttons? Does he have
to push defensively for his unit to hold back a
Detroit offense that that's really homing right now.
Speaker 6 (33:05):
It will be interesting to see if they do anything
that's a little out of character for them. One thing
they've done more of this season than any point in
many years here in Indianapolis is they have blitzed a
lot more. They're still not a heavy blitz team. They're
not going to be that with Gus Bradley. They weren't
with Matt Eberflus as a defensive coordinator either in previous years.
(33:28):
But certainly they have in recent weeks. I would say
maybe the past month or so, we have seen them
become much more aggressive. And the key to blitzing is
always getting home first of all, and also blitzing at
the right times. So they've done a good job on
both fronts. Now, whether that's effective against Jared Goff in
(33:48):
this offense, that's a different question, and I'm not sure
that that's the answer, so we'll see. I mean, do
they just play the coverage game and just keep everything
in front of them? They are very good at that.
They they have given up i mean, tons of yardage
this season. That's one of the worst teams in the
league in terms of giving up yardage. What they haven't
done is given up a ton of points. For the
(34:09):
most part. They've been top twelve and scoring defense just
about the entire season. So those are contrasting things there
that don't necessarily add up. But you know, Ultimately, the
name of the game is to keep them out of
the end zone. So they've done that at a decent
rate this year, but this is the biggest test I
(34:30):
think they will have had.
Speaker 1 (34:32):
Yeah, also taking the football away, you know, I think
they're top ten in the NFL. That's obviously huge for
a defense too. And then I was just noticing, you know,
five different players with three sacks, so it looks like
they can get after the quarterback a little bit. They
generate takeaways, and look, when you can do that, I
think even if you don't have even if you're an
inferior roster, I think if you can get after the
(34:53):
quarterback and you create takeaways, I think that's probably the
recipe for success at home for Indy. On Sunday, Jonathan Taylor,
I was looking through the statistics, a little odd to
see him where he's at. I know he's missed a
couple of games, but seventeenth in the league and rushing
that that's not expected from a guy as talented as him.
What's been kind of the issues there? Is it Ben
just injuries he's been dealing with, or what's kind of
(35:16):
gone behind that slow start? Because I know they want
to run the football there.
Speaker 3 (35:20):
They do want to run the football.
Speaker 6 (35:22):
For Jonathan Taylor, really, the the the issue has been
his ankle, his right ankle. I believe that he's had
issues with this thing really for the better part of
the last two years. So he had a high ankle
spring on that ankle again this year, missed three games.
So that really just kind of, you know, puts a
damper on your season. You know, at that position, he's
(35:44):
going to have to manage it throughout the season. I
think he was seeing during the game this past Sunday
taping his ankles at one point, came back into the game,
didn't seem to be diminished by it, but it's you know,
he's not going to be the same or at least
has not been the same guy at times. But look,
when teams play with the light box, he has been
(36:08):
the guy that you expect him to be. This past week,
the New York Jets really shut down the run, and
that was intentional on their part. I mean, he maybe
popped a couple of decent runs early and they adjusted
a lot of run blits his heavy boxes. They were
not going to give it up. So that did enable
the coatst to beat them. Over the top in the
(36:29):
second half with some key intermediate and deep balls. But
they would love nothing more than to be able to
run the football. And you know what they have though,
Look they didn't run for a lot of yardage last week,
but what they do have is that combination of Taylor
and Richardson as a runner. Richardson ran it ten times,
(36:49):
Taylor I think in the low twenties and carries so
you're going to get a lot of runs if they
stick with it, and we'll see. I think it's a
good plan this week if they can have some success
keep that Detroit offense perhaps on the sideline. So I
think that has to be at least the game plan.
They have to at least try. Let's put it that way.
If it works, it works, but you have to at
(37:10):
least try. And because I think that is such a
fundamental part of their offense that that's where they can
maybe make this game a little bit of a more
level playing field.
Speaker 3 (37:21):
I think.
Speaker 1 (37:22):
Yeah, And to your point, ninety one rushing yards last week,
but thirty five rush attempts, so they stuck with it,
you know, and I agree with that. If you're going
to keep this high power Detroit Lions offense off the field.
That's one way to do it. With that combination. What's
the key in Steven Holder's opinion for you know, Indianapolis
to to you know, get a big win, get an
(37:45):
upset win here at home Sunday.
Speaker 6 (37:48):
Well, I think a couple of things. Number One, they
got to avoid turnovers. Richardson did not have the interceptions
last week. That's a big step. Did have a fumble.
Got to be a little bit, you know, kind of
have that awareness in the pocket, you know when you've
been back there for a little bit. So got a
sack fumble, short field for the Jets. That keeps them
in the game and a bad team, you know, with
(38:08):
a short field. Then they got another two minute drive
touchdown late in the first half.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
You know.
Speaker 3 (38:14):
So those are the.
Speaker 6 (38:15):
Things that make games that should be lopsided close games.
And so that's what they got this past week. So
you can't afford that. So eliminate the turnover obviously, don't
give Detroit extra chances. The other one for the Colts
I think is is really getting off the field on
third down. You know, they have too many instances where
they get teams the third down and then they just
(38:35):
give up a big play. Their third down percentage just fine.
I think it's you know, sort of average. But the
problem is just in some key spots just giving up,
you know, really just gut punch plays on third down.
You got to get off the field when you get.
If you get Detroit the third down, you better make
it count.
Speaker 1 (38:54):
Can this Colts offense score with Detroit? You look it around,
and they've got weapons, and look for it's got a
big arm. You look at Pier Savage, what twenty two
point seven yards per reception? He's there, Jamison Williams, Pittman's
a good player. I mean, they've got weapons. Could this
possibly be a high scoring game in Indy?
Speaker 6 (39:13):
I think it could be. It really could be. They
have the potential. They definitely have a decent arsenal on offense.
And you know, their tight ends are not necessarily household names,
but they'll go to them too when the opportunity arises.
I like their receivers. They're an underrated group. Pittman's a
little hurt right now. He'll play, I think, but he's
(39:33):
certainly not himself. But that group overall, the Josh Downs
an incredible player. This year you'll see their slot receiver
you talked about Alec Pearce Ada I mitchell a. D Mitchell,
a rookie out of Texas, is starting to show some signs.
He is athletically the best wide receiver they have, I believe,
so if he can get going so amy they have
(39:56):
playmakers and then obviously the quarterback. So you put all
that together, that has the potential to stress a defense.
Those guys if they're all contributing, and if they've got
some good schemes to present on Sunday, So we will see.
Speaker 1 (40:10):
Yeah, and Dan Campbell talked about it on Wednesday. He said, look,
that's a talented group over there, and they're still fighting
at five and six, very much still alive in the
AFC play a playoff picture, very much alive in the
division race. So this is an important game for them
at home. So it should be fun. I'm looking forward
to it. See if this line's offense can continue rolling,
(40:31):
and let's see if Anthony Richardson can continue ruining. There's
a lot of storylines heading into this one. Steven Holder
does a great job for ESPN. Check with him anytime
you need anything. Indianapolis Coast, Steve and I appreciate you
taking the time so much, and we will see you
Sunday in Indy.
Speaker 6 (40:45):
All right, you got it.
Go off up under center, single back behind him. On
second down, they give it to jamiir hesitates got slapt
looking for the edge till the end zone touchdown, Detroit Lyons.
Welcome to The Huddle Podcast and we are in Week twelve.
Lomas Brown, Week twelve.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
This move and t T I mean, this season, but
it always does that. But I guess because this is
a special season, seems like it's moving a little faster.
So yeah, it's been. It's I can't believe it.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Week twelve already obviously next to me, Lion's great does
a great job with the color analyst for ninety seven
to one. And wait before we start, I want to
clear a little something up because I had TJ lang
on last week and I was looking at some of
the comments and I was getting like this mini me
stuff like why TJ's double years, Like TJ is a
(00:55):
big guy. How big are you?
Speaker 2 (00:58):
So so I'm like saying four and a half. Okay, yeah,
so TJ. But I've dropped a little weight because I
used to be a big In my first six years
in the league, I was three fifteen. My last twelve
years in the league, I weighed between two seventy five.
So right now, tt, I'm probably about two fifty.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Years good, Yeah, trying to hang in.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Look, I tell people, I'll have to block anybody anymore,
so i have to walk around at three hundred.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
But I'm not I'm not a little guy.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
No, yeah, like I'm not.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
But I was getting all these comments and I'm sure
I'm going to get something now and being next to you,
but yeah, you and TJ got me looking like I'm
mini me over here, and i just want people out
there to know that I'm not a small I'm above average.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
You know what, Dan Miller.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Feels real secure when me and TJ in the booth.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
All right, well, they just keep rolling long, I mean
nine and one. Obviously, what they did last week was impressive,
you know, to have a second game of row with
fifty plus points. You said a franchise record was six
hundred and forty five yards, thirty eight first downs. I mean,
and the defense played just as well. This is a
football team that just is clicking on all cylinder.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
I mean, they are t t and if you go
off talk about the coaching, the phenomenal, phenomenal job that
Ben Johnson, that Aaron Glenn, that Dave Phillips have done,
and of course coach Campbell. And then you look at
what Hank Freley has done with the offensive line where
he's had the move pieces in and out, but they've
(02:30):
been flawless pretty much the whole season. Look at Calvin Sheppard,
now whether he has to deal with with Alex Ben gone,
but some of the things he's had to do with
losing Derek Barnes early. And I just look at what
Terrell Williams has done as a coach our defensive line.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
It was the bomb tt you know that.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
Man, we were getting after people and still are but
again when the Adien was there. So and then in
the secondary, how our secondary has come along with Aaron
Glenn and helping our secondary coach. So, man, you look
at all phases of these this team and the one
our field goal.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Kicker just fifteen for fifteen, thank you well.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Just perfect, just perfect on the year. So it's been
it's been great. You're right, it's been great.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
It's been complimentary football, which you love to see. And
by the way, I love the.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Bloomfield Oh yeah, shout to the Ravens Bloomfield black Hole.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
I know you helped coach football there. The offensive on.
My son plays hockey and baseball. They're so nice, a
nice touch. But look, you're here because let's get into
the three keys for Alliance win. They go on the
road to get nine straight. I think, you know there's
three areas that that they've got to play pretty well.
And I think first off, defensively, Anthony Richardson is making
(03:48):
his second start after being benched. You look at last
week's performance against the Jets, probably his best game as
a professional, twenty for thirty passing, two hundred and seventy
two yards, a touchdown, no turnovers. That's been the big
thing with him long over one hundred passering, plus he
added two touchdowns. If you're a Colts fan, you love
to see that performance, especially the way that he was
(04:11):
throwing the ball in the pocket. But if you're the
Detroit Lions, I think that's the key, right. I think
he's at his best when he gets outside the pocket,
when he can use his legs to make plays. I
think if you keep him in the pocket, you make
him throw and he ends up beating you that way, Well,
you tip your cap and you say, hey, no problem.
But that's the recipe for this Lion's defense. Right, keep
(04:34):
him in the pocket, make him.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
A passer, absolutely, so t T he's a floor of
the gather. I'm a floor of the gather. So I
watched him for the little time that he was there.
Always felt he should have stayed another year at Florida two.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
But when you talk about all.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
The money and everything that comes with the NFL, it's
hard to tell a young man to stay in college.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
But I felt he should have.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
And you've seen it early in this season, like you say,
this Jets game, what was his best game of the
year to me? Still though, he's gonna give you opportunities.
And that's why to your point, what you're saying, we
need to keep him in that pocket and let him throw.
We want him to throw the ball. You normally don't
say that about certain quarterbacks in this league, but he's
(05:18):
one that I think I think he was second and
off target throws, you know, amongst quarterbacks. And so he's
gonna give you that opportunity. And especially with our defense
as a man as optimistic as especially the bag half
look t t best safety tandem in the league, no
(05:38):
question question, no question question. So they gonna, you know,
they're gonna be lurking and he has to know that.
The offensive coaching staff for the Coats has to have
to know that. So I expect him to try to
keep it short with his throws. I don't expect him
to try to go downfield, which they.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
Say he's pretty good with the loan ball.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Going downfield, but I just don't expect that out of
him because of Kirby Joseph, because of.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Franch branch Brian Brant.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
So I expect him to be in there. And you're right,
that's gonna be the important thing. But t T, that's
still one of my sore spots. I know we got
our guyszadare Is, but one sack, one sack last week
on Matt Jones. Who Matt Jones. So so that's what
(06:26):
I'm saying. That's it's still concerning.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
Now.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
I know Aaron Glenn and them, they'll figure out something,
but that's still a concerning spot for me right now.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Yeah, you talk about throwing the ball down on the field,
that I mean, they do have Alec Pearce twenty two
point seven yards per reception. That's their Jamison Williams, that's
their God, They're gonna take a couple of shots. But
again to your point, forty eight percent completion percentage for
Richardson this year, lowest in the NFL. You know, he's
got five touchdowns first seven picks. Again, to your point,
he's gonna give you opportunities. To me, that's what you
(06:55):
want to do. Last time, the Lions faced a rushing quarterback,
Kyler Murray, you know, week three, I thought they did
a great.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Job on him.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
Look, Kyler had five rushes for forty five yards. One
was a twenty one yarder, which is mixed in there,
but they held that team to seventy seven yards rushing.
They made him a passer and that's not the strength
of that team. And that's why we saw in the
second half, you know, the Lions, you know, come away
with that victory. So I think that's the recipe. You
look back to week three, you say, hey, make Anthony
(07:24):
Richardson a passer. If he completes those balls down the
field to Alc Pearce and Michael Pittman and Danai Mitchell,
the rookie like that. They've got some talented and Jonathan
Taylor obviously too, that's gonna be big too. But I
think that's the recipe for this Lions defense. Make him
a pocket passer. And if you beat you again, tip
your cap and say a nice job, young man. Two
(07:44):
weeks in a row. Good for you. But that's the
way you gotta be.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
And t t to me.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
You if you're Aaron Glenn, you work on some things.
You're thinking farther down the line. You're thinking of who
we have to face, who we could possibly face quarterback,
And to me, you work on some things. So everybody said,
we can't contain, so maybe we send pressure. Maybe you
work on disguising and sending different blitzes at him just
(08:11):
to rather him, just to see how they work. So this,
I think this is a perfect Like these last couple
of games, I hate to say them, I kind of
treated them like exhibition games where you could work on
some things.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
You could do some things you.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Typically wouldn't do, just so you can see how they'll
work when we really need them in the moments that
are going to come up. Because these guys are thinking
Super Bowl, which everybody is right now, So you got
to be thinking the heads. Yeah, you play in the moment,
but you're thinking ahead of the moment because you know
(08:45):
what you have to face and everything you want to
know how you get matchups, how you create different matchups,
different advantages. So I think that's where Aaron Glenn. I
think that's where Ben Johnson. I think that's where Dan Campbell,
and I think that's where they are right now, with
thanking the head, knowing that the task is now, but
(09:07):
being able to thank ahead to what's coming up.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
I like it all right. Second one, another huge injury
on defense, and the second key for me is is
continuing that defensive production minus another guy. Alexandeloni broke his
forearm last week. Tough loss for this defense. Now he's
got the green die, just the production loanman, the heart
and soul of that defense. What he means, he sets
(09:30):
the tone for them. I think he's the best cover linebacker.
So you lose that part of it as well. How
do they continue to be just as productive now without
Derek Burns, without Aiden Hutchinson, and now without the heart
and soul Alexander.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Yeah, I said there's probably like two weeks ago on
Radio TT, I said Alexanderlone was one of the most
underrated NFL players, not just linebacker, not just on this team,
one of the I'm serious, I don't think he was
a preciated nationally like he should have been. And the numbers,
like you say, he's been putting up consecutive games, putting
(10:07):
up tackles, you know, some of the things that he
does in the courts, like you say, the emotional leader,
that guy that wears the emotions on the team. And
it's gonna be hard. It is gonna be hard. And
I know the one thing that they don't want to do.
You don't want to overload Jack Campbell. You don't want
to do that because he's still a young guy in
(10:27):
the second year, still learning, So you don't want to
put too much on his plate. You know, where you
slow him down, where you got him thinking, where he's
not reacting like he has been reacting because he's been
playing great.
Speaker 4 (10:40):
Yes, he had and downhill T I love it, man.
I mean he think about all of them, meet, think
about Kirby, everybody come up. See it's contagious.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
One get one, Okay, I want to try to outdo that,
so everybody's trying to get so yeah, So it's gonna
be it's gonna be adjustment. And I just don't think
one person gonna be able to do it. T. T.
I think they're gonna have to do it, maybe by committee,
maybe you get Brian Branch. You know what I would
if this could have happened. I thought this would have
(11:15):
been the perfect scenario, if a five two melifu, if
you could have stayed healthy. Maybe because he has linebacker size,
we could have played him in the box man. He
could have covered tight ends, he could have covered the
slot possibly, but he would have been another and forcer
down there. Now, I think maybe you do it with
Brian Branch more on there.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
I don't know. I don't know how Aaron Glenn.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
Of course, with the guys we have now hopefully Rodrigo
and all of them, they keeps away to me, you know.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
I think that's the one guy that has to step
up the most. And look, every time we've talked to
Kelvin Sheppard, he's been like, I consider Malcolm a starter.
He was obviously a starter as a rookie when he
came in here. You know, the team drafted Jack and
played Jack, and so he moved into a reserve role.
But they've always viewed him as a guy that can
step in and start. And to me, if he elevates
(12:05):
his play now to your point, you don't have to
put as much on Jack, you know, like you put
more on on Malcolm. And then you've got guys like
Ben Neman, Trevor Nuwaski, Ezekiel Turner who they just got
guys that have played football in this league, veteran guys
that are gonna have to step up as well. And Look,
if there was one room I think at the beginning
of the year, and I don't know if you would
(12:26):
agree with this, that that could maybe handle some injuries
and do that, it was that linebacker room because they
were really really deep in that linebacker. Now, losing Derek's big,
Losing Alex is big.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
Great thing.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
Is Alex gonna be back for the playoffs at six
to eight weeks? But to me, I think they can
get away with it. Guys like Malcolm, guys like Neiman,
guys like Nauwaski step up a little bit and Loman.
It's so great to have this secondary behind it. I
mean that to me is so huge too. When you've
got the secondary playing as well as they are. Yes,
I think that takes some of the pressure off those linebackers.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Man, TT just think about what Brian has done and
shure them my mem I how bad our secondary used
to be our I mean, whe our receivers would come here,
everybody would have career days. Every receiver that we played
would have career days against us, and we knew it,
we expected it because we weren't good back there. And man,
(13:19):
just to see where we are, Man, we got the
baby legion, the boom starting. I'm telling you, man, well
how they're constructed right now? We got a little we're
starting our little baby. I don't know what we're gonna
call it t T, but they gonna have to get
the name.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
You're gonna have them. Boys. Man, there's something else.
Speaker 1 (13:37):
Team by far not so close getting trading for Carlton,
drafting Terry on And we haven't even seen Nis Rakestraws
exactly because they're just so talented. On me and what
he brings. Not a big guy, but he plays a
big game in that slot. And then obviously we've talked
about the safeties with eleven picks between them.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Come on, man, our safety leading the league right curve,
the lead league in the league.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
And I think Brian Branch is going to be an
All Pro student. I think both those guys, I think
that helps the lines are put a lot on that
secondary this year with some of the injuries they've had
in the front seven, and that continues now and those
guys have stepped up all year line. They're gonna have
to continue to do that last eight games this season.
All right, Let's get to the third big key for me,
and it's let Sonic and Knuckles just continue to go
(14:29):
to work. Isn't that combination just fund Oh my god,
some of your calls. I always love that when they
go back and do the Dan Miller's highlights stuff like that.
I love You're reacting, don't there you go?
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Oh my god, developing t T is so much fun
my book?
Speaker 3 (14:50):
How much would you.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
Have loved blocking for these two?
Speaker 3 (14:52):
See? That's what I'm saying that.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
And I tell these guys, man, man, if we could
have not in all fairness, it takes to make a
Berry Sanders. I joke and say it takes a Sonic
and the Knuckles to make a Berry Sanders. But man,
those guys, man, they are unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
Tt.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
I keep saying the thing to me, what David Montgomery
is I knew from a distance when he was in Chicago.
I knew the dude had power right, because he had
you know, he could run through tackles and they had
to stop him. What I didn't know till he got
here was how shifty he was in tight spaces. He
(15:32):
can make guys missing, I mean in tight spaces, and
I'm like, wow, this guy here.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
And that's so impressive to me.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
That impressed me more than And he never loses yards, man, never,
I mean it's gonna take two or three guys to
bring him down.
Speaker 3 (15:47):
He always going forward.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
But the most impressive thing is how he makes guys
missing tight spaces. And then sonic, Man, I'm telling you, man,
he looked so he's so fast, he looked slow. They
look like they're running the slow motion. But remember if
you ever watched the Flash. Anytime they showed the flash,
they had to show him in slow motion, right because
(16:10):
you couldn't see him. And that's how they look when
they running away from people. Man, it's unbelievable to speed
on those guys. But how Jamiir is just able to
just cut in on a dime? Man, I mean B
used to jump cut, That's how B used to do.
But Jamiir he plants and cuts. He doesn't jump cut.
(16:30):
And it's a difference when you're able to do that
and come out of that cut after you plan it
with that skin, you go to your no speed as
a matter of fact, seem like you gay. It's like
a burst that you come out of that with. So
it's just unbelievable to watch these guys. I know Peny
and them, I Man, I know those guys when they
watch film because we used to do it. Man, you
(16:52):
just sit back and you just enjoy the show. They
don't get the chance to enjoy it why it's happening.
They just hear about it. But on Mondays you get
the chance to sit back because we use it used
to always be five plays that Barry was gonna do.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
You'd be like, how did he do that? How did
he make that guy? Miss? And I know.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
Glove, We used to sit back that we've bet Wait
a minute, Glove, And it may be only a one
yard run t T, but it's gonna be the best
one yard run you ever seen in your life from
Barry And I know Penay, Taylor, all those guys, Frank,
all those have to just enjoy what they have behind
them and witnessing.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
On the podcast last week and I asked him how
much he liked, and he said, oh, I'm about to
show people how much I love and that block getting
David in there at the end. I mean, they they
have such a benefit running behind that all. Oh yeah,
I mean you look at yards before contact and stuff
like that. I mean, it's amazing. But we talked about
Brian Branch and Kirby Joseph as the best safety duel
(17:55):
in the league. It's not close. This is the best
running back duel and.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
It's thank you You and Zach over.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
Eight hundred scrimmag yards. They both have nine touchdowns in
ten games. I mean, some of the numbers that they're
heading toward as a pair are unparalleled in this league.
Nine times this year they both rushed for excuse me,
nine times since they've been here. The last two years,
they both rush for a touchdown in the game. Lines
are nine to zero in those games. I mean, it's
(18:22):
just the numbers keep adding up. It's such an advantage
to have two guys.
Speaker 3 (18:26):
Like this, it really is. They really because you could
change it up. You know, you could change it up.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
And the good thing, you could take this outside in
bad weather. You know what I'm saying, Because you got
it doesn't matter. It could be snow, it could be rain.
It just doesn't matter. When you got a running game
like this and you have two different type of guys
that you could put in there, and then it relieves
the guys too. And like I heard Jamiir say and
I heard David say, they feed off each other man. Anytime, man,
(18:54):
when you don't have jealousy like that, when those guys
really like each other and feed off each other, man,
they can't be stopped. I'm serious, they can't be stopped.
I'm telling you, t T. I keep saying, you know,
I do the show with ab Anthony Bellino, and he's saying,
don't say it.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
We're going this year. We're going, man, t T we going.
I got here in nineteen eighty five. This is the best.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
This organization is looked, This is the best the team
is look including our ninety one team. Throw that in now,
you throw the ninety five team up in there. I mean,
the only thing could stop us. I shouldn't even say
it is we know, just the injury bug. That's the
only thing to me.
Speaker 3 (19:35):
T T.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
Especially at the level we're playing that how everybody's focused,
how the coaches are focused in if we stay that way.
That's the only thing I can see stopping us this year.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
Really, I know, I know, man, I'm man, I'm gonna
I've been covering for fifteen years now. There you go
by far, the best team, absolutely, and you've been around
a lot longer than I have.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
I'm telling you, it's the best. I've been.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
Coaching staff, best coaching staff they've had since I've been
here since eighty five.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
I don't know how it was before I got here.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
I can only speak back the eighty five best coaching
staff ever, the front office best ever it's ever been.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
You know.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
So again, everything's clicking right now, man, it really is.
Speaker 3 (20:18):
It really is.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
Well, see if they can continue clicking in Indy, get
nine in a row, get to ten wins in eleven,
that would be huge. Things are kind of tight up there,
a lot on the top of the NFC, and so look,
Dance talked about it. To accomplish what they want to accomplish,
they want everything to go through the true Yes, So
you got to keep winning football games. You got to
go on the road and win games you're expected to win.
Sunday's one of them. Lomas Brown, as always, I appreciate it. Absolutely.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
Yes, I got a busy show.
Speaker 1 (20:48):
For you guys, say I will have I'm on Ross,
Aint Brown on a little bit. Stephen Holder's got all
your Indianapolis news, so stay tuned. Welcome back to the
twenty in the Huddle podcast. The man next to me
needs a little introduction. He is, I'm on Raw, I'm
on Ras Saint Brown, All Pro wide receiver, the guy
who caught eleven passes for one hundred and sixty plus
(21:11):
yards and a couple of touchdowns last week. You're having
a heck of a season, man, Thank you. Hey, I
want to get this first. You got a podcast, Sat
Brown Podcast. How much do you like doing the podcast?
Entering the podcast world?
Speaker 5 (21:22):
Yeah, it's so. I've been doing it now, I would
say three years. But the first year was kind of
just like we didn't do it every week, wasn't consistent.
But last year was consistent every week. This year been
doing it every week also, so I will say it's
more time people think, you know, you gotta do it
every week, whether you win, lose, have a good game,
bag game, whatever it is. But it's fun, you know,
get to talk to other people, really ask them questions
(21:45):
that you know you want to know. Obviously I have
a script and there's questions that you know, they want
me to ask. But at the end of the day,
it's my podcast, it's our podcast, and I'm gonna ask
the question that I want to know. And it's kind of,
you know, a little off of for like sometimes with
the media you got to answer, you know, the questions
correctly or.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
A certain way.
Speaker 3 (22:05):
A certain way.
Speaker 5 (22:05):
Sure, on my podcast, I feel like everything goes, everything flies,
you say what you want, and that's kind of what
I enjoy about it.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
And that's why it's popular, I think, because you get
that other side right all right, the celebrations. I saw
one of the like they I don't know who was
marketing it, but I saw an ornament of the headstand.
Whenever you see in them is comment.
Speaker 5 (22:24):
Yesterday, I said, there's an ornament, I want it. I said,
I heard it, but I wanted to get it too.
I don't know where to get it.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
So I saw it on Twitter with the ornament. But
these things are becoming hilarious. You gotta let me inside. Now,
where did these come up with? Is it just something
in the locker room. Do you guys have like a
meeting time plan for these like, how do some of
these celebrations come about?
Speaker 5 (22:44):
So I would say every week it's different. So usually,
you know, so we play the Titans and Chris Johnson
was known for doing that dance that Jamiir did when
he scored.
Speaker 3 (22:53):
So I was gonna do it.
Speaker 5 (22:55):
Jamiir is like, no, let me do I'm a running back.
Speaker 3 (22:56):
Chris Johnson did it.
Speaker 5 (22:57):
I said, okay, you can have that one because Chris Johnson,
Chris john some one's running back. But sometimes so if
you're playing a different city, you know, you want to
do a dance that's in the city. That's usually pretty cool.
Some cities they don't have popular dances. So when we
played San Francisco last year, they had a few Bay
Area dances and Jamier did that I think after he scored.
But a lot of times i'm you know, scrolling through
social media on TikTok and there's dances on there, things
(23:20):
that are going viral at the time, or like the
one that I did last week against you know, last
game against the Jaguars, the dragon ball Z one. I
was just scrolling and someone did in high school I think,
and it looked crazy. I was like, I gotta do it.
Or the headstance. Someone did it like it was a
d two player college on Saturday. He did it, and
so a lot of them. I'm just taking, you.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
Know, from other people's research time.
Speaker 5 (23:43):
It's awesome. I will say that the Titans game was
the one game where I wasn't really prepared to do anything,
and so that, you know, I wish I could have
that one back.
Speaker 1 (23:51):
We're we're all excited about what's next. What the relationship
you have with with David Engineer. It looks like it's
a pretty close one. I don't know if you've seen
some of the statistics, but I think if if you
get in the end zone, Jamiir gets in the end zone,
you guys will become only a second trio in NFL
history to go back to back seasons with all three
ten touchdowns. I think Randy Moss, Chris Carter and the
running back over there the only other times to do it. Yeah,
(24:14):
Just what is it about that relationship those two guys
that that it is really close? Say that that's kind
of built a bomb between you guys.
Speaker 5 (24:22):
Yeah, I think you know when excuse me, when David
you know, first got here last year and at Jamir
guy at the same time. You know, I didn't know
too much about David, but I knew a little bit
because my brother was Chicago with him and he said,
David is a great guy. Actually played you know, call
of duty with him before he was even on the team,
So I knew a little bit about David. I knew
(24:43):
he was a funny guy. And then Jamier. He's more
reserved if you don't really know him. But once you
get to know Jamiir, he you know, he opens up.
He's funny, loves to joke around. I mean he's messing
around twenty four to seven. He's probably never serious even
on the football field. He's always messing around. So those
two together, I think, you know, they complimented each other
so well on the field with their skill set. And
then for me, you know, I like to have fun
(25:05):
mess around too, So all three of us, you know,
we have a great, great relationship, and it's just to
be out there with them on the field. It's so
fun for me just to be you know, blocking for
them out there sometimes to see what they do, and
it keeps me on my toes because I feel like,
you know, certain runs, I'll be on the back side
and the run is going right, I'm on the left side,
and I'm up here like, Okay, the ball is not
(25:26):
gonna come my way. And the moment you think it's
not come my way, they'll break three tackles or Jimiro
make two guys miss and it come my way. And
so it really you know, for me, I always gott
to lock in on on in the run game stuff
because with those two guys in the backfield, it's they're
liable to pop anytime.
Speaker 1 (25:42):
And it's speaking of relationship, that relationship you have with Jared,
it seems really really special. I know you guys work
out in California, they have the off season two but
I mean seeing it's getting to a point where if
you have less touchdowns than incompletions, I mean, it's an
odd game. And eleven for eleven last week. That's not
the first time you guys have done that. Just what
makes that relationship with you two so special? Why are
(26:04):
you guys just you look like you're on such the
same page more than any other quarterback receiver duo in
the league right now.
Speaker 5 (26:11):
Yeah, I think it's a combination of everything, you know,
the work, the obviously that we put in together, the
work that he puts in in the film room. Ben,
you know, calling plays against premier looks on defense that
we know are gonna work. You know, me understanding, you
know where the soft spot is in the defense. And
I think bigger than all that for that stat to
(26:33):
keep going with the targets and catches, I think it
really is on Jerry because last game, you know, there
was a few plays that were designed to go to me.
I was the first read and I wasn't open, And
so he's not just forcing throws to me even if
I'm not open. He's you know, he's throwing it when
I am open or when I'm about to be open,
things like that. So he's doing a great job of
progressing and going through his reads, you know, if I'm
(26:54):
not open, and the second options that I hope he's
always getting to check down to the running back. So
I think he's doing a phenomenal job of of hitting
the open guy. It's not always me. I'm not always
going to be open, even if the players design for me.
Jame was not always going to be open. So you
never know what you're gonnaet out there on defense, and
he's doing a great job of just going through his reads.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
That's a great thing about your team. It's that third
fourth read. It's pretty darn good play, you know, So
that's just natural for a quarterback to feel comfortable doing
that and going down and finding the open guy. Just
the city and and what winning has done to the
city and what the span base has turned into. Now,
how much fun has that been to watch? Because it
(27:32):
obviously wasn't that way when you first got here, right,
there were some tough times, But to watch that part
of it grow and develop, how much fun is that?
And how badly do you want to bring winning football
a super Bowl to the to this fan base?
Speaker 5 (27:47):
Yeah, I mean, it's it's amazing to see every you know,
every Sunday, I feel like we're spoiled, whether it's the
one o'clock game, a Sunday night game, Monday night game.
In Detroit, it's packed out before we even get to
the field. So player intros, you look out from the tunnel,
everyone's in their seat. And I feel like at some
places it's not like that certain cities, So just that
(28:10):
in itself, to see everyone in their seats before the
game starts is amazing. Sometimes I think to myself, I
wonder what it's like to be a fan of the
Lions for this long and to see him finally win.
Speaker 1 (28:21):
Now.
Speaker 5 (28:22):
Sometimes I wish I was in their shoes, just to
be able to sit back and enjoy and really, you know,
see this team, see our team do what we're doing
right now. But you know, would you rather be than
on the team. So I'm glad that I'm on the team.
I'm so excited that the fans, you know, the fans
that have stuck with us for so long, they finally
get to see, you know, winning football and cheer us
(28:44):
on every week. And I feel like they believe we're
gonna win every week. And that's the best part, no
matter who we're playing. But the biggest thing that I
want is, you know, I don't know if if we
ever get to win the Super Bowl, I don't know
where the parade would be, but the parade is probably
the thing that I'm looking forward to most millions.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
It would be millions. I mean, they would shut down
Detroit probably for multiple days. A couple real quick ones.
The touchdown streak, you're at eight twelve. You can start
to get names like Jerry Rice. How important is it
to you? Is it something you think about or is
it just kind of one of those things that happens.
If it happens, it happens, or is it is it important?
Speaker 5 (29:18):
Yeah, the more that people bring it up, I feel like,
the more that it's brought to my attention and the
more I maybe I'm thinking about it. But when I'm
out there, like last game, you know, obviously I want
to score every game. I think every player wants to
score every game as much as they can, have as
many yards as they can win the game and do
all that stuff. So last game, obviously, you know I
(29:38):
want to score. But it's funny how you know there's
certain plays where you think you're going to score, you
don't score in the plays where you might not think
you're going to score it's gonna be a five yardy game,
or the players where you score. So like the last week,
I score in the shallow route, and I mean that's
the last time I scored in the shallow route was
Week one last year versus Kansas City. So it's been
a while sot to score on that route. Usually those
(29:58):
plays only go for like ten fifteen, So it's been
just clicking. Everything's been going my way. Hopefully it continues
to go my way, our way. But I wouldn't say
something that I'm thinking about going in every week. I'm
just looking to have a good game, do whatever I
can help the team win. And the biggest thing is
is winning every week.
Speaker 1 (30:16):
Winning every week. Well, let's get to ten this week.
It should be fun to watch you guys again on
the road. You guys seem to you know, you know,
have that that kind of us against everybody mentality on
the road. You're fun to watch. And uh it's it's
a great offensive performance again upcoming hopefully. So thanks for
joining me. Appreciate you. Keep that touchdown street going. Good
(30:36):
luck Sunday.
Speaker 3 (30:37):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
Welcome back to the Twin in the Huddle podcast, and
I'm very happy to welcome in. Stephen Holder does a
great job for ESPN. He's Colts NFL report over there
you need anything Indianapolis Colts. He is the guy to
check in with. Steven. Thanks for joining me. I appreciate you, man, Hey,
thanks for having me.
Speaker 6 (30:57):
Looking forward to Sunday.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
Yeah, it should be a good and let's start with this.
You know, obviously Anthony Richards, it's been up and down
season for him, you know, going through the Benching gets
the starting spot back last week, and from the outside
looking in, that was really his best performance, you know,
staying in the pocket, making big throws down the field,
also getting out had the two touchdown runs. But twenty
(31:21):
of thirty for two seventy two no interceptions, that's the
big one there. Played pretty well. That's got to be
a great sign for him and the Colts, right.
Speaker 3 (31:31):
It really is.
Speaker 6 (31:32):
It's I think they've they've spent this entire season, you know,
looking for reassurance that they had the right guy, and
that had been elusive until now. So it's it's the
I think, the first or the biggest at least sign
that he is the guy they think he is.
Speaker 3 (31:48):
Now.
Speaker 6 (31:49):
You gotta do it next week and the week after,
et cetera. But you got to start somewhere. And I think, really,
when you when I look at Anthony Richardson this year,
I see a guy that maybe was trying too hard
at times, and I don't think this was the intent
per se, but sitting him down for two weeks, the
one benefit of it was at least one of the benefits,
(32:11):
I should say, is that it allowed him, I think,
to just kind of compose himself take a deep breath.
There's so much pressure on these young quarterbacks. So he
looked like a guy who had a load taken off
of him, frankly when he came back into the lineup,
and so I thought that enabled him to play a
different kind of game.
Speaker 3 (32:27):
So let's see what he does on Sunday.
Speaker 1 (32:29):
Yeah, to your point, it's all about stacking him, right.
I mean, you can do it one week, but the
good ones in this league, the guys that are around
for a long time, do it consecutive week. Stack them
and it's rare that they have a bad one. So
that'll be big for Indy. But I would listen to
Gus Bradley's press conference earlier in the week, and he
certainly seems to understand the test that his unit faces
this week against the Detroit Lions averagine thirty three point six.
(32:53):
Just what does he do? What buttons? Does he have
to push defensively for his unit to hold back a
Detroit offense that that's really homing right now.
Speaker 6 (33:05):
It will be interesting to see if they do anything
that's a little out of character for them. One thing
they've done more of this season than any point in
many years here in Indianapolis is they have blitzed a
lot more. They're still not a heavy blitz team. They're
not going to be that with Gus Bradley. They weren't
with Matt Eberflus as a defensive coordinator either in previous years.
(33:28):
But certainly they have in recent weeks. I would say
maybe the past month or so, we have seen them
become much more aggressive. And the key to blitzing is
always getting home first of all, and also blitzing at
the right times. So they've done a good job on
both fronts. Now, whether that's effective against Jared Goff in
(33:48):
this offense, that's a different question, and I'm not sure
that that's the answer, so we'll see. I mean, do
they just play the coverage game and just keep everything
in front of them? They are very good at that.
They they have given up i mean, tons of yardage
this season. That's one of the worst teams in the
league in terms of giving up yardage. What they haven't
done is given up a ton of points. For the
(34:09):
most part. They've been top twelve and scoring defense just
about the entire season. So those are contrasting things there
that don't necessarily add up. But you know, Ultimately, the
name of the game is to keep them out of
the end zone. So they've done that at a decent
rate this year, but this is the biggest test I
(34:30):
think they will have had.
Speaker 1 (34:32):
Yeah, also taking the football away, you know, I think
they're top ten in the NFL. That's obviously huge for
a defense too. And then I was just noticing, you know,
five different players with three sacks, so it looks like
they can get after the quarterback a little bit. They
generate takeaways, and look, when you can do that, I
think even if you don't have even if you're an
inferior roster, I think if you can get after the
(34:53):
quarterback and you create takeaways, I think that's probably the
recipe for success at home for Indy. On Sunday, Jonathan Taylor,
I was looking through the statistics, a little odd to
see him where he's at. I know he's missed a
couple of games, but seventeenth in the league and rushing
that that's not expected from a guy as talented as him.
What's been kind of the issues there? Is it Ben
just injuries he's been dealing with, or what's kind of
(35:16):
gone behind that slow start? Because I know they want
to run the football there.
Speaker 3 (35:20):
They do want to run the football.
Speaker 6 (35:22):
For Jonathan Taylor, really, the the the issue has been
his ankle, his right ankle. I believe that he's had
issues with this thing really for the better part of
the last two years. So he had a high ankle
spring on that ankle again this year, missed three games.
So that really just kind of, you know, puts a
damper on your season. You know, at that position, he's
(35:44):
going to have to manage it throughout the season. I
think he was seeing during the game this past Sunday
taping his ankles at one point, came back into the game,
didn't seem to be diminished by it, but it's you know,
he's not going to be the same or at least
has not been the same guy at times. But look,
when teams play with the light box, he has been
(36:08):
the guy that you expect him to be. This past week,
the New York Jets really shut down the run, and
that was intentional on their part. I mean, he maybe
popped a couple of decent runs early and they adjusted
a lot of run blits his heavy boxes. They were
not going to give it up. So that did enable
the coatst to beat them. Over the top in the
(36:29):
second half with some key intermediate and deep balls. But
they would love nothing more than to be able to
run the football. And you know what they have though,
Look they didn't run for a lot of yardage last week,
but what they do have is that combination of Taylor
and Richardson as a runner. Richardson ran it ten times,
(36:49):
Taylor I think in the low twenties and carries so
you're going to get a lot of runs if they
stick with it, and we'll see. I think it's a
good plan this week if they can have some success
keep that Detroit offense perhaps on the sideline. So I
think that has to be at least the game plan.
They have to at least try. Let's put it that way.
If it works, it works, but you have to at
(37:10):
least try. And because I think that is such a
fundamental part of their offense that that's where they can
maybe make this game a little bit of a more
level playing field.
Speaker 3 (37:21):
I think.
Speaker 1 (37:22):
Yeah, And to your point, ninety one rushing yards last week,
but thirty five rush attempts, so they stuck with it,
you know, and I agree with that. If you're going
to keep this high power Detroit Lions offense off the field.
That's one way to do it. With that combination. What's
the key in Steven Holder's opinion for you know, Indianapolis
to to you know, get a big win, get an
(37:45):
upset win here at home Sunday.
Speaker 6 (37:48):
Well, I think a couple of things. Number One, they
got to avoid turnovers. Richardson did not have the interceptions
last week. That's a big step. Did have a fumble.
Got to be a little bit, you know, kind of
have that awareness in the pocket, you know when you've
been back there for a little bit. So got a
sack fumble, short field for the Jets. That keeps them
in the game and a bad team, you know, with
(38:08):
a short field. Then they got another two minute drive
touchdown late in the first half.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
You know.
Speaker 3 (38:14):
So those are the.
Speaker 6 (38:15):
Things that make games that should be lopsided close games.
And so that's what they got this past week. So
you can't afford that. So eliminate the turnover obviously, don't
give Detroit extra chances. The other one for the Colts
I think is is really getting off the field on
third down. You know, they have too many instances where
they get teams the third down and then they just
(38:35):
give up a big play. Their third down percentage just fine.
I think it's you know, sort of average. But the
problem is just in some key spots just giving up,
you know, really just gut punch plays on third down.
You got to get off the field when you get.
If you get Detroit the third down, you better make
it count.
Speaker 1 (38:54):
Can this Colts offense score with Detroit? You look it around,
and they've got weapons, and look for it's got a
big arm. You look at Pier Savage, what twenty two
point seven yards per reception? He's there, Jamison Williams, Pittman's
a good player. I mean, they've got weapons. Could this
possibly be a high scoring game in Indy?
Speaker 6 (39:13):
I think it could be. It really could be. They
have the potential. They definitely have a decent arsenal on offense.
And you know, their tight ends are not necessarily household names,
but they'll go to them too when the opportunity arises.
I like their receivers. They're an underrated group. Pittman's a
little hurt right now. He'll play, I think, but he's
(39:33):
certainly not himself. But that group overall, the Josh Downs
an incredible player. This year you'll see their slot receiver
you talked about Alec Pearce Ada I mitchell a. D Mitchell,
a rookie out of Texas, is starting to show some signs.
He is athletically the best wide receiver they have, I believe,
so if he can get going so amy they have
(39:56):
playmakers and then obviously the quarterback. So you put all
that together, that has the potential to stress a defense.
Those guys if they're all contributing, and if they've got
some good schemes to present on Sunday, So we will see.
Speaker 1 (40:10):
Yeah, and Dan Campbell talked about it on Wednesday. He said, look,
that's a talented group over there, and they're still fighting
at five and six, very much still alive in the
AFC play a playoff picture, very much alive in the
division race. So this is an important game for them
at home. So it should be fun. I'm looking forward
to it. See if this line's offense can continue rolling,
(40:31):
and let's see if Anthony Richardson can continue ruining. There's
a lot of storylines heading into this one. Steven Holder
does a great job for ESPN. Check with him anytime
you need anything. Indianapolis Coast, Steve and I appreciate you
taking the time so much, and we will see you
Sunday in Indy.
Speaker 6 (40:45):
All right, you got it.
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