Episode 577 | Colts Lose Daniel Jones & to the Jaguars + What’s the future look like now?

Intro – 0:00

What KB Didn't Like – 5:53

What KB Liked – 26:18

Twitter Questions – 29:07

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
We're back another edition Colts Corn with myself Kevin Bowen,
as we are speaking to you here after yet another
chapter in I guess probably is accurate to call it
a curse place right now for the Colts, that would
be Jacksonville. The Colts lose thirty six nineteen, and the
questions now have become a lot more abundant, and I

(00:21):
would argue a lot lot more difficult to answer here,
not only in the short term, but also the long term.
We'll get into all that on today's podcast. Eddie Garrison,
how you doing.

Speaker 2 (00:31):
I would just like to know, Kevin, what sacrifices, what
type of voodoo, magic, wizardry, you name it, this city
needs to do to get rid of this injury curse
that has been placed on it for the last twenty years.

Speaker 1 (00:46):
I thought when Fernando Mendoza went down on the first
play of the game, I was like, oh my gosh,
we've already seen another iteration of this. But he bounced
back up and the rest was history there and then
Sunday happened, and yeah, unbelievable.

Speaker 3 (00:58):
Yeah, it's just you feel awful.

Speaker 1 (01:00):
First off, for Daniel Jones, just that whole scene and
watching his emotion play out and you feel terrible for him,
even if you put to the side the financial element
to what that injury will mean for him. But also
in the here and now, I know that game was
not off to a great start by any means, and
maybe you would have lost that game. But now you're

(01:21):
really really behind the eight ball in terms of what
it's going to look like for the rest of this season.
And you know, we were talking about maybe being the
one seed and you know, a path through Lucas Soil Stadium,
and now you wake up today and you're actually outside
of the playoff picture with how the Houston Texans one
last night in Kansas City. So a time to get
to on the pod Eddie, let's just start kind of

(01:43):
overall thoughts, you know.

Speaker 3 (01:45):
And it's just kind of wild to.

Speaker 1 (01:46):
Think that how much Jacksonville and Houston have owned the
Colts in the Psiching era. You know, I don't view
Houston and Jacksonville as like these vaunted NFL juggernaut by
any means. I've often said, you're in the division of
all divisions that you want to be in, and yet

(02:08):
I think the mark is now I think changed seconds
last eight of his ten games he's coached against those
two and you obviously will see them end the season.
But like, damn, I mean, that's that's awful. And I
mean Dimicko Ryans is hired at the same the same
time you were. You know, Doug Peterson's course fired, you know,
offense coordinator changes in Houston, Trevor Lawrence questions of course

(02:32):
in Jacksonville, and your inability to beat them, it continues
to rise up. It's not like you've been these touchdown,
ten point underdogs in any of these games. You know,
I thought, specifically to Sunday, I was actually surprised Stichen
deferred to start the game. I know this was a
big topic that we got last week. Why does he
always take the ball first? I think when you get

(02:53):
in these weather games, you literally are reliant on someone
on your staff predicting the weather for the next three hours, Yeah,
and trying to see, hey, when is going to be
the best part to have.

Speaker 2 (03:03):
The football or maybe they talked to Chris Ryder, you
know whomever.

Speaker 1 (03:06):
Sure, yeah, exactly, dial up you know, Lindsay Monroe here
in town and figure out what the weather's going to
look like. And honestly, the best weather was the first quarter.
That's when you should have taken the ball. Granted being
jumps through a pick on the first off to play
the game. So maybe it wouldn't have mattered, you know,
I really And we'll get into what I liked and

(03:27):
what I didn't like, so I'll save some of my
thoughts there.

Speaker 3 (03:29):
But again, just generally.

Speaker 1 (03:34):
For the unteenth year in a row, Jacksonville punching you
in the mouth first down there, especially the week after Houston. Yeah,
had come into your own building and do that.

Speaker 3 (03:45):
You like, I'm a big like, you know, how do
you respond?

Speaker 1 (03:48):
Like if you're an EU basketball fan, you know you
lose at Minnesota last week, you would assume your response
is going to be peak the next time out. Oh wait,
you're down sixteen into Louisville like that. I think this
was frustrating of like, yeah, losses happened, but again, the snowballing,
the avalanche of it.

Speaker 3 (04:06):
Now it's four or five losses.

Speaker 1 (04:09):
Now it's we're back into this December conversation of Chris Boward,
you know, twelve months ago saying we don't have enough
tough guys, we don't win the games that matter when
the season's on the line, Well, Houston Jacksonville is about
as big as you're gonna get these last two weeks,
and Houston was a you know, back and forth game
could have gone either way.

Speaker 3 (04:29):
Yesterday was not that at all, So plenty to get to.
I know, Twitter questions, we'll.

Speaker 1 (04:34):
Cover a lot, So unless you've got anything else to add, Eddie, briefly,
I will mention kind of playoff wise, if you are
clinging to hope because what is there to tank for.

Speaker 2 (04:43):
The NFL or CFP? Which one are we talking here?

Speaker 3 (04:46):
Can? I am I allowed to rant? We'll get to
that later.

Speaker 1 (04:51):
If you are clinging to playoff hopes, which you know,
again weirdly like some Pacers fans want them to tank
right now, and Eddie, where would they be top five
pick right if you're a cult fan, you're tanking for what,
drafting forty seven instead of fifty two. Yeah, you know,
it's just it's just kind of weird without the first
round picking either of the next two years. So if

(05:12):
you do want to see your team in the postseason,
you really need the Eagles tonight. I think I think
the Chargers could be your best pathway in. They have
a very difficult schedule to rest of the way at
Kansas City, at Dallas home to Houston, and then at Denver,
who still could be playing for the one seed in
the final week of the season. And of course you

(05:35):
have the head to head over the Chargers, so I
would point to that right now, as you know, can
you get the same record as them? But you know what,
I watching the Cults yesterday, are they going to win
a game the rest of the year?

Speaker 3 (05:47):
Right?

Speaker 1 (05:47):
You know, that's a very real conversation. So I got
no more to add. But unless you got anything else,
let's just get into what I didn't like.

Speaker 2 (05:53):
Yeah, I don't, but I know we've got a question
just about the team culture. So that's something I'll try
to hold off on mentioning here. And what we didn't like,
Let's start with the start of the game, before the
Daniel Jones injury. Of course, the Colts, you know, they
they defer, They get the stop right out of the
gate on defense, something that has not been you know,
apparent the last couple of weeks of defense, getting quick
three and ouns or getting quick stops and setting the

(06:15):
offense up for success with field position. And then Daniel
Jones does a pick on the very first play.

Speaker 1 (06:20):
Yeah, I just hated the start and then the complimentary
off of that, you know, then Brian Thomas Junior. You
get Jacksonvill behind the chains, he hits that you know,
shot in the zone, and I just felt like it
was on from there.

Speaker 3 (06:32):
I felt like it was back to being Trevor.

Speaker 1 (06:36):
Lawrence is in a groove like none other, and he's
having another career game against you, and you set the
tone with that early iront again, your your defense, like
you said, Eddie had forced you know, the tackle for
loss by buying them, and it cross makes a nice
play to get I forget who it was.

Speaker 3 (06:51):
I think it was Myers. Yeah, it was Jacobe Myers,
preventing him from getting.

Speaker 1 (06:54):
Get him out of mounds. And and then you just
give it right back. And I mean to go back
to the interception. I mean what I mean, there's nothing
exotic from Devin Lloyd in that play. It's a script
you've run all week long. It's your first play of
the game and boom, you throw that pick. Now, you
did respond nicely, but even from then, Jacksonville goes up

(07:16):
fourteen to seven before Jones you know, exits there.

Speaker 3 (07:20):
So I just didn't love the start. The punch thrown.

Speaker 1 (07:24):
I think it's okay to even nitpick, you know, not
taking the ball to start given the weather. I think
that was kind of your opportunity to maybe try to
possess it a little bit more when the weather's good,
because you know, once that rain stars falling, man, anything goes. Yeah,
anything goes. I mean you saw what you probably saw
thread to four interceptions dropped in that game, saw fumbles

(07:47):
from both running backs. You know, the quirkiness of that
onside kick was kind of weird. You know, all of
it can and did unfold where you know, can you
position yourself the best when the weather there? So yeah,
that was the first thing I just did not like
to start considering where you were playing, the magnitude of
the game, all of it, even pre Daniel Jones injury,

(08:10):
I didn't like where that game was haden either.

Speaker 2 (08:12):
Now let's get into the injury itself.

Speaker 3 (08:16):
It was.

Speaker 2 (08:18):
It was very awkward the whole the play that on
it happened Kevin, because I'm like, I'm watching him, like,
what did he do? Like there's nothing that looked abnormal,
and then you just see him, you know, go down
and he gets up and it's very apparent that he's
got some sort of lower leg injury that's you know,
preventing him from walking off the field. And then you
see him kind of take a seat to the turf
and start grabbing at the back of that heel, and

(08:40):
you're like, oh boy, here we go again.

Speaker 3 (08:43):
Yeah, and just you know, again watching his emotion.

Speaker 2 (08:46):
Yeah, just I didn't think that was the most telling
thing of it all.

Speaker 1 (08:51):
Yeah, And so now it brings up all the questions.
First off, Riley Leonard for the final four games. You know,
if this happens a month or two ago at it,
are you entering the Joe Flaggo sweepstakes?

Speaker 3 (09:03):
Are you?

Speaker 1 (09:04):
You know, is there another quarterback round? I say this
in all seriousness. Is it more of a Jameis Winston thing?
You know, I've long said this about Riley Leonard. I
thought Riley was fine.

Speaker 3 (09:11):
Yesterday.

Speaker 1 (09:12):
I didn't think it was I mean, Jacksonville dropped multiple interceptions. Yeah,
but like I didn't think, you know, thrust into duty.

Speaker 3 (09:19):
I thought he was fine. But he's not built to
win NFL games right now, especially from the pocket. And so.

Speaker 1 (09:29):
You know, there are some time constraints in regards to
this injury. In early December of like, okay, you know,
what exactly can you do? Brett Ripton hasn't thrown a
pass since twenty twenty three. He's been with you for
two months, so I assume it is Leonard going forward here.
You know, Anthony Richardson. As I think I've said on
this podcast now for the last several weeks, I've never

(09:50):
got the impression that he is returning anytime soon, right.
I think this is a very serious human injury, not
football injury, human injury of gaining full vision back. You know, again,
he was doing some We did have an update that
we talked about on the Wednesday pod. He is doing
some weight room work. But again I never felt like, oh, yeah,

(10:12):
circle this date on the calendar, circle that date with him.
So I guess that kind of answers all the twenty
twenty five questions. And now, Eddie, do you give Daniel
Jones a contract?

Speaker 3 (10:26):
What can I answer that? Real quick?

Speaker 1 (10:28):
Well, let's go over all the questions. Do you give
him a contract? What does the contract look like? Who's
your quarterback for twenty twenty six? What's your plan at
that position? Do you go sign? Do you bring Daniel
Jones back and go try and sign a free agent.
Do you give the keys to Anthony Richardson? If FREYI
Leonard shows you something over the final four weeks, does
he deserve a look at being the starter for twenty

(10:48):
twenty six? Is Shane steichenback? Is Chris Ballard back? If
you move on from them? What are you handing the
new GM to say? Here, this is what you can
shop with, because right now can't shop with two first
round picks. Are you letting him move pieces? How many pieces?
Is Taylor on the trade block? Is Bucket on the
trade block? I mean, how far are you going? All

(11:12):
of these questions, all of them have to be asked,
and Eddie, I would argue, none of them are met
with very easy answers right now or obvious or clear answers.
And this has come from someone who I said that
Chris Boward and Gus Bradley should have been fired at
the end of last season. But yet I say here

(11:32):
right now, do I think Ballard has necessarily deserved the
right to be back?

Speaker 3 (11:36):
No?

Speaker 1 (11:37):
But I also am like, well, I mean, he did
kind of change his ways and I think that is necessary.
And is it the best situation to give a new
GM this type of AMMO to go rebuild with. But
then again I'm like, wait a minute, that's not the

(11:58):
right mode of thinking.

Speaker 3 (12:00):
Who cares? That doesn't mean that the.

Speaker 1 (12:02):
The current person you know in position should be given
another opportunity. So again, I got so many questions, very
difficult answers. Feel free to chime in on any of it.

Speaker 2 (12:16):
So my thoughts are this, and I'll let you kind of,
you know, say how you feel about it or how
you want to approach it. But on the contract front
with Daniel Jones, to me, I think the most obvious
thing to do now would be, hey, you offer him
two years. The first year is extremely extremely light in
terms of the money. You know, he goes as low

(12:37):
as that. You're willing to go in and they're willing to
take let him rehab. You know, he'll probably start on PUP.
But as we record this too at you know, ten
o'clock on Monday morning, we don't know the full extent
of the injury in terms of the damage. If it's
total totally torn, a partial tear, whatever the case may be.
But I say, you do a two year deal, you
let him come back if he feels ready, he'll start PUP.

(13:00):
Of the year, missed whatever, the first four to six
weeks you start ramping them back up, and then during
that timeframe you have to just let Anthony Richardson play
it out, assuming he can make a full recovery, because
it'll be the last year of the rookie deal for
Anthony Richardson. It gives him like the ability to show that, hey,
you know, I could be a starting quarterback in the NFL.

Speaker 3 (13:20):
He can knowing.

Speaker 2 (13:21):
That he's got time to prepare for that for an
offseason time leading up to the start of the season.
And at the same time he knows, like, you know,
if I don't perform, well, then they're just going to
give these keys right back to Daniel Jones. And so
then that's the option there with the Richardson contract, or
well not the Richardson contract, but the Daniel Jones contract
in my opinion, And as we noted last week and
we have throughout the course, you know, the last you know,

(13:43):
handful of months, Ballard's contract expires after next season. So
to me, with the injury to Jones, and as you mentioned,
the no draft capital in the first tour, the second round,
I think you just have to write it out the
rest of the contract with Chris Ballard, and then you
make the assessment for next year whether or not you
want to retain Ballard again and Shane Styke, and and

(14:05):
that gives you the ability to kind of clear your
house because after next year you've got a litany a
free agent as well. So you're theoretically gonna have a
ton of cap space to operate with because you've got
Michael Quittman Jr. Jonathan Taylor, Deforst Buckner, Quitton Nelson, Grover Stewart,
Anthony Richardson and Josh Downs all up after next season.

Speaker 1 (14:25):
Now on those guys, several of them, a lot of
guaranteed money is done right now, I.

Speaker 2 (14:30):
Will say this, And if you don't feel comfortable with
you know, Riley Leonard or Anthony Richardson starting. And there
is the understanding based off how the first you know, month,
month and a half went, that if your quarterback is
competent enough, doesn't turn the ball over, makes good decisions,
this team is capable of winning games. So does that
entice you to go out and get a guy like
Mac Jones or does it entice you to go out
and get somebody else that could be available on the market.

Speaker 3 (14:52):
Yeah. Again, to me, that just keeps you a quarterback pervatory.

Speaker 1 (14:55):
But I realized that that might be your only options
right now here in the immediacy of all of it.

Speaker 3 (15:01):
By the way, Philip rivers, happy forty fourth birthday to him.
You've given him a call for the final four weeks.
Probably not, you laugh. Didn't Philip say they explored that
a few years ago.

Speaker 2 (15:13):
I yeah, it was a few years ago, but I
don't know that never came across my mind.

Speaker 1 (15:17):
You imagine, Yeah, Edie, I mean there's a ton there
that you point out. I think it's very good. There's
you know, a lot of it that I've come back
to with the injury. You know, a lot of people
have pointed back to the sauce gardener trade. And as
I thought more about the sauce gardener trade, I think

(15:37):
I pointed out at the time of the trade, there
is so much risk involved. Yes, there is great potential
reward in getting a premium position all pro on a
reasonable contract. You know, that's very, very enticing. And I
think it's unfair to obviously label the gardener trade of
failure because he's been hurt, But the risk was indirectly

(16:02):
You're not only saying we think Daniel Jones should be
our guy for twenty twenty six, We're saying he is
unquestionably our guy for twenty twenty six and really twenty
twenty seven.

Speaker 3 (16:14):
And that I think is the hindsight twenty twenty.

Speaker 1 (16:18):
Yeah, not going to ignore that, but you were putting
all your eggs in a two month Daniel Jones basket
and the sad reality of Daniel Jones's career at this point,
Eddie is the only true consistent element to it. It's
probably his injury history, and now he's added another one
to it, and that just can't be ignored from it,

(16:41):
not to mention, even if you don't want to sit
here and say no, no, no, two months he showed
himself as a player. Now some might counter and say, hey,
wait a minute, do you watch the last month it
was starting to slip away and then he was starting
to regress to the mean. Even if you aren't in
that group. The injury history, though, can't be ignored. And
I think that's where I struggle with, what do you

(17:01):
do with Jones? If you're going to give him another
look at it? First off, you're banking on post Achilles. Second,
who's to say he's not going to get hurt again,
or who's to say he's just not going to have
inconsistent Daniel Jones play?

Speaker 3 (17:16):
Right?

Speaker 1 (17:16):
You know that is where I really really struggle on
the Jones front right now. But you start reading off
the list of free agent quarterbacks for next year and
you'll want to put Mayo in your coffee.

Speaker 3 (17:26):
Yeah, I know.

Speaker 2 (17:27):
It's we talked about last week about you know, the
free agency for quarterbacks. It was just uh, Daniel Jones.
He was the I mean it was just him, right.

Speaker 1 (17:35):
I mean, it is an ugly, ugly list, so all
of it, all of it stinks, and it complicates things
like no other. So again, as you said here Monday morning,
I assume it'll be Riley Leonard. I don't think there's like,
you know, there's this veteran quarterback, you know, because there's
some people Eddie an eight and five football team. There's

(17:58):
probably some quarterbacks around the league that are sitting there saying, man,
I'd love to go join the Colts right now and
try to scrap my way to two wins with them,
and they can get in if the Colts won two
of their last four games I do think there's a
decent chance they'd get in the playoffs. Like, just based
off how it's pretty much eight teams for seven spots. Yeah,
you need Baltimore to get on a heavy run to

(18:20):
end the year, Kansas City to get on a crazy run,
Miami to get on a crazy one, and you've got
the head to head.

Speaker 3 (18:26):
Over the Dolphins.

Speaker 1 (18:26):
For what it's worth, you would need that to happen
for a ninth team to really enter the mix. And
for what it's worth, you will see Houston and Jacksonville again. Now,
just because you beat them doesn't mean you'll have the
tiebreaker over them. It's gonna come down to divisional record,
and that's going to I think you'll almost have to
win both over Jacksonville and Houston to potentially win the
tiebreaker on them. I'd have to look a little bit
closer into all that, but you know that's just where

(18:49):
you're at right now. So yeah, all of it, all
of it stings and the injury itself, and you know
who knows is the overcompensating it.

Speaker 3 (18:58):
With the calf. Yeah, I'm not smart enough to realize that.

Speaker 2 (19:03):
Yeah, you mentioned all of its stinking something else that
has stunk, especially in the last five games. Is the
Colts pass rush not a single sack, not a single
quarterback hit yesterday on Trevor Lawrence.

Speaker 3 (19:16):
Awful.

Speaker 1 (19:18):
It's I've said this before, Eddie, but I'll repeat it again.
I think it's the biggest fairest gripe in the ballad
there just the lack of edge pressure.

Speaker 3 (19:32):
And I mean, in the.

Speaker 1 (19:33):
Pouring down rain, the only time Trevor Lawrence got that
Jersey dirty was doing that or QB sneaking.

Speaker 3 (19:39):
I mean, that's it. That's it. And thirty one pass attempts.
I think Nick Mullens had a pass attempt when he
got in there. Just awful, awful, awful, And this is
kind of my I just didn't think you helped ry
Leonard enough.

Speaker 1 (19:51):
You know, Taylor has the fumble shortly thereafter, but I
just I didn't think your defense. I mean, they're down
there starting left tackle in their top pass catcher. You're
obviously Buckner and Gardner. I'm not going to ignore that,
but this Jacksonville offense hasn't sniffed looking like that this year.

Speaker 3 (20:08):
Trevor Lawrence.

Speaker 1 (20:08):
That's arguably Lawrence's best game of the season, and your
defense plays like that. I mean, twenty eight first half
points they were average, and I forget what it was
I think it was north of seven yards per play
at halftime. Just ah yeah, just an awful, awful defensive
effort there. Yeah, there's no ways around it. You know,

(20:33):
Brian Thomas Junior hasn't really looked like that. I know
he made some pretty good, you know, catches that he
deserves credit for, especially in that weather. But you know,
as soon as he caught that first seam ball in
the zone there after the Dane Jones eye into you,
it just felt I don't know if you felt felt
at Eddie, but I just felt, here we go, Here
we go. Lawrence is gonna settle in, He's gonna have

(20:54):
a great day and then boom, the rest of it,
the rest of it's gonna unfold in the manner that
it did.

Speaker 2 (21:01):
So yeah, last five games, the Colts pass rush has
twenty quarterback kick hits. I'm in the process of doing
some other math, but let's see, that's two sacks on Stroud,
four sacks on Mahomes, three sacks on Pinnis, so that's thirteen,

(21:24):
and then three sacks on Rogers, so sixteen sacks. For
a total net yardage loss of sixty nine yards.

Speaker 3 (21:32):
Is that where I say, nice.

Speaker 2 (21:35):
Nice, Yeah, that's in that in the last five games.
So I mean it's pretty clear where you know, part
of the struggles are defensively in that regard.

Speaker 1 (21:44):
One thing, the last thing I didn't like, Eddie, and
I hope I'm not I repeating myself. I feel like
my my brain's kind of fried here. But I did
think there was a sweek sequence late there in the
first half where the game really changed, and that was
following the growth Shue at Force fumble. You know when
you got to that third and one and fourth and one, ye,
you're down twenty one to ten again. As soon as

(22:06):
that rain started to come down, I said it.

Speaker 3 (22:09):
I guess I said it to myself and Maddie. Anything
can happen, yeah, in the in that game.

Speaker 1 (22:15):
And if you're able to score there in the first half,
let's say it's a field goal twenty one to thirteen,
twenty one thirteen, and you get the balls for the
third quarter, you can then put some real game pressure
on Jacksonville and when you get to third and one,
to me, that game plan has got to be playing
to Riley Leonard's strengths. Yeah, and Riley leonards strengths, as

(22:41):
I certainly know, is as a run first quarterback. It
is with his like, how did he get the first
third down of the game yesterday? Rolls to his leftist,
gaps pressure and loft that little float to ball to
Alec Pierce, Like that's his game? How'd he score his
only touchdown running it? That is his game. You've got
to play to that strength. He is not an NFL

(23:01):
pocket passer, not at all. That is not his strength.
And so for on third and one to get greedy
and think that you're going to find I think it
was Moiley Cox. He was targeting for a throw in
the rain with your you know, rookie quarterback in his
first meaningful snaps to me, was way too greedy from
Shane psykeing And as soon as you screw up there,

(23:22):
everybody in the world knows Jonathan Taylor's getting an un
fourth and one, Yeah and boom he gets it there.
To me, it is either QB sneak, it's a run. Hell,
you could run QB power for all I care with
with Leonard, if you're worried about ball security in RPO situation,
do that. That to me, I thought was just an
awful sequence by Stichen And the next thing you know,

(23:43):
Jacksonvill's got the ball back. They of course punch it
in and the rest is history. You're down three scores
a half. I thought that sequence was such a big
one in the game itself in that you could have
created a little bit more just again, game pressure make
them have to be a little litle bit riskier in
some of their play calls in the second half. Yeah,
not be as safe and you really didn't play to

(24:07):
your quarterback strengths.

Speaker 2 (24:08):
Yeah, I feel like, you know, obviously teams go through
stretches keV where they're you.

Speaker 3 (24:13):
Know, they're hot, they're colding right now.

Speaker 2 (24:14):
I think Stiching is in the biggest you know, rut
in a while that we've seen as a play caller,
because it just seems like almost every decision he's made
the last you know, three weeks especially, has been the
wrong one.

Speaker 1 (24:26):
Well, and you do see coaches do the third and
one shots like Ryan Day for example, he threw on
third and one to Jeremiah Smith in the end zone.
I think there are definitely, depending on personnel moments where
you do try some of that stuff. But you know,
we saw Ashton Doolan remember kind of sneak out of

(24:47):
the backfield. If I'm not the second, I think that
was a third and one a couple of weeks back,
and you were able to hit a big play.

Speaker 3 (24:52):
But in the rain, with your rookie weak pocket passing
quarterback throwing to your tight end that probably has the
most questionable hands in the team of all your pass catchers.
Probably a fair statement to make. I don't know, may
Jonathan Taylor.

Speaker 2 (25:11):
Maybe Josh Downs with the well last couple of weeks.

Speaker 1 (25:14):
Yeah, but again, Leonard to Ali Cox in the ring,
I'm not holding my prison that one, you know. And
so I just think there are times diw that, hey,
we have drilled the Ashton to do and play all
week long. We're gonna do it. He's a trustworthy player, Okay, fine,
perfect weather, Daniel Jones, That to me wasn't one of
those moments. And you still had plenty of time in

(25:35):
the clock. It sound like you needed to risk a
throw there still. You know, Jane always does a great
job of keeping his timeouts. You still have those, and
yet you then set yourself up for fourth and one, where.

Speaker 3 (25:45):
There's the most obvious play call in the history of
the game.

Speaker 2 (25:47):
So again, I know that's a little bit hyperbolic to
say no in the history of the game.

Speaker 3 (25:53):
I shouldn't have said that part, but yeah.

Speaker 1 (25:54):
You know Taylor is going to get it here. So yeah,
I just think the Leonard playbook and screw trying to
keep him healthy. Right now, you don't have any other choice.
I think it's got to be so so run centric
and he should give you an extra number in the
run game. Yeah he should, So I would play to that.

Speaker 3 (26:14):
And you know, sprinkling a couple fifty to fifty balls
to Alec Pearson.

Speaker 2 (26:17):
There you go, speaking to Alec Pierce. He has been
money and that price tag just keeps unrising. Yesterday against
Jacksonville five for eighty yards. He is what you liked
out of the game yesterday KB And in eleven games
this year he has top sixty eight receiving yards or
more in eight of them, and outside of that Kansas

(26:40):
City game, he has been over seventy five in four
of the last five games.

Speaker 1 (26:46):
You know, when you talk about people that helped out
Riley Leonard yesterday, I can't go with hardly anyone on
the Colts defense. I can't go with Jonathan Taylor for
the fumble. Definitely not the Cults run game three point
five a carry. I do think Pierson Pittman deserve mentioned, though, Yeah,
I'll say Pittman as well. I thought those two did
a nice job in the rain, pretty consistent catching the ball,
and you know, both I think helped him out.

Speaker 3 (27:09):
Part of me thought that that Pierce was a touchdown.

Speaker 1 (27:12):
I didn't love the OPI on Pittman. I mean you
could yeah, I mean when you get the single arm
extent right there in front of.

Speaker 3 (27:19):
The ref, I was really soft. Yeah, I think I
agree on that.

Speaker 2 (27:24):
It seems like as of lately, because even you go
back to the Dallas game against Detroit on Thursday night,
there was another questionable OPI. It seems like that might
be a mid season point of emphasis. Think you're seeing
a lot more OPI s lately.

Speaker 1 (27:36):
Yeah, But all in all, I thought Pierson Pittman a
really nice job. Well, wait, clarity on the Pierce injury situation.
He spoke to the media afterwards. They ultimated clear he
was not a cushion protocol. I know, I an eagle
said that on the broadcast, So well, A wait, exactly
what his status is. Braydon Smith was, so Jalen Travis,
the rookie out of Iowa State, played at right tackle there,

(27:57):
we'll see, you know, Eddie would only be the second
time all year the old line hasn't been intact if
Jalen Travis needs to start in Seattle coming up on Sunday.
But yeah, I definitely want to Mintion Pierce and I
think Pittman as well. I think they are not a
lot that I liked really from the game, of course,
but I think those two deserve it.

Speaker 2 (28:16):
So on the season, in eleven games, Pierce has thirty
eight catches for seven hundred and sixty nine yards. That's
twenty point two per catch. He needs to average fifty
eight yards just call it that the final four games
in order to eclipse a thousand yards with the first
time in his career.

Speaker 1 (28:34):
I think you should do that, even with Leonard, you know,
just with this big play capability all of that there.
So I was really, I mean, obviously you don't want
anybody to be in concussion protocol, but given Pierce's recent history,
that was definitely one that was a bit worse. And
I know I've said it to you before. How many

(28:54):
times he goes up and gets deep balls and he
falls to the ground. It's amazing he doesn't get hurt
more just like limb hurt like a back or you know,
shoulder arm, you know any of that.

Speaker 2 (29:04):
Yeah, are you ready for truer questions? Kab mentioned earlier
in the pod that we rant about the college football
players and well, we got to we gotta see what
we have.

Speaker 3 (29:12):
Time will have to be after twitter questions.

Speaker 2 (29:13):
But mentioned earlier about the culture of the team, and
that is where we start with. Isaac says, the Colts
have a mediocre culture. How do the Colts change that?
Why is Jacksonville such an issue? Isaac, I would almost
go as far as to say, the last month of
the season is always an issue. And it kind of
goes back to what Chris Ballard said. I can't remember
at what point last year, Kevin, if it was after

(29:34):
the season, if it was at the Combine or before
leading up to the draft.

Speaker 3 (29:37):
That just the team needs to be tougher down the
stretch to win games. And you look at.

Speaker 2 (29:42):
You know, this core group of players, it just seems
like it's a trend, you know, ever since they've you know,
pretty much been re upped.

Speaker 3 (29:49):
Whether you look at you know, Zai or.

Speaker 2 (29:50):
Franklin and all the guys on the defensive side of
the football, whether you look at some of the guys
in the offensive side of the football, at the last month,
six weeks of the year, this team always tapers off
and just does not find way to win games.

Speaker 1 (30:01):
Yeah, obviously I brought up, you know, the stat against
Houston Jacksonville early under styke In at two and eight,
and you know, it's not like these NFL programs that
you're facing in those two cities have been the most
consistent winners necessarily.

Speaker 3 (30:16):
Or you know, zero issues. What's so?

Speaker 1 (30:19):
I mean, look at look at Houston start of the year,
they lose CJ. Straut for three weeks and here they.

Speaker 2 (30:23):
Are, well, they find themselves without CJ. Strawt, which is remarkable.

Speaker 3 (30:27):
One eight of ten here and currently in the playoffs.

Speaker 1 (30:31):
I think it's probably my biggest issue with stich In
is and I get this is the little gray area,
and maybe it's unfair of me, but I do think
as the head coach, pulse of the team, getting your
team ready.

Speaker 3 (30:45):
For these games.

Speaker 1 (30:46):
Uh huh, I think it's a very fair criticism, says he.
Has not met the moment as a head coach. You know,
I honestly think his play calling largely is good. I
know there are some people that disagree with that. I
definitely think there are moments where he struggles in that area.
But I think play calling offensive play calling is one
of the hardest jobs in the NFL, and it to

(31:08):
me would take up and does take up so much
of Shane's time during a week that the CEO element
is gone or is strain. I should say, you aren't
allowed to commit as much time to the full fifty
three man overview that you have to have as a
head coach as well, it says a ton on your

(31:29):
play and again, some coaches obviously pull it off. Other
coaches decide to defer to other people in those roles.
And when these games have shown up on the schedule,
because yes, Jacksonville in Houston Week seventeen eighteen could be
big games, but before those are big games Week thirteen
and fourteen, we're the biggest ones with Houston and Jacksonville,

(31:52):
and yet they are not able to get there. So, yeah,
we have a mediocre culture. How do you change that?
I mean, they obviously have tried to tweak some of
the personnel. It's was tweaked the most, but again you're
largely talking about the same core. But yeah, if you're

(32:14):
gonna change the culture, then you've got to strip it down.

Speaker 2 (32:17):
Yeah, because I mean that starts at the top, right,
and then it falls down from there. Right, Tyler is next,
where do you realistically see the organization going in twenty
twenty six? Injuries to keep players squashed? Hope, but this
regime has proven time and time again that they can't
win against legit teams and still don't have a long
term answer at both quarterback and edge rusher. I can't

(32:40):
take another year of Chris Ballard and Shane Steichen being
in charge.

Speaker 1 (32:45):
Yeah, Tyler, it's a really fair question. I think it's
a hard question, and I don't think the answer is
that easy. And again it's coming from someone that I
probably have been the most skeptical for Chris Ballard of
maybe anybody in our you know, in our little colts

(33:09):
media bubble.

Speaker 3 (33:10):
But you created a whole different situation. Some might say
problem is the word they would use, but when you
said yes to the sauce gardener trade, you created a
whole different situation. As a franchise.

Speaker 1 (33:29):
You not only said you're pushing chips in the middle
of the table. You not only were trying to acquire
an all pro player at a premium position. Again, there
are a lot of positives to obviously trying to make
a trade of that magnitude, but you also said Daniel Jones,
Chris Ballard, Shane Steichen, we believe, we believe in you wholeheartedly,

(33:55):
even if the resume doesn't necessarily say we should.

Speaker 3 (33:58):
Yeah, we do.

Speaker 1 (33:59):
So when you make that trade, you're sending messages to
the pill you know, I've always talked about the pillars
of a franchise, quarterback, head coach and GM. You sent
a message indirectly but very emphatically to those three people
that we believe in you.

Speaker 3 (34:17):
And now what do you do? So is the window
still there? Is that? You know? Yeah?

Speaker 1 (34:26):
It just so much of it now is met with
murkiness unknown, and you know how to properly.

Speaker 3 (34:40):
Move on from it? You know?

Speaker 1 (34:43):
Again, I go back to what I said earlier. I'm
very torn on the aspect of just because you might
not be keeping the cupboard well stocked for the next
GM doesn't mean that the current GM deserves another year.
The Bird on the other shoulder says, could you could
you just up this whole season injuries?

Speaker 3 (35:06):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (35:06):
But you look at San Francisco, right, I mean you
don't have George Kittle, Juwan John Jennings, I.

Speaker 1 (35:15):
Just Micky Peters. Houston, they've lost their quarterback for three weeks.
You Bosa, Yeah, I mean you're gonna be Yeah. It
just and again this gets into I think of debate
maybe Eddie we had last week.

Speaker 2 (35:29):
I even think it goes back to you know, Isaac's
question at the start, just the culture of the team.

Speaker 3 (35:33):
Yeah, you know, I think a debate we had a
little bit last week. I think it was last week.
Does two months of good football outweigh eight years on
a resume? Right now?

Speaker 1 (35:48):
Did the Chris Bower that walked into Jim Mersey's office
in twenty seventeen, is that now a new one that
walked in in twenty twenty five.

Speaker 3 (35:56):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (35:57):
Of Hey, I'm gonna spend in free agency. Hey I'm
gonna trade some I'm to try to do some aggressive thing.
So all of this is very very difficult. And if
Carli Ersa Gordon got in this mindset over the last
month and a half of I'm not going to be
doing a GM search. I'm not going to be looking
into a head coach situation. And now in one moment,

(36:19):
does she want to restart all that? Not that you'd
be behind the eight ball necessarily, but you know a
lot goes into that. Now, granted I'd like to think
over the course of the off season. You know that's
part of the due diligence you have to do as
an owner, especially with Ballard and Spikeen's resumes. And again
those two individually, should they be tied of the hip

(36:41):
or not. I've always said I believe the GM and
the head coach should be. But if you literally said
to me and Eddie, we do those pods in January
and February every year. We do a pod specifically to
evaluate Chris Ballard or the Colt GM should and we
do a pod to evaluate the Colts head coach because
I do think they should be evaluated individually. Now, again,
as an ordization, you've got to make a decision that

(37:01):
it's healthiest for the entire operation. But like if you
strictly gave out a letter grade, how has Chris Ballard
performed in his Colt's tenure and gave out a letter grade.
How has Shane Seikin performed in his Colts tenuere, I
do not think their letter grades are the same. Yeah,
so Tyler, right now, where do you see the Colts
realistically going in twenty twenty six? I'm sorry, brother, but

(37:23):
I have no clue. I guess you would run back
and see ballad out through this end of the contract,
like you mentioned earlier, Eddie.

Speaker 3 (37:37):
I I don't know, man.

Speaker 1 (37:42):
Yeah, And I say that with the amount of dejection
in my voice that it sounds like, yeah.

Speaker 3 (37:46):
Like I don't.

Speaker 1 (37:47):
I think for the most part, I always either try
or do have answers. Again, they're not always the right answers,
but you guys ask the questions. Don't want to make
sure that I'm not just ask them, Edian. Then I
just sit here and you know, twittle my thumbs for
five minutes. But these are met with some very difficult

(38:08):
realities of where you're at as a franchise.

Speaker 2 (38:10):
Yeah, I mean there's I mean this is all from
the football operations aspect to Kevin, like, there's a whole
other side of the cult organization in terms of the
business operations and all that stuff that we don't know
how that's going right now, Like we don't know how
that transition is going, just because there's a lot of
legalities that have to happen, you know, by a certain time.

(38:32):
With unfortunately the passing a gym and the passing of
the ownership to the three daughters that there's there could
be other things behind closed doors that we are privy
to that are more you know on top of mind,
uh for the three daughters.

Speaker 1 (38:46):
Yeah, that yeah, that is something that I know people
have asked me about. I don't it's important to probably
bring up. I just don't know if we have a
lot of detail on it though exactly.

Speaker 2 (38:57):
That's what I was more so just bringing up, like, hey,
this is also something you know type deal. Two questions left.
Jay says this, this feels like a funeral on a
season that started out seven to one. I don't know
how many NFL teams that have started seven to one
and not many of the playoffs do Shane Stikeen and
Chris Ballard make it to next season with new ownership.
Worst feeling I've ever had as a cold fan because

(39:18):
I waited to believe, believed in the team that I
saw the vision. This regression is just demoralizing, Thanks Kevin,
And I think that's a really good point made by JKB,
just because of the fact that you know, oftentimes, if
you do see a team in this situation where they
start out you know, seven and one, you know, seven
and or seven to two, or whatever the case may be,
and miss out the playoffs, there's usually change.

Speaker 3 (39:41):
Well, there's usually changing, And I'd argue there's usually light
at the end of the tunnel. Yeah. The light is
usually a draft pick. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (39:46):
And I think that's what stings as well about this
because there are I get that there's a large chunk
of sports fans and professional sports they love the draft,
they love the building of it, and the fact that
again the Pacers have that carrot at the end of
the season, yeah, and the Colts don't. And they don't
have it next year either. So I think that is

(40:08):
what makes this so sour like. Obviously, Halliburton tearing his
achilles in Game seven in the NBA Finals, to me,
is in a different stratusphere than Daniel Jones tearing his
achilles in a Week fourteen game against Jacksonville. Right, Okay,
let's say the game freezes right there. The Colts would
have been out of the playoffs in that very moment.

(40:29):
You know, the rest of the game is a Week
fourteen playout. The Pacers had a lead of halftime in
the Game seven of the NBA Finals. So again, and
comparing Halliburton as a player to Daniel Jones a player
too is not fair either to Tyres. But I go
back to what I said a few minutes ago, Carley
orse Gordon by that trade, she told us everyone was safe.

(40:54):
Now are you sitting here with one of the longest
playoff droughts in the entire NFL? Continuing not to mention
the AFC South. I think the AFC South is I mean,
it would have to JACKSONVI would have to, you.

Speaker 3 (41:10):
Know, lose a whole lot. How Houston have to lose
a whole lot that a South is all but gone.
I guess that's the best way to put it. And again,
so much of it comes, you know, these little segments.
You know, we talked like should the final month? You know,
we said on last week's December it is gonna be
the biggest month this franchise had in years, Like should
it matter to that degree? You know, it just seems

(41:31):
like such a small sample size, So all of a
sudden put that much weight to it. But here you are,
So how does Carly view it?

Speaker 1 (41:40):
I think one of the things that would really bother
me is what Houston Jacksonville have done yeah to India
over the last three years.

Speaker 3 (41:45):
That would really bother me because I don't especially Jacksonville
just don't view them us like big brother. They've been
that to you.

Speaker 1 (41:56):
That would be hard to I know we see that
a lot, like in college sports, when the right will
best you. You know, it's hard to overcome that for
a coach. I guess those are the closest things for
the Colts rival really when you look at it from
that standpoint.

Speaker 2 (42:11):
And you look at it from this standpoint too, like
just like next year, keV, they'll be playing a third
place schedule, you know, assuming things go that the way
that we anticipate them too. I mean, so you're looking
at Miami, you're looking at Cincinnati, You're looking at Kansas City,
Washington or New York, Detroit, Chicago, Green Bay, depending on
how that you know plays out in the NFC, North Atlanta,

(42:34):
and then you know one of San Francisco, Los Angeles
or Seattle potentially next year on the schedule as well.

Speaker 1 (42:39):
And two also with Carly, like, is there any part
of her that is open minded to the strip down rebuild?
You know, I would say this in several businesses, not
just professional sports. So sometimes in a business, Eddie, when
you see someone take over that's new, they want to
come in there and put their fingerprints aggressively on it and.

Speaker 3 (43:02):
Want to strip it down. Now again, the move for
Gardner would indicate no, But.

Speaker 1 (43:09):
Is that appealing at all to her of Hey, I'm
gonna be new, let's you know, ride in here with
whatever new GM, new head coach and keep on going.

Speaker 2 (43:20):
Final question is from Trent, give one reason to keep
believing in this team this year, next year at all.
It's hard to keep coming back to this team that
seems to disappoint year after year. Talk me off the
ledge or push me.

Speaker 3 (43:36):
I don't know.

Speaker 1 (43:39):
Yeah, I would say, honestly, the best part.

Speaker 3 (43:45):
Well, first off, the NFL is wild. Let me start there.

Speaker 1 (43:49):
And four weeks a long time, yeah, I mean look
at the last four weeks for the Colts. I don't know,
were they the one seed four weeks ago, Eddie, I
mean they had to be close to it. I mean
they've gone from one seed to eight in in in
four weeks, So I would start there. I think I
pointed out to kind of lead off the show. You

(44:10):
could look at the playoff standings right now and say
it's probably eight for seven spots. And I mean, if
you look at the Charger schedule, it's really difficult the
rest of the way, and you do face Jacksonville and
Houston still.

Speaker 3 (44:24):
Yeah, so like you know, you do get another crack
at them.

Speaker 1 (44:31):
You know, can Jonathan Taylor get back to being Jonathan Taylor?
Do you get Buckner and Gardner back?

Speaker 3 (44:35):
I don't. I don't think Gardner's back Sunday. I don't.

Speaker 1 (44:40):
I don't think Buckner's far off. But I don't get
the vibe that Sunday's a slamdunkey either.

Speaker 3 (44:44):
Right, you know he is eligible.

Speaker 2 (44:45):
Does this change with Buckner? Do you bring him back?

Speaker 3 (44:50):
Oh? Boy, I need gosh. You want to talk about
all the questions that I thought about over the last
twenty four hours.

Speaker 1 (44:55):
I didn't even pondered that one. I mean, hell, do
you bring back Sauce if you go lost loss?

Speaker 2 (45:01):
You know, I would say you would have to bring
him back, right, just because the fact that he's not
on injured reserve.

Speaker 1 (45:08):
Right, but do you risk you know, are you in
the calf could turn into an Achilles thing?

Speaker 3 (45:11):
Right? I mean I hate to even say that, but like, I.

Speaker 2 (45:14):
Mean, it looks like they handle things well with Kenny
Moore's calf injury.

Speaker 3 (45:18):
So yeah, so yeah, I don't I don't know. I
say that with like I live in the three one seven.
You live in the three one seven. When you say calfs,
you say achilles, you want to rip your hair out.
So I don't know.

Speaker 1 (45:34):
Man, it's boy. That's a really good point. So yeah,
I I would say, Trent, to give you one reason
to keep believing four weeks a long time now, Jonathan
Taylor has shown and if you want to believe in
the run game, as much as teams might cheat up
a safety like, part of the appeal of obviously Anthony
and Richardson next to Jonathan Taylor is you've got an

(45:55):
extra number in the run game. I'm not saying Riley
Leonard is Anthony Richson as a runner, but Riley Leonard
can definitely run, and he's a very willing runner and
will put his body on the line. So can you
tap into some of that and then defensively Buckner and
Gardner for Seattle on San Francisco, I'd have to look

(46:17):
at a little closer, Eddie.

Speaker 3 (46:19):
I know they are.

Speaker 1 (46:19):
Still in the hunt for the one seed yep in
the NFC West title. I don't like, if I'm not mistaken,
I believe Seattle has the Rams on Thursday Night after
this game. Now there's still four weeks left, so I
think at that point all the games matter. But like
if you are a I don't know how Seattle's numbers work,
I'd assume the Rams game matters much more.

Speaker 2 (46:38):
Than the Colts game. You are correct, they do have
the Rams after the Colts on Thursday night football.

Speaker 3 (46:42):
But again they're what ten and three and the Rams
are ten and three? Yeah it was nine and four,
Like they're also jumbled together.

Speaker 1 (46:47):
All of it probably matters a whole lot, But you know,
is that anything that happens. I want to say San
Francisco has like Tennessee this week, somebody like that as
they return from their bye week, so.

Speaker 2 (46:58):
You are on it Tennessee at home, and then it's
a cult on a short week with Jacksonville. So yeah,
Trent again, can you get Taylor going the NFL's wild,
you know.

Speaker 3 (47:11):
Just pierced to make a couple of plays. I don't know.
Talk me off the ledge or push me I.

Speaker 2 (47:16):
Will, I don't know. Kevin, You've got two minutes for
your rant. Go I'm afraid of heights, brother, two minutes
for my rant?

Speaker 3 (47:24):
Yep. Do you think nor Dame should be in? Yes?
You do?

Speaker 2 (47:29):
Really yes. I also think Miami should have been.

Speaker 3 (47:32):
In, oh So Bama out YEP.

Speaker 2 (47:37):
If it wasn't apparent before, it was clearly apparent yesterday
with those rankings. Because if you look at just this
since the new format, every team that has been ranked,
no matter where they've been in the rankings, that has
played in a conference championship game and they lose fell

(47:58):
a spot or multiple spots, and Bama is the exception,
and they lost by twenty one or whatever it was
twenty eight. BYU loses to Texas Tech again and they
fall a spot. Obviously, Ohio State's gonna fall spot because
they lose to Indiana. But you get what I'm saying, SMU.

Speaker 1 (48:15):
Last year, Yeah, I think you got to go back
eleven years of history of the CFP. Every team that's
awsome Championship weekend has dropped yep. My question would be
why is BYU dropping but Alabama's not?

Speaker 3 (48:27):
That's the question.

Speaker 1 (48:28):
Yes, you know, if you watch the game, I really
both teams got handled. You could make a case BYU
was more competitive than Alabama. Alabama negative rushing yards yep
in the game. So okay, let me start here. I'll
repeat what I said last week about when you're ten
and two, you're not bowletproof. I want to see college
football team's schedule big time games earlier in the season.

Speaker 3 (48:48):
I think it's important for the sport.

Speaker 1 (48:51):
The problem is is when you then punish these teams
in the magnitude that you do.

Speaker 3 (48:55):
You know, Texas for example.

Speaker 1 (48:57):
A bit punished with the with the Ohio State game.
Why are these teams going to schedule them early in
the season. Yeah, and so I want college football to
figure that out.

Speaker 3 (49:06):
Now.

Speaker 1 (49:07):
Notre Dame, by not being in a conference, has created
their own bed. And the bet is this, you have
to play those games early in the season, so you
better be good out of the gate. If you're not
good out of the gate, there might not be many
opportunities the rest of the way. So this year, Not
Dame walks into a season with a freshman quarterback and
a new defensive coordinator. And the committee said, we don't

(49:30):
care about that. You lost by four points to Miami
and Texa A and M collectively. Yeah right, and we're
going to weigh that and hold that against you a
whole lot as the rest of the season plays out.

Speaker 2 (49:42):
And if I don't, if I remember correctly, keV, weren't
they also dealing with injuries in Week one? Like didn't
they have like three starters out or something? A couple
of defensive backs?

Speaker 3 (49:54):
Yeah, were more I think missed a little time earlier season.
But I don't think I can play that card.

Speaker 1 (49:58):
I would trust me. I'm open any and all cards
to play. But how are they gonna play that?

Speaker 3 (50:03):
Okay? The goal for the committee is.

Speaker 2 (50:04):
What get the best twelve teams in the CFP.

Speaker 3 (50:07):
Thank you, And maybe not twelve, maybe like the best
ten because you have a group of five and all that.
And that's another conversation though.

Speaker 1 (50:13):
Right, that's another element. I don't really want to get
into all that. Do I think we wish have two Cinderellas.
I don't have my fine with one Cinderella. I am
the ACC just to go on a quick grant. They
need to figure out their conference tie breaking standpoint to
where Miami should have been in their conference championship. Our
conferences have gotten too big because they don't play the
same schedules within the conference. It needs to go to

(50:36):
you know, Alabama, they got in because they were the
highest ranked.

Speaker 2 (50:42):
Team out of schedule and strength of records.

Speaker 1 (50:45):
Five way tiebreaker is why they got into the SEC
title game. If the ACC would have had that, Miami
then's in the game. If Miami wins, now you have Miami,
Notre Dame, and Alabama all in yep, and no James
Madison and we don't have this issue. Haven't said all that.
I've got gray with Alabama and with Miami. If you
look at it over the last two weeks, Notre Dame

(51:07):
was ranked above Alabama. Okay, let's look at the last
two weeks. Notre Dame played one game. They beat Stamford
by thirty on the road. Alabama without their best player
for most of that game. Right Love was definitely banged
up without Against Auburn the week prior, Alabama beats a
one win Auburn team in the SEC by seven points.

(51:29):
Anybody watched that game. Auburn looks god awful a million
drops in that game. There one SEC win that year.
Last year, Auburn was over Arkansas. Notre Dame went to
Arkansas this year beat them by forty to the point
where their athletic director had to fire their head coach
the next day. Yep, you know who their athletic director is,
the same athletic director that took over the committee chair

(51:50):
a month ago. Just here to point that out.

Speaker 3 (51:55):
What does Alabama do then in the SEC title game? Steamroll?

Speaker 1 (51:59):
So I've we got to the points with conference championship
games they can only help you, they can't hurt you.

Speaker 3 (52:04):
Is that it?

Speaker 1 (52:04):
If there's going to be that reward to me, there
needs to be that risk. I know a lot of
people gripe about Notre Dame and not playing a thirteenth game.
Notre dame schedule this year was ten Power four teams.
Boise in the playoff last year and won what nine games?

Speaker 3 (52:17):
This year?

Speaker 1 (52:17):
Won the Mountain West, Yeah, and Navy. Navy, assuming they
beat Army on Saturday, will have won ten games. That
Do you really want them to throw mercer on their schedule?
Like Notre Dame was the only team in the top
fourteen not to play an FCS opponent. So do you
want them to add a thirteenth game and play Yeah
again Mercer or Sam Houston State or Perrieview A and

(52:38):
M or you know everybody does that. You know how
you played what Kennessas State in Indiana State? And if
you look at the strength of schedule going to the playoffs,
Notre Dame had a harder strength schedule than I you Yeah,
that's crazy as that sounds. Yeah, going in to the postseason,
I hear all this is griping about Notre Dame schedule
this or that, another thing that bothered me with the

(52:58):
committee chair, he brings up some of Alabama's wins from
earlier in the season of teams that have fallen out
of the top twenty five. Okay, did Notre Dame not
be Pittsburgh and they fall out of the top twenty five?

Speaker 2 (53:07):
Well, is he talking about Missouri or is he talking about.

Speaker 1 (53:09):
Did Not No Dame not be Navy and then fell
out of the top twenty five? Like that Every team
can point to that. You know, It's like, that's just
how the nature of the of the schedule plays out
for teams. To me, that doesn't matter at all. And
then the Miami. Right, first off, what happened this weekend
Boise State one? Yep, Notre Dame beat Boise State.

Speaker 3 (53:30):
Yep. That should help Notre Dame Miami. Did they play
Duke No?

Speaker 1 (53:34):
No, So I don't know where the help is necessarily
with that. And four weeks ago the committee said to us,
what Notre Dame is eight spots better than Miami. What
has happened in the four weeks since? This is what
Notre Dame has done in the last four weeks. They
won by thirty nine over a nine win team. They
went on the road and won by twenty two over

(53:55):
an ACC team. I'll point out the ACC because that's
where Miami resigned. Notre Dame then beat another ACC team
by sixty three points. And then in their final game
of the season, as I mentioned earlier, they went on
the road. They beat an ACC team by twenty nine points.

Speaker 3 (54:10):
So you add up all that, that's four wins, two
over former top twenty five teams, as the committee chair
likes to say, by an average of thirty eight points.
That's what they did in the four weeks. And in
that four weeks, Miami moved up nine spots to pass
Notre Dame. That to me doesn't make sense, and that's

(54:33):
my biggest gripe with the committee. Make it make sense.
To me.

Speaker 1 (54:37):
It does not make sense both of them, Miami or Bama.
And again I get the head to head. I totally
get that, and I'm not here to ignore it. I
also don't think it necessarily needs to say it's totally gospel,
because I want college football teams to schedule in the
manner that they are in Miami beating Notre Dame by
three points on August thirty first, so I think, all

(54:59):
of a sudden that should make up for nine spots.

Speaker 3 (55:04):
In the poll. I don't.

Speaker 1 (55:06):
I think some of that context should be taken into account.
What do you think would happened to those teams played
on neutral field? You look at all these computer metrics
atty of what the spread would be from a Notre
Dame standpoint on a neutral field against these teams, and
tell me they're not one of the best five, seven, eight,
nine teams in collegetable.

Speaker 2 (55:27):
Yeah, and that stretched for Miami. If you're listening and
you were curious, they beat Siah. This is after losing
to SMU in overtime two weeks after losing at home
to Louisville in a game that wasn't as close as
the score indicated of twenty four to twenty one. They
beat Syracuse by twenty eight. They beat n C State
by thirty four. At Virginia Tech they win by seventeen.

(55:49):
At Pittsburgh they win by thirty one. Yeah, Miami did
I mean Miami handled business. And I may mention that
because you know, Notre Dame, you know, walloped Nancy State
thirty six to seven, Virginia Tech three and eight or
three nine on the season, and then Notre Dame walloped

(56:10):
pit thirty seven fifteen.

Speaker 1 (56:13):
Again, my bigger gripes are why did BYU drop but
not Alabama?

Speaker 2 (56:17):
So are you looking at the fact that, hey, Miami
beat Pittsburgh by seven more points?

Speaker 3 (56:22):
Yeah, which Miami threw a forty our touchdowns like forty
seconds ago in that game to try and you know,
produce some more more points there.

Speaker 1 (56:30):
And I would like to see college football continue to
schedule these games early in the season. I think they're
important for the sport, but I don't think all of
a sudden it should be the biggest punishment. Having said that, again,
Notre Dame has made this bed. When you aren't in
a conference, and I don't sit here and say, join
a conference with care all, Tell that to B, WHYU B?
Why you joined a conference? What did what did it

(56:50):
do for them?

Speaker 3 (56:50):
Yeah? You know, so to me, that doesn't cure all.
But that's neither hearing over there.

Speaker 1 (56:55):
Apologies to the Notre Dame rant as if you hated
Notre Dame enough, they just add to it with me
bitching a moaning once. Thank you Eddie for making me
wait till the end of the podcast.

Speaker 3 (57:04):
You're welcome. Yeah, you're welcome.

Speaker 2 (57:06):
We'll be on the lookout for the Daniel Jones update. Yeah,
probably the worst, you know, yeah, I assume the worst.
Probably nothing emergency. Will just come back on Wednesday previewing
Holts and Seahawks.

Speaker 3 (57:15):
Thank you,