September 23, 2025 • 35 mins
Today’s Best of Features:
(00:00-23:04) – EPSN.com’s Stephen Holder joins Jake Query to kick off the second hour of the show by discussing where things are at with Alec Pierce and Kenny Moore II after exiting Sunday’s game. He also provides an update on LB Jaylon Carlies, shares some comments from Shane Steichen during a conversation prior to the season, and admits that this weekend’s game will be a true test for the Colts.
(23:04-35:50) – Scott Agness from Fieldhouse Files joins the show from Las Vegas to preview game two between the Aces and Indiana Fever. He accesses the job Stephanie White has done at bringing everyone together, if it would be better for the Fever to let A’ja Wilson get hers and contain everyone else, and how well Odyssey Sims has performed for Indiana in the playoffs.
Support the show: https://1075thefan.com/query-and-company/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Joining us now, a guy that feels like he's under
duress every time he comes on this program. I'm sure
from ESPN dot com Stephen Holder joining us, Steven. Let's
get right to the first thing's first year, and that
is the colt's injury report. You know, I would assume
obviously at this point on a Tuesday, there's really no
new information on some of those, notably Kenny Moore and
Alec Pierce, that are hurt. Sometimes there are also those
(00:22):
that we hear about and you go, wait a minute,
I didn't realize that they were under question in terms
of their health status. Where do things stand right now
in terms of the health of the colts, Well.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
It's pretty apparent at this point. I think that Kenny
Moore is not going to play this week. That's not confirmed,
they haven't said that out right, but every indication is
that he will not play this week. So I think
they're planning for that. Mike Kilton, which that kick that
was reported yesterday that the former SNATI Bengals corner he
(00:56):
has joined the practice squad as of today officially so
they can promote him on a Sunday if they need him.
And remember he has a history of playing in the slot,
and so he has shown the versatility to be able
to play in there. Is he the player he used
to be? I don't think so. Then that's just a reality.
(01:16):
But he has experienced and he could do it on
short notice. So that's where they are there, look out Paris.
You know how these concussions are, You don't know, frankly
until you see how the player responds in the following days.
So too early to know. He's got to go through
the steps, and he can't really do that for the
(01:37):
most part until you get out there and practice, so
that process gets underway. Tomorrow we'll see if he's even
out there, if he has had a or I guess
if his symptoms have subsided, he can practice and then
he's got to follow the steps and then we will
see where he stands on Friday Saturday. So that's where
we're right now. But I think you're getting ready to
(02:00):
see perhaps Mike Hilton and possibly if Piers doesn't play
a little more of Ady Mitchell's.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Steve And I know he has to miss one more
game because he was placed on injury reserve prior to
the season, But is the anticipation after this week that
the twenty one day would turn to action window will
be opened for jail and Carlis.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
What I've heard is that he seems to be somebody
who will come back sooner than later when once that
four week you know, time limits has elapsed and this
is the fourth game coming up, and that would be
good because I do think linebacker is an issue for
them right now. That position or that unit, the depth
(02:42):
is just not there and they don't have a lot
of playmaking at that position right now. Carlais is a
guy who has that potential, that playmaking potential, particularly in coverage.
And so you go up against a play caller like
Sean McVay and you know, Wise won't play this week.
But I'm just saying, you know, that's a guy who
(03:03):
can exploit your weaknesses, and that is a weakness for
the Colts. So it's something to watch for his work.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Stephen, which has been a bigger Stephen Holder, our guest
from ESPN dot com, which has been a bigger surprise
for you in terms of this offense, and by that
I mean in the short yardage passing game and a
short yardage target for Daniel Jones, Jonathan Taylor or Alec Pierce.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Hmm. I would say Jonathan Taylor maybe because I think
if you look at the last couple of years, his
receiving numbers have been down pretty substantially. He caught a
lot of passes in his first two years because he
was on the field all the time, but the last
(03:51):
two years since Shane Styken, it's goincided with Shane Styking
being here. And I don't know that it's Shane specifically,
but for whatever reason, he has caught a lot of
passes and I think it's an opportunity missed. I always
thought that. I think some of the biggest plays in
Jonathan Taylor's career have come in the passing game. I
talked to him about this recently. You can go back
to there was that Carson Wentz game in Baltimore a
(04:15):
few years back where they hit him on a checkdown
or a screen, I can't remember, and he went about
seventy yards to the house. There was there was a
screen in Houston. I think maybe Philip Rivers through this.
I believe maybe as a rookie for Jonathan Taylor's rookie year,
took that one, you know, sixty yards or so to
(04:38):
the end zone.
Speaker 4 (04:39):
You know he is.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
His playmaking ability is the same whether you throw it
to him or he runs it right. If he's in
the open field, he's in the open field. So I
just think there were some missed opportunities there. And Shane
Staken told me before the season privately, he said, JT's
going to catch a lot of passes this year. And
I said, really, because I forgot. It seems like you
(05:02):
guys forgot that he existed in the passing game. And
it's kind of what I said to him, I'm paraphrasing,
and he said, no. He says, Daniel is the perfect guy.
He's going to give him the ball and he's going
to check it down to him a lot, because that's
what he does when he doesn't have his first option.
And you know, we think that he can help us
a little more in the passing game, even scheming stuff
(05:22):
for him, as you saw, I believe last week against
the Broncos. He saw that long reception that he had
that was a schemed play. It wasn't a checkdown. So
I'm happy they're doing it because I again, I think
they've left a lot on the bone by not getting
him involved there. He is a very poor pass protector.
That's part of what has been his has kept him
(05:42):
out of the passing game. But he's doing a better
job this year. I have to give him credit, and
it really is about effort. So that's good. But at
the same time, ale Pearis being involved. I knew he
could do it. They just had to actually give him
the opportunities, and I'm glad that they are because he
is a more well rounded receiver than we give them
credit for.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
I was talking about earlier Stephen before he came on.
You know Alec Pierce and his ability to play again
possession receiver is the wrong word, but you know they're
able to use him in just in shorter routes, you know,
bubble screens, whatever you want to use. You know, he's
not just the deep ball threat, is what I'm getting
(06:24):
at here, right. How much of that is Shane Stike
in deciding to design and scheme things for Alec Pierce,
And how much of that is Reggie Wayne as I
was talking about saying, Look, I had to reinvent myself
as a receiver in the latter part of my career.
You still have the versatility. Let me show you how
to play in this style. Am I giving the Wayne
(06:46):
aspect too much credit there?
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Well, it definitely is a factor. Here's where it's a factor.
Here's where Reggie Wayne is a factor. Alec Pierce has
very much wanted to do this. I talked to him
about this in the off season and he said, his
entire offseason work will the majority of his off season
work was spent on getting in and out of his
(07:10):
breaks and doing the things that get you open on
shorter and intermediate routes. You know, when he gets to
open up and run down the field on a seven
step drop, well he can do that because the guy
can run, and he runs like a gazelle. You know,
he's six three with long legs and he's got good speed, right,
So that's natural for him. What's not natural is how
(07:32):
do you how do you get open when you're you're
running you know, an eight yard incut, you know, and
you've got to shake this corner who is all over
you. You do that with very precise cuts and good technique
and running routes that all look the same, so that
corner doesn't get any kind of indication on what you're doing.
(07:54):
So that is where I think the Reggie Wayne aspect
comes into play because he was great at that right.
Reggie Wayne was a technician. You know, when we talk
about Jerry Rice, now, he's not Jerry Rice, although he's
a very he was an excellent player, a Hall of famer,
I think. But Jerry Rice, there's a reason he could
play in the NFL running a you know, a four
(08:14):
to eight forty not quite for eight, but almost right.
And the reason is because he was an incredible technician
and you never knew whether he was running a go
route or a slant. You couldn't tell the difference. And
that is what you have to be able to implement
into your game. And I like Paris has done a
much better job I think of running more precise routes
(08:35):
and that's how he's creating that space now. And then
the other thing is Daniel Jones frankly as a factor
here because his ball placement has been incredible. I mean,
I can't believe it. I mean I didn't think he
was like this, you know, wildly inaccurate quarterback. But I
never thought he would throw the ball with this kind
(08:56):
of accuracy. It is ridiculous. So I mean, he's just
doing a great job. Pearce is a great contested ball catcher,
and it's all coming together. So it's all of the above.
Speaker 4 (09:05):
Stephen, can you do me. You're not driving right now,
are you?
Speaker 2 (09:09):
I'm not?
Speaker 4 (09:10):
Okay?
Speaker 1 (09:10):
Good, because I want you to close your eyes for
a second. Okay, I'm not going to hypnotize you here, Okay,
Stephen Holder. I want you to close your eyes, take
a deep breath. Okay. I want you to envision Halloween
of twenty twenty six. This is Halloween a year from now,
a year and a month from now or so. Okay,
(09:32):
So you're getting ready, you're setting up the trick or
treating and everything else, and just when the kids are
about to come from the neighborhood up to drive, your
wife says to you, oh, Stephen, before we hand out
the candy, I was supposed to remind you you've got
a phone interview with the Colts quarterback tonight. You say,
that's right, So you tell the kids to hang on
(09:55):
just a second. You've got to conduct an interview with
the starting quarterback of the Colts. Is that player Dani Jones.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
It sort of sounds like it. Because the guy has
no wife, he doesn't know that it's Halloween. Clearly because
all he does is study the damn playbook. So it
sounds like Daniel Jones to me. But look, in all seriousness, but.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
Is he here a year fr now as the guy
that's starting.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
For I know, I know, I know I think that
you or or is.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
He in fact this year for Halloween just disguised as
a guy that's a competent quarterback and we're all going
to be fooled with a treat a trick and not
a treat.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Well, wouldn't we feel stupid if that's the case?
Speaker 5 (10:35):
Right?
Speaker 2 (10:35):
But look, three games is not enough. I mean, I'm
not giving him an extension tomorrow or anything. However, I
think if what we're seeing is real, even if it's
not like to this level, he doesn't have to play
this well all year for him to be a guy
who is who is an option for them next year.
This team they don't they can't be picky. Okay, they're
(10:57):
not going to have a great draft pick. There's not
going to be core backs falling.
Speaker 4 (11:00):
Out of the trees.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Like if this guy continues to play competent football and
can work with Shane Stikeen in such a way that
he can get the best out of him. It's a
no brainer. It's no brainer. And so they have a
couple of things going for them. You still got to
sign him, right, and that won't They won't be fourteen million, okay,
like it is this year. So the options would be
(11:24):
as follows. You negotiate, you come to a deal, You
sign him to a multi year contract. Obviously he would
want that, because who wouldn't. The other alternative if you
can't get a deal done is you have the franchise
tag because he is your player. So the Colts have
the upper hand. He would certainly be of interest to
other teams if he plays this well all year, There's
(11:45):
no question about that. But they have the upper hand
because they can negotiate with him in advance, whereas other
teams cannot. And they also have the benefit of the
franchise tag, which would be a gazillion dollars for one year,
but probably worth it.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
I think what you Freudian just said to us before
I inadvertently cut you off from saying it, is that
Daniel Jones. Part of how he ended up getting the
job is on Halloween, he's studying the playbook and the
last guy was trick or treating, right.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
Not exactly what I was saying, but I will say this,
I hear where you're going with that. I do think that,
you know, I don't want to characterize these things in
such a way like, well, one guy's working hard and
the other guy isn't. But I would say this this guy, Yeah,
but this guy definitely has an incomparable work ethic. That
(12:35):
is true. And I think for Daniel Jones, he would
not be the player that he is right now without that. Okay,
now there may be players for whom it's different, But
for Daniel, his success from everything we see and hear,
is because when you ask Shane Spekin about him, it's
(12:58):
the only thing he talks about. He says, well, the
guy works hard and he studies and it's all he
puts in. All this work, right, it's what everybody says.
So he knows that his ticket to success is knowing
everything backwards and forwards. And maybe it's because he doesn't
have maybe the you know, the magical Josh Allen type
(13:20):
of arm or the Lamar Jackson overall ability. Right, He's
not that kind of quarterback. There's no question about that.
Now he's throwing the ball very well, but there is
something to be said for that, Like he has to
be on the screws on all the details because you know,
his arm talent maybe isn't what it is for some
(13:41):
of the elite guys out there, so he makes up
for it in other ways. And I know that's a
tired cliche, like you know, maybe the guy who isn't
as physically talented, he just outworks everybody. But I can
only tell you in the case of Daniel Jones, that's
what you're seeing right now, Like you're seeing a guy
who's outworking everybody and making himself the quarterback that he
(14:02):
is in part because of the work in the preparation
that he puts in.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
Steven, let me give you a couple of notes from
this weekend, and I want you to tell me what
you notice here.
Speaker 4 (14:14):
Okay, I think back.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
You know the NFL is a is a copycat and
cyclical league, right, I mean, we know that there are
trends that happened in the NFL, and a couple of
years ago we were all discussing, you know that the
running back was this expendable, fungible position that you know,
no longer did you need to spend a top second?
You know, three rounds pick on the running back because
(14:37):
everybody was throwing for a billion yards, and the league
and the competition committee, going back to Brady Manning, was
set up for to advantage quarterback. I look at and
I'm looking at the sheet right here. Okay, this past weekend,
Tyrod Taylor in his game, Tyrod Taylor threw for let
(14:58):
me see here, six thirty six for one hundred and
ninety seven yards. Okay, Carson Wentz comes in and fills in,
and Carson Wentz goes fourteen to twenty for one hundred
and seventy three yards. These are both wins. Bryce Young
for Carolina sixteen of twenty four for one hundred and
twenty one yards. What is it that we're seeing and
(15:19):
this is becoming more and more than norm Why is
it that we are now seeing short yardage passing games
where you're getting guys that are completing twenty to twenty
five passes but doing it for a total of one
hundred and twenty five yards.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
Well, I think there have to be some extenuating circumstances
for that to work. So you mentioned Carson Wentz for example.
I believe they had two defensive touchdowns in that game.
So that's an example of a scenario like, did you
mention Wentz?
Speaker 4 (15:52):
No, you mentioned I did mention Wentz? Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
I mean here, okay, Joe Flacco twenty one thirty six
hundred and forty two yards per standing on the former
cult team. But you get what I'm saying, Like, you
know what, it's almost like rhythm passing is now prioritized
over deep ball passing.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
I think it depends on the kind of game, right,
I mean, we also saw a game last night where
there were you know, like what eighty some odd points
scored or something, or it's definitely seventy points, right, I
forget off the top of my head. But the point is,
I think it depends. It depends on the kind of
game you're talking about, and certain games will play out differently,
(16:28):
and I think coaches and play callers will govern themselves accordingly.
You know, the Browns and Placo a thirteen to ten game.
I think that's one where if the Packers aren't moving
the ball and you're the Browns and your defense is
doing a hell of a job, like you have to
assume it was. I didn't see the game, Well, you're
going to probably call a conservative game. And I mean
(16:49):
you think that's that's kind of a decision that probably
is made in the moment, right, the Vikings, the defense
playing great, two defensive scores, the Bengals not moving the
ball the other hand, Right, so you you govern yourself differently.
Even the Colts for some you know, to some extent.
Now they scored plenty of points, but when did Jonathan
(17:10):
Taylor really take over that game in the second half
when they had a big lead, Right, So I would
say it it is game to game. But but what
your what your point proves though, is that you you
do have to be able to win different ways. And
I and I also think that the running game matters
here too.
Speaker 5 (17:30):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
There's some fantastic running backs in the league right now,
and that's they're a factor here too. Uh. The running
game is not dead, I'm happy to say, because I
think that we we did overlook that and there was
that whole period of like, oh, don't pay your running
back because it won't be worth it. Well, I mean
you think the Colts regret paying Jonathan Taylor right now?
(17:52):
I don't think we talk about that enough, right, I mean,
just two years ago they were at war with each other,
Jonathan Taylor and the Colts were at war. He and
his agent were telling me privately, Yeah we're done.
Speaker 4 (18:05):
Yeah, trade right.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
I mean, I can be honest about it now. I mean,
where do people think my sources were? He was a
freaking source, Okay? Right, So, like my point is this
that has paid off, I mean wonderfully all right. No
one was complaining about that when he was taking that
forty six yard run to the house on Sunday. So
(18:26):
I'm all over the place here, But I do think
there's lots of little factors and a good coaching and
teams that are built the right way can win without
maybe the big three hundred yard passing games. It's harder
to do, but it can be done. That's true.
Speaker 4 (18:42):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
Lastly, Steven, Steven Holder, our guest. Through three weeks usually
like right about the time, is right about the time statistically,
certainly speaking, where you do start to get a better
idea as to who's legit and who's not. Okay, when
you look right now at the NFL through game three
(19:03):
or week three, give me two teams, let's say, one
to the good and one to the bad whose record
is a little misleading as to who they are because
either they've gotten off to a good record and you're like, yeah,
but you got to look below the surface that's maybe
a little misleading, or one that that has gotten off
to a slow start, but you have to look at
(19:24):
who they played or circumstances and say, don't work, don't
sleep on them just yet.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
So this will not be a popular answer, but I'm
gonna say it. I think the Colts have to prove
some things. They're three and zero and they have earned it.
Speaker 4 (19:42):
Now.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
The fact is the Titans and Dolphins, I mean they're
combined oh and six. Okay, they haven't done anything. They've
barely moved the ball this year. So I think we
need to find out that. That's why this Week four
game is so important.
Speaker 5 (19:58):
Right.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
That is not to suggest I don't believe in them.
I'm not saying that. I actually here's a reason to
believe in the Colts because they played two bad teams, yes,
in the Dolphins and Titans, but they pounded them. I mean,
they they did whatever they wanted. That is not the
Colts team we are familiar with. We are familiar with
(20:20):
a Colts team that even just last year, when they
were competing for the playoffs was just skating by the
Jets and Patriots. Right, So so this is a different
season for sure. So but let's see this is this
is why this will be their biggest tests on the road.
Sean McVeigh, Matthew Stafford. Let's find out what they're made of.
(20:41):
On the other end, I guess a team that maybe
is whose bad record is deceiving you think? Is that
what you're saying? Yeah, you know, I want to say
the Houston Texans, but I don't know if I believe it.
Speaker 4 (20:55):
I think they might be. I agree times might.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
One side of my brain is like, well, duh, they're
not owing. They're not as bad as an three team.
Speaker 4 (21:05):
Is Kansas City really one and two? You know what
I mean? Like, I know they are saying.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
Now they're not are They don't scare you right now?
There's no question about that. Although I would say this
Mahomes is the greatest winner I've seen outside of Tom Brady.
He just knows how to win. They know how to win.
So look, we thought they were down late last year
and then what what they do? They went to the
(21:32):
freaking Super Bowl right late last season. We were just
waiting for somebody to figure it out and beat them
in the playoffs, and all they did was just win,
you know, so I never bury those guys. And I
think it's going to be one of the great storylines
of the rest of this season is do the Chiefs
figure it out? Because either way, whether they're dead. They're
(21:55):
not dead, but whether they're whether they fall off, or
whether they make a run, it's a great story either
way because we're going to be paying attention. So I
am fascinated by it without question.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
Can you imagine being a sports talk radio guy in
New Orleans You're talking about the oh to three Saints.
You wanted to deviate from it, so it's Pelican's chat time.
I mean, how miserable must that be?
Speaker 4 (22:14):
Right? I guess it's all LSU all the time, right,
and then you got to do it.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Brian Kelly, there's that too.
Speaker 4 (22:21):
I know.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
I'm sorry.
Speaker 4 (22:23):
Sorry Brian Kelly.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
By the way, I mean, he seems lovely, doesn't need
he seems lovely.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
He has the most punishable face in college football. I
don't know if I should say that, but I'm saying
it right.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
I mean, the guy just bugs me. Man, I don't
know what it is. That guy bothers me. I see him,
come on the screen. I want to see the channel.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Ryan Kelly, of course, has a famous tirade just a
couple of weeks ago in a college football press conference,
and a guy that has perhaps one of the most
famous just found out that he's in the unemployment line.
I will tell you who that is, just a couple
of minutes from now. But Steven Holder, appreciate the time
as always.
Speaker 4 (22:57):
Man. We'll talk to you soon, all right, all right,
I'll tell you soon.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
All right, Stephen Holder joining us, Yes, joining us now
on the guest line. He is, I believe out in
Las Vegas. From Fieldhouse file, Scott Agnes joining us tonight.
It is the fever in Las Vegas. It is a
nine to thirty tip. You'll hear Eddie with the pregame
at nine fifteen. Scott, let's begin with this. I know
(23:22):
that the balloting says otherwise, but I think now it
has been cemented, at least in the minds around here.
Kelsey Mitchell is the most valuable player in the WNBA
this year?
Speaker 4 (23:33):
Is she not?
Speaker 5 (23:35):
It sure seems like it, But it all goes back
to that old adages, is who's most valuable versus who
had the best season, right, I guess right, Like we
talk about that every awards season. But to me, if anything,
I would have said in a Pieza Collier, if I
had a vote, I would have given it to her
given the fact that she had her best career year,
Minnesota was the best team. But if you take it
literally for its meaning most valuable, the Fever are nowhere
(23:57):
close to where they are right now, still playing with
out Kelsey Mitchell.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
Yeah, the the way that she Kelsey Mitchell has been
able to score in different areas, and you know whether
it be I mean, she's obviously very aggressive and very
quick at getting to the basket. She can shoot from
the outside. One of the things that I'm curious about
Scott and we were talking about this earlier and it's
hard to bring it up because it sounds like a
(24:26):
like a lazy narrative and be like it's an indicting
narrative on Caitlin Clark, which is not intended to be
at all. But when you look at the way that
they have played in the last month, are the Fever
right now playing better as a team than they did
at any point this year?
Speaker 5 (24:46):
I think so, only because it felt like they never
the season never really got off its ground.
Speaker 4 (24:51):
Yeah, fair, you.
Speaker 5 (24:52):
Had so many issues and so I don't think we
ever saw the full potential or anything close to that.
I just I go back Jake to the first week
of training, came Aitlan and Demers don'ts. Both had injuries
and we're out, so right away you're dealing with that.
But the remarkable thing is just how they've continued to
play at this high level. Like you keep thinking they're
(25:13):
due for that thirty point blowout where you're just like, well,
it wasn't their night, but these games have all been competitive.
They stayed in the fight that given all their limitations,
and I thought it was interesting. I was curious how
some of them have been holding up. So I even asked,
like the hole today just to shoot around, which we
just wrapped up, and she was like, yeah, my body
is really going through it. I'm having to do all
these extra measures, but still no excuse for keep going.
(25:36):
But I can't imagine a player like her, or Mitchell
or Leah Boston. They've played in every game the physicality
to deal with, and I give a Leah Boston also
a lot of credit. I think she's played with a
lot more of an edge and a feistiness that has
carried her to a better performance here in this postseason
as well.
Speaker 4 (25:52):
Scott.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
When you look at the injuries the Fever have had
and the number of roster commendation they've had to use,
and Stephanie White having to, you know, at sometimes probably
have name tags for everybody during practice. Have they reinvented
the style that they wanted to play or has it
(26:15):
been Look, this is who we are and this is
how we're going to play. It's just the faces are
going to have to be different.
Speaker 5 (26:21):
Yeah, they've made some small tweaks on the fringes and
I think especially early on a month ago when they
were bringing in, you know, three hardship players in a
matter of a week, they really had to simplify and
even not have too much of an offense when many
of them are out there. But I think that has
changed a ton going into this postseason. They had four
(26:42):
days between games entering the playoffs, and so that was
the time finally where coach White and her staff had
time to add some new place and the main thing
she stressed was to become more unpredictable because she felt
like they were very very predictable leading up to that,
given what they had to do. And by the way,
I want to go back to Kelsey and we talk
about her offense. I think the thing that's shine through
(27:04):
too is the level in which she elevated her defensive
play and taking on some of the best offensive players
on the other side this season as well. And then
I'd even add in a third thing to what's made
her season so spectacular, Jake, And that's while she's quiet
by nature, kind of like a Pascal Siakam, she has
emerged and become a vocal leader and willing to speak
(27:26):
up at various times, more to the point where she's
certainly this one of the most valuable players in the
league with all that she does on the both ends
of the floor for this group.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
And by the way, how good has honesty Simms been
as well, especially here in the postseason?
Speaker 5 (27:40):
I think, right, yeah, I even asked Stephanie White about
that today and I'm like, how much of it is
just fit an opportunity? Because we talk about that with
these pros, right, how many times do you see some
elite level college player and then they just don't pan
out or maybe even take the Colts quarterback a like
it just doesn't pan out in the first stop or Daniel,
and you need that second opportunity to figure it out.
(28:03):
And honestly, Simms is a veteran player in this league,
but she was without a job for a month and
right away this team also wouldn't be where they are
without her, both with their scoring and I think so
much of what she does is it's attacking and getting
the defense on their heels and then that opens things
up for everyone else along the perimeter.
Speaker 4 (28:20):
Scott.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
When you look at Scott Agnes's our guest Fieldhouse files,
you know, look Las Vegas and maybe one of the
things that benefited Indiana late in the year is some
of the players that they were having to go out
and acquire because they're veterans. They they've kind of been
through the rigger, right, and they've been through personal, you know,
(28:41):
journey to get to reinvent themselves and get this new
lease in terms of the minutes that they're getting, and
maybe that also catapults Indiana a little bit. But let's
talk about from Las Vegas' standpoint. You know, they didn't
just the Fever win game one. I mean, they really
controlled and made a statement in game one, what adjustments
(29:01):
does Las Vegas do we anticipate seeing here in game two?
Speaker 5 (29:05):
Yeah, I think the one we know is gonna just
happen naturally. Is we all expect Asia Wilson to do
what she does, being one of the best players in
the league, right, so everything else. First of all, to me,
it starts with them getting Indiana slowed down and fast break.
Fever were really able to dictate tempo and after especially
early on, where we saw the Aces miss so many
bunnies around the hoop and the Fever race down the floor,
(29:28):
and that's their style, their number one and fast break points.
They love to play fast. So I think the Aces
need to slow them down and really be able to then,
on the other end, not just be so dependent on Asia,
because that's what we saw during the regular season when
these teams two met. Asia was solid, but the rest
of the team were limited in what they contributed. So
(29:52):
that and then on top of that, I would add in,
can you keep Kelsey Mitchell to say twenty five points?
Which is impressive nonetheless, because I you know, for her
to go off for thirty four and for the rest
of the Fever players to contribute the ways in which
they did. I thought them limiting the Leah Boston was
a success, but she was so impactful in other ways.
But to me, it starts with scoring at a higher
(30:14):
clip than their forty percent and then slowing Indiana down
and making them work in the half court much more often.
It's so resembles the pacers right all this conversation, the
similarities and overlaps are remarkable to meet you.
Speaker 1 (30:26):
No, I would agree with that. And also you know
it all coming together late right where then you look
at it and you go, man, how do we not
see this all year long coming like once they had solidarity?
You know, from the Las Vegas standpoint, I thought Asia
Wilson to your point, I mean, dynamic player, dynamic scorer,
did not score the ball well at least in terms
(30:47):
of offensive efficiency in Game one, but that kind of
led to a balance elsewhere. I thought that they got
did the aces you know from Evans for example, Jackie Young,
you know, can score the basketball, but did it almost
even though things were balanced out for Las Vegas? Is
it better served for Indiana if they're less spreading the wealth,
(31:09):
so to speak? And you almost want to just hone
in on Asia Wilson. Does that make sense?
Speaker 5 (31:14):
Yeah, I was having that exact conversation this morning. It's like,
are you good with her going for thirty five and
no other player with like more than eight points? And
I think part of you are, absolutely because she's so
dangerous also in distributing the ball. But if it's just
her going and Aliyah, who's also from played at South Carolina,
so there's a lot of familiarity between those two players
(31:35):
who were really battling it out. To me, that's the
most fascinating matchup of this series. But yeah, I think
there's a lot of value in that, quite frankly. And
the player also they need is Chelsea Gray, who is
well regarded as maybe the best guard, point guard, best
passing guard in the league for the last several years.
And in that backcourt of Gray and Young for ass
(31:55):
to have success, I think needs to come up big time.
Speaker 3 (31:58):
Scott, You've been around this team for most of the season,
whether it's practice, shoot aun or whatever. I don't want
to talk about her as the coach. I want to
talk about her as the person I know. Natalie Nicassi
won the Coach of the Year, even though Stephanie White
probably should have done it for just the x's and
o's and just what all she had to do to
put this team together so off the court as a person,
What did Stephanie White do to make this team so
(32:18):
collective and so together? Because I don't think he gets
talked about enough of the job that she's done of
just bringing this group together.
Speaker 5 (32:25):
No, that's a good point. I think the reality is
in terms of like the voters and there's seventy two
is unless you're even those of us that are there
every day, we truly don't know all those little things
in the locker room and that they've gone through the hardshifts.
Even the fact that Stephanie White's mother in law passed
away and that's why she had to miss a couple
of games. In turn, that actually brought her in Kelsey
(32:45):
Mitchell closer because Mitchell lost her father last year, and
Kelsey was talking about this after last game, as they're
bonded by that shared experience and also their love of
basketball and things like that. To me, I think Stephanie
probably should have fit this third and the Coach of
the Year voting, just given all she's been through. But
I think number one, steph has empowered each player to
(33:07):
be the best versions of themselves. For example, you brought
up honestly Simms earlier. When honestly stops driving and it's deferring,
Steph jumps on her for the Hey, look, we need
you to be exactly who you are, because that's why
we brought you in. And Jake to your Jake's point earlier,
they specifically brought in veteran, playoff tested players because of
(33:27):
their inexperience and their their shortcomings elsewhere. At least they
wouldn't have to figure out big game experience on the fly.
But I think the confidence that Stephanie instills and all
the players, I think the relatability. She's won championships, She's
played at a high level. She knows this franchise inside
and out from her previous time here as a player
in coach, and so I think she takes the time
(33:50):
to get to know these players on a personal basis.
I go back to last fall, about a year ago.
The primary goal was to re sign Kelsey Mitchell, and
it was not a done deal, it was not a given,
and she poured into her both starting from my personal standpoint,
even before the basketball standpoint, and I think that has
really resonated with these players, because when you feel that
(34:11):
connection beyond basketball, it only helps what you're doing on
the court when things get tough, when you go through adversity.
Speaker 4 (34:18):
Scott, there's been this.
Speaker 1 (34:20):
I don't even know where this came about, but I
started reading a couple of months ago, mostly on social media,
which that's a dangerous enough place as it is. But
I start reading all these articles about how like, oh man, like,
people in the entertainment industry and in the hospitality industry
in Las Vegas are talking about how like nobody's going
to Vegas, and Vegas is dying and whatever else. I
have no idea if that's true. It's been a while
(34:40):
since I've been there, like a year or so, fact
or fiction. Like things seem slower on Las Vegas Boulevard.
Speaker 5 (34:48):
I'd say fact for sure. I walked around the pool area,
about half of it was empty, now given it was
what Monday afternoon, but still here. I mean there's no
days or times of you know, people are here at
all times of the year. Usually there's it's bustling with conventions.
Maybe it's not a big convention season, but no, I
think that's definitely fact for sure, even though the airline
(35:09):
prices didn't reflect that.
Speaker 4 (35:11):
Yeah, no, kidding, right, what's what's the temperature out there
right now?
Speaker 5 (35:15):
Not too bad? I think it's like eighty five or so. Okay, yeah, No,
once you kind of get in the inside, you don't
really have an excuse to go outside. So so basically.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
If you're walking around the pool and there's not many
people there, just more reason for you to walk around
on the thong.
Speaker 4 (35:28):
Is that what you're getting at?
Speaker 5 (35:30):
No, I will not be doing that whatsoever. I just
wanted to get some natural sunlight after feeling like you're
stuff inside for a couple.
Speaker 1 (35:37):
Days, gotten his speedo, just hanging around walking around the strip,
all right, Scott, Tonight nine thirty it is the Aces
and the Fever nine to fifteen pregame on this show.
Speaker 4 (35:45):
Appreciate it, man, you got it.
Speaker 5 (35:47):
Thanks guys.
Speaker 4 (35:48):
Scott Agnes joining us from Fieldhouse Files.
Joining us now, a guy that feels like he's under
duress every time he comes on this program. I'm sure
from ESPN dot com Stephen Holder joining us, Steven. Let's
get right to the first thing's first year, and that
is the colt's injury report. You know, I would assume
obviously at this point on a Tuesday, there's really no
new information on some of those, notably Kenny Moore and
Alec Pierce, that are hurt. Sometimes there are also those
(00:22):
that we hear about and you go, wait a minute,
I didn't realize that they were under question in terms
of their health status. Where do things stand right now
in terms of the health of the colts, Well.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
It's pretty apparent at this point. I think that Kenny
Moore is not going to play this week. That's not confirmed,
they haven't said that out right, but every indication is
that he will not play this week. So I think
they're planning for that. Mike Kilton, which that kick that
was reported yesterday that the former SNATI Bengals corner he
(00:56):
has joined the practice squad as of today officially so
they can promote him on a Sunday if they need him.
And remember he has a history of playing in the slot,
and so he has shown the versatility to be able
to play in there. Is he the player he used
to be? I don't think so. Then that's just a reality.
(01:16):
But he has experienced and he could do it on
short notice. So that's where they are there, look out Paris.
You know how these concussions are, You don't know, frankly
until you see how the player responds in the following days.
So too early to know. He's got to go through
the steps, and he can't really do that for the
(01:37):
most part until you get out there and practice, so
that process gets underway. Tomorrow we'll see if he's even
out there, if he has had a or I guess
if his symptoms have subsided, he can practice and then
he's got to follow the steps and then we will
see where he stands on Friday Saturday. So that's where
we're right now. But I think you're getting ready to
(02:00):
see perhaps Mike Hilton and possibly if Piers doesn't play
a little more of Ady Mitchell's.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Steve And I know he has to miss one more
game because he was placed on injury reserve prior to
the season, But is the anticipation after this week that
the twenty one day would turn to action window will
be opened for jail and Carlis.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
What I've heard is that he seems to be somebody
who will come back sooner than later when once that
four week you know, time limits has elapsed and this
is the fourth game coming up, and that would be
good because I do think linebacker is an issue for
them right now. That position or that unit, the depth
(02:42):
is just not there and they don't have a lot
of playmaking at that position right now. Carlais is a
guy who has that potential, that playmaking potential, particularly in coverage.
And so you go up against a play caller like
Sean McVay and you know, Wise won't play this week.
But I'm just saying, you know, that's a guy who
(03:03):
can exploit your weaknesses, and that is a weakness for
the Colts. So it's something to watch for his work.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Stephen, which has been a bigger Stephen Holder, our guest
from ESPN dot com, which has been a bigger surprise
for you in terms of this offense, and by that
I mean in the short yardage passing game and a
short yardage target for Daniel Jones, Jonathan Taylor or Alec Pierce.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Hmm. I would say Jonathan Taylor maybe because I think
if you look at the last couple of years, his
receiving numbers have been down pretty substantially. He caught a
lot of passes in his first two years because he
was on the field all the time, but the last
(03:51):
two years since Shane Styken, it's goincided with Shane Styking
being here. And I don't know that it's Shane specifically,
but for whatever reason, he has caught a lot of
passes and I think it's an opportunity missed. I always
thought that. I think some of the biggest plays in
Jonathan Taylor's career have come in the passing game. I
talked to him about this recently. You can go back
to there was that Carson Wentz game in Baltimore a
(04:15):
few years back where they hit him on a checkdown
or a screen, I can't remember, and he went about
seventy yards to the house. There was there was a
screen in Houston. I think maybe Philip Rivers through this.
I believe maybe as a rookie for Jonathan Taylor's rookie year,
took that one, you know, sixty yards or so to
(04:38):
the end zone.
Speaker 4 (04:39):
You know he is.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
His playmaking ability is the same whether you throw it
to him or he runs it right. If he's in
the open field, he's in the open field. So I
just think there were some missed opportunities there. And Shane
Staken told me before the season privately, he said, JT's
going to catch a lot of passes this year. And
I said, really, because I forgot. It seems like you
(05:02):
guys forgot that he existed in the passing game. And
it's kind of what I said to him, I'm paraphrasing,
and he said, no. He says, Daniel is the perfect guy.
He's going to give him the ball and he's going
to check it down to him a lot, because that's
what he does when he doesn't have his first option.
And you know, we think that he can help us
a little more in the passing game, even scheming stuff
(05:22):
for him, as you saw, I believe last week against
the Broncos. He saw that long reception that he had
that was a schemed play. It wasn't a checkdown. So
I'm happy they're doing it because I again, I think
they've left a lot on the bone by not getting
him involved there. He is a very poor pass protector.
That's part of what has been his has kept him
(05:42):
out of the passing game. But he's doing a better
job this year. I have to give him credit, and
it really is about effort. So that's good. But at
the same time, ale Pearis being involved. I knew he
could do it. They just had to actually give him
the opportunities, and I'm glad that they are because he
is a more well rounded receiver than we give them
credit for.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
I was talking about earlier Stephen before he came on.
You know Alec Pierce and his ability to play again
possession receiver is the wrong word, but you know they're
able to use him in just in shorter routes, you know,
bubble screens, whatever you want to use. You know, he's
not just the deep ball threat, is what I'm getting
(06:24):
at here, right. How much of that is Shane Stike
in deciding to design and scheme things for Alec Pierce,
And how much of that is Reggie Wayne as I
was talking about saying, Look, I had to reinvent myself
as a receiver in the latter part of my career.
You still have the versatility. Let me show you how
to play in this style. Am I giving the Wayne
(06:46):
aspect too much credit there?
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Well, it definitely is a factor. Here's where it's a factor.
Here's where Reggie Wayne is a factor. Alec Pierce has
very much wanted to do this. I talked to him
about this in the off season and he said, his
entire offseason work will the majority of his off season
work was spent on getting in and out of his
(07:10):
breaks and doing the things that get you open on
shorter and intermediate routes. You know, when he gets to
open up and run down the field on a seven
step drop, well he can do that because the guy
can run, and he runs like a gazelle. You know,
he's six three with long legs and he's got good speed, right,
So that's natural for him. What's not natural is how
(07:32):
do you how do you get open when you're you're
running you know, an eight yard incut, you know, and
you've got to shake this corner who is all over
you. You do that with very precise cuts and good technique
and running routes that all look the same, so that
corner doesn't get any kind of indication on what you're doing.
(07:54):
So that is where I think the Reggie Wayne aspect
comes into play because he was great at that right.
Reggie Wayne was a technician. You know, when we talk
about Jerry Rice, now, he's not Jerry Rice, although he's
a very he was an excellent player, a Hall of famer,
I think. But Jerry Rice, there's a reason he could
play in the NFL running a you know, a four
(08:14):
to eight forty not quite for eight, but almost right.
And the reason is because he was an incredible technician
and you never knew whether he was running a go
route or a slant. You couldn't tell the difference. And
that is what you have to be able to implement
into your game. And I like Paris has done a
much better job I think of running more precise routes
(08:35):
and that's how he's creating that space now. And then
the other thing is Daniel Jones frankly as a factor
here because his ball placement has been incredible. I mean,
I can't believe it. I mean I didn't think he
was like this, you know, wildly inaccurate quarterback. But I
never thought he would throw the ball with this kind
(08:56):
of accuracy. It is ridiculous. So I mean, he's just
doing a great job. Pearce is a great contested ball catcher,
and it's all coming together. So it's all of the above.
Speaker 4 (09:05):
Stephen, can you do me. You're not driving right now,
are you?
Speaker 2 (09:09):
I'm not?
Speaker 4 (09:10):
Okay?
Speaker 1 (09:10):
Good, because I want you to close your eyes for
a second. Okay, I'm not going to hypnotize you here, Okay,
Stephen Holder. I want you to close your eyes, take
a deep breath. Okay. I want you to envision Halloween
of twenty twenty six. This is Halloween a year from now,
a year and a month from now or so. Okay,
(09:32):
So you're getting ready, you're setting up the trick or
treating and everything else, and just when the kids are
about to come from the neighborhood up to drive, your
wife says to you, oh, Stephen, before we hand out
the candy, I was supposed to remind you you've got
a phone interview with the Colts quarterback tonight. You say,
that's right, So you tell the kids to hang on
(09:55):
just a second. You've got to conduct an interview with
the starting quarterback of the Colts. Is that player Dani Jones.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
It sort of sounds like it. Because the guy has
no wife, he doesn't know that it's Halloween. Clearly because
all he does is study the damn playbook. So it
sounds like Daniel Jones to me. But look, in all seriousness, but.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
Is he here a year fr now as the guy
that's starting.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
For I know, I know, I know I think that
you or or is.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
He in fact this year for Halloween just disguised as
a guy that's a competent quarterback and we're all going
to be fooled with a treat a trick and not
a treat.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Well, wouldn't we feel stupid if that's the case?
Speaker 5 (10:35):
Right?
Speaker 2 (10:35):
But look, three games is not enough. I mean, I'm
not giving him an extension tomorrow or anything. However, I
think if what we're seeing is real, even if it's
not like to this level, he doesn't have to play
this well all year for him to be a guy
who is who is an option for them next year.
This team they don't they can't be picky. Okay, they're
(10:57):
not going to have a great draft pick. There's not
going to be core backs falling.
Speaker 4 (11:00):
Out of the trees.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Like if this guy continues to play competent football and
can work with Shane Stikeen in such a way that
he can get the best out of him. It's a
no brainer. It's no brainer. And so they have a
couple of things going for them. You still got to
sign him, right, and that won't They won't be fourteen million, okay,
like it is this year. So the options would be
(11:24):
as follows. You negotiate, you come to a deal, You
sign him to a multi year contract. Obviously he would
want that, because who wouldn't. The other alternative if you
can't get a deal done is you have the franchise
tag because he is your player. So the Colts have
the upper hand. He would certainly be of interest to
other teams if he plays this well all year, There's
(11:45):
no question about that. But they have the upper hand
because they can negotiate with him in advance, whereas other
teams cannot. And they also have the benefit of the
franchise tag, which would be a gazillion dollars for one year,
but probably worth it.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
I think what you Freudian just said to us before
I inadvertently cut you off from saying it, is that
Daniel Jones. Part of how he ended up getting the
job is on Halloween, he's studying the playbook and the
last guy was trick or treating, right.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
Not exactly what I was saying, but I will say this,
I hear where you're going with that. I do think that,
you know, I don't want to characterize these things in
such a way like, well, one guy's working hard and
the other guy isn't. But I would say this this guy, Yeah,
but this guy definitely has an incomparable work ethic. That
(12:35):
is true. And I think for Daniel Jones, he would
not be the player that he is right now without that. Okay,
now there may be players for whom it's different, But
for Daniel, his success from everything we see and hear,
is because when you ask Shane Spekin about him, it's
(12:58):
the only thing he talks about. He says, well, the
guy works hard and he studies and it's all he
puts in. All this work, right, it's what everybody says.
So he knows that his ticket to success is knowing
everything backwards and forwards. And maybe it's because he doesn't
have maybe the you know, the magical Josh Allen type
(13:20):
of arm or the Lamar Jackson overall ability. Right, He's
not that kind of quarterback. There's no question about that.
Now he's throwing the ball very well, but there is
something to be said for that, Like he has to
be on the screws on all the details because you know,
his arm talent maybe isn't what it is for some
(13:41):
of the elite guys out there, so he makes up
for it in other ways. And I know that's a
tired cliche, like you know, maybe the guy who isn't
as physically talented, he just outworks everybody. But I can
only tell you in the case of Daniel Jones, that's
what you're seeing right now, Like you're seeing a guy
who's outworking everybody and making himself the quarterback that he
(14:02):
is in part because of the work in the preparation
that he puts in.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
Steven, let me give you a couple of notes from
this weekend, and I want you to tell me what
you notice here.
Speaker 4 (14:14):
Okay, I think back.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
You know the NFL is a is a copycat and
cyclical league, right, I mean, we know that there are
trends that happened in the NFL, and a couple of
years ago we were all discussing, you know that the
running back was this expendable, fungible position that you know,
no longer did you need to spend a top second?
You know, three rounds pick on the running back because
(14:37):
everybody was throwing for a billion yards, and the league
and the competition committee, going back to Brady Manning, was
set up for to advantage quarterback. I look at and
I'm looking at the sheet right here. Okay, this past weekend,
Tyrod Taylor in his game, Tyrod Taylor threw for let
(14:58):
me see here, six thirty six for one hundred and
ninety seven yards. Okay, Carson Wentz comes in and fills in,
and Carson Wentz goes fourteen to twenty for one hundred
and seventy three yards. These are both wins. Bryce Young
for Carolina sixteen of twenty four for one hundred and
twenty one yards. What is it that we're seeing and
(15:19):
this is becoming more and more than norm Why is
it that we are now seeing short yardage passing games
where you're getting guys that are completing twenty to twenty
five passes but doing it for a total of one
hundred and twenty five yards.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
Well, I think there have to be some extenuating circumstances
for that to work. So you mentioned Carson Wentz for example.
I believe they had two defensive touchdowns in that game.
So that's an example of a scenario like, did you
mention Wentz?
Speaker 4 (15:52):
No, you mentioned I did mention Wentz? Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
I mean here, okay, Joe Flacco twenty one thirty six
hundred and forty two yards per standing on the former
cult team. But you get what I'm saying, Like, you
know what, it's almost like rhythm passing is now prioritized
over deep ball passing.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
I think it depends on the kind of game, right,
I mean, we also saw a game last night where
there were you know, like what eighty some odd points
scored or something, or it's definitely seventy points, right, I
forget off the top of my head. But the point is,
I think it depends. It depends on the kind of
game you're talking about, and certain games will play out differently,
(16:28):
and I think coaches and play callers will govern themselves accordingly.
You know, the Browns and Placo a thirteen to ten game.
I think that's one where if the Packers aren't moving
the ball and you're the Browns and your defense is
doing a hell of a job, like you have to
assume it was. I didn't see the game, Well, you're
going to probably call a conservative game. And I mean
(16:49):
you think that's that's kind of a decision that probably
is made in the moment, right, the Vikings, the defense
playing great, two defensive scores, the Bengals not moving the
ball the other hand, Right, so you you govern yourself differently.
Even the Colts for some you know, to some extent.
Now they scored plenty of points, but when did Jonathan
(17:10):
Taylor really take over that game in the second half
when they had a big lead, Right, So I would
say it it is game to game. But but what
your what your point proves though, is that you you
do have to be able to win different ways. And
I and I also think that the running game matters
here too.
Speaker 5 (17:30):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
There's some fantastic running backs in the league right now,
and that's they're a factor here too. Uh. The running
game is not dead, I'm happy to say, because I
think that we we did overlook that and there was
that whole period of like, oh, don't pay your running
back because it won't be worth it. Well, I mean
you think the Colts regret paying Jonathan Taylor right now?
(17:52):
I don't think we talk about that enough, right, I mean,
just two years ago they were at war with each other,
Jonathan Taylor and the Colts were at war. He and
his agent were telling me privately, Yeah we're done.
Speaker 4 (18:05):
Yeah, trade right.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
I mean, I can be honest about it now. I mean,
where do people think my sources were? He was a
freaking source, Okay? Right, So, like my point is this
that has paid off, I mean wonderfully all right. No
one was complaining about that when he was taking that
forty six yard run to the house on Sunday. So
(18:26):
I'm all over the place here, But I do think
there's lots of little factors and a good coaching and
teams that are built the right way can win without
maybe the big three hundred yard passing games. It's harder
to do, but it can be done. That's true.
Speaker 4 (18:42):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
Lastly, Steven, Steven Holder, our guest. Through three weeks usually
like right about the time, is right about the time statistically,
certainly speaking, where you do start to get a better
idea as to who's legit and who's not. Okay, when
you look right now at the NFL through game three
(19:03):
or week three, give me two teams, let's say, one
to the good and one to the bad whose record
is a little misleading as to who they are because
either they've gotten off to a good record and you're like, yeah,
but you got to look below the surface that's maybe
a little misleading, or one that that has gotten off
to a slow start, but you have to look at
(19:24):
who they played or circumstances and say, don't work, don't
sleep on them just yet.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
So this will not be a popular answer, but I'm
gonna say it. I think the Colts have to prove
some things. They're three and zero and they have earned it.
Speaker 4 (19:42):
Now.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
The fact is the Titans and Dolphins, I mean they're
combined oh and six. Okay, they haven't done anything. They've
barely moved the ball this year. So I think we
need to find out that. That's why this Week four
game is so important.
Speaker 5 (19:58):
Right.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
That is not to suggest I don't believe in them.
I'm not saying that. I actually here's a reason to
believe in the Colts because they played two bad teams, yes,
in the Dolphins and Titans, but they pounded them. I mean,
they they did whatever they wanted. That is not the
Colts team we are familiar with. We are familiar with
(20:20):
a Colts team that even just last year, when they
were competing for the playoffs was just skating by the
Jets and Patriots. Right, So so this is a different
season for sure. So but let's see this is this
is why this will be their biggest tests on the road.
Sean McVeigh, Matthew Stafford. Let's find out what they're made of.
(20:41):
On the other end, I guess a team that maybe
is whose bad record is deceiving you think? Is that
what you're saying? Yeah, you know, I want to say
the Houston Texans, but I don't know if I believe it.
Speaker 4 (20:55):
I think they might be. I agree times might.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
One side of my brain is like, well, duh, they're
not owing. They're not as bad as an three team.
Speaker 4 (21:05):
Is Kansas City really one and two? You know what
I mean? Like, I know they are saying.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
Now they're not are They don't scare you right now?
There's no question about that. Although I would say this
Mahomes is the greatest winner I've seen outside of Tom Brady.
He just knows how to win. They know how to win.
So look, we thought they were down late last year
and then what what they do? They went to the
(21:32):
freaking Super Bowl right late last season. We were just
waiting for somebody to figure it out and beat them
in the playoffs, and all they did was just win,
you know, so I never bury those guys. And I
think it's going to be one of the great storylines
of the rest of this season is do the Chiefs
figure it out? Because either way, whether they're dead. They're
(21:55):
not dead, but whether they're whether they fall off, or
whether they make a run, it's a great story either
way because we're going to be paying attention. So I
am fascinated by it without question.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
Can you imagine being a sports talk radio guy in
New Orleans You're talking about the oh to three Saints.
You wanted to deviate from it, so it's Pelican's chat time.
I mean, how miserable must that be?
Speaker 4 (22:14):
Right? I guess it's all LSU all the time, right,
and then you got to do it.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Brian Kelly, there's that too.
Speaker 4 (22:21):
I know.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
I'm sorry.
Speaker 4 (22:23):
Sorry Brian Kelly.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
By the way, I mean, he seems lovely, doesn't need
he seems lovely.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
He has the most punishable face in college football. I
don't know if I should say that, but I'm saying
it right.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
I mean, the guy just bugs me. Man, I don't
know what it is. That guy bothers me. I see him,
come on the screen. I want to see the channel.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Ryan Kelly, of course, has a famous tirade just a
couple of weeks ago in a college football press conference,
and a guy that has perhaps one of the most
famous just found out that he's in the unemployment line.
I will tell you who that is, just a couple
of minutes from now. But Steven Holder, appreciate the time
as always.
Speaker 4 (22:57):
Man. We'll talk to you soon, all right, all right,
I'll tell you soon.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
All right, Stephen Holder joining us, Yes, joining us now
on the guest line. He is, I believe out in
Las Vegas. From Fieldhouse file, Scott Agnes joining us tonight.
It is the fever in Las Vegas. It is a
nine to thirty tip. You'll hear Eddie with the pregame
at nine fifteen. Scott, let's begin with this. I know
(23:22):
that the balloting says otherwise, but I think now it
has been cemented, at least in the minds around here.
Kelsey Mitchell is the most valuable player in the WNBA
this year?
Speaker 4 (23:33):
Is she not?
Speaker 5 (23:35):
It sure seems like it, But it all goes back
to that old adages, is who's most valuable versus who
had the best season, right, I guess right, Like we
talk about that every awards season. But to me, if anything,
I would have said in a Pieza Collier, if I
had a vote, I would have given it to her
given the fact that she had her best career year,
Minnesota was the best team. But if you take it
literally for its meaning most valuable, the Fever are nowhere
(23:57):
close to where they are right now, still playing with
out Kelsey Mitchell.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
Yeah, the the way that she Kelsey Mitchell has been
able to score in different areas, and you know whether
it be I mean, she's obviously very aggressive and very
quick at getting to the basket. She can shoot from
the outside. One of the things that I'm curious about
Scott and we were talking about this earlier and it's
hard to bring it up because it sounds like a
(24:26):
like a lazy narrative and be like it's an indicting
narrative on Caitlin Clark, which is not intended to be
at all. But when you look at the way that
they have played in the last month, are the Fever
right now playing better as a team than they did
at any point this year?
Speaker 5 (24:46):
I think so, only because it felt like they never
the season never really got off its ground.
Speaker 4 (24:51):
Yeah, fair, you.
Speaker 5 (24:52):
Had so many issues and so I don't think we
ever saw the full potential or anything close to that.
I just I go back Jake to the first week
of training, came Aitlan and Demers don'ts. Both had injuries
and we're out, so right away you're dealing with that.
But the remarkable thing is just how they've continued to
play at this high level. Like you keep thinking they're
(25:13):
due for that thirty point blowout where you're just like, well,
it wasn't their night, but these games have all been competitive.
They stayed in the fight that given all their limitations,
and I thought it was interesting. I was curious how
some of them have been holding up. So I even asked,
like the hole today just to shoot around, which we
just wrapped up, and she was like, yeah, my body
is really going through it. I'm having to do all
these extra measures, but still no excuse for keep going.
(25:36):
But I can't imagine a player like her, or Mitchell
or Leah Boston. They've played in every game the physicality
to deal with, and I give a Leah Boston also
a lot of credit. I think she's played with a
lot more of an edge and a feistiness that has
carried her to a better performance here in this postseason
as well.
Speaker 4 (25:52):
Scott.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
When you look at the injuries the Fever have had
and the number of roster commendation they've had to use,
and Stephanie White having to, you know, at sometimes probably
have name tags for everybody during practice. Have they reinvented
the style that they wanted to play or has it
(26:15):
been Look, this is who we are and this is
how we're going to play. It's just the faces are
going to have to be different.
Speaker 5 (26:21):
Yeah, they've made some small tweaks on the fringes and
I think especially early on a month ago when they
were bringing in, you know, three hardship players in a
matter of a week, they really had to simplify and
even not have too much of an offense when many
of them are out there. But I think that has
changed a ton going into this postseason. They had four
(26:42):
days between games entering the playoffs, and so that was
the time finally where coach White and her staff had
time to add some new place and the main thing
she stressed was to become more unpredictable because she felt
like they were very very predictable leading up to that,
given what they had to do. And by the way,
I want to go back to Kelsey and we talk
about her offense. I think the thing that's shine through
(27:04):
too is the level in which she elevated her defensive
play and taking on some of the best offensive players
on the other side this season as well. And then
I'd even add in a third thing to what's made
her season so spectacular, Jake, And that's while she's quiet
by nature, kind of like a Pascal Siakam, she has
emerged and become a vocal leader and willing to speak
(27:26):
up at various times, more to the point where she's
certainly this one of the most valuable players in the
league with all that she does on the both ends
of the floor for this group.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
And by the way, how good has honesty Simms been
as well, especially here in the postseason?
Speaker 5 (27:40):
I think, right, yeah, I even asked Stephanie White about
that today and I'm like, how much of it is
just fit an opportunity? Because we talk about that with
these pros, right, how many times do you see some
elite level college player and then they just don't pan
out or maybe even take the Colts quarterback a like
it just doesn't pan out in the first stop or Daniel,
and you need that second opportunity to figure it out.
(28:03):
And honestly, Simms is a veteran player in this league,
but she was without a job for a month and
right away this team also wouldn't be where they are
without her, both with their scoring and I think so
much of what she does is it's attacking and getting
the defense on their heels and then that opens things
up for everyone else along the perimeter.
Speaker 4 (28:20):
Scott.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
When you look at Scott Agnes's our guest Fieldhouse files,
you know, look Las Vegas and maybe one of the
things that benefited Indiana late in the year is some
of the players that they were having to go out
and acquire because they're veterans. They they've kind of been
through the rigger, right, and they've been through personal, you know,
(28:41):
journey to get to reinvent themselves and get this new
lease in terms of the minutes that they're getting, and
maybe that also catapults Indiana a little bit. But let's
talk about from Las Vegas' standpoint. You know, they didn't
just the Fever win game one. I mean, they really
controlled and made a statement in game one, what adjustments
(29:01):
does Las Vegas do we anticipate seeing here in game two?
Speaker 5 (29:05):
Yeah, I think the one we know is gonna just
happen naturally. Is we all expect Asia Wilson to do
what she does, being one of the best players in
the league, right, so everything else. First of all, to me,
it starts with them getting Indiana slowed down and fast break.
Fever were really able to dictate tempo and after especially
early on, where we saw the Aces miss so many
bunnies around the hoop and the Fever race down the floor,
(29:28):
and that's their style, their number one and fast break points.
They love to play fast. So I think the Aces
need to slow them down and really be able to then,
on the other end, not just be so dependent on Asia,
because that's what we saw during the regular season when
these teams two met. Asia was solid, but the rest
of the team were limited in what they contributed. So
(29:52):
that and then on top of that, I would add in,
can you keep Kelsey Mitchell to say twenty five points?
Which is impressive nonetheless, because I you know, for her
to go off for thirty four and for the rest
of the Fever players to contribute the ways in which
they did. I thought them limiting the Leah Boston was
a success, but she was so impactful in other ways.
But to me, it starts with scoring at a higher
(30:14):
clip than their forty percent and then slowing Indiana down
and making them work in the half court much more often.
It's so resembles the pacers right all this conversation, the
similarities and overlaps are remarkable to meet you.
Speaker 1 (30:26):
No, I would agree with that. And also you know
it all coming together late right where then you look
at it and you go, man, how do we not
see this all year long coming like once they had solidarity?
You know, from the Las Vegas standpoint, I thought Asia
Wilson to your point, I mean, dynamic player, dynamic scorer,
did not score the ball well at least in terms
(30:47):
of offensive efficiency in Game one, but that kind of
led to a balance elsewhere. I thought that they got
did the aces you know from Evans for example, Jackie Young,
you know, can score the basketball, but did it almost
even though things were balanced out for Las Vegas? Is
it better served for Indiana if they're less spreading the wealth,
(31:09):
so to speak? And you almost want to just hone
in on Asia Wilson. Does that make sense?
Speaker 5 (31:14):
Yeah, I was having that exact conversation this morning. It's like,
are you good with her going for thirty five and
no other player with like more than eight points? And
I think part of you are, absolutely because she's so
dangerous also in distributing the ball. But if it's just
her going and Aliyah, who's also from played at South Carolina,
so there's a lot of familiarity between those two players
(31:35):
who were really battling it out. To me, that's the
most fascinating matchup of this series. But yeah, I think
there's a lot of value in that, quite frankly. And
the player also they need is Chelsea Gray, who is
well regarded as maybe the best guard, point guard, best
passing guard in the league for the last several years.
And in that backcourt of Gray and Young for ass
(31:55):
to have success, I think needs to come up big time.
Speaker 3 (31:58):
Scott, You've been around this team for most of the season,
whether it's practice, shoot aun or whatever. I don't want
to talk about her as the coach. I want to
talk about her as the person I know. Natalie Nicassi
won the Coach of the Year, even though Stephanie White
probably should have done it for just the x's and
o's and just what all she had to do to
put this team together so off the court as a person,
What did Stephanie White do to make this team so
(32:18):
collective and so together? Because I don't think he gets
talked about enough of the job that she's done of
just bringing this group together.
Speaker 5 (32:25):
No, that's a good point. I think the reality is
in terms of like the voters and there's seventy two
is unless you're even those of us that are there
every day, we truly don't know all those little things
in the locker room and that they've gone through the hardshifts.
Even the fact that Stephanie White's mother in law passed
away and that's why she had to miss a couple
of games. In turn, that actually brought her in Kelsey
(32:45):
Mitchell closer because Mitchell lost her father last year, and
Kelsey was talking about this after last game, as they're
bonded by that shared experience and also their love of
basketball and things like that. To me, I think Stephanie
probably should have fit this third and the Coach of
the Year voting, just given all she's been through. But
I think number one, steph has empowered each player to
(33:07):
be the best versions of themselves. For example, you brought
up honestly Simms earlier. When honestly stops driving and it's deferring,
Steph jumps on her for the Hey, look, we need
you to be exactly who you are, because that's why
we brought you in. And Jake to your Jake's point earlier,
they specifically brought in veteran, playoff tested players because of
(33:27):
their inexperience and their their shortcomings elsewhere. At least they
wouldn't have to figure out big game experience on the fly.
But I think the confidence that Stephanie instills and all
the players, I think the relatability. She's won championships, She's
played at a high level. She knows this franchise inside
and out from her previous time here as a player
in coach, and so I think she takes the time
(33:50):
to get to know these players on a personal basis.
I go back to last fall, about a year ago.
The primary goal was to re sign Kelsey Mitchell, and
it was not a done deal, it was not a given,
and she poured into her both starting from my personal standpoint,
even before the basketball standpoint, and I think that has
really resonated with these players, because when you feel that
(34:11):
connection beyond basketball, it only helps what you're doing on
the court when things get tough, when you go through adversity.
Speaker 4 (34:18):
Scott, there's been this.
Speaker 1 (34:20):
I don't even know where this came about, but I
started reading a couple of months ago, mostly on social media,
which that's a dangerous enough place as it is. But
I start reading all these articles about how like, oh man, like,
people in the entertainment industry and in the hospitality industry
in Las Vegas are talking about how like nobody's going
to Vegas, and Vegas is dying and whatever else. I
have no idea if that's true. It's been a while
(34:40):
since I've been there, like a year or so, fact
or fiction. Like things seem slower on Las Vegas Boulevard.
Speaker 5 (34:48):
I'd say fact for sure. I walked around the pool area,
about half of it was empty, now given it was
what Monday afternoon, but still here. I mean there's no
days or times of you know, people are here at
all times of the year. Usually there's it's bustling with conventions.
Maybe it's not a big convention season, but no, I
think that's definitely fact for sure, even though the airline
(35:09):
prices didn't reflect that.
Speaker 4 (35:11):
Yeah, no, kidding, right, what's what's the temperature out there
right now?
Speaker 5 (35:15):
Not too bad? I think it's like eighty five or so. Okay, yeah, No,
once you kind of get in the inside, you don't
really have an excuse to go outside. So so basically.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
If you're walking around the pool and there's not many
people there, just more reason for you to walk around
on the thong.
Speaker 4 (35:28):
Is that what you're getting at?
Speaker 5 (35:30):
No, I will not be doing that whatsoever. I just
wanted to get some natural sunlight after feeling like you're
stuff inside for a couple.
Speaker 1 (35:37):
Days, gotten his speedo, just hanging around walking around the strip,
all right, Scott, Tonight nine thirty it is the Aces
and the Fever nine to fifteen pregame on this show.
Speaker 4 (35:45):
Appreciate it, man, you got it.
Speaker 5 (35:47):
Thanks guys.
Speaker 4 (35:48):
Scott Agnes joining us from Fieldhouse Files.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.