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The Colts Report with Will Retherford (2.90.1) · The Central Indiana Sports Report

• 0:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: You are listening to the Colts Report with Will Rutherford.
• 0:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: Only on the Central Indian Esports Report.
• 0:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: Welcome back to the Central Indian Esports Report Colts fans, and welcome to our Bye Week Colts Report.
• 0:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: courts, of course, coming off of the by week and now are a half game behind the best record in the NBA.
• 0:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: They went into the week tied for the best record in the league and we're here to talk about not the first half exactly because we're 10 out of 17 but the pre by portion of the schedule where the colds are at this point and what we expect for the rest of the year
• 0:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: And well, I think the very least Chris Ballard and Shane Stike can have saved their jobs.
• 0:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think they've already exceeded expectations beyond the fact they're eight and two.
• 0:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: If they win one more game, they don't have a losing season.
• 1:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know if I'm conditioned them to lose.
• 1:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, they're the last eight games.
• 1:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: It could happen.
• 1:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: Seven games, excuse me.
• 1:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: I see this as a team that right now is playing up to their potential.
• 1:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I think the coaching staff is the large part to do with that.
• 1:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that Valorant is a pretty good job of developing the offensive line, which has been a huge area of strength for this team.
• 1:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: Now, they're all also areas where he has really been lackluster and development.
• 1:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: And scouting, and I think that that largely is going to be, I think the downfall of a really, really good cult season is there's just a couple of weaknesses
• 1:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: But the result of that so far has been eight and two and a big part of that has been the new quarterback.
• 1:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: It was brought in in the off season with the yon.
• 1:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's been the first six or seven weeks as the front runner for MVP crazy enough as it sounds.
• 1:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: We've seen some reverting to the main as we've mentioned.
• 2:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm not completely sold on Daniel Jones, but you got to admit he's been way, way better than what we expected, particularly when we thought Anthony Richardson was our starter.
• 2:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think so.
• 2:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean he's the reason the culture of the position they're in.
• 2:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: You saw the same offense be with Anthony Richardson last year and Joe Flacco for some games as well.
• 2:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: Turn into the offensive.
• 2:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: You see with Daniel Jones.
• 2:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: This is legitimately the same supporting cast outside of Tyler Warren.
• 2:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that he's been on time.
• 2:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's been
• 2:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's been good.
• 2:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's just been the point guard that that offense needed.
• 2:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: They don't need a super star.
• 2:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: They just need somebody that can distribute the ball to the playmakers as needed in the offense.
• 2:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: Daniel Jones has done that effectively.
• 2:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: I do agree with you that the weaknesses are there.
• 2:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: He is reverting back to the mean.
• 2:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that the turnovers are going to continue to increase.
• 2:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: where we saw them, you know, kind of the first eight weeks of the season, the last two weeks has been, there's been about 10 turnover worthy plays, including fumbles and interceptions on top of that.
• 3:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: There's been four fumbles that were recovered by the cults.
• 3:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that is concerning that is something that you really do need to watch out for as this team gets into the meat of their schedule and ultimately into January and February.
• 3:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: But you have to be happy with what the outcome is look like so far that he's played himself into a contract.
• 3:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm still, I only get some long-term.
• 3:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think they probably are going to be committed to him for the next two years.
• 3:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: I was in the number 50 million dollars at one point.
• 3:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: That scared the crap out of me, though.
• 3:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: That'd be a franchise killer.
• 3:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think that it's going to be in the 40 ballpark.
• 3:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: It was like a rather roll with a rookie man and be able to keep everyone around.
• 3:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: Well, you've eliminated your ability to do that now, trading your first round picks.
• 3:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: Unless you think that you can get to the steel of the draft in the second round, that maybe you don't pay an average quarter back that kind of money.
• 4:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's just a franchise killer.
• 4:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: You've seen teams that have done that and it has been a bit of an issue for those organizations.
• 4:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
• 4:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: You brought up Joe Flacco.
• 4:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: Well, he's the ultimate win that I think of was average average had one pretty good playoff
• 4:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: and was average again for the rest of his career and they paid him so much money that they never had a chance of winning the championship again.
• 4:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: Lee, I don't think that you send two first-round picks to the Jets for SOS Wagner unless you are committed to Dale Jones for the future.
• 4:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: To me, I see that contract being structured somewhere in the Kurt Cousins range four year, $180 million was some guaranteed money.
• 4:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's going to be front loaded the front two year first two years and then you're going to have
• 4:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: Such an overpay if they did this You kind of stuck now, can you get better?
• 4:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: Probably not so you're kind of stuck with where you want to be there's the opportunity that you could Potentially do the ultimate one 80 in London walk.
• 5:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: I would be really surprised by that Offer my contract the designer is value you get a compensatory tech form I just don't see that as being the strategy with this team.
• 5:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think they they went to all of them at the trade deadline to do so
• 5:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: We'll see.
• 5:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think this the jury is still out.
• 5:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't think there's a reason as I got in extension yet.
• 5:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't see it happening this season unless he comes out these next four weeks against really stiff competition and plays lights out.
• 5:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then I think that you're sold enough to feel comfortable giving him the money, especially with how he's looked with this organization.
• 5:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: I see the hesitancy to do so, I see that maybe the frustration in the overpay, but at this point he's performed like you said about a top 10 quarterback when he's playing it as best.
• 5:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's exactly what I was going to bring up.
• 5:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: Before the season began, I said if everything goes perfectly, the offensive lines good, the weapons are improved, the running game's good, Daniel Jones can be a top 10 quarterback
• 6:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: and things have gone almost perfectly.
• 6:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: Until the last couple of weeks, the offensive line has been at an A level.
• 6:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: The run game is making history.
• 6:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: The weapons are so improved.
• 6:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: Every single one of those receivers is better last year, and I think a big part of that's because Tyler Warren's part of the mix.
• 6:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: And you add in Tyler Warren, and everything has gone perfectly.
• 6:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: But,
• 6:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: It has gone perfectly, and in order for the cults to succeed, they're going to need things to go perfectly if Daniel Jones is your quarterback going forward.
• 6:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think Michael Pittman, he's kind of filled his niche.
• 6:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know if he's necessarily improved, I think you're really good receiver from the gift field.
• 6:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's had a really good year, and I think that he had three really good years before the back injury caused him to really struggle last year with his business and overall production.
• 6:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: But I tied the war in his is really an absolute game page.
• 6:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: We've talked about it at Nauseam on this podcast.
• 6:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know if there's been anybody singing the praises of tie the war and more than we have, and rightfully so, he's completely changing the aim of this team.
• 7:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that he's got the opportunity to reach a thousand yards in his rookie season.
• 7:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: I expect him to be
• 7:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: force fed the ball.
• 7:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe a little bit more.
• 7:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that the beauty of this offense has been that nobody is necessarily outshining anyone else, but you saw in that different every week.
• 7:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: I like it.
• 7:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: They needed Tyler Warren to really be a big playmaker.
• 7:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: I expect that to continue.
• 7:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: At this point, he's completely enveloped in the NFL.
• 7:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's played half a season.
• 7:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's time for him to really be the focal point of your offense with Jonathan Taylor.
• 7:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: If he's not the best tied in in the NFL, it's already ridiculously close and if he's not the best player on the Coldsteam, and I'm including Jonathan Taylor and Quentin Nelson, it's awfully close.
• 7:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's that good.
• 7:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think he's the second best player on the Coldsteam.
• 7:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: I still think Jonathan Taylor is.
• 7:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: a generational running back.
• 8:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: I know that that word gets thrown out a lot generation in terms of a player's talent, but really he is outproduced all of his peers, since he's entered into the slig that includes darecunary that includes say quambarply, Jonathan Tantler stands on top of them all, and he's top five in the lead in average rushing yards per game with over 90 a game.
• 8:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: That is the type of
• 8:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think generational talent that deserves to that word to have used with it.
• 8:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, he's in the upper echelon of the Hall of Fame, the Hall of Hall of Fame, for say is where I think he's gonna end up being the top level of the Hall of Fame.
• 8:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: Absolutely.
• 8:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: They probably the best since Adrian Peterson.
• 8:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that his...
• 8:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: We'll see how he ages.
• 8:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that he has a chance to be better than Adrian Peterson.
• 8:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: Let's all said and done.
• 8:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: I really do.
• 8:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that he's been that good.
• 8:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: If this level of production continues, Adrian Peterson back into his career, do not necessarily look as good as the front.
• 8:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I, with running backs that does tend to happen.
• 9:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: But right now, I'm not really sure that anybody rivals Taylor in terms of what he's done since he entered the end of the NFL.
• 9:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: You mentioned, Pitman maybe hasn't improved as much as the others, but especially when you throw Tyler Warren and there is your one A or one B receiver, everything got so much better.
• 9:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: Alec Pierce has gone up a level as a player this year.
• 9:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think even Josh Downs has been better this year than he's been in the past.
• 9:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: His numbers don't say it because he's not been as targeted as often because there are more weapons.
• 9:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: receiving weapons when you throw, um, Tyler Ward in there.
• 9:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's a pretty good set of, of receivers.
• 9:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: You throw that offensive line.
• 9:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like I said, last couple weeks, below par, but up to that point had been really good past blocking and run block.
• 9:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think they've been great run blocking all year.
• 10:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: really gives day to your chance.
• 10:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: Daniel.
• 10:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: Daniel, chance of Jones.
• 10:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: Daniel, Jones, a chance to be as good as he is because those guys have just been so good.
• 10:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that you saw Alec Pearce's, I didn't do a little bit more than a one-trick pony.
• 10:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think for a while, kind of his route tree was limited in terms of what his skill set allowed him to do.
• 10:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: He was more of that vertical thread over the top, try to pull the safeties back and kind of allow somebody like a Michael Pitmer of Josh Downs to really feast in the short to intermediate game.
• 10:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think now that you see Pearce's route tree develop, I think they're using them a lot more across the middle of the formation.
• 10:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: And he's still been able to keep up that level of production in terms of yards per catch, he's leading the league once again, yet something that he did last year.
• 10:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: He had over 800 yards last year, and I think that to see his progression, even of his numbers at the end of the year may not be, he may not have 800 yards.
• 10:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: But it's obvious if you're watching every week.
• 10:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think it's obvious that he has markedly improved in terms of what he's able to do as a wide receiver.
• 11:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think he's really grown as a blocker to on the outside which has really helped allow the run game, especially on outside zone schemes to be as successful as it has been.
• 11:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: Alec Pierce has taken a big step forward in a way that you mentioned Josh Chounds.
• 11:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm not sure he has taken that step forward.
• 11:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I think that down size may always limit what he's able to do in terms of going across the middle.
• 11:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: So dependable.
• 11:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's well, it's it has nothing to do with the dependability factor.
• 11:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: But I'm a Pierce's run in 6, 3, 215 pounds.
• 11:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: What he's able to do is a wider series a little different than Josh
• 11:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: the cult have three really big receiving targets, which we talked at the beginning of the year, I think was going to help Daniel Jones in terms of just his ability to get the ball to people's chest.
• 11:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: The cults are throwing out three past catchers all over 6-3.
• 12:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's a pretty big.
• 12:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know in terms of where it ranks in the league, but I would imagine it's one of the bigger receiving
• 12:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think Ashton Duelon is an incredible gadget player, he's a gadget player, that's what he is.
• 12:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's really fast.
• 12:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that you use him to maybe be a blocker, when need be, he's obviously a special team's all pro I believe, and
• 12:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: Exactly what you want from your fourth receiver your fifth option.
• 12:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, he has that kind of skill set where he's really fast You can use them on jet sweeps and things like that.
• 12:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: You can bring them in foam at the block You don't really have to feed force feed them the ball at all just kind of give it to him when he's open But he's continued.
• 12:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think to progress as his careers gone on from really more of just that gunner special teams type player into a really
• 12:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: functional, wider C4, especially if somebody is out with injury or in the AdNy Mitchell case out with coach's decision to bench.
• 13:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that you have to be really happy with what he's been able to do.
• 13:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I think he's a testament to Steiken's progression as a coach in terms of developing these players into
• 13:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: into the personal weapons that they are now.
• 13:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think Reggie Wayne also has a lot to do with that as the wider SEVERS coach.
• 13:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's definitely, I think left in impact.
• 13:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: He was an incredibly adaptable receiver over it.
• 13:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: The course of his career, I mean, the ability to play inside and outside, not so he's an excellent run blocker, which is something that you really see this cult's team.
• 13:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think taking it embodying that attitude.
• 13:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: I love that everybody seems to want to at least be good at blocking.
• 13:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: If they're not good at it, they at least are enthusiastic blockers and that's, that'll get the job done most of the time.
• 13:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: Can you turn on the tape and look across the NFL?
• 13:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: How many times you see a number one receiver really thrown his body out there to go make blocks?
• 13:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: I can think of a couple off the top of my head between I.U.
• 13:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: when healthy and ominous ain't brown, but Michael Pittman's right there.
• 13:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: Good throw on the tape.
• 13:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: So good.
• 13:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: I've never seen Pierce 2 has been such a block.
• 13:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: I've never seen a while your seever that they are so comfortable to use blocking in the box as Michael Pittman.
• 14:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: They use him as a tight end and blocking.
• 14:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think he has really been that good.
• 14:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I think that's that's a testament to him as a player as a leader in a captain of this franchise.
• 14:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: There's a lot to like.
• 14:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: There's just a lot that you can even continue to build upon.
• 14:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: We talked about in that Falcon's game in Berlin.
• 14:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: How many times Michael Pittman was able to get the ball?
• 14:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: If they wanted to force the ball in a Pittman, it was there to do, and they still won and he had two targets.
• 14:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: So you have to be happy.
• 14:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: We don't need to talk about the actual blockers very much because we've talked about them at Nazium throughout the year, and I think I oversold them a little bit.
• 14:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think they were planned some week teams early in the year, made them look a little better than they were, that being said.
• 14:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: The job that Gonzalves and Boardalini have done coming in and improving and already pretty good offensive lines.
• 15:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: You mentioned that Chris Ballard, that's one thing he definitely did was get good line talent down the draft, which is a very important thing to do.
• 15:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: You don't want to be spending all of your first round picks on offensive linemen.
• 15:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: it has a chance to be special still that often.
• 15:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that you look across the board.
• 15:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, Nelson and Smith are established veterans in this league, but outside of that,
• 15:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: the Shane Steigen era and you've seen kind of that carryover, but what Nelson might have six, seven more years if he is able to stay healthy and I think Smith has even more tackles age really well for the most part, so you have a chance to get three or four years with this core of an offensive line and when you're able to do that that's what made the Peyton Manning era.
• 16:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: So great was that you had the same offensive line for the most part from year and year out over the course of a A five six year span.
• 16:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think this cold team as the opportunity to do that with Gonzalo some board of lean going to get some nice extensions when it comes time to up their contracts And this has been quitting Nelson's best season by far.
• 16:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think he's every year he gets better
• 16:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: So really good offense, feel pretty comfortable with them.
• 16:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: We'll be talking about the chiefs game coming up a little later this week and making our predictions all of that.
• 16:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I don't want to talk too much about the chiefs.
• 16:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: But they're going to provide the cults a little bit of a different test defensively.
• 16:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: We're going to see our first.
• 16:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: We're going to get our first look at the new cults.
• 16:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: The new look cults defense with Sasqardner, and it's going to be interesting to see what that brings.
• 16:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: There are some things that Chiefs can do to take advantage of some cult's defense of weaknesses.
• 17:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think the defense is overachieved, but it's still a concern, right?
• 17:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: Well, I guess it depends on what you, the construct of which you viewed this defense coming into the era.
• 17:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: I kind of expect them to be pretty middle-de-packed.
• 17:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe, I don't know, eight, 17 to 18th best defense in the league.
• 17:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that they've been a little better than that.
• 17:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know if they've been much...
• 17:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, with that being said, you are, there's a reason you be letting Brock sauce guard for you.
• 17:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: You brought him for this game.
• 17:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: You brought him to be able to shut down or she rice type of receiver.
• 17:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: You have moony ward over there to cover their number two.
• 17:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: You have Kenny Moore who's able to kind of move and transcend the quarterback position a little bit.
• 17:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's really good in the box.
• 17:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: I expect him to be matched up with Kelsey a lot.
• 17:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: You have two really good safeties like it if there's a strength that this Colts team has going up into a game against chiefs or the Texans, the Seahawks, the 49ers, like these teams that have good receiving cores, the 49ers are pretty banged up, but when healthy they are a good receiving core.
• 18:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: and you brought, you built the secondary to go win those games.
• 18:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: So you expect that the front 7 is going to be able to hold around against this chiefs team a little weaker in the run game.
• 18:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that, you know, it's going to be strength on strength, per se.
• 18:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that you're going to see where the Colts are best aligned defensively and where the chiefs are best aligned offensively, but
• 18:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: You had to see improvement from the front four.
• 18:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's been a huge area of weakness.
• 18:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: They're just not getting to the quarterback.
• 18:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: They're giving guys too much time to stand in the pocket and deliver good footballs.
• 18:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I think that you expect to see that get better with the addition of a lockdown corner.
• 18:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think the linebacking course probably going to be the Achilles heel of this team because they are so bad.
• 18:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: Regardless of what you want to say about Zaire Franklin, he is a bottom fourth middle linebacker in the league, his inability to affect him this in the past game is really concerning in zone concepts.
• 19:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: They don't have a linebacker who you would want to be a starter on their entire roster.
• 19:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: No, there's not there's not a starting linebacker for 15 other teams on the Colts roster.
• 19:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe Franklin, but he's your he's your will linebacker, he's your weak side linebacker, somebody that you're, you know, kind of out there, your third option, and
• 19:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, that's probably an issue going forward as can you improve that lineback in court.
• 19:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: There was the opportunity if they could have moved up in the second round.
• 19:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: They'd be get a swissinger from UCLA who's now playing with Cleveland and looked really good and some days game against the Ravens got his first nurse session.
• 19:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: But they didn't do so.
• 19:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I think they can kind of decide to stamp at paid Franklin.
• 19:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's been a vocal leader in captain for this organization for a few years now.
• 20:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: There is that.
• 20:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: But the talk's kind of cheap because I don't really see the production on the field matching what he's done on the podcast.
• 20:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think we did see against the Falcons that when you have a shutdown corner.
• 20:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: A group of shutdown defensive backs, which I think is a real possibility, especially against
• 20:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: that you saw a lot more past rush a lot more success in the past rush because they're able to bring zir frank one who's far better rushing the passer than he is playing past defense.
• 20:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I think on top of that, I think the injury to the force, Buckner is worrisome because he might be your best past rusher on the team, even though he's a three technique, he's a defensive tackle, he is really where he's supposed to be strongest.
• 20:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: But they have the opportunity, I think, to show that that's an area where law to is developing where you're continuing to seek what you pay, develop into the player that you draft to him, hopefully to be.
• 21:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: You have two really good interior defensive linemen between Stewart and Buckter, Buckter's obviously injured.
• 21:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think the front four is playable for the most part.
• 21:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't think that they're such a weakness that it's going to be with Rails.
• 21:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: I see the line-backing process is really the issue.
• 21:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I will preface that they did a pretty good job against the land of minimizing B. John's impact, even though he had.
• 21:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: Just because the defense of backs are fast and tackle.
• 21:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think so and I think Nick cross kind of sure up that he does backing room even though he is the strong safety He does play in the box and awful lot.
• 21:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, he's the best linebacker.
• 21:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's also they're He's not the best safety can't buy him is, but he is close really Nick cross is out of grayier man league
• 21:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: There's a lot to like with this cults.
• 21:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that you've seen the game plan switch up between an arumo as far as the percentage of Zone covered versus man coverage.
• 21:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: He has been in a need, but defensive coordinator where he's really strategizing against the other team strength.
• 22:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's something that you really want to see progress in these last seven games when you're playing against top-end competitions.
• 22:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: You hopefully see him find that role for Saus Gardner where he really is kind of able to be the impact player that you brought him here to be.
• 22:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: We'll see.
• 22:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's going to take some time.
• 22:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think Cole's fans need to be patient with Gardner even though he is an all-pro quarterback.
• 22:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: And was the rough year of the year.
• 22:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's difficult to switch systems like that middle the year when you didn't get a whole training camp the rest of the team.
• 22:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: It can be.
• 22:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: Before we get to our expectations for the rest of the year and how good we think they can be, I want to praise one more time the coaching staff who's had this team ready to play every single week, I think this year, except for maybe that Atlanta game was pretty sluggish start, but that's a game in Berlin.
• 23:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: You never know what to expect.
• 23:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: Even the Steelers game they came out and played well at the beginning, and then got their butts kicked the rest of the game.
• 23:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: And the game plans seem to be good, they don't seem to have any
• 23:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: of the yo-yo effect that a lot of other teams have with energy and emotion.
• 23:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: I say it the very minimum A-minus to this coaching staff so far.
• 23:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: For sure.
• 23:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: I wouldn't even argue.
• 23:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, that's a lane at game.
• 23:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, the cold's kind of led to the lane is staying in it, not from an energy standpoint, but to not being able to convert on fourth down them.
• 23:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, they got in the red zone and awful lot got inside deep into Atlanta territory and they just were able to kind of finish the drives off of the way I think that, you know,
• 23:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: All these offensive coordinators, offensive gurus, get cute.
• 23:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: When sometimes your best play might just be inside Zent.
• 23:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe you're on fourth and two, your best play instead of trying to draw up some gadget plays, just hand them off, Jonathan Taylor, and let him get two yards.
• 23:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's an area that I think's taken sometimes, likes to get himself into, where I'll look at how much of a genius I am this plays, the most brilliant play that's ever been called, maybe we just run quarterbacks in your career instead of trying to
• 24:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: you know create some illusion offensively I would say that they've come out ready to play and win a football game 10 out of 10 weeks so far and well we've talked about the offense the defense the coaching the weapons the lines the defensive back the defensive front what's it all end up in the end I think
• 24:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: They're probably at 12 wins, the stretch stuff.
• 24:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: They won eight games.
• 24:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: I expect 12 and five.
• 24:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: Good enough to be competitive for a championship, but probably not good enough to win one.
• 24:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's my assessment.
• 24:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: They're good enough to get to the AFC Championship.
• 24:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm not sure they're good enough to win that game into the Super Bowl.
• 25:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: If you get the early season, any Apple Scoults, there's not a defense in the league that can slow them down.
• 25:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean that, that offense when it's firing on all cylinders is that good.
• 25:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: But you don't want to play in Foxboro and you don't want to play in Denver and you don't want to play in Kansas City.
• 25:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: And you don't want to play in Buffalo, so you need to win these games.
• 25:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: I would say the team that scares me the most in terms of this Colts team would probably be Denver because they already played once.
• 25:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: and I think sometimes you get a read on a team that can be difficult.
• 25:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think it's really hard to beat teams twice.
• 25:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that's why you see the Buffalo Kansas City thing, Kansas City comes into the postseason, having already played Buffalo, getting Buffalo's best game.
• 25:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: They're able to schematically do that, the Patriots.
• 25:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: I would love to cool stuff out of the Patriots because I think John's and Taylor is the best back they've seen the whole year.
• 25:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't see it.
• 25:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: They're not holding John's and Taylor under 50 rushing yards.
• 25:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: Let's put it that way.
• 25:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: Unless I can decide that's what's going to happen.
• 25:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: Didn't verse a challenge, you know, it sounds crazy because they're just 500 but that Houston team scares me a lot too.
• 26:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: I would not want to run into them in the postseason.
• 26:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: Will rather for, thanks so much.
• 26:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you.
• 26:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: And thank you so much for listening.
• 26:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: If you like this podcast and if you've been listening for 28 minutes, I assume that you do, please do us a huge favor and share it with a cult's fan in your life and help us spread the word that the Central Indiana Sports Report is here, talking about the Central Indiana Sports fans are talking about every single day.
• 26:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thanks again, Will.
• 26:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you.
• 26:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: The Centro Indian Sports Report is a product of ITG media, and I will see you soon.