Matt Ryan

[IndyNorm]

He's fucking garbage. Suppose we need to find another QB in the offseason again :cool:

[Racehorse]

I had very high hopes. I was wrong. Time to go get a real franchise QB.

[CletusPyle]

Ryan is washed up....it's really hard to watch! He should retire!

[ChoppedWood]

During his presser Reich tried to shuck and jive on this. Said he didn't see any glaring mental mistakes and also said he takes a lot of the blame for the pick six. Said he was engaged with the ref's and got the call in late and they didn't have enough time to adjust out of the blitz.

It was either Rake or Berry Kraus that flatly tossed this aside with:

"He's been in the NFL for 15 years" and left it there.

Time to give the ball to Ehlinger and just say fuck it to this season.

Of course they won't and in that same presser Frank said "we're 3-3-1 and there's a lot of football left" probably 5 times.

THEY BOTH NEED TO GO!!!

[Voosh]

A lot of people were saying we would go into a QB purgatory after Luck and it has come true. These washed up veterans just aren't getting the job done. I could put up with a couple down years with a young QB as opposed to now where I barely pay attention to the game. Even if this team rallies for the last half of the season and makes the playoffs I foresee a one and done. Hope I'm wrong.

[CanuckColt]

A lot of people were saying we would go into a QB purgatory after Luck and it has come true. These washed up veterans just aren't getting the job done. I could put up with a couple down years with a young QB as opposed to now where I barely pay attention to the game. Even if this team rallies for the last half of the season and makes the playoffs I foresee a one and done. Hope I'm wrong.

I doubt we even get the opportunity for "one and done".

[MeSayDayo]

Ryan is toast. I think we keep him around for a year to mentor, anyway.

I literally think Sam's ceiling as a pro would be equivalent to Taylor Heineke.* Scrappy, gritty type of player who likes to run around a bit and sling it with average measurables, average arm strength, but a winning attitude.* Career backup with a tiny bit of upside but would be exposed in a real passing shootout.*
Good ole' Hospital Ball Heineke.* Do you all think he would perform in this O?* Personally, I think it would look like that with Sam (and maybe a bit worse).
The plus side is- at least we will know what we have in him.* He is either good and we start him the rest of the year to see if he is the guy (best case scenario) or he sucks worse than Ryan and we get a high draft pick to use on that guy.* Either way, I only see it being a positive starting Sam from here on out for the franchise.**

If only the people making this decision didn't have their jobs relying on such a move.* This is literally one of those crossroads where what is actually best for the franchise going forward will not align with the metaphorical heat of the Coach and GM's office chairs.

[CletusPyle]

Yep, Ballard and Reich are trying to save their jobs, no way they replace Ryan until they are officially out of the playoff picture...I will still root for the Colts the rest of the way, but I am quickly losing interest in this season.

[Colts And Orioles]

o


Last week, we finally got to see what Ryan could do when he got some good blocking from the offensive line ...... he had his best game of the season.

This week, Ryan is washed up after playing his worst game of the season ...... acquiring him in the first place was a mistake.

Next week ......

o

[Brylok]

A lot of people were saying we would go into a QB purgatory after Luck and it has come true...

Guilty as charged. We're deep in purgatory now with no visible way out unless it's Ehlinger who they won't play. I said ten years, but it might be longer than that. We're back in the 80s/early 90s with this Colts team.

[Racehorse]

Yep, Ballard and Reich are trying to save their jobs, no way they replace Ryan until they are officially out of the playoff picture...I will still root for the Colts the rest of the way, but I am quickly losing interest in this season.

This did not age well, lol.
I did think you were right, though.

[Colts And Orioles]

o


Last week, we finally got to see what Ryan could do when he got some good blocking from the offensive line ...... he had his best game of the season.

This week, Ryan is washed up after playing his worst game of the season ...... acquiring him in the first place was a mistake.

Next week ......

o
o


Ryan again got some solid blocking against the Raiders yesterday afternoon ...... it was only the 2nd time all season that he has had that luxury.

o

[Hoopsdoc]

o


Ryan again got some solid blocking against the Raiders yesterday afternoon ...... it was only the 2nd time all season that he has had that luxury.

o

Ryan was never the problem.

[Butter]

Ryan was never the problem.

Not the main problem, but he was a part of it. I expected better from a vet of the quality he has been over the years, regardless of the O lines struggles.

[CletusPyle]

This did not age well, lol.
I did think you were right, though.

Yeah, that guy doesn't know what he talking about!:D

[Hoopsdoc]

Not the main problem, but he was a part of it. I expected better from a vet of the quality he has been over the years, regardless of the O lines struggles.

Really the only area he could have done better in considering the circumstances was holding on to the football but I’m not going to blame him to much for that. If he had had even passable protection, it wouldn’t have been an issue.

[Colts And Orioles]

Really, the only area he could have done better in considering the circumstances was holding on to the football ...... but I’m not going to blame him to much for that, because if he had had even passable protection, it wouldn’t have been an issue.





o


Agreed. When the opposing team's defensive front is living in your backfield on almost every play, there isn't much that any quarterback can do with his veteran experience ...... fumbling the ball, throwing an INT, taking a sack, and getting called for intentional grounding are among the lovely options that he has at that point.

o

[ChaosTheory]

Really the only area he could have done better in considering the circumstances was holding on to the football but I’m not going to blame him to much for that. If he had had even passable protection, it wouldn’t have been an issue.

That's true, he has gotten completely swarmed at times this season... but his turnovers are inexcusable. He's had this issue of turning a bad play into the worst case scenario. Even saw it last week vs. LV with that huge sack.

At the same time, he leads the league (despite missing two games) in 4th quarter comebacks with 5 (4 wins and a tie). If he had half the turnovers, we'd be talking about how great is and we'd probably have at least 2 more wins.

[Colts And Orioles]

That's true, he has gotten completely swarmed at times this season ....... but his turnovers are inexcusable. He's had this issue of turning a bad play into the worst case scenario. Even saw it last week vs. LV with that huge sack.

At the same time, he leads the league (despite missing two games) in 4th quarter comebacks with 5 (4 wins and a tie). If he had half the turnovers, we'd be talking about how great is and we'd probably have at least 2 more wins.





o


I think that the opposite is true ...... I think that it is a minor miracle that Ryan has led the Colts to 5 non-losses (4 wins and a tie) when he has had decent blocking from the offensive line for only 2 games overall. Inexcusable turnovers are something that we saw last year, with Carson Wentz. Wentz had one of the best offensive lines in the NFL last year, and lHEl often made bad situations worse. The same cannot be said of Ryan ...... Ryan has had the worst offensive line in the NFL blocking for him this season, and because of that, I would say that most of his turnovers were, at least somewhat, excusable.

So, I don't think that the equation is that the Colts would be 7-3 if Ryan had had less turnovers ...... I think the equation is that the Colts would be 7-3 if they had had even average blocking all season long, instead of the atrocious blocking which they have gotten for 8 out of the 10 games which they have played so far.

o

[Colts And Orioles]

o


With the offensive line that he has had blocking for him this season, it's amazing that Ryan has managed to somehow go 4-4-1 in the 9 games in which he has played up until now ...... an average quarterback would probably be about 2-7 with the blocking that Ryan has had so far this season.

That said, Ryan and company really should have put the Eagles away on Sunday when they had a 1st-and-goal at the Eagles' 5-yardline with less than 5 minutes to play in the game ...... a touchdown at that point would have pretty much sealed the game.

o

[JAFF]

o


With the offensive line that he has had blocking for him this season, it's amazing that Ryan has managed to somehow go 4-4-1 in the 9 games in which he has played up until now ...... an average quarterback would probably be about 2-7 with the blocking that Ryan has had so far this season.

That said, Ryan and company really should have put the Eagles away on Sunday when they had a 1st-and-goal at the Eagles' 5-yardline with less than 5 minutes to play in the game ...... a touchdown at that point would have pretty much sealed the game.

o

The coaching staff needs throw caution out the window. Be a less predictable. If they cant expand their choices, start using a magic 8 ball. If I can predict what they play is coming on 2nd and three, most NFL DC’s know it as well.

[CletusPyle]

The coaching staff needs throw caution out the window. Be a less predictable. If they cant expand their choices, start using a magic 8 ball. If I can predict what they play is coming on 2nd and three, most NFL DC’s know it as well.

"Reply hazy, try again" we're fucked! Timeout!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FhUabH6WAAA6_e1.jpg

[Colts And Orioles]

o


(vs. STEELERS, 11/29)


I missed the 1st half because I was at the gym, but I was told that Ryan was not good ...... but I was also told that his offensive line was marginal, at best.

I watched the 2nd half with my own lying eyes, and while the offensive line wasn't horrible, they were also far from the blocking juggernaut that Carson Wentz had in front of him last year ...... and with that, I saw Ryan stepping up in the pocket several times to avoid sacks and complete passes, I saw him dive head-first over the top of the defensive line when the Colts needed 1 yard on 4th down, and I saw him unexpectedly scramble for 14 yards to keep the Colts alive on a 2nd-and-17 on the Colts' final drive ...... only a relatively new rule that considers a quarterback to be "sliding" even when he goes down head-first prevented him from actually getting the 1st down, because the Steelers did not touch him until he was beyond the sticks.

I also saw Ryan charged with a fumble that was really the fault of Jonathan Taylor ...... in fact, Ryan nearly got that fumble back by diving on the ball after Taylor had dropped it, but it squirmed away from him and into the arms of a Steeler.

o

[albany ed]

I've no doubt that Ryan is giving 100%, but 100% of over the hill is still over the hill. Even his completions have no zip. I know what the team has in Ryan, what I don't know is what gives with Foles? The season is over, playoff wise, and IMO, Ryan won't be back. Is Foles done? I think we've seen enough of Ehlinger to know that he's a backup, nothing more. If Foles can play, let's have him. If he can't, at least let the fans know why.

[rcubed]

o


(vs. STEELERS, 11/29)


I missed the 1st half because I was at the gym, but I was told that Ryan was not good ...... but I was also told that his offensive line was marginal, at best.

I watched the 2nd half with my own lying eyes, and while the offensive line wasn't horrible, they were also far from the blocking juggernaut that Carson Wentz had in front of him last year ...... and with that, I saw Ryan stepping up in the pocket several times to avoid sacks and complete passes, I saw him dive head-first over the top of the defensive line when the Colts needed 1 yard on 4th down, and I saw him unexpectedly scramble for 14 yards to keep the Colts alive on a 2nd-and-17 on the Colts' final drive ...... only a relatively new rule that considers a quarterback to be "sliding" even when he goes down head-first prevented him from actually getting the 1st down, because the Steelers did not touch him until he was beyond the sticks.

I also saw Ryan charged with a fumble that was really the fault of Jonathan Taylor ...... in fact, Ryan nearly got that fumble back by diving on the ball after Taylor had dropped it, but it squirmed away from him and into the arms of a Steeler.

o
I saw a ryan that lead the offense to 0 yards in the first quarter.
I saw a ryan with little to no zip on his throws.
I saw a ryan throwing slightly behind his receivers.
I saw a ryan that should retire and we need to move on.

[Brylok]

...needs to retire.

Start Sam the rest of the games and Foles as the backup. Why is he even here? I still don't think I've seen Foles in a Colts uniform.

What a shit season. Lord help our Colts.

[Colts And Orioles]

I saw a Ryan that lead the offense to 0 yards in the first quarter.

I saw a Ryan with little to no zip on his throws.

I saw a Ryan throwing slightly behind his receivers.

I saw a Ryan that should retire and we need to move on.





o


A) ) I said that I didn't see the first half. I'm sure that Ryan was as bad as his numbers say they were, although some of the posters that saw the entire game said that the offensive line was mediocre, at best.


B) ) In the second half, I saw a slightly-passed-his-prime Ryan, ala Philip Rivers in 2020, playing behind an offensive line that was reminiscent of the Andrew Luck era, and Ryan somehow managing not to get himself killed, let alone stand bravely and confidently in the pocket and throw accurate passes. He also may not have completely recovered from the injury to his throwing shoulder that sidelined him for 2 games earlier in the season.


B) ) Moving on from a 37-year-old Matt Ryan is fine, just as moving forward from a 39 year-old Philip Rivers was fine 2 years ago ..... acting as though they (Ryan and Rivers) were our primary problem is inaccurate, just as acting as though if we move on from from Ryan that we necessarily have a better answer/solution is inaccurate. When we moved on from Philip Rivers, we didn't necessarily find a better answer/solution when we acquired Carson Wentz.

o

[Colts And Orioles]

o


It was clearly time to move on from Jacoby Brissett after the 2019 season.

It was clearly time to move on from Carson Wentz after the 2021 season.

I was hoping that we would get one more season out of a solid-but-not-necessarily-spectacular Philip Rivers after the 2020 season, but he decided to retire ...... hence, moving on from him was not a choice, but a necessity.


I have no problem moving on from a 37 year-old Matt Ryan ...... but finding a way to get the offensive line to re-emerge as one of the league's best (as it was in 2021) from one of the league's worst (which it has been for 2022) is much more vital and essential than whether or not Ryan continues to QB the team for the remainder of the season ...... when you have an offensive line that was as dominant as it was last year, a slightly-above-average quarterback could easily lead said team to the post-season, and possibly even be a bona-fide contender to win a conference championship (depending on other parts of the team, such as the defense and the effectiveness of the offensive coordinator.)

o

[rcubed]

B) ) Moving on from a 37-year-old Matt Ryan is fine, just as moving forward from a 39 year-old Philip Rivers was fine 2 years ago ..... acting as though they (Ryan and Rivers) were our primary problem is inaccurate, just as acting as though if we move on from from Ryan that we necessarily have a better answer/solution is inaccurate. When we moved on from Philip Rivers, we didn't necessarily find a better answer/solution when we acquired Carson Wentz.

o

Who's acting like ryan is our only problem??
We have issues, line being a major one. But we are on our third old/retread QB. We cant keep going down that road.
Regardless of line, defense, running game, etc. QB play is vital to winning.

[Colts And Orioles]

Who's acting like ryan is our only problem ???

We have issues, line being a major one. But we are on our third old/retread QB. We cant keep going down that road.

Regardless of line, defense, running game, etc. QB play is vital to winning.






o


Point taken about the QB position being vital, and I also agree that we need to move on from Ryan in 2023 and beyond ...... but unlike Philip Rivers in 2020 and Carson Wentz in 2021, Ryan flat-out didn't have a chance with this offensive line. I don't think that there are 5 quarterbacks in the NFL that would have a chance to lead this team to a winning record with way that this offensive line has played. We need to move on from Ryan, but outside of the the super-quick/Houdini-like Patrick Mahomes and maybe one or 2 others, teams just can't win when they have one of the worst (and maybe THE worst) offensive line in the league.

The Colts can and should address both areas (QB and offensive line) in the off-season, but I would say that the offensive line is always of utmost importance considering that most average-to-above average quarterbacks can play well with very good offensive lines, but very few quarterbacks can play well with a horrible offensive line.

o

[kitekrazy]

I think it rare for a QB to have success the first season they changed teams. Yes there's Tom Brady but few in the history of the NFL are a Tom Brady.
You can't be going through veteran QBs every season especially when the rest of the roster sucks.

[apballin]

I think it rare for a QB to have success the first season they changed teams. Yes there's Tom Brady but few in the history of the NFL are a Tom Brady.
You can't be going through veteran QBs every season especially when the rest of the roster sucks.

Matt Stafford???

[Colts And Orioles]

I think it rare for a QB to have success the first season they changed teams. Yes there's Tom Brady but few in the history of the NFL are a Tom Brady.
You can't be going through veteran QBs every season especially when the rest of the roster sucks.





o


Probably the biggest exception to that rule was Peyton Manning ...... in 2012, it took Manning all of 6 games to essentially incorporate the Indianapolis Colts offense into his new team (the Denver Broncos) on his way to one of his his typical outstanding seasons. Brady had a considerably better defense with the Buccaneers in 2020 than Manning had with the Broncos in 2012 ...... in fact, the brain-freeze by the Broncos' defensive backs in the playoff game against the Ravens probably cost him a Super Bowl that season. The Broncos led by a score of 35-28 with 30 seconds left to play, and the Ravens had 0 timeouts left ...... yet they allowed Joe Flacco to throw a 70-yard TD pass to tie the game, and send it into overtime. Also, one of the Ravens' TD's earlier in that game was the result of a pick-six in which a blatant pass interference wasn't called. And even with that, he still led the Broncos to 4 touchdowns after that pick-6, and had them in position to win the game in regulation before the defensive disaster.

o

[albany ed]

I think it rare for a QB to have success the first season they changed teams. Yes there's Tom Brady but few in the history of the NFL are a Tom Brady.
You can't be going through veteran QBs every season especially when the rest of the roster sucks.

It may be rare, but what would make it even more rare would be if said QB were washed up.

[CletusPyle]

It may be rare, but what would make it even more rare would be if said QB were washed up.

Bingo! If the Colts are foolish enough to bring Ryan back next season, thinking he just needed a little time to adjust, they will be a laughing stock!

[Colts And Orioles]

It may be rare, but what would make it even more rare would be if said QB were washed-up.












Bingo !!! If the Colts are foolish enough to bring Ryan back next season, thinking that he just needed a little time to adjust, they will be a laughing stock !!!





o


I agree that it would be foolish to bring Matt Ryan back next year, but I don't think that he is necessarily washed-up. I think that he is about where Philip Rivers was at when he QB'd the Colts for one season in 2020 ...... a once great quarterback whom is slightly passed his prime.

But right now, the Colts don't need that kind of QB in 2023 and beyond, they need a more long-term solution. I think that if Ryan had had the blocking that Rivers had in 2020 and that Carson Wentz had in 2021, the Colts would be about 9-3 or 10-2 right now ...... but being that the Colts' offensive line took a plunge from one of the best in the NFL to one of the worst in the NFL this season, it's time to let Ryan go after the completion of the 2022 season and work on getting that offensive line back up to where it was prior to this season.

o

[YDFL Commish]

o


I agree that it would be foolish to bring Matt Ryan back next year, but I don't think that he is necessarily washed-up. I think that he is about where Philip Rivers was at when he QB'd the Colts for one season in 2020 ...... a once great quarterback whom is slightly passed his prime.

But right now, the Colts don't need that kind of QB in 2023 and beyond, they need a more long-term solution. I think that if Ryan had had the blocking that Rivers had in 2020 and that Carson Wentz had in 2021, the Colts would be about 9-3 or 10-2 right now ...... but being that the Colts' offensive line took a plunge from one of the best in the NFL to one of the worst in the NFL this season, it's time to let Ryan go after the completion of the 2022 season and work on getting that offensive line back up to where it was prior to this season.

o

The difference is Rivers threw with anticipation. The ball came out quickly and on time. Ryan rarely seems like he knows where he is going with the ball.

[Colts And Orioles]

The difference is Rivers threw with anticipation. The ball came out quickly and on time. Ryan rarely seems like he knows where he is going with the ball.





o


Correct ...... but the almost completely immobile Rivers had one of the best offensive lines in the NFL blocking for him. Ryan has one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL blocking for him. In the playoff game against the Bills that season, Rivers was literally untouched by the Bills' defense ...... forget about being sacked, the Bills literally did not get their hands on Rivers for the entire game.

If Rivers, who had even less mobility in 2020 than Ryan does now, had had this offensive line blocking for him, the Colts probably would have gone about 4-13 instead of 11-6 ...... the only "anticipation" that he would have had was anticipating which defensive lineman or linebacker would kill him shortly after the ball was snapped to him.

o

[JAFF]

The difference is Rivers threw with anticipation. The ball came out quickly and on time. Ryan rarely seems like he knows where he is going with the ball.

1. The Oline played much better 2 years ago.
2. The receiving group across the board was better.
3. Better group of RBs, fewer injuries.

Its the law of accumulation, a lot of little things add up. There is no magic cure for this team, and in particular the offensive linemen. It doesnt matter the coach or GM. They need to go to group therapy or dump the guys who dont care find some people with some guts.

Putting a rookie Peyton Manning would back there with this group would have ruined him.

[Racehorse]

1. The Oline played much better 2 years ago.
2. The receiving group across the board was better.
3. Better group of RBs, fewer injuries.

Its the law of accumulation, a lot of little things add up. There is no magic cure for this team, and in particular the offensive linemen. It doesnt matter the coach or GM. They need to go to group therapy or dump the guys who dont care find some people with some guts.

Putting a rookie Peyton Manning would back there with this group would have ruined him.David Carr would agree.

[Hoopsdoc]

1. The Oline played much better 2 years ago.
2. The receiving group across the board was better.
3. Better group of RBs, fewer injuries.

Its the law of accumulation, a lot of little things add up. There is no magic cure for this team, and in particular the offensive linemen. It doesnt matter the coach or GM. They need to go to group therapy or dump the guys who dont care find some people with some guts.

Putting a rookie Peyton Manning would back there with this group would have ruined him.

That’s why fixing the line is every bit as important as finding a qb.

[Chromeburn]

The difference is Rivers threw with anticipation. The ball came out quickly and on time. Ryan rarely seems like he knows where he is going with the ball.

Rivers spent years in the system. This is Ryan's first.

[JAFF]

Rivers spent years in the system. This is Ryan's first.

Go read the article I posted from Indystar today. Its the offensive line.