Quick thoughts.

[Hoopsdoc]

1. AR played well, I thought. He had some bad throws but not as many as I expected. He’s GOT to learn to dial it back though. He’ll never last like this.

2. The run game was bad but that’s what I expected. It wasn’t “let’s give JT 16 million a year” bad but it wasn’t good.

3. Shaq Leonard was invisible. He may as well have not played.

4. Good to see Defo get a touchdown. He deserves it.

5. Jags are overrated.

6. Franklin might be the best player on defense not named Buckner.

7. Rigo had a really bad game. So did the coverage unit. I think we’re going to miss Bubba Ventrone.

8. I thought the young cbs held up ok but I also felt like Jax didn’t really challenge them.

9. I don’t know what Stuard makes but he’s worth every penny on special teams. He’s fun to watch.

10. I liked Steichens aggressiveness but I feel like the execution was lacking. The hurry up on the failed 4th and 1 was unnecessary. Take some time and execute the play.

Overall, it was about what I expected. You can see the potential but they’re nowhere near ready yet. This season is a wash for me no matter what as long as AR develops.

[Dewey 5]

OL is just not very good.

Alec Pierce is pretty much a non contributor.

[Colts And Orioles]

o


Anthony Richardson got banged up without getting seriously injured ...... part of it is because the offensive line did not play well, and part of it is because he needs to pick his battles a little more judiciously ...... it was a reasonably good choice when he put his shoulder down and bowled forward on 4th down with the game on the line late in the 4th quarter, but doing it again on the very next play was not.

o

[JAFF]

OL is just not very good.

Alec Pierce is pretty much a non contributor.

Jags were crowding the LOS and daring them to pass. The Colts recievers didnt win many 1 on 1 situations.

The D was very good, the O needed some drives to give them a break.

To the head coach. Kick the field goal, take the points. The Colts paid a bunch of money on a FG kicker. Never pass up a chance to score. A lot of little things add up to a lot

[ChoppedWood]

Impressed with AR. The INT- the read was there, just underthrew the pass. He showed no panic at all which is pivotal for a QB, particularly one with such little experience. He appears willing to go through his reads, navigate the pocket, THEN take off if he has to vs one read and tuck it- which is great to see.

OL- not terrible in PP- though again Smith got worked a couple times which has become his calling card sadly. Atrocious in run blocking. Nothing is any better there AT ALL. Jackson, you have to be fucking kidding me with that abomination today. Get the fuck off this team.

WR's- meh, and Pierce, yeah that dude may need to be looking for a job in the arena league soon. Showed abso fucking lutely nothing!

D was mostly rock solid though again it seemed somewhat dejavu of last year- not enough time on the bench to keep fresh and eventually broken. As anticipated DB's are gonna get worked all year.

More competitive than I expected and see a lot of potential but there are some dudes that really need to look in the mirror after this game.

[HoosierinFL]

Agree on points, couldn’t help but think how this roster still really needs:

OL help, mainly RG or RT, and probably a new C eventually.

At least 2 WRs.

Secondary help.

And a scary edge rusher would be nice.

[Chromeburn]

After week 1 Richardson leads all rookie QBs
-completion percentage 64.9%
-yards 263, TDs 2
-passer rating 79.0

Not too shabby since many think the jags are a playoff team.

[albany ed]

I was reasonably happy with AR. He needs to develop some pocket awareness. A few of his passes were blocked and if he had just slid to the left, he would have had a clear lane to throw. Secondly, he's big and fast, but does he have any juke in him? It always seemed to me he just runs in a straight line. I'm not expecting Barry Sanders type moves, but maybe some elusiveness would be OK. All in all, I wasn't disappointed. I wish we had Taylor, he would be a big help to the offense. And finally, Alec Pierce, you suck. You shouldn't be a starter.

[Chromeburn]

Jags were crowding the LOS and daring them to pass. The Colts recievers didnt win many 1 on 1 situations.

The D was very good, the O needed some drives to give them a break.

To the head coach. Kick the field goal, take the points. The Colts paid a bunch of money on a FG kicker. Never pass up a chance to score. A lot of little things add up to a lot

Jags were playing the run all game. Every other team will too until AR proves he can throw them down the field. Why Allen had so many hits on the RB. It will be trial by fire for AR.

[daedge]

Deon Jackson better be locked out of the Colts' facility come Monday morning. He is trash.

[DragonTails]

Did they say what the injury was to AR at the end? It sure looked like a concussion.

[ChaosTheory]

Did they say what the injury was to AR at the end? It sure looked like a concussion.

Bruised knee. Happened on a 1st quarter run when he hit the turf. Think he aggravated it on the last hit.

[kitekrazy]

So this season is growing pains. Glad this wasn't one of those hold a clipboard and learn the game on the sidelines approach. I never understood that method with NFL QBs unless the starter is a future HOF.

[omahacolt]

OL is just not very good.

Alec Pierce is pretty much a non contributor.

pierce is a #4 wr. should not be starting

the colts know this

[ChoppedWood]

pierce is a #4 wr. should not be starting

the colts know this

Another turd in Ballard's cap.

[Oldcolt]

To me this was a nice debut by Richardson. He wasn't great. I didn't want him to be great this game, expectations would be to high. Wasn't crappy either so he shouldn't have his confidence hurt. Tons to work on but to me he looked like he belonged. I'm going to enjoy watching his development.

[ChaosTheory]

-Fun game to watch, first off.


OFFENSE:

-AR did pretty well all things considered. Still impressed with his poise and overall calmness.

-Two things that worried me about AR pre-draft were accuracy and chance for injury being a running QB. Both were pretty well on display today.

-Two (maybe three) hero ball Wentz plays: the almost sack completion and the final hit. Coaches HAVE to hammer home that he cannot do that. Hope the knee bruise isn't too bad.

-Left some plays and yards out there with bad placement.

-Oline + RB's sucked in run game. Didn't help that we didn't have much of a vertical passing game, but still. Without rewatching yet, I couldn't say who was more to blame. All three contributed.

-Jackson had a bad day, too bad Hull went out so early. Same with Ogletree.

-Pass pro was fine for the most part, I thought. Allen's 3 sacks are misleading as AR was running and went out of bounds twice. But pressure, which is more important I think, wasn't too bad.

-Smith gave up both legit sacks when he took his guy out wide, but AR held the ball too long on the Walker one and the Allen one was more Fries' fault for not helping Kelly with the stunt and forcing AR out where Allen chased him down.

-Downs started off promising, but disappeared. Of course everyone outside of Pittman disappeared as we didn't have much of a vertical threat. EVERYTHING was short. I hope they get more aggressive going forward, expect the INTs, but gotta go downfield to loosen everything else up.

------

DEFENSE/ST:

-Same story as last year. Easily played good enough to win. O didn't completely fuck them like last year, but eventually two bad plays happened and they broke... almost 34:00-26:00 T.O.P.

-The first unfortunate play was the punt where it looked like a dead ball, bounced right to Agnew. Looked like we'd pin them at the 5, instead it's in Colts territory. Right after that was the INT. (Honorable mention to JAX O-line carrying Bigsby from a 4yd loss to a 4yd gain at the 1).

-Front 7 was solid mostly, DB's gave up a few big plays (a couple were just awesome throw-catches by JAX).

-Moore did better on Ridley in the 2nd half. The young DBs' ceiling when they're mentally ready to take over is exciting.

-Buckner TD was a wild fucking play.

-The reason that play scored was because Franklin is fucking all-go all the time. Becoming one of my favorites.

-Sanchez had a bad day.

-I'm all for the 4th down aggression just past midfield or whatever... but not at the JAX 16 right after a turnover. 4-and-out after Brown's INT was a win for JAX and nulled the INT... ESPECIALLY because we rushed the 4th down play and didn't review the awful spot on 3rd down.

[Chromeburn]

Not too shabby in comparable rookie debuts

Peyton Manning
21-37
302 passing yards
1 passing TD
3 INTs

Andrew Luck
23-45
309 passing yards
2 rushing attempts for 9 yards
1 passing TD
3 INTs
1 fumble

Anthony Richardson
24-37
223 passing yards
10 rushing attempts for 40 yards
1 passing TD
1 rushing TD
1 INT

[rm1369]

Not too shabby in comparable rookie debuts

Peyton Manning
21-37
302 passing yards
1 passing TD
3 INTs

Andrew Luck
23-45
309 passing yards
2 rushing attempts for 9 yards
1 passing TD
3 INTs
1 fumble

Anthony Richardson
24-37
223 passing yards
10 rushing attempts for 40 yards
1 passing TD
1 rushing TD
1 INT

Steichen called a game to protect AR in a way that wasn’t done for Manning or Luck. I definitely understand why, just context to the stats. Hopefully they start opening it up slowly. Honestly I’d rather see AR throw more picks than I would see him getting hit.

[Hoopsdoc]

pierce is a #4 wr. should not be starting

the colts know this

I’ve never seen a guy who is always so close to making a play yet literally NEVER makes it.

It’s so frustrating.

[ChoppedWood]

Steichen called a game to protect AR in a way that wasn’t done for Manning or Luck. I definitely understand why, just context to the stats. Hopefully they start opening it up slowly. Honestly I’d rather see AR throw more picks than I would see him getting hit.

100% agree with that.

[Hoopsdoc]

Steichen called a game to protect AR in a way that wasn’t done for Manning or Luck. I definitely understand why, just context to the stats. Hopefully they start opening it up slowly. Honestly I’d rather see AR throw more picks than I would see him getting hit.

Yep, everything was super simple. It was frustrating that they never took a shot downfield though.

I like to think that Steichen is building an offense based on what AR does well and that that stuff will come later.

[ChoppedWood]

Steichen called a game to protect AR in a way that wasn’t done for Manning or Luck. I definitely understand why, just context to the stats. Hopefully they start opening it up slowly. Honestly I’d rather see AR throw more picks than I would see him getting hit.

Also, I hope the staff has told him- NO TRYING TO KILL the interceptor after any INT's! He absolutely strikes me as the guy that would go after and destroy the guy who stole the ball- which looks great and shows leadership, but minus an AFC Champ or SB he should be instructed to find the sideline as fast as possible after a turnover.

[Racehorse]

3. Shaq Leonard was invisible. He may as well have not played.



I think you are being too hard on him. He did have a tackle for a loss that contributed to us getting the ball back. He has not played in such a long time, so he will improve as he gets back to game speed and gets his confidence in his body back.

[rm1369]

I think you are being too hard on him. He did have a tackle for a loss that contributed to us getting the ball back. He has not played in such a long time, so he will improve as he gets back to game speed and gets his confidence in his body back.

Agreed. Main thing was I don’t remember seeing him look as out of place and bad as he did in his short stint last year. Considering the layoff I’m not surprised he didn’t make a huge impact first game back.

[Chromeburn]

Yep, everything was super simple. It was frustrating that they never took a shot downfield though.

I like to think that Steichen is building an offense based on what AR does well and that that stuff will come later.

Jags played a 2 deep shell all game taking away the deep ball. He looked for it on some of those longer reads but it was double coverage. He made the right decision not to throw into that. Then they clogged the run lanes and wanted him to throw underneath hoping he would make a mistake.

[ChaosTheory]

Jags played a 2 deep shell all game taking away the deep ball. He looked for it on some of those longer reads but it was double coverage. He made the right decision not to throw into that. Then they clogged the run lanes and wanted him to throw underneath hoping he would make a mistake.

Yeah, the flip side to the frustration of not being aggressive is that it's good to see patience in a rookie QB. He shouldn't force deep throws into doubles, but he'll need more continuity with his receivers to be able to do more against a shell than 5yd outlet passes.

I heard Zach Hicks talking about the run game... he said the O-line was moving guys, but Steichen's run scheme is way different than Reich's and the guys just aren't used to it yet. So they missed blocks, etc.

Very curious to rewatch.

[apballin]

Mo is 7ft and can’t catch a jumpball, get him out of here

Jackson is trash

Got waaayyyy too conservative once they got the lead

The punt return changed the entire game

[Dam8610]

Anthony Richardson showed in Game 1 abilities that Trevor Lawrence first showed today in his third season. Hopefully Anthony can build on that for the rest of the season and Trevor goes back to being unable to read coverages. I know it's only one game, and I definitely want to see more, but I haven't been this excited about the future of the Colts since the end of Andrew Luck's rookie season.

[Chromeburn]

Yeah, the flip side to the frustration of not being aggressive is that it's good to see patience in a rookie QB. He shouldn't force deep throws into doubles, but he'll need more continuity with his receivers to be able to do more against a shell than 5yd outlet passes.

I heard Zach Hicks talking about the run game... he said the O-line was moving guys, but Steichen's run scheme is way different than Reich's and the guys just aren't used to it yet. So they missed blocks, etc.

Very curious to rewatch.

The NFL forces you to work on your weaknesses. He will have to work on his short and intermediate game till defenses are forced to cover it honestly. That will open up the other aspects. The rest of the nfl will just copy what the jags did till he shows he can beat it.

[Mr. Session]

Not happy with the coaching. Not surprised either.

I said it in the game thread. Outside of some pistol/flexbone formations and some read option, I'm not sure what the difference is between Reich and this guy. I get it's his first go around. I have to believe Indianapolis hired a guy that is objectively better than the guy they just fired, right? 3 rookie head coaches in a row. Same bullshit. Insanity.

I think the Defense played great and I'm fucking tired of watching those guys gas out because the offense is garbage. I'm tired of it. I like AR's words regarding that though. They have to help their teammates.

[dwilli57]

I loved the game...just not the final score. So much to look forward to. We played hard against the cream of the AFC South, many who think they'll go deep into the playoffs.

Houston next...hope we show them what they got with their #2 pick.

[JAFF]

Yep, everything was super simple. It was frustrating that they never took a shot downfield though.

I like to think that Steichen is building an offense based on what AR does well and that that stuff will come later.

AR played less than 2 full college years? 15 games, is that right? It shows. He did run out of bounds, he didnt try to take on a linebacker.

I dont understand going for it on 4th down when the team spent a bunch of money on a FG kicker. They need all the points they can get.

[Oldcolt]

Re watched the damn game. Tough loss, hope we grow quickly. We have no running backs, no real legitimate wide receiver threat (Pierce seems to be a bust-little early to label him but he is trending that way), the offensive line still sucks (what a shock) and for some god awful reason we refuse to take 3 points. What fucking analytics is Steichen looking at, we were 1/5 in fourth down attempts. It is like 4 turnovers to overcome. Stupid.

This offense has zero weapons other than AR. We need JT back not only because we have no real starting backs (how the hell did Ballard let this happen?) but we are desperate for explosive plays. Find a way to make up and get the man on the field.

[ChoppedWood]

Re watched the damn game. Tough loss, hope we grow quickly. We have no running backs, no real legitimate wide receiver threat (Pierce seems to be a bust-little early to label him but he is trending that way), the offensive line still sucks (what a shock) and for some god awful reason we refuse to take 3 points. What fucking analytics is Steichen looking at, we were 1/5 in fourth down attempts. It is like 4 turnovers to overcome. Stupid.

This offense has zero weapons other than AR. We need JT back not only because we have no real starting backs (how the hell did Ballard let this happen?) but we are desperate for explosive plays. Find a way to make up and get the man on the field.

Chatter now about Ravens getting involved in JT offers due to loss of Dobbins. Demand their 1st next year, and concede the RB position is a fatal flaw on this team right now. Next year new GM is required to draft WR 1st and RB 2nd setting up a triplets v2.0 scenario.

[Oldcolt]

If you can get a big haul for him (I kinda doubt we can) go for it. Him playing for us or high draft choice-either way I’m in.

[Chromeburn]

Not happy with the coaching. Not surprised either.

I said it in the game thread. Outside of some pistol/flexbone formations and some read option, I'm not sure what the difference is between Reich and this guy. I get it's his first go around. I have to believe Indianapolis hired a guy that is objectively better than the guy they just fired, right? 3 rookie head coaches in a row. Same bullshit. Insanity.

I think the Defense played great and I'm fucking tired of watching those guys gas out because the offense is garbage. I'm tired of it. I like AR's words regarding that though. They have to help their teammates.

One thing to keep in mind is that this is a new scheme. You don’t master it in just one training camp. It’s going to take awhile for it to click. Then add in a rookie QB compounds the problem. Also most offenses don’t hit their stride till mid season. I also wonder how effective RBs are in this system. I wonder if a pass catching back like Mcaffrey might be better in it.

[Chromeburn]

Pass rush win rate among edge defenders. Weird don’t see Josh Allen on there.

https://i.ibb.co/McG2dCN/IMG-2947.jpg (https://ibb.co/WkPxC2K)

[Chromeburn]

Week 1 Quarterback EPA/play (ex MNF)

1) Tua*Tagovailoa 0.59
2) Jordan*Love 0.55
3) Matthew*Stafford 0.51
4) Jimmy*Garoppolo 0.47
5) Dak*Prescott 0.34
6) Brock*Purdy 0.27
7) Derek*Carr 0.20
8) Russell*Wilson 0.17
9) Jared*Goff 0.14
10) Justin*Herbert 0.12
11) Anthony*Richardson 0.07
12) Kirk*Cousins 0.07
13) Baker*Mayfield 0.05
14) Deshaun*Watson 0.04
15) Geno*Smith -0.03
16) Patrick*Mahomes -0.05
17) Lamar*Jackson -0.06
18) Justin*Fields -0.10
19) Mac*Jones -0.12
20) Sam*Howell -0.16
21) Jalen*Hurts -0.16
22) Ryan*Tannehill -0.19
23) Desmond*Ridder -0.20
24) Bryce*Young -0.22
25) Kenny*Pickett -0.23
26) C.J.*Stroud -0.25
27) Trevor*Lawrence -0.28
28) Joshua*Dobbs -0.36
29) Daniel*Jones -0.43
30) Joe*Burrow -0.48

Wow Colts D gave Lawrence fits. Debut at 11.

[ChaosTheory]

Kwity was mauling his guy much of the day. I saw two or three plays where he tossed the OT on his ass. Freeney taught me not to overvalue sack totals. Josh Allen is helping that cause.

By the way, I watch some PHI-NE afterwards and Jalen Hurts ran the ball out of bounds untouched... they marked it like a foot short of the marker, so it went down as a sack... I'm thinking, who the fuck just got credit for that one?

Second BTW... JAX was 4-of-15 on 3rd and 4th down.

[AlwaysSunnyinIndy]

6. Franklin might be the best player on defense not named Buckner.



Zaire had such a great game that he "randomly" got selected for a drug test today.

[ukcolt]

Do we know the extent of the injuries for Hull and Ogletree.

Also was it just me, or did Kylen Granson look like he was a much bigger dude yesterday?

[AlwaysSunnyinIndy]

Do we know the extent of the injuries for Hull and Ogletree.



In today's press conference, Steichen said that they are still evaluating Hull's knee injury but stated that he could miss some time.

Olgetree will have to go through the steps of the concussion protocol.

[ChoppedWood]

Another take away- AR in the no huddle= GOOD.

He looked completely in command of the offense. Very early but he looked at ease in the more free-flowing read and react end of game setting- including the awesome blasting through a wall to get the 1st down (did he just say fuck it to the wristband play sheet at one point and toss it away?).

Again, long way to go, but one of the things that made Peyton and to some degree Luck so damn good was rapid fire get to the line and make plays activity. Rivers was meh at it, Wentz was atrocious at it and well Ryan never seemed to be in a position to do it.

[Racehorse]

Pass rush win rate among edge defenders. Weird don’t see Josh Allen on there.

https://i.ibb.co/McG2dCN/IMG-2947.jpg (https://ibb.co/WkPxC2K)

Paye was a guy that I thought could make the leap this year. Dayo is another one. Dayo didn't get too many plays yesterday that made any impact. I hope he does soon.

[YDFL Commish]

Another take away- AR in the no huddle= GOOD.

(did he just say fuck it to the wristband play sheet at one point and toss it away?).
.

Yes he did!

[YDFL Commish]

Zaire had such a great game that he "randomly" got selected for a drug test today.

He had 18 tackles and said that he left plays on the field? Those were 18 meaningful tackles too. Not the stat padding 8yd down the field shit that statheads think are so great.

[ukcolt]

Yes he did!

The paper/plastic, came adrift of his plastic arm thing for the play sheet. You could see him trying to put it back into the wallet thing, but then thought fuck it, this is too difficult and threw it to the floor, on the next play he ripped the whole thing off his arm. It was not a defiant act, was an equipment failure from what i saw when watching.

[ChaosTheory]

In today's press conference, Steichen said that they are still evaluating Hull's knee injury but stated that he could miss some time.

Olgetree will have to go through the steps of the concussion protocol.

Speaking of the presser... these reporters are going to turn on Steichen hard at some point, watch. He is Belichick-esque in that he doesn't answer a goddamn thing for the most part.

One of them says, "What does that mean specifically?"

Steichen says, "Just everything, you know what I mean?". Haha.

[ChaosTheory]

He had 18 tackles and said that he left plays on the field? Those were 18 meaningful tackles too. Not the stat padding 8yd down the field shit that statheads think are so great.

I can't wait for the 22 tape to come out and he's a big reason why. Dude was a fucking missile all day.

[Chromeburn]

Do we know the extent of the injuries for Hull and Ogletree.

Also was it just me, or did Kylen Granson look like he was a much bigger dude yesterday?

Per NextGen Stats, Kylen Granson averaged 4.6 yards of separation on his targets.

This ranked 4th amongst 77 qualifying (3+ targets) players for week 1.

[YDFL Commish]

Speaking of the presser... these reporters are going to turn on Steichen hard at some point, watch. He is Belichick-esque in that he doesn't answer a goddamn thing for the most part.

One of them says, "What does that mean specifically?"

Steichen says, "Just everything, you know what I mean?". Haha.

Actually I like that about Steichen. Fucking Reich gave away way too much information. Carolina will regret that hire.

[Chromeburn]

DTs DeForest Buckner (92.5) & Grover Stewart (90.2) ranked 1st and 3rd, respectively, among all DTs

LBs EJ Speed (94.8) & Zaire Franklin (92.2) rated as having the two best LB performances

[Racehorse]

DTs DeForest Buckner (92.5) & Grover Stewart (90.2) ranked 1st and 3rd, respectively, among all DTs

LBs EJ Speed (94.8) & Zaire Franklin (92.2) rated as having the two best LB performances

How did they grade Kwity?

[IndyNorm]

Late to the game, but here are my thoughts after a couple of days:

- AR looked better than I thought he would. Obviously still has a long way to go and needs to learn to not play hero ball w/ the run game, but he looked not overwhelmed at all and way more comfortable than I thought he would.
- I read in Atkins' "10 Thoughts" article that Downs was wide open a couple of times during the O's dry stretch and AR overlooked him. Not a surprise this happened w/ a rookie. I'm sure this will stand out on film and that AR will learn from this.
- OL's pass blocking was ok, but their run blocking was turrible. I saw a couple of you guys' commented some of that is due to the change in blocking schemes. Hope that's the case.
- The D played great for the most part with the DL looking about as good as they had in a long time. Just too much time on the field and put into too many bad spots by the O.
- Even though Steichen probably needs to dial it down, the 4th down decisions aren't as bad as you guys are saying. At least until at the end of the game. My thoughts:

- The first one was 4th and less than a yard. I think the bigger mistake was not asking for a measurement and review b/c we got screwed on the spot on the previous play. Also, I think Steichen may have learned his lesson that our OL is nowhere near as good as Philly's.
- The next 2 times were both from Jax 42, so out of FG range and really prime 4th down territory from a field position standpoint. With how well our D was playing in the 2nd half I really think we should have punted on the 3rd 4th down attempt.
- The final 2 were weird. We're down 10, only have 2 TOs, and it's under 2 mins. So we needed 2 scores and an onside kick recovery to tie/win. Probably makes more sense to kick the FG there (especially the 2nd time). Also, Steichen should have used his TOs to preserve some clock and get the O on the same page rather than have us rushing things.

[JAFF]

How did they grade Kwity?

He had a very good day, they need two on him

[Ironshaft]

- The final 2 were weird. We're down 10, only have 2 TOs, and it's under 2 mins. So we needed 2 scores and an onside kick recovery to tie/win. Probably makes more sense to kick the FG there (especially the 2nd time). Also, Steichen should have used his TOs to preserve some clock and get the O on the same page rather than have us rushing things.
Rookie head coach in his first every game at the NFL level.

Hopefully, he will learn about clock management.

[ChaosTheory]

For any fellow film nerds. I never remember the best way to include images, hopefully the attachments show up, they look smaller. Can someone let me know?

Very interesting 22 tape so far. One thing I wanted to point out, is that there are plenty of opportunities missed with AR's reads that are exciting because they'll improve once things slow down for him. Some big running lanes he opted out of as well.

This example stuck with me early. It's just a routine RO from the second drive that is interesting to me for several reasons...

Image 1: Colts are 2x2, Jags are pretty basic alignment with Josh Allen lined up over Pierce in the slot.

Image 2: Off AR's cadence, Allen bumps down to rush, creating a 6-on-7 for our blockers. The safety, Cisco, drops down and follows Downs as he motions inside. CB starts backing off to play his deep half.

Image 3: Play starts, Plug backer moves to Allen's gap as Allen crashes and stones MAC's block. Pierce runs a 5yd hitch. Safety chases Downs and whizzes past Pierce. CB keeps dropping. AR hands off.

Image 4: O-Line washes everyone down, Jackson hits the hole between Smith and pulling MAC... but MAC gets blown up by Allen so Jackson barely squeezes through before Allen gets an arm on him and jumps on his back. 3yds, not terrible, could've been better if MAC made the block and/or if Moss (or Taylor) was in to explode through Allen's arms.

Meanwhile, the more interesting part is, with all that attention in the box, Pierce and Downs are essentially 2-on-1 vs. the safety who is manned on Downs. Downs does a quick out and Pierce does a quick hitch. By the time AR does his follow through fake, Cisco is screaming past Pierce towards Downs and the CB is 10 yards away from Pierce who has all that room. Probably an easy first down at minimum.

It's not that AR made a bad read, especially if MAC doesn't get blown up or if Moss/Taylor were running... But as the game slows down for him, I'm hoping he recognizes stuff like this and is assertive enough to keep the ball and make the throw rather than defer to the handoff which he seemed to do a lot, especially later in the game.

[Chromeburn]

How did they grade Kwity?

74.1 for Kwity

I thought a saw a grade of Josh Downs in the 80's but I can't find it now. In the preseason they gave him an 87.

[Brylok]

Mike Strachan signed with Panthers practice squad.

[Chromeburn]

Mike Strachan signed with Panthers practice squad.

Smart move, he fits Reich's model for a WR. More likely to see the field there.

[Chromeburn]

For any fellow film nerds. I never remember the best way to include images, hopefully the attachments show up, they look smaller. Can someone let me know?

Very interesting 22 tape so far. One thing I wanted to point out, is that there are plenty of opportunities missed with AR's reads that are exciting because they'll improve once things slow down for him. Some big running lanes he opted out of as well.

This example stuck with me early. It's just a routine RO from the second drive that is interesting to me for several reasons...

Image 1: Colts are 2x2, Jags are pretty basic alignment with Josh Allen lined up over Pierce in the slot.

Image 2: Off AR's cadence, Allen bumps down to rush, creating a 6-on-7 for our blockers. The safety, Cisco, drops down and follows Downs as he motions inside. CB starts backing off to play his deep half.

Image 3: Play starts, Plug backer moves to Allen's gap as Allen crashes and stones MAC's block. Pierce runs a 5yd hitch. Safety chases Downs and whizzes past Pierce. CB keeps dropping. AR hands off.

Image 4: O-Line washes everyone down, Jackson hits the hole between Smith and pulling MAC... but MAC gets blown up by Allen so Jackson barely squeezes through before Allen gets an arm on him and jumps on his back. 3yds, not terrible, could've been better if MAC made the block and/or if Moss (or Taylor) was in to explode through Allen's arms.

Meanwhile, the more interesting part is, with all that attention in the box, Pierce and Downs are essentially 2-on-1 vs. the safety who is manned on Downs. Downs does a quick out and Pierce does a quick hitch. By the time AR does his follow through fake, Cisco is screaming past Pierce towards Downs and the CB is 10 yards away from Pierce who has all that room. Probably an easy first down at minimum.

It's not that AR made a bad read, especially if MAC doesn't get blown up or if Moss/Taylor were running... But as the game slows down for him, I'm hoping he recognizes stuff like this and is assertive enough to keep the ball and make the throw rather than defer to the handoff which he seemed to do a lot, especially later in the game.

Owen did a little bit on AR not following his blocks on the designed QB runs. Thats a typical rookie move, he was running to daylight, but the correct path was following his blocks bc the holes are smaller in the NFL.

https://twitter.com/colts_law/status/1701730946871943241?s=46

[Chromeburn]

Another narrative I've noticed this week.

Calvin Ridley
REC YDS AVG TD LONG TGTS
8 101 12.6 1 29 11

Michael Pittman Jr
REC YDS AVG TD LONG TGTS
8 97 12.1 1 39 11


National Media - "OMG Calvin Ridley is back he is a true number one for Trevor Lawrence."
Colts fans - "MPJ is a number two, someone needs to get him a number one receiver."

[IndyNorm]

Rookie head coach in his first every game at the NFL level.

Hopefully, he will learn about clock management.

No doubt. Streichen seems like a smart guy, so I'm sure he'll tighten that up.

[Chromeburn]

Pass protection this week across all teams.

https://i.ibb.co/5kfwHPw/IMG-2958.jpg (https://ibb.co/2SfH4TH)

[Mr. Session]

Another narrative I've noticed this week.

Calvin Ridley
REC YDS AVG TD LONG TGTS
8 101 12.6 1 29 11

Michael Pittman Jr
REC YDS AVG TD LONG TGTS
8 97 12.1 1 39 11


National Media - "OMG Calvin Ridley is back he is a true number one for Trevor Lawrence."
Colts fans - "MPJ is a number two, someone needs to get him a number one receiver."

After all this shit with Taylor, my heart is really pulling for Pitt.

I hope that kid can get PAID. I pray he continues putting up stat lines like this.

Ridley was dominant in that first half though.

[ukcolt]

I like Pittman, but he isn't a dynamic player, who oppositions fear. He will get yards, but they are often the yards a defense is happy to give up and move on to the next play.

[ChaosTheory]

I like Pittman, but he isn't a dynamic player, who oppositions fear. He will get yards, but they are often the yards a defense is happy to give up and move on to the next play.

I think defenses might disagree with you about him being dynamic when they watch film of a WR screen on 2nd and 28 go for a 39-yard touchdown.

Pittman has been victim to our QB situation since he got here. He can play.

[Mr. Session]

I think defenses might disagree with you about him being dynamic when they watch film of a WR screen on 2nd and 28 go for a 39-yard touchdown.

Pittman has been victim to our QB situation since he got here. He can play.

They really need both Pittman and Pierce to be better in jump ball scenarios. Both of them have been underwhelming in that regard.

Pittman runs hard but those are just the RB genetics at play. We do need more out of him and I am pulling for him to show he can do more within this context.

[Chromeburn]

After all this shit with Taylor, my heart is really pulling for Pitt.

I hope that kid can get PAID. I pray he continues putting up stat lines like this.

Ridley was dominant in that first half though.

And got shutdown in the second half.

People would talk about Pittman if we had won. But I think he goes unappreciated because he’s had a revolving door at QB and it undermines his performance on the stat sheet and in media attention. Go back and look at the ton of receivers taken in that class and he’s one of the top performers despite his situation at QB.

[Chromeburn]

I like Pittman, but he isn't a dynamic player, who oppositions fear. He will get yards, but they are often the yards a defense is happy to give up and move on to the next play.

What’s the definition of a dynamic player. I see this pop up and no one can define it because there is no standard for it. It’s a nebulous statement that based on subjectivity. Is Mike Evans dynamic? Is Keenan Allen dynamic? Is AJ Brown dynamic? He was 10th in receptions despite the absolute shitshow at QB last year and had more catches than all those guys.

I think Colt fans compare him to Reggie and Marv, hof receivers, and think he doesn’t measure up. But he doesn’t have Manning throwing to him and you should judge him against contemporary peers, not past hof receivers from the team. Everyone in the league except for a few guys wouldn’t measure up.

[ChoppedWood]

What’s the definition of a dynamic player. I see this pop up and no one can define it because there is no standard for it. It’s a nebulous statement that based on subjectivity. Is Mike Evans dynamic? Is Keenan Allen dynamic? Is AJ Brown dynamic? He was 10th in receptions despite the absolute shitshow at QB last year and had more catches than all those guys.

I think Colt fans compare him to Reggie and Marv, hof receivers, and think he doesn’t measure up. But he doesn’t have Manning throwing to him and you should judge him against contemporary peers, not past hof receivers from the team. Everyone in the league except for a few guys wouldn’t measure up.

He does not have the quicks to create separation at the line and does not have the straight line speed to kill a defender on a streak and his hands are "good" not great. A # 1, has all three of those things in one profile.

Fantastic possession guy and a tough after the catch runner, but he is not a dynamic play maker at the WR position that has a special quality that has to be gamed for. i.e. Hill, Adams, Metcalf, even a guy like Kupp.

We do not have such a weapon, haven't had one since TY and that's a disgrace that Ballard somehow manages to escape. Again, another area where he is not good at building the position.

[Chromeburn]

He does not have the quicks to create separation at the line and does not have the straight line speed to kill a defender on a streak and his hands are "good" not great. A # 1, has all three of those things in one profile.

Fantastic possession guy and a tough after the catch runner, but he is not a dynamic play maker at the WR position that has a special quality that has to be gamed for. i.e. Hill, Adams, Metcalf, even a guy like Kupp.

We do not have such a weapon, haven't had one since TY and that's a disgrace that Ballard somehow manages to escape. Again, another area where he is not good at building the position.

So by your definition how many number 1 receivers are there in the NFL? Can you show me this list of number 1's and where Pittman ranks on that?

[ChoppedWood]

This is roughly how I view the NFL WR room. There are 5 teams that have 2 players catching balls that I think are better than our 1st option= Pittman. In terms of "No. 1's". I think this list starts moving from that tier to a 2nd tier at right around 15. So basically half the teams in the NFL IMO have that year in / year out 1st Pro Bowl starter level player. Don't misread this, I like Pittman and think he is good for the team, but to me, he is not in that mode of game changer that you just go into the game knowing it's gonna be a long day in the office trying to keep up with him. Again, I don't think we've had that since TY and I just don't think Ballard understands just how necessary that player is in today's NFL.


No 1 WR's Player Team
1 Jefferson Vikes
2 Hill Phins
3 Chase Bengals
4 Metcalf Hawks
5 Wilson Jets
6 Higgins Bengals
7 Adams Raiders
8 Brown Eagles
9 Lamb Cowboys
10 Diggs Bills
11 Kupp Rams
12 Givens Steelers
13 Ridley Jags
14 McLaurin Commanders
15 Marquis Brown Lions
16 Kelce Chiefs
17 Waddle Fins
18 Smith Eagles
19 Olave Saints
20 Cooper Cleveland
21 Evans Bucs
22 Smith-Njgba Hawks
23 Moore Bears
24 Debo 49ers
25 Aiyuk 49ers
26 Kittle 49ers
27 Zay Flowers Ravens
28 Pittman Colts
29 Allen Chargers
30 Hopkins Texans

[Chromeburn]

This is roughly how I view the NFL WR room. There are 5 teams that have 2 players catching balls that I think are better than our 1st option= Pittman. In terms of "No. 1's". I think this list starts moving from that tier to a 2nd tier at right around 15. So basically half the teams in the NFL IMO have that year in / year out 1st Pro Bowl starter level player. Don't misread this, I like Pittman and think he is good for the team, but to me, he is not in that mode of game changer that you just go into the game knowing it's gonna be a long day in the office trying to keep up with him. Again, I don't think we've had that since TY and I just don't think Ballard understands just how necessary that player is in today's NFL.


No 1 WR's Player Team
1 Jefferson Vikes
2 Hill Phins
3 Chase Bengals
4 Metcalf Hawks
5 Wilson Jets
6 Higgins Bengals
7 Adams Raiders
8 Brown Eagles
9 Lamb Cowboys
10 Diggs Bills
11 Kupp Rams
12 Givens Steelers
13 Ridley Jags
14 McLaurin Commanders
15 Marquis Brown Lions
16 Kelce Chiefs
17 Waddle Fins
18 Smith Eagles
19 Olave Saints
20 Cooper Cleveland
21 Evans Bucs
22 Smith-Njgba Hawks
23 Moore Bears
24 Debo 49ers
25 Aiyuk 49ers
26 Kittle 49ers
27 Zay Flowers Ravens
28 Pittman Colts
29 Allen Chargers
30 Hopkins Texans


Do you have data to back this up, otherwise its just your opinion. I assumed you were going to list separation or whatever data you are ranking these guys by. That's what I'm asking for, data to backup your opinions. And you have TE's in there.

Where does the number one status end, because you have Pittman 28th?

[ChoppedWood]

Do you have data to back that up, otherwise its just your opinion. I assumed you were going to list separation or whatever evidence you are ranking these guys by. That's what I'm asking for, data to backup your opinions. And you have TE's in there.

No, I don't have statistical evidence of such, and yes, as I stated IMO this is the NFL's list of the best, and yes there are TE's in there because there are TE's that I think are more in the mode of a # 1 guy, than the one we have as the # 1.

Would you take him over:
Hill or Waddle
Chase or Higgins
Metcalf or Njgba
Brown or Smith
Debo or Kittle or Aiyuk
Would you? I certainly wouldn't, and I doubt many if any on this board would either. That says something. It says there are 4-5 teams that have done a better job of identifying / developing 2 guys on the same team to do something better than our 1 guy.

Sorry, not sure what more you want? If you are seeing games where Pittman is trouncing the opposition and just wrecking defenses with blow buys or 70 yard posts and write ups by PFF etc...calling out how he is nearly unstoppable, great, but I think we are seeing the same games he plays? He just isn't one of those game changing guys, he just isn't no matter how bad we may want him to be- and I think everyone of us would love for him to be.

[Chromeburn]

No, I don't have statistical evidence of such, and yes, as I stated IMO this is the NFL's list of the best, and yes there are TE's in there because there are TE's that I think are more in the mode of a # 1 guy, than the one we have as the # 1.

Would you take him over:
Hill or Waddle
Chase or Higgins
Metcalf or Njgba
Brown or Smith
Debo or Kittle or Aiyuk
Would you? I certainly wouldn't, and I doubt many if any on this board would either. That says something. It says there are 4-5 teams that have done a better job of identifying / developing 2 guys on the same team to do something better than our 1 guy.

Sorry, not sure what more you want? If you are seeing games where Pittman is trouncing the opposition and just wrecking defenses with blow buys or 70 yard posts and write ups by PFF etc...calling out how he is nearly unstoppable, great, but I think we are seeing the same games he plays? He just isn't one of those game changing guys, he just isn't no matter how bad we may want him to be- and I think everyone of us would love for him to be.

You only list 11 guys there. You have Pittman as 28. Tell me where on your list do guys stop being number 1 receivers? Then I'll answer you questions.

[ChoppedWood]

You only list 11 guys there. You have Pittman as 28. Tell me where on your list do guys stop being number 1 receivers? Then I'll answer you questions.

I already said, I draw that imaginary line at somewhere around # 15. Those dudes in that first group are just on a different level IMO. This is obviously a subjective topic, very few are going to agree on the precise definition of this or that player. If this were that objective, well then we wouldn't be having this debate.

So where in that list do you put Pittman? Who does he climb over to enter into the space of a true # 1 WR in the NFL?

I'm open to debate, but I need something to tell me why he is better than say 18 of those dudes ahead of him...

[Chromeburn]

I already said, I draw that imaginary line at somewhere around # 15. Those dudes in that first group are just on a different level IMO. This is obviously a subjective topic, very few are going to agree on the precise definition of this or that player. If this were that objective, well then we wouldn't be having this debate.

So where in that list do you put Pittman? Who does he climb over to enter into the space of a true # 1 WR in the NFL?

I'm open to debate, but I need something to tell me why he is better than say 18 of those dudes ahead of him...

I put him in the 10 to 15 range. He doesn’t have another receiver to draw coverage away from him. He faces the opposing team’s best CB every week. And he has mid to bad QB play to deal with. But he is still putting up wr 1 numbers for three seasons. Also he is more, and better, than the contested catch wr ppl have him pegged as. He is not a burner but is very good at creating separation at the catch point. There is no one successful type of WR, lots of different kinds are successful.

Even though he’s 6’4, 223 pounds, he is able to create quick separation off the line. His 10-yard split was faster than all of these prospects at the combine even though he is 20lbs heavier than some:

Pittman Jr. = 1.51
Reagor = 1.52
Aiyuk = 1.52
Jefferson = 1.54
Higgins = 1.66

I don't have a whole lot from 2022, that was a fubar season, but a lot from 2021.

Michael Pittman Jr. was an absolute dog against single-man coverage in 2021, creating a step or more of separation on 66% of his opportunities.
Only Mike Evans (73%) and Keenan Allen (67%) finished higher.
He was only targeted 28% vs. s-man coverage while other leaders saw 40%+
Top-10 WRs at generating step or more of separation vs. single-man coverage in 2021 (min 70 routes against single man)

73% Mike Evans
67% Keenan Allen
66% Michael Pittman Jr.
65% Amari Cooper
65% A.J. Brown
64% Cooper Kupp
63% Jaylen Waddle
62% Marquise Brown
62% Brandin Cooks
62% Justin Jefferson

Michael Pittman Jr has this weird stigma around him that he is a contested catch guy... however only 20% of his catches in 2021 were contested. He’s an underneath smooth route runner. People think the only separation you can do is with deep balls and 4.3 speed. But a ton of receivers have been great without those attributes. Pittman generates his separation just before the point of contact with the ball. Creating a step or more before he catches the ball. He doesn't have that second gear to burn guys but that doesn't mean he doesn't do enough to get open.

He also had a higher average separation than guys like Terry McLaurin, Stefon Diggs, and D.J Moore last year (per Next Gen Stats) and a 96% success rate against press coverage. Press coverage is what these lighter speedy receivers have trouble with, but Pittman is strong enough to not be redirected.

Entering this season the top NFL receivers against press coverage.

1. Justin Jefferson (84%)
T-2. Stephon Diggs (83.3%)
T-2. A.J. Brown (83.3%)
4. Devante Adams (83.1)
5. Terry McLaurin (81.7%)
6. Michael Pittman (81.7%)
7. Garret Wilson (81.2%)
8. Ja'Marr Chase (80.2%)
9. Brandon Aiyuk (79.3%)
10. Jahan Dotson (78.8)AC

That's some elite company for a number 2 receiver.

Finally his stats. They place him in the 10-15 range. Number 2’s don’t get 1000 yards in their second year. This guy would be killing it with consistent QB play. He is their most consistent contributor for several years now. If he was easy to scheme away then he would be taken away.

[ChoppedWood]

I put him in the 10 to 15 range. He doesn’t have another receiver to draw coverage away from him. He faces the opposing team’s best CB every week. And he has mid to bad QB play to deal with. But he is still putting up wr 1 numbers for three seasons. Also he is more, and better, than the contested catch wr ppl have him pegged as. He is not a burner but is very good at creating separation at the catch point. There is no one successful type of WR, lots of different kinds are successful.

I’ll lay it out later today with stats in this post after I finish some things.

Yeah the QB play definitely should be a variable in this eval. Obviously Chase and Higgins and Brown and Smith have great QB's to throw them the ball making them look better than their already world class talents present. However the guys on the 9ers and Hawks haven't really had that level of top tier QB and they have done some great things (Russ and Metcalf... yeah I get it).

He has really been on the short end of the stick with the QB situation around here. Would be fabulous if this new cat leads to Pittman emerging as a bonafide WR star, would love nothing more and would back off Ballard for knowing more than it looks like to me right now.

[Oldcolt]

The offenses Pittman has worked in have been shit. I’m not sure how you evaluate his performance other than how he looks going forward. Feel the same about Pierce. If both hit we would be incredibly lucky. Fingers crossed, I feel better about Pittman.

[njcoltfan]

He does not have the quicks to create separation at the line and does not have the straight line speed to kill a defender on a streak and his hands are "good" not great. A # 1, has all three of those things in one profile.

Fantastic possession guy and a tough after the catch runner, but he is not a dynamic play maker at the WR position that has a special quality that has to be gamed for. i.e. Hill, Adams, Metcalf, even a guy like Kupp.

We do not have such a weapon, haven't had one since TY and that's a disgrace that Ballard somehow manages to escape. Again, another area where he is not good at building the position.

Nobody caught him on his 39yd touchdown run against the Jags, he seemed to " run away "from all the Jags DBs !!