Let’s cut the crap about this being Ballard’s fault

[Kray007]

The Colts lost, and all the hand wringers and bed wetters are out in force. I get that, when gloom descends, there’s an impulse to look for a scapegoat, a lamb to sacrifice on the altar of the football gods.

But, Ballard’s not that guy.

It isn’t his fault that Richardson wrecked his shoulder.
It isn’t his fault that Gardner Minshew got banged up and turned into a statue.
It isn’t his fault that Braden Smith went down.
It isn’t his fault that Grover Stewart got caught using a PED.
It isn’t his fault that Shaq Leonard is still trying to rediscover his lost super powers
It isn’t his fault that Zaire Franklin got hurt
It isn’t his fault that Isaiah Rogers liked to gamble.
It isn’t his fault that Dallis Flowers ruptured an achilles
It isn’t his fault that Juju Brents banged up his quad.

Not a single one of us complained when he traded away Stephon Gilmore. This was going to be a transition year, not a whole lot was expected, and it didn’t make any sense to hold onto an unhappy 32 year old player who wanted out, especially if you could get something in return.

Are there holes in the roster? Absolutely. We could really use a dynamic deep threat at WR, and Micah Parsons would surely be a welcome addition. But, elite pass rushers don’t exactly grow on trees, and it’s not as iif Ballard passed on drafting one of them in favor of taking a long snapper or a Tight End.

A big part of the problem is that Gardner Minshew has a disturbing knack of making game changing plays…for the other guys. But, again, he’s a backup, and backups are backups because they’re afflicted with fundamental flaws in their skill sets. The number of backup QB’s who lead their teams to the promised land are fewer than few. I can’t blame Ballard because he didn’t find a Tom Brady in the fifth round, andI don’t remember any moaning or gnashing of teeth when he passed over Brock Purdy.

So, let’s all quiet down, ride out the storm, and try to keep our wits about us while others are losing theirs.

[Racehorse]

Well said. This team was not expected to be a playoff team even with all the players hurt/suspended/traded being on the team. I find it funny how the same people (usually not posters here) acknowledge this is our rebuilding year with a rookie HC and QB, and yet they want Ballard fired for executing the rebuild with a lot of added talent at lower rounds in the draft. Just off the top of my head, we have Freeland looking serviceable as a rookie, Brents looking very good, Flowers being decent, Ogletree looking like a player, Raimann looking like a franchise LT, Paye looking like a solid piece against the run, and sometimes against the pass, Jones looking like a player who can contribute, mallory looking okay, and Fries serviceable. That is a lot of first and second year players who look like real NFL guys. That list did not include AR, who looked dynamic when on the field.

Yes, the future looks bright, and Ballard's team scouted these players. Anyone who watches this team and watched the team last year has to have some level of excitement for the future, unless they are a hater, or just a negative person, in general.

[Colts And Orioles]

It isn’t his fault that Richardson wrecked his shoulder.
It isn’t his fault that Gardner Minshew got banged up and turned into a statue.
It isn’t his fault that Braden Smith went down.
It isn’t his fault that Grover Stewart got caught using a PED.
It isn’t his fault that Shaq Leonard is still trying to rediscover his lost super powers
It isn’t his fault that Zaire Franklin got hurt
It isn’t his fault that Isaiah Rogers liked to gamble.
It isn’t his fault that Dallis Flowers ruptured an achilles
It isn’t his fault that Juju Brents banged up his quad.





o


You forgot one thing ...... it isn't Ballard's fault that the Colts' record is not 4-4 instead of 3-5 right now ...... that's the referees' fault.

o

[Colts And Orioles]

o


You forgot one thing ...... it isn't Ballard's fault that the Colts' record is not 4-4 instead of 35 right now ...... that's the referees' fault.

o
o


And as most of you know, I am the first to say that good teams overcome bad calls by the referee's ...... I have said that many times in game threads, when the Colts get hosed on a call and/or a non-call ...... but what happened in the Browns game was an out-and-out robbery.

It wasn't the 2nd quarter, the 3rd quarter, or even early in the 4th quarter, when a team has time to overcome bad calls. It was the very end of the game, when there was no wriggle room to speculate about cause-and-effect.

Also, if anything, the first call against Darrell Baker should have been OFFENSIVE PASS INTERFERENCE because the Browns receiver initiated the contact, extended his arms, and pushed Baker to the ground.

o

[IndyNorm]

Not sure who's blaming Ballard. I know I didn't. I was just pointing out that it's interesting that someone who covers the Chiefs sees the same shortcomings that a lot of us on here do.

[rm1369]

Not sure who's blaming Ballard. I know I didn't. I was just pointing out that it's interesting that someone who covers the Chiefs sees the same shortcomings that a lot of us on here do.

I’m simply questioning is next year the year we can expect Ballard to try to win instead of rebuild. Not sure why that would get peoples panties in a twist.

[Racehorse]

Not sure who's blaming Ballard. I know I didn't. I was just pointing out that it's interesting that someone who covers the Chiefs sees the same shortcomings that a lot of us on here do.

Probably Chopped, since he says he hates the guy.

[Dewey 5]

The Colts lost, and all the hand wringers and bed wetters are out in force. I get that, when gloom descends, there’s an impulse to look for a scapegoat, a lamb to sacrifice on the altar of the football gods.

But, Ballard’s not that guy.

It isn’t his fault that Richardson wrecked his shoulder.
It isn’t his fault that Gardner Minshew got banged up and turned into a statue.
It isn’t his fault that Braden Smith went down.
It isn’t his fault that Grover Stewart got caught using a PED.
It isn’t his fault that Shaq Leonard is still trying to rediscover his lost super powers
It isn’t his fault that Zaire Franklin got hurt
It isn’t his fault that Isaiah Rogers liked to gamble.
It isn’t his fault that Dallis Flowers ruptured an achilles
It isn’t his fault that Juju Brents banged up his quad.

Not a single one of us complained when he traded away Stephon Gilmore. This was going to be a transition year, not a whole lot was expected, and it didn’t make any sense to hold onto an unhappy 32 year old player who wanted out, especially if you could get something in return.

Are there holes in the roster? Absolutely. We could really use a dynamic deep threat at WR, and Micah Parsons would surely be a welcome addition. But, elite pass rushers don’t exactly grow on trees, and it’s not as iif Ballard passed on drafting one of them in favor of taking a long snapper or a Tight End.

A big part of the problem is that Gardner Minshew has a disturbing knack of making game changing plays…for the other guys. But, again, he’s a backup, and backups are backups because they’re afflicted with fundamental flaws in their skill sets. The number of backup QB’s who lead their teams to the promised land are fewer than few. I can’t blame Ballard because he didn’t find a Tom Brady in the fifth round, andI don’t remember any moaning or gnashing of teeth when he passed over Brock Purdy.

So, let’s all quiet down, ride out the storm, and try to keep our wits about us while others are losing theirs.

Below 500 record zero division titles 5 qb's & counting doesn't address glaring needs scared shitless of FA. His time is up.

[Racehorse]

Below 500 record zero division titles 5 qb's & counting doesn't address glaring needs scared shitless of FA. His time is up.

Dude, he has signed some quality guys in free agency. People just hate that he doesn't make the splash play on Day 1

[ChoppedWood]

Dude, he has signed some quality guys in free agency. People just hate that he doesn't make the splash play on Day 1

I am actually not in that camp, generally speaking that's fools gold every year. What pisses me off about him is his seeming obsession with physical prowess, measurables, physique in drafting vs just getting dudes that can play the damn game. The secondary thing is his almost joy in having a big bank account- for fucking what reason? It's not his fucking money, and really, it's not even Jim's, it's the NFL's when you really step back and think about it. For some reason he seems to think his job is to make sure the + side of the +/- of the GL is stocked with cash.... but every fucking off season we're always on here saying "this is the year, this is the year he's gonna get a major DE or a bigtime WR, and he never does.
Finally, he seems to be arrogant and such an image aware dude. Man aint no fans giving two fucks about your tight ass shirts and slick part. You're an old man, an old football man, get some pizza sauce on a gnarly Colts shirt and fucking watch film (and maybe more than the like 30 minutes of film you watched on Ryan to convince yourself he still had it...).

[Mr. Session]

I get concerns because the production simply hasn't been there. That's objectively true.

I'm apprehensive to see moves made in replacing Ballard because we've already put our chips into Richardson and this new regime, unless we're completely open to letting Steichen run his own show.

What I do not want to see is another GM come in here, lament that the HC and QB are not his guys, and we start this shit over again.

[HoosierinFL]

I def am not in the camp to think Ballard has built a bad team. I think it was clear already this year that simply upgrading the QB and coach was enough to get this team back into being playoff-caliber.

The problem though, was that we then lose said QB, plus have to deal with a bunch of losses to defensive personnel.

I never really bought much into that "next man up" stuff. I mean of course the next guy has to step up, but 2nd and 3rd string players are 2nd and 3rd string for a reason. You're nearly *always* going to have a drop off in play quality when you're digging down in your depth chart.

I do agree though that Ballard's emphasis on "measureables" in his receivers is a problem. His big athletic guys just aren't panning out. Pittman is the best in that bunch and in the end Pittman is at best a #2 receiver, but is really a possession receiver across the middle, and that's it.

If it wasn't for Reggie identifying Downs and vouching for him, we would still be struggling for impact at the WR position - but Reggie picked a non-Ballard type player because he could recognize that Downs knows how to play the position.

[Oldcolt]

My bitch about Ballard was that he found great players in positions that don’t win games (OLB, guard RB) but that seems to be changing as of late. The little time that I’ve seen AR has convinced me he is the man. He does shit that only NFL QBs do and I don’t mean his off the charts physical talent, I mean his work effort and mental approach. LT seems secure also, even have a decent backup. We are one guy away at WR Still not there at rushing the passer but getting better. It seems like he also nailed it with Streichen. Ballard seems to be improving, learning as the years go on. It needs to come together next year for us. I’m sick of this shit.

[njcoltfan]

I am actually not in that camp, generally speaking that's fools gold every year. What pisses me off about him is his seeming obsession with physical prowess, measurables, physique in drafting vs just getting dudes that can play the damn game. The secondary thing is his almost joy in having a big bank account- for fucking what reason? It's not his fucking money, and really, it's not even Jim's, it's the NFL's when you really step back and think about it. For some reason he seems to think his job is to make sure the + side of the +/- of the GL is stocked with cash.... but every fucking off season we're always on here saying "this is the year, this is the year he's gonna get a major DE or a bigtime WR, and he never does.
Finally, he seems to be arrogant and such an image aware dude. Man aint no fans giving two fucks about your tight ass shirts and slick part. You're an old man, an old football man, get some pizza sauce on a gnarly Colts shirt and fucking watch film (and maybe more than the like 30 minutes of film you watched on Ryan to convince yourself he still had it...).
My question to Ballard would be, " when are you going to stop rebuilding"?This franchise has been in rebuild mode for seven years now, its about time they take a few chances, Jesus, Chase Young for a third round draft pick, was everyone asleep when those phone calls were being made? Its time for Ballard to shit or get off the pot !

[Spike]

My question to Ballard would be, " when are you going to stop rebuilding"?This franchise has been in rebuild mode for seven years now, its about time they take a few chances, Jesus, Chase Young for a third round draft pick, was everyone asleep when those phone calls were being made? Its time for Ballard to shit or get off the pot !

Young is going to be an unrestricted free agent in March.

So why give up a 3rd round pick for a rental this year when it is apparent the Colts are not contenders.

[rm1369]

My question to Ballard would be, " when are you going to stop rebuilding"?This franchise has been in rebuild mode for seven years now, its about time they take a few chances, Jesus, Chase Young for a third round draft pick, was everyone asleep when those phone calls were being made? Its time for Ballard to shit or get off the pot !

I never understood acquiring old vet QBs (win now moves) then treating the rest of the roster like a rebuild. Should have been one or the other. Regardless IMO that ambiguity has ended. QB is in place. Time to win. This should be the last year of gifting positions to rookies and prioritizing development over winning.

[ChaosTheory]

Young is going to be an unrestricted free agent in March.

So why give up a 3rd round pick for a rental this year when it is apparent the Colts are not contenders.

Shortsightedness.

[omahacolt]

the results over ballards tenure have not been great. i understand what a lot of the issues have been but the results are what they are. at some point you have to have something to show for the work you put in.


not saying i want him fired but there are clearly issues.

[rm1369]

Shortsightedness.

Without an agreement on an extension it would make no sense for Colts. Perfect sense for 49ers though. I believe if he walks they are very likely to get a comp 3rd for him anyway. Surprised more competitive teams wouldn’t have rolled the dice there.

[Dam8610]

Young is going to be an unrestricted free agent in March.

So why give up a 3rd round pick for a rental this year when it is apparent the Colts are not contenders.

That's a guy to pursue in Free Agency, the 49ers can't possibly afford to extend him.

[ChaosTheory]

Without an agreement on an extension it would make no sense for Colts. Perfect sense for 49ers though. I believe if he walks they are very likely to get a comp 3rd for him anyway. Surprised more competitive teams wouldn’t have rolled the dice there.

I agree. SF is in their window. We just lost the rookie QB that we're hoping is our franchise guy for the season.

I don't know who all looked at Young. I thought the word was he was playing well after injuries. Probably some combination of the past two injured seasons and the upcoming contract kept teams prudent.

[Dam8610]

I agree. SF is in their window. We just lost the rookie QB that we're hoping is our franchise guy for the season.

I don't know who all looked at Young. I thought the word was he was playing well after injuries. Probably some combination of the past two injured seasons and the upcoming contract kept teams prudent.

5 sacks in 7 games this season. He was injured the last 2 years, but I think the former #2 overall pick who was described as a more athletic Nick Bosa is still in there somewhere.

[njcoltfan]

[QUOTE=Spike;281425]Young is going to be an unrestricted free agent in March.

So why give up a 3rd round pick for a rental this year when it is apparent the Colts are not contenders.
Here's a novel idea, trade for him ,then try to sign him to an extension !! He would immediately become your best pass rusher, and he's only 24 yrs old!!

[Ironshaft]

[QUOTE=Spike;281425]Young is going to be an unrestricted free agent in March.

So why give up a 3rd round pick for a rental this year when it is apparent the Colts are not contenders.
Here's a novel idea, trade for him ,then try to sign him to an extension !! He would immediately become your best pass rusher, and he's only 24 yrs old!!
Orrrrrrr........just spitballing here.

Don't spend the 3rd round pick, let him play for SF on his rental year when they are a contender and then at the end of the season when they cannot afford him, sign him in the off season as a free agent!!!

[njcoltfan]

[QUOTE=njcoltfan;281514]
Orrrrrrr........just spitballing here.

Don't spend the 3rd round pick, let him play for SF on his rental year when they are a contender and then at the end of the season when they cannot afford him, sign him in the off season as a free agent!!!

Great idea, but you know who our GM is right?? He will do neither !!!! Love them draft picks...........................................

[Dam8610]

Great idea, but you know who our GM is right?? He will do neither !!!! Love them draft picks...........................................

DE is the one position he has spent money on in free agency. Granted, it's never been the type of contract it will take to get Chase Young, but his largest (and best) free agent contracts have gone to DEs.

[ChaosTheory]

Orrrrrrr........just spitballing here.

Don't spend the 3rd round pick, let him play for SF on his rental year when they are a contender and then at the end of the season when they cannot afford him, sign him in the off season as a free agent!!!

The first article that pops up when you Google 49ers future cap space says they are projected to have $280m worth of salaries going into '24. The projected salary cap is $256m.

That's without Chase Young in the picture. If they decide they want him, where does that push the projection? North of $300m, right? And by the way, this is with them paying their QB $2m total for '24 and '25. That's the real monster contract around the corner.

Some trimming is coming for them.

[IndyNorm]

DE is the one position he has spent money on in free agency. Granted, it's never been the type of contract it will take to get Chase Young, but his largest (and best) free agent contracts have gone to DEs.

Agree that Young is someone we should look at in FA, but the only way he ends up here is if he either gets hurt or doesn't do much w/ the 9ers. Either of which would put him in mid level or 1 year show me contract range. If he stays healthy and continues to produce like he has for the first half w/ Wash then someone(s) will offer him a high end contract, and we all know that there's no way Ballard will do that.

[Oldcolt]

I am not so sure Ballard would not offer a competitive contract to Young. Ballard has tried to find a pass rusher in the draft. He has spent big time draft capital. He understands that to win in this NFL you need to be able to get to the passer-his drafting says as much. For a stud pass rusher that could transform your defense he might be willing to pay. He hasn't been able to hit on one otherwise. My question is is Chase Young that stud pass rusher that you gamble somewhere over 23-25 million a year for?

[Chromeburn]

DE is the one position he has spent money on in free agency. Granted, it's never been the type of contract it will take to get Chase Young, but his largest (and best) free agent contracts have gone to DEs.

Wonder what that contract would look like. Sweat went for a higher pick for a reason. Prove it year contract? Would that work or is there some team out there willing to blow the bank to sign him? Would anyone here support that?

[Racehorse]

Wonder what that contract would look like. Sweat went for a higher pick for a reason. Prove it year contract? Would that work or is there some team out there willing to blow the bank to sign him? Would anyone here support that?

Sweat just got extended by the Bears

[Chromeburn]

Sweat just got extended by the Bears

Yeah I figured they would. That's not a win now move.

[IndyNorm]

Wonder what that contract would look like. Sweat went for a higher pick for a reason. Prove it year contract? Would that work or is there some team out there willing to blow the bank to sign him? Would anyone here support that?

That probably depends on what he does the rest of the season and (unless the 9ers slide continues) in playoffs. He's currently on pace for 12 sacks this year, but he'll probably see a lot of 1-1 blocking w/ the other 49ers DL. So the potential's there for him to have a big 2nd half. If this happens and he makes some plays in the playoffs then he's probably looking at a big payday.

But if he gets hurt and/or struggles for some reason then he's probably looking at a 1 year show me deal.

[Colts And Orioles]

o


Colts Eyeing Former No. 4 Overall Pick After Striking Out at Trade Deadline

(By Vinny Somma)

https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/colts_eyeing_former_no_4_overall_pick_after_striki ng_out_at_trade_deadline/s1_13132_39499856

o

[Chromeburn]

o


Colts Eyeing Former No. 4 Overall Pick After Striking Out at Trade Deadline

(By Vinny Somma)

https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/colts_eyeing_former_no_4_overall_pick_after_striki ng_out_at_trade_deadline/s1_13132_39499856

o


I’m not sure how they will address this. Minshew needs to throw deep but refuses. NE will watch the Carolina game and figure they just have to play base defense to shut down the run. This will force Minshew to throw them out of base defense to give the run game a chance

[ChaosTheory]

Have they said what kind of knee injury Downs has?

[Colts And Orioles]

o


For starters, the Colts should be 7-4 because they were flat-out robbed in their game against the Browns.

Secondly, the Colts are playing with a back-up quarterback who often overthrows open targets. The overall defense is pretty good, the running game is very good, the receivers are good, and the place-kicker is excellent ...... the 2nd-string quarterback is the one glaring weakness on this current Colts team.

o

[ChaosTheory]

o


For starters, the Colts should be 7-4 because they were flat-out robbed in their game against the Browns.

Secondly, the Colts are playing with a back-up quarterback who often overthrows open targets. The overall defense is pretty good, the running game is very good, the receivers are good, and the place-kicker is excellent ...... the 2nd-string quarterback is the one glaring weakness on this current Colts team.

o

On the first bold: We're not just 7-4 (fuck you, CLE) with a backup QB, either. Our secondary has been ravaged starting in June when Rodgers got busted, the other starter gets IR'ed, and now Brents has been out several weeks.

We also haven't had a healthy OL basically all season and they're doing very well anyway. What percentage of snaps has our entire starting OL played together this season? That'd be an interesting stat.

JT missed the first quarter of the season, Grover is out 6 games, Buckner has been limited, Franklin's missed time, Kwity has missed time... I'd say the depth has been tested.

On the second bold: It depends on the perspective you take. Minshew is definitely limited and not good enough to reach the excellence we want. That said, our backup QB has started and/or finished every single one of our 7 wins (fuck you, CLE).

So as a franchise QB... he's not what you want. As a backup... how much better could you expect?

[Colts And Orioles]

On the first bold: We're not just 7-4 (fuck you, CLE) with a backup QB, either. Our secondary has been ravaged starting in June when Rodgers got busted, the other starter gets IR'ed, and now Brents has been out several weeks.

We also haven't had a healthy OL basically all season and they're doing very well anyway. What percentage of snaps has our entire starting OL played together this season? That'd be an interesting stat.

JT missed the first quarter of the season, Grover is out 6 games, Buckner has been limited, Franklin's missed time, Kwity has missed time... I'd say the depth has been tested.

On the second bold: It depends on the perspective you take. Minshew is definitely limited and not good enough to reach the excellence we want. That said, our backup QB has started and/or finished every single one of our 7 wins (fuck you, CLE).

So as a franchise QB ...... he's not what you want. As a backup... how much better could you expect ???





o


I don't expect much more from Minshew ...... I was pointing out the fact that he's the one glaring weakness as things currently stand.

o

[ChaosTheory]

o


I don't expect much more from Minshew ...... I was pointing out the fact that he's the one glaring weakness as things currently stand.

o

I know and I agree. It's the way I worded it. I meant the generic-you, not the C&O-you.

[Colts And Orioles]

o


When Ballard first came to the Colts in January of 2017, his most emphatic claim was that he was going to build a complete team, not necessarily a team that was heavily dependent on an all-world quarterback (ala Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck.)

The 2023 Colts ...... with Gardner Minshew as their quarterback for most of the season ...... would be 8-4 if not for the robbery in the Browns game. And one of those wins was against the Ravens, on their home-field in Baltimore.

In my rat's ass of an opinion, these 2023 Colts are almost the quintessential example of a GM having built a complete team, not just a team that is heavily dependent on an all-world quarterback.

o

[Racehorse]

o


When Ballard first came to the Colts in January of 2017, his most emphatic claim was that he was going to build a complete team, not necessarily a team that was heavily dependent on an all-world quarterback (ala Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck.)

The 2023 Colts ...... with Gardner Minshew as their quarterback for most of the season ...... would be 8-4 if not for the robbery in the Browns game. And one of those wins was against the Ravens, on their home-field in Baltimore.

In my rat's ass of an opinion, these 2023 Colts are almost the quintessential example of a GM having built a complete team, not just a team that is heavily dependent on an all-world quarterback.

oI know the odds are not in favor, but it would be nice to see Minshew being thrown out like Dilfer and Johnson when discussing Marino (and his lack of a ring) as a GOAT candidate.

[Colts And Orioles]

o


When Ballard first came to the Colts in January of 2017, his most emphatic claim was that he was going to build a complete team, not necessarily a team that was heavily dependent on an all-world quarterback (ala Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck.)

The 2023 Colts ...... with Gardner Minshew as their quarterback for most of the season ...... would be 8-4 if not for the robbery in the Browns game. And one of those wins was against the Ravens, on their home-field in Baltimore.

In my rat's ass of an opinion, these 2023 Colts are almost the quintessential example of a GM having built a complete team, not just a team that is heavily dependent on an all-world quarterback.

o
o


With Gardner Minshew subbing for the injured Anthony Richardson, the Colts have clinched their 3rd winning season in the last 4 years.


https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/clt/index.htm

o

[kitekrazy]

o


When Ballard first came to the Colts in January of 2017, his most emphatic claim was that he was going to build a complete team, not necessarily a team that was heavily dependent on an all-world quarterback (ala Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck.)

The 2023 Colts ...... with Gardner Minshew as their quarterback for most of the season ...... would be 8-4 if not for the robbery in the Browns game. And one of those wins was against the Ravens, on their home-field in Baltimore.

In my rat's ass of an opinion, these 2023 Colts are almost the quintessential example of a GM having built a complete team, not just a team that is heavily dependent on an all-world quarterback.

o

The franchise QB is extremely rare. The organization ruined the last one.

[Colts And Orioles]

The franchise QB is extremely rare ...... the organization ruined the last one.





o


Ballard made that statement in January of 2017, when we still had Luck. He was asserting that even with one (a franchise QB), he was determined to build a complete team. I believe that the Colts having 3 winning seasons in the last 4 years in spite of not having one gives some credibility to Ballard's claim.

o

[Colts And Orioles]

o


After last year's disastrous 4-12-1 season, Ballard DID NOT panic ......


There is one line that Ballard said back then, on January 10th of 2023, which stands out as the Colts prepare for the biggest NFL game Lucas Oil Stadium has seen in nearly a decade ...... ) "Our best players have to play to their standard," Ballard said. "But I don't think we're void of talent" ...... the Colts backed up that statement by retaining a significant number of players from last year's 4-12-1 team, including the entire starting offensive line. Ballard neither hit the detonate nor panic button with the Colts' roster ...... there would be no wholesale sell-off of veterans, and there would be no desperate moves in free agency.


https://www.colts.com/news/shane-steichen-hired-chris-ballard-week-18-houston-texans-playoff-game

o

[YDFL Commish]

o


After last year's disastrous 4-12-1 season, Ballard DID NOT panic ......


There is one line that Ballard said back then, on January 10th of 2023, which stands out as the Colts prepare for the biggest NFL game Lucas Oil Stadium has seen in nearly a decade ...... ) "Our best players have to play to their standard," Ballard said. "But I don't think we're void of talent" ...... the Colts backed up that statement by retaining a significant number of players from last year's 4-12-1 team, including the entire starting offensive line. Ballard neither hit the detonate nor panic button with the Colts' roster ...... there would be no wholesale sell-off of veterans, and there would be no desperate moves in free agency.


https://www.colts.com/news/shane-steichen-hired-chris-ballard-week-18-houston-texans-playoff-game

o


Because he knew that coaching was the biggest problem.

[Colts And Orioles]

o


The Colts Were Broken, Now They’re a Playoff Contender ... A Look Inside Indy’s Revival

(By Zak Keefer)

https://theathletic.com/5177604/2024/01/04/colts-nfl-playoffs-shane-steichen/

o

[BCN#1]

o


The Colts Were Broken, Now They’re a Playoff Contender ... A Look Inside Indy’s Revival

(By Zak Keefer)

https://theathletic.com/5177604/2024/01/04/colts-nfl-playoffs-shane-steichen/

o


The link wants me to subscribe. Can you or someone (hint - hint) post the contents so some of us do not need to "pay the man"?

[nate505]

Here you go


Chaotic as his tenure’s been — promising at times, aggravating in others, underwhelming as a whole — Chris Ballard has tried to pull pieces from each of his seven seasons as Indianapolis Colts general manager, then learn from them. He wants to use the lessons that come with the disappointment.

There have been plenty of them.

Through it all, Ballard said, he’s found a way to enjoy every season but one. The wins, the losses, the highs, the lows. The rigors of a five-month campaign and the sting that arrives when it’s over.

The lone exception, of course, was 2022.

There was absolutely nothing enjoyable about 2022.

Terrible, Ballard called the job he did last year, which is why two days after it was over, he began his season-ending news conference with a blunt, two-word self-assessment: “I failed.”

He’s right. He did. But Ballard’s hands weren’t the only dirty pair amid the Colts’ disastrous 4-12-1 season, their third in four years without a trip to the playoffs. It was an organizational failure that started at the top and left a once-proud franchise desperate for a reset. Owner Jim Irsay, despite some calls from fans to move on from his GM, backed Ballard, and then entrusted him to clean up the mess.

“Coaching changes, player changes, close losses,” center Ryan Kelly vented last January. “That s— weighs on you. Something was off all year.”

Put it this way: Third-year tight end Kylen Granson admitted recently that when he catches Jeff Saturday on ESPN these days, he’s had to ask himself, “Wait a minute, that guy was really my coach last year?”

It ended appropriately, a year ago Sunday, with an embarrassing Week 18 loss to one of the worst teams in the league. But after they rid the bitter taste of Texans 32, Colts 31 from their mouths, Indy’s top decision-makers weren’t all that mad.

In one afternoon, they’d climbed three spots in the draft, all the way up to No. 4.

That pick, they knew at the time, would be the one they’d use to reshape their future.

Twelve months later so much is different in Indianapolis, and it stretches beyond the optimism that accompanied Anthony Richardson’s arrival in the spring and his performance early on. Saturday night will offer a telling snapshot of how far this franchise has climbed in just a year: The 9-7 Colts will face the same team, the Texans, in a nationally televised game with a playoff berth on the line.

And with a little help a day later, they could win their first division title since 2014.

“We’ve kept it interesting the last few years, huh?” Granson said with a slight chuckle after they beat the Raiders 23-20 on Sunday, Indy’s sixth win in eight games.


The turnaround started with the lessons of 2022 and the humility that came with them, especially for Ballard. “A scar,” more than one player has come to call that season. The GM altered his roster-building approach, at first resisting a move most people around the organization long figured was a no-brainer: extending Pro Bowler Jonathan Taylor.

Pressed on why he wasn’t ready to pay Taylor, Ballard admitted this at the end of a telling news conference days before the season opener: “We won four games last year. We won four games.”

Translation: They’d hit rock bottom, and they weren’t sure where they were going or if it’d work. It was time to rethink everything.

But the ensuing fallout put the Colts in a messy spot: Taylor’s agent beefing with Irsay on social media, the running back absent for all of training camp (with a nagging ankle injury), and new coach Shane Steichen left in the less-than-enviable position of beginning his first season in Indianapolis without the team’s most accomplished offensive player.

Privately, that last part killed Ballard. The last thing his first-year coach needed was a storm at the start.

Then they didn’t end. Richardson played roughly 11 quarters before a shoulder injury knocked him out for the season. Shaquille Leonard, the backbone of the defense for years, returned from injury but wasn’t the same player. In a stunning move, Ballard released him in November. (Just 27 months prior, Leonard had signed a contract worth nearly $100 million.) To this day, a mural of him hangs on the side of Lucas Oil Stadium. “Thanks for the memories” it reads

The team’s top returning outside cornerback, Isaiah Rodgers, was suspended indefinitely for gambling on his own team last season, then later released. Veteran nose tackle Grover Stewart was suspended six games in October for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substance policy. In mid-December, Steichen suspended two more, wideout Isaiah McKenzie and cornerback Tony Brown, for conduct detrimental to the team.

Then just last week, before a pivotal game against the Raiders, tight end Drew Ogletree was arrested on charges of domestic battery, and within a day was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list.

The hits kept coming.

Somehow, the Colts kept winning.

The 38-year-old Steichen is chief among the reasons why. He made it clear to his players back in the spring that he had no intentions of a slow rebuild.

“He let us know he was coming in to win,” linebacker E.J. Speed said. “He don’t f— around with all that losing.”

That’s what most pundits predicted for the Colts this season: four wins, maybe five, six at the most. The rookie quarterback was too green, the secondary too young, the roster too flawed.

Steichen went to work.

“With Shane,” added Kelly, the longest-tenured Colt, “it’s about accountability, execution and fun. He empowers his players to go out and play well. He set a standard that everybody knows, whether you’re a rookie or you’ve been in the league for 10 years. As professional athletes, that’s all you wanna know: What’s the standard?”

Richardson’s prodigious talents opened up the Colts’ playbook early in the season, his upside obvious to anyone watching. But it’s been Gardner Minshew for 12 starts since, and the fact that the Colts are still in the playoff hunt is a testament to Steichen’s acumen as a play caller and his unflappability as a coach.

Asked when he knew this season wasn’t going to be like the last, Speed thought for a moment.

“S—,” he finally said, “when we re-signed JT. When you get a player like that back, everything changes.”

That didn’t happen until after Week 4, and even after the deal was announced, Irsay admitted it came “sooner” than he would have preferred. But the team was 2-2, Richardson was still healthy, and Steichen had proved he was the real deal. The players had bought in. The belief was building. The move felt like an acknowledgment from Colts brass that they liked the direction they were headed, and they were ready to compete.

An offense that finished at or near the bottom in every offensive metric in 2022 — scoring just 15.7 points per game, finding the end zone on just 12.8 percent of their drives, both last in the league — is by no means scary. But the uptick in efficiency, especially in dicey spots, has been critical.

Players have felt it.

“Last year, we were always in third-and-short and we couldn’t convert anything,” tight end Mo Alie-Cox said. “This year, our numbers, they gotta be drastically better, right?”

They are, to no surprise: Entering Week 18, they are eight spots improved in third-and-short situations, 10 spots better in third-and-medium, nine spots better on fourth down. (They’d likely be much higher with Richardson healthy.) Even more telling, the Colts — with a backup quarterback for most of the year and Taylor only starting six games — have generated nine explosive plays on fourth down this season, second-most in the league. That’s the Steichen effect.

And that’s what the Colts were chasing during their grueling, 35-day coaching search last winter, one that included 13 candidates and 21 total interviews. Irsay conducted a five-hour sitdown with Steichen one night. A day later, a larger contingent put Steichen through a series of tests designed to assess how his mind works in stressful situations: late-game decision-making, short-yardage calls, even timeout usage.

One person in the room was so impressed he compared Steichen’s mind to that of Peyton Manning, about as big a compliment as you can get in Indianapolis.

During the search, Irsay sought out his former quarterback, Philip Rivers, for counsel. Rivers played under Steichen in San Diego and Los Angeles and offered a rave review; maybe most impressive, Rivers told him, was the time Steichen ditched the play sheet during a game and started calling them from memory.

“A special mind for football,” Irsay called Steichen the day he hired him.

That intuition has paid off: Steichen has kept the Colts competitive this season despite Richardson’s absence, an inconsistent defense and an inexperienced secondary (the Colts’ defensive backs count just $15.3 million against the salary cap, 27th in the league.)

Steichen has excelled repeatedly in dicey moments, the very situations the Colts folded in so often last year.

Alie-Cox cited a crucial play from Sunday’s win, a 58-yard touchdown to wideout Alec Pierce in the second quarter that came on a third-and-1 from the Colts’ 42-yard line. All week in practice, the coaches told the players there was little to no chance they’d face a Cover-0 defense in a third-and-short situation in the middle of the field.

But in their walkthrough a day before the game, Steichen had the unit rep the play anyway, just in case.

“We go through so many plays in our walkthroughs,” Alie-Cox said. “Shane told us, ‘We mostly likely won’t get this look, but if we do, this is how we’re gonna beat it.'”


Sunday it paid off. Minshew’s play-action fake drew the Raiders defense in, then just before the pocket collapsed, he lofted a beauty to Pierce, who burned cornerback Amik Robertson for the touchdown.

Five weeks prior, in a tight game against the Bucs, Steichen dialed up another gem in a critical short-yardage situation. On fourth-and-inches from Tampa’s 49-yard-line early in the fourth quarter, the Bucs defense bit hard on Minshew’s play-action fake, then the quarterback hit a wide-open Alie-Cox for a 30-yard gain — his first and only catch all game.

Taylor found the end zone three plays later. The Colts won 27-20.

“Shane is dialed in those types of situations" backup quarterback Sam Ehlinger said.

Another critical element has been the gradual revival of the offensive line, headed by new position coach Tony Sparano Jr. A year ago the unit regressed into one of the worst in the league, allowing 237 QB pressures (ninth-worst in football) and 60 sacks (second-most only to Denver). It was among Ballard’s biggest mistakes, betting on a unit that had obvious holes heading into the season.

This year, through 16 games, the Colts have allowed 20 fewer sacks and 26 fewer pressures.

There have been bad days — a 29-10 drubbing in Atlanta on Christmas Eve comes to mind — but Kelly said the group has found its footing.

“When Tony brought us in in April, I think he saw a group that was broken,” the veteran center said. “But, like, also extremely hungry to resurrect our name.”

In a lot of ways, that was the Colts’ aim at the outset of the season: revive a shaken franchise and climb back from the embarrassment of 2022.

With a game to go, that much has been accomplished. Shane Steichen showed up, proved his mettle and has his team in a position no one thought they’d be in.

[Colts And Orioles]

Let’s Cut the Crap About This Being Ballard’s Fault





o


(ONE YEAR LATER)


Many people claim that Steichen's play-calling and clock-management sucks on offense ...... you'll get no argument from me on that.

Many people claim that Bradley's schemes/calls suck on defense ...... you'll get no argument from me on that.



So if Steichen sucks on offense, and Bradley sucks on defense, and the Colts are losing a lot of close games, then it is unlikely that Ballard is a problem ...... in fact, that would seem to point towards the opposite.

o

[Colts And Orioles]

o


"Looking back on it, I wish we hadn’t played him as a rookie. John Dorsey (a longtime personnel man) called me and said, ‘Don’t play him.’ John had had the great wisdom from Green Bay, where they sat all those quarterbacks (Aaron Rodgers backed up Brett Favre for three seasons, and Jordan Lovesat behind Rodgers for two years). And as they mature and get older, they pick up habits that we were expecting Anthony to have from the get-go."

Chris Ballard




Chris Ballard Admits That the Colts Made a Mistake That Hurt Anthony Richardson, and He Regrets It

(By Destin Adams)

https://atozsports.com/nfl/indianapolis-colts-news/chris-ballard-admits-colts-mistake-hurt-anthony-richardson-regrets-it-proud-of-him/

o

[Colts And Orioles]

o


"Looking back on it, I wish we hadn’t played him as a rookie. John Dorsey (a longtime personnel man) called me and said, ‘Don’t play him.’ John had had the great wisdom from Green Bay, where they sat all those quarterbacks (Aaron Rodgers backed up Brett Favre for three seasons, and Jordan Lovesat behind Rodgers for two years). And as they mature and get older, they pick up habits that we were expecting Anthony to have from the get-go."

Chris Ballard




Chris Ballard Admits That the Colts Made a Mistake That Hurt Anthony Richardson, and He Regrets It

(By Destin Adams)

https://atozsports.com/nfl/indianapolis-colts-news/chris-ballard-admits-colts-mistake-hurt-anthony-richardson-regrets-it-proud-of-him/

o
o


Who would have though that Ballard would wind up coming out and saying something very similar to what l Dam l said back in March of 2023, 1 month before the Colts drafted Richardson ???







Richardson needs 2 years to sit, and I don't know if Steichen is at the level of Andy Reid for developing a raw talent like him.








http://www.coltfreaks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=160300&highlight=Richardson

o

[omahacolt]

The franchise QB is extremely rare. The organization ruined the last one.

I think we can be honest and say Luck didn't do himself any favors. snowboarding accident and all

[Racehorse]

o


Who would have though that Ballard would wind up coming out and saying something very similar to what l Dam l said back in March of 2023, 1 month before the Colts drafted Richardson ???







http://www.coltfreaks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=160300&highlight=Richardson

o

Is it possible that Dam is Dorsey?

[YDFL Commish]

I think we can be honest and say Luck didn't do himself any favors. snowboarding accident and all

Exactly. He chose a recreational sport over his career in football. I wonder if his contract prohibited that kind of activity?