Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - Biggest Takeaways from Indianapolis Colts Preseason Week 2

Episode Date: August 25, 2021

On today's episode, Evan and Stampede Blue's Stephen Reed help recap exactly what happened in the Colts' preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings. Who has their stock rising in an upward or downward trajectory?The backup QB battle is still going strong, but Jacob Eason seems to have a stranglehold on the competition now.All of this, plus so much more, as we recap Colts vs. Vikings from this past weekend! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You are Locked On Colts, your daily Indianapolis Colts podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello everybody, welcome to the first recap edition of Locked On Colts. We're after the final buzzer here on the podcast. I am your host Evan Seder, joined by Stephen Reed of Stampede Blue. And we are here to go over exactly what just happened for the Colts in their 12-10 preseason victory over the Vikings. Stephen's going to be with us each weekend after the buzzer

to go over the Colts' matchups on Sunday. So I'm excited to have Stephen in this role moving forward. Stephen, how are you doing tonight? over the Colts matchups on Sunday. So I'm excited to have Steven in this role moving forward. Steven, how are you doing tonight? After watching, I think was a pretty obvious pieces of game where it's a lot of frustrations, a lot of just not a lot of moving the ball,

not a lot of points on the board. What was your thoughts on just the 12, 10 victory there? Hey, it was, it was ugly. To be honest, glad to be on guys. All that. Yeah, it was a really to be honest. Glad to be on, guys, all that.

Yeah, it was a really ugly game overall, especially that first half was just nasty, and then Easton taking over and then going into third quarter, it just didn't get much better. The fourth quarter, Easton played really well, I thought, but definitely took him some time to get up to steam there. But, yeah, it was not pretty. Yeah, it really wasn't.

There was a lot. I'm writing a series around Stampede Blue after each game. The story just went out as well as I was recording the podcast. And it's my thumbs-up, thumbs-down. That's what I'm going to be referencing throughout today's show. But, Stephen, you're more than welcome to chime in on what stood out to you from positive or negative spectrum as well. But we had to start off here with our guy, which was my first thumbs up from tonight's

game, Quidipe. He only played around a quarter to quarter and a half, but so many different sequences where his speed and power were on full display. I had a couple of nice bins off the edge, too, where he kind of showed his elite athleticism for a guy his size. But he got a sack. He blew by the Vikings left tackle in about one second split time. An easy sack on Kirk Cousins there before Pei was subbed out, I believe, on the next possession.

But Quiddie Pei showed in about 15 minutes of action, Stephen, exactly why he was the first-round pick for the Colts. And he did that sack when DeForest Buckner wasn't in the game either. Buckner barely played in this game. I imagine it was holding him over to the regular season starts. But I am so excited, especially after tonight, just seeing the way Quiddie Paye played on the edge. Him and Buckner, I think with the way Paye has developed so far

within the Colts system, it's going to be a pretty quick and easy transition for Paye on the NFL level. And playing next to Buckner for over 90% of those snaps together, that's going to be a really really really fun combination that's gonna open up things even more pretty pin than what we saw tonight yeah I thought pretty pay showed exactly kind of what we wanted even though that he only got the one sack he was still putting pressure in kind of shrinking that pocket for their cousins and one couple of the the plays that he's not gonna get credit for from in terms of the stat sheet for Kirk Cousins. And a couple of the plays that he's not going to get credit for

in terms of the stat sheet, but he was able to push the left tackle back into Cousins, force him to make an uncomfortable throw, and didn't give him space in the pocket to move up. So Kudipe was great. The sack was amazing just to see that explosiveness and then the quick hand fighting to get that left tackle's hands off of him and when he was able to just close quickly and finish the play. The other guy I want to talk about a lot that really shined, I thought, on the defense was Ben Vanigou. I thought

he was just a fantastic player all game. He was involved. He was able to get pressure, and it was something that everybody's seen so far from him in training camp, but didn't really translate last game as much, but really showed out very well this game. I'm glad you brought Banigou. He was my other big positive from this game. That young defensive line core with Pei, you add in Banigou. Obviously, Taekwondo was to be a starter to replace Danico Autry. Kamoko Ture as your edge rush specialist on third down. If Banigou can maybe make the year three jump that we saw from Taekwon Lewis

last year's team where he plays just a small role, but one that could be very impactful in limited snaps, how does that change this rotation on defense where I could imagine a scenario where you could put Pei and Buckner inside and then Banigou and Ture in like a NASCAR package on some third downs late in the season. Or, I mean, we're not even talking about Odengbo yet, who's recovering from his injury. Like, if Banigou makes that leap, this young core the Colts have at pass rush is even more enticing. Yeah, if he can develop like he's shown so far in the preseason, I think the Colts have a really solid group of young pass rushers

and a guy that wasn't mentioned in there was Kamoka Ture, who also had a good game today. But having Quidipe to be that strong, kind of that bull rush and that can be a three-down player, having him in there really gives them a lot of versatility on the other side, whether they want to go with the speed guy in Vanagor or Ture, or if they want to go for that more run down guy in Taekwon Lewis. It really gives him a lot of options. And in this style of defense, that's really what you want. And that NASCAR package that you mentioned, it would be

pretty formidable. And that's not even, like you said, considering Dio Edengbo. It's got a lot of options, and these guys are, if they can develop, it's going to be a lot of fun. Let's tell them the quarterbacks in this game. We'll start off with who I think was the bigger negative in this game, and really an important one. I referenced earlier today on Stampede Blue, I wrote an article just about how important this game was

for Sam Ellinger heading into the game against Minnesota. And, man, it was not a good showing for Ellinger. He did have some moments as far as quick rhythm passing goes. We didn't test the field vertically. We knew that wasn't going to happen often with Ellinger's lack of arm strength. But two really bad interceptions on Ellinger. I know maybe that pass for the first one was tipped, but that was still a pass. He shouldn't have tried to take the Paris Campbell there. It was overthrown anyways without the tip.

And then even the second interception, when he went on that quick concept that Ashton Doolin just stared Doolin down the entire time, the linebacker and the safety both collided with Doolin and bounced off Doolin and landed in the hands of the defensive line for an interception. It was a game where Ellinger really might have lost ground compared to actually gaining ground in this quarterback race. And moving forward here in week three of the preseason, I really want to see Jacob Eason get the starting reps. We're going to Eason Moore in just a second.

But what was your thoughts on Ellinger in a game where he really needed to play well and it was really the opposite? Yeah, Ellinger just kind of seemed like a slightly better version of Chad Kelly to me, which I know will excite some fans, but doesn't really excite me too much. He wasn't great. Everything that we've struggled with with Sam Ellinger, again, came to play. During those interceptions, there were a couple balls that probably should have been picked that weren't.

The trouble with him is whenever he was throwing anything beyond five to ten yards down the field, it was kind of a question mark. He had a good out route. He's really good at extending plays with his legs, but that's not – it doesn't last you very long if you don't have the arm talent like guys like Patrick Mahomes can extend some plays with legs but he can throw the ball like 80 yards he can literally throw the ball out of Arrowhead Stadium like you gotta have the arm and Sam Ellinger is going to be good as like one of those trick game manager kind of quarterbacks that can come in like

a taste some hill style quarterback potentially but in terms of like long-term starting I just don't think that he gives them the the playmaking ability that that Jacob Eason does in terms of the quarterback position with the arm he obviously is a better athlete than Jacob Beeson, but there's only so much that that can give you. And I just, I wasn't impressed with Sam Ellinger today. This was his opportunity. This was his moment. And I think that it was, the moment was a little too big for him. I'm excited for him to see how he can grow over the course of this season but I think that if Frank Wright doesn't name Jacob Eason the starter tomorrow or on Monday the next time they meet

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Bet online is your online sports betting experts. The promo code to use is LOCKEDON. L-O-C-K-E-D-O-N. Yeah, I totally agree with you there. I know some are referencing, like, we'll hit on Easton right now, but we'll just dive right into Easton. Ellinger, by the way, for those wondering, 8 of 13 for 70 yards, two interceptions in a quarter and a half of work with the starters. And then in the middle of the second quarter, after Ellinger's second interception, Eason replaced him and came

in and did pretty solid. I would say he did a lot better in the fourth quarter than he did in the first half. I think he was two of eight in that first half of action. He finished 16 of 27 for 132 yards in totality around five yards per attempt. Not great. I think the one negative I do have to say about Eason is just the fastball. I just wish that Eason would have more control over his tempo of how he throws the football because a lot of his incompletions, and we're just because he rifled at 150 miles an hour, point-blank range to guys like Kylan Granson or to Michael Harris

or even Desmond Padman at some points. If Eason can learn how to control his arm, he's a legit backup in the NFL, but that's a lot of the reason why he was so inaccurate early on, just with those rifling of the football for unnecessary reasons. But he did settle in in the fourth quarter. Desmond Patman and him really had a nice connection again this week. Michael Strawn had a catch or two in there as well. What was your opinion of Eason in this one where he really did show up late

in the game, but it was a really rough first half? Yeah, he struggled early. And part of me thinks that's because he didn't have time to really kind of get in the flow of the game. So last week when Eason played, they did a lot of short pass, a lot of quick outs. When they put him in this time, it was more of that two-minute drill. I think it was like with two 45 or something like that left in the second half or in the first half. And, uh, so he was rushing and he was literally, I mean, it was scary. I felt bad for the receivers because he was throwing like a hundred miles an hour and you just got to get your head around and hope that it doesn't whack

you. Uh, that's how hard he was throwing and once he calmed down he he played really well um but that that first those first like four or five drives where he is like pushing and rushing it wasn't good if he can calm himself down he's got the ability to throw with touch you saw it a a couple times where he just dropped it in the bucket on little corners, little fade outs. And then that rifle that he threw to Patman when he was going around on the run between two defenders, that might be the best throw he's made so far in the preseason.

He's made some pretty good ones. But Easton's got to get that under control if he doesn't then he's not he's not a viable starter long term either because you're going to have a bunch of wide receivers with broken hands it feels like to me Steven I know they wanted to see Sam Unger get starting reps and see if this QB battle can continue but I think the main point I took away from this game was I think it was a missed opportunity from Frank Reich and the Colts offensive coaching staff not to have Jacob Easton start this game was I think it was a missed opportunity from Frank Reich and the Colts offensive coaching staff not to have Jacob Easton start this game when the starters played around a quarter

and a half of action. Like a lot of the guys, Michael Pittman Jr. was out there for a quarter and a half. Harris Campbell was as well. If Jacob Easton does play week one, and I'm guessing we're leaning more towards after tonight's game, it just was like a really missed opportunity from Reich and the staff to let Easton get more comfortable with those guys because he's only done it in training camp action.

And it would have been nice to see it in regular game action. Yeah, I think the top part is you wanted to give Sam Ellinger an opportunity. You gave it to Jacob Eason last week against the Panthers. So you wanted to see if Sam Ellinger could step up his game the same way that Jacob Eason stepped up his game that first preseason week. And unfortunately, it didn't happen that way. Once that first interception came, you kind of were like, all right, this might be time to go ahead and swap out. Because you kind of know where you're at. Because the interception was bad.

Both interceptions were really bad. But yeah, I have a hard time blaming Frank Reich and the coaching staff for not giving the opportunity to Easton this week, just because they'd already named that that was going to be the situation after week one or going into week one is Easton was going to get started against the Panthers. And then Ellinger was going to get the start against the Vikings. I wish it would have been flip-flopped, to be totally honest with you. I wish that Ellinger would have gotten to start against the Panthers and then Eason, the one against the Vikings,

so I'd much rather have seen Eason go against the first in defense than Sam Ellinger. But I don't have a massive problem with the way that Frank Reich handled it, but I do think it's pretty clear who their starting quarterback should be going forward if Carson Wentz were to miss some time. As we're recording this, Stephen, I am checking Twitter as we're recording, and via Kevin Bone on Twitter, who's in the Frank Reich press conference right now, Frank Reich said his hunch is that he's going to need another week of action

to see this quarterback battle play out officially. So this will be another week. The Colts have three passes left at Grand Park and Westfield. The preseason finale is Friday in Detroit. I have to imagine you'll probably see Easton play the first half, Ellinger the second half. Then that Monday afterwards, they name a starting quarterback if necessary. At that point, though, after this next week, Carson Wentz will be two weeks

full – or over two weeks full after his surgery. So maybe at that point they announce Carson Wentz will be the week one starter. So we're going to find out a lot more at the end of this week, Steve. What's your thoughts on Wright kind of pushing this out another week with this competition? I think it's kind of silly, to be honest. You know, Jacob Beeson didn't run away with it, but Sam Ellinger definitely lost it, in my opinion.

I think that extending this out more than a couple days, like I can understand making that statement today, like right after the game, and not going and throwing a guy under the bus right after the game, but if by the next day or two or after that first practice, he doesn't say Eason's the starter, then I think that he's just kind of pulling our legs at this point. It's pretty clear that Eason is the better quarterback right now. Not saying that Eason will be the better quarterback long term, but Sam Ellinger hasn't been

close to Jacob Eason thus far. No matter what anybody tells you, like you just watch the game, it's not that close based on everything you've seen. It should be Jacob Eason. So I understand why Frank Reich would say that right now. I just think that it's kind of delaying the inevitable. And if it doesn't come out within the next couple of days

that Eason's going to be the starter after they get a chance to really review the film then I just don't know what to say about that it shouldn't it it's not that hard let's go into a couple more players here Steve we went a little bit there on the quarterbacks and we'll obviously cover that more throughout the week here on the podcast to see what actually happens there but I would definitely guess it's heavily leaning towards Jacob Beasley at this point. If he does need to start week one,

that he will get the nod over Sam Ellinger, but let's go to the other guys who are on the, both the positive and negative spectrum to pull that today's show. We'll go negative first. And to me, Steven, this guy continues to really be a huge disappointment to me. He was one of the first outside free in settings for the Colts in free

agency, continues to look like a turnstile on the offensive line, and tonight it was no different. He's been permanently moved to right tackle after being so bad in week one of the preseason against the Panthers and in training camp against their own guys at left tackle. Moved permanently to the right side, and he's still getting his doors blown off by practice squad Vikings edge rushers throughout the third

and fourth quarter of this game. He was really only that offensive line tonight for the Colts, and that was Sam Tevey, who was signed to a one-year contract. Colts cap Kyle on Twitter is a really good cap call up for the Colts. He mentioned that if the Colts do cut Sam Tevey, they save almost $3 million if they were to do that. So, Stephen, I have to imagine that's serious in consideration for this Colts team because he's been such a disappointment,

and he's getting blown off the ball by practice squad guys who aren't going to make the roster for Minnesota tonight. I think it's fair to say he's probably behind Davenport and will hold him for a tackle spot and maybe even Carter O'Donnell, their Canadian undrafted guy from last year. I mean, I would be very disappointed at this point if Tevi makes the 53-run roster and the Colts don't try to say that $3 million. Yeah, I'd be shocked. Tevye hasn't been good. That's really all that we need to say.

He's been crushed. In practice, in the games, he hasn't been good. He's been demoted every step of the way. I'm just shocked at how inconsistent he's been or how, I guess, consistently bad he's been because he got a bunch of starts with the Chargers. So you'd hope that he would be able to play a little bit better than what he has, but he hasn't. And the Colts I could see definitely moving on from him,

especially if it's going to save him about $3 million in cap space because it gives him an opportunity to roll that money over for Quentin Nelson's big contract coming out here in the next couple years. Bilt Bar is the best tasting protein bar ever. Bilt Bar has nine delicious flavors, plus the occasional limited time flavor as well. When you talk to a Bilt Bar fan, they're definitely passionate about their favorites. There's so many good ones as well. Raspberry, mint, brownie, double, chocolate, salted caramel. There's some for everyone over on Bilt Bar. Most of the flavors have 17 grams of protein, all within 130 calories,

and a couple flavors also have 18 grams of protein within 180 calories. So there's great tasting ones that are all healthy for you as well. Order today and get whatever flavors you like at Built Bars, and go to BuiltBar.com and use promo code LOCKED15, and you'll get 15% off your first order. Again, use promo code LOCKED15 at LUCKAD15 for 15% off at billbarr.com. Going back to the positives here, close out the show, Stephen. A couple of two guys here on the list you can add in more after these two

if you want to, if anyone else stood out that we haven't covered yet. But Rak Yassin played a couple of series for the Colts defense, actually did pretty well against Adam Thielen on a couple of sequences here and there. It's a big year for Rock, Stephen. What was your thoughts on how he played in the first quarter of that game? I think he played the whole first quarter and then he sat the rest of the way. But if Rock can show at least some improvements in year three,

that's going to do a lot for this defense. It's already pretty strong. Yeah, I've been a big, big fan of Rock, even though everybody else has been kind of on his back for the past two years he he's gotten better every single year it's just he's made bad bad decisions in big moments so it kind of exacerbates the perception of him he was really good today he was really consistent he made all the plays that you really hope that he would make if he can get rid of that grabbiness at the end of a play then he's going to put it all together and I don't it's not like I think that he can be like shut down corner but I think he'd be a really good corner in this defense

and it's what I've said ever since like the Denver game where Cortland Sutton just destroyed him I don't remember if it's last year the year before but he's gotten progressively better since then. But whenever he does make a bad play, he got like in his own head, it felt like, and that he just kind of, it kind of avalanched for him in that situation when he would make a bad play. Today, it was all good place for him. So he didn't have that situation come come in so I was really happy for him to to come out and make some good plays closing up the show here Steven one more guy on the positive list who I didn't include in my article because he was doing it so late in the

game I wrote it during the game but back-to-back weeks now he's led the Colts in receptions and in yards Desmond Patman had four catches for 60 yards on five targets, had that great play-action play from Jacob Eason down the field for a game-high 28 yards. And then at the end of the game, the very end of the game, if you might have tuned down the last minute or two, the Colts punted with 12 seconds left, and Desmond Patman, as the gunner, went down and penned that ball inside the five-yard line for the Colts, sealing that game officially with the last play or two.

I think that's how you're going to win the job as WR6 over Ashton Doolin. And Doolin did not have a good game as a receiver either, as we mentioned earlier in the show, Ellinger threw that interception when Doolin was the target. If Desmond Patman can be a capable gunner, Stephen, I think Patman has his WR6 job locked up. We talked already about Michael Strawn in depth on the show. There's no way you could have got that high upside.

He can stay on as a WR5 or WR6. But it feels like to me after tonight's game, Stephen, that Ashton Doolin's going to be one squeezed out of this rotation. Yeah, I was going to say, Michael Strawn and Desmond Patman kind of taking over that wide receiver 5 and wide receiver 6 role for the Colts, and especially if they're seeing time at Gunner because that was, honestly, that was what was keeping Ashton Doolin on the roster because he wasn't doing anything spectacular as a wide receiver necessarily it was his special teams play if Desmond Patman and Michael Strawn can come in and take that rollover then there's really no

place for Ashton Doolin and the other thing to consider is Chris Ballard can't realistically cut Mike Strawn or Desmond Patman because they will get claimed. The only one of those three that he could potentially cut is Ashton Doolin and hope that he can make it so make it out off the way and hope that he can clear waivers so that he can get him onto the practice squad. Because Patman and Strawn aren't making it through waivers. That's just flat not going to happen. And I honestly think that they've outplayed Ashton Julian, to be real frank with it. You don't cut those guys.

They've been consistent the entire time, and that's what you really want. So I think that they've earned that wide receiver five, wide receiver six spot on the lineup. And I think Ashton Doolin, I think you're right. He's the one that's going to get squeezed out. Steven, anything else you want to hit on from tonight's game? Colts win 12-10 in Minnesota. It was a typical Preseason game.

Not a lot of action involved, but at least a few storylines to cover throughout today's show. Pre-show is always coming on. But anything else you want to hit on as far as positives or negatives go to recover the whole bases there? I thought Andre Scher I'm still never going to be able to pronounce his last name. I thought he had a good game. Worth mentioning, his versatility is something that I think Matt Eberflus is really going to like on the defense because he can play anywhere in that defensive backfield and they feel comfortable

with him. So I think that that's somebody that we should also mention as a positive, that he's out there playing well and all over the defense. I think that he's going to get an opportunity. Yeah, I agree. I think he has a safety spot locked up here. I'm going to be curious which of those Sean Davises make the roster, if any of those guys make the roster because they usually carry four. Maybe this year they carry five because they like Sean Davis, the rookie out of Florida, so much.

But Chachere's definitely improved as a fit safety. I have to imagine he's going to be in their rotation this year. But, Stephen, as always, man, enjoy having you on the podcast. Colts fans, if you're not already, go ahead and follow Stephen on Twitter at NiceReet. Stephen, go listen to his podcast as well over on Stampede Blue. There's some great stuff over there every week on the show. Stephen, appreciate the time.

Thanks, Evan. Have a great one.