Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - COLTS SQUAD SHOW: Super Bowl WINDOW with Sauce | How Gardner Factors Now and in the Future for Colts

Episode Date: November 6, 2025

Just a day after the blockbuster trade to land the former All-Pro, the Squad discusses how Sauce Gardner impacts the Colts' Super Bowl window both in 2025 and beyond. Just a day after the blockbuster trade to land the former All-Pro, the Squad discusses how Sauce Gardner impacts the Colts' Super Bowl window both in 2025 and beyond. Also, under and overreactions from Week 8 and a first look at the Falcons and an international trek to Germany. Find and follow Locked On Colts on your favorite podcast platforms: 🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-colts/ 📺YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLdpxJspi1hMh5HL7ExpWOQ Give the squad a follow on X/Twitter @Schultz975, @JakeArthurNFL, @ZachHicks2, @allenpinkett, @LockedOnColts, and @ColtsOn_SI, as well on TikTok and Instagram! Follow Jake and Zach's written work on HorseshoeHuddle.com, and give them a follow on Twitter @JakeArthurNFL, @ZachHicks2, @LockedOnColts, and @ColtsOn_SI, as well on TikTok and Instagram! Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! BILT Turn your rent into rewards and start earning points around your neighborhood by going to https://joinbilt.com/lockedonnfl. Supply House Join the free TradeMaster program today and score serious perks like priority shipping, lower prices, and a dedicated support line. Visit https://SupplyHouse.com to sign up for free and use promo code SHNFL5 for 5% off your first order. Peloton Let yourself run, lift, flex, and push forward. Explore the new Peloton Cross Training Tread+ today at https://www.onepeloton.com. PrizePicks Download the PrizePicks app today and use code LOCKEDONNFL to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. Click Here: https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LOCKEDONNFL Gametime Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime. FanDuel Right now, new customers can bet just FIVE dollars and if your bet wins—you’ll get THREE HUNDRED dollars in bonus bets to use across the app. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) #colts #coltsnews #indianapoliscolts #indianapolis #saucegardner #atlantafalcons #falcons #nfl #germany Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to the Colts Squad Show. I'm your host, Derek Schultz, and I now wish every day was NFL trade deadline day. And I'm Zach Hicks, and I'm basically eating my words every day since they made a massive trade of the trade deadline. I was trying to pamper everyone for like close it down, whatever, but massive trade, massive trade for the Colts. And I'm Jake Arthur, and I hope you guys don't mind if we get a little bit saucy today. Oh, Colts Nation, rise up. It's the Colt Squad, everything Indianapolis Colts every week. Covering all the big hits and game-changing plays from the Circle City,

the way only the locked on podcast network can. It's time to squad up. The Colt Squad Joe starts now. How we doing every day? Happy Wednesday and welcome to the Colts Squad Show. Today's episode brought you by Fandul. Right now, new customers can bet just $5. And if your bet wins, you get $300 in bonus bets to use across the app.

I'm Derek Schultz, Indy Sports Talker, columnist for the IBJ, and you every day are as no Zach Hicks and Jake Arthur, the dynamic duo from Locked on Colts, your first listen every day. Alan Pinkett returns to the squad for Sunday's postgame show. He's got our Locked on College Football show hanging out and traveling for that. So we'll miss Allen today, but he'll be back and we'll be back to full strength coming up on Sunday for the post game show. Colts coming off a loss, I kind of forgot that they lost, right?

because those feelings quickly evaporated in the wake of yesterday's bombshell trade for Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner. We'll talk about that deal, what it means for the Colts while also discussing the cost, obviously two number ones, A.D. Mitchell for the five people that still cared about A.D. Mitchell, still, you know, a guy that was a day two pick. Pros and cons of making the move, right? We'll also talk about what this now means for the Colts Super Bowl window, not just in 2025, but beyond. And then we'll do our usual overreactions and underreactions from week I think we might have some overreactions, certainly from that performance in Pittsburgh, maybe some overreactions to the Soss Gardner trade yesterday,

and then take a first look at the Falcons and a tricky trip coming up here to Germany as the Colts make one of their rare trips overseas for an international game. But, Zach, you had kind of alluded to it in the cold open that we do. You know, we put up pictures of Trey Hendrickson on YouTube. We talked about the Colts being trade deadline buyers, and we were putting in all caps. But secretly, the three of us were kind of thinking ourselves, yeah, they're not going to make a big splash, right? The NFL trade done line.

There are no big splashes. But now that we've had 24 hours to think about it, are you still on board? Or are you still sauced up about one of the Colts biggest trades in franchise history? Yeah, what an absolute roller coaster that this trade was because, you know, we were on here on every squad show, every like locked on Colts regular show, just being like, yeah, the Colts are probably going to make a trade. They're going to get a corner in here. They're going to get like a lotte Taylor. They're going to get, you know, a decent pass rusher because that's what the NFL trade does. headline is, you know, you go get a Draymont Jones for a fifth round pick. You don't get

Sauce Gardner for two first, you know. It's more of a hockey or a baseball or a basketball thing that you see these big trades in season. But the Jets shocked the football world by trading way two superstar players in Sauce Gardner and Quinn and Williams. And the Colts were obviously the first domino in that getting Sauce Gardner for two first round picks. And yeah, I mean, look, we can talk about the ramifications of giving up two first round picks all we want. and I'm sure we're going to get into that in the cons segment of this first segment here. But at the end of the day, man, if you're a team that's sitting at 7-2, the number one team in the AFC right now boasting the number one offense in the league,

and a defense I think has fought pretty hard despite some of their limitations and their injuries and some of the issues they've had, you've had a chance to go out and get a 25-year-old all-pro player at a premium position. You know, we talk about the premium positions in the NFL being, you know, on the edges in the trenches edge rusher and offensive tackle corner and wide receiver and quarterback you know if you can get one of those type of players at an all pro level i mean yeah it's a high price tag but of course it's a high price tag we're talking about an all pro at corner you know so uh to pair him with the potential of mooney ward and kenny more the second in

the secondary um you know my my film nerd aspect of this is just so excited to see what this does for the defense so you know again we could talk about the price tag and everything that comes with it for sure. But the pros are just, this makes your defense so much better, you know. And one thing that takes down the value of a cornerback, like a star cornerback, is the fact that you can just throw away from them. You know, Pat Sertan, fantastic corner in Denver, but he's not going to get his hand on every single pass because you just throw at the other corner all the time, right? When Mooney Ward gets back, who do you throw at with this colds defense? You know, oh, you want to throw at Mooney Ward? Awesome. I've been begging for quarterback to throw the ball at him all year because he's

been great when he's played in soft garden you want to throw at him okay two time first team hall pro sure throw the ball at him you know throw it at kenny more our best playmaker on defense you know like this is this is something that i think because you have multiple guys like there's not a way that this like takes down the value of one of them because someone's going to have to get targeted but they're all really good cover guys so i think just from an on field perspective just adding a player of this caliber is fantastic for the colts defense yeah i've I think this just opens up kind of a world of opportunities. And as we know with this cornerback group, someone has always hurt at all times.

You know what I mean? So ideally, everyone healthy, you have Ward and Sauce on the field at the same time. But if one of them is down, you still have the other one up. So it's like there's really no drop off. And on the very positive times where you have everyone, including Kenny and you have Cam Biden in the back, that's a secondary that is hard to contest with. Because if you're a quarterback, you have to wait a little bit longer for your guys to get open. Lou Anorumo is scheming up, you know, guys lining up in different places or bailing on one place and go into another.

So the confusion is there. The peak performance is there. And then we've talked quite a bit about like the trickle-down effect for the rest of the defense. It helps out your pass rush. Like the pass rush for the Colts has been productive in terms of like winning some matchups and getting pressure, but they just haven't been winning quick enough to turn it into sacks necessarily. But now, you know, if you got a, you got a couple high-end cover corners out there, well, maybe that buys you the extra little millisecond you need for those guys to get to the

quarterback. So this is just an outstanding move and kind of like my big brain thing of it this year and, you know, the next coming couple years is you have got to make moves. You have to make impactful moves to compete at the top. You see the Eagles do stuff like this. You see the Chiefs do stuff like this. And those teams also have quarterbacks that you're going to have to defend.

So you've got to get pressure against Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, but you're going to have to have people line up against their receivers too. Because especially, those guys can buy time and, you know, make really unique magical plays well after the play should have

ended and you've got to have guys that can stick to those receivers too. So this is just the thing where, you know, it is all chips in. You have to pay to play, and the Colts are here to play, and they want to be there at the end. Like, there's nothing about this move to me that says, you know, we're going to the playoffs. It's we're going to the Super Bowl. Like, I think to take advantage of this kind of down year in the AFC. Yeah. And you're not saying, like, Colts are guaranteed to go to Super Bowl, but it's what the Colts are thinking internally when

you make them move like that. That's what their goal clearly is. Right. Right. And real quick, before I let Derek get a word in here. I'm going to, I want to answer this comment here from Michigan Wolverines because he's in a lot of our squad shows. He asked how this trade affects Jalen Jones and I guess also Mackay Blackmun factor into that as well. Jones will likely get the start this week while Mooney Ward is still coming back from his concussion, but do you guys remember what Tyler Warren did for Moeley Cox in this offense? It redefined what Moeley Cox was for this offense and got him back in a role that fits him better. And as a result, we're seeing the best version of Moeley Cox in years.

with his Colts team. I think that adding a corner like this does the same thing for like a Jaylon Jones where it gets him into that like dime package corner role where he can use him as a specialist. He can be an outside corner with Mooney Ward traveling in the slide on on dime coverage calls. He can be a guy who matches up with tight ends. He can be this kind of extra weapon and it redefines his role. And I think it leads to just better play across the board there for even a guy like Jalen Jones. So when you add more talent, it helps everyone else on defense. Everybody eats. You know, we say that with the offense. I know the chiefs. Jesus said that with their offense, but the Colts offense is really the offense where everybody

eats. But in a sense, it's kind of like that on defense, too. The more talent you have, it helps everyone hit their potential and hit where they want to go. Yeah, I think there's just something intoxicating, too, about the fact that they're really truly going for it, where I think the process for Ballard is largely been the right one, even if the results hasn't always been there. But I'll admit that even somebody that has defended Chris Boward's process, I've gotten antsy, right? Because I'm tired of 8 and 9, 9 and 8 go nowhere seasons. And that's sort of where the Colts have been.

They haven't been bad, but they just haven't really been any good. And they haven't mattered. And you make a move like this, and it just changes things. It changes the excitement level. And people were already excited and geeked up. But, Zach, I know Colts Film Room, a friend of yours and a guy that I really respect as well, he's been on this show, you know, he was one of the few that kind of the knee-jerk reaction was oh man i don't like it you know i think he said mortgaging the future which which i don't

necessarily agree with but you know i'm kind of looking at it and saying you know from an aspect of maybe i was antsy but the a fc being down the fact that there's really no dominant force in the NFL through the first half of the season that has emerged i mean yeah we can give the benefit of doubt to the eagles and the chiefs and teams like that that have been there done that right but for the most part there hasn't been like this dominant force of oh man you got no chance against this squad. And, you know, this offense being, I understand what it was last week in Pittsburgh, but through the majority of this season, looking as elite as it has, I think it makes a lot of sense to push the chips in now. And the thing about two ones, two ones is a lot. And then you throw

an A.D. Mitchell as a kicker. I mean, it's a lot. It's a significant trade package. But the Colts perspective is that the hope is that that that's the, you know, 27 and, you know, God willing, 32nd pick in the draft, right? Not the fifth pick and the 12th pick in the draft. And I think that's the way that they have to approach it. But part of me is just kind of like the timing of this is what really makes sense. Yes, the move

makes sense and logistically and all of that. And Soss Gardner is a great player and he fits and he's probably going to help the pass rush and send ripple effects to the entire defense. But the timing of it just felt right for me too. Yeah. And let's be honest about this. This is an overpay for sure. Look, in the NFL, first round

picks are as valuable as it gets. You get, five years of team control, of cheap team control, essentially, in a league and a salary cap league, you know, those cheap team control options are insanely valuable as long as you're hitting on those, on those options. So, yeah, it's certainly an overpay, but you're paying for a 25-year-old all pro with a very, very reasonable contract over the next three seasons. You're going to have to overpay to get a player of that quality, you know? So I completely understand where Ben, Colts film is coming from with that concern.

because, you know, you don't really care as much about the first round pick after this season. The Colts are going to be in the playoffs. That's going to be a 20 plus pick. But defense and especially quarterback play is extremely volatile from year to year. And there's a really real scenario where the Colts are not a playoff team next year, despite going all in because of injuries and all this stuff. And it's hard to give up that first round pick when you don't really know. Like, it would have been great if there was a condition on that second pick to Colts make the playoffs next year.

So then you know it's 220 plus picks, you know. but that's just not how the world works. You know, you have to be willing to risk it, you know, to get a player of Sauce Gardner. And I'm with you, Derek. You know, for all the risk that it is, there is something that's just so, like, you know, freeing about a team just going all in because you know that this is like the big home run swing, you know, you're either going to make solid contact and that ball is going to go over the fence or it's going to be like the worst strike ever and you're going to fall on your face and

everyone's going to laugh at you. That's kind of where this is going here. you know, and I respect that. I respect that from a general manager who has played it safe mostly. You know, he's made these moves in the past where it's like, oh, I'm giving up a first round pick for Carson Wentz, but I'm not really going to pay for an edge rusher with that because I don't really believe in Carson Wentz. Like, you gave up a first round pick for him, though.

You're like, show some, like, gall and go for it with the guy that you're investing in, but he's never really built around a quarterback before and had enough faith in a quarterback or the offense or the team in general. So this is him basically saying, you know, like I believe in this office. I believe in what Shane Steikin's doing on that side of the ball with Daniel Jones. And I believe in Luana Rumo for sure. I mean, gosh, he really believes in Luana Rumo. And he's showing that commitment to them by saying, I'm going to make the riskiest move of my career.

And this could be the move that ends up with me out of Indy in a couple of years. Because if this backfires, there's not really much coming back from it because you're giving up those first round picks. But there is something freeing and respectful about that. Like, go all in every now and then. If it blows up, cool. this is your one chance anyway. Like, why not swing? You know, so many, so many guys just like go down in this passive mindset and don't really swing for it, you got to respect a guy going for it. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. But I'd rather have a general manager and a team that

is willing to make these risky moves to try to get you into that Super Bowl and get you that ring than someone who's comfortable just skating by and maybe making the playoffs just to be a first round exit just to save face and save their job. Like, I respect going for it. Even if this blows up and it ages poorly, when you have a seven and two team of the historically great offense, like, go for it. I love it from that perspective. I'm right there with you. And it's like if you're an NFL GM, you almost can't win.

Because I think leading up to the trade deadline, we all saw people say, sitting on his hands, he's not going to do anything. And then boom, makes the most significant trade of his career and arguably of Indianapolis Colts history. And it's like an overpay. It's like, well, what is it, guys? Do you want him to do something or not?

But no, I think he was so willing to put this much into it because I think he truly feels for the first time that this might be a Super Bowl team. Like, this is a move worth swinging for. And he mentioned it when he released his statement. They liked him coming out of Cincinnati. So it's a player they already had conviction about. And he has proven them right through his performance with the Jets. And, you know, I think they think putting him in a better defense because, like, he was. incredible when the Jets defense was good and then it's kind of petered off in the last couple years

when the entire Jets organization hasn't been good but you put him back on a good team with a good defense and he's part of it and he's not he's not even just the guy that has to carry it he is part of like a larger thing that involves other really good players that we're going to see the best of him again and maybe even cranking it up to a new level you know what I mean so yeah I'm with you guys I have I just have appreciate the effort again building through the draft is noble if you hit on all your draft picks but like that hasn't necessarily been the case like they've got plenty of decent guys like good players but they they haven't built it like bill pullion built it you know what i mean like

bill pullion hit it out of the park all the time and that's how they built a super bowl contender in the modern day if you're not going to nail all your draft picks you got to do something like this occasionally. And like I mentioned, look at the Eagles. The Eagles do not care. Like they like their objective is to win the Super Bowl every year. They'll figure everything else out after that. But they make these kind of moves. The Rams, the Rams by championship appearances, really. They're the F them picks team. And you know, it largely works. It got them a Super Bowl. Like draft picks are valuable. Yes. We are big draft nerds here on this show. but sometimes you just got to make a move like this.

And yeah, it's going to hurt. You don't have those first round picks, whatever. But you're not in the market for, you know, Arvel Reese or Jeremiah Love or like any of the like Uber elite players. Like just just go for it. Like is there a sauce gardener in this draft? Probably not. Yeah.

And really quick, because I know we're running late on this. But Chris Ballard's actually been one of the better drafting GMs in my opinion across the league getting guys like Alec Pierce, Bairnhart, Ryman, Nick Cross in that one draft there like he's had a lot of misses don't get me wrong but every gm has misses he's built this team mostly through the draft you had to sometimes take chances though to get your team above and beyond so i respect it from that perspective for sure what is indy's super bowl window now and in the future after adding sauce gardener and subtracting two first round picks and ad mitchell will tell you next when the colt squad show returns this portion of the cold squad show brought

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peeling him off the Jets because the Colts have used that blueprint of, hey, let's take this player off of one of the worst organizations in American Pro Sports and see if he can work here. And it worked with Daniel Jones. So let's take another one of the worst organizations in American Pro Sports and see how that works out. That's your New York stuff coming out. Got to say the two worst organizations are New York, Rod.

It is a miserable existence. I can tell you that. Jets and Giants fans, my high school friends hit me up all the time. about it. Let's talk Super Bowl window, though, guys. Because, you know, as much as this is a win now move, you know, now is kind of a relative term right now in 2025. Sure, the Colts are seven and two and two. And it looks like that, you know, they got a two game lead in the AFC South and it looks like the AFC isn't great. So yes, now, but now certainly seems to extend into 2026 too. I mean, especially when you look at Gardner's contract, it's very team friendly

over the next two years, the reasonable cap hits before things start to ramp up in 27. And if you go back to that offseason, after 23, when they brought everybody back, a lot of these guys that were re-signed after that season, those deals carry through 26. So if you look at upcoming projecting out Colts free agents, Pittman's deal, Buckner's deal, Quentin Nelson's deal, Taylor, I think Kenny Moore is on that list. They're all free agents in 27 with where it sits right now. Part of the reason I only know that is because I'm thinking, hey, when can the Colts tear it down after last season, right?

So it's kind of a morbid way. It shows how much we've done sort of a 180 here. But, you know, Zach, as much as this is about right now, I think in a way, if we're going to kind of look at it, you know, on a micro level, it's a two-year window, right? Where you make this deal and you're thinking, okay, this is us kind of going for it in 25 and 26 and then sort of reevaluating where the Colts are after that season.

Yeah, I think internally that's the thought process is we have the rest of this year and next year to really go all chips in and go for that Super Bowl. But I want to bring it even more of a micro level down and just talk about this season where this is the year where the AFC looks very wide open. You're adding, again, a player like Sauce Gardner alongside a Mooney Ward to hopefully make this defense a top 10 unit to pair with your top one unit on offense this season. And the big thing about Super Bowl windows in the NFL is they close so quickly. they like you think that you're building something great and there's going to be this linear progression year after year where it's like oh we made it to the championship game this year next year we're going to make it to the super bowl the year after that we're going to win the super bowl but that's just not how it goes in the NFL what's the best best aspect of this in the NFL right now look at the Washington commanders last year the NFC championship game super young quarterback that has this magic about him the team is they had the Hail Mary bounce go their way like everything is going perfect they They are in that championship game last year, and, yeah, they got blown out by the Eagles, but, like, we're building something here. They make the all-in move of Tunsel and Debo Samuel in the offseason, and what's the result?

Their quarterback gets multiple injuries. They are one of the worst teams in the NFC this year, and they're not going to make the playoffs, and now they're a very old roster that is taking a huge step back. And I'm not saying every team goes through that, but that just shows what the Super Bowl window is like in the NFL. So you can project out like, oh, next year will be this team that can compete for a Super Bowl as well. But you never know. So that's why I think it's so valuable to get him in during the season right now where you are already on this big run because you don't know if this is going to be your one year of this.

You know, injuries could pile up next year. Guys could regress. Like a lot of things can happen from year to year in the NFL. So just being as micro as possible about this, like, this is your year to go for it, you know? If it comes up short, it comes up short, you know? But how often you're going to have an offense of this caliber? How often are you going to have the chance to put sauce gardener next to Mooney Ward next to Kenny Moore?

Because you're not going to get many years after this to put all those guys together with how salary cap is and with the age of those players, especially Moore and Ward. So this is your chance to go for it. So, yeah, on a very micro level this year, I understand just really swinging for it. Now, again, I think internally they're hoping for 2020. 26 as well. That's why you give up that first round pick for next year, too, because you're thinking you're going to be all chips in for there. And Sauce Gardner's contract is very work, like, you're very easy to work around and you can get more help in here in the

offseason because you're only paying him $9.5 million next season against the cap. But I think especially for this year, because you have no clue what that window is going to look like next season. So getting him in for this run this year where, like, we're the number one team the AFC. We have a chance at this. Let's get Sauce Gardner in here. just really go for it. I think that's important in the NFL because windows shut fast and they just blow up in your face and then you have to rebuild from there. We've seen it with countless teams, not just only the Washington commanders this year.

And I think the Colts sense that because this, obviously, I don't think it's a move they would have made in the offseason. Like, they did it because they sensed they've got something really rolling here. And NFL teams and personnel will be the first ones to tell you it's a year to your league. like they are like there's things they're happy about and would be like to build on from the previous year but as far as assuming you're going to get better they don't assume that at all like everything is kind of starting from scratch so i'm right there with you and and don't worry about being morbid derrick because we have had that nuclear detonator button discussion before about

everyone's contracts coming up in and everything uh there are going to be interesting discussions still to be had but yeah there's there's only like a handful of guys with guaranteed money next year he's one of them but uh yeah so this this move it definitely is it's the big circles on these next couple years obviously but you know they have sauce for a while they've got can't bind him for a while um yeah it's barren hart rhyming for a while you'll extend glen nelson daniel jones you'll probably have so like it's not like the window shuts completely after this, but the window with, like, DeForest Buckner in his prime, Grover Stewart in his prime, Kenny Moore in his prime, Jonathan Taylor in his prime.

I mean, he's a running back. We see what happens there. I understand going forward with this team for sure. Not to interrupt you, Jake, but just that kind of had on to what you were saying. Yeah, no, this, they're definitely trying to strike while the iron's hot because they do have some building blocks in those one guys you mentioned, but they have guys who are going to be exiting their prime as well. And, like, they really owe it to de Forrest Buckner to go all in.

Like, if there is one guy, they have had to sell on believing in the process here, it's Buckner. And Buckner, above all, everybody else really deserved this move. Yeah. No, for sure. I get it. I get. You're guys like Buckner and Grover and Kenny, Nelson, I mean, Nelson will get extended. And Buckner will probably get extended again, too.

But you don't know about those other guys there. And you want to just, you kind of owe it to them to just to push this. chips in while you can especially because again you have sauce gardener for so cheap over the next two seasons like you owe it to yourself to go all in when you have these cheap years with him because after that it jumps up to a normal contract and then you can operate like a normal team but you can basically get these two freebie years with this all pro corner you're paying him an average of five million dollars per year over this year and next year it's like for an all pro guy on his second contract so yeah it's time to go all in and i totally respect it yeah and

you're always going to have the people that, you know, say, like you had mentioned, Zach, well, Bauer's going to sit on his hands, right? And then he does. And they say, well, wait a minute. Now it's an overpay and what are you doing? And we didn't mean that. And you want to end up going all in here. You're not ever going to be able to sort of please everybody. And certainly that this move could blow up just like other blockbuster trades have blown up. I'm sure people were really excited about Herschel Walker all those years ago. And that ended up right, not really working. You know, that's the ultimate, like, using your draft capital that you get from trading a big time player and turning it into, like, championship level success with that Dallas, Minnesota deal. So I'm not shut off to that sort of being the case here, but I just felt like, A, the time was right and be sort of the situation was right for the Colts to sort of go ahead and do this.

And now you look at this roster, which, you know, another complaint that people had was, well, there's not enough good players at an impact position. Well, guess what? Saus Garner plays an impact position. So, and Mooney Ward plays an impact position, right? They've invested in these areas that people have been complaining about it. And I know Edge hasn't worked out all the way. You've invested in Edge, though. You've used another one in 24 in Latu to invest there.

So I do think that Bauer deserves some credit for, you know, it would have been easy for him to be, I think, really stubborn and really safe and just sort of kind of cruise along. And I think maybe there were some times where he was trying to protect himself and all of that. But as much as we sort of were skeptical about, and this is everybody, Stuyken and Bowerd and everybody's saying we're trying to win now and being like, yeah, really win now? What's your ceiling? Like 10 and 7, if things go right, this has gone off like gangbusters so far through eight games.

Yeah, you know, they've proven us wrong in a lot of ways. And honestly, you know, you kind of hit the nail on the head where it's like, oh, go out there and get an impact player. And people were like, oh, why not an edge rusher? that's what they really needed. You were, Trey Hendrickson wasn't available. Okay, I'm sorry, I'm putting that out there. I know the insiders need to push that to get their clicks.

Trey Hendrickson's not available. The Bengals don't trade players at that caliber. They just don't do that. Max Crosby was not available. Miles Garrett, absolutely not available. These guys were not even in conversations, but the Colts through weeks of working

were able to kind of see that the Jets were willing to trade Sauce Gardner. And if you can't get an impact pass rusher, the next best thing is to get an impact corner. Because what directly impacts rushing the passer, coverage. Coverage impacts it. Look at Gus Bradley's defenses the last couple years. They sit back in the zone coverage with weaker corners. And no matter how quick the Colts are winning up front in the pass rush department, it didn't matter because the ball was out

in two seconds. Now with Louana Rumo, they're going to play a lot more press. They're going to disrupt the line of scrimbits. They're going to make quarterbacks hold the ball up to three seconds. And they're going to rely on guys like Buckner and Leotu Latu and Atatuatu and Adi who played a really good football this year to get home in three seconds instead of two and a half seconds so yeah like it's the next best thing to get like yeah ideally i'd rather have a max crosbie for two first round picks than a sauce gardener because yes max crosbie's an awesome pass rusher but if you can't get that and gardener's actually available make your coverage just the best in the league and make that better for a better situation for your pass rushers up front so i think he did the most

impactful move that you possibly could make for what this team needed especially considering the fit in this defense. Oh my gosh, it's the perfect fit for this defense. We've done video after video about it this week, Jake and I. So I'm not going to go into it even more right here, but it's a perfect fit. Like it just, it works. So yeah, this was the most impactful move that was feasibly available for the Colts. They made the move, get him in here, protect him with Mooney Ward in a lot of situations, and they're going to thrive in coverage as a result. I am also very unbothered by the two first round picks because, again, we've said it. You do it, because you think you're getting to the Super Bowl,

you're going to win a Super Bowl. Well, ask any fan, if you win a Super Bowl, do you care that you gave up two first round picks to achieve that? No, take the next five first round picks. If you want, there's fans who say, take my leg, take my manhood for a championship. You know what I mean? Who cares about the two first round picks?

Like, if it gets you a Super Bowl, no one cares. No. Yeah, I mean, it's the same thing in my house. My wife is a Red Sox fan. I'm a Yankees fan. and they have been clearly better over the past 10 years, but the Sox won that one championship in 18,

and the Yankees haven't won once in so day, so they're living off that the whole way. Sorry, I always insert baseball. I feel like into this show, my fault. Six turnovers and Daniel Jones regression. Do the Colts have the best DB room in the league? We're going to talk about what are under and overreactions next when the Colts Squad Show returns here on the Locked on Colts Network.

This portion of the Colts Squad show brought you by Fan duel, the NBA is back. That's another sport that I really like besides the NFL, and there's no better place to get in on the action. But Fan duel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA, even if you miss the start of the game or you want to ride the hot hand. Fan duel has live bets on everything from who will score next to fourth quarter comebacks.

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in Germany against the Falcons. By the way, we'll talk Atlanta in the final segment of the show. but it's time for over and underreactions. I have some overreactions that I want to touch on in the wake of the Pittsburgh game. Again, I've like completely forgotten about the Pittsburgh game. So we have to remind ourselves that that was a couple of days ago. I wanted to know if this is an underreaction. Is it an underreaction just kind of piggybacking on what we've been talking about in the first two segments to say that this is the best defensive secondary room in the NFL?

I mean, I think it's the best cornerback room for sure. You might have some safeties that are playing a bit better. Just in terms of like connectivity that we're seeing across secondaries in the NFL, like that's the Rams are playing with such great connectivity in their secondary right now. I think there are a couple other teams that are playing just with great chemistry. But in terms of talent, I mean, does it get much better than two number one corners, like two all pro caliber corners, a slot corner that's actually made a Pro Bowl? How many slot corners in the NFL have made a Pro Bowl?

You know, like true slot corners in their career. It just doesn't happen. And then you throw in a guy like Cameron Bynum who's played great football in his career. Nick Cross, who might make a Pro Bowl this year. I think he's probably going to make a Pro Bowl this season with the counting stats being on the number one team in the NFL right now. So, yeah, I think on paper this is the best secondary in the league. And then you get just again, like I just think what you can do with them in terms of their length, their size, their speed, their ability to play Pressman and disrupt the line of scrimmage. Like, there's no secondary in the NFL that I would rather give Lou Annamumo.

I will say that. If you go around all 32 teams put them in a bucket and say, Lou, you can pick whatever secondary you want to go with what you want to do on defense. This is what he would pick. Absolutely what he would pick. And that's all you're trying to do, right? I mean, you're trying to fit it for the blueprint that you want to execute. So you'd almost rather have just the fit guys than the star guys, even though I think, Jake, they kind of cross into both camps when you're talking about sauce and Mooney Ward. and guys like that.

Yeah, and I think, you know, when you were bringing up teams across the league that have done it really well, I was kind of thinking about the Eagles last year, and obviously the Colts don't have the pass first that they do, but you look at the impact that partnering Cooper to Gene and Quinnian Mitchell, the impact that had. Like, that's impactful. Like, if the Colts can get a diet version of that defense, then that's incredible because that defense had one of the all-time super bowl. performances. So, you know, if it helps, I mean, Buckner's always going to do his thing, but if it helps Buckner get to the quarterback quicker, but it helps Latu's numerous wins result in actual sacks, you know, beyond his two and a half last week, you know, then it's,

it's going to be good. You know, Zach has explained a few times that the linebackers can now be used to blitz. Even more, like Zygne Franklin is a pretty effective blitzer, I think. You have more defensive backs on the field now. Again, you got to find something for Mackay Blackman to do. We know Jalen Jones is going to be a good matchup guy for like tight ends. Like I'm already looking at Kansas City in a few weeks, you know, you got Ward, hopefully back and you got sauce and you just parked Jalen Jones on Travis Kelsey. That could be a nice little matchup there.

But you just, you got all these tools at your disposal now. And we know Lou Anirumo wants to get weird with it. Like if you give him all his guys healthy, he's going to confuse the quarterback. Real quick. I'm putting Ward on Travis Kelsey. I'm not putting Jones on Travis Kelsey in that game. I'm putting my best cover guy on Kelsey. Yeah, but I think for the rest of the season, for sure, Jones.

Rashu Rice, though. He doesn't run past the line of scrimmage. All his catches are in the backfield. I can't cover that. But isn't it nice to be in a position where you don't have to put Jalen Jones on the other team's best guy? Or you don't have to put Dallas Flowers on the other team's best guy? You know what I mean?

Like, think about the complete makeover that this room has made. over the last couple of months. Dallas Flowers and Samuel Womack and Jalen Jones. Yeah. While we're in this segment real quick, though, talking about underreaction, overaction. I think we've been underreacting the last couple weeks on how much better the Colts run defense has been. And I know this is getting too positive off the loss, so we will get into some offense stuff with the Colts for sure. But I think we've been underreacting how much better the run defense has been just across the board.

like they allowed that huge run against the Titans on third down that was like a 60 yard run but outside of that the Titans had like two yards per carry in that game Steelers had 1.7 and they were a pretty good rushing offense coming into that game with their 13 personnel package we get to what the Raiders game they shut that down it seems like since they got germane pratt the run defense has been so much cleaner across the board and again this goes to the optimism of adding a sauce gardener right where it's like okay our past defense is going to be a lot better so teams are going to try to run the ball Well, the Colts run defense has been much better as well. I think you're seeing all 11 guys really buying in and run defense and having a Jermaine Pratt covering up that big hole they had next desire Franklin with all the, you know, all the linebackers they were putting out there. I think it's just made them so much better across the board in run defense. So I think we are kind of underreacting to how much better that has been because we're just so excited to talk about the past defense now with Suss Gardner.

I'm glad you mentioned that because when I was thinking back to the game and rewatching it and everything I was trying to like in the moment you're just so dismayed by what's happening like it's hard to see any light at the end of the tunnel in that situation but when I thought back to it I was like they were awesome against the run I think it was 38 yards for Pittsburgh yeah and I mean they had great field position a lot of the time and they had some short touchdowns but there was plenty of times they ran between the 20s and the Colts had it sniffed out immediately and I think Jermaine Pratt, like you mentioned, is a huge part of that. I see him around the ball in the backfield all the time.

Grover Stewart is playing nuts right now. Nick Cross has taken his game even to another level, you know, sniffing things out behind the line of scrimmage from his safety spot. Like, they're getting really, really good returns in the run game right now, which is huge for Sunday because Bejohn Robinson is incredible. Yeah, for sure. Yeah, that's going to be a big challenge. I'm kind of keeping the positivity train going.

Sorry, the Saskarner trade and everything. I'll get us negative. Don't worry. I have one more on the positivity train. I think the entire overreaction is actually just Sunday's game. I just, I think there were a lot of things in that game that were flukish. Certainly six turnovers is just flukish. That's a disaster.

But just kind of a confluence of events. The Stewards backs were up against the wall. The Colts were due for, I'm a big believer in a, 17-game season, you're always going to have one game that is way out of line either in a positive or a negative direction. And I felt like maybe that was the Colts. Hopefully that was the Colts one game in a negative direction in that loss to Pittsburgh. I just felt like there were some things that were difficult to repeat that the Steelers did, that the Colts did and a combination of those things. Not to say that the Colts aren't going to lose again this year or anything like that or even, you know, lose by 710, 17 points. whatever it is, um, I just don't feel like, uh, what happened there.

Like, you know, there was, there was one guy that was a college buddy of mine was texting. He's like, that's it. Colts can't play outdoors. So, so they're not, they can't, they got to be home for the playoffs the whole way because they can't play out. And I'm like, buddy, just like, relax. Like it's, it's one game. It was a bad afternoon. Um, I think the overreaction is that the Colts carriage has turned into a pumpkin suddenly because they played poorly in Pittsburgh. Well, hey, good thing is that the one seed and they play in a dome. So they don't have to play outdoors. It's all good. Yeah, you know, I think to a degree, I understand there is some concerns there.

So this is, I guess, be bringing a little bit negative here where a lot, the Steelers just outplayed them across the board on defense in the game. It was a tough one for the Colts offense. I will say you're also probably being a little too generous, Derek, by saying every team gets one game like this. In the 17 game season, every team gets like multiple games probably where things are just going to go wrong for you. I was texting a buddy about the game too, and he was like, yeah, I thought we outplayed them for majority of the day. it's just we had the six worst plays of the day, and those were the turnovers that the Colts had, and that you can't win in the NFL when you have the worst plays.

You know, you're kind of defined in the NFL by the worst plays you make, and that's what happened with the Colts in this game. So I do agree with you. It was certainly a regression-type game where they came back down to Earth, but they kind of crashed through the Earth and fell to, like, the crust,

or fell through to the core of the Earth, essentially, with all the interceptions and fumbles. So it's not going to be like this every Sunday. Just keep hold of the ball. And if you want, like, pure optimism on this, they had like three or four chances to bring this into like a one score game with like real time left on the game in the game, despite being at three turnovers, despite being at four turnovers, by being at five turnovers. And then they just made the extra one afterwards that that ruined their chances to come back. So they were kind of in the game for most of the day, despite being awful in the turnover department. So, yeah, it's, it was kind of a game from hell for the Colts, but I think they can just flush.

it out of their system and move on yeah it was one of those days where just everything was kind of going the steelers way nothing was really going right for the colts necessarily i mean the like i had seen plenty of the steelers leading up to this and they played against the colts like they have not played any other game this year uh they were a team that played relatively undisciplined and missed a lot of tackles and they took some poor angles at times i didn't really notice any missed tackles. I thought fundamentally they were awesome in that game. The linebackers played well, which they had not been playing. Everyone came to play. The pass rush was crazy. For some reason, the Colts offensive line played pretty poorly in that, which then helps lead to Daniels bad

performance. You can't really get Jonathan going because you're not able to establish the tenor of the game that you normally do that you have throughout the season. You know, the Colts never went in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh was honoring that 2005 Super Bowl team. So like all those guys were there and there was extra juice in the air. It was just one of those days where all the ingredients were there for Pittsburgh. And I'm going to give the Colts the benefit of the doubt because even when they lost against the Rams, like there was a lot of common themes in those two losses, but it didn't look like this. And the Colts were even leading that game in the fourth quarter against the Rams. It didn't look like this. This doesn't, this year's team doesn't look like one that's

going to lay eggs like that that often. Yeah, the funniest stat on the whole season for the Colts is in their two losses, eight turnovers on offense, right? In their seven wins, one turnover on offense. So the key for the Colts is don't turn the football over whatsoever and they'll win the game. But yeah, I mean, I do think, I guess, I don't want to say like an underreaction or reaction is kind of tough to really plant one on here but I do think that this regression was coming like a regression was coming when it came to turning the football over and I think that was something that we discussed it a little bit on here but I don't think we talked about it enough overall was like there was going to be some regression in terms of turnover luck now I don't expect it to be six

turnovers in a football game going forward but there will be times down the stretch year where they're going to have games with one two maybe three turnovers on offense that they're going to have to find a way to win. So I am a little concerned, like, can they muster out wins when they have those games where the turnovers do pile up a little bit and does it end up being like this Steelers game where they just keep compiling? You know, you keep falling on the sword over and over again. Or do they find a way to bounce back?

Like, I think for the most part against the Rams, they did a good job of bouncing back from some turnovers in that game. Is it more like that? Or the Cardinals game, they threw that early pick and were able to still move on offense. Is it more like that or does it happen like the same? Steelers game where the turnovers come in bunches because they panic and fall apart. I think that's going to be a big thing to watch going forward with this Colts team. How about this last one just to kind of slide it in here in the final minute?

Underreaction, Colts gave up too early on A.D. Mitchell. Oh, that's a good one. I, yeah, I mean, I get it. I think my thing with it all, I don't think the Colts wanted to give up on him. I really don't think they did. They gave him every opportunity to show that he could surpass Pierce. I think the biggest part of this was just Pierce's play kind of led to where you're the coach.

You really can't let him walk, you know? Like if Pierce was just playing like a steady increase from what he was doing in 2023, for instance, then like even with Mitchell being slow, like slower developing, you still probably just let Pierce walk and give it to Mitchell. But Pierce has ascended into that, like he's on pace for like on a 17 game pace right now for over a thousand yards on like 40 catches you know he's playing some some awesome ball and i don't think the colts really wanted to put mitchell in that trade i think the the jet specifically wanted him in there and i think if you're the colts where you're looking at this and you're like we're

going to extend pierce after the season like it's going to happen for sure uh and when you're looking at it you're like we can't let the reason why we lost out on sauce gardner be this receiver that's going to be our fourth receiver for the foreseeable future so i don't think they wanted to give up on him, so to speak, but they weren't going to let him be the reason they didn't get Soss Gardner, if that makes sense. Yeah, they didn't offer him up in that. The Jets wanted AD. And I think the Colts would have been willing to be patient with him and everything,

but just like Zach said, it wasn't realistic. Like, how long can you let the guy sit there and be your fourth, fifth receiver? Like, he's never going to get the ample playing time that way. You're going to keep throwing him a bone, four, five, six snaps again. game and then he's going to become this superstar you hope he didn't know like it just it just didn't work out necessarily at the speed it probably needed to in order for him to be a hit with them and i mean luckily for them he had some trade value because i i don't know if i've talked about it with you guys or just like kind of in passing or joking in the media room or whatever but

like what trade value did a d have on his own like very little so for the colts to get something out of A.D. Mitchell without just letting him walk in a year or two, all right, that got you an all pro quarterback? Like, I'm in. And I think to change his change his scenery will be good for him because the Jets need him to play a lot more than the Colts do. And I don't really like their quarterback situation. But I think if Ad just plays, he'll be good. Like, if he played with the Colts right now, he'd be good. They just have the luxury of allowing him to sit. Yeah. Like, even in the game that got him. benched he had almost a hundred yards in a touchdown he just did the dumbest thing possible

going into the end zone so it's like the guy will be fine like i think with playing time he'll prove his worth and he might be a star player it's just not going to be here and i i don't think the colts pulled the rug too soon they just did what they had to and again i just want to reiterate at then i think this has more to do with alec pierce's ascension then ade mitchell like losing out like Mitchell had some issues for sure, 100% had issues. And there's a reason why he was not seeing snaps over Ashton Dooland in that in that Raiders game after the Rams game. Like totally deserved, especially, I think the holding call was actually worse than the drop

fumble. And I still stand by that. But at the end of the day, this decision is made because Alec Pierce has become a star receiver for the Colts. Like he's been incredible this season. And because you can't let him walk now, it makes this decision a lot easier to just include Mitchell. because there's just no space for him going forward.

Colts head to Germany for a tilt with a talented but erratic Falcons team. We'll take our first look at Atlanta when the Colts Squad Show returns for a final time next. Welcome back final time on the Colt Squad Show Wednesday edition alongside Jake Arthur, Zach Hicks. I'm Derek Schultz. The Colts heading back to The Motherland, at least when your last name is Schultz, it's the motherland uh germany berlin for a tilt with the land i've actually never been there i've always kind of wanted to go and and check it out the opportunity you had the perfect opportunity to go here i know i could probably be on my way there like right now but that's that's a lot that's a lot's too

much to go yeah and a little close to the due date right i mean you'd be sweating it a little bit yeah like there's a difference between being like a two hour plane right away and being across the ocean i'm not into that i think what's interesting about this game besides the fact that if i'm mistaken this is only the third colts international game is that right i think yeah and germany each one regular regular season well so austria that's right they played a three season game in tokyo one year right didn't they like years and years ago and then they got they got waxed by the jaguars in london and like 15 or 16 or whatever it was so yeah Tokyo was the the other one I don't think they've been one of the lucky, like, Mexico or Brazil teams, the one-offs.

But I think that's right, Derek. One of my favorite quotes in Colts history, it goes back to that game in Tokyo. Edron James did not make the trip. And he said, and I'm paraphrasing, the closest that I want to get to Japan is Benihana. And one of my favorite quotes. But this game, I think, takes on a new light. Look, it's a difficult trip. Any NFL team will tell you the same thing.

It's weird. You know, it's very, you are in your routine, right? Right. As an organization, and I'm not just talking about the players, like the equipment guys, and everybody, you know, when you have this Sunday schedule or even sometimes the mix in the Monday night games, you have this routine and this very much interrupts this routine. As much as you try to keep things the same, it's hard for them to be the same when instead of going to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, you're going to Berlin, Germany. But I think a new light is kind of shed on this game, Jake, right? Because you look at what's ahead here by week and then Arrowhead. You know, we can talk all we want of Sunday. whatever, it's a fluke, and it's a confluence of events and all that. Suddenly you turn around and lose to Atlanta, you're staring a three-game losing skid right in the face, and that's not where you want to be. Yeah, you don't want to be sitting there in the by week on a two-game skid, looking in the mirror and overthinking things without the opportunity to go fix it right

away that week. So I'm with you because, again, you got Arrowhead and Chiefs waiting for you when you're done with that buy, and that's not really the team you want to be figuring things out with. So, yeah, it's not a must win. against Atlanta but you certainly can't lay another egg like the Colts are the better team go out there and look like it you don't have to beat them by three scores like you beat everybody else but like win with good feelings coming out of that one but the international games are just weird man and Atlanta's weird this whole game I think is going to be weird because Atlanta is one of

those teams that can beat anyone and lose to anyone yeah and international games are ones where the best teams can go and lose awfully and the worst teams can go and look like Super Bowl contenders like there's just nothing to know for certain until kickoff actually happens on Sunday yeah I just think the big thing for the Colts here is for me personally and I'm sure a lot of people around the league feel this like it's one thing to lose in the NFL you're not going to win every game just you can't let it compile and turn into a losing streak you know the big thing is to avoid the back-to-back losses, and especially when you're facing the bi-week, you know, so you want to come out with this energy because, like, look, guys, you get a rest

after this. You get your week off after this to really just, like, get healthy. So come out in this game and throw some haymakers early, like really get into this one and make sure that it doesn't look like it, how it did last weekend's the Steelers. Like, we saw how the Steelers just played against the Colts with their backs against the wall. You want to see the Colts come out with that same energy now with their proverbial backs against the wall because, you know, it's not as dire as the Steelers situation was, obviously, but every win matters. You don't want to have it compound into a two-game losing streak heading into the by. So, yeah, you want them to be ready and physical and just good to go in this one, even with it being a Germany game. And I think the biggest thing

when you're playing against a team like the Falcons, who are just so volatile and all over the place and just you don't know what version of them you're going to get. Like, yeah, at home, they're a tougher team to face, but they just took the Patriots to the wire on the road, and that was probably their best road performance of the season. So maybe they're turning the corner when it comes to when it comes to their road performance. But I think for the Colts, like the key is just don't do the things that swing games toward the underdog. And when I say that, it's control the ball.

Don't, don't commit turnovers. Don't commit stupid special teams mistakes, like giving them free downs or big returns or, you know, stuff like that. and avoid the pre-snap penalties. That's always the biggest thing. That's like pre-snap penalties and turnovers, the most important thing. I think if the Colts can have a clean game

where they don't turn the ball over or turn the ball over one time, whatever it's going to be, and they avoid pre-snap penalties. I don't think there's a team in the league that can beat them. You know, but we saw with the Steelers and the Rams, the reason why they lost those games

is because of the pre-snap penalties and the turnovers. That is why they lost those two games. So as long as the Colts can avoid those issues, especially against an underdog like the Falcons, It's a team that it's not looking great for their coaching staff in front office after the season, the way the year is going for them. You know, you got to really just score early, get on top of them, and make them feel like they're the underdog. And the Colts have done that exceptionally well this season.

They just got to get back to what they've been doing. So, yeah, the Falcons are a weird team. They're kind of like the Cardinals in that way for me where it's like they will take the worst team to the wire and they'll also take the best team to the wire. Or they'll get blown out by the worst team and take the best teams to the wire like we've seen with them a couple times this year. just a really weird team. But for the Colts, you know, just play your game. Get back to, you know, mistake-free footballs, mature football like they were doing before the Steelers game,

and just resume everything that you're doing right now. What gives you the most pause about them, Jake? Because I actually notice they're the number one, at least from a yardage standpoint, passing defense in the league. But then you go back and look and Drake May had a decent game against them, and they just gave up four touchdowns at Tua, like two or three weeks ago. And you're like, really, number one, best defense? is that is that what you are yeah it's their pass rush is much improved with jalen walker and james

pierce like the investments they made when those guys it's it's kind of paying off you know arnold ibekeedy like they've got some guys out there that can get after it a little bit a j tarrell is is perennially an underrated corner as well uh i think you got some young guys in the secondary as well uh zavier watts out of notre dame uh he's turned the he's taking the ball away So they've got some young guys out there that are really making a big difference on what was a fading defense over the last couple years. But I'm with Zach on this. Like if you look at the, again, both losses have had a lot of the same themes. And if you look at just the Steelers game, the Steelers scored 24 of their 27 points off of turnovers.

You don't give them those bonus possessions and gift them those points. the Colts defense smothered them like that should have been a the Colts should have handily won that if the offense just wouldn't have turned it over a half dozen times and then the penalties as well like the Colts had those two penalties within like 15 minutes but the receivers not lining up correctly and I don't think they got points on those drives and then the Colts defense had two 15-yard penalties on Steelers drives that did yield points. So, like, you can see all those, all those mistakes directly led to positive things for the Steelers. And then there was a lot of that same stuff against the Rams as well, especially

the turnovers. So just, you know, take care of the ball. Like, those are still uncharacteristic mistakes. This isn't a team that turned the ball over. They'd only turned the ball over two games, two games coming into last week. So, like, they normally take care of the ball. They're not a heavily penalized team either like you hate to sound like such a homer but yeah like just take like just don't make those stupid mental mistakes and no one can really beat you like yeah the Colts are very good at beating themselves in those instances yeah and most NFL teams are capable of beating themselves but for the Colts you know when you're the better team just don't beat yourself in this right but to add a little bit of insight on this Falcons team divine Diablo is a big part

of why their past defense was so good middle linebacker that they got from the Raiders, a player that I've wanted for years, but the Colts, unfortunately, didn't happen. You talked to Vine Diablo more than guys who he's on the team. More than Zaire Franklin, you know, I talked to Vine Diablo. He is not playing in this game. He's on IR right now. And that's why we've seen the last couple of weeks that their past defense has been a lot weaker.

Their middle of the field defense has really struggled. They play a lot of single high safety looks. So when you go against teams to have man beaters like Jalen Waddle on the outside and, I mean, Drake May can just paint pictures with where he can throw the ball vertically down the field. That's why you've seen them kind of exposed in the last two weeks. So good news for anyone who has Alec Pearson fantasy football, I guess, this week, because Alec Pierce is going to eat against single high type defenses. So I do think the Colts are going to be able to have some success.

Teams have been able to run the ball exceptionally well against the Falcons this year as well. So as long as the Colts can come out and get an early lead, it can be the Jonathan Taylor show with their struggling defensive line in the run game and their line. linebackers. Fun fact, you know who's starting at linebacker alongside Divine Diablo's replacement. Ronnie Harrison. Ronnie Harrison is starting a linebacker for the, or at least getting a lot of run out there at linebackers.

So I'm not terrified of this Falcon's defense. There are some reasons to be concerned. Like Jaylon Walker is a really fun player. But with Devon Diablo being out, they are a weaker defense to what they were early in the season. My big concern is really the two stars they have on offense. Bajon Robinson and Drake London. That's the biggest aspect of this

where those guys are just next-level playmakers and they can turn five-yard gains into 80-yard touchdowns. They're very, very talented players. So for me, with the Colts, it's just contain them. I don't, like, if Bajon Robinson has 40 touches for 150 yards, fine, fine, whatever. Just limit the explosive place.

You know, limit the explosive. Keep the overall explosions down. Like, make him have to get their, five yards at a time you know and i think you have a great chance of weighing this game because michael pennock's junior has been very up and down this season and i don't really count on him being a guy who can you know go on these like 15 play drives and score touchdowns you know and drake london like again like if you can contain him to under 10 yards per catch or under you know 12 yards per catch whatever it is and not give him the explosive 40 yard play over the top again

make michael pennix junior go just short like dink and dunk down the field and you're going to have a great success. So contain those two star players because those guys are game-changing players. When the Falcons win games is because Bejohn Robinson goes just crazy because I'm playing against him in fantasy football. I felt that earlier this year. He just, that 200-yard game against the commanders, I played against him and it was painful for me in a lot of ways. And Drake London also has that capability of just taking over a game. If you can contain those guys and keep the explosive plays down, you have a great chance of stopping this Falcons offense. But Drake London, the secondaries, they cannot play passive.

They've got to try to get in between him or the him and the ball because his hands are among the best, the strongest in the game, excellent 50-50 ball guy. Like, he's not going to be beat very often for those contested catches. So you've got to get in between him and the ball. Get some sauce press man coverage. We might see him this weekend. We might see Sals Garner this weekend. I might just see it.

Thanks for joining us on the Colts, squad show lock us in for your midweek show every Wednesday night, just like you're doing right now at 9 p.m. But don't forget, we are your place for live game recaps following each and every Colts game this season. That includes international games like the one in Germany. We'll be back with you very early on Sunday afternoon to recap the game shortly after Colts falcons. I think that's a 930 kick Eastern time, if I'm not mistaken, right here on the Lockdown Colts network. But until then, keep it locked on Zach and Jake every day on Lockdown Colts. Be sure to follow at Lockdown Colts on socials. Check out our other great content on YouTube.

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