Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - Crossover Special with Locked On Bills

Episode Date: January 7, 2021

On today's episode, Locked On Colts' Evan Sidery and Locked On Bills' Joe Marino join forces for a super wildcard weekend crossover special! We dive deep into Colts vs. Bills with great analysis from both sides.Starting off in Buffalo, what has clicked for the Bills this season? Josh Allen has taken a massive leap, and looks to have the Bills in position to compete for titles long-term. Also, how big was the Stefon Diggs trade? The former Vikings receiver has fundamentally changed the Bills' offense into a juggernaut. Head coach Sean McDermott has built one helluva program in Buffalo, Is 2020 the crescendo moment?Moving over to Indy, Evan explains why the Colts have flown so far under the radar even with an 11-5 record. The reason why might not be a benefit to Indy's season, honestly. What does Philip Rivers have left in the tank? After a very efficient season, expect Rivers back for another season as the Colts' QB1. Jonathan Taylor has taken the leap forward after a rough start. Is he the key to the Colts pulling off an upset on Saturday in Buffalo?All of this, plus so much more, as Evan and Joe have an honest conversation about where both teams stand heading into playoff football in January. 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 in to your playoff edition of CrossFit World Special here on the Locked On Podcast Network. I am Evan Sidery, host of Locked On Colts, joined by Joe Marino of Locked On Bills. We are previewing the two versus seven matchup in the AFC wildcard round, the super wildcard weekend, as there's now three games on each day, Saturday and Sunday. And I'm really looking forward to this one, Joe, because I feel like these two teams match up very well. The Buffalo Bills, one of the hottest teams in the NFL right now.

Josh Allen is an MVP candidate as well. And this Bills team is on fire. Same thing with the Colts. They're a little bit more inconsistent the last couple weeks. But Jonathan Taylor is coming on as well. This offense is looking really good as well as his defense. It's been pretty consistent throughout the whole year. How are you doing today, man?

I'm doing well, Evan. Obviously excited for playoff football. The regular season is behind us. And I guess there's part of me that's just really happy that the regular season happened with everything that went on in 2020. And we got all of the games in. And here we are getting ready for this tournament. And at the end of it, we're going to crown a champion.

And I think just the fact that that's happening feels really good. Let me ask you first off, Joe, just about this Bills team, because it's just incredible the way they've been playing so far this year, 13-3. I think there's a fair chance to say they could have been 14-2 if a ball bounces their way on one of those games they lost or not. But the cog of this machine right now for the Buffalo Bills, third-year quarterback Josh Allen,

completing almost 70% of his passes, 4,500 yards, 37 touchdown touchdowns to 10 picks also a great run of the football as we all know looking at his numbers over the last couple years though joe i mean the jump in production with josh allen 58 completion percentage last year to 69.2 this year just crazy accurate so making these types of jaw-jopping throws but just the the production, the leap in his production overall, just all around as far as being the mental acumen, the physical traits with Josh Allen, are just all across the board have gotten better for him. Are you shocked by just how big of a jump he's made so far in 2020? Yeah, I think that's fair. Shocked is probably the right word. I think we all expected some level of a step forward because he's done that throughout his career.

I mean, even when you look back at Wyoming, so Wyoming to his rookie season, rookie season to year two, you know, it's been incremental steps. He's gotten better as he's played more football, but I don't think anybody could have saw this coming. And, you know, that's, you kind of mentioned it. That's, that's why the bills are here. That's why they're 13 and three. That's why they have the number one scoring offense in the AFC. It's because Josh Allen has worked extremely hard to improve. And we spent a lot of time saying, well, you know, how did this happen? Why did this happen? Who gets credit? Is it Brandon Bean for the roster that he was able to assemble around him and trading for Stefan Diggs? Is it Sean McDermott in his coaching style? Is it

his private quarterbacks coach, Jordan Palmer? Is it Brian Dable? Is it Ken Dorsey? Well, at the end of the day, it's Josh Allen. He's actually put in the time and has been able to develop. And a lot of guys that come into the NFL with the issues Josh Allen had don't really fix those problems. They never really go away. But to Josh Allen's credit, he's had a very regimented offseason every single year, focusing on particular aspects of his game. And like you said there, he's playing at an MVP level and he's the reason why the Bills are here. I think it's fair to say 1B maybe to Josh Allen's 1A was, like you mentioned, the trade Brandon Bean made in the offseason to get Stephon Diggs on board.

He was fed up in Minnesota. As we all know, one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. But this year in Buffalo, I mean, he's taken it to a whole other level too. I mean, Josh Allen and him seem like a great fit. 127 receptions for 535 yards, eight touchdowns for Diggs so far this year. Leads the NFL in receiving yards and receptions. I mean, it feels like a win-win on both sides looking back on now with the Justin Jefferson trade for Minnesota. Obviously,

that rookie contract on board there for the next couple years for them, but for a win-now team with the Buffalo Bills to get an all-pro talent like Stephon Diggs in their Super Bowl window. I mean, just looking back on now, Joe, I mean, how big was that trade in hindsight to get Diggs on board there? Absolutely huge. It was very important for the scheme evolution that Brian Dable is wanting to run in Buffalo with a lot of 10 personnel. I mean, it's either 10 or 11 personnel nearly every snap. And so they feature three and four wide receivers just about on every single play. And when one of those receivers is Stefan Diggs, it really makes this thing go. And obviously, the Bills prioritize getting the football to Stefan Diggs, It really makes this thing go. And obviously the Bills prioritize

getting the football to Stefan Diggs and it's working out really, really well. Surprised how quickly Josh Allen and Stefan Diggs got on the same page. You know, it usually doesn't happen that quickly for a quarterback and a wide receiver in year one together, much less with the pandemic and, you know, not really being able to have the normal OTAs and training camp and things like that, that many camps that usually are at their disposal to get that chemistry and timing down, but they were able to do it very quickly. And he's really allowed this team to put the personnel groupings that they like on the field and let Josh Allen operate a spread-style offense and obviously a pass-heavy offense, but a pass-heavy offense that really features a lot of Stephon Diggs.

Yeah, Stephon Diggs is one of my favorite players to watch in NFL, not only just for his personality, but just the way he plays the game. He's just so fun to watch. That's going to be a super tough test on Saturday for the Colts. I imagine Xavier Rhodes will be the one shadowing him most of that game. Former teammates in Minnesota as well. But Sean McDermott, Joe, I think he deserves an awful lot of credit. I think he should be coach of the year this year in the NFL as well.

Just the way McDermott's built that program in Buffalo. I mean, for all these years, we've seen Buffalo, after that cerebral run in the 90s, it's been kind of in the dumps for a little bit. But once McDermott got on board there the whole script flipped we've seen constant improvement each year with McDermott's bills and this year it seems like a culmination of all that and even moving forward now you have your young quarterback on board ascending talent on both sides of football this feels like just the beginning for Sean McDermott to be a consistently top five top

10 head coach in the NFL what's been your thoughts on McDermott the way he's built this Buffalo team really where it is now well you mentioned it I mean the Bills were in the dumps that's that's probably a fair way to put it a 17-year playoff drought before Sean McDermott got there and in in 2017 Sean McDermott's first year on the job they they ended that playoff drought and they've made the playoffs three of his first four seasons. So the bills went from never making the playoffs to it now being the expectation and coach McDermott, you know, look, he's done a good job in terms of, you know, hiring the right assistants and, and working with a talented roster, but more than anything, it's his leadership and it's the culture that he's been able to establish in Buffalo. And, you know, we see so many different coaches get head coaching jobs because of X's and O's and scheme. And because they were really dynamic with their offense or

defense and make no mistake about it. Sean McDermott was a terrific defensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers, but probably better than he is a defensive coordinator. He's a leader and he's a guy that has fostered this environment where these players love each other and they legitimately just want to play for each other and they fear letting somebody down. And it's a lot of buzzy stuff that we can kind of look at as coach speak and, you know, just motivational type stuff. But I mean, he really does have buy-in from this locker room and it's a deeply connected group. And because of, in a lot of ways, the environment that Sean McDermott has created, that guys come to Buffalo and they become the best version of

themselves. And I think that stems from the culture that he's created and this tight knit group and love that exists for one another that encourages each other to play at a level that they don't want to let their teammates down. So it's the culture and the leadership as much as anything for why Sean McDermott's finally been able to make Buffalo a winner. Looking ahead to the game on Saturday, Joe, how worried are you? What would you say are maybe the biggest weaknesses you're looking at for this Bills team right now over the season, obviously 13 and three, one of the best marks in a very long time in Buffalo. But I feel like this Colts team, even though they've been a little inconsistent here and there 11 and five, very quietly find another route a little bit. Do you feel like the Colts match up well against this team? Like maybe what are you looking forward to as far as what could decide this game?

I think offensively for the Bills, they're not great at running the football. They're okay. It's just not what they do, right? Their script is pass heavy. They're the most pass aggressive team in the NFL. And so you really love that. And that really goes with the trends of the NFL, right? Modern football is about passing it, but they don't really have that, that dynamic rushing attack to really compliment it. And so, you know, you wonder when that's going to matter. And usually in the playoffs running the football does matter. And so the bills ground attack just hasn't been that effective this year, which is kind of surprising because you would think with how good they are

throwing the football, that it would probably help the rushing attack. And it really hasn't. There's just not a whole lot of dynamic talent in the running back room. Devin Singletary, Zach Moss, they're guys with good vision and contact balance, but they don't have a lot of juice or explosiveness to them. They're just going to kind of ground it out, get what's available, maybe break a tackle and fall forward. They're not very dynamic like a Jonathan Taylor, like the Indianapolis Colts have, or even a Naeem Hines who gives you a lot of athleticism out of the backfield. So they don't have much of a rushing attack. And obviously that's, it might be okay against Indianapolis because Indianapolis is so good stopping the run. So you, you would even, even if you had a great rushing attack,

you know, it might not matter against a great Colts defense at stopping the run. But when you look at the bills defensively, I think you can look at their resume of games this year, and you can find games where they really struggle to stop the run. You look at the Kansas City game. You look at the first New England game. There were certain games that the run defense wasn't very good. And obviously, that's a big concern based on where this Indianapolis rushing attack is right now. Now on the flip side of that, when the bills have had to stop the run, when they're going up against a Derrick Henry with the Titans or Josh Jacobs with the Raiders, they've been able to pony up and get that done. And so it feels like the teams

that want to be a little bit more balanced on offense and the bills don't have to 100% like key in on the run, because that's the vehicle that makes it work. It seems like that's when they have their struggle stopping the run, but against teams that are run heavy, like Derek Henry had his worst game of the year against the bills. And, um, it's Josh Jacobs. You knew that's the guy in with the Raiders. So when they have to stop it, they usually can. Um, but you know, with the way that the Colts are running the football right now, you know, that's definitely something to be concerned about from the Bill side of things when we're looking at this matchup on Saturday. Last one I have for you, Joe. Awesome stuff here from you. What do you think is the ceiling for this Bill's team? I think it's fair to say from my point of view, I feel like this team personally,

if they do beat the Colts on Saturday, their path is probably going to be obviously hosting another playoff game. And then from there, you'll probably have to go to Arrowhead for the AFC title game. I feel like this Bills team right now, they're the one, the Haas NFL, they're averaging around 45 points per game in the last three weeks. This Bills defense, I think, can click at any time. I feel like there's a really good chance if things break right for them, Joe, they could be in the Super Bowl.

I mean, what do you think could happen here for this playoff run? Do you think there's a chance that Orchard Park could be having a Super Bowl parade here in a little bit? I feel like the upside for them is very much high. Yeah, I think the team peaked at the right time. I mean, obviously they were good throughout the whole season. They're 13-3. They never really had any big lulls. But the way that they played throughout each quarter of the

season, it just got kind of incrementally better. And they really found themselves coming out of that Arizona game. Everyone knows the, the hell Murray play. And since that game, the bills have won six in a row. All of those wins have been by at least 10 points in their last three, but have been by at least 29. I mean, the bills are playing really well and they're scoring a ton of points and the defense that struggled earlier in the year. Um, we it's, it's come to life. It's been that top unit that we saw in 2019 and 2018 under coach McDermott. So like all the ingredients are there and they're, they're playing their best at the right time going into the post season. But, you know, you're talking about a bills team that has not won a playoff game since 1995 and Sean McDermott and his previous two appearances in the playoffs, they, they were one and done

with the loss to the Blake Bortles led Jacksonville Jaguars. And then of course the Texans last year, couldn't score enough points in that game, obviously an overtime loss where you only score 19 points. So you have a new challenge, right? You're asking this team to go out and kind of put some of those demons behind them and go and have success and collect this first playoff win since 1995. And so as much as there's a ton of optimism and belief that I think the Bills can beat anyone in the NFL, you're still talking about going forward on a path and doing something that they've never accomplished before. So, you know, there's that bit of caution to me when it comes to, you know, saying, yeah, this team's going to win the Super Bowl.

They got to do it. They have to earn it. And they have to do things that have never been accomplished for this organization in their history. One of the hottest teams in NFL right now, the Buffalo Bills, the Colts have to travel to Buffalo on Saturday to face a very hot quarterback, a very strong, fundamentally sound team. It's going to be a very tough matchup here.

We're going to talk about the Colts here in just a second, though. A quick word, though, from our sponsors. Joe Marino of Locked On Bills joined now by Evan Sidery, the host of the Locked On Colts podcast to help get us ready for Saturday's playoff matchup between the Buffalo Bills joined now by Evan Sidery, the host of the Lockdown Colts podcast to help get us ready for Saturday's playoff matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts. And Evan, very quietly, this Colts team has had a great season, finished 11 and five. That's a terrific record. Doesn't happen by mistake. The Colts have a top 10 offense and defense when it comes to both scoring and yards, yet they're the seventh

seed in the playoffs. And under the previous playoff format, this team doesn't even get in. Frank Reich said something earlier this week that really struck me. He said, quote, the pressure is not on us. We should be loose, aggressive, and freed up to play our best game of the year. No one is going to give us a chance. And my question for you to kind of lead off this discussion from the Colts side of things is, how has this team flown so far under the radar? And what do you think they're capable of achieving this postseason? I think there's a chance, Joe. I mean, if things break right, they can make a little bit of a run here. I don't know if they're a suitable contender, so to say. But like you

mentioned, they've quietly flown to the rear this whole year. I mean, maybe just due to them having an older quarterback in Phillip Rivers, they don't get much media presence, so to say. And before Jonathan Taylor really broke out these last couple weeks, didn't really hear much with the Colts overall. They made a great trade for DeForest Buckner this past offseason to get him on board their first-round pick. You acquire all this young talent with Jonathan Taylor,

Michael Pittman Jr. on the offensive side, as well as Julian Blackman, and also get Phillip Rivers to replace Jacoby Brissett. He's been a massive upgrade over what Brissett was giving them. He was a very shy quarterback, not willing to take those risks down the field, wasn't accurate. And Rivers is the poor opposite. He's willing to take those risks.

He wants to go out there and make the big play. And he's a very accurate quarterback. 68% of his completion percentage so far this year. That is the second best mark for the Colts in the Manning era, in the Luck era as well, right behind Peyton Manning in 2004, which really goes to show you just how efficient Rivers has been in this offense and how great of a fit it is between Frank Reich and Phillip Rivers. But I really believe that they're flying under the radar so much because

they're inconsistent too, Joe. I mean, they still have week one. They lose to Jacksonville. The only win the Jaguars had all year was against this Colts team in week one. Gardner Minshew went 19 for 20 against them. Just they look unprepared in that game. And then from there, they really play down their competition sometimes. They barely beat the Bengals.

They barely beat the Lions. They barely beat the Raiders before they blew them out in the second half. That's what worries me a little bit is that they play down their competition so much that maybe they're just flying under the radar there. When they're on, Joe, they're really good. I mean, they beat the Packers in that great game on national TV a couple weeks back. They're able to go into some games as well as a heavy favorite

and win convincingly sometimes. But overall, I mean, it just makes you think just this Colts team, like you mentioned, Joe, they were not made in the playoffs in the previous format as a seven seed because it's crazy to say 11 and five, you don't get in, but that's just how the AFC broke this year. So many good teams. But I really believe with this Colts team that they're going to have to really go out there and make a, a really fundamental change in playoff football.

And we saw the last couple of weeks with John Taylor became the bell cow running back. He wasn't used enough in the first two months of the season, but then over the last month, he was a great, great running back. Over the last six games, 741 yards rushing, eight total touchdowns, as well as averaging 6.2 yards per carry. Derrick Henry S numbers for Jonathan Taylor. So I really think if they want to make a big run in January, Joe,

it's going to be on Jonathan Taylor's shoulders around 20 to 25 or more touches per game for him. And then from there, Phillip Urshas has to just really play clean, solid football. If he does that, I think the Colts have a chance almost every game, thanks to their trenches on the offensive and defensive line. But overall, I think they're a team that they're flying under the radar just because they play on their competition too much. I want to get more into Jonathan Taylor in just a moment.

But first, let's kind of laser in on Phillip Rivers, the quarterback here. We all know that he's aging, but he passed for 4,000 yards this season for the 12th time in his career. And I think the 12th time in the last 13 seasons, he was able to do that. A passer rating of 97, which is the second best mark he's put up since 2013. You mentioned the completion percentage. Another, I think it was a top three mark for him in his entire career. So you watch this quarterback for 17 weeks, 16 games. What's left in the tank for Phillip Rivers, and what can we expect to see on Sunday? Obviously, playing in a dome in Indianapolis,

we're talking about January playoff football in western New York. Yeah, with Rivers, it's from both sides since the beginning in March when Rivers signed that one-year contract. If all went well for both sides, they want to be back in 2021. With the way Phillip Rivers has played so far this year, I think it's a very, very strong chance, unless something falls in their lap like a Matthew Stafford trade or something like that. I think Phillip Rivers is going to be back next year. Maybe they draft a quarterback early in the first round. Who knows? But I think Rivers definitely has going to be back next year. Maybe they draft a quarterback early in the first round. Who knows?

But I think Rivers definitely has earned another year with the Colts. He's played great football. He's really limited those turnovers as well. Frank Reich's made a really big impact on Rivers as far as being able to not really do too much of the football. He did a lot of that throughout his San Diego, L.A. career. But with the Colts, he has the offensive line. He has the running game.

He has some very solid, reliable receivers. He doesn't drop the ball much with T.Y. Hilton, Zach Paschal, Michael Pittman Jr. Losing Paris Campbell in week two was a huge blow for this team because they think he was going to be their leading receiver but even in his absence we've seen other guys like Naheem Hines come out of the backfield and step up as a receiver so he's been able to really do a lot there but as far as Saturday goes Joe I really am worried about Phillip Rivers. I expect it to be a heavy run game. But in the games that Phillip Rivers has played outdoors and colder environments so far this year, quite frankly, has not been good at all. In Chicago and in Cleveland, it was his two worst games of the year. They lost to the Browns thanks to Phillip Rivers throwing two interceptions, a pick six as well, as well as a safety in that game.

Chicago, they barely squeaked by because Rivers couldn't throw the ball down the field in the cold weather. And that's what worries me on Saturday is that if they do try to pass the ball a little bit, I imagine it's going to be just a lot of short stuff, a lot of nine hinds on these quick dump-offs, maybe Michael Pittman Jr. on some slant routes. I don't think T.Y. Hilton's going to be much in the game plan at all, honestly, Joe, because if they're going to run the football a lot, I think it's going to be a lot of Zach Paschal and Michael Pittman Jr. on the outside as key primary blockers there.

So I don't expect a big game for T.Y. Hilton there. So I really think it's going to be, if we're just going to keep it out of harm's way for a little bit, they have a chance there. But I think they're going to try to play maybe against Phillip Rivers for a little bit and maybe ride Jonathan Taylor to the finish line. Well, I'm sure the Bills defensively

will want to make Phillip Rivers beat them and beat them by throwing the ball outside the numbers and down the field. So the run game here, it's been a theme already in our conversation. I mentioned it in the last segment that we had, and I kind of want to hear from you now on this Jonathan Taylor situation. Let's call it that because the buzz and the concern among Bills mafia right now entering this game is Jonathan Taylor, who had an unbelievable finish to the regular season. You mentioned the stats over the last six game, Taylor has 741 rushing yards, average over six yards of carry

seven rushing touchdowns. But with that said, I mean, this Colts rushing attack hasn't been great all year long in weeks one to nine, the Colts ranked 31st in rushing efficiency, and then in weeks 10 to 17, they ranked fifth. So I got to know, what's the difference? What clicked here that made this rushing attack become so dynamic? I think it's just trust from both ends with Jonathan Taylor and the coaching staff. We saw early on this season, Jonathan Taylor just wasn't hitting his holes. I think he even mentioned it to the media before that the difference between the Big Ten defenses and NFL defenses, those holes close up a lot faster than they used to in college.

And Taylor really struggled with that in the first part of the year. I think it was around 3.1 yards per carry. And then we've seen, like you said, over the last six weeks, he's doubled that yards per carry total. And it's just him. I think just having no OTAs,

no training camp, that adjustment period for Taylor was a little bit more longer than we expected. And especially with Marla Mack going down week one, I don't think anyone expected John Taylor to be put into that bell cow role right away in his rookie season. I think he's going to be more in that Naheem Hines role that we've seen so far this year for the Colts. But either way, he's really started to grow and really see and become that running back we all expected him to when the Colts trade up ahead of the Jacksonville Jaguars to get Taylor in the second

round at pick 41 overall. It just goes to show you that I think Taylor in the offensive line took a little bit of a click, but also just the running style of Jonathan Taylor. I know, Joe, you covered him for the draft network throughout his Wisconsin career. He never falls backwards. He's a player who's always going to be hitting the hole hard. He's going to go through players.

He loves contact. He knows how to make people miss as well. It's a rare combination of speed and size that he has. 4'3", 940 at 225 pounds is a rare combination, Saquon Barkley-esque, and he's really starting to show that over the last six weeks, and for the Colts to have any chance on Saturday, they're going to have to just ride him to the finish line, have to give him 20, 25 carries, and if he plays like he did last week, I mean, 253 yards rushing into Jacksonville Jaguars. Of course, the Jaguars are not good at all, one in 15 this year, but to break Edgerton James's records, to break Marshall Falk's records, that just goes to show you that Jonathan Taylor is

here to stay in Indianapolis. And I think moving forward here, he's going to be one, if they want to make a big run, it's all on him. You know, you mentioned kind of scouting Jonathan Taylor. He was a player that I wanted the Bills to draft in the second round. Obviously, he didn't make it that far. I said in an article that I wrote about John Taylor when I was able to interview him at the Combine, I said, 20 years ago, John Taylor's a top three pick. There's no doubt about it. You think about that draft where Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown and Cedric Benson were like top five picks. Jonathan Taylor would be a better prospect back then. So he's a little bit out of his time in terms of being a

high pick, but obviously he's got a bright future and he's playing really, really well. Speaking of playing well, the Colts defense, it's a really good group. We mentioned earlier that this defense is top 10 when it comes to scoring and yards. So tell us what the strengths and weaknesses of this unit is. I would definitely say the strength of this unit is the front seven. I think inconsistencies on the edge is what concerns me a little bit. Justin Houston's really been a flash in the pan. Some weeks he's really good. Some weeks he's just not there at all.

But the main consistent one there is DeForest Buckner. That trade they made has really changed this entire defense. Matt Iberflues can really do a lot more exotic stuff now with his cover two. And he even shows more cover three and cover one this year. I know the Colts still run a heavy zone scheme, but they're playing a lot more man now this year because they trust Buckner to trust the guys up front to get pressure and take less of that, really that pressure themselves off the secondary. We saw Xavier Rhodes get beat sometime this year.

Rocky Asin got benched during this year for TJ Carey, a journeyman veteran. So I will definitely say that the strength of this Colts team is their defense to Forrest Buckner is it's a shame, Joe, he did not make the pro bowl, but I think he's gonna be an all pro player this year. He finished nine and a half sacks this year and 25 quarterback hits, which is a franchise record for any Colts defensive lineman, even more than Dwight or Robert Mathis ever had, which gets to show you how much pressure he makes on the inside there.

And Darius Leonard, too. I mean, we have to mention him as far as his strength goes. He's just a freak out there on the field, able to run around. I imagine on Saturday they're going to probably spy him with Josh Allen a little bit because I know Allen likes to get out of the pocket. And if Leonard can maybe stop that running ability, stop that mobility with Josh Allen, that could really help them on Saturday. Leonard also is always capable of making a big play when he's out on the field.

He did it a couple times this year. The weaknesses, though, like I mentioned, the edge rush is a little suspect. Justin Houston's not been that good this year. Kamoko Ture is still coming back for an ankle injury that we saw last year against Kansas City. But I would say even a bigger weakness on the Colts defense is their secondary. Julian Blackman is great at free safety. Kari Wills is great at strong safety.

Xavier Rhodes is having a resurgent year at cornerback for the Annapolis Colts. I think he led PFF in there. Completion percentage is allowed this year at around 51%. But Rocky Yassin, the former second-round pick last year for the Colts, has really struggled this year. They really are trying to find that CB2 opposite Xavier Rhodes. And Yassin was supposed to be that this year, but he has not been. He's allowed almost 70% completion percentage this year. They really are trying to find that CB2 opposite Xavier Rhodes. And Yassin was supposed to be that this year, but he has not been. He's allowed almost 70% completion

percentage this year. TJ Carey has been a lot better option, but we've also seen TJ Carey, why he's bouncing around the NFL is because he's so inconsistent. So I would definitely say Stephon Diggs would probably match up with Xavier Rhodes. They're going to shadow him there. But if you have a guy like a John Brown or a Cole Beasley, if he plays on Saturday, I think those guys could have big games because the inconsistencies from the Colts at the second cornerback position are going to really read their ugly head a little bit if Josh Allen gets going. Last thing I had for you, Evan, as we look forward to this game and the Bills, if I'm not mistaken, I think they're a touchdown favorite in this contest. So if the Colts were going to come into Orchard Park as a seven seed

and knock off the two seed that is favored by seven, what do you think the keys are for success for the Colts on Sunday? I think it's really simple, honestly, Joe. I think it's just give the ball to Jonathan Taylor and get out of the way. If he can have a game like he did against Jacksonville or even similar games against like Vegas or Houston where he's just been going off the last six weeks, I think the Colts have a fire's chance here.

And maybe even have a chance to upset Buffalo because you have to just play the time possession game, keep Josh Allen off the field. If they're able to do that and run Jonathan Taylor about 25 times, maybe throw in a little bit, some quick play action with Michael Pittman jr. Or T Y Hilton as well. Phil Burris cannot turn the ball over the Colts. I think a really good chance to win this game. I don't know if I'm over. The Colts have, I think, a really good chance to win this game.

I don't know if I'm going to pick them, but I think it's a really good chance to cover that spread. I saw six and a half points on DraftKings earlier today. So like you mentioned, a touchdown favorite that Buffalo is. I just think keeping the ball out of Josh Allen's hands, winning the trench battle up front with the offensive line and defensive line, if they're able to do that, as well as Jonathan Taylor running the ball about 20 to 25 times for around 150 yards, I think the Colts have a real shot to win this. But the question is,

can you stop Josh Allen? Can you stop this Buffalo Bills offense? Because I feel like the Colts are going to be able to run the football on this Bills defense. The question is, can the Colts defense stop the Bills? Should be a good one, Evan. And I really appreciate what I would call a very honest conversation from both sides here as we forecast this game. And obviously, like Sean McDermott said this week, he said it's pretty unusual that in the first round of the NFL playoffs, you have a 13-3 team going up against an 11-5 team. So two really good football teams here, and I'm looking forward to watching this game on Saturday. Yeah, I really appreciate the time, Joe. It's going to be a great one on Saturday.