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

Episode Date: September 10, 2020

On today's episode, it's time for our first regular season crossover! Evan Sidery of Locked On Colts and Tony Wiggins of Locked On Jaguars talk through each team heading into Sunday's matchup.Starting... off with Jacksonville, are they tanking in 2020? So many key pieces were traded away for draft picks, so how will that impact the on-field product? Also, how about Gardner Minshew in Jay Gruden's offense?Over with Indy, Evan breaks down the situation on both sides of the ball. Philip Rivers and DeForest Buckner as new additions are crucial to the Colts having a huge turnaround campaign. Will T.Y. Hilton bounce back to elite form? How about Jonathan Taylor running behind Quenton Nelson?All of this, plus so much more, as Evan and Tony preview the game before providing their prediction! Football is back! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:00:00 You are Locked On Colts, your daily Indianapolis Colts podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello everybody, welcome back into your latest episode of our crossover specials here on the Locked On NFL Network. Our first one of this season, obviously none in the preseason as that then exists due to COVID-19, but we are back for week one of the NFL season, and I am very excited here. I'm Evan Sidery, the host of Locked On Colts. I am joined by Tony Wiggins of Locked On Jaguars to preview Colts versus Jaguars. Before we dive into that, though, I wanted to give you guys our title sponsor today's show,
Starting point is 00:00:47 which is NFL Game Pass. This season, get football on your time with NFL Game Pass. See all the action from every game with full game replays. You can also replay an entire game and catch all the plays in just 45 minutes with condensed games. Go to NFL.com slash Game Pass to start your free trial today. NFL Game Pass, where football never stops. Tony, how are you doing today? We are back week one.
Starting point is 00:01:07 It's been a long time coming, a very anticipatory time for me because no preseason football makes me think whenever football is going to come, it's going to be an awesome time. And it's definitely that time of year again, Tony, football is finally back. No, it is, man. I'm happy that it's back. It's going to be a little weird. I think the first two or three weeks is going to be a massive filling out process for a lot of people, especially those teams that have new coordinators and new offenses to learn. And Jacksonville is one of them. You know, Jay Gruden is here along with, you know, new quarterbacks coach as well. So, you know, it's going to take some getting used to. I think there are going to be some bumps and bruises. I was out at training camp.
Starting point is 00:01:47 There wasn't a lot of hitting, not a lot of physicality. So I think the guys are going to have to get used to that. They have 18 rookies, well, 18 first and second year players that are in starting row, 16 rookies on this football team. There's a lot of speed of the game to get used to here in Jacksonville. So, you know, it's the game to get used to here in Jacksonville. So, you know, it's always new to get the rust out anyway for guys that are returning. So this year, Jacksonville has an awful lot in layers to get used to. Let's start off here, Tony, to go over really the teardown rebuild that's going on in Jacksonville right now. Very steep on defensive
Starting point is 00:02:21 end too. You're getting a lot of draft capital in return for players. Obviously, Jalen Ramsey started off last year midseason, went to the Los Angeles Rams, just inked a $21 million annual extension today for five years, over $100 million. Also recently traded Yonkin Gokwe, their star pass rusher, Calais Campbell, their defensive tackle to Baltimore for a fifth-round pick. Ronnie Harrison, their safety, just recently got traded to the Cleveland Browns. A.J. Bouye went to the Broncos.
Starting point is 00:02:45 A lot of moving pieces on the defensive side. A lot of just pieces overall, Tony, being moved down here in Jacksonville as this rebuild is really commencing right now. What's your thoughts on just the moves that Jabra has made itself seem to really get a lot of draft capital, as well as just sending it towards a true rebuild here in 2020? That's a word that they're running away from. They don't want you to call it that.
Starting point is 00:03:07 Well, they don't tell you not to, but they don't really embrace it. They don't embrace it being called a rebuilding. They're saying they're trying to win. In fact, Doug Marone was quoted today basically saying he can't afford another rebuilding year because he won't be around for it if they don't win. So Gardner Minshew doesn't believe if they tank, he'll have a job next year because everyone believes't be around for it if they don't win so uh Gardner Minshew doesn't believe if they tank he'll have a job next year because everyone believes that they're going to go after one of those quarterbacks mainly Trevor Lawrence out of Clemson so he doesn't believe
Starting point is 00:03:34 losing is conducive to him keeping his job and Dave Caldwell you never know because you know Shot Con the owner has been slow to fire people. You know, they were slow to fire Gus Bradley, the initial coach, you know, in their regime here. And Dave Caldwell's still been around, even though seven first-round picks in the top ten, I think only one of them is remaining here, you know. So it's crazy, man. But for me, you know, the thing is, the narrative is now that all of those guys
Starting point is 00:04:03 that left were problem children, and that's not true. Some of those guys left because of salary. Some of them left because they just, they're at a stage of their career where it's not conducive for them to be here with what's going on. So when you think of it like that, Evan, it is sort of a rebuild. If you, if I hear the words come out of your mouth that they're too much of a veteran to go through what we're going through, then what you're going through is a rebuild, and you can't phrase it or frame it as anything other than that. Let's talk about Gardner Minshew. You hinted
Starting point is 00:04:34 at him for a little bit, Tony. A really surprised year last year. It wasn't expected to play, of course, to the Jaguars, signed Nick Foles to a lucrative contract. Did not work out, of course, for Foles and Jacksville. Minshew took over in the second half of the Chiefs game in their home opener and really ran away with that job. I know Minshew sat for a few games as Foles tried to get back in late,
Starting point is 00:04:50 but it was pretty apparent throughout the year that Gardner Minshew was the future, at least through 2020, this Jaguars team of quarterback. How important is this year 2020 for Gardner Minshew, Tony? It's very important for him because while it seems like they're stripping things around him, the one thing you hear that is a singular tone, whether it comes from the GM all the way down to even Jay Gruden today, is they really like the offensive line. Now, for the life of me, I can't understand it. I thought it was a weakness going into the offseason.
Starting point is 00:05:20 But with 12 draft picks, they only added one player, and it was a fourth-round pick by the name of Ben Bartsch who's from a small school. So they've really been preaching that they love their offensive line. They added LaVishka Chenault and Colin Johnson in the draft who both made the team. They went out and got Tyler Eifert, and they got a couple of different running backs to go with the committee approach that you've seen in other places like San Francisco.
Starting point is 00:05:44 And like I said, they did bring in Jay Gruden and they bought in Ben McAdoo, two guys with head coaching experience to lead Gardner and run an offense that is conducive to what he does. Now, as far as he's concerned, he was a six round pick who was way more ready to play than that. He was a coach on the field. If you ever hear him talk, if you close your eyes, he sounds like Sean McVay. That's how he comes. That's how the information just flies out of his mouth. So he can really, really impress you at the chalkboard. They thought about taking him extremely early. They had to fight each other almost, you know, not literally, but sort of hold each other back in the draft room to not take him early and they held off until the sixth round. He's way better than that. The key is, is this,
Starting point is 00:06:31 is he a franchise guy? And they can't answer that question. They're going to have to see what he does this year. The fans look at him as a guy who's really cool, talks really cool, wears cool clothes and does these nice commercials. The coaches look at him as a guy who works really hard, who does everything that they ask, but now it has to translate to the football field. And some of the guys that got rid of didn't believe in him, like Leonard Fournette.
Starting point is 00:06:52 So that's why you saw a lot of those guys jettisoned up out of here, so they can get the guys on the field that really believe in him, so they can take a true gauge and tell if he's the guy or not. Like you mentioned, Leonard Fournette, he recently got released by the Jaguars. He got picked up by Tampa Buccaneers a few days later. That was one of the Jaguars' main piece on offense last year. Obviously, I've mentioned returning to starting quarterback.
Starting point is 00:07:13 DJ Chark, I think, is a very underrated wide receiver in the NFL, and he's going to have a big year this year for the Jaguars. In 2020, LaVisca Chanel, of course, Tyler Eifert, like you mentioned, a tight end. What's his offense going to look like this year, Tony, under Jay Gruden adding in these new pieces? Well, what it's going to look like is you're going to have a bunch of different guys in the backfield touching the ball.
Starting point is 00:07:31 I suspect you'll see a lot of single back. You'll see a lot of double tight end formations, sort of what you saw in Washington with Jay Gruden. You know, he had LeFleur, McVay, and Shanahan through his regime in Washington. So you see a lot of that stuff that you see with those guys, a lot of rollouts, a lot of different guys. One week you might see one guy catch eight balls.
Starting point is 00:07:57 The next minute you'll see another guy catch a lot of balls. They're going to do what they did with the rookie out of Ohio State, McLaurin, what they did with him last year. They're going to do that with DJ Chark this year he's a guy who was a pro bowl alternate they're going to move him around and put the ball in his hands and kind of feature him but then you're going to see the running backs he brought Chris Thompson down here from Washington you're going to see different guys and that's one of the reasons Leonard was gone Leonard is a guy who needs to touch the ball 20-22 times a game and he's better in his 18th carry than he is in his fifth carry, and that's just not what they're going to do anymore.
Starting point is 00:08:28 They're not going to give the ball to one person and let him pound, pound, pound. They're going to really, really spread it out, and they probably didn't believe he was going to be happy doing that, and that's why they let him go. Last one for you, Tony, before we transition on to some Colts talk and wrap up with some predictions for week one. It's crazy to say we're less than four days away from the Colts versus Jebbers happening here in Jacksonville for week one.
Starting point is 00:08:48 But what's this defense look like this year, Tony? Because, of course, we mentioned all the guys who got traded off that defense over the last year plus, and especially over the last few months of this offseason, like Campbell, Yonk, and Gawkway, et cetera. Obviously, you drafted Caleb on chase on. You drafted C.J. Henderson a corner to replace Jalen Ramsey and be that future number one corner. Josh Allen, of course, the rookie edge from Kentucky last year
Starting point is 00:09:11 who had a really good year last year for the Jaguars, is going to be their main piece on defense. But what else is on that side for Jacksonville you should expect to watch for in 2020? Let me walk it backwards. Josh Allen is the best football player on this team. He only played 60% of the snaps last year and had 10.5 sacks that's going to be high this year he's going to have a lot of pressure because he doesn't have a lot of those guys you just mentioned those guys that were helping create pressure so it is going to be incumbent that he gets help from those rookies
Starting point is 00:09:37 there's going to be a big year for Taven Bryan who's the you know 29th pick in the draft in 2018 and Taven Bryan was picked two spots ahead of Lamar Jackson. And people around here would never let the Jaguars forget about that. He has to really, really step up. You know, he's a big kid out of University of Florida. He goes about 295 pounds, about 6'4". Looks like J.J. Watt in uniform, but doesn't quite play that way. And, you know, has had some moments where he's flashed.
Starting point is 00:10:04 They also got a middle linebacker. They got a true middle linebacker for the first time in a few years in Joe Schobert. They signed him to a big contract out of Cleveland. And he's a pure Mike and he's a three-down linebacker who can not only, he knows when to trigger and he knows when to fill those gaps, but he's a quarterback on the defense who also can play in coverage. That's allowed them to finally move Miles Jack to his more natural position
Starting point is 00:10:26 that everybody thinks it is to the will spot, the weak side linebacker. They've tried him at Sam. They've tried him at Mike. And he got a massive contract extension. He just hasn't lived up to it, you know. So, Talvin Smith, man, that weak side linebacker spot for the first couple of years Miles was in the league and Talvin's not here anymore.
Starting point is 00:10:43 You know, they got to get that production out of him. As far as the secondary is concerned, it's a youth movement, man. You know, they drafted four corners and all of them made the team. And then they got Luke Barku as a priority free agent, and he made the team too. So they got a bunch of young guys back there. And it's going to be a test for them. They're all very, very athletic.
Starting point is 00:11:08 But if they don't get pressure up front front even if they do get pressure up front those young guys really really are going to be tested and they're going to be tested early to make sure they know exactly what they're doing and if there's one weakness in Todd Walsh's defense even when he had Jalen Ramsey and even when he had Barry Church and even when he had uh A.J. Boye guys used to be confused about coverage on the back end, and Louis Riddick used to point it out weekly that guys did not really know what they were doing. So if those veterans and those talented pro bowlers were confused, you can only imagine what these young guys are going to be thinking.
Starting point is 00:11:37 Yeah, this Jaguars are on both sides of the ball. Even though they are very young, a lot of key players traded off or released in the last year or so. A lot of people are expecting them to be one of the worst teams in the NFL, but I wonder if they're going to be one of those scribe teams this year, that if you play against them, it's going to be a dogfight, whatever way you go about it. They're not going to try to tank this year from the signs of Tony, and it's going to be very intriguing to see how this Jaguars team comes out in week one.
Starting point is 00:11:58 We're going to transition on to the other side of the week one matchup for the Annapolis Colts, and Tony's going to ask me some questions as well before we get our predictions for week one. But a quick sponsor here is the NFL game pass. Like I mentioned at the top of the show, this season get, get full on your time with NFL game pass. You can catch every snap memory game, full game replays and see all the plays,
Starting point is 00:12:15 just 45 minutes of condensed games. You'll learn from the league's best players in our 40 film session episodes and get access to the entire NFL films archive. Go to nfl.com slash game Pass to start your free trial today. NFL Game Pass, where football never stops. We'll be back with you guys in just a second to talk about the Annapolis Colts with Tony and I. All righty.
Starting point is 00:12:33 We are back for segment two of our crossover special, Locked on Colts. I have an insider here, Locked on Jaguars, Tony Wiggins. Tony, now you have the floor now to ask me some Colts questions. I'm going to start right at the very top, man. I'm going to start with Phillip Rivers. First of all, did he have any more kids during the offseason? Because you know, Phillip Rivers, he's known, he's known to, you know, get one pushed out like every year for like the last seven or eight years, man. Did he have any more kids on his way to Indy? No, no, he's still at nine, but I think that maybe
Starting point is 00:13:02 the move-in process was a little much. He moved his family from San Diego area to Indianapolis. They're all living in Indiana right now. So a very big move for them. They moved there in June. And from all expectations, Rivers, there's a lot of excitement around Phillip Rivers this year in 2020 reuniting with Frank Reich. Yeah, man. You know, he's up. I don't know if you know this, but he has a history of absolutely carving up the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Starting point is 00:13:27 And I don't care what year it is. I think they've gotten him like one time. They got him here in the 2017 season. But other than that, he has had a field day with Jacksonville. And the way that you get him is you got to rush him up the middle. And right now the Jaguars defense, the weakness is up the middle. And the strength of the Colts defense – mean the offensive line is those uh those guys uh that protect philip rivers from guard to guard so how's he looked in training camp and how are the receivers this year because
Starting point is 00:13:55 i knew that they were a little bit unhealthy last year yeah on rivers he's really taking control of this team right from the beginning there whether it be in the in the locker room or off the field or on the field. You've heard a lot about Rivers' completion percentage has been way up there throughout camp, hovering around 70%. His best year completion percentage-wise was in 2013 with Frank Reck as his OC when he had 69.5% of his passes completed. So it might be back to that type of rhythm offense for him
Starting point is 00:14:21 with Reich and Nick Sirianni, the Colts offensive coordinator, back with him from the San Diego days. And from all indications with the playmakers in the Colts side, it's done very well. T.Y. Hilton battled injuries, of course, a lot last year, but he looks like his old self with a better quarterback with Phil Rivers on board instead of Jacoby Brissett. T.Y. might be more of a possession type receiver this year
Starting point is 00:14:39 because Paris Campbell, the Ohio State receiver from the 2019 draft, there's a lot of rave reviews about him before he got a concussion throughout camp. He's going to be good for week one, though. He might be your deep threat, your explosive play threat. Michael Pittman Jr. is obviously the rookie from USC. Deep ball threat, 6'4", 225. Might be Rivers' new version of Benson Jackson, Mike Williams.
Starting point is 00:15:00 So that will be a lot of fun to watch. He's going to be eased in slowly to this offense, though, because Zach Paschal, who started for the Colts last year, will be starting opposite T.Y. Hilton in week one with Paris Campbell in the slot. Paschal is a reliable player. Reminds me of sort of like Jack Doyle at the time position for this Colts team, just really reliable, never drops many balls, does his assignment perfectly.
Starting point is 00:15:16 So I think this Colts playmaking unit at the wide opposition has definitely improved a lot of unproven commodities, though, with Paris Campbell, Michael Pittman Jr. But if T.Y. Hilton bounces back to normal and if Phil Perrusson can find an early sink, which it seems like they have so far throughout camp, this Colts offense is going to be a lot of fun to watch in the passing game. It's going to be fun to watch in the passing game. And one of the things that makes the passing game fun
Starting point is 00:15:38 is when you can counter that with a very good running game. Phillip Rivers had a great passing game, but then he would counter that before it was with Melvin Gordon, and then we could go down the line of all the great running backs all the way going back to LT and all of those guys. But last year he had Austin Eckler. There's a very similar running back to him in Marlon Mack in Indy. So you got Marlon Mack, Naeem Hines,
Starting point is 00:15:59 and then you go over to the Northwest and get this kid out of Wisconsin, this bowling ball that everyone seems to think is a power running back, but the kid also has speed, a little bit of fumbling issues. But can you tell me about the rookie from Wisconsin and then tell me how they're going to implement those three running backs when they, what's the depth chart look like and how are they going to spread those carries around when it comes to getting on the field Sunday? Yeah. For the running back group,
Starting point is 00:16:23 obviously a lot of excitement around them too with this offensive line they have in place, Quentin Nelson, the guys up front there. It's a lot of fun to watch this running game when it's at full steam and full rhythm because Marlon Mack is your shifty player. He's done a lot of passing work as well throughout this offseason so far in training camp and putting in a lot of work on that end. And that has really been the case for Mack in his first couple years in the NFL.
Starting point is 00:16:44 But with Phillip Rivers, he loves to check down to his running backs. He might see more passing attack with Marlon Mack this year. And I think Frank Reich is a really intriguing point about Mack and Jonathan Taylor. He calls it a 1-1 running back duo, not a 1-2 duo, which really goes to show you how much they value Jonathan Taylor too because, like you mentioned, he's a power back from Wisconsin, but 4'3", 9 speed.
Starting point is 00:17:04 That's a rare package to have, almost like a Saquon Barkley type of running back. And obviously he's got a better load on his shoulders this year. He had so much carry. He's, I think, over 1,000 during his three years at Wisconsin. And with Marlon Mack there, it's going to be Mack starting for the Colts. But with Jonathan Taylor, he'll be sort of the closer, I think, for this team, bruising teams in the second half of games
Starting point is 00:17:22 and being able to really go at them when they're wearing them down in the fourth quarter. So that's going to be a lot of fun. I think a really fresh Jonathan Taylor behind his Colts offensive line late in games will really bleed out the clock and help them out and be a really power running team. Marlon Mack, of course, is a shifty guy. But you can't forget about Naeem Hines as well. He might be that new Austin Eckler, Darren Sproles type of this Colts offense because at 4'3", 4'3", 8 speed, he's really the exact same frame as a Darren
Starting point is 00:17:45 Sproles, Austin Eckler. He's going to be probably a variety guy in this offense, a very good special teams returner. But we saw when Andrew Luck was quarterback, he had some gains. He had eight or nine catches. He's an explosive player when he gets the ball in his hands. So I could see maybe a 50-60 reception type year for Naeem Hines as well. So the Colts have really three legitimate running backs here. Marlon Mack, Jonathan Taylor, Naeem Hines as well. So the Colts have really three legitimate running backs here. Marlon Mack, Jonathan Taylor, and Naeem Hines are your third down running back.
Starting point is 00:18:07 With Jonathan Taylor specifically, I think he's a player that later on in the year, maybe week six to week eight, he'll probably take that starting role for Marlon Mack because I think Jonathan Taylor is a beast of a running back. He is a rare package, like you mentioned, of speed and explosiveness. So I think behind this Colts offensive line, Jonathan Taylor is going to be so much fun to watch and going to produce big numbers as well as Marlon Mack. But when you think about this running back unit,
Starting point is 00:18:27 this underrated wide receiver group with this offensive line, with Phil Burris replacing Jacoby Bursette, it's going to be, I think, a very much improved offense. With the ever-increasing numbers of makes and models, it's now impossible to stock all the parts you need in a traditional chain store front. So why endure often pointless or seemingly intimidating questioning in what will the cameraman or is the parts on his computer to choose? The only brand his warehouse happens to carry.
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Starting point is 00:19:47 I think it will, too. And the key is you have to keep the other team's offense off the field and get Phillip the ball. So that brings us to the defense. Big acquisition. Teams don't like giving up first-round picks, especially when they have to pay people. But that's exactly what the Colts did in this offseason when they went out
Starting point is 00:20:06 west and got big DeForest Buckner. God, it really reminds me of a guy that left Jacksonville in Claes Campbell. He's like 6'7", 6'8", 300 pounds, can rush the passer, can stop the run. Four years, $84 million, I believe, for the big guy coming in inside to play a little three technique. How's he going to fit in, and does he take pressure off of the other guy that is a tackling machine, who's Darius Leonard in the back? That gives you two players that are great players, I believe,
Starting point is 00:20:34 in your front seven. Yeah, the duo of Leonard and Buckner is going to be, I think, one of the best as far as linebacker defensive line duos in the NFL. Like you mentioned, Tony, Leonard's a tackling machine. He's been like that throughout even his rookie year. Last year, he was sideline by a concussion for a few games, but then he bounced back right away and became a turnover machine once again. He had to get seven interceptions in a 14-game span,
Starting point is 00:20:55 which just kind of shows you the type of athlete he is. And he had multiple sack games too. He's going to be a freak. He's going to be running around with DeForest Buckner opening things up for him, taking out the trash, so to say. Like you mentioned, 6'7", 300-plus pounds, all pro last year for the 49ers. Of course, giving away a first-round pick is a little rough on the surface. 13th overall pick, the 49ers drafted Buckner's replacement, Javon Kinlaw.
Starting point is 00:21:16 But then you see as well with Buckner, he's able to be a force for this defense, be able to really take pressure off the defensive backs, the linebackers as well. I think it's going to really elevate this defense on all three levels when you see that it's the impact Buckner is going to make for them. And with Buckner too, I could expect a year where he either has a big sack production year or he's able to really help guys like Darius Leonard or Justin Houston and make them better and really force a lot of double teams on Buckner throughout the year.
Starting point is 00:21:42 So I think from all three levels here, especially at defensive back where it's going to take a lot less pressure off those guys, throughout the year. So I think from all three levels here, especially at defensive back, where it's going to take a lot less pressure off those guys, it's a little unproven back there. You have Xavier Rhodes, Rakia Sen, Kenny Moore, who's a very good slot corner. But the pass defense struggled a little bit last year. If you just give him a few extra seconds less of throwing time,
Starting point is 00:21:58 DeForest Miller's going to really change that for this Colt defense. And you add him into the mix with Darius Leonard, this Colt defense is going to be a lot of fun. And one that I think could really take a huge leap this year in terms of production. Real quick, real quick. What, what happened with Malik Hooker? When Malik Hooker came out, I thought he was, I didn't think he was Sean Taylor because that's too much praise,
Starting point is 00:22:16 but I really, really thought he had a tremendous amount of range. I know he got hurt because he got hurt in the Jaguars game, but it just seems like that's a name. You hear trade rumors. You hear all of this stuff. It's like you just mentioned three guys in the secondary and nobody ever talks about Malik Hooker anymore. Malik Hooker, I just don't
Starting point is 00:22:36 think he fits well into this Colts scheme. He was drafted in 2017 by Chuck Pagano to run that 3-4 defense. He's just a free safety type. But in Matt Ibraklus' 4-3 defense, they really value tackling. They really value the ability to play out in space. And Malik Hooker can be a ball hawk at some points. We saw last year in Week 1 that incredible interception he had,
Starting point is 00:22:55 that one-handed one against Phillip Rivers. But outside of that, just some really inconsistent moments from Malik Hooker is not a great tackler much at all. And the injury problems with Hooker are just consistent. We saw the Colts decline his fifth-year option this past year while the player that was drafted the year before him, Ryan Kelly, just signed a five-year extension with this Colts team. So it looks like on the outside looking in that Malik Hooker
Starting point is 00:23:15 is probably playing his last year at the Colts. They drafted his, I think, future replacement with Julian Blackman, the Utah free safety, in round three to go with Curry Willis, who was a very good strong safety as a rookie last year for the Colts in the fourth round. So I think just from all indications, probably it's Malik Cooker's final year at the Colts, but it's sort of a proving year for him.
Starting point is 00:23:32 If he does have a monster year interception wise, I would not be shocked if the Colts brought him back, but just from the tackling standpoint, from the injury standpoint, just the consistency standpoint, I just think Malik Cooker's the best fit for this defense. All right. So I'd say today on – I made my predictions.
Starting point is 00:23:47 I guess it was yesterday, actually. I said the over-under for Jaguars were four wins. But here's – I'm going to give it a little bit of a disclaimer. I think it's going to be like that year that Garoppolo was hurt. You remember the 49ers were scoring all those damn points, man, but they were losing those games like 46-38 or 38-30, almost like the way Arizona played last year. I think they're going to score a bunch of points,
Starting point is 00:24:09 but I think they're going to be scored on a lot, and I think they're going to lose a lot of games. But I think it's going to generate a little bit of excitement, but I still think they're going to pick in the top five of the draft. That's the way I think. What do you think about Indy? Yeah, with Indy, I really think they're – I put on my show a couple weeks ago, I think they're going to be a 12-4 team this year.
Starting point is 00:24:25 Maybe that's a little ambitious, but I think overall they should be a 10-plus win team when you see the schedule they have. The first seven weeks of the season, it's very cupcake soft to me. I could see the Colts starting off 7-0, and maybe that last final half of the year they could go around 500. But that first two months of the schedule really benefits this team. A lot of new additions, of course, but Phillip Rivers reunited with Frank Reich. I think the adjustment periods could be a little bit smoother than guys like Tom Brady in Tampa Bay, for example.
Starting point is 00:24:50 So I could see – I think their floor is 9-7, but I think their ceiling is more like a 12-4 team. So maybe like an 11-5, 12-4 team. I'm pretty confident saying that. Evan Sidery, off the top rope, man. We're going to do this again, man. So, you know, I'm going to bring the heat, man. I'm going to remember you said that, and if that happens, I'm going to have to send you a gift certificate for you to go have you a cocktail, brother.
Starting point is 00:25:12 I'm going to tell you right now, that's a bold prediction, man. But I appreciate it, though. That's nice. Yeah, absolutely. I think this Colts team is going to shock people this year. I know many aren't talking about them yet, but I would not be shocked if this Colts team thought they were really hot starting to talk about Phillip Rivers as being one of the most improved players from this past year. I know many aren't talking about him yet, but I would not be shocked if Colts are really hot starting to talk about Phillip Rivers as being one of the most improved players from this past
Starting point is 00:25:28 year. Before I let you go, though, Tony, I've always enjoyed doing this crossover, especially with you from last year, talking about the Jaguars. Who do you think is going to win week one? I know the spread on DraftKings is the Colts are eight-point favorites on the road in Jacksonville. Do you think the Colts cover that spread, or what do you think is going to happen week one?
Starting point is 00:25:43 I want nothing more for the faithful fans of this city. You know, they go through a lot. They hear a lot of stuff from national media. And, you know, people think that they're moving the games because of the fans. They're not. They're moving the games because they don't have a lot of Fortune 500 support. So the fans here are as good as the fans anywhere. And I always like to say this when I do crossovers. If you look at how many tickets they sell, not how big their stadium is, their stadium is huge.
Starting point is 00:26:11 How many tickets they sell, they are nowhere near the bottom. That's all I got to tell you about Jaguar fans. So for that, I want to say they're going to win, but I just can't. I remember in 1989 when Jimmy Johnson had all of those rookies on his team. I just can't go for a bunch of rookies. They got 16 of them, bro. I can't. This is the NFL.
Starting point is 00:26:31 If I say 16 rookies are going to win games in the NFL, I might as well say that a real good top five college team could beat the worst NFL team. And I've always said that that's a 50-point loss for the number one college team in the country. That's just the way I feel. So there's no way you can win and really be competitive with 16 rookies on your team. I just, I hold firm to that conclusion. So I'm going to go. I think the Colts are going to beat them. I agree with you. I have Colts 31, Jaguars 17. I think the Colts comfortably cover the spread.

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