Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - Do the Indianapolis Colts Stand a Chance vs. New York Giants?

Starting point is 00:00:00 It's Crossover Thursday on the Locked On Giants, Locked On Colts podcast. Zach Hicks, co-host of Locked On Colts, joins me as we give you everything you need to know. Matchups, key storylines, predictions about this weekend's big Giants game against the Indianapolis Colts that's coming your way next. You are Locked On Giants, your daily New York Giants podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Crossover Thursday is presented by our friends at PrizePix. PrizePix is so much fun and it's easy to play.

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Starting point is 00:01:17 That's prizepix.com, promo code LOCKEDON. What is good, New York Giant fans? And welcome to the Indianapolis Colts fans who are coming to us on this crossover edition of the Locked on Giants, Locked on Colts podcast, and I am Patricia Traynor, host of Locked on Giants, joined by Zach Hicks. He is the co-host of Locked on Colts, and a face we don't get to see very often, but nonetheless, great to catch up with you, Zach. I know we talk in our group chats and everything like that, and we got a lot to talk about this game coming up between the Giants and the Colts. Yeah, absolutely. It's really fun to

Starting point is 00:01:56 talk with Giants fans because I feel like for the better part of a couple decades there, we were just very close fan bases rooting for one brother. You know, we each had our own brother of the Manning family, Peyton Manning on one side, Eli Manning on the other. So Colts and Giants fans are always a little bit connected. And I know a lot of Colts fans have a lot of love in their heart for the Giants when they beat the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl twice. So it's always fun talking with y'all. Yeah, definitely. And of course, the two teams have some history. But you know what? The Giants looking to make a little bit of history this Sunday.

Starting point is 00:02:29 And we're going to kick things off with the key storylines, the lead storylines. And for the New York Giants, the home team, it's winning in. That's as simple as it gets. Win and in. If the Giants beat the Colts, they will clinch their first playoff berth since 2016, a playoff berth that really nobody, and I mean like very few people, I should say, anticipated would be even something we'd be discussing this late in the season. But the Giants, you know, they've surprised people. They've been perky. They've been competitive.

Starting point is 00:03:06 They've held their own against some of the, you know, last week against the Vikings who, believe it or not, I know you guys don't want to hear about the Vikings after what happened, but the Vikings, the number two NFC teams, seeded team in the NFC. The Giants are looking to clinch, get in and just see what happens. You know, then it becomes a whole new season. Everybody's zero and zero, and it's sudden death. So that is the big story for the Giants. They're looking for the crowd to really step up. And the Giants could also be getting back some guys who have injuries, notably a Dory Jackson, quarterback, might play this weekend. A Dory Jackson for the first time this week, actually practiced. This was the first time he practiced since suffering that sprained MCL returning punts. So

Starting point is 00:03:52 getting him back, even if it's on a pitch count, would be huge for the Giants against that Colts offense. And of course, we'll get into matchups a little later, but we also have to talk about Aziz Ojularari, who last week sprained his ankle against the Vikings, but, you know, part of that pass rush, and boy, that's going to be some matchup, and again, we'll talk about it a little later on in the program, but that Giants pass rush is really starting to come of age now, and that's another storyline as the Giants push forward towards, hopefully, their first playoff berth since 2016. Yeah, you know, when we look at the Indianapolis Colts, it's actually the complete opposite of the

Starting point is 00:04:30 New York Giants. You know, coming into the season, there was playoff aspirations, you know, maybe winning the division, maybe pushing a little bit late into the playoffs. You know, Matt Ryan was the final piece. And I know as every Colts fan who's listening to this, every Colts fan who's followed along all season, that has just not been the case at all. This team has been downright putrid. You know, three quarterback changes, firing offensive coordinator, firing a head coach, bringing an ESPN analyst to be the head coach after that. It has just been a whirlwind of a season. And even since then, you know, against the Dallas Cowboys, giving up 30 straight points in the fourth quarter, blowing the biggest lead in the history of the NFL to the Minnesota Vikings.

Starting point is 00:05:07 It has been a season to forget for Indianapolis Colts fans and for this Indianapolis Colts team. So I think the biggest storyline, honestly, is how much fight does this team have left? Because we saw the defense has had fight every single week. Yes, they blew a 33-point lead to the Minnesota Vikings, but they had a diverse that led to that giant lead there against the number two seed in the NFC. We even saw this past week against Justin Herbert in the Los Angeles Chargers. They kind of held him down for most of that game. They scored only 20 points in that game. And really, it wasn't

Starting point is 00:05:41 until a final drive late in the fourth quarter that they really put that game away. This Colts defense has been kind of the last little lifeline that this team has even had whatsoever. And I think once that lifeline breaks, we'll just start seeing blowouts. Luckily, there's only two games left. This defense is playing hard. But I just wonder how much fight this defense has left. Because this Colts offense we know has zero fight left. They're not going to do anything against anybody,

Starting point is 00:06:06 especially like what you just said with that Giants pass rush stepping up. It's probably not going to be a good week for that Colts offense, but how much fight does the Indianapolis Colts defense have left? I think that's the biggest storyline the rest of the year, because again, once that goes, I mean, that's the only thing we got going for us right now here in Indy. So yeah, it's been a tough season, but luckily that Colts defense is making some of these games at least a little bit more entertaining.

Starting point is 00:06:29 Now, I've got a question for you. I asked this of your co-host, Jake Arthur, who writes over for Colts. I think it's Horseshoe Huddle, which is part of the SB. I'm sorry, the Fan Nation Network. And I'm going to ask you, given what happened against the Vikings and that devastating loss, that historic loss, have the Colts recovered from that or are you sensing that they just kind of thrown it up their hands and said, you know what, we're just going to mail it in the rest of the way? You know, it's hard to say mail it in because every single snap these players are playing for

Starting point is 00:07:02 their lives. You know, you've been around the league for a long time, Patricia. You understand that there's no real such thing as like tanking or really throwing it in. But when you look at this Indianapolis Colts team, there's a lot of problems from top to bottom, from front office to coaching to players to locker room. It's kind of a bad place right now. And I think, again, I don't want to say mailing it in because this Colts defense is coming out and they're giving their best shot every single week. But it's a lost season. You know, it is kind of a lost season right now. We saw it on Monday against the Chargers where, yes, the defense came to play, but it was a pretty easy 20-3 victory for the Los Angeles Chargers.

Starting point is 00:07:39 So, yeah, I wouldn't say that the players are really mailing it in. But I think you're as close as you can get to saying that when it comes to NFL players and NFL team. This is it's just a lost season with not many good things going for this team right now. And I also have to ask you about Jeff Saturday. I mean, I got to admit, I was kind of surprised that he was named the interim head coach. What did you think of that move and how has he basically been adjusting to this role? You know, Jeff Saturday is a very honest guy. He's a very straightforward guy. You know, when he comes to the media, he doesn't have that coach speak way about him where he knows how to

Starting point is 00:08:14 tactfully lie, you know, like all these coaches are. So you can kind of see that in an experience a little bit there. But I do think that this is a guy where he's a very genuine person. I think he's doing the best he can in a very impossible situation. I mean, there really was no chance of success. I mean, there was the slimmest chance. And if he somehow did that, he'd be the coach for the next 10 years. But unfortunately, that's not been the case. This team has regressed to the point where they're not even competitive in a lot of games

Starting point is 00:08:40 or they're blowing, you know, biggest leads in NFL history. And I think a lot of that has to do with, yes, the locker room tension, yes, it being a lost season, but also you have a head coach and you have an offensive coordinator that's just really ill-equipped to be in the role that they are in. So I love Jeff Saturday. I think he's a great player when he played for the Colts. I think he's a great guy. Could love him in the front office role or something like that or something with the organization, but a head coach is probably not a place that he should be in the near future for the Colts. All right, well, we're going to find out what he has up his sleeve for these Giants, as well as what the Giants have up their

Starting point is 00:09:13 sleeves for Jeff Saturday. Coming up, we are going to talk about matchups, which matchups are going to tilt the scale one way or another. Don't go anywhere, folks. We'll be right back on this crossover edition of Locked On Giants, Locked On Colts. This episode is brought to you by Audible. Audible is releasing a slate of new football podcasts that we're sure you're going to love. That's why you'll be able to find an episode of The League

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Starting point is 00:10:12 or catch the full series available anywhere you get your podcasts. Audible, get in the game. All right, everybody, welcome back to this special crossover edition of the Locked On Giants, Locked on Colts podcast. It's a rare meeting, the last meeting for the New York Giants against an AFC team this year. The Giants 3-0 against AFC teams. They're looking to make it 4-0, but more importantly, they're looking to get into the playoffs because they don't want to have to do that against the Eagles in the final week of the season. And Zach, the Colts playing for pride at this point.

Starting point is 00:10:49 They've been eliminated. It's been a rough season. Listen, Giant fans, we've been there. We know what you're going through. The last decade or so, or most of the last decade, it's just been absolutely rough to follow the Giants. So we're getting a little bit of a reprieve. You guys have had some success along the way.

Starting point is 00:11:08 And, you know, it's just amazing how the NFL cycle kind of tilts. One year, this team is up, this team is down. And the next year, it's completely opposite. So you never know what you're going to get, which is part of the reason why covering the NFL is so much fun. Oh, yeah, definitely. And, you know, I think a lot of it comes down to, again, just coaching. You guys can kind of see that Brian Dable coming in this year and really turning around everything about that team.

Starting point is 00:11:34 And I think that's what the Colts are going to be looking for this upcoming offseason. So, yeah, you know, there's highs and lows when it comes to the NFL. And something I've learned throughout my whole life is there's more lows than highs. So you got to just roll through these lows. Well, whatever you do, when you look for your next head coach, don't touch anybody on the Giants staff, please. They've got more work to do. All right, folks, we're going to talk about matchups. What are the key matchups that can tilt the game either way towards the Giants or towards the Colts? And Zach, I'm going to start with you. What matchups do you think are the key ones for this game?

Starting point is 00:12:11 You know, it's funny. You see, we're not even looking at matchups from the Colts' perspective that could tilt the game in favor of the Colts winning because, honestly, wins don't even matter at this point. I don't care if Nick Foles comes out and throws for 600 yards. You know, it's probably more beneficial if they lose this game. But the things that really do matter from the Colts' perspective is just seeing the development and the production of these young players.

Starting point is 00:12:32 And the most prominent one, the most important one, is Bernard Ryman over there at left tackle. Rookie left tackle, third-round pick. And he started off this year just atrocious. I mean, it was brutal. I think he had like five penalties against the Denver Broncos on Thursday night football, came back into the starting lineup against the Philadelphia Eagles, and Josh Sweat had his way with him in that game. But since then, we've seen a new player every week. He's just gradually gotten better and better. Yes, he gave up a sack

Starting point is 00:12:57 to Khalil Mack last week, but which left tackle has it? Every single left tackle has given up a sack to Khalil Mack. And this week, he's going to have another tough test ahead of him. You know, Kayvon Thibodeau is one of the best young pass rushers in football, and he just has this outstanding motor and explosiveness to his game where someone like Bernard Ryman, that could be a tough little thing to deal with there. So Kayvon Thibodeau obviously is going to be a tough one. And then Aziz Ojolari, that's a tough one right there, but he's coming back. Andari, that's a tough one right there. But he's coming back. And again, that's just another player who, when he has played, he's been a very, very productive player for the Giants. And I think seeing what Bernard Ryman can do in this matchup with those guys is more important than anything win or loss with this

Starting point is 00:13:38 team. We want to see if we have the future left tackle on our roster right now. And lately, Bernard Ryman has looked that way, but that's another one right there. And then obviously, again, to keep it on that offensive line, they've had another young guard playing this year, Will Fries at right guard. He's going to have a very, very tough matchup as well

Starting point is 00:13:55 in the interior. And they just kind of keep their constant play, their consistent play of late. Again, I don't care if Nick Foles comes out and completes 40% of his passes and looks as bad as he did on Monday night. As long as this offensive line can prove that they can carry this into next season, that's all that matters right now. So these young players, Will Fries at right guard, Bernard Rodman at left tackle, tough test ahead of them with this

Starting point is 00:14:17 Giants pass rush that's getting better and better. That's my biggest matchup for this entire team. All right, I'm going to think outside the box here, and I'm going to actually mention a matchup that I don't think I've mentioned on any crossover show this season, but this one concerns me. Special teams. That's all we got going for us right now. Special teams. Exactly. All right.

Starting point is 00:14:38 So I am on the official NFL stat site right now, and I wanted to see how good the Colts have been on special teams. And just looking real quick at this site, the Colts have the number one ranked kickoff return unit. They are averaging 28.4 yards per return. It says they're averaging 8.6 yards per return on punting. And then let's see, just flipping it around defensively, the coverage teams. Let's see, what are they doing coverage-wise? Coverage-wise, they have the seventh best punt coverage team and the 23rd best, it looks like, kickoff coverage team. Now, why am I mentioning special teams?

Starting point is 00:15:25 Because the Giants special teams haven't been good this year. I think I could point to two games, Seattle, and arguably you could point to maybe even last week's game, the loss against the Vikings, in which the special teams cost the Giants. There have been, it just seems like every other week, there's a big return being given up. Guys aren't holding their lanes. You know, something goes astray with the Giants special teams, and it's become a problem. And it's not something that gets talked about a whole lot

Starting point is 00:15:58 by, you know, the Giants media, but it's one third of the game. It really should be talked about a little bit more. Now, to be fair here in assessing the special teams, the Giants, because of injuries, they've had to pull guys that were core special teamers off of special teams towards offense and defense, which is always a problem because now you get guys who maybe haven't played it as much in the college ranks or in the pro ranks. And you got guys who basically have to learn it on the fly. And things like lane integrity and just, you know, making legal blocks and all that stuff. Now this becomes a lost art, so to speak.

Starting point is 00:16:35 And poor team act, Thomas McGehee, the special teams coordinator, you know, he always likes to use the analogy of gumbo, where you just grab whatever ingredients you can, throw it into the pot and hope that it comes out to taste good. Well, lately, it hasn't been tasting that great. So T-Max from the South, by the way, so the gumbo, hence the gumbo ref. But yeah, special teams, I think, is really going to be a key thing to watch. You know, you mentioned the Giants pass rush against the Colts offensive line. I know the Colts offensive line hasn't played well. I noticed also that Saturday made a switch.

Starting point is 00:17:15 Instead of going with Matt Ryan, who's a statue back there, going with Nick Foles, which I think is a smart move because Nick Foles can at least move around, whereas Matt Ryan's a statue back there, a sitting duck. Nick Foles, if you watched him on Monday night, you might be coming back a little bit on that one. He had a sack where he tried to scramble and he bumped into a linebacker and fell on his back. It was brutal. So it's like moving from a statue to a smaller statue. It's pretty bad. All right, fair enough.

Starting point is 00:17:47 But the point being is Nick Foles can at least move around a little bit if he needs to. Right, right. So, you know, and then I know the Colts will be without Jonathan Taylor. He's on IR. Where's their offense going to come from? Nowhere. There's not going to be any offense. I mean, again, we're looking at one of the worst offenses in the league. And honestly, I would say since

Starting point is 00:18:10 the firing of Marcus Brady and Frank Reich, it has probably been the worst offense in the entire NFL. Even in that Minnesota Vikings game where they jumped out to a 33-point lead before the half. If you look at that game, the Colts defense gifted them, I think, five possessions starting on the other side of the 50 going in, and they managed 16 points off of that. I mean, this is an atrocious offense. They have no passing game. The pass protection has been below average at best. And then they have an assistant QB coach calling plays. I mean, there was just no path for success with this offense.

Starting point is 00:18:42 And then when you take Jonathan Taylor out of the equation, honestly, I think if a defense gives up, honestly, at this point, more than 14 points to this offense, I think your defense has some major, major issues. Because I really don't see any way that this offense threatens a defense at all. I mean, there's just nothing there. So, I mean, we saw, again, on Monday night, the Chargers defense, who has been an average unit at best this year, just completely shut them down. So yeah, this should be a get right game for the Giants defense if they struggle to

Starting point is 00:19:15 play. Yeah. I'm looking at, again, the stats, situational football, the Colts are ranked 29th in third downs. They are 31st in the red zone, 27th on goal to goal. And let's see, what's their time of possession? They're averaging 16.5 points per game. They're 19th in time of possession. And then they have the 28th ranked offense, which is seven points lower than the Giants, but the Giants at least a little bit better. The Colts, 29th with interception rate. Goodness, and 28th with sacks per pass

Starting point is 00:19:54 attempt. So, gosh. That's rough. That sounds enough. You got to laugh about it, right? At this point, yeah. You can't even get mad anymore. You can't get mad about it.

Starting point is 00:20:09 It's just, it is what it is. It's a broken offense. And any kind of hope that you had for it turning around kind of falls off at like week eight, week nine. So we're just kind of chilling at this point the rest of the year. A little bit better, though, it looks like on defense. It looks like you have the 11th overall defense, the 11th passing defense 20th against the rush, which is probably not a good matchup.

Starting point is 00:20:33 If you're talking Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones against that run defense. And then again, looking at situational football seventh on third downs 30th on red in the red zone red zone 19 tied for 19th on goal to go and uh yeah they're giving up it looks like um what 23.8 points per game which is right about up in the Giants wheelhouse so you know on paper the this should be an easy one for the Giants, but it's never easy. And I've got to ask you, I mean, is there anything that the Colts can put up against the Giants that you think might cause problems for them? Just special teams and defense for the Colts. Like you said, I love that you brought the special teams point because that could really change the game.

Starting point is 00:21:23 And that's why the Colts were able to score so many points against the Minnesota Vikings. You know, the game started with Dallas Flowers, who's been one of the bright spots on the return game, probably the best offensive player that the Colts have had just because of his kick returns. He started that game with like a 60 yard return and the Colts were able to score off of that. And then the next possession, the Colts blocked the punt and returned that for a touchdown. I think this year they have two block punts and two field goal blocks, as well as all those other special teams that you said. So the only way I could see this really getting out of hand for the Giants is if they turn the ball over on offense and if the Colts special teams just has a great game. Because those are the only two units that are even NFL worthy at this point for the Colts.

Starting point is 00:22:01 So again, I don't know the state of the Giants' defense right now, but if they need a get-right game, this is the game. This is the game where they can tee off and get right and get some interceptions, get some sacks, and just have some fun out there. But yeah, the only way this could really go the Colts' way is if that defense and special teams gets after the Giants. Giants' defense hasn't been playing that badly, but they haven't really come up with the interceptions.

Starting point is 00:22:24 They've been slipping through their fingers. So hopefully, we got you. Hopefully this game gets them right on that part. But the pass rush, you know, if O'Jullary is playing the pass rush, I can't wait to see them against the Colts offensive line. I'm kind of surprised that Quinton Nelson's season has kind of been, for him. He's always historically been one of the better offensive linemen. He's a guy I wanted, actually, when he came out in the draft. And of course, the Giants went in a different direction. But yeah, just a weird type of year for the Indianapolis Colts. And coming up, we're going to give our predictions. I have a feeling I know what your prediction is going to be. We got to do it anyway, folks.

Starting point is 00:23:08 So we will be back with our predictions right after this. This crossover edition of the Locked On Giants, Locked On Colts podcast is brought to you in part by BetOnline. BetOnline is your number one source for football betting info this season. Find all the latest developments, team matchups, news, podcasts, and in-depth articles and analysis on every game. And BetOnline doesn't stop there. It's your continued source for all your sports wagering information with live betting and up-to-the-minute scores for every sport. BetOnline

Starting point is 00:23:42 is the fastest and easiest way to check in on all your favorite games and events, including NBA, NHL, MMA, boxing, and golf. Head on over to BetOnline today or use your mobile device to learn more. BetOnline, where the games start. Hey guys, I have an important message for you right now. Ever have a night where you're just hanging out with some friends and putting back a few drinks, and then suddenly a few becomes too many. And as the evening comes to a close and people start to head out, you think about calling for a ride. And then you say to yourself, nah, I don't live that far away. I can make it home. It's not a big deal. Besides, what are the odds of getting pulled over? And even so, what's the worst that can happen? My insurance will go up, I lose my license, I might lose my job, I might total my car. There might be a tragedy. Well, folks, everybody knows about the dangers of drunk driving. The results are tragic and

Starting point is 00:24:39 often deadly. And we at the Lockdown Network don't want to see anybody get into that situation. But still, despite the dangers being known, there are still people that get behind the wheel of the car and drive under the influence. That's why police officers are out there right now looking for impaired drivers on our roads to save lives. So if you think you're okay to drive after a few drinks, please think again. Play it safe and plan ahead to get a ride. It only takes one mistake to change your life or someone else's forever. Drive sober or get pulled over. All right, everybody, welcome back to the crossover edition of Locked on Giants, Locked on Colts. I'm Patricia Trainor, host of Locked On Giants. He is Zach Hicks' co-host of Locked On Colts.

Starting point is 00:25:30 He does a great job with Jake Arthur, the other half. And guys, if you want to find out everything you need to know, if you're a Giant fan, you want to find out about the Colts, check them out over on Locked On Colts. Colts fans, if you want to know more about the Giants, check my show out.

Starting point is 00:25:46 All this week we've been doing stuff, and I have shorts that I've been putting out daily, updates on the Giants and whatnot. So check out my stuff as well. Happy to have you all with us. Thank you for making us your first listen of the day or if watching on YouTube you're your first watch of the day. And Zach, it's time for predictions.

Starting point is 00:26:06 How bad is it going to be? Again, this Colts defense, they're coming out and they're trying, at least. I can't complain too much about them. It just seems like kind of late in the games, they lose their legs a little bit. And this Giants team is the exact team that you don't want that to happen against. Because Saquon Barkley in the running game, Daniel Jones and his ability to scramble and create. This is a team that you don't want to be trailing against, but the Colts don't have an offense to take a lead against this team at all. So I think it's going to be very, very similar script to last week against the Los Angeles Chargers. I'm going to say something like 23 to three Giants put this game away. I just, the Colts offense is literally nothing right now. Like,

Starting point is 00:26:45 I don't have, I think three points might be a little generous, honestly, for this Colts offense, but I'll give them, I'll give the benefit of the doubt going into this one. But yeah, 23 to three Giants. And yeah, just get closer and closer to the end of the season here for the Colts. 23 to three. Well, I don't think the Giants, I'm just looking real quick. I don't think they've held an opponent to under 10 points. No, they haven't. We got you. We got you. Wow. Wow. That's amazing. All right. You know what? I'm going to start off by saying I think this is a Giant win, but I'm going to be a little bit more generous with the Colts and what I think they're capable of doing. I don't think you're going to score just three points.

Starting point is 00:27:32 You know them better than I do, but I'm going to be a little bit more generous here. The key for the Giants, I think, is don't make mistakes. They have proven time and time again, they are not good enough to overcome the mistakes they made. They proved it last week. You know, everybody talks about, oh, you know, the walk-off field goal by the Vikings. Well, it should have never come to that because if the Giants don't fumble the ball, if there's not an interception, if the two, you know, defensive interceptions that weren't are made, you know, maybe that's a different ball game at that point. So the Giants just can't seem to come back from mistakes. That said, if they play as close as possible to a pristine game, I do think they can put up at least 27 points on this Colts team.

Starting point is 00:28:20 But I'm going to say that given the tendency of something going wrong on special teams because it's happened just about every week, given a slip up here and there on defense, I'm going to say the Colts maybe score 14 points. So I'm going to go 27-14. I want to be a little bit more generous on that. But I do think the Giants come away with the win, their first postseason playoff berth, which will be really exciting. You know the crowd's going to be absolutely pumped up and electric for that game. And yeah, it's going to be a fun game, I think. Oh yeah, yeah. And you know, I think one thing I'll leave this on is the only team that can beat the Giants this week is the Giants. The Colts are not going to beat the Giants this week. For the Colts to win this game, the Giants have to come out and beat themselves, which obviously could happen. This Colts team, you know, especially on defense and special teams, is still playing pretty hungry.

Starting point is 00:29:20 But, yeah, the Giants are the only team that can beat themselves. But, you know, the Indianapolis Colts, they have a streak to keep this week. They gave the Minnesota Vikings their division back three weeks ago. Minnesota Vikings clinched the division. Last week, the Chargers clinched their chance at the playoffs by beating the Colts. And this week, we got to help you guys get yourselves into the playoffs as well. So we're going to try to do our part. You guys just come out and do your part, and we'll get you guys into the playoffs. I just find it very interesting because I'm looking at the scores that the Colts have put up. Week 10, they put up a 25-20 win against the Raiders. And then week 15, they put up 36 points against the Vikings. But otherwise, in the weeks

Starting point is 00:30:01 around that, they've scored under 20 points. And sometimes it's like, you know, when I'm looking at it, I'm like, who are the real Colts? Is it the teams that's capable of putting up 20 plus points or the team that just struggles? Well, if you look at it, the games they put up more than 20, it was, I think it was like two times it had offensive explosions against the Raiders defense, which was a mess at that point in the season. That was Jeff Saturday's first game. And then against the Jacksonville Jaguars, I think back in week eight, where it was like a big offensive explosion.

Starting point is 00:30:32 We thought everything was fixed. Every other game, if they even scored more than 20, it's been because their defense and special teams. It has not been that offense. This offense has just been stuck in the mud. To say everything as nice as possible, they've been stuck in the mud all season. And we're past the point of thinking that this can turn around. So again, if the Giants just play controlled football, they don't turn the ball over,

Starting point is 00:30:58 they don't give up big kick returns or a blocked punt, this should be an easy, easy win for a team looking for the playoffs. But again, Colts defense and special teams, they haven't given up yet. So maybe they can make this a little bit of a dogfight on Sunday. And it's never easy for the Giants. Just once I'd like to see them dominate a team. But this year, most of their victories have been by one score or less. So it could end up being a little closer than you think. But listen, it's going to be a battle. I mean, I don't expect the Colts to come into MetLife Stadium and just half points. Yeah, I mean, it could get ugly for the Giants if they don't deliver the goods on Sunday. So it should be a fun one. It should be

Starting point is 00:31:57 a loud one for the Giants, the Colts. I don't know what to say. I feel bad, you know, being the host team and everything. I feel like I should say something more comforting to you, but I don't know what to say. You have already been way nicer than what you should be for this one, and I appreciate it. I appreciate some of the kind words you've managed to kind of say about this team. And, you know, we'll be rooting for you guys in the playoffs.

Starting point is 00:32:23 We like the Giants here in Indy. NFC team, again, the Peyton Manning, Eli Manning stuff. We always, we always love you guys. So we're going to help you guys get to the playoffs. You guys just do your part. We'll help you guys get there. And then we'll be rooting for you the rest of the way. What, what generous guests you are. And by the way, the spread, I misspoke the spread, according to our friends at BetOnline is six points. I thought it was three and a half. I guess it went up during the course of the week. So it's a six-point spread. The Giants favored the over-under 38 and a half points.

Starting point is 00:32:54 And let's see, the money line is plus 200 for the Colts, minus 240 for the Giants. So folks, take the information we've given you and do what you must with it if you're planning on betting and if you're not, you know, just depending on who you're rooting for, you know, hope it works out the way you expect it to. So, anyway, that's

Starting point is 00:33:17 going to do it for us here on this crossover edition of Locked on Giants, Locked on Colts. We appreciate you tuning in and, again again making us your first listen of the day or if watching your first, watching on YouTube your first watch of the day. For Zach Hicks, I'm Patricia Traynor.

Starting point is 00:33:34 Everybody have a great day and we will see you on our respective shows tomorrow.

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Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - Do the Indianapolis Colts Stand a Chance vs. New York Giants?

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