Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - Exclusive Interview with Indianapolis Colts Head Coach Frank Reich

Episode Date: November 8, 2021

On today's episode, we have a very special one as Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich answered some questions. From Carson Wentz, Michael Pittman Jr., Jonathan Taylor, defensive struggles, their upcoming schedule and so much more, Reich goes in-depth on so many topics.Colts fans, you won't want to miss out on this one! Make sure to subscribe to Locked On Colts and leave a 5-star review if you enjoy the content! 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. Hey guys, hope everyone is doing well. We'll start with questions and comments. Hello Frank, I was just curious. We'll start with questions and comments. Hello, Frank. I was just curious. With back-to-back opponents that have had big upsets with the teams that they played the previous weeks, like with the Jets, they had the big upset with Cincinnati, and now we just watched Jacksonville upset Buffalo.

How does that – does that make it easier for you to be able to, you know, reinforce that 1-0 mentality in the locker room to make them so that they don't, you know, overlook an opponent? I think there's a lot of – I think you're, I think you're onto something there, Lawrence, in that it's always my goal every week is to do everything I can do as the head coach to get the guys locked in on one and no approach. There's always, right, this is the NFL. We all know every week anything can happen, but that doesn't mean that when something like this does happen, that it just reinforces that message. So as a head coach, you're like, okay, good.

I know we respected this team, but there you go, right? There you go. We know we have to lock in. This can happen any week. And all we're interested in is we have to get ready to play our best game because we're on a quest to get better. And that means we've got to play our best game this week. Cody?

Frank, my question is all about Naheem Hines. Obviously, you guys, Paris Campbell a couple weeks ago went down. My question is, after Thursday night's performance, how are you guys looking to get him more involved in this offense, just getting him touches and such? Yeah, I appreciate that, Cody. Yeah, we did that a little bit this week. You know, with the receiver situation that we had, we had a package in there where Naheem was in there a little bit, a couple times out of wide receiver position and so on and so forth.

That's always going to be a week-to-week thing. It's always going to be a week-to-week thing. You know, we're always looking at ways to get Naheem involved in the offense. We do think he's a playmaker in the backfield, and from the receiver position he's a unique double threat like that. So it's going to look different week to week. And there will be some weeks that he's more involved than others. And it's kind of like if you're looking at a basketball team,

and I don't know if it's a good analogy or a bad analogy where you got your main scorers you know like we got Jonathan Taylor we got Pittman and we got Carson and in one sense those three guys are the main those are the main scorers if you will and then everybody's going to score everybody has an important role to play and Naheem is a big-time playmaker but Jonathan is the one guy in the backfield who we're trying to feed the ball. And so Naheem's always going to be involved. But he's going to be like that player who some nights he's going to score 30, you know, like he did the other night when he had the night. And then other nights he's going to score 10 and have five assists.

And if that analogy connects or makes sense in any way. Evan. Hey, Frank, thanks for doing this. Really appreciate it. Just wanted to hit on Carson for a second, because obviously he's done so well the first few months of this season. It feels like to me, I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but just looking at the way the offense has run the first few months of the season, it feels like the playbook is very much completely open with a guy with a strong arm like Carson,

very mobile. It feels like the 2018 offense kind of coming back in the form here. Is that a fair assessment? How do you feel like Carson has run your offense so far? Yes, Evan. The playbook is completely wide open. You know, it has gradually opened up week to week. Number one is he's kind of gotten more practice time,

and then as he's been healthy. And I love the direction that we're headed. I love the direction that he's headed. I think he's playing really good. He's a unique talent in that, you know, big, strong, and mobile. So we can, you know, this past, we had three plays in this past game where he was out of the pocket on the move, and we made some decent plays.

But yet he's also highly intelligent intellectually, really off the charts. And so when we need to play that game from the pocket, we can do that as well. And then he's also handling the run game really well, which is really important to us as an offense, right? I mean, the defenses are good and they make it hard on you. So we don't do a million checks in the game,

but we do a handful of checks in the game, and we need the quarterback to put us in the right position, and he does a great job with that as well. Rashad. Hello, Frank. How you doing? Thank you again for doing this. I love everything you're doing on the offensive side of the ball. The way you're mixing in the run with the pass, Jonathan Taylor getting just the right amount of touches to keep him healthy.

On the defensive side, I know there's been a couple of issues in the second half of football games. Which do you think is the best way to fix the pass coverage? Is it a better pass rush or maybe the secondary cornerbacks playing a little stickier coverage? Yeah, no, that's a good question, Rashad. And really, I think the answer is both. You know, at times we've had good pass rush and still not got it done.

And then at other times we need to get better with the pass rush. So we know there's that fine line. It always is going to be that mix. And so, you know, as we have progressed in the season, you know, in some ways I can see the progress that we're making as a defense and evolving. And then, right, it's the defense is just like the offense and our special teams unit in that there's still ways that we can get better. And obviously we've given up some yardage late. We've given up a lot of yardage late in games, you know, against some of these teams that,

you know, we don't want to do that. You know, we don't want to do that. Obviously, two out of those three times that we've done that, we've won the game and we're comfortably ahead, but still not comfortable with the amount of yards we've given up in that instance. As a head coach, I do understand that you might give up a few extra yards here and there when you're up a lot in a game. So I don't mind it a little bit, but there's that fine line. We need to play a little bit better coverage at times,

and obviously that has always helped with an increased pass rush. Michael? Hey, Frank. With Michael Pittman becoming one of the younger receivers in the league, what is your evaluation of him so far through the 2021 season yeah well um thanks Michael uh my evaluation is this guy is a beast and he is he's a unique he has a unique competitive mindset I right all of our guys are extremely competitive but he just has that little extra juice to him in that regard where you just feel like he walks out on the field like he's Superman

and like he can take on the world. And I love his work ethic. He works extremely hard. All our guys work hard, but Pitt really works hard. I love the fact that he's a beast, but he's unselfish. Like, he's unselfish. Yeah, he wants the ball, but he's a team first player. He's a real leader. He's a quiet leader. He doesn't want to talk much. You know, he's not bashful or shy in any way, but he doesn't want to be the talker. You know, he doesn't want to be the talker.

He wants to play. He wants to fight. He wants to hit somebody. And I just think he's got a unique mindset as a wide receiver. Does this sound familiar? You've got one device that lets you catch the game live, another that lets you stream your favorite shows, you're watching sports highlights on your phone, and you've got your neighbor's best friend's login for the good stuff. Well, I want to tell you about a simple way to get all that entertainment you love without the hassle and a phone, and you got your neighbor's best friends logging for the good stuff.

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That's directtv.com. Compatible device required. Content varies by package. So it's well documented that Carson is, you know, fourth different starting quarterback to start the season, but it's also, I feel like it's almost under-documented the amount of work that you've put in with the quarterbacks that you've had as opposed to the season before they came and then when they came to you with the turnovers and the interceptions

how they go from almost career highs to career lows Carson specifically going down to three interceptions I'm just curious what it is that you focus on with them, Carson specifically, to kind of focus in with that. Yeah, no, I appreciate that, Stephen. Yeah, we take a lot of pride in that. I mean, first and foremost, it's a collaborative approach, right? Yeah, I'm very involved in the process, but it starts with the player. It starts with the player's commitment to get better. And Carson walked in the door with an attitude of, I'm going to get better. And Carson came, walked in the door with an attitude of, I'm going to get better.

I want to be the quarterback that this team needs, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to do that. And so when you get a play, and I said this earlier in the year, you know, like he was really smart and using this opportunity, the change of scenery, the change of teams to really hit the reset button and to, in a sense, not start completely over, but hey, let me work on the fundamentals. Let me focus on the basics. And so that's what we've done. It's really been a collaborative approach, you know, where it's myself, it's Marcus Brady, it's Scott Milanovic, the quarterback coach, Parks Frazier, the assistant quarterback coach, you know, and even Press Taylor is involved in this. And we all, together with Carson, you know, work together on, Stephen,

the fundamentals and techniques just to become more accurate. So, right, in throwing interceptions, some of it's accuracy, a lot of it's decision-making. So we're going to get every aspect of that. It's going to be the management of the game and understanding situational football. So we, you know, we work mechanics fundamentals for the, to work supreme accuracy. We, we talk about good decision-making, you know, working through the progressions, understanding what our progression is, understanding that, Hey, we know you're a gunslinger. We want you to take deep shots, but we have to be smart too, and know when to do that

and how to do that. And he's embraced all that. Carson's taken leadership in it. Listen, the player always gets the most attention and most praise when you make this change like he's made. So it's a testament to his work ethic and his mindset to get better, and we all play a role in it. But, you know, we're halfway through the season, and I think we've made some good progress, but we've still got half the regular season to go, and we need to make sure we stay on this track and continue to get better. Matt from Bring the Juice.

Hey, Frank. Hey, Matt. My question was about the Juice. Hey, Frank. Hey, Matt. My question was about the offense. Over the last four weeks, you guys have been able to put up a lot of points. I believe it's the first since 2010 that you guys were able to put up 30 points in each of the last four games.

I was just wondering, how confident does that make you feel as you head into the second half of the season? Yeah, no, we feel like we feel good in that regard. You know, we also understand that the way it comes by is it comes by execution. It comes by basic fundamentals and technique, and we really work hard on that. And then it comes from playmakers making plays. We also understand it's complementary football. It's the defense getting turnovers and giving us a short field.

It's special teams giving us good field positions. So we're aware of all those factors. But at the end of the day, the thing that I'm proud of with the guys is, you know, we started the year off, Matt, really poor in the red zone. Like our red zone offense was really poor at the beginning of the year. And in the last few weeks, we've really been clicking down in the red zone and scoring touchdowns. And so that's been a big deal.

Andrew. Hi, Frank. Thanks again for taking the time to be here. My question is, as a play caller, how easier is it on you when you have a guy like Jonathan Taylor in the backfield? Or you can just, you know, if you need to, hand it off to him and let him do what he does best yeah I love having I think Jonathan is one of the best players in the league um you know we always we're always trying to get him the ball you know I do think there's a fine

line I mean you know it's not just as easy as say hey hand it to him I mean we're trying to put him in the best position be effective with his runs. You know, we're playing good teams. You know, we got to mix it up, run and pass. It's not a one-man show, but he is a unique talent. So, and he gives us all a lot of confidence, Andrew, right? I mean, that we know he can make things. There's two things that he can do.

He can make people miss in space, and then when he does break through, he can take it to the house. So he has that long speed to be able to do that. So we're not only trying to hand it to him, but we're trying to get him involved in the passing game, you know, and get him some touches and some yards there as well. And that being said, I do think there is something more powerful, if you will,

about getting him rushing attempts than there is pass reception. He's a powerhouse runner, and it just says something about the mentality of your team when you're able to give it to your back and have him do what he's doing right now. So we'll continue to try to work that. This will be another challenge this week against the Jaguars. Obviously a very good defense. So it'll be a good test for us again. Bilt Bar is the best tasting protein bar ever.

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and BetOnline is always where the game starts. Okay, we'll do a few more. Lawrence. Thanks again, Coach. Appreciate this. So I, my question is, it's getting pretty well known that the wide receiving core for the Indianapolis Colts from, from top to bottom is very good at run blocking. And I'm just curious, how important is that not just for run blocking, but like say in the screen game and stuff too,

for guys with that ability to get more snaps in a game. Yeah, it's huge. And I appreciate you saying that. And any attention that you can bring to our guys, our receivers who are blocking, I promise you they're amongst the best in the NFL. Just watch the tape. We're aggressive.

They work hard at it. They know we got running backs that can take it to the house. And so they feel a great responsibility to do their part, right, to set those guys free on the second and third level. So we ask a lot of our receivers in that regard. They embrace it. It started with Zach Paschal. He was kind of the originator of the whole thing as far as the attitude of this room.

But, you know, Pittman, he's right up there in it. And all of our guys are really committed to it. So – and then as you said, Lawrence, I mean, it's in the screen game as well. Those can be huge plays. So – and it's not just a physical attitude. It really is a technique. It really is playing smart football. You know, you're blocking another really good athlete in space.

So, you know, understanding the blocking another really good athlete in space. So, you know, understanding the leverage that we're trying to get on that defender. Are we trying to block his tight outside numbers, tight inside numbers, trying to block him head up? Those are all little nuances that are very important. Our guys take very seriously and do a great job. Cody? Frank, obviously starting four and five is not where you guys want to be, but you guys still have a number of games left, and there are a couple teams in that mix with five wins.

My question for you is down the stretch here in the season, what are things that you want to see as the head coach for your team that maybe you didn't do as well in the first couple games here that you want to see your team doing better to potentially make a push to the postseason? Yeah, no, great question. And one of them is the one thing I just alluded to is that we've gotten better at, but we have to continue to do it, and that's being good in the red zone

on both sides of the ball. You know, get down in the red zone, score points on offense, and then on defense play really good red zone defense when a team does get down there, force them to kick field goals. You know, we also, you know, we've done a really good job with the turnovers on both sides

and that needs to continue. But then as far as, you know, really to take it to the next, those are areas that I think we've gotten better as the year goes on. And then I think that, you know, the last area that I would just mention is, you know, we got to get better in the fourth quarter of games

and really be at our best in the fourth quarter. That's what we're going to need going down the stretch. All right, we'll go last one here. Evan? Yeah, it seems like, Frank, with Quidipe and Dio Dangbo, they had two really solid games on Thursday. Just how important is that young duo moving forward here in the second half of the season to not only get them going and gain some more confidence,

but also to help out DeForest Buckner inside as well? Yeah, really excited about these two guys. I mean, they're showing a lot of promise. Obviously, Quitty is a little bit further ahead because of Deo's injury. But both players have an immense amount of talent. What I like equally as well as their talent is their mindset. These are good teammates. These are hard workers.

These are guys that we think can be a big factor for us for a long period of time. And, you know, they both – you know, even Quitty's kind of fought a little bit of injury here and there. But every rep that they get right now is just like they're growing leaps and bounds with learning on the job, as you will, you know, the nuances of playing, you know, in this league against this caliber of opponent every week and what we do schematically. So really excited about their continued progress.