Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - HEALTHY: Indianapolis Colts' First Injury Report Incredibly ENCOURAGING | Bold Predictions Revisited

Starting point is 00:00:00 The Indianapolis Colts have released their first injury report of the 2025 season, and this is probably the best it's ever going to look. Let's get to it. You are Locked-on Colts, your daily Indianapolis Colts podcast. Part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day. Thank you all for tuning in and making us your first, listen of the day. This daily podcast covering your Indianapolis Colts, part of the locked on podcast network, your team every single day. This episode is brought you by Mazda. There's

Starting point is 00:00:38 nothing more to every player. There's been dedication, more attention to detail. There's more to a Mazda vehicle. Stay tuned later in the episode for highlights in this week's moving the game forward. Hello, my name is Zach Hickshaw, resident film nerd of horseshoe.com and my partner, Jake Arthur, is our credential boots on the ground for the site. Today, guys, we're going to be diving into the Colts first injure report, which, you know, it feels so good because there's just very little on there. It's perfect, guys. My favorite injury report of the season is always the week one injury report. It's all downhill from here. We're going to talk about that here to kick off the show. And then we're going to dive into some bold predictions

Starting point is 00:01:15 that Jake and I did back on July 15th. So we did this a little over a month ago. We're going to see how well they've even aged just from July 15th to now and also kind of give our buy or sell on those predictions still heading into this upcoming season. But Jake, let's first start with this injury report for the Colts. Only one name on there. Limited participant was running back Tyler Goodson with his elbow injury. Honestly, if you told me when that injury happened, that he would be a limited participant in week one before the first game, I would have called you crazy.

Starting point is 00:01:49 I thought he broke something in that elbow when it happened in that preseason game. So very good news on Goodson. and the biggest thing here is the omission of so many notable names for the Colts where Nick Cross was dealing with a hit pointer the last couple weeks. He is not on this list. Josh Downs was banged up recently. He's not on this list. Samson Abucom with the back injury, not on this list.

Starting point is 00:02:12 The Colts are getting healthy going into this week one game. And, you know, there's still no Hunter Waller. There's still no Justin Wally. Those guys are not returning this year. But aside from those couple injuries that we got in, training camp that knocked guys out for the whole year, this team is getting healthy before week one, which is nice because if you looked at the, you know, where people were with projecting the health of this team going into week one, maybe two weeks ago, there was a lot

Starting point is 00:02:38 of concern with how many veterans were banged up. Yeah, absolutely. Like you said, this is all about who wasn't on the list. There's so many key guys on there. And again, Goodson, even if he was not participating, you could live with that, you know. And, and, And, I mean, he was out there for the team portions, like the individual and like special teams portions of it. I'm guessing just not like the 11 on 11. So the good news is also he didn't have like that big gaudy brace on his arm. It was just like kind of a couple sleeves on there. So he would he looked pretty good.

Starting point is 00:03:13 Yeah, Josh Downs. That's someone that's critical to your success. Braden Smith. That was good. That's a guy that's been banged up. Even a couple guys that didn't include on our list like Quitty Pay and Alec Pierce both had issues later in camp. Ebbecom Cross Jones. So yeah, this is, this is great to see because when you look at it on the flip side with Miami, theirs is huge already, which we already knew, but just seeing it from

Starting point is 00:03:36 week one, like you haven't played a game yet, but you've got a laundry list of injuries already. I'm going to give the edge to the Colts in the health department. But yeah, this is this very, very encouraging. Again, no excuses right now. Again, there's two, there's two more days. happen, but I'm encouraged for sure. Yeah, because I think, again, we were looking at this like a week, week and a half ago. We were thinking maybe Rodney Thomas would be making a start in this game because Nick Cross hadn't practiced in two weeks. And then the big one who you mentioned, who I failed to mention there, was Jalen Jones, who it doesn't appear like he's actually a starter right now on the depth chart because Xavier Howard is listed as a starter alongside Harrius Ward. But we do expect

Starting point is 00:04:20 Jaylon Jones to get some run in this game. I don't think he's just going to be on the bench the entire outing but still just having that weapon back for your defense is a big part of this so i mean jake like you said the edges to the colts here but now that you think that this team is going to be pretty much full capacity like does that make you feel even better going into this first game i do um again it's this is a very close matchup but at least the colts aren't hamstrung you know no pun intended by their health because again let's go over miami's real quick guys who didn't participate today darren waller jalen right we knew that one and then Ethan bonner storm duck and ifiatu melifuanu a couple guys from their secondary they were full participants so they're

Starting point is 00:05:08 probably fine and then some heavy hitters here limited devon a chan with a calf tyreek hill oblique and calf austin jackson tow and ashton davis calf that's all starters right there so Yeah, it's, I don't know. I do feel better about this, again, because schematically, I like Lou Anirumo. It gives me a little more confidence than it would have with Gus Bradley. Because, I mean, last year, the matchup was ugly, ugly that the Colts won. But that also was no Tua, and the Colts were able to shut down Tyree Kill and Jalen Waddle. But I feel better about this one.

Starting point is 00:05:46 What about you? Yeah, I will say, if we actually look back to that Miami matchup from last year, there was no Tua. on the Dolphins side. But the Colts, I believe, were without Jonathan Taylor. And they were without E.J. Speed, I believe, in that game. And then J. Carlis, who filled in for E.J. Speed left the game in the first quarter. So it was the Grant Stewart show after that. There were a lot of injuries on both sides for both these teams.

Starting point is 00:06:08 And even though the dolphins have this long, like, again, laundry list of injuries right now, it looks like Aachan is going to play in this game. Tyrake Hill should play in this game. Austin Jackson should. Ashton Davis. In Storm Duck, one of my favorite players in football, mainly because the name, but even a guy that I liked back as a prospect back in the day, he started a lot of games for them last year. And I thought he had a pretty solid rookie season from everything I saw.

Starting point is 00:06:31 So really the only guys were looking at as like legit in question if they're going to play are Jalen Wright, who we don't think is going to play in week one at running back. Darren Waller, they're starting tight end, potentially doesn't play. And then Ethan Bonner, look, Ethan Bonner is a conversion, a wide receiver convert to corner over the last couple years. I'm not saying he's the best player in the world right now, but with the state of their secondary, they need bodies at corner. And any guy who's down at corner for them could be pretty rough.

Starting point is 00:07:00 So, yeah, I mean, I think even being down Bonner, potentially Waller, and then Jalen Wright as well, is a pretty big blow to this Dolphins team where in week one, when you don't really know the team you're facing every year is a new year, every team is different. Being down anybody as significant is pretty concerning. So, yeah, I mean, the Colts, I think, have a little bit of the edge here for sure.

Starting point is 00:07:21 when it comes to the injury list and just when it comes to the health of their roster and having the full arsenal of players, we'll see if that ultimately makes the difference here on Sunday. Yeah, because the thing here is, I was very curious how this would look if you shifted it to where, let's say, Ebukon was out and you had to put a heavy workload on JTumaloau and Tyquan Lewis. Cross was going to be the big one as well because you've had so many injuries there was what going to be daniel scott getting out there a little bit josh downs obviously that's i wish for once this guy for his own good could like get through an entire summer healthy uh but i mean he was out there today i didn't see him lymph in or anything uh but you would have

Starting point is 00:08:06 had to throw more on a d mitchell in the slot or anthony gould so this is i don't want there to be any excuses by the end of the year or even by the end of this game if they were to lose you know I mean. I want to see full health. And if things just don't look good at the end of the year, I don't want it to be because of injuries. You know, like, you never want to give that, like, what if there. So injury reports looking good, everybody. Zach and I are our preseason bold predictions looking good. Let's check in on those here in just a moment. This is Mazda's moving the game forward, brought to you by those who believe it's not just about playing the game. it's about redefining it because these moments do more than when they push what's possible they remind us to go that

Starting point is 00:08:54 extra yard shift into that extra gear and keep moving the game forward we've all been there before whether you've been in the stadium or just watching it at home there's a game on and the colts are pushing they're pushing they're pushing let's get back to the patriots and the jets those high vibes never do you feel more optimistic than when your team puts together a nice fourth quarter comeback that Patriots won for what it's worth when the Colts had to have it. They had a short passing touchdown in the low red zone and then a two point conversion. I started to feel very, very optimistic after that, as I'm sure all you did as well. And that's what keeps fans and players alike moving forward, always chasing that next great moment. When you follow what moves you, the unexpected is the only the beginning. And just like there's more to every highlight, there's more to a Mazda vehicle. Mazda, move and be moved. When the opening whistle blows on a new repair, get your crew moving forward with Supply House. Order today and see parts on your doorstep tomorrow. Over 280,000 plumbing, HVAC, and electrical items from the most trusted brands in the biz.

Starting point is 00:10:02 Their real-time inventory and honest lead times keep you from punting projects while their industry-leading customer service always has your blindside covered. If you need parts fast for a project and Supply House has next day delivery, you can talk about a game changer there. The part finder tools and the 3D schematics can save you hours on jobs when every detail matters. During the free Trademaster program today and score serious perks like priority shipping, lower prices, and a dedicated support line. Visit Supplyhouse.com to sign up for free and use promo code SHNFL5 for 5% off of your first order. That's Supplyhouse.com, real people, real service. all right welcome back every dayers we are now revisiting our nights i'm sure totally accurate bold predictions that zach and i had back in mid-july so zach this one my first one we'll start

Starting point is 00:11:00 with this one blew you away you did not like this one whatsoever and i'm i'm standing by it here there are two curses that are going to fall this year week one one. The Colts haven't won week one since 2013 when Terrell Pryor was a quarterback and in the league and with the Raiders. It's been that long. And the Jacksonville curse, they're both going to fall this year. The Colts in week 14 this season will go down to Trevor Bank Stadium and they will get a W and they're going to win on Sunday against Miami. Who knew that Daniel Jones would be the curse breaker here? He is the witch doctor. He is the one that is going to heal all. wins, Zach. What do you think? Look, I would absolutely love it. But Jake, and I've been covering

Starting point is 00:11:46 this team for nearly a decade at this point. I've been here since 2018. We're going into what the 2025 season, 2026 draft is right around the corner. So I guess like what, seven, eight years, I've been covering this team. And I've never seen either of these two things happen. So you making this prediction is like, again, you're predicting two once in a lifetime events to happen in the same year. The odds are way against you here, buddy, when it comes to both of these happening. And I know I'm playing up the hyperbolic bit here a little bit, but, you know, realistically talking, I think the Colts do have a good chance to break these curses. They're not the craziest curses.

Starting point is 00:12:21 We're talking about winning a week one game against Miami team that is what a fringe playoff team this year, if they get things right on offense. And you're at home. It's the Jim Ursay tribute game. Like, they need to win this one. And then winning in Jacksonville. Look, the crazy thing about that curse is it's not that Jacksonville has been this like Patriots dynasty over the course of this entire curse.

Starting point is 00:12:45 Actually, it's more the other way. They've been closer to the Browns dynasty than the Patriots dynasty of not being a good team over the past whatever 10 years it's been since they've won in Jacksonville, but they can never get it done. So logistically, Jake, it should be something that's capable of being done, breaking both of these curses. It's just it's been so long for both of them. I think what the week one curse is like 16 years now, right?

Starting point is 00:13:10 it's it's quite a few quite a few years on there i think the jackson one's only like 12 years whatever whatever 2013 is i'm not good at math okay so it's not that i thought it was 2009 was it but still like it's it's such a crazy long curse for both of these uh again in my time covering the colts i've never seen either of these accomplished heck the two most successful years i've covered in indianapolis uh the andrew luck season in 2018 they got shut out in jacksonville along with losing that week one game and then the philip river season where they won a 11 games that year. Guess what happened in week one against what,

Starting point is 00:13:43 a one win Jacksonville team? They lost in week one on the road to Jacksonville, had both those curses extended to a one-win team because Gardner Minchew went crazy in that game against Mattiever Flute. So yeah, I've never seen these curses broken or just, I've never seen anything on the contrary with these two.

Starting point is 00:14:01 But on paper, they should be pretty feasible to beat this year. It's just they got to get over the hump eventually. So hopefully this is the year. And like you said, Maybe Daniel Jones is the magic, which leads us into our next bowl prediction that you made, which is Daniel Jones will win the starting quarterback job, make the playoffs, and win comeback player of the year.

Starting point is 00:14:21 So you have one of three done right there. You got two more to go, buddy. How are you feeling about this one? Yeah, so it was crazy. I was watching that episode back to gather all of our bold predictions from that one. I kind of scared myself there for a second, and I almost clipped one thing I said. I said, Shane Steichen is going to pick the quarterback who he best feels can operate the offense. And I was like, wait a minute, that's like verbatim, something he has said, like, every time we've spoken to him since he announced the winner.

Starting point is 00:14:50 So, yeah, one of three so far, I'm still optimistic they can make the playoffs. Like, it's not, I'm not going to say it's like a higher than 50% chance, but like it's very possible. Like, I will not be surprised if they make the playoffs. All they need is reasonable quarterback play, I would, I would think. comeback player of the year is a little rich not going to lie either there's some other there's some other participants around the league who are probably going to make a pretty strong case for that but i mean crazier things have happened i mean he already won the starting job if the colts make the playoffs and he's not if they're not like winning in spite of him then he's probably

Starting point is 00:15:27 going to be in the discussion i would think oh yeah no i think comeback player of the year award you can mostly summarize that award by which player went against us as writers in our expectations. And what are the writers expecting? I mean, heck, what have we even been expecting on this podcast a lot of this all season is Jones is going to be kind of just Daniel Jones this year? So if he can come out and get close to his 22 numbers, if he can maybe surpass those 22 numbers, especially as a passer, and get this Colts team in the playoffs, the team that's missed the playoffs for, you know, since 2021 or since 2020, You know, I think he has a really good shot of winning comeback player of the year. So again, you got one of the three down.

Starting point is 00:16:08 I think if he gets the second one, the third one's pretty much in reach for Daniel Jones. Where, like, I think if you make the playoffs with his team, as long as he's not like holding the team back when they make the playoffs, which I'm assuming if they do make the playoffs, he's not holding them back, then yeah, I think he has a great chance for comeback player of your award. Because if you look at ESPN, you look at the ringer and all these sites that have votes on awards like that, None of them are high on Daniel Jones. So if he leads them into the playoffs, they're going to totally put him his comeback player at the year. That's just how that award works.

Starting point is 00:16:41 You know, how did Joe Flacco win it over DeMar Hamlin? Because everyone counted him out as being an NFL player still. And he came back and got them in the playoffs. So, yeah, I think Daniel Jones, if the Colts make the playoffs this year, as long as he, you know, is like a 20 touchdown, 5 to 7 interception guy,

Starting point is 00:16:58 throws for high 3,000s, low 4,000s and yards, I think he's got comeback play the year pretty locked up. Yeah, because I don't think he's going to be a guy that throws for 4,500 and 30 touchdowns. I think that might be unreasonable. That's just not the type of player he's been. And that would be asking too much to see that much of a change in him. But like, if he is quarterbacking a winning team when he has been cast out of the league, essentially as people considering him like a feasible starter,

Starting point is 00:17:30 I think he'll be in the discussion. So let's move on to this now. one for you, which we, we talked about at the time, the path to get there is actually a lot easier than you think, but you've got Josh Downs as a hundred catch thousand yard receiver this year. Yes, this is one of my bolder ones because 100 catches is quite a lot. I even acknowledged, I think, on that episode that would put him in like the top 15 and catches in the NFL. And that is quite a bit. He'd really just be the focal point at the offense. But, you know, even if it's like a 90 catch season, I totally see the 1,000.

Starting point is 00:18:02 yards for Josh Downs as long as he stays healthy, but especially because Daniel Jones was named the starting quarterback. You know, with Anthony Richardson, Downs did get his targets, but they were more vertical options for a slot guy and a lot more inconsistency there. Daniel Jones wants to get the ball out quick. He's had good rapport in the past with slot receivers like Wondell Robinson and with who was the other guy that Richie James. Richie James was the one in 2022 draft Twitter darling back in the day. He's had good rapport with those guys. And I think Downs is on another level from those guys. Then you factor in the RPO game where you're going to have quick hitters to Downs. You factor in the empty personnel sets where you're going to have Downs running these option

Starting point is 00:18:44 routes just to get those yards after catch and those whip routes out in space. I think Downs and Daniel Jones are going to have really good chemistry this year. And I fully believe he can hit a thousand yards. As long as he stays healthy and Daniel Jones looks closer to the 2020 version of himself or maybe even his rookie year version, at least as a passer, not with the turnovers as his rookie year. I think that Josh Downs has a really good shot of hitting a thousand yards. And to put my money where my mouth is, I drafted him in both of my fantasy leagues. You know, I went out and targeted Josh Downs.

Starting point is 00:19:14 So if you guys don't, if you guys don't think I'm like being genuine here, I totally drafted Josh Towns in both my fantasy leagues, not saying I'm a great fantasy football player, but I have full belief in Josh Downs in this offense with a quarterback who, again, we saw Downs have a really good success with Gardner Minchu early in the season before Downs hit that rookie wall. I think Jones can give you that similar production that Minchew gave Josh Downs early in that season. Yeah, I think if this was last year, I'd be really on board with him hitting it. Like if all the things were the same as last year, but with Jones, the problem I have now is you've got a healthy Michael Pittman Jr. and you've added Tyler Warren into the mix. And a, a

Starting point is 00:19:58 let's say a steady quarterback situation with Jones where he's going to distribute the ball relatively evenly. I do think downs is going to be the leader in receptions and maybe even yards as well. I just think both, hitting both is going to be pretty tough. Again, there's just a lot of mouths to feed. I'll say he gets one, though. I'll say he gets the yardage, especially since he can create after the catch. He's a guy that turns three, four, five yard, little outrouts into seven,

Starting point is 00:20:28 nine-yard gains, you know, or longer. How many times have we seen him, like, walk the tightrope up the sideline, you know? So he's the guy that can certainly do it. And I don't think he won't do it because of him. I think both won't happen just because there's just too much. The ball has to get distributed too much. Yeah, and I believe I said the numbers back on the episode, so you guys can go back and correct me, but I believe all he has to do to hit both these numbers is have, I think,

Starting point is 00:20:53 2.5 more catches per game than his career averages and, like, six more receiving yards per game than his career averages and that'll get him to both of these marks again those factor in that he's missed games with injuries that's why it's like i'm going by per game averages here uh but i think it's pretty feasible with a more accurate quarterback coming in but like you said a lot more mouse to feed and one of those mouths to feed is tyler warren so coming up in our final segment continuing this talk on our bold predictions back from july jake had a big one on the colts rookie tight end that i remember we we didn't argue too much about but we did have a little bit of a discussion back on that episode, Jake.

Starting point is 00:21:32 This episode is presented by Yahoo! Fantasy. The NFL season is right around the corner, and you can feel the buzz. Fantasy football season is here. Everyone's researching, drafting, and building their championship squads. And if you haven't joined a league yet, you've got limited time because the season starts this week, but it's all happening over on Yahoo! Fantasy. This year, Zach and I are both playing fantasy football on Yahoo! And you should, too, whether you're a first-timer or a vet-making, your

Starting point is 00:21:58 millionth league. With the season kickoff on September 4th, now is the time to start playing Yahoo Fantasy football, which offers so many fun ways to compete. Want more ways to play? Try the brand new Yahoo Fantasy Guillotine League mode, where the lowest scoring team gets eliminated weekly until one team is left standing. If you want to play instantly with friends, then try the new draft mode with friends. The NFL season kicks off September 4th, so don't wait, start your league now. Draft now at Yahoo! Fantasy.com slash locked on NFL. That's Yahoo! dot com slash locked on NFL all right in the NFL season it is practically here i mean it's week one and we got football on Thursday and fandle is making sure that you're ready for kickoff with a

Starting point is 00:22:40 can't miss offer right now new customers can bet just five bucks and if your bet wins you'll get $300 in bonus bets to use across the app i personally love using fandwell because it fits just however you like to bet player props building a same game parlay or even jumping in live as the action unfolds. It makes every game more exciting, whether you're watching your team or just keeping an eye on your fantasy lineup. If you got no dog in the fight, it gives you a dog in the fight. Makes things a little juicier. Quick, easy, and the best way to add a little more energy to your Sundays. So, are you ready to play? Download the Fandall app now by visiting fandle.com to get started. That's fendl.com to place your first $5 bet. All right, welcome back to everybody. We are revisiting

Starting point is 00:23:24 some of our pre-season bold predictions. And Zach teased you a little bit with the Tyler Warren of it all there at the end of that last segment. So let's lead off with that one. I said that Tyler Warren was going to be the first Colt to have 10 plus receiving touchdowns since Eric Ebron did it in 2018. And Zach pushed back a little bit on that one. Why?

Starting point is 00:23:44 Why? Are we fighting now? We're trying to do that, that vine or whatever? The why? Why? I see what you're trying to do there. Why? That's basically what that was.

Starting point is 00:23:52 But, yeah, I think if I remember correctly, I pushed back only on the fact that it's going to be receiving touchdowns for Tyler Warren. I think he could hit 10 total touchdowns this year because I'm expecting him to have some rushing attempts within the five-yard line this year. Maybe a one or two pass attempts. We saw Ad.D. Mitchell have like four pass attempts last year. So I could certainly see Tyler Warren. That number creeps up every time you mention it. The number gets higher than. Yeah, 80 Mitchell is going to have 20 pass attempts by the end of the off season here.

Starting point is 00:24:20 But yeah, Tyler Warren, I think he's going to get. get a couple pass attempts maybe in the red zone just to mix some things up so i could totally see 10 total touchdowns for him i think just the 10 plus receiving touchdowns is a good bit and i think part of that is look i i know if we look back on daniel jones's time with the the new york giants it's hard to fully project that because of the difference in weapons and the difference in scheme here but jones has never really been like a high total touchdown like passing touchdown guy in his NFL career and i don't i don't expect him to jump up into like the third this year in terms of passing touchdowns.

Starting point is 00:24:55 I think it'll probably be like low 20s. You know, high teens will be a little bit low, but I think like low 20s is more realistic for him. So I don't know if there's going to be just enough touchdowns to go around to get Warren 10 receiving touchdowns. But who knows, maybe he has that connection like Eric Ebron had with Andrew Luck, where every time they got in the red zone, it was a perfect dot to Eric Ebron. Maybe Daniel Jones has that with Warren.

Starting point is 00:25:19 So I don't think this is the crazier one. I think we're going to have two kind of crazy ones in this final segment, or not crazy, but two a little bit more outlandish ones. I think this one's more than normal one that we have here, where I could totally see this happening with a little bit of what we call in hockey puck luck or ball luck in the NFL. I could totally see that happening with Tyler Warren this year. Yeah, I think so.

Starting point is 00:25:42 And I agree with you. Like he's going to have some multi-dimensional touchdowns. Like he'll probably have at least one or two more as a rush or. or pat sir but no i still stick by i'm saying i'm saying 10 receiving which god i guess would give them what 12 or 13 total i can't back down now i mean 10 of the of them total i think it's not a certainty but like pretty good chance but yeah i'm sticking with it so let's see let's let's let's go back to one of yours i like this one let's go back to quarterback a little bit you said that our boy smiley riley winner was going to start more than one game

Starting point is 00:26:21 but it would be because of injuries. Yeah, this was mostly because of injuries. I mean, again, if we're looking at Anthony Richardson's injury history, he's missed over 50% of his potential career starts, purely due to injuries. This isn't counting the benching times. And then if we look at Daniel Jones, again, excluding benchings in times that he was pulled out of the starting lineup, he's missed roughly 23% of his NFL starts, mainly due to that ACL injury and then the couple neck injuries as well limited him quite a bit

Starting point is 00:26:48 the last couple years. So these two quarterbacks had missed a lot of time, and we've seen with Shane Stike, and he's not afraid to run his quarterbacks in the QB run game. So I'm not obviously trying to be excited about quarterbacks getting hurt. The last thing I'd ever want is a Colts quarterback to get hurt. I'm trying to be very genuine there. I know I have a sarcastic sounding voice, very genuine here. I do not want a Colts quarterback to get hurt.

Starting point is 00:27:09 But I remember when I made this prediction, it was like, look, we have two quarterbacks with pretty big injury histories in the NFL. So Riley Leonard more than one game started this year. Honestly, Jake, I don't think any of these have aged terribly. Like, I'm glad that I didn't have any like Justin Wallie, working at the year ones back because that would have broke my heart looking at this. But, you know, I think that one's a little bit more outlandish. And this next one by you is probably one of our more outlandish ones.

Starting point is 00:27:36 And it's Jonathan Taylor leading the NFL in rushing yards. Not because Taylor's a bad running back or anything. It's just Derek Henry's, Derek Henry. He's not human at this point. So he'll probably be up there. Seyquan Barclay's coming off a 2,000-yard rushing season, and then two younger players in Jemir Gibbs and Bejohn Robinson are both looking like they're on the cusp of having such a monster seasons

Starting point is 00:27:57 that I think it's going to be tough for Taylor to get up there. But, you know, I think Taylor could be in like the top six or seven. I think one is a little bit much for me, but like top six or seven, top four like he was last year, could totally see that from him. Christian McHapry watching our show intently feeling very disrespected by Zach. Okay, noted. But no, I, yeah, I mean, he's done it before, and I realize that was, what, like four years ago at this point? Which is a decade in running back years.

Starting point is 00:28:24 That's a long time in running back years. For sure. I think all he's got to do, though, is stay healthy this year. So 1,400 yards last year while missing three games, he would have finished, like, third, I think, only behind Barclay and Henry. Bejohn Robinson finished just above him. but without missing those three games, he pretty, pretty, I don't want to say easily, but he would have been third. So I don't want to use this argument for Henry because it also kind of pertains to Taylor,

Starting point is 00:28:57 but, you know, with the father time waits for no man because it's, I mean, Taylor's only going to be like 27 when the season ends, but like he's got a lot of wear and tear, as does Henry, but I think this offense is just going to run a lot through Jonathan Taylor, and he's perhaps going to touch the ball more than he did last year. Now, he does have more to split the carries with, like DJ Giddens and Tyler Goodson and Khalil Herbert, like those guys are probably all going to see the field. But as far as we know, like Jonathan Taylor, when he's healthy and he's on the field, he dominates the backfield.

Starting point is 00:29:36 Shane Steichen previously to Indianapolis has always kind of had a platoon, but he's never really had the workhorse like Jonathan Taylor before either. So is he going to lead the league in rushing? Probably not. But like I still think he'll finish top five, which means that number one isn't out of the realm of possibilities. Yeah. I mean, look, these are bold predictions.

Starting point is 00:29:57 We weren't going to be too passive with these. But I will say, I'd almost just add an add an addendum to that where like I don't want him to leave the NFL in rushing unless it's on a crazy yards per carry. Like I don't want him to average 4.4 yards per carry and leave the NFL on rushing because that means he got like four. 400 carries. That's too much. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:30:14 Right, right. So I'm hoping if he does get up there, it's on fewer carries. The Colts in the last, like, eight games last year just only fed him the ball. I think he led the NFL and carries over the last eight games of the year last year, produced big time. But again, he's not young in terms of running back years at this point. Our last one, though, is me getting up and running around for a victory lap already on a bold prediction. It's not over yet. It's obviously not over yet.

Starting point is 00:30:39 And a lot of things can change. but I had a very bold prediction for the time. It doesn't feel bold right now. But on July 15th, the Colts went out and signed a veteran linebacker to come in here and fill out the back end of their depth chart. And I boldly predicted that veteran linebacker will start. And I even said in the clip, I went back and watched it, that don't be surprised if he starts week one.

Starting point is 00:30:59 And that is Joe Bachi, the star of our show, Jake. We're going to have locked on Joe Bachi this offseason. But I had Joe Bachi getting the second most linebacker snaps. And again, this was bold at the time. I remember Ben Solac even laughing at me on the show when I said that when we had Ben Solac on here. And that's aged like a fine wine. We don't get many of these bold predictions hitting Jake. And I think some of these are actually looking pretty good right now.

Starting point is 00:31:22 But this one, this is the best we've ever had a bold prediction age on this show. So it's a minor win for me. But I need to take them where I get them, guys. Like bold predictions are hard to hit. And again, if you asked anyone on July 15th, if Joe Bachi was going to start for the Colts, you would have said, who is that? Who is that guy? But the 27-year-old career special teamer with 222 career snaps on defense to this point

Starting point is 00:31:47 is likely going to be the Colts second leading snap getter in the linebacker room. In case, unless something goes wrong, and by the time you guys are watching this episode, on my YouTube channel, my personal YouTube channel, I did a film breakdown of Joe Botchi on how good of a preseason he had. So it's not like he was just given this job. He earned it. He had a great camp, a great summer, great preseason. And I think he looks a lot like Anthony Walker did in early in his career.

Starting point is 00:32:13 And I'm excited to see what Joe Bachi looks like this year. But, you know, we had to include this one in here. I feel like we only did this episode, Jake, just so I could take this victory lap of the 33-minute mark or 32-minute mark here on the podcast. This is clearly what we did this episode for. Well, so you tweeted about that the other day. And then I was like, you know what? I said that Daniel was going to win the starting job.

Starting point is 00:32:34 But let's go ahead and let's take those victory laps. But obviously it was a good idea for us to revisit things, you know, several weeks later and see where we kind of stand on those things. But, yeah, I mean, you're halfway there on that one. Bachi is now on the depth chart as the starter opposite of Sire Franklin. He's probably going to get the second most snaps. You know, Hunter Woller has been eliminated from that conversation. Jalen Carlis is on IR right now. So as long as Bocci stays healthy, shooting, I mean, he might get the most snaps.

Starting point is 00:33:06 we'll see. I mean, Zaire has to stay healthy as well. So, yeah, I think you kind of got to lay up with that one now. But Bachi's probably going to get the second most steps, one whitebacker. But you're also right. I mean, he earned that starting role. He was the most impactful linebacker, one of the most impactful defenders overall throughout the entirety of the summer training camp and preseason. So he got that based on merit for sure. Yeah, and a couple addems as well to this, which I guess that's my word of the day today is the word addendum, trying to add some big words here. But I said this when Jalen Carlis was healthy. So again, don't, don't come after me saying that Carlize was hurting. Obviously, somebody had to take the role. And I also even said

Starting point is 00:33:47 in there, like, that Carlize's injury history is a factor in this. And that's why I was making that prediction. So yeah, Joe Batchie is proving me righter than I even thought I would be back thing. Not like I believed in Joe Batchie back then. I barely knew of him back then as well, outside of him being the Michigan State guy who I enjoyed watching back in like 2019 but I'm glad he's come in and proven all of us wrong and honestly like the biggest hater of the lineback room all offseason is my co-host right here

Starting point is 00:34:16 and whose praises was he singing throughout the whole offseason? Joe Botchy. So Joe Botchy won us over this offseason. I'm hoping it carries through into the regular season. Really enjoyed his run defense. I think his run defense can be a big asset. And I think his past defense. is pretty solid as well.

Starting point is 00:34:34 So I'm excited for Joe Bocci this weekend. That's one guy. I'm really pumped about watching. But guys, that is all we have for today. Last week, you guys got the AFC South preview, and it's not too late to binge every locked on division preview. Be the most informed NFL fan in an eight episode series, bringing you every division winner, breakout star,

Starting point is 00:34:52 and Super Bowl contender. Find the link in the description to Lockdown NFL playlist on YouTube or the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every single day. And if you guys want to become a Lockdown Colts Insider and chat those directly and get that insider scoot follow the link in our show notes and if you don't already make sure you're following at locked on colds at jake arthur nifel and at zack hicks too all on socials also subscribe to us on

Starting point is 00:35:11 youtube i relist your podcast we love your guys brings reviews and we'll catch you guys back here tomorrow for cross over thursday

Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - HEALTHY: Indianapolis Colts' First Injury Report Incredibly ENCOURAGING | Bold Predictions Revisited

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.