Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: Daniel Jones Still the Real Deal Despite Rocky Performance vs. LA Rams

Starting point is 00:00:00 The Indianapolis Colts may have lost this weekend in L.A., but there's still a lot to be encouraged about with this team going forward. 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 is your daily podcast covering your Indianapolis Colts, part of the locked on podcast network, your team every single day. Hello, everyone. My name is Zach Hickshaw, your resident film nerd of horseshoe huddle.com.

Starting point is 00:00:39 And my partner in crime, Jake Arthur, is the credentialed crocs on the ground for roundtable sports. Sorry, guys, it's Monday. I barely have a voice right now. We're going to get to you guys, our typical Monday show breakdown, talk about Daniel Jones and the biggest storylines, talk about the offense, talk about the defense, and go through this Rams game one final time before we move on to the Las Vegas Raiders and the rest of this week here. But starting off with Daniel Jones, Jake, you know, I know he's not the biggest storyline after this game because there's so many other things to talk about. But, you know, Daniel Jones finally had his comeback to Earth type of game for the Colts. And it wasn't a bad game by any means

Starting point is 00:01:20 for him. He went 24 of 33, completed 72% of his passes for 262 yards at 7.9 yards per attempt, which is still pretty solid. A touchdown, two picks, took two sacks in this game. So it definitely was a big step down from what he had done in previous weeks, but I still don't think it was like an atrocious game that we saw from him. It might have even been a little bit better than some of the stats would say here. But what were your thoughts on Jones watching live on Sunday and then maybe on rewatch as well?

Starting point is 00:01:51 Yeah, it's, if you can, I think you can really live with your worst game of the season so far. being over 70% completions and your YPA being 7.9. You know, that's his worst YPA of the year so far. The first time he hasn't been over nine. And also the first time he hasn't had a 100 quarterback rating. But yeah,

Starting point is 00:02:11 I mean, we anticipated there would be lower games on the schedule. But I didn't even really feel like this was a bad game from Daniel. I thought overall it was pretty decent, but there were some rough moments in there. The two interceptions,

Starting point is 00:02:28 I really wasn't a fan of either of them. You know, not all interceptions are necessarily made equal. Some are a little more excusable than others. I didn't think it was really necessary. Like the first one throwing to A.D. Mitchell on the first drive just should have been a better throw. Like, I don't think the decision was necessarily bad. But the one in the final moments there, I think he probably was pressing too hard and was going for something that just wasn't there. but if you take those away I was I still felt pretty good about his day and he was under duress a lot of the time like even though the Denver game they had like kind of a ferocious pass rush this game we knew this was like a team oriented team based group pass rush and it seemed that way I hardly felt like there was ever just one guy coming free it felt like there was two or three coming from different directions like that that defense knows how to get after it and

Starting point is 00:03:25 Jones, I mean, he's able to escape pressure, but more times than ever, he just had to let the ball rip while he was getting crushed or falling down to the turf, you know what I mean? So all things considered, I think it was a decent performance that Colts could have won with, like they still should have won the game. His interceptions, I do feel, were detrimental. Like, they weren't, again, they weren't necessary, but they could have won with his performance for sure. Yeah, I think the biggest thing with Daniel Jones is, look, he's a limited quarterback. He's not a super talented, like Josh Allen level talent back there. So there are limitations in what he brings. And the biggest limitation throughout this first month has been that deep ball.

Starting point is 00:04:06 Now, he completed a handful of these deep opportunities in the first three games because Alec Pierce is one of the best 50-50 ball guys. And then there have been just a lot of wide open shots down the field. But when you take Alec Pierce out of the equation, when the shots down the field aren't as open, you can really see the limitations on the arm talent. And that's where I think he really falls short of like being the perfect quarterback in a lot of ways. But overall, if I had to grade this game for Daniel Jones, you know, you give him like

Starting point is 00:04:35 a C plus, a B minus probably. Like it wasn't the end of the world bad game. It wasn't a perfect game either. But for the most part, I think, you know, he's a guy who operates as well as the scheme is going to give him, you know. So when you have a game where guys aren't as a. because the Rams are sitting back in zone coverage and their front four is just getting after it in the pass rush and you're leaning on screens a little bit too much.

Starting point is 00:04:59 Jones is not going to have these gaudy numbers because the scheme is just getting overmatched by what's happening on defense. But I still think he did some pretty good things out there. The one play that really stands out in terms of like high end play from him was, I think it was the first play of the Colt's second drive when they went down and got a field goal where he delivered that over the middle throw to Tyler Warren when he had. a defender right in his face. I still think he responded well to a lot of pressure in this game, which gives me hope

Starting point is 00:05:28 because he didn't just revert to New York Giants, Daniel Jones, in this game. Like, he was under duress for most of this game, and I still thought he did a decent job moving the ball forward, despite Shane Steiking getting out coached by Chris Shula in terms of just overall, like, scheme and effectiveness in this one, and his offensive line was getting their butts kick for most of the day. I thought that he had a pretty, like a relatively good day, all things considered. And when the Colts really needed him to go down there and take that lead in the fourth quarter to go up 17 to 13, he delivered some pretty high-level throws over the middle of the field

Starting point is 00:06:05 to get them in that situation and then through the touchdown pass to Michael Pittman Jr. So, you know, overall, yes, it could have been a better day from him, but there was nothing I saw in this game that said like, oh no, New York Giants, Daniel Jones is back. it still looked very much like Colts Daniel Jones. It's just things were not perfect around him today. Having no Alec Pierce, having no Mac and Solvis really reared its ugly head. And this was really the first game all year where Shane Steichen was outcoached by the opposing coach on the other side and Chris Shula. So yeah, I think it'll look better when they're in a home environment, when they're not playing a very good defense these next couple weeks.

Starting point is 00:06:43 I know the Cardinals defense is pretty good. But like the Vegas defense isn't nearly as good as this. Rams defense. So I think the processes and everything will look so much better for the offense and Daniel Jones going forward. I'm not too concerned. I think that all this did is like it highlighted the biggest deficiencies that he had, but it didn't highlight it in a way where it's like, oh, this is a terrible quarterback.

Starting point is 00:07:04 It highlighted where it's like, yeah, these are things that the Colts have to work around, but he's still playing at a pretty high level. I mean, if you look at what he did in the first month here, he's been one of the top seven or eight quarterbacks in the league in this first month of play, I'm not. not complaining about one slightly down game where he still did some pretty good things out there for the Colts. Yeah, you know, really from the jump, I think it was a third or fourth down conversion to Pittman on their first drive. Like I thought that was very smooth, very seamless. It didn't feel it didn't feel like there was anything even on the line. Like it felt like it was just within the flow

Starting point is 00:07:38 of the drive. But we've also discussed that, you know, Jones isn't a guy who is the system. He's part of the system. You know, he's going to be Shane Steikens. system quarterback this year and so that puts a pretty big emphasis on coaching and i mean jones largely did what was asked of him but you know there was a couple times like throwing those screens right into defenders who immediately sniffed it out you know you mentioned shulab you know probably probably outcoached uh Shane a little bit but yeah there was how many broken or blown up plays almost like wasted plays where they're like at least three or four they were just kind of that on arrival and didn't really gain an inch because of the defense just knew exactly what

Starting point is 00:08:21 was coming. So yeah, if you're asking Jones to be a guy that's going to rise above the system and make all of his own decisions and calls and everything, that's not what we're really looking at. So coaching will be important. And then so Shane has got to help put Jones in the best positions there because like you said, I mean, Jones is somewhat limited. Like he has been operating the system at an elite level so far, but the system itself. has also been being called at an elite level up to Sunday. So, yeah, I mean, there was, there was definitely plenty of good to take away from that. I feel like if this is the worst he looks all year, you're good.

Starting point is 00:08:59 Like, that's great. You can absolutely live with that. But yeah, you saw, you know, the interceptions, the interceptions thrown to a guy that normally is going to combat that a little more. You know, he's used to throwing to Alec Pierce on those. throws rather than A.D. Mitchell. So a little adjustment there. Mitchell is not necessarily a guy that's going to win a ton of 50-50 balls like Alec Pierce does, or Pierce is at least going to make it more difficult for the defender. So yeah, just an adjustment all around. I do think

Starting point is 00:09:32 you're right with the Raiders coming up. This is a pretty good, I don't want to call it a get-right game because that's almost insulting, almost like the Titans game was a get-right game, the recipe, you know um but no i i think that this is a good one for them to just get back to what they know they can do uh because i did as i was watching the game i sensed what you were saying i think on our friday pregame show with the approach being to kind of pepper them early with passes to set up the run and break jonathan taylor free in the second half and you could sense that coming a little bit because they were selling out to kind of stop taylor a little bit when he was running but yeah it's you you want to know you want to see if they're going to make any adjustments

Starting point is 00:10:16 to what the actual plan is going to be this week against the Raiders but yeah there there's it's the offense was not necessarily what I was super worried about going into that matchup it's not my lasting takeaway by any means yeah and I think overall just to be real quick of this because we got to get to our next segment but like when you look at how Jones operate in this game it was fine like it was perfectly fine I think there were some things he could have done better, but, you know, I didn't see him melt under pressure. And overall, you know, this Colts offense has shown that they can beat teams that blitz a lot. They've shown that they can beat teams that run a lot of man coverage.

Starting point is 00:10:53 This was a big test in a road environment where they had a lot of procedural penalties that knocked them behind the sticks. And they struggled against a team that could dominate with their front floor and then sit back in an attacking zone coverage. So they'll have to just adjust to that type of play going forward and really adjust. us to like how they can be effective on offense in the on the road going forward because this was really their first real road test because that Tennessee game was like you know it's not they're they're a bad team it's hard to really get that crowd going uh this was against a good team on the road so i think they'll be fine uh they just need to figure out what works for them on the road get get that silent count reworked because uh tanner bordalini got killed on a rush up the middle

Starting point is 00:11:34 where the silent verse yeah and he had no chance there any like you could have the greatest center of all time is getting run over in that situation because they timed the snap up like it doesn't matter who that was so they just need to find some some better answers but it was it was a tough environment getting back home against Vegas I think will be a lot better for them but coming up guys we have a lot to talk about with the rest of the offense from a certain skill position player to the offensive line it was kind of a let down day let down game for that offense against the los angeles you buy prize picks every day we make decisions but on price picks being right can actually get you paid don't miss the excitement of this football season with prize picks where it's good to be right

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Starting point is 00:14:39 it, you know, here just shortly. Because again, I mean, it was important. It's what most people are talking about today. So A.D. Mitchell, he gets the would-be 75-yard touchdown. And, you know, as he goes to extend the ball, whether he's extending, whether he's celebrating whatever he's doing, he loses the grasp of the football, flies out of the back of the end zone. Instead of being a touchdown for the Colts, you know, building up that lead. It's now Rams football. Luckily, it was just a punt fest after that. So it wasn't like an immediate consequence necessarily, but it still took seven points off the board, nonetheless. And then later, Jonathan Taylor in the fourth quarter had a would-be 53-yard touchdown. And then AD got called on a pretty bad holding call. So he was

Starting point is 00:15:26 kind of the go of the day, the bad goat. I know that's an obviously positive phrase nowadays, But, yeah, AD, not the best performance. And, I mean, you honestly kind of feel for a guy who, Zach, I felt like in that moment when he loses the ball, he just sees nothing but vindication in his eyes. Like, look, something's finally breaking my way. My first career touchdown, whoop, and then there it goes, you know. So you can see the explosion of frustration from him on the sideline. I talked to Shane Steichen just a little bit ago before coming on here.

Starting point is 00:15:59 and he said that A.D. Mitchell addressed the team first thing in the team meeting today. Shane talked to him one-on-one in his office today, and they just said, you know, obviously that cannot happen, and you've got to be better, and you've got to earn it moving forward. So we'll see how much playing time he gets in the immediate aftermath. It might be skewed anyways, depending on if Alec Pierce is back. But, yeah, the 80 thing happened. It's probably time to just turn the page on that one's back. Yeah, it's just tough because unlike with Jonathan Taylor's situation last year,

Starting point is 00:16:34 Jonathan Taylor is a former first team all pro, multiple time pro bowler who has been just a dominant force for your offense for a long time. Adi Mitchell, this has been, this is kind of a microcosm of what his career has been. For every, like you said last night on the squad show, Jake, it's always one step forward, two steps back with Adi Mitchell. So he makes this fantastic game-changing play, which maybe would have put the Colts in the driver seat the rest of the way, and they could have just run Jonathan Taylor for a quarter and a half to win the game, and then it's the fumble out the back of the end zone. And then

Starting point is 00:17:06 there's redemption time later in the game, has the most clear and obvious hold of all time on Taylor's long run. Just let the guy go, and Taylor falls forward, and it's second and two, and you have 15 yards to go for a game-winning field goal. Like, it was just dumb mistakes, both of them, just absolutely stupid mistakes that shouldn't happen. And because he's not Jonathan Taylor, because he is a player who's been marred by stuff like this, not exactly this, but just inconsistencies, it gets you more in the doghouse than a player like Taylor. So it's going to be hard for him to get out. You know, I don't really have too much more to say on it than that.

Starting point is 00:17:42 Like, I hope he's able to find his way, but I think we're going to see more dueling than him the next, like, month or so. And it's going to take a long time for him to really earn up that trust again in the offense. But I did want to throw some positive love towards Jonathan Taylor, Tyler, Tyler, Tyler, Warren and Michael Pittman Jr. I thought all three of them were very good in this game, especially when the Colts needed some kind of spark on offense.

Starting point is 00:18:04 I thought those three were good. But the biggest negative, I think, besides A.D. Mitchell, Jake, is just this offensive line got bowled over all game. And the Rams have a great defensive front, like a fantastic defensive front, and they were just teeing off. They certainly found out the Colts silent count snap by like halfway through the game. They were jumping almost every single snap. And it put the Colts just behind the eight ball.

Starting point is 00:18:28 like they could not they could not overcome just these guys having the the snap jumped so constantly so i think that is a big issue that the coaching staff needs to take fault for on there but yeah the o line like dalton tucker just had a really bad game uh borderlini got run over a couple times in past pro brayden smith had his first negative game and pass protection uh nelson was trying to cover up for everyone else and got run over a couple times as a result ryan was probably their only decent offensive lineman in this game and he still didn't have a great game either. So you're not going to win many games in the NFL when you lose in the trenches. I think not having Matt Gonzalez was a huge, like, just detriment to the Colts

Starting point is 00:19:09 offensive line. So hopefully he can get back this next week and they can get back to where they were before this because this was a big step back for the Colts offensive line. Yeah. Honestly, it's probably the toughest test that line is going to face. Toughest defensive front they'll face until they face the Eagles in the Super Bowl later in February. Didn't know if you were going to catch that one or not. No, no. We're all negative. You're not going there?

Starting point is 00:19:32 We're negative today, Jake. No, we're negative. We lost, okay? We can't talk about super goals right now. It's barely play off Colts again. Like, it's Monday. The sky is falling. The sky is falling. The 24-hour rule, you flush it, go, and it's on to the next. It hasn't been 24 hours yet. All right, Samantha. Yeah, get out of it. All right. 23 hour, 21 hours, whatever it is. But no, I think they'll be fine long term. The offensive line like you have games where you get your butt kicked sometimes the the great eagles offensive line gets their buck kicked every now and then so like it happens the rams have a dominant front four that i think is slept on even probably slept on even by me uh this past week

Starting point is 00:20:10 leading up to the game and uh once they got that snap count done it was over for the cool i'm shocked they even got the touchdown drive in the fourth quarter because once the that snap count was figured i mean we saw again we saw on tanner bordellini getting run over it could have been Hall of Fame center Jason Kelsey he would have got run over on that exact same play

Starting point is 00:20:30 because he timed the he timed this he had a three yard running start with one of the best bull rushes in football right in your center's face you have no chance there so there were just a couple of plays like that where the Colts overall process

Starting point is 00:20:43 on offense was just not good and it left the offensive line to dry a little bit and they just need to get better going forward and then find some way to operate on the road because if road games look like that they're not going to, they'll be lucky to have the potential 27 points like they had on Sunday. Yeah. I mean, some of the good news, obviously Jonathan Taylor looked like he was on his way to another incredible second half.

Starting point is 00:21:06 You know, he had been averaging over eight yards for carry and second halves coming into this. Obviously, I think that 53-yard touchdown probably would have put him over that mark as well, especially if they could have continued running it out after. Michael Pittman and Tyler Warren combined for 10 catches 111 yards. Tyler Warren gets his first touchdown of his career on a little, I think, two-yard pullback dive there. They wanted that bad. They ran him twice in a row once out of the Wildcat before that. Pittman, I'm not going to think about the back thing anymore from last year.

Starting point is 00:21:39 Like, he looks so much just like regular Michael Pittman. He's just, he's very reliable. Like, he is that guy among the receiver core that you can really rely on. I am, you know, this is maybe a subject for Wednesday. I am kind of curious, like, when do you get Josh Downs really going out? Like, right now he's just kind of your converter when you need a first down, and it feels like that's just what he's being used for. He's not really getting involved much beyond the sticks at all.

Starting point is 00:22:08 Like, it's a lot of, like, seven, eight-yard completions for him. And we know he's capable more, and it just feels like something missing from their offense that an offense that's been kind of explosive and could be even more so if you kind of pull on that a little bit. But yeah, we'll probably get to that later in the week. But it's definitely something that I saw it and I'm like, yeah, you know, there's something kind of missing there. Yeah, we'll talk more about Josh Downs later in the week.

Starting point is 00:22:36 But let's get to this Colts offense here, or this Colts defense here in just a second, how they had Matt Stafford contained for most of the game. But a couple issues and one big target on their defense led to the lack of overall. all success. But first, caffeine just got a flavor, upgrade, five-hour energy shots, deliver tasty caffeine, and 17 bold flavors. Each two-ounce shot packs the caffeine of a premium 12-ounce cup of coffee plus B vitamins and nutrients with zero sugar and zero crashes. What I love the most is how portable they are. Big taste, tiny shot, you can take it anywhere and get the boost that you need.

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Starting point is 00:24:42 So honestly, one of the biggest defensive gaps of the entire. or Dezac was there on the 88-yard game-winning touchdown for Matthew Stafford to 2-2 Atwell, only 10 men on the field. And you didn't even realize that because you assumed the problem was that Mackay Blackman slips, you know, coming out of the break there for Atwell, and then Atwell is just all alone going streaking down the field. That is his game, is, you know, the deep ball, the explosive play. He doesn't get used a lot, but that's what he is pretty much used for.

Starting point is 00:25:15 and then so that put the bow on it for for the rams put them ahead for good and yeah so come to find out can bynum says later after the game only a 10 men on the field on that one so you're obviously you're not going to win a lot of times that way that's another thing stike and commented on today this afternoon he said you know that was unacceptable and can't happen he put it on him but it's like not really on him he's just kind of falling on the sword as the head coach because you're not going to go out there and just count how many people on the field every time you're going to assume the right personnel have been put out there. Well, they do have people, sorry, the coaching staffs do have people in the box that are supposed to count pre-snap every play. And then they call down to the head coach when that happens, though. So either they didn't call down to him or by him taking accountability, they did call down to him. And he was like, I don't want to waste this time out because if we can call back. So that's just me adding a little context in terms of how organizations typically operate. with that because I'm assuming again some people in the box it's like their entire job to count

Starting point is 00:26:21 players on the field so it might have been a situation where he was like you know we have to save this time out regardless and then afterwards you know in retrospect you're thinking old strategy right right it's it's just yeah it's just something that happens again I don't know exactly what happened but stike did take fault for it so we can take him for his word here I guess when it comes to that. But I think it was a clear indictment of just where this defense has been this first month where it's like they're right there. I think there's so many good aspects to what they're doing. But there's just a couple things here or there where they're getting outcoached in some ways, outperformed in some ways, have these minor gaffs that turn into bigger offensive

Starting point is 00:27:02 explosions than what they should be. Because I think for 85% of that game, the defense was awesome. The defense was fantastic for a good 85% of that game. You look at it. it the the the all the rams touchdowns came in hurry up offense those two hurry up drives they did and then on the the the blown play with 10 men on the field and a corner falling down for the other parts of the game they held them to six points a very good offense and you can't just use that and say like oh besides their three best drives they were good all day but i think for the most part it was a positive showing for a defense that like look they have no chance of covering both those two wide receivers out there with what they have at one of the cornerback spots.

Starting point is 00:27:43 But I think they still had a very productive day. It's just they got out coaching a couple of things. I think this defense is going to look good by December. Once they figure out cornerback two and once they really start trusting the system and trusting where they need to be, I think they're going to look really good by November, December, uh, to get through September 3 and 1 with your defense going through these, these growing pains, I think is a really positive sign for this Colts team. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:28:07 Yeah, my thing is I hope they're willing to make the necessary changes because, again, one of the things for Lou Anurumo coming into Indy that people told us was that he's really apprehensive to let go the veterans and trust him younger guys. We've seen that with Xavier and Howard through the first few weeks. Like Sunday was not the first game that was problematic for him. Now it is just a quarter of the season end. So maybe they have thought to this point, it's a bit early to pull the rug on him. you know, 32-year-old guy, let him get his feet under him.

Starting point is 00:28:40 He hasn't played, whatever. But, like, the evidence is here that it ain't it. Like, just on Sunday. Now, PFF's coverage stats, I think you have to take him

Starting point is 00:28:52 with a big grain of assault, but they had him with allowing seven of ten targets for over 100 yards, a touchdown, and six first downs, which doesn't feel inaccurate, all that inaccurate.

Starting point is 00:29:02 There was the big 25-yard Devante Adams completion, that set up the Pooka Nakuwa touchdown. Howard was in coverage on both of those. He just looks lackadaisical. He does not look like the most intense guy on the field when he's out there. And I said on the show last night, opponents see the weak spot in coverage. Like they see if you get a runner in motion after this, like if you get them with room to run after the snap and you have him playing chase,

Starting point is 00:29:35 he's not going to win that. And so they have to be willing to make adjustments because this clearly is not working. Yeah. And it's the same thing I said last night, Jake. It's not just getting them running before the snap at, like to get them space. It's anything right now with Xavier Howard. There's no positive to what he's bringing. Like I could go another 30 minutes here just ranting about how bad his play has been.

Starting point is 00:29:58 He is hindering the entire process of the defense right now. They are trying to play more man coverage on third down. and you really can't when you have Xavier and Howard because there's just a big target on the field that says throw here. You know, and I know it was exasperated in this game because he was going to be covering one of Fukunakua or Devante Adams, and whoever he was covering is who they were going to throw it to

Starting point is 00:30:19 on those third downs. And maybe it looks better next week when he's covering Trey Tucker instead of covering or he's covering, I don't even know who the record is. I think Trey Tucker is a burner if I'm not mistaken. Okay, so Trey Tucker is their top guy. Somebody else, whatever. Jacoby Myers, maybe? Yeah, Jacoby Meyer.

Starting point is 00:30:34 I don't know. know whoever he's covering maybe it looks better than this next week against the raiders but it's been an issue through an entire month and to what you said jake like oh yeah get his legs under him and see what it is but you have a month of data here in a season that's only four of these months long you know like how much more data do you need we're like a quarter of the way through the season and it's been a train wreck on that side of the field and like you said about him being laxadaisical and kind of lazy on the field And you guys know me. I don't call players lazy. I've, my, I talked about Tave and Brian being my enemy on the show for two years. I never once called Taven Brian lazy. I will never call a player lazy until they show they are lazy on film. And that, that outthroat Adams was pure laziness from a player. And it's just something you can't see on a field. And I, you know, for as much as we say that A.D. Mitchell should have been benched after some of his stuff. I thought Howard had more inexcusable reps in this past game than than Mitchell had. So, yeah, it's just something that I think at the end of the day, Blackman and Edwards might all make the same exact mistakes and might get targeted just as much in coverage, but I at least know they're going to be running full speed out there.

Starting point is 00:31:45 It's just stuff that you can't have happen. It's kind of embarrassing that he's still getting reps at this point, and they need to make a move. They just need to make a move at this point. Like, he just can't keep playing. Like, I don't know if it's confidence or ability or what it is, but it's hurting this close. it's defense and it's going to keep hurting them and it's going to keep limiting what they can do on third downs and fourth downs when teams have

Starting point is 00:32:07 to throw the ball. So that's all I can say on at this point. I don't want to keep going in on one player. But to speak positively before we get out of here, Jay, because we are going a little bit long right now. DeForest Buckner, Leatu Latu, Atatabore, all fantastic on Sunday. I think

Starting point is 00:32:23 especially Laotu is a player who leading into this game, I did a whole video on my personal YouTube channel being like, where is Latu? Like, why does the stats not seem to be matching up with the eye test, and it was because he was getting a lot of late wins. Well, on Sunday, he was the edge rusher we all wanted. You know, by my count, he had like eight pressures in this game.

Starting point is 00:32:44 He had the sack. He had a couple of QB hits. I thought he was just dominant in enforcing things in the backfield. The Forrest Buckner as well. And then you get a little bit of Atomia in there, too, to really disrupt the pocket. I thought those three found some good things going. And as a result, this was the best the Colts pass rush had looked all season long. So in a game with a lot of negatives on offense and defense, I thought those three were phenomenal for the Colts.

Starting point is 00:33:08 Yeah, absolutely. I was going to say, Nick Cross, he was a guy who I felt like as a last line of defense type of guy, I felt grateful for him. He had 14 tackles. There were plenty of times where I was like, okay, someone's got to tackle Nakua, someone's got to tackle Kyron Williams. At least it's the guy who probably hits the hardest in Nick Cross. So as always, he showed up. Buckner, a couple tackles for loss. I've seen places that have charted Lott, too, with 9, 10 pressures. Again, awesome game from him.

Starting point is 00:33:38 I think he's really heating up because this was not his first game with several pressures. First game with an official sack, though, in this season. Mike Hilton, I was shocked at how much he played initially. I thought Blackman was going to play most of the game in the slot just because he's been here. Hilton making his season debut in week four for a new team, albeit he knows the system, but I just did not think he would play as much as he did. And he made two or three pretty big plays, including forcing a fumble, which the Colts recovered. So very encouraged by Hilton's play.

Starting point is 00:34:13 JT. Toem Malowow was finally active again for the second time. Only played five snaps. Week two, played nine snaps in this one. So he's getting a little more play there. Didn't really notice much from him just because that's such a small. sample size. He was credited with one tackle, though. So there's that. And then I mentioned a couple of times Shane Steichen has spoken today earlier. I asked about Jalen Carlize. No update there. Maybe they'll have an update for us when we talk to Shane again on Wednesday. But they could open

Starting point is 00:34:43 the practice window for him this week. We'll see if they wind up doing that. I really hope they do. Yeah, I'll say to end this show real quick, I will say that Jalen Carlize is probably pumped with how this first month has gone for the Colts at linebacker because the guy next Desire Franklin has been the second weakest part of the Colts defense. Whoever it's, they have rotated, it's been Austin Ajake, it's been Joe Bacchi, it's been Cam McGrone, who I don't even think really played out there at all this weekend.

Starting point is 00:35:11 And then Chad Muma got some run on this weekend, and all four of them have been equally terrible in that role. So Jalen Carly's, it is your prime time when you get back to win that job and keep it for the rest of your career. We want to thank you guys for making Lockdown Colts your first listen of the day, today, and every day. The NFL season is finally here. So if you're next listening to the double dose of the Lockdown NFL podcast,

Starting point is 00:35:35 Tyler, the Madman Rolling, gives you a shot of NFL espresso to start your football day while Tony Wiggins takes you into the barbershop for the smoothest breakdowns to end the day. Find Locked on NFL on YouTube every list of your podcast. If you guys want to become a Lockdown Colts insider and chatless directly, and get that insider scoop, follow the link in our show notes. And if you don't already, make sure you're following out Locked on Colts. at Jake Arthur, NFL, and at Zach Hicks to all on socials. Follow us on YouTube as well.

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