Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - Indianapolis Colts' Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pittman Jr. Fantasy Must-Starts vs. Houston Texans

Episode Date: September 9, 2022

The FINAL pregame show before the Indianapolis Colts head to NRG Stadium to face the Houston Texans. We've got you covered with all of the info you need, from injury news to game start times. Jake also dives into the fantasy football outlook for this game as Zach gives his final prediction for the game.Find and follow Locked On Colts on your favorite podcast platforms:📺YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLdpxJspi1hMh5HL7ExpWOQ🎧 Apple https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1151621306🎧 Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/6meP450baAtjX4rTENZ5ij🎧 Audacy https://www.audacy.com/podcasts/locked-on-colts-daily-podcast-on-the-indianapolis-colts-21701🎧 Google https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vUFBZODk1ODUyODkyNQ🎧 Megaphone https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/lockedoncoltsFollow Jake and Zach's written work on HorseshoeHuddle.com, and give them a follow on Twitter @JakeArthurNFL, @ZachHicks2, and @LockedOnColts!Today's Episode is brought to you by BetOnline. BetOnline has you covered this season with more props, odds, and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts!Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!LinkedInLinkedIn Jobs helps you find the candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/LOCKEDONNFLBuilt BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.BetOnlineBetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds, and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts!BriteCoThe guys at BriteCo Jewelry Insurance made buying insurance for your engagement ring, your watch, or whatever so easy you can get covered in 2 minutes on your cell phone. You won't find a better deal on coverage that's so affordable. Go to https://brite.co/lockedonPrizePicksFirst-time users can receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100 with promo code LOCKEDON. That’s PrizePicks.com – promo code; LOCKEDONTuroDitch boring rental cars and find your drive at Turo.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The only thing left to do is to play this game. We bring you our final thoughts on the matchup on today's episode of Locked on Colts. 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. All right, Colts fans, thanks so much for tuning in and making us your number one listen of the day. This is your daily podcast covering your Indianapolis Colts, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day.

Today's episode is brought to you by BetOnline. BetOnline has you covered this season with more props, odds, and lines than ever before. BetOnline, where the game starts. I am Jake Arthur, and I'm joined once again by my PIC, Zach Hicks. We're back in Better Than Ever again today. You know us from horseshoehuddle.com, of course, as well as our snarky banter, especially on Zach's side on Twitter. On today's show, the game I was alluding to, of course,

is Colts versus Texans, week one this Sunday. It's our final chance to talk to you guys about this matchup. We'll go over the latest news and notes that are helpful for you guys to know ahead of time. And we'll tell you a bit about what we've learned this week studying the Texans and even the Colts. Honestly, it's always easy to learn something new. And we'll give you our takes on how we think everything is going to go down. First up, since Zach and I were last together, of course, if you guys missed the crossover with Locked On Texans from Thursday, please check that out. Zach and I were last together earlier this

week, but the Colts announced their team captains. It is without any surprise, Matt Ryan and then Jonathan Taylor, Quentin Nelson, DeForest Buckner, Shaquille Leonard, Zaire Franklin, and Kenny Moore. For the most part, those guys are all either multiple-time team captains with previous teams and now the Colts. The only new ones, I think, are Jonathan Taylor and Kenny Moore. Everyone else has been a captain with the Colts. Matt Ryan, of course, last 14 years in Atlanta, but they've talked

about his leadership all offseason, so really no surprise there. Yeah, and the Colts have always given it to their quarterback. I think Jacoby Brissett was a captain as well. Carson Wentz was a captain last year. I know a lot of people tried to use that as a dunking thing, being like, look, everybody loves him. He's the captain and stuff. Quarterbacks get the captaincy. It's typically how it goes. But I guess the only kind of surprise was maybe Kenny Moore II over Stephon Gilmore. But, again, Kenny Moore II has been your Pro Bowl corner, you know,

the last couple years, you know, Pro caliber corner the last couple years with the team. He's someone who's loved in the locker room, and we saw the video last year when he got his Pro Bowl nod and how everybody was going crazy for it. So he's definitely a leader in the locker room. And we saw the video last year when he got his Pro Bowl nod and how everybody was going crazy for it. So he's definitely a leader in that locker room. And he's earned that captaincy. So just congrats to him.

And then also we joked about me and Destin joked about it a couple days ago, but Zyra Franklin, three years in a row as the special teams captain. I mean, just I've only had brief conversations with him, like nothing too crazy uh i i totally see why uh the team keeps voting oh yeah he is he is one heck of a dude just a very confident composed like mature guy he's always been that way too so uh him being a captain for what three years in a row i mean well, well-deserved, well-deserved. Yeah, he's a tone setter for sure. I watched him a lot during training camp and the coaches like to use him as a conduit to the rest of the defense a lot of the time. So really no surprise there.

Just looking ahead to this Colts and Texans matchup, a little background info. It's a 1 p.m. Eastern kick on Sunday down in Houston at NRG Stadium. On TV, it's on CBS. Tom McCarthy and Tiki Barber on the call. Zach and I were just talking about that. I don't remember Tiki being on the call previously. It must be something new for him at least. And then on the radio locally, WFNI and WLHK.

It'll be Matt Taylor, Rick Venturi, and Lara Overton on the call as always. Injury report, pretty healthy, luckily, for the Colts. And yes, you may say it's week one, but that's not always how it goes. Guys, we got to revel in this. It's going to be the healthiest this Colts team is going to look all season. So we got to revel in this a little bit. Exactly, exactly. So Shaquille Leonard, he has participated both days. He was a full participant on Wednesday, downgraded to limited. I stretched to say downgraded because it could have been part of the plan. Like there wasn't necessarily a setback or anything like that, but he's practiced both days. Dennis Kelly with his knee thing, he had a knee procedure earlier this summer. He was limited

both days as well. We really don't know if either player will play. Gun to my head, I don't think either will, but that's not up to me. Shaq talked to the media today and just how I heard it, it seemed like they're excited he's out there. Everything is progressing well, but they might give it a little more time. It didn't seem like it was going to be some layup that he'll be out there. At least that's not the tone I heard. Yeah, Frank Gregg mentioned earlier in the week, he said, you know, if he can get up to where they feel he's 80% of who he normally is, you know, in his experience, players typically play when they're at like 80% or so.

So he said if he can get to around that level and Shaquille Leonard and the doctors all, you know, check it all off, then he'll be good to go out there. But, you know, the Colts are very noncommittal a lot when it comes to injuries and not very – I know fans get upset with this all the time, but they're not very, like, forthright about everything injury- Uh, but just the vibe this week has always kind of been like, uh, we're going to wait and see the big, the big date to circle is week three. I think week three for sure. He'll be back by that game. It seems like, I mean, if he's already full practicing now, he's, he's getting

a lot of work in now. I think they just want to see him fully up to speed before that huge game against the Chiefs in week three, the first home game of the season. So if he doesn't play this week, I don't think it's a huge issue. I'm not saying that because, oh, it's just the Houston Texans. I just think you want to prioritize the long-term health of your superstar player, and throwing him out there in a week one game where he hasn't even touched the football field for a majority of this offseason, it probably just doesn't make the most sense so uh yeah i i don't think a gun to my head i'm with you i don't think he plays this weekend but like we said all offseason he's a psycho so if he were to play in this game it wouldn't shock me one bit and it also would shock me if he stepped out there first game of the year like basically his first live action of the season,

forces like two fumbles, has 20 tackles. Nothing with him which would surprise me whatsoever. But, again, gun to my head, I don't think he goes this week. It just doesn't seem like it. They keep saying – like everybody who's talked, even Shaquille Leonard has kind of been like lowering the expectation that he's going to play. So I just don't see it.

Yeah. And if the gauge is that, like you said, he has to look something like himself. I'm pretty sure he had a diving interception in his first practice back. So, of course. And I guess I'm okay with the 80% thing as long as there's still room for him to get to 100%. Right. Right. for him to get to 100 percent right right if you're capping it at 80 you're like he starts gameplay now and he's probably not going to get any healthier from it throughout the season because

of the wear and tear of the season i would wait but yeah i think i think the rationale behind that is and you know we always hear this in every sport honestly you see so many players where they get the surgeries right after the season ends you know, because so many players play through so many things where, you know, over the course of the season, you're going to be at probably 80% for most of the season, you know, because your body takes so much wear and tear. So I think Reich was kind of making more of a generalized statement where it's like, typically, if a guy feels mostly good and they say they want to play, you know, we get them out there. But I do agree, this is maybe a different situation with a guy who didn't really participate all offseason.

And, of course, if he is out, then it should be Bobby Okereke at will, Zaire Franklin at Mike, and then EJ Speed at Sam Linebacker. Looking at Dennis Kelly, if he's out, I kind of think he's going to be that sixth lineman, the big tight end for a lot of it. I know Bernard Ryman is probably who they want there, but especially if Kelly's out, I think Ryman gets it. They've done that with plenty of rookies before. They did it with Bray Smith before he became a starter, Danny Pinter when he was a rookie. So it may be the plan right now, And Dennis Kelly may be some other role, but

that is who I would imagine would step up in his absence. Yeah. Yeah, I agree. Yep. And then looking at the Texans injuries, they're in pretty much just as good a shape, only two guys on their report as well. But both of them were, did not participate on Thursday in practice. That's Rasheem Green and Mario Addison. They both have thigh injuries. Now, that's their second wave of defensive ends right there. It's Jonathan Grenard and Jerry Hughes are the starters, as far as I can tell.

And then Addison and Green are their direct backup. So if you have both your backup defensive ends really banged up or not even playing, that could definitely affect their pass rush. Could make Hughes and Addison or Hughes and Grenard have to play a ton of snaps, which is not ideal. So, yeah, something I'll just say real quick is I'm pretty sure I haven't really been following the Texans super close with how they've been doing a lot of their camp stuff. But I think Rasheem Green's probably their Taequann Lewis. Like they're like Roy Lopez isn't going to be your pass rusher

on the interior on passing plays. You know, Roy Lopez is a pure run stuffer. They're one tech. They're Grover, basically. So, I think Rasheem Green was the guy coming in and rotating as that three tech. It might have been Thomas Booker, the rookie they just took. Again, I'm not super, super familiar with how they've been doing it. But, yeah, man, if Green and Addison both miss, I mean,

those are quality bench pass rushers. So, that's something to keep an eye on for sure. Even if those guys aren't 100%, that's something to keep an eye on. Yeah, Green will eventually be back. And of course, he found himself a nice little job with the Texans this offseason. You know what else is a good place to help you find a good job? LinkedIn. As you gear up for fall, you need the right people on your team to help your small business fire on all cylinders. LinkedIn Jobs is here to make it easier to find the people you want to talk to faster and for free. Regardless of what side of the coin you're on, whether it's applying for jobs and loading resumes and stuff, that can be exhausting. And then if you're trying

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we'll talk about something that I wrote today. And that is my, that's my weekly fantasy piece for the Colts. Basically guys, you're going to want to start. Now, if you've already read it, it's going to get more complex as the season goes on. It's week one and there's nothing to go off of except for last year's stuff. So there was four groups I really pointed out. Matt Ryan, of course. Houston was 28th against quarterbacks last year and carson wentz had okay games against them

you know not nothing gaudy it was it was completely the jonathan taylor show in both matchups um but they they have allowed 19 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks matt ryan's kind of a different animal than carson wentz and while i do still think Jonathan Taylor is going to be the tone setter for the offense, I just see Matt Ryan being able to pick up on loaded boxes and make things happen and play action. I think he's rated as QB 17 right now. That noise is my daughter yelling about dinner. It's also the kids outside. When these kids in my neighborhood go outside, they just decide that, you know what's really fun? Let's just all howl at the moon for hours. You know, that's all they do. So it's probably both of them that if you guys are hearing small children yelling while you're, wherever you're listening to this, it's probably not in the back

seat of your car. It's probably behind us. Yeah. It's, it's both of us. Just make sure you turn around and check, though. Make sure you turn around and check just to be sure. But it's probably – Safety first. Yes. Yes. Yeah. Anyway, Matt Ryan – Matt Ryan – I'm not a huge fantasy guy, obviously, so I'm just going to do my best here to talk fantasy football.

I guess the term I would throw in there would be he – maybe in, like, two QB leagues, he's a good player to throw in there. Or if you're in, like, a 14- 14 team league, I would consider starting him this week. But I think Matt Ryan is going to have more of a better football week than fantasy football week. I think something around like low to mid 200s and passing yards, maybe a score or two, and just kind of gets the job done while it becomes a Jonathan Taylor show this week, like it usually is against the Houston Texans.

Uh, that would be great for me as someone who loves football, maybe not as great for someone like Jake who loves fantasy, but, uh, I, I don't know, maybe around like QB 12,

13, 14, I think makes sense this week. I don't know if it's going to be anything like gaudy numbers, but good football numbers. Yeah. The fantasy community isn't in love yet. I think he's rated QB 17 heading into this matchup.

And that's probably, that's probably about right. It's probably fine. You know, 17, 18 points. That's about what I would expect. Jonathan Taylor,

on the other hand, this is going to be a theme, but Houston ranked poorly against like everything in fantasy last year, they were 28th against running backs. And probably a lot of that was because of Jonathan Taylor. They allowed 22, 22 on the nose of that was because of Jonathan Taylor. They allowed 22 on-the-nose fantasy points per game to their position. Last year, in two matchups, Taylor averaged 23.5 touches for 150.5 yards of offense and scored four touchdowns

for an average of 27.3 fantasy points per game. That's RB1 numbers no matter how you stack it if you if you look back at his whole career the four games against the texans it's still similar it was just turned up to another level last year so uh you don't need anyone to tell you to start jonathan taylor so i'm not going to waste too much time on that but jonathan taylor should play well bank it uh i only highlighted one receiver this week because we just don't know how it's going to fall out. Naheem Hines is another decent option,

but he's someone else I want to wait and see just because throughout his career, it's been so cold. He's had two, three game stretches where he's incredible and then he's not used much for another three games. I don't think that'll be the case. Hines is more of, if you're reeling a little bit in PPR this week and you hope that the Colts have the last drive of the first half

and he gets like four or five catches, then you're feeling pretty good if you have Hines because you'll at least get a steady baseline. But yeah, I wouldn't start Hines just yet. I would wait a little bit. Right. Wait and see. And I mentioned in there, I was like, I fully expect him to be in the fantasy preview next week, but I, I don't, I'm not going to throw a bunch of guys out there

say to start him when we don't even know what their roles are going to look like. So Michael Pittman jr. Obviously, um, he's probably someone who you're going to want to start every week. He's had actually pretty pedestrian numbers against the Texans and his four games against them. I think his highlight was last year. He had like a 77-yard game. It was an okay game, but everything else has been real, nothing to write home about, not good fantasy numbers. A lot of that is the run game taking over and then what you're working with in the passing game outside of that being Carson Wentz last year in two games. I do see him being more productive this week. If it's another six catch 77 yards, that's decent. That's, I mean, it's not wide receiver

one numbers, but that, that dog will hunt basically. We know he is far and away the focal point of the passing game. And in any setting, you almost always want to start someone like that. Colts defense is probably the next biggest one. It's the last one I highlighted. All you need to do is look at last year's matchup. The Colts outscored them 62 to three in the two games. The Colts had six sacks, five takeaways, and they held the Texans to an average of 247 yards of offense. And according to Yahoo, the Colts defense averaged 60 and a half fantasy points per game in those matchups. So I don't know if it's going to be sheer domination like it was last year,

but I like them to get sacks when you're getting pressure and you're getting sacks that almost always leads to some turnovers. If Stefan Gilmore has Brandon cooks locked up pretty well, then you're going to have to be reliant on Nico Collins and Pharaoh Brown and Brevin Jordan. And I just don't know that Houston's offense is ready to dance with the Colts defense. So I would definitely start them as well. Yeah.

The last thing I'll add is if you're taking a shot on a Colts skill position player, you know, if you want to just swing for the fences, I would swing for more of the guys who are going to catch passes further down the field than catch for then the guys who are more of the yards after catch. The Texans last year, I think we're top five in the NFL in limiting yards after the catch, but they were in the bottom five of the league in air yards per attempt against. So they were allowing a lot of downfield completions,

but they weren't allowing many guys to get yards after catch. So guys like, you know, like a Kylan Branson catches a lot of passes around the line of scrimmage because they want to get him those run after catch opportunities. Mo'Ally Cox will probably catch more around the line of scrimmage as well because he's that safety net this year. Even Alec Pierce, I think, is more of a catch-and-fall-down type guy, at least early in the season.

You know, he's going to run those backside digs. He's going to run those outbreaking, like, comeback routes and stuff like that. So I don't anticipate too many vertical shots. But maybe a guy like Paris Campbell makes a lot of sense, where there's going to be some vertical shots. He had one last year where he scored against the Texans. So,

you know, if you want to swing for the fences on a skill position player with the Colts, maybe take a bet on Paris Campbell getting a big catch, but that that's all I could really say. Fantasy wise here. I'm not just, I like fantasy football,

but I, you know, I'm not really much of a betting man, but if you guys are, if you guys love betting, the Colts enter this one as seven-point favorites with an over-under of 45.5, according to BetOnline. BetOnline.net is your number one source for all your pro and college football betting needs.

Find all the latest football league developments, game matchups, news and podcasts, including this year's opening week's games. BetOnline is also your continued source for all sports wagering information, including live betting, esports, and scores. The fastest and easiest way to check in on all your favorite sports and events, including MLB, MMA, boxing, and even golf. Head to the website today or use the mobile device to learn more about the trends in action bet online where the game starts i was on mute you guys didn't get to hear it oh no

you'll have to you'll have to edit it in edit your voice in there of course yeah we also also i want to talk to you guys about home field we talked about home field quite a bit on here we're wearing you know our home field stuff uh you've probably heard us tell you all about the by now uh but you can also see what we're talking about we're both oh yeah we're both wearing it you even put it in my script here jake oh i sure did but you knew it you knew how'd you know i was gonna wear this i didn't even tell you beforehand well you've already you've already said that it's your intention to wear that yeah listen Homefield is an apparel company that recently teamed up with the Indianapolis Colts

for a six-item collection. A hoodie, a crew neck, two t-shirts, joggers, and a jacket. It's been out for a few weeks now, so you'll definitely want to check it out. Homefield is based out of India and was a natural choice for the Colts to want to partner with this new campaign. New customers can get 15% off their first purchase from Homefield with

Locked On colts at checkout at homefieldapparel.com all right jake let's get to these final thoughts i mean look when it comes to this game we've talked about this game pretty much all off season now i mean how much can you really say about colts texans at this point uh but i guess my final thing i kind of want to talk about is texans fans love their pass rush this year they are loving their pass rush every comment i get from texans fans is you know texans are going to sack the colt six times or whatever texans going to win the game because their pass rush and i'm like and i looked at that hive though by giving them a little cred the other day because i know you had to kind of squash it a little bit.

I don't know. Like, the thing is, I looked at their pass rush again, because I was like, maybe I missed something. Maybe they added, like, a superstar. But I like what they have there. I mean, Rasheem Green, obviously, is a guy who I was begging the Colts to sign, even though he might not play in this game.

But Rasheem Green's awesome. Jonathan Grenard is awesome. Jerry Hughes is a guy we all know and love. Malik Collins is solid. You know, Roy Lopez is a good one-tech. Thomas Booker was a guy that I really wanted in the draft for the Colts. But, again, I keep going back to my comment. If you're scared of this Texas pass rush,

what's your fear level at when you play against, like, the Titans or the Chiefs or the chiefs or the chargers or you know the the vikings went later in the year like i don't know man i don't know i i i do think this game is a great litmus test for this colts offensive line you know last year was probably the worst we had seen this colts offensive line play since like the first five games of 2018 you know the first like five games 2018 before Braden Smith got thrown into the lineup, it was an atrocious offensive line. Like it was downright terrible. And since then, it's been really steady play, except last year, it was very inconsistent. You know,

very inconsistent. Eric Fisher was not good. Quinton Nelson probably had his worst season. Ryan Kelly probably had his worst season. Youjuries across. Braden Smith missed a lot of time. This is a good litmus test to see if this offensive line is still good. I get some of Texans fans saying that they might have some success, but man, I'd be shocked if the Colts offensive line struggled that much against this pass rush. I think it's a fine pass rush. I just, this isn't a top tier group in my opinion. Right. So if I'm not mistaken,

I think most of their pass rushes are kind of more power-based. They're not these real agile, they're not the Yannick Ngakwe's basically. Right. So I'm curious as to, I mean, Matt Pryor has faced Yannick Ngakwe's, basically. Right. So I'm curious as to, I mean, Matt Pryor has faced Yannick Ngakwe on a million reps. He knows how to play him, and he's done quite well in the one-on-ones.

So I'm curious how it's going to go when someone just kind of bull rushes him. Or, you know, with Danny Pinter, is he going to be able to handle a stronger guy like a Roy Lopez? Is Malik Collins kind of a powerful guy or is he more of a twitchy inside guy? I don't really know if he does much on passing downs. I mean, he was he's an agile dude. Like he's he's a quick, strong dude. You know, he was good with the Cowboys. And I don't think he's a bad player by any means.

But I would never I wouldn't really classify him as like a like a scary pass rusher you know like he's a solid all-around defensive tackle but I wouldn't classify him as a as like a scary pass rusher on the interior he might maybe eat my words and and throw Danny Pinter into Matt Ryan like six times but you know I don't know I don't know I like their pass rush I don't want to say anything too bad about it. It's fine. Yeah. But the other big thing, I think, is kind of let me assess on the other side, is this is a huge, huge game for the Colts' defensive line. It is a monstrous game for this defensive line because the Texans revamped their offensive line this year. It's actually looking pretty decent on paper.

I kind of like their offensive line. The Colts also revamped their defensive line and are bringing a new scheme and the colts want to get after the passer a little bit more this season and and uh the quarterback they're going against davis mills his biggest issues come when he's under pressure when he's under duress so this is a game where this new defensive line against a better offensive line and a quarterback who struggles under pressure they have to get pressure. Like, yeah, it's just so vital in this game. If the Colts want to cruise to victory,

like they did in two games last season against the Texans, their defensive line needs to come to play. So honestly, I know, I know we have so many people who listen and so many people we talk to that are like, Oh, the NFL is all skilled position players and quarterbacks and stuff, but this game is going to be won and lost in the trenches. I know you guys hear that all the time from all the old heads.

You know, Rick Venturi is probably going to be saying that the whole time going into the game. But this game is a huge litmus test for both of the Colts lines, you know, on the trenches on both sides. And I think they're going to play well, but you know,

if they don't, then I understand why people was to be, you know, a little furious after the game. It's, it definitely it definitely is i mean on the crossover show last night we did a we did a whole segment on you know matchups and it took us forever to get out of talking about trench matchups like it just is going to be it's going to be what decides the game. And for the Colts, it needs to be validation of their approach this offseason. I think we're fans of the moves they've made, but it needs to work now. Their pass rush was subpar last year.

33 sacks is not enough. And, I mean, you can't have those long stretches where you're not getting to the quarterback at all. Forget sacks. They're not getting hits. They're not touching the quarterback quarterback at all. Forget sacks. They're not getting hits. They're not touching the quarterback. That has to change. They've got the guys to do it. We think they've got the coordinator to do it. It is a huge test. Plus, Houston's run game has a little spark now

with Damian Pierce. The expectation is that the Colts' run defense might take a little step back just because of the scheme and what Matt Iberflues demanded. You're probably gaining some pass rush and giving up some run defense perhaps in the scheme change. They still have to step up and stop Damian Pierce. I mean, I'm not going to be afraid of a rookie running back, a rookie mid-round running back, whatever, but it's legitimate. They're going to have to stop the run. Like we we've seen so many games, stupidly lost before because they can't stop the run to a team. They have no business allowing that again.

So that is going to be a huge game for the defensive line. Yep. And then the last thing that I'm more excited than anxious about, but I just want to see him in game action how does Matt Ryan look with the Colts like so this is our third season in a row going into week one with a quarterback who we didn't see at all in the pre or I think it's with a quarterback we didn't really see at all in the preseason I mean Matt Ryan had a couple snaps he had more snaps in this preseason than the last two new guys had combined in their preseasons uh so it's it's kind of a nervous thing like okay is he gonna actually look like what we expect i think he's gonna be

good uh but there is a little bit of a little bit of anxiety with it but i do think ultimately i know you put your prediction in in our notes and i'm and i'm assuming you said it yesterday on the show as well um i don't think it's going to be as big of a blowout as last year, but like something for me, I think I would probably go like 27-13. I think, I don't know, the Colts are just better than this Texans team. And if the Texans beat them, and I'm not trying to take anything away from the Texans if they do win this game, it would come down to the Colts just melting down, you know, like, because talent-wise, the Colts are better everywhere. You know, like, cause talent wise, the Colts are better everywhere. You know, I think in my opinion, I don't think there's a position group on the Texans. That's better than a position group on the Colts. Uh, it ultimately would come down to just how ready

the Colts are finally to play in a, in a week one game, you know, do they finally break this curse? Uh, they have to win this one. I think, uh, you know, it's not like a must win, but like, you've got to start the season strong against a weak divisional opponent. Yeah, and I agree, you know, in any way that I look at the Texans and try and give them credit, there are some good areas there, but I just don't see it being a particularly close game. It's not going to be a 31-0 thing again, but I had 27-10, so very close to what you had there. I'm hoping for the Colts sake that the, the difference is maybe a big defensive play that kind of shifts things and just really separates it near the end. But 27 to 10 Colts is the score that's been stuck in my mind all week.

Yeah. I'm just kind of hoping it's a little bit like last year where like, even when the game was like 0-0 at the beginning, you could tell after a couple drives, like the Colts were going to win this game. You know, like it was, you know, again, I think the Texans are better this year, but I want to see, I want to see the Colts come out and kind of put their foot down early and show like, look, we're in a different class than this team. It doesn't need to be a blowout, but it just needs, I just want it to be like a handedly easy, like when, you know,

I want this to be a game where we come away feeling really good about this team. Well, I'm coming away feeling really good about this podcast today, Zach. That is it for us today, everyone. Thank you so much for being with us this week as we preview Colts and Texans. The only thing left to do, like we mentioned at the top of the show is play the game. We'll have a lot more for you coming after Sunday's matchup.

Yeah. Make sure you guys are following us on social media at Jake Arthur, NFL on Twitter at Zach kicks too on Twitter. You can find all our written work at horseshoehuddle.com. Subscribe to the YouTube channel, locked on Colts. Again, our subscribers keep going up.

And also I just want to tease us a little bit. We might have a special interview coming next week. You know, just might be a little special interview with the Colts player. I don't know. I might. I don't know. I'm just maybe, maybe. We just want to reward you guys maybe a little bit.

I don't know. I don't know. Just, you know, put that in your back pocket, you know, whatever. But thanks again, guys, for making Locked On Cold your first listen every day. Now for your next listen, go check out the ultimate pro football preview 2020. 2020, 2022. Distant future. Yeah, I was going to say, it's not here yet. Not at all.

I have been waking up at 3 a.m. all week, so you guys could probably tell. It's an eight-episode extravaganza to get you ready for the NFL season. The local team experts have locked on podcast network, plus a betting angle from least Sterling of locked on bets, all combining into one ultimate NFL preview search for ultimate pro football preview 2022 on your Odyssey app, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcast. We'll see you guys after the game.