Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - Indianapolis Colts' Season Comes to Crushing End in Loss to Houston Texans

Episode Date: January 7, 2024

The Indianapolis Colts suffered a season-ending loss to the Houston Texans on Saturday, putting a wrap on a surprising, overachieving season. Jake and Zach react to the controversial final fourth-down play as well as the rest of the game.Find and follow Locked On Colts on your favorite podcast platforms:🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOColts?sid=YouTube📺YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLdpxJspi1hMh5HL7ExpWOQLocked On NFL League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft & More🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNFLFollow Jake and Zach's written work on HorseshoeHuddle.com, and give them a follow on Twitter @JakeArthurNFL, @ZachHicks2, @LockedOnColts, and @ColtsOnFN!LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the qualified candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free at LinkedIn Dot Com slash LOCKEDONNFL. That’s LinkedIn Dot Com slash LOCKEDONNFL to post your job for free. Terms and conditions apply.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!BetterHelpThis episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Make your brain your friend, with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/LOCKEDON today to get 10% off your first month.PrizePicksGo to PrizePicks.com/lockedonnfl and use code lockedonnfl for a first deposit match up to $100!GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase.LinkedInLinkedIn Jobs helps you find the qualified candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/LOCKEDONNFL. Terms and conditions apply.FanDuelScore early this NFL season with FanDuel, America’s Number One Sportsbook! Right now, NEW customers get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS with any winning FIVE DOLLAR MONEYLINE BET! That’s A HUNDRED AND FIFTY BUCKS – if your team wins! Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Well, that is it. The season is done. Colts fall to the Texans in a disappointing loss, but there's a lot to unpack here. So 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. What's up, fellow sad boys?

It is Jake and Zach. Thanks for tuning in and making us your first post-game listen of the day. This is your daily podcast covering your Indianapolis Colts, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. And today's show is brought to you by LinkedIn Jobs, which helps you find the qualified candidates that you want to talk to faster. Post your job for free at linkedin.com slash locked on NFL. That's linkedin.com slash locked on NFL to post. That's LinkedIn.com slash LockedOnNFL to post your job for free. Terms and conditions apply. Welcome, everybody. Go ahead and just get your venting into the comments.

It's already in there. It's going on. So let's just hear it right away. So the Colts, 23-19 loss to the Texans here at Lucas Oil Stadium. Disappointing end to the season. It came down to the wire, of course. Controversial call late in the game with about a minute left on fourth down, but kind of a close back-and-forth situation throughout the game,

like four lead changes in the second half. There's just so much going into this one. A lot of inconsistency. A lot of times when one side did really well then they did bad and we'll just get into all of it right now but what everyone wants to talk to of course right off the bat is the fourth down call so let me paint you a beautiful word picture uh so the colts it's what 23 to 17 that they're down at the time, just over a minute left. They're at Houston's 15-yard line, fourth and one. Out of the pistol, Gardner Minshew drops back

and hits Tyler Goodson going out of the left flat. Now, Goodson is wide open. It was a really perfectly schemed-up play. Minshew, it looks so – Goodson, I believe, was looking to the outside. Minshew throws him inside. So it kind of turns Goodson around a little bit. Hits him in his hands, should have caught it, but dropped it. Fourth and one, kaput, that's it.

Now, Zach, as always, is going to kind of talk some of us off the ledge and give us a little more context and tell us why this whole thing kind of broke down how it did. Yeah, you know, I want to kind of properly digest what this play call was. And look, I get some of the complaints around, you know, you got to have your best player on the field in that you got to have Jonathan Taylor out there. I get it. I totally get it. I get some people calling it too cute, trying to throw to the third string running back. But at the end of the day, play calling is about seeing your numbers,

seeing what, what play calls work best, obviously with, you know, the, the people that you have available to you and you're going to base it off of what looks you're getting in practice all week, what looks you're getting on film and what you were kind of doing in the

pregame to get ready for this type of game. So obviously all week when the Colts are getting ready for situations like this, third and one, fourth and ones, if they're seeing these type of looks from the Texans on film, they are designing plays like this to work. And I'm sure throughout the whole week, we could probably get some more insight from Shane Steichen this week on it. But if you're calling that play for Tyler Goodson, it's because you're repping Tyler Goodson in practice all week. And if you're not repping him as the first guy in there, then there's a reason why you don't have the first guy out there. It's probably because he can't get to the desired landmark

that you need him to get to. And I'm referring to Jonathan Taylor here. Jonathan Taylor was running great all game long, was carrying the ball on that final drive to kill clock and not get the ball back to CJ Stroud if the Colts were going to score a touchdown. But look, he wasn't moving like Jonathan Taylor on that final drive. We can all sit here and say, like, yes, he should have been out there.

And I get it. Again, I get it. But the ankle was clearly not right. You guys could see. I mean, he was ducking out of bounds the two plays before that to avoid hits. Like, come on. Like, he wasn't Jonathan Taylor on that. So you get to the fourth down.

The Colts take the timeout, which I guess people are upset about as well. Again, the ball wasn't like if the ball was going back to the Texans at all the game was over CJ Stroud was not gonna give the ball back to the Colts like they were not the Colts were playing that drive as the final drive of the game so the Colts take the timeout because they're seeing what coverage the Texans are in they see that they're going to be lined up in man across the board and they're going to bring a blitz up the middle. So they know that running up the middle is probably not the best call against that kind of defense. Maybe, again, maybe you just trust your best player, but I get it.

I get calling a play that's been working for you, a play that you have designed for the situation, and they called the play to beat it. I mean, they came out right after that. They threw it into the flat to Tyler Goodson, and I get it. Again, I get it. It's a practice squad guy, but at the end of the day, it's a professional football it. Again, I get it as a practice squad guy, but at the end of the day, it's professional football player, a professional quarterback throwing it to professional football player. And they just didn't make the play. The scheme was

right. The play call was right. The guy was open and they just didn't get it done. I mean, it's just as simple as that. At the end of the day, look, you can rely on the run game for 200 yards, you know, in a game. It's great. It's awesome. But at the end of the day, you're not winning football games in the modern NFL without asking your quarterback to make any kind of play. That's what it was. Gardner Minshew had to make one play. Tyler Goodson had to make this one play that they probably repped all week in practice, and they just didn't get it done.

So, I mean, it was a good call, a mesh rail, I mean, wide open running back against man coverage. The linebacker covering him had to come across the formation, and he was late to the flat. At the end of the day, it's a play that needs to be made. And, again, you can blame that on coaching. You can blame that on players, whatever it is. But that's what happened on that final play.

The look was there. The guy was open. Quarterback has to make the throw. Player needs to catch the ball. I get it. Look, I get it look I get it Jonathan Taylor should have been on the field and like because he was their bell cow all day but is it changed the conversation if Taylor gets tackled for a three-yard loss do we all feel

better about the final play like this is what I just like about results-based analysis where look the process was good you throw it to the wide open guy in the flat. Usually that works, you know, like usually that's working. They got the look they wanted. They threw it to the open guy. Unfortunately, it just didn't convert there. So look, I get it. I get the complaints. It's an emotional time.

It's an upsetting time. The Colts should have won this game. I mean, they made a lot of mistakes. They should have been involved in this game. They should have won this game. The Texans offense was trying to give the Colts the win as much as possible in that first half. But at the end of the day, the guys just didn't execute and things didn't work at the end. But I did want to push back a little bit on the complaints about

that final play, because look, if your play caller is calling guy wide open, it's on the quarterback and the player to catch the ball. And maybe you want Jonathan Taylor to be the guy, but look, if they're repping it in practice, that's the guy who can get to that landmark. That's the guy, and he got to the landmark. It just, the play wasn't made. Like, it's just what it is. That's football right there.

It sucks. It's unfortunate. I know there's going to be a lot of debate about that final play, but it shouldn't take away that somehow the Colts offensive play caller was able to keep up with CJ Stroud on the other side, dicing his defense. And he didn't have a passing game whatsoever on his side. Like he had zero passing game from his quarterback, his backup quarterback that he dragged to

nine wins this season. He had no passing game to work with, and he was still being able to exchange haymakers with CJ Stroud on this one. So I just think some of the calls for Shane Steigen's head are a little overblown to even have the Colts in this situation is crazy to even think about. I mean, Gardner Minshew had won 15 games out of 35 tries coming into the season, and the Colts went seven and six with him as a starter this season. I just think that it was a well-called game. They adjusted the best they could, and unfortunately, they just didn't get it done on the biggest play of the game. It's unfortunate, but it was the right call. The execution just wasn't there. And it sucks. It sucks, guys. I'm with you. It sucks so much. But the execution just wasn't there on that final play.

Yeah. And all of that, it kind of leads me to, I don't know how i feel about the play like i'll be honest i'm uncomfortable with in the biggest moment you're going to a guy who'd basically been a practice squad player and who hadn't even really been playing like like you said it'd been drawn up in practice like it wasn't the first time he'd ever done it but like he hadn't really been playing in this game like Like he's basically coming in cold off, off the sideline. So I'm uncomfortable with that. But at the same time, Shane Steichen's job is to get that as the play caller is to get the right

play in. And it, that part of it worked. Like you mentioned, it's just up to execution and the players getting to the landmark is my big, again, who,

which of the running backs is getting to that landmark is getting like where goodson dropped it he was at the first down line yeah you know he was at the first down line is moss getting there who has a higher career drop percentage than goodson does in his career is is taylor getting there without his ankle like probably not like it's tough maybe you put josh downs in the backfield for that play but then they know a pass is coming for sure. And they're, and they're bailing out.

Like it, it sucks. At the end of the day, he called the right play. A guy was wide open. And as a play caller, I mean, maybe I'm thinking too much as a coach here,

but as a play caller, I have professional football players in front of me and I'm designing a play wide open where these professional football players need to make a play. And they just didn't get it done. And yeah, the coach always bears responsibility. But, like, come on, man. Like, to put it all on the coach there, calling the coach choked, it's like, the quarterback – look, this quarterback's been in the NFL

for how many years now? What, five years? Six years? He started, what, 40-plus games in the NFL? That ball needs to be better. Like, it's just what it is. So it sucks. It sucks, man. It's it sucks. I get it guys. I get like, I'm probably talking to a brick wall

here about this final play, but it's just like, I don't know. I, I don't get again, a guy being wide open at a professional football player. Like, come on, it needs to be, it needs to be, it needs to work. Yeah. And we'll, I kind of want to draw a little bit of a roadmap of what led them up to that in the first place. So we'll get to that here in a second. We'll, we'll start with the offense first. First, we got to get a word from our friends and our sponsors. At the start of the new year, every small business owner is asking themselves the same question. What's the one move I can make that'll take my business to the next level in 2024? And LinkedIn Jobs knows that your success all depends on the team that you surround yourself with.

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That's LinkedIn dot com slash locked on NFL to post your job for free. Terms and conditions apply. All righty guys, we are back with our offense segment talking about this Colts offense in this game and what a wild ride it was for this Colts offense, because we came into this game expecting, okay, the Texans have this great run defense. It's going to be tough to run on this team,

but hopefully Minshew can complete just enough passes to get it going. And unfortunately, again, I don't want to speak too poorly about Gardner Minshew because it's a position he never should have been in. You know, starting this many games for the Colts, being the guy in this situation. And the only reason one of the biggest reasons why the Colts are here is because they had a guy like Gardner Minshew that could step in and give them serviceable football all season long. So I don't want to be too hard on him because again, he is a backup quarterback, but 13 to 24 for 141 yards in this game. It just wasn't, it just wasn't good enough from him. Like it simply was not good enough from him from, from the moment the game started, you could tell in those that even that first series, when they went down and got a field goal, he was really jumpy in the pocket. He was missing throws down the field. He was missing high

throwing a lot of high passes. You could just kind of tell from the start of this game that it just wasn't a Gardner Minshew game. And unfortunately, it led to the Colts having to be very, very one dimensional in the second half. And luckily, they were able to break through with that one dimension. But this could have been so much uglier because they had no threat of passing the ball for a majority of this game because their quarterback just did not have a good game whatsoever. Yeah, definitely not his sharpest, just a hair over about 52% completions. It's it was tough. I mean, there were some throws there to make. It was all about just a lack of execution

in this one. You know, there was obviously the fourth down we talked about, but Mo Alleycox for the first time in his life burning someone down the sideline. That one was a bit overthrown. And you and I talked off air before this. That's where the Will Mallory injury really hurts you because that's more of a Will Mallory play right there. Right. That's a guy that, I mean, he's obviously faster. He doesn't really drop the ball. Mo had a big drop early in the game as well. There were some injuries, of course, Braden Smith, Jonathan Taylor's late injury kind of affected things.

But I mean, for how much Steichen is kind of taking a punching, and for me, like I mentioned, I'm still not sure about all the factors that went into that fourth down play. I give him credit for having the balls to go at probably a top three run defense in the NFL, arguably the best, some would say, and knowing that the Colts would be able to be effective against them and going for 200 yards. Yeah. The Texans defense to this point had not allowed a hundred yard rusher and their season high against any team was 126. That is outstanding. And that was the Colts back in week two. They'd only allowed a hundred yards to a whole offense, six times coming into this. Shane Steichen knew there was something there on tape

that they could, I mean, hat on hat as well. You got to trust your blockers, but he knew the Colts would be able to have success. And that's why they ran it so much. Unfortunately, they didn't get efficiency from the quarterback position, the passing game to counter that whatsoever. But the run game was working. Again, Jonathan Taylor went nuts, like 180 yards or something like that. And then 200 yards as a team. Yeah, he had 188. So they got a vintage Jonathan Taylor performance.

So they actually schemed this game up pretty well. Yeah. performance, so they actually schemed this game up pretty well. Yeah, and the thing is, too, when it comes to the NFL, like, if you're ever one-dimensional, it typically does not work at all, and it got to the point in the second half where Shane Syken realized to come back in this game, he can't really throw the ball, like, which is a horrible recipe to come back. I mean, they were down 14-3 at one point, 14-6 at halftime. They were able to tie it up at 14 because the running game was working. Because the running game was working, the run design was immaculate in this game. So many traps, so many whams, so many split zone runs,

a lot of inside zone that was working too. Jonathan Taylor looked like vintage Jonathan Taylor until that ankle injury late in the fourth quarter. And honestly, I mean, the Texans knew the run was coming and they simply could not stop it when Braden Smith was in the game. When Braden Smith was in the game, they could not stop it whatsoever. The second Braden Smith went down it. Yeah, it it kind of got a little rough there in the game. And I think that was one of the biggest game changing moments was look, Braden Smith was toughing it out through the entire game.

I thought he was having the best game of his entire career. I thought this was like, this was top tier right tackle play that we were seeing. And Braden Smith was driving dudes off the ball in the passing game. Nobody could get around it. I mean, Braden Smith was playing some elite all pro caliber football in this game, him going down and

replacing it with a fourth round rookie who'd struggle all season long. It kind of killed the running game and it kind of killed some other aspects of the offense. But for the Colts to be able to come back in a game where, look, everyone on the field knew what play was coming, knew what was coming. They knew a run play was coming because the Colts could not throw the ball. They knew it was Taylor up the middle or Zach Moss up the middle. They knew that those plays were coming on like every single call, but the Colts were still able to come back in this game and make it a competitive and close football game just from running the ball.

Like again, this is a modern football running backs. I don't matter and stuff like that. You know, like that's literally what we talk about with, with the NFL. So for them to come all the way back in this game against a top three run don't matter and stuff like that. You know, like that's literally what we talk about with with the NFL. So for them to come all the way back in this game against a top three run defense in football by only running the ball because they couldn't throw the ball.

It just speaks to this offensive coaching staff. And again, I know we want to complain about them because we love players and we hate coaches. So it's easy to complain about coaches. But I don't know how many other staffs

are still competing in this football game without the ability to throw the football. Again, you're going in CJ Stroud, like CJ Stroud's a really good quarterback. You're not, you're not staying in a game with him unless you find some way to score points. And if you can't throw the ball, how are you scoring points? Well, the Colts are able to run the ball. Like no other team would run the ball in the Texans.

So I really give credit to the Colts offensive staff for somehow making that adjustment to running the ball so effectively that they were still able to keep pace in the game against CJ Stroud. Yeah. And obviously really not much of a passing game, 141 yards, but there were a few catches that I really appreciate. I could really appreciate in this one. Michael Pittman Jr. had a tough one. the one where he got popped right after he held on. Drew an unnecessary roughness call. That dude deserves a nice Mexican vacation now that the season is over. He has gotten painted all over this field all year. So that was a really good one.

Kylan Granson had a nice chunk play that he had to go low for. And then Josh Downs creating some yak on that big one for 20, whatever, how many yards it was. But that was a big play that was mostly created by his legs after the catch. So there wasn't much in the passing game in this one, but those three guys all made really big plays to convert first down. So on a game where it's not a lucrative passing game, there are those big conversions in there that help the Colts be so

close in the end yeah and a big shout out to the Colts offensive line for this game too I mean they came in with three of the five guys very hampered by injuries I mean either limited in practice or didn't practice one of them ended up leaving the game obviously with his knee injury because he really could not practice like for most of this season and he was trying to tough it out but eventually got too bad but despite all the injuries that they had on that offensive line still protected Gardner Minshew extremely well they still were dominant in the run game I'm very excited to see these these five offensive linemen come back next year as the starters for the Colts because they they've earned it they played some great football this year great bounce back from them and Tony Sperano Jr. deserves a lot of credit as well.

I mean, fantastic season from these five starters from the Colts on the offensive line. And hopefully they can stay healthy next year. We can see a whole season with them like we saw a couple years back. But coming up, guys, we're going to talk about the Colts' defense and how, yes, they limited C.J. Stroud and the Tex enough to give it to make this game kind of close, but it still just wasn't a good enough performance from this Colts defense. But first, this show is sponsored by BetterHelp. What are some things that you guys want to keep the same about yourself or in your life in 2024?

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betterhelp.com slash locked on today to get 10% off your first month. That's betterhelp, H-E-L-P dot com slash locked on. All right, Jake, we're talking about this Colts defense where, look, giving up 23 points to CJ Stroud and the Texans offense doesn't feel like too big of a loss when it comes to this Colts defense. But I want to give a big shout out to Houston Texans offense coordinator, Bobby Slowick for keeping the Colts in this game, because every time he called a run play, I was doing jumping jacks in my living room.

I was getting really excited because every single run call by the Texans was a loss for their offense because passing the ball, they averaged over 10 yards and attempt a Stroud only through six incomplete passes at 264 yards passing and two touchdowns, made some massive, massive throws under duress in this game. I have no clue why they ever called a run. Basically, on the Colts' side of the ball, every time the Colts called a pass, it was a negative for their offense.

Every time the Texans called a run, it was a negative for their offense. So I do appreciate Bobby Sloik trying to keep this game close for our sanity. But at the end of the day, the Colts passing defense just does not have enough playmakers to slow down a quarterback who's as efficient as CJ Stroud. Yeah, it's being able to watch Stroud play with the kind of a bird's eye view here. Like you just really get an appreciation for how insane this dude has he could be so so good i mean i don't know how the colts allowed nico collins to go off for almost 200 yards knowing he was their only receiver in this game because i mean he averaged over 20 yards per catch

against him week two he did it again in this one he literally did it from their first play until like the end of the game like i don't know how there was a better better coverage against him like you can bracket guys you could try you could do things to try and take them away um but yeah stroud and him have just a really really good. And we've talked about this like with Trevor Lawrence before. When your defense is facing a guy that everything is just going right for them, like all you can do is just hope to be in the right spot and like get pressure and things like that. The pressure really wasn't good enough.

There were times where they made him move around and get uncomfortable, but they just did for, for an offense that has allowed as much pressure as Houston has against for Stroud, the Colts should have done a better job up front. And that really hurt them in the passing game. Juju Brent's obviously anytime he gets hurt, that is a big negative. Yes. He got absolutely burned on the first play of the game, but not having him throughout a that is a big negative yes he got absolutely burned on the first play of the game but not having him throughout a game is a problem yeah um the the constant communication breakdowns by the safeties or like safeties and corners not understanding who's supposed to take over in certain areas that has become a really big problem. It showed up again today.

The two touchdowns were, seem to be communication issues. So I, that part was really frustrating to me, but in the first half, the defense, because of the Texans running the ball, I mean,

they did their part to shut down the run game and they helped keep the the game alive the Colts offense just couldn't do their part in the first half and then everything gets switched around it's just yeah what can you do yeah I I don't want to talk too much on Gus Bradley on this episode because I feel like that's we definitely need to devote an entire we need to devote an entire episode to talking about Gus Bradley going forward with the Colts and what we think about him and his job security and the job he did this season but to only kind of speak on this game it's just it's such a tough matchup for your team against a quarterback of this caliber and look I'm not saying that I'm not saying CJ Stroud is a top

two or three quarterback like this is not Josh Allen or Pat Mahomes or that kind of quarterback but you know top 10 quarterback even as a rookie that's extremely poised and extremely talented quarterback when you're looking at this Colts secondary with how young they are and how many communication issues they have which again it goes back to coaching as well I don't know how you win against that with when you're like like I'm not trying to make excuses. Like it's just when you're looking at the guys out there, Daryl Baker, Jr.

Jalen Jones, like guys who should not be on the football field. They're great stories. Like you love them, but like, because they lost that many guys, they lost, you know,

Juju Brent's early in this game. They lost Dallas flowers early in the season and stuff like that. These are just guys who are not, you should not be out there. And then you look at safety. One of their only reliable second or safeties or reliable secondary players had all year. Julian Blackman was not out there.

So the coverage bus are just exponent, like just so many coverage bus happening. It's just tough. Like I, I don't to a degree, I don't know what Gus Bradley could do with this unit back there, you know, outside of just sit back and hope that you can force field goals or hope

that you could force turnovers, you know, because CJ Stroud's a really, just a really, really talented quarterback. And they saw every time they called a pass, he was doing some really, really good things in this game.

But it's just, it was tough, man. It's tough. We've seen this all year long with this defense where they just don't have that playmaker. Like the Forrest Buckner is a great player, fantastic player.

But ever since we lost Shaquille Leonard to all of his injuries, the coaches haven't had that. They just have not had that playmaker. And at the end of the day, you need playmakers on your defense. I mean, look at all the best defenses in football this year. They have playmakers on that side of the ball.

Even the Texans on the other side of the ball tonight, they had Derek Stingley Jr. who made that great play on Molly Cox and made some other good plays in today's game as well. You need that difference maker, especially in the secondary, and the Colts don't have that right now. I mean, Kenny Moore can only do so much from the slot, so it's tough, man. It's tough. I don't know i don't

know what the right solution was for this game for this defense do you want to blitz more with max protect and nico collins on an island with any of these corners is probably digging your own grave there do you want to sit back and allow stroud to just eat you eat you up over the middle do you go to cover three which apparently cj Stroud rips apart too? I just don't really know what the solution was in this game for CJ Stroud. And it's not me trying to be defeatist. It's just it's a tough matchup for the personnel they have when they don't have that difference maker. Yeah, and small things kind of start to unravel

and become a lot bigger things too. Like the Julian Blackman injury was a big one like he's probably your best communicator in the secondary he's a sure tackler and you had mentioned this in an earlier episode this week he was kind of the next guy that stepped up after Shaquille Leonard faded away as your playmaker you know with the fumbles and the interception so he was gone. That left a window open for guys who have been struggling. Someone in the comments mentioned the tackling has been really bad.

And this happened as well. When you lose a Juju Brents and you replace him with a Daryl Baker, the tackling there is night and day. So those things just kind of get a lot bigger. Right. If you're going to be sitting back in quarters coverage and cover two because you don't trust these corners on islands or to actually cover someone you have to tackle like you have to tackle that is the most important aspect of sitting in it like this prevent like softer defense is tackling if you're going to

miss tackles with that kind of defense there there's no point in playing that defense. So these guys are all missing tackles. It's not just Daryl Baker Jr. Like I know we, Zyra Franklin missing a lot of tackles, Nick Cross missing a lot of tackles, Ronnie Thomas, Ronnie Harris,

like all these guys, just, just a lot of missed tackles. And again, I don't know what you do with this defense. If prevents the only way you don't get beat deep, but then they can't come up and make tackles, so then if you go back to your cover three,

they're going to get beat deep. What's the answer to this? I'm not trying to be like, again, I'm not trying to be like, oh, Gus Bradley's completely absolved, but what do you do? They didn't have the personnel on defense as of right now. Like, is this,

I don't know. This defense needs a lot of work. It needs a lot of work going into this off season. It all kind of circles back to the execution. It's just when it's that inconsistent, like you mentioned, like you said, it's just like,

what can you do? Cause like, right. What can be working at one point just isn't going to work next. And then you get burnt because of what you were giving up before. It just goes round and round. Right, right. But, yeah, I mean, I feel like most of this conversation, guys,

has just been us ranting and venting. But at the end of the day, look, the Indianapolis Colts went 9-8 this season with their backup quarterback playing nearly 90% of the offensive snaps. Shane Steichen, in his first year as a head coach, getting this team from a four-win laughingstock last year to playing for the playoffs in Week 18 and coming short by one yard of converting and maybe going in and scoring the go-ahead touchdown.

This was a successful season for the Indianapolis Colts. I know we're upset tonight. Be upset tonight. It's perfectly fine. Be as upset as you want to be tonight. But tomorrow we start draft season. We start the off season and we're going to look back on the season and say, look, the fact that they were as competitive as they were this year and they won the games that they did, we can be proud of this team bouncing back from the embarrassment that was last year. It's not a moral victory, not in the least bit. It's not a moral victory, but it's progress. It's progress.

We can finally be excited about progress and hopeful about the future. You know, Anthony Richardson, the rest of the offense, obviously getting the defense fixed up. But yeah, we're going to be covering this whole offseason for you guys. Draft season, free agency, all that speculation. You guys know it's the fun season for that. So if you guys don't already, make sure you're following at LockedOnColts, at JakeArthurNFL, and at Zach H following at Locked on Colts, at Jake Arthur

and at Zach Hicks too, all on Twitter. Also subscribe to us on YouTube, wherever you list your podcasts. We'd love your guys ratings reviews, and we'll be here back with you guys early next week.