Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - Indianapolis Colts Suffer Ugly Loss to Los Angeles Chargers

Episode Date: December 27, 2022

The Indianapolis Colts had another stinker on Monday Night Football, losing at home, 20-3, to the Los Angeles Chargers. Despite a new quarterback in Nick Foles, who had an atrocious performance, the t...eam now falls to 4-10-1.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 (@ColtsOnFN), and give them a follow on Twitter @JakeArthurNFL, @ZachHicks2, and @LockedOnColts!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!PrizePicksFirst-time users can receive a 100% instant deposit match up to $100 with promo code LOCKEDON. That’s PrizePicks.com – promo code; LOCKEDONSimpliSafeWith Fast Protect™️ Technology, exclusively from SimpliSafe, 24/7 monitoring agents capture evidence to accurately verify a threat for faster police response. There’s No Safe Like SimpliSafe. Visit SimpliSafe.com/LockedOnNFL to learn more.TuroForget boring rental cars and find your drive at Turo.comAudibleHead over to Locked On NFL for a sneak peek of Block Forever or catch the full series available anywhere you get your podcast. Available everywhere now!NHTSADrive high, get a DUI. Click HERE to learn more.Ultimate Football GMTo download the game just visit Ultimate-GM.com or look it up on the app stores. Our listeners get a 100% free boost to their franchise when using the promo LOCKEDON (ALL CAPS) in the game store. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Well, the Colts did their best to keep the tank alive on Monday night as they slug out to a 20-3 loss against the Los Angeles Chargers. Another primetime embarrassment. We'll tell you guys all about it here on 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. Thank you all for tuning in and making us your first listen of the day.
Starting point is 00:00:51 This is your daily podcast covering your Indianapolis Colts, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. I'm Jake Arthur and he is Zach Hicks. You know the two of us from HorseshoeHuddle.com. It's another hate listen for you guys. Hate watch, hate listen. Thank you for being with us nonetheless to just loathe these Colts losses with us once again. Again, we're going to quickly flush this 20-3 loss down the commode as the team slides to 4-10-1,
Starting point is 00:01:18 losing their last five. Most of these have been on primetime, just showing the country just how rough this team is. Basically, the too-long-didn't-read version of this game is the offense stinks, the defense was all right to the point until they, of course, just kind of lost their axle as well, and they faced just a ludicrous talent at quarterback in Justin Herbert. That's basically what it boiled down to. Some of the main storylines here. Again, the tank is on. This was one of, you know, with three games left,
Starting point is 00:01:51 this was one of their more winnable games. The Chargers are an okay team led by a really good quarterback, but very beatable. The Giants are probably more well-rounded than they are. That's going to be really tough next week. The Texans, we've already seen that before this year. 20-20 tie. I don't know.
Starting point is 00:02:10 The Colts haven't done great against the division, so we'll see how that one goes. Nick Foles at quarterback. What did you think, Zach? Terrible. Like, just look, look, he was great for the tank, you know, if we're talking about the tank here. But, look, we've seen a lot of, you know, if we're talking about the tank here, but look,
Starting point is 00:02:29 we've seen a lot of horrible games at quarterback for the Colts this year. This might've been the absolute worst. I mean, the Colts were what O of 10 on third down sack seven times. And honestly, I don't think the Colts offensive line was that bad. I think a lot of it was on Nick Foles, three interceptions, I think like 137 yards passing. I mean, it was one of the worst quarterback games i'd seen in a while and and we have to you know what we have to say our apologies to whoever it was on the pregame stream that said it was going to look like scott tolzine versus the rams out there in 2017 because i mean that wow very Very, very accurate. I mean, honestly, he had a great point.
Starting point is 00:03:08 I think this was pretty similar to Scott Tolzien versus the Rams back in 2017. I mean, that was just, whew. That was terrible. Or 2019, sorry. I keep saying 2017. 2019. But, man, that was a horrible, horrible game. I mean, again, I loved it for the tank.
Starting point is 00:03:24 The Colts need this higher draft pick. But, yeah, that was – I mean, that looked like Nick Foles should not be in the NFL going forward after that game because that was just – that was an absolute train wreck. Yeah, I mean, really the only positives were you didn't have to watch ducks just coming out of the quarterback's arm. But all it meant was that the ball – well, all it really meant was that the ball hit the velocity was was there but it just meant that the ball was getting into defenders hands quicker than it would have been with matt ryan essentially there were some ducks i don't know i mean the german james interception was a straight duck like that ball completely died uh i was shocked shocked by just how terrible his arm looked.
Starting point is 00:04:08 I thought in the offseason Nick Foles' arm looked fine. Like it didn't look like anything special, but it looked fine. But, yeah, his arm didn't look that great in this game either. Like some of those deep balls, I mean, they just sat up there for hours. I mean, the first interception, that ball was just floated into double coverage down the field. So, yeah, yeah, Matt Ryan was pretty bad, but Nick Foles was downright awful. But, you know, great for the tank. Great for the tank. Nick Foles understood the assignment,
Starting point is 00:04:34 and he's going to help us get that top five pick. So props to Nick Foles for really just understanding what this Colts team needs. Yeah, ugly game, ugly game. He had a passer rating that looked like an NBA leading scores point per game. I think it was 31.9 passer rating, seven sacks, no touchdowns, three picks, rough time, rough time at the office. One of the other bigger noteworthy things of the day, charger safety,win james had a really ugly hit on ashton
Starting point is 00:05:06 dylan i think it was the second quarter um it put doing out for the game into the concussion protocol and it came just two plays after a pretty ugly face mask penalty that james had against michael pitman uh they disqualified james for that hit and And yeah, he went into the, I don't think they ever said, or at least not to this point of us recording, whether he's in the protocol or not, but he did go into the tent immediately as well before he got escorted off the field. So yeah, really ugly play.
Starting point is 00:05:38 I understand that's how they played in the 50s and 60s and Dick Butkus did this and that. But in the modern NFL, the officials are going to call that every time. Yeah, I think there are plenty of these helmet calls that are just really tough, bang-bang plays. But this one was as clear-cut as it gets. I mean, Derwin James led with the crown of his helmet. He launched from his feet, left both his feet with a high hit.
Starting point is 00:06:03 I mean, obviously, he didn't hit helmet to helmet first but he went through the shoulder pad and hitting the helmet again leading with the crown of his helmet and uh launching from his feet so i mean yeah that's that's something where i think you know in the off season when the when the refs are going through their basic training and and talking about what's the clear-cut definition of this penalty and what is cause for ejection, I think that hit is going to be the one that's shown because it is as clear as day as it gets it. You know, again, I don't know if maybe it should have been an ejection or not,
Starting point is 00:06:33 but 100% a penalty and an extremely dangerous play that the NFL has been just trying to get rid of for years. So good call. Again, the ejection thing, it's kind of weird. I'm not too sure what to make of that. But, yeah, 100% the right call and just a dangerous play. And I'm sure Derwin James is going to get a fine for it and maybe even a suspension at this point.
Starting point is 00:06:55 Yeah, I thought it was avoidable. I mean, he could have still hit, doing hard, you know, just heads up, wrap him up high and swing him down, whatever. I didn't think the trajectory was necessarily warranted, but yeah, he'll definitely be fine for that one. Another beef I had with the Colts approach on this one, and it's just kind of a theme throughout the season, Jelani Woods and Alec Pierce involved early and often. Love it. We call for it all the time. Please God do it. We talked about it on the pregame show. Woods had like four targets in the first quarter. Pierce had several targets as well in the first half. And then Pierce, nothing in the second half. Woods didn't get another target
Starting point is 00:07:39 until like 642 remaining in the game. What are we doing? At the only point the offense was productive was early in the game, and those guys were getting involved. Nothing after that. I just don't understand what they're doing. I just really don't. I don't think the Colts understand what they're doing at this point. I think you make a great point.
Starting point is 00:08:01 I mean, I would like to see the young players fed, but we're talking about the worst offense in the league. I mean, this is just – it's a terrible, terrible offense. So, yeah, I have no words for it, Jake. I don't know. I don't know, man. One thing I was kind of eager to get your take on. So, there was – we talked about this again in the pregame.
Starting point is 00:08:23 He's good for one kind of glaring, ugly play per game. But overall, what did you think of Bernard Ryman? I know he gave up that sack on Khalil Mack later in the game, but what did you think overall? I think he looked fine for the most part. Like, yeah, again, he got bull rushed by one of the best bull rushing pass rushers in all of football. And there was also on a play where,
Starting point is 00:08:44 I'll probably go into the nitty-gritty of it this week but Nick Foles had like the like the longest drop back ever I don't know why he was doing like a like a seven or eight step drop on like a third and six like it was just it was so stupid I mean he was gonna get sacked regardless because that was just a really weird drop at that time but yeah uh Bernard Rodman got bull rushed by cleo mac who was just one of the best pass rushers in the last five six seven eight years at this point uh so yeah you kind of expected that but again i thought he still had a pretty solid game and and i think he's still kind of he's still keeping that upward trajectory at this point so i can't really complain too much about bernard ryman when I have a lot of other things to complain about.
Starting point is 00:09:27 Yeah, no kidding. I think we'll just skim past the running backs because I think for these next couple games, the Colts are going to have the most boring rushing attack in all of football. There's just like literally no pop or nothing to write home about on it. I don't know how you feel about it. But do you have anything else to add about the offensive line or the pass catchers no i mean again i think the offensive line was better than what the seven sacks are going to say uh they just you know they gave up a couple late when it really didn't matter and nick foals pocket presence was was just downright atrocious i mean he they're one of the sacks he literally scrambled
Starting point is 00:09:59 and like ran into a defender like it was like the it was like a two-hand touch type of sack like he just bumped into a defender and fell down like it was it was terrible so yeah I think Nick Foles is more to blame for a lot of the sacks in this game the offensive line you know it wasn't great but I think they look they look pretty adequate uh but yeah talk about the running backs I thought Zach Moss looked pretty good out there I'm I was pretty impressed with how hard he's running uh he looked he did some good things and you know for as downright awful as this Colts offense was this entire game, I think Zach Moss averaged, what, like six, almost seven yards a carry in this game. Like, he was a really, really strong game for a guy who was just kind of a throw on
Starting point is 00:10:36 in that Naeem Hines trade. So if we're looking for any positives on the Colts offense, you know, Zach Moss looks like he could be something in the future for this team. Not like a star running back or anything, but like a rotational guy behind Jonathan Taylor. I think that's very much in the future for him with the Colts. For sure. I would take him in a rotational role, but for him and Deion to be leading the backfield for these next few games, it's just neither of them really have that like breakaway part of their game. So I think it's just going to be a little sluggish.
Starting point is 00:11:08 He was productive. I mean, 65 yards on 12 carries. That's a five and a half yard average. It's pretty good. They didn't really get the guys involved much in the passing game. So I think they will be more so in these next couple games. But otherwise, yeah. Before we move on to discuss the defense, let me tell you about
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Starting point is 00:12:38 ultimate-gm.com. Ultimate Football GM, start your dynasty today. All right, so defensively, they gave up 20 points on the surface. That's pretty good, but I felt like just yet again in the second half, it was one of those things where the Chargers just kind of started slicing through, doing a little bit of whatever they wanted, and was it kind of the same old story to you? Was it just kind of a matter of the defense being gassed because the offense had no productivity? Yeah, you know, it was – I think the big turning moment for this defense was defense was playing hard and competitive for a lot of this game.
Starting point is 00:13:17 And give them credit, a completely lost season, this defense is still coming out. And they're – I'm not saying they're keeping this team in games, but they're still playing hard, and they're playing effective. I mean, they went against one of the best quarterbacks in all of football in this game, and they held them to 20 points. And that's with their offense on the other side just doing absolutely nothing. But I think the biggest turning moment for this defense, and when they just completely lost all their motivation,
Starting point is 00:13:41 all their hope, is they had that big sack fumble huge sack fumble the team was like what down 10 points at that point I think it was 13 to 3 at that point in the game and they got the sack fumble gave the ball back to their offense right outside the red zone and the Colts go four and out like four and out get the ball right back to the Chargers and then we saw the Chargers go right down the field and score that defense was so gassed not just not just like physically but just mentally like what is the mental what was your mental mindset just like what's like with that moment there you got a big force fumble to potentially bring your team back in the game and your offense can't even manage three points like they can't even they can't even
Starting point is 00:14:20 get 10 yards for you uh to to get this game within reach. I mean, that has to kill your psyche. It has to kill all your motivation. And we saw it on the next drive. The Vikings, I'm still stuck in the past there, but the Chargers went right down their throat, running the ball down their throat, and they scored. And I just struggle to blame the defense for that. Yes, the defense is not perfect.
Starting point is 00:14:43 They have had a lot of poor moments this season, but this is a good defense that has played well, played hard, and they are just tired of carrying this offense on their back all season. So, you know, I'm not saying the defense is completely blameless in this 4-10-1 season, but the defense does not bear the onus of this record. It's mostly on the offense, It's mostly on the coaching, and it's mostly on the front office. This defense and Gus Bradley has done a very good job all season. And eventually, just mentally and physically, you get worn out from carrying your offense all season long. Yeah, for sure. And you actually brought up a really good point
Starting point is 00:15:20 about that turning point. And I know we're kind of talking about the defense still but now i have to ask you about this it's on the offensive side of the ball uh what did you think of the the fourth down uh they did the quarterback sneak didn't get it one going for it instead of just taking the field goal and the play call because i know we like to get aggressive and everything but that's when frank was the, was the coach. I liked it. I had more trust in the offense and being aggressive when it was Frank at the helm. It just seems like it's a quarterback sneak every time. I don't know.
Starting point is 00:15:55 I think if you just take the field goal with your kicker, who is damn near automatic, you cut it to a seven point game. Yeah. Nah, no. What are the odds? No trust in the offense because of it. What are the odds they're getting back down there?
Starting point is 00:16:10 Like you had to make the most of your one chance in the red zone. You were never getting back down to that red zone the rest of the game. So I love the call to go for it. I don't even hate the call. You know, the quarterback sneak. It is such a high percentage of success rate. And honestly, you know, I saw some people saying the offensive line couldn't get any push. It really just came down.
Starting point is 00:16:27 The quarterback took the ball, and then he just stood there for like half a second. And then he just fell on his face. Like, just take it and fall forward, and you get the first down. But no, Nick Foles literally took it, like froze, and then just like fell on the ground. Like, it was just one of the worst QB sneaks I've ever seen. Again, just a perfect example of this cold season. So yeah, I don't hate the call. I don't hate anything about it or the decision or anything, but Nick Foles, again, just terrible. Just so bad. Yeah, we'll put the offense behind us. My final thoughts on the defense, I thought several of the
Starting point is 00:17:04 defensive linemen showed up in a big way. Of course, DeForest Buckner is just otherworldly. And I thought it was a great glimpse of the future for Dio and Quitty. Dio had one and a half sacks, forced that fumble you were mentioning. Quitty recovers it. Those guys have just been playing pretty good football. I know you highlighted Quitty specifically and man, that's, when you're drafting those guys back to back,
Starting point is 00:17:30 that's the kind of play right there you're envisioning when you do that. Yeah. Those guys. And then obviously DeForest Buckner was just phenomenal in this game as well. So yeah, the Colts defensive line looked good. And one more guy I want to shout out just while we're here is Zyra Franklin, man. Zyra Franklin looked really good in this one. Like, yes, I know it wasn't like a perfect game by anybody in that secondary
Starting point is 00:17:53 or that second level, but that forced interception that he had early in the game, he was covering Keenan Allen. The ball comes out a little bit late from Justin Herbert. He tips it up in the air to Rodney Thomas for the pick. I mean, that's just a good linebacker. And I put this out on Twitter during the game, but Zyra Franklin for the next two, or he signed an extension this past off season,
Starting point is 00:18:13 three years, $10 million. The Colts are getting a really, really solid linebacker for the next two years at what, like three, three and a half million dollars a year. That is one of the best bargains in all of football. You know, like even when Shaquille Leonard comes back next season and Bobby Okereke probably walks to a new team,
Starting point is 00:18:30 they're going to still have a really good linebacker duo because Zyra Franklin is such a discount price right now. So yeah, Zyra Franklin and a lot of the interior defensive linemen and stuff like that, I think played really well. And then as Sarah says right here, Rodney Thomas, I think had a really good game. He had the interception and then he had a pass breakup on Keenan Allen in the,
Starting point is 00:18:49 in the end zone as well. So yeah, look again, this Colts defense, not perfect, but it's hard for me to point many fingers at them. I think they played really hard and pretty, pretty well all season. It's just, you literally have to be perfect to win any game for this offense and and they're just not perfect they're an above average unit which is good that should be good enough in today's nfl but sadly it is not no this offense is like it was their fourth game this year scoring 10 or fewer points their second game not converting a third down they were oh for or they were one for
Starting point is 00:19:27 14 combined on third and fourth downs which is just nuts like this was another historically porous offensive performance and this is a team that keeps giving us these new lows all the time like definitely whenever whenever you think they can't get worse they just keep doing it so yep you know the Colts are no prize but that shouldn't stop you from betting for or against them on prize picks. You probably should bet against them on prize picks. Daily Fantasy is easy with prize picks, either online or the mobile app. Pick two to five players, and if they score more or less than their projections, then you can win up to 10 times your money on any entry. Entries can be made in 60 seconds or less.
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Starting point is 00:20:40 All right, Jake, what do you got to close this out here? Do you got any final remarks? I know you're still there at the stadium right now, right? Yeah, I think I don't think you guys are going to want to read some of the some of the stuff we might put out. I don't think you guys are going to care about some of the highlighted stats or anything in this one. So on that note, I think that's it for us on this one. We'll be back with you guys later this week to keep chatting about the latest on the Colts. We'll take another look ahead at the offseason, which obviously can't come soon enough. And we'll dip into some Giants
Starting point is 00:21:12 stuff with the folks from Locked On Giants. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah, I mean, I think I'm just going to go into draft mode now, guys. So if you guys are still following me on social medias and stuff like that, I'll probably just go in draft mode., guys. So if you guys are still following me on social medias and stuff like that, I'll probably just go in draft mode. I'll probably do like a scouting report on Will Levis because I think that's Chris Ballard's guy in this class at quarterback, just the hunch there.
Starting point is 00:21:34 So, yeah, we'll talk some Will Levis, and we'll talk some Colts draft because I don't want to talk about this Colts team. But, yeah, guys, I think that's all we have for today. Make sure you're following us on social media, at LockedOnColts, at JakeArthurNFL, and at ZachHicks2 on Twitter. Also, subscribe to LockedOnColts on YouTube or wherever you listen to your podcast. And thank you for making us your first listen of the day.
Starting point is 00:21:56 Yes, this is technically your first listen for all you guys. This is right after midnight. So thank you for making us your first listen of the day. And for your next listen, check out the Locked On Sports Today podcast. The biggest stories of the day plus instant reactions, big game recaps, and the take of the day. Available on the Odyssey app, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. We'll see you guys later this week.

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