Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - Indianapolis Colts: Time To Make Moves On Offensive Line?

Starting point is 00:00:00 It is time for some changes, ladies and gentlemen. Now that we know the Colts are actually capable of beating good teams, we know what their Achilles heel is as well. 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, everyone. Thank you 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.

Starting point is 00:00:51 Today's episode is brought to you by LinkedIn. LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the candidates that you want to talk to faster. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com slash LockedOnNFL. This is Jake Arthur alongside Zach Hicks. And you know the two of us from horseshoehuddle.com of course. Today we're going to tell you why the Colts offensive line is their Achilles heel and what we would do to change it. We also think that change is inevitable there and necessary so we'll just tell you exactly how it can be fixed. The tape's also been grinded slash ground now by Zach after the Colts 20 to 17

Starting point is 00:01:28 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. He's already cranked out a couple of really good pieces for you guys over at horseshoehuddle.com. So if you haven't already, go ahead and check those out. We'll kind of go over some of that stuff here today as well. So yeah, we'll just go ahead and tell you what the film showed. First and foremost, offensive line changes. It's rough pretty much everywhere outside of guys not named Quentin Nelson. But outside of a change at the top with Chris Strasser as the coach, personnel wise, I think you and me might be in the same boat. Danny Pinter at right guard is probably the first move to make. Yeah. Yeah. And you know, it's again, it comes off as hindsight bias,

Starting point is 00:02:10 but it's really not. Cause we actually mentioned it a few times on this podcast back in August, even before August, back in July, where there really should have been a competition at right guard. It really should not have been just handed to Danny Pinter. And you know, you were there through a lot of those practices. Danny Pinter didn't look like the bona fides starter at right guard in practices. I remember from what you and a lot of other people were saying, where there were struggles with him out there. It's not like he had a dominant offseason and then it just didn't

Starting point is 00:02:38 carry into the games. It was kind of iffy in the offseason as well. But there really was no competition there whatsoever this offseason. The Colts elected not to bring back Mark Lewinsky or Chris Reed, both guys. I mean, I know Lewinsky is kind of struggling right now with the Giants, but, you know, Lewinsky was a guy who was there for a couple years. Chris Reed played really, really well down the stretch last season. They let both those guys go. And then they did keep Will Fries from last season,

Starting point is 00:03:04 but he really didn't get a shot at right guard he's kind of just the main rotational interior guy you know left guard center right guard if someone goes down he steps in uh but it really was just handed to danny pinter and i will say chris or uh frank reich said after the game uh after this game on sunday that one-on-one the offensive line looked fine it was just with the protection issues yeah I know I know I'm gonna refute it a little bit I'm gonna refute a little bit no yeah as I say it's it's not your work but I will I will kind of parrot him a little bit in saying I thought Braden Smith was had his best game of the year for the most part Matt Pryor

Starting point is 00:03:41 I think had his best game of the year one-on-ones uh i think ryan kelly and quentin else were fine one-on-one the only player who i think struggled one-on-one like consistently was danny pinter uh when the protection issue when like the protection call was actually right which was i could count maybe on one hand how many times it was actually right it felt like it was that bad the protection calls uh but even when the protection calls were right, Danny Pinter was struggling. Now the Chiefs went out of their way to put Chris Jones on him as much as possible. And if you're below average or just a bad starting right guard and you're going against a top three defensive tackle, you're going to struggle.

Starting point is 00:04:18 It's just the nature of football. Offensive line play is not as good as defensive line play. So if you're going against a superstar, you're going to have a bad day, but yeah, Danny Pinter was getting beat left and right. And then obviously I don't know what his impact is with those, with those poor protection calls or anything like that. You know, was it him just not understanding what Ryan Kelly was saying was, or what Matt Ryan was saying was, was there something,

Starting point is 00:04:42 I don't know what was going on with that, but one-on-one, the only thing I can really attest to is one-on-one stuff. Danny Pinter did struggle. And again, the Colts are in a tough spot where if you didn't have that competition this off season, you're, you're kind of like, if you throw Will Fries out there or Dennis Kelly at right guard, which some of these things we're going to talk about here in a second, they're kind of behind the eight ball, you know, they didn't really have any part of the offseason

Starting point is 00:05:07 to work with the first team. So then you're kind of starting that chemistry all over again, which we've seen the last couple of years with the Colts and with teams around the league. It's like it's hard to just insert a new guy into this group of five where these guys have to play as five players, not as one-on-ones. So I do think they kind of put themselves behind the eight ball, not giving other guys shots with the first team. Danny Pinter has struggled one-on-one,

Starting point is 00:05:29 even though I don't think it's the biggest issue on the O-line right now. But yeah, it's a glaring issue right now where I do think replacing him could make sense as long as you have a proper plan and practice for it. Yeah. And just to kind of contextualize, you know, we're not just saying he's bad. Like there there's numbers to go with it too. He has, um, he's actually only credited with giving up one sack so far, which I don't know if they consider that the one with Frank Clark or not, but you know, he, he's been kind of pushed around quite a bit. Lots of hurries, pressures, things of that nature. None of his grades are even at the average level. They're all like kind of far below average.

Starting point is 00:06:14 Pass blocking is a 36.4, according to Pro Football Focus, which is yikes. Run blocking is 55.6, which is but still below average overall grade 50.5 so yeah not great and then we're not going to just present this without you know giving options as well so bernard ryman is kind of an x factor in all this because right uh he's been receiving rotational snaps at left tackle so it seems like regardless of what Matt Pryor was doing, the Colts would like to move Ryman in that direction eventually. So let's say you put Ryman at left tackle and perhaps move Matt Pryor to right guard then, which he's played before and has done well occasionally

Starting point is 00:06:59 against the Cardinals, not so much. Yeah. Yeah. That was a little fries. Right. Right. The one thing i want to jump in and say was i have seen a lot of people say this like oh if you put rhyme in left

Starting point is 00:07:09 tackle then prior honest automatically moves to right guard and they're fine matt prior's worst game in all of last season was it right guard like like matt prior was good anytime he lined up a tackle last season honestly i don't think he's been like the second game against the jaguars he was bad but every single player on the team was bad against Jaguars like he wasn't that bad in week one or week three like he was an adequate tackle in those two games so like I don't know if I really would be calling to replace him right now but he's been fine at tackle with the Colts it's just when he was a guard he was a train wreck against the Cardinals so yeah that Cardinals game was rough yeah I don't know if he's the solution to throw it right I don't know well at least I don't know if it's like automatic like okay we move him to right guard and it's all good

Starting point is 00:07:52 you know like I I would personally prefer Will Fries there right guard because that's something he's been working at like constantly for two years is the only position he's been working or I mean he's been a little bit at center but like he's been an interior offensive lineman you know it's all he's been doing where prior it's just bouncing bouncing bouncing um so I don't know I think I would lean more towards Will Fries at right guard but again the issue comes it's a young player who didn't get any first team reps in the offseason like if like just few if any you know so it's it's just tough to throw them in there. I don't know what the solution is to this.

Starting point is 00:08:28 I mean, those are some options right there. All I do know for a fact, though, is Danny Pinter is going to kind of be the fall guy with the fans for a bit with this, where the bigger issue is still the protection calls. I don't know if it's Ryan Kelly. I don't know if it's Matt Ryan. I don't know if it's someone else on the offensive line. But these protection calls are terrible. And I mean, that's how you get Danny Pinter with only allowing one sack this year, even though we're seeing guys run free up the gap because profile ball focus is even saying like,

Starting point is 00:08:56 it's not the right guards fault if nobody's accounting for this guy, because there's something with the protection call. I don't know who they're attributing the sack to when they do that or the pressure to, but it's not like it's just the right guard or just the center. There's something wrong with the protection call. I know Frank Reich addressed it the other day in his post-conference, or I don't think it was his post-game conference. I think it was on Monday.

Starting point is 00:09:17 Monday, yeah. Yeah, and he said they know what they need to do to fix it. It's just on the guys to fix it. And I'm like, well, great. That makes me feel better. Right. But it's a tough thing to analyze as a fan or even as an analyst, because we will never understand what the issue is there. Cause they can't be too open with that. And we don't know how they're going to fix it because we don't know what the issue is. So it's,

Starting point is 00:09:37 it's, it's frustrating, but yeah, Danny Pinter is probably the easy one to replace, but even that it's kind of tough to replace him at this point. Like you said, everything is disruptive. All options are because they've been the starting five since the spring. And I think the Colts kind of assumed everything would just work itself out as long as they didn't look like a train wreck during the off season, which didn't look awful, but there were signs that some of this might happen. Right. But prior for all intents and purposes, looked pretty good in the summer.

Starting point is 00:10:09 He looked like you wouldn't worry about. And I think he has improved. Yeah. If we're throwing out pro football focus grades, I think he was the third highest graded Colts player in this past game or fourth highest. Yeah. I think he was up there.

Starting point is 00:10:23 Yeah. Which Andrew Moore wrote you know there were some surprising offensive linemen uh inclusions on there so yeah if if you're gonna do if you're gonna do Danny Pinter one thing that might happen you know is is the prior thing but the one that's least disruptive is just plugging will fries in there how confident are they in that yeah the first first and foremost is the communication because it's very obvious there's free rushers coming all the time if you're if an opponent's going to blitz they're going to get there right now and that's really not great to see so that's the first set that absolutely

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Starting point is 00:12:17 All right, Jake, let's talk some positive things with this Colts offense. Because, I mean, the Colts won. Like, why are we talking negative stuff?'s only positive stuff you know because that's our brand that's our brand we're going to be very fair weather that's all that's all we're going to be but uh I know you obviously have some numbers and stuff in front of you but I really thought Alec Pierce and Johnny Woods even like on film looked better than what their numbers would even say in this past game. And I know Pro Football Focus and other sites graded them pretty high as well. But I thought on film these two players looked even better than what any of those numbers or what their pure stats would even say.

Starting point is 00:12:58 Yeah, if you take stats away, catches, yards, all that, and just assign points to separation and one routes and things like that they both would have scored really high um so you have you have a piece out on each of alec pierce and july woods from their performances on sunday alec pierce was probably the most glaring one just because of the big plays three catches 61 yards 20 yard average man he was clutch considering the biggest thing he had done yet in the season was drop that touchdown in week one and then he was out week two at the concussion which that sounds like me bashing him I not at all like I get it um but no he he came out he had that perfect Alec Pierce Cincinnati catch uh down the sideline the Colts were backed up in their own end zone you know i i think i even said in the press box i was like jonathan taylor get ready

Starting point is 00:13:49 get ready for your runs because they were backed up in their own end zone i figured that's what they were going to do nope they took a deep shot to pierce and he bailed him out immediately and then he had he had a kind of an intermediate dig route and then he had that one on the fourth quarter comeback. All three of them were for first downs. So a really clutch day for him. But you had also pointed out on Jelani Woods' game-winning touchdown, Pierce could have just as easily been the option as well. Is that right?

Starting point is 00:14:18 Yeah, it was actually the play before the game-winning touchdown. There were – obviously there were people who mentioned on Jelani Woods' game-winning touchdown, there were like four open receivers. Like basically anyone besides Michael Pittman Jr. could have scored that game-winning touchdown. There were – obviously there were people who mentioned on Jelani Wood's game-winning touchdown there were like four open receivers. Like basically anyone besides Michael Pittman Jr. could have scored that game-winning touchdown. The Colts kind of beat the Chiefs defensive backs across the board on that play, which was great.

Starting point is 00:14:35 But no, with Alec Pierce, I mean, there were opportunities for him to have had an even bigger game. You know, we could have been looking at five catches for 90 yards in the touchdown in this one. Like they were just inches away. I mean, there's one that I highlight on my social media. If you guys want to check out on Twitter where Matt Ryan rolled out of the pocket and he quickly took the dump off to nine Hines,

Starting point is 00:14:53 where if he kept his eyes down field, he could have had a, you know, a 20 plus yard game to Alec Pierce on the C route where he was, nobody was covering him. So that's one he could have had. And then the biggest one was the player right before Jelani Woods game winning touchdown. Alec Pierce dusted his corner off the line. Just really, really good release. And if Matt Ryan had just an extra second or half second to throw,

Starting point is 00:15:14 which is the theme of this podcast now, if he had an extra second to throw, he could have put this ball where he actually needed to put it for Pierce to come away with it. Now, if Pierce were a dominant number one receiver, like Michael Pittman Jr. makes that catch on the goal line. I think you guys all know his play. It was a little glance route, the play right before Johnny Woods' touchdown. Like a star receiver makes that catch. Now, a rookie, though, against a 6'2", 6'3", corner,

Starting point is 00:15:37 that's just a tough spot to put it. Matt Ryan put it on the back shoulder. The corner had enough speed and length to come back and knock that away. If Matt Ryan could actually put that where he wanted to put it, though, he would have put it low and inside, and Pierce would have been able to use his body to shield it for the touchdown. And we would have been talking about Alec Pierce's game with a touchdown instead of Jelani Woods.

Starting point is 00:15:57 But, no, I think Alec Pierce had a great game, especially on that – obviously that 30-yard catch that you were mentioning back on the goal line. That was just quintessential Alec Pierce, you know, used his speed and a little hesitation to get separation off the line. And then the corner had to turn and run with him because he started to really stack that corner and really get past that corner. And then Matt Ryan puts a perfect back shoulder pass because, you know, that safety was coming to the top. So it had to be more of a back shoulder. And Alec Pierce went up and made a great catch.

Starting point is 00:16:27 So, yeah, I think Alec Pierce really showed everything that was in his draft profile like in this game and then he even showed a little bit more with you know that dig route against zone coverage or the the zone coverage uh catch he had on the game winning drive as well uh he showed a little bit more than the scouting report even I think um I think I think we're gonna see a big game from him coming up soon he looks he looks ready to take that next step I was gonna say I think we're about to start seeing a game from him coming up soon. He looks ready to take that next step. I was going to say, I think we're about to start seeing a lot more of him. Right after the game, Matt Ryan gave him and Woods praise that he didn't have to. Like, he spoke really confidently about both of them.

Starting point is 00:16:57 And speaking of Woods, you know, on the box score, two catches, 13 yards, two touchdowns. That was pretty good from a touchdowns perspective. But what did you see from him that indicates, you know, because we this summer were talking about, man, we're a little surprised. You know, he's kind of coming along slower. You know, it was the Drew Ogletree show when Colin Granson was coming on. But now Woods is looking really good. And this was a big confidence game for him,

Starting point is 00:17:26 one that I think he probably needed. And the Colts rewarded him coming in, honestly. He had 16 total snaps in the first two weeks, and he had 16 in this one alone. So his playing time is starting to grow, and obviously he rewarded them with two touchdowns, including the game winner. Yeah, I think that's something we either mentioned after the first game or right before the second game or something like that, where Jelani Woods obviously isn't ready to be a blocker or be the full-time starting tight end, but he just offers so much more as a pass catcher than these other tight ends, even more than

Starting point is 00:17:56 Kylan Granson because he's got the speed and the size. That's just something you want on the field. So we kind of mentioned, I think, I can't remember when it was, but at least getting him out there for design passing plays on the third downs and stuff like that, it makes a lot of sense to get Woods out there. And what we saw a lot in this game is when the Colts needed a throw, Johnny Woods was the guy that was on the field. And just like with Alec Pierce, I think this was another example where he could have had a bigger day. Matt Ryan's worst throw the entire day was when Jelani Woods was wide open

Starting point is 00:18:24 on a crosser in the fourth quarter, and Matt Ryan just put it high and behind him. He had no chance to catch it. There was another crosser off play action where Ryan probably could have fit it in there, but Matt Ryan was just kind of rattled in this game. It was kind of a tough one. So there were a couple more opportunities for him, but that touchdown catch, again, just like with Alec Pierce, that touchdown catch, that game- that touchdown catch again just like with alec pierce that touchdown catch that game winning touchdown catch from jelani woods is kind of quintessential what you were expecting on that draft profile where for that play to be successful you need a big athletic player you know you need a player like woods because he had to win that inside leverage with his size and then he still had to pull away from that defensive back once he had that inside leverage uh which is that

Starting point is 00:19:04 athleticism and that speed so i don't think that's a play that Moelle Cox or Kylan Granson could make in that situation. That was a play that really only Jelani Woods could, and he made that play. He made a great catch, and the Colts are winners here. So yeah, I think both those players just had outstanding games, and they really showed to their draft potential. And I think this is the start of a lot of good things for these two players. Yeah I mean I think we're we both think the pass catchers are better than what they were initially were considered coming into the season right but having Pierce and Woods developing like this already this early god that's that's a huge that's a huge bonus for them because you know they can try and rely on guys like Ashton Doolin and Paris Campbell,

Starting point is 00:19:49 but if they don't have to and these guys are really showing through, then the sky's – I mean, I'm not going to say the sky's the limit for the offense because we know they have some of their deficiencies. The floor is the limit for the offense right now. Yeah, right. All right, so that's offense. Looking at the offense right now. Yeah, right? Oh, man. All right, so that's offense. Looking at the defensive side of the ball, you know,

Starting point is 00:20:09 we heap praise on him right after the game, and you have been as well all week. Gus Bradley, you know, you can be stubborn or you can make adjustments and, you know, kind of maybe get out of your comfort zone, I guess. And the adjustments he made both in personnel and scheme, they worked. Yeah. No, I think you just said that perfectly. Where if we're looking at what Gus Bradley did in this game,

Starting point is 00:20:32 it's not that he was drastically different than what Gus Bradley always does. You know, he's still, according to my charting, he still ran 64% with single high safety. You know, that middle of the field closed, which is what he always does. You know, he's typically like one of the highest in the league at running single high safety because just nobody really does it anymore. But for me, when I watch this game, I got more of the feel of a 2019 or 2020 Chargers defense than I did of the 2021 Raiders defense. You know, last year with the Raiders, I think he was at like 75, 76, 77% with a cover three usage or with single high usage. And these first two weeks with the Colts,

Starting point is 00:21:12 it was a lot of those same things. It was just cover three, single high safety all the time. Now this week, it still was a lot of single high. Again, from my charting, it was 64% single high safety, but he mixed in so many different things within what he was doing. You know, when he wasn't running single high, it was a lot of cover two. It was a lot of quarters defense. When you saw him doing even the single high, it was a lot of cover one, a lot of cover one robber, a lot of man stuff.

Starting point is 00:21:37 That was stuff he really didn't do with the Raiders last year or with the Colts in the first two weeks. And I think a lot of it is just personnel. I think last year with the Raiders, he didn't really trust his linebackers in coverage and the corners were a little bit older or really, really young. They didn't really have guys like Stephon Gilmore or even Isaiah Rogers who had success. It was kind of a tough team to run that with.

Starting point is 00:21:58 And I don't think he had that faith in these players in those first two weeks. He was kind of feeling it out a little bit. But this game going against Pat Mahomes and the Chiefs, he really, you know, he really tested these defenders to run more. I don't even want to say more like difficult coverages, but it was more just like unique coverages, different coverages that you really want your players to excel in.

Starting point is 00:22:21 And I think that variety really helped confuse the chief's offense i mean they definitely were not ready for for how much the colts threw at them uh and and i do think the personnel changes were huge too like you mentioned personnel changes rodney mcleod playing the entire game uh it looked really really good this entire game he was out there you could see him on on all 22 that he was directing traffic uh the entire game i mean he was out there being a big-time communicator, and that's the real reason why he got so many snaps, and Nick Cross barely saw the field is because you just needed that

Starting point is 00:22:50 against the Chiefs. And then Isaiah Rogers seeing more snaps, he looked good out there. I mean, I think just everything that Gus Bradley did in this game was right. You know, like, again, we're talking about a nearly perfectly called game in this one. I know the Chiefs had two botched field goals and a botched extra point. But, I mean, the Chiefs scored 14 of their 17 points off of turnovers. You know, really, really short fields.

Starting point is 00:23:14 Outside of that, the Colts' defense just locked them down. I mean, it was smothering defense all day. And Gus Bradley deserves a lot of credit for it. Now, these players deserve a lot of credit, too. They came out and they played fast. They played hungry. And they looked like a lot of credit for it. Now, these players deserve a lot of credit, too. They came out and they played fast. They played hungry. And they looked like a very different defense. But, you know, Gus Bradley, you know, I think the best way I can describe it is I kind of called the Bills game last year like Matt Eberflus' masterpiece.

Starting point is 00:23:36 Because that was the best I had seen Matt Eberflus, like, as a play caller in his defense play was against the Buffalo Bills and what they did to Josh Allen. I think this is Gus Bradley's masterpiece with the Colts, and it's only three weeks in. So it could get a lot better. It could get a lot worse. But as of right now, this performance from his defense and what he did on Sunday deserves a lot of praise. I think it's huge for that type of performance to happen so early in the season

Starting point is 00:24:03 because it gives them a good offering of what can work in certain situations for sure. Obviously something that helps stir the pot and make things work is a good pass rush. Yannick Ngakwe, you know, it's kind of come out that he's had a chronic back issue, but the Colts figured it out leading into this game. It was either Nate or Joel. One of the two, I think it was Nate with the Indy star that, that wrote that up recently. So really good job by them.

Starting point is 00:24:32 So, and Gawkway basically has, has had a back issue forever, basically, but it flared up in training camp. They got it figured out before this game. It can kind of help explain the slow start from him in the first two weeks but i mean i thought he looked good he got to mahomes for his for his first sack

Starting point is 00:24:50 in what looked like a really yannick and gawkway type fashion you know dipping the edge of across a much bigger tackle and and getting to him uh quitty pay looked pretty relentless i thought as well um deforest buckner looked a lot more like himself. Grover Stewart was Grover Stewart. Of course, the Curtis Brooks podcast featuring Kylan Granson brought to you by Grover Stewart. Our name is getting much bigger now. We're just the longest t-shirt ever is what our show is. Exactly. But no, the defensive line in general, as a group, looked the best it has so far. Yeah, no, I was really impressed. And two things I want to add

Starting point is 00:25:30 to what you just said, because I agree with everything that you just said. Those guys really came to play. Tyquan Lewis was really relentless as a pass rusher as well. I think he drew a hold on Trey Smith at the end of the first half. And then he had a couple where he either should have drawn a hold or he got a pressure. He looked really, really relentless in passing downs. The other thing I want to throw in is I think Gus Bradley did a really good job of mixing in, you know, stunts and twists to where, you know, he was just rushing four guys, but they were able to get a lot of pressure because Quidipe was crashing down with Taequann Lewis, you know, sweeping back to the outside or DeForest Buckner was lined up at defensive end on a couple pass rushes, which was a cool little twist in there. So there were a lot of really cool things

Starting point is 00:26:08 Gus Bradley did. And we even saw, I think in the second half that he was bringing, you know, one linebacker on blitzes, like Zyre Franklin had a couple of really nice rushes in the second half. Bobby Okereke had one on a third down as well that forced a bad throw. So I just think it was, again, it was a perfect combination of these players really came to play and it was a really good scheme to, to how to limit this, this chiefs offense. So yeah, the pass rush really came alive and this is what we expected coming into the year, you know, 38% pressure percentage with the Colts barely blitzing and,

Starting point is 00:26:39 and they got, they were able to get off the field quite a bit. So yeah, I was, I was really, really impressed. And this is, it's even better because this came against a really really good offensive line uh i mean yeah from from left to right the chiefs offensive line orlando brown jr uh joe thune or joe tooney i think it's how you say his name uh creed humphrey uh trey smith and i think the right tackle is uh i think it's andrew wiley uh who's you know a longtime starter so uh it's a really really good offensive line, probably a top five offensive line in football.

Starting point is 00:27:07 And the Colts really punched them in the mouth all game long. Yeah, they absolutely did. And there was a few defensive backs I actually wanted to get your thoughts on real quick. So Isaiah Rogers obviously got his first defensive action of the season. He got it even before Stephon Gilmore had to briefly leave with the hamstring. And then Kenny Moore, it's been a rough start for him, but I didn't notice as many negative plays for him on Sunday. And then Rodney Thomas II,

Starting point is 00:27:38 the rookie seventh round pick who got thrust into a bigger role than any of us thought would already happen. Over Nick Cross, I mean, it is schematically free safety versus strong safety, of course. But what do you think about those three guys? Yeah, so starting with Rodney Thomas, I thought he looked really fast, big, strong. I mean, he moves at a different level for a guy his size. He's a really good mover. On that really amazing play that he made at the end of the first half, that little pass breakup on the deep pass, he almost, I mean, he made a bad mistake on

Starting point is 00:28:11 it. He almost blew that coverage. But that's where you could talk about a guy just having that raw ability to be a free safety, where not many guys could recover from the situation. You know, guys in the past who played for the Colts in the second year like harry willis isn't making that play clayton gathers isn't making that play half of malik willis or uh malik uh hooker isn't making that play so i mean like it's a really just special play that he made uh despite having you know a mistake on there so i think there was a lot of really good things from him in this game uh kenny moore i think had a better game this week but there were still some issues you know uh mar Valdez-Scantling beat him deep early. That should have been a big touchdown to start the game. It would have drastically changed the entire game, but Mahomes missed him.

Starting point is 00:28:54 And then I think pro football focus gave him fault for the touchdown. I don't think I would call that, but it's pro football focus. But I think he played better. I would like that. But, you know, I, it's pro football focus. But I think he played better. I would like to see a little bit more consistency and coverage still from him, but I do think it was a step forward. And then Isaiah Rogers, he's just so, he's just so special in how he moves. Like every, every step is just at a different speed than everybody else, you know, even next to like McColl Hardman out there or like just everything just everything i mean he honestly has to be one of the fastest players

Starting point is 00:29:29 in all the football uh so i expect just with more snaps with him just more productive play i mean even on that little out route that he gave up he closed he closed the distance between him and the receiver so quick and made a really fast tackle so i want to see more of him out there but i'll i mean i'll take again i'll take 20 snaps or whatever it was that he got. I think he looked good in those snaps. Yeah, I think it's definitely a start, again, early in the season. If he had to prove himself to Gus Bradley on the playing field rather than just the practice field, I think this was a way

Starting point is 00:30:00 that they could have done it. Now, of course, this week is Tennessee, a very run-heavy team without a breadth of receivers. So we'll see what playing time looks like then. But that's it for us, everybody. We'll actually be back with you tomorrow as we cross over with Locked on Titans. It's probably the Colts' most bitter rival nowadays. So we'll talk about everything, what to expect, and, you know,

Starting point is 00:30:23 why Jonathan Taylor is the superior player to a certain king over there in Nashville. I don't know. Make sure you follow us on social media, guys, at JakeArthurNFL, at ZachKicks2, and at LockedOnColts on Twitter. Also, subscribe to the show on YouTube and wherever you listen to your podcasts. Thanks again for making LockedOnColts your first listen every day. Now make your second listen to Peacock and Williamson NFL show. Brian Peacock and former NFL scout Matt Williamson

Starting point is 00:30:47 give you the expert NFL analysis in less than 30 minutes. It's free and available wherever you get your podcasts. We'll see you guys tomorrow.

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