Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - Indianapolis Colts: Will Offense Be Too Reliant On Anthony Richardson?

Starting point is 00:00:00 The Colts offense is going to be wholly reliant on Anthony Richardson in 2023, but how much is too much for the rookie? 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. What's up, everyone?

Starting point is 00:00:36 Thanks for tuning in and making us your first listen of the day. This is your daily podcast covering your Indianapolis Colts, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. I am Jake Arthur of HorseshoeHuddle.com. I am your credentialed media member for the site, bringing you the daily scoop from the team facility, letting you know what the coaches are saying, what the players are saying, just generally keeping you guys up to date. And on today's show, it's week one. We finally have football this week,

Starting point is 00:01:07 but I've got some questions. First up, I've got a few offensive questions that I'm wondering, you know, what's their lifeline throughout the season. We'll also look at the defensive side of the ball and then some coaching aspects as well. Some of this is personnel related, but generally I've got three big questions on offense, defense, and for the coaching staff. It pretty much trails the entire season, but it's applicable to this week one game at home September 10th against the Jaguars as well. So just starting out, obviously when it comes to offense, everything pretty much runs through Anthony Richardson. So question one, is Anthony Richardson going to be the entire running game?

Starting point is 00:01:58 So we'll start out just by saying, of course, Jonathan Taylor, superstar running back, of course, would be the starter on any roster. He is out at least the first four weeks of the season on the physically unable to perform list. But that doesn't mean he's even going to be back with the Colts after that. As we all know, there's the contract dispute. He wants to leave. He wants to be traded. So he may have already played his last down for the Colts. So for my money, I just don't even really factor him into the equation when it comes to this season.

Starting point is 00:02:22 So next up is Zach Moss, who is currently nursing a broken arm. We were out there at practice late last week, though, and he no longer had the cast on it. So that's good. But I still think he's probably not slated to return until probably week two, week three, because week one was just going to be a little too early. It was on the later end of the timeline for his broken arm. So that then brings us to Deion Jackson and Evan Hall as your primary running backs. So Jackson and Hall, that's two guys that can run between the tackles a bit. They can pick up tough yards. Both are really good pass catchers as well. Hall is probably a little better in pass protection at the moment. So you're really looking at two, I don't want to say unproven,

Starting point is 00:03:09 because Jackson has had to step in and play quite a bit, especially last year for the Colts. But generally unproven when it comes to shouldering the load for the extent of a season. Richardson is obviously the most dynamic weapon they've got when it comes to running the ball, especially without Jonathan Taylor there. So if the Colts running backs are just kind of ho-hum, let's just say they're just churning out okay yardage, three, four, five yards at a time, is Anthony Richardson going to be the entire life of the run game because that's a guy who he's going to be

Starting point is 00:03:45 picking up gains of five, six, seven plus yards. He's going to be picking up those first downs, you know, the third and mediums, third and longs. His scrambling ability is probably going to be a big X factor for the Colts. You know, they're probably going to have a decent third down conversion rate this year because of his ability to move the chains. But are they going to have to rely on that in terms of their run game? If the offensive line is clicking, if these running backs are following blocks well and, you know, creating a little bit of their own yardage and you add on Richardson stuff on top of that, then that aspect, you could look at a top 10 to 12 rushing offense in the NFL. But there's a lot of things that have to go right for that to happen.

Starting point is 00:04:34 So one thing I'm very confident in is that Anthony Richardson is going to put up rushing yards. We've seen running or we've seen running quarterbacks in recent years get to 1,000 yards or so. I think that's fully within the scope of expectation for Richardson this year. But are they going to be able to do more in the run game by design with the running backs? That's one big concern I've got. Moving along, will the downfield passing game work? Because right now, the receiver position is arguably the most shallow, one of the most shallow on the entire roster.

Starting point is 00:05:10 They've only got four active receivers right now in Michael Pittman, Alec Pierce, Josh Downs, and Isaiah McKenzie. They do have a handful of guys on the practice squad, Mike Strawn, Juwan Winfrey, Amari Rogers, DJ Montgomery, and Racey McMath. But the only one of those, there's really no proven downfield threats on this roster in terms of guys who have done it over the course of a season. Alec Pierce is really your only guy who you know is your downfield threat this year. That's it. And, you know, he had the rookie wall last year, so we didn't get to see him like fully flourish.

Starting point is 00:05:47 I think he'll be a much better fit with someone who's got a big arm like Anthony Richardson rather than a Matt Ryan last year. So I'm pretty confident in what Alec Pierce is going to be able to do. Josh Downs and Isaiah McKenzie, both of those guys have speed as well, but it's not really in their game to go downfield much. They're more chain movers, the classic slot types. So after that, are you looking at your tight end position in terms of throwing downfield? Basically, what I'm getting at is Shane Sikens offense is a vertical offense.

Starting point is 00:06:20 They like to push the ball downfield. You know, they have a quarterback with a big arm. They have at least one guy who can get downfield, but is it going to work how they want it to? You can't just drop five, six downfield shots to Alec Pierce every week. That's not how it works. In theory, that'd be good, but defenses catch on to things like that. So you might have to look into Kylan Granson being a factor downfield when Jelani Woods gets back, maybe him. Drew Ogletree is probably going to be parked on the line a little bit more often, at least after Jelani Woods gets

Starting point is 00:06:56 back. So that's tough. I know they want to push the ball downfield. I think it'll be more productive downfield than it was last season. But will they be able to be as vertical as they want to be? I think they're probably a year away, a year away, at least from Shane Syken being able to fully deploy what he wants to do downfield because they just don't have the personnel for it right now. Maybe I'm wrong and someone will step up and kind of prove people, myself included, wrong. But just looking at the track record of these guys that they have on the roster, it's just not really their game. And then my final question, and it's arguably the biggest one, will the starting five offensive line hold up? And it's super, super important. We know injuries happen in the NFL.

Starting point is 00:07:44 Injuries happen to this group in the NFL. Quentin Nelson has been banged up the last couple years. Ryan Kelly has had injury issues throughout his career. Will Fries is literally nursing a calf injury right now. Braden Smith has also missed time the last couple years. The Colts have no proven depth right now on the offensive line. You look at Ryan Hayes and Blake Freeland at tackle. That's two rookies. They have zero snaps in the NFL. Look at Josh Sills and Wesley French, a couple of second year guys, no offensive snaps during

Starting point is 00:08:22 the regular season. So your four backup linemen have never played a down on offense in the NFL. That's pretty concerning. And then you look at Dan Skipper, who is a veteran offensive tackle. He's on the practice squad. So that's essentially an extra lineman, but he has never graded well in pass protection. Like he can run block, but in terms of protecting the passer, the grade is almost always terrible.

Starting point is 00:08:50 So we have talked ad nauseum about our concern for the depth on the offensive line, and you're just going to have to hope and pray that the starting five stays healthy because you're making an investment in Anthony Richardson. You don't want to hang him out to dry behind a poor banged up offensive line. So that's, that's obviously a big thing to keep track of coming up next. I'm going to shift focus to the defensive side of the ball and look at a few big questions I've got there.

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Starting point is 00:11:01 So Zach is going to be back here on the next show. We're going to have a lot of stuff previewing this week, kind of tying up our final thoughts on how the Colts look moving into the season. And then, you know, we're going to have a nice little crossover with our guy, Tony Wiggins from Locked on Jag. So we're going to have a lot of good stuff coming for you guys this week. All right, so let's discuss some defense. So my first question here here given that the defensive

Starting point is 00:11:29 line i think is relatively deep right now like it's in terms of name recognition and proven players or guys who are capable of doing something this is the deepest i think the whole defensive line has been in a while but they're a little unproven off the edges. So with that said, is an alpha outside pass rusher going to emerge? Obviously, I think Quiddie Paye is the easy answer there. And if not for a bum ankle last year, I think he would have easily given the Colts that.

Starting point is 00:12:00 He looked like he was on his way to doing that. So I think if Pace stays healthy, that's probably like a 10 sack guy right there. That's your guy who is going to step up and probably be pretty consistent. Samson Abukim for flashes throughout his career has proven to be a guy who, if there is a top pass rusher on the other end of the line for him, he can take advantage of all the single matchups. All those one-on-one matchups, he's a relentless pass rusher on the other end of the line for him, he can take advantage of all the single matchups. All those one-on-one matchups, he's a relentless pass rusher.

Starting point is 00:12:29 He can get into the backfield quite a bit, both against the run and the pass. So I think if either of those guys does it, it's probably going to be pay. But that'll be a big, you know, the other one will be a big beneficiary of that. You know, you've got some guys like Dayo Dangbo can be expected to take another step. A lot of people are really excited about Isaiah Land. Taequann Lewis always gives you a nice little mixed bag while he's healthy. And Jake Martin, nice veteran addition there. But you're really looking at probably Quidipe or Samson Ibukim to come up and step

Starting point is 00:13:06 up into that lead edge rusher role. And then next question, kind of skipping the linebackers for now, is Kenny Moore II officially back? And by back, I mean back in terms of being a really, really, really good player, like arguably the best slot defender in the NFL. He's maybe taking a step back from that because he's going to have to re-earn it again. But last year was just really rough. You know, adjusting to the new defense, you know, mentally, he admits, you know, things weren't quite right. And, you know, physically,

Starting point is 00:13:43 it just didn't look the part. and then he got hurt at the end of the year um but with this with just this huge amount of turnover in the secondary particularly at cornerback i think it's going to be really important for kenny moore to come back and like still be that guy um because he's just really instinctive he's kind of a special make playmaker too i think he's got a lot of shaquille leon his game. I've just seen Kenny Moore do some things in his career that just totally blow my mind. And the Colts just didn't really get that last year. So if they can get it back this year from him, I think that's going to be huge. Because again, Darryl Baker Jr. and Dallas Flowers on the outside while Kenny is in the nickel. That's two new guys who have never been counted on to start

Starting point is 00:14:26 for an extended period of time on the outside. They don't have much in terms of depth at slot. Tony Brown is out there, but he's never been pressed to have to do it before for an extended period of time. Julian Blackman can do it, but he's being counted on to start at strong safety They think Nick Cross can do it So they have some guys, but you're going to have to move them in from other positions So I think it's really important that Kenny Moore stay healthy

Starting point is 00:14:53 And stay performing at a high level And bring back some of the big highlights that he was able to do Just a couple years before He had a really, really strong stretch of like three or so years Where he was just a couple years before. He had a really, really strong stretch of like three or so years where he was just a lights-out player. And I don't think that's all behind him. I think he's still got some of that that he can bring to the table. And then last question for the defense, again, really young group.

Starting point is 00:15:19 When and if do Juju Brinson and Jalen Jones crack this lineup? Do either of them become starters? Do either of them become starters not due to injury? I think we're just waiting, especially Brinson. You know, he's a second round pick. You got to get him out there at some point and see what he's got. Right now, they seem like guys who probably get like five or ten snaps per game at the moment. Just because your top,

Starting point is 00:15:46 your top three are solidified. And honestly, the fourth guy is probably Jalen Jones right now. To me, I kind of, they're, they're fourth cornerback. You're going to be seeing that more of the brain and face on role from last

Starting point is 00:15:58 year, you know, not a starter, but it's going to be out there a good, decent bit, you know, especially when you've got spread offenses and things that are going on across the NFL. So those guys, especially Brents, I think it's only a matter of time before he's out there, but how soon?

Starting point is 00:16:17 Luckily, as long as Dallas Flowers and Darryl Baker Jr. are performing at a decent level and it's not a disaster. I don't think the Colts are going to feel any big rush to get either of those guys out there. Like with Brents, I think they can take their time against second round pick, but they don't have to like rush him onto the field. They can like wait a bit until he looks really, really good. And then perhaps put them in there like over Dallas Flowers, for example. So one of those guys cracked the lineup. I think they're super eager to get Jalen Jones in there, to be honest with you. I haven't talked to anyone in the organization who's not like pumped about having him and how good he has looked for them coming into this season already. So I'm going to finish up here shortly, bringing you guys three big questions I have about just from a coaching perspective.

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Starting point is 00:19:41 fit only available to u.s. customers. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply. All right, guys, so let's wrap this thing up with a few key coaching questions that I've got on my mind before this season starts. And so this is kind of going to snowball a little bit off of the first segment we were discussing the offense. How much will the short passing game be used as an extension of the run game? So I think the Colts are probably going to pass more with Richards than I first anticipated. They probably would have been really heavy on the ground if Taylor was around, but I do think they'll pass a little more now.

Starting point is 00:20:21 So whether or not Deion Jackson, Zach Moss, and Evan Hall is some like super effective ground and pound attack, I'm wondering if the Colts are going to be using that short passing game as an extension of the run game more often. Reason being, Hall and Jackson are both plus pass catchers as running backs, like above average, I would say. Moss is okay at it, but that's not really his specialty. He's more of a between the tackles guy. He's good in pass protection. But, you know, if the run game isn't working or they're not able to like get it outside the tackle as much as they would want, then they could easily use those pass-catching backs, you know, quickly get them out in space, out, you know, at the numbers, outside the hashes.

Starting point is 00:21:11 I think that's going to be something we see a lot more. That's just my gut, you know, looking at Shane Steichen's offenses in the past, looking at the personnel they have now, I kind of think we're going to be, it's not exactly screen passes. They're just going to be quick outlets, quick dump offs, basically to fortify what they would be getting in the run game if it's not clicking like they would like it to. So keep an eye on that because I think that's going to be coming up a lot too. You could be looking at like Deion Jackson going from the 30 receptions he had last year to like 50 this year. I really will not be surprised there. Next question. I think everyone is probably wondering this. Who is wide receiver five right now and are they on the roster? The Colts made kind of a bizarre move last week. They cut

Starting point is 00:21:57 themselves down to three active receivers. It was Pittman, Pierce, and Downs. They cut Isaiah McKenzie and they quickly brought him back when they put Jelani Woods on IR. But still, that's only four receivers, and it just goes to show you that McKenzie's spot on the team is not ironclad by any means. So you've got these four receivers. That's just not enough to carry on an active roster throughout a year.

Starting point is 00:22:21 So what are they going to do at five and perhaps six because that's usually going to be special teams players and in that instance you're probably looking at juwan winfrey and amari rogers uh i'm not racy mcmath is brand new to the team so i'm not really familiar with his special teams pedigree or how much he's done that when he was just with the Titans. But yeah, it's tough to say, like, are they just going to kind of rotate through these guys and call up one or the other throughout the season? Is wide receiver five even on the team? Like, we've already we already went through the big, you know, gutting the rosters process that was last last week.

Starting point is 00:23:03 So I'm really curious that like right now, it just seems like they'll probably make a decision on someone this week and just keep them as the fifth guy, maybe keep bringing wide receiver sixes up. I don't know. Like Jawan Winfrey is probably the most well-equipped to do it. I had him making, getting the final receiver spot in my final roster prediction before

Starting point is 00:23:27 roster cuts happened. So Winfrey and Rodgers are probably the best special teams players out of that. So down to my head, I would say those guys are probably your fifth and sixth receivers in actuality, even though they don't have five or six on the active roster. So we'll see how that all shakes out. They're probably not going to play much on offense anyways, unless someone gets hurt. So it really just all comes down to special teams. And then final question on defense. This is for Gus Bradley.

Starting point is 00:23:58 How do they find extra snaps for EJ Speed and Nick Cross? So EJ Speed had a little bit of a breakout last year, but was expected to take an even bigger step this year because it was a big mystery as to whether or not Shaquille Leonard was going to be able to come in and play. And then lo and behold, he practices every day except for the last one during training camp. So Shaquille Leonard is back.

Starting point is 00:24:22 He's just got to get cleared from this concussion protocol that he's in right now, but he is making steps through it. So assuming Shaquille Leonard, you know, is part of the linebacker equation all year, teams most often only use two. So you're going to have Zaire Franklin and Shaquille Leonard taking the lion's share of the snaps, you know, 80, 85% of the snaps. Well, you've got a guy like ej speed with special playmaking abilities like really explosive as well gus bradley has talked about it linebackers coach

Starting point is 00:24:51 richard smith has talked about it they have to get him more involved so how do they do that i think it's gonna be more matchup based maybe like they'll still get into like nickel and dime defense and everything but maybe instead of an extra defensive back it's ej speed to cover like an athletic tight end or something you know what i mean like i think it's going to be really match at base but i think you have to find a way to get ej speed more involved same thing with nick cross now with cross i feel confident he's probably going to earn some snaps based on injuries this year anyways. So you've got Rodney Thomas starting at free safety and Julian Blackman at strong safety. Thomas has had a pretty good bill of health just through his first, his rookie year.

Starting point is 00:25:38 He did miss a little bit of time, like a few practices during training camp, but it wasn't any big deal. Julian Blackman unfortunately has been kind of snakebitten by injuries throughout his career uh came into the NFL with an ACL tear had the Achilles last year um or the year before so it's it's going to be tough uh for him to prove he can stay healthy in a contract year too because Nick Cross just had a terrific summer he filled in for both Thomas and Blackman during the summer at free safety and strong safety be in a contract here too because Nick Cross just had a terrific summer. He filled in for both Thomas and Blackman during the summer at free safety and strong safety. Played some nickel as well.

Starting point is 00:26:12 So the Colts know they can use him in any of those three spots. So I don't know. It's really tough for a third safety to crack the lineup and get any playing time in Gus Bradley's defense. But I think Bradley and Ron Miles are going to have to get a little creative and figure out ways to get cross on the field. Again, it could just be like with speed, like totally match at base. Or, you know, in certain packages you have cross and Blackman coming up more

Starting point is 00:26:43 into the box and you have Rodney Thomas roaming deep. If it's like a pass heavy set, like a spread spread defense or something, there's just different things they could do. Maybe shortening it up in the red zone when they're in the shallow red zone, you know, when within the 10 or five yard line, that can make some sense.

Starting point is 00:27:01 But regardless, the Colts are really gonna have to find ways to get both of those guys more involved on defense because they've just earned it they're young athletic playmakers they're getting better and you just it's it's a good problem to have but you've got to find ways to get those guys on the field so with that I'm calling it a day every day or Zach will be back we're going to dive headfirst into Colts Jags. It's going to be an awesome time. Remember, you know, starting the regular season back at,

Starting point is 00:27:31 back at Nevermore, I'll be hosting the pregame show over there for their four hour tailgate for the price of your ticket. You get all you can eat buffet, an open bar. The rooftop view is awesome. There's a bunch of games there. So it's an incredible deal. So come hang out with me Sunday morning while we do the pregame show.

Starting point is 00:27:52 But yeah, other than that, if you don't already follow at Locked on Colts at Jake Arthur NFL and at Zach Hicks too on Twitter. Also subscribe to Locked on Colts on YouTube and wherever you listen to your podcasts. We would love your guys ratings and reviews as well. And with that, we'll see you guys tomorrow.

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Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - Indianapolis Colts: Will Offense Be Too Reliant On Anthony Richardson?

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