Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - Is the Colts' defense for real?

Episode Date: October 9, 2020

On today's episode, Evan is joined by Stephen Reed from Stampede Blue to go over the Colts' win in Chicago and look ahead to Cleveland. Also, stay tuned for a lot of talks surrounding Indy's No. 1 ran...ked defense.Is the Colts' defense for real? It sure seems that way over the last three weeks, but now this is the portion of the schedule we will truly find out. DeForest Buckner and Justin Houston have been huge keys to their early success, but don't forget about rookie safety Julian Blackmon. These three with Darius Leonard form a fearsome foursome that could rock the AFC in 2020.How has Philip Rivers been through the quarter poll of the 2020-21 season? The efficiency is there, but the points on the scoreboard have dipped a little bit. What should we expect moving forward from Rivers?We close on the Browns game. What will happen in Cleveland? This is going to be another closely contested battle with AFC positioning on the line. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:00:00 You are Locked On Colts, your daily Indianapolis Colts podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello everybody, welcome back to your latest episode of Locked On Colts, part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Today's audience is your host, Evan Seder, joined by Stephen Reed of Stampede Blues. Here to recap, as he's always on each week, to recap Sunday's game and preview this upcoming Sunday's game,
Starting point is 00:00:36 the Colts, who are now 3-1, travel to Cleveland for a very important game against the 3-1 Browns. So first, let's talk about the Colts' really impressive 19-11 win over the Bears last Sunday at Soldier Field. Steven, how are you doing today? I'm doing well today, Evan. How are you? I'm doing well, and I was talking with you before off the air before we started here, but let me get your quick thoughts
Starting point is 00:00:58 on this defense first off because now three straight weeks, I know it's been really poor opponents. You have the Jaguars, you have the Vikings, who are very disappointed this year. Of course, the worst team in the NFL the New York Jets and the Bears offense who seem like they're just not getting off the ground at all retrocording us on Thursday evening as they're struggling on on offense against the Buccaneers right now on Thursday night football what's been your assessment of this defense so far I know the lack of competition is a
Starting point is 00:01:20 valid argument for those out there who are wondering but just from what we've seen so far I mean DeForest Buckner looks like a complete monster now, Stephen. Three straight weeks now where he's really dominated a game. Julian Blackman looks like he's already getting up there for me at least. I know it's maybe hyperbolic to say already, but he's like top three, top four favorite guys to watch on defense already for me. Behind Buckner, Leonard, and Kenny Moore, he's probably right up there
Starting point is 00:01:42 within the Beyonce. So impressive as a rookie what he's doing right now at Free State to replace Malik Hooker. And, of course, Justin Houston is so reliable now. He's had six straight games with a sack. Every single game this year he's had a sack in it as well. What's been your assessment, Stephen, of this defense, how they performed on Sunday, and do you think this is sustainable?
Starting point is 00:01:59 Yeah, the defense itself has been fantastic from the beginning of the season to now, obviously. They're ranked in the top five or they're ranked as the top defense in the NFL after a quarter of the season. And so as a Colts fan, that's kind of a new thing for us. We're not used to this, but it's really, really exciting. It's something that we said when they made the trade for Darius, DeForest Buckner, that he was going to change this defense. And it's something that Chris Ballard preached. And you've heard me say it. You've said it.
Starting point is 00:02:34 I'm sure other guests have said it, that the three technique drives this thing. And it's really, really clear just how much of a difference maker he is at that position. And you mentioned Justin Houston having a sack in each game. Each game this season, that sack has been almost directly attributed to teams having to pay attention to DeForest Buckner and having to double him, letting Justin Houston, who is a savvy, still a solid pass rusher in his own right, get himself one-on-one matchups, and he's going to win the majority of those.
Starting point is 00:03:12 And so you love how they're playing. You love the speed that you're seeing from Darius Leonard. Anthony Walker has been fantastic all year. He's such a smart player. He's always in the right position, which is in the past he's been okay at that. But this year, specifically, he's really stepped up his game. You see Bobby Okereke making plays. And I think you're right when you talked about Julian Blackman being one of my favorite players to watch. I have an affinity for safety play. Bob Sanders is one
Starting point is 00:03:43 of my favorite Colts of all time. And Julian Blackman coming in there, the way he just goes and lays hits, he comes in, he makes the right play. He's not beat. He's not out of position. I think at this point in his first four games, he's got more passes defense than Malik Hooker did the entirety of last season. And so, and that might be because offenses want to go at Julian Blackman, and maybe they avoided Malik Hooker. But the fact is, whenever there's a big play in the past two weeks, Julian Blackman's
Starting point is 00:04:21 been around. And so you're really, really excited as a Colts fan because now they really do have some playmakers on each level. And it's what we've said from the beginning, that DeForest Buckner really changes the entirety of this defense. It allows those linebackers to play faster. It allows those corners to really go in and get interceptions. The DBs, the quarterbacks have less time. You've noticed the Colts now have, I think, seven interceptions on the season.
Starting point is 00:04:48 That's fantastic for a team that really struggled with that last year. And so you've got to love the direction that the Colts are going. I do think this is sustainable because they're going to be able to play indoors for half the remainder of the season. So they're going to be playing on fast serves. They're going to be playing in Houston. They're going to be playing against teams that there's only a handful of quarterbacks that you're really scared of from the Colts' perspective.
Starting point is 00:05:17 And I don't want to go and say that the Vikings and Kirk Cousins and Nick Foles aren't great quarterbacks because they are pretty good quarterbacks. And so I wouldn't discount the fact that the Colts were able to shut them down pretty spectacularly over the past three weeks. And so I'm really excited about this defense. I think that they've still got a lot to show. They've still got a lot to prove.
Starting point is 00:05:42 They don't have Kamoko Ture, who was their explosive young pass rusher. They don't expect to get him back for a couple weeks. They don't get, they get Sheldon Day coming back here soon. He's a rotational defensive lineman that's going to really shore up another strength for them. The biggest concern you have on the defense right now is the injuries. The one to Darius Leonard, the growing injury, and then Bobby Okereke with thumb injury. And so if those things can get sorted out, this defense can continue on this trajectory and be a top five defense by the end of the season, if not the top defense overall. Let's sound to Forrest Buckner, who, like you mentioned, is really having an impact all across this defense.
Starting point is 00:06:20 Trading that first round pick, do a 10 out of 10 each time now with the impact he's made the last three weeks for the Colts defense and going to be for the next four to five years or more in Indianapolis, Stephen. But obviously it won't show in the box score. He's only had one and a half sacks in four games. But he's had eight QB hits, which is right behind Aaron Downey, which is a higher PFF grade than Aaron Downey.
Starting point is 00:06:40 Buckner has a 90.7 grade while Downey's at 87.7. I think he's actually the best interior defense lineman in the NFL right now per PFF's metric grading as well. It just seems like to me, Stephen, after a rough week one, I think one where he probably was just adjusting on the fly to a new team, Buckner looks like the old Buckner we saw in San Francisco. And ironically enough, Dan Orlovsky brought up on ESPN, the stat-by-stat comparison between the 2019 49ers and the 2020 Colts defense in the first four weeks.
Starting point is 00:07:08 Nearly identical there, and the main piece of that puzzle, the one that stays the same, is DeForest Buckner's defense. Yeah, it's really eerily similar how much the Colts really do correlate to the 49ers from last year in that defense. And the only common thing there is DeForest Buckner. And you've noticed that the 49ers, they've been beset with injuries. But even in their games that they had prior to all the injuries really taking over, their defense was kind of shaky.
Starting point is 00:07:42 And so I think DeForest Buckner was a much bigger part of that defense than what the 49ers really thought. And so Chris Ballard trading only a first-round pick. And as you all know, I'm a draft guy. I love draft picks. I want to acquire as many draft picks as I can. So giving up a first-round draft pick is just a massive haul for me to give up if I were a team to give away. And so Chris Ballard giving up only a first round pick to get to Forrest
Starting point is 00:08:14 Buckner when you had other guys that were lesser players like a Stefan Diggs and like DeAndre Hopkins is a whole different story, but he only got a second-round pick because Bill O'Brien is now fired. But the Colts giving up only a first-round pick for what was an all-pro player, had a defensive tackle, and your biggest position of need just shows the foresight that Chris Ballard had and the ability to make that move and really shore up your weakest position on your defense and making it arguably the strongest position on your defense now was such a huge thing.
Starting point is 00:08:52 DeForest Buckner, you can't say enough about how much he's changed this. And when you think back to the trade itself, you remember what different 49ers players had said about DeForest Buckner and how they were really upset that they were getting rid of Defoe. And they didn't want him to be gone. And you're seeing that the leadership, you hear about it from Frank Reich, from Matt Iberfus, the leadership that DeForest Buckner brings both on and off the field is really paying dividends for this Colts team. What's on the rookie in the back end there for our last point on the defense here before we transition over to the offense and into the Browns game
Starting point is 00:09:30 on Sunday, Stephen. Julian Blackman's only playing three games in his NFL career so far, and this is no slight to Malik Hooker, but I feel like this is the most impactful we've seen out of that free-saving position since Malik Hooker's first few weeks of his rookie year where he had all his interceptions playing true center field. But Blackman, I feel like, is different, Stephen. I feel like this might be the best impact we've seen from a Colts rookie defender since Darius Leonard in 2018.
Starting point is 00:09:52 It's the way that Blackman is impacting everything across the field, very instinctual, not playing like a rookie at all in the back end. When you see him out there and he's hitting people like that, the instincts you see on tape and on the game film as well, he just moves differently than he does for a rookie steve and i feel like i don't want to call it too early here it's only been three weeks so far but now with him being the full-time starter all year thriving in that starting role too alongside curry willis i think chris bar might have another home run here with the third wrap pick and julian black on colts fans rock auto is the place to go if you want to save money on your next car purchase whether it be the
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Starting point is 00:11:49 And remember, tap to pay with a contactless Visa wherever you see the contactless symbol to help support your community. Visa, the official partner of the NFL. Yeah, that's definitely, that's what it seems like. I mentioned this during the game um this past week how he's really looking like he could be a stud player and what people need to remember is that when malik hooker was drafted the colts were playing a 3-4 which revolved around having that center field safety so malik hooker was really a fit for that defense and the colts once they got maddie rufus they transitioned into the 4-3 and
Starting point is 00:12:26 did more cover two cover three a system so you don't have that roving center fielder like you did when Chuck Pagano played or when Chuck Pagano was the coach Julian Blackman just flat out fits this defense better than Malik Hooker and the way way he plays, the style he plays, his versatility, a lot of people like to bring up the fact that he was an All-Pac-12 corner for multiple years at Utah before he made the transition to safety and was, I believe, also an All-Pac-12 safety his senior year prior to getting hurt in the Pac-12 championship game. Julian Blackman is a difference maker on the defense. Had he not been injured, I think that he probably goes in that early second round range. The fact is, Chris Ballard
Starting point is 00:13:17 took a gamble on him in the third round. And if I remember right, he also traded back. And so he picked up some extra picks as well and still got his guy, which is, again, such a Chris Ballard move. But yeah, Julian Blackman is just such a dominant player in the secondary. It's something that the Colts really needed from the safety position because you really like Malik Hooker in spurts, but there were a lot of mental mistakes that Malik Hooker made, and he made it consistently over the course of his four years when he wasn't injured. You've got Kyrie Willis, who is a solid player back there.
Starting point is 00:13:57 You've got different guys that you can – George Odom, you've got different guys you can plug and play at that safety position. To have somebody with Julian Blackman's physicality and his speed and his playmaking ability his nose for the ball is such a huge thing for this defense and I can't it's so surprising to me to sit here and harp on the Colts defense um after for two decades talking about the offense and that being the only thing so it's such a refreshing thing to see that the defense really is carrying this team and Frank Reich is able to make his offensive play calls because and be a little bit more conservative because the defense he knows will hold them the Col Colts have allowed, what, 60 points all season, or 61st downs all
Starting point is 00:14:47 season, as opposed to 90. They're crushing it in terms of how much, how little they're giving away over the course of four games. It's really mind-blowing, and then they have a plus-four turnover ratio, which is right where the Colts want to be. They want to be in that positive range. And it's just such a refreshing thing to be talking about the defense right now rather than talking about shootouts, which they're a lot of fun. But it's so much fun to talk about the defense and how hard they're playing and how dominant they've been. It feels like to me, Steven, this is more of a long-term question you're just trying to build up this defense because ever since Chris Ballard stepped in in 2017, he's consistently built it onto what he walked into,
Starting point is 00:15:32 which was a tire fire on the defensive side of the ball. And we see now Darius Leonard, maybe even Julian Blackman, these homegrown picks by Chris Ballard. Looking at this defense now, Steven, you have your elite defensive lineman into Forrest Buckner, you have your star linebacker, Darius Leonard, you have a star safety in Julian Blackman down the line. It feels like to me maybe there's maybe one or two missing pieces away, Steve.
Starting point is 00:15:54 Maybe add another pass rusher in the draft that Banigou doesn't hit or if Ture comes back fully healthy and he's the guy he was before his injury and that marks that off the list a little bit as not needing much of a priority to get another pass rusher on board. But I think they're maybe like a lockdown corner away. Whoever the future is next to Rocky is on the opposite side, Stephen. That Chris Bauer has so much young talent now on this defense that they could be in for the next seven to eight years of just elite defense.
Starting point is 00:16:17 This could be just the beginning for the Colts if they hit another one or two more draft picks there on that side. Yeah, I'm with you. This defense has a chance to be up there with those old Ravens defenses, the Seattle defenses, just a smothered, dominant defense for the next five to seven, eight years. And if they can get a corner, like maybe a Paulson Debo out of Stanford in the draft, that would be a good one
Starting point is 00:16:46 that might be available there in the late first second round somewhere in that range he would be a fantastic player to play opposite of Rocky Seen you're looking at pass rusher I'll tell you this I can I bet money on this that Chris Ballard would say you can never have too many pass rushers and so you got to think that they're going to look to address that if Ben Vanagoo doesn't end up, you know, performing to what they want him to. He's still young with Vanagoo. Remember, last year was his first year. He's still getting used to everything in the NFL, and he's still growing.
Starting point is 00:17:21 And so I'll be interested to see because Ture really didn't come on until his second year, second, third year. And then you really saw it. So I'll be interested to see how Banigou's progression is, and especially with Brian Baker as their defensive line coach. I think that that's going to make a huge difference, and it's already made a huge difference in the way that they play. And so I'll be interested, they play and so I'll be interested
Starting point is 00:17:46 like I said I'll be interested to see how how they progress how Ture comes back and if he's able to do it it's going to lessen the load I think they'll probably look to extend Justin Houston for another year or two given how well he's played and but yeah this is this is a defense it's exactly what Chris Ballard said he wanted homegrown talent he wanted the people in the stadium whenever we end up getting to go back to Lucas Oil Stadium to be wearing the jerseys of the players that they drafted and not necessarily the the Peyton Mannings the Andrew Lux the the Reggie Waynes Marvin Harrisons that you see Dallas Clarks that you see out in the stadium every game that you would go to before. And so I think what Chris Ballard is doing is it's the right way you're building through
Starting point is 00:18:32 the draft. You're getting these, you're hitting on your high picks, which is huge. And you're really bringing in this homegrown talent. And you're going to see that pay off in spades as they start to move forward. Let's move on now, Stephen, to the offense here before we get into the Browns preview on Sunday. A very huge game that's going to be happening there in Cleveland between two, three and one teams.
Starting point is 00:18:54 The offense is sputtered a little bit. It, of course, is a great defense on the Bears side. Chuck Pagano, the former Colts coach, not defensive coordinator. Khalil Mack, Akeem Hicks on the defensive line. You have Danny Trevathan in the middle there, as well as Roquan Smith. You have Eddie Jackson in the back end there. So the Bears have a pretty darn good defense. So to only score 19 points shouldn't be that surprising.
Starting point is 00:19:14 I think we all expected maybe a select best game to unfold between two good defense, which is exactly what happened last Sunday. What's been your thoughts on this offense so far through four weeks, Stephen, through the quarter poll? Because the running game has been a little disappointing. They are actually in the bottom totem pole as far as yards per carry goes right now, under three yards per carry. I think it's at 2.7 or somewhere along those lines,
Starting point is 00:19:35 which is definitely need to pick it up the rest of the way. And also the passing game has kind of sputtered here and there, especially in the red zone. What did you think about the Colts offense on Sunday, Stephen, getting a lot of Rodrigo Blankenship field goals, but also through the quarter pool so far? Yeah, I'll be honest. I've been disappointed.
Starting point is 00:19:52 And I've been disappointed, but it's not necessarily a surprising thing given that they lost Paris Campbell early. They lost Marlon Mack week one. They were without Trey Burton, and they're just trying to get him worked in. They've now lost Michael Pittman for a while. And so you had a lot of guys at those wide receiver positions, especially Paris Campbell, because it seemed like they were definitely using him and had a plan for him.
Starting point is 00:20:25 And to lose a player with that kind of ability and that kind of speed, you can't just plug somebody else in there and replace him. And so the Colts often themselves sputter that way. I've been a little, I guess, disappointed about the play calling. Once you get to the second half. After those first like 15, 20 scripted plays, it seems like the play calling kind of goes a little bit askew and they slow down in terms of the offense.
Starting point is 00:20:56 I think this past week, Frank Wright was really conservative because he had no faith in Nick Foles leading the Chicago Bears against his defense. And so I think you'll see them probably open it up a little bit more here in the second quarter of the season. But, yeah, I'd be remiss if I didn't say that I was disappointed with how the offense has looked thus far. They've been efficient and they've've won games which is what matters um but you would expect them to be a little bit better um in terms of their yards per play you'd expect a running game to be a lot better which i i think that's probably the most surprising thing to me is that jonathan taylor jordan wilkins name hines really haven't got the running game going and i don't
Starting point is 00:21:44 know whether that's a result of there's maybe an injury on the offensive line. I know Quentin Nelson had a weak one. He was on the injury report with a slight back injury. I don't know whether that's lingered or what's going on there. But the offensive line has been really great in pass protection, but it's been a little disappointing with with running the ball which is a little bit surprising given how well they
Starting point is 00:22:11 they like to just run the damn ball and and so that's I think that's kind of where I'm at is I'm not I'm a little disappointed with the offense as a whole I'm very disappointed with the the running game you know I'm just excited they've put up enough points to win, which is ultimately what matters. I think it's fair to say, too, through the quarter poll right now, of course, you don't expect an injury. What happened in week one with Marlon Mack to occur, breaking his Achilles, tearing his out for the rest of the year, and now the Jonathan Taylor era begins a year earlier than we expected. And you look at that the way
Starting point is 00:22:45 Taylor's done so far hit or miss of course just a rookie learning new holes in the NFL the game speed of course running back and corners I think they're the two most positions you look for as far as maybe an adjust period going especially even at wide receiver which we've seen with Michael Kempin Jr. as well Stephen but what's been your thoughts on the Wiley veteran the 17-year veteran Phillip Rivers through the quarter poll here? Because he's one, to me, where you can't really ask for much else. He's barely turned the ball over in the last three games. That one turner we did have against Minnesota was on Molly Cox.
Starting point is 00:23:14 He was the one who dropped that into the DB's hands there. Outside of a week one where I think the Colts themselves would know now, even Rivers would say they threw it way too much in week one. Throwing around 25 to 30 passes per game seems like philip or sweet spots even and really they're keeping the ball out of harm's way too i think it's fair to say rivers has done everything you've asked them so far build go makes you the best you at whatever you do whether it's a mental or physical wall break through it with go every day it's easy to take in one and a half ounce packages and you put in your briefcase for the most focused presentation ever.
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Starting point is 00:24:35 L-O-C-K-E-D, for 20% off at BuiltGo.com. BuiltGo.com. B-U-I-L-T-G-O.com. Let's go. Yeah, honestly, I haven't been disappointed with Rivers at all. He's doing what they asked him to do. And outside of week one where he had, like you mentioned, he had those two really bad interceptions against Jacksonville
Starting point is 00:24:59 where you kind of wondered whether he even looked to see the guy or looked to see the defender. Otherwise, he's played really well. If you compare it to how Jacoby Brissett played last year, Phillip, wherever he was his night and day, a better quarterback than Jacoby Brissett, you see him making those pinpoint accurate throws, throwing receivers open, getting guys in stride. It's something that Jacoby Reset just couldn't do last year. And so you really like what you're seeing from Phil Brerius. Of course,
Starting point is 00:25:32 you'd really want him to have a little bit more than four touchdowns through four games. I think that's a little bit surprising, but he hasn't been hit really at all uh he's he's been sacked three times in four games so you know you extrapolate that out he get hit or get sacked like maybe 12 times in a season which would be like i think he may have gotten sacked 12 times in a game last year for the chargers um and so for him he's just doing what they ask him to do and he's able to make all the throws he's putting guys in position to succeed and really that's all you can ask of of philip rivers at this point in his career i'll be interested to see how they make the play calls if they have to rely on him to go win a game because against Jacksonville in week one,
Starting point is 00:26:25 he struggled. And so I'll be interested to see how, how that plays out when they need him, if he's able to make the throws, I've got all the confidence in the world and Phillip rivers to make the throws under pressure. And so I think he'll be fine in the long run. You're just look at the stat line. You probably are a little bit disappointed,
Starting point is 00:26:48 but if you look at the greater picture, you're probably saying this is exactly what they wanted. Yeah, totally agree with you there. I expect more involvement from rivers and the offense as we get into the meteor portion of the schedule could even see this upcoming Sunday against the Browns where we might need to throw it a little bit more and have the game more in his hands if the run game doesn't get going early against this Browns defense. But let's hit on that game, Stephen.
Starting point is 00:27:10 Colts versus Browns on Sunday. Another late start for them at 425 p.m. Eastern time. The Colts with the injuries now to Costanzo, Leonard, Walker, Okereke who's back at practice today with a cast on his hand. The Colts are now one point favorites over the Browns per draft Kings pretty much a toss-up game going to be happening here on Sunday what's your expectations for it because I feel like it's going to be almost like Chicago if they if the Colts let me say like this if the Colts keep it under 23 24 points I think they're
Starting point is 00:27:39 going to win this game if it's above 23 24 points i have a bad feeling about this game yeah you're probably right um i think this game presents a probably the stiffest challenge that this defense is going to face um thus far in the season and probably the stiffest challenge they'll face through the first nine weeks of the season up until baltimore. And so that's going to be the interesting thing is how well the defense plays against what was an explosive offense who last week put up over 50 points or pretty close to that against Dallas. They were going crazy. They rushed for 300-something yards.
Starting point is 00:28:22 And so I'll be interested to see how well the defensive line plays Grover Stewart's been kind of an unsung hero along the Colts defensive line um has really stopped opposing running backs once he's taken over that zero technique that no tackle position um in the 4-3 and so that's going to be the big thing because if the Colts can stop the run against the Browns, I could see Baker Mayfield making some mistakes because when he forces the ball, he makes mistakes. They've got some great skill position players. Even with Nick Chubb being out, Kareem Hunt is a great player. Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, they've got tight ends.
Starting point is 00:29:07 They've got some really, really good players there in Cleveland. The other thing to consider is the Cleveland defense isn't nearly as good as the Chicago defense, in my opinion. When you've got a player like Cleo Mack on Chicago. That changes the game. Yes, the Cleveland Browns have Myles Garrett. Yes, they've got a couple of really high draft picks. But I'm not nearly as scared of the Cleveland defense as I am of the Chicago defense.
Starting point is 00:29:40 And so I think that'll also come into play in terms of Frank Rick's play calling is he might take a few more shots because they're probably going to be there for him to take. And so I think that you're right, though, if the Colts defense comes in plays and keeps this game keeps the Browns under 2324 points, I feel really confident in the Colts ability if this becomes a shootout with the Colts injuries being what they this becomes a shootout, with the Colts' injuries being what they are, and you also have to consider Anthony Costanzo is nursing an injury as well.
Starting point is 00:30:11 If the Colts' injuries rack up and if this becomes a shootout, I'm not as confident about the Colts being able to win one of those games versus being able to win one of those slug it out slug it out games like they did this past week yeah i feel like this game's gonna follow a very similar and really play script that we've seen from the last couple weeks for them where the defense really controls this game they really if the offensive line shows up this game i feel more confident about that they've been a little hit and miss lately which is surprising for such an elite unit there but if they're able to follow the script of the defense can hold them under 23, 24 points,
Starting point is 00:30:48 the offense can at least get you down the field and get a few goals when they can. And the defense will probably make a play or two in this game with how active they've been through the first four weeks as far as turnovers goes, especially in the last three weeks too. And they did it again against Nick Foles on Sunday. If DeForest Buckner comes to play too, I know this Browns offensive line is really good, but I think the front four is going to decide this game again. Like you mentioned, Stephen, if Buckner or Houston or one of those guys up front
Starting point is 00:31:08 from the defensive line can get in Baker Mayfield's head, make him make a tough throw, I think this Colts-Stevens could do well. Even if Darius Leonard does not play in this game, I could see them doing well. I think the big one is Anthony Costanzo. If he doesn't go, then Miles Garrett might have a field day against Phil Burrus. You're going to see a lot of nine-ines in that instance, I'd imagine, Stephen. What do you think is going to happen on Sunday here? I'm going to go Colts 23-20 over the Browns.
Starting point is 00:31:30 I think it's going to be a very close game when it comes down to the end. I think the Colts are going to make it ugly to win this one though soon. So I expect a lot of ball control and a lot of the front four from Buckner and Houston showing up a lot too. Yeah, I think this is one of those games where Cleveland might come in a little bit kind of ahead of themselves after getting a big win against Dallas. I think that this would be one of those little mini-trap games for them, even though they're two really good teams. I think they're both 3-1 entering this week.
Starting point is 00:32:01 I do think the Colts will end up winning this game. I'd probably put it right about 27, probably 27-24 right there. I think it's going to be a field goal game. Ultimately, the Colts will end up winning. I'd love to see Rodrigo Blankenship hit a game winner, a little walk-off game winner would be nice um but yeah i think this is going to be a tight game i think the defense is going to be the the main driving factor as to where this goes and the colts defense plays well i i think they win if the colts defense you gives up a lot of yards on the ground in terms of the running game, I think the Colts probably won't be coming away with a win this weekend.
Starting point is 00:32:49 Steven, I always enjoy talking with you, man. You guys can go follow him on Twitter if you're not already at NiceReadSteve and go read and listen to his work over at Stampede Blue. Steven, appreciate the time. We'll talk to you again next week. Thanks, Evan. Have a great one.

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