Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - LOCKED ON COLTS - 10/4 - Colts Unlikely to Make Any Major Changes, Conversation with Bob Kravitz

Episode Date: October 4, 2016

Contrary to popular conjecture, making front office or coaching changes does little if anything to benefit #Colts in short term. Matt exhales after angry Monday, and #BobKravitz joins Locked On Colts giving insight on player issues, #ChuckPagano, #JimIrsay and #RyanGrigson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Minimum purchase required, U.S. only. You are Locked On Colts, your daily podcast on the Indianapolis Colts, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Welcome back to Locked On Colts. I'm your host, Matt Dainley, and this is Locked On Colts for Tuesday, October 4th. And I have calmed down just a little bit after that game on Sunday. Kind of sent me in a tailspin on Monday. For some reason, you guys all liked Angry Monday out of me.

So I appreciate it. And, you know, there's a lot to think about over the long haul of this season. And obviously a lot of it is coming out on Twitter where people are voicing their disgust with Pagano or Grigson or just whatever, calling for their heads more or less as far as to be fired or to be let go and to make some changes. There's a lot that goes into that. And I think we forget that sometimes at this point. I don't think anybody is overly excited about the decisions that Chuck makes a lot or feel that he has the Colts prepared on a week-in

and week-out basis necessarily to go out there and make significant moves and play well. But on the other hand, the age-old question is always the same, folks. Who are you going to bring in? You're going to have Rob Chudzinski run the squad, a guy who's an offensive coordinator, done very little head coaching at all. In fact, just the one year at Cleveland, I believe. What are we going to do if we let go of our GM, Ryan Grigson? That's kind of a pointless move, don't you think? I mean, what's the point in doing that midseason? It's not like he can draft in week six or seven or something like that. Doesn't really benefit the team, doesn't benefit anybody.

Can really only lead to more negative unless there's some crazy crap going on through Grigson and he's just you know basically making the team worse by how he's acting or something like that but by all accounts I haven't heard anything about that so that it kind of makes you wonder you know after you sit back and you relax a little bit I had to today. And I came kind of to the realization that I'm not real certain that either move would be good for the Colts. I think it would appease some fans. But folks, there's a reason we're fans, not coaches,

not GMs, not NFL team owners, okay? Because we couldn't do it, okay? We can sit here and complain about it. I can sit here and throw fits on this podcast and all I want, but it doesn't make me an NFL head coach. Sure as hell doesn't make me an NFL owner. So there's a lot of self-realization that we need to acquire at this time right now. You know, there's been some mistakes and so on and so forth, but those are going to happen, guys. So I'm still a fan of, you know, most of the player issues that I spoke about last night.

Kind of discussed it in how Mathis has played. He's 35. This should have been something that they forecasted and made the necessary steps to acquire guys. You know, Werner was drafted. Bates was drafted this recent one and Jonathan Newsom. That's basically all they've done to fill an edge rushing role. And they knew, you know, regardless of how long Werner was here, they knew very good and well that he wasn't the guy after a year or two. So they've had more time than just in the past two years or a year and a half or whatever since we let Werner go.

So that's over and done with. But there's nationally, people who don't watch the game, people who aren't aware, people who are more likely even more reactionary than we are as actual Colts fans, are blaming a lot of this on luck. It proves to be a very unintelligent argument just about any time you get into it with them. Now, a lot of the stuff today in Pagano's press conference delved into similar things, just about everything we've talked about and a little bit more. He did comment on Moncrief, Darius Butler, Good and Reitz and those guys. He said that Moncrief's doing well, that he's still weak to weak, but he's getting better. And that Butler apparently will hopefully be back on the field Wednesday,

as well as Denzel Good and Joe Reitz. They're hoping for all of them to be back on the field Wednesday. I think that they're expecting Good and Reitz to be there on a limited basis, but they're wanting them back. Jonathan Harrison is still recovering from his surgery. I think that will be a few weeks, just my assumption. That's not a small surgery. It's not a life and death surgery,

but it's not something that you necessarily recover from. It's right down there along your intestines and whatnot, and that's kind of a tough spot, I would think, for surgery and playing in the NFL. I think there's been a couple articles pop up, and there's been a lot of chatter about the Colts finally starting to agree to go to their hurry up offense and such. Now look, it took them 43 minutes to do this. Why? I mean, we all will question this. It's obvious that they do better. They're a little better reactionary. It doesn't give the defenses time to disguise as much. It makes more sense for the Colts to go with what they're successful at. But I don't think,

I think that people are assuming that Pagano gave like the go ahead, you know, we're just going straight to the no huddle now. You know, that's not, whether or not they alluded to that in their articles, that's not what he said. He basically just kind of danced around it a little bit without saying yes or no. He said it's something that we'll continue to have dialogue about and with and talk about it as a staff. There are things from a game plan perspective that you look at where you go no huddle and you get a group on the field and you have to keep them basically on the field. So he's not saying that, you know what, you're right. You guys are all right.

All of you reporters, all of you fans, you're right. We're going to no huddle all the time. That's not what he said. Okay. He knows that luck needs to get into a rhythm. He knows that they're not finding a rhythm, you know, in early in the games. And he knows that that, you know, that game would have been a bit of a big pull on Austin Blythe and Joe Hegg there, you know,

rookies starting on the right side of the line. That would have made an already bad game possibly even harder for them, having to start them off in a no huddle right away. You need to give those guys time to recoup after each play but they should have started well before near the end of the third quarter there's no two ways about it you know and additionally Pagano kind of touched on the Robert Mathis deal talking about how frustrated Mathis is. But, of course, Pagano can't answer a question without some sort of metaphoric phrase involved, likening it to batters in a slump or secondary, not getting any interceptions for a while.

You get in a slump, keep swinging. Interceptions, they don uh interceptions they don't come they don't come then they come in bushels and basketfuls you know uh stuff like that but you know i'm from what i've seen mathis isn't just having a slump guys mathis's career is coming to an end he's getting manhandled by other linemen he's not gotta he doesn't have a quick step i mean he's quick you know to us he's quick these guys he's not quick he doesn't have the dexterity in his body that he had even two or three years ago i mean that's a big jump you know i mean go out if you're 35 and play a pickup game with a bunch of 18 25 year old 18 to 25 year olds're going to get manhandled unless you've been playing basketball every day all the way through that, you know, time span of your life. But, you know,

he touched on that and it's just, you know, it is what it is. I don't think that we're going to see much of Robert Mathis being effective this year. I think he'll have a couple games and then everybody will call it a resurgence and he'll just go flat again. I mean, he is old for a pass rusher. So we can all be hopeful, but I don't think we're going to get much more out of him this year. As a reminder, go and subscribe to Locked on Colts podcast so you can get that RSS feed, and it shoots you right over. When we put a new post up, go to iTunes, and please give us a five-star rating and a nice review.

Those help quite a bit. You know, it's kind of taken aback as to see some of the ones that we do have on there and how much they've actually helped drive some of the content numbers. It's kind of crazy that way. We do have a guest tonight. He's going to have Bob Kravitz. I'm going to call him here in a few minutes and we're going to get him on the line and see what he has to say about the Colts after four weeks. People see things through different eyes, and maybe he'll agree with me. Maybe he won't agree with me. That's not important.

We're all seeing a bad team at the moment in Indianapolis Colts. I will be excited to see kind of where he had them preseason. If you guys were listening to one of the first episodes of the first week, I gave the Colts nine wins just going game by game. I'm kind of anxious to see approximately where he had them or where he still sees them going and if he thinks that they can turn it around. And again, make sure you guys are getting a hold of the entire Locked On podcast network. The whole lineup is great. You can get the Locked On NFL Draft, Locked On NFL, Locked On Fantasy.

It's all there. Anything you guys want to hear from any team, it's going to be available to you. So get out there and subscribe to your favorite Locked On NFL podcast. And we will have Bob Kravitz right after this. And we are here with Bob Kravitz, a columnist from WTHR. Bob, thank you for joining us. I appreciate it. Oh, my pleasure. This is definitely a season that a lot of people would like to already forget after just four weeks.

There's just no escaping the Pagano and the Griggs and talk, though, so I'm going to start with that real quick with you. It's eight weeks in the season. Is there any thought process on if there's a move, could there be a move, and is that somewhere around the time that you would expect one if there was one? I would be shocked beyond words if either one of them got let go any time this year. I think people are just flat out losing their minds. You know, four weeks is nothing.

And, you know, even if they struggle all season, keep in mind that Jim Irsay, you know, recommitted to both of those guys. Ryan Grixen's got a three-year extension. Chuck Pagano's got a four-year contract. I don't know what he would be on the hook for should he decide to make a change,

but it's got to be a significant amount of money. While Hersey has never let money get in the way of making the right decision, I would be, again, shocked beyond words if either one of them was let go. I mean, generally speaking, a bad football team stays bad even when you bring in somebody new.

You know, sometimes it works in baseball and hockey and, you know, baseball, hockey, and basketball. You know, we saw it with Jim O'Brien and Frank Vogel. But bad football teams stay bad. I don't think it would make any difference, and to me it would be a bad move. I would just stick it out and see where this thing goes and then make a decision as, you know, in the offseasonseason I think he's going to give him two years at least yeah I tend to agree I don't know where I would go on how much I think he's going to get because I just don't you know

I don't know Ursae so I mean it'd be hard for me to guess where that would go Jim Ursae keep in mind Jim Ursae has never fired anybody midseason. He's never fired a coach or a general manager midseason. And there have been some years where I'm sure he wanted to. But as much of a wild card as Jim is, he, as a football man, is pretty stable. He doesn't make change for change's sake. And while he does hear the hue and cry of the public, he doesn't act upon it real readily.

So, again, I just don't see that happening. Yeah, and like I said, I tend to agree, especially in the case of Grigson. That's really a pointless fire at this point, even if it was to be week eight, week 12, whenever, if it was to happen this year or just whatever, that's really pointless because you don't gain anything from firing your GM mid-season. No, exactly. Yeah, I mean, if they were to make a change, it would be, you know, at the head coach spot. But, you know, then you still got the same – you know, usually you have the same staff intact.

You know, unless there's somebody on the staff that you have the utmost confidence in. But, again, I just think that that's a fool's errand when it comes to football. I agree. And you tend to see right after an interim takes over maybe one win, but it doesn't necessarily mean that the team wouldn't have won that game anyways. And that kind of makes people think that that's successful change. And then they go on to lose like the next six in a row. Well, just ask Miami Dolphins fans about that.

Exactly, exactly. Let's get into some of the players a little bit. Now, Mathis is obviously starting off with some rough, rough games. Four tackles, two QB hits and zero sacks uh to this point is this simply a matter of age catching up with him or is it something more along the lines possibly of maybe his lack of preseason play maybe you know uh not taking camp quite as seriously or something as he is he used to or should be um is it just you know no snaps in the preseason very little at camp you know and so on and so forth or is this just you know maybe just a bad start to a season i think he's 35 years old you know i think right

i think that's the bottom line he's 35 you, he's coming off not only an Achilles surgery two years ago, but he had 11 procedures to clean out the infection at the surgery site. And, look, you know, pass rushers don't last that long. You know, they're like running backs, and especially one who is a little bit undersized and has made his name on speed and leverage. He's just, you know, a 35. He's just not the player he used to be.

He's not even close. So I think Robert acknowledges this. I think we're seeing the beginning of the end of Robert Mathis. I think this will be his last season. You just hope that there's a little something left at a big point in the game, but I just don't see it.

Unfortunately, when guys lose it, they really lose it. We saw it with Marvin Harrison. We saw it with Reggie Wayne. We've seen it with countless players through the course of history, not only here in Indianapolis but elsewhere. So I just think time is undefeated.

That's just the way it is. It's been a steep cliff for some people in the league, especially once they hit that wall that there's really no getting through it. Yep. So then on the flip side of that, you know, the Colts have really only drafted who? Newsome, they drafted Werner, and then they drafted Trevor Bates just this past draft. And that's the only three guys that they've drafted to try to fill a pass rushing void. I don't, you know, I'm not trying to bail on or get on the Pagano-Grickson

train again or anything like that. I'm just saying, what took them so long? They know, Mathis didn't just wake up and turn 35. You know what I mean? I mean, they've had to have had something thought of in the past and it just seems like they've really wasted a lot of chances to get some pass rushers in recent drafts. Yeah, well, I mean, Bjorn Werner was supposed to be the guy. I mean, that's the thing. When you expend a first-round pick on a guy, you expect him to be the guy who replaces the guy. And Werner was a total bust.

The entire 2013 was a total bust. There's not one player left on this roster from the 2013 draft. And, I mean, there's just no way to sugarcoat it. It was a disaster. So, I mean, I think they know. I mean, I know they know that they need defensive game changers. They know they need a pass rusher. There's no doubt in my mind that this next draft,

they will look for one or several. But, you know, when you strike out on Bjorn Werner, you put yourself in a very precarious position. And, you know, they need some young blood, and they need it now, and it's just not going to show up on your doorstep. And, you know, Cole was nothing special to start with, and now he's gone for the season. So they really have nothing there.

Right. I mean, Akeem Ayers, Eric Walden, and Kurt Majit, and Eric Walden, the one guy who was not brought in to be any sort of a pass rush help is the guy the past two years for the majority has been the guy that's been there for the pass rush it's just oh yeah he's been quite good he's been one of the free agents who's worked out but uh yeah those are the guys i don't think there was an article written when they first brought him in that he wasn't the worst in everybody's eyes at the time. And he's actually been the one guy who's been the mainstay and been worth the free agency acquisition.

Yeah, I remember all the articles saying they're paying him what? Yeah. And he's worked out quite well, but that unfortunately is – those good moves have been too few and far between. For sure. Let's get to Josh Ferguson a little bit. Now, this – I never really understood the hype on him. I mean, his speed and he's electric, I get all that.

His stats thus far, seven rushes for five yards, 17 catches for 117 yards, 6.9 yards per catch. Tell me why he deserves a roster spot when Jordan Todman and Robert Turbin can easily fill his role and possibly open up maybe another roster spot for somebody to come in. And I'll say this possibly for trevor base to see what he's made of yeah i i'll be honest with you it's not something i've given a heck of a lot of thought to but uh i kind of like uh turban from what i the little bit that i've seen from him i think he's a nice change of pace but they fell in love with Ferguson for reasons that kind of confuse me. But, you know, I mean, yeah, he does show bursts at times.

His big problem is he can't block you or me. You know, he's terrible in pass protection. And so, yeah, I'm with you. I'd like to see more of Turbin, but, you know, I think on the list of things that are wrong with the Indianapolis Colts, that's roughly number 1,327. Right. Now the O-line, when we get to the good, we get to the bad and the ugly. They've allowed 15 sacks, but they are young, have a ton of potential.

You know, I've found myself defending this O-line for some crazy reason, whereas I've absolutely not in the past to any of the other ones that were just awful. I can't figure it out for some reason. But they have a ton of potential. Most of yesterday's issues seem to come over Muhort and Costanzo of all places with Blythe and Haig on the right side, which was just kind of odd when you watch it in replays. Let me say just straight there, they gave up a ton of pressures. If you looked at the pro football focus and some stuff like that,

I don't remember the exact number, but it was in the teens. They gave up a lot of pressures on the right side. Blythe and Haig did? Yeah. Costanzo obviously gave up those two sacks, but was pretty sound other than that, which, you know, like, well, other than that, Mrs. Lincoln had to like to play. But the right side was downright porous. No, look, they're rookies, you know.

I mean, rookies are rookies, and it's going to be a work in progress. You can't expect them to be that good right away. But I think Ryan Kelly has been quite solid. And I think Denzel Good has a chance to be a pretty good player. I'd even think about him at right tackle at some point if they can find a guard who works. Maybe that's Joe Haig. But, you know, if nothing else, they have young players on the offensive line. Whether they're going to be any good or not, I'm not smart enough to tell you.

You know, I mean, just because Ryan Grigson drafts them doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be any damn good. So, you know, they have just got to hope that Grigson got it right, where in the past he's gotten it very, very wrong. Would you say that this draft was, you know, consciously given more of an equal voice in the war room more than likely. It seems like this probably had a little bit more of Chuck's fingerprints on it. Well, if they had drafted a bunch more defensive guys, I would have said more Chuck. But I think the draft is still primarily Ryan Grigson.

And they clearly went offensive line. I think they understand what we all understand, that, you know, you've got to keep 12 on his feet, and you've got no chance. And, you know, so four of their eight draft choices were offensive linemen. So I don't know that Chuck had any more say in it. I just think it was a recognition of what they desperately needed to get done.

Yeah, I believe this O-line's given up somewhere around six, real close to 70 pressures already in just four games. Yeah, it's hard to do. That's scary. So I just feel like I'm hopelessly optimistic, and I need somebody to slap me around, apparently. I won't be that guy. Well, let's talk about Luck, because a lot of people want to pile on Luck for whatever reason.

But here's something that kind of caught my attention. Luck, last year, when he was obviously bad, you know, people are comparing him. Oh, he's just like last year. He's absolutely, for the most part, he's nothing like last year. After four games last year, he was 95 of 166, almost 58%, eight touchdowns, seven picks, and he had been sacked eight times. This year in four games, 103 out of 166. Weird that the same amount of attempts.

Eight touchdowns, three picks, sacked 15 times. He was sacked 15 times in seven games, in all seven of his games last year. Right. I don't understand how people can compare the two. Yeah, well, I mean, look, you know, I wrote this in my blog today that they just got to get him some help. I mean, he was hit more than any other quarterback. He has been hit more than any quarterback since 2012.

He's been hit, sacked, hurried, and otherwise annoyed more than any other quarterback in the league since 2012. And you worry whether, you know, that there's going to be the David Carr effect where you take a great young

talent and he gets his brain to beat in and he loses his confidence. I don't think that's going to happen with luck but this idea that he's overrated and that you know he's the problem i mean they're averaging about what 27 points per game you know and luck's losses throughout his career short career in indianapolis and the losses they're giving up 34.5 points per game. It is damn hard to win games in the NFL giving up 34 points. It's just insane.

So, you know, to put it all on luck or even a lot of it on luck to me is unwise, but that doesn't stop people from doing it. Right. I think it's very it's a it's a lazy comparison it's a lazy uh excuse to be quite i was actually i read your post today and i was fascinated with the how you compare that to car and how that could come about possibly in the end and i just man i think i slapped my forehead and was just like don't let don't ever let that happen you know yeah i don't i don't think that think that it will. I think this kid can be something special, but they have just got to give him help. You look at the Jacksonville game, you know, 13 hits, six sacks, you know,

what, five or six drops by receivers and backs. So, I mean, you know, and penalties killed a couple of drives. I think if you give him a clean pocket and give him a chance to be great, I think he will be great. People have to keep in mind, too, it's an instant gratification

society. Peyton Manning didn't win his first playoff game until his sixth year. This kid's already won a couple. Give it you know, give it time. It'll happen. Yeah, he's proven that even this year in just four games that if he gets, you know, three seconds to throw the ball, he's going to make a good decision. Yeah, most of the time.

In the pocket, we'll put it that way. Anytime he gets out of the pocket after that, it seems like it kind of can maybe get downhill just a little bit. Overall, the Colts have, it seems like they've taken a major slip this year. I actually had the Colts going 9-7, just going game by game, not paying attention to what their record was after each guess, more or less, because that's about all it is. Where's your standing at on these guys this year?

Are they more than a 6-7 win team? Yeah, they are. Yeah, I believe they are. I still think they have a very good chance of winning nine games. I know that sounds insane when they started out 1-3. I still think that while they are very flawed, I still think there's enough talent here and I think they've got the quarterback to turn this thing around

and win nine games. I'd pick them to win ten games this year. I don't think that's going to happen because I don't see them going nine and whatever, nine and four or nine and three down the stretch.

Yeah, I don't see that happening. But I still think this team is going to make noise in late December when it comes to the AFC South. I don't think – I think 9-10 wins is going to have you right in the hunt. So I'm just – you know, and I'm not a fan. I'm not a very objective observer. But I really do think they're going to get this thing turned around. And, you know, as long as there's no, you know, calamitous injuries, you know, like to luck or anybody like that.

And I think that, you know, if we talk in mid to late December, I think we're going to be talking about big games coming up with playoff implications. Bob, thank you very much for your time. Really appreciate you stopping in here to Locked On Colts and talking to me for a few minutes. It was great to have you and very much appreciate it. Catch Bob on Twitter at bkravitz.

He is a columnist at WTHR. Bob, very good to talk to you. Thank you again. I appreciate it. Okay, great. Thank you. Always interesting to hear what Bob's got to say about the Colts. Very bright guy. Always interesting. He did actually set me straight there a little bit

as you know, on the offensive line conversation. So I don't mind that doesn't bother me at all. Like I told you guys, and I've told you plenty of times, I don't mind being wrong. I'll admit it when I am. But thank you guys for joining me. It was great stuff. I hope you enjoyed Bob. And thank you guys always. The traffic's been great. You guys are doing awesome.

I love talking to you guys on Twitter, Facebook, whatever. Keep up the good reviews and ratings of the podcast. And we will talk to you Wednesday on Locked on Colts. You are Locked on Colts. You are Locked on Colts, your daily Indianapolis Colts podcast. Part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day.