Locked On Colts - Daily Podcast On The Indianapolis Colts - LOCKED ON COLTS -11/14- Indianapolis Colts Post Bye-Week Schedule Rundown

Episode Date: November 14, 2016

Just a short time ago the #IndianapolisColts post bye-week schedule looked to be quite the daunting challenge. Just a few wins from that group would have been considered to be lucky considering the Colts up and down play. That schedule looks a little different with some happenings over the past few weeks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Welcome back to Locked On Colts, ladies and gentlemen. I'm your host, Matt Dainley, and welcome to a week where we are looking forward to some Indianapolis Colts football. The Colts are set to host the Titans this week, and we are officially going to be in week 11 after the bye, post-bye. And we are in an interesting part of the schedule where when we looked at it earlier in the season or even just a couple weeks ago, we saw this being the more difficult side of the schedule. And, you know, it still holds that stigma, so to speak. But there's some interesting things going on in this part of the schedule. So let's get into that.

That's what we're going to do today. We're going to talk about the Colts post-buy schedule and see kind of where we think that the Colts may end up. I mean, there's been a lot of gloom and doom talk, including for me, about the Colts being completely done. And you won't get a ton of people jumping on the opposite side of the train until the Colts actually do something here. So the Colts enter week 11, four and five. We are coming off of a big win in Green Bay. As we bring in the Titans, the Colts last beat the Titans 34-26 in week 7. And the way that they've played lately, this Titans team looks like they've improved quite a bit in just those few weeks. They just absolutely demolished Green Bay yesterday, and they look like a completely different team. Their running game's fantastic. Their passing game has been really good. I don't think Mariota had an incompletion in the first half of the game there at Green Bay. So this is a totally different Titans team, I think, than either that or they're just having a couple good weeks. You just really never know, especially with the teams from the AFC South and the Colts

included in that regard. So the Colts are going to be playing a Titans team who is definitely on the uptick, though. Either way you look at it, whether they have a good game against the Colts or not, they're definitely reeling in some momentum right now. So it'll be interesting to see. It is at home, so the Colts do have that in their favor for the most part. It is a one o'clock start, but I've got to give the Colts this because it is the Titans, and the Titans just don't win very many games, very many consecutive games. Let me put it that way. I'm not giving, you know, the Colts have had their week off. The only thing that's going to give me any pause here is that the Colts are typically terrible after the bye. I don't know exactly what their schedule is after

the bye, but in years past, whether they've won or lost, they've looked terrible after the bye. So we'll see, but I am going to go ahead and give the Colts that win. Following week in week 12, the Colts are going to be going up against the Steelers. Now the Steelers are one of those teams that when we were looking at them just a couple weeks ago, we look at them as one of the better teams in the conference, but they've lost four straight games. They came back late there yesterday against the Cowboys, where that was a really, really good game, really interesting game, and looked like they could have had it sewn up, but their defense got in the way and they weren't doing it. But the Colts are the Steelers have typically been either playing down to their opposition or they're just having some

really bad games and moments. Any way you look at it, the Steelers are a team that's beatable, but the Steelers are also a team that have typically just run all over the Colts. And I don't mean in the running game necessarily. I just mean in general the Colts have not done near enough against them. They just look terrible against them. Their passing game has just completely just cut up the Colts secondary. And with that being such a major issue right now on the Colts, that's something that's going to be concerning for sure. And that is also in Lucas Oil Stadium, but that's an 830 game. Colts are typically not very good at night. I just don't feel like they

play very well. Again, not necessarily referring to a specific record, but the Colts do not play well against the Steelers, and the Colts do not play well in the late games. It's just not something that they typically do, and it's a Thursday game, so you've got that as well. Thursday games are just short weeks and not for the faint of heart by any means. Now, after they come off that Thursday game with the Steelers, it's kind of a mini-bye.

You get a couple extra days to relax and to get yourself healthy again. They've just come off the bye. Some guys are going to be coming back, and that's going to be crucial. But they're going to be in Week 13, and they're going to have that mini-bye, and they're going to be in week 13 and they're going to have that mini buy and they're going to go to the Jets. Now the Jets have a fantastic run defense. So anything that Frank Gore can give the Colts or anything in the running game that the Colts can get in New York is going to be a major plus. The one thing that the Colts have going for them is that we could possibly see Bryce Petty. But, you know, who is it going to be? We don't know. Fitzpatrick, Petty,

it's really a coin toss. And it really doesn't matter because Fitzpatrick has always been helpful for the Colts when it comes to that. I mean, it seems that he's always in line to throw a fourth quarter interception. And Bryce Petty's a garbage quarterback, period. But we all know what the Colts do, and I've said it several times. Replacement-level quarterbacks will find a way to just dissect the Colts' secondary for some reason. And if they just go to their tight ends and running backs, they don't have to go downfield to make an impact against Colts defense at this time. Colts are playing pretty decent, you know, at least in this past week, as they show that they can, you know, they won two out of their last three. And the Chiefs didn't play very good and the Colts were still in that game. That doesn't mean they played well.

But last three weeks, the Colts should have won all three games, in my opinion. If they can get these first two after the bye and then come into New York after a mini-bye, then I think the Colts have a chance. Again, that's a primetime game. It's going to be on ESPN. Not a game that the Colts typically do well. I think the Colts got beat, or the Jets got beat 9-6 yesterday. So, I mean, how ugly would that be? So we don't really know what to look forward to. We've got to just hope that the Colts offense is able to step up and do their part in that regard

and put some points up on the board against a team that's struggling right now to put points on the board pretty bad. Let me tell you guys about SeatGeek. I love this app. I love the way that you guys can go and get yourself some great quality tickets to any football game. And it is the simplest thing that you could possibly have on your phone. And let me tell you a little bit more about it. It is absolutely the smartest and easiest way to find tickets for the football games that you want to see up close and in person this season. There's absolutely nothing like being in the stadium for the biggest plays of the year, and with SeatGeek, it's never been easier to get the guaranteed seats that you want for a

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send you 20 boom right back in your pocket after you've made your first ticket purchase download the seat geek app and enter the promo code lo colts today now as we get back into the rest of the schedule now we we're sitting at week 14 and we're going to have the Texans at home again. Texans are terrible. They have never beaten the Colts at home and this is not going to be any different. The Texans have an awful offense. Their defense is solid but I don't see this ever being any different to be honest with you. The Colts have no business losing to the Texans, whether they do or not, as obviously as we've seen not only this year, but in years past with any team virtually, it's hard to tell. But Texans are not a good team. The Colts can be a good team. Let's hope they're

a good team there. I definitely have the Colts winning that. I don't think I said what I thought about the Jets. I think the Colts turned the tide on the Jets. I don't think the Jets can put up the points to beat the Colts. That's just my opinion. Unless they put up a couple defensive scores, I don't see the Jets beating the Colts, regardless of how good their defense is. And I also have the Colts winning this Texans game. So right now I've got the Colts beating the Titans, the Jets, and the Texans out of this. I have the Steelers winning that game.

So far, I have them at 3-1 after the bye, which puts the Colts at 7-6. Then we get on to the Vikings, another team. These guys have a phenomenal defense. Their offense is struggling right now. They looked pretty good initially when Sam Bradford came in there, but they're struggling a little bit. The Vikings, at the moment, they have also struggled to get points on the board. They've lost four straight. So two of the teams that the Colts are getting ready to play in this post-buy schedule have lost eight straight games.

I mean, between the Steelers and the Vikings, and those were two of their biggest foes to this point in the schedule at this point. That's, you know, it just kind of depends. Look, there's four more weeks until the Colts and the Vikings meet. So anything can happen with there. They can turn things around. They could look like the team they did in the first five weeks of the season. But at this point, I don't know what to tell you. I almost feel like the Colts, if I have to pick between Andrew Luck against a defense

and if they don't have an offense to keep up then I'm gonna pick the Colts I think the Vikings are a better team probably for the most part but their offense is terrible right now largely so I'm gonna take the Colts in that one too I wouldn't I didn't at the beginning of the season and I certainly wouldn't if their offense was on any sort of a decent roll even if they were just averaging 23 24 points a game or something like that. And I'm not even sure what they are averaging, but they just look awful. So right now I've got the Colts at four and one after the bye, which is not a place I expected them to be at. I'm pretty sure that I would have had the Steelers, Jets and Vikings all beating the Colts, which would have

them typically three and two after this, but I've got them five and one right now. Sorry, four and one right now after the bye, that's got them at eight and six. Now they go to the Raiders on Christmas Eve, which will be a nice thing. Hopefully Santa comes early for all of us Colts fans here. And, you know, Carr has been fantastic. Latavius Murray is running better than he ever has. He's got Crabtree and Amari Cooper to his disposal. And that's a tough place to go. And not only that, but we're going to be going to Oakland. And if they continue to play like they have been, if they're winning three or four out of their next five, then the Colts are going to be going into a red-hot team who's already really good and has a fantastic offensive line.

That's going to be bad news for the Colts' rushing defense. And they've got some serious playmakers on defense, especially in their front seven. So this is not a game I'm going to have the Colts winning at this point. So right now I've got the Colts 4-2 after the bye, and I've got them at 8-7 overall. Then the Colts are going to host the Jaguars in week 17 on New Year's Day. This is a game I absolutely refuse to give away. The Colts are going to win this game. They're going to finish the season nine and seven, depending on how hot the Titans get. I expect the Colts to be

in the running right here for the division. So maybe not. You never know. The Texans might keep squeaking out little three-point wins, four-point wins here and there against bad teams. But I don't expect the Texans to look worth anything in the second half of the season. I don't expect the Titans to maintain their hot streak, although they have the personnel to do it. And I think the Jaguars are just continuing. They're not throwing to Hearns at all. They're using Marquise Lee a lot more in their offense.

Outside of Ivory, they have very little running game. They're not getting much, if anything, out of their other backs. Blake Bortles is terrible, and I was one of his biggest, you know, not supporters, but I had his back as far as a lot of the naysayers on him. I thought he was going to be a really good quarterback, and he just seemed – the kind of things what I've talked about with Luck, if he didn't improve some minor mechanical things, then I kind of would maybe suggest that he was somewhat uncoachable, that he just is not retaining or refuses to retain more or less what he's been taught.

And that's not the case with him, but it looks like it is the case with Bortles. He's worked on his release. He's worked on all this stuff in the off season the past couple of years, and he's reverted right back to his crap release. So I'm not giving the Jaguars any credit until they earn it, and I don't see that happening in the second half of the season. So I've got the Colts finishing the regular season 9-7. I originally had them finishing 9-7, but with different wins and different losses, obviously. So that's kind of, I don't know if that's humorous or not, but that's where I've got them. I don't know what you guys think. Let me know what you guys think. Either hit me up on Locked On Colts Twitter page at Locked On

Colts. You can catch us on the Facebook page as well. You can hit me up at LockedOnColtsPod at gmail.com. I appreciate, again, all of you listening. Go to iTunes or anywhere that you guys get the podcast and subscribe, rate, and review. That always helps, makes a huge impact. I really appreciate it. And thank you for being patient. Took a couple of days off last week. Figured the bye-bye week was as good a week as any to do it. I had some family stuff come up that we needed to get done. So that's kind of the reason that we didn't finish out the week with a Thursday and a Friday show last week, but we're back on track and I appreciate you guys for being patient. Thank you for listening. Thank you for lending me your ears for 15 to 20 minutes every day.

Come check out this Locked On Colts pod every single day. Tell your friends about it. I know you guys all have friends who are Colts fans and tell them about it. We're here every day through the week. You can't get it anywhere else, guys. Just me and your ears. I appreciate you guys lending them to me every day. And we are past 50 shows officially as of last week as well. So that's a great accomplishment for us. I've been running my mouth for over 50 shows now, and you guys continue to come back and listen. And I appreciate it. And I appreciate the kind words that you guys throw my way about the show. So thank you for listening here on Monday for Locked on Colts. And I will talk to you all

on Tuesday, right here on Locked On Colts. You are Locked On Colts, your daily podcast on the Indianapolis Colts, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Is that the new iPhone? Yeah, got it on T-Mobile. Fastest iPhone deserves America's fastest LTE network. Introducing the amazing iPhone 8. It's the best iPhone yet, now on America's best unlimited network. For a limited time, save up to $300 on the amazing iPhone 8 after 24 monthly bill credits. And now join T-Mobile's iPhone upgrade program for free.

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