Colts 2021 Season thread

[Bball]

It's not surprising they lost.
It's not even a surprise HOW they lost.
Yet... the game was there for the taking and the Colts blew it in all the ways you would expect. But shouldn't expect.

[D-BONE]

I just can't help but think the Colts would be WAY better off with a real OC who actually calls the plays, instead of a HC with Maddenesque tendencies.
Someone that doesn't think TOO much like a QB and knows the limitations of his team, and the strengths. And doesn't get too far from those strengths.

But that said... you have to wonder about the Colts' D that seems to bend more and more as the game wears on.

Yeah. I don't know about the D. It's not really realistic to think you'll shut down many teams and win with D these days. There were good series today, knowing a team as good as Tampa would get their points. And D definitely created TOs and at least a few series of positive field position on our part.

That said, I do think this D should be CONSISTENTLY more resistant than it is against all opponents. Tough being down our top safeties but Paye, Buckner, Okereke, Leonard is a lot of talent in the front 7. Corners aren't all world, but you had your top 3 available today and Rodgers came up with an INT.

[D-BONE]

I think it's safe to say that we will conclude the season thinking we should be a playoff team (whether we are or not). If we're not, then Reich and staff will have to answer to that.

[Sollozzo]

I just can't help but think the Colts would be WAY better off with a real OC who actually calls the plays, instead of a HC with Maddenesque tendencies.
Someone that doesn't think TOO much like a QB and knows the limitations of his team, and the strengths. And doesn't get too far from those strengths.

But that said... you have to wonder about the Colts' D that seems to bend more and more as the game wears on.

The D was a sieve on that last drive and allowed Fournette to kill them, but they got a lot of big stops against Tampa today. They were put in some really tough spots with the turnovers. There's just only so many times you can realistically expect a D to hold a Brady offense that is the defending Super Bowl champion.

We lost the game on the turnovers. The miffed punt return was killer and that questionable end zone call that turned into a pick was bad. Wentz fumble was also brutal.

We had the chance to open it up on Tampa, but we gave them too many opportunities. You just can't do that against the better teams.

We are what we are - a talented team that can hang with the better teams and get leads on them, but just makes a few too many mistakes to win these games and cement ourselves as an elite team. If we win that game today, you can say us and NE are pretty much the hottest teams in the NFL. But we didn't.

[rimrattler]

You can't put too much blame on the D. Those turnovers are demoralizing. Only blame I put on Frank is not running the ball sooner in the second half. All in all turnovers have been their biggest issues in the games they lost. Pretty much have to win out now to make the playoffs I think. Looks like they will be drafting S's and CB's all 6 rounds in next year's draft lol.

[Basketball Fan]

Just got back into town from vacation and missed the game. Clearly I didn't miss much and went as expected. If anything the Titans loss was the worst of the season then the Ravens one.

I say this is the 3rd worse loss.

I do agree this team needs an OC to call the plays and not Frank. I think while Wentz is good he does make some boneheaded mistakes and I think Frank/Carson enable each others' worst tendencies.

However you had to be delusional to think Brady was going to lose to the Colts.

[clownskull]

We got the best running back in the game, a guy the bucs couldn't stop and we found a way to get him the ball 16 times.

[Sollozzo]

Crazy that this could be a 9-3 or 8-4 team if we executed better.

The difference between being mediocre and very good in the NFL often comes down to a handful of plays. A few mistakes can break a season.

But you are what your record says you are. The maddening part is that it could be....it should be.....so much better.

[D-BONE]

Crazy that this could be a 9-3 or 8-4 team if we executed better.

The difference between being mediocre and very good in the NFL often comes down to a handful of plays. A few mistakes can break a season.

But you are what your record says you are. The maddening part is that it could be....it should be.....so much better.

Just like this should have been a 2nd round playoff team last year (yet found a way to lose an eminently winnable game at Buffalo)? When does this become a theme under Reich? I don't think this season, but one more might be enough to conclude that.

[D-BONE]

We got the best running back in the game, a guy the bucs couldn't stop and we found a way to get him the ball 16 times.

They did shut him down the initial drives of the game. At that point, I think the go against the grain / take what they give you approach worked fantastically for the remainder of the half.

I think coming out in the second half, however, they should've been more intentional in getting him involved and establishing more balance offensively. Their defense was on the field a long time by halftime, so I think Taylor could have had success in the 3rd qtr mixed in with some passing, if for no other reason than they were tired. That was, I think, a primary reason he found so little resistance when they finally went to him late in the 4th.

[Sollozzo]

Damn, just read that Brady has won 9 straight against the Colts. Ouch. We haven’t won since the 4th and 2
game.

He was ragging on us yesterday by saying that our horseshoe isn’t very lucky lol.

Guess we asked for it after “Deflategate”.

[Bball]

Is Frank Reich a good coach because the Colts can hang with teams they have no business beating, before losing most of them... Or is he the reason they lose these close games at the end and the fact the Colts can hang shows the talent is there?

[Basketball Fan]

Damn, just read that Brady has won 9 straight against the Colts. Ouch. We haven’t won since the 4th and 2
game.

He was ragging on us yesterday by saying that our horseshoe isn’t very lucky lol.

Guess we asked for it after “Deflategate”.

Yes the last time we won was when Manning was QB which feels like a lifetime ago. During the early days of this pandemic when NBC Sports was airing all these old SNF games they reaired this one and I watched it knowing how it would end. This also reminds me of how while I care about the Colts and follow them its not the same for me as it once was either.

[Basketball Fan]

Wrong spot

[Sollozzo]

We really should finish the season 4-1 with our talent, but I think we will finish more like 2-3 with brutal losses.