/ laugh at PosterX / GroupOfPeopleY who thought / believed *insert though/belief here*"
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I guess that FG they decided not to take looks kind of important right now... Of course the butterfly effect and all kicks in if they HAD kicked the FG, but still...
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Nuntius was right for a while. I was wrong for a while. But ultimately I was right and Frank Vogel has been let go.
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"A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself in the group, for the good of the group, that’s teamwork."
-John Wooden -
WOOHOO the season is over!Comment
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One part of the butterfly effect is exactly why teams do go for it. Houston had terrible field position and the Colts ended up getting the ball in Houston territory to start their next drive and scored a TD. If they kick the FG the drive before, they don't get the ball in such good field position their next drive and might not have scored a TD.
Obviously we don't know exactly what would have happened the other way. But that 20 yards of field position difference is a key reason why teams go for it inside the 5. It helps your defense out on the next drive to stop the other team, and then by extension helps your offense even if you don't get it. And if you do get it, you score more than 2 FG's!Comment
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But it ignores the scoreboard. You've used clock and came away with zero points. You gave the opposing defense a 'win'. And you're still down two scores. If you make the gamble and score a TD, you still have to kick the ball away on the kickoff. So, you're only gaining 4 points and still have to kickoff. And you're still down a score.
If you kick the FG, it's as close to a sure thing as there is, and you're only down one score. You didn't burn time on the clock for nothing. And you don't give the opposing defense a total win. At best they got a 'moral' win holding you to a FG instead of the TD.
I get what you're saying, but I don't think that stuff really tracks situationally most times. Unless you have a team that is just high octane and overpowering, you just can't waste scoring opportunities and you always have to play the current situation and the scoreboard. IMO.Nuntius was right for a while. I was wrong for a while. But ultimately I was right and Frank Vogel has been let go.
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"A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself in the group, for the good of the group, that’s teamwork."
-John WoodenComment
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Thoughts on Ehlinger today...
He sure likes to throw high sometimes.
His mobility actually gave the offense a lift today.
Is there anything else?Nuntius was right for a while. I was wrong for a while. But ultimately I was right and Frank Vogel has been let go.
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"A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself in the group, for the good of the group, that’s teamwork."
-John WoodenComment
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Only other thing to add is that it was flat out stupid to not give him several more games down the stretch. I don’t think he’s any sort of long term answer, but no QB can get in any sort of rhythm when they play two games in the middle of the season, are benched, and then play the very last game of the year…much less a young QB. The Pittsburgh game should have been the absolute last game that Ryan played - though I think he should have been benched after Philly when the playoff hopes were pretty much completely dead. Plus it was the offense’s fault that we lost that game.
We get a nice pick from the losses, but I don’t think Ehlinger would have been able to win much anyway. But at least he could have maybe developed some sort of rhythm week in and week out so that we’d know more about him. There’s enough there to make you curious, but we still obviously need to add a new young QB.Comment
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I'm not sure why the team didn't try Foles the first time Ryan was benched, especially when they still thought they had a shot at the playoffs if they could find a spark and turn things around... and eventually go to Ehlinger if/when Foles flamed out and the playoffs became more of a pipe dream than they already were. Instead they went to Ehlinger first, then back to Ryan (mistake), then to Foles, and injury forced them to go back to Ehlinger.
It's like they did it all backwards and were forced to let Ehlinger play out the string.
Then managed to do this in a way that neither backup got a true solid shot. And the Colts didn't get much of a read on either. Going to Ehlinger the first time would've made some sense if they thought he could develop into something, but tossing him to the side after 2 games, one of which he almost won and the loss wasn't on him, and going BACK to Ryan was bizarre. But the entire season was bizarre. This entire era, from Luck's shoulder surgery on has been bizarre.
I do kind of wonder if Wentz used his position as QB and leader during the Covid era to create some fractures in team chemistry (intentionally or not). Maybe politics, or the politics of Covid and misinformation, poisoned the lockerroom and the fissures remained. The timing would certainly fit. Polarization leading to teammates questioning each other as well as coaching and management could explain some things because that's the kind of thing that could carry over. There could even be ardent Wentz supporters that didn't want to see him gone and were no longer mentally all-in on t.e.a.m.
Maybe that's just some speculative reach, or maybe it's just a part of the puzzle that also includes Ryan too old and physically unable to change that swirling narrative, and Ballard not better addressing skill positions on offense (deep threat receivers... but with deep threat receivers comes QB that can get it to them).Nuntius was right for a while. I was wrong for a while. But ultimately I was right and Frank Vogel has been let go.
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"A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself in the group, for the good of the group, that’s teamwork."
-John WoodenComment
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If Wentz still has supporters within the locker room/organization, it’s probably due to the simple fact that he’s a significantly better quarterback than what they trotted out this year. Wentz - despite his many flaws - gave the team a chance. 9-8 with multiple other games that were winnable. We had a chance to make the playoffs. SHOULD have made the playoffs. WOULD have made the playoffs if not for the epic end of season meltdown.
It’s not that last year was great or that Wentz was great….but we COMPETED and I’m sure the guys in the locker room remember that we competed. Much better than being the joke that we are right now. If Wentz still has support - that’s why.Comment
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That's ultimately what I meant... Had Ryan been physically able to zip the ball downfield, dodge the rush and make plays, and win games, any fissures created by Wentz would've been (likely) forgotten. But Ryan was unable to do that.
Anyone glad Wentz was gone would not get much sympathy or understanding from anyone that was a Wentz supporter. I picture a bumper sticker with Wentz's face on and a "Miss me now?" comment.
That could all happen without any 'hate' for Ryan... just an understanding that they could not compete with Ryan at QB because he just wasn't up to the task any longer. They could like and respect him just fine. Even want the best for him, but can see he's just no longer able to get it done.
Sadly, I can't imagine this season being any worse with Wentz, if he could've stayed healthy. But then again, if he was polarizing, maybe ultimately the end of the season last year says more about what we could've expected this season than the overall record last season. And him staying healthy was always a question mark anyway with the way he played. Still, in hindsight, giving Reich and Wentz one more year to fix it probably at worse is no different than where we are right now.... and maybe better.Nuntius was right for a while. I was wrong for a while. But ultimately I was right and Frank Vogel has been let go.
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"A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself in the group, for the good of the group, that’s teamwork."
-John WoodenComment
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Watched some of Ballard's press conference and it's hilarious how he starts off with "I failed".
I still have trust in Ballard. He's done more good than bad.
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Unless Ballard was trying to warn/tell Irsay these problems were coming and Irsay kept saying "But I wanna try..." or "Let's do this instead..." then I don't know what the point of keeping Ballard is. The team is trending the wrong way. It's been a clown show more than anything of late. Bandaids haven't worked.
The fans can't be sold on Ballard so keeping him isn't going to get fans excited for next season which means a damper on ticket sales. Of course THIS season has been a pretty big damper on next season anyway.
It's kind of hard to change the culture if you don't bring in an entirely new vision for shaping that culture. Obviously, a new coach COULD do it, but a coach is still going to have his vision be filtered thru what Ballard brings to the team.
But then again, with the clown show it's been, maybe keeping Ballard is just another clown show move in a series of clown show moves.Nuntius was right for a while. I was wrong for a while. But ultimately I was right and Frank Vogel has been let go.
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"A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself in the group, for the good of the group, that’s teamwork."
-John WoodenComment
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The Athletic's mock draft has the Colts trading Chicago and taking Bryce Young. They have Stroud falling to Carolina who will move up via SeattleNuntius was right for a while. I was wrong for a while. But ultimately I was right and Frank Vogel has been let go.
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"A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself in the group, for the good of the group, that’s teamwork."
-John WoodenComment
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Nobody makes trades to help somebody else out. But it's not a zero-sum game with a winner and a loser. Both teams want to reach something that they consider fair that gives them what they need/want. Some GMs are better negotiators for sure.
Teams are probably reluctant to trade within the division, no doubt. And it would think that in those types of trades the "are we getting better than we are giving" plays a part.
If the Bears want to trade the pick, they'll take what they think is the best offer for them.
You're caught up in the Internet / you think it's such a great asset / but you're wrong, wrong, wrong
All that fiber optic gear / still cannot take away the fear / like an island song
- Jimmy BuffettComment
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