I think yesterday showed us that there is plenty of talent on this roster. We just desperately need a quarterback.

Whether Jones can be that quarterback remains to be seen but he’s off to a good start.

For the most part, the Colts performance, under Ballard, has been pretty much a reflection of their Quarterback play.

In 2017, Andrew Luck went down, Jacoby Brissett played, and it was 4-12
2018, Luck was back, so were the Colts…10-6
2019, back to Brissett and back to 7-9
In 2020, went for a vet in Rivers and went to the playoffs at 11-5
2021, the Wentz expriment fell apart after week 13, just missed the playoffs at 9-8
2022, Ryan convinced them of the futility of trying to milk an aging vet for whatever glimmer of magic remained in his arm…4-12
2023-2025, the Richardson/Minshew/Flacco experience.

Taken individually, none of those moves at Quarterback were unreasonable. The signing of Wentz and the drafting of Richardson were met with enthusiasm. Rivers worked. The inking of Ryan was probably the worst decision, but Ballard succumbed to the siren song of his Quarterback whisperer’s assurance that there was nothing wrong with the aging veteran that couldn’t be fixed once Reich got him under his wing. Richardson was a gamble on greatness.

To this point it looks like Ballard made the absolute right call on letting Kelly and Fries walk and riding with Bortolini and Goncalves.

o


Daniel Jones is looking good early in the season ...... so does the team overall.

o

o


I've been saying for years that Chris Ballard was not just giving us lip-service when he said that he wanted to put together a complete-team when he first took over the job, not just a team that was overly-dependent on an all-world QB such as Peyton Manning or Andrew Luck ...... I believe that he has been doing that prior to this season, which is why the Colts had multiple mediocre seasons (instead of bad seasons.)

Since the retirement of Andrew Luck, the Colts have had one good season (2020), one bad season (2022), and 4 mediocre seasons ...... and I believe that a big part of that is because Ballard was doing what he told us that he was going to try to do, not just putting all of his efforts and resources into looking for that Hall-of-Fame caliber QB.

o

Well, I would say that we have a complete team, and the Ballard nay sayers are due healthy dose of crow!

o


And as I said in my post, I don't think that it's just this season ...... those mediocre Colts teams were nearly complete teams, sans a very solid quarterback. If they weren't, they would not have been mediocre, they would have been flat-out bad.

o

Agreed, but the 2022 team was flat out bad, due to Ballard mismanaging the O-Line and Reich's incompetence. I forgot that Bradley had something to do with that as well.

Everyone misunderstood what he meant, and now they see it. Glad we got to see the results before the pitchfork crew got their wish.

I believe that Ballard has always intended on building a solid team and I do not consider myself a Ballard hater, but I also believe there are not many GMs that could have survived the Carson Wentz followed by Matt Ryan debacles without being fired!

o


After Another Colts Rout, It’s Time to Acknowledge Them for What They Are: Contenders

(By James Boyd)

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/669...nathan-taylor/


**********************************


INDIANAPOLIS — Braden Smith remembers how things used to be and the scars those failures have left behind. So often recently, the Indianapolis Colts would start slow and spend the whole season trying to claw their way back into the playoff picture. Most of the time, those campaigns ended in agony, with Indianapolis now four years removed from its last playoff berth.

But this season feels different, Smith said Sunday following Indianapolis’ 40-6 shellacking of the Las Vegas Raiders. More hopeful. More promising. More serious. As the Colts’ starting right tackle stood in a joyous locker room at Lucas Oil Stadium and looked around, he took a deep breath to compose himself before explaining why.

Smith pointed to his team’s humility and lack of ego. Then, his tone shifted a bit.

“We’re tired of just being mediocre,” Smith said. “Everyone’s just putting in the work. It’s the work that it takes every day to kind of push past that.

“To be a contender.”

Excuse me, a what ???

If someone had called the Colts a contender before the start of the 2025 season, they likely would’ve been laughed at. That’s a word that hasn’t been synonymous with this franchise since the days of quarterback Peyton Manning and, for a brief stretch, Andrew Luck. But after a 4-1 start, with Daniel Jones playing at a near-MVP level, running back Jonathan Taylor looking like an early favorite to win NFL Offensive Player of the Year and the new-look defense generating eight turnovers in five weeks, this no longer feels like an anomaly. It feels like the standard.

And being a contender feels like a reality.

According to The Athletic’s Austin Mock’s NFL Projection Model, following Sunday’s beatdown of the Raiders, the Colts now have a 90 percent chance of making the playoffs, a 14 percent chance to earn the No. 1 seed in the AFC and an 8 percent chance to win the Super Bowl. The only AFC team with better odds in those three categories? The Buffalo Bills, led by some guy named Josh Allen.

Of course, there’s still a lot of season left, and Smith couched his “contender” talk by noting that it’s only Week 5. But to his point, how else should this year’s team be described? Save for kicker Spencer Shrader sustaining a knee injury, which Colts coach Shane Steichen said after the game, “doesn’t look good,” there were hardly any lowlights for Indianapolis on Sunday.

The Colts were simply dominant — again.

The Dolphins were no match for them in the season opener. The Titans had nothing for the Colts in Week 3. On Sunday, it was the Raiders’ turn to look outclassed. Those lowly teams have a combined record of 3-12, so now isn’t exactly the time to start planning the parade route through downtown Indianapolis. But a roadmap to the postseason and the team’s first AFC South title since 2014? That seems as real as ever.

Last year, all eight of the Colts’ victories were by one possession. On Sunday, Indianapolis notched its third victory this season by at least 20 points. The Raiders’ six points marked the second time this year Indianapolis kept its opponent to single digits.

Linebacker Zaire Franklin could not care less about the Colts’ strength of schedule. From his perspective, strength is subjective — until someone else feels it.

“That’s what shows up on film,” said Franklin, who tallied one of Indianapolis’ four sacks Sunday. “I think regardless of the level of competition that we play, I think we play to a certain standard. And it’s either you’re gonna get to that standard, or you’re gonna get ran off the field.”

Segun Olubi set the tone early.

With the Colts already leading 7-3 in the second quarter, the linebacker knifed through the Raiders’ protection unit and blocked a punt by Las Vegas’ AJ Cole. Four plays later, Taylor scored on a 3-yard touchdown run that was the start of an offensive avalanche. After going three-and-out to start the game, Indianapolis scored a touchdown on its next six possessions, which is tied for the team’s longest streak since at least 1993, according to Colts PR.

Taylor was held to a season-low 66 yards on 17 carries, but still tallied three rushing touchdowns. Entering this season, Taylor had just two career games with at least three total touchdowns. Through just five weeks this season, he already matched that total.

Not to be overlooked, Jones was nearly flawless on Sunday, completing 20 of his 29 passes for 212 yards and two TDs, both in the second quarter. One play after Steichen dialed up a trick play for tYler Warren, in which the rookie tight end was the passer but wisely threw the ball away when he saw the Raiders snuffed it out, the coach went back to his star — yes, star — quarterback. Jones delivered with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Warren that marked the first receiving TD of his career.

“I didn’t see Tyler’s pass,” Jones said through a grin when asked to grade Warren’s QB skills. “Looked like they covered it up pretty good, but I like the play.”

The Colts’ defense had its highlights as well, as four different players recorded a sack. Defensive end Laiatu Latu also picked off Raiders quarterback Geno Smith in the second quarter, marking Latu’s second interception of the season. Cornerback Mekhi Blackmon intercepted Smith in the third quarter, as the Las Vegas passer finished the game with his second-worst passer rating of the season (63.2.)

But perhaps the best argument for why these aren’t the same old Colts is how the team handled wide receiver AD Mitchell. Following last week’s blunders against the Rams, in which Mitchell’s mistakes cost the team two touchdowns, he was effectively benched until garbage time in the fourth quarter. It didn’t matter that starting receiver Alec Pierce missed his second straight game due to a concussion. Steichen wanted to send a message.

“I told you guys AD has got to earn it,” the coach said afterward.

Steichen had been noncommittal about Mitchell’s role all week and opted instead to play Ashton Dulin, a core special teamer, over the 2024 second-round pick. Dulin, who went undrafted in 2019, responded by notching two catches for a team-high 55 yards, in addition to doing his usual jobs as a gunner and return man.

“He’s as gritty as they come,” Steichen said. “He’s as tough as they come.”

That’s the mindset Steichen wants his whole team to embody in a conference that, outside of the 4-1 Bills, feels wide open. The Ravens, with an injured Lamar Jackson, are 1-4. Patrick Mahomes and the reigning AFC champion Chiefs look more vulnerable than in years past and are just 2-2 entering Monday night’s game against the Jaguars. And Justin Herbert and the Chargers, who started 3-0 with a resounding victory over the Chiefs in their season opener, are now 3-2 after back-to-back losses to the Giants and Commanders.

Franklin, who fully acknowledged that it’s still early in the season, doesn’t see why the Colts can’t be in the “contender” conversation at the end. That’s what they’re building toward and, for the first time in years, they may finally have the right tools.

“Respectfully, I feel like we gave (the Rams) too much credit,” Franklin said, reflecting on how Indy responded after its first loss of the year. “I think after we played L.A., we realized we’re that team.

“We’re the team that’s a test for everybody else.”

o

Good article, love the end, “We’re the team that’s a test for everybody else.”

I cant imagine there is anyone that really wants to play us.

Saw both Mitchell and AR celebrating with teammates on the sideline and not showing any signs of pouting. Somehow the whole mental attitude of this team seams to have changed. Nice

o


The Colts' Most Stunning Redemption Story Is Already Breaking Franchise Records

(By Lee Vowell)

https://horseshoeheroes.com/indianap...nchise-records


***********************************


The Indianapolis Colts were right ...... general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen clearly knew what they were doing this off-season, even when others around the NFL doubted them. After six games, Indy sits atop the AFC South at 5-1.

Obviously, there are several reasons for this. Some of the players fans already knew were great, or likely to be so, have been just that. Running back Jonathan Taylor, for instance, has long been one of the best backs in the league. This year, he has been the best so far.

But very few expected quarterback Daniel Jones to be as terrific as he is. He likely can continue his elite run, as he appears to be a perfect fit in Shane Steichen's system. The quarterback tends not to make careless mistakes, and is the excellent point guard QB Steichen needs.


Daniel Jones Is the Latest Redemption Story for the Indianapolis Colts


Jones, in fact, isn't simply a fantastic redemption story; but he is playing like a Pro Bowl quarterback. He just needed to rid himself of being a part of the awful New York Giants organization, spend some time with the Minnesota Vikings, and join Indy, a team that has a wonderful core of offensive weapons.

The Colts' QB1 is completing 71.7 percent of his passes (third in the NFL), has a quarterback rating of a career-high 104.4 (10th in the league), and has augmented his 8 touchdown throws with 4 rushing touchdowns. He's made the argument of Anthony Richardson ever starting again moot.

But Jones has also done something that not even Peyton Manning could do. Through 6 games, Indianapolis has scored 194 points. That is the most in franchise history. Daniel Jones isn't the only reason Indy is scoring so much, but without him, the team doesn't reach the same level.

Clearly, the quarterback deserves a lot of credit for his play. He doesn't just make smart throws, but he prepares exceedingly well. He is a smart guy on and off the field, and it shows in the way that he runs the offense. That isn't going to change, barring an injury.

But Chris Ballard and Shane Steichen deserve credit, too. They took a chance on Jones being the starting quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts when maybe no other team would have. Those teams have a right to be jealous now. The only drawback for Indy is that next off-season, Jones is going to want to be signed to a huge new contract ...... and he's earned it.

o

o


(vs. SEAHAWKS, 12/14)


Even though the Colts lost the game today, I am no longer afraid of the thought of facing the 49ers, the Jaguars, or the Texans to finish out the season ...... in addition to the way that they started the season before Daniel Jones broke his left fibula, I believe that this game is further evidence that Ballard has put together a complete team ...... they came within a hair of beating what may be the best team in the NFL on their homefield with a 44 year-old quarterback who hasn't played in 5 years.

o

Ballard has put together another mediocre team. It will never be a 'complete' team until he finds the ability to scout and sign the most important positions in football, pass rush and QB. Every year we have this 'great' team that somehow always misses the playoffs. Always. Maybe, just maybe, this is ,has been and will continue to be an average NFL team. Or maybe our record just lies. I'm sick of this, as are most of us and have no idea of where to go from here. I can only hope Carlie does.

I would also like to point out that since Luck retired there are a total of 5 starting QBs that were then on their current team that are starting for that current team: Mahomes, Allen, Jackson, Prescott, and Murray. Everyone else had a player starting that was not on the team at that time.

What sheer and utter nonsense.

By the time the whistle blew to end the game in Seattle, the Colts had 6 pro bowlers out of action. Their starting Quarterback had undergone season ending surgery on Tuesday and plan B at the position was nursing a bizarre eye injury. That left a 44 year old grandfather who had, charitably, 3 days of practice with the team.

If you want to complain that Ballard has a hard time finding high quality pass rushers, okay. That’s valid. But Quarterback? Sometime in the next 4 months, Daniel Jones is going to sign a blockbuster contract. He’s generally considered to be one of the top 3 players available, and only God knows how much it’s going to cost to bring him back.

Were they as good as they seemed over their first 10 games? Maybe not. But, playing through more injuries than I’d wish on anyone…except perhaps the New England Patriots…they lost to Pittsburgh, in Pittsburgh, in a game in which they held the steelers to 224 yards. They lost to the defending AFC champions by 4 after a trademark Patrick Mahomes comeback. By 4 to Houston, and by 2 to Seattle.

The bottom line is that they were good enough to win every game they played, and there are damned few teams in this, or any other league, who can say the same.

If this was one season I might agree. The record never changes. year after year. Always middle of the pack. Glad you think this .500 team is fabulous.

o


In the short-term, what happened with Daniel Jones and the 2025 Colts was the ideal storm for disaster ...... Jones broke his fibula and continued to play on it, which affected his play, which affected the Colts' W-L record. And of course after Jones went down with a torn Achilles tendon and the Colts had to rely on 44 year-old Uncle Phil to carry the offense, that also affected the Colts' W-L record.

In the long-term (2026 and beyond), Jones' broken leg and the subsequent collapse of the 2025 Colts may wind up inadvertently being the best thing that could have happened to the Colts for their plight in 2026 and beyond ...... the Colts will certainly not have to give Jones for a premium, long-term contract because of his injury(s) and the team's subsequent collapse of the 2025 season. For myself and a few other starry-eyed dreamers, we believe that this 2025 Colts team was much closer to the team that started the season at 7-1 than to the team that limped to a 1-7 record in their 8 most recent games. Prior to Jones breaking his fibula, the Colts weren't just beating bad teams when Jones was healthy, they were stomping them ...... they won by a score of 33-8 over the Dolphins, 41-20 over the Titans, 40-6 over the Raiders, 38-14 over the Titans ...... yes, those were bad teams that the Colts were beating, but previous Colts teams would almost always play down to their competition and either barely beat the bad teams, and sometimes lose to them. Additionally, the Colts spanked the Chargers on their homefield in Los Angeles ...... the Colts had a 38-17 lead in the 4th quarter, and coasted to an easy 38-24 win ....... and the Chargers are one of the best teams in the NFL with a record of 11-4 outside of that loss to the Colts. Finally, the schedule itself was absolutely brutal going down the stretch, which coincided with Jones' injury(s) which severely affected and ultimately ended his season.


FINAL VERDICT FOR THE 2025 SEASON: ) The Colts are 8-8, and neither Kray nor myself can dispute the fact that that is a mediocre/middling record for the 8th time in Chris Ballard's 9 year tenure as the team's GM ...... the lone exception was the 2020 Philip Rivers season, when the Colts made the playoffs with an 11-5 record and took Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills right down to the wire in the post-season game which was played on their home-field in northwestern New York State.


THE COLTS IN 2026 AND BEYOND: ) Neither Kray nor myself can prove for a fact that the Colts' 7-1 start to the 2025 season is necessarily going to be what the team will become in 2026 and beyond ...... but that happens to what we both believe, and so we'll stand here on this lonely island, continuing to support Chris Ballard and our beloved Colts in the foreseen future.

o

Ballard has become a shitty drafter who gives way way to much to RAS as an indicator of being good. Polian used to say you needed 5 difference makers on your team. Looking at the defense, beside Leonard (lb), can you name one difference maker Ballard has drafted. The two best players we have on defense were not scouted or drafted by him. He gave up 3 firsts and a newish 2nd rounder to get those 2 players, who had already proven who they were in NFL. Tough to build a winner that way. None of the defensive guys he has drafted can 'take over' a game in crunch time. On offense he has drafted all pro at guard/running back (maybe Warren but he isn't there yet)-two positions that have minimal impact in today's NFL (don't believe me? look at our record). We have no number one receiver and no QB (either starter or backup that is waiting in the wings learning) in a league that constantly makes rules to benefit the passing game and hinder the running game. The best argument is that we came close for half a year? And those 8 games are who we really are? I would like to point out that Miami looked unbelievable a few years ago before defenses started figuring them out. It is much more likely (we have seen it time and time again in the NFL) that we surprised teams early and they figured out how to stop us. Good team have this happen but they respond with changes of their own that mitigate what others are doing. We just fell apart. I don't think this is as cut and dry as it sounds when I write this. Giving it one more year has a certain logic to it I agree. I just don't think it will work.

I think it’s pretty simple. Ballard has built a good enough roster that we can be really really good with decent quarterback play.

We just have not been able to find that quarterback.

I think it would be dangerous to fire Ballard because the next guy would most likely be worse at his job than Ballard is. IE, we would be much more likely to get the next Ryan Grigson than the next Howie Roseman.

He definitely puts too much weight on RAS score

Also drafting a team full of Man of the year candidates has its downside,

As much as they’re hated having a Jalen Carter, Ndomunkung Suh, or Aqib Talib brings an edge to a defense that this team has lacked since Robert Mathis retired

This is the exact reason you don't fire him, especially if, as an organization, you believe Daniel Jones is a long term answer at the QB position.

So you don't fire personnel that over the course of 10 years have proven to you they suck, because there's the possibility you could get an even worse loser.

Fucking insane.

So at what year after proving long term suck, do you fire someone? 12 years, 15, do they get a solid 20 years of proving they are shit before you fire them????

Most organizations have a damn 90 day trial period, at end end of 90 days if you suck, you are told to go home.

Motherfucker has had 10 years proving to you that he is awful---- but you don't believe him?

What an insane fucking world view...

I cannot argue with your logic for keeping Ballard. It would be insane to get rid of him if you are happy where this team is at talent wise except at QB. Obviously we disagree on what kind of team Ballard has put together. I think it is a team bereft of top (ie superstar) talent. No player capable of elevating his play in critical times. I believe you need that to consistently travel with other teams who have it. Hope I am wrong.

No, insanity is firing a General Manager when a third of his team, the best third, is stuck in the training room, rehabbing.

Insanity is trashing a roster simply because you don’t like the guy who assembled it.

Insanity is expecting an Offense to flourish with a Quarterback who’s gutting out a broken leg.

Insanity is expecting a GM to pull a viable Quarterback out of his butt when number 1 and number 2 go down.

Insanity is demanding wins when you’re starting a 44 year old Grandfather who hadn’t seen the field in 5 years.

Ballard and Steichen aren't going anywhere. At least not this off-season.

Ballard, mostly because of the Sauce trade and the Ward signing, never got to see the fruits of those signings. Carlie will wanna see how that plays out.

Steichen will stay for a similar reason. Carlie will wanna see what Steichen can do with Daniel Jones for another season.

IMO, Charlie Partridge may be on the hot seat though.

Just heard this stat on the radio. Last 2 years, we are 3-14 against teams with a 500+ record.

Holy shit. And yet there are still people on here that think we should keep either of these fucking bottom barrel losers.

My God the standards and expectations for this team are so ridiculously low.

FIRE THEM ALL!

I don’t think you can underestimate the impact of the injury to Daniel Jones. The team was 8-2 when he broke his leg.

Even after the injury, they didn’t fall apart. Compare that with Kansas City which, after Mahomes and Minshew went down, has managed a total of 272 total yards in 2 games, 133 vs the dreaded Titans and 139 against Denver.

As far as superstar talent is concerned, I think this team is bubbling with it. Jonathan Taylor is the best RB in the league. Pierce is the best deep threat in the league. Tyler Warren is Tyler Warren. DeForest Buckner is an elite DT, the engine that drives the Defense. Laiatu Latu is 11th in the league in sacks, 13th in pressures. Gardner and Ward are elite Corners.

I sure do wish we could be like all the other teams in the NFL and not have injuries.

I sure do wish that every backup was a pro-bowl player like all the other teams in the NFL have on their rosters.

I sure do wish our backup QB was a future first ballot hall of famer like Mac Jones, Malik Willis and Davis Mills are!

I will absolutely agree with you that demanding wins out of a 44 year old grandpa who hasn't played in 5 years---- IS INSANE! Thank you for fucking making my point with that one!

Every single year Kray you basically repeat the same post, providing cover for what is clear malpractice by the Colts GM and coaching staff, every fucking year. Damn it has to get old at some point right?

In 2024, the Colts were trying to play through bad Quarterbacking. Anthony Richardson struggled with immaturity and inaccuracy. Joe Flacco succumbed to age. He’s managed to play this year, but put together a 2-8 record and dwells at the bottom of almost every QB metric.

In 2025, they got off to a blazing start, but were buried under an avalanche of injuries.

Did you really expect Riley Leonard to beat Jacksonville? Are you surprised that a hobbled Jones came up a smidge short vs KC and Houston? A 45 year old Grandpa going mano a mano vs Seattle and loses by 2, then loses by less than one score vs the Jags…those performances were little short of heroic.

First of all, happy holidays. This discussion is a testament to the passion of Colt fans, and even though I disagree with you, I salute you.

I know that every team deals with injuries, but we’re down to a 3rd string Quarterback. Our RT is gone for the season. Ditto one of the best Defensive Tackles in the league. On the back end, they’re down a couple of pro bowlers and the third best Corner on the roster.

In one game, the RT was playing on the left side, the RG was playing RT, and backups were manning 2 other spots.

As far as backup QB is concerned, we don’t how our backup stacks up vs Jones, Willis, or Mills. Our backup is nursing an injury that threatens his career.

As far as the insanity of reaching out to Rivers, by the time Jones and Richardson bit the dust, the pickings had gone from slim to nonexistent. If you think that Leonard was a viable option, I urge you to go to NFL plus and watch a rerun of the game. Leonard’s performance sent Ballard scurrying for someone, anyone, to step in. Without the injuries on Defense, they might have won 2 of Rivers games.

As far as my defense of Ballard; last year I said that time was running out for him. He had to produce better results in order to keep his job. As far as I’m concerned, he delivered. If Jones is playing, this is an 11 win team, even with the injuries that decimated the Defense.

Other than the Daniel Jones injury, this is biggest determining factor in the collapse. Blackmon, Edwards and Mitchell, are basically street free agents thrown into starter roles. Edwards is an undrafted rookie at that.

I actually thought that Mitchell had a pretty good game on Sunday though. It seems like Anarumo has absolutely no use for Jaylon Jones, for whatever reason.

Jones has really rubbed Lou the wrong way that is for sure. So I guess more behind the scene things we dont see

Happy holidays to you as well Kray! Hope you have been able to spend time with those you cherish.

I just choose to look at the very large picture and to me that picture isn't very pretty. Regardless of injuries other teams have suffered their teams have persevered, and in the case of the 9ers, THRIVED. What they have done, basically without both their 1 and 1A receivers from a year ago, - both of which are starters on ANY OTHER TEAM in the NFL, Kittle being in and out, Warner out, etc... to see them do this, to see them put up 42 last night basically using a RB and a "meh" WR as their only weapons, is ludicrous.


Comparatively the Colts have just completely collapsed. Shane does not seem to have been able to make ANY meaningful adjustments. Instead, his singular solution seems to have been to call an old man that knows his plays- which to me, says he isn't doing very good in developing his roster. Fair to compare Shane to Shanahan, fair to expect two teams to do what the 49ers are doing in the same year, probably not. But I think it only fair to look at them and conclude your team DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY HAVE TO SUCK due to injuries.

So I have a real problem with the coach not being able to get more out of what he has. Then I look at Anarumo- definitely a SS directed hire. Dude essentially both caused Joe Burrow to have an MVP level season last year because his D was that shitty, while also COSTING Joe an MVP because the league won't give the MVP to a member of team that is THAT FUCKING bad! So we bring him in, and essentially we play the same kind of defense that we played last year- just laying back, letting completions happen in front of us over and over and over again. Yeah, Ward basically was injured but in the games he wasn't, he certainly wasn't playing this hyper aggressive sticky press we were all hearing about. We so seldom blitzed that when we did you almost jumped out of your chair at just the foreign nature of it. WHY did we hire Lou- the DC with the league's worst D last year?

Then you get to Ballard, and we have a guy on one edge that I am not sure I have ever seen a blocking sled more skilled at eating blocks than this dude! There were plays yesterday, I swear to God he has to hear voices in his head telling him to try to climb inside the OL's jersey vs trying to get away from him. He is AWFUL! So the guy that we drafted in the 2nd round, that you would think could easily move such a stiff out of the way---- he was a healthy scratch about half the year and probably averaged what, 6 snaps a game on total? Seriously----- WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT SHIT?

Linebackers- are you kidding me? Franklin, man that is what we went into the season being okay with? I KNOW I could fucking beat him on a slant or a 10 yard crosser! Fucking EJ Speed is playing special teams for fucks sake! Pratt, okay, decent, but that's as far as you can go in assessment and he really has nothing to do with Ballard and is here because of the worst DC in the NFL last year- that's real encouraging. After that, it's a ghost town! How in the fuck can a GM have this little in the cupboard at perhaps the easiest position to fill in the NFL?

Secondary. Well, at least Ballard went for it, I will give him that. However, he swung and missed. Yes, injuries were brutal in the backfield, but still, those were players acquired by Ballard that got hurt. And as far as the talent of the backup backfield---- holy shit! I watch football 24/7, I see no other team as bereft of talent as we are, not even close. Week after week it's just a completion fest against these guys.

Ballard is NOT a good talent evaluator! He isn't! And I am tired of the fucking same press conference we are going to see again next Monday afternoon. I am tired of the "I SUCK but I'll be better this year" bullshit. He is right, he sucks, and he isn't going to be better! The mantra that when someone tells you who they are, believe them, is applicable, he has told us he sucks, and I fucking firmly believe him!

Jared Verse with the punt block and 76 to the crib. LOL!

This team has the feel of a team that is just about to make the leap. For me the problem is this team has felt like this for a decade and never makes the leap. This may be a great group of players but they have had a mediocre record for a decade. The interesting thing is that what both sides say is true. Nobody argues the facts, just the interpretations of them. The women that count will let us know how they see it very soon.

Here's a depressingly sad thing to consider...

In the last 8 drafts we have invested 7 first or 2nd round draft picks on DE's.

Mentally re-watch the last couple years and try to convince yourself Chris Ballard belongs in the NFL as a GM... YOU CAN'T!

Shanahan’s 49’ers faced the easiest schedule in the league, this year, facing only 4 playoff teams from last season. In games vs teams over .500, they rolled to a 3-3 record.

Now, I know that the schedule is out of your control, and you play the guys they put in front of you, and Mac Jones was able to carry them. But, I wonder if they would have sniffed even one win had their third stringer, Adrian Martinez, been called to start or if they had tried to call Trent Dilfer out of retirement.

Unfortunately for the Colts, the schedule maker backloaded their season, and after Jones got hurt, they faced a string of 7 consecutive games with teams with a cumulative record of 77-35.

As far as Anarumo is concerned, injuries to the back end have really impacted what he can do, schematically. It’s tough to assess Ward because he’s been in and out of the lineup so much.But, in his last game, vs Jacksonville, PFF gave him a grade of 87.6. Sauce left the game vs Jacksonville early, but he had a grade of 79.8. When Lawrence threw in his direction, Lawrence had an NFL grade of 39.6.

I think that, early in the game, you got a glimpse of what might be when Anarumo stacked the box and had 7 guys blitz. After Sauce went down, we no longer had the personnel to pull that off. But, If you have two shutdown Corners, it frees you up to run some really exotic schemes.

As far as Latu is concerned, you can’t call him a bust. PFF credits him with 11 sacks and 54 pressures. As far as Tuimoloau is concerned, I’m intrigued. Against the Chargers, he was in on 20 snaps and deivered 3 pressures. Vs Pittsburgh, he had 1 pressure on 6 snaps. Against Atlanta, 2 on 12. 2 on 13 vs Houston, 2 on 10 vs Jacksonville, and 3 on 16 vs Seattle.

Zaire Franklin has been a disappointment, but there aren't many people who expected him to go from a pro bowler to pedestrian in a single season. At the other spot, I expect the plan was for Jaylon Carlies to step in and play. In 250 snaps in 2024, he earned a PFF grade of 90.3, which was 3rd highest in the league. You might add that to the litany of injuries that turned what was shaping up to be a three hour cruise into an evening on the Titanic. I suspect that, somewhere in the wreckage of this season, you’ll find Leonardo DiCaprio clinging to a dining room table.

As far as the Secondary is concerned, come on. Nobody expects to find much more than dross when you dig down to 4th and 5th place on your depth chart. The Texans have a great secondary, but they’re not doing it with Tremon Smith or Alijah Huzzie.

To me, Ballard’s scouting acumen is the most impressive part of his resume. I am hard pressed to find more than a couple of weaknesses. The roster screams for a pass rusher opposite Latu. If Carlies doesn’t step it up, Ballard has to find someone there. Beyond that, the roster’s solid at:

Quarterback
Running Back
Offensive Line
Wide Receiver
Tight End
One Defensive End
Defensive Tackle
Cornerback
And Safety