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Right ...... because if he stops encouraging me, I'm going to stop posting and/or change my posting patterns. You should be a prosecutor, Omaha ...... you could be probably bring violent crime to a screeching halt by telling the American public not to encourage the psychopaths of organized crime to commit murder and extortion. o |
CLew 🏈🏀⚾️🥊
@droppedballspod · 10h If the Colts win out, the Texans beat the Chargers, and the Chargers lose to the Broncos in week 18, the AFC South would get 3 teams into the playoffs 😂😂😂. Jags would be 12-5 Texans would be 11-6 Colts would be 11-6 All would have the tie breaker over the 11-6 Chargers. |
I like having someone to discuss 'history' with us. It does give me pause when Omaha calls C&O obnoxious however, as the man knows obnoxious better than most.
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It ought not give you reason to pause ...... if Jesse James complained that somebody stole his wallet, I wouldn't take him seriously. o |
The only way we make the playoffs now is to win out and Texans lose next week to the Chargers
It was fun. Just too many injuries to end the season |
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If the NFL hadn't of back loaded our schedule and we would have had more of a normal mix of good and bad teams, I think this season would have been just what most of us expected it to be 8 or 9 wins and just missing the playoffs again. Since the first half of the schedule was mostly less talented teams, we overachieved and some of us (me included) got our hopes built up only to have another cruel rug pull!
Maybe this team is closer than I think, maybe we are somehow able to add a couple of critical pieces in the off season and finally put together a complete season and make the playoffs? Then again maybe we need some changes at the top? I think Steichen has a good football mind I see no reason to fire him at this point. I can't see CIG firing Ballard after allowing him to trade for Sauce, she almost has to go with him until we have a first rounder again. |
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More importantly though is we didn't get to see how the Steichen and Jones combo dealt with adversity and if they could have bounced back after being exposed at Pitt. This (along w/ the Sauce trade) really handcuffs ownership into rolling back w/ pretty much what we have for next season. |
Read this on another board about Ballard. I agree with it all except JT being obvious. He could have added that during Ballards term we have also been arguably the worst team in football 2 of those years. I think his term should come to an end:
At best he's been mediocre He went into a season thinking Matt Pryor could be the blindsid for a statue. That was after he thought a guy coming off an Achilles tear in the same year was the answer at left tackle....when we all knew AC may retire He traded a first for carson Wentz, outbidding himself I like sauce but two firsts for a corner when your roster doesn't have a pass rusher is a lot. The Texans moved up to get Will Anderson and people thought it was ridiculous. It wasn't. I wish the texans still had that little finger ass unqualified gm. We had seasons where he leaned on Parris Campbell to come back and play wide receiver. As a result we had the likes of Zach pascal leading us in yards. I'm not quitting on Latu and he's aight but right now it's looking like Verse is significant better. We haven't had a guy who can get a sack or pressure when you have to have one in a decade. Telling people not paying attention to our division that he's been GM for 9 years and hasn't won a division that hasn't had a Josh Allen or Mahomes or Brady or Manning to go through shocks them. It's ridiculous Some of his best picks have been beyond obvious - Nelson, JT in round 2, Warren. I'll give him credit on Buck wr (though you could make the case we should have traded up to get a different duck in the draft) and the Leonard Smith move. But if you have a decade you'll have a few hits. |
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He’ll likely get another year to try to prove the only issue with the team is injuries. Currently I don’t believe it. Hell the Niners have had tons of injuries. It looks like nearly every team in his tenure - a team that is less than the sum of its parts. A team that always finds a way to lose when it matters. He finds a decent amount of good players. He doesn’t find enough players that move the needle. This is a mediocre team lead by a mediocre GM. They teased us during a very soft early schedule, but I guess we shouldn’t be surprised with the final results.
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We need a GM with better luck as poor Ballard just seems to have had 10 years of bad breaks, poor guy.
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Hard to say at this point how long some of the coaches or front office people may stay around. If allowances are made for injuries, retirements, death of owner, questionable trades and draft choices that don’t turn out as planned then we could have this crew for a long time. Lack of post season appearances or success has not in itself been the deciding factor. The recent history of the team suggests we hope for the best and expect the worst. Bottom line, the team continues to make $$ and fans continue to pay to watch the product. At the end of the day we are just along for the ride. Mercifully, within the next two weeks we will either be celebrating an amazing turn-around or quietly digesting yet another meaningless January.
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and there is no fix for it |
If Chiefs win tonight we are eliminated
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1 down , now Let's Go Chargers.
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Fuck that, this dude sucks, his record is his record. Cannot understand how there remain people who give his lame ass any fucking credit. He needs to be fucking fired. |
Okay, an honest invitation. I’d like to hear just where Chris Ballard has failed as a talent evaluator. Just which positions are so bereft of talent that you’re prompted to rise from your couch, run for the barn, and grab your pitchfork?
At least two games were lost because of an annoying proclivity to turn over the ball in the shadow of our own goalposts One was lost when Patrick Mahomes staged a miracle comeback, a feat he seems to generate with all too annoying regularity. One was lost when an opponent got the ball back, trailing, with no time outs, and 46 seconds left. One was lost when a Receiver, whose name shall never again be muttered, fumbled at the one yard line. And that wasn’t the only time that the nameless Receiver drove a stake through the heart of our ambitions. At times, throwing in his direction was entering a black hole that could swallow the life out of Quarterbacks,, even those named Elway and Manning. But, none of that was Chris Ballard’s fault. It wasn’t his fault that Daniel Jones broke his leg. It wasn’t his fault that Anthony Richardson lost his battle with a rubber band. It wasn’t his fault that Charvarius Ward concussed…three times. It wasn’t his fault when Sauce Gardner went down. It wasn’t his fault when DeForest Buckner dinged his neck, and it sure wasn’t his fault when injuries turned the Offense Line into a jigsaw puzzle with a couple of pieces gone. You’re going to tell me that it’s possible to suffer injuries and win. You’ll point to San Francisco and their 11-4 record despite losing Bosa and Warner, Bartch and Williams. I’ll point out that, for every team that overcomes, most don’t. I’ll see you the 49’ers and raise with the Bengals, the Ravens, the Chiefs, and, yeah, the Colts. I’ll also point out that the 49’ers had the easiest schedule in the league in 2025. If you complain about Quarterback, I’d ask how soon you forget Daniel Jones. The Colts 8-2 record wasn’t a mirage. He might not be Andrew Luck, but if that’s your standard, if you’re expecting any new GM to strike his staff on a rock and have Peyton Manning spring forth, fully formed, you’re going to have to spend a couple of decades wading through an icy hell’scape of broken dreams. 20 other NFL teams would love to have Jones, and it’s not for nothing that I point out that if you look at any list of the best free agents available in 2026, Jones is listed near the top…even with the injury. If Linebacker is your quarrel, I ask who could have foreseen Zaire Franklin’s one year decline from pro bowl to mediocrity? You say that, even if Franklin hadn’t regressed, there was a need at Linebacker, especially one who can cover. That’s true, but I wonder what might have been if Carlies hadn’t gone down. As a rookie, in admittedly limited action, he got PFF’s 3rd highest grade for coverage at the position, at 83.1. Personally, I have no problem with Ballard’s decision to play his cards close to his vest and bide his time, hoping thatbthe promise Carlies showed wasn’t fool’s gold. And, finally, we reach Defensive End, the position that causes people to start sharpening their knives. You point at all the capital we’ve spent on the position, and the lean harvest gleaned. I say so what do you expect? Right now, there are only about 6-12 edge players who are truly elite. This despite the fact that over 500 have been drafted over the past decade. Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons, Will Anderson, Aiden Hutchinson, Nick Bosa, Maxx Crosby, Trey Hendrickson, Danielle Hunter, Josh Hines Allen, Nik Bonito, TJ Watt. Any of them would work wonders if he were lined up opposite Laiatu Latu. To be honest, 5 of those guys, 6 if you include Verse, were available when Ballard picked. But 29 other teams passed on Watt in the first round in 2017. 63 teams passed on Bonito. Hunter and Hendrickson lasted into the 3rd round, and Maxx Crosby was the 106th player drafted in 2019. You sputter yes, but Bill Polian found Robert Mathis. True, but that was sheer luck, nothing more, nothing less. It wasn’t an exercise in scouting genius, not an indication of brilliance. Mathis was the 16th Defensive End selected in 2003. Bill Polian simply spun the wheel, put his chips on 26 black and won. If we’re going to fire GM’s because they can’t find Reggie White or Lawrence Taylor, the line at the unemployment office will be awfully long. The best the front office in New England could do is Harold Landry. The Eagles field a couple of guys named Smith and Phillips. Off with Howie Roseman’s head. Even without a blue chip player on the edge, when D Buck went down, the Colts had 35 sacks in 15 games. That’s 3 a game, 51 in a 17 game schedule. That’s, by any measure, is acceptable. And, it’s not like Ballard hasn’t been beating the bushes. Samson Ebukam looked good until he got hurt. They were in hot pursuit of Hunter, but he decided to go home to Houston. Rumor had an interest in the Giant’s Thibodeaux, but the Giants, demonstrating their usual ineptitude, decided to hold onto a player who’ll never sign a second contract with them. In 3 months, Ballard might have Trey Hendrickson on his radar. If he does, chances are pretty good that Hendrickson will have a locker wedged between Sauce Gardner and DeForest Buckner. As sure as the sun rises, people who scream for Ballard to do something, anything, will be wringing their hands, bitching about it. |
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I like this post ...... it should probably get cut-and-pasted, and placed in this thread. http://www.coltfreaks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=200246 o |
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Passer: Tolzine, Brissett, Hoyer, Luck, Rivers, Wentz, Easton, Ellinger, Ryan, Foles, Richardson, Minshew, Flacco, Daniel Jones and Leonard. He has tried; I will give him all the credit in the world that he has tried. Through the draft, through inherited players, through free agency. Headliners and no names. He has tried and he has failed. Two playoff appearances, one with Luck and one with Rivers with MASSIVE inconsistent quarterback play through the years. Pass Rushers: Sheard, Simon, Anderson, Woods, Hankins, Autry, Hunt, Basham, Mingo, Houston, Steward, Bucker, Ward, Muhammad, Paye, Odeyingeo, Lewis, Turey, Banagu, Ngakoue, Ebukam, Latu, Davis, Bryant. Again, he has tried. He has used high draft picks (2024 first defensive player picked in the draft...), he has used mid draft picks, he has signed free agents to big contracts and small contracts. He has tried...and failed. Since 2017 and the start of Ballard's time as GM, we have had ONE player with a double digit sack season. Houston in 2019 with 11.0 sacks. That's it. So, two REALLY important positions on any NFL team and while Ballard has devoted a TON of draft and cap resources to them, he has failed to find guys who can do it at high levels of NFL skill. Honest assessment. |
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Kray. Nobody ever wrote a post like that about a winning team. He has had a decade and won nothing. For me that is enough. I don't really give a shit about anything else in a GM or coach.
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As far as pass rushers are concerned, you can’t seriously complain because a low level free agent or a non premium draft pick didn’t develop into Dwight Freeney. After you get past the first ten selections in the draft, picking a DE is a dice roll. Myles Garrett doesn’t slip far enough in the draft for the Colts to snag him, and there are ten Terrell Bashams for every Maxx Crosby. At DE, Laiatu Latu has a ton of potential. Is he a finished product? No, but, he’s PFF’s 11th ranked edge player; they credit him with 10 sacks and 54 pressures. The team hopes he’s on the same trajectory as Maxx Crosby who went from 50’something pressures in year two to 100 plus in his third. |
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If DJ comes back and performs, either in 2026 or 2027 when he is healthy, then he will have found his guy. GREAT! I will be one of the most blue coated cheerleader of his success. However, right now which is when you asked your question, Ballard has not found a franchise QB in almost a decade of looking. That was your question; talent evaluation. Quote:
In less than 10 minutes, I composed a list of 31 pass rushers not drafted in the first round that all had multiple double digit sack seasons. I could probably find more with more research. They don't grow on trees but they are out there and the good talent evaluators find them. Offensive linemen? Ballard is great at that. Secondary? Sure, I will give him that nod as well. Linebackers? Heck yeah, he can find them! Quarterbacks and pass rushers? Nope. Again, you asked about where Ballard has failed in evaluating talent and stocking the Colts with quality players at that position. I pointed out two positions where that has happened. You can decide if you agree or not but I think the evidence is pretty clear. |
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Then why in the fuck does ANY team have a GM? I guess we should go with auto draft like the fantasy league option? Better yet, let's just do Ai draft and free agency, then we can just bitch about the computer algorithm Hell yes he can be blamed, GM's get credit and blame based on their teams performance, period, that's their fucking jobs! When you SUCK at your job for 10 years, you are going to be fired! If a fucking CEO of a company constantly misses production, revenue, net revenue goals for any sizable period of time, they are deemed shitty at that job and they aren't there any longer. Cannot understand how in the hell you can say he can't be blamed. Look at our fucking record under his tenure as the GM------- IT SUCKS, and it SUCKS because CHRIS BALLARD SUCKS! |
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He also found Philip Rivers, who led the Colts to an 11-5 record and their lone seasons as a bona-fide contender in Ballard's lengthy tenure as the Colts' General Manager ...... unfortunately for Ballard and the Colts (and their fans), Uncle Phil decided to retire immediately following that 2020 season. On the other hand, this current Colts team is arguably the best team overall that we have had in Ballard's entire tenure, and if Rivers had decided to continue playing for the Colts in 2021 and 2022 they may have continued as a solid, bona-fide contender, but perhaps not a team that would win a conference championship and a trip to the Super Bowl ...... the butterfly effect of Rivers hypothetically staying on as the Colts' starting quarterback in 2021 and beyond likely would have affected other moves that have helped the Colts in that time frame, and this current team might not have been the team that started the season at 8-2 before Daniel Jones broke his left fibula ....... remember, this 2025 Colts team wasn't just beating bad teams when Jones was healthy, they were stomping them ...... 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 11-3 outside of that loss to the Colts. And so Kray, you and I and perhaps a few other starry-eyed dreamers are very optimistic about the Colts' future in 2026 and beyond ...... but because of the fact that the Colts have had only one solid, bona-fide contender season in Ballard's lengthy tenure as the GM of the Colts (the 2020 Philip Rivers season), it's going to be a lonely island that we're standing on. Most Colts fans are lonely, angry, and tired ...... they don't want to hear about the labor pains, they just want to see the baby. o |
Alright Jim I know you’re reading this, we need you right now and it begins today, let’s go Chargers!
Help us out Captain Comeback |
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This shit with using penalties as a lever to determine the outcome of the games really makes the NFL nearly unwatchable.
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The season is over ...... the best that the Colts can do is kick the Jaguars and the Texans in the nuts on the way out. o |
Read this on reddit:
After beginning the season 8-2, and with a 99% chance to make the playoffs, the Colts are eliminated from NFL playoff contention following a 5 game losing streak. The 2025 Indianapolis Colts join the 2012 Chicago Bears and 1996 Washington Redskins as the only teams to begin the season 7-1, and miss the playoffs. Depending on the results of the next 2 games, they could become the first to do so while also finishing with a record below .500. This would be the biggest collapse in the history of the NFL. Since the Colts bye week, there have been 18 games involving IND/JAX/HOU/LAC that could significantly increase the Colts’ playoff chances with the right result: Each and every result has gone the wrong way for the Colts. Every. Single. One. 0-18. |
It’s better this way. It’s not like they were going anywhere anyway. Get a head start on the offseason.
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