And Joe Flacco was 4-1 with Cleveland and 3-5 with the Colts. His surroundings were not the same. So clearly the Colts roster is a step down from Cleveland’s.

You can believe this is a good roster and that Ballard has done a good job. Buckner seems to believe there are issues and if we are to believe Ballard’s end of season presser, he sees there are major issues - not just QB. Sadly I think it’s most likely he’s full of shit and believes like you that’s he’s done a good job and it’s just AR holding back a good roster. The colts had a very easy strength of schedule and a shit division again. Ballard can’t win it. Even adding good QB play doesn’t make this a good team. MAYBE the best in the worst division. MAYBE. That’s with gifting Ballard the hardest thing to find in the league. To me that’s hardly a testament to the quality of the roster.

I didn't say the roster is golden and can't be improved. But it's a good roster. It's the margins and the perception. All things could be equal, but if the thin margin in a couple games goes our way, and we're not the "dumpster fire" some claim... we're division champs.

Those two designations are worlds apart, but when you break it down, the margin isn't that great. Same team.

Address the claim, for example. You don't think <insert "good" QB> would have made enough of a difference in the second Houston game? We lost by 3 after AR was 2/15 and gifted them a last second TD. Probably the first HOU game, too.

Even as weird as the GB and DEN games were... 17 measly points from AR and we win a game the DEF shit the bed in, and if we aren't throwing for 45%, we probably don't have 12 consecutive 4-play drives in DEN and blow a game where the DEF actually held them to under 200 yards of offense.

QB needs to be fixed. Unfortunately, everyone has to depend on AR developing this laser-focus and making a miraculous turnaround for that to happen. Let's hope he can and does.

No doubt with good QB play we probably get into the playoffs this year, and let's face it to be a SB contender in today's NFL you need very good if not great QB play.

But I think it's fair to also point out that our D costs us a spot in the playoffs just as much as the QB play and we would have had 3-4 more wins w/ good/ or even decent defensive play. If our D doesn't shit the bed @ NYG and @ Jagoffs we win both of those games. Additionally, our run D was just as much at fault in the losses vs. HOU and @ GB, and if it's not a shit show we win at least 1 and possibly both of those games. Also, I need to point out that we had at least 3 games down the stretch where our O bailed out really bad defensive play against bad offenses: @ NYJ, @ Cheats, and vs. Tits.

So yes we need much better QB play, but we also need much better defensive play as well.

Who the hell is saying QB doesn’t need to be fixed? Guys just aren’t pretending that AR is the only thing holding this team back. Yes, with better QB play they could have won a couple more games. Malik Willis completed 86% of his passes and had a QBR of 128.6. Josh Jacob’s rushed for 151 yards. You don’t think that shit matters? And no, it wasn’t just because the D got tired because the offense sucked, first drive of the game Jacob’s had 49 rushing yards including a 34 yard run on 1st and 20. Do I need to pull out the stats for all the players that had season best games against this team? Want to talk about the Giants game and the stellar play of the team with the playoffs on the line? Or is it just easier to dump it all on AR? The reality is the team was just as close to losing 2-4 more games as it was to winning a few more. So just as close to true dumpster fire as to conference champs. Tends to be the case when you have a mediocre roster.

One thing we’ll agree on is that the line between winning and losing can be very, very thin. The difference is that 8 years in you see that as a reason to excuse Ballard’s failures. I see it as an indictment of Ballards philosophy. If margins are thin, wouldn’t a better secondary maybe get them into the playoffs? If margins are thin and the QBs is key to everything (contrary to Ballard’s previously stated vision) wouldn’t having a decent TE help that young inexperienced QB? If margins are thin why the fuck does Ballard sit on his hands every year with huge holes on the roster? And if margins are thin why is it that year after year under Ballard the Colts fall on the wrong side of it?

You want to know why many say it’s a dumpster fire and something stinks besides just QB? It’s because we’ve seen this show before. Yes shit can go wrong when margins are thin, but if you are truly doing shit right it will fall your way. And it hasn’t for the Colts. And that’s because something is rotten on 56th st. No it’s not a completely shit roster. No it’s not completely without talent. And yes, a few good bounces / breaks and the Colts are in the playoffs. But they don’t bounce the colts way for one fucking reason - Chris Ballard. He’s right that it’s hard to win in the NFL. You are right that margins are often thin. YOU DONT WIN IN THE NFL BY ACCIDENT. It takes purpose. And in 8 years Chris Ballard has not once purposefully said THIS IS OUR YEAR. Not fucking once. And they won’t win until he does. That’s the dumpster fire. This can easily be a playoff team next year for a GM that builds a roster to compete now and not 2 years down the road.

You arrived here the same time Ballard arrived in Indy. All you do is complain about the guy. Are you related to Grigson?

Hmm, rm might equal Ryan's mom.

If I was Ryan’s mom would it make me wrong? Ballard sure as fuck hasn’t proven me wrong

Hello, Mrs. Grigs

I hear you, for sure. I don't defend them for those dogshit performances. I do think our offensive unit, outside of QB, is the strong unit, but AR had a great game vs NYJ and a great moment in NE to bail out the D.

I have two separate tiers of concern, and QB has been the consistent weakness on this team for years. At least I've seen the D be a lot better with largely the same personnel, and there's reason to believe that the talent can produce if they keep their collective head out of their ass. Hope the Gus change and the heat they're seemingly under from inside and outside the building makes that happen.

AR just has more influence as the QB, and I'll be the broken record... 45% and 12 completions a game can't work.

Fair enough, and totally agree our biggest issue is QB and if AR doesn't significantly improve then any other improvements will be mostly all for not. Hopefully w/ a full, healthy offseason AR can make that 2nd year leap. But I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't :cool:.

Significantly upgrading the TEs and getting a good pass catching RB to compliment JT should certainly help him out. I'm sure Ballard realizes this, so hopefully he actually does something about it this offseason.