If Brock Purdy’s replacement had been a practice squad refugee, they wouldn’t have sniffed the playoffs. If the Colts hadn’t finished vs 6 straight 11 win teams, they might have.

Damn I wonder who is responsible for that?

You keep saying San Francisco, San Francisco, San Francisco, and I say Kansas City, whose offense withered and died without Mahomes and Minshew. I say the Bengals who managed 1 win without Burrow. I say the Ravens who managed 13 points in their first 2 games without Lamar Jackson. I say Minnesota who, without JJ McCarthy managed 2 wins…1 against a wretched Browns team and one vs a Joe Burrow’less Bengals.

If Jones had never broken his leg, if he’d never gone down for the season, the Colts would have been a lot more competitive. Given they lost 5 of their last 7 games by a cumulative 16 points, it’s not unreasonable to imagine that they might have finished with 13 wins…even with all the injuries at other spots.

I shouldn't get into the trees with folks about Ballard. He isn't a horrific GM and was excellent to start with so many of his moves can be seen and are very good moves. My bottom line is that a decade of not being able to produce a winning team should be enough. It isn't and we will be back here next year again watching the playoffs I fear. He isn't a winner in this long and now is going to lead us to the promise land. I hope so but man it is a hard sell.

Would you rather have Chris Grier?

I would say yes, but I would also have more confidence in Dam's asshole making personnel decisions than I would Chris Ballard.

On another note, ol' boy Shane, it's pretty interesting to see him getting a hall pass despite repeatedly demonstrating the ability to coach with any form of sustained success. He is 7-22 against teams with a winning record, and 3 of those 7 came in the month of September so absolutely not in the throws of a pressurized playoff vice.

Dacich had an interesting observation about the incredible ability to look the other way for Shane. Jim Caldwell (who I am no fan of FWIW) made it to the SB. Peyton Manning was out a year, terrible season, Jim was terminated; because injuries are not an excuse- Carlie even said so, while of course giving Shane a pass because of "adversity".

Man this organization just needs to be blown the hell up.

He’s not a horrible GM, he’s mediocre. He gives guys like Kray just enough ammunition to convince themselves and others it’s someone else’s fault (Reich, Irsay) or it’s bad luck. And many will tell you how it could be worse, so better not make a change. To me it can’t get much worse than the mediocrity. I’d rather they be bad honestly. 8-9 or 9-8 every year sucks. Watching teams in our division beat us, bottom out, rebuild, and beat us again sucks.

Sadly it makes sense to bring Ballard and Stechein back next year. Should be the last run for them though - short of a true contender run. And like you, I don’t see it with this team.

So I am supposed to be scared to let Ballard go because it might get worse? I don't believe you think this is a reason to keep Ballard. We both know it is tough to win when you are afraid to lose.

The Irsay stuff is weird. Maybe there's some actual evidence of it other than message board speculation, but if Jim had been meddlesome to the point that he was preventing Ballard from doing his job then you would think Ballard would have bailed.

if Ballard truly did this happily for 9 years then that is who he is, and that isn't a dynamic leader in the least, more like a toady. I do not believe for a minute Ballard was or is that weak.