Category: Colts Wire Features

What should the Colts do at quarterback for 2020?

Colts have a QB decision to make this offseason.

Now that the Colts are officially eliminated from playoff contention, it’s time to look ahead to the offseason and the 2020 season.

After the retirement of Andrew Luck, the looming question surrounding the Colts organization was, “Is Jacoby Brissett the franchise quarterback?” With what has happened since the first Texans game in mid-October, the answer should be an emphatic “No!”

Chris Ballard and Frank Reich have been pretty adamant they believe Brissett can be the guy but after the last month of play, it’s time to question not only is he the guy but what should the Colts do with the QB situation going into what could be the biggest offseason in the Ballard and Reich tenure.

Draft a rookie QB

Probably the most likely path of the solution is to draft a QB and let him sit a year behind Brissett. It is also the cheapest solution as a rookie QB would be slated to make roughly eight million dollars if selected in the first round.

The Colts are currently at 6-8, and hold the 14th overall pick in the draft. Due to their strength of schedule being near the bottom of the league, and some head-to-head losses, they have tiebreakers over four of the six teams that are currently 5-9.

If the Colts were to lose out they could be in play for a pick around No. 10, and best-case scenario, they fall to the sixth pick.

I am about to start looking at draft prospects regularly here very soon, but if the Colts are picking in the 10-15 range, expect options like Justin Herbert, Tua Tagovailoa, Jordan Love, and Jacob Eason to be available when the Colts are on the clock.

Ignoring Colts fans on social media right now because they love Jordan Love, no pun intended, but really any of these QB could be an upgrade over Brissett, especially if they sit a year and learn from Reich and Nick Sirianni.

Dip into free agency

This also seems highly unlikely due to the fact that Ballard doesn’t spend a lot of money in free agency, and most of the time, good quarterbacks don’t get to free agency that often, so that Colts won’t be “upgrading” at the position much at all.

BUT, let’s say Ballard wanted to go into free agency, some of the more notable quarterbacks that could be available come March are Dak Prescott, Philip Rivers, Blake Bortles, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Ted Bridgewater, Taysom Hill, Eli Manning and Marcus Mariota.

The unlikely to reach free agency group would be Brees, Prescott, Hill, and Brady. Other guys that could be a question are Rivers and Bridgewater. Then there’s Manning and Mariota, and are they really long-term solutions and/or upgrades to the current situation? Probably not.

Explore the trade market

There will be a few teams with backup quarterbacks or a quarterback they want to move on from that the Colts could look at. But, this solution also seems very highly unlikely. There will be some interesting names available on the trade market this March that could be an upgrade though.

Cam Newton is probably the biggest name, but who knows what Carolina will do with their QB situation.

While Josh Rosen has been straight terrible to start his young career, he could be an option if Miami wants to trade him.

If the Lions want to draft a QB in the draft the Colts could look at Matthew Stafford, even though he’s coming off an injury.

Nick Foles is a guy a lot of people have thrown out there, and the Colts might be able get a draft pick along with him.

The last guy to throw in there, if the Raiders aren’t sold on Derek Carr, the Colts could trade for him, even though he’s due for a new contract in the 2021 offseason.

Trades in the NFL are super unpredictable and we are really just throwing out names that are likely on the block without any expectation that these will come to fruition.

Conclusion

My personal thoughts, I’m all for the Colts drafting a guy in the first round, maybe with the Redskins’ second-round pick which should be around pick No. 34. If they draft a quarterback in the second round it’s cheaper, but the options are a lot slimmer.

I highly doubt Ballard goes into free agency or the trade market to get a quarterback because quite frankly, the ones that will be available aren’t upgrades over Brissett.

The Colts should draft a guy in the first round, let him sit a year behind Brissett and get coached up by Reich and company, and go into the 2021 season ready to go.

Should Chad Kelly start the final two games for the Colts?

Should the Colts see what Chad Kelly has?

Now that the Indianapolis Colts (6-8) have been officially eliminated from playoff contention, there are droves of fans wondering if we will see Chad Kelly under center for the final two games of the regular season.

While the logical and likely answer is a resounding no, should Kelly be the one under center to finish the season? Seeing as the Colts are already out of the playoff race and we’ve seen enough of Jacoby Brissett to know his skillset won’t drastically change into that of a franchise quarterback, it’s understandable for fans to want to see Kelly on the field.

We know it’s not going to happen even though Kelly has been on the active roster since Week 9.

With Brian Hoyer as the backup and Kelly working as the third-string, it might not be a bad idea to see what the Colts have in the latter. Though the Colts love Brissett and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them stick with him for 2020, they also need to know how Kelly works in a real game.

Throwing him out there to dominate the preseason is all fine and good but they must know what he’s capable of doing when an NFL defense is trying to game plan for him.

What do you think Colts fans? Should the Colts see what Kelly has in the final two games of the regular season?

[polldaddy poll=10478990]

6 free agents Colts should consider signing this offseason

Colts should be active in free agency this offseason.

There may still be two games left to play for the Indianapolis Colts (6-8) before the season ends, but they were officially eliminated from playoff contention following the embarrassing 34-7 loss against the New Orleans Saints (11-3) on Monday night.

Now that the Colts are officially out of the playoffs, much of the focus will shift to the development of the younger players on the roster and the options available for the front office during the offseason.

While it remains to be seen if any of these players will be re-signed by their respective teams, we will be taking a look at six free agents the Colts should consider signing if they hit the market:

AP Photo/Roger Steinman

WR Amari Cooper
2019 stats: 14 games, 71 receptions, 1,073 yards, eight touchdowns, 15.1 yards per catch

The Colts desperately need to splurge at the wide receiver position. Given the injuries amounting in the room and T.Y. Hilton getting up there in age, it is time for general manager Chris Ballard to add some elite talent to the room. That’s where Cooper comes in.

Though it is no guarantee the 26-year-old will hit the market, Ballard should be all over him if he does. Cooper’s talent would be a perfect fit for the scheme because his talent transcends scheme. He could plug right into the X-receiver role while Hilton works as the Z.

The Colts need to find a future WR1 for their offense and if Cooper hits the market, they shouldn’t afraid to splurge.

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Colts’ player of the game vs. Saints: LB Darius Leonard

Darius Leonard is the player of the game.

In the most frustrating game in recent Colts history, Indianapolis fell to the New Orleans Saints, 34-7. Where no player really stood out, Darius Leonard is the player of the game as his leadership on defense and ability to always be near the tackle is unmatched.

Leonard finished the game with 12 total tackles, which led the team for the Monday night debacle in the “Big Easy.” Although the defense did not play well in coverage all night, Leonard did well against tight ends Jared Cook and Josh Hill.

Leonard is getting better at the little things as an inside linebacker. His coverage is improving drastically from last season and he has stopped over-pursuing tackles as well. The overall talent in this young linebacker is really impressive and his future is beyond bright.

The Colts host the Carolina Panthers for the home finale of 2019 next Sunday, Leonard will need to have another amazing game to keep Christian McCaffrey and the other talented Panthers in check.

The Colts playoff chances may be lost, but you can be sure Leonard will be out there giving it his all week after week.

Colts’ season hits all-time low in embarrassing loss to Saints

This season has turned into a disaster.

The Indianapolis Colts (6-8) were officially eliminated from playoff contention on Monday night against the New Orleans Saints (11-3). The embarrassing loss marked an all-time low on the season for the young team.

No one expected the Colts to roll into the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and shut down the reeling Saints. They were losers in five of their last six games entering Monday night, and their season was all but over.

Still, there was hope for a competitive outing. However, the product the Colts put on the field in primetime was utterly embarrassing. There is no other way around it. It was a massacre regardless of the way it is viewed.

This game was probably more difficult to watch than the 27-0 shellacking against the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2017.

Not only did the Colts get officially kicked out of the playoff race, but they also did so in an immaculate fashion.

They allowed Drew Brees to break Peyton Manning’s touchdown record with ease. They also allowed Brees to set an NFL record in completion percentage in a single game (96.7%).

They had absolutely no answer for wide receiver Michael Thomas, who caught all 12 of his targets for 128 yards and a touchdown.

Then the offense laid an egg. The only reason they didn’t get shutout was because of the garbage-time, one-yard touchdown run by Jordan Wilkins with four minutes left in the game.

Quarterback Jacoby Brissett continues to regress. He was erratic with his passes all night and finished with a measly 66.4 rating. His 52.9% completion rate was helped by screen passes late in the game, but that was his third-worst recording of the season. He had worst completion numbers against the Raiders (52.2%) and the Bucs (52.8%).

In just seven games, this Colts team is incredibly different than the 5-2 squad that seemed poised to make a second-half run for the division.

The blame goes everywhere. It is on Brissett for his inability to lead the offense. It falls on Frank Reich and Matt Eberflus for not having the team prepared with an extra day of rest this week.

No matter how its spun, this loss will go down as one of their worst of all-time, and the sputtering Colts hit an all-time low this season with the abysmal loss Monday night.

Colts vs. Saints: Week 15 staff picks and predictions

Colts Wire staff makes their picks in Week 15.

With their playoff hopes officially on the line Monday night, the Indianapolis Colts (6-7) will visit the Mercedes-Benz Superdome to take on the New Orleans Saints (10-3) in a primetime battle.

As three games remain on the schedule, the Colts are literally fighting for their season’s life. If they lose, which most expect them to do, they are officially knocked out of the playoff race and will shift their focus to the offseason and the development of the younger players.

Some of the experts around the league gave their picks for the matchup. Here’s how the Colts Wire staff sees the Week 15 game shaking out.

Kevin Hickey (@KevinHickey11): Saints 31, Colts 20

The Colts are in a bad way right now. They’ve lost five of their last six games, all to opponents they could have beaten. Now, they take on one of the best teams in the NFC.

It was nice to see the Colts offense find some life in Week 14 but even then they only scored 28 points. They wound up scoring a season-high 35 as a team thanks to the pick-six from linebacker Darius Leonard. The Saints defense is beatable, but the front seven is strong enough to keep the Colts at bay. Jacoby Brissett will find Marcus Johnson for a touchdown, but he will also struggle against the blitz.

Defensively, the Colts have a big mismatch. No one on the team can cover Michael Thomas one-on-one, especially now that Kenny Moore is ruled out. They will also have to deal with tight end Jared Cook and running back Alvin Kamara in the passing game. I think Cook finds the end zone for the third time in the last two games.

The Colts have a lot of work to do this offseason, and it will become official with a loss on Monday night.

Arden Franklyn (@ArdenSportsTalk): Saints 38, Colts 24

It wouldn’t surprise me if the Colts get off to a good start on Monday night, but it will ultimately go away. I don’t have any concerns about their offense dealing with the crowd noise at the Superdome, but I do with their personnel.

All across the board, the Saints’ defense is favored to win their matchups against the Colts’ offense and if this team doesn’t put themselves in favorable down and distances, then they will fall victim to the Saints’ top five pass-rushing unit.

As for the opposite side of the ball, it’s going to take a great effort to contain Drew Brees and Co. Besides getting their share of turnovers, the Colts have to limit the Saints’ time of possession and number of big plays to uncharacteristic levels.

John Alfieri (@alfierijohn): Saints 27, Colts 14

The Colts travel to New Orleans for a Monday night showdown with the Saints. To say this is a must-win is an understatement as the Colts have lost three straight and five of their last six.

This offense led by Jacoby Brissett has struggled to produce big, over the top plays in 2019. The Saints have a solid defensive unit with a stellar pass rush. Their corners and safeties can be beaten down the field, but without the ability to throw the ball down the field, Indy will struggle to move the ball with chunk plays.

The Colts defense, while they are relatively young, has really struggled to stop over the top passes and get teams off the field on third down. This will be a huge issue with a Saints offense that has loads of talent.

Michael Thomas will live up to his Twitter handle (@Cantguardmike) as the Colts secondary will not be able to contain him the entire game. Pierre Desir will be the primary corner on Thomas, but the size and skill of this MVP candidate receiver will be too much to handle.

Expect four touchdown passes from Drew Brees which will break Peyton Manning’s record of most TD passes of all time. A tough break in a tough loss. The struggles will continue as the playoff window closes even more.

Sam Sinclair (@samsinclair96):

Indianapolis has a lot going against them this week. Saints are coming in off a loss, still fighting for a top seed in the NFC, it’s a prime time game, and they’re honoring their 10-year anniversary for their Super Bowl victory over the Colts back in 2009.

The Colts have to be more consistent through four quarters. Over the three-game losing streak, the Colts have had leads in all three games going into the fourth quarter but have been outscored 31-0 in the final frame. Indianapolis must be more consistent if they want to keep up with the Saints offense.

Speaking of the Saints offense, how should the Colts defend them? Well, it all starts and ends with Michael Thomas their star wide receiver. Thomas is currently on pace to break former-Colt Marvin Harrison’s receptions record for a season (143) if he has at least seven catches each of the last three games. Indianapolis must watch for Jared Cook the Saints’ big tight end threat over the middle—he’s third on the team in receptions, yards and touchdowns.

With how the last few games have gone for the Colts, and the situation they’re going into on Monday Night football—with a loss the Colts are officially eliminated from playoff contention—I don’t think they have enough offensively to keep up, so I’ll take the Saints in this one.

5 Colts to watch vs. Saints in Week 15

Colts to watch in Week 15.

The Indianapolis Colts (6-7) will be doing all they can to keep their playoff hopes alive Monday night when they travel to take on the New Orleans Saints (10-3) at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

Needing to win out in the final three games of the regular season to have any chance at making the playoffs, the Colts face a tough challenge in the Saints, who have won three of their last four games.

Here are five Colts to watch in the Week 15 matchup:

AP Photo/Chris O’Meara

WR Marcus Johnson

The Colts might be seeing the return of T.Y. Hilton on Monday night but that is still undetermined until the inactives come out. Regardless, Johnson should have another big role in the passing game coming off of his career performance against the Bucs in Week 14.

Catching three passes for 105 yards and a touchdown, Johnson was a big-play machine in a game in which the Colts needed to keep up on the road. Something similar could happen Monday night as the Colts battle a Saints team that is averaging over 26 points per game.

Who will emerge in the passing game remains to be seen, but Johnson has as good of a chance as any with his recent emergence.

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Colts’ Frank Reich believes Lamar Jackson is the MVP

Frank Reich says Lamar Jackson is the MVP.

Fortunately, the Indianapolis Colts didn’t have to make a game plan for stopping Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson this season, but that didn’t keep head coach Frank Reich from sending some praise his way.

The second-year quarterback is enjoying a historic season. He’s already broken Michael Vick’s record for most rushing yards in a season by a quarterback while also posting an impressive 33-6 touchdown to interception ratio with a 112.6 passer rating.

When asked about how much mobility plays into the factor of an elite quarterback, Reich told reporters he has no doubt Jackson is the MVP for the season.

“I think that those traits that I just talked about – you look at a guy like Lamar Jackson. Here is the MVP of the league, I mean there is no question about that in my mind,” Reich said Saturday. “He has elite physical traits that nobody else has at that level and yet he still has all the other stuff.”

The 2018 first-round pick has taken the league by storm in a way we haven’t seen since Vick. And to that extent, there are things that Jackson does on the field that Vick wasn’t able to do.

But what intrigues Reich is how unique offenses can develop around the talent. There can be this extraordinary and athletically gifted quarterback like Jackson, who is changing the perception of the quarterback position. Or success can be found with a traditional quarterback like Drew Brees—the Colts’ Week 15 opponent.

“[Jackson’s] a unique player, but so is Drew Brees. That is what is kind of cool about this game, that you can tailor your offense around those two different kind of guys,” said Reich.

The Colts didn’t have to play against Jackson this season but if Reich had a vote for the MVP award, we know who he would give it to.

Colts vs. Saints: How to watch, stream in Week 15

Game information for Week 15.

There is a primetime matchup waiting between the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints. The Colts hope to keep their playoff hopes alive while the Saints are doing all they can to lock up a top seed in the NFC playoff race.

Game Information

Indianapolis Colts (6-7) vs. New Orleans Saints (10-3)
Monday, Dec. 16 — 8:15 p.m. ET
Mercedes-Benz Superdome — New Orleans, LA

Television

Broadcast: ESPN (national)
Announcers: Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), Booger McFarland (color analyst), Lisa Salters (sideline)

Radio

WFNI — Indianapolis, IN
WHLK — Indianapolis, IN
Sirius XM Radio (Colts) — Channel 81 (XM App 225)
Sirius XM Radio (Saints) — Channel 83 (XM App 226)
Westwood One

Streaming

fuboTV (try it free)

Injuries

Colts injury report
Saints injury report

Opponent Site

Saints Wire

Social Media

Like Colts Wire on Facebook
Follow Colts Wire on Twitter
Download the Sports Wire App (Apple Devices | Android Devices)

Behind Enemy Lines: 5 questions with Saints Wire

Going behind enemy lines with Saints Wire.

The Indianapolis Colts (6-7) are set to take on the New Orleans Saints (10-3) at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Monday night for a primetime Week 15 matchup.

Ahead of the game, we caught up with Saints Wire editor John Sigler to get the scoop on the Colts’ opponent this week. Be sure to follow John and Saints Wire for all of your Saints needs this week.

Here are five questions behind enemy lines:

Colts Wire: Drew Brees is having another excellent season outside of his thumb injury. How much more does he realistically have left?

John Sigler: Brees looks like a quarterback playing the twilight of his career, but he’s still a dangerous force for defenses to reckon with. He doesn’t have the arm to lob passes 40 or 50 yards downfield with consistency anymore, which works out because he doesn’t have the receivers to go get those passes anyway. What he does well is the same as always: navigate pressure from the pocket and find the open receiver, striking them with accuracy on passes that defenders struggle to close in on. Often, that open receiver has been all-star wideout Michael Thomas, but in recent weeks the connection between Brees and veteran tight end Jared Cook has been heating up, giving him another option to hurt defenses with.

CW: The Saints will be without two key defensive linemen in Marcus Davenport and Sheldon Rankins. How will they look to replace their production?

JS: The Saints signed two free agents off the street to replace them in edge rusher Noah Spence and defensive tackle T.Y. McGill, but I wouldn’t expect either of them to play meaningful snaps. New Orleans has run eight-deep along the defensive line this year and they can replace the production lost (to an extent) by promoting high-upside players like defensive end Trey Hendrickson and breakout rookie nose tackle Shy Tuttle (he of the “Matt Ryan stiff-arm” fame). There’s no underselling what the Saints have lost in Davenport and Rankins, but their roster is built to absorb these injuries better than most.

CW: What is the key to slowing down Michael Thomas, if there even is one?

JS: Thomas’s worst game this year came against the Atlanta Falcons on Thanksgiving, in which he caught just six of his eight targets and gained 48 yards. Why did the Saints go his way so rarely that day? Taysom Hill torched Atlanta with two touchdowns, giving the Saints an early lead that they never relinquished. The Saints defense suffocated the Falcons offense with nine sacks. This isn’t the answer you’re looking for, but the best way to limit the impact Thomas can make is to just let his teammates go out and have a field day. In all seriousness, it would take the efforts of bracket coverage between your best cornerback and a top safety to contain him; the way Thomas has played this year, he just might be unguardable by conventional means.

CW: Who has been the unsung hero of the Saints season thus far?

JS: That’s a great question, because everyone has had a chance to shine. Teddy Bridgewater saw the Saints through a five-game stretch without Brees, winning each of his starts. Alvin Kamara put himself on the map by lighting up a tough Seattle Seahawks defense. Cameron Jordan had a career day in prime-time against Atlanta on Thanksgiving, and Thomas is doing his thing week in and week out. So I’ll settle on linebacker Demario Davis, who has really asserted himself as a center of leadership in the locker room that almost matches the respect Brees is given. Davis leads with example on and off of the field. He makes heady plays in coverage and rarely whiffs on a tackle, and is a dynamic pass-rusher when the Saints dial up a blitz.

CW: Prediction, final score?

JS: I really like how the Colts have built their team, and I think their future may be brightest among their peers in the AFC South. But they’re banged up and the difference in top-end talent between them and the Saints may be too much to overcome under the bright lights. I’m expecting a Saints win with a final score around Saints 24, Colts 15.