Tag: Sam Ehlinger

WATCH: Colts QB Sam Ehlinger throws first NFL touchdown pass

Sam Ehlinger delivered his first NFL touchdown pass on Sunday.

Colts quarterback Sam Ehlinger connected with Michael Pittman for his first career NFL touchdown pass on Sunday. Ehlinger delivered a nice pass on third down for a six-yard score in the third quarter.

Ehlinger came in for the injured Nick Foles at halftime and delivered a solid performance. His first in-game action since his last start in New England back on Nov. 6.

While the game was essentially decided before the half, the former Texas quarterback completed 9-of-14 passes for 60 yards and a touchdown, playing turnover-free football against a tough Giants defense.

With Foles’ injury stats in question, Ehlinger could be in line to start the Colts’ season finale against the Texans next week. The start would mark Ehlinger’s third of the 2022 season. Another good performance would be significant for Ehlinger’s career moving into the offseason.

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Colts name Sam Ehlinger backup QB

Sam Ehlinger has been named the backup QB.

Indianapolis Colts second-year quarterback Sam Ehlinger will be the backup to new starter Nick Foles as the team enters a three-game stretch to end the regular season.

After veteran Matt Ryan was benched in favor of Foles this week, the question arose of whether Ryan would be named the backup. However, interim head coach Jeff Saturday told the media Friday that the team is going with Ehlinger as the backup.

“Sam’s (Ehlinger) going to be the backup. We’re going to go with Nick (Foles) and Sam and then we’ll play it week to week as we go forward, but that’s what we’re going to go this week,” Saturday said.

The Colts have already been officially eliminated from playoff contention so playing the final three games is simply a formality to finalize their draft spot.

Ehlinger has been the third-string quarterback all season until he was named the starter for two games under former head coach Frank Reich, who was fired following Ehlinger’s second start against the New England Patriots.

The plan is expected to be for Foles to finish the season as the starter, but we’ve already seen a lot of turnover throughout the roster since Saturday took over as the interim head coach so it should be taken with a grain of salt.

But for now, Ehlinger will be the backup, and it’s likely that Matt Ryan has taken his final snap with the Colts.

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Everything we know about Colts’ latest QB change

Everything we know about the Colts’ latest QB change.

The Indianapolis Colts announced another switch at the quarterback position Wednesday, opting to bench Matt Ryan in favor of Nick Foles for the remaining three games of the 2022 season.

This is the second time Ryan has been benched this season and even though the move is unlikely to impact the Colts’ playoff chances, it’s just another storyline added to a disastrous campaign.

Here’s everything we know from the Colts’ latest quarterback change:

Texas RB Roschon Johnson accepts Reese’s Senior Bowl invite

Roschon Johnson is set to participate in the Senior Bowl.

Texas running back Roschon Johnson plans to participate in the Reese’s Senior Bowl this year. The Longhorns tailback announced on Tuesday night he accepted his invitation to play in the game.

The Reese’s Senior Bowl is looking for the best college football seniors in the country to come showcase their skills in front of NFL scouts.

The 2022 Senior Bowl includes athletes from every level of college football. These are the best-of-the-best from around the country. Players will fill the roster spots that form the National and American squads for the nation’s premier all-star game.

Johnson has had a fantastic career in the Burnt Orange. The former high school quarterback has 2,079 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns in his four seasons as a Longhorn. He is a versatile player who makes a substantial impact on special teams.

Former Longhorns recently participating in the Senior Bowl include Josh Thompson, Sam Ehlinger, Devin Duvernay and Cameron Dicker.

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Colts’ Matt Ryan slated to start vs. Raiders

Colts QB Matt Ryan was warming up with the starters.

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Before the Indianapolis Colts play their first game under interim head coach Jeff Saturday, it appears a change at quarterback is already being made.

During warmups ahead of Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders, veteran quarterback Matt Ryan was seen taking reps under center with starter Ryan Kelly. Meanwhile, Sam Ehlinger was warming up with backup center Danny Pinter.

This is likely going to be a fluid situation even throughout the game. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Ryan ceded to Ehlinger at some point during the game if the offense is struggling.

Considering that Saturday is still trying to win, it makes sense he would go with the veteran. But we shouldn’t assume we know what’s going to happen at all with the offense moving forward.

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Colts could turn back to Matt Ryan if Sam Ehlinger struggles

The Colts QB competition is far from over and Sunday’s outcome could led to another change.

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The Indianapolis Colts are rolling with young quarterback Sam Ehligner on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders, but the competition with Matt Ryan is far from over.

Owner Jim Irsay said earlier this week that the quarterback position will be decided by interim head coach Jeff Saturday, and Ryan is healthy from his shoulder injury for the first time in two weeks.

Additionally, Zak Keefer of The Athletic reported that Ryan took first-team reps at points during practice this week and that if things go poorly against the Raiders in Week 10, a switch back to Ryan could be made.

It has been an eventful season for the Colts and they haven’t even played double-digit games yet.

Ryan started the first seven games for the Colts this season. He completed 68.4% of his passes for 2,008 yards, nine touchdowns, nine interceptions and an 84.7 passer rating. His nine interceptions are still the most in the NFL entering Week 10.

The offensive line let Ryan down in a massive way. Struggles at left tackle and right guard proved to be too large while the stalwarts in Quenton Nelson, Ryan Kelly and Braden Smith have mostly played under expectation. That poor offensive line play led to Ryan speeding up his internal clock in the pocket, forcing him into some terrible decisions.

Ehlinger hasn’t provided much of a spark in his two games started. He was fine in his first start against the Washington Commanders but struggled mightily against the New England Patriots in Week 9, which was to be expected.

Regardless, we could see another change at the quarterback position depending on how Sunday in Vegas goes.

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Colts promote Matt Ryan to backup QB role

Matt Ryan is now the backup QB for the Colts.

Just a few weeks after getting demoted to third on the depth chart, veteran quarterback Matt Ryan will now be promoted to the backup role for the Indianapolis Colts.

Ryan suffered a shoulder injury against the Tennessee Titans in Week 7 and was ultimately benched in favor of current starter Sam Ehlinger. Under former head coach Frank Reich, it was made known that Ryan wasn’t going to play the rest of the season.

Under interim head coach Jeff Saturday, there’s still a chance Ryan gets back on the field.

“He’s here to help us. He’s had two good days of practice. I was glad to have him back. He’s been working hard. He brings a great presence to the field and to the locker room,” Saturday told reporters Friday. “Those are our guys. Nick (Foles) will be – yeah, but those are our two guys, Sam and Matt.”

Saturday then confirmed that Nick Foles will be inactive for Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Ryan’s performance on the field during the first seven games of his tenure with the Colts was not great. He dealt with massive issues along the offensive line and didn’t help his cause by playing with a sped-up internal clock in the pocket, which led to some poor decision making.

But Saturday made it clear that Ryan is here to help and even could get the chance to reclaim the starting role down the road.

“I just have a lot of respect for him. He’s been huge for Sam (Ehlinger) and just helping Sam along, the conversations – and Nick (Foles), honestly,” Saturday said. “Yeah. From my perspective, if I feel like whoever on our football team gives us a better chance to win, that’s where I go. I’m excited about all the guys, whoever we have up. Whichever ones are playing the best, those are the guys that I want on the field.”

We’ll see what happens when the Colts take on the Raiders, who boast the NFL’s worst passing defense according to Football Outsiders’ DVOA.

But it appears the quarterback controversy isn’t going away anytime soon.

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Colts vs. Raiders: Keys to victory in Week 10

Keys to victory for Indy as they visit the Raiders in Week 10.

This week has been…interesting to say the least. The front office decided Frank Reich’s fate and fired the fifth-year head coach mid-way through the 2022 season.

Interim head coach and Colts legend, Jeff Saturday, will now take over with no college or professional coaching experience. Anybody who knows what will happen on Sunday in Las Vegas is a liar, and this team will have to shut out the noise and bounce back quickly.

The good news? Josh McDaniels and his squad are currently 2-6 on the year and have a knack for blowing games down the stretch. This will still be a challenge for this Colts team, but this mountain is not impossible to climb.

Here are the keys to victory for Jeff Saturday in his NFL coaching debut:

Sam Ehlinger will remain Colts starting QB

Colts QB Sam Ehlinger and LT Bernhard Raimann will begin Jeff Saturday’s tenure as the starters.

As the Indianapolis Colts look to move forward with Jeff Saturday as the interim head coach, it was made clear that Sam Ehlinger will be the starting quarterback for now.

Lost in a press conference that gave off the vibes of an SNL skit was Saturday’s confirmation that the second-year Ehlinger will be the starting quarterback while rookie Bernhard Raimann will remain the starting left tackle.

“Sam will be the quarterback and Raimann will be still left tackle,” Saturday said.

Ehlinger now has two starts under his belt since he took over for Matt Ryan. While he showed some promise in his debut against the Washington Commanders, the disaster against the New England Patriots in Week 9 showed he has a long way to go.

In those two games, Ehlinger has completed 61.5% of his passes for 304 yards, zero touchdowns, one interception and a 69.7 passer rating. The interception wasn’t his fault as it bounced off the hands of a wide-open Kylen Granson.

He has shown some flashes. However, the Colts have turned into a circus given all of the distractions and changes this week. Even in a favorable matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders, it will be difficult for Ehlinger to find a groove with his development.

Raimann got the start in Week 9 as Dennis Kelly nursed calf and ankle injuries. The Colts allowed nine sacks and 12 quarterback hits, and according to Pro Football Focus, Raimann was credited with two of the sacks.

But it’s necessary for Raimann and Ehlinger to get these reps. Even if the former has a better chance of being the future starter at his position between the two, it’s best for them to get as much work in as possible in what is likely a lost season.

We still don’t know how the offense will change with Saturday’s arrival, but we will see the young tandem begin the new era in Week 10.

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Frank Reich’s inability to find the right quarterback led to his downfall with Colts

The Indianapolis Colts have fired head coach Frank Reich, whose inability to find the right quarterback led to his downfall.

Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich became the second NFL head coach fired this season, following Matt Rhule of the Carolina Panthers earlier this season. The Colts made the decision with Reich on Monday morning, per multiple reports. Reich was in his fifth season as the Colts’ head coach, compiling a 40-33-1 regular-season record, and 1-2 in the postseason.

On Sunday, the Colts lost 26-3 to the New England Patriots. New England’s defense demolished Indy’s sub-par offensive line for nine sacks, quarterback Sam Ehlinger completed 15 of 29 passes for 103 yards and an interception, and the Colts amassed just 78 rushing yards on 22 carries. That put the Colts’ record at 3-5-1 on the season.

That Ehlinger, s second-year developmental quarterback, was starting this game in the first place strikes at the heart of what was so problematic for Reich in his time with the Colts — the inability to get the right franchise quarterback in the wake of Andrew Luck’s bombshell retirement after the 2018 season. Reich and his staff were left with Jacoby Brissett as an emergency option in 2019, and nobody could have blamed Reich for that, but none of his quarterback preferences worked out from there.

The Colts tried to work with Philip Rivers about three years too late in 2020. Then, the misshapen reunion with Carson Wentz, who worked with Reich in Philadelphia. Then, the decision to trade for Matt Ryan in 2022 — as it turned out, Ryan was on the Rivers three-years-too-late plan, and Ryan was recently benched in favor of Ehlinger.

It’s a common and correct axiom in the NFL that if you can’t hit on the right quarterback for your franchise, little else matters. This was true in the case of the Colts, and Reich found that out the hard way on Monday.