COLTS 2019; A New Hope, next year, again

[halfmileharry]

Truth.

Thing I see is they are not only playing the opposing team but the officials as well in way to many key situations.

That said they were sloppy. No room for slop last night.

If memory serves me right.... Home field advantage has been in existence since the beginning of gambling and/or favoritism

 

[churchmouse]

If memory serves me right.... Home field advantage has been in existence since the beginning of gambling and/or favoritism

Truth.

 

[Kutnupe14]

Oh and the officiating is a joke. Clear fumble and recovery by Leonard.

I'm still baffled by that one. I want answers!

 

[Sheriff Dave]

After I have slept on it.

Stop throwing the ball!!!

The running game was getting the job done, Too many dropped balls on 3rd down.

 

[Kutnupe14]

After I have slept on it.

Stop throwing the ball!!!

The running game was getting the job done, Too many dropped balls on 3rd down.

In this game, I agree. Briskett had some bad passes, and TY didn't look all that comfortable.

 

[churchmouse]

In this game, I agree. Briskett had some bad passes, and TY didn't look all that comfortable.

Way to many that should have been......but were not caught.

 

[Ingomike]

I'm still baffled by that one. I want answers!

The know it alls in NY muck it up again. They have been worse than the on field officials. It is enexplible not to review this. Mike Florio is a very smart football guy. His comments...


The Texans got a gift last night from the game officials and the officiating department.

Quarterback Deshaun Watson clearly and obviously fumbled the ball with more than 1:40 remaining in the game. The two angles broadcast by FOX showed that the ball came out; the only question was whether Colts linebacker Darius Leonard had the ball in his possession when he hit the ground.


By the time the officials cleared the pile, the ball was determined to be in the possession of the Texans. With fewer than two minutes to play, the replay-review question fell within the province of the replay assistant in the stadium and/or NFL senior V.P. of officiating Al Riveron.


But no automatic review was ordered — even after the Texans inexplicably called a time out, giving the powers-that-be more time to exercise their power to engage in a full-blown review.


“There was no clear visual evidence of a recovery by the defense,” the league later announced via the NFL Officiating account on Twitter. While that very well may have been the answer to the question of whether, via replay review, the ruling on the field should have been upheld, whether a formal replay review will occur presents a different question.


There, the question isn’t whether there was clear visual evidence of a recovery by the defense. There, the question is whether there’s clear evidence that the ruling on the field was correct.


There was not. Which means that Riveron and/or the replay assistant should have stopped the game, given FOX time to scan all available camera feeds for an angle that may have shown Leonard in possession of the ball, and then announced an official and final ruling, after full and complete vetting of the visual evidence.


It’s possible that the officials determined that the offense retained possession because the ball was in the simultaneous possession of Watson and Leonard. But if Leonard had secured possession before Watson managed to get his hands on the ball at the same time, by rule the Colts would have had the ball.
Regardless, we don’t know whether Leonard had possession because Riveron and/or the replay assistant failed to call for a full replay review. Someone should have; it was a key moment in a close game and the outcome may have been changed if the Colts had gotten the ball back.


Besides, what’s the harm in doing it? Even if Colts fans (and/or those who picked the Colts to win, either for satisfaction or money) didn’t like the final outcome, they at least would have felt like the possibility of a fumble recovered by Leonard wasn’t given short shrift.

 

[Ingomike]

This is the current state of the AFC South. Hard to believe but Tennessee is in a better position than the Colts as they can win out and win, but Colts must have others lose.

The Texans are now the clear favorites to win the AFC South after Thursday night’s win over the Colts. But both teams remain in the division race, and the Titans are still in the mix as well.

In fact, the 5-5 Titans still control their AFC South destiny: They still play the 7-4 Texans twice and the 6-5 Colts once, so if the Titans win out they’ll be 11-5, and the Texans and Colts could be no better than 10-6.


For now, Houston is a game ahead of Indianapolis and 1.5 games against Tennessee. But the Texans’ next game is against the Patriots, so that’s one they’ll be underdogs in. After that they have two games with the Titans and games with the Broncos and Buccaneers.


The Colts play the Titans, Buccaneers, Saints, Panthers and Jaguars the rest of the way. Even if Indianapolis wins out, they need Houston to lose at least one.
Everything is still ahead of the Titans, who play the Texans twice and the Colts once in December, and also have games remaining against the Jaguars, Raiders and Saints. That’s not an easy schedule to go 6-0 against, but if the Titans did it, they’d win the AFC South.


Realistically, the Jaguars are out of it: They’re 4-6 overall and 1-3 in the division, so they have almost no path to first place.


The team with the clearest path to the division title is always the team that just has to win to get in. That currently describes both the Texans and the Titans.

 

[Ingomike]

One more whine on the game.

If I was told that:

AV was perfect on the night.

Colts rush for 175.

Indy had 7 minute advantage in time of possession.

No Indy turnovers and defense created 1 TO.

If I was a betting type I would have bet the house...

 

[ChristianPatriot]

One more whine on the game.

If I was told that:

AV was perfect on the night.

Colts rush for 175.

Indy had 7 minute advantage in time of possession.

No Indy turnovers and defense created 1 TO.

If I was a betting type I would have bet the house...

There was some stat going around on Twitter about teams that dominate the run game, time of possession, and turnovers. Since 2016 they’re like 110-4. Two of those four losses are the Colts this year.

 

[Ingomike]

There was some stat going around on Twitter about teams that dominate the run game, time of possession, and turnovers. Since 2016 they’re like 110-4. Two of those four losses are the Colts this year.

Of course they are. LOL. This team is not an upper echelon team, and yet they would be 8-3 if AV could have kicked at his norm.

 

[ChristianPatriot]

Of course they are. LOL. This team is not an upper echelon team, and yet they would be 8-3 if AV could have kicked at his norm.

Well let’s take a step back for a second. This is Chris Ballard’s 3rd year. The roster was not good at all when he took over. Almost complete overhaul level. He’s turned the defense into a top ten unit. The rushing offense is top five. His franchise QB retires two weeks before the season and his top three wide receivers have all missed a bunch of time. I don’t care what team you have, that’s tough. If Deshaun Watson retired and DeAndre Hopkins missed a bunch of games, Houston would SUCK. Honestly you could say that about most teams.

 

[Ingomike]

Well let’s take a step back for a second. This is Chris Ballard’s 3rd year. The roster was not good at all when he took over. Almost complete overhaul level. He’s turned the defense into a top ten unit. The rushing offense is top five. His franchise QB retires two weeks before the season and his top three wide receivers have all missed a bunch of time. I don’t care what team you have, that’s tough. If Deshaun Watson retired and DeAndre Hopkins missed a bunch of games, Houston would SUCK. Honestly you could say that about most teams.

I hope I wasn't interpreted as bashing them. Your stat was just so this years Colts. There is like a 2% chance to lose with those stats and the Colts did twice this year. Kind of like the NFL best ever kicker losing two games...

 

[ChristianPatriot]

I think it’s fair to say Brissett has underperformed at times. I think it’s also fair to say we haven’t seen the passing offense at full strength yet this season. We should see that soon. Let’s get Hilton, Funchess, and Campbell all on the field at the same time and see what the QB can do with those types of weapons.

 

[Ingomike]

I think it’s fair to say Brissett has underperformed at times. I think it’s also fair to say we haven’t seen the passing offense at full strength yet this season. We should see that soon. Let’s get Hilton, Funchess, and Campbell all on the field at the same time and see what the QB can do with those types of weapons.

Hope to see it!

 

[Hatin Since 87]

Way to many that should have been......but were not caught.

This.

TY dropped it on a big 3rd down conversion. Given the defender tipped it but he still got both hands on the ball and should’ve had that one. I wish they would’ve stuck to the run more, they were doing good first half.

 

[jamil]

There was some stat going around on Twitter about teams that dominate the run game, time of possession, and turnovers. Since 2016 they’re like 110-4. Two of those four losses are the Colts this year.

This game had specific reasons for the Colts losing. Houston had big plays. Indy, not so much. I think if this game were to be summed up on one play, it would be the 4th and 7 near the end of the game where Brissett scrambled, then tried to run for the 1st down; he came up short. It's not all on him. Dropped passes that should have been caught. Other plays that should have been made. Those are things that overcame their advantage in time of possession.

I don't even think the poorly officiated fumble at the end of the game is worth more than a mention in the conversation about why they lost. Sure, maybe if they got the ball back they could have scored, not withstanding all the other times they could have scored and didn't. The sure things they did to lose were pretty clear to me. They didn't make the plays they had to make. Houston did. End of game.

I'm not a big Colts fan, but I do like to see them win. For you serious Colts fans, after past seasons that weren't so great, you have a lot to be happy about other than a few frustrations like this. This team looks like they have something they can build on. Brissett makes it look like the Colts won't miss Luck, and he'll only get better. There's a lot more season left to hope for. This was just a frustrating game, because they could have won it and didn't.

 

[jamil]

This.

TY dropped it on a big 3rd down conversion. Given the defender tipped it but he still got both hands on the ball and should’ve had that one. I wish they would’ve stuck to the run more, they were doing good first half.

The one in the end zone, I'm not gonna blame TY a lot for that. It was well defended. Maybe he could have caught it, but it would have been a damn fine catch if he did. The one he missed between the numbers on 3rd down earlier, that was all on TY.

 

[Hatin Since 87]

Well said.

Even if the fumble wouldve been overturned and we got the ball back, it likely would have came down to AV kicking a field goal to tie the game and go into OT, IF he made it. Even then if we played the way we did the 2nd half it likely would’ve had the same outcome.

 

[Hatin Since 87]

The one in the end zone, I'm not gonna blame TY a lot for that. It was well defended. Maybe he could have caught it, but it would have been a damn fine catch if he did. The one he missed between the numbers on 3rd down earlier, that was all on TY.

Ya the one on 3rd down is the one I was referring to. Definitely should have had that one, and that was a big point in the game to miss one like that.