JACKSONVILLE – Senior writer John Oehser each week during the 2024 regular season will speak with a writer or media member covering the Jaguars' opponent.
Up this week:
Mike Chappell – longtime Colts beat writer for the Indianapolis Star for 25 seasons now with Fox 59 – on the Colts as they enter Sunday’s 2024 Week 18 game against the Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind.
Question: The Colts enter Sunday's game 7-9, having been eliminated from postseason contention with a 45-33 loss to the New York Giants this past Sunday. What's the state of the Colts entering Sunday's regular-season finale against the Jaguars?
A: This was so reminiscent of the 2021 season where all they had to do was beat either the Las Vegas Raiders or a not-very-good Jacksonville team in the last two weeks – one or the other – to get in. This wasn't win and in. They had to win and hope for Denver to lose in the last week. That's different. But the urgency still should have been there. They were embarrassed by a team that held the first pick in the draft and had lost 10 consecutive games. The Giants hadn't won at home and were on their third quarterback. It was really stunning that they played so poorly, especially on defense. Giving up 45 points was ridiculous. That's what was unbelievable. There are going to be changes. I don't know what level. But there will be changes and it will be because of themselves. They brought this on themselves. When you're not a good team, bad things happen. We'll see where this goes in the next few weeks.
Q: Is it possible to explain the quarterback situation, with Anthony Richardson, and to project the future for the Colts at the position?
A: No. I thought all along this season was all about deciding what you had in Anthony Richardson. His rookie season in 2023 was limited to four games by a shoulder injury and a concussion. This year was all about, "What have we got?" Heading into the last game, I don't see how anyone says they know what they've got. I was hoping to see some advancement in him. As a runner, it's there. But the passing … at some point you have to make six or seven plays from out of the pocket. Not the deep balls, but third-and-6, first-and-10. He's completing 47 percent. It's going to be a franchise-record low. Then there's the injury concern. He missed two more sets of games this season with an oblique and then these back spasms. It's simply an issue to miss games four times in less than two years because of injuries. All the questions that needed to be answered this season haven't been. That will be – I assume – the goal of 2025. He's either your guy or he is not. If he's not, you've wasted three or four years of energy, money and personnel finding out that he's not the guy. That's the way your franchise goes nowhere.
Q: What are they offensively heading into Week 18 – basically Richardson and running back Jonathan Taylor both running?
A: Or just Taylor running. He's still an elite runner. They ran for 335 yards against Tennessee in Week 16. That's an all-time franchise record. That goes back to the Johnny Unitas, Lenny Moore, Alan Ameche teams [in the 1950s and 1960s]. That's pretty impressive. I don't care what else your deficiencies are. Then last week – along with getting 100-and-some rushing yards from Taylor – they had two receivers (Michael Pittman and Alec Pierce) over 100 yards with Joe Flacco at quarterback. I don't know if that happens with Richardson because of his inaccuracies. Flacco gives you mobility, so there's a give and take. But we saw what they could be offensively. They didn't lose that game [to the Giants] because of their offense. I like what this offense could be when pieces are together, but we've not seen it because Richardson's injures and then Flacco has been in and out. It just has been a mess from start to finish.
Q: Defensively it was obviously rough against the Giants. Has that been a weak spot overall?
A: Yes and no. They kept the [Green Bay] Packers to 15 or 16 points on the road in Lambeau Field, and they got beat 16-to-10. They have kept some games winnable. They kept Minnesota winnable. But overall, it's not good enough. They're one of the worst teams in the league in missed tackles and they allow too many big plays. They have been bad against the run, which is hard to figure out with when you have got [defensive linemen] Grover Stewart and DeForest Bucker in the middle, and you've got [linebacker] Zaire Franklin leading the league in tackles. There probably will be changes on the defensive side of the ball. It has not been good enough. Too often when it comes time to making that play, making that stop, they have not done it.
Q: What do the next few weeks look like?
A: I don't know. I really don't know. They're really testing [Colts Owner] Jim Irsay's patience and tolerance. Do you fire [General Manager] Chris Ballard? If you do, do you keep Shane Steichen and give the quarterback one more year? I don't know. It's very difficult, I think, to fire a general manager and bring in somebody and say, "Oh, by the way, here's your head coach and your quarterback." That's hard to do. Jim Irsay always has been a fan of Chris Ballard. That's obvious. Shane Steichen… do you give up on a young guy after two years, this year being muddled by the quarterback? But part of that is on Steichen and the offensive staff because you have to develop your quarterback. We'll see. It's not going to be status quo. On some level, there will be changes. I'm just not sure what that level's going to be.
