Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, wherever you are, however you may be listening. Thanks for tuning in [music] to the Get Indiana podcast network. My name is Dominic Miranda and I've been covering sports for nearly a decade. Most of which right here in Indianapolis. This is the Get In Sports Podcast. We're going to be covering everything in the Hooser State, high school, college, pro, in the sports capital of the universe in the greatest state on planet Earth.
Thanks so much for [music] coming on this journey with us. Let's get into it. Welcome. Inside the Get Indiana podcast studio, Get In Sports is back. We got a little variety show for you. Colts training camp is in full swing.
Football season is here. It feels oh so good. Daniel Jones cleared for full activities during training camp. That is great news for the Colts as they look to head into this consequential season with a whole lot of questions. I mean, you heard it on Steven Holder's podcast when we brought him in here. There's a bunch of questions when revolving around this 2026 Indianapolis Colts season.
There's no question about it. Daniel Jones being healthy would be a great step in the right direction. There's no question about it. Nine months post Achilles tear when week one comes around, he's going to have to be healthy for this Colts team to have a chance of being good. Their first five weeks are brutal. There's no question about that.
So, it's going to be interesting. Training camp will give us a lot of answers. Optimism reigns supreme when it comes to the Indianapolis Colts and every NFL team in training camp. So cling to positivity, Colts fans, at least at this time because who knows if we're going to have that come October or November. But Daniel Jones ready to rock and roll. The flag football championships, girls flag football championships just wrapped up at Grand Park.
That was a raging success. Really, really cool. NFL's pushing that heavy. It was on ESPN. Really, really cool stuff. had Kaylin Jackson on the Pat McAfee show talking about all things and the Colts getting behind that.
That's a great initiative. It's going to be an IHSA or it's eligible to be an IHSA sanctioned sport. That's awesome. Imagine winning a state championship in girls flag football. Incredible. Love seeing girls involved in football activities.
That is so so cool. Especially at the high school level. A ton of schools are going to be super super interested in this. And just another way to grow the game of football. I know it's flag football, but talk about inspiring a young generation of young women to get into the game of football and be knowledgeable about the game of football and it's just really really cool. All things positive when it comes to that.
So great job of Grant Park, the Indianapolis Colts, the NFL and the IHSA. I think it's going to be a great thing. Girls flag football right now starting here in the state of Indiana. Really, really cool stuff. All right, Will. Coming up a little bit later, we have John Davis of Colts.
report on Instagram. Go give him a follow. We're going to be collaborating with him all season long. We're going to have a full conversation with him talking about biggest story lines heading into Colt Colts training camp. By the time you're listening to this, we'll be basically a week through. So, we're going to have a lot of uh a lot of storylines coming out of Colts training camp.
We'll be sure to talk about them all right here on the Get In Sports podcast. So, we have the Colts covered. I promise you we'll have high school football covered. We got Greg Raikstraw coming in studio to talk high school football in the state of Indiana. That's one of my very, very, very favorite things that I get to cover for WTHR. We're going to be at so many games this fall for the high school ranks.
But I want to talk about college football. We talked about the Colts schedule record prediction. People not happy with me, Will. No, they are not not happy with me. All right, I call it like I see it. Six and 11.
Hey, if you go eight and nine again, go fight win. But we'll see what the Colts do. Don't hate me for being pessimistic. This franchise has done that to me. But we're going to talk about IU, the defending national champion in college football. The Purdue Boiler Makers, can they make a step in year two of the Barry Odum era?
And Notre Dame coming in after being spurned from the College Football Playoff a year ago. A lot of hate coming about the Irish nationally. Can they run the table? Can CJ Carr, widely looked at as one of, if not the best returning quarterback in college football, can Notre Dame make some serious noise this college football season? After saying all that, well, I think college football is run by the state of Indiana. Absolutely, it is.
All right. Well, let's let's talk. I think we're gonna start with IU. We are. Yes. So, Dom is going to tell us his 2026 2027 IU football schedule predictions.
And we're going to start with week one at home against North Texas. I'm going to save you some time here. North Texas, Howard, Western Kentucky, win 3 and 0 start to the season for the defending national champs. Let's move on to week four. We are back at home against Northwestern. Four home games to start the season.
Kurt Signetti, we love it. And that's a dub against the Wildcats. 4-0. We get some of that national championship help with four straight home games. Now we are going to go week five at the Ruckers in New Jersey. I think that's a win.
All right. Look, Greg Shiano, love what you're doing up there in Pascataway, New Jersey. But this is a 5-0 Indiana Hooers football team as we get into October. Continuing those road fairs the next week, week six at Nebraska. This is a sneaky one. It is.
This is a sneaky tough one at Nebraska. That's a TBD for time. Could that be a night game in Lincoln, Nebraska? Perhaps a blackout situation. That is a hostile environment. And you have Ohio State waiting at home on the other side of this game.
IU gets it done late, but that that's going to be a tough one. I'm I'm I'm right here on it, but I'm going to I'm going to put my faith in the defending national champs. That's a win. IU 6 and0. You mentioned the next matchup. Ohio State at IU.
We walk in 6 and0. How do you feel? I feel like this is going to be college game day. It absolutely is. Now, could this be a noon kick because of the Big 10 situation? I don't know.
Timing of this game is interesting. Man, this is going to be a tough tough game. But look, you you you physically dominated Ohio State in the Big 10 Championship last year. Julian Seyan, year two, 12- two as the starter in his opening year as the starting quarterback for Ohio State. This is going to be a knockdown dragout. IU shut the door defensively on Ohio State last year.
It was impressive to see in the Big 10 Championship. Oh, this is tough. But I think I'm going to have to give it to Ohio State. Their first loss of the year in a great football game. IU falls to Ohio State. You talk about a great football game.
Let's look at the week after Ohio State. The college schedule did not do us any favors. We go next week to at Michigan in Ann Arbor. No buy yet for the IU Hooers. You're in Ann Arbor. You're pissed off because you just lost to Ohio State.
A big bounceback. You win at the Big House. 7-1 heading back home against Minnesota in week nine. That's a win. PJ Fleck respect you, but IU is going to get this done. Continuing on with the home stand next week against USC back at home.
I do not like USC. I want to be very clear about that. That's a win. They don't like coming out in the Midwest, especially mid November. IU gets it done. The next week, we travel up to Seattle and face Washington at their house.
Okay, this one is interesting. This is kind of like the Nebraska game for me. I think Nebraska is a lot more talented than Washington, but that is not going to be an easy football game. They're they're not as physical as Iowa, but that that feels like an interesting maybe not a trap game, but it's interesting. No question about it. IU gets it done though.
In your final week against Purdue, fighting for the old Oaken bucket. What do you think? IU gets it done against Purdue. One loss regular season. IU is probably back in the Big 10 championship. Maybe a rematch with Ohio State.
To which I would say the Hooers get it done in that one. You don't beat IU twice if you're Ohio State. I'm going with an 11-1 regular season for Indiana. Will we see them in the college football bracket? They are absolutely going to make the college football playoff. You heard it here first, folks.
Now we are going to transition over to the other side of the Oaken bucket. We are going to go to the Purdue Boiler Makers schedule. So Dom, can you give me the Purdue Boiler Makers football schedule for the 2026 2027? Your predictions. We are going to start at week one where they take on Indiana State at home on a Friday. On a Friday night, a little battle of the Hooser State here.
Indiana State and Purdue. The Boilers start 1 and0. Week two, we stay in West Lafayette and take on Wake Forest. A noon game on FS1. I think the Boilers start two and 0 and have some good vibes beating an ACC team 2 and 0. We're going to start with the first of the Big 10 schedule and travel all the way to California and play at UCLA.
This was 11:00 kick. Good luck staying up for this one. I think that's going to be a tough one for Purdue. I'm going to give him the L there. So, two and one heading back to West Lafayette where they take on the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame's going to get it done.
That's a That's a loss for Purdue. Two and two week five going to Illinois. I think Illinois and Minnesota. That's going to be really interesting. I think Purdue falls on the road in Champagne. So, two and three heading back to West Lafayette to face the Minnesota.
Okay. So, you've lost three straight. You're upset. This is where the Barry Odum program culture starts to take effect. You get a big win over Minnesota at home. Back to 500.
Three and three. So three and three and you take on Washington back at home. That's a night game on Fox. West Lafayette could be jumping. I do think Washington's a talented football team. I'm going to have to give the Boilers the loss there.
So three and four back on the road. We go at Penn State. I think that's a loss in Happy Valley. That's a tough one on the night of Halloween. O, that's going to be a loss to Penn State. Three and five.
Your next game is back at home against Maryland. This is their homecoming game. That's a win. I'm going to give Purdue the win right there. Four and five. Good vibes on homecoming.
That's a win to start November. So, four and five and you travel to Iowa to face the Hawkeyes. Okay. That's a tough place to play. That's going to be a tough place to win. I got to give Purdue the loss there.
Iowa gets it done. So, your last home game of the year, you were 4-6 facing the Wisconsin Badgers. How do you feel? I think that's a win. I I don't believe in Wisconsin. It's been rough go under Luke Fickle.
I think that's a home dub. A big one for Barry ODM and the Boilers. That's a win for Purdue. So five and six heading into your last game of the year at Memorial Stadium taking on the Hooers for the Old Oak bucket. That's going to be a loss to IU. Already said that in the IU schedule prediction.
So I think Purdue ends their season 5 and seven. This is following up a 2 and 10 year in Barry Odum's first year. Remarkable improvement. Purdue ends their season 5 and seven. And now we will transition to the last college scheduling for the year. So Dom, tell me your predictions for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 2026 2027 football schedule.
We are going to start in Lambo Field against Wisconsin. Awesome game to start this season. I want to say in maybe 2010 it would have been even better. Unfortunately, Wisconsin not looking as great of late. Notre Dame starts 1 and0 at Lambeau Field under the lights. Love it.
1-0. You're going to take on your first home game against Rice. That's a win. 2 and 0. stay at home against Michigan State. Love Pat Fitzgerald.
Love that he got the Michigan State job. Love that he's back in the Big 10, but it's Notre Dame getting it done against Michigan State. 3-0. You are on the road for the second time this year. You were taking on Purdue at Ross 8 Stadium. Love that Notre Dame and Purdue are playing more regularly now.
That's a win. So, we stay at 4-0. Continuing on the road, and you're going to go to Chapel Hill to face North Carolina. Bill Bellichic does not scare me in the slightest. When you're talking about Notre Dame, you're talking about CJ Carr, talking about Marcus Freeman. That's a win in Chapel Hill.
5-0. You were back at home against Stanford again. Love having Stanford on the schedule. Notre Dame Stanford. Again, this game back in the 2010s, 2000s would have been pretty cool. But that's a win for Notre Dame.
They're they're hot. 6 and0. You head over to Utah to face BYU. Now, this is interesting. BYU, they kept Khani Satake. That's big time.
All right. Got that crumble money. Isn't it crumble? Yeah, I think so. They got that crumble money out there. That is going to be the first serious test for Notre Dame.
Not only is BYU a solid football team, but that place in Utah. That's a tough place to play. Notre Dame is too good, too talented. They get it done. 7-0 and Notre Dame will take on Navy at their second neutral sight game at Gillette Stadium. At Gillette Stadium.
It is at Gillette Stadium. Okay. I love that people don't like the Notre Dame Navy situation. People have a lot of things to say about Notre Dame schedule. They're gonna get it done against Navy. That's a noon game.
Gotta plan for that triple option. Notre Dame gets it done. Eight and 0 and you take on the team that Indiana beat, Miami, Florida at home. Okay, so you have them at home under the lights NBC and upset about what happened to start the year a year ago. Miami of course going on to the national championship game. This is your Super Bowl for Notre Dame.
This is revenge. This is Catholics versus convicts. This is everything you want in college football. Dare I say college game day, November 7th. Mark your calendars. Notre Dame avenges its loss.
Gets it done at home over Mario Crystal Ball and the Miami Hurricanes. We stay at 9 and0 and stay at home more importantly to take on Boston College in week 10. That's a win. That's there's a lot of history in that too. Notre Dame Boston College matchups, but they're they're they're staying unbeaten. Okay, we go to week 11 where you're 10 and0.
you stay at home again to face SMU in your final home game of the year. Now, if this was on the road, that would be another one of those games that would be very challenging. I think you you're you're kind of looking ahead at this point if you're Notre Dame. They get it done at home against SMU 11 and0 and we head to the last week of the schedule where they are at Syracuse in New York. I think this is a letdown spot. This is like they are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
We're going to go undefeated. We're going to go to the college football playoff. It's going to be ugly in New York at Syracuse, the Carrier Dome. But Notre Dame runs the table, 12-0, goes to the College Football Playoff and probably is the number one team in the country. Maybe we see another Hooers Notre Dame matchup. I don't know.
That would be pretty great. IU and Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff. What do you think? Well, there we go. There are our three schedule predictions for the year. We have IU, we have Purdue, we have Notre Dame.
Okay, so I have IU at 11-1, Purdue at 5-7. Again, big- time improvement. So, don't don't be upset, Boilers fans. That's trending in the right direction. And Notre Dame 12-0 going to the College Football Playoff. CJ Carr is undeniable.
This This team is far too talented and this schedule is too getable. If you beat Miami, you beat BYU, you beat SMU, you're feeling very good about yourself. And I think they do because two of those games are at home. The game at BYU is really interesting, but I think Notre Dame gets it done. Those are your schedule predictions for the three main players in division one college football in the state of Indiana. It's going to be a great college football season.
Will, do you have any qualms? I don't think so, man. I uh I am really interested with the new college football playoff bracket. How Notre Dame IU fit into that mold? Does IU still get if they lose the Big 10? I don't know.
I don't think Notre Dame gets snubbed this year with the improvement of how big the playoff bracket gets. But that's always going to be Notre Dame's thing is will they stay independent? Will they go to a a conference? I don't know. But I think they both are good enough to make it this year. I am making my call.
October 17th, IU versus Ohio State, college game day. November 7th, Notre Dame vers Miami, college game day. I think that's a safe bet for both of those games. And what a fun football season it's going to be. All right, we talked about college football right there. Now, we're going to talk to John Davis, who runs Colts.
report Instagram page. It's a great follow. If you're a Colts fan for all sort of graphics and Colts banter and Colts news, you're definitely going to want to tune in to this. We talk about storylines as we have training camp here and upon us for the Indianapolis Colts. Welcome inside the studios of Get Indiana. We are here today in the Get In Sports podcast studio with John Davis.
He runs Colts. report Instagram account. He's amassed over 30,000 followers. He's in tune with everything when it comes to the Indianapolis Colts. John, we're going to have a sweet collaboration this football season. We're super excited about that.
Appreciate you coming on and uh you sharing your infinite wisdom about this franchise with us. Absolutely. You know, I'm I'm happy to represent more of the experienced fan side of things as well and try to be a little journalistic, but I think that uh when you suffer through what the Colts have done the last decade, it'll be easy to work around. You know, I think there's a little bit of expertise that comes with that. So, I'm looking forward question about it. Well, first, can you tell us a little bit about Colts.
report on Instagram and your background of building that page and you have quite a following with it. Absolutely. Yeah. Uh I was 12 actually. I was in the seventh grade and it was the last game of the 2016 season that we played the Jaguars and I think it was when Andrew Luck had his fist pumping final like two second touchdown ran off the field to end the season 8 and eight. Real good feelood story but uh being from Virginia there's no Colts fans here except for my dad.
So it was really a joy to kind of find connection online with a bunch of people. So I think I hit like a thousand followers in that like first year and then I've literally run it ever since through high school through college now. I mean, it's been a joy to kind of connect with Colts fans as someone out of the market and especially because, you know, Misery loves company, but so does with the good moments and all the good stuff that comes with being a Colts fan on the rare occasions it does as of late. But, you know, it's it's been fun and I I really like the platform Instagram's given me and all my followers have given me. So, it's it's been a joy. Yeah, man.
I I mean, I'm pretty sure James Boyd follows you and Steven Holder and all the big wigs here at Indie, so obviously you're doing something right. But training camp is here. We're going to hear from Chris Ballard on Tuesday. It begins in earnest on Wednesday and football season is here. And we're going to do this weekly throughout the Colts season and and periodically through training camp as well. Just talking about the Colts and what you think and what we're feeling with this team.
I mean, obviously, it is a consequential season with what this general manager and what this head coach have to do. And obviously, Carly Ursay Gordon is going to have a decision to make depending on how the season goes. But we're getting to the end of the rope here as far as you got to you got to take a dump or get off the pot. All right? Like, you got you got to show us something here aside from eight and nine or nine and eight. Like, you're a player in the AFC conference.
So, football season's here, training camp is among us, and we have a lot of question marks about this team moving forward. Before we get into it, what to you is the biggest piece of this Colts team that provides you hesitation or some sort of question mark heading into the season. You know, I think I think a lot of people will agree that your team's identity is defined by your quarterback. And I think that Daniel Jones played the best football of his career in those first 10 weeks. And I think that the Colts were humming because of it. I think the offense was humming.
I think the defense was able to do better than I think the roster may have even been built for. But I think that what's most important is health. And no one that's not true for anyone more than it is true for Daniel Jones. Health is vital to this entire team. You have DeForest Buckner on the defense, Daniel Jones on the offense, even Jonathan Taylor's missed time little bits here and there over these past couple of years. But, you know, I think for this team to be successful, roster or not, everyone needs to be healthy for a massive chunk of the season, especially training camp and especially with training camp coming up.
I mean, you look at last season, we had Justin Wall-E, who was showing the most promise of anybody. He tears his ACL. Hunter Wooler showing a bunch of promise in preseason, breaks his foot. Getting through training camp without losing one or two players for the season would be a win for me. And I think that if you can have this Indianapolis team stay healthy, I think they're capable of a lot more though if you have guys dropped like Jarius Ward or even Sauce Gardner with some time last season. So yeah, it does feel like every training camp something consequential in the negative happens with this Colts team that just kind of sets them up for a challenge before the season even begins.
It just feels like it never fails. Something is always newsworthy and big- time news in training camp. I mean, you have the quarterback situation in years past. You have Jonathan Taylor holdin situation in years past. You have injuries. You have Anthony Richardson.
You have all sorts of situations like that that happen and uh just provide a lot of different challenges. So I have a lot of questions going into this season, but you mentioned Daniel Jones, so why don't we start there. Do you believe that he can play 17 games this season, nine months post Achilles tear when week one happens? You know, I'd like to sit here and tell you, Dom, that that will be the case. I'd like to sit here and say that the Colts investment of $50 million into a guy that played 12 games for him last season is going to pay off perfectly and it'll be rainbows and butterflies and everything's going to work out fantastic. But objectively speaking, I can't say that.
You if you look back the last five seasons, I mean, he's missed at least four games, all but 2022, his best best season outside of what started this past year. Uh, I think that relying on that, especially like the Colts are doing, is such a gamble, especially with Jonathan Taylor, you saw how successful he could be with a passing attack in the first half of the season. But that back half of this season, what did Jonathan Taylor do? Uh, he's great player, stellar player, but every running back needs a good system to thrive in. And that system doesn't thrive without a pass game. And the first four weeks of the season are going to be rough.
Daniel Jones is going to be reaclimating to things. He's going to be getting warm. We're going to be relying heavily on that run game. And if the teams load the box against us, especially with your new exceiver in Alec Pierce, having to play more intermediate and short, which he wasn't as much acclimated to after last season, I think things can get tricky. And I think when things start to get tricky and teams start blitzing Daniel Jones and he starts to panic, I don't know if he's going to be willing to stay healthy. But even if he does stay healthy, I don't know how great he's going to be.
So, I do think it's a gamble. I think he has it in him. I mean, I think any player has it in him, but I do think it's hard to say based on the data that we've been shown over the last five seasons that that's what's going to happen. Yeah, it's I don't have a lot of qualms with the personnel on offense. When you talk about Jonathan Taylor, who's in search of a new contract and is very much deserving of that new contract, he has about as much leverage as anybody on this football team. You got Josh DS who could be a thousand yard receiver if he plays a full 17 games.
Okay? You got Tyler Warren, one of the best young tight ends in the game. And you got Alec Pierce who's now paid like a number one receiver. So, I mean, you know, it feels like the the the personnel is there to be good offensively, but are you going to be able to outscore everybody? And you mentioned the schedule. Home against Baltimore, at Kansas City, Sunday Night Football, Houston Texans at home, and then in London against Jaden Daniels and the Washington Commanders, it could be 0 and4.
It could 100% be 0 and4. There's no question about that. And then what's the pressure look like for this team when you're if you're going to start that way? And I I mean, can you split with Houston? Maybe. But I can't sit here and say I feel comfortable with the Colts winning against Baltimore at Kansas City.
I just haven't seen enough to feel comfortable at all saying that. Now, how's Patrick Mahomes health going to be? We don't really know. It's a prime time game in Kansas City. Prime time has not been kind to the Indianapolis Colts, so we'll see. But aside from that, JT, we mentioned him.
He wants a new contract. Training camp's about to start. I don't know if we're going to see a holdin situation, but a couple things. Does he get a new contract before the season begins? Not exactly in Chris Ballard's mo, but he gave it to Jonathan Taylor last time. The the whole antics of training camp happened and he swore that he was injured.
Who knows what what was the real story there with Jonathan Taylor. But can he keep up this level of play? Is Chris Ballard in a situation where Carly Ers Gordon feels comfortable giving him the reigns to make a decision like that when he very well may not be with this franchise in a year, but he's your best player. So, so what do you do in that situation? I I I honestly, as someone who's been plugged in for about seven years now, I could not tell you. I don't know what you do when you're trying to sell the fans and the general public that you're confident in this regime, you're confident in this roster, you're confident in this quarterback that you just gave 50 million to and Daniel Jones, and then you turn around in a second that your best player asked for a contract, you have hesitancy.
I think if you were all aboard the train like you claim, you'd have no issue. You have no issue paying a 27-year-old running back in the middle of his prime. He's been your best player for 5 years. No franchise would hesitate if they were confident in the quarterback and they were confident in the head coach. But like you said, I don't know if Carly Ursay Gordon is that. And I think that'll amount to a little bit of imbalance between negotiating parties between whether that's Taylor or Ballard.
So I think it'll be unique to kind of see what angle the team kind of tries to take with that. I don't know if he ends up even holding in. He said he wants to be a Colt for life this past summer, but I don't doubt the words of James Boyd. He's pretty plugged in. And if he says that there's a chance and there's a reason for it to happen, then I'd be a little cautious. But the one thing the Indianapolis Colts do not need is for another situation like that when you're coming off a season where your quarterback Torres Achilles, one of the worst collapses in the history of the NFL, you made a gamble in paying your franchise receiver, which everyone clowned on you for.
I think it's a good deal, but who's to say it's going to age perfectly in a new role? I don't really know. And I think it'll be interesting to see how the Colts approach it and how the Colts kind of like publicize it because you don't have the words of Jim Ers coming out and trashing Taylor this time. Um, so whether that's dealt with in house or not, it'll be interesting to see. But man, would it be rough if you don't pay Taylor, he goes out and has the best season of his career and then all of a sudden he walks like Saquon did after his second contract with the Giants. So it's it's a tough position and I think you need to know now what your what your approach is going to be if you're the Colts.
Or is it a wait and see? Like say they do start 0 and4, say they start one and seven, two and eight. You're in a situation where the best move for this franchise is potentially to trade him. I mean, what else? What else? Who else is your most valuable trade piece to get back into the first round?
Because if you have a record like that through eight or 10 games, you need to do everything you can to get back in the first round. I mean, I don't even care if it's pick 30, you have to. So, no, you don't want him you don't want to not you don't want to not sign him and then it gets to the end of the season and you're right, he signs with, god forbid, a a division opponent, but someone in the AFC say and then Saquon Barkley situation happens and that team goes and wins a Super Bowl because Jonathan Taylor is a stud. Okay, let's not make any bones about it here, but can you even in good faith sign him or is that more appetizing for a potential trade partner that he's under contract and that would probably command a higher return if you were in that situation to trade him? I think everything's on the table here. I don't think Jonathan Taylor is going to sit out games because he doesn't have a contract.
But I don't know. Again, he claims he was injured last time and who am I to not believe him because but as soon as he got that contract, he started playing. So, I don't know. It's something to keep an eye on because he is your best player. I mean, he is your best player. No doubt about it.
But you made a point about it, too. Late in the season, game scripts dictate you have to pass because you're behind in most of these games. Jonathan Taylor disappears. The 20, 25, 30 carries turns into 12, 15 real quick. And he does not have that much of an impact on the game that he did when he was in the MVP conversation. It's really easy to talk about it at running back for MVP when you're winning a lot of games and you're running the ball a lot.
Not so much when you have to pass and you're in third and 10, third and 15 rather than staying ahead of the sticks. So, we'll see. He wants to be a Colt for life. Who am I to not believe him? It's going to be interesting. There's no question about it.
You talk about Alec Yeah. You talked about Alec Pierce. Is he ready to be a number one receiver? Are we It sounds like the injury is the injury is kind of cleaning up that ankle. I think he's going to be fine healthwise, but you did say, and I completely agree, if he's going to be asked to do more as a receiver rather than just be a deep ball threat. Now, I feel like he's gotten better each and every year.
Had his first thousand yard last year, did a couple different things, got more receptions. Michael Pitman Jr. hits the road. Less mouths the feed. Does that offense go through Tyler Warren? Does it go through Jonathan Taylor?
Is Alec Pierce a wide receiver one in the National Football League? They paid him like it. And I think I think when you assess is Alec Pierce a wide receiver one, I think a key aspect to factor in is do you have a wide receiver too? And Josh DS is stellar. I don't think anyone's going to argue that. But is he stellar as a true wide receiver too?
I think you look back to last season and I think I among others were ready to see Michael Pitman go. I think he had he had stayed as welcome. I think it was time for the team to move on. It was good from both parties. Absolutely. But you look at Michael Pitman.
He had 49 receptions from 0 to9 yards. It was the ninth most in the league. I mean, that's as good of an X as you're going to get. It's really, really good. Obviously, he didn't have the deep deep ball like Pierce. He probably didn't even have as good of an intermediate ball as Pierce, but he accounted for so much of the cold short offense.
Josh DS 58 catches last year. 49 of them were between zero zero and nine yards. I think when you assess the short game and when you assess kind of reworking this this period because I think you look last year and I think you look at the Colts receiver room and I would say the Colts receiver room last year was perfect. You had just about everybody. You had a short slot guy that was Josh that was twitchy and get five yards after catch. You had Michael Pippen who was really good in the short game and had really good hands secure.
And then you had the deep ball threat that was Alec Pierce and all three of those were incredible in their roles. You had Tyler Warner to throw in the mix too. Incredible. Now you look at this receiver room. Ashton Doulan might be your wide receiver through and I love Ashton Doulan. Deion Burks who you just drafted.
He's the same size as Josh DS. I I know people want to see Deion Burks get snaps. But how certain are we that you compare DS Burks and Pierce because then you're kind of missing like the X receiver. So you slide Pierce to X receiver. He needs to get better than short game. Does Josh Downs split out wide?
I love the guy. The guy the guy's a little small to split out wide. I think all of a sudden everyone's happy to get rid of Michael Pitman and I think it was time to move on. But I think you're going to miss the sure hands in a 0 to9 yard area and how free that made Alec Pierce. How free is Alec Pierce going to be when you don't have someone clogging up zero to nine yards. You don't have a guy out the slot to take up the middle of the defense and then you have Tyler Warren that could go for 20 yards, too.
We were so wellrounded last year in the wide receiver room and pass catchers. All of a sudden, you take away Michael Pitman who was such a crux for Daniel Jones and even Rivers when he came in here. I think it's going to look a little different. And I don't know if he sees the exact same production because he's not going to be able to afford to go as deep as often because that's simply not how the offense is going to function. So, it'll be interesting. I would like to see him get better as an short passer, but obviously that's up to short uh receiver.
That's more up to Shane Stiken. Obviously, we'll see how he game plans around that. He's a pretty pretty good wizard when it comes to offensive play calling. So, I'll definitely be interested to see how they mix it up. But, man, he's going to have to add that Michael Pitman 0 to9 yard catch to his game or else all of a sudden you're going to really be missing that short passing game. That is a really good point.
What effect does Michael Pitman's departure just have on Al Pierce's availability in this offense? I don't know. I think it's going to be a heavy dose of Tyler Warren. I think at the end of this, he's going to he he could be your leading receiver as far as receiving yards and inconsequential situations. Third and eight, red zone. It's going to be Taylor, Tyler Warren.
I mean, that's how I feel. And that's nothing against Alec Pierce, but you make a great point with that intermediate stuff. And then that wide receiver three, no. Is he going to be a huge part of the offense? No. But you have so many weapons when you talk about you have to account for Michael Pitman Jr.
, You have to account for Josh DS. Oh, by the way, here's Alec Pierce and Tyler Warren. So, was it time maybe to move on from AD Mitchell? And yeah, you get Sauce Gardner in return plus two first round picks. That's a whole another thing. But Michael Bman Jr.
, was it time? Potentially. But I don't know how I feel about Alec Pierce being the number one option. I don't think he will be, although he's being paid like it. And I think that's an interesting situation. I want to go to the defensive side of the ball here.
Everyone's looking at Liatu Lu. Eight and a half sacks I believe a year ago. Close. That's the number one thing on him. Close. Close.
Close. That number could have easily been 12 or 13, but it wasn't. So, he's the first defensive player taken off the board two years ago. We haven't had a double digit sack guy since I want to say Houston. Justin Houston when he was in town. I mean, that was an old Justin Houston.
Can he take that step and be I mean I don't know if game wrecker is in the cards right now but can he be a double-digit sack guy that we drafted him to be? Chris Ballard's track record with defensive lineman has been abysmal to put it kindly. You know I I think it's unique when you look at someone like Lu because I think you assess a 15th overall pick. Stakes are okay. He's a first round pick. He he should be should be a very good player or a good player at that for your franchise for ideally four to eight years as a first round pick.
But then like you said, you look at the context of the first round pick. The Colts decided Lu was the best defender in the entire draft class. Yes. That stings so much more when you see Jared Verse, when you see Quinan Mitchell. Do you have to trade for Sauce Gardner if you take Quinan Mitchell at 15 and all of a sudden you still have your first round pick this year, your first round pick next year? How much better of a spot are the Colts in if they tow Quinan Mitchell at 15?
I I think it's a really unique situation to look at and it's I feel bad for Lu because the pressure is on him, but you're the first defender in the class. That's that's simply the way it works. I do like to look at Pro Football Focus for context for stats. Obviously, you can you can say like eight and a half sacks. It's a solid year. Is that the first defender in the class good?
I don't know. PF credits with 11. So, pretty pretty good in regards to like forcing sacks and giving him more credit. He was the 11th highest rated edge rusher in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus. He was the Colts highest rated defender. that is carried a little bit by two uh coverage interceptions including that one against the Chiefs.
But I do think it's unique to look at last season. I think he showed flash. I do think having a veteran like Ardan Key in his ear is going to help. But again, if DeForest Buckner misses time and Lu even if he does take that next step, who's going to say the production is going to follow? I think that it's so contextual and I don't think the Colts have rounded out their defensive line like you've said. If you were to throw Lu on a team like the Rams, like Jared Verse was, who's to say he's not producing like Jared Verse did?
I I think that it's very contextual. I really like the guy, but I do think he has to show more because you see a guy like Max Crosby, it doesn't matter. You see a guy like Miles Garrett, it doesn't matter. And they've had decent help on the defensive line. Those two teams have had decent defenses, but you know when you know entering year three, you'd like to know a little better about Latu. And all we can do is cross our fingers if that comes.
I'd like to see double digit sacks or else you kind of start to get worried. It's another quitty p situation. Yeah, 100% 100%. I mean, first defensive player off the board. There's a certain expectation that comes with that. And you're absolutely right, Jared Vers in that same draft and look what he's done.
But I absolutely agree with you. Situation is everything. The Rams are obviously in a much different situation than the Indianapolis Colts. Last thing I got for you on this defense, a lot of rookies are going to be entering the chat here. All right. Nick Cross hits the road.
Zire Franklin hits the road. We don't know about DeForest Buckner, but the draft picks, what do you think about them? Can they I mean we're talking Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, CJ Strad, Jaden Daniels out the gate. Can Sauce Garner and Cam Binham, you know, carry the load there? At Charvarius Ward, yes, we got veterans who are solid. There's no doubting their skill level, but you got some rookies that are going to have to play at consequential positions, and there's no easing into this season for the Colts.
not only with the expectations that are on the franchise anyway, but for the quarterbacks you're playing and what you're going to be expected to do immediately uh if you're these rookies. What What do you make of this defense and what Lu Anarumo is going to have to have to do with him? You know, I haven't I haven't had really a disdain for Lou so far. I think he's all right. I think he's your typical kind of like vet that's been around the league. you know, he has he has mad scientist moments, but then I think he also has his moments where the Colts are up 10 and instead of applying the pressure, you're still sitting back in a soft zone and you're kind of letting it beat.
You take the short game and it kind of reminds me of early stage Gus Bradley. But I do think Lou has a different approach. So, it's different. But like you said, the Colts might have the f the hardest first five games of the season of anyone in the NFL, and you're currently looking at a roster that might start AJ Hy at safety, Justin Wallally at nickel, CJ Allen at linebacker. I mean, you're looking at three or four rookie starters on this defense, and the defense is pretty pretty complex to learn. I mean, Luimo is pretty creative, but I think the pick of CJ Allen, I'm a fan of.
I think it was a good pick. We're so lucky he fell to where he did in the draft. I do think he's a little safer. I do think they want him back in that Zear Franklin role where you're more like the quarterback of the defense. You're not super super fast, but you're a sure tackler. That's all you really need in the middle of the defense.
But like you said, tested right away is about as on the nose as it gets. And tested right away is exactly what they will be. I think AJ Hley is a great pick. I think he could end up being a kind of a surprise breakout candidate, but again, you lose Nick Cross. I mean, Nick Cross was as sure of a tackler as they come. Excellent, excellent player.
And I think that while we couldn't afford to pay him, I think it's going to be a lot on the shoulders of a rookie coming into a defense that they're learning for the first time and having to adapt to kind of playing four of the five of the best quarterbacks in the league right out the gate. So, I think things could get rough for the Colts early. And I don't know if they have an Andrew Luck this time, they can have late season heroics to where he marches them back to eight or nine wins in a row after starting slow. If the Colts start slow this year, does Daniel Jones have the juice? Does this rookie oriented defense have the juice to get this team back on the cusp of the playoffs? I don't know.
And as a Colts fan, it's terrifying, but as a realist, I think it's a little concerning. And does Carly Ers Gordon have the patience? I mean, if we're talking 0 and5, it's a distinct possibility. And do you look at that and say, "Hey, don't let's let's be patient." Or are the patients run thin thin? Because this fan base is about as apathetic and pessimistic as I remember it.
So, it's going to be really interesting. I think those are the biggest storylines heading into Colts training camp. John, this has been great. Follow him at Colts. report on Instagram. We're going to be collaborating with him all season long.
It's going to be a lot [music] of fun. John, really good analysis, really good stuff. We're looking forward to doing this throughout the season. Absolutely. Thanks for having me, Dominic. I'm really excited and [music] I hope the Colts can give us something to be happy about on here throughout the year, but you never know.
So, I'm looking forward to it and I really appreciate you having me on. Of course, storylines will emerge this training [music] camp. We'll be here the whole way. Be sure to keep it locked on Get In Sports.