Episode 563 | Colts vs Chargers Preview + Backup Quarterback Changing

We are back. It is week seven here of the NFL season and I'd say one of the definite marquee games of the week that is Colts and Chargers coming up 405. This is Colts corner with myself. Kevin Bowen should have Eddie Garrison back in the saddle on Monday. Hope he's enjoying a little vacation time. I an eagle and JJ what looks like the CBS number two crew will be on the call coming up here for Colts and Chargers. Obviously a lot of connections here with Shane Stuykin being with Chargers for nine years and Jim Harball of course in the Colts ring of honor. Slight favorite to the fighting Harball is coming up here on Sundays. We'll get in the Chargers a little bit more here in a bit but plenty of Colts news items to get to here as we get into another podcast will certainly hit on some Twitter questions. We'll be Riley Leonard as the backup here recording this Wednesday afternoon just before the Colts get out to practice. Shane Stuykin did confirm will be Riley Leonard as the backup. So one play away for the rookie from Notre Dame. I think I've told you guys quite often since Leonard's been drafted. I totally understand why you would take a chance on Riley Leonard at pick 189. I think he has a lot of attractive traits as a leader and as a as a quarterback as well but at the same time you know why did he last so late in the draft. And I think there are some definite questions on the old you know age old Chris Ballard phrase that I think is really rings true to quarterbacks in this league. At some point you have to deliver from the pocket you know at some point the opening driving in Ohio State can't be sustainable. It's a nice wrinkle. It's nice to obviously have the ability to make plays with your legs but you got to be able to deliver from the pocket. So if in win if or when I should say he would ever to get into a game that would be the question that I would have. So Brett Ripon I guess had some travel issues getting to Indy so it doesn't sound like he's going to make it to the first practice of the week or just kind of I guess the old government shut down is impacting everyone these days right. So Ripon was the guy that they decided to bring in here. Doesn't really seem like many cults connections. I know Daniel Jones is with them for the last couple months of last season in Minnesota but Ripon was not among any of the four tryouts that they had on Tuesday. Jeff Trisco, Jaron Hall, Tanner Mordecai and Kyle Trask. Get to those names in just a second. Let's focus on Ripon here. You know Shane made it clear that you know Riley is the backup for Sunday but didn't commit to anything beyond that. So is it something where once Brett Ripon whatever gets up to speed with this playbook is he now more of the QB 2 just to refresh everyone's memory the NFL's changes rule to where you are allowed to dress a third quarterback. But the only way that guy gets in the game is if quarterback 1 and 2 get hurt in the game. And so certainly you know we haven't seen Leonard yet. Obviously he was the backup once Anthony Richardson got hurt pre game. And then with Richardson I was kind of curious this week you know with him being out officially on injured reserve would they feel the need to invest a little bit more knowing that it is at least a month absence for Richardson. Clearly I don't think the Colts felt that need. You know if you look at Ripon not that there's anybody out there that has much of a resume. But you know he's really only been the true backup maybe like one going in the one season in Denver. You know this year after Minnesota cut him at the end of training camp joined Cincinnati with Jake Browning's backup once burrow got hurt and this was on the bracket squad bumped up once burrow got hurt and then when they traded for Flacco. That's when they decided to cut him. So you know the Colts made it clear they've heard a lot of good things about him and you know really feel like you know from a mental acumen standpoint he will be able to get up to speed you know probably more of a McVey background and then some of his recent stops here in terms of that that tree. So we'll see exactly what he can provide. Four career starts played 11 games. He's actually thrown less pass attempts than Daniel Jones has as a cult. You know if you look at the career I think it's 168 attempts and Jones is already thrown more as a cult than Ripon has. And his NFL career undrafted out of Boise a Shane Steck into chair that Shane's little brother was the ball boy a Boise for the Broncos when Brett Ripon was there. So I think that's everything kind of quarterback related. I mean there is a thought with Richardson and I you know I don't know if I really first off I think it's pretty mature to think this but like there is a thought I've had of like have we seen him put on a Colts uniform for the last time. Again I don't believe that to be clear but it's definitely a thought like okay when is he going to get back you know I don't think it sounds season ending. Train second wouldn't commit to any sort of timetable today but you know if it lingers for a month and a half and you really like Brett Ripon and you're and you have to call ripping up to your active roster at some point and for some reason you really like him and you really like Leonard you know what are you going to do in that situation. So I don't know it's not a front burner topic by any means but it is a thought that kind of crept into my mind as a quarterback attention has been there behind Daniel Jones here this week. Again on that list Driscoll Hall Mordecai and Trask you know Trask is the former second-rounder played behind Tom Brady and Baker Mayfield in Tampa. Honestly the name though is a little bit curious was Jerren Hall because the Colts did work him out prior to the 2023 draft. Now they took Richardson of course. Fourth overall hall ended up going in the fifth round to Minnesota but you know they did have a workout I think Pukinakua if I'm not mistaken was involved in that workout because Jerren Hall played at BYU you know put up some really nice numbers in two years at BYU he did he's Zach Wilson's backup initially there then I believe went on his mission I don't know if his mission was before that or after but you know he's older 25 I think when he was drafted so that was a name that I don't know if you know people totally connected to the dots Colts wise but you know there has been some intrigue at least with this staff in regards to Hall you know a lot of you have asked about you know Taylor Heinecke you know why not him I mean not to sound like Taylor Heinecke's Peyton Manning but when you look at the backup quarterbacks that are available right now or the free agent quarterbacks that are available right now he is like Hall of Fame worthy when you compare him to the others so I say that because if I'm Heinecke and I still want to play football I'm probably as bad as it sounds holding out for the next Joe Burrow type injury you know what happens if insert playoff team here loses their quarterback this weekend or next weekend you know then that's where I probably could go if he would have joined this you know Daniel Jones has taken every meaningful snap this season so I don't know if necessarily the opportunity would be there I you know if NFL history indicates anything there probably will be another notable quarterback injury here at some point you know that's when I think he could potentially you'll slide into maybe a better opportunity or a more playing time opportunities the best way to put up but you know again needing your backup quarterback at some point in a season is likely even for good teams you know I I went back and looked at the last three years I want to say it's a little over 40% of NFL teams have relied on multiple quarterbacks to start a season so you know striking head at both years when he was in Philly so again it's it's probably going to be needed or at least could be needed if you are going to be a playoff team here in 2025 you know other news items as we sit here Wednesday you know cornerback is probably the position to watch and I think it's a position to watch because it's been a recent issue depth questions etc but also the chargers can expose that so right now Kenny Moore the thought is Wednesday he would do individual work at practice that would be his first official practice in three weeks you know he's missed nine straight practices as in places week three against Tennessee so how much practice time is needed is this an injury where you feel like it's going to take multiple weeks of practice before he is back you know given again that Achilles so that would be a question I would have no Traveris Ward at practice so I would say the expectation is he's going to miss some time here with the second second concussion in a month and then still no Jalen Jones or Jalen Carlyze just to put those two IR guys grouped together they've yet to open up their practice windows so it could be the same person that we saw on Sunday now the difference obviously being you'll have a full week of prep with the Jonathan Edwards the Crystal Mons the McI Blackmans to get ready for the chargers versus you know in Edwards's case specifically you really only had 90 minutes less than that to get ready for Arizona but what the chargers might lack in a true true number one they've got a lot of quality probably one A's is how I would best but we'll see where Quentin Johnson's at from that hamstring injury he did not play against Miami but him Keenan Allen and Lad McConkey they are the only wide receiver trio in the league to each have 300 yards through the first six games so it's a very balanced group and again it's a group that you know might not have again the true number one but from a depth standpoint you know there are some you know definite you know guys you have to keep and I out for and I think I would test you know how deep the culture going from a corner cornerback room now this kind of plays into me one of the biggest keys as we you know probably transition a little bit to what Sunday's going to be like of you know outside of maybe I think all line in terms of the run game I don't know how many position groups can directly impact you as much as what the D line can do for the DB's and vice versa you know if your coverage is really sticky it doesn't take you know that allows you to get home you know a little bit more and if your pass rush you gets to the quarterback pretty quick you know your your coverage doesn't have to hold up as much so you know again if you've got a great align maybe you don't need as great of a running back you know maybe that would be another area you'd point to on a football team either side of the ball we're one position group impacts it the the most to me when I look at the chargers I see two real warts they have their offensive tackle health and we'll see what their injury report looks like but and I think there's a chance I could get some of those guys back but they are down or they wore down on Sunday their top four offensive tackles which is just insane and yet they still were able to score 29 points and win then the other wart that they do have is they have really struggled against the run and now that fits a cult strength while the tackles being down we still got to see it from the cult's past rush you know the chargers you know banged up nature excuse me you know poor run defense that is something that plays right into what is a cult strength and that's Jonathan Taylor and running the the football so I did see the chargers go to where they're a charger power I believe is how they label it all yellow blue socks with that a couple other cults connections if you want to throw them in there for Sunday Marcus Brady they're passing game coordinator that's former offensive coordinator Marcus Brady here and Indy and I believe great pickup Hooper from what I've heard as well Marcus Brady on that front and again shout out to Nahee Mines just an awesome story he's back in the NFL after horrific jet ski accident and you know the chargers down a couple running backs they brought Heinz and he had a big kick return to spark that final drive there that led to Cameron Dickers game winning field goal you know one thing about the chargers they have warts but they have a proven winning coach I think they have an elite quarterback and they certainly have an elite kicker and that is something that has really helped them in winning some of these one possession games here early in the season I think they're not standing as wise before we get more in the kind of cults chargers you know if you look at the AFC right now Colts and Steelers only teams with one loss and then after that I believe you have five four and two teams so it gets crowded quick and I mean the Colts could have been right in that mix have they lost the Arizona's that was really important for them and then you got Kansas City at three and three so you know it does get a little crowded right after one thing that is interesting I would I I think the note is if you look at the upcoming schedule I want to say of your final 11 11 opponents eight of the 11 are at 500 or better right now and of the three that you don't play that falls into that category Houston is two of those three games which I don't know I don't know if I view Houston as like you know the Raiders or the Cardinals or the Dolphins or you know obviously the Titans of who you've already played so the schedule is certainly you know going to get tougher and you're going to face better a better quarter backs couple other chargers notes they are third themselves in yards per carry so they have actually ran it really well they're offensive struggle right now again we mentioned their offense tackles but they have really struggled in the red zone that has been a big issue for them defensively they've been pretty good they're actually a great red zone defense so something I'll have to give there but again in the yards per carry that's where they have struggled so that would be something definitely to keep an eye on I know they traded for the off a away from Baltimore I think he had a sack so they they did trade for a pass rusher and impacted here in that first game I mean I think very very highly of Justin Herbert I don't you know I think that's breaking news by any means but you know can those tackles hold up and that to me is so much of this game it's going to boil down to can the cults defensive line live up to their investments and again we've touched on this it's one of the highest pay D lines in all football if you look at the 9 man grouping I want to say of the 9 D line men on the roster right now three of them are first round picks two of them are second rounders two of them are third rounders and two of them are fourth rounders I think you'd be hard press to find many position groups and the entirely regardless either side of the ball that have everybody in that room is a top four round pick not to mention we're talking some second and third contract guys with many of them you just you you have invested in that group you have put resources into that group for it to be elite and I don't think it has been that at all really so that to me is I think such a big storyline coming up on Sunday that pretty much covers everything I don't believe Daniel Jones has ever faced Jesse mentor or I think the chargers actually maybe in his career so that'll be different we'll get into a cults chargers prediction here to round things out all right let's get to some Twitter questions got a couple linebacker ones to kick us off Mason and Terry we're both curious about why Anthony Walker has been brought up for the practice squad and just in general the linebacker struggling in coverage my guess is Anthony Walker's view as the backup Mike like if Zaire Franklin were to go down that's who we have in our building to kind of take over in that role that would be my guess the fact that you know from a will standpoint they've tried so many others you know as far as struggling in coverage yeah I mean I I would agree I think I think the cults have survived so far less than average linebacker play and that's why you know when I hear a trade for a linebacker I'm like well I mean Louis and Arumas and never really been they haven't really done any investing at linebacker this offseason does that contain like I think I said on Monday show you know edge linebacker corner which one would you trade for because all three of them think you have questions on to me I fall more to edge in corner because I just don't think they view linebacker as really one that invest in and you know we've seen wrinkles we saw Eston Dueling play a defensive dime snap you know is that something you know for the most part when they've gone dime it's like Rodney Thomas an extra safety you know something along those lines this one from one would you target any other position like linebacker running back to ease the load off of Jonathan Taylor do you think valid will pull the trigger this year with with cap constraints thanks again love the pod well I appreciate that yeah running back is interesting I mean if you look at Taylor snap counts in the three close games they've had this season I mean man or the cults playing on the ton a ton I mean it's I want to say 90% in the Arizona and Denver games and I think the Rams game was close to 90 as well I mean that's a big number for noneful running back outside of Christian McCaffrey I boy I I don't know there's any other running back in the league playing that much and you know we did see a mirror do like get in before DJ Giddens last week you know is this the week for Tyler Goodson to return you know of do like I think has one more week to be called up from the practice squad you know Brett Ripon is also got to be called up to be that emergency quarterback you know is that something that they do later in the week I guess you could do it three times before you get you know into a hey gotta bring them up with a 53 you know for good but you know part of me thinks this especially with them so far quarterback not doing anything from a draft standpoint you probably have one move available with a third or fourth or a fifth round pick just given how much Chris Bauer loves his graphics and remember he's already traded his six rounder for Makai Blackman how do you want to spend that that one pick the third the fourth or the fifth probably edge but you know corner then are you just banking on all those returns to health Travis has about Stefan Gilmore should you pick him up yeah I mean they're working out all the vet corners I saw Levi Wallace has worked out early this week Kendall Fuller I think joined somebody but he was worked out last week you know that is something that I am curious about you know what what does Gilmore want I obviously when he came here wasn't this game not that you know you should be scheme dependent and he's I mean he's the unicorn of all these older corners and you know some of these guys like to get picky and like to be picky and you know wait and wait and wait and you know maybe you only want to play whatever eight games in a season something along those lines is that a play here with any of this I Josh wants to ask about Jonathan Taylor how was he not in the MVP discussion I get that he's not a quarterback but he's had an incredible season well Josh I think you answered your own question we just in the football world you have to play quarterback to win these awards it seems like and I feel this way collegially as well like if you are a if you're on a top five team in college and you're the quarterback you as long as you can walk and chew gum you're going to be the Heisman finalist you know like in terms of any in a football right now I get that then those that a couple big games but like to me the MVP of that all of that team certainly offense is Elijah Sirain I mean what he did against Iowa what he did to win the game and to Oregon I mean that is a again I do that takes 50 50 balls in terms of in the 90-10 I wish we would give more respect to running back and wide out or you know pass catcher in general now you know in terms of the cults case I still I mean Taylor time to grace started the season I mean I still think Daniel Jones has mattered a ton and then you get into the whole okay what is MVP is it strictly the acronym most valuable player because like that I mean that's Baker may feel you've given all the Tampa Bay injuries right now or is it the best player and again I feel that way about Heisman but again Taylor yes deserves some but you know it just seems like how they've treated it goes to offensive player of the year this from Trent I know we won on Sunday but that game made me very skeptical that we can't stop a good team when it matters your thoughts yeah I think this is kind of the next proof of point for this football team you know go back to the schedule stat that I gave you earlier like eight of the 11 teams the rest of the way 500 or better you know it's it's a little bit of okay here we go and this is the like it's weird but I hope I made it clear like I still think the cults deserve credit for what they've done so far you know I brought up the stat I think on last week's pod if you look at point differential teams that have done this the first five weeks a lot of them have gone on to not only make the playoffs but win a playoff game so again I think the cults deserve that but at the same time those teams likely aren't going to be there in January and there is an uptick you mean I mean if you look at it the cults have played I'd say two to three you know quality football teams everyone had to find Denver and Arizona and all three of those games have come down to virtually the final play and you're two and one in in them so like when you play more of those teams because more of those teams right now are on the schedule how does that look and also what does the confidence do for you what does winning some of these games what does that now do for your franchise when you get to December and or even January and you're starting to play more of these meaningful games Walter wants to ask about Zaire Franklin saying that he should probably stop talking to tight ends that are cooking them in the past game he wants to know what was up with him lining up at cornerback he made one play but I think other teams know he's in a covers linebacker I know he just and remain pratt but who would you like to see the cults go after to help the secondary and linebacker group you know getting linebackers on running backs it that's what you saw on Sunday it's rather inevitable I mean you have to have some people play safety so that's where you know by them and uh by them especially it's kind of that that free safety or snack cross place a bit closer to the box but yeah teams are I think going to try to isolate running backs and you're starting to I think face a little bit of better tight ends too you know do you see tight ends on some of these linebackers coming up and and again if I had to rank what needs help the most it would probably be DN I mean linebacker is probably above corner I'm just not holding my breath for real investments there you know corner can you bank on the health improving I yeah you probably could do that a little bit defensive individual one that you should be the most frustrated about in my opinion because again that's where the investments are the uh are the richest uh we'll end this one from Joel he goes hey KB if I'm not mistaken both the Daniel Jones I and T and the almost I and T from the Arizona game took place in the sun with there are lots of shadows mixed with the very bright sun on TV the contrast of sun shadow makes it difficult to watch at times I'm sure it's difficult not worse than the field if not worse than the field do you notice this potentially being an issue and if so is it time to just leave the roof closed yeah I mean watching the cults game on TV when the roof is open and it's at one o'clock game it's just a frankly it's just a horrific experience I mean I go back and watch the games on Monday and I'm like this is off I mean how can you recognize some of these numbers and I mean I'm lucky that you know I watch these guys so much in practice settings that I'm used to body types my it is it's tough um I'm trying to thank the interception that he threw to Mack will I really blame on the sun I mean I don't I mean I understand it's it's definitely you know weird or some of the shadows but I don't know if I can go full sun on that one um I felt like that was in the shade but I'd be grasping here yeah I mean obviously they elected to you know have a retractable roof so they probably want it to some degree but you know if I were CBS paying billions of dollars to air these games part of me would say hey I wouldn't mind it to be uh too too closed there so yeah those are things that are well above my my pay grade all right cults chargers let's give a prediction here I think over under is decently high 48-ish I should probably double check that but like I said spread one and a half here um let me double check that before I actually commit to something like that yeah 40 and a half uh I'm gonna go 30 27 chargers you know what the guy think it's been nervous about the cults is they have gone I think out of their way to mention how great of a team they're playing on Sunday and that started in the post game locker room last Sunday which I think is the right mindset I think the cults deep down know they have played you know a whatever a softer schedule um but Shane mentioned in his post game and I mean Josh Downs mentions it running off the field like they know that the rise and competition is about to come but um there are a lot of areas I think the chargers you can't attack those tackles the run game um I don't think they're out of great advantage having traveled back from play my amids with a longer road trips they could have but I just think when you're elite quarterback and you're elite at kicker I know that might sound weird but camera dickers of real weapon um in a close game I I'm gonna go advantage chargers in that one so I'll say 30 27 the fighting hardballs I get it done we will recap this coming up Monday and uh be back into that routine as it's cults and titans up coming everybody have a great week great weekend and we'll talk to you on Monday