Colts Are Missing The Playoffs In 2024. My Blunt Opinions On Why It Keeps Happening. (Part 1)
Perspective from a fan from the Manning era….
Hey. Writing this on 1/5/2025 on the fly.
I was going back and forth on writing an article like this. I’m writing this off the fly. Expect a lot of typos.
My aunt texted saying that she’s going to the meaningless Jaguars game today. I don’t care about going, because of how they been playing.
FYI. I’m someone that says what’s on my mind, even if it pisses someone off.
My Background.
Colts is my number one team.
But I also follow the Chiefs, the Cowboys, and a few others.
But lets get into it, my theories on why we keep missing the playoffs.
And these are just opinions, not 100% facts…
But if you have an idea as a football fan, or a long time Colt fan, comment below. Please. Haha.
I’m writing this as the Colts play the Jags. If they lose against them, I’m wearing a bag over my head for a week.
#1. I’ll mention the elephant in the room. Our quarterback was supposed to be Andrew Luck going into the future.
I’ve been asking Colts fans their opinions for the past 15 years give or take. Been sitting back and observing.
Does anyone remember when Luck promised us a Super bowl ring and never delivered?
I think Luck was supposed to be our “person” and we made plans around him. He really messed us up, and it’s taking us YEARS to rebuilt. I don’t know how the Colts can recover. Any ideas? Because clearly what’s been happening hasn’t been working.
#2. We have been playing quarterback musical chairs since Luck.
Please correct me if I’m wrong or if I’m missing someone. It’s hard to keep up haha. But since Andrew Luck (Give or take a season or two, and I’m also including backups).
We’ve had.
- Matt Hasselbeck
- Josh Freeman
- Scott Tolzien
- Jacoby Bissett
- Brian Hoyer
- Phillip Rivers
- Carson Wentz
- Matt Ryan
- Sam Ehlinger
- Nick Foles
- Gardner Minshew
- Anthony Richardson
- Joe Flacco
When you don’t stick with a consistent person, you can’t develop a team around them.
I remember at one point saying on X (now Twitter) that we had a new quarterback every year for 8 years since Luck.
And when that person doesn’t play well, and you replace them in the middle of the season? You need time to adjust? If that cycle keeps happening, it’s like never getting over the hump.
Lets go back to the fantasy world for a sec. Some Colts fans suggested we should have kept Manning instead of getting Luck. And we could have had several Super bowl appearances with 2 rings. But who came up with the fancy decision to let Manning go eh?
(I’m trying to keep some of these points short, because I know what it’s like to read paragraphs, sometimes you just want to get to the point quick and not linger…)
#3. Colts like to throw their quarterbacks out there, where as other teams take time to develop their talent away from the field first.
Richardson is a freak talented athlete. But he’s not being mentored and coached to be successful at the next level. And Pat had a blunt point I’ll mention below….
But as Bucky pointed out….twice in this article..
For instance, Andy Reid took a chance on Patrick Mahomes in the 2017 draft, aggressively trading up to select the Texas Tech gunslinger with the 10th overall pick. But instead of immediately throwing Mahomes into the fire, Reid kept the first-rounder on the bench for nearly his entire rookie campaign. While veteran Alex Smith guided Kansas City on Sundays, Mahomes worked on his fundamentals and directed the scout team. The stress-free reps on the practice field enabled Mahomes to work through his mistakes away from the spotlight, leading to a more decisive and confident player taking the field when he was named QB1 in Year 2.
Instead of throwing Richardson out to the wolves and expecting him to know how to lead the pack? Develop him like many other teams have. Look at how well Mahomes is doing because Reid took the time to develop him away from the spotlight. Young quarterbacks sitting behind veterans is not a new thing.
Jordan Love sat behind Aaron Rodgers for three years. And even after Love become the starter prior to last season, it still took him some time to get his bearings. Once he did, the young quarterback displayed confidence and scheme mastery, sparking a late-season run that helped Green Bay secure a playoff berth and a rollicking Super Wild Card Weekend win at Dallas.
But some people might say…what Alesha?
There’s Bo Nix that’s doing well?
There’s Jayden Daniels?
There’s rookies that’s killing it. What’s Richardson’s excuse?
Some people have it, others don’t. Some people have teams around them and systems that work for them. There’s work ethic, and maturity levels at play too…
Side note for another day: Colts Nation, remember Carson Wentz? He’s playing for the Superbowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs at the time of this article (me following the Chiefs, I noticed the backup right away). And do you remember how badly he f***ed up our team? I liked him as a person, but I did not enjoy him as our quarterback. I did like when our local station embraced Wentz Wednesdays….but I always knew what football Sundays were going to be like…and I think they wanted them and Noles to repeat that Superbowl thing they did in Philly but it didn’t pan out.
In sports, I’m not meant to understand why you can play badly or coach badly on one team, just to end up on another team. And get second, third or fourth chances (don’t ask me about the business decisions they make behind the scenes).
#4. A lot of people in Colts Nation might not liked what Pat McAfee had to say at the beginning of the season, but a lot of what he’s saying are things we shouldn’t ignore.
I saw a lot of red flags, I’m getting ready to make two in the next several points.
A blind person could see the red flags on this team.. Work ethic questions, NEVER happens on good teams.. Preparation commitment questions, NEVER happens on good teams.. Late to meetings, NEVER happens on good teams.. Late to/skipping treatment, NEVER happens on good teams.. The franchise QB tapped out of a game.. on 3rd down.. in the red zone.. because he was tired… NEVER HAPPENED in the history of the NFL.”
P.S. I’ve had people try to silence me when I spoke my truth too. I tell the people that don’t like what I have to say to keep it moving because I’m NOT STOPPING. You can’t tone me down or STOP ME. I’m going to do what I want (within reason of course) and I say this to you sir: Keep doing you Pat, and voicing the unpopular opinions. It’s hard for us Colts fans to hear it because we did so good with Manning all those years, and for us to be in this current era is rough. You were a player, (even only a punter) and have insight that most folks don’t have.
I’ve said what I believed to be the truth about the team.. & a bunch of “Colts fans” on the internet were trying to get me booed out of the city.. Current players, who have won nothing during their entire tenures, started using me and my face to try and paint me as the enemy in the city I’ve committed my life to. And in the end… everything went.. just like I fucking said it would In the biggest moments everybody with a brain knew they’d crack.. and they did. A blind person could see the red flags on this team.. Work ethic questions, NEVER happens on good teams.. Preparation commitment questions, NEVER happens on good teams.. Late to meetings, NEVER happens on good teams.. Late to/skipping treatment, NEVER happens on good teams.. The franchise QB tapped out of a game.. on 3rd down.. in the red zone.. because he was tired… NEVER HAPPENED in the history of the NFL.
That’s literally the only thing you need to tell someone (who knows ball) and they could tell you everything about this team… “Hey the franchise quarterback, who’s a professional athlete getting paid millions of dollars, and the face of a multi billion dollar franchise tapped out of the game because… because… because he was tired in the middle of the season” “Oh wow.. that team has no chance” would be the immediate response.. And to the surprise of nobody.. that was the response by everybody who’s ever played/coached the game before but.. Colts blogs and fans who have been covering the Colts since 2020 and more recent knew better than everybody… Started personally attacking me and trying to kick me out of town.
When I said Joe Flacco gives us a better chance to win than AR immediately after the tap out.. I would’ve said whatever backup QB we had on the roster. That can’t be what the face of your team is doing.. just can’t be.. and to a bigger aspect of it all, somehow AR thought it was ok to do that. That’s a locker room issue.. that’s a culture issue.. thats an indicator of a loser attitude radiating thru a building that was built by greats. I have no idea how they fix it.. I don’t think it’s like a light switch. “Alright, we’re gonna become Pros now” but… maybe it is, but what do I know? Oh wait….. how this was all gonna work out. I knew that. As a multiple year season ticket holder (not renewing).. and someone who has actively, daily, attempted to be an additive to this beautiful city. I hope they become a good franchise again.. this city deserves it.. the OGs in the Colts building deserve it (equipment managers, trainers, ticketing, PR, sales).. and on the flip side the players/coaches in that building deserve whatever happens to them. Your unwarranted arrogance, laziness, and lack of professionalism has lead you to ANOTHER early vacation… which is probably what most of you entitled bums have been hoping for. I don’t speak for the city.. and I don’t speak for all ex Colts players because I was only a punter.. nominated for the HOF 3 times now but nonetheless.. I speak from my own perspective.. I’ve never seen a group waste opportunities/talent/money more than this group. Cheers… #ForTheShoe
With all due respect to the Colts.
He’s basically saying that the Colts have a bunch of arrogant, spoiled brats that are on the team…with a sense of entitlement.
This is not the Colts that I grew up knowing.
It’s time to go back to the fundamentals of football.
Show up to practice, on time.
P.S. It’s good for you for having season tickets Pat. I’m to the point where I watch other teams. I go to other teams football games, and even to college games now.
#5. Colts Organizational Probs That I Can’t See
I can’t put my finger on it. But I get the sense there’s something going on behind the scenes that you and I can’t see.
#6. The Titans Coming Back On The Colts December 22nd, 2024
The Colts won that game. But to let them come back that game…..come on.
#7. The Colts Losing Against The Giants? Embarrassing.
The Colts have a way of making bad teams look good….
(And I’ll talk about Jonathan Taylor dropping the ball, Anthony Richardson’s injuries and stuff like that in part 2. I’m gonna update this as I watch the Jags)
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