THURSDAY NIGHT FOOSEBALL- INDY COMES TO MILE HIGH!

[AKRNA]

44 minutes ago, Broncofan said:

Injury report:

 

 

The analysis on JT from Morse posted above far more likely to be accurate.    No JT, no Shaq Leonard.  No Javonte (sigh), no Gregory.   Hopefully we see Turner get in a full practice tomorrow, and Meinerz get back to the field (but obv not if they're not ready, soft tissue injuries are tricky in Meinerz's case).

It would be massive to get Turner or Meinerz back for the game.  DeForest Buckner looks like he's playing, and he's a massive interior disruptor.  That's a big edge for IND if Glasgow has to play him.    Turner upgrading the RT would help so much, it's tough when both T's are getting beat, can't really send help both ways.    Bolles has to win his battles, but ideally, you're not automatically worried about the T play from the get go.     It's a broken record, but the fact Calvin Anderson can't get on the field pretty much ends his time with us - so disappointing.

The fact we've got so many hamstring injuries should be quite a concern. Those are usually "lack of conditioning" problems.

[Broncofan]

1 hour ago, AKRNA said:

The fact we've got so many hamstring injuries should be quite a concern. Those are usually "lack of conditioning" problems.

The idea of no exhibition season reps makes total sense from deciding who starts.  Scrimmages actually gives more info.  But the rust / lack of chemistry / poor conditioning trade off is there.    I would hope next year this lesson gets learned.  Obv bigger injury risk but maybe a compromise of 2 games with a quarter and a half and call it a day.  

I believe teams that rested their starters all preseason went 0-6 when they faced teams who played their starters in week 1.    Documented nicely here:

https://www.footballoutsiders.com/walkthrough/2022/do-starters-need-play-preseason

 

LAR vs  BUF (blowout) 

TEN vs  NYG (upset, sloppy) 

ARI vs  KC (blowout) 

CIN vs. PIT (upset, sloppy, 5 TO’s) 

DAL vs. TAM (sloppy, not close but blowout prevented by DAL D)  

DEN @ SEA (upset, sloppy)

Now that we are seeing this done more we’re getting more info on the impact.  SSS but it’s hard to ignore when you watch them play.  God I hope teams learn sitting starters all preseason is not just a benefit for injury prevention but a trade-off.     

 

Edited October 4, 2022 by Broncofan

[BroncoBruin]

50 minutes ago, Broncofan said:

Injury report:

 

 

The analysis on JT from Morse posted above far more likely to be accurate.    No JT, no Shaq Leonard.  No Javonte (sigh), no Gregory.   Hopefully we see Turner get in a full practice tomorrow, and Meinerz get back to the field (but obv not if they're not ready, soft tissue injuries are tricky in Meinerz's case).

It would be massive to get Turner or Meinerz back for the game.  DeForest Buckner looks like he's playing, and he's a massive interior disruptor.  That's a big edge for IND if Glasgow has to play him.    Turner upgrading the RT would help so much, it's tough when both T's are getting beat, can't really send help both ways.    Bolles has to win his battles, but ideally, you're not automatically worried about the T play from the get go.     It's a broken record, but the fact Calvin Anderson can't get on the field pretty much ends his time with us - so disappointing.

There’s no reason to expect Billy Turner to play any time soon, or maybe at all. He was a full participant in practice three weeks ago. 

[jolly red giant]

On 10/3/2022 at 9:22 PM, AnAngryAmerican said:

We also have to go to London and play the Jags. Before you laugh, have you a) seen the Jags this year and b) do you have any confidence in this staff to prepare for an international game and all that entails? 

I am flying to London from Ireland to see the game against the Jags (six of us going together) - I was looking forward to a big party atmosphere but now it is filled with trepidation. The morning after the game against the Raiders my son walked into the house and said 'we could lose to the bloody Jags'

[jolly red giant]

On 10/3/2022 at 9:22 PM, AnAngryAmerican said:

Right now we’re 2-2 with games against the Chiefs (2), Chargers (2), Ravens, and Rams remaining. That’s 6 games against guaranteed playoffs teams. 

We also have to go to London and play the Jags. Before you laugh, have you a) seen the Jags this year and b) do you have any confidence in this staff to prepare for an international game and all that entails? 

We have the Raiders again, yes, the Jets and Panthers. But I’m not looking past the Cardinals, the Colts on a short week, or Titans on an East Coast 11am game. 

With the 3 I’s - incompetence, ineptitude and injuries - 4-13 is possible, far more possible than 13-4 or, hell, at this point, even 10-7.

Colts 20, Broncos 13. 

If that is the result on Thursday then it is not down to the talent on the team but the incompetence and ineptitude of the coaching staff on the sideline - and it should send a clear message to the GM and the new owners.

[Broncofan]

On 10/4/2022 at 5:47 PM, BroncoBruin said:

There’s no reason to expect Billy Turner to play any time soon, or maybe at all. He was a full participant in practice three weeks ago. 

With the news that Meinerz can't go (soft tissue injuries are so tricky), man, we sure could use him.     It's going to be tough to have Deforest Buckner on Glasgow, to have Fleming struggle at RT makes is so much harder, when the RG & RT struggle, you can only do so much to give extra help.    Crossed fingers, but like you said.....can't count on it.   Would be a massive bonus.     

With Cooper out along with Gregory, it's Browning & Bonnito time - not only to get to the QB, but have to set the edge in run support.   Especially in Bonnito's case, that seems a tall task.   It's kinda ironic that Browning moving to EDGE is certainly no longer in question, with Gregory & Cooper out it's likely a 3-man rotation (even Aaron Patrick would have likely saw action as the 4th guy). 

It also puts a MASSIVE onus on the O to keep driving with the ball.    Given how strong the IND run D is, Hackett just can't be conservative with dives and short-yardage plays.  With IND, attacking them with the pass sets up the run.    Both TEN & JAX did their damage early with the passing game (JAX was 25/30 and TEN was 17/21), and then let off the gas with 14+ pt leads in the 1H (and HOU did the same with a 14+ pt lead in the mid-3Q, only to have IND catch up - their 37 throws were a result of 10 mins of OT and the Colts tying it up with a 17 pt flurry in the 4Q's first 10 mins of the game - HOU threw it 9x in OT and their drive after IND tied it up, a fumble late in 4Q really cost the Texans' plans to drain clock up 17).

 

 

Edited October 5, 2022 by Broncofan

[BroncoBruin]

It seems clear the Glasgow/Fleming combo is disrupting a lot of the things they’d like to do offensively. It also makes things harder on Cush, which makes things harder for the entire group. Fleming shouldn’t even be here! Three of their plans at RT had to flame out for Cam Fleming to start. And Meinerz is just so much more dynamic out there than Glasgow limping out the last guaranteed dollars of his career.

[Broncofan]

GD is here!  Posted this in the Main Forum thread, but obv applies just as much here:

_______________________________________________________________________________

With the final injury reports in, the paths to victory for both teams:

IND

-Control the ToP.   DEN's HFA has always been about wearing teams down in the 2H as the altitude gets to them.  But that only works if the DEN O can stay on the field, and the D doesn't get gassed.  We've had a sub-500 record from 2018-2021 because the O's sucked, and the opposition got to wear out our D (which also didn't generate negative plays or TO's) The IND run game, even without Jonathan Taylor, is the best way to do that against our EDGE-depleted DL (setting the edge in run D and our ILB's).

-In the pass game, the RB's and TE's can exploit our ILB's.   I've got massive Mo-Alie Cox yardage props because of said matchups.    If it's 3rd and short, it's manageable.    If it's 3rd and long, much bigger problems.   Matt Ryan vs. pressure has been tough to watch.   

-On D, see if the right side of the OL can be exploited for DEN.   RG Quinn Meinerz is out, and RT Billy Turner has yet to start, and our original swing T, Calvin Anderson, can't unseat Cameron Fleming, who's simply not a starter at the NFL level.  If Turner plays, that's a huge lift for DEN - but if not, Kwitty Paye and Yannick Ngakoue (plus DeForest Buckner) can make life miserable for Russell Wilson and collapse the run game by exploiting our right side of our OL.

-Game management-wise, Frank Reich hasn't been great.   But he's still very capable of calling a better game than Nathaniel Hackett....simply because until Hackett shows he can do it for 60 minutes, you can't assume it yet.    

-As always, win the TO game, more likely to win the game.  

DEN

-Stop the run.   It's that simple.    Do that, and everything else falls in place; the pass D is smothering on the WR's, and the pass rush can work on making life very uncomfortable for Matt Ryan.   That was the blueprint for LV, but they didn't stop the run (the O didn't stay on the field either, but it's fair to say it's a shared L on both fronts).

-The D wants to attack the ball with Matt Ryan in the pocket.   A big change from Fangio's D in his era was they focused on limiting yards; Evero's philosophy is to attack the ball (which creates a trade off in allowing more yards per play, while the D goes after the ball - it's a point of emphasis both in offseason and weekly practice).   I MUCH prefer this philosophy, because TO's are such game changers.   That would be awesome this week.  That same D that created 5 fumbles in the first 3 games, tremendous opp to do so here with Matt Ryan and a struggling underperforming OL.     The issue is our EDGE's are decimated after last week.   With Randy Gregory and backup Jonathan Cooper both out, EDGE's Baron Browning and rookie Nik Bonnito have to be decent in the run, but also help get pressure.   EDGE Bradley Chubb has always had the moniker of being a Robin-type player - he gets to be the Batman tonight with Gregory out, year-2 ACL he's got all his full athletic skills back, it's his time the next 4 games to show if he really deserves a big payday after this year. 

-Let.  Russ.  Cook.    With no Javonte Williams, we have to be aggressive in the pass game.   Russ was 11-12-143-2 in the 1H - and Hackett let off the gas, and decided establishing the run with Mike Boone was the way to go in the 3Q/early 4Q.   He simply CANNOT do that with the IND run D.  Even with no Shaq Barrett, they are the 7th D in rush yards - and having trailed by 14+ points by halftime or mid-3Q in 3 of 4 games, that stat is even more impressive.

-Courtland Sutton & Jerry Jeudy need 8-10 targets minimum.    The TE's can get some as well with S Justin Blackmon out, but make no mistake - this shouldn't be a dink-and-dunk to the flats type game.   The IND pass D's depressed yardage numbers are a major product of their zone D, but also because of those 3 games out 4 where the O let off the gas.    JAX was 25/30 in the pass game,  TEN was 17/21 - the pass is how you set up the run here, not the other way around.   Nathaniel Hackett would prove to everyone he's brain injured if he calls for a run-based game plan tonight.

-ST's have been great the past 2 games, with Waitman's hang time and positional punting justifying the move away from veteran.    ST returner and WR4-5 Montrell Washington is an absolute weapon in the return game, averaging 15+ yards a return last week.     Stop the O, get a chance for him to make a play.

Overall, DEN has a couple more paths to victory,  but it's a 3-4 pt spread for a reason.   Nothing's a given.   It's a must-win for both teams, still disappointed we're not going to see Shaq Leonard & J-Taylor for IND, while we'll very much miss Randy Gregory, Justin Simmons (hopefully back next week, hurts that PJ Locke is out) & Javonte Williams.   

But with injury, it's also a chance for opportunity - on the DEN side, names like Caden Sterns (in for Simmons),  Browning & Bonnito (for Gregory), and Billy Turner (if he plays), could be big role players.     IND may turn back the clock with Philip Lindsay (not yet activated off the PS) to complement Hines and keep Hines in the pass-catching role.   If not, it's rookie Deon Jackson, who flashed in the preseason, but was clearly stuck in RB purgatory behind J-Taylor & Nyheim Hines ahead of him, and usually a GDI.   And while Alie-Cox gets the majority of snaps, TE's Kylen Granson & rookie Jelani Woods may get some action, while Alec Pierce draws the much easier matchup with CB Ronald Darby, instead of Pittman vs. PS2 island.      The 3rd WR name ppl recognize is Parris Campbell, but IMO both Pierce & Ashton Dulin (after brutal week 1 drops) have both actually played better.   Something to watch for.

_________________________________________

 

In a TO neutral and coaching-neutral game, we win something like 24-17.      If Hackett leverages the clear areas we work best in, could even be more.  If Hackett decides the run game should be how we win the game....eh.    And if the IND run game controls TOP...then it gets REALLY dicey with how thin our front-7 is.   That's the fallacy - the thin front-7 will likely tempt Hackett in wanting to play a ball control O - but the best way to ball control vs. this IND D is the pass.    God, I hope he & the staff realize this from their short week prep.    On the flip side, be great against the run, and get after Matt Ryan - and keep attacking the ball. 

Edited October 6, 2022 by Broncofan

[paul-mac]

Btw if we lose tonight I think I’ll join the growing list of posters ready to hit the panic button on here. We are already a game behind where I thought we’d be, but I’ve been probably the staunchest defender of Nathaniel Hackett. That ends tonight if we can’t beat the Colts without their best two players at home on a short week. 

[Broncofan]

Every time we run to the right it's a wasted play with our OL until the D's gassed.      So far we've had 4 runs for 1 yards, and a 15 yard scramble by Russ.

The Colts are a TOTAL pass funnel D.   You pass to set up the run.....not run to the right or dive into their teeth on 1st down.   It's mind-boggling that Hackett didn't get the memo pre-game, but hopefully he gets it loud and clear today.

[AnAngryAmerican]

Jeudy needs to high point the ball. He dropped the TD and missed that one. 

[broncosfan_101]

Lord almighty, how many times can a guy run a perfect route and the QB just miss?? Russ has to bend Jeudy towards the sideline instead of going straight over. 

[AnAngryAmerican]

7 minutes ago, AnAngryAmerican said:

Jeudy needs to high point the ball. He dropped the TD and missed that one. 

 

6 minutes ago, broncosfan_101 said:

Lord almighty, how many times can a guy run a perfect route and the QB just miss?? Russ has to bend Jeudy towards the sideline instead of going straight over. 

We saw the same play with different lenses. Looking at it again, I think we’re both right. 

[broncosfan_101]

8 minutes ago, AnAngryAmerican said:

Jeudy needs to high point the ball. He dropped the TD and missed that one. 

Haha on that end zone throw, he couldn’t have even gotten one foot in if he catches the ball.

[broncofan48]

God this offense is hard to watch