Three quarters through the NFL season, the Colts’ season is already over. But do not fret, because here at FPC we will continue to provide the best Colts coverage on the internet. In this roundtable, the FPC Colts staff will discuss everything from Andrew Luck to the Super Bowl.
Meet The Participants
Ben Pfeifer – FPC Colts Managing Editor, FPC AFC South Divisional Editor
Jesse Pierson – FPC Colts writer
Mateo Caliz – FPC Colts writer
Jack Yonover – FPC Colts writer
Maxx Hotton – FPC Colts writer
Zach Sears – FPC Colts writer
Question One: Here at FPC, we are going to have plenty of new readers. Tell them a little bit about yourself, and the best way to contact you.
Ben Pfeifer – I am a passionate Colts fan from Los Angeles and an aspiring sports journalist. I have been a Colts fan for all my life, and have despised the Patriots for the same amount of time.
Jesse Pierson – I teach special education and coach high school football here in Indianapolis. I’ve been going to Colts games for as long as I can remember, and my dad has had season tickets since the team first moved here in 1984. My sense of humor is as dry as a cotton ball in a desert, so hopefully you can pick up on that in my writing.
You can find me on Twitter and Instagram @jessetpierson, and you can like my Facebook page: Jesse Pierson, Mediocre Writer.
Mateo Caliz – I am a Colts fan all the way down from Argentina. I have a passion both for football and statistics, and have been a Colts fan for the past 6 years.
Jack Yonover – My name is Jack Yonover and I used to run the Colts Universe Instagram page. My family has had season tickets for the last 34 seasons.
Maxx Hotton – Born and raised in New York, I am a 2017 graduate of Wake Forest University (Go Deacs), a Yankee, Knicks, Islanders, and Colts fan. I became a Colts fan back in the Jim Mora days and had enjoyed all the ups and downs the Colts have had over the years. I love draft season in the NFL so you will see plenty of scouting reports and mock drafts from me. You can find me on Instagram and Twitter (@getinhottonhere), and my Facebook (Maxx Hotton).
Zach Sears – I’m Zach Sears, yes like the store. There’s nothing to really know about me except that I’m a die hard football freak. I probably could name almost every starter on every team and most back ups.
Question Two: What do the Colts have to gain in the games during the last quarter of the season?
Ben Pfeifer – Besides the obvious draft position, which will benefit the Colts greatly in the future, the Colts need to gain a bit of pride, dignity, and confidence heading into the offseason and eventually next season. This team just does not seem to care; players calling each other out, lackluster performances galore. The Colts could really use a win or two to boost confidence heading into the all important offseason.
Jesse Pierson – Draft position! The last thing they need is to win a meaningless handful of games and push their draft slot out of the top 10. Lose out, and they’re in the top five; they need to stay there. Further than that, though, they can gain a good understanding of who and what their roster is (short answer: it’s crap). Chris Ballard needs to know which players he can build around moving forward and which ones need to be shown the door. Ditto with coaches (assistants only–Pagano is a gone-o).
Mateo Caliz – The Colts should stick to their current “plan”. Even though its tedious and depressing to just keep losing, the Colts need to lose in order to get better. This roster is in dire need of an infusion of talent and a top five draft pick would help greatly.
Jack Yonover – The Colts are playing to lose, but also to raise Jacoby Brissett’s value and give experience to rookies. Brissett needs to play at a level that will compel a quarterback needy team to trade some valuable draft picks for. For rookies like Quincy Wilson and Nate Hairston, they will be given starting roles likely the last few games of the season which should prepare them to be future starters.
Maxx Hotton – Just like in good real estate, its all about location, location, location! The only good things that can happen to finish out the season is that a new coaching staff comes in and the young players start to develop. 2017 is a lost season for the Colts but staying in the top five as opposed to the top ten is enormous, as the trade opportunities significantly increase and the bust potential of players selected greatly decrease.
Zach Sears – The Colts can gain a lot of knowledge by seeing if players deserve contracts and who needs to be fired.
Question Three: We all know Andrew Luck’s health is a major concern. What do the Colts do in the event that Luck is never the same?
Ben Pfeifer – Well, ****. In all seriousness, the Colts will need to make a decision regarding Andrew Luck. If Luck can come back and play at a level similar to that which he played before, than building the roster becomes a heck of a lot easier. Add a few good offensive linemen, another star receiver, and some defensive playmakers, and you have a bonafide Super Bowl contender. If Luck never recovers, the Colts will have to build from the ground up.
Jesse Pierson – They have to have a full evaluation completed by the end of March, if not sooner. If Luck is still having difficulty throwing, they probably need to move on. With the fourth pick in the draft (which is where they’re currently slotted), the team can grab whichever quarterback they like the most, assuming he isn’t gone already. They like Jacoby Brissett, so maybe they wait until the middle rounds to take a backup and hitch their wagon to Brissett. Either scenario is worse than Luck just returning to form in January or February, of course.
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Mateo Caliz – The Colts need to assess Lucks’ status in the offseason. If they realize he just is not the same, then the Colts should try to trade him while he still has some value and stick with Brissett, who has proven he has the traits of a decent starting quarterback, with plenty of room to grow. If Luck is in good shape, then the Colts can acquire more assets by trading Brissett. I have complete faith in Chris Ballard that he will handle the quarterback situation accordingly.
Jack Yonover – In that case, Grigson, Pagano, and Irsay should be charged with felonies.
Maxx Hotton – Curl up in the corner and bawl my eyes out, but seriously the best thing for the Colts to do is stay calm. Emotions would be high, and blame would be thrown around the entire franchise, but if the worst does happen, the Colts need to bide their time and build a team right this time. Making a contender and then adding a quarterback would be the best move for the Colts at that point.
Zach Sears – Same thing the Colts did when they thought Manning wasn’t the same. Either keep Brissett or draft a quarterback; we all know how good the Colts are at that. (Johnny Unitas, John Elway, Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck)
Question Four: Who is the Colts’ MVP through three quarters of the season?
Ben Pfeifer – My MVP vote goes to Rashaan Melvin. Before his injury, he was the shutdown corner that the Colts have been missing since 2014 Vontae Davis. Melvin has shut down elite receivers such as Larry Fitzgerald, and has made plays all season. He will continue to be the leader of this young, promising secondary for years to come.
Jesse Pierson – Anthony Castonzo has played well individually, but his position group has struggled mightily. Jabaal Sheard has been a very good run defender, but his pass rush is missing in action (to be fair, that has never been his strong suit, and it isn’t why he was signed as a free agent). T.Y. Hilton has had some great games, but he has been absent in others. The point is that even the best Colts players have been inconsistent. The Most Valuable Player is Andrew Luck, because this team is awful without him to hold things together.
Mateo Caliz – There is no clear candidate for this, after the first 4 weeks Simon would have been the pick, then Sheard performed greatly, but the most consistent player throughout the season has been Castonzo. It is sad knowing that he will most likely be traded in the offseason, but is probably for the best. My MVP award would go to GM Chris Ballard, who proved to be the right guy to rebuild the Colts.
Jack Yonover – Rashaan Melvin. He’s played at a near elite level and has been the main reason opposing offenses can’t air out like they used too against this defense.
Maxx Hotton – Although he may not be the best performing Colt so far, Jacoby Brissett is my pick for Colts MVP. Brissett has just taken the punishment for the whole season for a team that won’t be able to start him come 2018 and has played admirably. He has done the best he can with the least amount of help from his teammates and his coaching staff.
Zach Sears – In my eyes the MVP for the Colts would have to be the underrated and steal of the draft, Nate Hairston. Hairston has had multiple sacks, an interception, and multiple pass deflections. This kid is a future star in the slot corner position.
Question Five: Finally, who is going to win the Superbowl?
Ben Pfeifer – Coming from a Colts fan, predicting the Saints (remember 2009?) to win the title is probably some form of Tabuu, but it has to be done. This team is red hot, and has all of the things that the Saints have missed for so many years. Over the last decade, the Saints have been an elite team with an elite, Drew Brees led passing attack and nothing else. This season, the Saints possess an elite, two-headed rushing attack, and a very solid defense. New Orleans is really, really, scary.
Jesse Pierson – New Orleans has been impressive all year. Their three losses are to teams currently leading their divisions (Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, and Los Angeles Rams), which is a cause for concern in the playoffs. However, their style of play is unlike other Saints teams of the last decade. They run the ball like crazy, they play defense well enough (they are middle of the pack in most statistical categories), and they still have Drew Brees and Sean Payton. Plus, they’ve been there before…remember, Colts fans? :/
Mateo Caliz – Sadly, the Patriots are poised for yet another Superbowl victory. Tom Brady and that offense have looked unstoppable, Bellichick is nearly unbeatable in the playoffs, and I see no team that currently has a chance of beating them.
Jack Yonover – The Eagles have the best offensive line in football. For that reason, they will win the Super Bowl. Let that soak in, Colts fans.
Maxx Hotton – I hate to say it, but the Patriots will probably win back to back and three in four years…..again. No one in the AFC has proved that they can challenge the New England, and I think the youth of the NFC powerhouse teams in 2017 will falter if they face Bill Belichick in the Super Bowl. The Patriots have quietly turned their defense into a top ten scoring unit, and Brady is as good as ever. I hope to be wrong, but I see a rematch of Super Bowl 39 as the Pats beat the Eagles in Minnesota.
Zach Sears – Tams like the Steelers, Patriots, and Eagles are all favorites, but I feel the former 7-9 / 9-7 Rams will make a surprise run to the Super Bowl and shockingly win over the Jaguars, both teams that have come out of no where.
