Carl Spackler

update: in the first half, better than expected it did not exist in the 2nd half

You mean the fourth-year QB who had DJ Moore as his WR1, a defense that allowed 0 points and he threw two picks in the end zone?

I voiced hours ago the fact that what Colts fans said about him were coming true after one possession of regular season play.

Easily my biggest gripe of the offseason was the lack of a power back. Hated that call by the coach and GM to ignore it, and we're gonna pay for it with a lot of 3rd and 1s that lead to failed 4th and 1s (because Reich hates kickers)

I'd say easily the WRs were the worst, because I'm gonna pin most miscommunications on them, as was the case with Cam in 2011. The OL was fine and the pass rush was better than expected. The QB is a rookie who made some nice plays and a few bad ones, and the run defense was as bad as expected. What surprised me more than anything, by FAR, was how often I was saying "What is Frank Reich thinking"

I think people are going to attach too much blame to the QB throwing to JAGs, because he was the top pick and needs to be the savior. But without adequate weapons, he's gonna struggle, and because he's a rookie, he's gonna struggle on top of that. Take away good targets, and you don't get a lot of success. Ask Pat Mahomes after Thursday night.

I really, really didn't think it was that bad at all (and I hate Alabama, plus Stroud was my No. 1). I think Bryce is immensely likable and his teammates love him (his OL busted their ass for him today). All that aside, he threw a couple bad picks that most rookies throw, and he's gonna throw more, because he doesn't have any weapons who can get open for him and break free for good yardage. Sometimes he's gonna miss throws. And on many occasions, he's gonna find guys for touchdowns. It's one game out of a bunch and he got out of there healthy. I expected a pretty solid beatdown today and for it to have even been as close as it was for as long as it was speaks to how hard the defense played for a while.

Meh, it's one game and he knows it's one game. I'm not rattled by it at all because I know there will be others like this, and the all-22 is likely to display the lack of open WRs on a LOT of balls thrown away. Every QB is gonna miss some throws every game, unless each pass is into the flat like Ridder's were.

I genuinely think Reich told him pregame, "Go out there and sling it, and we can clean up whatever we did wrong," which would explain his first NFL pass into a DAMN tight window to Hurst, for 12 yards, as well as the throw Bates picked off on the next possession. You can have great skills like that, and being a rookie, you're still gonna get picked. He learned afterward and didn't target those areas, but then people got mad at him for not taking the shots that made them mad in the first place.

Sorry, I missed those. I watched every offensive possession bar two in the third, and the intermediate throws he missed were to WRs with a CB and/or S draped all over them. I think you're trying to attribute too much blame to the wrong place, but I'm not able to convince you of that, so you're free to see it that way.

Yeah I thought Bryce was pretty damn solid in the first half, aside from the pick. I attribute that to his making a poor decision coupled with Reich calling a bad play on 2nd and 17 from inside our own 10, and an overall over-aggressive plan from the jump. Reich didn't manage the game well and he probably knows that. I hope so at least.

Looking back on it, I blame him less now than I did earlier. I mean, from a literal sense, two interceptions can easily cost you a game, so yeah -- but to be honest I pegged 2-3 today when I looked at that WR lineup before kickoff. Both picks are on him, but hell, he's a rookie. Cam had what, 5 turnovers his first 2 games, with 5 different skill position players better than Bryce's absolute best? Atlanta could've blitzed more, but they dropped a lot of guys into coverage, and there were no pass-catchers breaking open. I can't pin that on the quarterback. People always blame the QB for losses and from a technical perspective, sure, that's fair. But I watched that game and did not see a bunch of missed throws, missed reads. Guys weren't getting open and he was getting aggravated. By the time he started to roll out of it, the WRs cut off their routes (TMJ) with a DB still in front of them.

He threw two picks on a bad read. What else did he do? Miss a WR once? Can't get blood out of a turnip.

I knew he was never gonna be good bc he's so rattled and laid back, and he's frail and weak when he takes those hits and gets up fine

In addition to JAG weapons courtesy of Shitterer, Young didn't get much help from his coach/playcaller. One thing I'd like to add: Frank Reich, early in the summer, said "We're encouraging Bryce that if it's not there, throw it out of bounds." So if you're thinking he sucks because his completion percentage reflected those throws, pin that one on the coach. In terms of talent at the offensive skill positions (HB/WR/TE), this might be the worst assemblage in franchise history.

I mean, we all were frustrated. Young couldn't find anyone open to get the ball, and he probably knew he was gonna get blamed for that (as he continues to get blamed for it). If he didn't lob it out of bounds, we'd be blaming the OL for 8 sacks, when it was really just good coverage of slow WRs and TEs.

Chuba Hubbard was the game MVP, as everyone knew he would be

Wasn't he 6/6 on two different first-half drives? Sounds like a rattled QB to me

Clearly rattled? When?

Overall, it was an unimpressive but not altogether surprising fourth preseason game. Need another couple weeks of training camp, along with a GM named Dan Morgan

It's very possible that Mingo is the best WR by a mile, and he's awfully similar at this stage to Brandon LaFell (I don't mean that as an insult, LaFell was a passable WR2). Thielen is Football Gordon Hayward, capable of some nice plays but gets open as easily as Ickey Ekwonu if you split him out wide. Chark is Street Clothes. TMJ, after two-plus seasons, gives off major Dwayne Jarrett vibes. Smith-Marsette made two big plays, and both of them were for Atlanta. Miles Sanders' lone big play was a lost fumble. Enjoy your weapons, Bryce. The Huddle's blaming you for not carrying this title-contending lineup of future Canton enshrinees.

I missed part of the third quarter but I counted an overthrow to Mingo on what could've been a bomb, and a lot of incompletions to WRs and RBs who were smothered. I saw two rookie mistakes, which every rookie makes, and an excellent S capitalized on both of them. I can't recall another pass where the wideout was open for a gain, and the ball was way off. TMJ beat his man and stutter-stepped, which was truly impressive. Sometimes I look at these guys around Young and i wonder if they're on his team or not, given how confused they are when on the field. To be fair, the HC seemed confused a lot as well.

But also, hell -- I have a kid, a busy job, I mean this team will win or it won't and it's likely to lose between 10-17 games this season, and I'm just not letting it get to me. They'll get better or they'll not get better than they'll all get replaced

He'll have to get better too, but unlike a lot of the guys out there today, i think he will. But this world is reactionary and we hate everyone who isn't great from Day 1. I expected more, too, but I don't expect anything when I see that ball go out of bounds and there's 2 WRs nearby with 2 DBs draped over them.

Bryce is going to have to succeed in spite of his JAG/USFL wide receivers, his overpaid RB, his sure-handed TE with the speed of a LG, and his coach's love of failed fourth-down attempts