I am going to look at this question from the thought process that we will be signing Daniel Jones to a contract for some yet to be determined length and dollar amount. I may lose some of you with that declaration, but I struggle to endorse a different route. Of course the DJ injury brings a lot of variables to the process. How long is the contract? How much will you pay him? Will he be ready to go week 1? How does this effect Anthony Richardson? Who makes the decision? Who coaches him?
With DJ in the fold, the possibility exists that he can’t be under center when we start playing games for real next season. Personally, I think he will be ready, but expecting that result would be a neglectful route to take. When the role of the backup QB is discussed, the most likely and best result is to have one that, “can hold down the fort” for a limited amount of games. I think the signing of Rivers took away an opportunity to discover if Leonard was the right person for that role. It would have been the exact thing you hoped to find out in a limited, but impactful stretch of games.
I have no delusions that RL has all the tools in his belt to emerge as QB1 on a team that would make a deep run. I don’t think that he has the arm talent for that. I did see him play his last game of college being completely outmanned. He at minimum, showed moxie. I believe he has all of the tools to be an above average backup, but he needs meaningful game action, which was taken away from him by “The last act of a desperate man”. I know that there is a Blazing Saddles fan who is quoting Howard Johnson and saying “I don’t care if it the first act of Henry the V”, but maybe it is too old of a reference.
To go back and answer the question in the title, I think there are a few things we can watch for, as it pertains to next season. Obviously, if Leonard can show some level of command of the offense against a Houston defense with something to play for, he could establish himself as QB2 and be trusted with the team until it is deemed that DJ is ready. Especially with many #1 reps in training camp. That would allow you to get the failed AR experience off your hands and 10 mil in cap space off your books. Could AR make you look stupid for letting him go? Absolutely, but I am endorsing a new GM and HC, so I would also move on from a player that has sparked more controversy than results.
What else could be seen this week? I’d pull Franklin and put a green do on someone else’s helmet. I’d play Carlies, even if he sucks. It is time to find out if he has any value at all? I’d play JTT for 75% of the snaps and see if he provides a better option than Paye. I’d play and call Dulin’s number more, with an eye towards giving him more money and a more active role. Pittman doesn’t take the field for me at a 29 mil price tag next year, so audition Dulin in that role. I feel Dulin has been the ultimate Colt and deserves to be paid as such.
I know that you can’t do it without announcing a coaching firing, but I’d like to see Cooter calling the plays on offense. I’m promoting Dodds to GM and Lou to HC, so I want to see if JBC calling plays has a positive or negative effect on the offense. Again, I think this is three weeks late in coming, but I’d like a glimpse. Maybe Steichen has a better feel for the game and awareness of the entirety of a game, if he is not calling games? It’s not like he couldn’t have some input on the offense as the HC.
If I were to see those moves on Sunday, I would feel better about the direction from top to bottom.
As for my visit to LOS last week, it was a good time! Some things were different, including borrowing a smart phone to show tickets to get into the game. I ordered a beer and went for my wallet, only to discover that I could not pay with cash. I also have no clue how much I paid for my 25 ounce can of Bud Light? I know that I okayed a 20% tip, but I won’t know the price I paid, until I get the statement. I also thought that the fun that was had on the big screens, during commercial breaks, was an improvement over what I witnessed some 16 years ago.
A couple of things that were not different included my mastery of watching the game. I have never stepped on the field as a kicker, but I was able to add a few missed extra points to my retired record. As someone who used to consume mass quantities, pee breaks were frequent and had to be timed, as to miss the smallest amount of the game. For this reason, I always left for the RR as soon as someone scored a TD. This small maneuver sees you finish your business and be back in your seat, long before the kickoff happens. Only one time in 26 years, did I miss the blocked kick that was returned for two points for the other team. They will still be showing replays of the TD when you get back, so nothing really missed.
You also have to be aware of how much time is left in the quarters and until the 2:00 minute warning. If you are watching the clock, you can leave your seat as a play finishes. You will be at the RR by the time the clock stops. This will see you done with your business and heading back to your seat, as others are coming toward you. I pulled this off at the 2:00 warning of the first half and didn’t miss a play, nor fight the halftime crowd in the concourse. I did the same at the end of the 3rd quarter. I didn’t consume mass quantities, but I did have two of those 25 oz. beers, so I was happy that my muscle memory for RR breaks did kick in.
The crowd had not changed that much. You should not have to be reminded that it is third down and to make more noise than usual. I always subscribed to the mentality that if the crowd made enough noise on first and second down, being extra loud on third down might not even be needed. Yes, I was that guy that many of you might have wished would have shut up. I was always happy to get a “stander” in front of me for a game. I would not put the people behind in a bad position by standing up for an entire game, but I’d sure as hell stand up to see over the person standing in front of me.
I know that we didn’t exactly have a lot to cheer for, following the Texans win on Saturday night, and the people who did come out to the game did cheer it up pretty good, but I have felt being a negative presence for an opponent, and it just doesn’t happen enough. I do not think that Indy is ever going to be mentioned as one of those buildings or venues that you really hate to go to as an opponent. I guess that mediocrity from the team has fostered mediocrity from the crowd. Could it be the other way around?
I think that I will never leave my Southeaster North Carolina home, for a return to the heartland, but if I did, I think I would leave attending games to the young. Of course that is no slam-dunk for crowd noise, as the two guys in their late 20’s or early 30’s who were sitting behind me, we far more interested in the other games streaming on their phone. This wasn’t an option in my day, but the younger version of me, might have reminded them that they were missing a perfectly good game right in front on them. To each their own.
As I sign off, I have a simple question. Does it matter to the coaches, players, brass, or even to us fans, if we have a winning record or not?
