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8 minutes ago, Vito Andolini said:
Quote

In order to be actually confronted with a true quarterback controversy, a team must first possess multiple NFL-caliber quarterbacks. And if we’re being honest, it’s not yet clear whether the Colts have even one starting-level quarterback behind injured Carson Wentz.

But while Jacob Eason will get every opportunity to be the starter during Wentz’s absence, he isn’t the only quarterback in the picture.

And that is because Sam Ehlinger has made it so.

The sixth-round pick from Texas has inserted himself into the conversation in recent days by moving the ball and making impressive decisions while leading the second-team offense.

If the season started today — mercifully, it does not — Eason would be the starting quarterback as Wentz recovers from a foot surgery that will sideline him for between five and 12 weeks. That is not in dispute.

But there’s also agreement on this: Ehlinger is off to a faster start than anticipated and has people within the organization buzzing. Ignore him if you wish, but Ehlinger’s moxie, competitiveness, poise and football intelligence have put him squarely in the mix in this training camp.

Ehlinger made a huge statement by engineering a scoring drive in a late two-minute drill in Tuesday’s practice, punctuating it with a touchdown pass to tight end Farrod Green in traffic.

“I’m really impressed with where Sam is,” coach Frank Reich said. “Not only mentally, but whatever the ‘It’ factor is. It’s not too big for him. You can feel that. He’s got a presence about him. And he has instincts. You can just feel that he has good quarterback instincts. I told him (Tuesday) that it’s very apparent he understands how to keep the game simple. And that’s a big deal.”

The fact that Ehlinger can already handle the mental workload being placed on him and display a level of composure not expected of a late-round pick makes it impossible to overlook him, given the Colts’ quarterback circumstances.

And that aptitude is what has allowed Ehlinger to be the most consistent quarterback so far in this camp.

To be fair, Eason is coming off his best day of camp Wednesday, showing more aggressiveness with intermediate throws and better overall decision-making. Physically, Eason is vastly superior to Ehlinger (and most quarterbacks, really). He’s got the size (6 foot 6) and arm strength that make NFL scouts salivate. Ehlinger has neither.

But Eason’s lack of consistency and accuracy were questions at the college level and will remain questions until they are sufficiently answered. And since the two quarterbacks have skill sets that are, essentially, polar opposite, Ehlinger tends to be strong in areas where Eason is lacking (and vice versa).

“Jacob has an elite arm,” Reich said. “They’re both athletic, but I think Sam is more of a runner. He proved that in college. He makes a lot of plays with his feet. Sam has a good arm but not the elite arm. So, he finds ways to get it done. And when you’re that kind of player, that’s what you do. He’s just very good at that.”

Reich added that Ehlinger’s approach is, “‘How do I simplify this to find a play that I know I can make?’ Jacob on the other hand, we want him to do that same thing, but Jacob has an upside. That’s the one thing with a guy who has that kind of arm strength. There’s certain things that you can do with that kind of arm talent that money can’t buy. But you just have to be able to execute consistently enough to give yourself the opportunities for those big-play capabilities to show.”

That last line is as important as anything Reich said there. It’s an acknowledgment that Eason has work to do when it comes to executing with consistency.

Ehlinger, meanwhile, understands that elite execution will need to be his meal ticket because of his physical limitations.

“You have to have a plan at the line of scrimmage,” Ehlinger said. “Sometimes in college, you come up and you say, ‘I don’t really know where I’m going, but I’m going to look for an open guy.’ But it happens too fast at this level to do that. And I think that’s what separates the good quarterbacks from the great quarterbacks. They always have a plan.”

If you’re making a case for Ehlinger to play in Wentz’s stead, this is perhaps the question to address: Would a game-manager quarterback be a better option under the current scenario? The answer might depend on the individual, but there’s a discussion to be had.

In other words, with the Colts still holding out hope that Wentz’s absence will be brief, there’s an argument to be made that a quarterback of Ehlinger’s profile — one who will make the quick read and deliver the ball but likely make fewer big plays — is preferable. Might a more decisive quarterback give Reich the ability to game plan around a quick-passing game that would allow a young quarterback to make fewer reads and, theoretically, make fewer mistakes? This might be something the Colts need to consider.

There’s also another potential advantage to playing Ehlinger in place of Wentz. His mobility might be an asset given the current state of the offensive line. There’s still no timeline on the debut of left tackle Eric Fisher (Achilles). Left guard Quenton Nelson underwent foot surgery Tuesday and will miss between five and 12 weeks.

Ehlinger has the ability to escape pressure and can turn broken plays into positive ones with his running ability. He had many games at Texas last season where he displayed this, including one against Oklahoma in which he rushed for 112 yards. Ehlinger rushed for 1,903 yards in his college career, during which he started 43 games.

The notion of playing Ehlinger does not come without downsides. His lack of elite arm strength will complicate things for him at the NFL level. Defenders break on the football with such speed and anticipation that he will need to be particularly judicious with his throws to avoid turnovers. And winning without big plays is a difficult proposition in the NFL. From what Ehlinger has displayed so far in camp, he doesn’t seem likely to produce many chunk plays.

But if you’re looking for the steadier player among the Colts quarterbacks currently in play, Ehlinger has been that guy up to this point.

Ultimately, the balance of training camp and the upcoming preseason will decide this. The Colts will likely give Eason significant playing time in the preseason opener against Carolina. If Ehlinger continues his strong performance in camp, it will be interesting to see whether he is afforded any snaps with the first-team offense. That would reveal more about him since he is currently facing mostly the second-team defense in practice.

This could boil down to the choice of a boom-or-bust quarterback with big-play potential (Eason) versus a more predictable and consistent quarterback with a lower ceiling (Ehlinger).

What the Colts have right now isn’t really a quarterback controversy. Instead, think of it as a quarterback conversation.

A conversation that Ehlinger, suddenly, is right in the thick of.

 

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17 minutes ago, bar said:

 

Sometimes... just sometimes, good things happen to good people.

 

 

Get Em Sam

On 8/2/2021 at 5:43 PM, The Dude said:

A report?


image.gif.448fe56808181a715e0146d77bed84e8.gif

On 8/2/2021 at 5:43 PM, The Dude said:

A report?

 

22 minutes ago, Sawbonz said:


image.gif.448fe56808181a715e0146d77bed84e8.gif

 

5imsis.gif

On 8/2/2021 at 5:17 PM, SHOOTER12 said:

I can be Sam's new step-daddy?  Please??

Get in line behind me, dude.  She's awesomely milfy.

The Colts really want Eason to be the guy. https://www.1075thefan.com/kevins-sports-news/colts/day-8-colts-training-camp-notebook-xavier-rhodes-makes-camp-debut/

 

Quote

 

  • After a nice start, it wasn’t a great day for Jacob Eason. He was 9-of-16 in team work and struggled when the offense was backed up against its own goal line. Eason completed passes to Zach Pascal 2x, Jordan Thomas 2x, Nyheim Hines 2x, Jonathan Taylor, Marlon Mack and Jack Doyle. In a later drill in the red zone, you saw the good and bad with Eason’s big arm strength. His ball placement was a tad off on a pass to Jonathan Taylor in the red zone, and with his velocity, the running back couldn’t secure the pass. But later in the red zone, you saw Eason rifle one to Zach Pascal in the end zone, with the ball fitting into a small window for the TD. This is where Eason must harness that arm strength and continue to try to master pre-snap reads, thus knowing early in a play where to go with the football.
  • Sam Ehlinger had another solid day, going 10-of-14 in 11-on-11 sessions. In particular, Ehlinger was much better on Friday in the sessions with both offenses backed up against their goal lines. Ehlinger is stringing together consistent performances with the second-team offense. Hearing someone ask the question of Does Ehlinger deserve a starting session in a practice? isn’t the craziest thought.
  • One area where offensive coordinator Marcus Brady has seen Jacob Eason grow with these starting reps has been in reading progressions. Brady said the play he was most pleased with from Eason on Friday was where the quarterback quickly identified that the ball needed to be checked down to a running back. The play got the Colts a positive gain, and was a glimpse into the steps that the staff wants to see from Eason. It might look simple, but that’s what the Colts need to see.
  • Brady did note that rookie Sam Ehilnger is a faster processor than Jacob Eason. That’s not too surprising given their collegiate experience, with Ehlinger playing in 46 games and Eason playing in 29 games.

 

 

Proud of Sam! He’s doing everything he possibly can and impressing the coaching staff. 

arm strength is fool’s good in the NFL. How many J’marcus Russell’s do we need to see?

You need enough arm talent but poise and accuracy are critical. You dont just develop those.

In Sam’s 2018 campaign, we saw him crush blitzes and convert on 3rd and longs. That was also the year he had a full complement of receivers.

6 more practices until the preseason game with the Panthers. Eason (from the training camp write ups sounds very much like Paxton or Brock to me—perhaps a bit better) didn’t have many reps at all with the team last year and I know bc of his size and arm many of the fans were hoping he’d be much better. Sam has not only closed the gap he seems in most ways to be surpassing Eason. I hope he gets some first team reps. But the coaches are all impressed with Sam and how quickly he’s picking everything up. It would be cool if he could be like a Brees type for them.

 

Weekly Camp Schedule

-Saturday: 10:00-11:30 Practice

-Sunday: 10:00-11:45 Practice

-Monday Off day

-Tuesday: 10:00-11:45 Practice

-Wednesday: 10:00-11:20 Practice

-Thursday: 4:00-6:00 Joint practice with Panthers

-Friday: 4:00-6:00 Joint practice with Panthers

-Saturday: Off day

-Sunday: Preseason game vs. Panthers (1:00 PM)

He was a battering ram in college, and had the AC Joints and ribs to prove it. Simply remaining healthy would physically allow him to deliver a crisper ball. I suspect there’s some decent zip on his passes, just not the “Wow” throws you get from guys like Mahomes, Rodgers or Josh Allen. You always want to see if you can develop the big arm guy, but anticipation and knowing your reads can get the job done, and stay away from certain routes.

It sounds like Eason may be like Dallas’ DiNucci, who McCarthy apparently loves due to his natural ability. If you watched him last night, he was pretty much ass. I look forward to checking out a Colts’ preseason game and watching Sam and Eason. But I’m not under any illusion Ehlinger is being considered for the starting job this year, it’s just too big a stretch. But I’m extremely gruntled to read he’s doing well in camp. Maybe one day he’ll be the man, he’s got a great opportunity learning under Reich.

According to Stephen Holder of The Athletic, the rookie out of Texas has people in the organization buzzing.

“Ehlinger is off to a faster start than anticipated and has people within the organization buzzing. Ignore him if you wish, but Ehlinger’s moxie, competitiveness, poise and football intelligence have put him squarely in the mix in this training camp,” wrote Holder.

Head coach Frank Reich has also been impressed with the way Ehlinger has started out camp.

“I’m really impressed with where Sam (Ehlinger) is. Not only mentally but just whatever the ‘it’ factor is. It’s not too big for him, you can feel that. He’s got a presence about him and he has instincts,” Reich told reporters Wednesday. “You can feel that he has good quarterback instincts. He understands. I told him yesterday, it’s very apparent he understands how to keep the game simple and that’s a big deal. He does a good job of that.”

QBs with cannons that can't play have always been dime a dozen in the NFL.

Sam's arm isn't elite but it's better than it looked when his body was falling apart his last few years here from Mensa's ingenious use of QBs in the run game. It's good enough for the NFL.

Edited by Bevo14

19 minutes ago, Nicole44 said:

According to Stephen Holder of The Athletic, the rookie out of Texas has people in the organization buzzing.

“Ehlinger is off to a faster start than anticipated and has people within the organization buzzing. Ignore him if you wish, but Ehlinger’s moxie, competitiveness, poise and football intelligence have put him squarely in the mix in this training camp,” wrote Holder.

Head coach Frank Reich has also been impressed with the way Ehlinger has started out camp.

“I’m really impressed with where Sam (Ehlinger) is. Not only mentally but just whatever the ‘it’ factor is. It’s not too big for him, you can feel that. He’s got a presence about him and he has instincts,” Reich told reporters Wednesday. “You can feel that he has good quarterback instincts. He understands. I told him yesterday, it’s very apparent he understands how to keep the game simple and that’s a big deal. He does a good job of that.”

The problem with these type write-ups is that one does not know if it is real or just kool-aid by writers trying to get clicks. Hope it is the former and not the later.

On 8/4/2021 at 3:46 PM, Nicole44 said:

“Sam is coming along quickly,” Milanovich says. “The mental part of the game, grasping the offense has come faster than most rookies, especially with not having a whole lot of an offseason. He’s progressing quickly. We are happy with his progression.


It's almost like Sam had plenty of practice learning a new offense from a new offensive coordinator during his time at Texas.

How many offensive coordinators did Sam play under?

I'm sure that Shane Buechele is also picking up KC's offense much more quickly than most rookies. It's become old hat.

I'm actually to see Sam NOT used as a battering ram in the preseason. We have no idea what he looks like NOT playing hurt.

4 minutes ago, Napoleon said:


It's almost like Sam had plenty of practice learning a new offense from a new offensive coordinator during his time at Texas.

How many offensive coordinators did Sam play under?

I'm sure that Shane Buechele is also picking up KC's offense much more quickly than most rookies. It's become old hat.

I'm actually to see Sam NOT used as a battering ram in the preseason. We have no idea what he looks like NOT playing hurt.

QB Power isn't the entire 3rd down package?

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Live look at Sam battling Easton for the starting QB job

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53 minutes ago, Bevo14 said:

QBs with cannons that can't play have always been dime a dozen in the NFL.

Sam's arm isn't elite but it's better than it looked when his body was falling apart his last few years here from Mensa's ingenious use of QBs in the run game. It's good enough for the NFL.

How does Sam's arm compare to Brees?

23 minutes ago, Cairn Horn88 said:

How does Sam's arm compare to Brees?


If you're talking Westlake QBs, shouldn't you throw in Nick Foles as well?


Serious note:

I feel like Brees' release is very quick and yet he still had (before a year or two ago) a decent amount of zip. I feel like for Sam to have the same zip, he needs more of a wind up. Don't know how hard the quick release throws are.

Edited by Napoleon

Brees had a really strong arm. 

It seems some of the Colts writers are trying to paint Sam as some Checkdown Charlie, and I know his arm strength was a knock in the scouting reports, but I think he has the physical tools to play at that level. He’s just not a guy who will blow you away with arm talent. But he’s making them take notice of his ballsiness, leadership and ability to learn and translate that to the practice field. Which can earn you a 8-10 year job in some capacity, as it has Colt. Maybe he gets a chance to start somewhere along the way.

 

Edited by bar

2 hours ago, bar said:

 

Wow. 1st reps. They said that may not happen…Sam is killing it. He’s been one of the biggest stories in all the camps this year for rookies. Hell ya! 

 

Wow. I was pretty bullish that he would carve out a place in the league but no way did I expect he’d be able to play his way into an actual qb competition for a starting spot before his first preseason game. 

He got drafted into a good situation (Eason sucks) and the injury to Wentz changed things, but still. Good for him, would be incredible to see him win the job until Wentz returns. 

That tells me that this is a real competition and Sam could possibly win it. 

He just has to keep doing what he’s doing. It’s his first day with the ones and they let him close out practice with the ones. The Colts fan forum is riddled with Eason homers so I pretty much stay away from there. How you can be happy because Sam struggled a bit his first time with the ones is beyond me. 
 

 

Can’t wait until Sunday’s preseason game. Tomorrow a big practice because Thursday and Friday they’ll scrimmage with the Panthers. Hope Sam can take advantage of every rep he gets with the ones tomorrow. 🤘🏼🤘🏼

Man…two weeks ago barely a mention of Sam…google his name now! Let’s go Sam! Keep grinding! 
 

“The Colts' ongoing storyline at quarterback took a slight turn on Tuesday with rookie Sam Ehlinger seeing reps with the first-team offense. It was the first time the sixth-round QB worked with the first-team offense, according to The Athletic's Zak Keefer, and with that Ehlinger also saw a starting NFL defense for the first time. In the wake of Carson Wentz's foot injury, it was second-year QB Jacob Eason taking those reps up until his point. The two split the starting reps on Tuesday and will do so for the remainder of the week including the team's oncoming joint practices with the Panthers. "It wasn’t Jacob (Eason) doing anything wrong," Reich told reporters after practice, per The Athletic's Stephen Holder. "This is a meritocracy and Sam (Ehlinger) has looked good so we decided to split it up. The good news is they both looked sharp today. We’ll continue to split those reps." Ehlinger, who started three seasons at Texas, has shown pocket poise and an effective ability to run the ball during his college years, which is an aspect that could potentially separate himself from Eason. It's still unclear how long the Colts will be without Wentz, but coach Frank Reich and the Colts have maintained their desire to roll with what they have at QB before making any drastic moves. Tuesday's development will certainly lead to speculation of an all-out QB competition between Eason and Ehlinger for the right to start Week 1 should Wentz remain absent.”

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nfl.com/_amp/training-camp-buzz-2021-august-10
 

Colts have a brutal schedule the first few weeks in the regular season. It makes me think Carson will be ready sooner than 12 weeks for sure. Maybe the 3-5 window. Sam just has to give it everything he has. Man, Colts are gonna make me buy a tshirt aren’t they? 

On 8/6/2021 at 2:46 PM, Napoleon said:


It's almost like Sam had plenty of practice learning a new offense from a new offensive coordinator during his time at Texas.

How many offensive coordinators did Sam play under?

I'm sure that Shane Buechele is also picking up KC's offense much more quickly than most rookies. It's become old hat.

I'm actually to see Sam NOT used as a battering ram in the preseason. We have no idea what he looks like NOT playing hurt.

Huh? He only played under 2 OCs and ran Herman’s system the whole time, so he ran the same offense all four years here. 

On 8/6/2021 at 3:52 PM, Vito Andolini said:

Brees had a really strong arm. 

It seems some of the Colts writers are trying to paint Sam as some Checkdown Charlie, and I know his arm strength was a knock in the scouting reports, but I think he has the physical tools to play at that level. He’s just not a guy who will blow you away with arm talent. But he’s making them take notice of his ballsiness, leadership and ability to learn and translate that to the practice field. Which can earn you a 8-10 year job in some capacity, as it has Colt. Maybe he gets a chance to start somewhere along the way.

Sam’s arm strength plus slow release is absolutely a physical limitation for him, but you’re right that he has the other things needed to have a long NFL career and hopefully get some starting opportunities mixed in there. 

51 minutes ago, Nicole44 said:

That tells me that this is a real competition and Sam could possibly win it. 

Sam absolutely can. Eason is fucking terrible. He’s big and has a big arm. That’s it. He’s not good at football and never has been. 
 

I think the real question for Sam starting is whether they bring someone else in, like Foles. 

3 minutes ago, Nicole44 said:

Man…two weeks ago barely a mention of Sam…google his name now! Let’s go Sam! Keep grinding! 
 

“The Colts' ongoing storyline at quarterback took a slight turn on Tuesday with rookie Sam Ehlinger seeing reps with the first-team offense. It was the first time the sixth-round QB worked with the first-team offense, according to The Athletic's Zak Keefer, and with that Ehlinger also saw a starting NFL defense for the first time. In the wake of Carson Wentz's foot injury, it was second-year QB Jacob Eason taking those reps up until his point. The two split the starting reps on Tuesday and will do so for the remainder of the week including the team's oncoming joint practices with the Panthers. "It wasn’t Jacob (Eason) doing anything wrong," Reich told reporters after practice, per The Athletic's Stephen Holder. "This is a meritocracy and Sam (Ehlinger) has looked good so we decided to split it up. The good news is they both looked sharp today. We’ll continue to split those reps." Ehlinger, who started three seasons at Texas, has shown pocket poise and an effective ability to run the ball during his college years, which is an aspect that could potentially separate himself from Eason. It's still unclear how long the Colts will be without Wentz, but coach Frank Reich and the Colts have maintained their desire to roll with what they have at QB before making any drastic moves. Tuesday's development will certainly lead to speculation of an all-out QB competition between Eason and Ehlinger for the right to start Week 1 should Wentz remain absent.”

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nfl.com/_amp/training-camp-buzz-2021-august-10
 

Colts have a brutal schedule the first few weeks in the regular season. It makes me think Carson will be ready sooner than 12 weeks for sure. Maybe the 3-5 window. Sam just has to give it everything he has. Man, Colts are gonna make me buy a tshirt aren’t they? 

If Sam starts, I'm ordering Sam's jersey from DHgate and becoming a Colts fan again.  I was a fan of them when Luck was there because I thought Luck was hilarious and such a fun guy to watch play.  I'm mainly a cowboys fan but if Sam becomes QB1, they will become my new AFC team.  

15 minutes ago, Tex48 said:

If Sam starts, I'm ordering Sam's jersey from DHgate and becoming a Colts fan again.  I was a fan of them when Luck was there because I thought Luck was hilarious and such a fun guy to watch play.  I'm mainly a cowboys fan but if Sam becomes QB1, they will become my new AFC team.  

Yup.

It would definitely encourage me to watch a cowboys game just so i can watch the announcers drag ehlingers nutts all over jerry jones poor draft choices 

Been waiting for the old man to give it up for almost 20 years now 

 

3 hours ago, Tex48 said:

If Sam starts, I'm ordering Sam's jersey from DHgate and becoming a Colts fan again.  I was a fan of them when Luck was there because I thought Luck was hilarious and such a fun guy to watch play.  I'm mainly a cowboys fan but if Sam becomes QB1, they will become my new AFC team.  

If Sam starts, I'll watch a regular season NFL game.

Edited by Bevo14

On 8/6/2021 at 3:52 PM, Vito Andolini said:

Brees had a really strong arm. 

It seems some of the Colts writers are trying to paint Sam as some Checkdown Charlie, and I know his arm strength was a knock in the scouting reports, but I think he has the physical tools to play at that level. He’s just not a guy who will blow you away with arm talent. But he’s making them take notice of his ballsiness, leadership and ability to learn and translate that to the practice field. Which can earn you a 8-10 year job in some capacity, as it has Colt. Maybe he gets a chance to start somewhere along the way.

I always felt Sam's arm strength was just fine and many of his issues came back to coaching. Sam seemed to fail anticipating when a receiver was going to come free and instead waited for the receiver to actually come free and on top of it had a bit of a wind up. To me those two things affected his accuracy, so many of his short throws were behind the receiver and long throws were short. If they are saying Sam has better anticipation than Easton than the new coaching has started to pay off for Sam or Easton really sucks.

man it would be fun to watch Sam play on a Sunday 🤘

6 minutes ago, mchookem said:

man it would be fun to watch Sam play on a Sunday 🤘

It would be awesome. No shit. I think oddly enough he will be playing. 

Tricky spot.  He’s probably better off sitting for a year or two and learning from Reich.  On the other hand, he needs to beat out Eason to firmly claim the backup job when Wentz is healthy and avoid practice squad duty.   I really don’t want to see him thrown to the wolves, which is what is going to happen to whoever wins the job if they don’t pick up a vet.  I think Sam can have a nice NFL career, but I think getting thrown into the fire immediately might cause more harm than good.

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