Battle Red Blog
It’s hard to say people in this business are friends. Some of us are, but most of us are casual colleagues that run into each other every now and then. I have been doing this five questions feature for four or five years now. Chris Shepard from Stampede Blue has been a constant throughout that time and is one of the nicest guys in the business. We traded questions again even though he undoubtedly is in the mood just to get this season over with.
There can be no doubt that the Colts finish to the season has been about as disastrous as one could imagine. The mortgaged the future for Sauce Gardner when they traded two first rounders for him at the trade deadline. He has been in and out of the lineup and the Colts haven’t won since the Texans defeated them the first time around. We saw a 44 year old quarterback come back from high school coaching and a comeback player of the year nominee go down with an Achilles tendon tear. As a fan of football in general, my heart goes out to any Colts fan. As unprecedented as these events were, the business of football moves on and we started on the business end of things in our conversation.
Battle Red Blog: The Colts got off to such a blistering start and faded down the stretch. Will there be in blowback for Shane Steichen or Chris Ballard?
Chris Shepard: It’s difficult to know what’s going to happen this off-season. Carlie Irsay-Gordon is making those decisions now and anyone who tells you they can get a read on her and what she intends to do, is lying.
In the past under Jim, at least one of them would be losing their job. In my opinion, as much as I respect Chris Ballard and the way he’s handled everything that’s come his way and the way he treats his people, his job is to assemble a team that wins games and he just hasn’t gotten the job done.
Steichen, with a healthy Daniel Jones (a quarterback he seemingly rehabilitated) had the best offense in the league for more than half the season. I personally don’t know what you gain by moving on from him when he has a chance to run that offense back with a hopefully healthy Jones.
I do see a possibility that Irsay-Gordon decides to move on from Ballard and Steichen and promote Lou Anarumo. Though I don’t think this one is likely, based on what CIG has said about Lou, it could happen.
BRB: What do you foresee the future being at quarterback? Have they completely given up on Richardson? Will they run it back with Jones or try to go in a different direction?
CS: When camp broke last year and Jones was named the starter, Chris Ballard had his annual pre-season press conference. Ballard is usually guarded but honest in his answers. When asked about Richardson he said they still...
