Each week Womens Malik Hooker Jersey , I will look to break down two of the best or worst plays (or situations) from the previous game, but I’ll need your help deciding what plays should be given a closer look as I hope to explain what happened in greater detail than the broadcasters can. Often you’ll hear “how did that guy get so open?” and I hope to be able to answer that question for Colts fans this season.This weeks poll winners were the Eagles goal line stand that by essentially ended any real chance of a Colts victory and also the penalties that extended the Eagles 11 minute drive in the fourth quarter. I’m going to start with this weeks winner, the drive extending penalties. The first of the drive extenders:On first down of this series, Carson Wentz was sacked by Darius Leonard for a loss of 10 yards, setting up 2nd and 20. Then on 2nd and 20 the Eagles ran the ball and were flagged for holding. The Colts accepted the penalty which gave the Eagles 2nd and 26. Question 1: On 2nd and 26 when you’re in coverage and you’re about to get beat on a 15 yard out route do you:A. Try to recover to make a tackle setting up a 3rd down play and chance for a stopB. Throw your hands in the air in disgust and let your teammates bring him down short of the first down markerC. Fall down and hold your knee while your teammates bring him down short of the first down markerD. Hold the receiver, risking a flag that will yield an automatic first downThis multiple choice question has 3 correct and 1 incorrect answer. The best answer is A, followed by a two way tie for B and C, neither are great but are preferred to the completely wrong answer: D. Nate Hairston chose D. Was this a horrible penalty? No. Hairston didn’t mug the guy but this is absolutely holding. The refs were correct to throw this flag, had it happened to Eric Ebron I would have been beside myself if there were no flags on this one. It was the right call and Hairston screwed up. Three plays later Margus Hunt jumped offside and was flagged. I could break down a guy jumping offside but that seems stupid. He clearly did it. Five yards, set up 1st and 5. Then this happened on 1st and 5:Watch Pierre Desir at the bottom of the screen, he was called for illegal contact downfield, the penalty was declined because the completed pass gained more yards than an accepted penalty. Here’s the thing; it was the correct call. You’ll see similar plays that don’t draw flags every Sunday but those will all stay in bounds. Had Desir not ridden him out of bounds, there’s probably no flag here. Further this looks like cover 2, Desir should have released his man to the next level so that he could over his zone that Zach Ertz happily filled because no one was close. Even though this penalty wasn’t accepted it was a bad play that extended the drive and that’s what we’re doing here, right?The next penalty is the one that I’ve seen most Colts fans complain about so let me set up the scenario for you to refresh your memory. On the 1st and 10 immediately following the above Pierre Desir disaster the Eagles handed the ball off to Wendel Smallwood who picked up 7 yards. On 2nd and 3, Darius Leonard once again sacked Carson Wentz for a loss of 9. On 3rd and 12, Wentz threw to Jordan Matthews for a gain of 7 setting up this play on 4th and 5:Did Lane Johnson embellish? Flop, even? Yeah, probably so. Is he getting held? Yes. Yes he is. I know what I’m about to type is probably going to be unpopular but this was the right call. Once again, Jabaal Sheard didn’t need to hold on this play, Lane Johnson wasn’t going to be able to stop Margus Hunt, had Sheard just let him go. Maybe he doesn’t hit Wentz, maybe Johnson gets just enough of Hunt that Hunt can’t make contact but Wentz is still going to feel the pressure and make the same throw into the dirt he did on the play above. Again, is this a horrible hold by Sheard? No. Would it have surprised me if there were no flag? No. If this were Joe Haeg being held by Chris Long, I would be upset if there were no flag, especially on 4th down. I get it we all want to be upset about the flag, you don’t see this called often but this was the right call. If defensive linemen were allowed to hold offensive linemen, we would see a lot more sacks and a lot more linebackers making tackles for loss after going completely untouched. There was another penalty on this drive, Al-Quadin Muhammad lined up in the neutral zone, again I could break that down but I’m not going to. He lined up too close to the offense, there’s nothing I can tell you about it that you don’t already know. The real problem about this drive wasn’t that the refs “took over the game”, it was the fact the penalties were all actually committed, they didn’t need to be committed and had they not been the outcome either wouldn’t have changed or would have given the Colts a chance to get the Eagles offense off the field. Next we’ll take a look at the Eagles goal line stand. I know there was a Hail Mary thrown, but this series of plays effectively ended the game. 1st and 10 on the Eagles 11 yard line:The Eagles come out in a zone and there’s absolutely no one open. All things considered Luck threw a heck of a pass here Womens Peyton Manning Jersey , just a hair over the fingertips of the underneath linebacker. There was no where to go with this ball. 2nd and 10:Once again the Eagles drop into a zone and both Eric Ebron and Erik Swoope run curls which opens a hole in the zone just big enough for Andrew Luck to fit a pass in. Swoope catches this ball and gains 7 yards down to the Eagles 4. This brings up 3rd and 3:I hate this play call. Not because it’s a fade, not because it’s a throw to TY Hilton, I hate this call because it wasn’t a called run. This is an RPO. Luck has the option to hand this ball off or throw the fade, Luck saw the outside linebacker crash to stop the run, Luck made the right read and threw a catchable ball. The offensive line blocked run. This was an RPO. My problem with it is the fact that you know this is a 4 down situation. You’re going to go for it on 4th down if you don’t score pick up the first down or score on 3rd. Further you can still pick up a first down and give yourself 4 more chances to score 6 points. In this situation I want to see you line up and follow Quenton Nelson wherever he goes. This situation is the reason you draft a guard 6th overall. You don’t draft a guard 6th overall and then pass the ball in this situation. I don’t care who the running back is, you hand this ball off and hope you score or get 4 more downs. Either way it brings us to 4th and 3:Why did Andrew Luck look so upset after the sack? The sack did seal the game, but it was more than that. Look at this:Andrew Luck had worked through his progressions and made it to the back side of the play where he sees Eric Ebron right as Derek Barnett makes contact. A couple frames later:The defender on the outside turns to the outside, while the defenders in the middle of the field have bunched on the right, as a result Ebron is as open as he possibly could be:This is the exact same picture just focused on Ebron:All Luck has to do is put the ball near Ebron’s back shoulder, no one is getting to that ball and it’s a simple adjustment for the very athletic Ebron. All this is, is a simple throw and catch for 6 points if Le’Raven Clark is able to keep Barnett in check. Ultimately this was an ugly game marred by an awful fourth quarter of Colts football. It was a disaster from whistle to whistle. Had the weather been good, I honestly believe the Colts win this one, and pretty easily. Instead they struggled to move the ball and mental mistakes resulted in an 11 minute game winning drive for the Eagles offense.This would have been a good win to get, but ultimately I don’t think it means much to us as fans. It should just be a bump in the road for what should be a promising year. The players however, they should be upset, they gave this one away. With the 2018 season wrapped up, it is time to take another look back at an incredible draft class. We did this exercise at the midpoint of the season, which you can find here. It is important to..."With the 2018 season wrapped up, it is time to take another look back at an incredible draft class. We did this exercise at the midpoint of the season, which you can find here. It is important to note that one season is not enough to adequately judge a draft. Some players take time to develop, while others never really take a step forward. It will take a couple years before we truly know how good this class is, but for now, we’ll look back through the lens of the 2018 season. 1st round, 6th overall: Quenton Nelson, G, Notre DamePhoto by Tim Warner/Getty ImagesDuring a time like the draft, everyone is full of hope and possibility. The term “generational talent” gets bandied about far too easily, and players are set up against colossal standards that most simply cannot live up to during their rookie seasons, if ever. Then there is Quenton Nelson. Nelson did some incredible things as a rookie. In his first year in the league, he was named Rookie of the Month for October, the first time the award was ever given to a guard. He was a key part of the offensive line’s turnaround which saw it yield the fewest sacks in football. Additionally, he was named to the Pro Bowl as well as being named a First-Team All-Pro. That is exactly the kind of impact you want your first round pick to have, and it is a huge win for the Colts that they were able to trade back to get more picks and still acquire such an incredible talent. Grade: A2nd round, 36th overall: Darius Leonard Cheap Nate Hairston Youth Jersey , LB, South Carolina StatePhoto by Patrick Smith/Getty ImagesSpeaking of First-Team All-Pros, how about the rookie year Darius Leonard had? No matter how good you thought Darius Leonard could be, no one thought he would be this good this quickly. 163 tackles, 7 sacks, 8 passes defensed, 2 interceptions and 4 forced fumbles. That is not a rookie stat line. It is an unreasonable wish list for a defensive coordinator to have for one player. Yet that is exactly what Darius Leonard delivered this season. Despite coming out of South Carolina State, Leonard came on the scene and let everyone know how good he was early and often. Week after week he made big plays and proved himself to be both a leader on the defense and a playmaker when it mattered. It is a little bit terrifying to think how great this guy could be after a couple years to get used to the NFL and get comfortable in a defensive scheme. For Chris Ballard’s part, drafting two players who would be named First-Team All-Pros in their rookie season just about makes the draft a win regardless of how the rest of the class looks. Fortunately, though, we’re not done yet.Grade: A2nd round, 37th overall: Braden Smith, G, AuburnPhoto by Otto Greule Jr/Getty ImagesIf anyone has a right to be a bit rankled about all the glowing treatment of the two guys above, it is Braden Smith. All he did this season was switch from right guard to right tackle, and become one of the best right tackles in football as a rookie. While Nelson has deservedly gotten a ton of credit, Braden Smith has gone largely overlooked in terms of the accomplishments he has achieved this season. In Week 5, Smith was named the starter at right tackle and played out the season there. From Week 6 to Week 11, the Colts did not allow a single sack of Andrew Luck, and Smith was tasked with dealing with guys like Calais Campbell and Jurrell Casey. While on the whole Smith’s season wasn’t as spectacular as Quenton Nelson’s, his ability to switch to a new position and establish himself not just as a starter, but as a top-quality starter, was truly impressive, and will be a big help for this Colts offensive line going forward.Grade: A2nd round, 52nd overall: Kemoko Turay, DE, RutgersPhoto by Andy Lyons/Getty ImagesKemoko Turay is at a major disadvantage in the grades, because he follows a really impressive trio of picks. Unfortunately, he did not perform as well as those three guys. Despite having an incredibly quick first step and the ability to get pressure on the quarterback, Turay finished the season with just 4 sacks and saw his playing time dwindle significantly on the back stretch of the season. This was in part, likely because he did not offer great run defense, and I remember seeing him get blown up by receivers and tight ends multiple times in plays. It also is likely based on statements made by DC Matt Eberflus, that Turay’s practice effort was limiting his playing time. Those are of course, not what you want to hear Womens Pierre Desir 2019 Jersey , but it is also something he can improve on next season. Turay undoubtedly has some serious gifts, and if he refocuses and hits 2019 hard, he could be a dangerous pass rusher. Grade: C+2nd round, 64th overall: Tyquan Lewis, DE, Ohio StatePhoto by Michael Hickey/Getty ImagesPart of what damaged Turay’s playing time was the return from IR of Tyquan Lewis. Lewis proved, upon his return, to be a more versatile playmaker, recording 2 sacks in his 8 games and providing solid production against the run as well. Unfortunately, Lewis gets dinged in his grade because we just didn’t get to see enough of him. Missing the first half of the season and then being out in both playoff games was a tough break, but until we’ve seen more of him, it is tough to grade him very effectively. Hopefully Lewis enters the 2019 season healthy and takes a step forward, because the Colts need a reliable pass rusher.Grade: B-4th round, 104th overall: Nyheim Hines, RB, NC StatePhoto by Joe Robbins/Getty ImagesMarlon Mack’s breakout year might have obscured another really impressive performance. Nyheim Hines had a really solid year and proved to be a valuable contributor for the offense. He is an aggressive runner despite his size, and his route running and catching are better than some of the receivers on the roster. He certainly found heavy usage in the passing game as a rookie, pulling in 63 receptions, which was good for third on the team behind T.Y. Hilton and Eric Ebron. Look for the Colts to use Hines more and more creatively going forward as he gets more comfortable in their offense.Grade: B+5th round, 159th overall: Reece Fountain, WR, Northern IowaThomas J. Russo-USA TODAY SportsIf making the roster counts for anything, that’s about all Fountain gets in terms of credit for this season. Always noted as a project who had the physical ability but needed time to develop, Fountain spent most of 2018 on the practice squad before being raised to the active roster late in the season. Despite a talent-poor receiver group, Fountain couldn’t establish himself, and his lone target of note was a dropped touchdown in the end zone during garbage time against the Chiefs when the game was already out of hand. It is hard to see Fountain being more than a practice squad guy next season, with the Colts likely to invest heavily into the receiver position. Even here though, missing on an athletic freak in the mid rounds isn’t a bad move. Sometimes you get lucky and get an incredible talent.Grade: D-5th round, 169th overall: Jordan Wilkins, RB, Ole MissPhoto by Andy Lyons/Getty ImagesJordan Wilkins had an interesting season. He did not see a ton of heavy usage, but when he got the ball, he averaged 5.6 yards per carry. One of the most impressive things about Wilkins is that he almost never takes negative yards and managed to consistently make something out of nothing when getting the ball. He doesn’t offer the same upside that someone like Mack does, because he simply doesn’t have the explosiveness to get big chunk plays Youth Jacoby Brissett Jersey , but when he got good blocking, he still had the ability to make things happen. He was a solid addition as a rotational back.Grade: B-6th round, 185th overall: Deon Cain, WR, ClemsonIf we graded based on training camp, Cain looked like a future star. Unfortunately, that just isn’t enough to tell us much. Cain’s torn ACL stopped his season before it started and robbed us of the chance to see whether he was as good as he was looking when the games started. All we can do now is hope his playmaking and flash is back and legitimate when he hits the field next year.Grade: N/A7th round, 221st and 235th overall: Matthew Adams, LB, Houston and Zaire Franklin, LB, SyracuseDouglas DeFelice-USA TODAY SportsThe Colts drafted two linebackers in the 7th round, and got almost exactly what you want from your 7th round picks, valuable special teams contributions and players who can play rotational or backup roles. Early in the season, it was Franklin who seemed to have the edge on playing time, but by the end, it was Matthew Adams who had established himself as the starting SAM backer, although that position is one that is used relatively infrequently in this Colts defense. Adams proved to be a hard hitter and was on the receiving end of some truly awful calls which negated great plays on his part. He really came on as the season progressed, and made himself a valuable part of the defense when called upon. Franklin saw his role relegated largely to special teams, but came in as a rotational player at times. You can’t be too difficult on these guys, because as 7th rounders, the odds are stacked against them that they see a second contract. However, if they continue to be valuable special teamers and progress, they could buck that trend. Grade: BOverall DraftHitting bit in the draft is tough. If a team is able to add 3 solid starters in one draft, it is viewed as a big success. The Colts added 2 First-Team All- Pros. With the exception of Reece Fountain and Deon Cain, every player drafted has played a role on this team and gotten meaningful snaps. The reality is that this class has been a complete home run, and if no one else breaks out from it, it will still be one of the best drafts in franchise history. The exciting thing is that there is every possibility that we haven’t seen the best from several of these players, and we could have some of them turning it up a level next season. When you add possible development in to this class, and the potential of a player like Deon Cain or Tyquan Lewis, guys who were limited by injury, this could truly be an incredible draft class for Chris Ballard.Overall Grade: A