I’ve got a tough question that I need some help with to answer. All through training camp we heard from Steichen that the QB competition was “close” and that both players were doing good things. Players usually had the same things to say, and those fans and media members who were allowed into practice sessions, also basically contributed the completions per attempts of each, along with the good and bad as to what they had witnessed.
Did anyone come out and say “Damn, that Jones dude showed out today!”? There was player support for him after he was named the starter and anyone who spoke said he was deserving, but there certainly wasn’t someone telling us to “get our popcorn ready”. Nothing in the preseason suggested that the code had been cracked and that the Colts now had their guy. I’d say more fans kept the lasting image of an overthrow past an open Warren, as the single most memorable Jones play of the preseason.
We know that no coach wants to show too much of the playbook during the preseason, or expose the first string players to injury, so looking like a well oiled machine should not have been expected. But, wouldn’t you think that there would have been something that got our juices flowing a little? Heck, we had some fans thinking that Leonard was the best option to start. It certainly didn’t inspire any awe in the prognostications, as we were hit hard when it came to expectations for the season.
I wouldn’t expect to see or hear Ballard come out with some outlandish statement, telling the world how good Daniel Jones was going to be. I guess that dialogue was saved for his 2nd round draft choice. This sends me to another thought for another post concerning how little actually comes out of 56th street, compared to how much the outside world thinks they know about the team and it’s inner circle. I digress, so I might dig into that at another time.
If we didn’t actually realize that we might be on to something to get excited about, how could that happen? Could it have been that the open competition actually split the reps enough that it was hard to get a good gauge on what we had from either guy? Could it be that Jones didn’t really turn it on until he was named the starter and got all the 1st team snaps? There is one other semi-exciting explanation. What if our defense was/is just that good? That possibility makes me a bit giddy.
So, getting back to the original question, did those in the building expect what we are seeing? Was it the intent for most of the summer to hold back and let the world think we sucked, only to unleash what to this point has been “historic” in some facets? Can Steichen continue to stay ahead of defenses, once the league gets more film on us? I guess that’s three questions, so I will shut up and await your answers.
Olde, if you are just taking a break, I hope things are well with you and yours. Check in and let us know that you are okay.
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