Jonathan Gannon, Arizona Cardinals MUST Correct Course to Save Season Against Indianapolis Colts

Jonathan Gannon, Arizona Cardinals MUST Correct Course to Save Season Against Indianapolis Colts

All right, ready? Yep. All right, let’s do it. Colts head coach Shane Stiken faces an old familiar foe this weekend and Jonathan Ganon. So, who’s going to have the upper hand? And can the Arizona Cardinals keep their entire 2025 season from falling apart? [Music] You are Locked on NFL Crossover, part of the Locked On podcast network, your team every day. All right, thanks for tuning in and making us your first listen of the day. This is a collaboration of your daily podcast covering your Indianapolis Colts and the Arizona Cardinals, part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. And as always, Crossover Thursday is presented by Prize Pix. Download the Prize Pix app today and use code locked on NFL to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. Hello. Hello everybody. I am Jake Arthur of Locked on Colts and the Colts beat writer for Roundtable Sports. Joined by the incomparable Alex Clancy of Locked on Cardinals. Welcome to the show today everybody. Uh we’re going to take you through a little journey of this week six matchup of the Cardinals visiting the Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Uh what are the most influential matchups of this thing? What’s kind of the main ingredients in a win for both sides? But first, let’s talk about the biggest storylines. Uh so Alex, the the Cardinals are very interesting team. Obviously start two and 0. Uh three dropped three in a row now, but everything’s been a one-sore game. So, I’ve got to imagine two and three is is maybe not super reflective what this team maybe is or or maybe they are exactly that. Uh, but what’s your gauge on this team right now? Like what’s what’s the scuttlebutt there in Arizona? Interesting is very is a very sweet way to put it. This is something that um yeah, the Cardinals have had three walk-off losses in the last three weeks. um self-inflicted two of the three. Seattle two weeks ago handled them for three quarters and then the offense decided to wake up and make it a game in the fourth. But the overarching theme here is that you don’t know who to point the finger at and that’s kind of a problem and point the finger at proverbally speaking like the offense has been anemic. Uh Jonathan Ganon has not been taking over situations that a head coach absolutely needs to take over to avoid the situations the Cardinals have been in. And by and large, Jake, when you lose to a team like Tennessee Titans, who the Colts beat by three scores, I think, yeah, it was like 40 to 13 or 14 like how why there’s no world why that should have happened, especially the way that it did this past week. So, it’s more scary than happy right now. Yeah, I get that. It’s And you know, the the Colts and Cardinals are owners of two of the worst moments of the season. Ady Mitchell y two weeks ago losing control of the football as it flies out of the end zone for a touchback and then no less than you know seven days later here come the Cardinals repeating the same mistake. So yeah, it’s a self-inflicted wounds is is a good way to cost yourselves wins. The Colts only loss happened in the game in which they did that. So obviously two two teams really looking to have things buttoned up and and under control. Uh, but you know, obviously there’s there’s a lot of injury news with Arizona right now as well. Running backs, it seems like they’re in shambles. Kyler didn’t practice today. Uh, so in terms of like the the injuries and everything, what’s kind of your temperature on that? So, the defense because of what they’ve been able to do this offseason through free agency in the draft or has been able to withstand the, you know, the really tough stuff they’ve been going through. You know, uh, Garrett Williams, who’s not a super household name yet, this was supposed to be his fringe allpro year. uh went out in week two. He’s on IR. Uh Will Johnson uh rookie has been great in thestead of Max Melton, who’s missed a game. Um but offensively, yeah, the run the run game with losing James Connor and Trey Benson on IR now has been tough. But if there’s one thing that Drew Pson’s good at, the offensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals is scheming up the run regardless of who’s back there and regardless of who’s playing quarterback. So overall, yeah, injuries suck, but that’s not something that has, you know, look at the 49ers. you you don’t even have to look outside the division for what the 49ers have done with injuries riddling their entire team. So yes, you don’t want anybody to get injured. The team you cover, your most hated rival, you want any human being to get injured, but it’s not something that’s uncircumventable. With Kyler Murray though, man, this could be couple things and we’ll talk about this later. Also, if Kyler Murray doesn’t play and Jacobe Brasset balls out, we’re going to be having very weird conversations after this game. Yeah, that’s that’s the biggest one. Yeah, I mean the backup quarterback is always the most popular guy in town when it’s not going steady up at the top. But yeah, that’s of course conversations you want to avoid with the Colts. It, you know, they’re they’re 4- one. There’s really not a lot that’s gone wrong other than their their one loss in which a lot of things went wrong and they kind of it was really self-inflicted. But, you know, Zach and I were just talking on our our Wednesday show. You know, why why is this team sitting at top the AFC rankings right now? It’s it’s just so peculiar because everything is really going right right now. Like Daniel Jones is playing the best football of his career. The, you know, Jonathan Taylor is leading the league in rushing. The offensive line has outperformed, I think, what a lot of us thought they would because they were working in new starters at center and right guard and then they were bringing back Braden Smith at right tackle who missed the entire final quarter of the year. Uh, and then defensively has not been quite as as crazy as the offense. Like the pass rush is okay, could be better. uh they’re they’re getting some timely big plays like in the turnover department and all that, but I I think this is another instance of how do the Colts how do the Colts, you know, enter and come out of this game? They’ve been able to jump on teams early and pummel them. you know, three of their four wins are by 20 or more points, which is kind of unheard of through like the first five weeks, you know. So, you’re kind of looking to just ride this train and see if anything comes down to earth or is is this just truly a team we need to get used to being really really good. Um, you know, that they’re kind of clearing up injury-wise in in some areas. That’s that’s positive. Kenny Moore, their starting slot, he’s not practicing yet. He had an Achilles injury. Uh it was just I don’t know like a sprain strain whatever but they didn’t put him on IR. Uh but he’s one of the most important members of their defense and they’re starting to work him up a little bit. Alec Pierce uh who led the NFL in in yards per catch last year. He’s had a concussion that’s kept him out uh two weeks now I think. Um and he’s full participation again but how it went last week was he practiced Wednesday and Thursday couldn’t go Friday and stayed in the protocol. So obviously a big weapon that that they would need. So it it just really depends here. And I I think one of the bigger matchups here is sometimes when coaches know each other, it it not the talent around them doesn’t matter, but coaching really weighs heavily. And Shane Stiken and Jonathan Ganon obviously both coming from Arizona, they know each other. Uh, but you know, I think Ganon can throw some things at Stike and that could be really difficult. Like the defensive coverages and everything that Ganon has kind of cooked up and the way that they don’t really show their hands until after the ball’s been snapped in a lot of instances, I think it’s pretty interesting. Yeah, you know, it’s fascinating. It’s Nick Rollis has really done a great job. Um, I said when Stiken and and Genon left Philly, they lost their heartbeat and they won a Super Bowl this past year, which kind of puts that into, but I did say, and this is not me retracting anything that I’ve said of late, but I wanted the Cardinals to sign Shane Stiken during that cycle. And I thought it’d be great offensive coach, offensive minded, you know, Kyler Murray. But Jonathan, by and large, up until a few weeks ago, has been fine. And if the Cardinals don’t lose to Tennessee, we’re not having these, oh no, is he on the short list of first head coach to get fired? But yes, like what Nick Rises has done, especially when you know, you lose Darius Robinson first round pick last year. Vjoari hasn’t come back. You’ve got injuries across the board, like they’re they’re throwing four safety sets out there, you know, including Katon Crawford from Nevada, seventh round pick, but what I call, and we’ll talk about this more, is like their demon mode setup is three safeties. Droner Demerson, secondyear player out of Texas Tech, Buddha Baker, and Jaylen Thompson. and then two outside corners, it’s been Max Melton and Will Johnson with Garrett Williams on the shelf. So, that’s the best DB group that they have. And if there’s any anything, they’re nothing but opportunistic with the talent that the defensive players have, putting them in the best position to succeed, it doesn’t matter what position group you’re in. You could see a safety drop down and play backer if they need to be if they need to be faster at certain times. So, you’re right. It’s a really malleable like amoeba like defense and Nick Rollis is going to be getting head coaching looks at the end of the season. I like that. It’s it’s refreshing because Lou ano for the Colts does a lot of that same stuff. Like there’s been instances where you don’t necessarily think the Colts personnel matches up great against the offense they’re playing, but just whatever Annumo cooks up from a, you know, a strategic standpoint just seems to work. Like they completely overwhelmed the Dolphins in week one in a matchup that didn’t look all that great. Uh, but you know, they they confused, you know, the offense all day and coaching can go a long long way and it seems like that’s probably where Arizona is at the most dangerous. All right, guys. 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Between cues, the login screens, and prices jumping at checkout, it’s just frustrating and it almost makes you not want to even go through with it. But that’s why I use Game Time. It’s the app that gives the advantage back to the fans. Game time is fast, easy, and backed by the game time guarantee. You’ll always get 100% authentic tickets, delivered on time, and at the best price. Plus, all fees are included. So, the price you see is the price you pay. Download the Game Time app, create an account, and use code locked on NFL for $20 off of your first purchase. Terms apply. Again, that’s promo code L O C K D O N for $20 off. Swipe, tap, ticket, go. Download game time today. All right, welcome back every day of locked on Colts and locked on Cardinals. We are talking about this week six matchup that’s it’s AFC versus NFC, but honestly, I think it’s pretty interesting. Uh, so let’s look at some of these individual matchups here, Alex. When you look at the Colts, when you look at the Cardinals, what either gives you pause or you think is a is a really good matchup for the Cardinals? You know, for me it’s going to be can the Cardinals take this boring um side to side non not many deep threat taken offense and just let it rip. Like what I’ve been screaming for for the last, you know, week and a half is like, listen, this offense is broken. Play the hits. Throw the ball to Marv. Throw the ball to Trey McBride and see what happen. Just try different because this offense has been terrible. They haven’t scored more than what they I mean they haven’t scored more than 21 points in a game. Again, this was this past week against Tennessee on offense. They scored 27 against Carolina, but there was a defensive touchdown. Just try something different. The biggest matchup for me is the Cardinals against the Cardinals offensive game plan. Like, it really doesn’t matter who they’re playing this week. Indy’s defense has been kind of two-faced. Obviously, you’ve live led a couple teams under 10 points, I believe. Miami in week one. Oh, and the Raiders, right, this past week. Like, there’s ball hawking in that defense. Every defense in the NFL has strengths and weaknesses. So, when it comes to the Cardinals and this week, it’s them against themselves. And that sounds like a copout answer and we’re doing a crossover and we’re talking about the Colts, but when it comes to this, what we saw from the Colts defense last week against Gino Smith, you know that there is greatness in that defense. Even though they’ve given up a bunch of points in other games, it’s going to be the Cardinals versus the Cardinals. And if they can put up more than 24 25 points, which they’re going to have to do to beat this team. Yeah. And I I do think there are ways for Arizona to still be successful. You had mentioned the run game and kind of the next manup mentality and and being able to craft something effective regardless of who’s back there. That is still the biggest area of concern for me with the Colts defense is their run defense. They’ve they’ve been in these matchups. Obviously, they’ve only been in one close game, so really nobody has been able to establish the run, but when they do run and attempt to run, especially their lead back, it’s productive. Uh the the Colts do give up a sizable amount of yards per carry, at least to lead backs. uh Denver I if they didn’t identify Xavier Howard as like a clear target that they could just go after all throughout the game and these in this run and chase thing they probably could have had a really really productive day running the ball because when they they tried it with JK Dobbins it it really worked. So if the Cardinals are feeling something and the Colts offense isn’t clicking and the game is close I do think that’s something the Cardinals could capitalize on it. It’s again it’s something that gives me pause kind of every week. Yeah. uh when I’m looking at this here. So Marvin Harrison Jr. obviously probably not up to the standard everybody wanted so far, but I think it’d be wild to discount him. Um so especially like you said, like if you’re Arizona, just what whatever’s been working, just get do that to get out of your rut. And everyone knows Marvin Harrison, you know, kind of boundary shots at least through Ohio State using him downfield and everything. that’s kind of the the best way to go with him. But I I’m curious to see if the Colts just parked Charvarious Ward on him. Mhm. We we were told before the season that they were going to let him basically shadow guys like whenever there was a suitable opposing receiver to shadow that he would be doing it, but a couple times now what they’ve done is just put him against the wide receiver too and then they bracketed coverage on on the the top guy which is like with the Rams what they did with Puka Nua careerhigh 170 yards in that game. Don’t worry about it. Uh yeah, you guys know all about that two times a year. Uh so Charberry Ward verse Marvin Harrison if that’s what they’re going to do and then let the other DBs kind of take up what else uh is there. But then very interested to see like this showcases two of the best tight ends, most exciting tight ends in the league. Tyler Warren versus Trey McBride. This feels like a game where they could just be going shot for shot on each ensuing drive. I’m really interested to see how that one goes. Well, I wish that Trey McBride was getting the targets that Tyler Warren’s getting. I wish he was getting the run in the off even if it’s the rushing stuff around the end zone. Like they’re being creative with getting the kid the ball. And Tyler Warren I think is gonna be better than Brock Bowers. I think he’s gonna be better like he’ll be the best tight end for a decade hopefully compare competing with Trey McBride. If Trey McBride can get the ball thrown him, you know, a few more damn times a game. And I mean, you know, what you mentioned about Marv is interesting. The tight end thing is fascinating. For me, the biggest thing going into this is if Kyler Murray doesn’t play, what’s the offense going to look like? He didn’t practice the last two days. What is going to happen with Kyler Murray? And if Jacobe Brussette comes out there, who you know, Colts fans know from his time there over the course of a few years, who sprung into action when Andrew Luck retired, like he’s a consmate pro. The dude is won games. I mean, he kept Cleveland afloat before, you know, when Deshun Watson was um was on his suspension after they traded for him. Like the dude is not a scrub back, you know, backup. It’ll be fascinating to see what this offense look like if they take the restrictor plate off it even with him at quarterback and what that outcome will be because again this is Cardinals versus them in the mirror and if Jacobe Brassette outperforms what Kyler Murray’s done up until this point there’s going to be silly sauce happening in Arizona regardless really of of outcome. But you know I think above all else from the defensive side of the ball it’s JT. I mean it’s it’s stopped the the top rusher in the league. The Cardinals been pretty good against the run. Uh Seattle ran all over them, but they’ve been okay. Um if you grind down this defense, that’s when you exploit them. If you can keep them on the field, that’s when you exploit them because remember folks, NFL players are human beings who get tired. And if they’re on the field a lot, they’re going to be playing worse than they when they were when they started the game before the game started. So, I mean, JT’s number one chief concern. Um and if Daniel Jones continues his run, he continues his run. Yeah. how the Colts kind of approach things. It’s um it’s kind of fascinating because what they’ve done for the most part is they come out passing and then you know pass pass pass and it’s productive. They they score points and then in the second half is really when they start to pound you with Jonathan Taylor. At one point he was averaging like eight or nine yards per carry in the second half of games. Um and then he’s there there’s been very few glimpses especially in the second halves of games where he has not been productive. Uh, so Arizona, if they’re if their pass defense is really clicking, I I wonder if they go to Jonathan Taylor early, like they’ll get him going a little bit, but they don’t give him the bulk of his 2025 touches in the first half necessarily. Um, so I’m curious about that because Arizona, I mean, they they play the run pretty well, right? They’re up there in yours per carry defending. Is that correct? Yeah. I mean, in the second, they’re completely different off defense in the first half and the second half because the offense doesn’t produce in the second half, so they’re on the field more. Yeah. So, yeah, I I’m it’s it’s Shane Styen’s philosophy literally. He said it in his opening press conference and it comes up every now and then because especially this year things are working how I think he’s finally dreamed of is you throw to score points and run to win the game basically. So, that’s how they want to get all their points in the first half and then milk it out with the run game in the second half. And that’s a big way they’ve been doing it for the most part this year. Uh my last one I’m really curious about is Liatu Lu versus Paris Johnson and Jonah Williams. So Latu has had a very interesting season. So by this point, he’s a guy who you want to be having 10 plus sacks in his second year. Now he only had four last year, but how this team’s how the defense is built, it’s it’s kind of centered around him, and he really needs to be productive in order for the group to be productive overall. He’s getting pressures. I think he’s got like 16 pressures so far, but he’s only got one sack and not very many hits. Like he’s he’s hurrying the quarterback a lot, but it is not resulting in sacks. He is showing a little bit of growth in in how he attacks offensive tackles. He’s added a little more power. Uh he’s getting a little bit more of a bull rush, whereas he until now has been kind of a finesse rusher. Uh but oddly enough, he has two interceptions now through uh Yeah. Yeah. There Louis Anarumo is dropping his defensive ends into coverage like crazy. I’ve got to imagine it’s among the tops in the league. So, he’s been very opportunistic and has a couple interceptions, but you would like to see him with more sacks than interceptions, like at least by the midway point, you know. Um so, if I look at it correctly, I think Paris Johnson’s having a pretty solid year, but not necessarily Jonah on the right side. Is that right? That’s correct. The right side is the the right tackle and now left guard are the two weakest spots. So Devor Buckner worries me also even though you know he’s getting up in age. I saw he was he lived in the back field against against the Raiders. So um he’s he worries me as well on that line. Yeah, he’s been getting uh quite a few double teams this year. To to his recollection, he says kind of more than he ever remembers getting. So, all right guys, coming up here in a moment, we’re going to talk about what are the keys to victory because this is any given Sunday. Either team can win. So, what are going to be the biggest factors in a win for a loss for both sides? All right, the NFL season is in full swing and FanDuel has an offer that you guys don’t want to miss. Right now, new customers can bet just $ five dollar and you’ll get 300 back in bonus bets if you win. That’s right. Just pick a bet, put down five bucks, and if it hits, you’ll unlock $300 in bonus bets to use across the entire app. It makes watching football even more exciting when you got a little something riding on the action. Especially if your team’s not playing and you’re not just an anxious, nervous mess. You got some money on a prime time game and that makes it a little more entertaining. So whether you’re a casual fan or you just love diving into the stats, FanDuel makes the game day experience so much better. So what are you waiting for? Visit fan.com to download the FanDuel app today and get started. All right, welcome back Everydayers of Locked on Colts and locked on Cardinals. We are putting a bow on our coverage here of this game. Uh it’s it’s going to be an entertaining one. AFC, NFC, so not incredibly consequential to when it comes to tiebreers and all that good stuff by season’s end. Uh, but I do think this is going to be an entertaining matchup nonetheless. All right, so Alex, when you look at this, you know, the the Cardinals did start out 2 and 0. They’ve lost three very close ones. Again, like we mentioned at the top, one score games all around. So the Cardinals are definitely in any given Sunday team. Uh, it seems like they can compete with just about anyone. So if they’re going to win this game, what do they got to do? The offense can’t wait until the third quarter to wake up. Um, the offense can’t be a bottom five offense for the majority of the game. And if they do get a lead, not just sitting on your hands hoping the other team decides to take a nap for the rest of the game until the clock runs out. Like, this is It sounds like a joke. I’ve been living in a circus for the last three weeks. Like truly, it’s it’s the wildest incomprehensible like brainwise being able to break down and download what we’ve witnessed and how these Cardinals have lost the last three games. They’re very different, but they’ve all got the same theme. You play to not lose the game instead of playing to win it. And it’s been very, very obvious. The key to victory for the Cardinals is have a cohesive game plan. Execute it for 60 minutes as opposed to being really good for half of it and really bad for the other half. I I’m very familiar with that. Not as much this year, but it it took until this year for the Colts to have any sort of identity. I feel, you know, offensively, you never knew what to expect. Defensively, you never knew what to expect. It feels like they finally have the right people in place, but yeah, it’s it’s not a fun place to live right there. So, for the Colts, they’ve got the one loss, but why they lost in that game was incredibly evident. So, uh, number one, you you obviously have to protect Daniel Jones. Like, he’s done very well against the Blitz and against pressure. Uh, he’s been more able to escape pressure than I expected. Like, he’s always been able to move around a bit, but I didn’t expect him to have the sack avoidance of Anthony Richardson essentially. So, the Rams in that win were able to get pressure on him consistently like throughout the game. and it was only two sacks, but like he was he was moving around a lot and having to make quick decisions, getting hammered after throws, things like that. Now, the Colts were without their right guard in that game, Matt Gonzalez, he’s back now, so the Colts will be at full strength up front. Uh, so I I do still think, especially with like Kus Campbell, I don’t care if he’s 22 or if he is 72, the guy is going to be giving the Colts problems. He’s done it for every team he’s played for. Uh, so he he’s always got me worried. Um, and then of of course the Cardinals just are defensively solid overall, so they shouldn’t be discounted. So, uh, you got to protect Daniel Jones. Got to protect the ball, too. Obviously, that’s a given. Duh. But the Colts had not turned the ball over at all leading up to the Rams game two weeks ago. They turned it over three times in that game. Obviously, one was the AD Mitchell gaff and then, you know, Daniel Jones had a couple a couple throws that he just really would like back. Just press things when it didn’t really need to be done. So, protect the ball. Uh don’t give the the other team extra opportunities. And then really effectiveness in the red zone is big because they were one of the worst teams in the league coming into just last week. It’s crazy because they want been one of the highscoring teams throughout the season, but they were not good in the red zone, but they were a perfect six for six last week. A lot of that was the defense giving them great field position with turnovers and things like that. But you got to have that effectiveness in the red zone, whether it’s Tyler Warren or Jonathan Taylor, you know, Josh Downs, you’re finding ways to get other guys involved. But, uh, a big part of that as well is they’ve got a new kicker. So, their kicker, Spencer Shrader, was doing really, really well. Had only missed one kick between field goals and extra points all year. Uh, but he got hit on a after an extra point in his knee and then he’s he’s done for the year. So, they brought in Michael Badgely, uh, who he’s been with the Colts twice before, but he did tear a hamstring last off season and caused him to miss the entire year. So, that one is, you know, he worked out for them. They they know he’s got a clean bill of health and he impressed in his workout. But at the same time, kickers are so volatile. Like where you could go and count on Spencer Schrader each and every time he was going out there, Badgely is going to have to prove that you he deserves that same kind of trust, you know. So you hate to, you know, kind of hang things on a kicker there, but having a different kicker than the one who’s been absolutely automatic makes you a little nervous. Yeah. Uh yeah. All of that I the Jonathan Taylor inside the red zone stuff kind of terrifies me. Um especially late in games like that stuff. U Ms had a great uh had a great number. The Cardinals are top five in defense VPA in the first half. They’re bottom five defensive VPA in the second half. That may even be the first quarter and fourth quarter more centralized. So that could be nightmare fuel for this team. But the things that the Cardinals do check the boxes on is they are good in coverage. Josh Sweat and Baron Browning and Jordan Burch have been really good off the edge. Kas and Dvin Thomasson have done their job on the interior and um this is going to come down to is it Kyler Murray or Jacobe Reset and either way I want the restrictor play off. If you’re going to make mistakes, make them huge because if the Cardinals lose in convincing fashion, I don’t see a world where somebody doesn’t get let go. I don’t think it’s be the head coach. I think Drew Pson’s going to be the Paty at this point, even though he does share some blame. But enough is enough. This went from not having to have this conversation until losing to Tennessee and then oh no now you have to have this conversation. So shame on them for losing the last three games the way they did. They could 100% be 4 in one 100% be at top of the NFC and they decided to you know shoot themselves in the foot three games in a row. So this is going to be a real determinant on the future of the coaching staff for this of this team. Yeah. I mean you hate to see them go out with a whimper especially when you know they’re capable more. It’s it’s the argument I feel like I’ve had to have with the Colts over the last few years. So, I obviously, you know, three straight losses, I’m I’m sure you don’t feel great, but like do you have any optimism in this one? Like, do you think there’s kind of you think the Cardinals could win it? I mean, listen, yeah, they’ve got the like if Jake, this is what I a little exercise before we get out of here. This is a little exercise that I do for for my viewers. It’s like, okay, look around the NFL. How many worse offenses are there than the Arizona Cardinals even though they’re playing poorly? Eight, probably. Yeah. 10. Like, it’s bad and it could be so much worse. So, if the bad turns to good, then you’re fine. So, yeah, the Cardinals could 100% win this game. Like, this isn’t like they’re, you know, the the the Browns or the Jets right now. Like, they’re they’re beating themselves much more than the opponents are beating them. Their defense has given up 19 points a game on average in three losses, which is bananas. So, they could 100% win this game. 100% win this game if But it it it’s going to be a matter of how they lose. If they lose, they lose 40 to 10. Yeah, we’re going to have different conversations. Yeah, this one for the Colts, I don’t know what to expect just because this is the kind of matchup they’ve won pretty handily throughout the year so far. Uh, but I do feel like Arizona’s defense I I I struggle to see the Colts having a total cakewalk against that. Yeah, it could be something where like a turnover here or there leads to bonus points for him and things like that uh to create a big lead, but just like straight up offense versus defense. I I do think it’s a pretty good matchup. And that defense does some things, especially in coverage, that are are very interesting. I think it depends on how the pass rush marries with that coverage. Like if they make Daniel Jones hesitate a second as to what he’s seeing and there’s pressure bearing down, obviously that could lead to some errant throws. We saw it against against the Rams. But if he does, if he has time to throw, then that’s kind of his bread and butter is taking what the defense gives him. And he’s he’s done he’s gone above and beyond what I think any of us expected to this point. Uh because Shane Sty’s putting him in in some really good places. Um so we we’ll see. I mean the familiarity with Jonathan Ganon and vice versa. Yeah because I mean Genanon’s plenty uh familiar with with Shane Stiken as well. But all I know is I’m I’m very interested in this matchup. I think it’s going to be fun. I like when when uh the Colts get to tangle it up with a team all the way out in the NFC West that you don’t get to see very often. But yeah, it’s uh this this could be a huge win. It could be narrow. It could be the Cardinals win. You know, I I don’t know what to expect in this one. And I I think that’s probably what makes it more entertaining coming into it. Yeah, man. I’m I’m stoked. I mean, it’s it’s going to be it’s be fascinating. Daniel Jones Daniel Jones is a perfect example of, and this is what we struggle with, Kyler and Drew Petting is when put these guys are NFL quarterbacks, okay? you put them in it’s like having the 12th guy on the bench having a wide open three in the middle of a game it’s like he’s going to make it he’s an NBA player you know so if you put a quarterback in the position to succeed irrespective of what he looked like in East Rutherford I mean the dude’s like the dude the dude’s balling out like I’m not surprised he was drafted number four overall for a reason. Yeah without question. So guys we’ll have way more on this matchup throughout the rest of the week. we will get you ready for the matchup and then of course we’ll come at you right after the game as well. Uh thank you guys for making us your first listen of the day and obviously with the NFL season being here, you got to make your next listen a double dose of the locked on NFL podcast. So Tyler the mad man rolling is going to get you a shot of espresso to start your football day and then Tony Wiggins is going to take you into the barber shop for the smoothest breakdowns to end your day. Again, find Locked on NFL on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you guys don’t already, follow us at so on social media. I’m Jake Arthur NFL and my friend here is Clancy’sCorner, which I love that. Love that by the way. Uh so yeah, YouTube, wherever you listen to podcast, social media, all of it. We’re bringing you guys content. Thank you guys and you have yourselves a great rest of the week.

Jake Arthur and Alex Clancy dive deep into the Indianapolis Colts’ unexpected 4-1 start, analyzing the key factors behind their early-season success. The hosts examine the dynamic duo of Daniel Jones and Jonathan Taylor, exploring how their performances have propelled the Colts to the top of the AFC South.

The episode breaks down the Colts’ defensive resurgence, highlighting standout plays and discussing how the unit has become a game-changing force. Attention then shifts to the struggling Arizona Cardinals, dissecting their recent heartbreaking losses and the challenges they face heading into this matchup.

A significant portion of the discussion focuses on the intriguing quarterback situation in Arizona. Will Kyler Murray make his long-awaited return from injury, or will former Colt Jacoby Brissett get the start? The hosts weigh the pros and cons of each option and speculate on how it might impact the game plan.

Listeners are treated to an in-depth analysis of Shane Steichen’s offensive philosophy, summed up as “throw to score, run to win.” Arthur and Clancy explore how this approach has revitalized the Colts’ offense and discuss its potential effectiveness against the Cardinals’ defense.

The podcast also shines a spotlight on Jonathan Gannon’s aggressive “demon mode” defense in Arizona. Despite the team’s struggles, this defensive scheme has shown flashes of brilliance. The hosts debate whether it can contain the surging Colts offense and potentially turn the tide for the Cardinals.

Key matchups are dissected, with special attention given to the battle between rookie sensation Marvin Harrison Jr. and the Colts’ secondary. This showdown could prove crucial in determining the outcome of the game.

Throughout the episode, Arthur and Clancy offer expert insights, statistical breakdowns, and bold predictions. They explore whether the Colts can maintain their momentum or if the Cardinals will find a way to upset the odds and get their season back on track.

This comprehensive preview provides fans with everything they need to know heading into this intriguing inter-conference clash, making it a must-listen for both Colts and Cardinals supporters, as well as NFL enthusiasts in general.

The Best Daily Arizona Cardinals Podcast. Host Alex Clancy (@ClancysCorner) take an unbiased approach covering the biggest Cards stories.

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