We're back with another edition of The Colts Show Mailbag, where I'll answer listener questions both on the podcast and here on Colts.com every week.
You can submit your questions to me a few ways: At Colts.com/Mailbag, on social media (like X and Instagram) and in the YouTube comments for the podcast. Get your questions in, since next week's episode will be a full season preview – and I'll probably answer more than one on the podcast.
For this week's podcast mailbag question, I answered one from Adam Weddle about the Colts being flagged for several holding penalties this season. For the answer, check out this week's episode of The Colts Show – I was also joined by offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter this week – wherever you get your podcasts, including on:
Let's dive into the rest of this week's batch of questions:
Nick Berry (Oregon): How much does a new defensive coordinator impact the performance of our offense? Does Lou help dial up different pressures packages in training camp/weekly game prep that better prepare our o-line etc?
JJ Stankevitz: Great question here. I've brought this up to a few players over the last couple of months and got a wide range of answers – wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. told me in August, for one, that Lou Anarumo's willingness to play more man coverage has helped him and other Colts receivers develop more of a toolbox to combat man-to-man cornerbacks.
But Nick here asked specifically about the pressure packages Anarumo throws at the Colts during practice. One thing to keep in mind is how an offense handles pressure starts with the offensive line, but requires all 11 players to be on the same page – quarterback Daniel Jones has to get the Colts into the right look to handle the pressure, running back Jonathan Taylor has to be in the right spot to pick up a blitzer, and the team's pass-catchers have to get into the routes on time so Jones can get the ball out quick, if need be.
So with Nick's question in mind, on Thursday I asked Taylor has facing all those funky Anarumo blitzes during training camp has helped him, specifically, be better in pass protection this year.
"Lou is a mad scientist," Taylor said. "He's going to bring every look there is to possibly bring. So now when we're going up against defenses week in and week out, there are some that may be tougher than others with more exotic looks, but Lou – we spent so much time throughout training camp fighting every single look he put at us. That not only made me better, but the offense better, because now when we see some of these looks going in each and every single week, we're like 'oh, hey, just like Lou.'" ... I think it kind of just prepared us for a lot of different looks that we'll see throughout the year."
Jones has been sacked just four times in five games this season; no team has allowed fewer sacks in the first five games of a season in a decade:
Jones has done a fantastic job handling pressure when it does come – he rarely has appeared surprised by a blitzing defender – while Taylor has made significant strides in as a pass protector this year. It might not be a coincidence that this success is coming after the Colts' offense had to practice against some of Anaumo's diabolically-designed blitzes in July and August.
Devin Healy (Greenfield, Ind.): With Spencer now out for the season will the Colts be able to keep the momentum? Spencer got us 53 points, 13 FG and 14 extra points. Should we be worried about this? Especially with how this season has gone with games being close for other teams in the NFL down to FG(s) and extra points?
JJ Stankevitz: Losing Shrader is certainly a blow, Devin. It was clear head coach Shane Steichen trusted him to connect in any situation, and while only two of the Colts' five games have come down to one possession, that's not likely to be the norm for the rest of the season.
The Colts have confidence in Michael Badgley, who was signed after a workout Tuesday, given his familiarity with long snapper Luke Rhodes and holder Rigoberto Sanchez, and that over his last four seasons (with the Titans, Colts, Bears and Lions) he connected on 85.2 percent of his field goals and 96.6 percent of his PATs.
But the importance of having a kicker who can deliver in these moments shouldn't be understated. There have been 16 field goals attempted with less than 10 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter or overtime of games this season, with 14 of those (87.5 percent) being made; three of those field goals were from 50+ yards.
Those 16 tries league-wide are significantly higher than 2024, when in the same situation over the first five weeks of a season, only seven game-winning/game-tying field goals were attempted in the final seconds of the fourth quarter or overtime. There were seven such attempts (including a game-tying PAT) in 2023; 10 in 2022; 15 in 2021; seven in 2020; six in 2019; 13 in 2018...in the interest of time, I'll just say: The 2025 season has already seen a high number of end-of-game kicks compared to recent history.
Chances are, the Colts will at some point need Badgley to hit a game-tying or game-winning field goal, as Shrader did as time expired in Week 2. The Colts are confident he can connect on it, though, if and when the need arises.
Roger Mitchell (El Paso, Texas): Let me start by saying the O-line is playing at an exceptional level, Nelson has looked spectacular. My question is how has Jalen Travis looked, thankfully he has not had to play very many snaps. With Braden Smith on a one year deal I am guessing Travis is the long term answer at right tackle.
JJ Stankevitz: I wouldn't necessarily assume anything here, Roger, since Smith has had some strong moments this year – he did well when he was one-on-one with Maxx Crosby against the Las Vegas Raiders last week, for example.
"I thought Braden did a phenomenal job the entire game," Steichen said.
You're right that we haven't seen much of Travis outside of some late-game garbage time; he's only had four pass blocking snaps all year. As a run blocker, for what it's worth, he has a 75.5 PFF grade on 21 snaps, which is the third-highest among rookie offensive linemen this season.
