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Tag: Jeff Saturday

  • Chargers reach playoffs, beat Foles, overmatched Colts 20-3

    Chargers reach playoffs, beat Foles, overmatched Colts 20-3

    INDIANAPOLIS — The Los Angeles Chargers tried to keep their postgame playoff celebration private.

    No such luck. After shaking hands and walking off the field in Indianapolis, players jogged through a tunnel to blaring music, high-fives and hugs and headed into a first-time locker room scene for many of these Chargers — a playoff party.

    Austin Ekeler scored on two 1-yard runs and Los Angeles clinched its first postseason berth since 2018, intercepting Nick Foles three times to beat the overmatched Colts 20-3 on Monday night.

    “We’re in it, now let’s go win it!” one player screamed before reporters were allowed into the locker room.

    The bash included second-year coach Brandon Staley handing a game ball to owner Dean Spanos, whose organization earned its second playoff spot since 2014, a little less than a year after a brutal overtime loss at Las Vegas in last season’s finale game kept LA out of the postseason.

    Justin Herbert threw for 235 yards and Cameron Dicker made two short field goals for the Chargers (9-6), who won their third straight after getting the help they needed this weekend from Las Vegas, Miami, New England and the New York Jets. When all four lost, the Chargers simply needed a win to clinch a playoff spot, and they did their part.

    “It’s been a while,” receiver Keenan Allen said after catching 11 passes for 104 yards, his sixth straight 100-yard game on the road. “The playoffs are never guaranteed, so when you get in, it feels good. Now the season starts.”

    Indy (4-10-1) lost its fifth straight under interim coach Jeff Saturday, though this was a more ho-hum defeat than the previous two, when it gave up 33 fourth-quarter points to Dallas and blew a 33-0 halftime lead at Minnesota.

    Foles, making his first Colts start, squandered two first-quarter scoring chances by throwing picks, wound up getting sacked seven times and went 0 for 10 on third down.

    As usual, though, Indy’s third starting quarterback of the season was only part of the problem.

    “We started out, thought we had some shots early but obviously the turnovers hurt you and dissuade you to keep doing it,” Saturday said. “We ran the ball well, but when it’s second-and-14, it’s hard to catch back up. I thought we ran the ball effectively but couldn’t stick with it.”

    Herbert also struggled early until Ekeler scored the first points of the game with his short TD run midway through the second quarter.

    The Colts took advantage of two personal foul calls that led to the ejection of Pro Bowl safety Derwin James to drive for their only score of the game, a 46-yard field goal by Chase McLaughlin.

    But that was it for the Colts. Dicker’s two kicks made it 13-3, and Ekeler’s second scoring run sealed the victory.

    Ekeler had 18 carries for 67 yards, became the fourth player in 15 years to score at least 15 TDs in back-to-back seasons and needs one more catch to post the sixth 100-catch season by a running back in league history.

    While Herbert went 24 of 31 and his three-game streak of 300-yard games ended, the numbers didn’t matter. The win did.

    “It was tough to lose to the Raiders at the end (last year),” Herbert said. “The guys in that locker room deserve this. So it’ll be exciting to have that opportunity.”

    Foles was 17 of 29 for 143 yards and threw his final interception in the third quarter. The Super Bowl MVP after the 2017 season with Philadelphia was sacked seven times in his first NFL start since Dec. 26, 2021, with Chicago.

    FUTURE PLANS

    The Colts have already fired offensive coordinator Marcus Brady and coach Frank Reich and have benched quarterback Matt Ryan twice. Ryan was inactive behind Foles and backup Sam Ehlinger on Monday night.

    Team owner Jim Irsay addressed the future of his organization during an interview that aired on ESPN’s pregame show. Irsay said Saturday will be a candidate to keep the job next season.

    “I will go into it open-minded, and I will be looking for the best direction for us to win,” Irsay said. “Jeff I believe is an outstanding candidate so, obviously, he’s competitive for that. Chris Ballard will be our general manager and the quarterback, it’s very much up in the air right now on what direction we’ll be going.”

    SHORT RETURN

    James returned after missing two games with a quadriceps injury, but he didn’t even make it through the first half.

    Two plays after being called for a facemask when Michael Pittman Jr.’s helmet came off, James was flagged for hitting a defenseless receiver with the crown of the helmet and was ejected with 5:18 to play. The hit sent Colts receiver Ashton Dulin to the locker room, and Dulin was eventually ruled out with a concussion.

    Staley said James also entered the concussion protocol, adding that the helmet-to-helmet hit was unintentional.

    “He made an aggressive play but he didn’t intentionally go for the helmet,” Staley said.

    UP NEXT

    Chargers: Return home to face the Rams in Sunday’s Battle of Los Angeles.

    Colts: Close out their road schedule with a New Year’s Day trip to the New York Giants.

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  • Colts bench Ryan for 2nd time, will give Foles starting job

    Colts bench Ryan for 2nd time, will give Foles starting job

    INDIANAPOLIS — Nick Foles waited all season to start taking snaps with the Indianapolis Colts starters.

    The 33-year-old quarterback is about to get his chance.

    On Wednesday, interim coach Jeff Saturday announced Foles will replace Matt Ryan as Indy’s starter against the Los Angeles Chargers, giving Foles his first start since Dec. 26, 2021, and his second since October 2020.

    “No, none,” Foles said when asked if he’s even taken first-team snaps in practice. “You never know what’s going to happen each week, it’s sort of been that kind of year. Unfortunately, in the NFL there are years like that. For me, it’s always just doing what I need to do in my role.”

    It’s been a painful season for the Colts (4-9-1) and Foles, who initially signed as a free agent to rejoin coach Frank Reich only to watch his longtime friend get fired in early November.

    He’s also seen Indy switch play-callers, fire the offensive coordinator and even got bypassed when Reich initially benched Ryan in October.

    Reich turned the team over to second-year quarterback Sam Ehlinger, who attended the same Texas high school as Foles. Indy lost both of Ehlinger’s starts.

    Foles began this season listed No. 2 on the depth chart, slid to No. 3 and now has been promoted to starter just four days after the Colts blew a 33-0 halftime lead and allowed Minnesota to rally for a 39-36 overtime victory — the largest comeback in NFL history.

    “This is never an easy decision and I love Matt, he’s a pro’s pro and I love the way he’s handled it,” Saturday said. “I feel bad for Matt but ultimately, Nick gives us the best chance of winning and that’s the direction we’re headed.”

    Saturday declined to say whether Ryan or Ehlinger would serve as No. 2 against the Chargers on Monday night.

    Ryan’s roller-coaster season — and perhaps his career — could be over.

    The 37-year-old rallied the Colts in all four of their wins this season, but has been sacked 38 times, fifth in the league, and has a league-high 18 giveaways despite missing two games. Ryan also suffered a separated shoulder in October.

    He’s scheduled to count $35.2 million against Indy’s salary cap next season, but the Colts can free up $17.2 million by releasing the 2016 league MVP and four-time Pro Bowler who ranks fifth in NFL history in completions (5,551) and pass attempts (8,464), seventh in yards passing (62,792) and ninth in touchdown passes (381).

    But after last week’s historic collapse, a four-turnover fourth quarter that led to 33 points in Indy’s previous game at Dallas and four consecutive losses, Saturday pulled the plug on Ryan’s starting role and is giving Foles a crash course to show what he can do with a lineup he knows little about.

    “I know him and got to know him personally, unfortunately not on the field,” said center Ryan Kelly, who will be snapping to his third quarterback this season and eighth since 2017.

    “Just doing the walkthrough stuff. Just keep it simple and go out there and play fast. Nick’s obviously stayed ready, working out literally every day, keeping his body right.”

    But it’s unclear whether the same guy who replaced the injured Carson Wentz as the Eagles starter in Week 15 of the 2017 season and led Philadelphia to the Super Bowl title can replicate that kind of success in Indy. Foles was the Super Bowl MVP that year after throwing for 373 yards and three TDs while catching another memorable score in the game.

    Saturday believes Foles can help stretch the field with more downfield throws and better efficiency and safety Rodney McLeod believes Foles is much the same player he saw in the Eagles locker room in 2017.

    “It’s his confidence, leadership ability, guys have a way of kind of following Nick and I think also he’s a real good quarterback when it comes to deep balls,” McLeod said. “He’s seen a lot of ball and he’s a man of faith and I think you see that kind of calmness he can bring to a huddle.”

    The Colts are hoping that even applies to a quarterback still getting his feet wet with Indy.

    “Sometimes you’re with a team for a couple years and then you go in and out and then you play like this is my first time to really be with the guys,” Foles said. “For me, it’s just getting that mindset of trying to execute this offense, running this offense because really it was training camp and now since then it’s really been scout team cards, but I’ve watched Sam and Matt do a lot of reps.”

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  • Colts’ Saturday hiring chided on diversity, fairness grounds

    Colts’ Saturday hiring chided on diversity, fairness grounds

    Even Jeff Saturday was shocked when Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay called late Sunday night to offer him the head coaching position.

    A former two-time All-Pro center who snapped the ball to Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning for 12 seasons, Saturday surely knows his X’s and O’s.

    But the TV analyst’s only coaching experience was a three-year stint at Hebron Christian Academy in Georgia, where he led the team to a 20-16 record with three playoff appearances.

    Irsay’s decision stunned people internally and around the league, though his affinity for Saturday was known throughout the organization. Saturday played 13 seasons for the Colts, made the Pro Bowl six times, helped them win a Super Bowl and is a member of the team’s Ring of Honor.

    Critics immediately went after Irsay for hiring an inexperienced former player instead of elevating someone from the coaching staff, which is typical during in-season firings. Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley previously served as a head coach in Jacksonville from 2013-16. Senior defensive assistant John Fox spent 16 seasons as head coach in Carolina, Denver and Chicago, and led the Panthers and Broncos to Super Bowl appearances.

    Former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Robert Griffin III called Irsay’s decision “a head-scratching slap in the face to every coach on that staff” in a post on Twitter.

    Saturday’s hiring also didn’t sit well with the Fritz Pollard Alliance, which fights for equity and inclusion in pro . The NFL has seven minority head coaches, including Carolina Panthers interim coach Steve Wilks.

    “The Rooney Rule is the only universal hiring policy used by the NFL to promote fairness and diversity,” The Alliance said in a statement. “However, (Monday’s) news in Indianapolis illuminated a gap in the league’s stated objective. If the spirit of the rule is to expand opportunities, we believe that it must be consistently applied, even in the hiring of interim positions.”

    Irsay and the Colts didn’t have to follow the Rooney Rule requirements for interviewing minority candidates because Saturday replaced Frank Reich during the season. The team will have to fulfill those requirements after the season when seeking a permanent hire.

    “We’re following the Rooney Rule to a ‘T.’ I really look forward to the interview process at the end of the season,” Irsay said.

    This wasn’t the first time Irsay went after Saturday, who is a paid consultant for the team and was working as an analyst at ESPN.

    “Now understand, we’ve tried to hire Jeff a couple times,” Colts general manager Chris Ballard said. “We tried to hire him in 2019 as the offensive line coach and we tried to hire him again this year — just didn’t work out. The timing didn’t work out. I spent a lot of time with Jeff — like I have with a few of the ex-players here, and it doesn’t take long to figure out that he’s got real leadership in him, real special in that regard. For this eight-game stretch and where we’re at, we thought he was going to be a really good fit for us.”

    The Colts (3-5-1) are headed nowhere and Matt Ryan’s benching for inexperienced and overwhelmed quarterback Sam Ehlinger indicates the team has prioritized draft positioning. Reich began each of his five seasons in Indianapolis with a different quarterback, so ensuring a top draft pick to select a potential franchise QB would be a wise strategy.

    That leaves Saturday in a can’t-lose position.

    If he somehow finds a way to lead the Colts to a winning record or even a 4-4 mark over the last eight games, it would be quite an achievement given the state of the team.

    If the Colts lose enough games to end up with one of the top QBs in the draft, Saturday would have helped set the team up for potential future success.

    Irsay made a bold, outside-the-box move that opened him up for scrutiny and criticism. It’s clear he doesn’t care about public perception.

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    Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter at https://twitter.com/robmaaddi

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