Dabs’ Digest: Week 17 conversation with Coach Brian Daboll

Q: After Richardson threw the interception on the second possession, (Colts head coach Shane) Steichen called 12 consecutive runs. And he said it wasn’t because of the interception, but because the run was working. As a play-caller, have there been times where you get in a groove like that and say, “if they don’t stop it, we’re going to keep doing it”?

Daboll: “Absolutely. I think you’ve got to get the flow of the game and how things are going on your side of the ball, and then how is it going throughout the entire game with the whole team. It’s good when you can turn and hand the ball off and get six, seven, eight yards a carry and explosive plays. That’s helpful for everybody.”

Q: In the 10 games that Taylor and Richardson have played together, Indianapolis is averaging over 150 yards and over five yards of carry over a full season. Those would be great numbers. When you have a quarterback who runs as well as Richardson, must you take some attention away from the running back because the quarterback might take off?

Daboll: “You look at it in the league, anybody that has an athletic kind of quarterback that can make plays with his legs and a talented running back, that’s a tough combination to defend. There’s a number of them in the league that have that. They’re all, I would say, very productive.”

Q: It seems like you’ve played a bunch of them. Richardson has completed only 47% of his passes and 12 have been intercepted, but he has a league-leading 14.4 yards per completion. Is it a boom-or-bust type guy?

Daboll: “No, I think he’s a young quarterback that has a lot of talent and they’re continuing to develop him. He’s got all the talent in the world. He’s got an extremely strong arm. He pushes the ball down the field. Look, when you have a team that runs the ball as much (as the Colts) and you’ve got to devote to that defensively, there’s a lot of single matchups. One way to create explosives is to push it down the field on the one-on-ones and give them a ball they can handle. And the receivers have to make plays on the ball. (Colts wide receiver Josh) Downs has done a nice job when he’s given it to him on run after catch. He’s a young quarterback in this league who has a lot of talent.”

Q: But Downs and (wideout Michael Pittman, Jr.) have very similar stats, including identical 11.6-yard averages. Are they similar receivers?

Daboll: “No, I’d say they have a good, young receiving corps. Pittman is a bigger guy. I really liked him coming out of college. Downs is really good run-after-catch, shifty, quick. (Receiver Alec) Pierce can make plays down the field, a vertical guy. (Receiver Adonai) Mitchell’s a very talented player. They’ve got a good combination of guys that can all do what you need to do at a receiver. They’ve got good pieces that can do different things.”

Q: Is Quenton Nelson one of the best guards in the league?

Daboll: “He’s a heck of a player. He’s been that way since he’s been in the league, coming out tough, smart, fights through things, good offensive lineman, does what he needs to do, moves the line of scrimmage, protects inside out, keeps the depth of the pocket.”

Q: They are a high turnover, high takeaway team. You might get the ball from them, but they can get it from you.

Daboll: “Well, turnovers play a major role in every game. Teams that win the turnover ratio have a very high percentage to win football games, and we have to take care of the football better and continue to take opportunities and get the ball on defense.”

Q: (Colts Linebacker) Zaire Franklin is one of the league’s best seventh-round draft choices in recent years. He always has a large number of tackles (a league-leading 151 this season).

Daboll: “He’s always around the ball, instinctive, good field vision, good awareness, good player.”

Q: Both Drew Lock and you mentioned the other day the importance of continuity at quarterback – the same voice in the huddle, same cadence, etc.

Daboll: “The most important thing is everybody doing their job at a high level, being locked in, and obviously hearing one voice in the huddle, cadence, checks, all those types of things, that helps in that regard.”

Q: When a season begins, you don’t always know who your most valuable players are going to be. GVR (offensive lineman Greg Van Roten) is the only player on the team who’s played 100 percent of the snaps.

Daboll: “He’s been a good addition. Obviously, Carm (offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo) had him at Vegas. He has done a good job for us in executing his role. He has also done a good job for us in the locker room and the offensive line room with guys like JMS (John Michael Schmitz, Jr.) and (guard Jake) Kubas. He’s been a good addition for us.”

Q: Kubas started and played the entire game last week, his first extensive action. How did he do?

Daboll: “This is a young player, rookie, that didn’t play a lot, obviously. Got called into duty, was ready when his number was called. He’s got DNA that we covet in terms of being smart, being tough as an offensive lineman, good communicator. He’s just taken in all that is presented in the meeting room. He sits right next to John Michael, GVR, those guys (in the meetings). I was encouraged with how he played.”

Q: You have had a new starting offensive line configuration almost every week since Andrew Thomas got hurt (on Oct. 13). How do you adjust to that?

Daboll: “It’s the National Football League. You’ve got to play the guys that are available, but cohesiveness on that unit is important. That’s why you have to be ready to go because obviously we’ve had a lot of injuries there the last two years. You have to make sure your guys are flexible, able to play certain spots. But that unit’s an important unit to try to maintain consistency. We’ve had, obviously, a lot of change there, but that’s not an excuse. The guys that are available have to play. We’ve got to get them ready to play.”

Q: Micah McFadden (neck) was injured last week. It’s the third time your leading tackler has been injured. First, it was Bobby Okereke and then Tyler Nubin (who are both on injured reserve). How hard is that on a defense to keep losing players who are so productive and important?

Daboll: “Injuries are never ideal. Much like the offensive line, you would like for all your players to be as healthy as they possibly can be to be out there and play and compete. And if Micah is ready to play, he’ll play. If not, then the next guy up has to perform.”