Former Colts punter Pat McAfee, who also happens to be a prominent figure in sports media, isn’t happy with his former team. And he said so on Sunday, in a blunt and lengthy post on Twitter.
After the Colts were eliminated from playoff contention with a loss to the lowly Giants, who previously hadn’t won a single home game all season, McAfee raised several key deficiencies that don’t reflect well on the current management of the franchise.
“In the biggest moments everybody with a brain knew they’d crack . . . and they did,” McAfee wrote. “A blind person could see the red flags on this team.. Work ethic questions, NEVER happens on good teams.. Preparation commitment questions, NEVER happens on good teams.. Late to meetings, NEVER happens on good teams.. Late to/skipping treatment, NEVER happens on good teams.. The franchise QB tapped out of a game.. on 3rd down.. in the red zone.. because he was tired… NEVER HAPPENED in the history of the NFL. . . .
“When I said Joe Flacco gives us a better chance to win than [Anthony Richardson] immediately after the tap out.. I would’ve said whatever backup QB we had on the roster. That can’t be what the face of your team is doing.. just can’t be.. and to a bigger aspect of it all, somehow AR thought it was ok to do that. That’s a locker room issue.. that’s a culture issue.. [that’s] an indicator of a loser attitude radiating thru a building that was built by greats.”
McAfee added that he won’t be renewing his season tickets, placing the blame directly on the players.
“Your unwarranted arrogance, laziness, and lack of professionalism has lead you to ANOTHER early vacation… which is probably what most of you entitled bums have been hoping for,” McAfee said.
The beef seemingly traces to the use of McAfee’s image on the YouTube graphic for an episode of linebacker Zaire Franklin’s podcast. Franklin and teammate E.J. Speed went off on “motherfuckers talking crazy on national television” about the Colts,
“You are on national television and you’re screaming about changes that need to be made,” Franklin said, via AwfulAnnouncing.com. “Just for the next week, you scream for the opposite change to be made. . . . Come on, gang. And pick a side. Whose team is y’all on? They’re not on the side of the fans because they’re manipulating and gaslighting them.”
McAfee obviously had that moment in mind when he said what he said on social media. His post started with this: “I’ve said what I believed to be the truth about the team.. & a bunch of ‘Colts fans’ on the internet were trying to get me booed out of the city.. Current players, who have won nothing during their entire tenures, started using me and my face to try and paint me as the enemy in the city I’ve committed my life to.”
The ultimate question is whether and to what extent owner Jim Irsay will be influenced by what McAfee said. If so, there could be a full and complete housecleaning, with coach Shane Steichen and G.M. Chris Ballard gone. If not, nothing will happen.
There’s not much of a middle ground. Either Irsay heeds McAfee’s harsh critique of the team, or Irsay doesn’t. If he does, the reset button will be pressed. If he doesn’t, the status quo will be maintained.
For McAfee, it’s an all-in move. It’s a test of his influence. And it will be interesting to see how much more aggressively he pursues this attack on the franchise if Irsay doesn’t make changes aimed at rectifying the serious, deep-seated cultural problems to which McAfee has pointed.
The Colts lost to the Giants in embarrassing fashion on Sunday, with New York breaking out for a 45-point performance.
The Giants had entered Week 17 averaging just 14.3 points per game.
The loss was especially ugly considering the stakes. The Colts were trying to stay in contention for the AFC’s No. 7 seed, playing a team with a 2-13 record. But now Indianapolis is officially eliminated from the playoffs.
“It was as disappointing as it gets,” head coach Shane Steichen said. “As the leader of a football team, shoot, I always say I’ve got to be better, we’ve all got to be better. That’s a group effort, everyone’s got to chip in and do their part, so stuff like that doesn’t happen.”
Steichen, who is now 16-17 in two seasons with the Colts, was even asked if he’s concerned about his job security.
“I control what I can control,” Steichen said.
Either way, the 7-9 Colts will host the 4-12 Jaguars for their season finale next weekend.
“I know it’s a tough situation, obviously, when you’re out of the playoff hunt, but again, I told [the team] we’ve got to be professional about it,” Steichen said. “That’s the biggest thing. We’ve got to show up and do our job still with one week left.”
Tank who?
The Giants were in a position for the No. 1 overall pick and hadn’t won a game at home all year. Drew Lock was starting at quarterback for a club that was averaging just 14.3 points per game.
But none of that mattered on Sunday afternoon, as New York eliminated Indianapolis from postseason contention with a 45-33 victory.
It was unquestionably the best performance of the season for the Giants and a career day for Lock, who scored five touchdowns — throwing for four and rushing for one. He finished the day 17-of-23 for 309 yards with no turnovers — good for a 155.3 passer rating. Rookie receiver Malik Nabers also set a new single-game high in his young career with 171 yards on seven receptions with two touchdowns.
The Giants took the lead with 1:05 left in the first quarter on Lock’s 31-yard touchdown to Nabers and never looked back. While the Colts had a chance to tie the game early in the fourth quarter after Joe Flacco’s 13-yard pass to Alec Pierce, the two-point conversion failed.
Nabers then grabbed a 59-yard touchdown on the ensuing drive. Drew Lock then put the game away with 2:57 left in the fourth quarter with his 5-yard touchdown run.
New York also had a 100-yard touchdown return on the second-half kickoff.
The Giants scored at least 45 points for the first time since Nov. 1, 2015.
For the Colts, it was an embarrassing defensive performance for a club with a chance to reach the postseason.
Joe Flacco started in place of Anthony Richardson and committed three turnovers — two interceptions one lost fumble. He finished 26-of-38 for 330 yards with two touchdowns. Jonathan Taylor had 125 yards on 32 carries with two touchdowns, but fumbled the potential game-tying, two-point conversion.
The Giants hadn’t picked up three takeaways in a game all year.
With the win, New York is now not in a position to secure the No. 1 overall pick with just another loss in Week 18. With a loss next Sunday, the Patriots would secure the top pick in the 2025 draft. The Giants will face the Eagles in Week 18.
Indianapolis has now been eliminated from postseason contention with Sunday’s ugly loss — one that helps the Bengals and Dolphins. The club will finish the 2024 season at home against the Jaguars next weekend.
The Colts had gotten themselves back in the game, but the Giants’ star rookie has potentially put the game away.
After Indianapolis quarterback Joe Flacco hit receiver Alec Pierce for a 13-yard touchdown to make the score 28-26, Drew Lock connected with Malik Nabers caught a short pass and darted down the field for a 59-yard touchdown to make it 35-26.
When the Colts scored, they weren’t able to get the two-point conversion with a bit of a trick play. Flacco connected with Michael Pittman on the left side, but when he tried to lateral it to running back Jonathan Taylor, the ball fall to the ground with the Giants recovering the fumble. That kept New York ahead by two points.
While the Giants hadn’t been able to move the ball in the second half, New York’s ensuing drive changed that with Nabers’ catch and run. Nabers now has caught all six of his targets for 168 yards with two TDs.
The Giants continue to put it on the Colts but Indianapolis is looking more competitive on offense to open the second half.
Ihmir Smith-Marsette returned the opening kickoff of the third quarter 100 yards for a touchdown that put the Giants up 28-13.
It was the first time the Giants have retuned a kick to open the second half since 1949, according to the Fox broadcast.
But the Colts came right back to score a touchdown on a Jonathan Taylor 26-yard run to make the score 28-20 with 11:03 in the third quarter. That capped a seven-play, 70-yard drive that took just 3:45 off the clock. It was Taylor’s second touchdown of the game and gave him 107 yards rushing on 24 carries.
Additionally, the Fox broadcast noted Sunday was the first time New York also had three different receivers catch a touchdown pass in the first half of a game in franchise history.
The Colts did not play well for much of the first half, particularly on defense. But Indianapolis was able to get into the end zone just before the end of the second quarter to make the score 21-13, Giants, at halftime.
New York’s Drew Lock threw three touchdown passes in the first 30 minutes, completing 7-of-8 passes for 153 yards. He currently is carrying a perfect 158.3 passer rating.
Malik Nabers caught four passes for 103 yards, going over 1,000 yards receiving in his rookie season. With Tyrone Tracy’s 47 yards rushing, Nabers and Tracy became the first rookie duo since 2006 to have at least 1,000 yards from scrimmage. They are only the third rookie duo in league history to accomplish that feat.
New York is averaging 10.5 yards per play.
While the Colts got two field goals from Matt Gay — who also missed a 54-yard attempt wide right — they finally got into the end zone late in the second quarter. Down 21-6, the Colts went for it on fourth-and-5 deep in Indianapolis territory and got it with a Joe Flacco 6-yard completion to tight end Kylen Granson.
Jonathan Taylor was able to put the ball in the box with a 3-yard TD run.
Starting for the injured Anthony Richardson, Flacco is 14-of-22 for 157 yards with an interception. Taylor has 56 yards on 18 carries.
Should this score hold, it would have significant implications in the AFC playoff race and the 2025 NFL Draft order. The Colts need at least two wins to stay alive, and there is absolutely a path for them to reach the postseason. The Giants currently own the No. 1 overall pick, but a win on Sunday would change that.
New York will receive the second-half kickoff.
The Giants are putting it on the Colts, but they’ll likely be without one of their defensive players for the rest of the day.
While Drew Lock’s third touchdown pass has given New York a 21-6 lead, defensive lineman Armon Watts was carted off the field after suffering an apparent significant leg injury in the second quarter.
The Fox broadcast elected not to show the replay due to the nature of the injury.
Watts had gotten pressure on Joe Flacco earlier in the game to force an interception.
Lock was able to find receiver Wan’Dale Robinson in the end zone for a 6-yard touchdown to cap a third consecutive touchdown drive. Malik Nabers put the Giants on the cusp of scoring with an outstanding 19-yard catch along the left sideline.
After playing three games in 11 days, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes will play zero in 25.
It’s very likely, we’re told, that the Chiefs will rest key starters in a Week 18 game at Denver. Others have reported that the Chiefs are “expected” to sit Mahomes and others.
Look for an official announcement to come early in the week from coach Andy Reid.
It’s very good news for the Broncos, who need to win next Sunday to make it to the playoffs for the first time since Super Bowl 50. It’s very bad news for the Bengals, Colts, and Dolphins, whose postseason hopes hinge on Denver losing again.
It ultimately could end up being bad news for the Chiefs, if the Broncos make it as the No. 7 seed, upset the Bills, and roll into Arrowhead Stadium with momentum against a Chiefs team that might be caught flatfooted after having nearly a month off.
Earlier this year, the Broncos were a field goal away from beating the Chiefs at home. The kick was blocked, sealing the Kansas City win.
Don’t look now, but the Giants may avoid a winless season at home.
Drew Lock tossed a 32-yard touchdown to Darius Slayton that gave the club a 14-3 lead early in the second quarter.
Slayton was wide open over the middle, caught the pass, and darted 19 yards down the field to get in the end zone.
Lock is now 4-of-5 passing for 95 yards with two touchdowns.
The Giants are averaging a whopping 10.5 yards per play on three possessions.
Indianapolis had a chance to make the game 7-6 with a 54-yard field goal, but Matt Gay pushed it wide right. The Colts had run the ball on third-and-8 to make it fourth-and-3 from the Giants’ 35, but head coach Shane Steichen elected to attempt the kick instead of going for it.
The Giants haven’t given their fans much to cheer about at home this season but a couple of big plays have given New York a 7-3 first-quarter lead.
Receiver Malik Nabers scored his fifth receiving touchdown of the year to put the Giants ahead.
The 31-yard reception gave Nabers exactly 1,000 yards on the season. The Fox broadcast showed Nabers asking for the football.
Running back Tyrone Tracy had put the Giants in scoring position with a 40-yard run down to the Indianapolis 27.
The Colts took a 3-0 lead with 3:45 left in the first quarter on Matt Gay’s 32-yard field goal. Indianapolis has spent a lot of time in opponent territory, but a Joe Flacco interception ended the first drive. And Flacco was sacked on third-and-2 from the New York 10 to force the field goal attempt.
