Colts Cover 2 Podcast

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins break down the Colts’ reaction to the loss of Jim Irsay, the personal impact he made and how his daughters have already built credibility with the team.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins remember Colts owner Jim Irsay in the wake of his death at the age of 65.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins break down the Colts’ 2025 schedule, including a draft of the 10 road trips the team must make.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins break down the Colts’ roster after the draft, handicapping the strengths and weaknesses of each position, then offering a grade on how concerned they are about each spot.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins break down the entire Colts’ 2025 draft haul, noting the decisions Indianapolis made to add depth to the roster rather than filling obvious holes in the starting lineup.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins break down the Colts’ first-round pick, Penn State tight end Tyler Warren, and the ways he he will fit in the Indianapolis offense.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins preview the NFL Draft, first by talking through the Colts’ needs and then by letting listeners hear them make the picks for the Colts in their own mock draft simulation.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins belatedly break down what the Colts said about the roster at the owner’s meetings, beginning with the battle between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones, then going all the way to the possibility of drafting a quarterback in the first round.

Join insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins as they discuss what the Colts' needs are as the NFL draft approaches, including the tight end position.

The Colts have made three big moves in the first wave of free agency, and IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins break down all three: Charvarius Ward, Camryn Bynum and a new quarterback in Daniel Jones.

In this edition of the Colts Cover-2 podcast, beat writers Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins debate whether or not Indy’s plan to add real competition for Anthony Richardson this offseason is a good idea.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins break down Chris Ballard’s revelation that the Colts will hold an open competition for the starting quarterback job next season, pitting Anthony Richardson against a quarterback Indianapolis hasn’t acquired yet.

IndyStar Colts insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins preview the NFL scouting combine, taking a look at what to expect from Chris Ballard and Shane Steichen on Tuesday.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins go through the list of potentially available quarterback options for the Colts to sign as competition or replacement for Anthony Richardson

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins break down new Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo during his best years in Cincinnati, particularly the places he absolutely has to have players in order to be successful.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins break down the lessons the Colts should have learned from the NFL playoffs, including the need for better quarterback play, complexity on defense and additions in the secondary.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins break down the Colts’ hiring of Lou Anarumo and what Indianapolis needs to make his defensive system work.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins break down the team’s defensive coordinator search, the shift towards a more aggressive, blitzing style of defense and the kind of cornerback upgrades the Colts are going to need to play that style.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins break down Chris Ballard’s end-of-season press conference, how the Colts approach the future and the reasonable skepticism from fans about what comes next.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins break down Jim Irsay’s decision to retain Chris Ballard and Shane Steichen, then do a First Impressions on the entire 2024 Colts season.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins break down the two big stories of the final week of the 2024 Colts season: Anthony Richardson’s back injury and the questions about the culture within the building at W. 56th.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins break down one of the worst losses in recent Colts history, a loss that could prompt big changes.

IndyStar writers Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins break down Anthony Richardson’s durability, the Indianapolis running game, why it’s not enough for the Colts long-term and what the passing game would have to be in order for this offense to be effective.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins break down Jonathan Taylor’s big day against the Titans, what it means for the Colts going forward and what to make of that ugly defensive performance.

In the aftermath of a season-shaking loss in Denver, IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins break down the three most important men on the Colts outside of owner Jim Irsay: Anthony Richardson, Shane Steichen and Chris Ballard.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins break down the Colts’ ugly, inexplicable loss to the Broncos, led by the two memorable gaffes by Jonathan Taylor and Adonai Mitchell, plus rough performances from Anthony Richardson and the offensive line to waste the defense’s best day.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins break down a monumental matchup against the Broncos with heavy potential playoff implications. From where the Cover-2 pod sits, Denver looks like a bad matchup for the Colts on both sides of the ball, but Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen and quarterback Anthony Richardson are going to have to find answers to have a realistic shot at the playoffs.

IndyStar writers Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins break down the Colts 25-24 comeback win over the Patriots, including Anthony Richardson bouncing back from early struggles to save Indianapolis in the end, the changes on the offensive line, an ugly game from the Colts defense and a few unsung performances from the wide receivers.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins go through a bag of questions from the fans, looking at the Colts' plans for Anthony Richardson, the play of the linebackers, the team's draft decisions in April and a whole lot more on the Thanksgiving podcast.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins break down an ugly offensive performance in the Colts' 24-6 loss to the Detroit Lions, including Anthony Richardson's play, a struggling offensive line, a nonexistent group of tight ends and some places Indianapolis should have shored up this offseason.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins take a deep dive into the brilliance of the Detroit Lions, an offense that appears to be a bad matchup for the Indianapolis defense and how Anthony Richardson might be able to take advantage.

Join insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins as they recap the Indianapolis Colts 28-27 win over the New York Jets.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins break down the team's decision to go back to Anthony Richardson at quarterback, the implications for a struggling offense and what it means for the franchise going forward.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins break down Joe Flacco's play in the loss to Buffalo, Shane Steichen's decision to defend Flacco, the ongoing implications of the Richardson decision and Kenny Moore II's comments on the team's lack of urgency and effort.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins take a look at how Anthony Richardson's adjusting to his new role as a backup, the problems Josh Allen presents for a Colts defense that has relied almost entirely on its pass rush and the possibility of getting Jonathan Taylor going against Buffalo's defense.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins stay up into the wee hours of the morning to talk about the Colts' 21-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, the first game with Joe Flacco since the switch and the implications for Indianapolis going forward.

In the wake of Anthony Richardson's benching in favor of Jim Flacco, IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins break down the short-term and long-term implications of the move, including the team's decision to abandon its prior plan for Richardson.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins break down a difficult loss to the Texans, Anthony Richardson's continued poor play, his decision to tap out and Shane Steichen's insistence on throwing downfield.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins break down Sunday's Colts-Texans game with first place in the AFC South on the line, looking at C.J. Stroud, a shaky Houston offensive line, Anthony Richardson as a passer and a running game Indianapolis might need to emphasize if Jonathan Taylor is back in the fold.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins break down the Colts' ugly win over the Dolphins, including Anthony Richardson's rough day throwing the ball, Shane Steichen falling on his sword and a few unlikely contributions.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins break down Anthony Richardson's prospective return, whether or not Richardson needs to be better at playing through pain, why the Colts held out Richardson last week and a Dolphins matchup that seems easy on the surface but features more than a few pitfalls.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins unpeel the layers on an ugly Colts win over Tennessee that Indianapolis needed to keep their hopes up on the 2024 season.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins break down the Colts' defense, the paths they could take going forward on that side of the ball, Anthony Richardson's health, the matchup with the Titans and the running game.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins break down an ugly defensive performance in a 37-34 Colts loss that extends the road losing streak to the Jaguars to a full decade, breaking down Gus Bradley, Chris Ballard and the culpability of the players.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins break down the Colts' upcoming trip to their own (and Joel's) personal house of horrors, the city of Jacksonville, and all the uncertainty Indianapolis is facing due to a rash of injuries.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins take a quick look at Anthony Richardson, Joe Flacco, the Indianapolis wide receivers and a big win over Pittsburgh.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins break down Anthony Richardson's accuracy issues, what's going wrong right now, whether or not it can get fixed going forward, how defenses will play the Colts and how Indianapolis matches up against a Pittsburgh offense that has struggled so far.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins break down the Colts' 21-16 win over the Bears, including Anthony Richardson's erratic play, Jonathan Taylor's impressive performance and an improved game from the Indianapolis defense.

Join insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins as they preview the Colts versus the Bears from Lou Malnati's Pizza in Broad Ripple.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins take the Colts to task for an ugly game in Green Bay, bouncing back and forth between the defense's ugly performance in the running game and the offense's questionable decision-making on the other side of the ball.

IndyStar insiders Joel A. Erickson and Nate Atkins break down the strengths and weaknesses the Colts put on display against the Texans, how that matches up against the Packers and the stakes of a game that suddenly seems very winnable.