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NFL

New GM Chris Ballard's pedigree is exactly what Colts need

INDIANAPOLIS — New Colts general manager Chris Ballard arrives in Indianapolis with the type of knowledge in roster building that Colts owner Jim Irsay talked about last offseason.

Irsay, knowing the financial limitations the Colts were going to face after giving out new contracts to the likes of Andrew Luck, Dwayne Allen, Anthony Castonzo and T.Y. Hilton, said they were going to have to build their roster through the draft and develop those players.

Chris Ballard has been hired as the Colts’ new GM, replacing the fired Ryan Grigson. George Gojkovich/Getty Images

Ballard is coming from Kansas City where he was the team’s director of football operations and had success picking talented players.

Ballard, who worked his way up through the scouting ranks in the NFL, spent the past four years with the Kansas City Chiefs. And during that same span, all three of their first-round picks — offensive lineman Eric Fisher, linebacker Dee Ford and cornerback Marcus Peters — have played significant roles with the franchise. The Chiefs didn’t have a first-round pick in 2016. They also selected Pro Bowl tight end Travis Kelce in the third round of the 2013 draft and Pro Bowl return specialist Tyreek Hill in the fifth round of the 2016 draft.

Former Chicago director of college scouting Greg Gabriel worked with Ballard with the Bears and had high praise for the Colts’ new general manager.

“I am extremely excited about Chris coming on as our general manager,” Colts coach Chuck Pagano said through the team’s Twitter account. “He brings a wealth of knowledge and a ton of experience to the organization. I’m looking forward to rolling up our sleeves and going to work alongside of him.”

One of former Colts general manager Ryan Grigson’s biggest downfalls was his inability to draft well. His best draft was his first one in 2012 that featured Luck, Allan and Hilton. But things started to go downhill for him after that. The Colts didn’t have players from their 2013 draft on their active roster this past season.

Grigson traded away their 2014 first-round pick for running back Trent Richardson, who turned out to be a bust. Grigson skipped over the likes of defensive lineman Malcolm Brown and safety Landon Collins in 2015 to select receiver Phillip Dorsett, who hasn’t lived up to expectations so far. The Colts cut their third-round pick from 2015, cornerback D’Joun Smith, last season.

The Colts have to get younger on a defense that finished 30th in the NFL and had five starters who were 30 years old or older last season.

Ballard is a first-time general manager, but he has the knowledge of what it takes to build a roster. Now the Colts hope Ballard will do the same with theirs.

NFL

Jets to hire Saints' Morton as OC, sources say

After a four-week search, the New York Jets are poised to hire Saints receivers coach John Morton as their new offensive coordinator, league sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

Morton will replace Chan Gailey, who held the job for two years before announcing his retirement two days after the 2016 season ended.

Morton, 47, will be the Jets’ fifth coordinator in the past seven years, and the second under coach Todd Bowles. Morton and former Texans offensive coordinator George Godsey were the only known candidates.

Previously, Broncos running backs coach Eric Studesville interviewed for the job, but he decided to remain in Denver.

John Morton is credited with developing young Saints receivers Brandin Cooks, Willie Snead and Michael Thomas, who formed the most prolific receiving trio in the league with a combined 242 catches and 3,205 yards in 2016. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Bowles interviewed Morton before the Senior Bowl, where he met with Godsey. This was a difficult hire because of the circumstances. The Jets have no proven quarterback, only Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg, and Bowles could be entering a make-or-break season.

The Jets finished 26th in total offense and 30th in scoring this season.

Morton has no coordinator experience at the NFL level, but has spent 10 seasons as an assistant coach with the Raiders, 49ers and Saints.

His biggest coaching influences are Saints coach Sean Payton and Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, who was the 49ers’ head coach while Morton worked as the receivers coach from 2011 to 2014.

Morton returned for a second stint with the Saints in 2015 and was credited with developing young receivers Brandin Cooks, Willie Snead and Michael Thomas.

Thomas, a second-round pick, finished with 92 catches, the second-most of any rookie receiver, behind only Anquan Boldin’s 101 in 2003 and just ahead of Odell Beckham Jr. (2014) and Eddie Royal (2008) with 91 each.

Thomas’ 1,137 yards ranked sixth among rookies in NFL history, and his nine touchdowns tied for 15th, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Thomas, Cooks and Snead formed the most prolific receiving trio in the league in 2016, combining for 242 catches and 3,205 yards.

Bowles still has two vacancies on his offensive staff, at quarterbacks and running backs coaches.

ESPN’s Mike Triplett contributed to this report.

NFL

Patriots could be in trouble if Falcons' O-line starts spiking ball

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Ryan Schraeder didn’t hesitate when asked which member of the Atlanta Falcons offensive line has the best touchdown spike.

“Well, me, of course,” the right tackle said.

Schraeder is particularly proud of a spike during an October win at Green Bay. He put so much of his 6-foot-7, 300-pound frame into spiking the ball and it went so high that he’s not sure it has come down.

A few days later, Schraeder posted pictures of the moment around the team’s practice facility to remind those who may have missed it how good it was.

“I don’t blame him for feeling that way,” left tackle Jake Matthews said. “He’s had a few good ones. But if you go back and check the tape, I think mine went a little higher.

“Honestly, I’d say I’m the best.”

You don’t often hear offensive linemen debating about spiking the football. You don’t often hear about offensive linemen spiking the football. That honor typically goes to the player who scored the touchdown.

That changed in Atlanta in 2015 when running back Devonta Freeman showed his appreciation for the O-line after a Week 4 touchdown against the Houston Texans by letting then-center Mike Person celebrate with a spike.

It’s rare to see offensive linemen such as Alex Mack spike the football, but the Falcons’ unit has earned it with its continuity this season. Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images

This year, the spikes have become such a big deal that linemen unofficially rate who’s best.

But spikes aren’t the biggest deal on an offensive line that has helped Atlanta reach Super Bowl LI. What’s bigger? They’re the only group of linemen in the NFL to start every game this season.

Not just that, but the unit that should be dubbed the “Falcons Five” has barely missed a snap.

Schraeder and right guard Chris Chester haven’t missed a down. Center Alex Mack and left guard Andy Levitre have played 98 percent of the snaps, and Matthews has played 95 percent.

Mack, easily the most significant addition to the Falcons’ line last offseason, is being held out of practice this week with a sore ankle. But the four-time Pro Bowl selection is expected to return next week so the line can keep its streak intact against the AFC champion New England Patriots.

That’s important because continuity up front is a big reason the Falcons have the NFL’s top-scoring offense and are headed to the Super Bowl in Houston.

“It’s not just the quarterback,” Matthews said with a laugh.

But quarterback Matt Ryan has benefited. He’s thrown a career-best 38 touchdown passes and had a career-low seven interceptions to make himself the front-runner for the NFL Most Valuable Player Award.

He’s benefited in the same way reigning NFL MVP Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers did a year ago when only two of his five linemen missed a total of four starts. With a line decimated by injuries this season, Newton statistically had the worst season of his career.

“It’s huge,” backup Falcons quarterback Matt Schaub said of the continuity on the line. “It’s everything. That group is where it all starts, whether it’s the run game, the pass game, the protections, making all those calls. When you can have that continuity, it goes a long way.”

Before this season, Levitre, 30, hadn’t been part of a line at any level in which no starter missed a game. But it’s not as rare as you might think.

Over the past 15 seasons, 31 teams have started the same five offensive linemen in all 16 games, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Those who did typically were successful. Their average win total was 10, and only two of 31 finished under .500.

Atlanta is the fourth of those teams to make the Super Bowl. The 2007 New York Giants beat New England, the 2008 Arizona Cardinals lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the 2012 San Francisco 49ers lost to the Baltimore Ravens.

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“Having five guys stay healthy all year and start every game together is something that really goes to show how close we are and how tight-knit of a group we are,” Schraeder said.

The bond goes beyond the field. These guys hang out away from the meeting room and practice. During their playoff bye week, they had a team-building bowling outing.

They typically go to the nearby district of Buckhead for dinner at least once a week. There’s competition in that just as there is in spiking.

For that title, Schraeder concedes to Levitre.

“We can all put some food away, but he’s something special,” Schraeder said.

Told of his distinction, Levitre said: “I guess I can throw down every once in a while.”

He just doesn’t throw down spikes very well. He had never tried one until earlier this year.

“If you look, I had to get my grip right a couple of times before I spiked it,” Levitre said.

When it comes to throwing down spikes, Schraeder concedes nothing, although he admittedly wasn’t so proud of his muffed attempt against the Panthers.

“Somebody hit my arm,” he explained. “I don’t think too many people saw it, though.”

It wasn’t the worst spike of the year, though. That honor, Matthews said, goes to Chester.

“Chris one time tried to do a little stupid dance, and it slipped out of his hand when he tried to spike it,” Matthews said. “That would have to be the worst.

“We don’t have an official tally, but we do like to give each other a hard time.”

More importantly, the continuity up front allows the Falcons to give opponents a hard time.

NFL

2017 Madden Bowl Day 3: Houston semifinals are set

The final day of the Madden Bowl at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Kissimmee, Florida, in conjunction with Sunday’s Pro Bowl, kicked off Saturday with four participants earning a trip to Houston to play out the remaining semfinals and finals matches at the Super Bowl.

1 Related

The first quarterfinal matchup of the day saw the second-place finisher’s from Group A and B, Michael “Skimbo” Skimbo and Shay “Young Kiv” Kivlan, respectively, square off. A bevy of first-half interceptions saw Skimbo down at the half, 13-10, as Young Kiv seemed to have stifled his normally stout aerial attack. But thanks to a bit of good fortune, Skimbo would rally, using a variation of a few plays to throw Young Kiv’s defense out of sync. With the game tied at 20-20 and just under three minutes remaining, Skimbo took control of the game, connecting on a massive pass to Antonio Brown to set up what would amount to a game-winning field goal. He would clinch his trip to Houston moments later, picking off Young Kiv to earn a come-from-behind 23-20 win.

In a battle representing an NFC East rivalry, Chris “Dubby” McFarland from Philadelphia, squared off against Lavar “Mr. Hollywood” Gayle from New York to determine who would be the second person to advance to Houston. Dubby jumped ahead using excellent ball control to grind down the entire first quarter, scoring on a fourth-down quarterback sneak to get the lead. Terrific user defense by Dubby locked down what was a dynamic offense from Mr. Hollywood during the group stages, ending the first half up 10-3. From there, the game was never really in question, as Dubby relied on a combination of solid user defense and ball-control offense to tick down the rest of the clock, securing a surprising 20-13 victory.

In easily the most exciting matchup of the day, the explosive offenses of Eli “Trueboy” Clayton and Zach “Serious Moe” Lane took the field next. Despite a first half filled with uncharacteristic mistakes, Trueboy entered the second half trailing only 17-9. An immediate fourth-down stop to start the pivotal half gave Trueboy an opportunity to get even closer, scoring a touchdown off a nice high-point pass to Larry Fitzgerald. And after recovering a crucial fumble by Serious Moe’s Ricky Williams, Trueboy used a combination of Russell Wilson scrambles and pinpoint passes to score another touchdown, taking a 21-17 lead late in the fourth quarter.

It looked like all hope was lost for Serious Moe to record a comeback victory after he failed to pick up a fourth down attempt with a little over two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, but an interception with just under a minute remaining had him back in business. After a series of plays put Serious Moe in the red zone, the former Madden 2016 Championship quarterfinalist hit Deion Sanders up the seam with seven seconds left for the game-winning touchdown, capping off an incredible game by both competitors.

Day 3 rounded out with a matchup between Reggie “Boogz” Brown and Eric “Problem” Wright. Problem, relying on his typically stout defense and ball-control offense, earned a commanding 10-3 lead at halftime. But it would be Boogz who would answer back, taking advantage of Problem’s user coverage to find a soft spot in the seam and score a game-tying touchdown. Problem would respond, methodically moving the ball down the field using Williams to get within field goal range. Having worked down most of the clock, Problem would kick the go-ahead field goal, leaving Boogz with little time to mount a comeback. A subsequent incomplete pass on fourth down by Boogz would end the game, giving Problem a 13-10 win and a semifinal match in Houston.

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