Quenton Nelson has message to team that Colts fans will love
Indianapolis Colts guard Quenton Nelson had a message for his head coach in their Week 12 game.
One of the best things about Hard Knocks is fans getting a look into the intricacies of the NFL world and picking up on details that are normally kept private. Fortunately for Indianapolis Colts fans, the Colts are currently being documented for Hard Knocks: In Season.
The weekly look into the franchise of Indianapolis has already provided fans with plenty of great moments on and off the field. Viewers have seen how players interact with their families as well as how they lead in the locker room and community.
The latest episode gave fans even more great moments, but one that stood out was the message that guard Quenton Nelson had for his head coach, Frank Reich, during the team’s Week 12 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Nelson is captured on camera going directly to Reich on the sidelines and asking if they could please just run a straight run play and get Jonathan Taylor going.
Frank Reich with some context on this Hard Knocks clip: No reservations at all on it being shown. (Reich/team can cut anything they want from the show)
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) December 3, 2021
“I wanted this out there bc of the players we have… I want people to see their fire.”
🎥 @NFLscheme pic.twitter.com/8uw1AjagR8
Quenton Nelson wants the Colts to feed Jonathan Taylor
The All-Pro guard echoed a sentiment that was passionately expressed across the Indianapolis fan base. Many felt that Taylor, the best back in the NFL, was being underutilized in the game against Tampa.
Reich has spent plenty of time defending the game plan, expressing that run plays were called, they were just RPOs, and the pass was the better option most times. Like the fans, Nelson wanted to take the whole option part out of it and just get some traditional runs going.
Aside from Nelson speaking for most of Colts Nation, this moment further demonstrates the relationship that Reich has with players. Reich has consistently spoken about how much he trusts the guys and welcomes them to speak up in the fashion that Nelson did.
Reich has an understanding w/ 5-6 of his leaders, like Nelson: "Q, anytime you feel anything, come up and talk to me."
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) December 3, 2021
When Nelson’s said something,“about every time, he’s right ... I wanna hear what they feel and what they see out there, and that’s gonna inform what we do."
Reich didn’t feel as if Nelson was overstepping, he encouraged it, and that’s why the team felt comfortable allowing this footage to air. It’s also probably why the Colts ran more in the fourth quarter and had success.
Knowing that all of the “run the ball” noise from outside the building is just as loud inside the locker room, fans should expect a heavy dose of Taylor for the remainder of the season.
