Kevin Bowen Joins!

Nigel Jason (0:00)

It's the Hammer and Nigel Show, my name is Nigel Jason Hammer is here. Final score of that Colts game, 19 to 17, Colts win!

Kevin Bowen (0:07)

Hey!

Nigel Jason (0:09)

Colts win at home over the Houston Texans. It's about G damn time, Hammer.

Hammer (0:17)

We actually get to do a Victory Monday today. It's a Victory Monday with Kevin Bowen, part of the morning show over on 107.5, The Fan. KB, I've made this joke before, but that game last night, it's kind of like taking home a chick from Southport, from the bar.

Nigel Jason (0:35)

Oh boy.

Hammer (0:35)

Might not be your finest effort, might not be your best hour, but at the end of the night, you got the desired result.

Kevin Bowen (0:45)

I'm laughing very hard at both of you right now. Yeah.

It's better to find the slump buster than be the slump buster, maybe is the best way to put it. And yeah, I guess the Colts were that Sunday perspective. And so, you know, again, I think anytime you have won a football game since, what? November 9th, I believe, of last season, nine straight losses, et cetera, et cetera. And it looks the way it looked yesterday, like, oh my gosh, are you ready? Are you about ready to blow a two-score lead in your own building in the fourth quarter? That, especially, I think, is added to the sigh of relief. Celebrate as you wish, Colts fans.

Hammer (1:22)

I was at the game yesterday, Kevin. Again, I'm a ticket holder, so I'm paying customer. So when I bitch and moan, I feel like I've got the right to, as somebody that spends money on this product. Even though the Colts led most of that game, there were some boo birds raining down from Lucas Oil Stadium.

Kevin Bowen (1:41)

Is that right?

Hammer (1:42)

Especially when it comes to the play calling of, quote, offensive genius Shane Steichen. And look, if the kicker misses that game winner 53 yards, I think we're having a very different conversation today.

Kevin Bowen (1:57)

Yeah, I mean, the right leg, or I should say maybe the groin of one Spencer Schrader saved a whole lot. And now the question becomes, okay, for how long did he save it? Does he save it for a week? Does he save it for longer than a week? But Schrader was outstanding. I mean, he was the right now, it's a small sample size, but he has been one of the best players in the Colts roster bar none. Certainly, when you compare him to other kickers around the league, we almost take for granted the 53 and 58 yard field goal. So yes, that is a fair statement, but part of that is a little bit of NFL life. Like kickers really matter in the NFL. I don't know if anybody watched the end of Baltimore and Dallas yesterday, but it certainly mattered there.

And Schrader obviously stepped up there and hit a big, big kick. Yes, the alternative would have been a totally different conversation, but winning ugly and finding the old girl from Southport is better than not, right?

Nigel Jason (2:52)

You know, speaking of Schrader's groin, I was taking my daughter to the orthodontist this morning before school and was flipping around and just happened to put it on the fan as you, Kevin Bowen, were worshiping at the helm of Schrader's groin, literally said something about kissing it or something like that. I don't know what, like, and my daughter just kind of, she's 12 years old. She looks at me and I look at her and I just I just turned the volume down quietly.

Thank you for that, by the way. Thank you for that. But you're right.

Kevin Bowen (3:31)

Yeah, I mean, when you have it once this early November, I think a lot of people kiss a lot of things, frankly, to just get a win. So, you know what, Spencer Schrader's groin happened to be the one that was injured.

Hammer (3:43)

Kevin Bowen, 107.5, the fan with us. We have been ripping on the defense for the first couple of weeks and rightfully so, especially the linebacker play. But yesterday, the defense held their own, I think, KB.

What did you think from what you saw on the defensive side of the ball?

Kevin Bowen (4:03)

Yeah, definitely better. I thought the 4th Buckner in particular was really good early on. The Colts had that early turnover in the first quarter. They go out there, they get a 4th down stop.

You know, for the most part, I think you face an NFL starting quarterback, which CJ Stroud is at, and you hold 18 to 17 points. That should be enough, you know, to get it done, obviously. So I think that box is checked. And now as you look ahead, big picture, guys. Okay, the Houston offense, as anemic as it has been through three games, that's not going to be the competition weekend and week out. But if we go back to the old, you know, slum buster analogy here, there's been too many times, in my years covering the Colts, where mediocre bad unit has all of a sudden shown up to face the Colts, and they walk out of the stadium with the career day.