At 3-2, the Indianapolis Colts find themselves in the thick of the AFC South race in the Premier Madden League. With a new season unfolding, head coach Rex Ryan sat down for an in-depth conversation with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith about the team’s development, their current position, and how they plan to build momentum moving forward.
Stephen A. Smith: Coach Ryan, thanks for taking the time today. You’re sitting at 3-2 right now, above .500 and in third place in the AFC South. How do you feel about your team’s start to the season?
Rex Ryan: Anytime you’re over .500, you’re doing something right, but I’ll be honest with you—we’ve left plays and even a win or two on the field. We’ve been inconsistent. At times, we’ve looked like a team that can go toe-to-toe with anybody in this league. Other times, we’ve made mistakes that cost us momentum. But here’s the thing—I like where we’re headed. I like the way this locker room is responding. We’re learning how to win, and in this league, that’s the biggest step forward.
Stephen A. Smith: You’ve been praised for how you’ve shaped this roster since taking over. What’s your philosophy when it comes to roster construction in a league like this?
Rex Ryan: My philosophy has always been pretty simple: build from the trenches out. You win football games up front. If your offensive line can protect your quarterback and open up lanes, you give yourself a chance every week. Same thing on the defensive side—you need a front seven that can control the line of scrimmage.
But beyond that, I want guys with attitude. I’m not just looking for the fastest player or the flashiest. I want competitors. If you walk into our locker room right now, you’ll see a group of men who take pride in outworking their opponent. That’s how I want this Colts team to be remembered—tough, resilient, and relentless.
Stephen A. Smith: Let’s talk about your quarterback, Anthony Richardson. He’s had some up-and-down performances, but in Week 5 against the Raiders, he put together arguably his best game of his young career. What did you see from him?
Rex Ryan: Oh, man, Anthony was special that game. You talk about a kid stepping up when his team needs him—20 of 27 for over 300 yards and four touchdowns. That’s what we drafted him for. He’s learning how to play the position at this level, and you can see the growth week to week.
The thing about Anthony is that he’s not just an athlete playing quarterback—he’s becoming a quarterback who happens to be a great athlete. That’s a big difference. His decision-making is sharper, he’s trusting his reads, and he’s protecting the football. If he keeps trending this way, the ceiling for him—and for us as a team—is sky-high.
Stephen A. Smith: You mentioned building from the trenches. How do you feel about your offensive line so far this season?
Rex Ryan: I think they’ve been solid, but not dominant yet. I hold them to a high standard because we’ve invested in that group. Quenton Nelson is still the heartbeat of that line, and when he’s rolling, the whole unit feeds off his energy. But we’ve had stretches where protection breaks down, and that puts too much on Richardson.
What I love, though, is the accountability. Those guys know when they’ve fallen short, and they don’t make excuses. They’re putting in the work, and I think as the season goes on, you’ll see us start to impose our will more consistently.
Stephen A. Smith: On the defensive side, your background is well-known—you’re a defensive coach at heart. How do you evaluate where this defense stands through five weeks?
Rex Ryan: Defense is always personal to me. I want our defense to be the one nobody wants to face. And we’re not there yet, but we’re building toward it. DeForest Buckner has been a monster for us—he sets the tone up front. Our secondary has made some big plays, too, but we’ve got to tighten up against the run.
Look, I’ll be blunt: we’ve given up too many yards. That’s not acceptable. I’ve told the guys all week—we either fix it, or we’re going to have long Sundays. But I believe in this group. We’ve got the talent; it’s just about execution and discipline.
Stephen A. Smith: The AFC South is shaping up to be competitive this season. Sitting at third place, what’s your outlook on the division race?
Rex Ryan: I love it. Competition brings out the best in everyone. You look around the division, and there’s no easy outs. Every game feels like a playoff game, and that’s what you want.
For us, being 3-2 and right in the hunt, we control our own destiny. I’m not worried about standings in September or October. What matters is how we’re playing in December. If we keep improving, we’ll be right there at the end.
Stephen A. Smith: How do you balance player development with the pressure to win now in such a competitive league?
Rex Ryan: That’s a great question. The truth is, you have to do both. Winning builds confidence, but developing young talent builds sustainability. If you’re only chasing wins in the short term, you can end up burning out your roster. If you’re only developing, you risk losing the locker room because players want to compete.
With Richardson, for example, we’re letting him grow through experience. He’s going to make mistakes, but we’re coaching him through them and still putting him in position to succeed. Same with some of our young defenders—we’re trusting them with reps. In the long run, that’s going to pay off big.
Stephen A. Smith: What would you say is the identity of this Colts team right now?
Rex Ryan: I’d say we’re a team that refuses to quit. You can hit us, you can score on us, but we’re not going away. Look at some of our games—we’ve battled back, we’ve taken punches, and we’ve responded. That’s who we are.
Now, do we want to sharpen that identity? Absolutely. I want us to be known as a tough, physical, no-nonsense football team. That’s the vision. But the foundation—the fight in this group—is already there.
Stephen A. Smith: Fans often want to know about locker room culture. How would you describe the chemistry on this roster?
Rex Ryan: I’ll tell you what—this locker room is special. These guys genuinely like each other, and that’s not always the case in professional football. You’ve got veterans mentoring younger players, you’ve got guys holding each other accountable, and you’ve got a shared belief that we’re building something bigger than ourselves.
When you have that kind of culture, you can overcome adversity. You can go through losing streaks, injuries, whatever it is, and still come out stronger. That’s why I’m excited about where we’re going—because the character of this group is top-notch.
Stephen A. Smith: Looking ahead, what’s the biggest key for this team to keep climbing the standings and making a run at the playoffs?
Rex Ryan: Consistency. That’s the word I keep hammering home. We’ve shown flashes of being really good, but flashes don’t win championships. Consistency does. We’ve got to clean up penalties, we’ve got to be sharper situationally, and we’ve got to finish drives.
If we can do those things—if we can take that next step—we’ll be a team nobody wants to face in the postseason. And I truly believe we’re capable of it.
Stephen A. Smith: Finally, Coach, if you had one message for Colts fans right now, what would it be?
Rex Ryan: Stick with us. I know 3-2 isn’t perfect, and I know this fan base wants more—and trust me, so do we. But I promise you this: this team is going to fight for you every single week. We’re building something here, and the best is yet to come.
