The cardiac Colts did not make it easy, but they managed to get the win nonetheless. The Indianapolis Colts defeated the Atlanta Falcons in overtime by a final score of 31-25, improving to an 8-2 record. Jonathan Taylor delivered another MVP-type performance, a showing that has become the norm for Taylor this season.
Another week and another three-touchdown performance, his fourth such outing of the season. Granted, he got his third in overtime, but he got number three, nonetheless. Taylor continues to be the bell cow of not only this backfield but of the entire offensive scheme and game plan. It is Taylor who is proving to be the key culprit of this offense and not QB Daniel Jones.
This game was arguably a must-win for them, and they delivered. The schedule becomes increasingly complex as the season progresses, so securing win #8 this early in the season has essentially put them in the playoffs and a likely division title for this season. Still plenty of season to play for and headed to a bye week, it’s precisely where you want to be. Let’s break down what we saw in Berlin and look ahead to the post bye week matchup in Kansas City.
Jonathan Taylor Continues His MVP Trajectory
You can argue whether the MVP is a quarterback award, but Jonathan Taylor is the only non-quarterback to be mentioned in this race. Taylor finishes with 244 yards on 32 carries and another 3-touchdown performance. Again, his FOURTH three-touchdown game of the season. It is truly remarkable what he is doing this season.
He has become the most important player on this team. We have seen how this football team performs when it relies on Daniel Jones. It gets choppy, and sometimes it gets redundant. Taylor has put the fear into these defenses. At any moment, he can break what looks like a small run into a significant gain or even a house call. This offense will continue as far as Taylor will take it.
Is this staff asking too much of Taylor so far this season? Potentially, but this is why you signed him to his last extension. Most importantly, he has remained healthy, and the offensive line has done a tremendous job with its run-blocking schemes. Taylor is on a level that many in our generation have not seen and may never see again. It’s truly mesmerizing to watch him right now, and hopefully we can all enjoy it.
Daniel Jones Showing Cracks?
For the second week in a row, we saw some of the old Daniel Jones from New York show up. As we said last week, it is not all on him, but the concern is there. Poor throws and turnovers in New York plagued Jones. After the team had a six-turnover game in Pittsburgh, they followed that up with a two-turnover match this week.
While obviously an improvement, it could have been much worse. Jones has three fumbles on the day, with one lost. While the run blocking from the offensive line was elite, they continued to struggle in pass protection. Atlanta kept up the pressure on Jones the entire game, and Steichen became reliant on Taylor as the game progressed.
Can these issues be fixed? They certainly can, but for two weeks in a row, we have now seen some cracks in Daniel Jones’ armor. The turnovers and poor decision-making have started to pop up again. These teams have more tape on him now and have been able to slow him down defensively again. It should not come as a surprise that this would happen, but how this coaching staff corrects this heading into the bye week will be key to their success for the remainder of the season.
Debut Of Sauce Gardner
Arguably, the most newsworthy event heading into this week was the Colts’ acquisition of Sauce Gardner. While I did not have the opportunity to write about it, another esteemed writer from our staff did. We shared the same belief that this was the right move, at the right time for this football team. This week, Gardner showed us what this defense will look like going forward.
Credit to Atlanta for being prepared, as their #1 wide receiver, Drake London, had a terrific game. But that was not the fault of Sauce Gardner. Atlanta moved him to London and tried to get him into space, but also called him out on a multitude of mismatches. They constantly moved him around to line up with linebackers to make it easy to get the ball in his hands.
Gardner did give up a two-point conversion, but it looked like he slipped on it. When Gardner was draped over London, he was able to keep him at bay with only two catches for 26 yards, as well as a 2-point conversion. Gardner missed some defensive assignments and looked lost a few times, but that was expected to occur this week. Overall, I thought it was a solid performance from Gardner with so little time to prepare for the game. Kudos to the coaching staff for having his game ready in time.
Bye Week Timing and Looking Ahead
This bye week for Indianapolis could not come at a better time. They head into the bye week at 8-2 and with momentum. The Colts’ offense is leading the NFL in passing and rushing yards, as well as overall points—a far cry from what was seen last year, when the team was fighting for relevance.
The AFC South lead has ballooned to three games, and they are comfortably in the driver’s seat to win the division if they maintain this pace. The schedule will get significantly more difficult as they face divisional foes and perennial playoff teams. These teams include Kansas City, Seattle, and San Francisco. Winning this game was imperative to keep the #1 seed alive, as they have tiebreakers over both New England and Denver.
The matchup against Kansas City on the road will bring arguably their most challenging test yet. The Chiefs are currently 5-4, but the media will lead you to believe they are much better than that. Going to Kansas City is never easy, and they will be ready to go in a playoff environment. The Colts are hoping to have CB Charvarius Ward back from IR, and hopefully, both Samson Ebukam and Tyquan Lewis will return as well. The return of Ward to pair with Gardner will be the first look at this improved secondary, and it could not come at a better time.
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