We knew going into this week’s game would be a completely new landscape for this football team. The apparent reason was at quarterback, as the now-former Hall of Fame semifinalist Philip Rivers took over under center. It was the first game this season where Daniel Jones did not start at quarterback.
The Colts lost to Seattle 18-16 and have now lost 4 in a row after a blistering 8-2 start. A start that nearly clinched an early playoff spot that is now slowly fading away. The injuries have not only begun to pile up but are also affecting weekly gameplay.
The team lost another key player to injury this week as starting left tackle Bernhard Raimann left with an apparent elbow injury. As the injuries continue, the games go on, and the Indianapolis Colts are still somehow in the playoff hunt. Let’s break down this week’s game and look ahead to a Monday night showdown back at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Steichen/Rivers Tandem
We also knew that the game plan would be a heavy dose of Jonathan Taylor this week. It was an early dose of Taylor, but as the game progressed, it became more balanced. The Seattle defensive front held Taylor to an average of 3.5 yards per carry and kept him at bay. It forced Steichen to get Rivers’ arm involved.
The Seattle defense did a fantastic job all around, making Rivers the focal point of the offense. While we all expected Rivers to fail quickly, he was better than I expected, but still mediocre at best. His accuracy was still there on throws, but his patented “zip” on the ball was not there anymore.
With the loss of speed on his throws, Steichen’s game plan changed a bit. We saw a large number of throws at the boundary or over the middle. The deep ball throw was essentially eliminated from the plan, and with it, Alec Pierce was non-existent. He did have one major catch on his only target of the game.
Colts Defense Shines
Again, you can begin this argument with the fact that they wilted at the end of the game. It’s a valid argument and one that has become a massive concern in the Shane Steichen era. However, in total, this was the best performance of the season. They forced them to remain a one-dimensional team through the air. They did not allow a single touchdown this week from an offense that has clearly been at the top of the NFC.
Let’s mention this again, this defense is decimated with injuries. Both starting corners were out, and All-Pro DeForest Buckner was out again as well. Of course, we lost a multitude of players at the beginning of the season as well. Those are continuing to show as the season has progressed, on both sides of the ball.
The final drive failure can be chalked up more to the special teams’ poor decision on the kickoff, but allowing Rashid Shaheed to be that wide open on the final play was criminal. As for the positives, the defense was terrific on 3rd down all day. Seattle was 2-13 on 3rd down and was held to 314 total yards and only 50 yards on the ground. I know the defense will get some criticism for the end of the game, but this defense showed up and played well from the first snap.
Looking Ahead To San Francisco and Final Thoughts
There is plenty to argue about Indianapolis this week. We expected this offense to move to an archaic, elementary style with Rivers under center. It was precisely that, and you could see early that this was not the Rivers we saw in 2020. He did not have the same velocity on the ball as expected. The fact that Rivers came out on that field and managed this game with three practices was a “moral victory.”
However, that type of victory is not shown on the box score. I know we can say we did not expect to win, but we did better than expected. You would be correct, but this team continued to crumble under Steichen’s play-calling and its conservative nature. The run call on 3rd and 7 to set up the Grupe 60-yard field goal was questionable. We found out later that Rivers changed to that play during the postgame presser. I get what he was doing, and making sure they had a chance to win the game. He knew the defense was playing well and tried to put the game in their hands.
Late-game failures and conservative play-calling have defined the Steichen era. Is it his inability to trust the players on the roster, or is he not confident in himself to make the right call in a pressure situation? No matter the fault, he continues to exhibit this weakness in his coaching. Will that be a hindrance to him keeping his job in the coming weeks? We will find out, but I still believe you saw what this offense was capable of with Daniel Jones at the helm. Will that be enough to keep him as head coach next season?
The Colts will have no let-up this week as they return home to face the San Francisco 49ers. A team that has also had a plethora of injuries, but unlike Indianapolis, they have persevered and are destined for a playoff berth. There is tape on Rivers now, and the top-notch staff in San Francisco will be ready to pounce on this weakened Colts football team. With three games remaining, if the Colts have any prayer of making the playoffs, they must win at least two of the following three. Another week of preparation should help Rivers, but this offense has to find ways to get into the end zone instead of settling for field goals, or this team will head back to football purgatory for another offseason.
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