The Colts return home this week looking to avoid an 0-3 start. Last week was underwhelming, but as every week goes it’s onto Chicago and forget about the last two weeks and focus on getting win number one. Chicago comes to town with a 1-1 record and a new quarterback under center this season. That quarterback is 2024 #1 draft pick Caleb Williams out of USC. His first two games drew mixed reviews as many have put the blame on their offensive line that has struggled so far this season. Let’s dive into our weekly three storylines for this week’s game.
Who Will Win The Line Of Scrimmage?
This game will be a tale of two different lines. For Chicago, their weakness so far this season has been the play of their offensive line. Indianapolis’s biggest strength has been its offensive line whereas its biggest weakness this season this season has been its inability to stop the run. To add insult to injury, the Colts placed All-Pro defensive lineman DeForest Buckner on injured reserve with a high ankle sprain. Rookie Laiatu Latu does not appear to be one hundred percent this week either, though he did practice on Friday after missing back-to-back practices throughout the week.
This is a big week for this Colts run defense. Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley acknowledged how poor the effort has been and that it needs to be fixed immediately. The fan base was puzzled that he was brought back after last season’s struggles. This defensive unit must show improvement or the calls for Gus Bradley’s job will continue to get louder.
The Return Of Josh Downs
After suffering a high ankle sprain in training camp, it’s looking like we will see Josh Downs return to the lineup after being a full participant in practice all week. We have seen an early breakout so far this season from Alec Pierce, but could this be because Josh Downs has been on the sidelines? It’s very possible but its more that Pierce finally has a quarterback that can throw the ball with his vertical passing game strengths.
Josh Downs will bring the “speed in space” aspect back to this offense. Downs’ forte is playing from the slot and getting those tight catches via various quick-hitting routes. It will be interesting to see how Shane Steichen will scheme this up and if it affects the production of Alec Pierce and Adonai Mitchell.
Can The Team Clean Up Mistakes From The Last Two Weeks?
We saw a lot of sloppy play the last two weeks from the skill players and complimentary players alike. Both Adonai Mitchell and Johnathan Taylor had a couple of crushing drops that will need to be cleaned up. Anthony Richardson did throw three interceptions last week and one was on a Hail Mary but the other two were questionable throws. With Josh Downs returning, can we see more distribution of the ball as Richardson has another option and a different scheme?
On defense, the run game has clearly been the biggest issue, and it needs to be the number one focus this week. Will the defense have some added motivation this week as certain players would like to stick it to Bears head coach Matt Eberflus? Zaire Franklin came out this week and said he had “no feelings” about facing Matt Eberflus. He was rarely used in his scheme and really blossomed after he left. This defense will be motivated to bounce back this week and get this season back on track.
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