The Indianapolis Colts have had a rollercoaster start to the 2021 NFL season. Injuries, a grueling schedule, and some questionable play-calling has led to a slumpy season in ’21. With a looming Thursday night matchup against the New York Jets, what has to change to keep the Colts playoff hopes alive?
Most folks would look at the Colts star-studded lineup and assume they are a shoo-in to the postseason. Unfortunately, after a long list of injuries, Indianapolis has failed to utilize its best weapon, Jonathan Taylor. The Colt’s star running back currently stands at #2 in the NFL in rushing yards and should be the centerpiece for this offense. Colts fans may have a couple of recent losses in mind where putting the ball in Taylor’s hands could have won the game. The most recent was an overtime loss to the Titans where Carson Wentz threw a game-ending interception. The Colts had the ball with over seven minutes remaining in OT, yet Frank Reich decided to lean on the air attack. The poor play-calling of Reich ultimately resulted in a loss in the most crucial game of the year for Indianapolis. One can only speculate that if the football was in the hands of Jonathan Taylor, the Colts could have run to victory.
The verdict is still out on whether Reich is calling passing plays or Wentz is choosing to audible at the line of scrimmage. No matter which person, or if both people are making these calls, it has to stop. In 2020 the Colts had a motto, “RTDB.” This season it seems they have quickly forgotten the theme of yesteryear. Fans should be hopeful that Reich remembers the words of Quenton Nelson “run the damn ball.” and with a few tough victories, Indianapolis can still “run” into the playoffs. The statistics show that when Taylor has at least 100 yards rushing, the Colts have won games this season. With the numbers to back it up, the message should be clear to Reich “RTDB.”
With a “blue out” in Indianapolis this Thursday night, the stage is set for a must-win game for the Colts. Fans can only hope that Jonathan Taylor will get the call and lead Indy to another primetime victory. However, if Frank Reich goes back to the formula that has led the Colts to their only wins this year, fans will witness the logical blueprint to catapult Indy into the postseason.
