Another frustrating performance for this franchise as they drop another game and fall to 0-2 on this young season. Last week, we saw the Colts defense struggle to stop the run and this week, unfortunately, was no different. The Packers used lead-back Josh Jacobs and a plethora of sweeps and gimmick runs to embarrass the Colts on the ground. Malik Willis was able to manage the game beautifully while Anthony Richardson struggled to find his rhythm. Let’s dissect the pre-game storylines and how they played out this week.
Pre-Game Storyline: Colts Injuries Are Piling Up
Post-Game Analysis: Injuries weren’t a huge factor
Thankfully the injuries did not end up being as bad as we thought after the Thursday practice report. Both DeForest Buckner and Kwity Paye suited up. Julian Blackmon was inactive, and the team chose to keep Josh Downs on the sidelines for one more week, at least. We saw Nick Cross pick up a lot of the slack in the secondary by leading the team with 15 tackles. The secondary didn’t have much responsibility because the Packers game plan was to run the ball and then run it some more. The heavy tackle volume from both the safeties and linebackers shows they dealt with the same problems as last week.
Injuries will be another issue next week with Blackmon and Downs status up in the air again, though it’s trending upward for Downs. DeForest Buckner sprained his ankle and will miss some time. We also saw rookie Laiatu Latu leave with a hip injury and his status will be monitored this week.
Pre-Game Storyline: Gus Bradley Scheme Change Coming?
Post-Game Analysis: Yes, but not until the second half
You could tell very early that their inability to stop the run was going to continue again this week. In fact, Green Bay piled up 164 yards on the ground in the first quarter. The second half was much better as we saw the defensive staff adjust its scheme and formations. It looked like they put five guys on the line at times. The carnage of this run defense (according to ESPN.com box scores) is now 465 rushing yards allowed in the first two weeks of the season.
Unhappiness with Gus Bradley amongst this fan base is warranted. I told myself last week not to overreact to the poor performance as it was the first week. However, to bring back this coordinator and staff after ranking 28th in points allowed last season and then continue to lay an egg defensively, it’s hard to argue his job security. The defense did play noticeably better in the second half and hopefully, they have found a resolution to the problem.
Pre-Game Storyline: Play Calling Battle
Post-Game Analysis: LeFleur wins the battle
Two of the premier play callers in the league were on display and we saw Matt LeFleur win this battle. It was not just the play calling it was the game plan that he executed to near perfection with a backup quarterback. Green Bay called a run-heavy scheme that allowed backup quarterback Malik Willis to be a game manager and not beat himself. It was a simplified game plan that Willis was able to execute since he had only been with the team since late August.
For Indianapolis, some of the communication on the play calls were still sloppy amongst the players. We saw some overthrows again this week, but the drops were plaguing them as well this week. Richardson did have two real turnovers as the final interception was on the hail mary to end the game. The interceptions were bad, and this is where the staff must coach him on the right decisions.
Lastly, the 4th quarter decision to keep Jonathan Taylor on the bench because Steichen wanted a more pass-catching back in the game is still puzzling to me. I understand his reasoning, but you can never convince me to leave your best and most productive player all day on the bench in critical moments. Even though they scored with Taylor on the bench and had a slim chance on the final drive to get the win; the Packers staff thoroughly outcoached this Colts staff.
The Colts return home this coming weekend to host the 1-1 Chicago Bears. While most media pundits will say it’s too early to call these NFL games a “must-win,” going down 0-3 would essentially be a death sentence for this season. Lots of football left to play but my hand is hovering over the panic button after the performances we have seen so far this season.
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