The Indianapolis Colts head back to MetLife Stadium for the second time this season after their first trip included a Week 11 victory against the New York Jets. This time they will take on the New York Giants in a completely meaningless game for the Giants. The Colts still have about a 10 percent chance of making the playoffs with numerous scenarios available to them, none of which have much hope. Lots of question marks heading into this game from both teams. So, let’s break it all down as we approach the end of the season.
Joe Flacco Will Start?
In an unexpected turn of events, it appears that Joe Flacco will be getting the start on Sunday afternoon. Richardson did not practice all week with both back and foot injuries, but it appears the back is more the issue. Regardless, we typically see with no practice comes no playing time, though Colts head coach Shane Steichen did claim back on October 2nd that Richardson could play following a week of no practice.
A couple of things are at play here, in my opinion. I will credit the X account, Talkin’ Colts on this. He brought up a fantastic point. Both the Chargers and Broncos play on Saturday, and if both of them win (which is certainly possible), the Colts will be eliminated. At that point, is it worth it to play Richardson in a meaningless game and potentially impact his offseason schedule and growth? Regardless, if it’s with this current coaching/front office staff, if they are eliminated, just shut him down and make sure he is ready for offseason training. Now, if, for some reason, they are still alive for a playoff spot, then if he can execute the game plan, you try to see if he can go.
Question Marks For The Giants
The two major names on the Giants injury list are starting rookie receiver Malik Nabers and starting rooking running back Tyrone Tracy. Both are questionable with their respective injuries and logged their first practice on Friday. Giants head coach Brian Daboll expects them to play but anytime you only log one practice, you automatically become a game-time decision.
Do both need to play? They do not. The Giants are out of playoff contention, and you could argue as a team that will be drafting a quarterback, they should not be worried about winning. Both players have proven themselves capable players in the NFL and they don’t need to prove themselves anymore. The only real matchup to look for would be the potential return of JuJu Brents this week and the battle he would have against Malik Nabers. It would be a great barometer for Brents and where he stands in health recovery but also preparedness and talent-wise as he heads into the offseason.
Putting Together A Complete Game
You see this every year, whether it is a college or professional team. How long does it take for a team to put it all together in all three phases? You could argue that this Colts football team has yet to do that this season. The closest we have seen was last week against Tennessee. If it wasn’t for the second-half comeback by Tennessee it would have been their complete game.
With the Giants having nothing to play for and an uncertain future in every aspect of the franchise, this could be their opportunity. Even without Richardson, there is a great chance of it. Even with the owner giving a vote of confidence to Brian Daboll earlier in the year, it appears that the vote in question has waned as the season has progressed.
Albeit against lesser competition last week, this football team played extraordinarily well on offense, and even amid a comeback, the defense played well. They got three takeaways and held the ground game to under 70 yards. If they can clean up some second-half mistakes and keep the ground game going, then this should be an easy win for Indianapolis, even on the road. But as we all know, with the Cardiac Colts, it’s never easy.
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