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We put a bow on Week 7 with a final bit of analysis from the victory over Miami. The Colts got the win and moved to over .500 for the first time this season. The offense continued its inconsistency, while the defense continues to improve. Let’s breakdown our weekly pre-game predictions and how they turned out for Week 7.

 

Anthony Richardson Made His Return

 

We talked in the pre-game prediction that we would see the return of quarterback Anthony Richardson, barring a setback. He did, in fact, make his return to the starting lineup after missing the past two weeks with an oblique injury. We saw his effectiveness on the ground but his ineffectiveness through the air. Richardson finished with a team-high 56 yards on the ground on 12 carries. A handful of those runs went for a first down and extended drives.

Through the air was a completely different story. It was a poor performance on his part, but we need to give some credit to the Miami defense. The coverage was sticky, and they threw a lot of looks and pressures that Anthony Richardson was not prepared for.

Is Shane Steichen and the offensive staff partially to blame for this? Absolutely, but Anthony Richardson is regressing as a passer so far this season. This staff must prepare him better to anticipate the looks and different schemes this offense could see going forward.

 

The Defense Made More Strides After Last Week’s Positive Performance

 

I discussed the importance of building on the defensive momentum last week. Overall, this defense delivered their best performance of the year. It was not without some criticism, however. They allowed 188 yards on the ground and if were not for the crucial forced fumble in the 3rd quarter, it could have been much more. This unit is still missing its centerpiece and anchor in DeForest Buckner.

The secondary and linebacker play was the best we have seen this season. With EJ Speed inactive and the injury to Jaylon Carlies, we saw the reserves of Segun Olubi and Grant Stuard step up and deliver in a big way. Stuard has a career-high 18 tackles on Sunday. He played 64 total snaps. To put that in perspective, he has played a total of 57 defensive snaps in his previous 4 seasons.

 

 

Segun Olubi delivered the play of the game with the fumble recovery that set up the Colts’ only touchdown of the game. The fans were (understandably) booing the Colts’ offense, and it seemingly turned the momentum around. The secondary did a fantastic job keeping star receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in check. They held them to 2 receptions for 19 yards, and they prevented explosive plays on both the ground and the air.

 

Tyler Goodson Out Snapped Trey Sermon

 

Last week we saw Tyler Goodson outperform Trey Sermon even with a smaller share of snaps. This week Goodson was rewarded with a larger role, and he made the most of it. This time Goodson out snapped Sermon 14 to 8 and nearly matched Richardsons total with 51 yards. Most importantly for him, he got his first career touchdown.

Goodson has come a long way since going undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft. After originally signing with the Green Bay Packers as a UDFA, Goodson has seemingly found a home in Indianapolis. It continues to be a great redemption story for him since missing a poorly thrown ball from Gardner Minshew against the Houston Texans in last season’s finale. A catch that, if made, would have undoubtedly sent the Colts to the postseason instead of the Texans.

Speaking of Houston, the Colts will travel to Houston this weekend where they will look to avenge their season-opening loss. The two will play for the lead in the AFC South and they might be getting back Jonathan Taylor and DeForest Buckner back at just the right time.

 

More from The Blue Stable:

Colts Pre-Game Storylines: Week 7 vs Miami Dolphins

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