The Indianapolis Colts bounce back from their loss last week with a beatdown of the Las Vegas Raiders. Indy won by a final score of 40-6. These wins continue to be large in point differential, which we have not seen from the Colts in the past years. In fact, they now lead the league in point differential with a plus-74 on the season. Yes, these teams are not upper-echelon teams. You can only play the teams on your schedule, and this season, they are dominating most of their wins outside of Denver.
More than anything, this team is just fun to watch. I think we are finally seeing this team come together, and we are seeing the true Shane Steichen scheme come out. His leadership is evident, and the staff is blossoming as their strengths are accentuated.
Not a lot to complain about again this week, but let’s break it all down and talk about another Colts win.
Complementary Football
I don’t like using the same terms as other writers, but it’s perfect for this week. It’s the first time this season that this franchise has played a complete football game. Meaningful contributions all around.
The MVP case for Jonathan Taylor is continuing; OPOY at worst. He had yet another inspiring effort this past Sunday with 86 yards of total offense and 3 rushing TDs. While the stats didn’t jump off the page this week, he is continuing to instill fear in these teams. They must account for him in the passing game now, as they have begun to get him the ball through the air, too. He is unstoppable right now, and all the concerns about overworking are merely a passing thought.
Arguably, the biggest storyline this week was the status of AD Mitchell after last week’s debacle. Well, it was answered early as the franchise started Ashton Dulin over Mitchell. It’s not surprising considering the history of Steichen. He is known to discipline players who don’t keep to the standards of the team. Dulin quickly made us forget about Mitchell with his performance on the field. He delivered on offense and, of course, on special teams. I fully expect this to continue throughout the next few weeks as Mitchell serves his internal punishments.
To touch on the defensive effort, it was another terrific performance. Even battling injuries in the secondary, the collective effort was there. Top edge rusher Laiatu Latu got another interception this week, and Mekhi Blackmon is beginning to carve out a role. Blackmon was on the field for every snap and played his best game of the year so far, redeeming his recent slip-ups with a big interception on Sunday. The Raiders were missing plenty of players, but to see this football team dominate is reassuring, heading into the meat of the season now.
We finally saw some impact of Segun Olubi on this football team. The punt block was a huge moment in the game, and the onslaught really started going forward. The team won in all three phases, and this was the best performance of the year by the special teams unit.
Shades Of Miami
The Colts opened the season with a similar beatdown of Miami, and this week was even more impressive somehow. We said after Week One that we owed Shane Steichen an apology, and now that is coming to the entire coaching staff. As mentioned above, it was a complete football game from the Colts.
The difference we see now is growth in all three phases. We saw the offense continue to thrive, and if there was a weakness, it was the red zone offense. That offense entered the red zone six times and came away with six touchdowns.
Also, let’s hand it to the offensive line and the scheme to slow down Maxx Crosby. Steichen and staff have been known to adapt and create effective game plans to neutralize the top pass rusher. They did it with TJ Watt last season, and they did it again to Crosby. They also had no sacks allowed this week and continue to help this offense thrive.
Without question, this team is a contender, but this continued improvement and attention to detail are the most noticeable traits this season. The vibe is different, and the overall preparation is night and day better. We moaned and groaned when he chose Daniel Jones over Anthony Richardson in the quarterback competition, and he proved us wrong. If this staff continues to grow under the tutelage of Steichen, then this team can put together a special season.
Injury Concerns and Looking Ahead
Even with all the success of this week, we did get some potentially concerning injury news. Three impactful players all left the game with injuries. In no order of importance, we saw Mike Hilton, Grover Stewart, and Spencer Shrader. However, while the severity of Stewart’s (bicep) and Hilton’s (shoulder) injuries is unknown, Steichen said Shrader’s leg injury “does not look good.”
The Shrader injury could end up being one that stings for this special teams unit. A unit that, outside of some questions about coverage, has been flawless. Shrader has missed one kick all season and exceeded expectations.
It appears to be a leg injury for Shrader, which would obviously affect his ability to kick. As for Stewart, let’s not forget how poor the run defense was when Stewart missed time during his NFL suspension. As for Hilton, thankfully, Chris Lammons played well, but Hilton has been great. I doubt we see the often-coy Shane Steichen give much information on it. We will likely have to wait for Wednesday’s practice before we get a true barometer of their health.
Looking ahead to next week, the Colts face the Arizona Cardinals at home. The Cardinals are coming off an ugly error error-filled 4th quarter that led to a loss to the Tennessee Titans. Kyler Murray left the game (did return) with a foot injury. That will be an injury to watch as the week progresses. Another opportunity for this team to secure another win on the season and solidify themselves as a true contender in the AFC playoff race.
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