The Indianapolis Colts get their signature win of the season. They get a win on the road in Los Angeles, this time against the Chargers by the final score of 38-24. A game where, arguably, you saw two top MVP candidates shine. Both Daniel Jones and Jonathan Taylor silenced any doubters they had left. Jones had nearly 300 yards passing with 2 TDs. On the ground, Taylor led the room with another dominating ground performance. He finished with 94 yards rushing and another 3 TD game, his third of the season in that statistic.
This trio of Shane Steichen‘s playcalling, Jones through the air, and Taylor on the ground has been unstoppable. I wrote earlier this season that we owed Shane Steichen an apology. While it was too early to say those types of things after one week of football, that apology has mutated now to this entire offense. The one unit that also should get some more praise than they are receiving is the offensive line. This line has stayed relatively healthy, and the space they have created for Taylor has allowed him to have the success he is having. On the other side, they have kept Jones off the ground and away from the big hits. Unsung hero efforts this season from the offensive line.
The Colts move to 6-1 on the season and remain in first place in the AFC for the second week in a row. This coaching staff has preached for this team to stay focused and not get complacent. They have done just that and continue to be not only the best team in the AFC but arguably in the entire league. Let’s discuss the rest of my thoughts on another terrific performance from this football team.
The Trio Defines Logic
We discussed above the trio of Steichen, Jones, and Taylor so far this season. Obviously, other players have begun to elevate themselves into focus. Alec Pierce had his best game of the season, and you continue to see the importance of rookie phenom Tyler Warren. Even without Josh Downs this week, we found out that Adonai Mitchell is still in time-out.
What defies logic so far is the effectiveness of this offense. And now, it’s improving every single week. It’s not only effective, but it’s creative. The play designs of the past two weeks have been fun to watch. Last week, we saw the Tyler Warren pitch play, and this week, we saw them use Warren as a decoy on pitches to get Taylor into space.
As we approach midseason and the pundits begin to predict the awards, it’s clear the Colts will have some contenders. Tyler Warren has started to make a case for Offensive Rookie Of The Year. Jones and Taylor can be argued for MVP. There is no bad argument for either one, but if I had a vote, it’s Jonathan Taylor, but again, there is no wrong answer. Finally, Shane Steichen will get some Coach of the Year votes as his fingerprints are all over the efficiency of this offense.
How About Special Teams
For anyone who has watched a Jim Harbaugh-coached football team, you know the emphasis he puts on Special Teams every single week. I will admit, after finding out that the team would be without its ace, Ashton Dulin, I had my concerns. Those concerns were quickly mitigated after seeing newly promoted Ameer Abdullah handling kickoffs.
The team accrued 193 yards on returns and kept the offense in good field position throughout the game. The kick return from Abdullah that netted 81 yards and was nearly taken to the house completely brought back the momentum. Before that, Herbert and the Chargers had come out after the half on 6 6-play 70-yard drive. That return quickly pulled the momentum back to Indianapolis and kept the Chargers in rally mode. Chris Lammons was terrific on his gunner duties as they had one punt return, and Lammons stuffed it for negative yards. Terrific effort this week from the special teams unit.
Defense Still Has Questions
After the debacle of last season, the fanbase felt the offense would continue to struggle and the defense would improve under the new direction of Lou Anarumo. For the second week in a row, it felt like we were watching a Gus Bradley defense at times. I know they are beyond decimated in the secondary and have a weakened linebacker room.
The defense was fantastic in stopping the run, but Justin Herbert carved up the Colts’ secondary with a career-high 420 yards. He was able to convert the horizontal passing game in chunks and constantly kept the team alive in drives. They were 50 percent on 3rd downs and had 25 first downs. Not great stats for any defense.
For all my criticisms, I will give them some credit for aspects I did like. The interception from Nick Cross was huge and kept the lead they built intact. The defense is creating turnovers this season, and the pass rush has been fine, but it still needs some improvement. The run defense was great this week, and they won the line of scrimmage. Justin Herbert showed his abilities to evade the rush, and I think the pass rush was better than most will mention.
Looking Ahead To Next Week
The Colts move to 6-1 on the season and have now begun to silence the last of the doubters. Whether you think they are a wagon or a juggernaut, use whatever term you want. While the defense still needs work, and it’s evident that they need to make some moves, this team is absolutely a contender in every sense of the term.
Injuries have begun to take a toll on this football team, especially defensively. Must give some credit to this coaching staff and front office (yes, Chris Ballard) for taking the chance on Daniel Jones. They believed in him when no one else did, and they are now enjoying some fantastic benefits.
The Colts return home next week to take on the Tennessee Titans for the final time this season. They defeated them easily, 41-20 last time around. This time, the Titans have a new head coach in interim Mike McCoy as they let go of Brian Callahan. Could this be a trap game? Potentially, but no one, and I mean no one, has been able to stop this Colts offense, and I don’t expect the Titans to be able to this time around.
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