The Colts took another dreadful loss on the road in Denver by the final of 31-13. A game riddled with offensive mistakes and mishaps. We hear it every week about the disgruntled fanbase, but it may be rock bottom for this team. To have two weeks to prepare for Denver and show up flat offensively and just utterly collapse puts the job security of the front office and coaching staff in focus. Let’s react to what we predicted this week before kickoff.
New First For Anthony Richardson
We talked in the preview about how this would be Anthony Richardson’s first true road “playoff environment.” Both teams came into this game with an opportunity to either improve their chances or control their destiny heading toward the playoffs.
It was not Anthony Richardson’s best performance, to say the least. Another game with under 50 percent completion percentage (44% to be exact) and a multi-turnover game with two interceptions, though he was effective with his legs with another strong performance.
Was Richardson the reason this football team lost? Not this time but he contributed to the poor performance. Richardson continues to show his flashes of greatness and what he can become. He has yet to put it all together against any team of substance. A strong finish will be helpful for his confidence heading into the offseason, especially with a favorable schedule.
Prevented The Explosive Plays
Credit where credit is due, this defense had a terrific performance. The scoreboard may not show it but as we have said a lot this season, Context Is Key. We talked about preventing explosive plays with a rookie quarterback and they certainly achieved it. No one on the Broncos offense really shined.
The Colts defense held the Broncos to 193 yards of total offense and kept everyone in check, including Bo Nix. The Broncos did not have a play longer than 20 yards on offense, and star receiver Courtland Sutton was held to 32 yards on three catches. They also forced three Bo Nix turnovers.
In a game where we saw the offense puke all over themselves in the second half, this defense was the bright spot for this team. Gus Bradley went against one of the premier playcallers in the league and nearly won the battle. Most of the points were from good field position and of course the catastrophic trick play failure.
Colts Ran The Ball Well Vs Broncos, However…
I felt it was the single most important aspect of this game. The Colts had to run the football with both Jonathan Taylor and Anthony Richardson. Both combined for a total of 153 yards and they were able to get some solid yardage against a very formidable Denver front. Also thought the offensive line was not terrific today. They put way too much pressure on Richardson as they accounted for 2 sacks and they got Richardson on the ground on multiple occasions.
While the run game was good even with weak protection, the biggest storyline was the Jonathan Taylor fumble after a 41-yard gain. The fumble went through the endzone and was deemed a touchback turnover for the Colts. I used the word “inexcusable” in my other postgame article and there is no change in that belief now.
For a captain and leader of this football team to be involved in this type of error is egregious. The same player that stood on the sidelines in training camp last season refusing to practice until he got a new contract. Yes, that same player. Not sure how you recover from that mentally, but the Colts and Taylor will need to.
The Colts have 3 very winnable games to finish the season and still a razor-thin chance to make the playoffs. They better figure this out in the next 3 games and finish this season strong. Otherwise, it might be time to clean house in the entire organization.
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