Wrapping up the final pre-game prediction analysis of the Colts’ Sunday Night Football loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
The Reaction To Joe Flacco’s Promotion
This was the first week where we saw this coaching staff turn to Joe Flacco as the “going forward” starter. He was unimpressive. The completion percentage was fine, but the execution of the offense was not much better than Anthony Richardson has done. Flacco finished with a completion percentage of 59 but only had 179 yards through the air. He had a horrific interception, and he got charged with a fumbled snap with Jonathan Taylor on a potential touchdown drive.
We were expecting Flacco to come out and right the ship and make us forget about the benching of Anthony Richardson. While his performance was underwhelming, much of this needs to go on HC Shane Steichen. The scheme to get the pass catchers open did not work and Jonathan Taylor could not get anything going on the ground. Steichen has reiterated that Flacco will start again in Week 10.
Replacing Bernhard Raimann
Colts starting left tackle Bernhard Raimann was ruled out for this contest on Friday with a concussion. The Colts gave rookie Matt Goncalves his first NFL start, and all things considered, he had a great starting debut. It’s hard to give a real grade on his performance, but he delivered in pass protection, as he only allowed two QB pressures. Goncalves received his fair share of help in the form of 12 and 13 personnel, allowing for an extra man (or two) to help on the line. The run game left much to be desired, but overall, it was a solid performance from the rookie in his first start.
Which Defense Showed Up?
There seems to be a mixed consensus on how this defense played. Did they give up a lot to Aaron Jones on the ground? Yes. Did they allow Justin Jefferson 7 receptions for over 100 yards? Yes. But let’s look at the positives. This Colts defense held Minnesota’s offense to 21 points and kept the explosive plays to a minimum, all while providing a net score differential of +14 as they scored 7 points of their own.
The continued improvement on this side of the ball has been fun to watch. They are far from elite but the front seven had their best game of the year so far. The duo of Grover Stewart and DeForest Buckner kept up the pressure on Sam Darnold, especially in the first half. This defense kept the offense in the game and the offense could not return the favor. I’ve said this before and I will say it again, it wasn’t great, but it wasn’t terrible as we have seen. They must continue to build on this performance heading into Buffalo.
Bonus Content: How Will This Game Affect The Trade Deadline?
No surprise to anyone, the Colts made no moves at the deadline. They rarely make a move as a buyer or a seller at the deadline. I felt if they won, they would be buyers and if they lost, they could potentially be sellers. Big difference in the AFC of teams at 4-5 vs 5-4.
The franchise showed its hand with the benching of Richardson but placed longtime Colts Center Ryan Kelly on the injured reserve list on Tuesday. While they claim he will be back, I highly doubt it. He is in a contract year, and why not give the rookie Tanor Bortolini those precious reps they won’t give to Richardson? If Richardson and Bortolini are the future with each other, then now is the time to restart the process with Anthony Richardson.
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