© Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK
Jake's Takes | Colts Shake Patriots Curse Behind Taylor's Star Day
For the first time since 2009, the Indianapolis Colts are victorious over the New England Patriots. In front of a nationally-televised audience in a battle pitting two of the AFC's best teams, the matchup did not disappoint.
The Colts (8-6) controlled the game from start to finish, holding a multi-score lead for much of the contest. However, some late movement from the Patriots' (9-5) offense, led by rookie quarterback Mac Jones, made things interesting against a Colts team that has struggled to close out games this season.
Ultimately, the Colts snapped the Patriots' seven-game win streak, coming out on top, 27-17.
Here are some of my main observations from Saturday.
—Jonathan Taylor's MVP moment. Late in the fourth quarter, the Colts were hanging on by a thread as they nursed a narrow, three-point lead. New England had momentum offensively, and the Colts' offense was completely one-dimensional as quarterback Carson Wentz slogged through perhaps his worst performance in a Colts uniform. And then, the game blew open again. With just over two minutes remaining and back in their own territory, running back Jonathan Taylor slipped through defenders in a stacked box and scampered 67 yards for the game-sealing touchdown. The second-year running back is far and away the NFL's leading rusher at 1,518 yards, and after scoring in his 11th consecutive game, Taylor has now set a new single-season franchise record in rushing touchdowns (17).
—Carson Wentz wilts in the spotlight. Wentz didn't have a large volume of passes on the day, going 5-of-12 (41.7%) for 57 yards (4.8 YPA) with 1 touchdown and 1 interception for a passer rating of 49.7. With that few of opportunities, it's easy for his numbers to look underwhelming, but at a certain point, it seemed as if Wentz was no longer passing the ball because it just flat-out wasn't working. A few of his passes were poorly-timed and behind his receiver, and he missed a few reads for easy yardage that resulted in incompletions. He's had some good games against good teams like the Baltimore Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, his lows are real low, and the Colts are having to rack up big yardage on the ground to be successful. Wentz is allowed to have subpar performances but the Colts can't keep going totally one-dimensional like that if the Super Bowl is in their sights.
—Frank Reich digs into the bag. League-wide, Colts head coach Frank Reich is known as one of the best offensive playcallers, and he was on top of his game once again on Saturday. On the Colts' second drive of the game, they dialed up a fake handoff to Taylor, giving receiver Ashton Dulin the ball on a sweep, which he took 37 yards around the left corner. The drive was punctuated from New England's 8-yard line when Taylor took the direct snap, handing it off to Wentz, who then tossed it to Nyheim Hines, who took the ball around the right edge for the score. Midway through the second quarter, the Colts went for it on 4th-and-1 from their own 44-yard line and converted it with a QB sneak from Wentz. On the day, the Colts converted all three of their fourth-down attempts, and Reich countered his quarterback's poor play effectively with his calls.
—Colts' special teams title is literal. For the second time in 2021, the Colts blocked a punt and recovered it for a score. Special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone is making a name for himself in league circles as someone to watch for upcoming head coaching vacancies, and if you've seen him on HBO's Hard Knocks the last several weeks, it's easy to see why. The guy is smart, good at what he does, and has called out likely scenarios in which the Colts would block a punt or make other big plays on special teams, and he did it again on Saturday.
—Defense gets stingy. Colts coordinator Matt Eberflus' defense wasn't feeling particularly generous on Saturday night as they smothered the run game and flustered Jones consistently. In the first half, they shut the Patriots out with zero points and held them to just 103 yards. New England's first six offensive drives of the game resulted in two punts, the punt blocked for the touchdown, two interceptions, and a turnover on downs. The Colts' pass defense got a little leaky late in the game but overall the defense continuously made plays when they needed them.
—Lucas Oil Stadium crowd brings it. This was perhaps the most energized the Lucas Oil Stadium crowd has been in quite some time, and for good reason. The fan base doesn't loathe any other team quite like the Patriots, and this was a huge game for the Colts and their postseason aspirations. The crowd noise appeared to have an impact on New England's offense, helping cause four pre-snap penalties on the Patriots. Kudos to you, Colts fans.
What were your biggest takeaways from Saturday? Drop your thoughts below in the comment section!
