Jake's Takes | Offense Dooms Colts in Latest Loss to Titans

The Colts lost yet another AFC South matchup on Sunday and their fifth straight to the Titans, falling by a score of 19-10.

It's one step forward, two steps back for the Indianapolis Colts yet again after they fell on the road to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, 19-10.

The Colts (3-3-1) squandered an opportunity to claim possession of the top spot in the AFC South. Instead, they fall to a putrid 1-3-1 record in division play this season and lose their fifth consecutive contest to the Titans (4-2).

As has been the script in most Colts games in 2022, the defense did more than enough to stymie the Titans, but a slow start by the offense followed by multiple unforced errors proved to be a death knell.

Here are my main observations from Sunday's matchup (with a little help from some friends).

© Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

—Another AFC South game, another hole. The NFL is an "any given Sunday" league. However, the Colts never look more completely outfoxed than when they're playing against other AFC South opponents — you know, the teams they know intimately and face more than any others. Indy has now played five of their six division matchups this season and they've been behind by double-digits in every... single... one. On Sunday, they found themselves in a 13-0 hole before they ever got on the scoreboard. The Colts' first drive resulted in a three-and-out, and then their next possessions were a punt, an interception returned for a touchdown, another interception, punt, punt, and then finally a touchdown with 4:07 remaining in the third quarter. There are slow starts, and then there's totally sleeping through your alarm. There were several officiating issues that worked against the Colts but ultimately it's their responsibility to make positive things happen.

Mandatory Credit: Andrew Nelles-USA TODAY Sports

—Colts are going to live and die by Matt Ryan's turnovers. The Colts are in a really tough spot at quarterback. Matt Ryan is probably their best option; they've seen what he's capable of when kept clean and given time to throw after last week's win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, he's also been prone to mistakes that they surely did not expect when they traded for him, such as an alarming fumble rate (11 through the first seven games) and an abundance of careless interceptions (nine in seven games). Several of the Colts' turnovers this year appear to be due to miscommunication but Ryan has had his share of inexplicable gaffes that damage the offense and kill momentum. Will the Colts pull Ryan in favor of Sam Ehlinger or Nick Foles? Probably not, which means they're going to have to live with these turnovers.

© Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

—When they're ready, Jonathan Taylor looks prepared to go off. Superstar running back Jonathan Taylor missed the last two games with an ankle injury, but even before that, he only had one high-quality game this season and looked unsure running with his blockers. He returned to action on Sunday and looked more like himself but the flow of the game only granted Taylor 10 carries (he did have 7 receptions). He turned that into 58 yards and probably would've done a lot more damage under normal circumstances. If the Colts want to try and establish him moving forward, they may see the version of him that they saw last year.

© Jenna Watson/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

—Grover Stewart turns on star power. Colts defensive tackle Grover Stewart has been playing at a high level for quite some time now but he's really turned it up a notch in 2022. He put up his most outstanding performance of the season to date on Sunday, leading both teams with 12 tackles. Going against Titans running back Derrick Henry is a tall task and it has to be something you embrace if you're going to do it effectively. Stewart embraced it and then some. He was constantly there to meet Henry at or near the line of scrimmage and just put range and harassment on tape that you don't normally see from an interior defender.

Mandatory Credit: Robert Scheer/IndyStar Staff-USA TODAY Sports

—Let's punt this performance. It's not often we need to comment on punting, but wow, what a tough performance by the Colts' Matt Haack. He punted 5 times for an average of 35.2 and had zero downed inside the opponent's 20-yard line. With how the offense was performing, the Colts couldn't afford that amount of shanks from their punt team, consistently giving Tennessee quality field position.

© Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

—At what point do drastic measures need to be taken? There are still 10 games remaining on the schedule but it's hard to get excited or be optimistic about what's to come. At this point, what the Colts have put together is unacceptable. Their season so far is highlighted by constant flailing against their division, rarely looking prepared to play, and high-priced players putting some replacement-level performances on tape. The situation is what a lot of teams look like before they pull the rip cord and start making big changes to prepare for the future; firings, lineup moves, trades, etc. could all be on the table for this team clutching to mediocrity.

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