Keep Colts’ Rebound Rout in Perspective
INDIANAPOLIS — Yes, it’s better than being 0-2.
That’s the grounded observation after watching the Indianapolis Colts basically steamroll the Minnesota Vikings 28-11 on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Colts (1-1) beat the Vikings (0-2) for a sixth consecutive series meeting — and the Vikings have never won on the road against this franchise in 12 career trips to Indianapolis or Baltimore — so that’s the first caveat when thinking about the big picture.
For the second consecutive week, the Vikings struggled to score for three quarters. The Colts led 18-3 entering the fourth. The Packers had a 29-10 lead on the Vikings entering the fourth last week in Minneapolis.
So, yeah, the Vikings have issues. And the Colts made the visitors pay for it.
That the Colts were able to get back to their strength and run the ball with rookie Jonathan Taylor was encouraging. The second-round selection reverted to his Wisconsin workhorse ways in his first NFL start with 101 rushing yards on 26 carries and one touchdown. The 100-yard game and score were pro firsts of hopefully many. The Colts finished with 151 yards rushing on 40 carries, and dominated time of possession, 38:25 to 21:35.
A Colts defense that couldn’t stop Jacksonville quarterback Gardner Minshew in a 27-20 opening road loss made Vikings passer Kirk Cousins look ridiculous as he completed just 11-of-26 passes for a paltry 113 yards. Three sacks, three interceptions, a secondary contesting receivers, including Pro Bowler Adam Thielen catching just three passes for 31 yards — that’s also a reason for Colts fans to come away encouraged.
Rookie kicker Rodrigo Blankenship made all four of his field goals from 44, twice from 38, and 28 yards. Check off special teams for a confidence boost.
So why is there any reason to be a killjoy on such a beautiful afternoon when the roof and window were open at Lucas Oil Stadium?
Because the Colts lost two more key players to potentially serious injuries.
Safety Malik Hooker departed late in the first half with an Achilles injury. The fear is the 2017 first-round pick ruptured the tendon, just like starting running back Marlon Mack did in Week 1. Mack was placed on season-ending injured reserve a few days later.
If Hooker’s magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan confirms the same injury, that’s basically the end of his Colts career. Like Mack, he was in a contract year. The Colts didn’t pick up Hooker’s 2021 contract option in the offseason because he’s been inconsistent. Mack probably won’t be back, either, especially considering an Achilles is one of the most difficult injuries to recover from for a running back. The Colts can’t be blamed for not re-signing either player.
Before the Colts could get into a rhythm on their second offensive play, second-year wide receiver Parris Campbell gained 7 yards on an end-around and took a shot to his left knee. And he stayed down.
This is why, after Campbell had a promising opener with six catches for 71 yards, the summation was simply this: do it again. The 2019 second-round pick was reduced by three surgeries as a rookie to just seven games. If this knee injury is serious, it’s that much more difficult to be confident in the speedy receiver's ability to stay healthy as a reliable option.
An optimist will be quick to mention how this Colts squad is the deepest of this era with fourth-year general manager Chris Ballard and third-year head coach Frank Reich. And that’s a fair statement.
Two-time Pro Bowl tight end Jack Doyle missed the game with ankle and knee injuries. Third-year Mo Alie-Cox coughed up an initial pass into an interception, but atoned nicely with five catches for 111 yards, both team highs and career bests. No Doyle, no problem, at least for one game.
When Hooker departed, rookie safety Julian Blackmon was an immediate presence by breaking up a pass over the middle with a nasty hit. Then he tipped an ill-advised Cousins deep ball into double coverage that safety Khari Willis grabbed for an interception.
Colts safety Khari Willis looks to run after a second-quarter interception.
Trevor Ruszkowski/USA TODAY Sports
It’s nothing short of remarkable that Blackmon, who had ACL surgery in December, could be on the field making plays so soon. But Ballard liked him enough to select Blackmon in the third round. Now he’s playing. And his role is likely to become significantly more important if Hooker is done.
Sticking with defense, it's worth mentioning that the Colts were without starting cornerback Rock Ya-Sin, a late scratch with a stomach illness that saw him transported to a local hospital. Starting cornerback Xavier Rhodes played well against his former team, but also exited early in the second half with cramps.
Yet the Colts defense held it together and dominated. Cornerbacks Kenny Moore II and T.J. Carrie also had interceptions.
Campbell’s departure means the Colts will want to count more on rookie wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., who was the team’s first draft selection in the second round. Pittman had four catches for 37 yards, including an impressive 9-yard reception on the scoring drive that culminated with Taylor’s 5-yard TD rush and a 7-3 lead in the second quarter. That pass to Pittman was deflected at the line of scrimmage, but the rookie showed his concentration by tipping the fluttering pass to himself and hanging on.
Just two weeks into the season, the Colts are getting vital contributions from their rookie class, among others. But just like the summation on Campbell after Week 1, now these youngsters have to keep producing.
It’s a lot to ask of rookies in a long NFL season. This is a grind, and as we’ve unfortunately been reminded already, it’s an ongoing test of attrition.
The Colts proved they can beat a lesser opponent with a strong rushing game and quarterback Philip Rivers being more of a game manager. Why wasn’t that enough in Week 1 against the Jaguars? Good question. It should have been.
Rivers said he had “fun” handing off and throwing when necessary. He completed 19-of-25 passes for 214 yards with a 2-yard TD pass to Zach Pascal. The lone interception wasn’t Rivers' fault, as mentioned. The pass was on target to Alie-Cox, who conceded he should have made the reception.
But this much is clear after a feel-good romp. The Colts can’t keep losing key players to serious injuries. At some point, “next man up” takes a toll.
So enjoy this victory for a few days. The New York Jets (0-2) are coming to town next Sunday, and the Colts have already been installed as 10-point favorites. They can build momentum with another win, and the early schedule seems favorable with winnable games at Chicago (2-0), at Cleveland (1-1), vs. Cincinnati (0-2), and at Detroit (0-2).
Then it will get tougher. And instead of asking ourselves if the Colts have enough talent or depth, perhaps we need to focus more on health.
Remember how Mack, Hooker, and Campbell were three of the most promising players in training camp. The NFL offers cruel reminders on a weekly basis about how injuries play a pivotal part.
That's why a lot of Colts enthusiasm this day should be tempered.
But this beats being 0-2, for sure.
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(Phillip B. Wilson has covered the Indianapolis Colts for more than two decades and authored the 2013 book 100 Things Colts Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. He’s on Twitter @pwilson24, on Facebook at @allcoltswithphilb and @100thingscoltsfans, and his email is phillipbwilson24@yahoo.com.)
