Colts Placed Outside Top 20 In NFL.com Power Rankings
Coming off of an ugly loss that saw the Indianapolis Colts dominated in the trenches on both sides of the football and torched in the secondary, Frank Reich's charges find themselves falling five spots in NFL.com's Power Rankings ahead of a Week 2 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.
NFL.com's Dan Hanzus, Cynthia Frelund, and Matt Smith dropped the Colts five spots from Week 1's No. 16 overall down to No. 21 ahead of Week 2's matchup with the Rams.
The Colts find themselves as the second-ranked AFC South team, one spot behind the Tennessee Titans, who were also embarrassed in Week 1. Indianapolis finds themselves trying to put together a health offensive line ahead of Week 2, allowing new quarterback Carson Wentz to make some plays through the air after attempting just four passes of 20+ yards against the Seahawks.
"If you're a Colts fan, no need to worry, no need to fret, you'll be fine." That's how CBS analyst Jonathan Vilma summed up Indy's 28-16 loss to the Seahawks at Lucas Oil Stadium, and I must say, I do not entirely agree. The Colts' defense allowed an average of 11 yards on 23 Russell Wilson attempts, and the offensive line struggled mightily in both pass protection and short-yardage situations. Carson Wentz was the biggest bright spot: Despite constant pressure, Wentz moved well and avoided the killer mistakes that marked the end of his Eagles tenure. Still, Wentz took too many hits in this game. Catastrophe awaits if the Colts can't make the necessary adjustments up front.
Hanzus is correct in stating that Wentz was the Colts' biggest bright spot on Sunday, and that the Colts' defense really struggled trying to contain Russell Wilson and the Seahawks' high-flying passing attack.
However, it's worth noting that the Colts were starting Julien Davenport at left tackle with Eric Fisher still working back from injury, and that it was the first real action for guys like Quenton Nelson and Ryan Kelly all summer after the two standout interior linemen dealt with injuries throughout training camp and the preseason.
Braden Smith was uncharacteristically bad in Week 1 against the Seahawks and is now dealing with a foot injury that could keep him out of action.
Wentz likely felt like he was back in Philadelphia in Week 1 with all the hits he received in the pocket, but now that Week 1 is in the books it's time for the Colts to start coming together, just like they did in 2020 after an opening-week loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
That should help them move back inside the top 20 of NFL.com's Power Rankings moving forward.
Have thoughts on the Colts' placement in NFL.com's Power Rankings? Drop a line in the comments section below letting us know how you feel!
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