Colts Can’t Overcome Sluggish Play in Loss to Raiders
The past week was consumed with COVID talk for the Indianapolis Colts.
The franchise quarterback found himself on the COVID list. NFL protocols regarding the virus changed mid-week. Players came off the list just in time to be cleared for the game.
Not lost in the COVID talk was that the Colts had a chance to clinch a playoff berth at home in front of an excited crowd at Lucas Oil Stadium.
In the end, none of it mattered.
The Colts were only missing one player on the active roster due to COVID (long snapper Luke Rhodes) and yet, put together one of their most sluggish performances of the season. The Las Vegas Raiders, their playoff lives on the line, came out and played like it as they took down the Colts 23-20.
“It’s disappointing,” head coach Frank Reich said after the game. “Sure, they had a lot to play for, we knew that. We played some other teams with backs against the wall, but we knew they’d come out with a lot of energy, and they did. They executed well. They were coached well, and they played well. We just didn’t quite coach well enough or play well enough in all three phases.”
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The Colts were not nearly as sharp as we are used to seeing. Was it caused by lingering effects from the virus for some players? Not having enough practice time with one another this week?
“I think (lack of practice) does play a little bit of a factor,” running back Jonathan Taylor admitted. “I mean you just haven’t gotten the full speed reps. That’s just what is it, but then when game time comes, we are all pros. You have to find a way to make it work to get your job done and that’s something that collectively we didn’t do today.”
The Colts aren’t using that as an excuse. All three phases had issues on Sunday, contributing to Indy’s first loss since November.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Colts struggled to find consistent success. Taylor tried to do his part, racking up 108 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Taylor broke Edgerrin James’s Colts franchise record for most rushing yards in a season as the superstar running back now has 1,734 rushing yards on the year.
But the passing game struggled mightily. Quarterback Carson Wentz missed practice all week on the COVID list but was medically cleared Sunday morning. Wentz didn’t look his best Sunday, holding onto the ball too long at times and missing throws that we have seen the quarterback make throughout the year.
“Definitely offensively not our best,” Wentz said. “I know we started off sluggish. I don’t know what our numbers were on the third down, it felt like we were not very good and able to stay on the field. I wasn’t very good on third down – a lot of things that I want back personally. Just kind of a sluggish game and we got a little momentum there, but just didn’t sustain it and didn’t finish the way we want.”
As Wentz alluded to, the Colts were not nearly good enough on third down, going 3-for-11 on the money down. Wentz himself went 16-of-27 (59.35) for 148 yards and a wild touchdown that was tipped in the air and caught by wide receiver T.Y. Hilton in the endzone.
But that’s not the throw to Hilton that sticks out to Wentz. With the Colts up 17-13 in the fourth quarter, Hilton found himself wide open on a third-down play that, if completed, would have probably led to another touchdown and put the game out of reach. Instead, Wentz overthrows Hilton by a step, and the Colts have to punt.
“I want (the throw) back,” Wentz revealed. “Definitely want it back. It was definitely blown coverage. They kind of passed it off and then they miscommunicated, and he was wide open. That one hurts a little bit.”
Shifting to the defense, it was an up-and-down day for that unit as well. The Colts continued to be a turnover-producing machine with interceptions by linebacker Darius Leonard (his 13th turnover of the year) and cornerback Isaiah Rodgers. But Raiders quarterback Derek Carr stayed with it, finding wide receivers Zay Jones and Hunter Renfrow to continue moving the chains.
“Pressure does two things, bust pipes or make diamonds, plain and simple,” Leonard said. “You’re either going to step up when the pressure comes in the fourth quarter, you’re going to make a play or you’re not. That’s what it comes to. You’ve got to want to be out there. You’ve got to want to make a play. You’ve got to want to be able to put your guys in position to make a play. It’s just top to bottom. You’ve got to want to make it. You’ve got to want to be the guy to step up and we didn’t do that, plain and simple.”
The Colts’ tackling was not up to their standards as multiple tackles were missed throughout the game. Cornerback Kenny Moore II had trouble at times staying with Renfrow, something we’re not accustomed to seeing. And while the Colts sacked Carr twice and got pressure up the middle, the veteran continued to sling it and made big plays when it mattered.
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This should serve as a wake-up call to the Colts. After big wins against the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals, they came out sluggish and slow against the Raiders. They knew the Raiders were going to come out ready to play, and they in no way matched the energy needed to get the victory.
The NFL is a week-to-week league. Whether a team has the best record or the worst, any team can win on any given Sunday. The Colts will certainly need to remember this going into Week 18 as they head down south to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The good news is the Colts’ playoff situation is simple: “Win and you’re in.” The bad news is the Colts haven’t won in Jacksonville since 2014 when Hall of Fame Finalist Reggie Wayne was still wearing #87 for the Horseshoe.
“No givens next week,” Reich said. “We know Jacksonville is good … we know when we go to Jacksonville, it’s a battle. So, we got to have a great week of preparation and I’m sure it’ll be a tough fought game next week and we got to go earn it.”
The Colts can’t afford to be sluggish next week. If we see a repeat performance in Jacksonville, one of the hottest teams in the NFL will be just like the rest of us here in Indiana: ice cold and watching playoff football from the couch.
Have thoughts on the Colts' sluggish performance in a loss to the Las Vegas Raiders at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday? Drop a line in the comments below and let us know how you think?
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