After 1-5 start, Colts are back from the dead with 4th straight win

Just 5 weeks ago, many Colts fans on the various Facebook comment sections and message boards were ready to call in the 2018 season. They had dropped 4 straight games (3 of which were one score games), and were 1-5, after a failed comeback attempt against the Jets. However, there is resilience in this team. That resilience, mixed with an easier second half schedule has become a dangerous combination over the course of the last month. Now, Indianapolis has won four games in a row, and are in the thick of the wildcard race. They have clawed back to second place in the AFC South standings as well, behind only the 7-3 Houston Texans (who they will play in week 14).

Keys to victory against Titans

Andrew Luck: It’s been really great to see Luck back on the field in any capacity this year, but he’s exceeding even the highest of expectations so far this season. He now has 7 straight games with at least 3 touchdown passes, and 33 straight performances with at least 1 touchdown pass. Tallying 29 touchdowns to 9 interceptions, Luck is on pace to eclipse his career best in touchdowns, and close to a pace that would break Peyton Manning’s franchise record for touchdown passes in a season (49). Currently Luck is throwing an average of 2.9 touchdowns per game, which puts him on pace for 46.4 to end the season.

Offensive Line: Have you ever seen a cleaner pocket than what we’ve witnessed over the past month? When’s the last time you saw an effective Colts running game before this year? This is all thanks to great draft picks and free agent acquisitions by GM Chris Ballard. Improving the o-line was one of his priorities this last offseason, and boy did he deliver! Last season the Colts gave up a league worst 56 sacks. This year big number 56 Quenton Nelson, seems to have changed the identity of this line all by himself, as he’s become the vocal leader of the line, and has shown incredible sportsmanship on the field. Always rushing over to pick up his teammates, always there to congratulate teammates on touchdowns. You couldn’t ask for a better 1st round pick. The line has miraculously turned it around this season and is just 1 sack behind the Saints for first place in that category.

Hungry Defense: The Colts have forced at least one turnover in every game this season. (Two forced against Tennessee) Matt Eberflus’ system has been welcomed with open arms this year, as I believe the transition to the 4-3 scheme has been seamless. The Colts are up to 26 sacks on the year, after only getting to 25 last year, and have forced 19 turnovers. They also have great young talent including Darius Leonard, Kenny Moore III, and Malik Hooker, which means we could see this type of energized defensive play for years to come.

Final Thoughts:

With the Texans writing the textbook on winning close games, and leading the AFC South at 7-3, it may be more realistic to see the Colts contending for a wildcard spot. The #6 seed is wide open, as the Bengals, Ravens, Dolphins and Titans are all tied with Indianapolis at 5-5. Over the next six weeks, the Colts play just one opponent with a winning record (Houston Texans week 14). Two of those games are against teams the Colts have already beaten once, so the remaining schedule is definitely worthy of some optimism. If they don’t manage to sneak into the playoffs however, Frank Reich and the Colts have proven many things to their doubters. Luck is back and playing at his best, Reich, albeit the backup option for Indianapolis, undoubtedly has the chops for being an NFL head coach, and there’s a lot of reason to believe that Indy will be one of the top teams in the league next year. Another offseason of solid free agency and draft picks, could ascend Indianapolis to heights not seen since the 2006-2007 season.

AFC South Standings

Houston: 7-3 W7

Indianapolis: 5-5 W4

Tennessee: 5-5 L1

Jacksonville: 5-5 L6

Photo Credit: South Bend Tribune

Week 11 Preview: Colts vs Titans

Another week of Colts football is upon us! This week, Indianapolis will play host to the Tennessee Titans who are coming off an impressive 34-10 drubbing of the New England Patriots. In that game, the Titans’ defense was suffocating, causing the Patriots to punt on 6 of 12 possessions. They also forced a turnover on downs, and kept Tom Brady and company from scoring on drives just before halftime and the end of the game. Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski missed a 52 yard attempt as well, as the Titans defense successfully kept the Patriots from scoring on 10 of their 12 possessions. Tom Brady looked rattled in this matchup, and his stats show it. Tennessee was able to get sacks on Brady 3 times as well as 7 total quarterback pressures. They also forced 4 pass deflections. Brady ended the day, going 21-41 for 254 yards 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions with a quarterback rating of just 29.5.

In today’s game, Indianapolis will face an obviously talented Titans defense who rank towards the top in most categories. They rank 1st overall in points allowed per game (16.8), 6th in yards allowed per game (328), 6th in pass yards allowed per game (228.2), and 11th in run defense with 99.8 yards allowed per game.

This is a team that is built a lot like the Jacksonville Jaguars team we saw Indianapolis play last Sunday. Defensively, this is a team that has playmakers and recognizable names at every level. In the secondary, cornerbacks Adoree Jackson and Malcom Butler will try and keep Andrew Luck and T.Y. Hilton from getting in rhythm, in the linebacker group, names like Wesley Woodyard and Brian Orakpo will try and keep the talented Colts tight ends contained, and on the defensive line, tackles Jurrell Casey and Austin Johnson will attempt to break through Indianapolis’ #2 ranked offensive line.

The Titans also have another, more unfortunate commonality with the Jaguars. Outside of last week’s win, the Titans offense has ranked near the bottom of the NFL this season in most categories. They’ve only managed 15 offensive touchdowns this season, and four of those touchdowns came in last week’s game. In points per game, they rank 28th (18.7), in total yards per game they are 30th (299), their 184.6 pass yards per game ranks 30th, and lastly, they rank 14th in rushing yards per game with 114.4.

Now that we’re familiar with our opponent, let’s take a look at what the Colts’ stats look like going into this week. Indianapolis brings a dynamic offensive attack, with the ability to put up a lot of points. Currently, the Colts rank 6th in the NFL in points per game (28.9), and quarterback Andrew Luck is second in passing touchdowns with 26. Luck also has a nice touchdown streak going, as he has compiled 6 straight performances of 3 or more passing touchdowns. This streak has only been matched twice in NFL history by quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. Other offensive numbers for the Colts include, 9th in total yards per game (379.8), 12th in passing yards per game (266.2), and 15th in rushing yards per game (113.6).

Defensively, the Colts have been kind of a mixed bag. They’ve shown this season that they can force a lot of turnovers, as they posted 5 in one game (vs Buffalo Bills), but they’ve also shown that they lack depth in the secondary, as they’ve yielded as many as 17 completions in a row to opposing quarterbacks (Derek Carr/ Oakland Raiders). They’ve been great at getting to the quarterback one week, but follow up with a zero pressure performance the next. It has been a bit puzzling and frustrating at times for fans like myself, and I’m sure the same can be said of the players and coaching staff. One defensive thing has been consistent over the Colts winning streak however. The ability to create clutch turnovers in the closing minutes has been there in every win. They dismantled the Bills 37-5, and every turnover was a momentum boost in that game, in the matchup vs the Oakland Raiders, it was defensive rookie of the year candidate Darius Leonard punching the ball from Doug Martin’s arms, and against Jacksonville, it was cornerback Kenny Moore III that forced a fumble on the Jaguars final drive to survive a comeback attempt in the final two minutes. Perhaps Frank Reich’s mantra of having, “an obsession to finish” is finally sinking in. These Colts are buying what Reich in selling, and that has been very evident during the past few games.

My prediction:

I find this matchup to be eerily similar to the game played just a week ago in Lucas Oil Stadium. The stats and style of play the Titans and Jaguars have is almost indistinguishable. I think if the Colts can get off to a fast start as they did last week, then they’ll have a very good shot at climbing the AFC South ladder to second place this week. I see both teams ending the day at 5-5 as I’ve got Indianapolis winning this one 28-17.

Photo Credit: Stacey Revere/Getty Images

Colts on bye week after second win in a row

Locked in a tight battle for three quarters, the Colts finally pulled away in the fourth, scoring 21 unanswered points to take a victory in Oakland, 42-28. The Raiders and Colts traded blows for much of the game, but Indianapolis put together a game tying drive in the beginning of the 4th and never looked back. The 12 play, 75 yard drive lasted 5 minutes 14 seconds, as Marlon Mack capped the drive with a touchdown run on 3rd and Goal (his first of two touchdowns on the day).

The next Raiders drive was a three and out, which allowed Indianapolis to build on their offensive momentum. The Colts would take full advantage of this, as Andrew Luck and Jack Doyle were telepathic on this drive. Luck went 4-4 on the drive, completing all of his passes to Doyle (14, 11, 17, and 10 yard completions), the last of which was a touchdown.

The next Oakland possession would last just one play, as AFC Defensive Rookie of the year candidate, Darius Leonard, punched the ball out of the hands of running back Doug Martin. The Colts recovered the ball on Oakland’s 27 yard line, which set up Andrew Luck and the offense for another quick touchdown drive. Marlon Mack would score a one yard touchdown on the fifth play of the drive. Mack finished his day with 25 carries 149 all-purpose yards, and two rushing touchdowns (all career highs). This was the second week in a row that Indianapolis was able to reach over 220 rushing yards as a team, as they averaged 5.6 yards per carry.

With the improvements in the running game and offensive line, Luck was able to pass for another three touchdowns (23 on the year) and zero interceptions. Luck has also taken zero sacks for the past three weeks, behind a suddenly solid offensive line. The offense is looking stout at the right time. With the bye this week, and a slough of divisional games on the horizon, the Colts will need all the fireworks in the second half of the season, if they hope to make a playoff push.

At 3-5, Indianapolis is very much alive in the AFC South race. With Houston leading the division at 5-3 and the Titans and Jaguars at 3-4 and 3-5 respectfully, no one is really pulling away in the division. The Colts also have a favorable schedule ahead. Of the teams that they have left, (Jaguars, Titans, Dolphins, Texans, Cowboys, and Giants) only one (Texans) has a winning record. Excluding the Texans, the rest of the teams listed have a combined record of 10-20. Also, the Colts have an added benefit of playing 5 of their remaining 8 games in front of a home crowd at Lucas Oil Stadium (Including 3 home games in a row). Finally out of the first half gauntlet of 5 away games in 8 weeks, things look a bit brighter for Indianapolis moving forward.

The second quarter of the season is much improved from the first. Especially on the offensive side of the ball. There’s a list of high points to hit on, so I’ll go ahead and mark them down:

Andrew Luck: The front runner for comeback player of the year has to be Luck. Currently second in the NFL in touchdown passes, (23) Luck has proven that his shoulder injury is a thing of the past. He’s also showing more maturity and intelligence. Luck is protecting his body, and avoiding costly turnovers. Whether it’s throwing it away or stepping out of bounds instead of lowering his shoulder, he’s definitely playing more calculated football, and coaches and fans alike have taken notice.

Offensive Line: As mentioned earlier, Andrew Luck hasn’t taken a sack in three games. Quenton Nelson has just become the NFL’s first Guard to be named offensive rookie of the month, and is proving extremely worthy of being drafted at #6 overall. Braden Smith, the Colts other rookie guard, has made a successful transition to right tackle, and is doing a great job sealing the edge from pass rushers. After seeing 5 separate offensive lines in the beginning 5 weeks of the season, Indianapolis has finally found a lineup that works for both the passing and the run game.

Marlon Mack: It’s been awhile since the Colts had a back-to-back 100 yard rusher. Eleven long years in fact! Andrew Luck was still in high school the last time Indianapolis had a back-to-back 100 yard rusher, and the Colts were one season removed from their Super Bowl victory against the Chicago Bears. Mack struggled to stay healthy earlier this season, but has made the most of his starts. In just four games this season, Mack has 381 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns, and another 56 yards receiving and a touchdown catch. The Colts are 3-1 when Mack plays and 0-4 when he doesn’t, proving that an effective rusher is extremely important for success on the offensive side of the ball.

Darius Leonard: Leonard is a bona fide beast. He leads the NFL in tackles with 88, is tied for a team leading four sacks, has two pass deflections, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. He’s already collected the award for Defensive Player of the Month in September, and has his sights set on Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. Indianapolis has been searching for elite defensive players since Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis were terrorizing NFL offenses. I think Leonard will be a key face of the Colts franchise for years to come.

Adam Vinatieri: Not every team can say they helped a player break an NFL scoring record. Vinatieri did just that this past Sunday, as he broke Morton Anderson’s all time NFL scoring record. 2550 points, has made Adam Vinatieri an obvious choice for an eventual spot in Canton. When the Hall of Fame comes knocking, this GOAT will undoubtedly answer.

Overall, I give the second quarter of the season a C+. Big improvements in the rushing game, and the offense as a whole were very noticeable. Going forward, I’d like to see the Colts tighten up in the secondary. Derek Carr found plenty of holes in the Colts defensive backfield, on his way to 17 straight completions at one point in the game. Some of this can be attributed to injuries to Malik Hooker and other members of the secondary, but 17 completions in a row is too much at any level. Depth at Corner and Safety has been lacking for years in Indianapolis, and unfortunately it’s been more of the same this year. Perhaps that will be an area of emphasis during the offseason? The Colts will have plenty of cap space to work with, and a deep free agency pool to tap into. Once the time comes, it will be interesting to see what direction GM Chris Ballard and the Colts front office goes.

Photo Credit: Indianapolis Star

Game Preview: Colts @ Raiders

The Indianapolis Colts season may have hit a huge turning point last weekend. Throttling the Buffalo Bills 37-5 must have felt great for a team who has struggled to finish out games this year. At 2-5, the Colts are still last in the AFC South, but they have a bit of optimism from last week’s convincing win. Putting up 37 points is good any week, but to do it against a top 10 defense is even better. The Indianapolis offense exploded on the ground for 220 rushing yards, and was also incredibly efficient through the air, as Andrew Luck threw for four touchdowns and zero interceptions.

This week, they’ll take their momentum out west, when they travel to Oakland to play the Raiders. Oakland has been under construction this year, as their front office has gutted many of their star players. Trades of linebacker Khalil Mack to the Bears, and wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Cowboys have changed the identity of the Raiders completely. Oakland also received disappointing injury news, as they were forced to put running back Marshawn Lynch on the injured reserve. The trades were not without their rewards though. The Raiders now own 3 first round draft picks for 2019, and two more for 2020. That’s some serious leverage for potential trades during the offseason, but also amazing to have if they actually decide to keep the picks. Either way, it will be interesting to see how their choices unfold come April during the 2019 draft.

Draft picks won’t help them win this year though. The Raiders are 1-5, and seem to be on a collision course for the league’s worst record. It almost seems as if they’re intentionally throwing the season to set themselves up for the draft. A risky decision, that could turn out to be the Colts benefit this weekend.

Even before the Amari Cooper trade, the Raiders look pretty rough on paper, starting with quarterback Derek Carr. Carr’s stats, have been underwhelming this season, as his ratio of 7 touchdowns to 8 interceptions leave much to be desired. The running game hasn’t helped out much either, as Oakland is only averaging 92.5 yards per game on the ground (25th in NFL). With Indy’s defense showing up big last week with 5 turnovers, the Raiders may have to take a more conservative approach to stay competitive in this game. The offense of the Raiders hasn’t been there all year. Putting up just 18.3 points per game (28th in NFL), I don’t see them keeping pace with an Indianapolis offense that is 10th in scoring with 27 points per game. Even worse, the Raiders defense led by defensive coordinator Paul Guenther, is giving up 29.3 points per game, which ranks 29th in the NFL.

All of the stats seem to trend towards an Indianapolis victory this week. Andrew Luck is second in passing touchdowns, Marlon Mack is coming off a great rushing performance of 120+ yards, Jack Doyle is returning this week giving the Colts their healthiest offensive lineup this year, and the Indianapolis defense is fired up after forcing 5 turnovers last weekend. The Colts have a lot of momentum, and I don’t see this Raiders team getting in the way of that. I look for Indianapolis to take a much needed two game winning streak into the bye, and keep hope alive for their battle in the AFC South.

My prediction:

Colts: 35 Raiders: 20

Photo Credit: IndyStar.com

Mack finds the end zone twice as Colts roll over Bills 37-5

Missing their starting quarterback Josh Allen and watching running back LeSean McCoy leave the game with a head injury early on, the Bills struggled to find any offensive consistency against a stifling Colts defense. With both teams feeling each other out in the first quarter, the Colts offense took off in the second quarter. To cap a 13 play 75 yard drive, Andrew Luck found tight end Eric Swoope from 17 yards out for the game’s first score. A wobbly point after attempt by Adam Vinatieri was no good. This was the first of two missed extra points for Vinatieri on the day. Late Monday, Frank Reich told reporters that Vinatieri is dealing with a nagging groin injury. There’s no word on Vinatieri’s availability for next week’s game at Oakland.

The next Buffalo drive, the Bills were moving the ball quite well on the ground. Backup running back Chris Ivory rushed for 28 yards on two carries on the drive. With an opportunity to answer, tight end Charles Clay fumbled the ball at the Indianapolis 22 yard line after a big hit by safety Mike Adams. The ball was recovered by linebacker Darius Leonard at the 26 (the first of 5 Bills turnovers). Three plays later, Andrew Luck found running back Marlon Mack wide open in the flat for a 29 yard touchdown. The ensuing two point conversion put the Colts up 14-0.

A quick three and out by the Bills offense gave Indianapolis the ball back with just over 7 minutes left on the clock. Andrew Luck and the Colts offense took advantage of the opportunity, capping a 9 play 82 yard drive with another passing touchdown, this time to T.Y. Hilton.

With Indianapolis already up 21-0, Derek Anderson might have been feeling some pressure. Four plays into the drive, he tried to force a pass into a tight window to wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin, only to be picked off by the Colts’ Mike Mitchell. This set the Indianapolis offense up at the Buffalo 32 yard line. Two plays later Nyhiem Hines would take a 14 yard scamper to the Bills 18 yard line, and set up a 36 yard Adam Vinatieri field goal, putting the score at 24-0 at halftime.

In the second half it was much of the same, turnovers by the Bills, and the Colts offense capitalizing on said turnovers. The Colts would add two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter, and roll to a 37-5 victory.

Marlon Mack and the running game played a big part in this game. Mack rushed 19 times for 126 of the Colts’ 220 rushing yards on the day; as well as, 33 yards and a touchdown on two receptions. The sudden explosion in the run game was pleasantly surprising Indianapolis has struggled to get the run game going this season, but were able to break out against a top 10 rush defense. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come, as all three Colts running backs (Mack, Hines,Wilkins) rushed for more than 6 yards per carry on Sunday. Having an effective running game allowed the passing game to take a more conservative approach. Andrew Luck and his receivers were effective and efficient as he completed 17/23 for 156 yards and 4 touchdowns.

With the Colts finally getting their second win of the season, it begs to question if this is the start of a long winning streak for Indianapolis. The Colts will travel to Oakland to face the Raiders next weekend, and there’s a lot of reason to be optimistic of the matchup. Defensive star Khalil Mack was traded to the Bears earlier in the season, the Raiders’ number one wide receiver Amari Cooper was traded to the Cowboys for a first round pick today, and starting running back Marshawn Lynch has been placed on IR. The Raiders’ misfortune, could be a great opportunity for the Colts to get a much needed victory before heading into their bye week. With a tight race in the AFC South, a win would put the Colts right back in the division mix to keep playoff hopes alive. Here’s a look at the current division standings:

Houston 4-3

Tennessee 3-4

Jacksonville 3-4

Indianapolis 2-5

Photo: Thomas J. Russo/ USA Today Sports

The good, the bad, and the ugly of Colts loss to Patriots

Falling to 1-4, the heavily injured Colts just couldn’t keep pace with Tom Brady. Starting the game off, New England marched down the field with a 12 play, 75 yard drive that lasted just over six minutes. This drive, capped by 3rd and Goal pass from Brady to wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, would set the tone for the rest of the game. With 9 players missing to start the game, and several more injured throughout Thursday’s contest, the Colts were scraping the bottom of the depth chart by the end of the night.

The Patriots never trailed in this game. Tom Brady would score four total touchdowns (3 passing 1 rushing), including his 500th passing touchdown of his career. Aside from 2 tipped passes that led to interceptions, Brady played flawlessly. Taking advantage of Colts turnovers, and picking the secondary apart for most of the night, Brady was classic Brady, and that was unfortunate for Indianapolis, as the end of the game favored New England 38-24.

The Good: Andrew Luck is possibly playing his best football of his career. Completing 78 of 123 pass attempts (An NFL record for passes in a five day stretch), Luck has been incredibly efficient. He has thrown for over 800 yards and has a 7:2 touchdown to interception ratio in the last two games. What’s crazy, is that Colts receivers have dropped over a dozen catchable balls in the two game stretch. If he and the receivers can get on the page going forward, this could be a career year for Luck and the Indianapolis offense.

The Bad: As good as Luck is playing, he can’t do everything. The lack of a running game, and injuries piling up, have the Colts forcing Andrew Luck to pick up the slack and put the team on his surgically repaired shoulder. Although the Colts did manage to rush for 4.0 yards per carry on Thursday, the 24-3 deficit in the first half kept them from consistently running the ball. Luck knows passing this much is not sustainable, and head coach Frank Reich echoes those thoughts. Drops that lead to turnovers and drops that could’ve been touchdowns have plagued Indianapolis since the beginning of the season as well. The Colts have dropped over a dozen passes the last two games, and with the depleted receiving core, it doesn’t look to get better.

The Ugly: I’ll say it louder for those in the back…INJURIES! Missing the likes of T.Y. Hilton, Jack Doyle and Marlon Mack is tough. Then you add in all the defensive absences, and you have a big problem. Injuries to Darius Leonard, Kenny Moore II, Nate Hairston and Quincy Wilson have the Colts looking very deep in their depth chart. The Colts preach next man up, and expect all members of the team to perform as if they were starting, but you’ve got to admit that the lack of primary players played a huge difference in Thursday’s matchup. Only 44 players were dressed for Thursday’s game due to the amount of player who are banged up.

Looking Ahead:

Indianapolis’ next test will be in the Meadowlands, as they travel to New York to face the Jets. This will be the Colts 4th away game in 6 weeks. Indy has a 10 day gap in action, so hopefully the extra time to prepare will allow them to get healthy. The Jets are the first of three, 1-3 teams that the Colts will face before the bye. Indy faces rookie quarterbacks over the next two weeks, and will travel to Oakland to face the now Khalil Mack-less Raiders in week 8. They have a good opportunity to go streaking, and put some check marks in the win column before a week 9 bye week. Perhaps they can pull it around and reach 4-4?

Picture Credit Jim Davis/ Boston Globe

Inactive list for the Colts grows to 9

Both cornerback Nate Hairston and standout rookie linebacker Darius Leonard have been listed as OUT for Thursday Night Football. This leaves Indianapolis extremely vulnerable. Already missing other stars, such as wide receiver T.Y. Hilton and tight end Jack Doyle, Indianapolis has become a shell of what they were just a few days ago. The Colts are only able to dress 44 players tonight due to the barrage of injuries (46 are allowed).

Good news however, left tackle Anthony Castonzo will make is season debut, after missing the first four weeks with a hamstring issue. The Colts will need all the help they can get, as they go into Foxboro as 10.5 point underdogs.

Colts hobble into Thursday as 7 players declared out

With fans still trying to cope with the questionable call that led to an Indianapolis loss on Sunday, another game has quickly arrived. Tomorrow evening, the Colts will face the New England Patriots. Well…most of the Colts. With a lengthy list of injuries, Indianapolis’ biggest obstacle on Thursday will be keeping their players healthy. Multiple positions have been spread thin due to injuries, not to mention the unfortunate loss of tackle Denzelle Good, who will miss an undisclosed amount of time while coping with the death of his brother.

Those missing time with injury are as follows:

T.Y. Hilton (chest/hamstring)- Hilton is Indianapolis’ leading receiver with 294 yards. Normally a picture of health, this will be only the third game Hilton has missed in his 7 year career. Wide receivers Ryan Grant and Chester Rogers are expected to split Hilton’s would be snaps. Running back Nyhiem Hines may find more time in the slot, to give more receiving options to Andrew Luck. He’ll look to build on Sunday’s team leading 9 reception, 2 touchdown performance.

Marlon Mack (hamstring)-Mack has only played in one game this season, but it was a good one. Playing in the Colts’ lone victory against the Redskins, Mack tallied 10 carries for 34 yards and a single reception for 2 yards. While the numbers aren’t impressive, his big play ability from last year has been, and will be missed.

Jack Doyle (hip)- Indianapolis’ leader in receptions from a year ago has had a rough start to 2018. After fumbling away the ball on a potential game winning drive in week one, Doyle had a very average outing against Washington where his injury occurred. Putting up just 9 receptions for 80 yards this year, Doyle’s production has been severely missed.

Quincy Wilson (concussion)-The injury bug has plagued this young cornerback his whole career. In just his second season, nagging injuries have limited Wilson to just 9 games (out of a possible 21). In two games played this season, he has tallied just one tackle.

Kenny Moore II (concussion)-Moore has logged an interception, 1 pass deflection and 14 tackles this season. Starting all 4 games for the Colts this year, Moore will be missed in a group of inexperienced group of corners that will try to slow down the likes of Patriots receivers Josh Gordon and Julian Edelman (who makes his return from a four week suspension this week).

Hassan Ridgeway (calf)-A preseason stud who hasn’t stayed healthy, Ridgeway just hasn’t been lucky so far this season. After tallying 4 sacks in the first two weeks of the preseason, Ridgeway’s only regular season action came during substitution work in a week 2 win over the Washington Redskins. Ridgeway hasn’t logged anything on the stat sheet yet this season, but when healthy, he can be a valuable rotational player on the defensive line (3 sacks in 2017).

Colts 1-3; Quarterly review

The first quarter of the 2018 season is over. A somber tone has set in amongst the Colts fan base. Some fans are already calling it in, and are optimistic for next year, while others still cling onto small shreds of hope and pride. Sunday was a heartbreaker. After battling back from an 18 point deficit, the Colts could only watch, as Houston Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn nailed a 37 yarder to win in overtime. Now Indianapolis finds themselves at 1-3, and last place in the AFC South. Weeks 1-4 weren’t pretty, but there are pieces to build on moving forward.

1) Andrew Luck’s shoulder is healthy, and this past Sunday was proof. 40 completions on 64 attempts for 464 yards (all career highs) 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions against Houston. He played as well as you could as for, against a solid defensive team in the Houston Texans. Yes, there were some early miscues, but overall, this was classic Andrew Luck, and let’s hope he’s here to stay.

2) Nyheim Hines is stepping up as a quality receiving back. Whether it’s snaps from the slot, or coming out of the backfield, Hines has shown that he belongs in this Indianapolis offense. At 22 receptions after four weeks, the rookie is on pace to catch 88 passes this year. That production will likely taper off, as I don’t see Luck throwing 62 passes again anytime soon; However, it’s good to see Luck has found another reliable target.

3) It’s not just Darius Leonard making noise on the defense. While the rookie did perform admirably on Sunday, several others joined in what was a festival of sacks on Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson. Indianapolis sacked Watson 7 times with 8 Colts registering at least 0.5 sacks on the day. They also registered 11 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and 11 quarterback hits. Indianapolis also recorded 2 pass deflections and an interception by cornerback Pierre Desir.

My grade for this quarter is D+. While there are plenty of positive takeaways, the Colts need to finish their work. 17 sacks in 4 weeks is great, a 9:3 TD to INT ratio for Luck is great, but it means nothing if they don’t register W’s.

The Colts do however have something to work with. They have a foundation, a ton of young talent, and a bunch of cap space to make waves in the off-season or potentially before the trade deadline. With whispers of trade interest in Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell have being heard, as well as, the need for wide receiver help, the Colts look like a potential landing spot for big acquisitions. While Indianapolis general manager Chris Ballard has long been focused on building the team through the draft, you have to wonder if he’ll want to spend at least some of the Colts’ hard earned nest egg. Names like Bell and Dez Bryant have been tossed around, but plenty of big names are set to be on the free agent market in 2019. Names like Green Bay wide receiver Randall Cobb, Detroit wide receiver Golden Tate, Dallas defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, and Houston outside linebacker Jedeveon Clowney are all set to be unrestricted free agents. It’s hard to predict what Ballard will do, but it’s fun to think about the possibilities.

Colts sit at 1-3 as they prepare to face Patriots on Thursday night

This past Sunday, head coach Frank Reich may have made the best, bad decision in the history of Colts football. Facing a 4th and 4 on their own 43 yard line in OT, Frank Reich chose to gamble. He chose to put the game in his best player’s hands, but unfortunately Luck (and Chester Rogers) couldn’t deliver. Three plays later, the Houston Texans would take the victory on a Ka’imi Fairbairn 37 yard field goal.

Sometimes though, it’s what you learn in losses that make you a better, more resilient team. By taking that shot, and putting his confidence in the offense to go make a play, Frank Reich now has everyone on the same page. This head coach doesn’t want to dwell on the what if’s, he wants it black and white. Win or lose, no grey areas. He wants his team to be aggressive. He wants his team to have, “an obsession to finish”.

With the Colts now at 1-3, it’s left many fans disgruntled. Critical turnovers, some key injuries, and costly penalties have shown that missing a couple of the little things are what can turn a spotless record into one that’s sub par. In week one, it was a Jack Doyle fumble, in week 3 it was penalties and poor execution in the red zone, and week 4 it was 14 points given up off of turnovers.

Now the Colts will go to Foxboro, and kick off week 5 action Thursday against the New England Patriots. This will be their toughest test so far. It won’t be tough for the obvious reasons of New England playing at home, or because Tom Brady is under center for the Pats. The game will be tough because there’s an urgency to win, and a stigma that says the Colts can’t/won’t win this game. The media says they won’t, the fans say they won’t, the casinos say they won’t, and history says they won’t. The Colts haven’t beaten the Patriots this decade, as New England has gone 7-0 in their matchups since 2010. Andrew Luck, who entered the league in 2012, is 0-5 in those matchups.

Maybe it’s time for a Colts win. At 2-2, New England isn’t exactly playing their best football. They still have Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, but something seems a bit off. Aside from their week 4 win over the Miami Dolphins, they look out of sync. Taking losses to Detroit and Jacksonville, they’ve shown that they have weaknesses, and that they aren’t the super heroes they have been in the past.

If Indianapolis can play its best game of the season, they just might have a shot at taking out the Patriots and beginning a string of victories. After Thursday, they’ll have two games against rookie quarterbacks (Sam Darnold-Jets and Josh Allen-Bills), and then head to Oakland to play a Raiders team that seems to lack an identity since trading away Khalil Mack. Those 3 teams only have 3 wins collectively (3-9 overall). This could put Indianapolis in a more reasonable spot when they hit the bye in week 9.

Before the “easy” games though, the Colts have an opportunity to stick it to Josh McDaniels who left them at the alter during the off-season coaching search. Who better to help them, than the former Eagles offensive coordinator, Frank Reich, who beat them in the Super Bowl in February? They also have the opportunity to make this a rivalry again, because let’s be honest…there has been nothing resembling competitiveness in this series for almost a decade.

This week, I’m predicting more of the same in this series. Indianapolis came out of the Texans game really banged up. On Monday, they had 8 players who didn’t practice, and several more on a limited practice. That may seem natural for a Monday any other week, but knowing that they play Thursday night is cause for concern. It’s not rotational players getting injured either, it’s the starters. Notable injuries on the Did Not Practice list are as follows:

Wide Receiver-T.Y. Hilton (chest/hamstring)

Tight End-Jack Doyle (hip)

Linebacker-Darius Leonard (ankle)

Center-Ryan Kelly (hand)

Cornerback-Nate Hairston (ankle)

Defensive Tackle-Hassan Ridgeway (calf)

Cornerback-Quincy Wilson (concussion)

Cornerback-Kenny Moore (concussion)

With these big names here, and several others, such as left tackle Anthony Castonzo (hamstring) practicing on a limited basis, the Colts are in trouble if they can’t find a magic healing elixir by Thursday.

IND: 20 NE: 38

Photo credit: USA Today Sports