The Colts walked out of their Week 1 home opener with a mess to sort through after the Ravens rolled them in a game that exposed just about everything that could go wrong. Indianapolis gave up more than 500 yards of offense, and the reaction afterward was less about excuses than a blunt search for answers.
Shane Steichen set the tone immediately. The head coach called the performance “not good enough from start to finish” and said, “We’ve got to coach better.
We’ve got to play better in order to get better.” He said the offense opened the game “humming pretty good” before the operation stalled, and he tied a lot of the damage to turnovers and field position instead of pointing to one isolated issue.
Daniel Jones, back for his first game after injury, said the offense simply “didn’t move the ball well” and “didn’t accomplish” what it wanted to. He also said there were no physical concerns coming out of the game, adding that his surgically repaired Achilles “felt good” and “felt fine physically” even after taking several hits.
On defense, DeForest Buckner didn’t dress it up. “We just got out-executed.
Not executing the plays. Being outplayed,” he said.
Sauce Gardner used similar language, describing the miscues as “self-inflicted wounds” and saying the group would take the film lesson before turning to Kansas City.
Jonathan Taylor, who put the ball on the ground in a costly fumble, owned his part of the loss. “It’s simple things like that you can’t allow a team like that to take advantage of those,” he said.
Alec Pierce, returning after ankle surgery, said he felt good physically but admitted the outcome “surprised” him considering the talent back on last year’s roster.
For the Colts, the message was clear and repeated from player to player: clean it up, learn from it, and get ready for Kansas City. With 16 games left, that’s the next job.
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Colts Already Face One Ugly Question After Week 1 Collapse
The Colts season opener in Baltimore offered an early reminder that September can expose a lot more than just a final score. Indianapolis fell 41-23 to the Ravens, and the frustration came not only from the loss itself but from the way the defense handled the game, especially in the secondary. With veteran Kenny Moore gone after requesting his release, nickelback Justin Walley was thrust into a tougher role, and the problems around him quickly became part of the story.
Lou Anarumos defense now has an uncomfortable standard to answer after a rough debut, and Shane Steichens offense did not look like the group that had the cleaner game plan. Baltimores first-time head coach Jesse Minter appeared to have his team better prepared, even as the Colts showed enough fight to keep swinging late. The bigger question for Indianapolis is whether this was a one-game stumble or the first sign that the issues run deeper. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Have A Bigger Concern Than The Final Score Against Baltimore
The Colts left Baltimore with more than just a lopsided loss to sort through after the Ravens rolled to a 41-23 win in Jesse Minters debut on the sideline. Indianapolis got a big day from Derrick Henry, who ran for 144 yards and three touchdowns while moving past Marcus Allen into third place on the NFLs career rushing touchdowns list, but the result still put a spotlight on how much ground the Colts have to make up after a shaky outing.
Baltimore, meanwhile, found its own jolt from an aggressive game plan under offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, with Zay Flowers piling up a career-high 150 receiving yards before leaving with a hamstring injury. For Indianapolis, the final score was only part of the issue - the larger concern is how a defense that entered the day looking for answers now has even more to fix, and it comes with the uncertainty of how long Flowers will be sidelined hanging over the Ravens' offensive momentum. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Bring Back A Veteran Corner As Pressure Builds In Crowded Secondary
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For a team trying to sort out roles in the back end, adding a player with Taylor-Britts track record adds both depth and a little more intrigue. He arrived after his run with the Bengals, and his profile comes with on-field value as well as off-field baggage, so his return is the kind of move that can reshape a crowded room while still leaving questions about how the Colts plan to use all of their options. [Read more 🡒]