The Colts won ugly in Week 5, but they still walked out of it with a 30-13 victory over the Commanders and a .500 record to show for it. It was the kind of game that exposed plenty of flaws - an offensive line that stumbled early, Daniel Jones making some shaky choices, and Sauce Gardner getting beaten a couple of times by a third-string rookie in his debut - yet Indianapolis found enough answers to stay afloat after Marcus Mariota left with an ankle injury.
That answer started up front on defense. Adetomiwa Adebawore kept flashing as a disruptive force inside, and he helped deliver the play that ended Mariota’s night by teaming with Laiatu Latu for a third-down sack on the final drive. Adebawore has now piled up 2.5 sacks over the past couple of games, and he’s quickly building a case as one of the team’s defensive MVPs.
DeForest Buckner was every bit as steady. The former first-round pick kept blowing up run plays and making life miserable for the quarterback, finishing with a couple of tackles and two assists while also reaching 100 career tackles for loss. He didn’t need a monster stat line to leave his stamp on the game; he was disruptive from the opening snaps and never let up.
Laiatu Latu was right there with him. After a slow start to the season, Indianapolis’ leading pass rusher delivered his best outing yet, helping collapse the pocket and joining Adebawore on the sack that knocked Mariota out of the game. His final line showed one tackle, two assists and a half-sack, but that hardly captured how often he was in the backfield and forcing Athan Kaliakmanis to hurry every time he dropped back.
The Colts also needed someone to stabilize the passing game, and Laquon Treadwell stepped into that role with Alec Pierce and Keenan Allen sidelined and Darius Slayton still settling into the offense. Treadwell made several key catches in Jones’ worst performance of the season, led the team with 42 yards on five receptions, and earned more than the second-most snaps among Colts wide receivers.
Then there was Jaylon Carlies, who gave Indianapolis the spark it badly needed after a rough opening stretch. Early in the second half, he tipped the ball to himself for an interception and swung the momentum with one athletic play. He finished with five total tackles and the pick, looking like a player on the verge of a breakout.
And of course, Jonathan Taylor kept doing what Jonathan Taylor does. Against one of the toughest run defenses in pro football, he kept the chains moving and gave the Colts a steady ground threat. He hasn’t been as explosive this season, but when Indianapolis keeps feeding him, he still finds ways to get the job done.
In Other News...
Colts Sideline Debate Just Got Bigger At A Delicate Time
Carlie Irsay-Gordons habit of planting herself on the Colts sideline has become one of the more unusual talking points around the team, especially as she continues to work in plain view with a playbook in hand and notes at the ready. The principal owner and CEO has framed her approach as part of being an attentive leader, saying in an interview that listening and understanding matter, which fits the image she has presented during games.
But the conversation around her presence has widened, and not everyone views it as harmless curiosity. Bill Simmons questioned the sideline involvement on his podcast, adding another layer to a discussion that is already unfolding at a delicate point in the season, with Indianapolis sitting at 2-2 and trying to keep its focus on football rather than the attention orbiting above it. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Suddenly Have A Khalil Mack Decision Fans Can't Ignore
The Colts pass rush remains a talking point as the season approaches, and the latest name to surface is a familiar one: Khalil Mack. Indianapolis has been searching for more help off the edge after injuries thinned that group, and Macks track record would instantly change the tone of that conversation if the Colts decide to get aggressive. He is on a one-year contract, which makes him the kind of short-term fix teams often explore when a roster hole becomes too obvious to ignore.
Still, any potential move is not entirely in the Colts hands. Mack also carries a no-trade clause, so he would have to sign off on any deal, and the Chargers would likely want draft compensation in return if they are willing to listen at all. That leaves Indianapolis weighing a familiar NFL dilemma: whether to pay for immediate help now or hold its picks and trust the current rotation to survive the next stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Add A Familiar Pass Rusher With Anarumo Ties
The Colts added a familiar edge presence to the practice squad on Wednesday, bringing in veteran defensive end Carl Lawson as they continue sorting through their pass-rush depth. Lawson arrives with a clear connection to defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo from their time together in Cincinnati, which gives Indianapolis a built-in level of familiarity as the team looks to fortify the front seven.
Lawson has been around plenty of NFL locker rooms over his eight-year career, with stops in Baltimore, New York, and Dallas in addition to his years with the Bengals. He has 32 sacks to his name, and the question now is whether that experience and Anarumo familiarity can quickly translate into a larger opportunity in Indianapolis. [Read more 🡒]