The Colts’ loss to the Steelers left more than a sour result behind. It left a pile of problems, and the list starts at linebacker.
This defense is rotating through Davis-Gaither, Carlies, Ajiake, Boettcher and Allen, and the real question is simple: why? The group is still new to the system, but that only goes so far.
The unit lacks instincts, and it showed. Franklin was a player the writer was ready to move on from, while Pratt was someone he wanted back for veteran presence.
Even with that, the linebacker room is being described as a bad one.
And when the tackling is that poor, everything else starts to unravel. Warren’s 80-yard reception set the tone, with a missed tackle by Boettcher and too little resistance from Metcalf and the secondary.
The criticism here is blunt: the angles were bad, the grabs were weak, and too many attempts looked like bumping ball carriers down instead of finishing plays. In the writer’s view, tackling is almost entirely effort, and the team appeared to give about 50%.
The Colts were credited with decent pass protection, but the run game never got going. Jonathan Taylor has not topped 100 yards in a game since London last year, and the move to more snaps under center did not fix that on Sunday. Taylor’s trademark patience, the argument goes, sometimes has to give way to attacking the best available crease quickly.
Quarterback play drew its own criticism, even with a cleaner pocket. Too many throws came while retreating instead of stepping into the pass.
Back-foot throws have their place, but the writer argues the Colts will complete more passes when the quarterback sets and drives the ball. If that confidence is not there, the suggestion is to sit until it is.
The point was not framed as a quarterback controversy, but as a direct challenge to DJ to look in the mirror.
Tight end usage was another frustration. The Colts leaned on heavy tight end personnel most of the game, but Mo was targeted only twice and Ogletree once.
If they are on the field mainly for protection, the writer says that points to a different issue. If they’re going to be out there, they should also force defenses to account for them in the passing game.
The defense drew the harshest overall verdict. Lou was labeled as someone the writer lacks confidence in, and the call for his removal as defensive coordinator was supported.
The question posed was pointed: how can a defense fail to force a punt after pinning an opponent back with a hold on first down? The standard, as the writer sees it, is not 20 yards in three plays - it is preventing 10.
Over five games, the Colts have one interception and one fumble recovery, and that lack of takeaways is part of the problem.
Shane Steichen took plenty of heat too. Settling for field goals was tied to play-calling that does not feel aggressive enough.
The complaint was not about choosing three points over going for it every time. It was about routes not reaching beyond the sticks on third down and drives being designed to stay in field goal range instead of pushing ahead.
The writer felt Steichen showed a killer instinct early last year, but now that looks like the exception rather than the rule.
Aggression also came up with Burkes, who should be on the field more often. He has shown he can get behind a corner, and if he can beat a couple, safeties will have to respect him.
The writer wants to see whether Burkes can win the ball in the air, since he has strength and vertical ability. The comparison was to Pierce as a rookie, when Pierce logged 12 starts and 78 targets and stretched the field even when it looked like he was running deep routes just to clear space.
The final Steichen critique came on the Colts’ last real chance. Down two scores with a little more than six minutes left, the offense got a decent first-down gain, then huddled.
The writer wanted the coach to hand more control to Jones, both in that situation and in stretches earlier in games. Rivers was brought up as an example of a quarterback who could command an offense quickly, despite limited mobility and arm strength.
Jones, the argument goes, should be given that same freedom.
Ballard was the one figure who mostly escaped direct blame, at least for now. The reasoning was that his fate is already tied to the coaches he hired, and nothing he does over the rest of this year will change that.
If those coaches cannot get enough from the players he brought in, he will be the one looking for work. That led to a broader thought: if player development is this hard, maybe the better route is to use draft picks on established players instead.
The value of a rookie, the writer said, is control and contract, so why not trade the unknown for the known commodity?
The piece ended with a note of recommendation, pointing readers to a Natural Born Buddha article on The Feed called “Some Thoughts.” The writer said he found it hard to disagree with much of it and thought readers would enjoy it.
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Aaron Rodgers Made The Colts Loss Even More Annoying Afterward
The Colts frustration from Sunday carried into the hours after the game when Aaron Rodgers turned a Steelers win into one more reminder of how well Pittsburgh handled the moment. Rodgers was efficient throughout the afternoon, completing 22 of 31 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns, and the victory helped keep Pittsburgh at 3-2 as the social-media chatter shifted from the box score to what he wore afterward.
Rodgers showed up in a shirt nodding to a longtime Mike Tomlin coaching reminder, a detail that only added another layer to an already aggravating result for Indianapolis. Even if the on-field damage was done, the postgame tribute gave the Steelers a little extra edge in the conversation and left the Colts with one more irritant from a loss they would have preferred to leave in the rearview. [Read more 🡒]
Quenton Nelsons Frustration Sums Up A Growing Colts Problem
The Colts left Pittsburgh with a familiar kind of offensive imbalance, one that put their best players in a bind. In a 34-22 loss to the Steelers, Indianapolis could never get its ground game moving, and Quenton Nelsons frustration after the game reflected just how quickly a stalled run attack can take over everything else around it.
Jonathan Taylor was held to 45 yards on 15 carries, and the lack of push in the run game forced Daniel Jones into a heavy workload with 44 pass attempts. For a team that wants to be physical first and control the pace, that kind of script is hard to ignore, especially when the rushing numbers never threaten to change it. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Still Have One Big WR Problem After Passing On Harrison Jr
The Colts spent the week circling a wide receiver market that had familiar urgency for a team still searching for answers on the outside. Indianapolis was reportedly in the mix for Marvin Harrison Jr. before Houston swooped in, and the move served as another reminder that the Colts are still trying to stabilize a position group that has been hit by injuries and uneven production.
For now, the depth chart remains thin enough to keep the issue front and center. With Alec Pierce still sidelined by a heel injury, Josh Downs, Keenan Allen and Laquon Treadwell are carrying the top load in the passing game, which leaves Indianapolis in a familiar spot: needing help at receiver, knowing it, and still waiting to find the right addition. [Read more 🡒]