The Colts came out of Week 7 with another loss, but not the kind that looked like a team rolling over. Indianapolis fell to the Minnesota Vikings, 16-10, in a game that landed a few days after general manager Chris Ballard was fired and potentially just before the organization starts making bigger moves to rebuild for the future.
That matters, because this one had the feel of a measuring-stick afternoon. Minnesota arrived unbeaten and carrying an elite defense that looked like it was built to smother Shane Steichen’s offense. Indianapolis didn’t match that standard, but it also didn’t play like a team ready to mail in the rest of the season.
One of the biggest problems was how the Colts handled Jonathan Taylor. The issue wasn’t Seth McGowan mixing in on some rushing snaps.
The problem was that Indianapolis didn’t lean on Taylor and McGowan nearly enough. Steichen said at the start of the second half that the Colts needed to run the ball and play great defense, and the first two plays of the opening series after halftime were both runs and both worked.
Then the offense went away from it, started throwing, and eventually punted.
That approach made even less sense late in the fourth quarter, when the Colts needed a first down to push the score toward 17-13. McGowan was in the game on 3rd-and-short instead of Taylor, and there wasn’t a clean explanation for it. Taylor is one of the league’s best running backs, and if Indianapolis is going to scrap for wins, it needs to put the ball in his hands more often.
The encouraging part for Indianapolis is that the locker room didn’t fold. The Colts opened the year 2-4, trade speculation has been swirling, and this was exactly the kind of spot where a team can go flat and drift into the finish line.
That didn’t happen. The effort stayed intact, and that says something about Steichen and about leaders such as defensive lineman DeForest Buckner.
There’s also the injury question hanging over everything. A healthy Colts team might have had a much better shot, and Tyler Warren’s absence could have mattered on offense.
On the other side of the ball, the secondary was shorthanded, too. Minnesota scored after Cam Taylor-Britt, who had been playing an excellent game until that point, came out early in the fourth quarter, and Justin Walley was forced to miss plays.
Those losses may have made the result look worse than it needed to be.
Even so, the next two weeks may tell the real story. Indianapolis will see Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 8, then Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys in Week 9.
The Vikings’ quarterback, Kyler Murray, wasn’t exactly a spotless test case; he made shaky decisions and wasn’t especially accurate. That changes fast against better passing games.
By November 10, the expectation is that Carlie Irsay-Gordon will have settled on whether the Colts are sellers at the trade deadline. Whether the team is 2-6 or 3-5 probably won’t change much. A 5-4 record by then, though, would have changed everything.
In Other News...
Anthony Richardson Just Added To The Colts Biggest Uncertainty
The Colts were already dealing with one of the leagues more watchful quarterback situations, and Anthony Richardson Sr. has now added another layer of uncertainty off the field. The backup passer was charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession after a traffic stop in Carmel, Indiana, putting an unwelcome spotlight on a player whose role has already carried plenty of attention in Indianapolis.
Richardson briefly addressed the matter, calling it an ongoing legal issue and offering no regret when asked about it. The Colts said they are gathering information and will let the legal process play out, with any possible league discipline expected only after that is resolved. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Kicking Nightmare Came Down To One Costly Breakdown
Spencer Shraders rough afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium left the Colts staring at a kicking problem they could not afford. The placekicker missed two field goals in Week 7, including a long try from 56 yards in the third quarter, and afterward he did not duck the frustration that came with it. Shrader said he felt responsible for the loss and pointed to his own process as the issue, a reminder that even one off day can swing a game when special teams become part of the story.
Luke Rhodes, meanwhile, made clear the Colts are not ready to give up on him. The long snapper backed his teammate after the game, offering confidence despite the missed kicks and the sudden spotlight that followed a breakdown in a phase the Colts usually count on for stability. For a team trying to keep its footing, the concern is not just what went wrong in Minnesota, but how quickly it can be fixed. [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Richardson Is Running Out Of Chances To Save His NFL Future
Anthony Richardson entered the league with the kind of ceiling teams spend years chasing, but three seasons in Indianapolis have left the Colts still waiting for the refinement that was supposed to come with time. The 2023 fourth overall pick has flashed the arm strength and athleticism that made him such a tantalizing prospect, yet injuries and inconsistency have followed him through 17 appearances, along with a 50.6% completion rate and a struggle to keep the offense on schedule.
Indianapolis has already moved on in practice and planning with Daniel Jones, which only sharpens the question around Richardsons place in the organization. The talent is still there, and so is the possibility that another team could believe it can unlock him, but the same issues have defined his career so far: accuracy, footwork and decision-making. At this point, the Colts need more than upside from a quarterback who has spent most of his first three years trying to prove he can become the player they drafted. [Read more 🡒]