The Colts left Minnesota with another loss and a familiar kind of frustration, falling to the Vikings 16-10 after carrying the lead for much of Sunday’s game. The final score tells the story well enough, but the details make it even tougher: Indianapolis had chances, flashed some fight, and still walked away at 2-5.
Spencer Shrader, who had been so reliable all season, missed two kicks in this one. For a team whose year has already been defined by too many small failures piling up at the wrong time, that fit the script.
There were positives on the defensive side. The Colts were flying around early and played with speed and physicality, but injuries in the secondary and too little support from the offense eventually wore them down. The pass rush, by and large, stayed quiet, though Adetomiwa Adebawore kept flashing as a rusher and continued what has been a solid season.
Indianapolis also got contributions from its rookie class, with Seth McGowan, AJ Haulcy, and Deion Burks each making plays.
Offensively, though, the Colts never found a rhythm. Daniel Jones and the passing game struggled to get anything meaningful going, with Jones finishing at just over 100 passing yards.
He also had a few near-interceptions in addition to the one that counted. The Colts as a whole averaged only 3.7 yards per play.
Minnesota’s blitz-heavy approach made life miserable for Jones. According to PFF’s early tracking data, he was pressured on more than half of his dropbacks.
That pressure showed up in the rhythm of the offense, even if the Colts did manage to do some things well on third down. The problem was that those gains rarely turned into actual scoring chances.
Jonathan Taylor put up 95 rushing yards and averaged 5.3 yards per carry, but the numbers look shinier than the full picture. Take away his 38-yard touchdown run and he had just 57 yards on 17 carries, which works out to 3.3 yards per rush.
And when the Colts finally got into scoring territory, they couldn’t cash in. They made just one red zone trip and didn’t turn it into a touchdown.
Minnesota, meanwhile, went 1-for-2 in the red zone. In a game this close, that was enough.
In Other News...
Tank Dells Return Could Change More For Texans Than Just One Spot
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For a Colts team watching the AFC South, Dells comeback is another development worth tracking because Houston is trying to regain a piece that changes spacing, timing and the way defenses have to prepare. Indianapolis also has its own sideline noise, from DeForest Buckner brushing off trade speculation as he stays locked in on the Vikings to the larger chatter around the division, but Dells return may end up mattering more than the conversation around it. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Suddenly Have A Bigger Injury Concern Before Minnesota
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Those moves come as the Colts try to navigate injuries at linebacker and corner, with rookie CJ Allen, Sauce Gardner and Justin Walley all part of the concern. Indianapolis also moved on from punter Thomas Morstead after Rigoberto Sanchezs injury designation was removed, trimming one temporary insurance plan even as the bigger question remains how stable the defense will be when the game kicks off. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Suddenly Have A Blockbuster RB Question To Answer
Jonathan Taylors name has suddenly drifted into the trade conversation after ESPNs Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter reported that the Packers, Seahawks and Broncos are among the teams weighing a possible deal for the Colts running back. It is a notable twist for a player who signed an extension with Indianapolis this year and has already appeared in six games this season, especially with the franchise in a moment of change after firing GM Chris Ballard.
For Denver, the question is whether it wants to turn a passing interest into something more serious if Indianapolis decides to listen on veterans. The Colts internal picture is not entirely clear, either, since owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon reportedly still sees Taylor as a key part of the organization moving forward, leaving any potential move caught between a roster reset and a player the team may still want to build around. [Read more 🡒]