The Indianapolis Colts are hitting their first real skid of the season, and it couldn’t be coming at a more inconvenient time. After racing out to a 7-1 start that had fans dreaming big, the Colts have now dropped three of their last four-and the cracks are starting to show.
Yes, there were some questionable officiating moments in the Week 13 loss to the Houston Texans. But let’s be clear: the stripes didn’t lose this game for Indianapolis.
The Colts did that themselves.
Let’s talk about the moment that had fans throwing their hands in the air-Kenny Moore II getting flagged for pass interference early in the fourth quarter with the game tied 13-13. Watching the replay, it’s hard to argue that Moore deserved the call.
It was a tough break. But let’s zoom out for a second.
Houston was already sitting at Indy’s 25-yard line on 3rd-and-15 when that flag flew. They were already in field goal range.
Worst-case scenario for the Texans? They kick it and go up 16-13.
Instead, the penalty gave them new life, and they cashed it in for a touchdown.
That one call didn’t decide the game. The Colts still had a chance to hold them to three, and the defense couldn’t get the stop. That’s on them.
And if we’re being honest, this game wasn’t lost on defense or officiating-it was lost on offense. That’s been the theme during this recent slide, and it’s a surprising twist considering how dominant Shane Steichen’s offense looked to start the year.
Early on, the Colts were moving the chains with rhythm and purpose. Now, they’re sputtering.
The biggest issue? First down inefficiency is killing drives before they even get going.
Instead of setting up manageable second and third downs, the Colts are settling for short gains-or worse, negative plays-that put them behind the sticks. And when you’re constantly playing from behind the chains, third down becomes a nightmare.
Here’s the proof: on the season, Indy is converting 40.7% of third downs-solid enough for 11th in the league. But in the last four games?
That number drops to 32.6%. And over the last three?
Just 28.6%, which ranks 29th. That’s a steep drop-off, and it’s directly tied to the offense’s inability to stay ahead of schedule.
Earlier in the season, everything felt smooth. The offense was clicking, and the defense, while not dominant, was holding its own despite a laundry list of injuries.
Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo deserves credit for keeping that unit afloat. But now that the offense has cooled off, the team’s vulnerabilities are being exposed.
The silver lining? The Colts are still right in the thick of the playoff race.
The margin for error is shrinking, but the season is far from over. The schedule ahead won’t do them any favors, but Daniel Jones-banged up or not-has shown flashes that he can run Steichen’s system effectively.
If the offense can get back to the basics and find that early-season rhythm, there’s still time to steady the ship.
Bottom line: this isn’t about bad calls. It’s about execution.
The Colts have the talent and the coaching to turn this around. But if they don’t clean up the offensive issues soon, they’ll be watching the postseason from home-and they’ll have no one to blame but themselves.