Colts blew it, and now they need help
By ADAM RIPBERGER
ISL Contributor
INDIANAPOLIS — Sunday marked one of the more devastating losses in recent memory for the Indianapolis Colts. They stopped running the ball and simply had no answer for Pittsburgh in the 2nd half, allowing three unanswered touchdowns and ultimately falling in the end 24-28. And instead of looking at a division title and high-playoff seed, the Colts will now need some help if they want to play postseason football.
After controlling the first half and leading 21-7, the Colts opened up the 2nd half with a long drive that resulted in a field goal giving them a 24-7 lead early on in the 3rd quarter. After that, it was all Steelers. Pittsburgh tightened up and didn’t allow another point to the Colts the rest of the game. The Colts abandoned the running game in the 2nd half after dominating the ground game in the 1st half and getting two rushing scores from Jonathan Taylor.
Coach Frank Reich acknowledged that the 2nd half play calling wasn’t ideal and that they got away from what they were doing in the 1st half. On his play-calling, Reich said: “Yeah, it wasn’t good.” Penalties (including some questionable calls) in the 2nd half derailed the Colts defensive effort and allowed the Steelers offense to air it out and get some huge plays that allowed them to come back in the game. The Steelers would finish the game with under 30 yards rushing and were nearly outplayed in every phase of the game, but still were able to pull off the comeback.
The Colts did turn the ball over twice resulting in points for Pittsburgh that ultimately were the difference. Philip Rivers was efficient on the day throwing for 270 yards and a touchdown, but was sacked more than usual, due to the shortage on the offensive line which proved to be key for the Steelers in putting pressure on their offense. The Colts defense didn’t force a single turnover all afternoon, something that they are not used to doing this season.
WHAT’S AT STAKE:
As we enter the final week of the regular season, the AFC playoff picture is far from complete and is still wide open in terms of which teams will ultimately claim a spot in the postseason. The Colts will need some help and a win to get in. Four teams are set at 10-5 and the Colts have lost to two of those teams, so they will need a win over Jacksonville, and a loss from either the Ravens, Browns, Titans, or Dolphins. While that sounds like a bunch of opportunities that could go in Indy’s favor, a few or most of those teams may be resting players in their final game with not much on the line. The Colts could become just the third team to ever win 11 games and still miss the playoffs. But first thing’s first: They have to focus on beating the Jags.
