Self-inflicted errors were the theme in the Colts’ decisive 24-6 loss to the NFC-leading Detroit Lions.
Indianapolis committed 10 total penalties, the most they’ve had in a game this season.
“That’s uncharacteristic of us,” linebacker Zaire Franklin said from his locker after the game. Coming into the game, the Colts committed the sixth-least penalties per game (5.5) and were second in penalty yards per game (38.8).
“We gotta play clean football,” head coach Shane Steichen said in the opening remarks of his postgame press conference.
Despite the mistakes, Anthony Richardson played well. His final stat line won’t show it, but the 22-year-old quarterback pieced together a solid performance.
“I thought he played well,” Steichen said. “We were in some tough situations…but I thought he battled like crazy.”
Richardson didn’t share the same view.
“We lost,” Richardson said, “so it wasn’t good enough.”
While he was just 11-for-28 for 171 yards passing and 61 yards rushing, Richardson was the most positive player for the Colts offense.
The rest of the unit let him down.
Eight of their 10 team penalties came on offense, and only two of the Colts’ offensive drives were penalty-free. Richardson had completions of 30, 21 (twice) and 7 yards taken off the board as a result of the fouls.
“As a team, [penalties hurt] us,” Richardson said after the game. “Whenever you out there playing a good team like that, you can’t beat yourself and try to beat the other team at the same time.”
The offensive line, responsible for six penalties combined, also failed to generate any rushing lanes for Jonathan Taylor. Taylor has averaged 4.5 yards per carry this season, but only averaged 3.2 yards per carry on Sunday.
“We gotta get that figured out,” Steichen said, adding he’s unsure why running the football with Taylor has been ineffective the past two weeks.
Taylor was also a victim of the penalty issues, having what would’ve been his best run of 19 yards brought back due to an offensive holding by Dalton Tucker.
Change up front seems impending, and Steichen hinted a reshuffle could be on the way.
“We’ll look at the offensive line, we’ll look at everything,” he said, reiterating his faith in the group.
In addition to the penalties, the Colts had some missed opportunities which could’ve changed the landscape of the game. In the second quarter, Richardson threw a perfect pass for tight end Drew Ogletree, who dropped a would-be touchdown.
“We’ve got to take advantage of our opportunities when we get them,” Steichen said.
For the first time this season, the Colts failed to score a touchdown in four quarters of football. Indy only had six points to show for their two red zone trips.
Pulling off the upset against the seemingly unstoppable Lions was always going to be a tall task for the Colts. Still, the mistakes were the difference between remaining competitive for 60 minutes and losing in convincing fashion.
Indianapolis falls to 5-7 on the season, and drop two spots out of playoff position with the loss. But there’s still hope for a playoff berth in an AFC postseason race which is tightening up. Indianapolis has a favorable schedule down the stretch.
In addition to their long-anticipated bye in Week 14, only one of their final five opponents has a record above .500, the Denver Broncos, who also happen to hold the final playoff position as of the end of Sunday’s early games. The winner could very well end up with a wild card berth.
There’s a plethora of work to do before then, but Week 15 can’t come soon enough. Before then, however, Indianapolis will travel to Foxborough, Massachusetts to take on a historic rival in the New England Patriots, looking to spark the beginning of a winning streak.
HN's NFL Power Rankings: Week 11
