Headline: Colts bye week: Five takeaways from the season so far
After 13 straight Sundays of football, the Colts have finally made it to their bye week. The first half and more have been more than a whirlwind in Indianapolis.
From Anthony Richardson’s benching fiasco, to worrisome defensive performances, to games coming down to the wire, fans have been treated to a plethora of entertainment, and reasons to be concerned as well.
Sitting at 6-7 and without a true identity until very recently, the ups and the downs have been tough for the Colts to navigate. Here are my five biggest takeaways from the season up to this point:
Anthony Richardson and the offense have been significantly better after benching
The decision to turn to Joe Flacco in week nine was met with lots of skepticism and frustration by the Colts fanbase. Stripping a 22-year-old quarterback of his starting job just 12 games into his NFL career appeared as if the Colts were waving the white flag on their supposed franchise quarterback.
But, head coach Shane Steichen deserves a ton of credit for making such a controversial decision. He sent Richardson a necessary wake-up call, a call which changed Richardson’s approach.
After his benching, Steichen noticed a significant improvement in his quarterback’s preparation, an improvement which earned him his job back. Since then, Richardson has been a completely different player.
While looking at the box score rarely gives you the whole story, especially with Richardson, his stats look completely different after the benching than they did before.
Richardson’s first nine games: 59-for-133 (44.3%), 658 passing yards (106.4 per game), four passing touchdowns, seven interceptions; 41 rushes, 242 rushing yards (26.8 per game), one rushing touchdown.
The three games since returning to the lineup: 43-for-82 (52.4%), 553 passing yards (184.3 per game), three passing touchdowns, two interceptions; 29 rushes, 141 rushing yards (47 per game), three rushing touchdowns.
Steichen’s brave decision has helped his young quarterback play with more confidence and swagger, a critical component to his development.
Gus Bradley’s time is running out
Even though Gus Bradley’s defense has kept the Colts in several games by preventing points this season, his scheme is proving to be easy to break down and move the ball against.
The Colts defense is 28th in total yards allowed (379.4), 30th in rushing yards per game allowed (147), 26th in passing yards allowed (232.4) and 30th in third down conversion percentage allowed (45.45%).
The only statistical category they find themselves ranking in the top half of the league is penalties, committing the joint seventh-least in the NFL.
Bradley’s conservative, Cover-3, bend-don’t-break style has proven to not be very effective in today’s game. It may have worked in years past, but no longer.
His unwillingness to adjust and change means Bradley has been flirting with danger for a while now, and his stubbornness could be what keeps the Colts from earning a coveted spot in the postseason.
Even worse, barring a complete turnaround after the bye week, it may cost Bradley his job.
The run game has suffered without sufficient depth
The Colts rewarded Jonathan Taylor in 2023 with a cushy three-year, $43 million contract to become their lead running back. He’s been receiving the level of work that you’d expect of a player making that level of money, but Indy’s over dependence on him at the running back position has held their rushing attack back.
Taylor has out-snapped both Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson combined, by 158 snaps. Additionally, Taylor has accounted for 75.6% of rushing yards between the three. Clearly, he is the more used player, making him the most trusted as well.
This disparity reveals a need for more than one reliable option in the run game to supplement Taylor.
Indy let Zack Moss, their No. 2 to Taylor, walk in free agency at the end of the 2023 season, and have failed to properly replace him. Between him and Taylor last season, they had a fairly even split in workload.
Taylor logged 169 carries for 741 yards in 10 games, while Moss recorded 183 carries for 794 yards in 14 games. As a result, the Colts offense in 2023 was difficult to game plan against due to the dual threat in the backfield.
In 2024, the Colts are a one-man show. Richardson’s return to the lineup adds a running threat, but it’s not the same as having a two-headed monster at running back next to him.
Looking around the league, there are several offenses who have found success on the ground with at least two trusted backs. The Lions, Buccaneers and Commanders all are top-10 rushing offenses who split up the workload between multiple backs.
With two more seasons left on Taylor’s contract, Indianapolis must find a Robin to Taylor’s Batman in the run game. Doing so will be the difference between being a good rushing offense, and an elite one.
Tight end position needs a complete reset
Indianapolis entered training camp with lots of intrigue at the tight end position. However, the level of competition in preseason has not been reflected in the groups play in 2024.
As a group, Mo Alie-Cox, Kylen Granson, Drew Ogletree and Will Mallory have combined for just 30 catches, 343 yards, and two touchdowns.
For comparison, 26 different tight ends around the league have more catches on their own, with 23 exceeding 343 yards.
While they’ve been okay as run blockers, change appears to be on the horizon.
Alie-Cox and Granson are both free agents at the end of the season, Ogletree has just one more year after 2024, and Jelani Woods has now missed two straight seasons due to a multitude of injuries.
The lack of involvement in the pass game from the group as a whole is a sign that a complete overhaul is needed at the position. Indy needs to find a bonafide, do-it-all TE1 this offseason. Someone who can be an impactful difference maker in the pass game and execute in the run game as a blocker.
Lucky for them, there’s two excellent options in this upcoming draft. Michigan’s Colston Loveland and Penn State’s Tyler Warren are likely to be the first two tight ends off the board.
For the Colts offense to take the next step forwards with Richardson, either prospect would be a phenomenal piece to give their young quarterback.
It’s playoffs or bust
At 6-7, the Colts currently sit on the outside looking into the AFC playoff picture, two games behind the Denver Broncos. There is good news, however. The most difficult game remaining for the Colts, a trip to Denver coming up after the bye, gives them a great opportunity to make up lost ground and earn a potential head-to-head tiebreaker.
It’s become clear that the final wildcard spot is turning into a two-horse race.
When comparing each team’s remaining schedule, Indianapolis has the obvious advantage. Denver, at 8-5, has more wins alone than the Colts’ remaining three opponents combined (Jaguars, 2-10, Titans 3-9, Giants 2-10).
The Broncos have it much harder. After hosting Indy, they’ll travel to Los Angeles to take on the 8-5 Chargers, who also hold a wildcard position. To close the schedule, a trip to Cincinnati to visit the Bengals before finally hosting the defending Super Bowl champion, Kansas City Chiefs.
All the pieces are there for Indianapolis to race past Denver for the No. 7 seed. A win in week 15 is the first step towards rescuing the campaign, and saving some jobs in the process.
The season has not gone at all like the Colts imagined it to go back in September, but they still find themselves squarely in the mix. Maybe their performance has been slightly underwhelming considering the high expectations coming into the season, especially with pressure to appear in the postseason for the first time in four years, but Indy has a heartbeat.
At this point, all the pieces are there to clinch a spot in the dance. It’s up to Steichen to rally his troops and come out of the bye ready to take advantage of their weak remaining schedule.
There’s still five weeks of regular season football left, but for the Colts, the playoffs begin right now.
HN's NFL Power Rankings: Week 13
