To begin takeaways from the recent Indianapolis victory over New England, I think the best place to start is a repeat of the past. In fact the very recent past, as this looked shockingly familiar to something we saw only two weeks ago. New England was able to beat Buffalo 14-10, all the while only throwing the ball for a total of 3 times for 19 yards throughout the entirety of the game. With 222 rushing yards lead by Damien Harris, the Patriots’ were able to overcome the Bills at the time 2nd ranked defense in terms of points per game. Tonight, against the top ranked points defense in the NFL, the Colts were able to create a near identical gameplan. Rushing for 226 yards, and if that doesn’t look eerily similar, take into account the simplistic venture into 49 yards of total passing in the game. Carson Wentz showed that there are many similarities to what he was able to bring to his offense comparative to a team in the recent past. The San Francisco 49ers that lost the superbowl to the Chiefs only 2 years prior. Hidden behind the mask of Jonathan Taylor, and an offensive line that is inherently impenetrable. Now let’s get to the takeaways.
- The Colts offensive line is beyond best in the league.
If you did not get to watch this game as it happened, let me do you the favor in suggesting there is no need to go back and watch the film to know that Indianapolis has the best offensive line in football, particularly in run blocking in the NFL. As you will often find, top rushing offenses in the NFL have always been supported not only by a superior running back, but a pension for possessing what is often a top tier congregation of large gentlemen at the front end who are going to push back every defensive front that is unfortunate enough to line up across from them. This line consistently not only creates the running lanes for Jonathan Taylor to run through, but the simple visual of watching grown men physically move other grown men is at a premium. The physicality is unrivaled by any standard that is currently in the league, and you can expect that the Colts have found their offensive identity at the right time.
- The Colts defense has speed.
The statement itself does not offer much in the way of nuance. To describe this defense, I would say that it reminds me of something we see every season. There are always 3 or 4 teams in the league that possess defensive units that simply appear to move at a different rate of speed than any of the other defenses in the NFL. It reminds me of what the San Francisco defense looked like a couple of years ago, it reminds me of what the Seattle defense during the Legend of Boom era was taking place. Maybe lacking some of the talent, but none the less, nearly impossible to replicate on a practice field. It’s the same reason it’s impossible to prepare for when Lamar Jackson comes to town. You don’t have someone who can emulate the same abilities, because you do not have someone with the same abilities. This defense can move laterally just as quickly as they can move vertically. They will continue to disrupt plays over the middle of the field and create turnovers as they have done all season (first in the league in turnover differential this season).
- Derrick Henry has taught us nothing
I worry for the general health of all running backs in today’s NFL, being that nearly all of them end up injured in their first 5 years, and out of the league by 8 years. I was nearly ready to end my escapade of telling people this when it appeared that Derrick Henry was an exception to the rule. But nearly 7 weeks ago, that came to an end as well. The Colts did a good job in the second half of not forcing the ball into Jonathan Taylor’s hands every play, however, 18 first half carries is exactly what leads to a consistent 33+ carries a game strategy. This has not been the typical way that the team has played, as the season average lies closer to 20 carries per game for Taylor, but a cautionary tale has been set within the same division.
- Carson Wentz was hidden
You could make the argument that this was strategic due to New England having one of the better defenses in the NFL this season. This was after all, a season low in passing attempts from the newly relocated Wentz. You could make the argument that it was worth shying away from throwing the ball being that Wentz for the first time this season threw for under 50% completions. You could even make the argument that the New England defense has been more susceptible to the run this season, thus making it the more prominent strategical advantage to run the ball more than throw it. To me, this looked like the Colts were scared to put the ball into the hands of the man who they acquired in the offseason. This appeared to show signs of many teams that have made it into the playoffs despite the play of the QB behind the huddle, most recently Jimmy Garappolo from only a couple of seasons ago. If the Colts are to make a deep playoff run, I believe that they will have to induce a steady passing offense, as it becomes more and more difficult to win in today’s NFL based on rushing and defense.
- Mac Jones remains top rookie QB of the season
The popular thing to do after a loss like this is immediately attack the quarterback for the losing team. You can look to the two interceptions and formulate opinions that the man doesn’t know how to properly read a defense. I would argue that the second interception was an incredible play, sure, let him hear it for the first mistake. But after having a less than mediocre first three quarters, Mac Jones began to put it all together and create offense. Had it not been for an odd coaching choice kicking a field goal from the three yardline, when they had already previously gone for a 4th down in field goal range, this game may have still been in reach after Jonathan Taylor broke that 67 yard touchdown. I would elude to saying that the lack of weapons is more responsible for the lower production than I would the quarterback himself. I have shades of a memory of a man named Tom Brady who also struggled trying to force the ball into the hands of guys like N’Keal Harry on a repetitive basis.
There is still plenty of season left to be played, and this game was telling from both organizations. The AFC is shaping up for a wild finish for the 2021 season, and makes for an utterly unpredictable playoff. These takeaways do not reflect one team being better than the other one even a week from today, but they do tell the story of what we saw take place in Indianapolis on Saturday night.