Colts vs Steelers: After Further Review

The Colts were absolutely ravaged on both ends of the field on Sunday night, the end result was a blowout in favor of the Steelers 45-10.

Several factors played a part in the complete annihilation, and it’s clear the Colts are in need of some sort of spark. The offense looked confused, the defense looked terrible, and yet again the only thing that looked halfway digestible was the special teams.

That should alarm you, that the best thing about this game was the Colts special teams. With the four most crucial games coming up, the Colts need to find a way to figure things out. Otherwise, they will get left out of the playoff picture, even though their division is just as horrid as they are.

Before we look to next week, let’s tie a nice bow on this poorly wrapped present.

Takeaway number 1: The Colts secondary is an atrocity

Give credit where it is deserved, the Steelers have an excellent receiving core, and that was made known on Sunday night. However, the Colts secondary has looked shaky all season, but last night they were torn to pieces by Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers.

Vontae Davis has had a sub-par season so far regardless, and it didn’t help that he was matched up with the predatory animal that is Antonio Brown. It was made clear throughout the game that Brown was just a flat out better player than Davis in every facet. It seems as though Davis’ mediocre season will chug along for weeks to come.

That is not my main issue with the Colts secondary though. I was able to hold my tongue with Greg Toler for long enough, and it’s time for me to let loose. Is this guy really a number two corner in the National Football League? I mean seriously, I only saw one play on Sunday night where he adequately covered his man. All the other times I saw him, this was happening:

And don’t go and say he got torched because Martavis Bryant runs a 4.40 forty yard dash. Toler runs a 4.45! There is absolutely no excuse for a number two cornerback to be burned as consistently as Toler is. If this were a comedy roast, Toler was Michael Scott, and the Steelers were Dwight Schrute.

If no one else will say it I will, that was a joke of a performance by Toler, and I’d be shocked if he stays in Indy past this season.

Takeaway number 2: Anyone who thinks Matt Hasselbeck should start over Andrew Luck is gravely misguided

I mean I’m a huge Hasselbeck guy, in the interim. But do you think it’s a good idea to play him in a Wild Card playoff game over a number one overall draft pick? Andrew Luck is this franchise’s present and future, and to jeopardize what is to come by benching Luck in favor of Hasselbeck is asinine.

Sure, Hasselbeck started 4-0, and he deserves the praise for winning those games, and playing well. However, if we look into last night’s game there is proof that he’s not this team’s long term option. He made some poor decisions which led to two interceptions in the first five Colts possessions.

It’s also clear that Hasselbeck doesn’t have a clear understanding of the offense. You know who does? Andrew Luck, and starting Hasselbeck in place of him would be an insult to him, me, and every Colts fans who’s ever lived or will live.

I love you Matt, but we need Andrew back.

Takeaway number 3: Am I living in a parallel universe?

What happened to the team we saw last week? It’s like the Colts had a Space Jam-esque moment where aliens took all their talent. How can a team play so well against a decent team in Tampa Bay one week, and then come out and get eviscerated by a good Steelers team?

It just seemed like the Colts weren’t prepared to play a football game last night. Granted, we’ve seen that a few times this season, but the Colts were able to pick it up in the second half. The Colts looked lost all game on Sunday night. The offense looked confused, and this led to them being rushed because they used so much of the play clock. It resulted in a few delay of game penalties, which is uncharacteristic.

I’ve already discussed briefly about how the secondary was terrible, but their was a lack of pass rush all night. The fact that the secondary played terrible only made things worse. There were very few plays in this game where I was left saying “Now that’s a big play”.

It seemed like the Colts were very unprepared to play, and that could be chalked to coaching. However, with a new Offensive Coordinator it could have been the Colts getting used to him. Oh, wait, they went 3-0 in Rob Chudzinski’s first three games.

I don’t understand this team. They are just so wildly inconsistent I cannot get a true feel for what they are. At this point in the season that’s probably not a good thing.

The Colts will now head to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars who put up 39 points in a loss to the Titans on Sunday. It’s absolutely crucial for Indianapolis to win these division games. If they don’t win at least two of their remaining three divisional games, they’ll miss the Playoffs. It’s just that simple.