Are the Indianapolis Colts Not Ready for Primetime?

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Andrew Luck’s primetime debut was a Monday night mess.

Luck and the Indianapolis Colts had the entire world watching when they stepped in to face the San Diego Chargers on Monday Night Football, and they literally dropped the ball. Luck threw for just over 200 yards without a score, but his receivers did not give him much help. At least five of the Indianapolis receivers dropped passes, several of which were on third down conversions.

Also hurting the Colts, was the fact that nearly every ESPN pregame promo featured broadcasters throwing love all over Andrew Luck. The Colts were the away team on Monday night, but were talked about as though they were the heavy favorites. San Diego has beaten the Colts in six of their last seven contests, and had every right to feel slighted by this type of disrespect. Philip Rivers was barely spoken of before the game, yet he is having a great rebound season. Rivers picked the Colts apart, and the Chargers’ offense held the ball for 38:31 of the game.

Indianapolis linebacker Robert Mathis was held with a sack for the first time this season. The Colts defense gave up only 19 points, but committed ridiculous penalties, and allowed San Diego to convert 50% of their third downs. Indianapolis could not stop the run or the pass up the middle, and could not get off the field.

Indianapolis has only beat San Diego twice in the last ten years. As ugly as this loss may have been, the Colts have no time to cry over spilt milk. Peyton Manning and the undefeated Denver Broncos are coming to town on a short week, and ugly could turn to disastrous very quickly. Hopefully, the long plane trip home was a sobering one for the Colts. Indianapolis needs to pull themselves up, or they are going to get ran over in primetime again, this Sunday.