The Colts obviously have a lot they need to improve on after finishing with the third worst record in the league last season. But there is one thing that they need to correct the most.
The Colts could have won more games last season. Some people point to injuries as one reason why they didn’t. Others point to starting out games poorly. Everyone points to a poor defense. But one thing stands out among everything as the single biggest thing the team needs to work on.
They need to be able to finish games better. Indianapolis was in a lot of close games, including a couple of overtime games. They had big issues closing out games. They even had a big lead against the Browns before almost giving that game away.
A lot of people are to blame for this issue. The defense hasn’t done a good enough job protecting the lead once they have it. But the offense also loses its aggressiveness and tries to run plays to take more time off the clock than to get first downs.
Both of those aspects come down to coaching. Chuck Pagano just didn’t have his team prepared to close out close games over the last couple of years. That used to be his staple. The Colts used to mount large comebacks after starting out games poorly. Not anymore.
With Frank Reich coming in, the team should be more aggressive on both sides of the ball. Expect the offense to continue to try to fire on all cylinders through the entire game. Also expect the defense to try to get after the quarterback most of the game as well.
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If the Colts can improve just this one area, they should win three or four more games than they did last year. Improving in late game scenarios is imperative for the team’s success.