Colts need to stay aggressive with leads

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - SEPTEMBER 09: T.Y. Hilton #13 of the Indianapolis Colts runs with the ball in the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Lucas Oil Stadium on September 9, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - SEPTEMBER 09: T.Y. Hilton #13 of the Indianapolis Colts runs with the ball in the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Lucas Oil Stadium on September 9, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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One of the big issues with the Colts has been giving up leads in the second half. One of the ways to avoid that is staying aggressive throughout the entire game.

Aggressiveness is a double-edged sword. Sometimes in can get you into trouble. Other times it can win you games. The Colts usually win games when they stay aggressive, especially on offense. When they start to be conservative is when they give up leads.

This especially holds true on the offense. Typically, when a team throws the ball 53 times they wouldn’t be considered conservative. But the Colts relied too much on the passing game. They didn’t run the ball enough in the second half.

Running the ball does two things. It keeps the clock running when you have the lead. But it also keeps the defense on their toes. It can lead to more aggressive play calls built on play action. That way you can continue to gain chunks of yards down the field to score more points.

The Colts have had this issue the last few years. They get a big lead, and then they go away from what got them that lead in the first place. That was one of the reasons that Chuck Pagano had to go. But Sunday, it happened yet again.

Frank Reich gets a pass this time. It was his first game as a head coach in his life. He isn’t used to having all of these duties in a regular season game. He will get better as he gets more game experience. But he will be the first to tell you that games like Sunday cannot happen.

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The Colts will use Sunday as a learning experience to get better. They will continue to grow as the season goes on. Hopefully, they stop games like Sunday from happening again down the line.