Colts: 3 key takeaways from tough Week 1 loss to Jaguars

1. The defense looked awful

The Colts defense was nowhere to be found against Jacksonville.

As back-breaking as Rivers’ interceptions were, his debut with Indianapolis (for the most part) deserved a win today. Though another touchdown would have been nice, the bottom line is that 20 points should have been enough to come away with a victory against Jacksonville.

The Colts defense, which received constant rave reviews throughout the offseason and training camp following a number of key upgrades, put forth a disastrous collective performance. To think that Gardner Minshew finished 19-of-20 for 173 yards and three touchdowns — which equates to a staggering 142.3 passer rating — with hardly any resistance is a big problem.

While Indy’s pass rush did manage four sacks, it wasn’t nearly enough to mask the coverage issues from the team’s linebacking corps and secondary. Do we realize how all-time bad the Jaguars are supposed to be this season? It’s duly noted that Minshew is a baller, but surrendering close to 30 points against who is clearly the weakest opponent on their schedule is extremely disconcerting.

Hopefully this loss serves as a wake-up call for the Colts, because the offenses they face are going to be much more balanced and polished moving forward.