Colts: 3 things Indy must focus on fixing during bye week

Here are three things the Colts must focus on fixing during their bye in Week 7.

The Indianapolis Colts enter their bye week in really strong position, but it goes without saying that the vibes surrounding them wouldn’t be as positive if they hadn’t overcome a 21-point deficit to topple Cincinnati last Sunday.

A 4-2 start to the season has head coach Frank Reich’s side right in the thick of the AFC playoff picture and right on the tail of the Titans, who remain undefeated but have to come back down to earth at some point…right?

Fans in Indianapolis are justified in being pleased with the Colts’ record, but their performance over the last two weeks has left a lot to be desired. In Week 5 against Cleveland, quarterback Philip Rivers couldn’t help but turn the ball over and reminded everybody why he’s only a stopgap option under center.

The defense, meanwhile, had Baker Mayfield looking like a competent gunslinger (at times) and their struggles continued into Week 6, when it allowed an average Bengals team to score three touchdowns just seconds into the second quarter.

Rivers’ vintage performance helped spark the comeback, but the bottom line is that the Colts are a heavily-flawed team that has a lot to address during the bye. With that in mind, here are three things Reich and the rest of the coaching staff must focus on fixing.

3. Protecting Philip Rivers From Himself

The old mantra “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” is extremely applicable when it comes to Rivers, who makes fans hold their breath whenever he drops back to pass. That stress is only amplified when the pocket collapses and he finds himself on the run trying to throw his wide receivers open, which hardly ever goes well.

In fairness to the 38-year-old quarterback, he was instrumental (to say the least) in the team’s comeback win over the Bengals in Week 6, finishing 29-of-44 for 371 yards and three touchdowns compared to one interception. As great as that performance was, however, it would be boneheaded for Reich to think that Rivers attempting more than 40 passes per game is a recipe for winning football.

The win vs Cincinnati marked the first time all season that Indianapolis won a game in which Rivers dropped back to pass more than 30 times, and the team would probably be 0-3 in those scenarios if it wasn’t facing a lifeless Bengals defense. We seriously hope that the coaching staff hasn’t forgotten that Rivers is still a severely limited gunslinger and people were calling for his job just two weeks ago.

Protecting Rivers from his turnover-prone self will put the Colts in the best position to win games, and brainstorming a blueprint to ensure that happens that has to be one of the top priorities during the bye.