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

By Jerry Trotta

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - OCTOBER 18: Jonathan Taylor #28 of the Indianapolis Colts stiff arms Jessie Bates #30 of the Cincinnati Bengals as he runs down the field during the third quarter of the game at Lucas Oil Stadium on October 18, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - OCTOBER 18: Jonathan Taylor #28 of the Indianapolis Colts stiff arms Jessie Bates #30 of the Cincinnati Bengals as he runs down the field during the third quarter of the game at Lucas Oil Stadium on October 18, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images) /
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Bengals WR Tee Higgins (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images) /

2. What’s Wrong With the Defense?

Remember when Indianapolis’ defense was widely considered to be the best in the NFL through the first month of the season? Following a dismal showing in Week 1 against Jacksonville, the group really hit its stride over the next three contests, conceding an impossible 9.6 points per game.

Fast forward to the present, however, and the defense has hit a huge wall. How poor have the last two games been? Well, let’s just say that the Colts have allowed more points in that span (59) than they did for the first four games of the season combined (56).

Has anybody taken a look at who Indy has coming up on the schedule after the bye? For those wondering, yes, that includes Detroit, which has quietly scored 26.6 points per game despite being 2-3. After that “should win” game, the Colts face off against the likes of the Ravens, Titans, Packers, and Titans again. To put that gauntlet of games into perspective, each of those teams ranks in the top 10 in terms of points per game and total offense.

Reich and defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus desperately need to find answers during the bye week. If they don’t, the second half of Indianapolis’ season could come dangerously close to mirroring 2019, when the team finished on a 2-5 skid, which included a daunting four-game losing streak from Weeks 12 to 15, after a 5-2 start to the year.

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