There’s still plenty of season left, but the Indianapolis Colts getting utterly dominated in Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks was the worst possible way to kick things off.
The opening stretch doesn’t get any easier. The Rams are next. The Titans follow. Then come the Dolphins and Ravens. Some analysts aren’t high on the Colts’ chances.
And if you sat around for the postgame on Sunday, you wouldn’t be either, based on what the coaching staff and players had to say about it all. The mood was dejected, to say the least, and it sums up how badly the Colts got owned by Russell Wilson and Seattle’s defense.
Carson Wentz got destroyed for most of the day. The defense was torched at every level. And … yeah, the Colts pretty much knew that.
#Colts HC Frank Reich follows the loss by sharing his message to the locker room:
— Olivia Ray (@OliviaRayTV) September 12, 2021
“This hurts for our fans and for our owner….The margin of error is slim against good football teams, and we made too many mistakes.” | @WISH_TV pic.twitter.com/DKEExpSGxN
The commentary from the Colts after the loss to Seattle was depressing.
Want to feel confused, too? After Reich offered up that assessment of the team’s performance, he then said he needed to “watch the tape” to evaluate the offensive line’s performance. The unit allowed 15 quarterback hits and four sacks.
Not sure what there is to watch, coach!
Frank Reich said "he needs to watch the tape" to truly evaluate the offensive line's performance today. Well, I don't. They got manhandled, which is a really bad look for the most expensive offensive line in the NFL.
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) September 12, 2021
Unacceptable.
Perhaps he needs the game film to dive into specificities, so we’ll give that a pass. But it seems like center Ryan Kelly understood what happened!
This quote from Ryan Kelly sums it up: “Unfortunately we learned how tough (Carson) is today.” https://t.co/mkDZ7hUHAM
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) September 12, 2021
They were dominated at the line of scrimmage. The shortened offseason/injury rehab for Quenton Nelson certainly didn’t help him get back into his usual form by the start of the year. This team has no left tackle after opting to address the position in cost-cutting fashion. Now, we’re simply seeing the consequences.
As for the defense? Star linebacker Darius Leonard, who was roasted on a few plays, including that Wilson touchdown pass to tight end Gerald Everett, didn’t mince words. He knew exactly what happened.
Colts LB Darius Leonard with a pretty blunt assessment: “We got our ass kicked.”
— Jim Ayello (@jimayello) September 12, 2021
Fans undoubtedly appreciate the honesty, but that doesn’t make it hurt any less. For 60 full minutes, the Colts were out-played. And it’s even more upsetting some of their best players were the victims.
Most figured the quarterback position and pass rush would be the most pressing issues, but somehow, the offensive line and entire defensive front seven were manhandled. That’s not sustainable whatsoever, so it’ll be back to the drawing board for the Colts ahead of a matchup against a Los Angeles Rams team that has Super Bowl aspirations.
Colts: Carson Wentz getting absolutely destroyed on these plays had to worry fans
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Carson Wentz got absolutely destroyed in his debut by the Seattle Seahawks' defensive line. Worrisome, for sure.