Colts still look like the same team that got embarrassed by the Jaguars in Week 18
Despite an offseason of change, the Indianapolis Colts returned to Jacksonville and are being plagued by the same problems from last season.
Last year, the Indianapolis Colts could’ve gone to the playoffs but as everyone knows, that opportunity was snatched away from them when they got embarrassed in Week 18 by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Although Jacksonville was the worst team in the NFL, they dominated Indy 26-11.
That loss forced the Colts to reset this offseason. They made a quarterback change, added high-profile defenders, and also drafted some promising young weapons. However, Indy returned to Jacksonville in Week 2, and Indianapolis is currently looking like the same team that was laughed off the field last season.
The Jaguars lead at the half 17-0, and much like last season, it’s not a fluke. Jacksonville is exposing the issues that Indianapolis has been desperately trying to cover up. The Jaguars are showing the Colts what happens when certain weaknesses are neglected during the offseason.
Colts are having the same struggles as last season
Last year, Indy’s biggest problems were wide receiver depth, the left tackle position, and defending the pass in high-leverage situations. Those are precisely Indy’s issues from the first half of this Week 2 game with the Jaguars.
The only wide receiver addition the Colts made this offseason was Alec Pierce, because the team believed in their young guys. Well, with Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce missing this game, it’s time for those young receivers to step up. However, they’ve been nonexistent.
Indianapolis also decided to take an internal approach at left tackle, by elevating career reserve, Matt Pryor, to the starting position. Indy did draft Bernhard Raimann, but the team refused to make any big free-agent acquisitions at tackle. That’s been evident in Sunday’s game as Jacksonville’s Josh Allen is having his way with Matt Pryor at tackle.
The Colts did address the defense by adding Yannick Ngakoue and Stephon Gilmore, but that hasn’t mattered against the Jaguars because Indy just can’t get off the field on third down.
Unfortunately for Indianapolis, the offseason is over, so it’s too late to correct those mistakes. The fortunate thing is that the Colts have another half of football to play and it’s only a three-possession game. No new players are walking into the locker room today, so the ones inside Indy’s locker room need to figure it out.
