![Colts assistant coach and former Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley enters the field ahead of Sunday's Jaguars vs Colts matchup. The Jaguars went into the first half with a 17 to 0 lead over the Colts. The Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the Indianapolis Colts at TIAA Bank field in Jacksonville, FL Sunday, September 18, 2022. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union]Jki 091822 Bs Jaguars Vs C 26](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fhorseshoeheroes-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fimagn-images-2F2022-2F09-2F19074440-850x560-dd3e4510061224fdcb6f442e535041716f350a141b8c2149e91450596588bbf5.jpg "Colts assistant coach and former Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley enters the field ahead of Sunday's Jaguars vs Colts matchup. The Jaguars went into the first half with a 17 to 0 lead over the Colts. The Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the Indianapolis Colts at TIAA Bank field in Jacksonville, FL Sunday, September 18, 2022. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union]Jki 091822 Bs Jaguars Vs C 26")
The Indianapolis Colts are off to a terrible start in the 2022 NFL season but there are some things they can fix to turn things around.
After suffering their first defeat of the season, the Indianapolis Colts are in a state of panic. There has been a lot of finger-pointing from fans since Sunday’s game about who is to blame and what they can do better. Is it head coach Frank Reich and his play calling? Is it a lack of effort from the players? Are the players not being prepared properly? Those are all questions that have been asked.
While things may not be looking the best for Indy so far, I think there are some things the Colts can do to turn the start of this season around and play good football. Let’s take a look at three things Indianapolis can fix.
3. Give Matt Ryan and Company time to make plays
Sunday was by far the most embarrassing game that I have ever seen. A lot of it started with the offensive line getting absolutely manhandled. Guys like Matt Pryor and Braden Smith have been getting smoked off of the snap, leaving Matt Ryan no time to even get through his progressions on dropbacks. Braden Smith recently signed a four-year, 70 Million dollar contract. He can not constantly lose battles with mid-tier defensive ends. The Colts paid him a ton of money and he needs to start producing.
Against the Jaguars, Indianapolis allowed 11 quarterback hits on Matt Ryan, and also five sacks. This has to be better. Also, Jonathan Taylor only had nine carries for just 54 yards. At halftime, Taylor had only five yards on four carries. In the first half, due to the bad play of the offensive line, there was nothing that the offense could do.
The Colts have spent a lot of money on their offensive line. The amount is north of 42 million dollars in cap space. This is not looking like a great investment as of now. While it looks bad currently, there are things that Indianapolis can do to help their offensive line.
One thing the team can do is keep a tight end in to block. Keeping a tight end in helps in pass protection and should give Ryan a little more time to throw the ball. Another thing is to run plays that enable Ryan to get the ball out quickly. Run short routes that develop quickly so that the ball can be delivered quickly. If this area gets fixed, the offense could be much more productive.