The Indianapolis Colts entered the first game of the season as one of the strongest underdogs on the slate, at least on paper. Shane Steichen had already dominated Jesse Minter's defense, and they had an edge against a first-time head coach making his debut on the road. But that was all a lie as the Ravens destroyed the Colts 41-23.
The Colts got off to a flawless start to the season before a flurry of miscues flipped the script. The defense just didn't have an answer for Derrick Henry and Zay Flowers, and the final score could've been much more lopsided.
It was an overall up-and-down performance with no clear winners on Indy's side. If anything, multiple players dominated the conversation on social media and on the broadcast about how poorly they played in the season opener.
3 players who didn't help the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1
Justin Walley
Justin Walley's official NFL debut couldn't have gone any worse. He drew rave reviews in training camp and looked ready to step up as the team's new go-to guy in the slot, but this was just a tough watch.
Zay Flowers took him to school for most of the first half, and the only reason things didn't get even more out of hand is that he suffered a hamstring injury. He just couldn't keep up with the Ravens' speedster.
Walley was used to playing outside before the Colts moved him to the slot. It's hard to count him out after just a game, especially given that he was given a tough assignment right out of the gate. That said, this is certainly a red flag and worth keeping a close eye on ahead of Week 2.
Sauce Gardner
Sauce Gardner may not have been to blame for the secondary's struggles, but expectations are always higher for a player of his caliber. More so when the team gave up two first-round picks to get you in town.
Gardner's biggest impact was forcing Lamar Jackson to look elsewhere; he was targeted only twice, though he did give up a 12-yard catch. Even so, it's hard to feel comfortable with his performance when the defense allowed 41 points and 304 passing yards.
He's supposed to be one of the league's shutdown specialists, and he also vowed to become more of a ball-hawk this season. All eyes were on him after missing time with an injury in his first season with the team, and he'll have to do plenty of heavy lifting to make the trade feel worth it.
Tyler Warren
Tyler Warren was the talk of the hour in training camp. He reportedly manhandled the New England Patriots in joint practices, and everyone gushed about a potential breakout second season with the way he was moving.
A groin injury cost him the final two weeks of training camp, but he was always expected to be healthy for the opener. Fast forward to Week 1, and he had two catches for four yards until there were 10:26 left in the game.
He dropped a pass that wasn't perfectly placed, but the drop was mostly on him anyway. He was third on the team in targets (5), and while he did manage to find paydirt, his performance didn't match the sky-high hype surrounding him. He was mostly a decoy and a bystander, with everyone wondering whether he was even playing. Sometimes, not standing out is the worst way to stand out.
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