The Indianapolis Colts are one of a handful of NFL teams with a lot on the line this season, and their Week 1 blowout by the Baltimore Ravens should already be giving Colts fans an uneasy feeling. Overreacting after game 1 of 17 is never best, but with so much riding on this season, the Colts got off to a terrible start, and that's not an overreaction.
Colts quarterback Daniel Jones wasn't great, but he wasn't the reason the Colts lost by 18 either. The Ravens' drumming could have been worse, given how well their offense played. It was mainly a collective defensive effort that fell massively short and, evidently, needs more work, but there's more to it.
While the Colts' defense and overall performance failed to meet expectations, another element in play is how their division rivals looked on Sunday. This is where the real problem lies that could undermine Indianapolis's entire season from here on out: the Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans looked good to great.
The Indianapolis Colts were unable to meet the same levels their AFC South rivals played at
Elsewhere in the division, the Jacksonville Jaguars dismantled the quarterback-hell-destination Cleveland Browns 34-10. Trevor Lawrence looked elite, throwing for 245 yards and four touchdowns. Additionally, Jacksonville's defense looked great. The Jaguars are looking to build on their division title last season, and Week 1 was a good start.
The Houston Texans, although losing a tight one to the Buffalo Bills, 36-31, also looked good, at least as far as the offense goes. The defense looked nothing like it did last year against Josh Allen and the Bills offense; their offense, however, looked much more promising. Of course, we should expect the Texans' defense to be significantly better.
Even though C.J. Stroud blew the game in the end with a costly sack given up and a strip-sack turnover on the final drive to win the game, he had a day going for 26 of 38 for 254 yards and two touchdowns. The Texans could have easily won this game. Despite the loss, they still looked better than the Colts, and that's a problem.
Unlike the Jaguars and Texans, the Colts didn't look competitive, and unlike their division rivals, they had no chance of winning their matchup. Going into the season, no one expected the Colts to win the AFC South, and hardly anyone expected them even to finish second. Of course, things could fall off the rails for the Jaguars, and the Texans could fall victim to last year's Stroud.
Situations like these could give the Colts hope of competing for the division. That said, early signs point in the other direction. Today, Lawrence and Stroud look like the superior quarterbacks to Jones. Furthermore, the Jaguars and Texans coaching staffs followed suit, which doesn't bode well for Shane Steichen, whose job may be decided before the season's end.
Today, the Colts are where most thought they were: the third-best team in their division, or second-worst, depending on how you look at it, and nothing close to the two teams they're trying to compete with and surpass.
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