The list of things going wrong with the Indianapolis Colts continues after another crushing loss, this time to the Dallas Cowboys, 27-23. The Colts dropped to 2-7, and despite the four-point difference, their play was the opposite, and they were lucky to lose by only four points.
The Cowboys outdid the Colts in passing yards, rushing yards, first downs, and time of possession, all by large margins. Specifically, the Colts' defense could not contain Dak Prescott or the Cowboys' offensive weapons.
Sauce Gardner, the Colts' best defender and secondary player, has had a season as rough as the Colts' overall, and has been linked to trade rumours. Despite struggles to contain CeeDee Lamb on Sunday, there was one critical play Gardner couldn't ignore.
Sauce Gardner takes full responsibility on crucial Dallas Cowboys play that led to another Indianapolis Colts loss
It wasn't only Gardner who contributed to the Colts' loss, but he spoke afterward as if it were. The Cowboys' winning touchdown came after Gardner allowed Dallas wide receiver Ryan Flournoy to catch the 46-yard completion. Had the catch not led to a touchdown and then the win, the play wouldn't have drawn as much attention.
Unfortunately, it led to both, and Gardner was left standing in the aftermath. The Colts were ahead before Flournoy's catch, 23-20, and needed to stop the Cowboys' drive to end the game. After the game, Gardner was, to say the least, very displeased with the outcome and blamed himself for it.
“My mood is I'm (expletive) off. End of the game, big play, can't let that happen. Game on me,” Gardner said in a post-game interview.
Up to that point, Gardner had his hands full with Lamb, who torched the Colts' secondary for 10 catches and 195 yards. That alone should cause any cornerback of Gardner's calibre to shudder. Yet, it was the end-game play that killed the Colts' chance at a win that stung him the most.
Outside of that one play, Gardner actually played the Cowboys' receivers well, holding his assignments to just two receptions on four targets for 11 yards, and while guarding Lamb, recording one pass breakup and a tackle.
Gardner's failed attempt to disrupt Flourney's catch fit the theme of the Colts' failure to avoid missed opportunities, which has plagued them all season. On offense and defense, it was the same story against Dallas. The Cowboys finished the day with 508 total yards on offense, and Gardner was on the field for most, if not all, of them.
The only good thing to come from what Gardner said after the game was the level of accountability he took. Even after a solid performance, he took it upon himself to be better because of one crucial, critical play. Gardner hasn't had a great season, but at least his leadership checks out.
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