The Indianapolis Colts are heading into one of the hardest end-of-season stretches in the NFL. After the loss against the Kansas City Chiefs, Indianapolis's first-round playoff hopes are not what they once were. Not only is Indy fighting against the Denver Broncos, but a surprising resurgence in New England has kept the Patriots in the playoff hunt.
While the defense imploded in Week 12, the major issue was Indy's inability to secure a clock-draining offensive drive. Heading into the fourth quarter, Indianapolis held a 20-9 lead, and the Chiefs were struggling to stay on the field.
After a touchdown, a 2-point conversion, and a field goal to end regulation, Kansas City clawed back to force overtime. In overtime, the Colts offense went three-and-out, and it would be their only chance to win the game. Kansas City took it from there.
The Indianapolis Colts had a meltdown in the fourth quarterback against the Chiefs
Indy's offense stalled in the fourth quarter as the Chiefs' defense laid the pressure on Daniel Jones and contained Jonathan Taylor. The most surprising stat of the day was JT only having 1 carry in the fourth quarter. Why Shane Steichen felt the leagues best runner only needed one carry against the Chiefs offense is surprising to say the least.
Not only did Indianapolis's offensive line struggle to get holes open for Taylor (who wasn't getting the ball enough as it was), but the receivers were blanketed by tight man-to-man coverage. The real story was Steve Spagnuolo dialing up exotic blitzes that contained Indianapolis's explosive offense.
The Colts' offense looked fairly inept and lost as the fourth quarter ended, and that trend continued into overtime. While the defense may be blamed for giving up 11 points in the fourth quarter, the offense struggled to stay on the field and convert on one last game-winning first down.
Heading into the final stretch, the Colts must fix their recent offensive woes, or the 8-3 record will become 8-9 quickly. In Week 13, Indianapolis takes on the Texans, who are clawing their way back into playoff contention. Indy also has leveraged their next two first-round picks to secure their defense, but giving up 11 points in the fourth quarter puts that move into question.
Indianapolis sits atop the AFC South through Week 12 and has a critical game in Week 13 against division rival the Houston Texans. To stay atop the division, Indy needs to make a statement against the Texans.