After scoring just 13 points in Denver last week, the Indianapolis offense flexed their muscles on Sunday with a 38-point outburst against Tennessee. Powered by Anthony Richardson and Jonathan Taylor, the Colts produced the highest-scoring game of their season in a must-win situation. While some may be encouraged by the offense’s results, this performance was a lot less impressive than what the box score suggests.
Explosive runs and Tennessee turnovers bailed out the offense
The Colts reached the endzone 5 times on Sunday, but each touchdown drive was incredibly unconventional. On three of the scores, Indianapolis benefitted from very favorable field position thanks to a missed field goal and a pair of interceptions. Although the offense still had work to do, scoring is definitely easier when you only have to cover half the normal distance.
When the Colts couldn’t rely on a shortcut to the red zone, Jonathan Taylor’s explosive running provided a much-needed offensive spark. Determined to avenge his fumble against the Broncos, Taylor stampeded over the Titans and rattled off 65 and 70-yard touchdown runs. These big plays saved Indianapolis from the daunting challenge of actually stringing together multiple first downs into a long drive.
Although we can’t criticize the Colts for taking advantage of Tennessee’s mistakes and Taylor’s superhuman performance, we can acknowledge that this isn't a sustainable game plan for a winning football team. An elite offense has to be able to put points on the board, even if they don't always have good field position or catch lightning in a bottle on a couple of extraordinary plays.
Familiar issues on offense continue to plague Indianapolis
If you take a closer look at their Week 16 contest, you’ll notice the Colts’ good fortune covered up a lot of the same issues that have plagued this team all year long. Second-year QB Anthony Richardson remains the league’s most inaccurate passer, while Taylor struggles to be a consistent weapon behind a banged-up offensive line.
Against the Titans, Richardson attempted just 11 passes, and still managed to throw an interception. Taylor tallied 218 rushing yards — his best game of the season — but those numbers are skewed by his two long runs. Excluding both, Taylor averaged a meager 3.1 yards per carry. On the seven drives where Indianapolis wasn’t given a head start or an easy touchdown from Taylor, the Colts scored a grand total of three points, while punting four times (including a couple of three-and-outs), turning the ball over once, and missing a field goal attempt.
Shane Steichen can’t build a playoff-caliber offense with a misfiring aerial attack and an inefficient ground game. Some good luck helped Indianapolis beat the Titans but, unless Jim Irsay can figure out a way to schedule Tennessee every week, the Colts will have to create their own luck in the future.