The Indianapolis Colts couldn't get the post-Chris Ballard era started on the right foot. They arrived in the Twin Cities missing key guys like Sauce Gardner and Tyler Warren to play against the undefeated Minnesota Vikings.
Shane Steichen's team was in control for most of the first half, and while the offense was having another day to forget, the defense was doing more than enough to keep them in the game. That would go on in the second half as well.
Unfortunately, wasted opportunities, baffling decisions, and overall subpar execution cost this team again, and the Colts are now 2-5 for the season. Notably, these three players had plenty to do with yet another setback.
3 Indianapolis Colts players who stood out for all the wrong reasons in Week 7
Spencer Shrader
Yes, this was the kind of day in the office. Even the usually reliable Spencer Shrader struggled with this one, missing a couple of field goal attempts. While it's not all on him, those six points were a big issue, especially in a six-point loss.
The Colts' offense couldn't keep the chains in motion against Brian Flores' blitz-heavy defense, and Shrader was supposed to help them put points on the board to take some pressure off Daniel Jones' shoulders.
A.J. Haulcy
Rookie safety A.J. Haulcy has had an up-and-down season, but he couldn't get out of his own way in this one. He was no match for the bigger and more physical T.J. Hockenson, who kept him in hell with three receptions on as many targets for 33 yards.
Overall, Haulcy struggled mightily in coverage, allowing completions on all four targets he faced. He was also the closest defender on Kyler Murray's only touchdown pass of the game. All rookies go through growing pains, though, and he should be fine.
Josh Downs
Once again, Josh Downs cost himself a ton of money in this one. This game was another perfect opportunity to prove that he can be much more than just a third-down specialist, but he went missing in action.
Granted, Daniel Jones played another horrible game, but Downs couldn't create any sort of separation. He finished the game with two receptions on a team-high four targets for 18 yards and no scores.
Daniel Jones
Once again, Daniel Jones was this team's biggest liability. His decision-making was impossible to explain at times, and he just doesn't seem to have it anymore. He's missing some key guys, but he can't seem to get into a rhythm and string good drives together.
Jones took four bad sacks and threw a mind-boggling pick, completing just 13 of 22 passes for 108 yards. It's reached a point where one can only wonder whether Anthony Richardson could do a better job.
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