3 encouraging signs (and 2 brutal setbacks) as Colts enter crucial bye week

The Indianapolis Colts are hoping for a trip to the Super Bowl this season — their first in 15 years — and at the beginning of the season, it seemed like a sure thing. But while the Colts still look good at 8-2, they've been struggling the past few weeks.

Now, the Colts are headed into a bye week, fresh off a narrow victory in overtime over the Atlanta Falcons. That game, and their loss to the Steelers before it, only gave more ammunition to doubters, who still aren't seeing the Colts as serious contenders this season.

Where the Colts previously looked dominant, they now seem to be getting progressively worse, which only means the bye week is here at the perfect time. The Colts have the chance to reevaluate and bolster the things that are working while fixing the things that aren't.

What the Indianapolis Colts can build on... and what needs to be fixed

There are some encouraging signs from the Colts lately, though — Indy hasn't been getting the respect it deserves — and even with the struggles, there are more encouraging signs than there have been setbacks.

Encouraging: Jonathan Taylor

Even before this season started, Taylor was recognized as one of the best running backs in the NFL. Taylor's best season was in 2021, but injuries hampered his performances in 2022 and 2023. He began his resurgence last season, but now? He's been so good that there is talk of him being named league MVP.

Setback: Michael Badgley

Let's be real: Badgely is a setback within a setback. It was bad enough that the Colts lost Spencer Shrader; it got even worse when Badgley struggled to perform week after week. Most recently, against the Falcons, he missed a field goal and an extra point. At what point do the Colts start bringing in competition for this hot mess?

Encouraging: Sauce Gardner

The Colts shocked the league by giving up two future first-round draft picks for Sauce Gardner, but even having had just a few days to practice with his new team, Gardner is already making it look worth it. Against the Falcons, he had six tackles (none missed) and allowed just one completion out of three targets.

Now, he wasn't perfect, of course. But if this is how good he looks with just a handful of days to learn a new defensive scheme, imagine how good he'll look in two weeks. The rest of the league won't know what hit them.

Setback: Daniel Jones

To be clear, we obviously have to start by acknowledging that Jones has far surpassed anyone's wildest expectations for this season. Save for a massive collapse, he's proven that he's better than originally thought and will remain as Indy's QB1.

That said, his performance hasn't been as good the past couple of weeks. He's seemingly back to throwing multiple interceptions, has had terrible ball control, and appeared oblivious to what was going on around him with the defense. It's not the end of the world (yet), and there's still time to course-correct, but this is a concern Shane Steichen will need to address.

Encouraging: Alec Pierce

Colts fans grew to know and love Pierce last season as a deep threat receiver, but he's grown and expanded into a versatile player who can do it all. He's on pace to have his best season yet, and at just 25, he's got a long career ahead of him.

Of course, there is the downside that the Colts might be forced to let him walk when 2025 is over. But fans can worry about that later; for now, there's a lot to celebrate about Pierce and how well he's been doing this year.