The Indianapolis Colts lost to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 7, 16-10, potentially days before the team makes moves to rebuild for the future, and a few days after general manager Chris Ballard was fired.
There was no shame in the loss, though. Minnesota came into the game unbeaten with an elite defense that appeared destined to overwhelm head coach Shane Steichen's offense. The future for Indy could be bright, but the current state is not a fun one for fans.
Even in tough losses, some positive things can be learned about Indianapolis. Does that mean the season will turn around? Not necessarily, but at least there is a bit of light in the darkness.
Immediate takeaways from the Indianapolis Colts losing to the Minnesota Vikings
The plan with Jonathan Taylor needs to change
The issue isn't with Seth McGowan rotating in for Taylor on some rushing downs, but with the team not running Taylor and McGowan more. Even at the start of the second half, head coach Shane Steichen said the team needed to run the ball and play great defense. The first two plays on the first second-half series for Indy were runs and successful.
Then Steichen passed the ball, and Indy eventually punted. Indianapolis simply needs to run the ball more. Why save Taylor when he is among the best running backs in the league? He is why the team could win more games. Based on how well Indy played for most of the game in Week 7, the team is willing to keep playing hard and steal some victories.
To make matters more confusing, late in the fourth quarter, when the Colts needed a first down to try to get the score to 17-13, McGowan was in the game on 3rd-and-short, not Taylor. Why that was has no good answer.
Colts won't quit
Speaking of not giving up on the season, the team began 2-4, and speculation has been rampant that key players might be traded. That could have led to a team that was blown out because they gave up on the rest of the season. They didn't. That implies they won't.
Shane Steichen might not be the best head coach, but he deserves credit for keeping his team focused on the game. So do the rest of the leaders on the team, like defensive lineman DeForest Buckner.
The game probably didn't help Carlie Irsay-Gordon make decisions on the future
Would a healthy Colts team have won the game easily? Injury concerns have been a built-in excuse for Indy for a while now, but might be valid in Week 7. Minnesota certainly didn't look like a team that was unbeaten entering the game. Had Indianapolis had tight end Tyler Warren available, for instance, the offense might have had an easier time offensively.
Defensively, Indianapolis was missing a lot of pieces in the secondary. The Vikings scored after Cam Taylor-Britt, who was having an excellent game up to that point, early in the fourth quarter, and Justin Walley had to miss plays. Maybe there is more to the injuries-are-an-issue argument. That's for Irsay-Gordon to decide.
The real test for keeping players will come in the next two weeks
As hard as the Indianapolis Colts played, let's be real. Kyler Murray of the Vikings isn't a good quarterback. He makes iffy decisions and isn't overly accurate. That changes against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Trevor Lawrence in Week 8 and the Dallas Cowboys and Dak Prescott in Week 9. Indianapolis is capable of winning both games, but the defense will be tested.
The assumption is that by November 10, Irsay-Gordon will have made the decision to be a seller at the trade deadline. Whether the team was 2-6 or 3-5 likely doesn't change the eventual decision much. Of course, being 5-4 on November 10 would have changed everything.
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