The Indianapolis Colts were looking to rebound from a nailbiting loss to the Houston Texans in Week 1. Instead, in their Week 2 matchup against the Green Bay Packers, they were utterly destroyed. The Packers ran roughshod all over the defense, amassing over 230 yards in the first half alone, while the offense couldn't get into a rhythm at any point throughout the game. Quarterback Anthony Richardson threw three interceptions, while there were multiple dropped balls from his receivers.
Altogether, it was a tough loss for Colts fans, illustrating that the team still has a lot of work to do before becoming legitimate contenders, and the power rankings heading into Week 3 reflect that.
Stephen Holder, ESPN: #28 (-8)
Pierce was expected to be the third receiver, at best, for the Colts this season. But he has been a revelation with No. 2 wideout Josh Downs missing both weeks because of an ankle injury and the remaining receivers showing inconsistency. Pierce leads the Colts with eight receptions and 181 yards. He has already tied a career best with two touchdown receptions, recording Indy's only touchdown against the Packers on Sunday.
Eric Edholm NFL.com: #24 (-2)
I realize DeForest Buckner is a big piece up front, and that he's not exactly been healthy this season. But Indy's defense has now been dominated up front for two straight games, leading to post-loss questions for Shane Steichen about his confidence in Gus Bradley's unit. The D did adjust well enough to give the Colts a shot at beating the Packers, miraculously, but Anthony Richardson and the offense had five drives end up in a giveaway of some sort -- turnover, turnover on downs or missed field-goal try -- plus a few three-and-outs. Richardson has 26 completions and 10 rush attempts so far in 2024. If he can't overcome the Colts' flaws, this thing likely isn't going to work as hoped.
Frank Schwam, Yahoo! Sports: #26 (-7)
The offensive inconsistency with Anthony Richardson is an issue, but Indy's defense is a real problem. A week after Joe Mixon went off, the Packers' one-dimensional offense ran all over the Colts too. The defense won't get tougher with star tackle DeForest Buckner likely to miss some time with an ankle sprain.
Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk: #28 (-6)
Anthony Richardson plays like an amusement park ride. Jim Irsay is probably not amused.
Bleacher Report: #25 (-5)
The Indianapolis Colts have problems—plural.
Offensively, second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson was rather a mess against the Packers on Sunday, completing just half his passes, throwing three interceptions and posting a woeful passer rating of 41.8.
Defensively, the Colts have been beyond abysmal against the run. For the second week in a row, Indy was gashed for well over 200 yards on the ground. Head coach Shane Steichen acknowledged to reporters after the loss that the winless Colts have a lot of work to do.
"We've got to get it fixed," Steichen said. "It starts with myself, I'm the head coach, and we've got to get in that meeting room on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and get it fixed. And that's the bottom line."
"Indianapolis can't stop that run," Sobleski said. "An 0-2 start can be traced directly to that issue. The Colts aren't just bad against the run; they're easily the league's worst in that department. Through two games, Indianapolis is the only squad to have allowed 400 yards on the ground. The Colts defense has surrendered 75 more yards than the Carolina Panthers, who are the league's worst team with a minus-60 point differential. Yes, the Colts need more consistency from Richardson. Despite his ups and downs, Indianapolis remained in striking distance during each of its first two games. But Steichen's squad should be embarrassed by how soft it is at the point of attack."
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: #27 (-4)
Anthony Richardson has to be better than what he showed against the Packers. The run defense has been a major issue in two games as they open 0-2.
Peter Dewey, Sports Illustrated: #27 (-3)
The worst loss of the week may have been from the Colts, who couldn't beat a backup quarterback in Malik Willis. Now at 0-2, Indy is in trouble to contend in the AFC.
Nate Davis, USA Today: #22 (-13)
Easiest path to a highly disappointing 0-2 start? Turn the ball over four times and field a defense that's surrendering -- by far -- the most rushing yards per game (237) in the league. Indy hasn't yet possessed the ball for 40 minutes over two games.
Josh Kendall, The Athletic: #24 (-6)
Maybe the Anthony Richardson-for-MVP talk can take a week off now. The Colts’ second-year quarterback, who entered the season with unrealistic expectations, had a passer rating of 41.8 Sunday thanks to three interceptions and a 50 percent completion percentage. Jonathan Taylor had 103 yards on the ground. The Colts averaged more yards per play than the Packers (6.4 to 5.7), but they were 2-for-7 on third down. (And all those interceptions.) Indianapolis has given up 473 rushing yards in two games.