This game… this game was hard to watch. The Indianapolis Colts were supposed to be Super Bowl contenders. Instead, they looked like a bunch of fumbling, over-hyped superstars. The New York Jets beat the Colts 20-7 on their own turf.
The Colts are now 0-2 for the second year in a row. They haven’t scored in the first half of either of those two games. They’ve stored up this surplus players on offense and yet they couldn’t seem to score. They’ve have ten giveaways in first two games this season.
So what happened? And how do we explain the loss this week?
The Jets defense looked good. The only time it didn’t was when the Colts were on a run. For about ten minutes, passes were going where they were supposed to, and something called rhythm appeared for the Colts offense. Until another mistake piled on top of all the other blunders of the game. The Jets defense, though, give them credit, went after the passers, forced turnovers, sped up Luck’s clock, and hit him left, right, and center. Jets stopped the run game from gathering momentum, and capitalized on the Colts numerous penalties. To top it off, Derrelle Revis had a fantastic game, unlike almost anyone on the other side
The Colts were down players. Neither Darius Butler nor D’Joun Smith played, Vontae Davis got a concussion, and Greg Toler was out. Injuries mean a lot of new faces appeared, with a lot to prove, and not a lot of experience to back it up. Hello to Jalil Brown and the third, fourth, and fifth string cornerbacks. But those weren’t the guys making the costly mistakes.
Andrew Luck, in his 50th start for the Colts, threw three interceptions. He was sloppy, under duress, and never seemed to have a clean pocket. But, he’s put up with pressure before, he just played poorly. Actually, with four turnovers, he played worse than poorly. After the game, a frustrated Luck spoke to the press “I’d like to think we have a fair bit of improvement to make.” Luck himself noted that the Colts shot themselves in the foot with penalties and turnovers.
Frank Gore, 11-year veteran, football player, fumbled the ball on the one-yard line. And Adam Vinatieri missed a field goal. They just didn’t have it. And Indianapolis fans felt that. The fans in an unusual display of aggressiveness, booed the offense. It was a somber, empty atmosphere by the time the game finished. Because the Colts weren’t fun to watch.
But amid the lingering questions about Chuck Pagano and GM, Ryna Grigson’s power battles, T.Y. Hilton’s knee, the screws falling loose in Lucas Oil Stadium, and Robert Mathis’ effectiveness, the question we really want answered is – do you pronounce it Phillip Door-Set or Door-Sit?
If you’d like to see the Indianapolis Colts season improve this year, you can buy Colts tickets to see them in action for the whole season. And don’t forget to come to the best pre-game party, our VIP Colts Tailgate before every Colts home game.