3 Good, 3 Bad from Colts’ Loss to Saints

On Sunday, the Indianapolis Colts fell to the New Orleans Saints 38-27, losing their third straight game of the 2023 season. Additionally, this would be the third game in a row that the Indianapolis defense has let up more than 35 points.

With a 3-5 record, the Colts appear worse than they did during the whole season. In light of this, let’s examine the positive and negative aspects of the Colts’ disappointing performance versus the Saints.

Zack Moss (66 rushing yards) and Jonathan Taylor (95 rushing yards) did what they wanted to against the Saints defense that day. They combined for 161 rushing yards on 23 carries at an average of 7.0 yards per carry.

It certainly didn’t start that way, according to head coach Shane Steichen, even though the ground game began to crumble in the second half.

It seemed as though Taylor and Moss were controlling the Saints’ defense. This was a result of the running attack having momentum and Indy not behind by a large margin. Regretfully, the second half was lackluster in terms of flow. The Colts must establish this, which may be the reason why the offense ultimately lost its rhythm.

Though it’s arguably the least offensive of the “bad” entrants, Indianapolis ultimately depended on kicker Matt Gay for several touchdowns.

Although he made both of his field goals (20 and 42 yards), the Colts were unable to score scores on these drives prior to intermission.

In the current NFL, the Colts cannot rely solely on their kicker. Gay has made eight of nine field goals in the last four games. Even though his season kicking efficiency (12-of-14 [85.7%]) is remarkable, winning games in professional football isn’t achieved with kicks.

This may be explained by the “Anthony Richardson helps this issue” argument, but considering Indy’s running backs and their offensive line that is resurgent, as well as the momentum they both had going into the first half of this offensive attack, it’s also a little unacceptable.

The Colts’ two-game losing streak does not necessarily reflect poorly on their pass-catchers. This relates only to wide receivers.

Alec Pierce continues to block well in the run/screen game even if he hasn’t yet developed into a real WR3. He did, however, catch three balls for 41 yards on Sunday (13.7 avg.).

Josh Downs (7 catches for 72 yards) and Michael Pittman Jr. (8 catches for 40 yards and 1 touchdown) both maintained their status as Gardner Minshew’s genuinely dependable passing options. Although Downs continues to be a threat out of the slot, Minshew also targeted Pittman 13 times.

These receivers are still showing signs of improvement and fitting right in with Steichen’s offense. When your defensive opponents allow so many points to be scored, it is difficult to perform well in a winning effort.

On Sunday afternoon, Indianapolis’ defense was rendered ineffective by Saints wide receivers Rashid Shaheed and Chris Olave, as well as running back Alvin Kamara.

Kamara only managed 59 rushing yards for the day, but he more than made up for it with four receptions for 51 yards and a touchdown. Olave added a team-high five receptions for 46 yards on nine targets.

But Shaheed was the one who was a defensive grenade for the Colts. With just three receptions, he amassed an incredible 153 yards (51.0 avg.) and a touchdown.

Any NFL defense that has this kind of receiving effect is forced to push their safeties and corners back, which opens the door for other possible offensive plays by the opposition. The Colts were doomed as a result, letting Shaheed’s lightning-fast reflexes dictate their defensive strategy.

Drew Ogletree, a tight end with the Colts, missed all of 2022 (ACL) and is virtually in his rookie season. He has demonstrated two points. First and foremost, he can block like the finest tight end in the NFL, which he demonstrated admirably against the Saints, particularly during the ground game.

He has, meanwhile, also demonstrated a natural ability to make huge catches when it matters.

During Minshew’s roll-out in the fourth quarter, Ogletree made an incredible grab that resulted in a 33-yard score. This brought Indianapolis to within eight points of the Saints.

Ogletree has shown to be the Colts’ best all-around tight end player, barring Jelani Woods (Injured Reserve), even if this would be his only contribution in the passing game.

All things considered, the Colts secondary performed a dismal job against the Saints.

They surrendered 350 passing yards, two touchdown passes, and no turnovers during the day. However, the Tony Brown vs. Shaheed duel was particularly noteworthy. Even though it’s not entirely Brown’s fault, Shaheed’s speed was a formidable opponent for Brown. Actually, Brown was frequently showered with targets by Saints quarterback Derek Carr, and it worked.

Shaheed completely destroyed Indianapolis’ chances of winning with a field day of huge plays and 100% completion rate.

To make sure this doesn’t happen in the next game against the deplorable Carolina Panthers (1-6), general manager Chris Ballard may decide to make an emergency free-agent signing. This is due to the cornerbacks’ awful performance. But with Ballard’s cautious approach to acquiring free agents in the middle of the season, it might not happen.

It’s the main defensive vulnerability for Indianapolis; we’ll see what happens. Until instructed otherwise, expect NFL attacks to target this Colts weakness.