3 Good, 3 Bad in Colts’ Loss to Bengals

admin | December 11, 2023 | Other Clubs | No Comments

The Indianapolis Colts ran into a wall in a tough loss to the surging Cincinnati Bengals.

The Indianapolis Colts would lose their first game after four straight victory to the Cincinnati Bengals in a thrashing, falling by 20 points, 34-14.

This game was so terrible for the Colts that it may have been the worst overall performance of the season after 13 games. On the day, the offense, defense, and special teams all produced dreadful results.

With a heartbreaking setback at a key time when Indy was on the verge of making the playoffs, it’s time to look at what went right and wrong for Shane Steichen’s club.

The Good: Ronnie Harrison Jr.

For the Colts, this game was a frivolous chase of positives, as practically every aspect of the game plan failed miserably. However, newly converted LB Ronnie Harrison Jr. found himself in an ideal position to contribute defensively.

Harrison recorded his second interception of the season in only his third game with the Colts. He would, however, do far more with this than his first interception. Harrison caught Jake Browning napping near the end of the first half, essentially grabbing an interception and taking it to the house for a touchdown.

Harrison isn’t a starter yet, but he’s more of a situational/scheme piece for the time being. However, despite his limited exposure, he has made the most of his opportunities and will seek to continue doing so throughout the season.

The Bad: Special Teams

The Colts struggled on special teams against the Bengals, whether kicking or returning.

Matt Gay, the All-Pro kicker, was a shell of his former self, going 0/1 on field goals and 0/1 on extra points, leaving four points on the field. While it didn’t matter in the end, it is a microcosm of the Colts’ whole performance.

To make matters worse, Colts punt returner/wide out Isaiah McKenzie fumbled a punt return after clashing with a teammate early in the fourth quarter. As a result, the Bengals added three more points to their lead with a field goal from Evan McPherson.

Gay, along with the rest of the roster, will need to improve on their performance against the Bengals in order to keep their postseason hopes alive.

The Good: Zaire Franklin

Zaire Franklin, the Colts’ defensive captain, was a buzzsaw on defense yet again. Throughout the game, he would record 14 more tackles and unleash bone-crushing smashes.

Franklin has 144 tackles on the season and is on track to easily break his franchise record of 167 tackles in a single season (2022). Franklin was one of the few bright spots for the Colts, and he’ll need to be at his best in the final four games if Indianapolis is to make the playoffs.

The Bad: Penalties

The Colts couldn’t avoid penalties from start to end, whether on defense or offensively.

To add insult to injury, Indy would give up 66 yards on nine penalties ranging from offensive holding to false starts and defensive pass interference. The Colts struggled to be efficient regardless of the quarter.

Following four consecutive wins, this type of performance was expected at some time, so look for considerably more crisp performances to close off the regular season.

The Good: Will Mallory

Michael Pittman Jr. led the receiving charge once again (eight catches for 95 yards), as predicted. But it was rookie tight end Will Mallory who stepped up as a safety net for Gardner Minshew.

He finished second to Pittman with five catches for 46 yards. It’s worth noting that he caught all of his targets in a game where Minshew fought mightily to find consistency.

colleague tight endWithout Jelani Woods, Kylen Granson was regarded to be the top dog at the position. Has Mallory gained increased significance in Steichen’s offensive as a result of this performance?

The Bad: The Ground Game

I expected Colts running back Zack Moss to earn at least 20 carries in this game. However, Moss would not only be limited to 13 attempts, but he would be thwarted by Cincinnati’s defensive front.

Cincinnati came into this game ranked 28th in the league in running yards allowed per game (133.9), but they raced over the Colts’ protection and rushing charge. While it’s understandable that Steichen might have used Moss more, it’s also understandable that Moss turned those 13 carries into only 28 rushing yards (2.2 avg), possibly the worst Moss has looked this year.

It will be something to watch, since Moss has had two poor games in a row, averaging less than three yards per carry (2.5) in his last two games (32 carries for 79 rushing yards).