5 Things Learned: Colts Miss On Another Season Opening Win

1. Run Game No Show

-Run Game No Show: One of the oddities from Sunday, in a negative way for the Colts, was how the run game unfolded. I didn’t expect Joe Mixon (5.3 YPC, 30 carries for 159 yards) to have a consistently higher yards per carry than Jonathan Taylor (3.0 YPC, 16 carries for 48 yards), throughout the four quarters. But that’s what occurred. Mixon ran 30 times for 159 yards on Sunday (most the Colts have allowed to a player since November 2020), after having just a single 100-yard game in each of the last two seasons. On the “must/should have” list for the Colts in 2024, the run game, on both sides of the ball, has to be in the positive area on a weekly basis. That’s how they are built. But that wasn’t there on Sunday. The Colts dressed all 10 of their defensive linemen on Sunday and yet the constant rotation up front led to no success in a usually stout element. And the linebacker playmaking was non-existent, as Joe Mixon eclipsed 100 rushing yards before the 4^th quarter had even started. When you factor in the on-paper strengths/weaknesses entering this game, this aspect from Sunday is extra disappointing. The Colts have one of the highest paid defensive lines in football, with 7 first and second round picks among the group. Way, way too much is invested into this Colts defensive line, and even linebacker group, to not show up in the run defense category.

2. Anthony Richardson Plays, Shows It All

-Anthony Richardson Plays, Shows It All: Exactly 11 months to the day Anthony Richardson’s rookie season ended, No. 5 returned and played an entire game of NFL football. That’s important, after he did that just only once last season. Onto the Richardson evaluation though. You got the full spectrum out of him on Sunday afternoon. The Richardson throw to Alec Pierce, some 66 yards in the air, after he had slipped, was an absolutely insane feat of athleticism. Those plays are possible with Richardson under center, along with the handful of plays he made with his legs on Sunday. The man had 3 completions of at least 54 yards on Sunday (another hat tip to Pierce for showcasing what he can do with a vertically equipped quarterback), which is just an insane number. But you saw plenty of inaccuracy around that, too. The Richardson experience is going to have ups and downs, especially early and on. That was quite apparent on Sunday. What must change for Richardson is for him to “hit a few more singles.” The spectacular is jaw-dropping, and kept the Colts in it on Sunday, with some impressive runs/effort late, too. But a few more layups will go a long, long way in Richardson providing steadier play at the most important position in sports. He completed 47 percent of his passes on Sunday, yet provided plenty of moments for the Colts being in it to the close. For the first time in a while, the Colts have some entertainment at quarterback. Rounding out the other stuff is the task for Richardson and Shane Steichen.

3. Pass Rush Pressure, But No Cover

-Pass Rush Pressure, But No Cover: Honestly, that’s about what I thought we’d see from the Colts pass defense on Sunday. The pass rush was humming, consistently getting pressure to C.J. Stroud, which was a must to try and limit an explosive passing offense. But when that pass rush wasn’t getting home, the secondary was exposed with far too little playmaking. If you wanted to nitpick, more of the issues were with the cornerbacks, compared to the safeties. The lone pass defensed on the afternoon was by Jaylon Jones and that came on a C.J. Stroud underthrow. And on the game’s most important play, it was Nick Cross in coverage on Stefon Diggs, with no coverage, as the Texans all but iced it on a 4^th-and-Goal touchdown. Again, Stroud attempted 32 passes, yet the Colts only got their hands one of those balls (compared to the Texans getting their hands on 7 of Richardson’s 19 passes). Given the investments, you hold the defensive line to a high standard, so that’s why the run defense is my biggest Week 1 disappointment. But the lack of secondary attention this offseason was felt on Sunday with no playmaking back there. The old adage of rush and cover only had one element on Sunday.

4. Week 1 Drought Continues

-Week 1 Drought Continues: Will the streak ever end? For an 11^th straight season, the Colts have not won their Week 1 game. And the added insult, as if you need anymore, to this year’s season-opening loss, is it came against the team that many have pegged as the AFC South favorite. When the NFL schedule in May, this one got circled more than any other. It meant more, given the opponent, given the location of the game. So this Week 1 loss stings majorly, and it puts some early-season pressure on the Colts, particularly with all 3 road divisional games coming in October. Jim Irsay has shared his public frustration with this Week 1 ineptness before, and did it on Sunday morning. Well, it sprung up again, against the class of the AFC South.

5. Another Home Divisional Loss

-Another Home Divisional Loss: It can’t be overstated how stinging this one is, even if you separate it from ending the decade-long Week 1 drought. Last season the Colts missed the playoffs/winning the AFC South by one game, and that came during a year in which they dropped 2 of their 3 home divisional games. Now they have lost 3 of their last 4 divisional home games. Protecting homefield, in an improved AFC South, is a must and the Colts need to get back to that if they want to try and end that decade-long drought of not winning the division. Sure, the old mantra of “it’s just one game” can be preached after this one. But this one does mean a little more, especially when you look at the divisional impact. And the Colts had chances in this one. It’s not every day you block a punt on the doorstep of the end zone, or have the opponent botch a late-half field goal opportunity. The Titans and Jaguars both blew double-digit leads on Sunday, so the Colts will join them in looking up at the Texans after Week 1.

6. QUICK HITTERS  

-Injury Report: The following Colts were inactive on Sunday: K-Matt Gay (hernia), WR-Josh Downs (ankle), OL-Tanor Bortolini, TE-Will Mallory, CB-Dallis Flowers, RT-Blake Freeland. The following players got injured and did not return: DeForest Buckner (back).

–Key Stat: Anthony Richardson completed 9 balls for 212 yards on Sunday. That’s an incredible 23.5 yards per completion.

-What’s Next: The Colts (0-1) will hit the road in Week 2, taking on the Green Bay Packers (0-1) next Sunday at 1:00.