Indianapolis, IN

5 biggest takeaways from the Colts’ 2022 season

Published

2 years ago

January 18, 2023

5 biggest takeaways from the Colts’ 2022 season

Stephen Maturen/Getty Pictures

The foremost tell-tale signal that this wasn’t going to be the season as anticipated was when the Colts tied the Texans within the season opener, 20-20, in extra time.

They got here out flat in that recreation and needed to rating 17 fourth-quarter factors simply to even it up by the tip of regulation. A Rodrigo Blankenship missed discipline objective secured the tie and simply days later the staff launched him, solely to signal Chase McLaughlin.

Indianapolis would observe that up with their continued woes enjoying in Jacksonville with an embarrassing shutout loss to the Jaguars. When all hope was misplaced to start out the 12 months, they introduced again perception with a surprising win over the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs. The eventual No. 1 seed of the AFC.

That top was rapidly worn off when a loss at residence to their divisional rivals, the Tennessee Titans. Regardless of falling to a 1-2-1 document within the first quarter of the season, the Colts went on a two-game successful streak to recover from .500 and had their second shot to knock off the Titans to get again on monitor for the anticipated season for the staff.

As a substitute, that was the start of the unraveling 12 months for Indy after getting swept by Tennessee. Matt Ryan was benched the next day for Sam Ehlinger. That transfer was adopted up with a loss to the Washington Commanders regardless of having a two-score lead within the fourth quarter.

Two days later, offensive coordinator, Marcus Brady, was let go and Frank Reich took over his duties. In fact, that didn’t final that lengthy as a result of Indianapolis would lose to the New England Patriots that following Sunday and by Monday morning, it was considerably surprisingly introduced that the franchise was firing Reich.

Simply once you didn’t suppose the season might get any crazier, inside hours it was introduced that Jeff Saturday could be taking on because the interim head coach. Within the span of three weeks, the Colts benched their quarterback, fired two of their coaches, and named an ESPN analyst with solely highschool teaching expertise as the brand new chief of the franchise.

Jim Irsay said his perception in Saturday because the potential long-term reply for the pinnacle coach of his staff and, for one week, he regarded like the neatest man within the room. Saturday made the swap again to Ryan because the quarterback and Indy would go on to beat the Las Vegas Raiders in Saturday’s teaching debut.

Much like the win over the Chiefs, that constructive feeling for the Colts was rapidly erased. They’d observe it up with two blown fourth-quarter leads towards the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers. They made historical past by giving up 33 unanswered factors within the fourth quarter towards the Dallas Cowboys, regardless of being down 21-19 when the ultimate quarter began.

Then it was the historic second-half collapse to the Minnesota Vikings—the biggest blown lead in NFL historical past—that broke the staff.

They didn’t look aggressive of their subsequent two video games towards the Los Angeles Chargers and New York Giants. The ultimate look for the Colts was completely symbolic of how the season went for them.

Towards Houston, they began the sport slowly, stormed again to have a fourth-quarter lead—and in true Colts vogue—couldn’t shut out the sport, leading to a 32-31 loss to the Texans. In hindsight, it was helpful for draft place.

It was a bumpy highway for the franchise and this shall be one for the followers of the Colts to neglect.

Source link

Click to comment

Indianapolis, IN

Colts vs Lions TV coverage map in NFL Week 12

Published

7 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Press Room

Colts vs Lions TV coverage map in NFL Week 12

The Indianapolis Colts host the Detroit Lions in NFL Week 12 action.

The game will be shown on Fox in four NFL markets: Indianapolis Detroit, Cleveland and Cincinnati. The vast majority of Michigan, Indiana and Ohio will get the broadcast, as well as slivers of Illinois and Kentucky.

When do the Colts play the Lions in NFL Week 12?

1 p.m. ET Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

How to watch Colts vs Lions in NFL Week 12

Fox, with Kenny Albert (play-by-play), Jonathan Vilma (analysis) and Megan Olivi (sideline reporting).

How to stream, watch Lions-Colts game for NFL Week 12

The Colts-Lions matchup will stream on Fox Sports app at 1 p.m. ET Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. The app is available in the Apple App Store or on Google Play. Fans can also download NFL+ in the Apple App Store or on Google Play.

How to listen to NFL Week 12 Lions-Colts game on radio, streaming

Radio: 93.5, 97.1, 107.5 FM in Indianapolis, with Matt Taylor (play-by-play), Rick Venturi (analysis) and Larra Overton (sideline reporting)

Streaming: SiriusXM Channels 228, 813

What a deal!: Watch Colts-Lions on Fubo (free trial)

Source link

Indianapolis, IN

Colts Have an X-Factor for Lions’ Defense

Published

15 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

Colts Have an X-Factor for Lions’ Defense

The Indianapolis Colts (5-6) have arguably their toughest test of the 2024 season this Sunday as they host the Detroit Lions (9-1) at 1:00 p.m. E.T. at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The Lions are revered as one of the best teams in the NFL, but it’s important to find out more about them ahead of time beyond what’s commonly known nationally. Are there areas the Colts can take advantage of to provide fans some hope, or are the Lions the giants they are perceived to be?

This week, Horseshoe Huddle exchanged questions with John Maakaron of Detroit Lions On SI to uncover more. Check out HH‘s answers for Lions On SI here!

HH: Jared Goff is playing out of his mind this year. What do you think is the biggest thing that Ben Johnson and Goff are leaning into to reach that level of efficiency?

JM: The Lions have placed an emphasis on taking care of the ball, and outside of the game against Houston, Goff has been very good at that. That’s not to say that he only makes safe throws, as the veteran quarterback has pushed the ball downfield as well. He also has several talented route runners around him, as they are able to beat coverages and get open on what seems like every play. All of this adds up to Goff being able to put the ball wherever he wants it, whenever he wants it.

HH: Given the short distance and indoor playing facility, this probably won’t feel like a typical road game for the Lions, but how differently do they play on the road versus at home?

JM: The Lions’ fans have traveled very well over the last several seasons, and with Indianapolis being a relatively short distance away, it’s likely that many fans make the trip. The team feeds off the energy that its fan base provides, and the fans take pride in making road stadiums feel like Ford Field. As a result, the Lions have played with a little extra edge in their road games.

HH: Is there a weak link on that Lions offensive line?

JM: When everyone is healthy, the Lions’ offensive line is one of the best units in the league. There have been some struggles at points this season, but overall, the unit has been solid and has lived up to expectations. Taylor Decker had some struggles for a stretch but looked better after returning from injury last week. As a whole, there are few issues with the group, but pass protection can always be improved upon.

What happens next for the Colts? Don’t miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our free newsletter and get breaking Colts news delivered to your inbox daily!

HH: How is the Lions defense at defending the pass over the middle of the field?

JM: This is an area that the Colts can test on Sunday, as veteran linebacker Alex Anzalone will be out for the first of what is expected to be between six-to-eight weeks. Jack Campbell fits the physical profile of an ideal middle linebacker with his size, but has room to grow in coverage. Still, the safety tandem of Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph has been elite this season and will make throwing the ball difficult, particularly over the middle of the field where both often lurk.

HH: Who wins and why?

JM: The Lions are hoping to get their ninth consecutive win. The Colts present a unique challenge with Anthony Richardson’s rushing abilities, as well as the threat he presents with his arm. However, he has been mistake-prone, and Branch and Joseph feed off mistakes. On offense, Detroit has been able to run the ball effectively for most of the season regardless of opponent, and this opens up the passing game. Indianapolis challenges early, but the Lions make enough plays to win comfortably: Lions 35, Colts 17

Follow Horseshoe Huddle on Facebook and X, and subscribe on YouTube for multiple Colts live-stream podcasts per week.

Source link

Indianapolis, IN

Lions Matchup Huge Opportunity for Colts’ Anthony Richardson

Published

24 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

Lions Matchup Huge Opportunity for Colts’ Anthony Richardson

The Indianapolis Colts need everything they can to defeat the Detroit Lions at Lucas Oil Stadium tomorrow afternoon. While there are plenty of players to highlight in this cross-conference battle, all Colts fans’ eyes will be on quarterback Anthony Richardson and whether he can build on a solid week 11 victory. Bleacher Report‘s Brad Gagnon believes this game against the mighty Lions will be a big one for Richardson’s outlook.

Is the sudden resurgence of Anthony Richardson a sign of things to come or an aberrational performance from a dude who is talented enough to put those together on occasion? Sunday’s matchup with the Lions will be telling.
– Brad Gagnon | Bleacher Report

Richardson can’t let up with Detroit, as the Lions have an impressive 14 interceptions led by safeties Kerby Joseph (7 interceptions) and Brian Branch (4 interceptions). The Lions also boast a solid run defense, ranking 5th in the NFL with 94.8 yards allowed per contest. In short, while the Lions’ defense is exploitable without defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and linebacker Alex Anzalone, they still take the football away from reckless passers.

What happens next for the Colts? Don’t miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our free newsletter and get breaking Colts news delivered to your inbox daily!

How Richardson plays at home tomorrow against arguably the Super Bowl favorites will paint somewhat of a picture of what type of quarterback he can be. The Colts offense has great weapons like Jonathan Taylor, Josh Downs, Michael Pittman Jr., and Alec Pierce to help Richardson progress Shane Steichen’s attack. Still, it will need to be at 100mph to keep up with a scary Lions offense led by coordinator Ben Johnson and quarterback Jared Goff.

The Colts are still in the mix for a playoff hunt in the AFC but will probably see their toughest game of 2024 when Detroit visits the Circle City. The Lions’ brutalizing offense has put up 52 points on two occasions this year (Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars), so the Colts can’t afford many miscues on offense or defense. However, Richardson’s performance will likely decide if the Colts are or aren’t in the game.

Want more Colts content? Check out the latest episode of the Horseshoe Huddle Podcast!

Follow Horseshoe Huddle on Facebook and X, and subscribe on YouTube for multiple Colts live-stream podcasts per week.

Source link