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Keys to a Win Over Bills for Colts

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Keys to a Win Over Bills for Colts


The Indianapolis Colts are 4-5 heading into a daunting defense of Lucas Oil Stadium against the 7-2 Buffalo Bills. With a lot at stake for Indy in this game and pressure mounting for a win against a red-hot Bills team, here are the five keys to getting it done on Sunday afternoon for the Colts.

Force Josh Allen into Mistakes

Bills quarterback Josh Allen (blue jersey) looks for space to run with a defender close.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen scrambles around trying to avoid Miami’s Marcus Maye while looking for a receiver to get open during second half action at Highmark Stadium on Nov. 3, 2024. / Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bills superstar signal-caller Josh Allen has shown a propensity to throw incompletions and interceptions throughout his illustrious seven-year, two-time Pro Bowl career. However, 2024 hasn’t been the case for Allen. This year he’s playing on a Herculean level of efficiency with 168/262 completions for 2,001 passing yards, 17 touchdown tosses to 2 interceptions. He’s also tacked on 47 carries for 211 rushing yards, 22 first downs and 3 rushing touchdowns. In short, Allen is incredible as a quarterback.

What this means is the Colts have to provide consistent pressure in the trenches and eyes on the QB given his abilities running. While Allen may not have Stefon Diggs anymore, Amari Cooper, Khalil Shakir, and Keon Coleman make up more than enough for the MVP candidate to distribute the football effectively. The Colts will have their hands full in forcing Allen into mistakes, but it’s documented that it can happen, giving Gus Bradley added motivation to continue his recent hot streak as Indy’s defensive coordinator.

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Bounce Back Game for Jonathan Taylor

Jonathan Taylor (all-white uniform) runs through a lane occupied by Vikings defenders (purple uniforms).

Nov 3, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) runs with the ball against the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

Colts running back Jonathan Taylor has provided the most consistent offense for Shane Steichen outside of wide receiver Josh Downs. However, in week nine’s debacle loss against the Minnesota Vikings, Taylor fell flat as a runner, arguably being the biggest reason Joe Flacco and Co. couldn’t move the football with gusto. The former Wisconsin Badger concluded poorly with 13 carries for 48 rushing yards (3.7 average), and no scores.

Now that Anthony Richardson is benched, Steichen will need to get more creative with his run schemes to jar Taylor loose, putting him into more 1-on-1 situations to take advantage of. Taylor’s X-Factor is one-cut, unrelenting speed and power, so the play calls, blocking, and Flacco must improve to help the former All-Pro. It can’t be stressed enough that Taylor’s 2024 has a lower ceiling with a pocket-passing QB under center rather than an athletic field general who makes defenses questions their every read, regardless of prep. We’ll see what Steichen can do against the Bills’ defense.

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Interior Pressure

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Colts players DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart (blue jerseys) signal to the sidelines during a game.

Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Grover Stewart (90) and Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner (99) react after a play Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021, during the regular season opener against the Seattle Seahawks at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Jenna Watson/IndyStar via Imagn Content Services, LLC

If the Colts want any chance at stopping Allen, they’ll need a big performance from Grover Stewart and DeForest Buckner. However, it won’t be easy, as Allen hasn’t been put on the turf often, sustaining just 11 sacks through 9 games started. Luckily, Stewart and Buckner are healthy and coming off a strong performance against the Vikings. Buckner finished with 6 tackles and a sack while Stewart erupted, concluding with 2.0 sacks, 4 tackles (1 for loss), and a fumble forced for a Kenny Moore defensive TD.

Allen is the toughest QB test so far for this Colts’ defense, so it won’t be on Stewart and Buckner solely to produce. Defensive ends Kwity Paye, Laiatu Latu, and Dayo Odeyingbo will be integral in keeping Allen as contained as possible. However, there’s something to be said about defensive pressure in the face of any QB. If the Colts can get the best out of Stewart and Buckner against Allen, there’s a chance they can shock the Bills and limit their offensive charge.

Contain Shakir and Kincaid

Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid (blue jersey) looks for additional space to run after a catch on the sideline.

Oct 20, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid (86) catches a pass against the Tennessee Titans in the third quarter at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

While the Bills did recently acquire Cooper, he’s only been in Buffalo for a very short time. However, he’s already found the endzone and has snagged 5 catches for 69 receiving yards. But, so far in 2024 it’s been the duo of wide receiver Khalil Shakir and tight end Dalton Kincaid that have led the receiving charge for the Bills. Starting with Shakir, the third-year pro leads Buffalo with 42 catches for 471 receiving yards (11.2 average), and 2 touchdowns.

Tight end Kincaid is not far behind Shakir with 32 catches for 332 receiving yards (10.4 average), and 2 receiving touchdowns. While the Bills also have the deep threat Coleman, it’s Shakir and Kincaid that the Colts’ coverage must worry about most. Players like Zaire Franklin, E.J. Speed, Kenny Moore II, and Sam Womack III will be paramount in sticking with these two Bills playmakers.

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Joe Flacco Must Be Better

Colts QB Joe Flacco (white jersey) walks off the field after a win.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Joe Flacco (15) reacts after the Colts defeated the Tennessee Titans 20-17 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024. / Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Colts benched Richardson for Flacco because it gave them ‘the best chance to win now.’ While Steichen took a lot of blame for the recent primetime loss, it’s Flacco that was under center, not Indy’s frontman. Flacco looked aged, immobile, and behind the adjustments from the defense when he faced the Vikings. After looking solid in previous starts, Flacco had a big setback performance, finishing 16/27 for 179 passing yards, 0 touchdowns and an interception.

Flacco was also sacked 3 times and appeared rushed into bad throws that are otherwise routine for an NFL QB. The differences between a Richardson and Flacco-led offense are night and day, but Flacco is more efficient, calculated, and experienced. If weapons like Downs, AD Mitchell, and Alec Pierce can make plays and help get Flacco into rhythm, it will open up the rest of Steichen’s offense to compete with Allen on the other sideline.

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

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Indianapolis councilman says ‘No Data Centers’ note was left at his home after someone opened fire

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Indianapolis councilman says ‘No Data Centers’ note was left at his home after someone opened fire


The home of a councilman in Indianapolis was shot at early Monday in what local police said was an “isolated, targeted incident.”

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The incident came less than a week after the Indianapolis Metropolitan Development Commission voted 6 to 2 on April 1 to approve rezoning to allow the construction of a data center.

Ron Gibson, a Democrat who represents District 8 on the council, spoke out in support of the rezoning and the efforts to build the data center in his district.

“Earlier this morning, between approximately 12:45 a.m. and 12:50 a.m., just a few hours after Easter Sunday, an individual fired 13 rounds at the front door of my home and left a note on my doorstep that read, ‘No Data Centers,’” Gibson said in a Monday statement.


“No Data Centers” note, according to a photo taken by Councilman Ron Gibson. 

Councilman Ron Gibson

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The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said it was called to the home on Monday morning, and officers found evidence that gunshots had been fired at the house. Police said no injuries were reported.

“I understand that public service can bring strong opinions and disagreement, but violence is never the answer, especially when it puts families at risk,” Gibson said in his statement.

The Indianapolis-Marion County City-County Council did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

The data center is set to be built by Metrobloks, a data center developer based in Los Angeles. Following the vote last week, Gibson shared a statement on social media promoting the project.

“Metrobloks has the potential to bring significant investment, create jobs, and generate long-term tax revenue that supports infrastructure, housing, and essential services,” the statement said.

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A data center boom is happening across the US, with companies pouring billions into building the infrastructure to keep up with demand in the era of AI. The data centers have faced increased opposition, with critics pointing to the high resource costs, from water to energy, and other issues like noise pollution, as detailed in a Business Insider investigation.





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Recorder Rewind: NCAA Division III basketball championship (Photos)

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Recorder Rewind: NCAA Division III basketball championship (Photos)


The University of Mary Washington men’s basketball team won the 2026 NCAA Division III national championship on April 5, defeating Emory University 75-73 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis to secure the first national title in program history.



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Indianapolis City-County Councilor says IMPD officer shoved him during protest

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Indianapolis City-County Councilor says IMPD officer shoved him during protest


INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis City-County Councilor says he was shoved by a police officer during a protest Saturday night.

In a post on Facebook, Jesse Brown — who represents council district 13 — indicated that a member of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department approached a group of protestors and began shoving and grabbing them.

“Tonight, an IMPD officer approached a group of protestors from behind/beside them, did not identify himself or issue verbal orders, but started grabbing and shoving people and cussing at them to move (we were stuck behind other people blocking the sidewalk),” Brown wrote on Facebook.

Brown added that he asked the officer for his badge number and told him he was a City-County Councilor.

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“I told the IMPD officer who was shoving people that I wanted his badge number,” Brown wrote. “He refused to give it. I told him I was a City Councilor. He said that he didn’t care WHO I was and grabbed my arm to shove me as well.”

Brown finished his post by confirming that he filed a formal incident report on his encounter with the officer. He also offered some criticism for the officer in the final sentence of his post.

“Officers have a difficult job, but if this is how he treated two white male candidates / elected officials, I do not trust him to serve the public and de-escalate tense situations.”

Jackson Franklin, who is running for Indiana’s fifth district seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, was also involved in the incident. He made a Facebook post with greater detail on the incident.

Franklin said he, Brown and others were protesting near Lucas Oil Stadium ahead of Saturday’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Final Four games. Franklin said he and other protestors were at the Final Four “to demand the NCAA stop using the same airliners that ICE uses to break apart and deport families in this racist injustice system.”

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A report from The Athletic that was syndicated by Yahoo Sports indicates that at least one airliner has contracts with the NCAA to transport student-athletes to tournaments and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to deport undocumented immigrants.

In his post, Franklin said the officer involved in the incident “shoved/assaulted many of the protestors, including Indianapolis City-council person Jesse Brown.” Franklin added that the officer did not provide any warnings before he began shoving protestors

“I thought initially it was going to be some MAGA person just walking past that was offended by our anti-ICE chants, but I turned around and noticed that he was wearing a uniform,” Franklin wrote in his Facebook post. “It was only then he gave his commands to continue to move and he immediately went to push around many others, using his uniform as an excuse to harass those he disagreed with politically.

“There was absolutely no need for violence and the protest organizers filed a complaint, but I have no hope of any action occurring because of this complaint. While the lone officer assaulted us, there were about 10-15 other officers looking around awkwardly unsure of what to do, not protecting our first amendment right while also probably realizing the officer was way out of line and should have just asked us nicely to keep the movement on the public sidewalk going quicker rather than using violence as the first and only answer.”

FOX59/CBS4 reached out to IMPD for a statement on Brown and Franklin’s comments. As of this article’s publication, the agency had not responded to those inquiries.

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Brown has been at the center of multiple city-county council disputes over the last 14 months. In February 2025, Brown — whose district encompasses portions of downtown and the near east side of Indy — said the city-county council’s democratic caucus expelled him from their ranks.

Brown also introduced a motion to remove the council’s president and vice president in July.

As of this article’s publication, no additional information on the incident Brown, Franklin and others were involved in had been made available.

This is a developing story; check back for updates.

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