5 takeaways from Colts’ 26-11 loss to the Jaguars
Embarrassing, pathetic, and inexcusable are some of the words that come to mind when you think about the Indianapolis Colts’ performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars with the season on the line.
This is the worst loss in franchise history. After looking like they were a shoo-in to the playoffs, this team has fumbled the bag by losing back-to-back weeks to interim head coaches and to the team that will have the number one selection in the upcoming NFL Draft.
There wasn’t one thing that went right for the Colts and they failed to deliver in every single phase of the game. The offense couldn’t get into any rhythm which was the result of the offensive line getting dominated in the trenches and Carson Wentz’s erratic play from the quarterback position. The defense came out flat again and couldn’t generate any pressure on Trevor Lawrence.
The rookie quarterback put together his best game of the season and moved the ball in the air against little to no resistance for most of the game. This loss exposes a lot from this organization and they will be entering the offseason with a lot of questions surrounding them. Does the coaching staff need a shake-up? What is Wentz’s future look like with the team? How does Chris Ballard address the holes in his roster?
Well, after this performance, they will have plenty of time to ponder the future decisions they will have to make in the coming months. But for now, here are my top five takeaways from the major disappointing loss from Indianapolis:
Frank Reich is entering a crucial Year 5
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I never like to call for a person’s job, but after how this season has ended, Frank Reich will be entering his most important year as a head coach after this collapse. In his four seasons leading the Colts, he has been to the playoffs twice and has failed to win the AFC South once.
He deserves credit for getting his team out of the hole that they began in, but he also should face harsh criticism for how his fourth season has come to an end. Not only they couldn’t clinch a playoff spot with a win-and-in scenario in back-to-back weeks.
They lost to two interim head coach-led teams and didn’t show up against one of the worst teams in the NFL who gave up 50 points in Week 17. Reich wanted Carson Wentz on his team and the player that he put the most trust in ended up holding the team back in the final two weeks. There was no evolution of the passing attack throughout the season and it cost the team when the opposing defenses sold out against Jonathan Taylor.
Reich not only will have to make the playoffs in his fifth year to keep his job, but he will likely need to win the division and go on a deep playoff run if he wants to stick around. He has all the tangibles to be a great coach but he will have to show he can take the next step for Indianapolis otherwise it might be time to make a change in 2023.
What does Carson Wentz's future look like?
AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton
Franchise quarterbacks are players who can put their team on their back and will them to victory when everything else isn’t going right. Well, Carson Wentz failed to do that in the last two weeks of the season and it banged the Colts in a big spot to help end their season.
Just two weeks ago, it looked like the quarterback found something when he helped seal the win over the Arizona Cardinals but that feeling has been erased after his performance against the Jaguars. Wentz couldn’t find any rhythm in the first half then he followed it up with a stinker in the second half. On the first drive of the second half, Wentz did his thing where he tried to make something out of nothing and fumbled the ball when he attempted to do a shovel pass instead of taking the sack like he should have.
His interception was awful, he had tunnel vision the whole time on his receiver and he threw it directly to Damien Wilson when he had Jonathan Taylor wide open in the flat for an easy first down. In a must-win game, Wentz went 17/29 for 185 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Plus, his lost fumble. His offensive line didn’t help give him time but he was slow at making his reads and had no feel on how to get out of the pocket to keep plays alive.
His play Sunday makes his future with the team up in the air. He has three years left on his contract but only has $15 million in dead money left. Chris Ballard could save $13.2 million in 2022 cap space if he wanted to wash his hands clean from the move.
With a weak quarterback draft class, Wentz will likely be a bridge quarterback for the 2022 season unless they could manage a trade for an Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, or Deshaun Watson (highly unlikely). The Wentz experiment wasn’t a disaster but he clearly isn’t the answer for the future of this franchise at the position either.
A change needed for the defense
AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton
It’s time for a change in this team’s philosophy on the defensive side of the ball. It’s been the same thing for the past four seasons for the unit. The bend but don’t break style allows quarterbacks to find a rhythm because of the easy completions they get. It fails to work when there is no consistent pressure from the defensive front four and it bit them in the butt when it didn’t show up against Jacksonville.
Trevor Lawrence got off to his best first half of the season when he was able to pick the secondary apart with ease. He had plenty of time to sit back in the pocket to make his reads and could step into his throws against zero pressure. The rookie quarterback ended his last game going 23/32 for 223 yards and two touchdowns.
The Colts’ defense only managed one sack and two QB hits for the day. This has been too common for this defense and it has plagued the organization during the Reich era. They have to reconsider how they play defense and what changes are needed for this unit. 33 takeaways are great but that isn’t sustainable and if they are going to rely on that for the 2022 season then Frank Reich is going to be disappointed when his defense is constantly on the field next year.
Whether it is Matt Eberflus getting a head coaching gig, the team moving on from him, or a change in the way he calls games, there has to be something addressed on the defensive side of the ball otherwise it will let them down again next season.
Jonathan Taylor needs help
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Jonathan Taylor did everything in his power to help carry his team into the postseason but eventually, the lack of a consistent passing attack helped defenses stack the box against him. Despite the Jaguars selling out against JT, he managed to average 5.1 YPC on his 15 rushing attempts. It was tough sledding for him because the offensive line couldn’t generate any drive. It was a rough day for that part of the offense.
The team needs better play from the quarterback position, whether it’s from Carson Wentz or someone else. Michael Pittman Jr. was the one other positive skill position player for the Colts today and this season but the lack of another threat has held back this passing attack. Age has come for T.Y. Hilton and Jack Doyle, the two veterans might have played their final seasons for Indianapolis and both could call it a career.
Zach Pascal and Mo Alie-Cox are set to be free agents. Both players have done good things for Indianapolis but never shown growth that they can be bigger than just role players. The receiver and tight end room need some new faces for the 2022 season.
Chris Ballard’s offseason should be spent revamping this passing attack otherwise the offense will get stagnant once again if they expect Taylor to carry the unit again.
Upcoming decisions on the offensive line
AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton
The Colts’ offensive line has the reputation as one of the best units in the NFL but they certainly did not play like it today. The Jacksonville front four won the day in the trenches, they were bullies against the run, they stuffed Jonathan Taylor on a fourth-and-short on the first drive by Indianapolis and that set the tone for the day.
They would later stuff Taylor on a fourth-and-goal to pretty much seal the win for the Jaguars. There was no power from the offensive line on both plays. Their poor play also showed up in pass protection, they got beat on reps, and miscommunication led to free rushers to Wentz. Jacksonville ended up getting six sacks and 10 QB hits.
There is too much money invested into that unit for them to play like they did today. Now Chris Ballard will have to figure out what to do with the offensive line for the 2022 season. Eric Fisher is not the solution for the left tackle spot. He struggled in pass protection for most of the season and couldn’t stay healthy. There should be a new veteran or a day two draft selection filling in that spot next season.
Mark Glowinski and Chris Reed are set to be free agents so Ballard will have to decide if he brings back both, just one of them, or move on to a different answer for the right guard position.
This unit should get at least one new face and Frank Reich will hope that they get back to their dominating ways when they get back onto the field.
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