Behind Enemy Lines: Breaking down Week 8 with Colts Wire
The Indianapolis Colts come to Detroit with about as long of a gap between meetings for two teams as there can be. It’s been since Week 1 of 2016 that the Colts and Lions squared off.
To help bridge the distance and very different teams we’re seeing on Sunday, I asked Kevin Hickey of Colts Wire for some insight on the visitors from Indiana. Thanks to Hickey for some smart answers and his prediction of a very close, fun, interesting game.
How is the Philip Rivers experience progressing for the Colts?
It has had its ups and downs over the first six games but it has been more good than bad. He had a brutal outing against the Browns in Week 5 when he threw two back-breaking interceptions in the second half. But then he turned the clock back to torch the Bengals defense in a huge come-from-behind win.
The formula for success is no secret. As long as the Colts offensive line gives Rivers solid pass protection, he should be fine even if he will have the occasional turnover from forcing a ball into a tight window. He has a strong command of the offense and the Colts have already turned to him as a leader so it’s going about as expected.
The defense is posting some impressive numbers. What has been the key to the stingy D?
There are a few. The front seven has been incredibly strong against the run, allowing just 3.5 yards per carry. That’s largely in part due to the emergence of Grover Stewart at the one-technique and the athletic linebackers they have flying around at the second level.
It also helps that they are getting decent pressure with four rushers, though that part of the defense could be a bit more consistent. Lastly, they’ve made a switch from their heavy Cover-2 scheme to more a Cover-3 style similar to the Seahawks. They finally have the personnel to make the change, and it has been a successful transition so far.
The Colts have the lowest yards per carry average of any rushing offense. What’s going on with the ground game?
It’s a mixture of things, but one telling sign that may help explain it is the fact that the Colts are facing the most eight-man boxes in the NFL, per Next Gen Stats. Even with superior personnel on the offensive line and a diverse blocking scheme, it won’t matter if they are constantly outnumbered.
It also has a bit to do with the development of Jonathan Taylor, who continues to improve. He’s had to make some adjustments to NFL speed and a lack of an offseason means he’s still working to fully grasp protection calls and blitz pickups, but he’s making improvements seemingly every week. But it likely comes down to facing stacked boxes and needing a bit more from Taylor himself.
Who are some Colts who deserve more national attention for their play?
As mentioned earlier, DT Grover Stewart is emerging as one of the best one-techniques in the league. He’s an absolute brawler on the interior with 12 run stops, per PFF, which is tied for the eighth-most in the NFL. He’s been a huge reason for the Colts having such a stout run defense whether he’s directly blowing up runs or redirecting a back into another defender.
On offense, WR Marcus Johnson will be the downfield threat to watch. He’s coming off of a 108-yard performance in Week 6 and will be the one to make explosive plays for the passing offense.
Who wins and why?
This is a tough matchup to predict. Road games are always tough for the Colts but they are coming off of the bye week. As much as I love Matthew Stafford and Kenny Golladay, I’m predicting this to be the matchup where the Colts’ ground game finally takes over the way we have expected all season. That said, this one comes down to the wire.
Colts 24, Lions 23
