Colts Embarrassed By The Rams In Season Opener
The Colts were absolutely embarrassed in Los Angeles, dropping week one 46-9. For the majority of the game, the offense and defense looked abysmal. The Colts were 0-10 on third down conversions, and failed to convert their only fourth down attempt. Scott Tolzien threw two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns, one by Trumaine Johnson and one by Lamarcus Joyner. T.Y. Hilton also lost a fumble. He was a non factor, only catching three passes.
Scott Tolzien is the root of the Colts’ issues. This game proves how important Andrew Luck is to the Colts’ success. Apart from one drive, Tolzien looked sluggish and far from sharp. 128 yards and a 33.8 QBR is not going to cut it for any team in the NFL, let alone one that has postseason aspirations. Tolzien got little help from the offensive line, as he was sacked four times and hit five times. It is fitting that Tolzien’s first pass was nearly a pick six to Nickell Robey-Coleman, just as his first pass.
Jared Goff looked very solid today, and has definitely made large strides this offseason. He finally got his first win of his career in his eighth start. Goff passed for 308 yards and a touchdown. He looked uncharacteristically sharp, sitting in the pocket and making nice touch passes. He made a beautiful 39 yard back shoulder throw to tight end Gerald Everett in the first half. The Rams’ receiving core is loaded with potential. Young players such as Cooper Kupp looked solid, and if Sammy Watkins can stay healthy, the Rams’ offense could be scary.
Take in this stat: The Rams scored two more points today than they scored in the last four games of 2016.
The Colts’ defensive line looked solid in the beginning, but became weaker and weaker as the game wore on. Todd Gurley was held to only 40 yards. The Colts’ run defense looked ok, but the rest of the defense was inexcusably bad.
I am hard pressed for finding positives from this game, but there are a few. In the fourth quarter Colts’ fans cries were heard, and Jacoby Brissett was inserted into the game, marking Scott Tolzien’s potential final throw as a Colt. In his first series of the game, Brissett threw a 50 yard strike to Donte Moncrief. That drive ended up in a Marlon Mack touchdown, the only one of the game for Indianapolis. Mack looked shifty and explosive, as he did in the preseason. He had a 24 yard rush, a touchdown, and a 21 yard reception. Gore did a decent job, rushing for 42 yards. A combination of the tough running of Gore and the speed of Mack could be deadly combination.
Jacoby Brissett will most likely be named the starter for week two against Arizona. Chuck Pagano is undoubtedly on the hot seat after this loss. The Colts’ have a ton of work to do if they want to win at home in week 2.
Ben Pfeifer is the Managing Editor of the Colts, and a national writer. Want to continue the discussion? Contact Ben Pfeifer on Twitter @doctortruthboi and @cover32_IND.
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