INDIANAPOLIS – Here’s our latest ‘hits and misses’ piece on 1075TheFan.com highlighting the good and bad from the previous game.
The Colts definitely played better in Week Two, but too many early missed scoring opportunities cost them.
What was the good and bad from the Colts (0-2) losing 27-24 to the Rams inside of Lucas Oil Stadium?
Hits
-Michael Pittman: Good things happen when you take shots down the field. That was the case when Michael Pittman hauled in a 42-yard pass from Carson Wentz on a 3rd-and-14. It was the highlight on a career day for Pittman, who caught 8 balls for 123 yards. Pittman is the No. 1 wideout for the Colts. Sunday was a great day for Pittman, but touches for him in space and in the red zone remain a bit untapped. Pittman was a bright spot on Sunday, especially for a team needing more from their individual skill talent.
-Play Of Carson Wentz: It’s a shame that Carson Wentz had to leave Sunday’s game mid-way through the fourth quarter, and could miss some time moving forward. Considering the lack of support around the QB position so far this season, Wentz has been better than I thought he’d be. On Sunday, you saw Wentz continue to be Houdini-like in keeping plays alive, creating some yards via scramble and flashing that big arm down the field. Many are clamoring for Wentz to get the ball out quicker and play more from the pocket. But that’s not his game. Wentz’s play through two weeks should give Colts fans hope moving forward. Although, the durability question of Wentz is once again here.
Misses
-Offensive Line Play: For a second straight week, the position group the Colts have invested in the most is failing the team. And this isn’t just a pass protection problem. The Colts have not established the line of scrimmage from a run-game standpoint either. It’s put way too much pressure on the quarterback. Breakdowns up front have been across the line, with Ryan Kelly not living up to the standard of play. Until this gets fixed, the Colts are going to struggle for offensive consistency.
-Defensive Front: Against the Rams, the Colts had a supposed strength with their defensive line against the LA offensive line. This did not play out though. The Colts did not take away the Rams run game, especially in a one-possession game in the 4th quarter. From a pressure standpoint, the Colts were absent in providing any sort of consistent pressure on Matthew Stafford. It was another quiet afternoon for the edge pass rushing group, too. For a team that is supposedly built through the trenches, both line groups have not played at an adequate level to start the year.
-Coaching Advantage: This is where we will address the red-zone problems. When you hire Frank Reich as your head coach, you expect a team that will have an advantage offensively. That’s not been the case through two weeks. Are all the red zone struggles on Reich? No. But when he’s the play-caller, there’s blame to be had when we haven’t seen a ton of variety used to try and finish off these drives. Given some personnel issues facing the Colts right now, they need their ‘offensive guru’ to create more of an advantage.
