After a sloppy performance against one of the league’s best teams in the Detroit Lions, the Indianapolis Colts are on the outside looking in at making the playoffs. Coming into the season, the Colts were a long shot to make the playoffs anyway. However, with their resilience and remaining schedule, the playoffs might not be too far-fetched. Nonetheless, they might miss the playoffs for the fourth straight season and it would be because of these two glaring issues.
These Issues Could Hold the Colts Back from Making the Playoffs
Inconsistencies on Offense
One of the reasons why the Colts are sitting at 5-7, and on the cusp of missing the playoffs is their offense. Head coach, Shane Steichen is a smart coach who understands how to put together a high-powered offense. The issue this season has been with the execution. On Sunday, the lack of execution was put on full display. The Colts offense struggled to get anything going and only managed six points. Also, they only managed 11 first downs, went 3-12 on third down, and were 0-2 in the red zone. Needless to say, this performance was the worst offensive performance, in terms of efficiency, that we have seen under Steichen.
To make matters worse, the Colts also had 10 penalties for 75 yards on Sunday. As a whole, they have been a relatively disciplined football team in terms of committing penalties. However, it was a whole different story. To further delve into issues on offense, the Colts’ offensive line had one of their worst performances of the season on Sunday. According to Pro Football Focus, the starting line received an average grade of 54.8, which is terrible. It needs to be pointed out that the Colts utilized three rookies on the offensive line, which more than likely contributed to the problems. Nonetheless, these are issues that teams have to overcome if they want to make the playoffs.
Young and Inexperienced Quarterback
Anthony Richardson gives the Colts the best chance to win, but he also provides inexperience, which could be an issue for them down the stretch. One of the exciting things about Richardson is the fact that he is so young and inexperienced. He brings an element of surprise to opposing defenses who never know if they will get a gun-slinger, a fierce runner, or a turnover machine. Here, then, lies the issue with Richardson. Even the Colts do not know which playmaker will show up each week.
This is not to say that Anthony Richardson is a problem in Indy. It is, rather, to say that Richardson is a work in progress and needs room to grow. The trade-off is that with this growth process, the team will also go throw a growth process. If the Colts end up making the playoffs this year, it will be in large part because of Anthony Richardson. If they end up missing the playoffs, it will be in large part because of Anthony Richardson.
Nonetheless, the Colts are in a tough position on their path towards making the playoffs. They do not control their own destiny and therefore need other teams to fold while they win out. The only thing the Colts can control is winning out these last five games. For that to be a reality, the offense has to start being more disciplined and implementing more consistency.
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