The thing about the NFL is that you can NEVER get too high or too low, even if the Colts gave everyone a million reasons to be low on them. An uninspiring performance where they didn’t even look competitive, a rarity in the Shane Steichen era. The Colts haven’t been able to win big games in his tenure, but they almost always look prepared. The Colts didn’t look prepared whatsoever. I’m not going to try and view this game through rose colored glasses and tell you “it wasn’t so bad!” because that’d
be very disingenuous. But I’m also not going to sit here and press the panic button either.
OFFENSE
The Colts seemingly picked up right where they left off on the opening drive of the game. This motion form Jonathan Taylor is strictly use to confirm coverage and see who follows him outside. Once they recognize man, Daniel Jones knows his best option is to hit Josh Downs on this choice route. It’s a nasty route, and I still am confused as to why Josh Downs didn’t see much action after this drive.
This was a costly INT that gave the Ravens amazing field position to let the game get out of hand. It’s obviously easy to blame Daniel Jones for throwing this, but it’s also an incredible play from the linebacker. Often times in football the smallest of details matter, and I think this one is the case here. Josh Downs is running a sit or maybe a return route? Either way, when he recognizes the route is dead he tries to keep himself alive by working back toward the sideline. That movement brings Smith right back into the throwing window where he can make the play on the ball.
This sack to me is on Daniel Jones. The QB is always responsible for the unblocked player to the side your rolling out too. If he isn’t biting on the run fake and in your face when you turn your head back toward the defense, you better have a plan.
But I also think the Colts need to evolve in their movement passing game, teams have caught up to it since mid-November. It’s such a big staple of their offense that when it isn’t working, there’s way more drop back pass where Jones has to hang in the pocket and execute full field reads, susceptible to way more pressure, and limits someone like Tyler Warren who is the primary read more often than not.
DEFENSE
Starting with the first play of the game, the Ravens come out in a Sugar Huddle. That means they’re bunched up close the line of scrimmage before they run to their spots and quickly snap the ball before the defense can adjust.
It works perfectly, partially because the Colts couldn’t get lined up all day, and Zay Flowers gets a massive gain.
Justin Walley, who was picked on most of the game, was the main culprit. A lot of times he’s just out of position to make a play on the ball.
The Colts are playing Cover 1 here and “leveling the stack” that means that each player has the man in front of them, but once the TE motions over, Sauce is likely trying to get Walley to check to “Top Hat” coverage, to avoid being picked by Charvarious Ward who is running across the field.
When teams motion into bunches, they are trying to create traffic for defenders and get guys to spring open. Sauce knows that if someone is motioning to create a bunch, the point man of that bunch is probably running inside because they want him to collide with the player who’s traveling with the motion man.
Top Hat would mean Sauce would take the guy off the ball, while Walley who is aligned off the line of scrimmage would take the inside guy. Walley never sees the check from Sauce and gives up a free inside release and is out of position right from the jump.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
I didn’t breakdown every play here, just some of the key plays in the game that contributed to deciding the outcome. While this is a humbling and a tough pill to swallow for the Colts, it also sorta makes sense that a bad game turned ugly very quickly. If you let a Baltimore Ravens team get out in front early, it’s over. They will tire you out and then make you try and tackle Derrick Henry when you need a stop the most. Henry had 13 carries for 107 yards and 8.2 yards per attempt when the Ravens had at least a two score lead.
If the Colts can figure out how to line up properly, I’m not sure this game is as ugly as it looks. They got dominated in the field position game and spent the 2nd and 3rd quarter in a lot of backed up scenarios.
It was a bad game script for them to ever get back into that game.
They were embarrassed but I don’t think this season is a lost cause. They have talent, even if that talent is rusty. Pierce looked good in his new role, even if on a limited snap count, and JT looked great. The DT duo up front were dominant and Sauce Gardner shut down his man the entirety of the game. I expect a bounce back performance from guys like Warren, Jones and Steichen.
It’s a long season and I’m definitely not ready to press the panic button yet.
