Heading into Kansas City to take on the Chiefs seemed rather daunting after both teams’ Week 1 performances. Then again, the Bears went from 59 points to 3 in the span of seven days, so week to week outcomes don’t always carry over. The Indianapolis Colts looked like they might be headed for slaughter. That was far from the case, but they still managed to let an opportunity slip through their fingers.
They had their chances. One of the biggest spots in the game found the Colts unable to convert a first
down near midfield. That would have given them a potential shot at a long field goal in regulation. On the other side, they didn’t allow the Chiefs to kick a game winner either, so things headed to overtime. After the Chiefs scored three, a touchdown would have ended it and sent the Colts home 1-1. What happened next made things feel even worse.
Daniel Jones threw a beautiful ball to Laquon Treadwell who was tackled at the Chiefs’ 17-yard line. What followed can only be described as chaos. A catch, followed by a punch out made a late game go even longer as a review was needed to determine if the defender was still making contact with Treadwell when he went down. Somehow, it was ruled down by contact, and the Colts maintained possession. The game ending on that note would have been devastating.
What came next was still certainly painful. Two runs that went in the wrong direction preceded a quarterback scramble for five after a broken play. The problem wasn’t necessarily that the Colts didn’t go for it on fourth and eight. That is a tough down and distance. It was the approach to the set of downs after receiving the Treadwell gift and being at the 17 that disappointed. Instead of going for the kill shot and staying after it, the Colts seemed content to tie. Jonathan Taylor can always break one, but it felt like something different was needed at that point in the game.
The argument could easily be made that Laquon Treadwell fumbled that ball. The ruling was a fumble and clear and obvious evidence didn’t seem to be present. It was a gift, and the Colts absolutely squandered it. The aggressiveness that got them there was abandoned, and the conservative approach sunk the Colts to 0-2. It’s a decision they might not recover from.
