Just fire everyone and rebuild
MVP of the Game: Jonathan Taylor / Nick Cross
Taylor was the best and most consistent player on offense, so ask Steichen why he was not on the field for that key 3rd and 1 attempt on the third quarter. JT showed his speed and patience, running for 103 yards on 12 attempts. Cross was the only defensive player I think was actually trying during the game, so he gets some credit for that.
Dud of the Game: Gus Bradley, Kenny Moore II, Jaylon Jones, Chris Ballard, Anthony Richardson, AD Mitchell
I cannot even begin to explain how pissed I am with Gus Bradley. You are facing the backup quarterback, you know they are going to run the ball, and your defense comes out like that? That was absolutely disgusting to watch, the lack of preparation and effort was just horrendous. I have never rooted less or saw less passion from a Colts’ team in my life. Even Jeff Saturday’s squad had more heart than these guys. Kenny Moore looked terrible, allowing the first touchdown pass, missing several tackles, and showing an overall lack of effort that leaves me wanting him to get cut and off this team as soon as possible. Jaylon Jones is just bad, he is a bad cornerback, what do you expect if you are starting a guy that would not even make it on an XFL roster? There was a particular play on third down where Willis underthrows his receiver giving Jones the perfect opportunity to make the play, but he let the Packers’ receiver Moss him unopposed, that was probably the most clueless I have seen a cornerback look. But hey, general manager Chris Ballard “trusts the young guys” and says that they cannot plan for injuries (???) Planning for injuries is literally your job Chris, it just seems to me that you are not only arrogant but just bad at what you do. Oh yeah, and that kicker you paid the most amount of money for in free agency missed yet another kick, so there is that too. I don’t put too much blame on AR because I expect games like that one from him, but boy was it bad, missed reads, wrong decisions on option plays, and accuracy issues all in one. Rough afternoon for the rookie wide receiver AD Mitchell too, who dropped a key third down pass in the first half that hit him right on the hands and then gave up on a route when he heard footsteps. With Downs returning, he better start showing something else or he will see the field less and less each week.
Play of the Game: Final whistle
This game sucked, the only happiness I got from it was when it ended.
Worst play of the Game: Buckner’s injury
There were a lot of bad plays from the team on this one, heck I think literally every single play was bad, so my pick for this one is the one that is going to have an even bigger impact on the rest of the season. At the time of writing there is no update on Buck’s injury but it did not look good at all, and if he misses extended time then the outlook for the defense is somehow even worse.
Best position group: Offensive line
It seemed to me that they did a decent job in pass protection and they were opening up holes for Jonathan Taylor in the running game. You cannot blame them for Richardson’s interceptions.
Rookie of the Week: Laiatu Latu
Before leaving the game with a hip injury, Latu was clearly the best edge rusher on the field for the Colts, constantly in the backfield and making a couple of plays. Hopefully his injury is nothing serious.
Unsung Hero: Tyquan Lewis / Alec Pierce
Once again this duo takes home the unsung hero award. Lewis stepped up with half the defensive line injured and was the only one on that line making an impact against the run, finishing the game with 5 combined tackles. Pierce continues being the Colts’ best receiver, and got yet another touchdown yesterday. He finished the game with 5 catches for 56 yards and that score. With how disappointing AD Mitchell was, I expect Pierce to get most of the #2 receiver snaps once Downs returns.