Stock is plummeting for the Indianapolis Colts after a 41-23 blowout defeat, with defensive struggles taking center stage. The pass rush vanished, leaving Lamar Jackson all the time he wanted in the pocket and exposing a porous third-and-long defense. Sauce Gardner failed to deliver like a top-five corner, and Mooney Ward’s health and motivation raised fresh concerns. Notably, hyped second-rounder CJ Allen failed to log a single snap, while Jalen Carlies registered 42 snaps but not a single stat line.
On offense, Alec Pierce led in receiving yards but struggled with costly drops, and Daniel Jones fell short of expectations with limited mobility and a key interception. Despite previous play-calling success, Shane Steichen saw his unit thoroughly outclassed by Jesse Minter’s defense. Can this Colts team rebound before taking on the Kansas City Chiefs, where they face only a 28% shot at redemption?