How the Titans ruined the Colts' future in latest meeting
Not only did the Tennessee Titans finish off a sweep of the Indianapolis Colts with a 19-10 win on Sunday, but the victory appears to have forced the Colts into rethinking the direction of the franchise. The Colts’ offense has been so anemic through the first half of the season that Indianapolis is now turning […]
Not only did the Tennessee Titans finish off a sweep of the Indianapolis Colts with a 19-10 win on Sunday, but the victory appears to have forced the Colts into rethinking the direction of the franchise.
The Colts’ offense has been so anemic through the first half of the season that Indianapolis is now turning to backup quarterback Sam Ehlinger to start in place of Matt Ryan.
Ryan threw two interceptions in the loss, driving his season total up to nine, which is tops in the league. He’s also fumbled 11 times through just seven games, three of which have been lost.
Colts head coach Frank Reich, whose own seat could spontaneously combust at any moment, announced that Ryan suffered a Grade 2 shoulder separation in the loss. Reich made sure to add that the injury did not play a factor in the decision to bench the 37-year-old quarterback.
This move indicates that Indy is throwing in the towel on this season. The Colts’ strategy of rotating in aging quarterbacks to sustain a level of mediocrity is coming to a close.
The Colts haven’t just been signing quarterbacks on the back nine of their careers. Quarterbacks like Ryan and Phillip Rivers arrived in Indianapolis on Hole 18 with a putter in hand, and everybody knows how the Carson Wentz experiment turned out.
Because Reich is coaching for his job, this decision feels like it came from above with owner Jim Irsay calling for the change. In fact, Reich and general manager Chris Ballard had an extended meeting with Irsay after the loss.
Ushering in a new era with a young quarterback would be as convenient of a time as any to clean house. Whether or not the Colts’ future plans will involve Ehlinger, or a rookie to be drafted later, is to be determined as the season progresses.
Time to Tank?
The other option would involve tanking to select one of the highly-touted quarterback prospects at the top of the 2023 NFL Draft. Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, and Kentucky’s Will Levis are a few that immediately come to mind.
The Colts’ road doesn’t get much easier for the rest of the way. Indianapolis has the seventh most difficult schedule in the NFL from here on out. Indy’s remaining opponents have a combined winning percentage of .577.
Titans fans will take joy in watching the Colts’ demise from afar, knowing that they played a pivotal role in Irsay’s inevitable destruction. The roles in this rivalry have officially reversed.
Featured image via George Walker IV / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY Sports
