What appeared to be a small signing in the offseason helped the Colts pull out a win in Week 4 over the Steelers
It was truly a tale of two halves for the Indianapolis Colts Week 4 matchup vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Colts outscored the Steelers 17-3 in the first half but gave up 21 points in the second half as Pittsburgh fought back into the game. Thankfully, the Colts were able to withstand the late surge from the […]
It was truly a tale of two halves for the Indianapolis Colts Week 4 matchup vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Colts outscored the Steelers 17-3 in the first half but gave up 21 points in the second half as Pittsburgh fought back into the game.
Thankfully, the Colts were able to withstand the late surge from the Steelers, which gave them their first loss by a score of 27 to 24. They improved to 2-2 on the year. All eyes this week will be on quarterback Anthony Richardson, who left this game with a hip injury, but there are multiple positive takeaways the team should have following this big win.
The Colts decision to sign Joe Flacco paid off big
With Richardson being ruled out, backup QB Joe Flacco was the man under center for the Colts. Anytime you lose your starting QB in the NFL, it's a challenging obstacle to overcome. Typically, teams can't withstand it, but most teams don't have a veteran like Flacco, who has a Super Bowl MVP on his mantle. The Colts didn't make many out-of-house moves in free agency this offseason. The far and away biggest name they brought in was former Baltimore Ravens QB Joe Flacco.
The offense was definitely shakier with Flacco compared to the hot start we saw with Richardson under center. But he came in and did his job and made big plays when the team needed them to help lead the Colts to their Week 4 win. He completed 16 of his 26 pass attempts on the day and threw two touchdowns and no interceptions. The Colts have to wait now to see if Richardson will be able to play against the Jacksonville Jaguars next week, but they have to be feeling pretty confident in their backup if he does have to take meaningful snaps again this season.
The Colts secondary deserves their flowers
The Colts were down two of their three starting CBs in Week 4, with Kenny Moore II ruled inactive and Juju Brents on the injured reserve. This left Jaylon Jones as the only option to travel with George Pickens for most of the game, and he had multiple solid plays during the day. Even more impressive was seeing Samuel Womack III step up in a big way with multiple pass deflections and incredible coverage throughout the afternoon. It appears that Womack has earned most of the starting outside CB snaps, opposite Jones. Last but not least, Nick Cross continues to shine in 2024 after being highly scrutinized by many throughout the offseason. He led the league in tackles coming into Week 4 and is currently tied for the lead with fellow Colt E.J. Speed. He's been all over the field as a run defender and in coverage. The Colts have to feel really good about what they've seen from Cross in his first season as a full-time starter.
Rookie Tanor Bortolini shines in his NFL debut
Ryan Kelly couldn't give it a go in Week 4 due to his neck injury, so the Colts elected to give rookie fourth-round pick Tanor Bortolini his first NFL start. In fact, on top of it being his first start, it was also the first regular season game he had dressed in his young career. Replacing a reliable starter like Kelly is no small task. But Bortolini stepped up to the plate and was impressive in both the passing and run game. After the Colts drafted Bortolini, many began to speculate whether or not the team would resign Kelly with this season, the final year of his current contract. And this stellar performance from Bortolini will likely only make that conversation even louder this week and the rest of the 2024 season.
The Indianapolis Colts sided too far on the side of caution with Anthony Richardson’s injury in Week 4
The Indianapolis Colts saw Anthony Richardson have his best start to a game in 2024, with him completing three of his four pass attempts for 71 yards and adding 24 yards on the ground. Sadly, that would end up being his final stat line after he took a hit to the hip early in the […]
The Colts went the extra mile with a recent workout to prepare for their Week 4 matchup vs. Steelers
The Indianapolis Colts haven't had much to be happy about from their 1-2 start to the 2024 season. But they are coming off their first win of the season over the Chicago Bears in Week 3 and have had multiple players have strong individual performances to start the year. One of those players is their punter, […]
