Indianapolis Colts fans are demanding a coaching change following their Week 5 loss to the Jaguars
The Indianapolis Colts went on the road to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5. They had to fight through injuries that have decimated their roster and, of course, the active curse that doesn't allow them to win in Jacksonville. Both were too strong for them to overcome, and they lost a close one by […]
The Indianapolis Colts went on the road to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5.
They had to fight through injuries that have decimated their roster and, of course, the active curse that doesn't allow them to win in Jacksonville.
Both were too strong for them to overcome, and they lost a close one by a score of 37 to 34.
The Colts are now 2-3 on the year, and there are plenty of questions surrounding the state of their roster. So, let's break down the good, the bad, and the ugly from yet another Colts loss in Jacksonville.
Alec Pierce and Joe Flacco left it all on the field
The game looked to be over after Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby went 65 yards to the house to put the Colts down 14 with 5:21 left in the fourth quarter. But then the Alec Pierce and Joe Flacco connection began. Pierce ended today's game with three receptions, 134 yards, and a touchdown. All of which came after Bigsby's touchdown run. Pierce's ability to make big plays downfield has been evident all year long, and now we see it works with both starter Anthony Richardson and backup Joe Flacco. It just took the Colts too long to get him going. Pierce now has 368 yards and three touchdowns through the season's first five games. He has more touchdowns this year than any year of his NFL career to date. He is only 225 yards away from his career-high of yards in a season with 593. The Colts can't afford to wait until the fourth quarter to get Pierce involved. He needs to be a big part of their weekly game plan going forward until defenses show they can take his deep shots away.
Fans are demanding the Colts fire, DC Gus Bradley
The demands didn't start this week but are now louder than ever. Colts fans are over defensive coordinator Gus Bradley's defensive scheme, and they want him gone. And it's hard to push back. During a year when passing is down significantly, QBs are lighting the Colts up weekly.
Week 1 C.J. Stroud: 24/32, 234 yards, 2 touchdowns
Week 2 Malik Willis: 12/14, 122 yards, 1 touchdown
Week 3 Caleb Williams: 33/52, 363 yards, 2 touchdowns
Week 4 Justin Fields: 22/34, 312 yards, 1 touchdown
Week 5 Trevor Lawrence: 28/34, 371 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception
More and more evidence continues to show that Bradley's defensive scheme is outdated, and the Colts need to move on. Now, fans seem to want Bradley fired, and I don't know how that would change much. If he were to be fired, one of his assistants would finish the season with the DC role, and there wouldn't be too many drastic changes made. However, a complete defensive system overhaul has to be considered after the year. And I'd say the likelihood of Bradley being fired is now greater than the chances of him being back with the team next season.
Injuries have decimated the Colts roster
People can call it whatever they want, but expecting any team to overcome the amount of injuries to top-level players on their roster is laughable. The team went into this game with eight starters not playing and saw their starting right guard, Will Fries, carted off with what appears to be a major lower leg injury. And it's not just average players. Today, they were missing arguably their two most important offensive players in, Anthony Richardson and Jonathan Taylor. On defense, they were without DeForest Buckner, three other defensive linemen, and their top two corners in an already thin secondary. Today, they lost by three, but if they can't get healthy, things could fall off the rails quickly.
The Colts should reunite Anthony Richardson with a college teammate before the NFL trade deadline
The Indianapolis Colts sit at 2-2 on the year and have gotten solid production from multiple members of their young offense. They've seen Jonathan Taylor return to being an elite running back, and Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce, and Josh Downs all have had stand-out performances in the wide receiver room. The team's tight end […]
