Stampede Blue
Daniel Jones and the Indianapolis Colts had a Sunday to forget as turnovers highlighted the affair. For a quarterback that took good care of the ball and moved the offense with ease over the course of the season, the pressure that Pittsburgh’s front created was too much as he fumbled and allowed balls to be tipped at the line. He, the offensive line, and everyone involved have things to clean up, but it shouldn’t be looked at as the end of the world. The Colts have time and the ability the get back on track, but this one will sting for a bit.
What stings is that things didn’t have to turn out this way. Leading 7-0 and driving for more, the Colts had the Steelers on their heels. All of a sudden the wheels fell off and the floodgates opened as Pittsburgh capitalized on uncharacteristic Colts’ mistakes. Turn in an average Colts performance and this one is a win. The Colts historic struggles in Pittsburgh, missing out on a win for potential tie breaking purposes, and wanting to not give up ground in the South and AFC overall make this a tough pill to swallow.
That was the negative. On the flip side, the Colts still lead the South and the AFC, and they still control their destiny. This was never a season that would be perfect. Where they are currently is honestly amazing. If they can secure a win in Germany, they will be 8-2 heading into the bye to get healthy. If you said that would be their record before the season, no one would have believed it. This is still a really good team. Even the best have clunkers. If they can put together a strong performance in Germany, it could be water under the bridge.
Seasons have ups and downs. Super Bowl champions suffer embarrassment from time to time. A loss like this should not be surprising, but it can be frustrating. It could have been another statement win and a great chance to create separation from an AFC foe. No, the Colts won’t win them all, but they still have a great chance to win the majority.
