Stampede Blue
5-1. Good teams beat down bad teams, but another thing good teams manage to do is win when they are not at their best, and the Colts managed to do just that against the Cardinals. The game was not pretty, perhaps the worst game I have seen from the team this season, but they managed to score at the right time, and (thanks in big part to a missed DPI call on Trey McBride late in the game) get the stop when it mattered the most.
The MVP award was between Taylor and Jones, as no one on the defense was even close to getting this award. Jones was instrumental in the comeback and ended up making the plays when it mattered the most, but had some mistakes here and there, including a really bad interception, so the award goes to JT, who continues putting up MVP-caliber numbers. Taylor finished the game close to 150 scrimmage yards and added a touchdown on the ground, facing a formidable Cardinals’ defense that was among the best in the NFL.
Shoutout to the refs for not calling what seemed to be a DPI on 4th down that would have given the Cards a 1st and goal at the one-yard line. It feels good to finally be on the good end of a missed call, and as I pointed out when we got robbed, to be fair I have to acknowledge when we are given a hand.
This award could have gone to almost everyone on the defense. The pass-rush was okay, going up against a solid Cardinals’ offensive line, and the run defense held up, so it is hard to fault the defensive line here. It would also be unfair to criticize a secondary made up of practice squad players, with Charvarius Ward, Jaylon Jones, Kenny Moore, and Mike Hilton out for the game (not to mention Justin Walley who was lost before preseason). Germaine Pratt was okay in his debut, so if I had to pick a single player it would be Zaire Franklin, who posted the worst coverage grade on the team, and the worst run defense grade, even taking into account the fact that he did make two important stops. Oh, and there was also a terrible, idiotic flag on an absurdly late hit, that gifted the Cardinals 15 yards and a fresh set of downs when they would have been facing 3rd and 10. It was also at the worst possible moment because on that drive they managed to score a touchdown to go up 24-17.
Anarumo deserves his share of the blame too. Yes, the Colts were without their starting cornerbacks, but the Cardinals were without their quarterback, running back, and #1 receiver. Anarumo played too...
