Stampede Blue
The **Indianapolis Colts **squeaked out a win over the Broncos last Sunday. It was a back and forth game in which the Colts managed to lose and win all within a two minute span. Regardless of the final outcome, the Colts proved they can hang with the upper tier teams in the league. Beating the Dolphins into oblivion was one thing; showing they can score consistently against one of the top defenses is another. Luckily, a moral victory wasn’t all the Colts walked away with, but it doesn’t mean there weren’t areas of concern. Two defensive studs returning against the Titans could go a long way towards a 3-0 start.
A clean injury report isn’t really a thing in the NFL, but the report on for the Colts is looking semi-encouraging. Not only did Josh Downs get upgraded to full participant, Tyler Warren also got back into the action, albeit limited. They will be important for sure as Daniel Jones will be looking to keep the good vibes on offense, but the defensive starters returning should be the story. Both Laiatu Latu and Charvarius Ward were out against the Broncos and it showed. The front was able to generate occasional pressure, but Bo Nix had way too much time to sit in the pocket. Zero sacks and one interception on a ball that was tipped by his own linemen were a clear indication that Latu is needed in a big way. He is the best pure pass rusher on the team. Even if he isn’t getting home, he has enough moves to collapse the pocket and apply pressure on the quarterback. He even demonstrated in week one that he has a little coverage ability in him too, making a pick against the Dolphins.
The key is normally upfront, but if they struggle to deliver consistent pressure, the backend needs to hold up. It didn’t get much worse than Xavien Howard out there. Correction: It literally couldn’t get any worse than Xavien Howard out there. He received dead last rankings in coverage. Ouch. While we will still see him on the field, having Ward assume his role as the number one guy is much needed. Titan’s Cam Ward is still extremely raw at the NFL level. Locking up his number one option and making him go through his progressions could be a difference maker. Colts’ Ward isn’t going to take a receiver totally out of a game, but he cannot physically do any worse than what we saw last week. Expect Ward to come in and elevate that position, turning in a highly respectable performance.
All teams deal with injuries. It is simply unavoidable. The key to being truly success is limiting those injuries and having good depth when they occur. The Colts are bouncing back from some early hits and look to have a pretty complete roster heading into their week three matchup with the Titans. All phases of the game are important, but having a full arsenal to throw...
