It is safe to say that the Indianapolis Colts and their 2022 NFL season have gone off the tracks – with Jonathan Taylor not enjoying the same success as last season, Matt Ryan being benched, and this team not really having a ton of positive energy, things have looked better.

The trade of running back Nyheim Hines to the Buffalo Bills right before the NFL tread deadline passed was a good summarizing move about how this franchise feels about its chances of competing. While not fully throwing in the towel, they certainly understand their uphill climb is quite steep and is going to take a 360-degree change in direction to overcome.

But playing in a lackluster AFC South division makes anything possible, including the thought of the Colts storming back in the second half of the season and making a run for the division. As the Tennessee Titans look to continue to hold onto their divisional lead, here are a few storylines that the Colts will be closely following over their final nine games.

Jonathan Taylor’s efficiency and health

Taylor has had a rough go of it this season, with his output paling in comparison to his performance last year. Injuries and a poor game plan have all helped keep the former Badger bottled up, something that has led to the offense producing very poor scoring numbers (#30 in average points per game).

Not all of it has been the fault of Taylor, as is obviously seen with the firing of now-former offensive coordinator Marcus Brady. Staked out to a 3-4-1 record through eight games, Brady and head coach Frank Reich both are to blame for the ineptitude of Taylor and this offense as a whole.

If this team continues to struggle to put up points, how does that affect their usage of Taylor? Knowing that he is already nursing injuries, how does that factor into the game plan, even with Hines having been traded?

Sam Ehlinger’s development

Completing 17 of 23 passes for 201 yards marks not only an uneventful beginning to the career of Sam Ehlinger but also represents the passing of the torch from Matt Ryan. As the Colts decided it was time to wave the white flag on the year, the former Texas Longhorn was handed the perfect opportunity of a long-term audition for the starting job.

Expectations do not seem high for Ehlinger, and if the Week 8 performance is any sort of foreboding for what is yet to come, it is fair to say the Colts will be heavily invested in the QB market this offseason. But let’s not close the book on Ehlinger before he even earns a fair shake.

Reich is not a coach to just punt on things, he calculates his decisions and has ‘sound’ reasoning for most everything he does football-wise, which makes his benching of Ryan for Ehlinger that more interesting. With the season being tossed aside and Indy not really having much to play for other than pride, the ascension of Ehlinger into a starting QB (best-case scenario but unlikely) is going to be a fascinating storyline to keep tabs on as the season progresses.

Frank Reich’s future

In his fifth season leading the Colts, Reich has struggled to right the ship. But his lack of postseason games played while HC certainly is working against him, and this season is also not doing him any favors.

Making an early switch over to an inexperienced QB option after going through the whole offseason rigamarole to replace Carson Wentz is not a great look for Reich, and it reflects on GM Chris Ballard just as much. This team has pieces in place to overcome regular-season bumps in the road, but they have not been able to stack any sort of positive gameplay together yet this year.

If Ehlinger does end up hanging onto the job for the remainder of the season, it is likely either due to Reich being told he is not returning or because Ehlinger actually resembles an NFL-level signal caller. If the former happens, then plenty of blame will (rightfully) be placed on the lack of QB room development, an issue ever since the day Andrew Luck abruptly retired.

If Reich manages to survive another season and is given a vote of confidence from Ballard and ownership, major changes will need to be made if this team wants to contend. Outside of the QB room, plenty of other holes need to be plugged if both Ballard and Reich want to continue leading this Colts franchise.