The Indianapolis Colts were nearly able to pull out a victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers this past Sunday despite losing quarterback Jacoby Brissett and center Ryan Kelly in the contest.
Brissett left the game in the second quarter when his linemen rolled up on his leg which left backup Brian Hoyer to pick up the slack.
Hoyer filled in admirably in Brissett's absence, throwing for three touchdown passes and one interception, but the Colts still came up short.
Here are three things we learned from Sunday's game:
3. Vinatieri's time might be over
Despite missing key players like T.Y. Hilton and Brissett, the Colts still had a chance to win it at the end as their fate rested on the leg of Adam Vinatieri from 43 yards out with roughly a minute left on the clock.
In the most trying year of his career, Vinatieri badly missed the field goal that ended Indianapolis' chance at coming away with a victory.
Not only did Vinatieri miss the potential game-winner but he missed an extra point attempt earlier in the game. After being one of the most reliable kickers in history for roughly two decades, it might be time for Vinatieri to hang up his cleats. He has not only become sporadic but also unreliable in key situations with five missed extra points this season.
At 46 years old it appears that Vinatieri just doesn't have it anymore as the Colts need to move on from the surefire Hall-of-Famer.
2. Too many self-inflicted mistakes
Along with Vinatieri's missed extra point attempt, the Colts turned the ball over three times. In a game in which the Colts were already short-handed in, giving the ball back to the other team is not going to get it done.
Hoyer's interception was understandable given Pittsburgh's prominence in takeaways but the two fumbles were not.
The Colts also gave up 89 yards on penalties which extended drives and gave Pittsburgh good field position. Indianapolis is based on grit, toughness, and running the ball down their opponent's throat, and the team cannot afford to give up silly penalties.
1. Need to be healthy to compete with the league's best
The Colts defense has proven to be legit, hosting an immense amount of talent on that side of the ball, including the 2018 defensive rookie of the year in Darius Leonard.
While their offense has played well so far, they don't possess the kind of raw talent that can carry you in games in which you are struggling.
We have seen the Colts defeat some of the league's best squads but they will need a healthy Brissett, Hilton, and offensive line in order to do it again.
The Colts are a well-coached bunch and are a team that few want to match up against given their style of play, but they must be at full strength to strike fear into their opponents.
Follow Us
Subscribe