The Indianapolis Colts fell short in their bid to notch their third straight win as they lost to the Tennessee Titans, 19-10, on the road in Week 7. This third defeat put the Colts in second place in the AFC South. Here we'll look at some takeaways from the Colts' loss in Week 7.
In their loss to the Titans on Sunday at Nissan Stadium, the Colts took a couple of steps back after a couple of promising wins the past couple of weeks. While the defense once again proved to be the superior team, the offense remained mediocre. They were hampered by turnovers and poor third-down efficiency. Also, it seemed like the Colts consciously constrained star running back Jonathan Taylor, which, of course, put a cap on their ground attack.
Here are our four takeaways from the Indianapolis Colts' Week 7 loss vs. the Titans.
4. Parris Campbell, hey, yo!
Colts WR Parris Campbell appears to be in the best shape of his career and is thriving for Indianapolis' offense. He spearheaded the passing assault and was Matt Ryan's preferred target in this game. Campbell was effective in moving the chains for first downs and would even take on contact to do so. After missing the majority of his first three NFL seasons, Campbell's return has been a long time coming and certainly a welcome development.
He's breaking out in the offense and establishing himself in the slot role that head coach Frank Reich has assigned to him. Campbell finished the day with 10 catches for 70 yards and the lone touchdown for Indianapolis.
Keep in mind that over the past two games, he has received 23 targets. He has also hauled down 17 catches for 127 yards and two scores in that span of time. Because the Colts could definitely use a more potent air offense, we should expect that the trio of Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce, and Campbell will be leveraged moving ahead.
We had Parris Campbell on the mic for his TD. 👀 pic.twitter.com/Vg62TcqieV
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) October 25, 2022
3. Colts defense mostly held up
Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley should be pretty happy. His defense did its job and pretty much held up in Nashville. Sure, any game in which you can keep a team under 20 points is a game that your side should have won, but that's not really the defense's fault. Titans RB Derrick Henry did break for a few runs, but the Colts did a decent job of tightening up when the Titans got into scoring position.
To illustrate, they would force field goals and punts by putting the Titans in third-and-long situations. Tennessee converted just five of twelve third-down opportunities. Having said that, Bradley will surely review how they allowed Henry to record a total of 138 yards on the day.
As previously said, the Indianapolis defense only technically allowed 12 points. As such, all the offense needed to do was protect the ball and score a pair of touchdowns to win this game. It's quite unfortunate that they didn't hold up their end of the bargain.
2. Colts offensive line was run over
The Colts offensive line had a very tough day in the office against Tennessee. Throughout the game, the combo of Jeffrey Simmons, Denico Autry, and Bud Dupree caused them fits. Jonathan Taylor was able to break off several runs to average 5.8 yards per carry, but he and the other backs had to contend with narrow running lanes.
The Colts averaged just 3.8 yards per carry and only ran for 65 yards as a team. After allowing zero sacks the previous week, Matt Ryan was put under pressure here once more. Simmons led the Titans pass rush way with six tackles (three solo), two TFLs, two QB hits, and a sack.
Additionally, the Colts o-line allowed Autry and Dupree to each have a sack, giving the Titans defense a total of three. However, they were often getting their hands on Ryan. The Colts o-line allowed a total of 10 QB hits.
Throughout the season, the Colts have struggled with consistent pass protection, and it won't get any easier when the Washington Commanders' defensive front visits next week.
1. Colts need to unchain Jonathan Taylor
Colts star running back Jonathan Taylor got to see action for the first time since Week 4. However, he was not utilized in the way that we are accustomed to seeing him. That's most likely due to the fact that he only got 10 carries throughout the game. Despite this, he was quite efficient, gaining 58 yards on the ground and 27 yards on seven catches.
It stands to reason that the Colts would ease Taylor back into play gradually, but head coach Reich stated on Sunday that Taylor was not consciously being limited.
“He wasn't on a pitch count, but there was a planned rotation,” said Reich. “Him being out the last number of days and the inactivity was a little bit of it.”
We're not sure we believe him. Reich maintains Taylor's health isn't a major issue, which is excellent news for the Colts and their supporters as the team stands 3-3-1 through seven games.
For them to put together more wins, however, they obviously need to unchain Taylor. Yes, he was efficient in this game, but they need him to dominate. With their passing offense still finding its true identity, the Colts running game should be the engine that makes this offense go. And, of course, Taylor is the beating heart of their run game.
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