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The Indianapolis Colts defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars, 23-17 on Sunday in Indianapolis. With the win, the Colts have climbed back to .500 for the season, at 5-5. They have won five of their last seven games after starting the season 0-3.
The Colts got contributions from all three phases of the game, including special teams.
PUNT BLOCK TOUCHDOWN. #ForTheShoe @Colts
📺: #JAXvsIND on CBS
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/gr93CSVkxW— NFL (@NFL) November 14, 2021
Midway through the first quarter, leading 3-0, Indianapolis blocked a punt and recovered it for a touchdown. Michael Badgley made all three of his field goal attempts and the Colts even got some solid kick returns.
It was a well rounded victory for Indianapolis. With so much mediocrity in the AFC, the Colts find themselves in the thick of the AFC playoff chase. This leaves plenty to take from the win.
Indianapolis Colts Week 10 Takeaways vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
3. Carson Wentz is back
Carson Wentz career was looking like it was headed in the wrong direction. He had watched his backup, Nick Foles, help lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl. Then struggled mightily the next couple of seasons in Philadelphia. His propensity for holding onto the ball too long and turning the ball over had put him on the outs with the Eagles.
Philadelphia traded Wentz to Indianapolis for a 3rd round draft pick in 2021 and a conditional 2nd round draft pick in 2022. It appeared like good value for a guy who never looked the same after his ACL injury. However, there was a reason the Colts took a chance on him. They were reuniting him with his former QB Coach in Philly, Frank Reich.
We have seen his career resurrected this season. Despite not having a great outing statistically vs the Jaguars Sunday (22-34, 180 yards), he did not turn the ball over and he got rid of the ball in timely fashion, only taking one sack.
For the season, Wentz has thrown 17 touchdowns and only three interceptions. That is 2nd best in the NFL among qualified quarterbacks (Kirk Cousins, 2). He has a quarterback rating of 100.1. He is playing, smart, efficient football. With this running game and defense supporting him, and Reich coaching him, you might just see the MVP level play we once saw from Wentz again.
2. Jonathan Taylor is unstoppable
Coming out of Wisconsin, some people wondered exactly how good Jonathan Taylor really is. After all, the Badgers typically have one of the best offensive lines in college football year in and year out. They also typically boast a solid defense. Those are two things that can make almost any running back look good.
But this is a different cat. Taylor runs with power, speed and agility. Sunday he dragged Jaguars defenders with him into the end zone, exhibiting that power.
Jonathan Taylor could not be stopped on this TD 😤
10 carries for 93 yards already 🚨
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/eD5hD4kelc
— ESPN (@espn) November 14, 2021
Jonathan Taylor is a good downhill runner, but can also explode through the hole and make linebackers miss in open space. He even has pretty good hands too. He caught 36 of his 39 targets during his rookie season last year and is on pace for over 50 catches this year.
Aside from Derrick Henry, who is other-worldly, Taylor might just be the next best running back in the NFL. Over his last 7 games, Taylor has 999 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns. Extrapolate over an entire season and that's breaking NFL records.
1. This Colts team still remains unproven
Despite winning five of seven games and getting back into the wild card chase, the Colts still leave a lot of questions unanswered. At times, they look like they can play with just about anyone. Other times, you wonder if they are even an average football team.
Sunday, they struggled to put away the Jaguars. After taking an early double digit lead, they had to hold on late. Trevor Lawrence was sacked and fumbled in the closing minutes, sealing the game. But it should not have come down to that.
The Colts held a huge lead against Baltimore and barely lost to the Rams and Titans. They've shown that on their good day, they can play with anyone. But their wins leave a lot to be desired. They have beaten the Dolphins, Texans, 49ers, Jets and Jaguars. Those teams are a combined 12-34 this season.
Needless to say, in order for me to believe in this team, they need to find a way to win a game vs a winning football team.
They will get their chance. Four of their next five games are against the Bills, Buccaneers, Patriots and Cardinals. Those teams are a combined 26-12.
The Colts sit at 5-5 currently. That puts them a half game behind the #7 seed Los Angeles Chargers for the final wild card spot. The playoffs are a real possibility after starting 0-3. But in order to get there, they will need to earn it.
