There are some games that are too hard to comprehend and explain later on, and Sunday’s game between the Indianapolis Colts (5-4) and Miami Dolphins (2-7) is now one of them.
Well, let’s start off with the easiest point. The Colts lost. And what would follow that beginning? An extensive list of self-inflicted mistakes, turnovers, and uninspired play by a team who supposedly has postseason aspirations. Even though the Dolphins deserve credit for their 16-12 win, the focus will be all on the Colts. Nothing more, nothing less.
Here are five takeaways from the Colts’ upset loss vs. the Dolphins:
Hoyer was just… man, forget it
Last weekend, I made sure to give quarterback Brian Hoyer “his flowers” following his stand-in performance against the Steelers in Week 9. The 11-year veteran, despite throwing a pick-six earlier on, threw three passing touchdowns and kept the Colts in the game until the very end.
But as we fast-forwarded to Sunday’s game, none of Hoyer’s positive attributes were there to be seen. Despite facing a bottom-ranked Dolphins’ defense, Hoyer was held to 204 passing yards, hit on several occasions, and threw three interceptions. And to make the Colts’ latest QB1’s performance worse, some of his struggles can’t be reflected in his statistics.
For a veteran of his stature, Hoyer missed various, open receivers on passing plays and failed to make common adjustments with his pass protection.
Ebron certainly got his chances to make a play
It’s pretty obvious to say this season hasn’t been the best for tight end Eric Ebron. After resurrecting his career with the Colts last season, at the tune of 13 receiving touchdowns and a Pro Bowl selection, Ebron is back to facing those same struggles that plagued him in Detroit and it reached a breaking point earlier this week.
Following Ebron’s decision to publicly express his displeasure with his role inside the Colts’ offense, he saw the benefits of his actions on Sunday via 12 targets. But the problem? The former Pro Bowler only caught five of those passes and routinely struggled with getting open against the Dolphins, as he also finished with 56 receiving yards.
One play in particular, that defines Ebron’s struggles, is his dropped touchdown catch which turned into an interception during the first quarter. Dolphins safety Steven Parker ripped the ball away from Ebron as he fell to the ground in the end zone, eliminating a touchdown for the Colts.
Another bounce-back performance for Leonard
Following each game, a noticeable conversation amongst Colts fans and media is about the latest performance by linebacker Darius Leonard. The second-year All-Pro has faced higher expectations after producing a stellar rookie season so every single play of his is under the microscope.
After having what quite a few people labeled a “bad” game against the Steelers (Was called for two, big penalties and had little to no big plays), Leonard was back to being his normal self.
Ranging from his interception in the fourth quarter to securing two tackles for loss, the “Maniac” played arguably his best game of the season as he added 13 total tackles, one sack and a forced fumble as well.
Houston’s streak of sacks continues!
If there are any (and trust me, there weren’t many of them) positives from Sunday’s loss, it was pass rusher Justin Houston. The Colts’ biggest free-agent acquisition from last spring was brought in to elevate their pass-rush and he has done nothing but fulfill that need.
By getting a sack against the Dolphins, Houston extended his streak to five games. The former Pro Bowler is not only creating a lot of havoc on the edge, but he’s consistently creating easier opportunities for the likes of Jabaal Sherard, Denico Autry, and other pass rushers to get after opposing quarterbacks.
A reality check for Coach
There aren’t going to be many times when we have to question head coach Frank Coach but after these last couple of weeks, now is a good time to do so. Besides the fact, the Colts are losers of two consecutive games and have lost the lead in their division, they haven’t played anywhere close to the team that was determined to prove “critics” wrong after Andrew Luck’s retirement.
Coach Reich, even with his tremendous strengths as a play-caller and motivator, hasn’t done the best job in either area. Even though we know of the injuries that have negatively impacted this offense, Reich and his staff aren’t creating new plans that’ll highlight the strengths of who’s actually out there (Noticed the lack of runs called/who is being targeted in the passing game).
And when speaking of motivation, it actually ties into accountability. Can a head coach successfully motivate his team if the latter isn’t being shown on a regular basis (I’m staring directly at Adam Vinatieri and Eric Ebron)? Yes, the Colts sent a “message” with the waiving of wide receiver Deon Cain on Saturday along with benching Quincy Wilson because of his poor practices, but more has to be done these days.
