The Indianapolis Colts (9-6) entered this matchup with the Arizona Cardinals (10-5) as one of the hottest teams in the NFL and that didn’t change despite the number of players that didn’t play in this game.
Frank Reich and his coaching staff never wavered after seeing players exit early in the game with injuries. The offense kept battering the defensive front with Jonathan Taylor despite the limited rushing lanes he had all night. The passing attack fluctuated all night but woke up when the team needed it in the fourth quarter. What really helped win this game was the performance by the defense that was missing their leader in Darius Leonard. Special team aces stepped up and helped fill in for those that were out of the lineup.
They limited the explosive plays by the Arizona offense and never let Kyler Murray stay in a rhythm. The depth of the Indianapolis roster was on display throughout the night, which should make Chris Ballard happy that his team was able to deal with the losses to the roster.
A road win in December against one of the top teams in the NFC shows what this team is capable of and makes you wonder how they would have been at full strength. It’s a gutsy win for Indianapolis and they have now put themselves in prime position to secure a playoff spot in the next two weeks.
Here are my top five takeaways from the Colts’ Christmas victory:
