The Indianapolis Colts (2-2) found themselves on the wrong end of an upset on Sunday when they lost 31-24 to the Oakland Raiders (2-2) at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Despite being relatively heavy favorites, the Colts got down early and were never truly able to make a comeback. They cut the lead to seven at one point, but the sloppiness in their game was the ultimate downfall.
With Week 4 behind us, this is what we learned about the Colts:
The defense appears to be regressing
There is still time left in the season to correct these issues but through the first four weeks, the Colts defense is showing more shades of 2017 than it is of the 2018 unit.
The biggest area on the defensive side of the ball comes with the play of the front seven. While the unit started out with 8.0 sacks through the first two games, they have recorded just one sack since then. They are also getting gashed by the run—allowing 5.5 yards per carry to opposing offenses. That’s the second-highest rate in the NFL.
The Colts still have time to fix these issues, but they must be addressed if there is any hope of competing for the division and, ultimately, a playoff spot.
Khari Willis can handle a starting role
Of all the rookies to play through the first quarter of the season, Willis has shined the brightest. He’s quickly emerging as a play-maker at the backend of the unit, and he showed on Sunday that he can handle a starting role while making an impact.
Willis played all 100% of the defensive snaps on Sunday and made some big plays along the way. He finished with nine tackles (eight solo), one tackle for loss and a pass defended. Willis was one of the lone bright spots on a porous defensive showing from the Colts.
The fourth-round pick will continue to see his starting role expand with Malik Hooker dealing with a torn meniscus, and the Colts have to be happy about his quick development.
T.Y. Hilton was sorely missed
It was obvious the Colts were missing their biggest playmaker on the offensive side of the ball. Hilton, who was inactive due to a quad injury, was missed greatly on Sunday. The Colts haven’t gotten strong production from the wide receiver room as a whole, and Hilton’s absence was notable.
It should be noted that Zach Pascal has emerged for the Colts both before and after Hilton’s injury. He’s clearly the only one that has stepped up consistently while the likes of Deon Cain, Parris Campbell and Chester Rogers have made a minimal impact over the first four games.
The Colts offense isn’t one that will out-throw the opposing teams, but Hilton’s impact on the unit is tangible. His absence proved he has a case for the team’s MVP.
Marlon Mack dealing with an ankle issue
It isn’t clear yet how severe the ankle injury is, but it will be something to monitor for the third-year running back this week. Mack left the game in the fourth quarter and didn’t return after tweaking his ankle.
The Colts have been featuring Mack in the run game heavily this season so it will be a big blow to the offense if he has to miss any time due to the injury. Through the first four games, Mack has taken 72 carries for 388 yards and two touchdowns while averaging 4.7 yards per carry.
There will likely be an update this week about Mack’s status for the primetime game against the Chiefs.
