Following their 15-13 nail-biting win over the Denver Broncos (2-6) on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium, the Indianapolis Colts (5-2) continue to surge through the AFC.
Still holding the top spot in the AFC South halfway through the 2019 regular season, the Colts have a long way to go before this ends. But there were some things we learned about this Colts team from the anxiety-filled victory at home.
Here are four things we learned about the Colts in Week 8:
They can win ugly
This is about as true as it gets. To say it was an ugly game is putting it lightly. Some might even argue the Colts didn’t deserve to win the game. But they did, and that’s what matters in the end. Even when their best position groups failed them, Indy still came out on top.
Against a better offense, the outcome is likely much different. However, the Colts got despite a porous outing from the offensive line. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett also struggled a good bit during the game, but he made the big play when he needed to.
The Colts haven’t proven to be the type of team that can win in a blowout. They might not prove it at all this season. But they have shown they can win ugly, which is huge for the upcoming months.
Adam Vinatieri’s woes are not gone
Now, this isn’t to say Vintieri’s troubles are here to stay. But it shouldn’t be expected that the 46-year-old goes right back to being the automatic points machine he’s been for the majority of his career.
Vinatieri missed two kicks on Sunday—a 45-yard attempt in the first quarter and an extra-point attempt in the third. He did nail two field-goal attempts from 55 and 51, which certainly allows the Colts to breath a little bit.
While Vinatieri should get the benefit of the doubt, it wouldn’t be accurate to say these woes are completely behind him.
Ben Banogu in line for a bigger role?
With Kemoko Turay on the shelf for the remainder of the season, there is a massive opportunity for the rookie in Bangou to make an impact. He seemingly has earned a bigger role as a pass rusher—evident by his snap count in Week 8.
The second-round pick played 36 snaps (49%) on defense, which is the most he’s seen all season. It was also the third-most among Colts defensive ends for the game, proving they are giving him a bigger role.
Banogu came through with a big sack to seal the game in the fourth quarter for the Colts, and the TCU product could be on his way to carving out a bigger role for the second half.
Deon Cain needs more time
Before the game even started, there were a few surprises that came with the inactives list. Among them was the second-year wide receiver in Cain, who was a healthy scratch for the Week 8 contest.
With Zach Pascal taking over as the WR2 and rookie Parris Campbell returning from an abdominal injury, Cain was rendered inactive for the game. As Devin Funchess nears his return in the coming weeks, Cain might need more time to develop before making an impact.
The Colts gave Cain his chance to earn the WR2 role opposite T.Y. Hilton, but it didn’t come to fruition. Now, he has to work his way back into the depth chart in order to avoid being a healthy scratch on game days.
