The Indianapolis Colts (5-3) came close to pulling off a road victory in Week 9 against the Pittsburgh Steelers (4-4), but they ultimately fell short at Heinz Field on Sunday.
A tough game throughout, there were many takeaways from the afternoon loss. It can’t be blamed on the shoulders of simply one player. The Colts didn’t put themselves in a situation to take control of the game at all.
Here are four things we learned about the Colts in Week 9:
Brian Hoyer was solid in relief
Jacoby Brissett is the starter. There is no denying that. However, if his knee injury turns into something that keeps him off the field for the Week 10 home matchup against the Miami Dolphins, the Colts should know they are still fine in the hands of Hoyer.
The backup quarterback relieved Brissett following the latter’s knee injury. Though he did have two crucial turnovers (a red-zone interception and a fumble), Hoyer also tossed three touchdown passes and quickly showed he can move the offense.
There were some impressive throws he made downfield as well. If Brissett is healthy enough to play, he will (and should) get the start. However, the Colts will be fine if Hoyer has to fill in.
Adam Vinatieri’s struggles continue
You’re sick of hearing about it, and we are sick of writing about it. But Vinatieri’s struggles continue. No, he didn’t lose the game for the Colts. There is a myriad of factors that played into the road defeat. One could even make an argument that the final missed kick had nothing to do with Vinatieri.
However, to say there was absolute confidence he was going to make the final kick would be naive. As great as the 46-year-old has been throughout his career, there are still concerns with his consistency. The Colts have been pretty lucky throughout the season to win these close games, but it eventually caught up to them.
Likely nothing will happen with Vinatieri. The Colts are still expressing confidence in the veteran, but he’s no longer the automatic kicker that can be trusted every time he takes the field.
The defense played its part
There were many aspects that led to the loss on Sunday, but the defense shouldn’t be considered one of them. Sure, there were some plays against the run they would like to have back. And there were some questionable penalties that bit them in the end.
But the defense kept this team in the game down to the final drive. What was most impressive was how they stood strong in the red zone. Of the four trips the Steelers made inside the 20-yard-line, only one of them resulted in a touchdown.
The defense also forced two turnovers and recorded a safety while only allowing one touchdown on the day. The defense did its job against the Steelers on Sunday.
T.Y. Hilton is the team MVP
The Colts were down their star wide receiver, and it made a world of difference. Hilton is dealing with a calf injury that could keep him out multiple weeks. His absence to the offense had a major impact, especially when it came to making plays downfield.
While it is nice to see the emergence of Zach Pascal into a reliable target and even rookie Parris Campbell made some plays, it is near impossible to replicate the production and impact of Hilton. Simply from a schematics standpoint, defenses don’t have to worry about covering a talent like Hilton.
The Colts still have a chance to make a second-half run, but it will be incredibly difficult if they don’t have their MVP.
