New quarterback, same results.
Despite the change from Matt Ryan to Sam Ehlinger, the Indianapolis Colts’ offense once again failed to score on their opening drive and would go on to shoot themselves in the foot on positive drives.
The defense played great for about three and a half quarters until they looked gassed on the last two drives. After going up 16-7 following the Shaquille Leonard interception, the Washington Commanders were able to move the ball with ease.
The defensive front couldn’t get any pressure on Taylor Heinicke. He was able to sit back in the pocket and allow his receivers to work themselves open. Heinicke marched the offense down the field in the final two minutes with his legs and arm. Using his mobility he was able to buy some time and give Terry McLaurin a 50/50 ball.
McLaurin would moss Stephon Gilmore to put Washington at the 1-yard line. Heinicke punched it in with a QB sneak to give the Commanders the game-winning score. This was a game that the Colts should’ve won but they failed to close it out.
Here are my five takeaways from the loss:
1
Sam Ehlinger's debut
Sam Ehlinger’s first career start wasn’t the best but it was also far from a disaster. The new starting quarterback’s addition to the offense gave Frank Reich some flexibility in his play calling and it showed up throughout the game. There were creative ways to help enhance the rushing attack, which helped open up rushing lanes for Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines.
Ehlinger’s mobility not only helped out his backs but it played in helping extend plays and picking up first downs with his legs. He didn’t light it up on the ground but it did help out the offense. He had 15 rushing yards on six rushes. There was a costly mistake that hurt the team. When Ehlinger went to tuck-and-run, he failed to secure the ball and fumbled it away to Washington. The Colts were driving and were going to at least end that drive with a field goal attempt.
He wasn’t asked to throw the ball often but when he did he was concise with his decisions and didn’t make risky throws. Frank Reich didn’t ask for his new quarterback to push the ball deep often but Ehlinger did deliver when he had to on a third-and-eight. His 47-yard completion to Alec Pierce on that play was his longest throw of the day.
The boundary safety stays down and Alec Pierce wins with a great release, Ehlinger puts it on the money pic.twitter.com/CHtTuQ5rtJ
— Theo Ash (@TheoAshNFL) October 30, 2022
Ehlinger ended his debut going 17/23 for 201 yards. He almost put the team in a position to kick a game-winning field goal but Michael Pittman Jr. dropped the perfect throw that would’ve been a chunk gain. Overall, there are going to need to be improvements by Ehlinger but he showed poise and didn’t crumble in the moment.
It will be interesting to watch how the offense will evolve over the next few weeks with Ehlinger leading the way.
2
Missed opportunities
Finish. That is one thing the Colts couldn’t do against the Commanders. Not only with blowing the 16-7 fourth-quarter lead, but also with how they ended most of their drives today. In the middle of the second quarter, that was when Sam Ehlinger had his fumble. The offense was inside the 20-yard line. That was just the first drive that should have at least ended in three points.
The Indianapolis defense had a fourth down stop to open the third quarter and gave the offense the ball at the 50-yard line. The offense was only able to get to the 21-yard line before having to settle for a field goal. You’d like to see a touchdown with that type of field position.
On the following drive for the offense, Ehlinger delivered that 47-yard throw to Alec Pierce but just a couple of plays later Jonathan Taylor coughed up the ball and Washington recovered it. The two fumbles cost the Colts at least six points.
There was another drive that should’ve ended in a touchdown. An explosive play by Parris Campbell and a great catch by Nyheim Hines put the offense at the three-yard line but they failed to punch it in. A creative play call by Frank Reich looked like Michael Pittman Jr. was going to go in for the score but he fell short just inches of the goal line.
The offensive line created no push for Taylor on the third-down run so Indianapolis had to settle for the field goal to take the 9-7 lead. Another drive that had an impact on the scoreboard.
The final one was when the offense had the ball with the 16-10 lead in the final 4:55 of the game. Ehlinger’s third-down scramble came up inches short to give the Commanders’ defense the three-and-out. Washington only had to burn one timeout and got the ball back with 2:39 left on the clock.
The consistency of failing to finish drives and games continues to be why the Colts lose games this season.
3
Defensive front was great but got gassed
The Colts front four had a busy day but unfortunately, their effort played a factor in them looking tired to finish the game. They were dominant against the run, only allowing 96 rushing yards. Taylor Heinicke and Curtis Samuel were the Commanders leading rushers with 29 yards a piece.
The traditional backfield of Brian Robinson Jr., Antonio Gibson, and J.D. McKissic combined for 17 rushes for 45 yards. The reason why Washington didn’t have much room to work with was because of Grover Stewart and DeForest Buckner.
Big Grove finished with seven tackles (6 solo), one TFL, and one pass deflection. Buckner had three tackles (two solo), one TFL, one QB hit, and one sack. But it was also the stuff that doesn’t show up in the box score. The pair played a part in getting penetration on the fourth down stop to open up the second half.
E.J. Speed with the tackle to help force the 4th down stop by the #Colts defense!pic.twitter.com/mOQIRKo5a7
— Cody Manning (@CodyTalksNFL) October 30, 2022
One thing that was helping the Colts’ defense for the first three quarters was getting early pressure on Heinicke. It played a part in forcing the three-and-out prior to a field goal drive. Ifeadi Odenigbo was able to beat his man to get his hands on the quarterback and Yannick Ngakoue helped finish him to the ground.
You can't escape them. @IfeadiOdenigbo 🇳🇬 and @YannickNgakoue 🇨🇲 combine to get the sack!@Colts 🌍💥 pic.twitter.com/XWIqnthxXz
— NFL Africa (@NFLAfrica) October 30, 2022
But that would be the last time they would register a sack. When the Commanders had the ball early in the fourth quarter, they started the ball at their own eight-yard line and were able to finish it with a field goal. That is when the defensive front looked gassed and wasn’t able to generate that early pressure on the quarterback.
Five of the 11 plays by the offense went over 10 yards. Heinicke had plenty of time in the pocket to make his reads on that drive and it carried over into the game-winning drive for Washington. The quarterback had plenty of time to work with and the Colts’ defensive front looked like they had nothing to give at that point.
Indianapolis has been great in the fourth quarter on defense this season but today was a different story. This was just one of many parts of the team that just didn’t finish.
4
Shaquille Leonard is back!
The Indianapolis Colts have been missing their defensive leader this season. Even with his limited snaps, Shaquille Leonard was able to make an impact on the game. It did take some time for him to get adjusted and be back to doing what he does best.
He didn’t get the start with the defense and wasn’t on the field until the third drive of the game for the Commanders’ offense. He had a moment where he looked lost on the touchdown pass to Antonio Gibson. The running back was wide open and it appeared that should have been the linebacker’s responsibility.
After getting eased back in, Leonard was on the field to start the second half. He plays for most of the final two quarters. In his first appearance in a fourth quarter this season, he did typical Shaquille Leonard things and got his hands on the ball in crunch time.
Leonard tracks down the errant throw after Tyquan Lewis gets his hands on Taylor Heinicke as he releases the ball. The Maniac tracks it down and gives the ball back to the offense.
Shaquille Leonard is back to his turnover-making ways. Great pressure by Tyquan Lewis as well.pic.twitter.com/T04blVuHwO
— Cody Manning (@CodyTalksNFL) October 30, 2022
That would lead to the only touchdown of the day by the Colts and gave them the 16-7 lead. The star linebacker finished with four tackles (three solo) and that interception. This should be a confidence boost for Leonard after his long road back to the field.
5
Special teams did deliver
If there was one phase of the game that played well in all four quarters was the special teams. Bubba Ventrone’s unit did everything they could to help put the team in a position to win the game. On a day that the offense couldn’t finish drives in the endzone, Chase McLaughlin and Matt Haack delivered any time the team needed their legs.
McLaughlin made all three of his field goal attempts and his one extra point try. He had a long of 46-yards and was responsible for 62.5% of the Colts’ points. It is just too bad that he didn’t get the opportunity to kick again to end the game.
It was a bounce-back performance for Haack. I mentioned last week the thought of adding a punter following the struggles of Haack in the previous two games. There was the addition of Nolan Cooney on the practice squad to put some heat on Haack but he didn’t back down from the challenge.
He averaged 56.8 yards per punt. Three of his four punts were pinned inside the 20-yard line. His longest was 62 yards. Haack will need to show he can be consistent but he did his part today to help win the battle of field position.
