The Indianapolis Colts dropped their Week 12 matchup to the Detroit Lions and now sit at 5-7 on the season.
This was already going to be a challenging game with the Colts up against the 9-1 Lions, who entered the game ranked first in scoring on offense and fifth in scoring on defense.
However, that challenge became all the more daunting, with the Colts unable to get out of their own way in the red zone with penalties. Against a very good Lions team, a clean game is a near must, and that didn’t happen.
So, with the dust having settled and the game now wrapped up, let’s take a look back at the Colts’ performance and break it all down.
Final score
It was over when…
..Lions’ kicker Jake Bates nailed the 56 yard field goal, giving the Lions a 24-6 lead with 6:21 remaining and making it a three possession game. At that stage, overcoming a three score deficit was too much to overcome.
Keys to the game
Red zone blues: As alluded to already, the Colts missed out on some key scoring chances early. On two of their first three possession, the Colts made their way to the red zone but left with two field goals. On the first drive, a penalty took them from 3rd-and-2 inside the five yard line to 3rd-and-7. Then on the second possession, Drew Ogletree dropped a touchdown pass.
Penalties: Against a team of the Lions’ caliber, a clean game is needed but it was the opposite for the Colts. They were penalized 10 times, which not only put them behind the sticks on numerous instances, but penalties negated plays of 21 yards, 19, seven, 30, and wiped away a fourth down conversion.
Lions run game: Compared to what they often do, it’s not as if David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs controlled the game averaging 4.4 yards per rush. But they found steady success and allowed the offense to lean on them. Detroit ran the ball 33 times for 137 yards. This then helped the Lions control the clock, holding the ball for 14 more minutes than the Colts, along with running 22 more plays on offense.
Third downs: The Lions’ offense was 9-for-15 on third downs, in part because of their run game success keeping them in manageable situations, while the Colts offense was just 3-for-12, making it difficult to sustain drives and contributing to the time of possession difference.
Offensive line play: It was tough sledding in the run game for the Colts, specifically with Jonathan Taylor between the tackles. He averaged just 3.2 yards per rush, which put the offense behind the sticks and in obvious passing situations. Anthony Richardson, meanwhile, often had pressure in his face when throwing and the offensive line was penalized often.
Stars of the game
Michael Pittman: This was Pittman’s best game in several weeks. He finished with six receptions for 96 yards, averaging 16.0 yards per catch, coming through over the middle and on third downs.
Laiatu Latu: Latu has played well over the last month. In this game he was credited with a sack by PFF and a team-high five pressures.
Nick Cross: We saw Cross all over the field, in on 14 total tackles and on the five completions he was credited with giving up, he allowed just 24 total yards.
DeForest Buckner: Buckner finished the game with four pressures, a sack, and was a big factor in the run game as well, with three of his four tackles counting as stops–or plays that constitute a loss, according to PFF.
Injury updates
Wide receiver Ashton Dulin exited the game in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury and was ruled out for the remainder of the game. Both Josh Downs and Michael Pittman would exit briefly with shoulder injuries but each player returned.
What’s next?
The Colts are on the road next week in New England to take on the 3-8 Patriots. This is the Colts final game before their late bye week.
