Despite failing to find the end zone for the entire game, the Indianapolis Colts (2-2-1) found themselves on the victorious side of a 12-9 win over the Denver Broncos (2-3) on Thursday night.
This game was sloppier than a steak at Truffoni’s when the Dangerous Nights Crew would get together.
But somehow, someway, the Colts found themselves in the win column for the second time this season despite not scoring a touchdown. The defense put on an immaculate performance while the offense continues to be the Achilles heel of the roster.
Here’s a look at the studs and duds for the Colts in Week 5:
STUD: CB Stephon Gilmore
They call this man Gilly Lock for a reason. Our player of the game, Gilmore was incredible in coverage. He was tasked with covering Courtland Sutton and kept him out of the game for the majority of the evening. Gilmore grabbed an interception late in the fourth quarter when the Broncos tried to seal the game and then deflected the pass in the end zone to complete the win for the Colts. He put on a clinic Thursday night.
DUD: RT Matt Pryor
I promise I am not out to get this man. I wish nothing but the best for Pryor and legitimately hope he turns it around. It was a short week, and he switched from left to right tackle—a difficult and often overlooked task. But he’s more of a liability than Ryan Gosling was in Remember the Titans. On too many occasions, Pryor failed to even get enough depth on his pass set to slow down a pass rusher. He continues to be a liability on stunts, and the Broncos pass rushers were begging to line up across from him. Matt Ryan can’t even finish his drop before he’s met by a defender. The whole offensive line needs to be accountable, but Pryor is the main culprit right now.
STUD: WR Alec Pierce
It’s time. The rookie has proven himself over the course of the last three weeks that he’s deserving of the No. 2 wide receiver role. With the Broncos essentially taking Michael Pittman Jr. out of the game, Pierce stepped up in a massive way. He led the offense with nine targets, eight receptions and 81 yards. He was the catalyst in the passing game, and there should be no reason Parris Campbell sees more snaps or runs more routes moving forward.
DUD: LT Bernhard Raimann
The rookie’s first career start at left tackle could not have been much worse. He’s clearly not ready to be a starter, but the Colts don’t really have a choice. He may need to simply learn on the job. Raimann was responsible for numerous pressures while being credited officially with three penalties—two holds and a false start. He also had a holding call declined, which would negate the one holding call that was pretty weak. We should give Raimann a bit more slack considering it was his first start, but the left tackle position clearly is going to be a liability all offseason until the development really kicks into gear.
STUD: DT DeForest Buckner
Talk about a bad, bad man. Buckner was a force for the Colts defense all night long. The former All-Pro looks more and more like that version of himself, and it was on display in prime time. He recorded eight tackles (four solo), two sacks, two quarterback hits, one tackle for loss, one batted pass and a forced fumble. He was all over the place, providing the type of engine the pass rush needs.
DUD: QB Matt Ryan
Even though Ryan will get credited with the win and the fourth-quarter comeback, he was not good on Thursday night. It wasn’t all his fault. The offensive line continues to be a liability, and Ryan barely has a chance to even get to his first read before a defender is in his face. But he’s still holding the ball too long at times and his two interceptions were completely egregious. On top of that, he fumbled two more times. That’s 11 fumbles in five games. Even battered and bruised, Ryan helped put the offense in a position to win an extremely ugly game, but that doesn’t mean he played well for the majority of it.
STUD: K Chase McLaughlin
If McLaughlin was on the roster in Week 1 instead of Rodrigo Blankenship, there’s a good chance the Colts would be 3-2 right now. But there’s nothing we can do about that. Regardless, McLaughlin proved his worth Thursday night. In a game without a touchdown, McLaughlin was flawless on all four of his field-goal attempts, two of which were from more than 50 yards.
STUD: S Rodney Thomas II
The rookie safety continues to make impressive plays downfield. Thomas grabbed the first interception of his career on a throw from Russell Wilson that more closely resembled a punt. He also made an impressive pass break up on a deep ball down the middle of the field and would have had another pass defended had the back judge not run straight into Thomas on another deep ball to Courtland Sutton. The defense seems to be a solid unit, and it helps getting production from rookies like Thomas.
