The Indianapolis Colts (3-3) lost their second game against the Jacksonville Jaguars (4-2) on Sunday down at TIAA Bank Field by a 37-20 score.
Despite leading after their first drive, Indianapolis could never find a consistent rhythm and put forth their worst performance of the season.
And after showing some brief life in the fourth quarter, Indianapolis looked lost and not ready to play for the division lead.
Here are the studs and duds from the Colts’ loss in Week 6:
STUD: WR Michael Pittman Jr.
Despite the struggles the Colts had offensively, receiver Michael Pittman Jr. quietly had a solid day receiving. Pittman lead the team with nine receptions for 109 yards.
When targeted, Pittman showed his ability to make plays down the field. Hopefully, the Colts can continue to get Pittman more opportunities down the field moving forward.
DUD: QB Gardner Minshew
Marred by inaccuracy and poor decisions all day long, Minshew was consistently the worst player on the field for the Colts. Minshew cost the Colts multiple points due to his carelessness with the ball and looked lost most of the afternoon.
Despite throwing the football 55 times, Minshew only averaged 10 yards per attempt. While the lack of production offensively wasn’t solely on Minshew, his turnover-filled day really sunk the Indianapolis offense all day long.
STUD: CB Julius Brents
While Brents had a “welcome to the NFL” moment in this game, he really stepped up in the second half for the Colts. However, Brents responded extremely well from then on.
Brents was consistently contesting passes and making it difficult for whichever receiver he was matched with to get open. Brents also recorded his first career interception and nearly had a second in this game.
The rookie will look to continue to build off of his strong second half against Jacksonville.
DUD: Situational Play
The Colts had multiple opportunities to make plays in critical moments and struggled situationally. Whether it was jumping offsides on third down, busted coverages or failure to covert in the red zone. The Colts’ struggles situationally ultimately doomed them in the game.
The Colts have typically been a fairly disciplined and efficient team under Shane Steichen so it was puzzling to see them struggle in that department. If the Colts were better when it mattered, the game is undoubtedly more competitive and the score a lot closer.
STUD: CB Kenny Moore II
Though the defense got off to a slow start Sunday, one of the most consistent defenders throughout the game for the Colts was Moore. He applied sticky coverage all game and came through in a big way against the run. Moore finished the game with three tackles for loss and a handful of run stops while helping limit Travis Etienne to 3.1 yards per attempt.
