Should the Indianapolis Colts panic after shock 24-0 defeat against the Jacksonville Jaguars?
The NFL season started with high hopes and expectations for the Indianapolis Colts. They improved their team in the offseason, acquiring multiple big name players. One of those players was former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan.
Ryan was once the NFL MVP and played in Super Bowl LI back in February 2017 (New England Patriots 34-28 Atlanta Falcons). He took over from Carson Wentz, who was traded to the Washington Commanders. The acquisition was meant to give the offense some stability and leadership. So far this season, it has not helped.
Matt Ryan will be Colts’ 6th different starting QB on opening day in as many years:
2017: Scott Tolzien
2018: Andrew Luck
2019: Jacoby Brissett
2020: Philip Rivers
2021: Carson Wentz
2022: Matt Ryan https://t.co/CEWcNntEDG
Indianapolis were projected to be 2-0 ahead of their Week 3 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs. Instead, they managed to claw back a 20-20 tie against the Houston Texans and then experienced a humbling 24-0 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. With the Chiefs looming in front of them, going 0-2-1 is a very real possibility. Is it too early for the Colts to panic? Let's have a look at their current problems.
Indianapolis Colts' offensive struggles
The Colts offense has struggled to get anything going through the first two weeks of the NFL season. In their Week 2 matchup against the Jaguars, they were shutout. They also only managed to score 20 points in Week 1 against the Texans. These are two games that should have been easy, as neither team is expected to compete this season. This is an offense that includes running back Jonathan Taylor, who led the NFL in rushing yards last season.
Indianapolis Colts' defensive woes
On the defensive side of the ball, things are not much better for Indianapolis. The defense has allowed over 600 yards in two games. Coverage has been weak, letting receivers run all over the defense. These games have been against teams with little to no star players. What happens when they play Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City in Week 3?
Should the Colts tank for a draft pick?
The pessimistic among us would immediately think that it is time to tank for a better draft pick. They may be right. If Matt Ryan does not work out in Indianapolis, they will need a new quarterback. There are quite a few great quarterbacks coming up in this year's NFL Draft. The pool of upcoming quarterbacks is led by Kentucky's Will Levis, who is currently lighting up college football. Rebuilding around Levis may be a great option if they are unable to amount to anything this season.
However, giving up after two weeks and one loss is a crazy strategy. Abandoning an entire year after a disappointing start when you have one of the best rosters in the NFL would be negligence. These are just teething problems and possibly looking past perceived weaker opposition. It's far too early to give up, but it's not too early to worry.
Looking ahead for Indianapolis
This is still a very good team. They have enough talent to make a run at the playoffs and given how the rest of the AFC South has started, they have a shot at the division. Thus far, the only game won by an AFC South team was the Jaguars' victory over Indianapolis on Sunday.
Current AFC South standings.
#WinToday https://t.co/K2c2cyu9HP
But after failing to win those two divisional games, their journey will get a lot harder. After facing the Chiefs, Indianapolis will play the Denver Broncos, the Tennessee Titans, and then Jaguars again. Over the remaining 15 games of the season, Indianapolis will play 11 of those games against teams who won the majority of their games last season. The road is tough and with the struggles starting early, it may be a long season for Indianapolis.
They say that nothing worth having is ever gained easily. With Indianapolis' next game being against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Colts will have to work harder than ever.