The Indianapolis Colts kicked off their season with a brutal 41-23 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, getting absolutely shredded on the ground by Derrick Henry. He piled up 144 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries, completely owning the Colts’ defense, all while rookie linebacker C.J. Allen, drafted for his tackling ability, was barely a factor in the rotation.
Henry’s Dominance Exposes A Glaring Hole
The Ravens absolutely owned the game offensively, racking up a massive 506 total yards, with a brutal 202 of those coming on the ground. Derrick Henry wasn’t just good, he was a wrecking ball, punishing Indianapolis repeatedly between the tackles, driving them back again and again. It wasn’t a fluke, it was a systematic dismantling. And it wasn’t just him either: Lamar Jackson played a stellar game, throwing for 324 yards while adding 40 more rushing yards. Baltimore consistently created explosive plays, making the Colts’ defense look completely lost and out of sync all afternoon.
Why Was The Rookie Benched?
So, with that kind of defensive collapse, what was the deal with C.J. Allen? Why was a guy built like a brick house at 6-foot, 230 pounds and known for his physicality, instincts, and ability to absolutely attack ball carriers in the SEC, largely sitting on the bench? Turns out, he wasn’t even on the Week 1 injury report. This wasn’t about health. This was a coaching decision, plain and simple, tied to the defensive rotation, their game plan, and Allen’s current spot on the depth chart. Sure, rookie linebackers often have to earn their stripes and consistent defensive roles, especially against an offense as complicated and explosive as Baltimore’s. But when you’re getting absolutely gashed for 41 points and over 500 total yards, you gotta wonder if sticking so rigidly to the ‘experienced guy’ playbook was really the right move for Week 1.
After watching Derrick Henry run through them like a hot knife through butter, and Lamar Jackson tear them up with his arm and legs, the Colts have to be asking themselves some serious questions. Allen isn’t a magic bullet who’s going to solve every single defensive problem by himself, no one player ever is. But his raw speed, toughness, and tackling ability are exactly what they were missing on Sunday, particularly when Henry was gashing them between the tackles. Giving Allen a larger defensive role moving forward isn’t just an option, it feels like a total necessity for a team that struggled so badly. They might just find out if the rookie can provide some of what their defense was so desperately missing.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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