The Indianapolis Colts absolutely dropped Saturday’s preseason game to the Atlanta Falcons, and seriously, not a lot went right. When you give up nearly 11 yards per pass attempt to the other team’s quarterbacks, you know things are rough, and that’s exactly what went down.
Trying to Find a Silver Lining, Anything!
Look, it’s preseason, so you’re hoping for some big answers about playing time and roster spots. But honestly? It felt like the Colts walked away from this game with more questions than answers. The one thing you *can* hold onto is that very few regular contributors were actually on the field. That’s something, right? You gotta try to find the positives somewhere. A few players did manage to shine in a good way, which is a relief. Shoutout to Deion Burks, Colby Wooden, Anderson Castle, and Spencer Shrader for actually showing up and making some plays. At least some guys were trying to make a statement.
Flags Everywhere and a Struggling O-Line
Okay, so where do we even start with the bad stuff? Penalties, man. The Colts were flagged way too often, especially in that first half. Six flags before halftime! Some of those flags even wiped out big chunk plays, totally killing any momentum the offense tried to build. Eight penalties for 70 yards in total? That’s just sloppy, and it makes moving the ball impossible.
And then there’s the backup offensive line. This has been a sneaky concern for the Colts all summer, and Saturday night showed us exactly why. Our quarterbacks were under constant pressure, getting sacked or hurried on what felt like every other snap. Plus, the run game couldn’t get going to save its life. Oh, and to make it even worse, there were a few bad snap exchanges. When your offensive line is struggling that much, it’s an uphill battle for everyone else on offense. You just can’t get anything done.
The Defense Was an Absolute Nightmare
But honestly, the biggest headaches came from the defense. That pass rush depth has been a massive question mark all offseason, and through two preseason games, this unit has just flat-out struggled to get after the quarterback. Against the Falcons, the Colts generated only one sack and one QB hit, and that literally came late in the game! Guys like Jaylahn Tuimoloau were just way too quiet out there. It was painful to watch. The lack of any real pressure meant Atlanta’s quarterbacks could just sit back and do whatever they wanted, picking apart our secondary at will.
And speaking of the secondary, the cornerback depth outside of Cam Taylor-Britt has been a strugglefest. Mekhi Blackmon got flagged twice *again*. Rob Carter, who started over Johnathan Edwards, just took his lumps constantly. And Edwards himself? Yep, gave up yet another downfield pass play. It all adds up to Atlanta’s QBs averaging nearly 11 yards per pass attempt. That’s not just bad, that’s ugly. That’s a huge problem.
This was a tough one to watch, especially on the defensive side of the ball. These are big issues that need to be sorted out, and fast. The regular season is coming up, and you can’t be giving up 11 yards per pass while racking up penalties. The team needs to figure out these holes before it’s too late!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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