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Ryan Review: Colts’ QB Fights Constant Pressure in Win vs. Broncos

Matt Ryan did just enough to get the Colts the win, but the consistent pressure is starting to hurt the quarterback.

Andrew Moore

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In one of the ugliest games you will ever see, the Indianapolis Colts pulled it off.

The Colts slugged through a defensive struggle to get the win over the Denver Broncos, 12-9, on Thursday Night Football. Both offenses struggled all night long, and the Colts got the victory on the back of their defense and special teams. The win brings the Colts to 2-2-1 on the season, a half-game back of the Tennessee Titans in the AFC South.

Quarterback Matt Ryan had a game he would probably soon like to forget. Ryan fought for a stat line of 26-of-41 (63%) for 251 yards, zero touchdowns, two interceptions, and a QB rating of 60.1. Ryan was also sacked a season-high six times in the win.

“It was just a slob of a game,” Ryan said after the victory. “Both defenses played really well. Our defense played outstanding. They have been playing good football for us after the first five weeks…As we prepared for (Denver) during the week, we knew it was going to be a challenge. But we found a way, with the young group that we have, particularly we had a lot of them playing tonight.

“There is belief that gets created, even though it is ugly, when you find a way to get the job done and that is what we have to do, right now. We have to figure out how to get better, there is no doubt about that.”

This is “Ryan Review” on Horseshoe Huddle where we will look at the film each week and dissect how Ryan played. It was not a pretty performance by the former NFL MVP, and the constant pressure Ryan has faced is starting to impact the quarterback.

Hello, Alec Pierce

On a night when there were few bright spots for the offense, wide receiver Alec Pierce was one of them. The rookie had his most productive day as a pro, with eight catches for 81 yards and leading the Colts in receiving.

After a few drops in Week 1 and missing Week 2 with a concussion, Pierce has earned the trust of Ryan over the last three weeks. This first clip shows Ryan going to Pierce on a variety of routes. The third throw is particularly impressive, as Ryan steps up in the pocket under duress and fires a strike to Pierce over the middle.

Where that trust really showed was on the Colts’ final drive of the fourth quarter. With the Colts down 9-6, Ryan faced tremendous pressure from the Broncos front. Ryan looked Pierce’s way multiple times, and the rookie came up with huge catches down the stretch, leading to the game-tying field goal.

Pierce is ascending in this Colts’ offense, and Ryan is looking to him more and more. It looks like Pierce is becoming the solid option opposite of Michael Pittman Jr. the Colts hoped he would.

MPJ Still #1

Speaking of Pittman, he is still the WR1 for the Colts. While the numbers may not have wowed over the past few games (16 catches, 162 yards), Pittman is doing his job and more.

Pittman has still been Ryan’s security blanket. Against the Broncos, Ryan looked Pittman’s way quite often in the first half. The Broncos adjusted in the second half to focus more attention on Pittman, but Ryan got the ball to him when he could.

Pittman is receiving more attention than ever from opposing defenses. Ryan and the Colts are attempting to get him the ball, but many times Pittman breaks open as the offensive line breaks down, and Ryan cannot deliver the football. Ryan has had his most success throwing to Pittman this season, and that should be even more successful if the Colts can give Ryan more time.

Making Plays Under Pressure

As we have discussed ad nauseam, the Colts’ offensive line has been a mess. Ryan has been under constant pressure, leading to sacks or errant throws. It has made life very tough for the entire unit.

While not the most athletic quarterback in the NFL, Ryan has still been able to make plays while under pressure. All of these throws were made by Ryan while defenders were closing in. The throw to wide receiver Ashton Dulin is particularly impressive, as Ryan evades the rush by stepping up in the pocket and firing a dart to Dulin over the middle.

While these plays show that Ryan can make plays under pressure, it is not the ideal world for this Colts’ offense. One of the big selling points for the 37-year-old quarterback when considering coming to Indy was the strength of the offensive line. Ryan spent his last couple of years in Atlanta running for his life, and he did not expect the same with the Colts. So far, it has been even worse.

Sacks, Sacks, and More Sacks

Ryan was sacked six times on Thursday, bringing his season total to 21. The 21 sacks given up by the Colts are the most in the NFL through five weeks. To put the Colts’ protection issues in perspective, Ryan has already been sacked more times than Andrew Luck (18) in 2018 and Philip Rivers (19) in 2020.

The Colts tried to switch things up along the offensive line for the matchup. Bernhard Raimann made his first start at left tackle as Matt Pryor moved from left tackle to right tackle. Braden Smith slid inside from right tackle to right guard. Unfortunately, things did not get any better as Ryan was under pressure for most of the evening.

The fumbling issues continued for Ryan against the Broncos, as well. Ryan fumbled twice, giving him 11 fumbles in five games. He became only the third quarterback since 1960 to fumble ten or more times through the first five weeks of the season. The fumbling issues are no longer a fluke and are a serious problem for the Colts moving forward.

Here are all of the sacks of Ryan by the Broncos. The main culprit of the sacks is Pryor, who struggled mightily against the speed rushers of the Broncos. Raimann and center Ryan Kelly also gave up sacks, along with a combination of running back Deon Jackson and tight end Kylen Granson on Bradley Chubb.

What was once a strength of this team is now their biggest weakness. Ryan is feeling an egregiously high amount of pressure, and it is bringing the offense to a halt. It is shocking to watch how poorly the offensive line is performing when they were at the top of their game just a short time ago.

Bad Interceptions

Ryan threw two more interceptions against the Broncos, as he now has seven on the season. The quarterback can only blame himself for the interceptions on Thursday night.

On the first interception, Ryan has plenty of time in the pocket but starts to get antsy and tries forcing the throw to Granson. Ryan does not see safety Caden Sterns and throws it right to him for the pick. The second shows pressure in Ryan’s face as he tries to force the ball to Pittman, which Sterns breaks on and get another pick.

If you have followed along with this series, forcing throws was not something Ryan did just a few weeks ago. The evidence shows Ryan is starting to force things due to the constant pressure he is facing. The protection issues are getting to Ryan, causing him to speed things up and force the ball places for fear of being sacked or hit.

With how much Ryan has been hit and sacked this season, it is no surprise the forced throws are taking place. However, this will lead to more turnovers down the road and a less efficient offense for the Colts.

Final Analysis

It is safe to say that Ryan did not have the performance he would have liked against the Broncos. Ryan and the Colts’ offense were sloppy with the football but did just enough to come out with a victory.

The good news is Ryan has two reliable options at wide receiver in Pittman and Pierce. Both are stepping up and have earned the trust of Ryan. He has also made quite a few plays under pressure, which he has faced all year.

However, the offensive line and protection issues are starting to affect Ryan negatively. Ryan is speeding up his progressions and trying to force the ball at times, leading to misses and mistakes. The turnovers by Ryan are way too high and have to be cleaned up moving forward.

Ryan and the Colts will face another stiff test this week as the Jacksonville Jaguars come to town. The Colts will be trying to avenge the 24-0 loss in Jacksonville just four weeks ago. Ryan threw three interceptions and was sacked five times in the meeting.

Sunday’s matchup will once again come down to the protection afforded to Ryan and if Ryan can take care of the football. If both things happen, and that is a big if, the Colts can capture their first division win of 2022.

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Andrew Moore
ANDREW MOORE

Andrew Moore is the Senior Analyst for Horseshoe Huddle and an Indianapolis Colts expert. Andrew is also the co-host of the Horseshoe Huddle Podcast and the former co-host of A Colts Podcast.

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