Jake's Takes | Colts Reach New Low in Lopsided Loss to Patriots

The Indianapolis Colts offense was completely overwhelmed by the New England Patriots on Sunday, leading to a 26-3 loss.

Coming into Sunday's matchup at Gillette Stadium, it was a common assumption that the Indianapolis Colts (3-5-1) were going to have a tough time on the road against the New England Patriots (5-4).

New starting quarterback Sam Ehlinger was making just his second career start, they were without All-Pro running back Jonathan Taylor, they traded one of their best playmakers this week in Nyheim Hines, and their offensive line still had yet to garner any optimism.

I don't think many people thought it would be this ugly, though.

The Colts now fly home to Indianapolis with a 26-3 loss and far more questions about how to adjust moving forward than answers. Here are my main observations from the game.

Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

—Apparently, the Colts' offensive problems went deeper than Marcus Brady. The Colts fired offensive coordinator Marcus Brady this week despite him not being the playcaller on gamedays. The offense has been a source of incredible disappointment, as they entered the game ranking in the bottom half of the NFL on third downs (16th, 40.4%), overall offense (18th, 339.4 YPG), red zone scoring (26th, 47.8%), rushing (29th, 87.8 YPG), sacks allowed (tied-29th, 26), and most importantly, scoring (30th, 16.1 PPG), so the move wasn't a shock. However, things got even worse on Sunday. The Colts went 0-of-14 on third down, including seven three-and-outs (and one four-and-out). They were also 0-of-2 on fourth down, 0-of-2 in the red zone, and totaled just 121 yards of offense. The offense even had a punt get blocked and were on the business end of a pick-six.

Colts 121 total yards 9th fewest in franchise history. Fewest since 118 vs. Seattle in 1997.

— Mike Chappell (@mchappell51) November 6, 2022

Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

—Describe it how you want, but this offensive line stinks, so bad. Nine sacks. That's all I really need to say to describe Sunday's performance by the Colts' offensive line. Patriots edge defender Matthew Judon absolutely killed the Colts' front, totaling 6 tackles (3 for loss), 3.0 sacks, and 4 quarterback hits. He has another sack wiped away by a facemask penalty. Starting right guard Matt Pryor was brutalized early, which led to him getting benched in favor of Will Fries early in the second quarter. The Colts were also only able to muster 78 rushing yards on 22 attempts (3.5 avg.). The Colts' issues started with the line on Sunday and they never recovered. They made it impossible to get anything going on the ground or for Ehlinger to develop any sort of rhythm in the passing game.

Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

—Defense plays well enough to win... again. Sunday was yet another example of the Colts' defense coming to play while the offense was totally flat. On the surface, surrendering 26 points doesn't look like a great performance but the Colts' defense actually played really well. We mentioned the tough spots the offense repeatedly put them in. The Patriots totaled just 203 yards of offense, were 6-of-17 on third down (35.5%), 1-of-2 in the red zone (50.0%), and gave up 1 of their own sacks and had 1  turnover.

Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

—Defensive line came to play. Right away, the Colts' defensive front harassed the Patriots' backfield, led by tackles Grover Stewart (5 tackles [2 for loss]) and DeForest Buckner (1 tackle [1 for loss], 1.0 sack, 3 quarterback hits). New England ran the ball 28 times for just 70 yards (2.5 avg.). The Colts got back starting left end Kwity Paye back on Sunday, and he was a welcomed addition. He recorded his 4th sack of the season and led all Colts with 8 tackles (1 for loss). His return was crucial after Tyquan Lewis' injury.

© Robert Scheer/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

—Bobby Okereke has quietly had an awesome season. The Colts' linebacker depth has glowed this season while the star of the group, Shaquille Leonard, has nursed various injuries. Zaire Franklin has been among the league leaders in tackle for much of the year, and Bobby Okereke has shown steady growth in Gus Bradley's defense. Okereke was flying around and making plays again on Sunday, totaling 4 tackles (1 for loss) and 1 forced fumble, which he recovered.

The Colts now must regroup once again as they prepare to take on the Las Vegas Raiders on the road in Week 10.

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