3 Good, 3 Bad in Colts’ Win Over Buccaneers

The Indianapolis Colts kept their playoff hopes alive after a home victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Shane Steichen and his Indianapolis Colts are in the win column again, sitting at 6-5 after their 27-20 victory over the Baker Mayfield-led Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday afternoon at Lucas Oil Stadium.

This now puts the Colts firmly in the playoff discussion on the AFC side, albeit with several games still to go. With the Colts grabbing a third straight win, let’s dive into the good and bad from the battle against the Buccaneers.

The Good: Michael Pittman Jr.

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As I mentioned could be a possibility in my piece covering the keys to victory for the Colts against the Buccaneers, wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. had arguably his best performance of the season against an exploitable Buccaneers secondary.

Pittman would set a season-high in catches for a single game with 10. He’d also notch his second-best performance of the year in receiving yards with 107.

It’s simple: Pittman is a WR1, league-wide. Seven passers into his short career and he’s still one of the most consistent receivers that the NFL has to showcase to viewers. He’ll only continue to thrive with an offensive master like Steichen.

The Bad: Gardner Minshew

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Look, Colts field general Gardner Minshew led the team to victory, which is all that matters. However, he is continuously putting the offense in precarious situations with bad pocket presence and susceptibility to turnovers.

While the Bucs would only snag two sacks for the afternoon, Minshew made some bad throws because he felt pressure or reacted when it wasn’t there. His interception in this contest marks his seventh on the year to just eight TD tosses. Tampa also walked into this game at an abysmal 270.7 passing yards allowed per game (second-worst in the NFL).

However, Minshew would get a score on the ground for his third on the season, and he has been operating well enough within Steichen’s scheme for three straight victories.

With a still-favorable schedule for the next six games, Minshew will look to get over the turnover bug as Indianapolis strides for the playoffs.

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The Good: The Ground Game

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Opposite the ineptitude against the pass, Tampa’s run defense was fifth in the league in rushing yards allowed per game (90.0) before the contest. However, the backfield duo of Zack Moss and Jonathan Taylor put up 146 rushing yards, gashing the Bucs’ defensive front.

Taylor would lead with 15 carries for 91 yards (6.1 avg.) and 2 rushing scores. Moss would also average over 6 yards per carry (6.9) and would accumulate 55 rushing yards.

Even minus center Ryan Kelly, the Colts' offensive line and backup line general Wesley French would limit everything Tampa had to offer to stop the run.

If the line can continue to play this well and open gaps for the running backs, especially when Kelly returns, they could be an issue for the remaining opponents on their schedule.

The Bad: Run Defense

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While the Colts would grab multiple sacks and pressures against Tampa’s offense, they would allow Rachaad White to have his best game of the season.

White is a pass-catching specialist at RB but would tally 15 carries for 100 yards (6.7 avg.). Given that White averaged a meager 3.3 yards per carry walking into Lucas Oil Stadium, it shows there were holes to run through for Tampa’s lead back.

This is also a bit of a blow to Indy’s confidence minus Grover Stewart, since Tampa was the league’s worst rushing offense walking into this contest. Even without Stewart, the defensive front should have done better.

Look for this to be focused on when the film sessions roll out in preparation for the Tennessee Titans, who will undoubtedly look to crush Indy’s defensive front with Derrick Henry while Stewart finishes his suspension.

The Good: Samson Ebukam and the Defensive Front

Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

The Colts’ defense may have struggled to contain White and Tampa’s ground attack, but they made life difficult for Mayfield all day. The Colts would grab 6 team sacks and countless pressures, leading to a pair of turnovers from Mayfield (1 interception, 1 fumble lost).

A handful of players had sacks, but defensive end Samson Ebukam led the charge in the game with 2.0. This puts him barely second (6.0) to fellow end Dayo Odeyingbo (6.5) as the team leader sacks on the year.

Ebukam is showing he’s worth the contract that Indy paid him to bring his services to the Circle City, as he’s meshing perfectly with line coach Nate Ollie, as well as Odeyingbo, DeForest Buckner, Kwity Paye, and the fellow members of the Colts' defensive front. 

The Bad: Containing Mike Evans

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Tampa’s legendary receiver Mike Evans dominated, yet again. As one of the most consistent receivers in the NFL over the last decade, Evans grabbed 6 catches (9 targets) for 70 yards (11.7 avg.) and 2 TDs.

While Indy’s secondary did force Evans to shoulder nearly all of the receiving responsibilities, he still kept the Buccaneers in the game with stellar play.

Look for Gus Bradley and Colts defensive backs coach Ron Milus to keep this secondary on its toes as the playoff push continues through the next six games, which will feature receivers like Ja’Marr Chase (Cincinnati Bengals), DeAndre Hopkins (Tennesse Titans), Davante Adams (Las Vegas Raiders), and Nico Collins (Houston Texans).

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