Colts: 3 Good, 3 Bad in Loss to Jaguars

The Indianapolis Colts showed plenty of highs and lows in their loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson began his NFL journey on Sunday against the divisional rival Jacksonville Jaguars, along with numerous other players starting their professional careers. New head coach Shane Steichen debuted his offense and scheme to the NFL world, as well.

Ultimately, the Colts would fall, 31-21, in what was a competitive game from start to finish. There were amazing plays and moments, but mistakes and slumps were displayed that showed improvement will be needed in multiple areas as the season progresses.

Let’s get into three of the good and the bad for the Colts' opening game of the new campaign.

The Good – The Defense

Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Colts defense brought their best against Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence. The front got plenty of pressure from defensive tackles DeForest Buckner and Grover Stewart as well as ends Samson Ebukam, Dayo Odeyingbo, and Kwity Paye. Altogether, the Colts would register 2 sacks and 4 QB hits, aggressively pursuing Lawrence.

This allowed the Colts to force 2 turnovers (1 interception and 1 fumble recovery), 3 fumbles forced, and a defensive touchdown from Buckner. Veteran cornerback Tony Brown also snagged his first career interception and took it back 34 yards.

The defensive backs played well, with Kenny Moore II being tasked with handling Jaguars receiver Calvin Ridley in the second half. Last but not least at all are linebackers Zaire Franklin and Shaq Leonard. Together, they combined for 26 total tackles (Franklin 18 and Leonard 8) and were all over the field.

Despite the loss, the defense needs to be proud of what they accomplished on the field Sunday.

The Bad – Fourth Down Attempts

Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Steichen was incredibly aggressive in this game when approaching decisions on fourth down. The new head coach would go 1-of-5 (20%), including back-to-back drives in the first quarter resulting in a turnover on downs.

The biggest question mark was to finish the contest. Richardson was out with an injury when backup passer Gardner Minshew entered. Before this, Richardson converted the lone fourth-down attempt. This should have been where Steichen takes a field goal to make the game 31-24. This would’ve been followed by an onside kick from Matt Gay, who’s one of the best in the business at his craft. A recovery isn’t likely, but more logical to try for.

Steichen is still getting his feet wet, so let’s see how these decisions play out in the upcoming games. 

The Good – Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, Kylen Granson

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While the ground game (minus Richardson) was abysmal, tallying only 16 carries for 25 yards and no scores, the passing attack was better than expected. This was headed mostly by fourth-year receiver Michael Pittman Jr., who led in catches (8), receiving yards (97), and receiving touchdowns (1).

However, rookie receiver Josh Downs looked in sync with his QB, snagging 3 receptions for 30 yards on 7 targets. Then, there was move tight end Kylen Granson, who pulled in 4 receptions for 39 yards with a long of 14. Granson was a player who Richardson favored during the offseason. Don’t be surprised if all three of these names continue to be significant pieces in the Colts' vertical attack.

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The Bad – Alec Pierce

© Jenna Watson/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

One of the more dangerous weapons on the Colts' offense is receiver Alec Pierce. While he isn’t as diverse of a pass-catcher as a Pittman, he fits Richardson’s arm strength nicely with his ability to be a deep threat in Steichen’s scheme.

However, just like in the preseason, Pierce is getting off to a slow start. After being one of the most talked-about receivers of training camp, Pierce has started to fall a bit behind. He’d grab a lone pass for 5 yards on 3 targets.

The season is incredibly new, so give this connection time to iron out. However, it needs to be soon so that Richardson and Pierce can have time to hone their offensive abilities and connections. 

The Good – Anthony Richardson

© Jenna Watson/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

So many questions surrounded Richardson ahead of his debut. Well, for the most part, he lived up to the hype for the Colts. He went 24-of-37 passing (64.8%) for 223 yards, 1 touchdown to 1 interception. However, he also put the most rushing yards together for the team (10 attempts for 40 yards), along with a rushing touchdown.

Richardson also navigated the pocket well and dealt with pressure better than expected. He will still have to iron out mechanics, footwork, and passing touch as the season rolls out. However, regardless, Richardson showed that he’s got the ability to lead a team from the most important position in football. The only strategy here should be to continue molding the Florida product, and Steichen plans to do just that.

The Bad – Deon Jackson

Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

With Jonathan Taylor having contract and ankle issues, the running back committee for Indy was wide open to having a frontman lead the charge. This was thought to be former Buffalo Bills running back Zack Moss, but he had to miss the game with a forearm injury.

Rookie Evan Hull played some but would be injured later in the game and replaced by Jake Funk.

The lead back duties were given to Deon Jackson. Now, Jackson was a threat at times as a ball carrier in 2022. This was with a bad offense. This brought promise that Jackson could handle the lead-back duties and be a solid fill-in. However, the Jaguars game showed he may not be there just yet.

Jackson would have 13 attempts for 14 rushing yards (1.1 avg), paired with 5 receptions for 14 yards. Needless to say, Jackson struggled. However, none of this was as concerning as the 2 fumbles that were both lost to Jacksonville.

Turnovers are what Indianapolis was used to last year. However, Steichen is ready to enter an era of taking care of possessions. Jackson lacked efficiency, explosiveness, and ball security on Sunday afternoon. With a long season ahead, where will this put Jackson in the backfield depth chart? Will he be in the rotation upon Moss’ return? Or Taylor’s if it happens? We’ll see how Steichen wants to play this out.

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