3 Good, 3 Bad in Colts’ Loss to Bengals

The Indianapolis Colts ran into a wall in a tough loss to the surging Cincinnati Bengals.

The Indianapolis Colts would drop their first game after four consecutive victories to the Cincinnati Bengals in a rout, losing by 20 points by a score of 34-14.

Honestly, this game was so bad for the Colts that it may classify as the worst overall performance of the season through 13 games. The offense, defense, and special teams, were all in unison of putrid output on the afternoon.

With a tough loss at a crucial time when Indy was in line to make the playoffs, it’s time to get into the good and bad from the game for Shane Steichen’s team.

The Good: Ronnie Harrison Jr.

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This game was a trivial pursuit of positives to find for the Colts, as nearly every facet of the game plan rolled out with awful outcomes. However, newly converted LB Ronnie Harrison Jr. found himself in a perfect spot to make a defensive impact.

In just his third game as a member of the Colts, Harrison grabbed his second interception on the season. However, he would do much more with this than his first interception. Harrison caught Jake Browning asleep, essentially stealing an interception near the end of the first half and taking it to the house for a touchdown.

Harrison isn’t a starter yet, but more of a situational/scheme piece for now. But, in his limited exposure, he’s made the most of his opportunities and will look to continue this to finish the season. 

The Bad: Special Teams

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Whether through kicking or returning, the Colts were lost on special teams against the Bengals.

Kicker Matt Gay was a shell of his All-Pro-level talent, going 0/1 on field goals and 0/1 on extra points, leaving four points on the field. While it didn’t matter in the end, it’s still a microcosm of the overall performance of the Colts.

To add insult to injury, Colts punt returner/wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie would fumble a punt return after colliding with his own teammate at the start of the fourth quarter. This resulted in the Bengals adding three more points to their lead with an Evan McPherson field goal.

Gay, along with literally the rest of the roster, will look to be better than this awful performance against the Bengals to keep playoff hopes alive. 

The Good: Zaire Franklin

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Yet again, Colts linebacker and defensive captain Zaire Franklin was a buzzsaw on defense. He would snag another 14 tackles and would deliver bone-crushing hits throughout the contest.

On the season, Franklin has 144 tackles and is on pace to easily surpass his franchise record of 167 tackles in a single season (2022). Franklin was one of the limited bright spots for the Colts, and he’ll have to be at his best for the remaining four games as Indianapolis pushes for the postseason. 

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The Bad: Penalties

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It didn’t matter if it was defense or offense, the Colts couldn’t avoid penalties from start to finish.

To complement the overall brutal game, Indy would let up 66 yards on nine penalties that ranged from offensive holding to false starts and defensive pass interference. Regardless of the quarter, the Colts struggled to be efficient.

This type of performance was expected at some point following four straight wins, so look for far more crisp performances to finish the regular season. 

The Good: Will Mallory

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Yet again, Michael Pittman Jr. led the receiving charge (eight catches for 95 yards), which is expected at this point. But, it was rookie tight end Will Mallory who came out of nowhere as a security blanket for Gardner Minshew.

He would second Pittman with five catches for 46 receiving yards. Something to note is that he caught 100% of his targets in a game where Minshew struggled badly to find consistency.

Fellow tight end Kylen Granson was originally thought to be the top dog at the position minus Jelani Woods. But, with this performance, has Mallory acquired more prominence in Steichen’s offense? 

The Bad: The Ground Game

I personally believed Colts running back Zack Moss would get at least 20 carries in this game. However, not only would Moss only see 13 attempts, but he would be ruined by Cincinnati’s defensive front.

Cincinnati was 28th in the league in rushing yards allowed per contest (133.9) coming into this game, yet they ran over the Colts’ protection and rushing charge. While it’s fair that Steichen could have perhaps used Moss more, it’s also fair that Moss turned those 13 carries into only 28 rushing yards (2.2 avg), which is arguably the worst Moss has looked this year.

It’s going to be something to monitor, as Moss has laid out back-to-back bad performances, averaging less than three yards per carry (2.5) in his last two contests (32 carries for 79 rushing yards). 

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