Shoddy defense remains major problem as Colts lose another division game and fall below .500

Published Oct. 7, 2024 3:56 p.m. ET

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INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Joe Flacco and his teammates on offense did their job Sunday at Jacksonville.

The Indianapolis Colts defense — not so much.

After rebounding from two dismal defensive performances to open the season with two solid games, it looked as if Indy's defense may have turned the corner.

Instead, the Colts regressed against what had been one of the league's most lackluster offenses.

“Joe did a remarkable job of just keeping us in it,” linebacker Zaire Franklin said after the 37-34 loss, Indy's 10th consecutive road loss to the Jaguars. “Can't say enough about Alec Pierce and the job he's doing this season. Defense, we've got to do our part. We didn't do our part today, that's the moral of the story.”

How bad was it?

The previously winless Jaguars (1-4) entered the game ranked 25th in total offense, 28th in passing offense and tied for 29th in scoring.

On Sunday, Trevor Lawrence completed 28 of 34 passes, throwing for a career-best 371 yards and two TDs as the Jags had a season-high 497 yards and nearly as many points in four quarters than they scored in the first three games combined (40).

Indy allowed 14 plays of 10 or more yards including an 85-yard TD pass to Brian Thomas Jr. and a 65-yard TD run by Tank Bigsby as well as completions of 11 and 14 yards to jump-start Jacksonville's game-winning drive.

Through Sunday's games, the Colts now have the league's second-worst run defense and fourth-worst passing defense. Naturally, the calls to replace defensive coordinator Gus Bradley are growing by the week.

If Indy can't find a fix soon, its fading playoff hopes will vanish, too, after falling two games behind defending AFC South champion Houston.

“I've got a lot of confidence in the locker room, we had two good weeks the last two weeks,” coach Shane Steichen said Monday. “Obviously, we'd like to have yesterday back, but we can't take it back and we've got to move forward. We've got to learn from our mistakes, holding people accountable going forward.”

What’s working

Deep chances on offense. Whether it was Anthony Richardson in Week 1 or Flacco in Week 5, the Colts have developed a penchant for hitting the deep ball. Flacco brought the Colts back from a 14-point deficit in the final 5:09 by connecting with Alec Pierce on three straight passes of at least 24 yards, including a 65-yard TD. Pierce continues to lead the NFL at 28.3 yards per catch.

What needs work

Closing out games. Indy's three losses have come by a total of nine points and in all three, the Colts rallied late to give themselves a chance. But the defense couldn't get the needed stop. Even in the two wins, it was a struggle. Chicago used two fourth-quarter TDs to cut an 11-point lead to five and Pittsburgh got two fourth-quarter TDs to close a 14-point deficit to three.

Stock up

Flacco and Pierce. For the second straight week, the 39-year-old quarterback played well. He completed 33 of 44 with 359 yards, three TDs and lost a fumble on a strip-sack that led to a field goal. Steichen reiterated Monday that, when healthy, Richardson is the starter. Pierce had three catches for a career best 134 yards and his three TD catches are already a career high.

Stock down

Dallis Flowers. The third-year cornerback was under heavy scrutiny even before Indy waived him Monday following a poor game. Flowers suffered a season-ending injury last October and never reclaimed his starting job. Then came Sunday when his busted coverage led to Thomas' 85-yard TD pass and a miscommunication resulted in another Jacksonville TD.

Injuries

Indy's already thin offensive line took a major hit when RG Will Fries was carted off the field in the second half with a injured bone in his lower right leg. He had surgery in a Jacksonville hospital and was expected to return to Indy on Monday evening — after he went on injured reserve. The Colts are still unsure whether Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly, 2021 NFL rushing champ Jonathan Taylor or Richardson can return this week after missing Sunday's game. Pro Bowl CB Kenny Moore II also sat out his second straight game because of an injured elbow.

Key numbers

20, 48 — With Taylor sidelined, Indy only called 20 rushing plays while Flacco dropped back 48 times, was sacked four times and pressured numerous other times while playing behind a line that featured two rookies, center Tanor Bortolini and guard Dalton Tucker.

Next steps

Indy heads to Tennessee (1-3) desperately needing a win to stay close enough to the Texans (4-1) to have a chance at the division crown. They're already 0-2 in division play, losing at home to Houston in the season opener.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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