Colts lose focus, Titans lose identity, Texans just lose: AFC South analysis
Yes, Colts interim coach Jeff Saturday mismanaged the end of Monday's 24-17 home loss to the Steelers.
The Colts, at the Pittsburgh 37, were trailing by a score with all three of their timeouts inside the two-minute warning. Indianapolis wound up wasting roughly 45 seconds between the two plays that followed Michael Pittman Jr.'s fourth-down conversion.
Roughly 30 seconds were lost by Saturday's decision not to use one of those timeouts after right guard Will Fries recovered a Matt Ryan fumble from a strip sack. Another 15 seconds were lost when Saturday didn't use one on the following play, when Ryan scrambled for 14 yards on second-and-17 to create a third-and-short. On the ensuing play, the Colts rushed into a Jonathan Taylor handoff out of the shotgun that went for no gain.
Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith, who made the tackle, acknowledged that he knew what was coming on third down.
"Watching the film and knowing the position the tight end [rookie Jelani Woods] was in, I could kind of tell that he was going to try to cut me off and that it was going to be a run play," Smith explained postgame. "The back depth and just seeing how quick they were getting up to the ball, I knew they were going to do a run play. So, I just trusted my instincts and just shot it."
How did Saturday explain not calling a timeout after the Ryan scramble? He felt the Colts had plenty of time, considering they were in good position in plus territory, and already had the call they wanted dialed up (the Taylor run). He also noted that he liked the way the team was playing in the second half with tempo (Indianapolis got inside the 10 on its first three drives of the second half).
But they absolutely should have called a timeout to save precious seconds. They struggled to get lined up quickly for any potential advantage they had with the personnel groupings.
And to his credit, at his press conference Monday after watching the film, Saturday acknowledged his error.
Jeff Saturday loses MNF for Colts with poor clock management
According to NFL Research, the Colts are the only NFL team this season to leave timeouts unused when driving for a potential tying or winning touchdown in the final 35 seconds inside the opponent's 40-yard line.
"I wish I had that third down back. In all honesty, I wish I would've used a timeout," Saturday said. "I talk about, I preach about accountability and execution, and I'm living by the same words. So, I've got to be accountable to it."
But let's make this clear: Saturday isn't the only one who cost the Colts the game.
The Colts cost the Colts the game.
They do what bad teams do: find a way to sabotage opportunities to win. Let's go back to earlier in the game, in the third quarter. Indianapolis had a first-and-goal at the 1-yard line, only for Taylor to fumble a handoff and the Steelers recovered.
The Colts were playing behind the eight-ball from the jump, too. They had zero net yards in the first quarter (not the first time they've done that, by the way), and a blocked field goal capped their miserable first half, when they trailed 13-3.
The 37-year-old Ryan looked his age again, throwing an interception on his second throw after nearly being picked on his first one. He had defenders all up in his face because of poor pass protection again. The Colts struggled to push the ball down field again. There were costly negative plays again.
Think about the Eagles game the previous week, too. The Patriots game in Week 9. The Commanders game in Week 8. The same issues turn up week after week, like clockwork. It hasn't mattered who the head coach or the offensive playcaller has been.
So while Saturday's inexperience was exposed in the closing seconds on Monday, that's the bigger story of the 2022 Colts, who are now 4-7-1 and have road games against the Cowboys and Vikings up next.
Other thoughts across the AFC South:
Titans beaten at their own game by Bengals
The Titans (7-4) are a blue-collar team. It's not a secret. Opponents expect physicality from them. Tennessee's strategy is to wear you down with its Derrick Henry-led run game and beat you up with its defensive front. Those have been the keys to the Titans' sustained success over the past few years.
On Sunday against Cincinnati, Tennessee lost its identity. The Titans were beaten at their own game.
"The numbers would say so," coach Mike Vrabel said.
The Titans offensive line was overwhelmed by the Bengals defensive line. Henry was hit at or behind the line of scrimmage on close to every carry. He was held to 17 rushes for 38 yards, a measly 2.2 yards per carry. According to Next Gen Stats, he was expected to gain just 2.6 yards per rush against the Bengals, his lowest in a game over the past five seasons.
And the Titans defensive line was overwhelmed by the Bengals offensive line — a sharp contrast to the AFC divisional-round playoff matchup between the teams in January, when Joe Burrow was sacked nine times, an NFL single-game playoff record. Burrow was sacked just once on Sunday, and Cincinnati ran for 108 yards, the most rushing yards Tennessee has given up since Week 2.
The Bengals did their damage with their No. 2 running back, Samaje Perine (17 carries, 58 yards), with starter Joe Mixon sidelined with a concussion.
The Titans' ability to rally in spite of injuries has been strong, but it appeared to finally take its toll on Sunday. Reliable center Ben Jones was (and remains) in concussion protocol. On the defensive line, star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons has been limited the past few weeks with an ankle injury and sack leader Denico Autry is out indefinitely with a knee injury.
Texans' offensive issues are (much) deeper than QB
The Texans benched quarterback Davis Mills in favor of backup Kyle Allen on Sunday, hoping to get a spark.
They got the same result: a dreadful offense.
In a blowout road loss to Miami, Houston (1-9-1) scored just 15 points. It was trailing 30-0 at intermission. Standout rookie running back Dameon Pierce was held to just eight rushing yards for a second straight game. Allen fumbled twice (the Texans recovered both times) and threw two interceptions. He was also sacked five times. Houston converted just 2-of-13 third-down attempts.
It was all bad. Really bad.
It's long felt inevitable that the Texans will use their top pick, currently pegged to be the No. 1 overall selection, on a quarterback. Mills' benching was the latest indication of that reality.
But Sunday's game also showed that their issues go so much further than the signal-caller. It's the supporting cast, playcalling and coaching, too.
The offseason can't come soon enough for Houston.
Jaguars survive Etienne scare
If you remember, Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. missed his entire 2021 rookie season after suffering a Lisfranc injury during the preseason. So when that same foot got rolled up early in Sunday's 28-27 win over the Ravens and he didn't return, there was concern about a potential re-aggravation.
But Jaguars coach Doug Pederson shut down that speculation, saying Monday that Etienne just sprained his foot. He could have actually returned to Sunday's game, but the team decided to keep him sidelined out of an abundance of caution, Pederson said.
So, the Jaguars (4-7) avoided a scare. A 2021 first-round pick, Etienne has become a star since officially becoming Jacksonville's lead back, rushing 89 times for 513 yards and four touchdowns over the past six games. He has been the team's best offensive weapon in a season in which Jacksonville's playoff hopes, albeit small, are still alive late into November. The Jaguars have a 4% chance of making the playoffs, according to FiveThirtyEight.
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Ben Arthur is the AFC South reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.
