National Football League

Colts showcase same offensive issues with Nick Foles at QB: AFC South analysis

Updated Dec. 27, 2022 6:06 p.m. ET

The Colts' hope was that Nick Foles could provide a spark. That he could push the ball downfield, placing a vertical stress on opposing defenses — something Matt Ryan was unable to do in two stints as the starting quarterback.

But in Foles' first start as signal-caller, it was more of the same for Indianapolis and its dreadful offense, which squandered another strong defensive performance.

Foles completed just 58.6% of his passes (17-of-29) for 143 yards and three interceptions in the Colts' 20-3 loss on Monday Night Football to the Chargers, who clinched a playoff berth with the victory.

Foles' efforts to create explosive plays backfired on Indianapolis. He was 0-for-4, including an interception, on passes of 20-plus air yards, according to Pro Football Focus. He was also 4-for-6 for 57 yards and two interceptions on throws between 15 and 20 air yards, per PFF. The struggles in the deep and intermediate passing game were a combination of bad decisions and Foles' lack of reps with the Colts' first-team pass catchers. The veteran quarterback had no reps with Indianapolis' starting offense until last week.

Foles didn't have much of a chance in the pocket either, with the Colts' pass protection collapsing quickly as it has all season. He was sacked a career-high seven times and hit nine times overall. Indianapolis, which has now lost five in a row under interim coach Jeff Saturday, didn't convert a single third down (0-for-10) for the second time this season.

"I think we never got into a rhythm as an offense," Foles said Monday. "I think the points show."

Saturday has said that Foles will be the Colts quarterback for the final two games of the season. Maybe he looks better to end 2022 with more time with the first-team pass catchers, maybe he doesn't. But it's meaningless in the grand scheme of the franchise, which will be back in the quarterback hunt in 2023. And it will have the opportunity to land one in the draft. The Colts are currently slated to have the No. 5 overall pick.

For now, they just need this miserable season to end.

Other thoughts from across the AFC South:

J.J. Watt made his presence felt with Texans on, off the field

Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt announced Tuesday that he'd be retiring from the NFL after this season. His legacy as a first-ballot Hall of Famer was cemented with the Texans, with whom he played his first decade in the league. He registered 101 sacks (including two 20-sack seasons), 282 quarterback hits and 172 tackles for loss with Houston from 2011-20.

One of three players in NFL history to win Defensive Player of the Year three times, he'll go down as one of the best defensive linemen of all time.

Titans coach Mike Vrabel, who coached in Houston as a linebackers coach (2014-16) and defensive coordinator (2017), said Watt would freelance within the team's defense. He recalled a time when the Texans were playing the Bills. All week leading up to the game, Houston's staff was trying to figure out how to defend a particular look. And when they settled in a plan, Watt got to the game and did something unexpected.

"J.J., as he was blitzing, intercepted the ball and ran back 75 yards (for a touchdown)," Vrabel said Tuesday. "We were just laughing like, ‘yeah, I guess we spent too much time worrying. If we knew he was just going to intercept it for a touchdown, we wouldn't have spent as much time on the coverage.' That pretty much sums up who J.J. was."

Watt has been just as impactful off the field. He won the 2017 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award in part due to his fundraising efforts to help the city of Houston recover from Hurricane Harvey.

Jaguars take another blow in the trenches

A game after losing left tackle Cam Robinson, the Jaguars have taken a major in the trenches on the opposite side of the ball.

Standout defensive lineman Dawuane Smoot, who is tied for a team-high five sacks and is second with 12 quarterback hits, suffered a torn Achilles in the Dec. 22 victory over the Jets. He and Robinson, who suffered a meniscus injury in Week 15 against the Cowboys, were placed on season-ending injured reserve Saturday.

Since Week 14, Jacksonville is tied for second with eight takeaways. A big reason why? Its ability to get after the quarterback. In that span, the Jaguars are also second in the NFL in pressure rate (36.9%), according to Next Gen Stats. Smoot has played an integral role in that.

Let's see how that impacts Jacksonville down the stretch, with its win-and-in Week 18 showdown against Tennessee looming. Apart from Trevor Lawrence's ascension, generating turnovers has played a critical role in the Jaguars' three-game winning streak.

Should Titans rest starters against the Cowboys?

In the Titans' race for a playoff spot, their game Thursday night against the Cowboys is meaningless. Their only path to the postseason is beating the Jaguars in the regular-season finale, which would also give them a third-straight division title.

With that in mind, some have mused that Tennessee should just rest key guys. It has been in injury hell, after all. The team has been forced to use 82 different players this season, after using 91 last year, which set an NFL record for a non-strike season.

Titans players have made it clear that they're not thinking that way. Star safety Kevin Byard said the team needs to win this week. Receiver Robert Woods said the Dallas game presents an opportunity for the team to work on itself and the details.

"I want to win every game, whether it matters or doesn't matter," defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons said. "Each time we step on that field, our goal is to win games. We're not going to be timid. We're not going to be scared of no one."

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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.