The Lucky Colt

Welcome to The Lucky Colt

In the 2009 NFL season, I had the opportunity to follow the Indianapolis Colts from game one until their devastating Super Bowl loss to the New Orleans Saints. From that defeat, I have been locked in on the Colts and have followed them through the offseason, regular season, and postseason. I love the Indianapolis Colts and my goal is to provide in depth analysis on games, offseason moves, and share my perspective on the team every year.

Week 3 Recap – The Colts are on top of the AFC South

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The Colts sit solely on top of the AFC south for the first time in years and for the second straight week, the they will finish a road trip with a win. This time, however, the Colts had to take things into overtime and rely on the leg of their $10M guaranteed kicker, Matt Gay. It certainly was not pretty, especially with the rainy weather, but the offense minimized mistakes, the defense played lights out, and Zack Moss is becoming a reliable player for the Colts backfield.

There are so many things to address with this game, but to recap, there are three key moments that need to be highlighted.

Clutch Kicker in Matt Gay

Matt Gay is the first kicker in NFL history to hit 4 field goals of 50+ in a single game. His last field goal of 53 yards would seal this game and it cannot be stressed enough how important having a reliable kicker is in this league. Gay signed a 4-year $22M deal this offseason with $10M guaranteed. On paper, it always seems kind of irresponsible to give so much money to kickers, but when a team can get this much production, that money is worth it.

Matt Gay’s historic stat line

5/5 | 31 yds, 53 yds, 53 yds, 54 yds, 53 yds | 1 xp. | 16 total points |

Gardner Minshew Can Hold the Fort Down

For the third straight game, Gardner Minshew has had to put a helmet on and step onto the field for a play. In two straight games, the Colts have had to lean on Minshew to carry the team to victory and he has been able to do just that. A case can be made, that the Colts have one of the best backup QBs in the league and with the uncertainty in Anthony Richardson’s health, having a guy like Minshew is crucial for the team’s success.

Sunday’s game, however, was less than pretty for Minshew. His numbers will look very polished, but there were plenty of instances where Minshew reminded us that this is still Richardson’s team.

Pulling a Dan Orlovsky and running into the back of the end zone for a safety

Not recognizing or feeling blind side pressure

Ravens DB Kyle Hamilton actually had 3 sacks in the first half all coming off a corner blitz, which Minshew neglected to recognize and avoid. All three of those sacks are on Minshew, not the OL.

I bring these plays up to highlight the fact that any clamor for Minshew to continue as the starter, even if Richardson is healthy is ridiculous. Minshew is a good quarterback; he is not a franchise quarterback. Minshew can win in this league, but he is not at the level to carry a team anywhere north of Super Bowl contention. Minshew is what he is – a great game manager who will limit mistakes and be a great leader in the locker room and the Colts made a fantastic move adding him onto the team this offseason.

Still no word on the health of Anthony Richardson and no updates on his status for week 4.

JuJu Brents Made a Huge Impact

A big breakout star in this game was rookie CB JuJu Brents. Yes, he gave up a couple of passes, but he made arguably the turning point play. While the Ravens were driving down the field, looking to go up 14-0 on the Colts, Brents made a heads-up play to force a crucial turnover to get the Colts the ball back.

This play ignited the defense as they would shut down the Ravens until giving up another TD with 5 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. The Colts would also go on to force a fumble that put the offense in prime position to tack on a field goal to take the lead at halftime.

JuJu Brent’s stat line for Sunday

5 targets | 3 receptions allowed | 4 solo tackes | 1 forced fumble | 1 fumble recovery

The Running Game is Coming Alive

For the second straight week, Zack Moss had a very productive afternoon. He scored the Colts’ only touchdown on a wheel route and would put up over 100 yards on the ground on 30 attempts. Still, Moss is not the caliber of talent that Jonathan Taylor is, but Moss is proving to be a very reliable running back for this team. If Taylor chooses not to return to the team this season, the Colts should still feel confident with their current RB1.

This running game is night and day different from where it was in week 1 which was an absolute pathetic performance. Anthony Richardson led the team in rushing in week 1 with only 40 yards. Flash forward to week three and Moss already has over 200 yards in 2 games and 2 total TDs.

The Final Down

The Colts still have a long way to go this season and even though they sit on top of the division, they still have 4 more division games and several 2022 playoff teams to compete against. Regardless, though, of where the Colts finish in the AFC South, it is safe to say that the mood this season is different than last season. It is almost as if there is new life in the building, more hope amongst the fans, and more determination in the players to shock the world.

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