Dopey Report Card: Colts vs. Cardinals

The depleted Colts secondary had some issues against Jacoby Brissett, but the Colts persevered and won, 31-27

RUN OFFENSE

As great as Jonathan Taylor has been, I feel like he’s taken another huge step toward superstardom this year. He’s more patient as a runner, more explosive (especially late in games, at winning time), he’s turned into a passable receiver out of the backfield and has become a 3-down back who’s willing to mix it up in pass protection. He is one of the key reasons the Colts are now 5-1 and have scored 194 points through their first six games, the most during that span in the team’s Indianapolis era. He’s also a huge reason the Colts have now gone 10-for-10 in the red zone the last two weeks. Another note worth mentioning: This was Indy’s third game with 200 yards passing and 150 yards rushing; that’s the most through six games since 1976. Taylor finished with 123 yards on 21 carries, a 5.9 yard-per-carry average, and one touchdown.

Grade: A-

RUN DEFENSE

It took newcomer Germaine Pratt about 10 minutes to get up to game speed, leading the Colts with 11 tackles (eight solo). Best performance of the year by defensive end Kwity Paye, who had seven tackles, two tackles for loss and two sacks. The Colts still need to somehow improve their pass rush, but Paye clearly stood up and played quite well. The Cardinals rushed 24 times for 88 yards, a 3.7 yard average.

Grade: B+

PASS OFFENSE

Somebody asked me the other day why the offensive line, which added two new starters this season, is playing so well. And I told him this: It’s Daniel Jones. He’s getting the Colts into virtually all the right plays, calling out the protections, doing all the little things a top quarterback needs to do. It’s the same reason it feels like the receivers are more sure-handed this season. It’s Jones. He may not be the leader in the clubhouse for MVP, but he’s definitely got to be a candidate. There’s another guy helping the cause, and that’s super-rookie Tyler Warren. He finished with six catches and a team-high 63 yards. Magnificent catch by Alec Pierce in traffic. Honestly, I’m hard pressed to remember the last time the Colts suffered a drop. It’s been a while. But this is a Daniel Jones production. A top quarterback makes everybody better.

Grade: B

PASS DEFENSE

This was a problem. It’s bad enough that the Colts came into the game short-handed in the secondary with Kenny Moore II still out of the lineup, but corner Charvarius Ward suffered a concussion when he ran into Drew Ogletree during pre-game warmups. That meant your starters were Mekhi Blackmon, Johnathan Edwards and Chris Lammons, all backups. And Jacoby Brissett, who is one of the best backup quarterbacks in the league, torched them for 320 yards. On the positive side, the Colts have now forced a turnover in six straight games and have scored 49 points off those turnovers.

Grade: C-

SPECIAL TEAMS

Not a bad debut for new kicker Michael Badgley. He’s just got to make the ones he’s supposed to make. Does he have Spencer Shrader’s long-distance leg? No, he doesn’t, but he’s accurate from less daunting distances. One mistake: He kicked off short of the landing zone once, setting the Cardinals up at the 40 yard line, where they would go on to drive downfield and score. Typically strong game from Rigo Sanchez and both kick returners, Anthony Gould and Ashton Dulin.

Grade: B

COACHING

This season has completely changed the narrative on Shane Steichen. I’ll be honest: I had questions, and when the Anthony Richardson experiment circled the drain, I wondered if his reputation as a quarterback whisperer wasn’t overstated. Some guys are excellent coordinators but average coaches. Was Steichen one of those guys? Well, Jones has changed everything, buttressing Steichen’s reputation as a quarterback guide. If he’s not an early candidate for Coach of the Year, I don’t know what I’m watching.

Grade: B+

INTANGIBLES

They’re doing the little things that win football games. More to the point, they’re not making many mistakes, save for the one Jones interception. This was a pretty good Arizona team, their 2-3 record heading into the game being somewhat misleading after three straight losses on walk-off field goals, including a giveaway last week to Tennessee. And Brissett, who we remember fondly from his days in Indianapolis, is no slouch. He can put numbers up against anybody. A solid Colts’ performance. The train keeps rolling, with a date at LA next Sunday against the Chargers.