Where's the blocking? Pat McAfee's punt was blocked in the endzone for a TD.
Yes, the Colts are now 0-8 after losing 27-10 at Tennessee, but they shouldn’t be making careless fundamental mistakes.
Sunday at the Titans, the Colts were flagged ten times for 66 yards, a season-high. Holding, false start, personal foul — they were called for them all. The worst of all were the holding penalties on a couple Colts punt returns that were fair caught. It’s these lackadaisical fouls they make me question coaching being done and the mindset of the players. Maybe they’re checked out or maybe they need some sense knocked into them.
And while I’m on punt returns, Colts kick returner Joe Lefeged needs to just catch the ball and take a knee. Indy special teams are extremely poor, as always. Time after time, Lefeged ran the ball five yards deep out of the end zone hoping for a big return. Instead he gave a struggling offense an even worse start.
On 14 possessions, their average starting position was their own 19. But it was worse than that. Take the first quarter alone where he returned it four times, giving the Colts an average start at their own 10-yard line. In the second half, he took three straight touchbacks so it’s possible it got imprinted into his head.
This team looks like a high school team learning how to play the game. On a couple occasions, Painter and the running back ran to different sides leading to a broken play. A injury-raddled offensive line missed blocking assignments. And going back to special teams, how about some blocking…as you see in the picture above, Colts players struggled blocking the opposition in white.
Making it all the way to the NFL, these players obviously have some talent and know the game. But why the miscommunication, why are they making mistakes usually reserved for starters.
The poor decisions aren’t reserved only for players on the field. Down 20, halfway through the 3rd quarter, Jim Caldwell opts to kick a field goal on fourth down and a few to go. He does realize they are winless so at this point, not getting it really doesn’t matter. But if the Colts do convert, it makes things a lot more interesting and gives them a chance to win.
This isn’t a playoff team, and probably not a seven or eight win team. But there’s no reason for Indianapolis to be defeated, and so bad. There is a handful of strong talent, with the likes of Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis, Reggie Wayne, and Adam Vinitieri for example.
If I’m in charge of practice, at this point I’d go back to the fundamentals. How bout an education in blocking, marking your man, and what the plays are. Losing Peyton Manning was a tremendous loss, but it shouldn’t be this embarassing – that’s exactly what this is. Sometimes it’s the most basic things done well that can lead to an upset win. But at this point, even the Colts are failing at that.
And the losses won’t be stopping anytime soon.