Colts must move on quickly following collapse in Baltimore

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianapolis Colts manager Frank Reich got close to the constituent Tuesday.

“Painful loss, achy loss,” helium said little than 24 hours aft watching a 16-point, fourth-quarter pb evaporate successful what seemed similar a blink of an oculus Monday night.

Then helium rapidly moved connected — conscionable arsenic helium needs his squad to bash aft losing a crippled that could person turned astir the Colts’ season. They’ll get different accidental Sunday erstwhile they look Houston successful their archetypal location crippled since Sept. 19.

Reich recovered plentifulness to similar connected tape. Quarterback Carson Wentz was efficient. The tally defence played good and for 3 quarters, Indy was the ascendant team.

But the Colts spent the last 12 minutes scrambling, peculiarly connected a defence that finished without 3 of its apical 4 cornerbacks due to the fact that of injuries. Ravens backmost Lamar Jackson, the league’s 2019 MVP, took vantage by throwing 2 touchdown passes and connecting for 2 2-point conversions successful the last 10 minutes of regulation. He completed the comeback with different TD walk midway done overtime.

And Indy again squandered red-zone opportunities by settling for 2 precocious field-goal chances, which could person sealed the game. Instead, injured kicker Rodrigo Blankenship’s champion accidental was blocked, and helium missed the imaginable victor wide near arsenic clip expired successful regulation.

The effect near the Colts frustrated, flabbergasted, and 2 games down Tennessee successful the AFC South.

Now, with a abbreviated week, there’s nary clip to discarded successful leaving this nonaccomplishment behind.

If the Colts bushed the struggling Texans, it could assistance instrumentality immoderate of the sting retired of Monday’s historical collapse. If they suffer and autumn to 1-5, Indy would person to replicate its 2018 comeback tally conscionable to marque the playoffs.

We’ve got to support warring to get better, larn from our mistakes, larn however to decorativeness games,” Reich said. “Players and coaches, we’re each successful it unneurotic and we’ve each got to bash it together.”

What’s working

The oft-criticized Wentz has strung unneurotic his 2 champion games the past 2 weeks and played good capable to triumph both. No, helium hasn’t been perfect. But he’s mostly avoided turnovers — adjacent with 2 sprained ankles — and connected Monday helium led the Colts to 4 consecutive scores and consecutive field-goal attempts connected their last six possessions.

What needs help

Red-zone offense. Indy had 3 drives of 9 oregon much plays that resulted successful nary points and went 1 for 4 successful the reddish portion portion failing to people connected 2 of those trips wrong the Ravens 20-yard line. It turned retired to beryllium the quality betwixt a triumph and a loss.

Stock up

Indy’s 2 second-round draught picks from 2020, WR Michael Pittman Jr. and RB Jonathan Taylor, are rounding into form. Pittman has 36 catches and 339 yards since Week 2. Taylor has 41 carries for 220 yards and 1 touchdown implicit the past 3 weeks. Taylor besides caught 3 passes for 116 yards and 1 TD successful Baltimore.

Stock down

Blankenship. Until Monday, Blankenship had been playing astir flawlessly. But a hep wounded helium archetypal felt during pregame warmups astir led to a missed scoring accidental successful the archetypal half, and aft opening the 2nd fractional with a botched other point, helium missed from 37 and 47 yards successful the last 5 minutes of regulation.

Injuries

Reich’s lone update connected Blankenship was that helium was scheduled to get an MRI connected Tuesday. Cornerback Xavier Rhodes and information Andrew Sendejo person some entered the concussion protocol. Reich wouldn’t accidental whether close tackle Braden Smith (foot) could instrumentality this week. Left defender Quenton Nelson (sprained ankle) and receiver T.Y. Hilton (neck surgery) stay connected injured reserve and information Ibraheim Campbell (ankle) was enactment connected signifier squad injured reserve Tuesday.

Key number

120-1 — Since moving to Indy successful 1984, the Colts had won 120 consecutive games erstwhile starring by astatine slightest 16 points successful the 4th quarter. Now they’re 120-1, blowing the large pb for the archetypal clip since their last crippled successful Baltimore.

Next steps

Turning the leafage rapidly is simply a indispensable if the Colts anticipation to get this play backmost connected track. The bully quality is they played good offensively and defensively, until the secondary became depleted. But Indy ended the Ravens’ NFL record-tying streak of 43 consecutive games with 100 oregon much yards rushing and Wentz seems to beryllium getting successful sync. It’s a promising operation — if the Colts tin fig retired however to decorativeness games.