What a disappointing way to end the Indianapolis Colts 2023 season.
On Saturday night, the Indianapolis Colts hosted the Houston Texans at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN. In front of a sold-out raucous crowd, and with a playoff spot on the line, the Colts suffered a 23-19 loss to the Texans in heartbreaking fashion. RB Jonathan Taylor rushed for 188 yards on 30 carries including a 49-yard touchdown run and the Colts did not have a turnover, but somehow still lost.
With the win over the Colts, the Texans clinched a Wild Card spot and have now clinched the AFC South with the Jaguar’s loss to the Titans.
A little background on me…
Now that the Colts’ season is officially over, this may be my last article for a while, so I want to apologize to my loyal army of 5 readers. As a fan, this season has worn me out. We all are so emotionally invested in the Colts, so the roller coaster ride of low expectations, hanging on to a Wild Card spot for so long, and possibly winning the AFC South, only to see that playoff spot disappear with a loss in the last game of the season is painful for us as fans. I can only imagine how painful it is for the players.
As many of you already know, I am not a sports pundit. I do not have a degree in sports journalism. I do not have a degree in sports broadcasting. I have a B.A. in biology and an MBA. I did not play any high school sports either. Can I count my stellar two years of Pee Wee football and my one season of playing little league baseball?
I write these articles as a hobby. Maybe I will get discovered one day and 107.5 The Fan will hire me. Being discovered is not the reason why I do this. This is an outlet for me as a disabled Army veteran. I also get to engage with Colts fans all over and I have made so many new friends along the way. I am just a regular sports fan who has been a fan of the Colts for more than 3 decades, and a Colts Season Ticket Member since 2010. And as much as I love the Colts, I am a realist who can objectively write and talk about the Colts. Not everyone will agree with me, but I am just fine with that. I love a good debate!
I was blessed to be able to attend the game in Frankfurt, Germany when the Colts beat the New England Patriots. My oldest son and I took a last-minute trip to Atlanta to watch the Colts take on the Atlanta Falcons. My goal is to see the Colts play in every U.S. stadium and I have a LONG way to go.
This article is more opinionated than others and I won’t be breaking down the loss to the Texans or diving into any stats.
Rebuilding Year???
After an abysmal 2022 season where the Colts finished with a 4-12-1 record, the 2023 season was considered by most fans to be a rebuilding year. Shane Steichen was hired as head coach and QB Anthony Richardson was drafted #4 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. With a rookie head coach and a rookie quarterback, not much in the way of winning was expected.
Las Vegas set the Colts over/under for wins at 6.5 games, and some pundits said the Colts would be lucky to win 3-4 games.
There were question marks at several different positions. The Colts and star running back Jonathan Taylor were in a very public contract dispute during training camp that was eventually resolved. Taylor missed several games due to injuries. Linebacker Shaq Leonard returned after recovering from back surgery, but never looked the same and he was released by the Colts. The offensive line rarely had its starting five due to injuries. The defensive backfield was also young and inexperienced. There were also several player suspensions for various reasons throughout the season.
Colts Exceeded Expectations…
For many of the reasons listed above, I did not have very high expectations for the 2023 Colts. I did not agree with many who thought the Colts would be lucky to win 3-4 games and I predicted that the Colts would finish the season with a record of 7-10. I figured that the Colts would win 3 or 4 division games, 1 or 2 unexpected games, and another 1 or 2 games on the schedule. I took into account that the Colts would have some growing pains with a rookie coach and rookie quarterback.
However, things never go as planned. Anthony Richardson showed flashes of being great, but a sprained A/C joint in a Week 5 win over the Tennessee Titans landed him on injured reserve and out for the remainder of the season.
Garnder Minshew took over at quarterback for the remainder of the season. Although Mishew played well overall, his play was inconsistent in a lot of games. He looked like an MVP in some games and a backup quarterback in others. Coaching was similar with Shane Steichen looking like Coach of the Year in most games and and looking like a rookie coach in others.
Even with all of the adversity faced by the Colts, in the end, the team was in the driver’s seat to claim a playoff spot. The Colts found themselves in a prime-time game at home in Lucas Oil Stadium against a team the Colts had already beaten in Week 2. It was a win-and-get-in scenario, but the Colts were not able to deliver. On 4th and 1 on the Texans’ 15-yard line, the Colts were trailing by six with 65 seconds remaining in the game. Minshew’s pass to RB Tyler Goodson fell incomplete, essentially ending the Colts’ playoff hopes.
But let’s all be honest here. Although the Colts did get the screw job by the referees in the Week 7 loss against the Cleveland Browns, the team was fortunate that with each loss late in the season, other teams competing for that 7th seed also lost. But having a chance for the playoffs is so much better than having no chance at all, but the Colts just weren’t able to bring it home.
What’s next???
The Colts have many decisions to make entering 2024. Notable free agents are DT Grover Stewart, CB Kenny Moore, QB Gardner Minshew, WR Micheal Pittman, Jr, and SS Julian Blackmon. Pittman, Jr. will garner a high price tag, but worth it.
The Colts are in desperate need of top shelf pass rusher. C.J. Stroud was allowed to stand in the pocket and pick apart the Colts defense due to the lack of a Colts pass rush.
Anthony Richardson showed flashes of greatness in limited action, but injuries derailed what looked like a promising rookie season. He should be all healed up and ready for the start of the 2024 season.
Overall, I think the Colts will finally break things open in the 2024 season.
Clearly an improved season over 2022 with a respectable .500 season, but will next year be yet another down season or can the Colts make it into the playoffs? The bigger area for improvement has to be on the defensive side of the ball (not that the offense is perfect). Smartly upgrading the D will be key to whether or not the Colts make the playoffs in 2024.