Indianapolis Colts’ Franchise in Crisis: Mistakes vs. Broncos Reveal Cultural Rot
The Indianapolis Colts came into this weekend’s matchup with the Denver Broncos as a four-point underdog with their season on the line.
Not many were expecting the Colts to win the game on Sunday. The team was on the road at one of the toughest environments to play in the league, going against a team two games ahead of them in the standings. While their playoff hopes were still alive, it would not have been shocking to see Indy fall in a close, hard-fought contest.
But the Colts actually gave fans hope, taking a 13-7 lead into the half after dominating the Broncos on the ground and playing staunch and opportunistic defense. Were they really going to play a full game of complimentary football and take control of their future?
The answer, like has become the norm for the Colts over the years since Andrew Luck shockingly retired, was an embarrassing no. An inexcusable fumble at the goal line, an ill-advised trick play, and poor execution plagued the Colts in the second half on the way to 24 unanswered points for the Broncos. The Broncos won 31-13, realistically ending any chance the Colts had at making a run to the postseason.
The Colts simply falling to the Broncos is not the issue, rather it is how the Colts lost that speaks to the continued cultural problems within the organization that have been prevalent for years. And unless changes are made, the Colts will continue to find themselves in these situations as a laughing stock to the rest of the league.
The downhill spiral for the Colts started when Jonathan Taylor made the biggest mistake of his career. On the Colts’ first possession of the second half, Taylor took the ball through a hole on the right side of the offensive line and exploded for a 41-yard touchdown to put the Colts up 20-7.
However, after further review, it was found Taylor dropped the football just before he crossed the goal line, resulting in a fumble out of the end zone for a touchback. It was a complete and total gut punch as all of Indy’s momentum vanished instantly.
“You go over those scenarios, but it just can’t happen,” Taylor said after the game. “No matter the game, no matter the scenario, you could be up 50, down by 50, in a playoff game, the first game of the season. That should never happen.”
Dropping the football at the goal line on the way to an easy touchdown has been done before, and each instance is met with the same criticism. It is one of the dumbest plays anyone can make during a game and is unexpected from a veteran and one of the best players on the team.
