Turbo-Charged

By Peyton Schultze

Behind a strong running game and an excellent defensive performance, quarterback Jacoby Brissett and the Colts pulled off one of the biggest upsets so far this season over the Chiefs (via USA Today).

On August 25th, Colts’ quarterback Andrew Luck shocked the NFL world by announcing his retirement from football.

On October 8th, the Colts pulled off the biggest upset of the year by heading into Arrowhead Stadium and stealing a win from the previously undefeated Kansas City Chiefs.

Did anyone think it would be that simple of a transition for the underrated Indianapolis Colts after the stunning retirement of their franchise cornerstone? With a 3-2 record that has the Colts tied at the top of their division headed into a much needed bye week, Indianapolis looks like a legit threat all of a sudden, with the not-so-distant possibility that they can go toe-to-toe with teams such as the Chiefs and New England Patriots. With a full arsenal of young and dynamic players, a prepared head coach, and a front office with a clear direction for their team, Indy looks like a perennial Super Bowl contender that could float around the top of the NFL for years to come.

A fierce Colts’ defense was able to shut down Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense all night long on Sunday (via Review Journal).

After clearly pulling off the upset of the year so far by beating the Chiefs 19-13 on the road in Kansas City, the Colts have finally caught the attention of players, coaches, and fans alike all throughout the sport. Led in large part by a suddenly lethal defense to compliment a top five running game in the sport, Indianapolis simply has the makings of a group that teams will fear to be matched up with later in the season. A large amount of credit for this success should be given to the Colts’ offensive line, which has easily become one of the best groups in football in a matter of two years under head coach Frank Reich and general manager Chris Ballard. With this type of hard-nosed physicality on both sides of the ball, the Colts have the ability to toss teams around all night long, such as was seen on Sunday night. In holding the Chiefs’ offense to under 25 points for the first time in 25 games and for the first time in the young career of Patrick Mahomes, Indy has made a clear statement to the rest of the league: they have arrived and are ready to contend.

Even though Indianapolis would surely love to still have Andrew Luck under center, quarterback Jacoby Brissett has filled in admirably and truly looks like a capable franchise quarterback who could fill their previous void. Although he did not put up a huge stat line on Sunday, Brissett’s 10 touchdown passes have him only two behind the league lead, and he currently ranks above players such as Aaron Rodgers, Philip Rivers, and Jared Goff in that department. In addition to that, Brissett’s solid play on the road in hostile environments so far (the Colts have played three on the road, two at home) should inspire plenty of confidence in his abilities, as the former backup quarterback of the Patriots has continued to thrive with his back against the wall. With this type of production to go along with a limited amount of back breaking turnovers, Brissett could easily be a Pro Bowler this year if he continues this type of play throughout the season in one of the league’s best offenses.

After a playoff appearance a season ago, head coach Frank Reich has Indianapolis locked in on both sides of the ball once again this season (via Flipboard).

Despite Brissett’s solid play, the supporting offensive cast of the Colts looks like one of the league’s best. With star players such as speedy wide receiver T.Y. Hilton, 2018 breakout tight end Eric Ebron, and stud running back Marlon Mack, Indy has some playmakers around the field that have greatly helped take the load off of their young signal caller’s shoulders in the first year of the post-Luck era. In addition to this, the Colts’ offensive line has become a dominant group in pass protection and in the ground game. With beasts in the middle such as Ryan Kelly, Anthony Castonzo, and tone-setter Quenton Nelson, the Colts’ entire identity has changed since Reich arrived as head coach. This new scheme seems to have countered the league’s common trend of a pass-happy attack, whereas the Colts have relied on controlling time of possession, limiting turnovers, and running the ball down opposing teams’ throats throughout the course of a game. However, this does not go to say Reich is not creative in his playcalling at all (he is, after all, one of the coaches involved in the Eagles’ Philly Special), as Indy has still ran plenty of complex screen plays with lots of misdirection and have taken plenty of deep shots through five games. Nevertheless, the Colts’ strategy that they displayed on Sunday night offers hope for their immediate and distant future. Their new scheme may limit the amount of big time shootouts or 40 point games that the Colts have, but could easily keep Indianapolis in playoff contention late in the season against AFC teams with prolific quarterbacks such as Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, and Deshaun Watson.

Even though Indianapolis’ offense will gather most of the front liner headlines, their defense has also not been too shabby to open up the season. With as close to a shutdown of Patrick Mahomes as possible, the Colts brought pressure early and often on Sunday and made life miserable on the quarterback in the pocket. Yet that is not their only notable performance of the year, especially after dominating Marcus Mariota and Matt Ryan in back-to-back weeks, as well as forcing some problems for Philip Rivers in their tight Week 1 loss to the Chargers. So what gives? Why has Indy all of a sudden become a capable unit on that side of the football?

Led by their smart defensive coordinator in Matt Eberflus, the Colts’ defense started becoming what they are a season ago. In the midst of Andrew Luck and the Colts’ run to the playoffs a year ago, Indy quietly put together a strong year on defense with the emergence of several young players such as Malik Hooker, Pierre Desir, Kenny Moore II, and All-Pro linebacker Darius Leonard. With this, the Colts have built their defense through some young cornerstones that figure to be in the organization for years to come, while also adding some key contributors. One of those main contributors was on full display on Sunday night, when former Chief Justin Houston had one sack and several other quarterback hits on Mahomes. With a former Pro Bowler joining a pass rush featuring Jabaal Sheard and Denico Autry, Indianapolis has the potential to rush the passer at a high level against some of the best quarterbacks in the league.

T.Y. Hilton has been a superstar on offense once again this season for the Colts (via Draft Kings).

Brissett. Leonard. Hilton. Hooker. Mack. Nelson. Houston. With plenty of elite players that have contributed at a high level this season, the Colts’ roster is loaded from top to bottom and truly looks like one of the most complete teams in the league on paper. As a team that may be much better than many analysts thought at the start of the year, Indianapolis faces zero pressure following the surprise decision by Luck in the preseason, which could benefit the Colts in the short term as they look to capture even more surprise wins over elite competition in the NFL.

At 3-2 and tied at the top of the AFC South along with the Houston Texans, the Colts are not quite at the point where they should be viewed as a true Super Bowl contender. However, a major win over Kansas City heading into a bye week should be a major boost for Colts fans, especially as they look to get back into the playoffs for the second year in a row. In a wide-open conference full of playoff hopefuls that look to challenge Kansas City and New England at the top of the AFC, watch out for Indianapolis to make some noise as they start their engines in pursuit of the playoffs.