The Indianapolis Colts pulled off a dramatic overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons. The MVP-like play of Jonathan Taylor led the way for the Colts in Berlin. Taylor rushed for 244 yards and 3 touchdowns, including the game-winning touchdown in overtime. With this performance, Taylor broke the Colts career rushing touchdowns record. The record was previously held by Hall of Fame running back, Edgerrin James. Taylor now has 66 rushing touchdowns in his career, and his 66th capped off a 10-game stretch for Indy. With week 11 coming up, the Colts now head into the bye week.
What is the Colts’ Focus in the Bye?
The Indianapolis Colts go into the bye week with a record of 8-2. There is no doubt that this is one of the best starts to a Colts season in recent memory. Though the Colts have started off the season hot, there are still areas to improve. So, what should the Colts focus on during the bye week? The best answer for Indy is to get healthy and make small adjustments.
Getting Healthy
The Colts head into the bye week handful of injuries. There are 3 key injuries for the Colts that include DeForest Buckner, Tyquan Lewis, and Charvarius Ward. Between Buckner and Lewis, the two have combined for 7 sacks, 9 TFLs, and 31 total tackles. Buckner and Lewis are important in stopping the run, as they both pair well with Grover Stewart in the middle of the line. With that being said, there isn’t an exact timetable for Lewis’ return, but Buckner was placed on the IR and will miss at least 4 games.
Charvarius Ward is set to come back in week 12 against the Kansas City Chiefs. Ward has missed the last few games with a concussion. The injury to Ward came at a strange time, as it happened when he ran into a teammate during pregame warmups. The addition of Ward coming back is important to the Colts because he will now be lined up with new teammate Sauce Gardner. The Colts are thrilled to have this pairing, as they can be one of the top corner duos in the league.
The NFL season is a long season, so the Colts will also use the bye week to rest. The team has already played over half of their total season games. So if Indianapolis plans on having a long playoff run, this bye week is important to getting everyone off their feet for a bit. Then, after the break, comes the fine-tuning.
Small Adjustments
The Colts are putting the league on notice with an 8-2 record. Not only do they lead the AFC South, but they are also the number 1 overall seed in the AFC. They came out of the gates hot, but in the last 2 weeks, there have been signs of struggles. The Colts offense is starting to turn the ball over more and allow more sacks. Coming into week 9, the Colts had 4 total turnovers. After week 10, the Colts now have 12 turnovers. The sacks have become an issue as well. The Colts offense had allowed 9 sacks coming into week 9. Now, after week 10, Indy has allowed 21 sacks.
The entire offense does not need to be changed, but rather adjusted during the bye week. The Colts have to get back to playing on schedule and playing ahead of the sticks. Being on schedule and being ahead of the sticks are two things the Colts have done exceptionally well this season. Their offense thrived when they went in with a plan and stuck with it. Again, the whole offensive philosophy doesn’t have to change. Even with these last two games, the Colts still have a very good offense. By making the necessary adjustments to fine-tune the offense, the Colts will get back to their dominating ways.
The bye week couldn’t have come at a better time for the Colts. With dealing with certain severities of injuries and the need to make adjustments, it is going to fare Indy well. Focusing on these two key elements of the game will only make them a better team as the Colts head into the bye week.
Main Photo Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images