In a game where the Indianapolis Colts’ offense struggled to get going, it was the special teams unit that shined. Kicker Matt Gay was perfect on the day, going 3 for 3 on field goals, while punter Rigoberto Sanchez booted the ball 7 times for an impressive 337 yards. In fact, the Colts offense managed to earn fewer yards (284) than their punter, showcasing just how much of a struggle it was for the team to move the ball.
“I don’t know what’s worse, that the Colts only managed 16 points or that 11 other teams scored fewer,” one analyst remarked. “On a points per drive basis, the Colts were 19th on the week, which hides how truly inept they were. The 27th ranked DSR and 26th ranked EPA per play are a little more descriptive of what happened.”
The Colts offense could only muster 4.7 yards per scrimmage play and failed to earn any first downs from penalties. This lack of success in gaining crucial first downs reflected in their 19th ranking in third-down conversions and 20th ranking in first downs per play.
Looking at the season as a whole, the offense dropped one spot into a three-way tie for 15th in Points Per Drive, though some believe this ranking to be generous. Their season-long DSR ranking of 19th seems more representative of their struggles on the offensive side of the ball.
Quarterback Anthony Richardson had a tough outing, completing just 41.7% of his passes and averaging a meager 5.6 yards per dropback, ranking 20th in the category. His low completion percentage led to the third worst passing success rate of the week at 31%, hindering the team’s ability to sustain drives and move the chains.
