After a 24-0 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Colts fans will be playing the blame game, so I’m going to join right in.
If you missed any previous article in this mini-series, you can check them out here:
1: Playing the Blame Game Colts vs. Jaguars: Part 1 The Game Script
2: Playing the Blame Game: Part 2 Wrong Players or Wrong Coaches?
3: Playing the Blame Game: Part 3 Which Players are Free from Blame?
The New Offensive Line Pieces Carry A Ton of Blame
Looking back over the tape, more than once, the Colts offensive line stands out as the biggest problem. At this point they can not give Matt Ryan the time he needs to go through his checks. Everyone who got the chance to play on the Colts’ offensive line against Jacksonville, allowed at least one quarterback pressure. Three linemen allowed multiple pressures.
The pass blocking was bad, and the run blocking was not much better. The linemen improved their performance late in the game, though it was much too late. Jonathan Taylor was able to find a few holes in the Jaguars’ defensive line, after the team was trailing 24-0.
This low level of play started with the new additions, Danny Pinter and Matt Pryor. Between the two of them, they allowed one sack, two hits, and two hurries. They are not the only linemen to blame, all of them are.
Defensive Stunts had the O-line in Shambles
The newly assembled offensive line has huge trouble when handling stunts. Stunts utilize movement from the defenders, to confuse the offensive line. One of Josh Allen’s sacks came on a play where he moved across three linemen, causing All Pro Quenton Nelson to make a mistake. Big Q did not relieve Ryan Kelly of his assignment, therefore Kelly had to try and block two defenders.
Most of the problems in dealing with stunts, comes from a lack of communication or chemistry. Chemistry comes with time and snaps played together, so the team should focus on bettering their communication to help resolve this issue.
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