If you are a Colts fan you most likely are aware of what happened to the team last Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles. A 46-9 beat down. A Ram team with a new head coach and without their top defensive player, put a buzz saw to the team and left it for dead. In one of the team’s most pathetic performances in decades, they were out-passed, out-run, out-defensed, and definitely out-coached. Even Adam Vinateri was terrible.
Where do I begin? Quarterback Scott Tolzien was dreadful. Two pick-sixes. That’s TWO! He showed no leadership and was like a deer in the headlights. Frank Gore gave it his best shot but because the Rams did not have to respect the passing game, they contained him fairly well. Rookie running back Marlon Mack was the lone bright spot. On his first touch of the ball he took a swing pass from Tolzien and took it in for a score. However, the official called him out on the one and a half yard line. The replay showed him in bounds all the way, but Pagano failed to call for a challenge and the call stood. The Colts had to settle for a field goal. Tolzien was sacked four times. Recently acquired quarterback Jacoby Brissett came in to the game half way through the fourth quarter and hit Donte Moncrief on a fifty yard strike which set up a four yard touchdown run by Mack. It was Mack’s first NFL touchdown. However, the Colts offense gave up 14 points to the Ram defense.
Defensively there was no pass rush, as usual. Ram quarterback Jared Goff was 21 of 29 and had his first 300 yard passing day along with a 117.9 passing rating, by far his best. The rush defense for the Colts was mediocre but then the Rams didn’t really need to run the ball. It just was not pretty and will not get any better any time soon.
By the end of the game, Coach Pagano was looking like a man waiting for the axe to fall on his neck. Shellshocked was the best way to describe him. The word is that Andrew Luck will not play against the Arizona Cardinals in the home opener at Lucas Oil next Sunday, and maybe that’s for the best. Jacoby Brissett could get the start at quarterback. If not he will most likely replace Tolzien under center quickly. It looks to be a long painful season for Colts fans.