The Horseshoe had the last weekend off and that gave them a chance to evaluate where they are in the playoff race. Currently at 3-2, they are second in the AFC South and a definite contender for a playoff spot. The loss of Andrew Luck to injury retirement has not affected them nearly as much as the media predicted. This is due to head coach Frank Reich being able to hold the team together and play at a top level. The emergence of Jacoby Brissett as a competent and capable offensive leader is a story in itself. The offensive line becoming one of the best units in the league is a credit to GM Chris Ballard. The defense, having suffered some key injuries, has hung together and their bend-but-don’t-break playing style is a testament to defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus being able to get the most out of the talent available to him.
The return of Darius Leonard to the starting lineup after being on concussion protocol for a month will be a big plus and special teams getting back to normal production will help. The receiving core on offense is still a problem and consistency on the pass rush still plagues the defense, but these seem to be continuing problems for the Colts and they are dealing with them as best they can. The draft has brought some promising newcomers this season. But none has jumped out as the 2018 class did.
The Colts resume their playing schedule this coming Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium when they host the Houston Texans at 1 p.m. The Texans are behind quarterback Deshaun Watson as the AFC South Leader and a possible title threat. This will be a real test of the Colts’ true strength and if they are for real.
2019 Draft Update
The two top choices in the 2015 draft were quarterbacks Jameis Winston of Florida state and Marcus Mariota of Oregon. Both were Heisman Trophy winners and there was a big argument as to who was the better prospect. Tampa Bay took Winston first and Tennessee took Mariota second. They are both in the fifth and final year of their rookie contracts.
This last weekend Mariota was benched for ineffective play and replaced by Ryan Tannehill who had been acquired in the off season from Miami. Mariota’s future with the Titans now seems to be in serious question.
The Buccaneers hired quarterback guru Bruce Arians to be their head coach with the express purpose of him working with Winston in getting a more consistent complete performance out of him. At first Winston showed some improvement but in the last several weeks he has slipped back into some old bad habits and Tampa Bay has slipped back into mediocrity. Jameis Winston has had several serious off the field conduct incidents both in Florida State and with the Bucs that have caused his maturity and self control to come into serious question. His future with the team is in serious doubt.
Experts consider the 2019 draft one of the more disappointing of the last ten years. Certainly some players such as Todd Gurney have emerged but generally the draft yielded few big time stars. SDN