Frank Reich is firmly at blame for team's slow start
An absolute debacle. That’s the only way to describe what happened to the Indianapolis Colts during their Week Two matchup in Jacksonville.
A 24-0 blowout against the team coming off back-to-back first overall picks is not exactly the showing you would expect from one of the favorites in the AFC South.
So where do the Colts go from here and how do they solve their problems?
Blame Starts at the Top
Last year, the blame lay on quarterback Carson Wentz. In Week One of 2022, it was placed on kicker Rodrigo Blankenship. So where does the blame go now? It should be firmly placed on head coach Frank Reich and general manager Chris Ballard.
Chris Ballard has been praised for finding gems in drafts. Shaquille Leonard, Braden Smith, Michael Pittman Jr., and Jonathan Taylor were all-star second-round picks.
But behind those success stories, is a lot of failures. Paris Campbell has been injured for the majority of his career. Kylen Granson has yet to be the dynamic playmaker that Reich thought he had found. Ben Banogu may not make the roster next year. And they traded away Rock Ya-Sin after a disappointing start to his career.
Ballard’s reputation holds off some criticism, but it is time to reevaluate his position. This roster isn’t deep enough and nowhere near as talented as many thought. But even the talented players are falling short, a sign of a poorly coached team.
All-Pro offensive lineman Quenton Nelson had a PFF overall pass-blocking grade of 58.5. He was credited with one sack and one quarterback hit. Left tackle Matt Pryor earned a 48.9 from PFF, giving up a sack, hit, hurry, and three total pressures. And starting right guard Danny Pinter had a team-low 45.8 blocking grade. This offensive line used to be the talk of the NFL, and now it’s simply a shell of its former self, causing problems for the remainder of the offense.
Coach Reich has to learn to utilize different players in space. Running back Nyheim Hines was all the talk of training camp but was only on the field for 15 offensive snaps in a game with limited options at receiver. That’s simply inexcusable for the coaching staff to not utilize one of their best weapons in critical situations.
Matt Ryan Is Far From His Prime
Everyone knew that quarterback Matt Ryan was passed his prime, but not many knew how far from his prime he was. Maybe it is the new scheme or Ryan getting comfortable on a new team, but he struggled mightily against the Jacksonville defense. Per Pro Football Reference, he completed only 16 of his 30 attempts with no touchdowns and three interceptions. He also took five sacks throughout the game.
Through two games, Ryan ranks 27th in QBR and 31st in passer rating. He is tied for the second-most interceptions in the NFL with four and is one of three starting quarterbacks with only a single touchdown pass.
Ryan has not received much help in the first two games of the year, but quarterbacks of his quality should be able to elevate the play of those around him, something he has failed to do. It is still early and Ryan and the Colts can turn it around, but sooner or later there will need to be changes made across the board. And we know Jim Irsay isn’t afraid to make a change.