Getty The Indianapolis Colts are benching quarterback Matt Ryan in favor of Sam Ehlinger for the Week 8 matchup against the Washington Commanders.
The Indianapolis Colts will turn to sixth-round quarterback Sam Ehlinger to salvage what’s left of the 2022 season after a disappointing 3-3-1 start.
But NFL analyst Louis Riddick has already seen enough.
After the Colts announced Ehlinger as their starting quarterback for the rest of the season, Riddick ripped into Indianapolis for the poor first seven weeks of 2022 during a segment on ESPN.
“This is the biggest disappointment for me for 2022, bar none,” Riddick said on ESPN. “This team should not be struggling like this, something is wrong there, and it isn’t just Matt Ryan. Because this is ridiculous. I can’t figure it out with this football team.”
Considering multiple MVP winning quarterbacks Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers each currently hold below .500 records with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers, respectively, Riddick calling the Colts the league’s biggest 2022 disappointment is going to raise eyebrows.
Riddick also tweeted to emphasize how big of a disappointment the Colts have been for him this season.
I have no words for what has happened/is happening in Indy. My biggest disappointment for 2022 by a flippin’ MILE!!!!
Riddick Blasts Colts Offense
As well received as the Colts trade for Ryan was when it happened in March, there was a sect of analysts who did not like the deal, arguing that Ryan was declining.
Riddick addressed those critics but basically called those opinions irrelevant because no one could have foreseen Ryan and the Colts offense playing as badly as they have through seven weeks.
“I’m not going to play this, ‘Well, you should have known Matt Ryan wasn’t going to be better than Carson Wentz.’ Look, he should have been better than this,” Riddick said. “This offensive line should have been better than what it is, and it’s getting bludgeoned.”
The Colts have more salary cap space tied up to their offensive line than any other team in the league according to Spotrac. General manager Chris Ballard rebuilt the Indianapolis offensive line starting in 2018, and it became one of the best units in the league.
But it seems like the unit has fallen apart over night. Pro Football Focus ranks the Colts 30th in run blocking and 27th in pass blocking this season.
“Jonathan Taylor, I love Jonathan Taylor probably more than anybody in the league as a player and as a person. I know he’s been hurt,” Riddick continued. “But there’s no where to run, this offensive line isn’t playing good, the defense isn’t shutting people down. There is something wrong here, man.
“There is something wrong with this football team.”
Taylor led the NFL in rushing yards and touchdowns last season. He averaged 5.5 yards per carry and 106.5 rushing yards per game.
But this year, Taylor has 386 rushing yards and 1 touchdown. He’s averaging 4.2 yards per carry and 77.2 rushing yards per contest.
Through seven weeks, the Colts are ranked 30th in rushing yards, 29th in yards per carry and 31st in rushing touchdowns.
Colts Defense Part of the Problem?
One of the biggest reactions to Riddick’s rant on ESPN was what he said about the team’s defense.
@labajo2411 @SourceIndiana @LRiddickESPN Hard to have good run defense when you go 3 and out every possession
@TaylorMadeColts @SourceIndiana @LRiddickESPN Right. Sounded like a lazy tidbit to throw in
@SourceIndiana @LRiddickESPN Defense has held up its end.
The Colts defense has statistically been better than the offense, but they are not free of criticism.
Indianapolis’ defense has averaged one takeaway per game this season, which is below the NFL average. Last year, the Colts were second in takeaways with 33 (1.94 per game).
The Colts own a minus-7 turnover differential, which is second worst in the league. A big part of the reason why is the 14 giveaways the Indianapolis offense has. Many of those have been because of Ryan, who leads the NFL with nine interceptions.
But Indianapolis’ sudden drop in takeaways is playing a role too. The Colts offense has rarely been given the opportunity of a short field this season.
Indianapolis started strongly in run defense, but that’s fallen apart in recent weeks too. The Colts have allowed at least 120 rushing yards in each of the last four weeks, including 381 over the last two games.
The Colts did hold the Tennessee Titans out of the end zone in Week 7. Without the Ryan pick-six, Indianapolis stands a much better chance of winning.
But things have a way of evening themselves out in the end. In Week 6, Ryan bailed out the defense allowing 379 yards, including 243 rushing yards, at home to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Ryan attempted 58 passes and threw for 389 yards and 3 touchdowns, including the game-winning touchdown in the final minute.
As Riddick said, there appears to be more wrong with the Colts than simply quarterback.