Getty The running back head coach Frank Reich and the Indianapolis Colts traded for at the deadline sent a message to the team on November 3.
The Indianapolis Colts have lost two in a row and three of their last five games. During that time, the Colts have benched their starting quarterback, fired their offensive coordinator and traded away one of their better offensive weapons.
With all of that happening within the last five weeks, there’s not a lot to be positive about for the Colts at the moment. But the team’s newest member — running back Zack Moss — was really nothing but positive when speaking to the media on November 3.
“The record is what it is, but at the end of the day, there’s still a lot of football left,” Moss said to the media. “We definitely can put ourselves in position to be in the playoffs, and we’ll have the same fighting chance as the Bills do.
“Because once you get in the playoffs, your records don’t matter.”
The Colts sit at 3-4-1 going into Week 9, but three of their next four opponents hold a .500 record or worse.
A Lot of Football Left to Play
Moss is right that there’s a lot of football left in the 2022 season. But if the Colts are going to make a run at the playoffs, they must turn things around quickly and do it with a first-time starting quarterback.
The Philadelphia Eagles are Indianapolis’ only opponent in November that currently has a winning record, but then starting in December, the Colts will face four teams in a row that, as of Week 9, are in playoff spots.
With that in mind, Indianapolis can’t afford to fall any further back in the AFC. At 3-4-1, the Colts sit in 10th place in the conference. Although they are second in the AFC South, the Colts are 2.5 games behind the first-place Tennessee Titans and have already lost to the Titans twice this season.
In all likelihood, if the Colts are able to string some wins together, they will be competing with a slew of teams across the conference for a wild card spot.
Ehlinger’s Offers Glimmer of Hope?
To put themselves in position to be in the playoffs as Moss claims they can do, the Colts will need signal caller Sam Ehlinger to learn on the fly.
Ehlinger made his first career start in Week 8 against the Washington Commanders. If not for the Indianapolis defense giving up an 89-yard touchdown drive in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, Ehlinger probably would have recorded his first career NFL win.
Not that the 24-year-old played mistake free. Most notably, his fumble late in the second quarter took away points, which proved very costly in the 17-16 loss.
But Ehlinger still played very well considering it was his first start. He completed 17 of 23 passes for 201 yards. He also rushed for 15 yards, offering an escapability in the pocket that previous starter Matt Ryan never possessed. Ehlinger’s 8.7 yards per pass attempt was also a breathe of fresh air for an offense that has struggled to get the ball down field in the passing game.
The loss to the Commanders revealed that there’s far more wrong with the Colts than just quarterback. But Ehlinger’s play was a step in the right direction behind center, and perhaps he’ll get enough help from Moss and company in future weeks to win.