What are the odds of getting picked off for two touchdown returns by the same player in one game? Well, according to head coach Frank Reich, it may be one in a million.
Reich, who spoke with reporters on Monday, was asked what he saw from the tape of yesterday’s ghastly performance from Bryce Young. The rookie quarterback tossed three picks, with two of them going for long trips to the end zone—courtesy of Indianapolis Colts cornerback Kenny Moore II.
“It’s that one-in-a-million game, where you got two of ’em in a game,” Reich said. “It’s unfortunate. The plays, Kenny Moore makes two good plays. We gotta find ways to avoid both those things, right? The one in the two-minute drive—our first read wasn’t there, so we’re progressin’ backside. And Bryce is super quick and super accurate at gettin’ the ball out and Kenny just played it right and undercut it.
“The second one was a screen pass. They had it covered. I mean, the screen pass is covered—quarterbacks know we just gotta dirt that. We just gotta dirt that. So, we learn from that and we move on.”
That first one came at the end of the first half, when Young almost blindly threw into the flat for running back Chuba Hubbard. He ended finding Moore II instead, who found pay dirt 49 yards later. Moore II then upped the ante in the fourth quarter, taking advantage of the overthrow on the screen for a six-point, 66-yard trip.
Young also spoke on Monday and said it’s all about the execution.
“We just need to execute,” he stated. “Coaches do a great job of putting us in positions—and as a quarterback and as a leader, I need to do a better job of executing, makin’ sure we’re all clicking on all cylinders. And I think we all share that mentality. Plays are plays. We’re put in good positions. It’s just on us to finish and execute.”
The No. 1 overall pick finished with a career-worst 48.3 passer rating in the 27-13 loss.