The Indianapolis Colts (3-5-1) entered Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots (5-4) with their backs against the wall but failed to show much fight on the offensive side of the ball, resulting in a porous 26-3 loss at Gillette Stadium.
The Week 9 result marked the third consecutive loss for the Colts as they continue their downward spiral toward a higher pick in the 2023 NFL draft.
Here’s a look at the studs and duds from Sunday’s loss to the Patriots:
STUD: DT DeForest Buckner
Overall, the defensive side of the ball was strong. Leading that charge was Buckner, who also was our player of the game from the loss. He recorded seven tackles (four solo), one sack, three quarterback hits and a tackle for loss. The Patriots offensive line seemingly had no answer for Buckner all night long.
DUD: QB Sam Ehlinger
We can’t talk about Ehlinger’s poor performance without mentioning the revolving door that was the offensive line, but we’ll get to that in a second. Ehlinger was under duress all day from the Patriots defensive line, and we needed to have tempered expectations considering the history of inexperienced quarterbacks going against Bill Belichick. But Ehlinger wasn’t good even when he wasn’t pressured. He didn’t complete his first pass until halfway through the second quarter and finished 15-of-29 passing for 103 yards, one interception and a 45.6 passer rating. The interception wasn’t his fault as it bounced clear off the hands of Kylen Granson, but Ehlinger took a step back in his progress from his first career start on Sunday.
STUD: DT Grover Stewart
One of the few positives from the game (and the season as a whole) has been the elite play of Stewart. He’s turned into an elite one-technique defensive tackle, and that was on display again Sunday. He finished with five tackles (four solo) and two tackles for loss. He added at least one pressure as a pass rusher and came up with a handful of run stops.
DUD: Offensive Line
Just when we thought the offensive line couldn’t get worse, they completely outdo themselves. The until allowed nine sacks and 12 quarterback hits. Some of the sacks and hits aren’t totally on the offensive line, but this unit continues to struggle in the worst way. They can’t get any push in the run game, allowing the backfield to average just 2.5 yards per carry, and they continue to struggle with stunts and pressure from all over the front. It’s difficult to have confidence in the offense turning around at all considering the play of the offensive line.
STUD: DE Kwity Paye
Back like he never left, Paye continued to make an impact from the edge. His presence against the run was well noted, and he notched another sack to go along with a quarterback hit and a tackle for loss. Had it not been for missing three games due to an ankle injury, we’d be talking about Paye as a second-year breakout.
DUD: HC Frank Reich
Far more often this season Reich is being outcoached by the opposing sideline. Granted, Bill Belichick is often regarded as the best coach in NFL history, but Reich’s offense stood no chance Sunday. The offense was completely out of sorts and failed in execution across the board. There weren’t many—if any at all—positives to take away from the offensive side of the ball, which is supposed to be his specialty.
