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Well, what a day. As predicted last week, the Colts managed to upset a red-hot Kansas City Chiefs team in their home opener. Why? Reasons. What do you want from me?
Frank Reich has a history of coming out of the gates slowly. Numerous factors play into it. Some might believe it is just a fatal flaw of an average or even marginal coach. Others note that Reich’s offensive system isn’t for the faint of heart. It takes time to get fully acclimated and requires some player buy-in. A new quarterback every season DEFINITELY doesn’t help.
Also, Frank Reich teams have a history of beating tough teams, no matter the circumstances or what they’ve put on film in previous weeks. Why? Reasons. What do you want from me?
It likely has more to do with the fact that bad film leads to bad film study. If the Chiefs were looking at the train wreck that was the Colts' film in most of Week 1 and Week 2, they were entirely unprepared for what happened today. In this game, the Colts had their two top receivers. The defense started showing signs of “getting it” in a new defensive scheme where they had looked lost in previous weeks. The front four pressured Mahomes more than he had been in his first two games.
Does this mean the Colts have permanently turned a corner, or they’ll easily handle a struggling Titans team at home in Week 4? Uh, no. It does not.
The Colts will head into a game where they have a chance to start forming an identity. Are they a sloppy, flawed team with a steep learning curve still ahead of them? Are they a team that has learned from its early struggles and is starting to figure out the scheme on both sides of the ball? Is the offensive line finally starting to come together?
They’ll have to win an AFC South Divisional matchup against the Tennessee Titans to give themselves and their fans an answer. At this point, with a tie and a loss in the first two weeks of the season against division opponents, the Colts must treat this as a must-win game.
The Titans have had their early season struggles but are coming off their first win. The Jaguars managed to win for a consecutive week in a statement game against the Los Angeles Chargers. If the Colts want to keep pace, they must string together some wins. Right now, DraftKings Sportsbook has the Colts as 3-point home favorites.
As the week progresses and injury reports come out, keep an eye on this line to shift. Will Shaquille Leonard finally play?
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