Indianapolis Colts vs Philadelphia Eagles: Beyond the Box Score

Sep 15, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back Ahmad Bradshaw (44) scores a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Eagles won 30-27. Mandatory Credit: Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports

Losing tough games is never easy to swallow, but the Indianapolis Colts lost a heartbreaker in their home opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday, 30-27.

While the game was mostly controlled by the Colts the Eagles were able to make a last minute push and stole the game away from the home time. It’s the first time in the Andrew Luck era that the Colts have lost back-to-back games, and it wasn’t a pretty one. An 0-2 start isn’t what anyone had in mind and it’s a shock that the Colts find themselves here.

Here’s the things you need to know from last night’s game.

Pep Hamilton calls way too conservatively:

I don’t think there was an Indianapolis Colts fan out there that wasn’t screaming at the television to fire Pep Hamilton after the Colts’ final drive. In a tie game deep in their own territory, Hamilton dials up two off-tackle run plays by Trent Richardson; the first gets five yards, the second gets nothing. He then called a short pass play in which Andrew Luck couldn’t find Reggie Wayne for the third down conversion. The playcalling killed the Colts, and it resulted in a loss. If Indianapolis wants to be successful, it’s time to put the ball in the hands of their young quarterback and let him make a play instead of calling terrible plays.

Both boys can run: 

Trent Richardson and Ahmad Bradshaw were showing some gusto against the Eagles, rushing for 79 and 70 yards respectively. Bradshaw also contributed with five receptions, two of which went for touchdowns. They ran hard-nosed up the middle and even were able to break for some outside rushes. Other than Richardson’s fumble, the running game looked solid. Let’s hope both guys can have continued success with the run moving forward.

Defense down the middle:

This Colts defense in the middle of the field is absolutely dreadful. Against the Broncos, Julius Thomas made Indy pay with big catches between the hashes and this week, it was Darren Sproles and Zach Ertz. In fact, Philly only achieved 70 yards of offense with their wideouts; it was an intermediate coverage problem for the Colts. Sproles is a speedster and was not covered correctly on any play that he got the ball. There was just no answer; D’Qwell Jackson and Josh McNary couldn’t cover the speedy running back or Ertz, the tight end. There’s a big hole in this defense that needs to be patched up soon.

Hilton is still in Indy:

After a lackluster performance against Denver, Hilton sort of had a resurgence game against the Eagles. He finished with 65 yards of of  six catches and was the best Indianapolis receiver on the day. He made quite a few third down receptions while also dropping a few balls. Hilton hasn’t gotten many balls thrown in his direction downfield, but that can be due to the playcalling failures.