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Indianapolis Colts: It is Time to Press the Panic Button

By Kyle Nishida

Sep 11, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano argues a call in the second half of the game against the Detroit Lions at Lucas Oil Stadium. the Detroit Lions beat the Indianapolis Colts by the score of 39-35. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 11, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano argues a call in the second half of the game against the Detroit Lions at Lucas Oil Stadium. the Detroit Lions beat the Indianapolis Colts by the score of 39-35. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Indianapolis Colts hit rock-bottom Sunday after falling to the Jacksonville Jaguars 30-27. The loss pushed the franchise to the bottom of the AFC South with a 1-3 record.

This 1-3 start is the Colts’ worst beginning to a season since 2011; when they started the season 0-13. The reason why it is time to panic in Indianapolis because the team has not shown many signs of improvement from Week 1 to Week 4.

For four straight weeks, the Colts have started games slow and sloppy. Their offense struggles to consistently generate any sort of ball movement while opponents march through their defense. The slow starts have forced them to rely on fourth quarter comebacks in every game this season.

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Also, the Colts are still being plagued by the flaws that ruined their 2015 season.

The changes they made to their offensive line this offseason have failed to produce desired results. Quarterback Andrew Luck is still being pressured within two seconds of every snap .

The Jaguars sacked Luck six times Sunday. Jacksonville had six total sacks in their first three games combined. The Colts have now allowed 15 sacks this season.

On the flip side, sacks seem like a foreign concept for the Colts’ defense. After earning two sacks against the Jaguars, the Colts’ defense has now racked up six sacks this season.

The team’s pass rushing specialist Robert Mathis has failed to register a sack this season. Meanwhile, outside Erik Walden has accounted for three of the Colts’ six sacks by himself.

Also, the Colts also lack quality receiving depth, and they still cannot run the ball on a consistent basis. To make matters worse, they are not even good enough to feast on a weak AFC South division.

The AFC South is still a weak division. However, what have the Colts done this season to suggest they can take advantage of it? They just lost to a 0-3 Jacksonville Jaguars team, which makes the Colts the de facto worst team in the division.

The Colts cannot sugarcoat their struggles any longer. They cannot use injuries as an excuse anymore. They need to realize they are currently not a good team and make significant changes.

Next: Indianapolis Colts Fall to 1-3 With 30-27 Loss to Jaguars

These changes can be simple ones like benching players or drastic ones like firing Chuck Pagano and Ryan Grigson. Either way, changes need to be made because the path the Colts are currently on is not producing adequate results.

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