Five Observations: Indianapolis Colts Vs. Washington Redskins

The supposed franchise leaders of Indianapolis Colts and the Washington Redskins met for the first time since the 2012 draft. Indianapolis had the No. 1 overall pick that year and Washington traded up to No. 2. Both teams took players that they thought would be franchise-saving quarterbacks. Three seasons later and the Colts’ pick was taking on Washington’s backup QB. The Colts won 49-27 but the game wasn’t as close than the score indicates.

Boom or Bust

It has gotten to the point where giving Trent Richardson carries is barely more effective than kneeling the ball. Every time the Colts hand him the ball on first and second down, they are donating a down to the defense. Trent was never going to be worth the first round picks that the Browns or Colts spent on him but that doesn’t mean that the Colts should just continue to use an axe when they have a chainsaw. Boom Herron isn’t the most gifted back in the NFL but he is able to do more per carry than Richardson. In this game they both received eight runs and Boom managed to get 88 yards while Trent only managed 12. It is time for Trent to become a third-down running back while Boom Herron gets to take over the other running back duties. Zurlon Tipton also deserves a shot at running the ball because he couldn’t be any worse than Richardson is now.

Feed Moncrief

Speaking of players losing their spot on the depth chart for younger players, Donte Moncrief deserves to become the Colts No. 3 WR. It looks like that change is on its way as Moncrief saw almost double the snaps as Hakeem Nicks this past Sunday. Moncrief caught three passes (on four targets) for 134 yards (44.7 per reception) and scored two touchdowns. He also showed off his speed in other ways, like when he raced down the field to block for Coby Fleener on his 73-yard score. Moncrief could have caught all four of his targets and added on another touchdown if Luck had seen him earlier on his first target of the game. Instead Luck was a second late and the CB was able to recover and knock away the pass. Moncrief can be a huge addition to the offense because he will give them a deep threat that is able to take advantage of 1-on-1 situations.

T.Y. Hilton continues to be one of the best

Before the season started, many people (mostly non-Colts fans) still thought of T.Y. Hilton as just a deep threat. People who had seen the transformation that T.Y. had made during Reggie’s injury knew that T.Y. was more than just a fast receiver. T.Y. caught all five passes that were thrown his way for 62 yards and a touchdown. That stat line might not look very impressive but T.Y. showed just how good he has become on back-to-back plays for his TD. The first throw was a back shoulder pass that allowed T.Y. to show off his amazing chemistry with Andrew Luck. Luck releases the ball when T.Y is on the other team’s 20-yard line and T.Y turns around to catch it on his back shoulder at the 7-yard line. It was a perfect pass and T.Y. looked back at the right time. On the next play, Hilton scored his touchdown. On the far left of the line, T.Y. ran to the back of the end zone and cut inside. With the CB still all over him, T.Y. stopped, pivoted and changed direction, leaving the CB trying to recover. The ball was thrown a little bit behind Hilton but he reached back to make an amazing grab. Once again, T.Y. Hilton was able to show his outstanding route-running and body control on this play.

Luck vs. RGIII. Who was the right choice?

This was supposed to be the week that everyone had been waiting for. 2012’s Nos. 1 and 2 overall selections going head-to-head; instead we saw Luck vs. Colt McCoy. I never really enjoy the whole QB vs. QB thing because they never actually play against each other. Also because each side of the ball has 11 people on it instead of a game of 1-on-1 between the two QB’s. However, this game was supposed to be a way for people to determine whom the better QB is/was (Hint: It was always Luck). Although both QB’s didn’t play, this game still showed which player was the right decision for the Colts to select with that first overall pick. RGIII was benched and may never start another game for Washington, while Andrew Luck is having his second straight MVP worthy season. I think we know which team made the correct decision now.

When will the defense be consistent?

The Indianapolis Colts defense can seem like a very weird unit week to week. One game they are dominating the offense and then the next they are giving up over 30 points. Why can’t this defense play consistently week-to-week? Well every time the Colts take on an offense without a top QB they are able to look like a dominating force. However, the same reason that they dominate weak offenses is the same reason that they struggle against better ones. The Colts love to blitz and against inferior QB’s this will lead to poor decision making. The only problem is that the good offenses are able to beat the blitz and then pick up chunks of yards. Until the Colts are able to create pressure without sending the blitz, they will be an inconsistent defensive team.