Eagles vs. Colts: Full Report Card Grades for Indianapolis
The Indianapolis Colts started out strong in their game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football, but some crucial game-changing plays late in the game helped the Eagles come back and take a 30-27 win.
Philadelphia's high-powered offense was able to turn on the jets late thanks to some huge plays from Darren Sproles and LeSean McCoy. The Indianapolis defense looked good at first but still ended up allowing 458 total yards of offense and 30 points.
Still, it was a gut-wrenching loss for Colts fans due to a late fumble from Trent Richardson and two huge blown calls from the referees that resulted in an Andrew Luck interception and a 15-yard penalty for a horse-collar tackle that appeared to be completely clean.
Despite some fumbles from Richardson, the running game was actually almost as effective as the passing game, gaining 169 yards on the ground compared to 172 yards through the air. Luck didn't put up huge numbers, but he still had three touchdowns, including two to Ahmad Bradshaw.
After the loss, the Colts are now 0-2, but things should turn around next week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. In the meantime, there were both positive and negative takeaways from Monday night's game, so let's take a look at the grades for each positional unit.
Quarterback
1 of 10
It was a surprisingly rough start for Luck, who seemed to just be a bit off. A lot of his passes were surprisingly inaccurate in the first half, which led to some tough situations. Still, it's not like Luck was turning the ball over or making bad decisions. In the first half, he completed 10 of 17 passes with two touchdowns but only averaged 3.4 yards per attempt.
Things stayed roughly the same through most of the third quarter, but Luck began to find some rhythm once again late until he ended up throwing his only interception. Granted, Brandon Boykin got away with a pretty blatant push on T.Y. Hilton, but it still wasn't the best throw and ended up right in Malcolm Jenkins' hands.
Luck finished the game going 20-for-34 with 172 yards, three touchdowns and that interception. His 5.1 yards per attempt was very low, and the Colts had to rely on the running game at times. Fortunately, the running backs were hot on Monday, or else it would have been hard for the Colts to be so close in this one.
Any other quarterback probably would get a higher grade, but the Colts should rightfully hold their No. 1 overall pick to a higher standard. It's unlikely he'll have another rough game next week, but for this week, Luck doesn't get the best grade.
Grade: C
Running Back
2 of 10
For the first time in what felt like forever, the Colts got their offense going with some huge runs from both Ahmad Bradshaw and Trent Richardson. In fact, on the second drive of the game, Bradshaw ran for 29 yards on 3rd-and-1, and then Richardson got a 15-yard run right on the very next play, helping the Colts drive all the way down the field for a touchdown.
The numbers for both through 30 minutes were impressive, with the two combining for 100 yards while averaging 5.6 per carry. The two had multiple runs for more than 10 yards, and that helped open up the field when Luck tried to run play action.
Both running backs continued to be quite productive, but Richardson's two fumbles were concerning, especially with the one that came late and deep in Indy's own territory to help Philadelphia tie things up. It was Richardson's most productive game as a Colt with 95 total yards, but those fumbles could force him into a more limited role heading into Week 3.
Bradshaw looked significantly sharper throughout the game, averaging 5.4 yards per carry while also catching five passes for 26 yards and two touchdowns. Considering the running game is usually a mess in Indianapolis, the running backs deserve a lot of credit, but those two fumbles dropped the grade a couple of marks.
Grade: B+
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
T.Y. Hilton didn't get off to the best start after a rough outing against the Denver Broncos, dropping the very first pass of the game. He was extremely quiet in the first half but ended up making some plays in the second half to finish with 65 yards on six receptions.
Reggie Wayne was the only other receiver or tight end to make a significant impact in the passing game, catching three passes for 28 yards. Donte Moncrief, Hakeem Nicks, Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen were targeted a combined six times for only three receptions and 25 yards.
Jack Doyle ended up being one of the bigger surprises from Monday night, catching two passes. One resulted in a two-yard touchdown, while the other was a 10-yard gain for a first down. As the third tight end, he made more plays than Fleener and Allen combined in the passing game, so hopefully that changes.
It's hard to be too critical of the receivers due to the fact that the Colts continued to establish the run, but it would have been nice to see more from these guys. Hilton continues to have rough drops and hasn't burned anyone deep yet, so he'll be someone to keep an eye on to see if he can turn it around.
Grade: B-
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
Heading into Monday night, the Colts had just two active offensive linemen on their bench and a lot of questions with their starters. It wasn't always pretty, but the offensive line deserves a lot of credit for its work in the passing and running game.
While Luck was pressured from time to time, he wasn't sacked once. In fact, the pocket was quite clean throughout the game, and a lot of the credit has to go to the two offensive guards and center. Hugh Thornton, Jack Mewhort and A.Q. Shipley aren't the most talented guys, but they held their own and gave Luck time in the pocket.
At the same time, the offensive line opened up huge holes in the running game. The Colts finished the game with 169 rushing yards with 4.4 per carry. There were more than a few runs of 10-plus yards, and that's something the Colts haven't been used to in the Luck era.
For an offensive line with so many depth issues, all five starters stepped up and gave Colts fans hope that they can indeed protect Luck this season. It may have come against an Eagles team that struggles to get to the quarterback, but it's still a big win for the offensive line.
Grade: A
Defensive Line
5 of 10
The Colts went up against an elite running back and tried to prove they can stop the run. They did that early, allowing just 1.8 yards per carry on the first eight attempts. LeSean McCoy made a couple of plays before halftime, but the Eagles still had just 46 yards on 14 carries.
Unfortunately, the Colts were dealt a big blow on the defensive line when Arthur Jones went down and was carted off with what turned out to be an ankle injury, according to the live broadcast. The injury to Jones hurt the Colts, as the Eagles ended up finishing with 127 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Still, the defensive line did a good job of LeSean McCoy, holding him to just 79 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. Losing Jones for an extended period of time could kill the run defense, but players like Josh Chapman and Cory Redding were still able to make some big plays at the line of scrimmage to give the Colts some hope that their depth on the line can keep the defense intact.
Grade: B
Linebacker
6 of 10
For the second straight week, the Colts linebackers seriously struggled in pass coverage and were completely unable to contain their assignments. Sophomore tight end Zach Ertz looked quite comfortable making big plays, catching four passes for 86 yards.
Ertz wasn't the only player the linebackers struggled to contain. Veteran running back Darren Sproles completely blew by Josh McNary and D'Qwell Jackson all game, putting up 152 yards on seven catches in the passing game, along with 26 yards and a touchdown on four carries.
With Robert Mathis done for the season, the Colts have asked Bjoern Werner to step up and become a legitimate pass-rusher, but he didn't show any signs of that against a depleted offense line on Monday night. He had zero sacks and hit Nick Foles just once, giving him zero sacks for the season through two games. If he can't step up, then the Colts have few other options to get to opposing quarterbacks.
The only bright spot of the linebacking unit was Erik Walden, who might have had his best game with the Colts. He successfully set the edge consistently and even came up with a pair of huge stops in the backfield. This was the kind of game the Colts need from Walden more often, especially if Werner can't get going.
Overall, it's hard to be happy with anyone besides Walden. Hopefully, Jerrell Freeman can return for Week 3, but even then there will still be some concerns with how effective this unit can be.
Grade: C-
Secondary
7 of 10
Greg Toler once again looked like he's struggling with the new emphasis on illegal contact, getting flagged a couple of times early on. He continues to draw penalties and have trouble in coverage, giving up explosive plays.
However, right before halftime, Toler made up for those flags. A deep pass from Nick Foles looked like it would go for a touchdown. Instead, Toler made a great dive for the ball and was somehow able to stay in bounds.
Vontae Davis was called for a questionable pass interference penalty in the end zone at one point but was pretty solid overall in coverage besides that play. Meanwhile, Darius Butler looked quite comfortable as a nickel corner, making some big open-field tackles and forcing a couple of solid pass breakups.
While the cornerbacks were solid, the safeties were questionable. They struggled to contain big plays, especially on halfback draws or screens to the running backs. Mike Adams was consistently burned by Sproles in the open field, while LaRon Landry floundered when asked to step back in coverage.
With the depth concerns at safety, the cornerbacks are going to need to stay healthy if they're going to want to defend the pass. The top three corners on the depth chart are pretty solid, but things could go downhill quickly if someone else has to replace one of them.
Grade: B-
Special Teams
8 of 10
There was nothing to complain about with the special teams for the Colts on Monday, and that aspect of the game might have been the biggest reason the Colts were ahead early.
Pat McAfee had a terrific game punting the ball, showing everyone why he's called the Boomstick. He averaged an impressive 55.3 yards per punt, including a 61-yard bomb that helped pin the Eagles inside their own 20-yard line.
Adam Vinatieri continued to be as reliable as ever, making both of his field goals and all three extra points. He was probably hoping for an opportunity to hit a game-winning field goal, but the 41-year-old veteran can only make the most of the opportunities he's given.
It was one of the best performances from the special teams in a while, and there's nothing to possibly complain about with how the unit played.
Grade: A+
Coaching
9 of 10
Offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton is going to be criticized a lot due to his play-calling decisions late in the fourth quarter after the Eagles tied it at 27-27. Instead of letting Luck do his thing and move the offense down the field, Hamilton called upon Richardson to run the ball twice. Afterward, Luck was blitzed on third down and then threw an incompletion.
The Colts didn't end up getting the ball back, and the Eagles won the game.
With Luck under center, it doesn't make sense to try and run the ball late in the game with a chance to drive down the field and win. The third-year quarterback already has 11 career game-winning drives, but Hamilton decided that the offense needed to stick with the run.
Head coach Chuck Pagano didn't have many tough decisions to make, but even if he did, they wouldn't have been put under the microscope nearly as much as Hamilton's decisions late on Monday night.
Grade: C-
Final Grades
10 of 10
| Positional Unit | Overall Grade |
| QB | C |
| RB | B+ |
| WR/TE | B- |
| OL | A |
| DL | B |
| LB | C- |
| Secondary | B- |
| Special Teams | A+ |
| Coaching | C- |
| Cumulative Grade | B |
It was incredibly strange to see the Colts run the ball so well and still lose a football game. The roster still has holes, but there were a lot of positive takeaways from the loss.
Luck isn't going to play like he did on Monday consistently, as he is the real deal. The fact that they were finally able to get the running game going by using Bradshaw more was a great sign, and the fact that the offensive line was so successful means that the Colts could possibly keep this kind of offensive balance for the season.
Still, Hamilton and the rest of the coaching staff have to understand when to unleash Luck, no matter how much they want to run the ball. He was the No. 1 overall pick for a reason, and with so many game-winning drives already in his career, they need to recognize when to stop running the ball and just let the former Stanford quarterback do his thing.
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