Biggest Takeaways from the Colts' 2014 Season
Just like that, the season is over.
After a surprising playoff run to get to the AFC Championship Game, the Indianapolis Colts went out with a whimper with a 45-7 loss to the New England Patriots Sunday. It was an embarrassing way to end one's season, to be sure.
But just because the Colts suffered their worst loss since 2011 doesn't mean that it was all bad for the Indianapolis Colts this season. The team made real progress on both sides of the ball, persevered through some key injuries and won 11 games in 2014.
It was a season with more ups than downs, and nobody can complain about that.
Andrew Luck: Room to Grow, but He Took the Step
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All offseason, quarterback Andrew Luck was scrutinized as people wondered if he would take the next step toward the NFL's elite.
No matter what your expectations were, Luck's progress this season is undeniable.
The third-year quarterback took control of Pep Hamilton's offense and finished among the top five in the league in yards and touchdowns. His efficiency took a dip near the end of the season, but he had the largest burden of any quarterback in the league placed on his shoulders, and he responded with incredible production.
Any time your quarterback throws for 40 touchdowns in a season, you're having a good year.
In the postseason, Luck was phenomenal in the first two rounds as the Colts dominated the Bengals and Broncos.
The loss to New England reminded us that Luck hasn't quite reached the top group of signal-callers yet, as Bill Belichick's defense foiled him and the offense yet again. But make no mistake, Luck is rapidly trending upward. He may not belong among the NFL's top four QBs just yet, but he's nipping at their heels.
Running Back Hole Looms Large
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With Dan Herron's success at the end of the season, it was easy to grow complacent about the running back position.
Without Trent Richardson mucking things up, the Colts actually had an acceptable run game down the stretch, and Herron was a key part of the passing game as teams used two deep safeties to take away the long ball.
But the AFC Championship Game was a stark reminder that the Colts still could use a big upgrade at the position. Herron dropped two huge passes in the first quarter that stalled a drive, and the Colts coaching staff didn't trust him enough to ride the run game early, giving him just six attempts in the first half despite averaging 5.0 yards per carry.
A big part of it may be Herron's fumbling issues, which were apparent all season.
On the other side of the ball, New England's running backs created big play after big play. LeGarrette Blount rushed 30 times for 148 yards, consistently making defenders miss and gaining yards after contact. Shane Vereen only ran the ball one time but made a critical catch down the field and was a key cog in the Patriots' blitz pickup.
The Colts need to add another playmaker at the position in the offseason.
It's Time for Reggie Wayne to Retire
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Reggie Wayne has been one of the best receivers in the league for 14 years now, but the end came quickly this season.
Wayne hasn't had a 100-yard game since Week 5, and he caught more than five passes just three times this season, all in Weeks 1-5. As the season went on, it was clear that Wayne's body was letting him down.
Once one of the few Colts to have great postseason success, Wayne was limited to just one catch for 12 yards in this year's postseason, getting shut out in the final two games.
If Wayne does want to come back, I have no doubt the Colts would offer him some kind of role. But that shouldn't happen. When the end comes, it comes quickly. Watching Wayne this season was eerily similar to watching Marvin Harrison's career end due to age and injuries in 2008.
Sometimes, you just know when it's over.
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T.Y. Hilton: Halfway to Elite
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T.Y. Hilton wants to be an elite receiver, and he took a big step toward that in 2014. Hilton was in the top 10 among receivers in yards and receptions (82 catches, 1345 yards) and was named to his first Pro Bowl.
This wasn't a sympathetic, after-players-drop-out type of appointment either. Hilton deserved this.
He showed he was ready to be a No. 1 target with Wayne on the way out and took the reins as Luck's go-to guy.
But the playoffs were a letdown for Hilton, despite averaging over 70 yards per game in the three contests. Hilton finished the postseason with five drops, as he left production on the field in all three games. Against the Patriots, he was limited to just one catch as the Colts failed to get him the ball early.
Still, Hilton had a fantastic year and gave Colts fans hope for the future. Luck and Hilton will be fun.
Defense: It Is What We Thought It Was
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Despite a few deceptively good performances against teams like Denver, Cincinnati and Baltimore, the Colts defense reminded us too many times that it is just as weak as it looked on paper.
The 45-7 drubbing in the AFC Championship Game was the fitting end.
The Colts could beat up on mediocre (or in Manning's case, injured) teams, but versatile offenses with high-level quarterbacks destroyed them all season. Whether it was the Steelers, Cowboys, Eagles or Patriots, the Colts defense never stepped up for more than a drive or two in those high-profile moments.
Vontae Davis Is a Steal
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All is not lost on defense, however.
Vontae Davis showed the league that he deserves to be mentioned among the NFL's best cornerbacks, putting together arguably the best season by a Colts cornerback ever.
Including the postseason, Davis finished the year as Pro Football Focus' top-graded cornerback in the league (plus-33.4) and had the second-best passer rating allowed (41.2). He didn't give up a single touchdown all season, picked off four passes and knocked down the third-most passes in the league.
His four-year, $36 million contract looks like a steal now, given recent contracts for players like Joe Haden (five years, $67.5 million), Patrick Peterson (five years, $70 million) and Richard Sherman (four years, $56 million).
Davis was consistently the Colts' best defender this season and is a key block for them to build around heading forward.
Art Jones' Contract Could Be a Problem
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While Vontae Davis' 2014 contract was a steal, Arthur Jones' new deal turned out to be a dud in 2014.
Jones signed a big five-year, $33 million contract last offseason and was brought to the Colts to help shore up the run defense while adding a decent pass-rusher. The Colts desperately needed more playmakers on the defensive line, and Jones was supposed to be just that.
Instead, Jones played in just nine regular-season games (371 snaps, per Pro Football Focus) and was extremely underwhelming. He was supposed to be a key against the Patriots, after he missed the two teams' first matchup in November, but the Patriots ran just as well with him in the lineup on Sunday.
Realistically, the Colts are locked into Jones' contract for at least one more year, if not two, if they want to avoid large amounts of dead cap. They will need him to step up as a playmaker on the defensive line next season, especially if Cory Redding retires.
The Patriots Are Still the Colts' Achilles' Heel
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Four games in three years.
Four blowout losses, each more embarrassing than the last.
The Colts were outplayed and especially outcoached Sunday for the fourth consecutive game against the Patriots.
If the Colts want to get to the Super Bowl, they're going to have to get by New England at some point. It's reminiscent of the Colts' struggles against the Patriots in the early 2000s, and that's not a good thing for Indianapolis.
It's going to be a team effort to take that next step, from Andrew Luck to Chuck Pagano.
Andrew Luck Needs More Help
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Make no mistake, Andrew Luck didn't play well against the Patriots on Sunday. He wasn't as bad as his stat line looks (12-of-33, 126 yards, two interceptions), and he wasn't the reason the Colts lost, but he wasn't good either.
Still, the loss was a sobering reminder of how little the Colts have given him to work with. The Colts receivers struggled to get open all night and collectively caught two passes. There were dropped passes. There was an abysmal defensive effort yet again against the Patriots. There were special teams mistakes, as a Josh Cribbs' muffed punt led to an early deficit.
Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith put it simply: "I don't think there's a great QB in the NFL right now who gets less help from his teammates than Andrew Luck."
The Colts have a golden opportunity with Luck, but they are wasting the best years to win with a great quarterback: his rookie contract. Once he signs his big second contract, the cap space available will decrease significantly.
That doesn't mean the Colts can't win with Luck having a big contract, but this is Ryan Grigson's best time to put talent around Luck, and he's not doing that. Having two first-round picks flame out in two years (Bjoern Werner, Trent Richardson) doesn't help.
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