Colts vs. Bills: Indianapolis Grades, Notes & Quotes

As the rain came streaming down at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo, New York, it became quite apparent that this season wouldn’t be as easy for the Indianapolis Colts as was once expected.

It took nearly 45 minutes of game time for the vaunted Colts offense to get anything going, but by then the game was already out of hand as the Buffalo Bills came out of the gates strong on both sides of the ball.

The Colts offensive line struggled throughout, with untimely penalties and a lack of protection helping the Bills to a first-half shutout and a substantial lead. New starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor was outstanding as well, finishing the day 14-of-19 for 195 yards and a touchdown through the air to go along with nine rushes for 41 yards.

On the other side of the ball, Andrew Luck was hindered by a blitz-happy front seven for the Bills, and T.Y. Hilton would leave the game in the second half, capping off a rough day for the Colts offense.

A rushing touchdown apiece for Bills running backs Karlos Williams and Anthony Dixon helped the Bills build a 24-0 lead before Luck and Donte Moncrief connected to end the shutout, but any shot at a comeback was killed when Phillip Dorsett fumbled a punt deep in Colts territory.

A late touchdown catch by Dwayne Allen was academic as a late drive ended with an interception of Luck, and the Colts fell 27-14 to the Bills.

Position Grades for Colts

Bill Wippert/Associated Press

Position	Grade
QB	C+
RB	B-
WR	B+
TE	C+
OL	D
DL	B
LB	C
DB	C-
Special Teams	C-
Coaching	B-

It wasn’t the easiest matchup for quarterback Andrew Luck, who many expect to take home the MVP award this season, and it showed early on. A few poor decisions, including an underthrow to T.Y. Hilton in the first quarter which resulted in an interception, killed Colts drives early, and the superstar failed to find a rhythm throughout the game.

The biggest issue on the day for Luck, though, was that he rarely had enough time to get through his reads, as the offensive line struggled mightily throughout. From a number of untimely holding calls to a few too many quarterback hits, the line will need to improve as the season goes on if the Super Bowl is still the goal for Indianapolis.

Newly minted running back Frank Gore was efficient, if limited, and neither of his rookie backups was impressive in his own right. The wide receivers, on the other hand, were just as elite as expected, with Hilton and Moncrief both putting in huge performances against a weak secondary.

Despite starting a pair of rookies, the defensive line was the standout unit on defense for the Colts, although it didn't take much by comparison. There were times where it felt like Indianapolis defenders were spending more time in the pocket than Tyrod Taylor was.

The lack of depth in the secondary was on full display as well, with Vontae Davis putting in his typical performance but the rest of the defensive backs struggling. A first-quarter touchdown for Percy Harvin over safety Mike Adams wasn’t pretty, and things didn’t get much better from there as Taylor had his way through the air.

Pat McAfee had a strong outing, but Adam Vinatieri missing his only field goal of the game wasn’t a positive sign for the Colts. The return game was quiet until a fumble by Dorsett gave the Bills great field position and ended any hopes of a comeback.

It is tough to assess the coaching staff, and really any positional unit, when the play of the offensive line was so poor that it influenced every other aspect of the performance, but the lack of rushing opportunities for Gore has to be questioned. There was success to be had on the ground against Buffalo early, but the Colts were too focused on winning through the air.

T.Y. Hilton Injury Potentially Detrimental for Indianapolis

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What was already a bad day for the Indianapolis Colts on the offensive side of the ball got significantly worse after halftime, as their top wide receiver, T.Y. Hilton, headed back to the locker room with a left knee injury.

Hilton was electric on the day, tallying seven receptions for 84 yards, but on the same drive that saw the Colts score their first points of the season, the Florida International product would come out of the game and not return. Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star reported that the initial x-rays were negative and Hilton just had a bruised knee, but would miss a few weeks:

"

Irsay: X-ray on TY Hilton's knee was negative, just a bad bruise. Likely still out a few weeks.

— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) September 13, 2015"

The Colts are deep at wide receiver with the additions of Andre Johnson and Dorsett in the offseason and Moncrief having a big game as well against Buffalo, but losing someone as talented as Hilton is tough to overcome. The Colts will be hoping for a quick return from the star.

Depth Issues in the Secondary

Gary Wiepert/Associated Press

Everyone knows how good cornerback Vontae Davis is, and despite a lackluster performance from the rest of the defensive unit, he was his typical self against Buffalo.

Beyond Davis, though, the secondary looked lost in rainy Buffalo against a questionable group of wide receivers. Strong safety Mike Adams in particular was beaten on a number of occasions and left fans scratching their heads.

There are only so many holes that Davis can cover up no matter how skilled he is, and the Bills were quick to exploit the obvious weakness. If Indianapolis struggles to handle Tyrod Taylor throwing the ball to Percy Harvin and Robert Woods, it is going to be a long season for the pass defense.

Colts Offensive Line Struggles

Gary Wiepert/Associated Press

Facing one of the best defensive lines in the league is never going to be an easy assignment, especially not when Rex Ryan is the head coach of the team, but even with those caveats in place the Colts offensive line's performance was brutal.

Luck was consistently dealing with players in his face and struggled to get anything going, but even when he did it was called back because of a holding call, a perfect example coming in the second quarter when a 12-yard scramble was enough for a first down, just to have it called back.

It was the biggest question mark heading into the season for an offense loaded with weapons, and after Week 1 it is pretty obvious why. There is only so much Luck and Gore can do without blocking, and something needs to be done for Indianapolis in the trenches.

T.Y. Hilton on Injured Knee

Bill Wippert/Associated Press

Despite a poor performance overall for the Colts offense that was expected to be one of the strongest units in the league against the Bills, Hilton was his typical self before leaving the game with an injured knee.

Per Kevin Bowen of Colts.com, Hilton didn't seem too worried in the locker room about his injury, adding he'll know a little more Monday:

"I'll be alright. I just have to get into the training room and see what's up."

Hilton added the injury came when he hit his knee on the ground, but the initial X-rays were negative. Even if he is out for an extended period of time, a bruise is a lot better than it could have been for the Colts' star receiver.

Owner Jim Irsay on Chuck Pagano and Ryan Grigson

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

A big story heading into the opener against the Bills was a reported rift between Colts head coach Chuck Pagano and general manager Ryan Grigson, which centered around issues the coach took with a proposed contract extension, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports.

According to Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star, Irsay was baffled by questions about tension between the two:

"

That's not anything that's even on our minds right now. We're in season mode. Really, it's strange being asked that question because you guys have known that dynamic for some time now. Nothing going on between Ryan and him, any tension. Whoever's writing that is wrong and whoever their sources are is lying to them.

There's not one bit of truth to it all. For me to even answer the question is strange.

"

Coming off of a disappointing loss, the last thing the Colts need is behind-the-scenes drama impacting the product on the field, but this story feels like it is far from over.

WR Andre Johnson on Playing Despite Big Deficit

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After a touchdown by Anthony Dixon put the Bills up 24-0, the game was essentially over with the Colts unable to get things going offensively. But Indianapolis refused to give up and did its best to battle back and make the final score respectable.

New wide receiver Andre Johnson was impressed with the mentality of never giving up, according to Keefer, and praised his teammates for continuing to play until the final whistle:

"

The thing about this team: We could've easily just given up. I've been on teams where when you get down like that, guys kinda just shut it down. We just kept fighting. And that's the thing I like about this group, no matter what's the score, no matter what's the situation, guys keep playing for one another.

"

Sunday was a day to forget for Indianapolis, but the late offensive push was a bright spot on an otherwise dark day for one of this season's Super Bowl favorites and possibly a sign of things to come.