Biggest Takeaways from Indianapolis Colts' Week 3 Win
The panic has been subdued in Indianapolis, at least temporarily.
The Indianapolis Colts snatched victory from the jaws of defeat on Sunday in Tennessee, defeating the Titans 35-33. The game was ugly for three quarters, but the Colts managed to put it together long enough in the final period to eke out a win—a victory that the team desperately needed.
Not only is the win a brief respite from the carnage we'd witnessed for the first two weeks, but it also keeps the Colts from falling behind in the AFC South, something that would be a huge blow to their playoff hopes. Every team in the division now has one win on the season.
So, yes, the Colts got a win on Sunday, and it was important. But how much does it tell us about this team, and its potential to get to the levels we all thought possible just a few months ago? Is this win a sign of things to come, or a mirage?
Andrew Luck Isn't Dead, but Is He Back?
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Andrew Luck lives!
It took him three quarters to get warmed up, but Luck proved to viewers that he was, in fact, still an NFL quarterback on Sunday. Luck had been borderline terrible through the first two and three-quarters, throwing just three touchdowns on the year and seven interceptions.
But with the offensive line picking up the blitz a bit better in the fourth quarter, Luck reverted back to 2014 form, going 11-of-13 for 144 yards and two touchdowns. The variety of Luck's throws was sublime, as he hit quick hot reads when the Titans blitzed, found rookie Phillip Dorsett for a 35-yard touchdown on 3rd-and-20 and hit Donte Moncrief for a gorgeous double-move on an 11-yard touchdown pass.
Is this a turning point for Luck?
We know that the offense is powered by Luck, and it was never more apparent than Sunday. If Luck can keep this up, without committing the silly turnovers that we've seen, the Colts might just have a chance to be the team we thought they could be.
Free-Agency Moves Are Balancing
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Free agency is a crapshoot.
There's a reason why great teams don't build via free agency. It's anybody's guess whether free agents will pan out, and more often than not, they do not.
For the Colts, we're seeing both sides of that coin.
Frank Gore looks like he's as young as ever, turning in a masterful performance for Indianapolis against the Titans. He only got 14 carries but managed to pick up 86 yards and two touchdowns, while solidifying the Colts' blitz pick-up in the fourth quarter. Just watching Gore run is a treat, as he manages to find holes and creases that guys like Trent Richardson never would have sniffed.
Dwight Lowery also has looked like great value for Indianapolis, grabbing two critical interceptions on Sunday, including a pick-six. Lowery got a cheap one-year deal to come to Indianapolis, and he's been a big piece so far for a defense with health issues in the defensive backfield. Kendall Langford has been a decent addition on the defensive line, as well.
On the other side, Andre Johnson looks like he's a half-step away from retiring, getting just one target on Sunday. Todd Herremans was benched after two games, and Trent Cole is hurt. Free agency is a cruel mistress.
The Defense Misses Its Cornerbacks
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The Colts are missing three of their top cornerbacks right now, as starters Greg Toler and Darius Butler both missed Sunday's game and D'Joun Smith sits on the injured reserve list (designated for return). Journeymen Jalil Brown and Josh Thomas both played significant snaps on Sunday as a result.
While Thomas did have a hit that helped create Dwight Lowery's first interception, overall the Titans (and Jets in Week 2) were able to target the Colts' corners with relative ease.
Without Butler and Smith healthy, the Colts' don't really have a slot corner. Kendall Wright, as a result, went off for seven catches, 95 yards and a touchdown.
All things considered, the Colts' replacements could have done much worse on Sunday, but that's after a disastrous performance against the Jets last week. The defense has so many holes already, they can't afford cornerback to become another one as they attempt to overcome an 0-2 start.
According to Bob Kravitz of WTHR.com, the Colts hope to have Butler back in practice this week, but Toler is still week-to-week.
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AFC South Threats Are Coming Sooner, Rather Than Later
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For three quarters of the game, rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota outplayed Andrew Luck.
For Colts fans, that's a terrifying proposition.
Mariota has an offense designed to give him easy reads and throws, but it was still hard to watch Sunday's game and not be impressed by the rookie. Even if he didn't give the Colts trouble with his legs, he had great pocket presence and made things very difficult on the Colts defense.
He did miss a few deeper throws that could have changed the game, and his second interception may have been the game's biggest moment, but he looks like the real deal. If he continues at this rate, the Titans may have just found their franchise quarterback.
If that's the case, the Colts will actually have competition in the division. Poor quarterback play on the non-Indianapolis teams has plagued the AFC South for years, but adding Mariota to the mix may actually give the Colts a consistent threat in the division since Steve McNair was around.
Chuck Pagano Is Coaching for His Job
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Talk of a rift between Chuck Pagano and Ryan Grigson has been floating around since the season began, adding to the noise surrounding a disappointing start.
For the Colts to start the season as slow as they have, coaching changes would not have been surprising had the team lost its first division game since 2012. Bob Kravitz of WTHR.com said as much on Dan Dakich's radio show on ESPN 1070 on Monday.
But the Colts won, and Chuck Pagano was relieved.
Pagano was as emotional as he ever has been in his post-game address to the team, per Colts.com. He looks, frankly, like a coach that is coaching for his job, and was relieved and proud of the team's resilience in coming back in a must-win game.
But the speech reminded us that Pagano has some fantastic strengths as a coach. His players love him (look at Andrew Luck giving credit to Pagano in his post-game conference), and he keeps a team playing hard through adversity as well as anybody. He is a fantastic motivator.
On the other side of things, the team has been completely unprepared for the first three games of this season. Whether it's discipline, game-planning, play-calling or simple execution, the Colts just look unprepared far too often. Pagano and the Colts must reverse this course if they want this relationship to continue.
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