Panthers vs. Colts: 5 Things We Learned from the Colts' 27-19 Loss

The Indianapolis Colts march onward toward a winless season. This was possibly their best chance to pull one out against a team with a young quarterback and a raw defense.

Their porous defense was unable to stop the legs and arm of Cam Newton, and their mistake-prone offense couldn't get enough going to threaten the Panthers.

Here are the five things that we learned from the Colts' 11th loss of the season.

Curtis Painter Isn't Even a Good Backup

Despite making a few good throws, Curtis Painter was mistake prone and came up small with the game on the line.

Painter seems to have the right physical tools, but he just doesn't lead the offense effectively. With two late-game interceptions in the end zone, Painter did more to lose this game for the Colts than anyone else.

The rap on Painter when he played at Purdue was that he could put up big numbers, but couldn't win tough games against ranked opponents.

Painter has done absolutely nothing in the NFL to dispel that knock on him. He hasn't won as a starter, turns the ball over far too often and doesn't finish drives. With guys like Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie to throw to, Painter should be better than he has been.

If Painter somehow remains with the Colts after this season, he should be a third stringer or practice team guy. 

Jim Caldwell Continues to Call Conservative Games When He Should Be Bold

Colts fans are getting fed up with pusillanimous play-calling. Winless teams need to take all the risks they can to get a victory.

The worst example of a wimpy call came with the Colts down 17-10 late in the third quarter. A nice drive stalled out at the Panthers 6-yard line. Instead of going for a touchdown that might swing the momentum of the game, Caldwell called for a short field goal attempt.

While that may be the right call by the percentages, it wasn't the right call by the heart. In fact, it shows a decided lack of heart.

Caldwell continually talks about staying the course and getting better. Right now, their course headed dead ahead toward an embarrassing 0-16 season and they aren't getting better. That means that something should change.

When you're winless, throwing in a few surprise on-side kicks, using Joseph Addai as an option quarterback (he's 1-1 throwing the ball in his NFL career) or running a hook and ladder can't hurt anything. In fact, it may just provide the shot in the arm that the team needs to get its first victory of the season.

Reggie Wayne Is Still an Excellent Weapon

Reggie Wayne had a monster game with five receptions for 122 yards and a touchdown. Although he's been less effective without Manning slinging the ball, he's still a game-changing receiver.

Pierre Garcon has been Painter's favorite target this season, which has meant fewer targets for the normally-productive Wayne.

The Colts will have a tough choice in the offseason when they have to decide if they should retain Wayne or Robert Mathis, who will both be free agents next year. The Colts are unlikely to have enough cap room for both guys, and Wayne has shown that he still has some deep treads on his tires.

Robert Mathis Is Showing Why He Is a Valuable Defensive Playmaker

Robert Mathis harassed Cam Newton all day. With two quarterback hits, one sack and a tackle for loss, Mathis showed why he's an elite defensive end in the NFL.

Mathis is incredibly fast off the end, and he gets to the quarterback quickly. He is also making a strong case for his retention after the season.

It's a shame that the Colts don't have a secondary that can keep opposing teams' receivers in check. Guys like cornerbacks Jacob Lacey and Terrence Johnson have been burned all year. While defensive coordinator Larry Coyer's loose Cover 2 scheme has a lot to do with the Colts' defensive struggles, they need more talent to match with free safety Antoine Bethea and No. 1 cornerback Jerraud Powers.

The Colts Are Unlikely to Win a Game This Season

With games against (in order) New England, Baltimore, Tennessee, Houston and Jacksonville to finish out the season, only their final game seems winnable. They do have Tennessee at home, but the Titans (at 6-5) are in the wild card chase and generally play well against bad teams.

New England and Baltimore are good teams that are unlikely to fall asleep this late in the season, and Houston will be jockeying for a better position in the playoffs.

The young and mistake-prone Jaguars could stumble, but with the way that the Colts have been playing, it seems unlikely that they could win even that game.

Things will be different in Indianapolis next year. This forgettable season can't end soon enough.