Sometimes I wonder if I should just retrieve what I wrote last week about the Arizona Cardinals defense and simply change the numbers.
How is it best described? Broken record? That was used last week. Wash, rinse, repeat?
It’s the same old song every week — Four straight losses by a combined nine points with the winning score coming late in the fourth quarter.
After a two-touchdown performance by the Colts in the final 15 minutes Sunday with each one following a Cardinals go-ahead score, explaining it is maddening.
Oddly, head coach Jonathan Gannon isn’t asked about it very often. Of the 18 questions asked in his post-game media session, there were only two about the defense.
One wondered what went wrong in the fourth quarter (again) when the Colts ran 15 plays for 118 yards (7.87 per play) on their two scoring drives. Then, when the Cardinals failed to score and still had all three timeouts, running back Jonathan Taylor had 20 yards on two carries, including one for 16 yards that iced the game. Add those, and it was 138 yards on 17 plays (8.12 per play).
In their other 39 plays (not including two game-ending kneeldowns), the Colts gained 229 yards (5.62 per play).
Opponents’ scores by quarter in five games are eye-opening. It’s 20 in the first, 33 in the second, 12 in the third and, are you ready? … 62 in the fourth. It doesn’t take a math wizard to realize those 62 points are only three fewer than allowed in the first three quarters combined.
Oh, sorry, here is what Gannon said: “Yeah, we didn’t stop them.” Well, that goes without saying. He then said, “I thought some explosives. Jonathan Taylor is a good player – we knew that coming in, but I thought he had a little too much today. Some explosives in the pass game, and then when we got some opportunities to get off on third down – I’ve got to look at it – it was probably we’re a little tick off here, tick off there, and that’s where you need to be. You’ve got to be on those details to keep points off the board.”
Yeah, ticked off is a good way of putting it.
First-down success
The Colts entered the game second in the NFL with an average per play of 6.77 on first down. Sunday, they averaged 7.50, including a 17-yard run by quarterback Daniel Jones and a 26-yard pass to wide receiver Alec Pierce in the touchdown drive that tied the game at 24.
They weren’t as proficient in the winning drive, but there was a 15-yard questionable facemask penalty on linebacker Zaven Collins on a first-down run by Taylor that lost four yards. That moved the ball from the Cardinals’ 44-yard line to the 29.
Third down wasn’t bad
Gannon referred to having opportunities to get the Colts off the field on third down, but they had only eight attempts and converted four. On the late scoring drives, they only reached third down once, but from the Cardinals’ 12-yard line on third-and-8, Jones completed a crucial pass to wide receiver Josh Downs for nine yards that led to the winning Taylor touchdown two plays later.
Speaking of Taylor
After a 123-yard rushing day, Taylor is already at 603 yards for the season on 115 carries (5.2) average and seven touchdowns. Just when it appears he is stopped, Taylor keeps going and picks up additional yardage. He did have runs of zero and minus-2 after having only three total for zero or minus in the first five games.
Of his 123 yards, 70 came on four runs: 10, 14, the game-clinching 16-yarder and 30. Yes, explosives. The ones for 14 and 30 were in a nine-play, 87-yard drive that gave the Colts a 14-7 lead in the second quarter.
Other notables
Linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. had the Cardinals only takeaway with an interception, while safety Budda Baker nearly had one. Two snaps later, the Colts tied the game in the third quarter at 17 with a field goal.
Linebacker Baron Browning had the only sack of Jones, his second of the season. Linebacker Josh Sweat entered the game with 5.0 sacks and is still there after a game in which he had only one solo tackle.
Gillikin sidelined
Punter Blake Gillikin, the NFL’s fourth-best punter in both average (51.7) and net (45.4) was placed on injured reserve Saturday because of a back injury and replaced by Pat O’Donnell. He punted only twice, but they were for 43 and 49 yards (46.0 average) and that was also his net because of no return yards and one inside the 20 that went out of bounds. Rookie safety Kitan Crawford had an outstanding tackle for no gain on the other punt.
Kicker Chad Ryland had field goals of 40 and 44 yards, while Greg Dortch helped field position with kickoff returns of 30 and 36 yards and averaged 28.5 on four returns.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Colts 31, Cardinals 27: Takeaways on defense, special teams
