Over the years I’ve seen a ton of opening day optimism at NFL games as after all every team is undefeated and bound for the Super Bowl.
Forget what happened last season you say, as this is definitely our turn to be great as game one is simply a precursor to a season we will never be able to forget about as we fight for a playoff win.
Something tells me that many of the 65,000 in attendance at Lucas Oil Stadium this past Sunday weren’t necessarily in shock as the home team, much to their chagrin, laid an egg the size of a compact car — a game that featured the home team being booed before the end of the first quarter and was unfortunately completely over at halftime.
The phrase ‘there was plenty of blame to go around’ comes to mind here as after a successful opening drive that led to a touchdown and a brief lead, the Indianapolis Colts were then completely manhandled by a talented Baltimore Ravens team.
Sure, there were legitimate concerns about the health of several key players on the Indianapolis roster, but that can’t be said for the Colts secondary which allowed Ravens wideout Zay Flowers to impersonate Jerry Rice.
Ditto for future first ballot Hall of Fame running back Derrick Henry, who ran through the home team’s defense with virtually no resistance for three touchdowns, as the Ravens amassed over 500 yards of total offense in what seemed like a hurry, as they moved the chains effortlessly and controlled the game in a manner that was indeed a thing of beauty for everyone except those wearing Colts replica jerseys in the stands.
As for the return of Daniel Jones, it was obvious he’s not 100% healthy, as demonstrated by the lack of a quick first step and some rather bad throws as well.
While it’s hard to predict how he will progress, it’s possible that he showed as much mobility as he’ll ever be capable of demonstrating.
Alec Pierce was shut down for the most part, and while his ankle still remains a rather legitimate concern, it was indeed great to see one DeForrest Buckner back on the field, with the best part of his mostly ineffective day being he didn’t reinjure his neck, despite not drawing a double team scheme from the opposition most of the game. Simply put, it wasn’t the results the Colts brass was hoping for and with Kansas City and Houston on the horizon, a 0-3 start is indeed a distinct possibility.
Before you accuse me of throwing dirt on this team, think about what we’ve witnessed over the past seasons and the amount of patience that Chris Ballard and Shane Steichen have been shown. They are fighting for their respective jobs and realizing they may need a realtor before long.
The mantra of ‘we should be improved next year’ has run its course fully, and while Baltimore was clearly the better team when they got off the plane, an opening day collapse wasn’t in the script for the Colts. The question marks about injuries and lack of depth aside, we’ve seen this movie before and it appears to be a horror flick.
Danny Bridges, who would love to see the rabid Colts fan base get a return on their substantial investment, can be reached at (317) 370-8447 or bridgeshd@aol.com.
Danny Bridges is an award-winning journalist and a longtime sports columnist for the Indianapolis Recorder. He covers college, professional sports and especially all things IndyCar racing. He can be reached at 317-370-8447 or at bridgeshd@aol.com.
