The team lost their 8th game of the regular season against the Denver Broncos in a tough road battle, 31-13, but one that Indianapolis ultimately beat themselves in with tons of miscues and mistakes that took them out of contention for what many saw as a must-win game for their postseason aspirations.
A lot could be said about the game's outcome, but ESPN's Stephen Holder put things bluntly when asked to describe the Colts' performance in two simple words: "missed opportunities."
"The Colts had multiple chances to take control while Denver was struggling with turnovers," Holder said. "But their best opportunity was blown when running back Jonathan Taylor let go of the ball before he crossed the goal line on a 41-yard run early in the third quarter. The Broncos scored the final 24 points of the game after that mistake."
What happens next for the Colts? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our free newsletter and get breaking Colts news delivered to your inbox daily!
It was Jonathan Taylor's missed touchdown score in the third quarter that was truly a catalyst for disaster as this game unraveled in the second half. Rather than potentially taking a 20-7 lead to go up two scores after halftime, the play was ruled a fumble and touchback, parlaying into a Broncos comeback and domination later in the game.
Even outside of Taylor's viral blunder, that was far from the only screw-up the Colts suffered in the second half. After the touchback, Indianapolis was on the losing end of a 0-24 run commanded by the Broncos, this showed a strong effort on both sides of the ball to overcome a sputtering Indianapolis attack. AD Mitchell's trick play that landed in the hands of Nik Boniito was another.
For a game in which a win was desperately needed for their playoff hopes, the Colts needed a consistent effort in all four quarters. They didn't get that. Indianapolis now drops to 6-8 on the year and stands two games out of the Wild Card picture, with diminishing optimism to grasp onto for the final stretch of the season.
The Colts will need to get back on track next Sunday if they want any hopes of getting back into the playoff hunt, as the 3-11 Tennessee Titans travel to Lucas Oil Stadium for a classic divisional bout.