Two weeks ago, the Indianapolis Colts were 0-2 and had allowed 74 points. They head to Pittsburgh at 2-2 after a 30-13 win over Washington in London, second in the AFC South behind Jacksonville.
There has been about as much good as bad. Jonathan Taylor and Spencer Shrader have carried the scoring, the defense has settled down and Daniel Jones keeps putting the ball in danger. “A lot to clean up, but it was good to get a win,” coach Shane Steichen said after the game Sunday.
Positive: Jonathan Taylor keeps finishing drives
Taylor has six rushing touchdowns in four games, two each against Baltimore, Kansas City and Washington, to go with 353 yards on 86 carries. He had four rushing touchdowns before the Colts left for London and added two more there.
The guards are a big part of it. Quenton Nelson has an 84.1 overall grade and an 83.3 run-blocking grade, and Matt Goncalves is at 81.6 overall, according to PFF.
Positive: Spencer Shrader has been automatic
Shrader has made all 11 of his field goal attempts, four of them from 50 yards or longer. He hit from 58 yards against both Baltimore and Houston, and his 53-yarder with 21 seconds left beat the Texans 19-17.
He did that after a groin injury in pregame warmups that day, then went 3-for-3 in London a week later. His only miss of any kind is an extra point in the opener.
Positive: The defense has settled down
Baltimore and Kansas City combined for 74 points and 1,029 yards in the first two weeks. Houston and Washington managed 30 points and 540 yards in the next two.
Linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither has an 87.5 tackling grade with one missed tackle in 255 snaps, and DeForest Buckner has a team-high 14 pressures, according to PFF. The competition is a caveat. The Texans are 0-4, and the Commanders finished with their third-string quarterback.
Negative: Daniel Jones keeps turning it over
Jones has thrown an interception in all four games and lost three fumbles, which accounts for seven of the Colts’ eight giveaways. He has three touchdown passes against four interceptions and is averaging 5.7 yards per attempt.
PFF has him at 54.8 overall, 19th among the 20 Colts who have played on offense. “Obviously, you can’t turn the ball over like that,” Jones said after the Houston game. He turned it over twice more in London.
Negative: The pass defense is still giving up too much
Even with two better weeks, the Colts ranked 31st in yards allowed and 29th in passing yards allowed through Sunday’s games, per Pro Football Reference. Opponents have caught 83 of 121 targets against them, according to PFF.
The secondary’s grades are a concern. Sauce Gardner is at 56.5, Justin Walley has allowed 18 catches on 23 targets with a 47.7 coverage grade, and safety A.J. Haulcy has a 29.6 grade with five missed tackles.
Negative: Indianapolis has been outgained by 432 yards
The Colts have gained 1,137 yards and allowed 1,569, per Pro Football Reference. Baltimore, Kansas City and Washington all outgained them, and they average 4.5 yards per play to their opponents’ 6.2.
The 30 points in London came on 257 yards of offense, with Jones passing for 143. Indianapolis has also forced two turnovers all season, which leaves it at minus-6 in turnover margin. It is unusual to be .500 with those numbers.
Next is a trip to Pittsburgh on Sunday to face a Steelers team that is also 2-2.
