The Indianapolis Colts enter Week 14 on a four-game win streak. Here’s what Indy must do against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday to keep that streak going.
by Kurt Breidenstein
When this game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Cincinnati Bengals was first seen on the schedule, all fans knew this was most likely going to be a loss to Joe Burrow and a Bengals preparing for a playoff run. But the season is extremely different now. The Colts are firmly in the playoff hunt at 7-5, as are the 6-6 Bengals, but with Joe Burrow out for the season with a wrist injury, backup Jake Browning is now the starter in Cincinnati.
While most pundits immediately ruled out the Bengals, they got a key win in Week 13 on Monday night against the Jacksonville Jaguars, which improved the Colts chances of winning the AFC South now. This seemingly automatic win now looks to be another key game for this Indy team to continue its march to a playoff spot. Lets discuss the key points of this game and how the Colts can get their fifth straight win.
3) Colts must contain Bengals star players
One of the remaining strengths of this Bengals football team is the depth that they have at the skill positions. Even with Burrow on the sideline, they have plenty of weapons on the offensive side of the ball. They are led a by a trio of receivers that starts with Ja’Marr Chase and then Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd. On the ground Cincinnati is led by Joe Mixon.
The standout amongst these skill position players is undoubtedly Ja’Marr Chase. He currently has 86 receptions this season and is on pace to break is his own seasonal records. The Colts may be without standout rookie CB JuJu Brents again this week, so the task of covering Chase will be left to either rookie Jaylon Jones or Darrell Baker Jr. Both players have struggled against team’s top receivers. This week will be no different and how they gameplan against these skill position players could be the tipping point of this ball game.
2) Colts have to disrupt Jake Browning
Anytime you have an undrafted and unproven quarterback under center, either as a one game fill in or full season closer, the key to success against these of quarterbacks is disruption. I know it’s always said, you have to be able to rush the passer and its even more evident with a backup under center.
The Colts pass rush has been a surprisingly great unit this season. They have accumulated a total of 42 sacks, which is second most in the NFL. Entering the year, this was expected to be a weakness on the defense this season. However, guys like Samson Ebukam, Kwity Paye, and Dayo Odeyingbo we’re able to step up for Indianapolis.
The Colts are also getting a boost on the defensive line, with elite defensive tackle Grover Stewart returning from his six game PED suspension this week.
Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan proved he can put a winning game plan out there for Browning with last week’s surprising win over Jacksonville. He simplified some things and had trust in Browning, allowing him to throw it nearly 40 times. The Colts front seven must get Browning to move around in the pocket and make him uncomfortable to try to disrupt not only his rhythm, but his confidence.
1) Indy has to keep its foot on the gas
Colts head coach Shane Steichen has really shown what this team and staff is capable of these past four weeks. In weeks 9-13, where the Colts went 4-0, they only scored under 27 points just once in those four games. The one time was against New England where they won 10-6 on a neutral site in Germany. Despite a bad record, the Patriots have been really good defensively and Indy just happened to be on the receiving end that week.
Steichen has shown his ability to cater his offense to the strength of the players that he has on his roster. He has adapted to different quarterbacks and running backs this season. The team has responded to his coaching and his accountability in the locker room, and that’s why Indy is 7-5 with a pretty good chance of going to the playoffs.
This Cincinnati team is battle tested, as they have played in two consecutive AFC title games and Super Bowl LVI. Whatever Steichen has been able to find in this football team, it needs to continue. This will be a great experience for the younger players to really gain some December football experience if the Colts happen to make the playoffs.
Originally posted on horseshoeheroes.com