After five weeks of action, many teams have already solidified themselves as legitimate Super Bowl contenders. Quarterback (QB) Russell Wilson put the league on notice with another MVP-like performance, the Saints showcased their powerhouse talent even with QB Drew Brees on the sidelines and the Buffalo Bills defense may just carry the struggling QB Josh Allen into January football — but what about teams still on the fringe?
The Colts have been this year’s biggest question mark since QB Andrew Luck’s shocking retirement back in August, with many in the football cognoscenti taking them out of the running in the AFC South. While that could still be a possibility, their latest performance marked a turning point in their season. The Colts stunned the Chiefs on Oct. 6 in the season’s biggest upset thus far, and could be crucial should the Colts find themselves playing for a spot in the playoffs late in the season.
Running back Marlon Mack ran the ball 29 times for a total of 132 yards, dismantling the Chiefs’ defense and putting kicker Adam Vinatieri in a great position for a total of four field goals.
However, the story of the game was the Colts’ impressive defense. Despite playing without star players Darius Leonard and Malik Hooker, Indy’s defense held Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and his offense to a mere 13 points, the lowest in Mahomes’ young career. Linebacker Justin Houston led the charge against his former team, racking up a sack and two tackles for loss. The unit as a whole, sacked the reigning MVP four times with eight hits. The Colts put consistent pressure on Mahomes for the entirety of the game, forcing him to throw under duress.
The jury is still out on whether or not Jacoby Brissett is the answer for this Colts franchise, but Brissett will have a myriad of opportunities to prove that he is worth the $30 million contract he signed earlier this year.
The Colts will go into their bye week at 3-2 and are in great position for a playoff campaign, as they look to their defense to take advantage of a moribund Texans offensive line in week seven.
