The Indianapolis Colts entered the 2022 season with some high expectations. There were a lot of people that believed they were a dark horse to win the Super Bowl, but their Week 1 performance will likely put a damper on that from a few people’s perspectives.
The Colts had a listless performance in the season opener on the road against the Houston Texans. The teams ended up tying 20-20 as Rodrigo Blankenship missed a field goal attempt in overtime that would have won the game.
Indianapolis was lucky to even be in that position as they trailed 20-3 entering the fourth quarter. They needed a furious comeback just to get into overtime as they were shutout in the second and third quarters of the game.
Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman Jr. both played like stars, as Taylor racked up 161 yards and a touchdown on 31 carries. Pittman was by far the team’s leading receiver, catching nine of his 13 targets for 121 yards and a touchdown.
Hopefully, they can figure things out and move the ball more consistently throughout the game as the offense does have a high ceiling. What Indianapolis may be more concerned with is the defensive performance.
Giving up 20 points isn’t terrible, but they failed to make the Texans uncomfortable throughout the game. Generating pressure on Davis Mills was difficult at times, as he was sacked three times but hit only five.
Over at Bleacher Report, addressing the pass rush was one of the things that Kristopher Knox said the team should address heading into the season. That remains the case after Week 1, as the pass rush could use a little juice.
Yannick Ngakoue was acquired in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders and will help bolster the sack numbers, but they could use some more help. That is why Jason Pierre-Paul was mentioned as a possible target.
Pierre-Paul is exactly the kind of player that a team hoping to contend should be looking to sign. He has Super Bowl experience from his time with the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Pass rushing and setting the edge in the run game is something he is still capable of doing even if it is just in a rotational role.
He showed some signs of slowing down last season with only 2.5 sacks, but in 2020 he was a Pro Bowler with 9.5. The Colts would know what they are getting from Pierre-Paul, who is a proven producer and someone they could rely on as strong depth on the front seven.
