The Indianapolis Colts returned from their bye week to face the Minnesota Vikings as underdogs, with many expecting a one-sided game. Instead, the Colts vs Vikings battle provided a game to remember.
It’s fair to say we saw a tale of two halves. In the first two quarters, Indianapolis jumped out to a 33-0 lead. Even without Jonathan Taylor, the Colts were rolling through the Vikings and seemed on track for one of the biggest NFL upsets in December. Instead, fans experienced the unfortunate side of NFL history.
How fans view Saturday’s final result comes down to perspective. Those focused on Indianapolis having the highest pick in the 2023 NFL Draft order will come away happy. However, fans of this team showing positive signs for the future will likely be further alarmed by what transpired.
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Here are three takeaways from the Colts’ loss to the Vikings.
Special teams got in on the scoring
Bubba Ventrone is thought to be one of the better coaches in the NFL. Thought so highly that he could be in consideration for a head coaching position. This game showed off how good of a coaching job he did. They blocked a punt which they then scooped up and ran it back for a touchdown to push the lead up 10-0 in the first quarter. As owner Jim Irsay evaluates coaching candidates to interview this offseason, Ventrone could be making quite the impression.
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Indianapolis continues to fight defensively
The Colts’ defense is the best part of the football team. It’s the one side of the team that continues to show up every week and the one side that can be counted on. They forced a total of three turnovers in the game which led to 14 points.
First, they forced Dalvin Cook to fumble which the Colts recovered. Then the offense was able to score a touchdown and push the first-quarter lead up to 17 points. And then in the second quarter, the Colts were able to force a pick six which pushed their lead up 30-0 over Minnesota.
Finally, in the second half, the Colts were able to force one more Kirk Cousins interception. This one looked like it might be the one to finally end the Minnesota comeback. Unfortunately, the Colts’ offense couldn’t score any points. The defense helped the Colts build a 33-0 lead. Subsequently, the offense couldn’t do its part and the defense was left to play a vast majority of the second half. Minnesota was able to take advantage of this and win the game.
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This game made NFL History
Minnesota was able to successfully pull off the largest comeback in NFL history. They came back from a 33-point deficit. It took overtime to accomplish this task but they did it. Indianapolis went into halftime 33-0. In the second half, Minnesota went on a 36-3 run and closed out the game on a 39-3 run.
Two weeks after allowing the most points in the fourth quarter to Dallas. The Colts’ last two games have now made history. Unfortunately, not the kind of history that Colts fans are going to be proud of. The Colts are currently on a four-game losing streak. They’re currently still holding the seventh overall draft pick but that figures to change based on how the rest of this week’s games turn out. Their next game will be on Monday Night Football hosting the Los Angeles Chargers.
