The Colts Need to Work on their Turnover Problem

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Marshall Faulk's question for us this week deals with precision.  In particular, what area needs to be sharpened up for the Colts during this final month of the regular season as they prepare for the playoffs?  We've talked here before about how the Colts are almost guaranteed of a playoff spot this year, and so for them the final month of the season will be most importantly for preparing for the postseason and sharpening up their game.  And I think anybody who has watched them play over the past couple of weeks will say the same thing: the Colts need to work on the turnovers.

Last week against the Redskins, the Colts turned the ball over three times - an interception and two lost fumbles on three fumbles total.  Two weeks ago against the Jaguars, the Colts also turned the ball over three times - all on lost fumbles on six total fumbles.  In fact, the last time the Colts went a game without fumbling the football (not lost fumbles, just fumbles period) was in week four against the Tennessee Titans.  That was over two months ago.  In every single one of the last eight games, the Colts have fumbled at least once - though only losing eight of them.  On the season, the Colts have fumbled 24 times, losing 11 of them.  They've also thrown 11 interceptions.  Last year the Colts led the NFL and set a franchise best for fewest turnovers in a 16-game season with only 14 turnovers.  Through 12 games this year, they've turned the ball over 22 times.  And in the last two weeks alone, the Colts have turned the ball over six times.

We can play the blame game if we want, but I'm not sure any one person is to blame.  Andrew Luck needs to hang on to the football better and learn that it's ok to sometimes take a sack.  The offensive line needs to block better for him and not let a pass rusher have a easy shot at Luck.  The running backs (and most recently Boom Herron) need to hang on to the football.  There's really no one person to blame and that's really beside the point right now.  The bottom line is that the Colts must get this turnover problem under control.

On Sunday, the Redskins were unable to capitalize on the Colts' turnovers.  Credit the Colts' defense, absolutely, but the Redskins couldn't take advantage of the Colts' failures.  Against a good team in the playoffs, that won't happen.  The good teams will capitalize on the Colts' turnovers.  And it's much better to work on those issues now, when the team can still win games despite them, than waiting for it to cost them in the playoffs.

The time is now to work on the turnovers.  Because unless the Colts get the problem under control, they won't have a shot to go far in the playoffs.  Good teams will capitalize on the mistakes.  And while the Colts have a great opportunity in the final month of the season to work on fixing some of these issues, they need to make sure they're doing whatever they can to do so.  And that means not fumbling the freakin football, first and foremost.

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