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MVP of the Game: Jonathan Taylor
Taylor was once again the Colts’ best player. He rushed for 49 yards and 2 scores in just the first half but had only 4 carries in the entire second half, and Frank Reich will definitely have to answer for that one. It was truly inexplicable why the Colts did not ride Taylor in the second half.
Dud of the Game (The Grigsy): The refs
This award could go to plenty of Colt players, but the truth is that no one deserves it more than the zebras on this one. There were several missed pass-interference calls that completely shifted the outcome of the game in the second half, on both sides of the ball.
Best Play of the Game: Zach Pascal’s long TD reception
I said last week, Pascal is perhaps the Colts’ most consistent receiver over the past 3 seasons. Yesterday he caught a 42-yard bomb to put Indy up 21-7. Life was so good back then...
Worst Play of the Game: Literally the entire second half
Man, what a rough half. Everything that could go wrong for the Colts, went wrong and then some. All the problems that plagued Indy this season arose in perhaps the most important half in the playoff race: inconsistent defensive performance, bad officiating that screws us over, Rivers throwing bad interceptions, Rock Ya-Sin, injuries to the tackle position, Reich handcuffing the offense with some questionable game plan, you name it. Just terrible all around.
Best Position Group: Running Backs
Against a tough Steelers front, both Taylor and Hines managed to have excellent days on the ground, even without both starting tackles. Once again, why on earth did Reich turn his back on the running game when it was working so well? This is the stuff that keeps him from being elite in my opinion.
Unsung Hero: T.J. Carrie
Carrie was signed with the sole intention of backing up Kenny Moore in the slot, but because of Ya-Sin’s terrible play this year, and Marvell Tell III opting out of the season because of COVID, he was forced to play on the outside a lot this season, and he has more than handled his own.
Rookie of the Week: Jonathan Taylor
The MVP of the game, Taylor gets the rookie of the week. JT has really turned a corner in such a small amount of time and it is impressive. The future looks really, really promising for this young man, and I love the tandem he forms with Hines.