Quarterback Gardner Minshew spent the past two Januarys preparing for meaningful games with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Now, in Indianapolis, he’s one of the veterans trying to teach his mostly younger, inexperienced teammates what it takes to make a playoff push. Clearly, there’s a lot of work to do.
“You start counting wins and you start doing schedule math and you look around, it’s like, ‘Well, they lost to Carolina, and we beat the Steelers,’” Minshew said describing the results from Week 15, leading into Sunday’s 29-10 loss at Atlanta.
“Well, you’ve got to go and earn it right now. Everybody thinks you’ve got all this time, you’re going to have all these chances to make playoff runs, and it doesn’t work like that.”
Minshew speaks from experience.
As a rookie in 2019, he went 6-6 as the Jaguars starter and became a fan favorite. But after starting 2020 with a 1-6 mark, Minshew was benched. He only made one more start for Jacksonville, a loss, before he was out of a job.
The quirky quarterback landed in Philadelphia, making two late-season starts in each of the Eagles’ two playoff seasons. Then this season, he’s revived his career in Indianapolis with a 6-5 record to match his career-high victory total.
But with the Colts (8-7) in the playoff hunt with two home games remaining, Minshew and his teammates know there’s no margin for error - or Indy’s playoff drought could go to three seasons.
“I feel like Gardner said it perfectly, ‘Don’t take it for granted’ being in a situation in December where you can fight for a playoff spot,” linebacker Zaire Franklin said after Sunday’s latest setback. “Don’t feel like you beat a team on paper just because you all are supposed to be better than them. It’s hard to win in this league.”
Indy learned that lesson the hard way by getting blown out in its past two road games against backup quarterbacks and teams with worse records.
On Sunday, they’ll presumably face a similar scenario when the Las Vegas Raiders (7-8) and rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell visit Lucas Oil Stadium.
For the Colts who endured an unforgettable two-game collapse that cost them a playoff spot in 2021, which started with a home loss to the Raiders, this seems eerily familiar. The question is whether Minshew’s message will resonate in this locker room.
“We have to take advantage of (the chances) when we’ve got them,” he said. “I’m excited to how we respond and bring it next week.”
WHAT’S WORKING
Tight ends. Indy showed how much it values this position by opening the season with four TEs on the active roster and another on injured reserve. Each week, it seems, a different player steps into the spotlight. Last weekend, it was two guys - Kylen Granson and Will Mallory. Granson had five catches for 62 yards while Mallory had four for 47. Indy finished with 20 completions for 201 yards passing.
WHAT NEEDS HELP
Running game. The Colts must become more consistent on the ground to make the playoffs - or win a postseason game. They beat the Steelers by rushing for 170 yards then had only 92 yards rushing against Atlanta. Not surprisingly, Minshew’s best performances this season have come when the offense has been more balanced.
STOCK UP
Michael Pittman Jr. How did Indy’s top receiver improve his stock by sitting out Sunday? Without him, the Colts struggled to do much downfield even as Atlanta used more defenders against the run and crowded the receivers.
STOCK DOWN
RB Jonathan Taylor. Whether it was the Falcons defense or the 2021 NFL rushing champ showing some rust after missing the previous three games, Taylor wasn’t himself. He had 18 carries for 43 yards, just 12 more than Minshew, and had no receptions for an average of 2.4 yards per touch.
INJURIES
Pittman was initially cleared through the concussion protocol Friday only to re-enter it after he showed additional symptoms after the flight to Atlanta. His status remains the biggest question this week. Indy also will be monitoring RT Braden Smith, who has missed three straight games with a knee injury, and No. 2 RB Zack Moss, who sat out Sunday (right arm). Safety Julian Blackmon also left Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury.
KEY NUMBERS
7 - It doesn’t seem to matter what the Colts do. Beating the Steelers kept them in the AFC’s No. 7 spot. So did losing to the Falcons. And the seven-loss Colts are still in the AFC South title chase, too.
NEXT STEPS
For the second time in three weeks, Indy must move quickly beyond an inexplicably flat outing. The high stakes should add to the motivation, especially for players such as Taylor and Pittman who were around two years ago and are still seeking their first playoff win.
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