INDIANAPOLIS – Here is the best and worst of the Indianapolis Colts’ 46-18 loss to the Seattle Seahawks:

THUMBS UP

>> S Matthias Farley: It was reasonable to guess Farley’s role would diminish with the quick acclimation of rookie Malik Hooker and the veteran savvy of Darius Butler on the back end of the defense. Instead, the Colts have managed to continue to take advantage of Farley’s skill set by using a three-safety rotation.

And Farley is making it difficult for coaches to scale back his snaps. On Sunday, he played 62 (91 percent) of the defensive snaps, relegating Butler to a season-low 15 (22 percent).

Farley took advantage, registering 10 tackles, a pass deflection and a nifty interception on which he tapped the ball to himself while straddling the sideline. Farley’s contributions against the run have loomed large for the defense, even though there were breakdowns late in the game that overshadowed earlier successes.

After playing almost exclusively on special teams last season, Farley has earned a bigger role and he’s making the most of it.

>> OLB Jabaal Sheard: After getting off to a slow start as a pass rusher in the season opener Sept. 10, Sheard has had a much bigger presence against quarterbacks in the past three games.

On Sunday, Sheard got six pressures on Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson according to Pro Football Focus, and he’s proving to be a versatile and useful player for defensive coordinator Ted Monachino. Sheard’s ability to play the traditional 3-4 outside linebacker role off the edge while also capable of lining up in a three-point stance like a defensive end gives the offensive line different looks and provides Sheard with various rush angles.

And because he never gives up on plays, some of that pressure will inevitably turn into sacks even if he doesn’t beat his man right off the bat. That was the case on the final play of the first quarter, when Sheard notched his lone sack by tripping Wilson from behind after giving chase.

THUMBS DOWN

>> DT Johnathan Hankins: There’s a certain level of responsibility that comes with signing a huge free-agent contract. Not only are you expected to play a high level of football, but you’re also expected to be a player who will play sensibly and not undermine your team’s ability to win games.

Enter Hankins. After signing a three-year contract worth just shy of $30 million in the spring, Hankins had a presence throughout the game, netting a sack on Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and providing a good push against the run.

But a pair of penalties in that key third-quarter drive that started the Colts’ unraveling were inexcusable. The unnecessary roughness penalty, on which Hankins decked offensive lineman Oday Aboushi after the whistle was particularly unforgivable. The defensive holding penalty later on the drive was also killer because it offset a Seattle holding penalty that would left the Seahawks in a first-and-20 situation.

These are the kinds of little things that contribute to drives that change games, as that third-quarter Seattle possession did.

>> Offensive collapse: It wouldn’t be fair to try and single out any individual member of what was a train-wreck of an offense in the second half. The Colts couldn’t move the ball, complete a pass, run the ball or merely function.

Who was to blame?

Everyone. Jacoby Brissett played the worst span of football in his short career in the second half, being repeatedly indecisive with the ball and putting great stress on his offensive line. That being said, the offensive line fell apart in glorious fashion, with Brissett under assault from Seattle’s blood-thirsty front seven. And the Colts’ wide receivers didn’t exactly distinguish themselves, either. They failed to get off the press coverage the Seahawks execute so impressively, making for tight throwing windows those times when Brissett was actually able to set his feet and make a decent throw. The Colts completed just 2 of 9 pass attempts in the second half.

We can decry the defense’s tendency to give up big plays, as it did in the second half, but the offense has to do its part.

“That’s not complementary football,” coach Chuck Pagano said.

Sure isn’t.