Colts thumbs up, down: Woods, Hankins anchor middle of defense, offensive line struggles

INDIANAPOLIS – Here is the best and worst of the Indianapolis Colts’ 20-16 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday:

Thumbs up

>> Al Woods/Johnathan Hankins: Yes, the Titans racked up the rushing yards on their final two possessions, with running back Derrick Henry bouncing several runs to the outside and, effectively, putting the game away. But if not for the lack of containment on the perimeter, things might have been different.

That’s because Woods and Hankins were having their way inside. Woods, in particular, was a playmaker, consistently finding himself in the backfield. Hankins, meanwhile, was eating up double teams and impressively standing his ground.

The Colts limited the Titans to 3 rushing yards on 13 carries through three quarters. It got to the point where the Titans, more or less, gave up on their running game. It wasn’t until Henry found some cutback lanes and got to the edge that the Titans found their groove.

But, again, Woods and Hankins have done their part in the middle of this defense, and they are two big reasons the Colts’ defense has shown improvement.

>> P Rigoberto Sanchez: When a team’s offense can’t move the ball with any regularity, the punter’s role becomes much more significant.

Enter Sanchez, who has ably filled the big shoes left open by Pat McAfee’s retirement.

Sanchez averaged 47 yards on his five punts Sunday, but that doesn’t tell the full story. On a fourth-and-8 from the Tennessee 44-yard line early in the fourth quarter, Sanchez expertly placed a punt inside the 10-yard line, where he got a perfect bounce that sent the ball into the waiting arms of Colts cornerback Chris Milton at the 2. It was, by far, Tennessee’s worst starting field position of the day.

Sanchez also kicked off five times. He limited Tennessee to touchbacks on four of those and, on the fifth, lobbed a kick high in the air and allowed the coverage team to tackle the returner at the Titans 21-yard line.

>> TE Jack Doyle: The Colts’ top tight end earns his spot here not for his numbers, though those were quite good (seven catches, 94 yards). Doyle earns a mention here, rather, because of his clutch play.

Two plays, in particular, stand out. Doyle’s 12-yard catch on a third-and-7 in the second quarter and his 9-yard reception on third-and-6 in the third quarter are the kind of timely plays not enough players on this Colts offense are making. They were not only critical, but difficult. Doyle, who has had the dropsies at times this season, had no such issues Sunday and was as sure-handed as ever.

Thumbs down

>> Offensive line: A study of the game film would be necessary to truly evaluate how much of the blame for Sunday’s eight sacks goes to the linemen as opposed to backs, tight ends and quarterback Jacoby Brissett (whose indecision is making life difficult for this offensive line).

Either way, the Colts are struggling to achieve a level of acceptable play on the offensive line. Even with a shuffled lineup – Denzelle Good rejoined the starting unit at right tackle and Joe Haeg moved from right tackle to right guard – the results were unchanged. The Colts only extended their lead in sacks allowed, now with an NFL-high 47 for the season.

You’d like to chalk some of the struggles up to the lack of center Ryan Kelly, who was sidelined during the second half after suffering a concussion. But the truth is the Colts gave up six of their eight sacks while Kelly was in the game.

>> RB Marlon Mack: Mack’s fumble in the third quarter was a killer, but it wasn’t surprising.

Mack has shown inconsistent ball handling all season, not in terms of fumbling but in the passing game. Look no further than the first of his two receptions Sunday. As is often the case, Mack did not catch the ball cleanly, bobbling it before safely securing it for a 4-yard gain. Mack hasn’t shown himself to be a fumbler, but Sunday was hardly the first time he’s shown questionable hands.

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