INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts’ offensive struggles and defensive lapses were on full display Sunday in a 34 – 22 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, dropping the team to 2 – 3 and raising serious questions about whether they can compete with top-tier competition.
WISH-TV Colts contributor Heather Lloyd appeared on News 8 Monday morning wearing all black — her traditional post-loss attire — to break down what went wrong at Acrisure Stadium, where the Colts now hold a dismal 2 – 19 record.
“I don’t know what was more frustrating to watch, the lack of production on offense or the lack of tackling on defense,” Lloyd told News 8’s Hanna Mordoh, Pam Elliot, and Drew Narsutis.
Offense sputters without Pierce
Week after week, the absence of wide receiver Alec Pierce continues to hamstring the Colts’ passing attack. Quarterback Daniel Jones completed 24 of 44 passes for 267 yards on Sunday but failed to throw a touchdown pass, though he avoided turnovers with zero interceptions.
“Daniel Jones drops back to pass, and everything’s jammed up in the middle of the field. Half the time he can’t even step back without pressure,” Lloyd said. “He’s constantly throwing it away because there’s nobody open.”
The Colts managed just one offensive touchdown — a rushing score by tight end Tyler Warren, who finished with seven catches for 83 yards. Kicker Spencer Shrader accounted for 16 of Indianapolis’ 22 points, converting five field goals to tie the franchise single-game record and set a career high.
Wide receiver Keenan Allen provided a bright spot with five catches for 45 yards, surpassing his current wide receivers coach Reggie Wayne for all-time receptions with 1,071 — placing him 11th in NFL history.
Defense regresses after strong start
After two encouraging performances, the Colts defense surrendered 352 yards to Pittsburgh and missed numerous tackles that extended Steelers drives.
“It was the missed tackles and lack of urgency that really stood out,” Lloyd said, invoking former Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus’ term for players not giving full effort on every snap. “Let me tell you, there was a ‘lot of loafing’ out there yesterday.”
Lloyd also debated whether Indianapolis has the personnel to match up with the league’s best teams.
“Do the Colts have the talent? Are they good enough to challenge the best teams in the NFL? And I have to say, through week five, the answer is no,” she said.
Must-win game looms against winless Titans
The Colts will try to get back to .500 when they host the winless Tennessee Titans at Lucas Oil at 1 p.m. Sunday.
With the Jacksonville Jaguars currently atop the AFC South, Lloyd says Indianapolis cannot afford another setback — especially against a team still searching for its first victory.
“This is good news, and really, it could not come at a better time,” Lloyd said. But she warned against overlooking Tennessee, which has historically played the Colts tough at home.
“If you lose to the Titans, the winless Titans at home, you are gonna be in DEFCON 1,” she said. “The fans aren’t even mad. The fans are just done with it.”
Lloyd emphasized that winning alone will not restore confidence after five weeks of inconsistent play.
“The biggest thing is win, but really don’t lose,” she said. “The thing that really gets me is the urgency. You’ve got to be out there playing all out and playing hard.”
Heather Lloyd on the set of WISH-TV.
(Circle City Broadcasting Photo)
