The Indianapolis Colts play at home against the Chicago Bears on Sunday at 1:00 PM EST for their Week 3 matchup.

Last week was an absolute disgrace for the Colts. Both the offense and defense failed to do what they set out to do against a Green Bay Packers team that was missing their starting quarterback Jordan Love. It’s the kind of loss that we look back on at the end of the season and think of as the chance that the team missed would have punched the team’s postseason ticket in what should have been a very winnable game. Instead, the Colts find themselves in an 0-2 hole that they’ll have to work hard to get out of. And if Indy falls to 0-3 after today, well, I’m a pretty patient person and honestly, this season is about the development of Anthony Richardson and far less about the struggles. But even if that’s true, 0-3 compared to where this team was last season and the way they’ve lost games so far, well, I’m a patient person and it’s still a young season even after three games, but 0-3 is almost always insurmountable and with the team they’ve built and no major injuries to blame so far (DeForest Buckner got injured after most of the damage was done a week ago, I can’t really blame him for that), well, 0-3 with two straight losses to quarterbacks who started their games with the Colts with 617 total yards, 0 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, and a 2-3 win-loss record, is inexcusable.

To win this game, the Indianapolis Colts will need to do two things they have yet to prove they can do in 2024: 1. Force punts on defense and 2. Sustain drives before converting them into points on offense. It’s an analysis so simple a child could give it, but this season the Colts’ run defense has proven to be a group of little kids taking on the grown men on that week’s opponent. Offensively, they need to take advantage of Josh Downs’ return to the lineup and rely on his ability to win fast to give Richardson some easy, high percentage completions that will move the chains and hopefully get him back in rhythm, because right now they look like that guy at a concert who clearly has no idea he’s clapping along at exactly the wrong time.

I wish I had better news for you, but this team has been bad in completely unexpected ways. We all expected the secondary to be terrible, and after the first two weeks of the season, I don’t know about you, but I would applaud any team that even feels like they have to pass against this Indy defense.

But I guess I have to be careful what I wish for.

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This is your open thread for week three, so hang out, chat, celebrate, commiserate, and discuss in the comments! Go wild (within reason)!

Come on, Colts!