Where did the Indianapolis Colts end up in ESPN's NFL power rankings after their lopsided opening-week loss?
The Indianapolis Colts (0-1) were on the wrong end of a pounding last Sunday in Week 1, when the Baltimore Ravens (1-0) came into Lucas Oil Stadium and completely overwhelmed the hosts, leaving with a 41-23 victory.
As a result, ESPN dropped the Colts three spots in their NFL power rankings to No. 22 after opening the season at No. 19.
After a strong start to the game, including an opening-drive touchdown, the Colts fell completely flat and never kept up with the Ravens, who now sit at No. 3 in the rankings.
The Colts' offense was supposed to be relatively reliable after welcoming in just one new starter, but two turnovers and consistently starting with poor field position put the Colts in a bind.
Quarterback Daniel Jones, playing in his first game since December after tearing his right Achilles, looked a bit rusty. Dating back to last season, he began struggling against the blitz about midway through the year, and that continued on Sunday.
Baltimore deployed the fourth-highest blitz rate of the week (43.4%) against the Colts, and on 10 dropbacks in which he was blitzed, Jones completed just 2-of-7 passes for 19 yards and was also sacked twice, according to NFL Pro. He wasn't helped much by his non-offensive-line pass protectors, especially running back Seth McGowan, who allowed a sack and a QB hit on his two pass-pro reps.
The Colts ran the ball much more steadily, as four offensive players earned above-average grades in run blocking, according to Pro Football Focus. The Colts' offense accumulated 102 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries. However, they trailed for all but the first seven minutes of the game, which didn't help them establish a rhythm on the ground.
The defense was a complete mess, and upon further explanation from the Colts, it appears they never had a chance.
The tempo and speed at which the Ravens played apparently caught the Colts off guard, and the defense had trouble with miscommunications and alignment issues, which led to numerous big plays for Baltimore's offense.
"We practiced tempo. Obviously, that's a big part of what they do," Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said on Tuesday. "Maybe just speed of the game maybe got them a little bit, but I don't – it's nothing that we didn't practice against or prepare for. We just got to execute it better on Sunday."
Quarterback Lamar Jackson had over 300 yards passing, with a yards per attempt of 12.9. Before leaving the game after the first half with a reaggravated hamstring injury, wide receiver Zay Flowers put up a career-high 150 yards and a touchdown on just five catches.
Led by running back Derrick Henry's 144 yards and three touchdowns, Baltimore had 202 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
Things weren't much smoother for the Colts on special teams, as they missed the extra point attempt following their opening-drive touchdown, and had three holding penalties on kickoff and punt returns.
The Colts next face the Kansas City Chiefs (1-0), who are coming off a commanding 31-10 AFC West win over the Denver Broncos (0-1). The game is at Arrowhead Stadium at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC's Sunday Night Football.
