INDIANAPOLIS -- After playing perhaps the best overall game of the season and still coming away with a defeat, the Indianapolis Colts look to regroup and begin preparations for a trip to Houston.
The Colts pretty much did everything right except win Sunday at Cincinnati. It took a 16-yard interception return for a touchdown by Bengals defensive end Carlos Dunlap with 6:58 remaining in the fourth quarter to seal a come-from-behind 24-23 victory.
Indianapolis' offense moved the ball about as well as it has all season, rolling up 331 total yards and 19 first downs. The Colts defense did a pretty good job at stopping the Cincinnati run game and keeping the ball away from star wide receiver A.J. Green for most of the day.
"Felt we played well, especially on defense, but lost. Stopped the run, pressured the quarterback and got a takeaway," head coach Chuck Pagano said in review on Monday.
But despite all the positives, Pagano's crew is still looking at a 2-6 record and a three-game losing streak.
It's the first three-game losing streak for the Colts since 2015 and the first time Indianapolis has only won two of its first eight games since the 2011 season.
Moving forward, Indianapolis is now left to try and find a way to dig itself out of a deep hole.
First up is the AFC South rival Texans this week. After that is a home game against Pittsburgh.
Houston will bring a 3-4 record into its matchup with the Colts. But it's a team that looks like it has found itself a franchise quarterback in rookie Deshaun Watson.
"Another day at the office," the Indianapolis coach said half-jokingly Monday when asked about facing the up-tempo Texans' offense.
"Watson's gonna be a great player. He's good player now and going to be a challenge," Pagano previewed. "He's got it all."
--Wide receiver T.Y. Hilton has caught five passes for 61 yards in his last three games, all Colts losses. He was only targeted twice in the fourth quarter of the Cincinnati game Sunday.
--Tight end Jack Doyle had a career day vs. the Bengals, hauling in 12 passes for 121 yards.
--Colts head coach Chuck Pagano is adamant about what his team has to do with a 2-6 record with a road game at AFC South rival Houston coming up this week.
"You stay together and you work and you fight and you keep going," Pagano stressed after the game. "We signed up for 16 of these."
--Kicker Adam Vinatieri keeps moving up the NFL record chart. Vinatieri, playing in his 22nd season at the age of 44, is now tied for second in NFL history with 2,434 points. What's his secret?
"Good genes. And he's Italian. Phenomenal," head coach Chuck Pagano said Monday.
NOTES: QB Andrew Luck (right shoulder) will not practice this week and will not be available to play at Houston on Sunday. Luck is slated to get a second opinion on his shoulder after suffering shoulder soreness two weeks ago. He had done light on-field work prior to that. Luck received a cortisone shot last week. "We're going to exhaust all resources. It's long term, next 10 to 12 years for this guy. Going to make sure he's right," head coach Chuck Pagano explained Monday. "We're just trying to get him healthy." ... OLB Barkevious Mingo had his best day as a Colts player in the loss to the Bengals. Mingo recorded five tackles with a quarterback hurry and a forced fumble. He was filling in for injured starter John Simon. "Mingo used leverage, length. He's very athletic and nimble. Really productive in the Cincinnati game," head coach Chuck Pagano said on Monday. ... Rookie OLB Tarell Basham saw his first extensive playing time against the Bengals Sunday. Basham had a pair of tackles, including his first NFL quarterback sack and added two quarterback hurries. "It takes time for everybody. Just continues to work. And he played well on special teams," head coach Chuck Pagano said Monday. ... CB Rashaan Melvin (concussion) remains in the league's protocol process. He is hopeful of getting cleared to return to practice this week, but no decisions have been made as of yet. ... Rookie CB Quincy Wilson (knee) tweaked a previously injured knee during practice late last week. Wilson was a pregame inactive at Cincinnati Sunday. He had been a healthy inactive for the previous two games. ...
ILB Anthony Walker (hamstring) was a pregame inactive against the Bengals Sunday. Walker saw full practice late last week after missing the previous two games. ... OLB John Simon (stinger) did not play against Cincinnati Sunday. He was hurt a week earlier vs. Jacksonville. Simon is listed as week-to-week as the coaching staff hopes to hear more from medical personnel this week. His status for the Houston game won't be updated until Friday. ... TE Erik Swoope (knee) is "making progress" towards a return to the active roster. Head coach Chuck Pagano would not put a timeline on when Swoope could resume practicing with the team. He has been on the injured reserve list since the start of the regular season.
REPORT CARD VS. BENGALS
--PASSING OFFENSE: B - QB Jacoby Brissett played relatively well against Cincinnati, competing 25-of-39 passes for 233 yards and TD passes to TE Jack Doyle and rookie RB Marlon Mack. Brissett was sacked four times. His only mistake in the game was a mid-fourth quarter pick-six that scored the game-winner for the Bengals. Cincinnati DE Carlos Dunlap made a great play to tip and then intercept the ball. Doyle had a career day with 12 catches for 121 yards.
--RUSHING OFFENSE: B - RB Frank Gore played as well as he has in his time with Indianapolis. Gore rushed 16 times for 82 yards and had a gaudy 5.1 per rush average in the game. Rookie RB Marlon Mack added 11 carries for 27 yards. Indianapolis averaged 4.1 yards per rushing play.
--PASS DEFENSE: B - Bengals QB Andy Dalton connected on 17-of-29 passes for 243 yards and touchdowns to WR A.J. Green and rookie WR Josh Malone. The coverage on Green, though, was pretty good for the entire game. He was limited to three catches on eight total targets for 27 yards. TE Tyler Kroft had five receptions for 46 yards while WR Brandon LaFell added four catches for 44 yards. Rookie RB Joe Mixon had 91 yards receiving on three catches, but 67 of those yards came on a screen pass.
--RUSH DEFENSE: A - Mixon had 18 yards in 11 carries to lead Cincinnati. The Bengals rushed the football 21 times for 58 total yards. That's 2.8 yards per carry. Just a strong overall performance by an Indianapolis run defense that had come into the game ranked 26th in the league.
--SPECIAL TEAMS: B-plus - K Adam Vinatieri was 3-for-3 in field goals, hitting from 29, 33 and 29 yards. Rookie P Rigoberto Sanchez punted four times, had one blocked and averaged 45.8 yards overall. His net average was 30.8 yards. Sanchez also had three touchbacks on kickoffs. Rookie RB Marlon Mack averaged 17.5 yards on two kickoff returns. Indianapolis DE Henry Anderson blocked a field-goal attempt and the Colts forced two fumbles on punt return coverage, recovering one.
--COACHING: B-minus - Head coach Chuck Pagano is frustrated, just like his players, as the Colts find themselves with a 2-6 record. For the team to play as well for four quarters against the Bengals and then lose late was hard to figure out. But credit Pagano and his coaching staff for having the team prepared. It was probably the best overall effort of the season in all areas. One great play by a Bengals defender with the game on the line, however, sent Indianapolis home with a tough loss.
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