The 4-10-1 Colts rang in the new year in the Big Apple as they took on the 8-6-1 Giants this Sunday. Indianapolis came into the matchup leading the all-time series 12-7, and had won the last four matchups. However, the Giants were favored by 5.5. 

The Colts lost this one, 38-10. The Nick Foles-led offense quickly punted, and the Giants did as well. Indianapolis then got deep into the red zone, mostly due to a 49-yard catch by Parris Campbell, but were held to a chip-shot field goal. The Giants came back with a nice drive of their own, and capped it off with a short Richie James receiving touchdown. After a 3-and-out, the Giants came back with another short pass TD to take a 14-3 lead. A few plays later, a pass from Nick Foles was picked off by Landon Collins near midfield and taken to the house. The Colts came back with another 3-and-out, and the Giants quickly moved the ball before halftime to kick a 36-yard field goal as time expired. 

The Colts finally got a spark on the opening play of the second half when Darius Slayton fumbled, but after Sam Ehlinger came in at QB and only mustered one yard, they missed a 48-yard field goal. New York quickly scored again on a Daniel Jones run, but Indianapolis finally answered with a 16-play touchdown drive that included two fourth-down conversions. The Giants snuffed out any momentum with a touchdown drive of their own just moments later. After a Colts punt, the Giants took some time off the clock before turning the ball over on downs, and the Colts ran a few “practice” plays to effectively end the game. 

The Colts started Nick Foles at QB and turned to Sam Ehlinger at halftime, and each player put up similarly meager stat lines. Foles threw 8/13 for 81 yards and an interception, and Ehlinger completed 9/14 for 60 yards and a touchdown. With Jonathan Taylor out, Zack Moss was the leading rusher with 15 carries for 74 yards. On the other side of the ball, Daniel Jones threw 19/24 for 177 yards and two touchdowns, and also led his squad in rushing with 11 attempts for 91 yards. Richie James was the game’s leading receiver with seven catches for 76 yards and a touchdown. 

Final: NYG 38-10 IND

Analysis

An NFL fan never wants to see their team lose, but today’s loss was probably in the best interests of the team. There isn’t much to discuss about these last few games of the 2022 season. Week 17 was yet another game to forget, and was somewhat a throwaway, with the Colts splitting snaps between Nick Foles and Sam Ehlinger at quarterback. This loss did help to cement Indianapolis in the projected top five in draft order, and Colts fans might as well start looking toward the draft, the only bright spot for a team like the 2022 Indianapolis Colts. 

Around the Division

The Jaguars extended their lead for the division this week with a 31-3 win over the Texans, while the Titans lost on Thursday night to the Cowboys. The loss dropped the Titans to 0-5 in December. With the Jaguars at 8-8 and the Titans at 7-9, the stage is set for a winner-take-all tilt in Jacksonville next week, with the winner clinching a division championship and a trip to the playoffs. If the Titans were to win, they would be the first team in NFL history to go 0-4 or worse in December and still make the playoffs. 

Looking Ahead

The Colts will cap off an abysmal season by hosting the fellow bottom-feeding Houston Texans next week. The game will be an interesting one, and Indianapolis has yet to announce their starting QB, and might even use a QB-by-committee like this week. It isn’t in the best interests of either team to win this game, so it should make for a fun, wacky one. The Colts open the week as 2.5-point favorites.

Image: Indianapolis Colts Gameday Photo Gallery