After a hideous start, the Colts finally started playing good football in the second half today against the Saints. But it was too little, too late.
After jumping out to a 27-0 lead in the third quarter, the Saints saw the Colts pull to within 27-21 and nearly recover an onside kick for a chance to win the game. But the Saints recovered that kick and hung on to win the game.
Colts quarterback Andrew Luck was a disaster early in the game, but he had a big second half and finished with respectable numbers, completing 23 of 44 passes for 333 yards, with three touchdowns and two interceptions. T.Y. Hilton had 150 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Saints quarterback Drew Brees completed 28 of 44 passes for 255 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. Mark Ingram had a huge game running the ball, with 14 carries for 143 yards. Khiry Robinson managed just 28 yards on his 14 carries, but he did score two touchdowns.
If you’re looking for a reason to be optimistic about the Colts, who dropped to 3-4, you could point out that they’re still in first place in the terrible AFC South -- and that they didn’t quit in a tough game. The Saints are also 3-4, but it’s harder to be optimistic about their chances, because they’re in a tough division. Neither of these teams is great, but the Saints looked pretty great in the first half. And the Colts couldn’t do enough in the second.