Well, there is a reason why the Indianapolis Colts and New York Jets entered their game on Thursday night in primetime both under the .500 mark. It is because from a defensive perspective, both the Colts and Jets are struggling significantly in the first half of the 2021 National Football League regular season.
Just how bad was the defense on both teams? Well, in one game the Jets and Colts defenses combined to give up 1018 total yards. The Colts had 536 yards, while the Jets had 486, in a 45-30 Indianapolis win.
A major problem for the Jets right now is their rush defense. Colts running back Jonathan Taylor of Salem, New Jersey had 19 rushes for 172 yards and two touchdowns, along with two catches for 28 yards. One must realize, the 172 yards was not a career high. That is because Taylor in fact had an amazing 253 rushing yards in a 28-14 Colts win over the Jacksonville Jaguars to close out the 2020 NFL regular season. The 253 rushing yards set a Colts franchise record for most in one game.
From a passing perspective, Carson Wentz completed 22 of 30 passes for 272 yards and three touchdowns. Wentz found 10 different Colts players, with offensive lineman Danny Pinter even getting a touchdown catch.
The Colts must be very concerned about their defense however. The Jets had 20 second half points with their third string quarterback in Josh Johnson. The Jets allowed 398 passing yards (317 from Johnson and 95 from Mike White). It was a great offensive night for Jets wide receiver Elijah Moore, who had seven catches for 84 yards and two touchdowns.
With the win, the Colts improved to a record of four wins and five losses. The Jets dropped to two wins and six losses.
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