Colts lose to Bucs, 38-31: Winners, losers and those in between

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The Indianapolis Colts (6-6) couldn’t hold on to a double-digit lead in their 38-31 loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-3) at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday.

The loss will put them back a bit in the playoff picture and while no loss is a good one, the Colts did compete for the majority of the game. However, five turnovers against a good team usually isn’t going to cut it.

Here’s a quick look at the winners and losers (and those in between) from Week 12:

Winners

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  • LB Darius Leonard: Playing on one ankle, Leonard led the way with 15 tackles (12 solo), 1 pass defended and 1 forced fumble. He now has 10 takeaways in 12 games and continues to make an impact on the defensive side of the ball.

  • RB Jonathan Taylor: Outside of one clutch drive in the fourth quarter, Taylor struggled to find holes to run through. That said, he put the team on his back during the fourth quarter on a drive when the offense needed a touchdown. He finished with 16 carries for 83 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.

  • CB Isaiah Rodgers: The Colts have themselves another gem. Rodgers have proven to be more than just a special teams player. He’s a strong depth piece in the secondary. Rodgers had an interception and a pass defended but also added a 71-yard kick return at the end of the fourth quarter to give the Colts a chance to tie the game.

  • DT DeForest Buckner: Despite playing through a knee injury, Buckner was all over the place. The three-technique was in the backfield all day and really turned it on in the second half. He finished with a sack, a tackle for loss and a batted pass.

Others: Taylor Stallworth, T.Y. Hilton

Losers

Syndication: The Indianapolis Star

  • WR Zach Pascal: It was a rough game for Pascal. He had seven targets but came away with just two receptions—the result of a few drops. He also had a crucial fumble that turned into a touchdown for the Bucs on the ensuing drive.

  • S Andrew Sendejo: The veteran safety continues to hurt the Colts will poor angles to the football and inconsistent tackling. Sendejo helped Leonard Fournette put the dagger in the Colts on the 28-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

  • LB Bobby Okereke: He had his flashes but Okereke’s struggles cam in coverage. He was responsible for the touchdown pass to Fournette after getting lost in traffic and had plenty of miscues guarding Rob Gronkowski and Cameron Brate.

Others: Nyheim Hines, T.J. Carrie

Mixed Reviews

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  • QB Carson Wentz: For the most part, Wentz was more good than bad. He struggled in the first quarter but played very well the rest of the way. His two interceptions need context. One was a jump ball that Michael Pittman Jr. couldn’t come down with while the other one was the Hail Mary at the end of the game. For the most part, Wentz was dealing against the blitz-heavy Bucs. Some ill-timed interceptions and a few other missed throws puts him here.

  • WR Michael Pittman Jr.: He led the way with 10 targets and had some big plays but had some drops early and slipped on a route in the red zone during the first drive.

Others: Rock Ya-Sin, Ashton Dulin

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