Jake's Takes | Colts Dominated in Primetime vs. Cowboys

—Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence didn't wreck the game, but the Colts had little answer for the Cowboys' extra pass rushers. Coming into the game, much of the talk in this matchup was about how the Cowboys would like rack up the sacks, as they are the NFL's most prolific defense in that department while the Colts were the worst at giving sacks up. The Colts offense got in a rhythm early in the game, scoring and earning 10 points on their first two drives. They mixed in some up-tempo stuff and capitalized on solid runs by peppering in some play-action passes. However, Dallas defensive coordinator Dan Quinn decided he'd had enough and began dialing up the blitzes. When the Cowboys brought extra blockers, they either got home to Colts quarterback Matt Ryan (3 sacks) or affected the pocket or Ryan's throw (7 quarterback hits, 4 turnovers for Ryan). On multiple occasions, it appeared that Colts blockers were unable to identify the free rusher in time, allowing Dallas to bring Ryan down.

—I still do not understand rotating healthy offensive linemen. The Colts entered the game without starting right tackle Braden Smith (illness), and they made the sensible call of starting Dennis Kelly in his place. However, they then rotated Kelly and Matt Pryor throughout the game at right tackle. Pryor has had a truly rough season. For context, Pro Football Focus ranks him as the third-worst offensive lineman in the NFL this year with a grade of 42.4. Between all of the offensive linemen and coaches I've talked to over the last decade, the importance of continuity on the line is probably the most commonly-used point when discussing offensive line success. Kelly is a perfectly fine fill-in, so what's the need to rotate him with a player that's had a negative impact throughout the year?

—The Colts need to get Alec Pierce involved more often because, unless it's a deep shot, he and Ryan appear to have little chemistry. The Colts' second-round rookie wide receiver has looked as good as advertised through much of the season, showing the speed and contested-catch ability that made him a high draft pick to begin with. On Sunday night, Pierce caught a 45-yard reception down the right side as well as a 15-yard touchdown. However, he was targeted 8 times but caught just 4 of them. The short and intermediate part of his game has yet to flourish. From the outside, we can't know whether it's Ryan's or Pierce's fault, although it's probably both. Between Ryan's diminishing arm strength and Pierce's still-developing understanding of spacing, it's understandable why this whole thing is a work in progress. More diverse usage will help Pierce's game come along, but in the meantime, there's no reason not to take a couple of downfield shots per game with him.

—Jelani Woods not being involved until midway through the fourth quarter is really something... A week after a career-best 8-catch, 98-yard performance, Woods didn't have a catch until roughly midway through the fourth quarter on Sunday. He was on the injury report all week so it made sense that he was perhaps an emergency-only player, but to then see him make a big play late in the game makes you wonder why a player that talented wasn't a bigger part of the game plan to begin with. Your most gifted players shouldn't be gameplan-specific.

—What would this defense look like without Stephon Gilmore and Rodney McLeod? For all the lumps that Colts general manager Chris Ballard has taken this season, he made a couple of awesome signings this offseason with veteran defensive backs Gilmore and McLeod. On Sunday, Gilmore had 6 tackles and a couple of pass breakups, including an interception that he returned for 30 yards. The Colts got 3 points out of the ensuing drive. As for McLeod, he's helped bring stability and a veteran presence to a young safety room. Despite being a bit undersized, he's one of the Colts' toughest defenders and flies around the field. He also had 6 tackles against Dallas, including 1 for loss, as well as a pass breakup.

—Good for you, Malik Hooker. Hooker was drafted in the first round by the Colts in 2017 as a truly generational safety prospect. He showed plenty of talent and promise but rarely stayed healthy. He was not re-signed by the Colts last offseason and now seems to have found a home with the Cowboys. He had his "revenge game" of sorts against the Colts with 2 tackles, 1 interception, and 1 fumble recovered, which he returned for a 38-yard touchdown.