The Indianapolis Colts (1-2) were able to secure their first win of the season in a 21-16 victory over the Chicago Bears (1-2) at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday.
Avoiding the dreaded 0-3 start was crucial for Anthony Richardson and the Colts, who have been an erratic team on both sides of the ball to begin the campaign.
While Richardson continued to struggle with erratic accuracy, the defense finally showed some life with two interceptions from Jaylon Jones while bottling up D'Andre Swift and the Bears rushing attack.
The win helped the Colts climb out of a hole in the NFL power rankings entering Week 4, according to Vinnie Iyer of Sporting News, rising four spots from No. 28.
"24. Indianapolis Colts 1-2 (28)
The Colts got away with a dud from Anthony Richardson to get their first win, but their defense finally tightened up in key spots and Jonathan Taylor was there to run away to save the day," Iyer wrote.
It was a big day for Taylor, who took 23 carries for 110 rushing yards and two touchdowns while adding a 25-yard reception.
Meanwhile, the Colts passing defense ranked ninth-best in EPA per pass attempt (-0.22) and sixth-best in EPA per rush attempt (-0.37), according to Next Gen Stats.
The Colts will have a stiff challenge hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0) in Week 4, but getting out of that winless hole was vital.
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