The Indianapolis Colts entered Week 4 undefeated, but they left the matchup against the Los Angeles Rams with their first loss of the season.
One play will define it more than anything else. Adonai Mitchell, the Colts’ second-year wideout, looked ready for the biggest highlight of his young career. He hauled in a deep ball from Daniel Jones and sprinted down the sideline on what should have been a 76-yard touchdown. Instead, it turned into a blunder that will haunt the 22-year-old playmaker as we dive into the Halloween season.
Mitchell made the contested grab, broke free from Emmanuel Forbes Jr., and had nothing but green grass in front of him. All he needed to do was finish the run. Unfortunately, he tried to switch the ball to his other hand before crossing the goal line. The ball slipped away, rolled through the end zone and was ruled a touchback. The Rams got the ball back, and what could have been Mitchell’s first NFL touchdown became a turnover.
After the game, Mitchell owned the mistake.
“The ball was put in my hands to make a play for the team, and it was a matter of losing focus … just a play that can’t happen. Just unacceptable,” Mitchell said, per ESPN’s Stephen Holder. “I just gotta be better for the team, for the organization.”
That accountability matters, but there is no denying how costly the play was. The Colts fell 27-20, and Mitchell’s misstep swung the game.
History Repeats Itself for the Colts
For Colts fans, this was a painful case of deja vu. Last season, Jonathan Taylor fumbled just short of the end zone on what should have been a 41-yard score in a key game.
The coaching staff responded with a “letters and logos” mantra, preaching that the ball must be secured all the way through the painted end zone.
On Sunday, that same lesson was ignored.
“It definitely stings,” Mitchell said. “The only way I’m gonna be able to move forward is by growing as a player and as a person.”
The fumble was damaging enough, but the ripple effects went further. Los Angeles capitalized late, hitting an 88-yard touchdown to Tutu Atwell against a Colts defense that had only 10 players on the field.
Head coach Shane Steichen called Mitchell’s day “a bump in the road” and defended his potential. Even so, Mitchell’s margin for error will shrink once Alec Pierce is cleared to return.
A Missed Opportunity in the Big Picture
At 3-1, Indianapolis still holds a strong position in the AFC South (tied for first with the Jacksonville Jaguars). Jones has been efficient under center, and Taylor looks as healthy as he’s been in his sixth NFL campaign, and the defense has shown flashes of toughness.
But football turns on moments, and this was Mitchell’s moment. Instead of celebrating his first career touchdown and a 4-0 start, he is left replaying the mistake that shifted the outcome.
For a team looking to prove it belongs among the AFC’s top contenders, these lapses cannot happen. And for Mitchell, the lesson is simple. Big plays will get you noticed, but focus is what wins games.
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