I think the Colts' Week 9 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers was, of course, a game where turnovers played a big part in the outcome. Any time you turn the ball over or lose the turnover battle, it's going to be very difficult to win any football game. It was an uncharacteristic performance from the Colts to turn the ball over the way they did and to see them have that many turnovers was just something I didn't expect to see.
But it's the National Football League and those things happen, even if you don't expect them. Now, the Colts just need to put their heads down and work hard to be ready for Week 10.
After a game like Sunday's, as a player you need to understand that you didn't play your best game and recognize that you made mistakes. But at the same time, you have to keep it in perspective and know that one loss doesn't mean you're a bad team. Just like you don't get too high for wins, you don't get too low for losses.
It's important to keep an even-keeled perspective of the player that you are and the team that you are, and know you have to go back to the basics and the fundamentals of making sure you don't make those mistakes again. You've got to be honest with yourself, too, making sure you do every little thing right and don't take any shortcuts. And once you learn from those mistakes, it all goes back to being prepared throughout the week.
I know, it's easier said than done.
There's a balance you have to find, as a player, between playing to your physical strengths and trying to play above your capabilities – because that's when you can start to make mistakes, trying to do something you don't normally do. That's why you have to go back to the basics of what you know you can do, to make sure you're doing those things well.
I think that's all you can do as a professional athlete.
It's a simple process, but it's not simple to execute. You have to be willing to put in the time, effort and energy to keep that perspective and understand your responsibilities to yourself and your team, especially after a loss like Sunday's.
That's where I think the leadership and the attitude of the Colts locker room comes into play. The veterans in the building know this is a good team, and they know they have the players here to win football games. When you have leaders like that showing everyone the way to practice and prepare, if those guys just follow their lead it's going to help the team as a whole.
They can be the ones to help everyone around them understand they have to deal with the loss, but they also have to stay focused on the next game. You can't worry about what happened last week anymore – learn from it, but don't dwell on it.
From a broader perspective, too, this is only the Colts' second loss of the season. They're 7-2 and at the top of the AFC South, and still have one of the best records in the league. The Colts have gone out and played their brand of football seven times this season – they know they can do it, and they should be confident that they can do it going forward.
And I think if at the beginning of the season someone said to me, you could be 8-2 after Week 10, I think most people would take that. So, the Colts need to remember they have played good football, and they can build off that.
Looking at one key play
One positive performance from Sunday's game that I saw was from defensive end Laiatu Latu. Latu has been working hard this season and has been getting close to getting sacks – he's been getting pressures and hits, and has come up just short time and time again.
The good thing I saw from Latu is that he hasn't given up on himself, and that came to fruition when he recorded 2.5 sacks against Aaron Rodgers. He didn't get frustrated with himself and he made some plays, and that's what you have to do. You just have to continue to work.
His effort and his work habits and preparation paid off this week and I hope he can build off that moving forward, and maybe this will propel him to bigger things this season.
But at the same time, when I was a player, individual success meant nothing to me if my team didn't win. That's how these guys feel: they want to win more than anything. So, heading to Berlin this weekend to face the Atlanta Falcons, that will be the biggest goal for this Colts team – especially since they know how dominant they can be when everything clicks.
