Colts WR Mitchell on blown TD, fumble: 'It stings'

INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell had already done so much: Made a contested catch, spun away from a tackler and outran two defenders.

The only remaining task before his first career touchdown was to cross the goal line. And Mitchell dropped the ball -- literally.

In a play that dealt a devastating blow to the Colts (3-1) in their first loss of the season, Mitchell ruined what would have been a 75-yard touchdown by sloppily fumbling the ball just as he reached the end zone. As the ball went bouncing toward to the back of the end zone, Mitchell attempted to recover it but was out of bounds. By rule, the Rams were awarded a touchback and the Colts lost possession.

Mitchell, meanwhile, was left to pick up the pieces after the Colts' 27-20 loss at SoFi Stadium.

"It definitely stings," Mitchell said after the game. "The ball was put in my hand to make a play for the team, and it was a matter of losing focus and just to play. That just can't happen. Just unacceptable. I've just got to be better for the team and for the organization."

But later in the game, Mitchell did the exact opposite. On a first-and-10 play with 2:25 remaining and the score tied at 20-20, Mitchell committed a holding penalty while blocking for running back Jonathan Taylor, negating Taylor's electrifying 53-yard touchdown run. The infraction moved the ball back to the Indianapolis 42-yard line and, after a subsequent sack, the Colts were forced to punt.

The Rams scored the winning 88-yard touchdown on the ensuing possession.

"Just trying to make a play," Mitchell said of the penalty.

Mitchell's performance came on a day when he had an opportunity to shine with expanded playing time in the absence of starter Alec Pierce, who missed the game with a concussion. Instead, the second-year player drafted 52nd overall in 2024 had a day that he won't soon forget -- for all the wrong reasons.

"Couldn't really process it in the moment," Mitchell said, "I really still can't process it, to be real. So... the whole play happened because of me. The only way to be able to get forward is growing as a player, as a person."

The context around the play is important to consider. This isn't the first time this has happened to the Colts. Taylor committed an identical blunder in a huge game against the Denver Broncos last season, dropping the ball as he crossed the goal line in a game the Colts ultimately lost. The play was so imprinted in coach Shane Steichen's memory that he made it a constant point of emphasis with his player since. He even created something of a motto to remind players to run through the end zone when they score.

"Letters and logos," Mitchell said Sunday, a reference to the letters and team logos painted in the end zone.

"It's hard to explain in that situation," Steichen said. "But we have a lot of faith in [Mitchell]. This is a bump in the road for him."

Having come through his own miscue, Taylor tried to provide some perspective.

"I'm definitely going to have a deeper conversation with him," Taylor said of Mitchell. "I just told him, 'OK, we're going to need you. We're going to need you.'"

Mitchell has had had previous ups and downs in his short career. Last season, he unadvisedly threw a throwback pass to quarterback Anthony Richardson on an attempted trick play even though Denver Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto was lurking. Bonitto intercepted the pass and returned it for a touchdown.

"That's all part of his process and his journey," Steichen said. "Everyone's journey is different. He's got a lot of ability."