Reviewing how the Colts’ players improved or decreased their position on the team
Stock Up
Anthony Richardson
Two wins in the past three games for Anthony Richardson since his reinsertion in the starting lineup, and this one against an old time rival away from home, including the touchdown pass on 4th down in the dying moments of the game, followed by the two-point conversion by him on the option play. It might not be pretty, and there will be definitely be some hiccups along the way, but Richardson is clearly the best quarterback on the Colts’ roster right now and he gives us the best chance to win.
Mark Glowinski
Glowinski was picked up by the Colts last week to help shore up the line after several injuries, and poor play from Dalton Tucker replacing Will Fries. He was much better than Tucker, and while he had some struggles in pass protection he got a lot of push in the run game, which should be more than enough once either Kelly/Bortolini return to the starting lineup.
Matt Goncalves
Goncalves was drafted to become the potential backup swing tackle that Blake Freeland was supposed to be before, and so far this season whenever Smith or Raimann missed time it was Goncalves who replaced them. While unspectacular, reliable and versatile offensive lineman are a valued asset for any NFL team, and with Smith’s recent injury history Goncalves could easily lock down a long term starter spot for Indy.
Shane Steichen
No-one needed this win more than Steichen, as a loss there would have ended the Colts’ season right before the bye-week. While I don’t necessarily think it’s playoffs or bust for Steichen, there have to be some reasons for concern because he was brought in mostly for his play-calling and quarterback development, and those are two areas where he has struggled a lot this season. Having the guts to go for two and win the game also helps his stock a lot.
Stock Down
Gus Bradley
The Colts’ defense had a favourable matchup against an offense lacking any sort of elite talent. Other than Drake Maye, Rhamondre Stevenson, and Hunter Henry I don’t think I know anyone on that Pats’ offense, and it’s not like they have been playing well either, ranking 27th in EPA/Dropback and 23rd in EPA/Rush, while also being in the top 10 in giveaways. Taking all that into account, the Patriots finished with over 400 total net yards, and could have easily had an extra 10-points because of a missed chip-shot and a lucky break on a redzone interception. This performance does not erase the recent resurgence the unit was having, but is definitely a cause for concern, especially with a matchup against the Broncos coming up after the bye week.
Zaire Franklin / E.J. Speed
The box score says one thing about Franklin and Speed, and the film says a completely different one. If you just look at Franklin’s 12 tackles, 1.5 sacks, a pass deflection, and a forced fumble then you might be fooled into thinking we have an All-Pro caliber linebacker in our team, but just go ahead and look at the game, look at #44 on every Patriots’ running play that went over 5 yards (a lot), he is constantly out of position, missing tackles, or taking poor angles. Linebacker is a massive need for the Colts this offseason, and hopefully they can revamp the position.
AD Mitchell
With Josh Downs out with a shoulder injury, this was the perfect opportunity for wide receiver AD Mitchell to have a breakout game and potentially end the season on a high note after a somewhat disappointing start to his NFL career. Instead, Mitchell was blanked, and had a key drop/pass breakup on third down near the end of the game on a ball that you have to catch.
Grover Stewart
After a hot recent stretch, Stewart came down to earth in a bad way, getting handled by the Patriots’ interior offensive line, and his minimal impact on the game was a big reason why the Patriots managed to get over 200 yards on the ground. This was probably just a bad game from a good player, but it showed just how dependent the Colts’ run defense is on Stewart being on the field and also playing well.
