Stock Up
Daniel Jones
Who expected this sort of debut from our new quarterback Daniel “Indiana” Jones? There were some minor ramblings and expectations because he never got a decent shot in New York, and this would be by far the best supporting cast and coaching in his career, with some time under such a great coach like Kevin O’Connell in Minnesota. It was not just the stat sheet, but the way he looked all game, cool and in control of every single situation. I don’t want to get too excited about a single game, but I liked every single thing I saw from Jones.
Shane Steichen
Steichen’s seat was among the hottest around the league to kick off the season, and what better way to clear the mood a bit than such a statement debut win. We all know that the Colts have not won on their kickoff game in forever, so clearing those ghosts was also important. The team looked well prepared for everything that the Dolphins had, and new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo (who is a part of Steichen’s coaching staff) showed why he is referred to as a dark wizard around the NFL.
Tyler Warren
Tight ends tend to have a steep learning curve when entering the league, but does not seem to be the case at all with first round pick Tyler Warren, who was a focal point of the Colts’ revamped and productive offense on his debut. 7 catches for 76 yards and what should have been a defensive pass-interference flag in the end zone, Warren also added a three-yard carry that resulted in a first down, showcasing the versatility that makes him even better. This offense desperately lacked a tight end that was not just a guy, and I cannot think of 5 tight ends I would rather have right now than Warren.
Tanor Bortolini
Bortolini is filling in some big-sized shoes after Ryan Kelly left. He had already shown flashes in limited playing time last season, so this level of play was not a surprise, but watching him perform as well as he did helped me breathe a sigh of relief. I am not Ballard’s biggest fan, but his capabilities finding good offensive linemen are indisputable.
Stock Down
Josh Downs
Downs got just 3 targets, while Pittman Jr. and Warren got the highest share. I expect this to normalize as the weeks go on, but this is not an encouraging sign on what was supposed to be a breakout year for the Colts #2 receiver. He did catch the key 4th down conversion, easily separating from his defender.
JT Tuimoloau
A second rounder being a healthy scratch is never something you want to see, especially after Tuimoloau had such a solid preseason. Steichen said it was about wanting to have more tackles than edge rushers, so it could be just a scheme thing, but being looked over in favor of Tyquan Lewis and Samson Ebukam is not a good look for the rookie edge rusher.
Rigoberto Sanchez
Sucks being a punter on an offense that punted the ball just once, and even then the play did not count because of a running into the kicker penalty. This is an ironic stock down, on his single attempt Rigo kicked a beaut, and even drew a flag that kept the drive alive.
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