Stock Up
Alec Pierce
No player in the NFL has earned himself more money than Pierce has this season. He has elevated his game to a whole different level and is right now the Colts’ best wide receiver on the roster, not just a deep threat specialist like last year with AR. He gets open on intermediate routes, makes catches down the middle, and even got a little action on defense recording a pass breakup on a hail mary attempt. He has also worked really hard in the run blocking department, which is something I always appreciated from wide receivers.
Germaine Pratt
Pratt came in after being released by the Raiders mid-season and helped solve the Colts’ struggle at the linebacker position. His familiarity with defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has been evident, as he always seem to be in the right spot to do his job. He is not spectacular by any means, and is half a step too slow in pass coverage, but he is a safe tackler that can avoid blocks, and with the durability to play every single snap.
Cam Bynum
Bynum got himself another interception and completed all his tackling attempts, overall an impeccable day for the free agent signing from the Vikings. Him and Cross continue anchoring the backend of the Colts’ defense with surefire tackling and their fair share of big plays.
Adetomiwa Adebawore
Ade Ade got himself another sack on a clean win against an opposing offensive lineman and it pushed the Texans out of field goal range. He has been slowly improving his game and this season it is all starting to come together for him, solidifying himself as a rotational defensive lineman.
Stock Down
Shane Steichen
This is the third time in four games that the offense just seems unprepared for what the defense was doing, and it falls mainly on Steichen. The Texans do have an amazing defense, so it was definitely going to be a tough matchup, but to get dominated like that has to be embarassing for the Colts’ head-coach. Keep in mind that the Colts’ two touchdowns came on spectacular individual plays, not because of having the upper hand over a defense that had answers to everything the Colts were throwing at them. His MO to pass to set up the run is just not working now that teams have figured out how to put Jones into uncomfortable situations, and he refuses to adapt and make Jonathan Taylor the focal point of this offense, even though #28 seems to get positive yards every single time he touches the ball. A late season collapse would most likely
Michael Pittman Jr.
MPJ had a tough matchup going against Texans’ star cornerback Derek Stingley, but getting just one catch for 13-yards on four targets is nowhere good enough for a player getting paid the amount of money he gets paid. He has been held under 30 yards in each of the past three games, as compared to just once on the first nine games of the year.
Colts’ playoff chances
We all knew that after the bye-week came the toughest stretch of the Colts’ season, and so far we are 0-2, with this loss hurting even more against a divisional rival and direct opponent for the playoff race. Now more than ever the Colts need to be able to break the malifice at Duval and somehow manage to get the win, otherwise another late season collapse, this one worse than the 2021 one, would make itself way too real.
Michael Badgley
Another key missed extra point, and it looks like that might be the final straw for Badgley. This one ended up really hurting the team because it meant that the Colts had to go for the touchdown in the final drive of the game instead of being able to kick a field goal to tie it. There are some interesting options on the market right now, so don’t be surprised if the Colts have a new kicker next Sunday.
See More:
