Lastly, a checkmark in the win column for the Indianapolis Colts.
On Sunday inside Acid Rock Arena, the Colts got rid of a slow start versus the host Miami Dolphins, developed a physical rushing attack, got after Dolphins’ quarterback Jacoby Brissett in the pocket and required some turnovers, resulting in a strong 27-17 win to relocate to 1-3 on the season.
While the win feels great to discuss after three weeks of suffering, there’s still some concerns that stay with the Indianapolis Colts’ lineup. A win is a win though, so let’s enjoy it and speak about it.
Let’s get to some grades from Sunday’s efficiency.
QB– B
Playin on one healthy leg, Carson Wentz had an actually strong video game on the road for the Colts.
Wentz finished 24- for-32 for 228 yards and 2 touchdowns, pressing the football down the field and finding some of his weapons to produce some splash for the Colts’ offense.
On the day, Wentz balanced 8.38 backyards per effort, which is a fantastic number in today’s video game. He was safe with the football and real succeeded finding the open man, knowing when to take what was there, and when to push the ball downfield.
He even added some options to the run video game, scrambling a couple of times, including a 10- yarder to go out from the shadow of his own end zone early in the video game. In general, Wentz still continues to keep the football a bit too long, which caused a set of sacks on Sunday, but he’s actually settled into the Colts’ system under Frank Reich.
RB– A-
RTDB! Finally!
On the roadway, the Colts leaned heavily on the run game with Jonathan Taylor and Marlon Mack, chewing up the Dolphins’ defense throughout the video game.
Taylor had his finest performance of the season, acquiring 103 lawns and a goal on just 16 brings, swindling a 23- yard touchdown and later on assisted seal the win with a 38- lawn scuttle down the left sideline after making a protector miss out on in area.
With Taylor rolling, the offense had a lots of balance, permitting the Colts to utilize play-action throughout the game.
Marlon Mack received a lots of work one week after the report came out that the Colts and Mack were mutually checking out a trade. Mack looked great on 10 carries, acquiring 22 lawns and was targeted two times out of the backfield.
Nyheim Hines wasn’t utilized as much on the ground, getting 2 carries and getting 7 yards and included just two catches for 5 yards out of the backfield.
It was really clearly a day schemed up for Taylor and Mack to punish the Dolphins’ front seven on the ground. Mission achieved.
WR– B-
Another week, another solid showing from the Indianapolis Colts’ young pass receivers.
Michael Pittman Jr. continues to become a solid belongings receiver while gaining the trust and confidence of Wentz. Pittman Jr. was targeted 8 times on Sunday, hauling in six balls for 59 lawns in the win. Pittman Jr. isn’t going to threaten numerous groups deep, but he’s a huge, physical receiver that can win objected to catches and function as that possession receiver that will regularly move the chains.
Same goes for Zach Pascal, who is having a strong season for the Colts to date. Pascal caught another four passes on Sunday for 44 yards, though his one catch went for 41 yards. He will extend the field vertically on over paths and be successful regularly, which is an ideal function for him.
The Colts tried to work Parris Campbell deep on Sunday, but Wentz and the young receiver just could not link on a set of targets down the field. That said, Campbell finished with 2 catches for 22 backyards, consisting of a secret 12- yarder to move the chains.
I wonder to see how this group removes on the field once T.Y. Hilton returns.
TE– A
What an efficiency from a duo that is often underutilized.
Mo Alie-Cox finally got some work in the passing video game and dominated, ending up with 3 catches for 42 yards and 2 goals, his second of which was a highlight-reel grab over Dolphins protective back Eric Rowe. His 28- yarder likewise set the tone early for the Colts’ offense, which shook off a little a rest to get going.
Jack Doyle also made an excellent play downfield, hauling in a 24- yard objected to catch in the middle of the field, wrestling the ball far from the Dolphins’ defense for the splash play to move the chains.
These guys are sure-handed receivers and need to be included more. Hopefully as the Colts’ offense continues to get healthy we’ll begin to see Alie-Cox and Doyle utilized as receivers more frequently.
OL– C
The Colts definitely got back to running the football on Sunday, which was much required for an offense that has struggled to discover balance early in the season.
I thought center Ryan Kelly was pretty dang solid on Sunday after coping three weeks. He’s beginning to get healthy and his level of play is returning. Guard Mark Glowinski battled through a knee injury and played well in the run game, getting out in front on some runs to spring Taylor, while left guard Chris Reed was quite great in location of the injured Quenton Nelson.
Tackles remain a concern. Eric Fisher was actually rough on Sunday and was strolled back into Wentz often on Sunday, while Julien Davenport was a train-wreck once again, causing his benching for Matt Pryor, who was a small upgrade.
It was a much better day in general for the line, but there’s still a lots of space to improve up front.
DL– B
The Colts’ protective line recuperated in a big way on Sunday on the roadway against the Dolphins. The group in advance helped hold the Dolphins to simply 35 hurrying yards in the win, and actually got after Jacoby Brissett in the video game, striking him 4 times and sacking him 3 times, among which triggered a fumble.
The Dolphins focused greatly on DeForest Buckner and it opened up opportunities for Grover Stewart, Kemoko Turay, Isaac Rochell, Tyquan Lewis and Al-Quadin Muhammad throughout the day.
Stewart required the fumble on Brissett, Turay recorded two sacks, Rochell added a couple of run stops and Lewis tossed Miami’s Jakeem Grant like a rag-doll on a jet sweep, displaying impressive strength.
LB– B
Darius Leonard continues to make plays, which is extremely encouraging for this defense.
Leonard recorded an interception, nearly had a second, and recovered Brissett’s fumble in the second half that caused a Colts touchdown. He’s beginning to show some of that variety once again and is continuously around the football.
So is Bobby Okereke, who has actually really rebounded from a rough start to appear like the linebacker the Colts were hoping he ‘d be in year three.
Integrated, the duo recorded 16 takes on, one deal with for loss and 2 pass deflections. I’ll take that every week from those two.
Zaire Franklin looked solid in run situations, taping three run stops on the day.
DB– B
While the Colts held the Dolphins to simply 199 passing lawns on the day, I wasn’t too thrilled with a few of the play in the secondary, particularly at security in Julian Blackmon, and with seasoned cornerback Xavier Rhodes.
Rhodes was required another protective pass disturbance in the game and hasn’t really looked like himself in general given that coming back from the calf injury. Blackmon missed out on a number of tackles in space and looked to be guessing throughout the game.
I believed experienced Andrew Sendejo had a good video game getting video game action in location of Khari Willis. He didn’t have any big plays and didn’t protrude due to blunders.
I ‘d like to see more splash from this group general. It can’t simply be Kenny Moore at this point.
Special Teams– B-
The only genuine concern with unique teams on the day was Nyheim Hines’ muffed punt to open the game, giving the Dolphins ownership again, which resulted in 3 points. You just don’t see that from him, and it came at the worst possible minute.
Aside from that, special groups was pretty solid. Rodrigo Blankenship drilled both basket attempts on the day, while Rigoberto Sanchez was great punting the football directionally, averaging 50 yards per punt, downing 2 inside the Dolphins’ 20 backyard line.
Have ideas on the Colts’ positional grades coming out of Sunday’s win? Drop a line in the remark section below letting us understand how you feel!
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