Two of the fastest ball carriers in Week 1 of the regular season were members of the Indianapolis Colts, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. And of the six fastest plays, three belonged to the Colts.
Next Gen Stats is able to show the maximum speed in miles per hour (mph) that a player hits on a given play while carrying or going for the ball.
The fastest player in Week 1 was Texans wide receiver Nico Collins, who hit 21.89 mph. But right behind him was Alec Pierce on his 60-yard touchdown reception at 21.21 mph.
Then at No. 3 on the list was Anthony Gould, who reached 21.11 mph on his 26-yard kick-off return. Then, at No. 6, Pierce made another appearance, registering 20.95 mph on his 57-yard reception.
Pierce has always possessed that type of deep speed and helping that speed turn into production is quarterback Anthony Richardson who has the arm strength and talent to help maximize Pierce’s downfield abilities.
He finished the game with three receptions for 125 yards and one touchdown, currently ranking third in receiving yards following Week 1.
In addition to Richardson’s ability to get the ball downfield, Pierce put together what GM Chris Ballard called his best training camp to date.
In addition to the Colts offense having Pierce and Gould, don’t forget about AD Mitchell’s speed either. Mitchell ran a 4.34-second 40-yard dash during the pre-draft process and will likely show up on these rankings at some point this season.