Is keeping Adam Vinatieri the right move for the Colts?

The Colts are putting their faith in Adam Vinatieri.

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The Indianapolis Colts are steadfast in their support of kicker Adam Vinatieri despite his constant struggles throughout the season.

Even though the front office did their due diligence in checking out the available options on the free-agent market — something they’ve done twice this season — head coach Frank Reich told reporters Wednesday they are confident in Vinatieri.

“As far as Adam is concerned, Adam is our kicker. Chris (Ballard) and I have talked about the situation. We have confidence in Adam,” Reich said. “Obviously, there have been other kickers in here working out. We have the confidence in Adam. He is not just our kicker. He is a leader on our team, he is a captain and his presence is important. We feel we need him going forward and have the utmost confidence in him.”

Vinatieri has missed 11 kicks this season: six extra-point attempts and five field-goal tries. His six missed PATs are the most he’s had in a season in his entire 24-year career.

The Colts have been playing in extremely tight games, all of which have been decided by no more than one score. This makes Vinatieri’s job even more vital.

It was unlikely the Colts were going to move on from Vinatieri midseason, and while they’ve been searching, they are putting their faith in the soon-to-be 47-year-old.

What do you think, Colts fans? Is keeping Vinatieri the right move?

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4 Jaguars the Colts must game plan for in Week 11

Watch out for the these Jaguars in Week 11.

After last week’s embarrassing loss to the Miami Dolphins at home, the Indianapolis Colts desperately need a rebound on Sunday when the Jaguars visit Lucas Oil Stadium. This is the first time these two teams meet this season.

The Jaguars will be going through a quarterback change this week as Nick Foles will be making his first start since he broke his collarbone Week 1 against Kansas City. Gardner Minshew has held down the fort but has ultimately struggled in recent weeks.

The offense will look different with Foles under center no doubt, but the way this season has gone anything can happen. Outside of the quarterback position, there are plenty of talented players on Jacksonville’s roster.

Here are four Jaguars the Colts must game plan to win in Week 11:

RB Leonard Fournette

The Colts have been getting better in run defense, but Fournette may be one of the better backs the Colts get to face this season. Averaging 4.8 yards per carry, he is a tough, downhill runner who can not be brought down with arm tackles.

Fournette has 831 yards on the year but only has gotten in the end zone once. The Jaguars struggle in the red zone and rarely turn to their running back in key third-down situations. Regardless, the Colts front seven must be able to stop Fournette if they want to pick up a win. By stopping him, the rest of their offensive scheme will suffer.

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6 free-agent kickers Colts could consider signing

Some options for the Colts if they are looking for a kicker.

The Indianapolis Colts are heading into Week 11, and there are some questions as to whether veteran kicker Adam Vinatieri will be with the team by season’s end.

It’s clear the Colts are evaluating the position as it’s been reported they are working out a handful of kickers Monday—marking this the second time this season they have brought in a group of free-agent kickers.

While it isn’t clear if the Colts want to move on from Vinatieri, who has missed 11 kicks in nine games, there is still the chance they make a move if they feel it will help them stay in the playoff race.

Here are six free-agent kickers the Colts could consider signing:

Cole Hedlund

A familiar face with the Colts, Hedlund signed with Indy as an undrafted free agent following the 2019 NFL Draft out of North Texas. The rookie was impressive in his preseason with the Colts as he made six of eight field-goal attempts and was perfect on his three extra-point attempts.

Hedlund might not have the biggest boot in the world, but the Colts need accuracy more than they need distance, especially with how often they a privy in going for it on fourth down.

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Where do Colts sit in AFC South standings in Week 11?

How do the standings look in Week 11?

As Week 11 begins, the playoff races are beginning to heat up. The Indianapolis Colts took a tumble in the AFC playoff picture following their rough loss against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

Even with two of the teams in the division enjoying their bye week, the Colts’ loss at home slid them down the standings in the AFC South all the while giving some breathing room to the leaders.

Here’s how the AFC South standings look entering Week 11:

1. Houston Texans (6-3)

One of the teams that enjoyed their bye week, the Texans gained a half-game in the standings thanks to the Colts’ loss. Now, Houston has a full one-game lead over the Colts in the division and have a chance to control their fate down the stretch of the regular season.

In Week 11, the Texans have a tough matchup on the road against the Baltimore Ravens (7-2).

2. Indianapolis Colts (5-4)

Even with Brian Hoyer replacing the injured Jacoby Brissett, this matchup seemed like a cakewalk. However, it would turn out to be the complete opposite. A bad showing from the offensive line and an even worse showing from Hoyer led the Colts into one their worst upset losses in recent memory.

The Colts host the Jacksonville Jaguars (4-5) at Lucas Oil Stadium in Week 11.

3. Tennessee Titans (5-5)

It seems most of the AFC South has the Kansas City Chiefs’ number. The Titans are the latest team in this division to beat the Chiefs in an upset win. Derrick Henry had another monster game taking 23 carries for 188 yards and two touchdowns while the Titans blocked Harrison Butker’s attempt to tie the game in the final seconds.

The Titans get to enjoy their bye week coming off of a huge home win against one of the best teams in the NFL.

4. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-5)

The Jaguars may be in last place, but they are still just two games behind the leading Texans. They also just go their starting quarterback to return as Nick Foles is ready to take snaps under center for the first time since breaking his collarbone in Week 1.

The Jaguars are on the road against the Colts in Week 11.

What’s wrong with the Colts offense?

Taking a look at why the Colts offense is struggling.

The Indianapolis Colts have one of the brightest minds in the NFL when it comes to offensive play-calling in head coach Frank Reich, but recently the offense has been stuck in the mud.

Early in the season, the offense was able to move the ball, whether that was through running the ball like they did in Los Angeles, or when they beat Kansas City.

They can also beat you through the air like they did in their home wins versus Atlanta and Houston. But the question right now is, “What is wrong with this offense?”

Obviously, the record speaks for itself. The Colts are now 0-7 without their best receiver T.Y. Hilton, and in those games, the Colts offense has been putrid, to say the least.

But there’s something more to the offense than just missing their best offensive player, and it’s something the Colts were strong at last year, and at the beginning of this season. Red zone scoring and third-down conversion rate.

Here is when a lot of numbers will be thrown at you. Indianapolis, in the first five games of the season, was converting third downs at a 47% rate (38/81), while red zone efficiency was at 65% (15/23).

Those are both very good numbers, worthy of being in the top-10, but here is where the offense hasn’t looked so great the past three games.

The Colts’ third-down conversion rate has dropped to 35% (13/37), and their red zone efficiency has dropped to 50% (5-10). Indianapolis was 1/1 versus Denver and 1/5 versus Miami so the results are somewhat skewed due to lack of consistency of getting to the red zone.

While the Colts have been missing their top targets in Hilton, Devin Funchess, Parris Campbell, and they didn’t have Jacoby Brissett for basically two games, these offensive woes have stemmed back really since the Kansas City game, where the Colts were 1/5 in the red zone and 5/14 on third down.

If the Colts want to get back to their winning ways and consistently have a good offense, they have to sure up their once-good third down and red zone offense if they want to make a playoff run.

7 waiver wire pickups in fantasy football for Week 11

Target these players on the waiver wire in Week 11.

This NFL season has been more unpredictable than any year I can remember. Constant injuries to big-name players and then even injuries to their backups have provided little room for consistency. When it comes to fantasy football, this has been the dagger for most people who thought they drafted the perfect team.

It goes to show that fantasy football is a gamble. You never really know what a player is going to do week to week and we all know projected points mean less and less each week. However it is Week 11 and for those of you who have not quit your leagues altogether, it may not be too late.

With Green Bay, Tennessee, New York (Giants) and Seattle all on a bye, here are your waiver wire pickups for Week 11 to help you make that playoff push:

WR James Washington — 18.3% rostered (ESPN)

With the revolving door of quarterbacks in Pittsburgh this season, James Washington has not had the breakout sophomore season everyone predicted. On Sunday against the rams, however, the Oklahoma State product connection finally flourished between Washington and quarterback Mason Rudolph.

Washington finished the day with six catches for 90 yards and a touchdown. As the Steelers keep winning games and having success throwing the ball, look for Washington to be included more and more in this young offense. The Steelers travel to Cleveland to face the Browns on Thursday night.

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Colts defense stepping up when needed most

Don’t blame the struggles on the defense.

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It’s hard to look at positives after a loss like the Indianapolis Colts just had on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, but that’s where this article comes in to save the day.

Yes, the offense has played poorly the past three weeks, but how have the Colts stayed in every game? It’s because of their defense, a unit that has really stepped up their play since Week 4.

The first four weeks of the season the Colts allowed over 350 total yards of offense in three games, while also allowing over 24 points in each of those games. Another factor to their bad play to start the season was that they weren’t getting off the field on third down, giving up over 20 first downs in all but one game the first four weeks.

Credit the success to the return of some of their more important players returning—Jabaal Sheard, Darius Leonard, Malik Hooker—this defense has turned back into their form they had at the end of the 2018 season when they became a top-10 unit and allowed the Colts to go on a nine-game winning streak late in the season.

One player to highlight is Jabaal Sheard. He isn’t the flashiest player on the Colts and doesn’t always get the recognition, but he will here. First four weeks of the season the Colts allowed an average of 132.5 rushing yards per game. The last five? 81.8 yards per game.

Sheard returning to the right side allowed Justin Houston to return to his natural position at left defensive end, and the results have been positive. Since Week 5 Justin Houston has won Defensive Player of the Week (Week 5), has recorded a sack in every game, forced a fumble resulting in a safety and has provided the consistent pass rush the Colts need.

What is more impressive about this defense since Week 5 has been the offenses they’ve faced. Yes, the last three weeks it has been less impressive (Denver, Pittsburgh and Miami) but they played well versus two of the better offenses in the AFC in Houston and Kansas City.

The Colts were the first team to hold the Chiefs to under 300 totals yards of offense and 30 points since Patrick Mahomes has taken over at quarterback for the Chiefs.

Indianapolis was able to back up that performance by holding one of the best red-zone offenses in the NFL, Houston, to 2-for-5 scoring touchdowns in the red zone. Plus, they forced two fourth-quarter interceptions on Deshaun Watson, including the one that sealed the game.

One final point to make, this defense has really stepped up in the situational downs. In the first four weeks, the Colts defense was allowing a 48% conversion rate on third down (21/43). Whereas the last five games, they’re down to just 32% conversion rate, (21/65).

The red zone has made just as big of a difference. The first four games the Colts were allowing touchdowns on 75% of drives that got into the red zone, (9/12). While teams have gotten into the red zone more against the Colts recently, some due to turnovers by the offense, the defense is only allowing touchdowns on 35%, (6/17).

While fans can point blame many different ways each Sunday, they shouldn’t point to the defense as the reason the Colts have been sputtering recently. If anything, fans should applaud the defense for keeping the Colts in all these games recently.

The good, the bad and the ugly from Colts’ loss to Dolphins

The good, the bad and the ugly from Week 10.

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As the Indianapolis Colts (5-4) attempt to recover from what was an abysmal performance against the Miami Dolphins (2-7) on Sunday, it is important to look back at what went right and what went wrong.

While the takeaways from the game will be predominantly negative—because that’s how it works after a loss to a team like the Dolphins. But there were some positives that stood out despite the loss.

Here is the good, the bad and the ugly from Week 10:

The Good

LB Darius Leonard: He certainly looked like an All-Pro in this game. The Maniac led the team with 13 tackles (11 solo) while adding a sack, an interception, a forced fumble, two tackles for loss and two passes defended.

DE Justin Houston: The veteran edge rusher was solid against the run and extended his sack streak to five games. He has six total over that span.

Rookie CBs: The Colts relied heavily on rookie cornerbacks Rock Ya-Sin and Marvell Tell. Both held their own and made some big plays throughout the loss.

TE Jack Doyle: Ol’ Reliable was the lone bright spot in the offense on Sunday. He caught three passes for 44 yards and a touchdown.

The Bad

Offensive Line: They struggled in run blocking (3.8 yards per carry) and the right side was porous in pass protection, especially when facing a stunt.

Red Zone Offense: The Colts had their share of chances to score touchdowns. But they converted just one of their four trips inside the 20-yard-line.

K Adam Vinatieri: The good news is Vinatieri made both of his field-goal attempts. The bad news is he missed another extra-point attempt—one that cost the Colts a chance to tie the game on their final drive.

The Ugly

QB Brian Hoyer: What to say that hasn’t already been said. It was a feeble outing for the veteran, who tossed three interceptions and recorded a 38.8 passer rating. Suffice it to say the Colts need Jacoby Brissett to return ASAP.

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Stock up, stock down in Colts’ loss to Dolphins

Stock report following the Colts’ loss in Week 10.

The Indianapolis Colts (5-4) have to take a long look in the mirror following the embarrassing 16-12 loss they suffered at home against the Miami Dolphins (2-7) on Sunday.

Even though they were without a few starters, there is no excuse for losing to a team like the Dolphins—especially if the Colts are supposed to be considered a team bound for the playoffs.

Here’s a look at the stock report in the Week 10 loss:

Stock Up: LB Darius Leonard

The All-Pro linebacker hasn’t quite lived up to expectations this season and while he’s also dealt with some injuries, it was nice to see him return to his elite form. No one is doubting the impact Leonard has on a weekly basis, but this was truly his best game of the season.

The former second-round pick started off the game hot by punching out a fumble against Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki. He also added a sack, two tackles for loss, two passes defended and a crucial interception in the fourth quarter.

The Colts have a massive stretch of games coming up, and they will need Leonard to play like this for the second half.

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5 takeaways from Colts’ 16-12 loss vs. Dolphins

Takeaways from the Colts’ loss to the Dolphins.

There are some games that are too hard to comprehend and explain later on, and Sunday’s game between the Indianapolis Colts (5-4) and Miami Dolphins (2-7) is now one of them.

Well, let’s start off with the easiest point. The Colts lost. And what would follow that beginning? An extensive list of self-inflicted mistakes, turnovers, and uninspired play by a team who supposedly has postseason aspirations. Even though the Dolphins deserve credit for their 16-12 win, the focus will be all on the Colts. Nothing more, nothing less.

Here are five takeaways from the Colts’ upset loss vs. the Dolphins:

Hoyer was just… man, forget it

Last weekend, I made sure to give quarterback Brian Hoyer “his flowers” following his stand-in performance against the Steelers in Week 9. The 11-year veteran, despite throwing a pick-six earlier on, threw three passing touchdowns and kept the Colts in the game until the very end.

But as we fast-forwarded to Sunday’s game, none of Hoyer’s positive attributes were there to be seen. Despite facing a bottom-ranked Dolphins’ defense, Hoyer was held to 204 passing yards, hit on several occasions, and threw three interceptions. And to make the Colts’ latest QB1’s performance worse, some of his struggles can’t be reflected in his statistics.

For a veteran of his stature, Hoyer missed various, open receivers on passing plays and failed to make common adjustments with his pass protection.

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