Indianapolis Colts’ rookie wide receiver AD Mitchell narrowly missed out on a big performance in his NFL regular season debut.
Mitchell was a popular target of quarterback Anthony Richardson, who threw at him five times. Unfortunately, the two connected on just one of those passes for only two yards.
Two near misses would have drastically changed Mitchell’s stat sheet, however.
Facing a first-and-10 at the Houston 29-yard line, Mitchell was able to get behind cornerback Derek Stingley, but Richardson’s pass landed out of the end zone.
Then, later in the game, Mitchell was able to get open down the right sideline, but Richardson just missed him, on what would have been a 50-plus yard play.
This was very close to being a three catch, 85 yard, and two touchdown day for Mitchell.
After the game, Mitchell told reporters that he and Richardson are still working on their connection, adding that “the best is yet to come.”
The added positive is that right away Mitchell is showcasing his ability to create separation from the defender. He brings elite explosiveness to the receiver position for the Colts and pairs that with a release package that Michael Pittman called the best he’s seen.
The combination makes Mitchell a difficult receiver to matchup with and allows him to make an impact at all levels of the field.