Indianapolis Colts’ third-year wide receiver Alec Pierce put together an overall strong training camp and preseason performance, and the catalyst behind all of that was day-to-day consistency–a point of emphasis for him.
“I think I’ve had a good training camp,” Pierce said via Colts.com. “I’ve tried to be working on my consistency, basically to kind of bring up the level of the bad days — like never truly have a day where it was like, ‘ah, he wasn’t great today.’
In his first two NFL seasons, Pierce has been frequently utilized as the Colts’ downfield threat. Last season, Pierce’s average depth of target was 15.7 yards, which was the seventh-most among his position group.
On top of that, nearly 30 percent of Pierce’s targets came 20 or more yards downfield, and that ranked 14th.
However, in addition to needing to be more consistent on those downfield targets, Pierce also wanted to showcase his versatility this summer. Specifically that he could make plays at all levels of the field.
“For sure, I think there’s a lot more to my game,” Pierce said during OTAs. “I just want to have the chance to showcase that and I’m just working every day in practice to earn those reps and show what I can do.”
The Colts’ final preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals gave us a glimpse into the progress Pierce had made in that regard. He finished the game with two receptions, totaling 31 yards.
The first catch came on a crossing route for 18 yards where he was able to create separation. The second completion came on a quick pass from Anthony Richardson, with Pierce picking up 13 yards on a third-and-10.
We often hear about a Year 2 developmental leap for NFL players. And while Pierce is entering Year 3, this is his second in Shane Steichen’s offense and he seems to be benefitting from the continuity and comfort of knowing the system.
With the addition of AD Mitchell in this past April’s draft, Pierce found himself competing for playing time at the X receiver position opposite of Michael Pittman.
Ultimately, someone is going to be named a “starter,” but both Pierce and Mitchell are going to see their share of snaps this season. Mitchell’s combination of explosiveness and route running bring a different element to the Colts’ offense, but Pierce has shown that he can still play a key role as well.
“He was – I mean he always brings it to practice every single day,” said Jim Bob Cooter. “He is as consistent as they come. His work ethic, his work habits, his pre-practice habits, just the way he prepares himself to have a shot at having some success during that practice when those opportunities go up.”