Tag: Colts

Colts’ Ryan Kelly named to 2019 Pro Bowl

Colts center Ryan Kelly has been named to the 2019 Pro Bowl, the team announced Thursday` Kelly will be replacing Pittsburgh Steelers center Maurice Pouncey, who has dropped out due to an injury Kelly will be joining fellow OL Quenton Nelson and LB Darius Leonard has the Colts representatives at the Pro Bowl

Colts center Ryan Kelly has been named to the 2019 Pro Bowl, the team announced Thursday` Kelly will be replacing Pittsburgh Steelers center Maurice Pouncey, who has dropped out due to an injury Kelly will be joining fellow OL Quenton Nelson and LB Darius Leonard has the Colts representatives at the Pro Bowl

Should Colts make a run at TE Hunter Henry in free agency?

Hunter Henry should be among the top targets for Indy.

The Indianapolis Colts struggled to find their offensive identity last season as the offense, especially in the passing game, seemed to go stagnant at times. Some of that blame lies on Jacoby Brissett, but the inconsistent performances and injuries in the receiving corps definitely did not help.

With the departure of Eric Ebron, the Colts are in need of another tight end to pair with Jack Doyle, who signed a three-year extension in early December. The obvious answer would be to look for that missing piece in the draft, but there are not a lot of standout tight end prospects in this draft class that really jump off the page.

If the Colts want an instant playmaker that can electrify this offense, GM Chris Ballard should look no further than Hunter Henry. Henry is set to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason and there will certainly be a lot of teams bidding for him.

The 25-year-old out of Arkansas has been with the Chargers for four seasons and has been a key part of their offense. With 136 catches for 1,709 yards and 17 touchdowns in just 41 games played, Henry can be a dangerous threat in any system.

So why will the Chargers most likely not re-sign him? Well, Henry has been somewhat injury-prone in his time with the Chargers. He missed all of the 2018 season with a torn ACL that he suffered in OTAs but recovered ahead of schedule and was active for the Charger’s Divisional Round game against the Patriots.

He also missed five weeks this season with a tibial plateau fracture to his left knee but returned and was very productive. His injury history is somewhat of a concern, but with the combination of speed and size that Henry possesses, he may just be worth the risk.

Frank Reich loves to utilize tight ends in his offensive play designs and that has been apparent with the success Ebron and Doyle have had in the past two seasons. The combination of Doyle and Henry can be compared to the combination of Zach Ertz and Trey Burton, which Reich won a Super Bowl with in 2017.

Doyle is a very good tight end who can be a signature part of this offense, but he can not do it alone. Chris Ballard needs to take the risk and sign Henry to a more modest contract that does not lock him down in Indy on a long-term deal initially but presents the option to do so if he can stay healthy and continue his dominance.

Whoever will be under center in 2020 could have two reliable safety nets with Doyle and Henry. This move could be what turns the offense around under Franck Reich and what gets this young and talented team back in the playoffs. It is time to make some moves with the $96.4 million in cap space.

Reviewing the Colts in fantasy football in 2019

How did Colts players fare in 2019?

With a disappointing 2019 campaign behind them, the Indianapolis Colts are looking to regroup and plan ahead for 2020. There are a lot of questions ahead of this young roster, but the Colts have some playmakers that can flat out ball.

From a fantasy football perspective, many Colts may have disappointed this season but that does not mean you should sell your stock on everyone just yet. Some key players may not have lived up to their potential, but that does not mean they can’t bounce back in 2020.

Here is the full, in-depth fantasy breakdown of the Indianapolis Colts:

WR T.Y. Hilton – WR57 in 2019

An injury-riddled 2019 made many fantasy owners frustrated with Hilton. He ranked 57th among receivers this season posting only 125.1 fantasy points through 10 games played. Hilton was thought to be a second or third-round draft pick heading into this season but ultimately let a lot of team owners down.

With a full offseason to get healthy, Hilton should bounce back and be a value pick at the receiver position next year. With more stability at the quarterback position for the Colts, Hilton should find his role once again and be able to catch many more deep balls than he did in 2019.

RB Marlon Mack – RB22 in 2019

If you paid attention to the Colts at the end of the 2018 season, you knew where this offense was heading and what kind of identity they wanted to develop. This year the Colts became one of the best rushing teams in the league behind a strong offensive line and Mack.

Mack finished 22nd among running backs but still totaled 181.3 fantasy points while only playing 14 games. As the Colts’ first 1,000 yard rusher since 2007, Mack has a bright future ahead of him with the Colts.

The only knock on Mack, which present and past owners have come to realize, is that he struggles to stay healthy throughout an entire season ad play all 16 games. He is a great running back, but he seems to get injured when the team needs him the most. Mack is a borderline RB1 heading into 2020.

WR Zach Pascal – WR52 in 2019

Pascal filled in as the Colts No. 1 receiver for the second half of the season. He had a breakout campaign, but inconsistent performances left him bouncing off and on the waiver wire. Pascal managed to stay healthy for the rest of the year after missing the first two games.

He ranked 52nd among fantasy receivers and had 135.3 fantasy points on the year in 14 games. Pascal is a hard worker and really fought to have a role in this offense all season. With changes being made on offense, Pascal should have a bigger role heading into 2020.

Look for him to be a steal in the later rounds of fantasy drafts and a reliable flex/WR2 option next season.

TE Jack Doyle – TE15 in 2019

As the tight end of the foreseeable future in Indy, Doyle has become a fan and organizational favorite. He inked a three year, $21 million contract extension in early December, solidifying his role as the Colts first option at tight end.

Doyle finished the season ranking 15th among other tight ends with 111.8 fantasy points on the year. He is a middle of the pack tight end whose importance isn’t always shown in the stat line, but that may change next year with the departure of Eric Ebron.

Doyle is a low risk, late-round draft pick that is not quite ready to be a higher graded tight end like Kittle or Kelce. He has tremendous upside and is worth a spot on your roster.

WR Parris Campbell – WR125 in 2019

It is too early to tell what kind of player Parris Campbell will become. The speedster out of Ohio State had his injury-filled rookie season cut short when he was placed on IR in Week 15. He missed nine games total with foot and hand injuries.

His identity in this offense has yet to be found and Frank Reich needs to figure out where to use Campbell in his play designs. Campbell may go undrafted in 2020 fantasy drafts, but keep an eye on him as the season starts to approach as he can be very valuable if he starts to produce.

Defense/Special Teams – D/ST13

The defense for the Colts was one of the keys to success early in the season, but this unit struggled immensely down the stretch. Their inability to stop the deep ball and issues with tight ends was a problem that never really got fixed over the course of the season.

The defense ranked 13th and totaled 113 fantasy points in 2019. If this team can stop big plays and do a better job of getting after opposing quarterbacks, this unit has a promising future. Defensive Coordinator Matt Eberflus knows he has a lot of work to do in the offseason, but expect this Colts D to be better than ever in 2020.

Three Notre Dame Products Named to AP NFL All-Pro First-Team

No school had more players named than the Fighting Irish, who take up three of the five spots on the First-Team offensive line, none of which come as a surprise.

The NFL announced their annual All-Pro Teams on Friday with Notre Dame being very-well represented.

How represented?

No school had more players named than the Fighting Irish, who take up three of the five spots on the First-Team offensive line, none of which come as a surprise.

Ronnie Stanley was named the left tackle after having a monster year for the Baltimore Ravens, who hold the No. 1 seed in the AFC.  It is Stanley’s first time being an All-Pro.

Joining him are guards Zack Martin of the Dallas Cowboys and Quenton Nelson of the Indianapolis Colts.

This is Martin’s sixth appearance as an All-Pro while it is the second time in two years Nelson receives the honor.

All three played at Notre Dame during Harry Hiestand’s time at the school, something we discussed earlier this week on Fighting Irish Wire.

You can find the rest of the first and second AP All-Pro teams here.

 

Poll: Who will QB Philip Rivers be playing for in 2020?

Will it be the Los Angeles Chargers or another NFL team for quarterback Philip Rivers in 2020?

One thing is clear. Quarterback Philip Rivers has every intention of playing in 2020. But one thing that’s not and that’s who he will be playing for.

We recently did a poll on what fans believe the future holds for Rivers. But since the 38-year old suggested that he wants to play for his 17th season, we want to know what team you believe that’ll be with.

Bringing back Rivers remains a strong possibility for the Chargers, but nothing is certain. The front office and coaching staff are evaluating every position from this past season to determine the soon-to-be free agents that’ll be back in 2020.

If Rivers doesn’t return, we created a list of the top-five teams that we could see having the most interest in acquiring the veteran quarterback.

With that being said, we want to know who you believe Rivers will be playing for next season.

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Colts’ player of the game vs. Jaguars: RB Marlon Mack

Marlon Mack had another strong game.

In a disappointing finale to a disappointing season, the Indianapolis Colts offense shut down once again in the second half against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

Turnovers and missed opportunities really cost them a win against a struggling Jacksonville team.

Marlon Mack had an impressive game on the ground, his first in what seems like half the season. He totaled 77 yards on 15 carries with two touchdowns. This was Mack’s third career game with multiple rushing touchdowns and his first two-score game of the season.

Mack and the Colts gashed the Jaguars for 264 yards in their previous matchup this year but did not find the same success today. Though they were efficient when given the chances.

With this game, Mack had 1,091 yards on the season which was a career-high and the most rushing yards by a Colts running back since Edgerrin James in 2005.

Mack makes a case for team MVP of 2019 by developing a run game that seemed to be the focal point of this offense. If Mack can stay healthy for a full 16 games, this offense can be very dangerous heading into 2020.

Colts’ Player of the Game vs. Panthers: RB Nyheim Hines

In a week the Colts desperately needed a win, they delivered in the home finale against Carolina.

In a week the Colts desperately needed a win, they delivered in the home finale against Carolina. The 38-6 victory made a lot of fans and even players a little more confident in this team going into next season.

The X-factor of this game was running back Nyheim Hines who took not one, but two punt returns to the house. His production has been lacking in recent weeks but today he stepped up in a big way.

Perhaps it was foreshadowing when on the first punt of the game, Hines had an impressive return for 40 yards. However, he would not let this effort go unrewarded.

On the second punt of the game in the first quarter, Hines took one all the way for 84 yards making defenders miss left and right. His speed and acceleration in the open field is something that is hard for defenders to match.

Hines capped off his great day with another punt return in the fourth quarter that he carried into the endzone once more for 71 yards, sealing the victory and his career day.

He totaled 195 yards on three returns while also contributing one carry for four yards and one catch for two yards.

Hines’ offensive production has definitely dipped this season due to a lack of touches, but after an amazing day today he may have to be involved in the game plan going forward.

The Colts travel to Jacksonville for the season finale where they hope to pick up another win and have a good finale to a somewhat disappointing 2019.

Carolina Panthers at Indianapolis Colts odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Carolina Panthers at Indianapolis Colts sports betting odds and lines, with Week 16 NFL betting picks, tips and bets.

The Carolina Panthers (5-9) and Indianapolis Colts (6-8) tangle at Lucas Oil Stadium Sunday at 1 p.m. ET (on CBS). We analyze the Panthers-Colts sports betting odds and lines, with NFL betting picks and tips for the Week 16 matchup.

Panthers at Colts: Week 16 preview, betting trends and notes

Get some action on the game at BetMGM by placing a sports bet!

  • The Panthers turn to rookie QB Will Grier for his first NFL start.
  • The Colts enter on a four-game losing skid, while going 0-2-1 ATS across the past three games, and 2-5-1 ATS over the previous eight.
  • Indianapolis is 2-2 straight up and 1-3 ATS across the past four games at Lucas Oil Stadium.
  • Colts QB Jacoby Brissett and the offense was limited to a season-low seven points – scored late in the fourth quarter – in Monday’s ugly 34-7 loss at the New Orleans Saints.
  • The Colts defense is allowing 34.3 points per game across the past three outings as the Over has hit in two of those contests.
  • Indianapolis ranks ninth in the NFL against the run, allowing just 100.9 yards per game. That will be a key matchup, as they try and slow down Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey.

Panthers at Colts: Key injuries

Panthers: WR Curtis Samuel (knee) is questionable, while LB Sha’Quille Thompson (ankle) and DT Vernon Butler (illness) are out.

Colts: DT Denico Autry (concussion), CB Kenny Moore II (ankle), CB Quincy Wilson (shoulder) S Malik Hooker (hand) are out.

Panthers at Colts: Odds, betting lines and prediction

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Colts 23, Panthers 20

Moneyline (?)

The Colts (-286) are heavily favored at home, but if you can trust their offense after what you saw last week, you have a lot more betting chutzpah than I do. The Panthers are +225.

New to sports betting? Every $2.86 wagered on the Colts ML will profit $1 if they win.

Against the Spread (?)

The PANTHERS (+7.5, -143) haven’t been playing well, but they’ll have the best player on the field in McCaffrey. He will be a difference maker and will help take a huge amount of pressure off of Grier in the QB’s first NFL start.

Every $1.43 wagered on the Panthers here will profit $1 if they don’t lose by 8 or more points or win outright.

Over/Under (?)

PASS. The total of 45.5 (-125 Over, +105 Under) is too close to call in this one. There are a lot of unknowns with Grier running the show, along with the Colts offense looking pretty shabby last week. If there is a lean, it’s to the Under – but ever so slightly.

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What will the Colts see with Will Grier under center?

Colts set to face the rookie QB.

Will Grier, the rookie quarterback out of West Virginia, will be getting his first NFL start when the Panthers travel to Lucas Oil Stadium to face off against the Colts. He will be replacing Kyle Allen who has struggled in recent weeks.

Allen was under center since week 3 When Cam Newton went out with a foot injury. Allen is an accurate passer who really spread the ball for everyone on offense, something players and even coaches loved.

His success though seemed to be a flash in the pan and now the Panthers are trying to decide what to do at quarterback for the future. Insert the rookie Grier.

Granted this move may just be a shot in the dark to see if there is any value in their third-round pick. That being said, just because Grier may be a long shot does not mean he should be pushed to the side.

In his senior season at West Virginia, Grier completed 67% of his passes for 3864 yards and 37 touchdowns. His pocket awareness and surprisingly big arm were perfect for a high flying Big 12 offense like the Mountaineers.

He throws a very accurate and nice deep ball, which could be an issue for the Colts secondary. As we saw a few weeks ago against Houston and Tampa Bay, fast receivers can beat Indy’s secondary for large chunks of yards.

The answer to shutting down Grier before he even begins? Pass rush. The Colts front four have to get after Grier and force him to be uncomfortable in his first start. Hopefully, that will force him to rush throws and even turn the ball over.

With Denico Autry out, it will be vital that Jabaal Sheard and Justin Houston step up as veteran members of this defense.

Grier is a talented player who has a lot to prove in these final two games. He has a chance to ball out and be the Panthers quarterback for the foreseeable future, but the Colts have a chance to make sure that doesn’t happen this Sunday. Hopefully, the Colts can spoil the rookie’s first start and win a game for the first time in four weeks.

5 Panthers the Colts must game plan for in Week 16

These Panthers must be accounted for.

The Indianapolis Colts (6-8), after being eliminated from playoff contention, look to put one in the win column for the first time in four weeks. They host a Carolina Panthers (5-9) team that has also struggled greatly in the second half of the season.

Carolina fired their longtime head coach Ron Rivera a few weeks ago, which has had a negative effect on the team. The Panthers players have shown signs of just giving up and are playing with little to no life.

While Carolina is a depleted football team, they are still a talented roster that can compete with many teams in the league. With a few additions in the offseason and some time to get healthy, Carolina can be right back in contention.

With a chance to turn things around going into next season, here are five Panthers the Colts must gameplan for in order to pick up a win:

RB Christian McCaffrey

As one of the league’s most dynamic playmakers, McCaffrey is a matchup nightmare for defenses. A dual-threat pass catcher and quick running back, he is dangerous every single play and can touch the ball any time.

With 1,307 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground this year, McCaffrey has been in the MVP conversation in 2019. While also totaling 814 receiving yards and four touchdowns through the air, McCaffrey has a real chance to go over 1,000 yards receiving and rushing.

Stopping No. 22 will be priority No. 1 for the Colts defense that has struggled to stop the run in recent weeks. Matt Eberflus must make sure to have a spy on McCaffery all game, preferable Darius Leonard who has the speed to stay with him.

LB Luke Kuechly 

As one of the best linebackers in the league for the past four seasons, Kuechly is still going strong with 131 tackles in 2019. This high number of total tackles leads the team and is fourth in the NFL.

Kuechly’s toughness and speed makes him a special talent and he can be a great run stopper. His coverage skills are somewhat underrated as well which makes him a serious threat to offensive production on Sunday. Kuechly will have to be picked up in blitz coverage as well which should be a real challenge for the interior of the offensive line and running backs.

WR D.J. Moore 

As the Panthers number one receiver this season, Moore has really broken out of his first-year struggles. With 1,174 receiving yards and four touchdowns on the season, Moore ranks third among all receivers in yards caught.

Moore is a speedy wideout that has found his fit in this Carolina system. Paired with other speedster Curtis Samuel, they combine for a solid one-two punch. This receiving corps is undersized but filled with talent.

Expect Rock Ya-Sin to be on Moore all game, which should be a great matchup for the two young players.

S Eric Reid

Reid is one of the NFL’s most underrated strong safeties. He came to Carolina in 2018 and has had a productive two years. He is the cornerstone of their secondary and can fly all around the field.

With 113 total tackles, four sacks, and two fumble recoveries this season, Reid has been an issue for opposing teams. He plays very similarly to Tyrann Mathieu and loves to fly off the edge on blitzes.

The Colts running backs will have to pick him up in pass coverage and keep him contained if they want to have success throwing the football.

DE Mario Addison 

Leading the team in sacks with 9.5, Addison has had a dominant season at defensive end. He also has 31 total tackles and two forced fumbles which shows he is good at getting after the quarterback.

Having a guy that can constantly provide pressure off the edge is so dangerous and the Colts offensive line will have their hands full Sunday. This will be a good test for Braden Smith and Mark Glowinski who struggled last week against New Orleans.