Colts to wear ‘Indiana Nights’ uniforms in Week 12 vs Lions

The Indianapolis Colts will wear their “Indiana Nights” uniforms in Week 12 against the Detroit Lions.

The Indianapolis Colts will be wearing their “Indiana Nights” uniforms in Week 12 against the Detroit Lions.

This will be the second season in a row that the Colts have worn these uniforms, doing so for the first time in 2023 when facing the Cleveland Browns at home.

As noted on the Colts’ team site, these jerseys are “inspired by the blue and black of the Indiana night sky.”

For more information on these jerseys, click here. Features on the uniform will include:

– Black Helmet & Black Trim.

– Blue Heather Material.

– Colts “Indiana” C Logo.

– Classic Numbers.

– Two Horizontal Stripes.

Let’s take a look back at Week 7 of last season when the Colts last donned these uniforms:

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
(Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Colts add to practice squad after Patriots sign away a defensive end

The Indianapolis Colts announced that they’ve made a practice squad addition after the Patriots signed away one of their defensive ends.

The Indianapolis Colts announced that they’ve signed defensive end Derek Rivers to the practice squad on Tuesday afternoon.

The reason that this move was made was because the New England Patriots signed defensive end Titus Leo off of the Colts’ practice squad and onto their 53-man roster, which created an opening for Indianapolis.

Rivers had spent most of this season on the Colts’ practice squad. He was released a week ago to make room for offensive tackle Mason Brooks to be added.

Rivers is a former third-round selection by New England back in 2017. He’s played 336 career defensive snaps and another 119 on special teams, according to Pro Football Focus.

He joined the Colts in the latter half of training camp this summer when the team was dealing with injuries at defensive end, and was released during cutdowns before being signed to the practice squad. Rivers also spent time on the Colts practice squad late in the 2023 season as well.

His most recent regular season NFL snaps came in 2021 while with the Houston Texans. In 24 career games, Rivers has recorded 14 pressures, four sacks, and 27 total tackles, five of which were for a loss.

Adding Rivers back to the mix reinforces the Colts’ defensive end depth on the team after losing Leo.

Patriots sign defensive end off Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad

The Patriots signed a defensive end off of the Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad and on to the New England 53-man roster.

The New England Patriots announced on Tuesday afternoon that they signed defensive end Titus Leo off of the Indianapolis Colts practice squad and onto their 53-man roster.

Teams are able to sign away members of another organization’s practice squad as long as that player is added to the active roster.

Leo was a sixth-round pick by the Colts in the 2023 draft out of small-school Wagner. His rookie season, unfortunately ended in August because of a season-ending injury.

Leo would then spend the 2024 training camp with the Colts, which included playing 34 snaps in their first preseason game.

Indianapolis then released Leo during roster cutdowns before signing him to the practice squad. He was briefly released after Week 1 before being signed back to the practice squad a week later.

Listed at 245 pounds, Leo is a bit undersized for an edge defender but was highly productive in college, playing over 1,000 defensive snaps in his final two seasons at Wagner, totaling 71 pressures and 10 sacks.

With Leo heading to New England to get an opportunity to play, the Indianapolis Colts had an opening on the practice squad that they filled by brining back a familiar face in Derek Rivers to reinforce the defensive end depth.

Where do Indianapolis Colts rank in important metrics after Week 11?

Where do the Indianapolis Colts rank in these important metrics following their Week 11 win?

Coming off of a win in Week 11 over the New York Jets, where do the Indianapolis Colts now rank in several important statistical metrics?

With more games behind us than in front of us, these metrics carry quite a bit of weight at this stage of the season. Of course, there are multi-week sample sizes that can highlight improved or worsening play, but largely, these stats paint a good picture of who this Colts team is.

Given all of the metrics that are out there, it can be easy to get lost in all the data, but in an effort to be concise while still highlighting pertinent information, I boiled down my stat selection to the basics of football: run game performance, passing game performance, pressures, turnovers, third down and red zone success, and of course, points.

So coming out of Week 11, here is where the Colts stand in those key categories with the help of Team Rankings and Pro Football Reference.

Stat Ranking
Points per game 21.5 19th
Points per game allowed 22.7 19th
Yards per rush 4.5 13th
Yards per rush allowed 4.4 19th
Yards per pass attempt 7.2 18th
Yards per pass attempt allowed 7.1 25th
Defensive pressure rate on QB 2.8% 17th
Pressure rate allowed on QB 22.5% 20th
Turnover differential -1 19th
Third down conversion rate 36.9% 21st
Defensive third down conversion rate 43.1% 23rd
Red zone success rate 55.8% T17
Defensive red zone success rate 57.5% 16th

Announcers set for Indianapolis Colts’ Week 12 game vs Lions

Announcers are set for the Indianapolis Colts Week 12 matchup with the Lions. Here is what you need to know.

Coming off a crucial win over the New York Jets, the now 5-6 Indianapolis Colts will take on the red-hot 9-1 Detroit Lions.

Although the Colts are still fighting to get back to the .500 mark, they are still very much alive in the AFC playoff race.

This game against Detroit will be played at home at Lucas Oil Stadium and kickoff will be at 1:00 PM ET on Sunday, with the Lions opening as heavy favorites in this game.

The matchup will be aired on FOX with Kenny Albert on the play-by-play, Jonathan Vilma providing the analysis, and Megan Olivi will be on the sidelines.

To see if the game will be televised in your area, head over to 506 Sports. The coverage maps will be posted on Wednesday.

The return and play of Anthony Richardson has provided the Colts with a much-needed spark. However, awaiting the Colts this week will be a Lions team that has been dominant this season.

The offense, in particular, has been playing some incredibly impressive football with play-caller Ben Johnson at the helm, as Detroit leads the NFL in scoring behind a top offensive line unit, two very good running backs, Jared Goff, who is playing at a high level, and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Not to be forgotten about, the Lions also have a top-five scoring defense as well. In all phases, the Indianapolis Colts are going to be put to the test in Sunday’s game.

Indianapolis Colts Week 12 playoff probabilities after win vs Jets

Following their win over the Jets, what is the Indianapolis Colts’ playoff probability heading into Week 12?

The Indianapolis Colts’ win on Sunday over the New York Jets now has them at 5-6 on the season and still alive in the AFC playoff mix.

The Colts will enter Week 12 as the eighth seed in the AFC and only one game out of a playoff spot behind the 6–5 Denver Broncos. The current sixth seed in the AFC is the Baltimore Ravens at 7-4.

Behind the Colts are the Miami Dolphins at 4-6 and the Cincinnati Bengals at 4-7.

Of note, the Colts hold the head-to-head tie-breaker of the Dolphins, and coming out of their bye week, they still face the Broncos on the road in Week 15.

According to NFL.com, Indianapolis’ playoff odds sit at 28 percent heading into this week’s game. With a win, their odds jump to 45 percent. However, with a loss, and the Colts’ playoff chances dip to 21 percent.

This week’s matchup against the red-hot and dominant Detroit Lions will be a highly difficult game for the Colts. But overall, their remaining strength of schedule is quite reasonable.

In fact, going into Week 11, the Colts had the second-easiest remaining strength of schedule. Of their final six games, only two of those teams have winning records and the other four, have three or fewer wins.

The Broncos current playoff odds are at 68 percent. Below is their remaining schedule:

at Las Vegas
vs Cleveland
Bye week
vs Indianapolis
at Los Angeles Chargers
at Cincinnati
vs Kansas City

Where do Colts rank in ESPN’s Week 12 power rankings?

Following a Week 11 win over the Jets, where do the Indianapolis Colts now rank in ESPN’s Week 12 power rankings?

Following a Week 11 win over the New York Jets, where do the Indianapolis Colts now fall in ESPN’s Week 12 power rankings?

The Colts entered the 2024 season at No. 18 on this list and have been as low as No. 28 following an 0-2 start, along with just about everywhere in between in what has been an up-and-down year.

But after coming in at No. 20 in ESPN’s Week 11 rankings, the Colts moved up one spot to No. 19 in this week’s edition. The team that they beat, the Jets, are at No. 27 now, down three spots from where they were a week ago.

Determining these rankings for ESPN are more than 80 writers, editors, and TV personalities evaluating each team’s performance and then ranking them from 1-32.

Leading the way for the Colts in this victory was Anthony Richardson. Not only was his overall production impressive, but he came through in critical moments as well, such as when under pressure, in the red zone, and when trailing in the fourth quarter.

Going beyond the stat sheet, the intangible qualities that come with playing the quarterback position were on display as well, from Richardson’s improved footwork, operating within the timing and the rhythm of the play, and his overall command of the offense.

Also important to the offense’s success was the gameplan that Shane Steichen put together–one that looked like what we thought we were going to see from the Colts this season.

The win on Sunday snapped a three-game losing streak that the Colts were on and keeps them alive in the AFC playoff hunt.

Next up for Indianapolis is a matchup at home against the red-hot Detroit Lions. At 9-1 on the season, the Lions are No. 1 in ESPN’s power rankings.

Colts QB Anthony Richardson among best when pressured in Week 11

Adding to Colts QB Anthony Richardson’s impressive play was that he was among the best in Week 11 at dealing with pressure from the defense.

In addition to Anthony Richardson’s overall stellar performance on Sunday in the Indianapolis Colts’ Week 11 win over the Jets, he was very good when under pressure.

According to Pro Football Focus, Richardson was under pressure on 43.8 percent of his dropbacks, which was the fourth-highest rate in Week 11. However, on his 12 pass attempts when under duress, Richardson would complete nine of those passes for 145 yards. That’s a hefty average of 12.1 yards per attempt.

Completion percentage-wise when under pressure, Richardson ranked fourth this week among quarterbacks. His 145 yards ranked third, and his 12.1 yards per attempt was sixth-best.

Prior to this game, Richardson had struggled when facing pressure. His completion rate was at just 35 percent, the lowest of any quarterback in the NFL. Richardson also averaged just 6.8 yards per attempt with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

So what contributed to Richardson’s stark turnaround when facing pressure?

Richardson’s ability to extend plays is obviously important, but as Dusty Evely wrote about in his latest edition of the ‘Colts Passing Chronicles,’ I think we can look at some the factors that led to Richardson’s overall improved play.

Evely notes that Richardson’s play within the timing of the offense was much better this week. This starts with more rhythmic footwork, helping him, one, have a solid base to throw from, but also helps him go through his progressions and the sequencing of the play with proper timing.

Then, generally speaking, there was also just a greater command and control of the offense, which when pressure hits, allows Richardson to get rid of the ball quickly, knowing where to go and where his outlets options in the passing game are going to be located.

So you add all of that up, and when pressure hits, there is no hesitation–the ball just came out and on target.

This performance when under duress is just another example of what made Richardson’s performance on Sunday so impressive. He didn’t just fill the stat sheet, but in critical moments, whether that be under pressure, in the red zone, or when trailing in the fourth quarter, Richardson was excellent.

5 PFF stats to know from Colts’ Week 11 win over Jets

Let’s take a closer look at five stats from PFF to know about from the Indianapolis Colts’ Week 11 win over the Jets.

With Anthony Richardson back under center, he led the Indianapolis Colts to a late come-from-behind victory in Week 11 over the New York Jets, helping to keep the team’s playoff hopes alive.

This was easily Richardson’s best performance of the season, not only when taking into account his overall production, but also when it comes to the intangible aspects that come with playing quarterback, such as his command and throwing within the timing and rhythm of the play. Richardson was also lights out in the fourth quarter when it mattered most.

While Richardson’s play will understandably command the attention, let’s take a closer look at five key stats from Pro Football Focus that were a factor in defining how this game unfolded.

75 percent: Anthony Richardson has struggled when under pressure this season. He entered Sunday’s game, completing just 44 percent of his throws when under duress. But against the Jets, he was excellent. Richardson completed 9-of-12 throws for 145 yards. That success started with, of course, his ability to buy time when needed, but also playing within the timing and structure of the play and knowing where his outlet options were.

18 yards: Jets’ wide receiver Garrett Wilson entered Sunday’s game as one of the most productive pass-catchers in football. However, the Colts would hold him to just 18 total yards, with Wilson catching four of his eight targets. The Colts did a nice job of taking away downfield opportunities and on shorter area throws, swarmed to the pass catchers. Jaylon Jones was often tasked with covering Wilson, and he surrendered only two completions on six targets.

25 percent: It was a nice game for rookie Laiatu Latu, who on the stat sheet, totaled three pressures, a sack, and two tackles for loss. But also of note is that he won his one-on-one matchups 25 percent of the time. For some context, entering Week 11, Myles Garrett win rate of 25.3 percent on the season leads the NFL. What this 25 percent figure shows is consistency, and where there is consistency, the production will follow.

8: Of the 11 pressures that the Colts gave up to the Jets, eight of them came from Tanor Bortolini or Dalton Tucker. As I noted before the game, Quinnen Williams, along with Javon Kinlaw, were going to be a very difficult test for these two. That duo also made running the ball between the tackles a challenge for the Colts as well. Overall, Richardson was pressured on 43.8 percent of his dropbacks–the fourth-highest mark in Week 11.

4.5: Jets’ running back Breece Hall averaged 4.5 yards after contact against the Colts, which was the second-highest mark among running backs in Week 11. In fact, of Hall’s 78 total rushing yards, 72 came after contact–and that was the most this week. What that tells us is the Colts were often positioned well to limit his production, but whether it be missed tackles or poor angles, they couldn’t bring Hall down, which admittedly, is no easy task.

Anthony Richardson makes a big splash in his return to the Colts lineup

Anthony Richardson makes a big splash in his return to the Colts lineup after being benched for Joe Flacco

The 4th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Anthony Richardson made a serious comeback for the Colts this last weekend after previously being benched just three weeks ago. Richardson made a great first step in ensuring he remains the starter for the rest of the season with a big-time signature win over the New York Jets.

 

It goes without saying that Richardson looked much improved for the entirety of the contest against the New York Jets. With 20 completions on 30 attempts, netting 272 passing yards and a touchdown, Richardson was as efficient as he has been to this point in his career. Richardson, of course, also added to his stat line with his elite rushing abilities, posting 2 more touchdowns, including the game-winner in the 4th quarter.

This was a much-needed rebound for the young signal caller, who was the second first-round quarterback from his class, to experience a benching and then a swift resurgence. It’s likely Richardson will be the starter moving forward, and if he keeps his level of play equal to what he showed today, the Colts can be confident in their quarterback moving into the future.