Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Taking a look at the top needs for the Colts entering the 2024 offseason.
With the 2023 season officially over for the Indianapolis Colts, they are officially in offseason mode.
As 2024 begins, Indianapolis will look to add to its roster and strengthen some perceived weaknesses through free agency, trades and the NFL draft.
With that being said, here are some of the top needs for Indianapolis moving forward:
Here’s the updated injury report for the Colts and Steelers in Week 15.
The Indianapolis Colts (7-6) and Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6) released their updated injury reports Wednesday ahead of the Week 15 matchup at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Here’s a look at the updated injury report for the Colts in Week 15:
*DNP = Did Not Participate — LP = Limited Participant — FP = Full Participant*
Here’s a look at the updated injury report for the Steelers in Week 15:
[lawrence-related id=92445,92443,92439]
Here’s a look at Tuesday’s injury report for the Colts and Steelers.
The Indianapolis Colts (7-6) and Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6) released their initial injury reports Tuesday ahead of the Week 15 matchup at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Here’s a look at the initial injury report for the Colts in Week 15:
*DNP = Did Not Participate — LP = Limited Participant — FP = Full Participant*
Here’s a look at the initial injury report for the Steelers in Week 15:
[lawrence-related id=92411,92409,92404]
Taking a look at the key matchups to watch in Week 14.
The Indianapolis Colts (7-5) are hitting the road for a Week 14 bout against the Cincinnati Bengals (6-6) on Sunday at Paycor Stadium.
In what will have heavy implications for the AFC playoff picture, this game is expected to be a battle down to the wire. Both teams will be trotting out backup quarterbacks in the form of Gardner Minshew and Jake Browning.
The Colts are riding a four-game winning streak for the first time since 2018 and have won five of six games on the road this season. Meanwhile, the Bengals are coming off a big road win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, their first victory since Jake Browning took over as the starter for the injured Joe Burrow.
Here are some key matchups to watch in this Week 14 game between the Colts and Bengals:
Taking a look at the studs and duds from the Colts’ 31-28 win over the Titans.
The Indianapolis Colts (7-5) extended their winning streak to four games with a 31-28 overtime win against the Tennessee Titans (4-8) on Sunday at Nissan Stadium.
It wasn’t pretty throughout the game, especially as the Colts were down 17-7 coming out of halftime and then were forced to kick three consecutive field goals on their first three drives to open the second half.
But the Colts were able to prevail thanks to some big plays on special teams. They blocked two consecutive punts, one of which was returned for a touchdown.
Even after the Titans scored a field goal on their drive to open overtime, the Colts answered with a clutch touchdown to Michael Pittman Jr. (more about him below) to seal the win and sweep the season series against Tennessee for the first time since 2018.
Here’s a look at the studs and duds from the Week 13 divisional win:
Taking a look at the studs and duds from the Week 12 win.
The Indianapolis Colts (6-5) won their third straight game Sunday, defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-7) at home.
The Colts jumped out to a 17-3 lead before Tampa Bay came storming back in the second half. The Colts ultimately closed the game out with a strip-sack under two minutes to secure the victory.
Here are the studs and duds from the Colts’ win in Week 12:
Taking a look at the the best rookies for the Colts thus far in 2023.
The Indianapolis Colts are 10 games into the 2023 season. At their bye in Week 11, the team stands right in the thick of the playoff hunt with a 5-5 record.
There have been many ups and downs so far and the rookie class has played a big contribution to the position the team finds itself in.
Here, we’re ranking the rookies that have had the biggest impact through the first 10 games of the season:
In his first NFL season, former Aggie CB Jaylon Jones has been an impressive player in coverage with the Indianapolis Colts.
Texas A&M has over 30 active players in the NFL in 2023, and while names like Myles Garrett and Mike Evans dominate most headlines every Sunday, Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Justin Madubuike, who Aggies fans remember as one of the hardest-working players in recent memory, has already notched 7.5 sacks this season.
However, one former Texas A&M defender who has been entirely under the radar this season has quietly put together a dominant rookie campaign, as Indianapolis Colts cornerback Jaylon Jones has been putting in the work every week.
According to Colts writer Zach Hicks, in 184 coverage snaps, Jones has only allowed ten receptions for 86 yards on 20 targets. Even more impressive, Baltimore Ravens All-Pro cornerback Marlon Humphrey is the only NFL cornerback to allow less than 100 receiving yards on 150 or more coverage snaps this season. That’s pretty darn good for a 2023 7th-round pick.
Colts rookie cornerback Jaylon Jones this season:
10 receptions allowed on 20 targets for just 86 yards in 184 coverage snaps.
Jones and Marlon Humphrey are the only two cornerbacks in the NFL with over 150 coverage snaps to allow fewer than 100 yards receiving
— Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2) November 6, 2023
Coming out of Cibolo (TX) as one of Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher’s first five-star recruits in the 2020 recruiting class, Jones started all 10 of the Aggies Covid-shortened 2020 campaign while only missing two games during his successful three-year career (2019-2021). In said three seasons, Jones recorded 98 tackles (72 solo tackles), three interceptions, and 12 pass deflections.
Standing at 6-2 and just over 200 pounds, Jones’ ability in press coverage due to his size and length on the boundary is already paying dividends for a Colts defense that may be rebuilding on offense but is consistently looking to add playmakers on defense year after year. Indianapolis deserves credit for banking on Jones’s skill set while many questioned his NFL readiness.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.
Checking in on the stock report from the Colts’ Week 8 loss.
The Indianapolis Colts (3-5) suffered their third consecutive loss Sunday when they were defeated 38-27 against the New Orleans Saints (4-4) at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Week 8 loss was a tough one. The Colts were competitive going into halftime, even leading 17-7 early in the second quarter. That’s true for the majority of the third quarter as well until the Saints put together consecutive touchdown drives to put the game away.
Now, it’s time to take a look at how this game impacted the stock of a handful of players.
When taking stock of a player’s performance, it’s best to be fluid. A player’s stock will fall and rise throughout the season so none of this is set in stone. However, it is important to take note of the narratives and storylines taking place as the campaign progresses.
A player’s stock can be impacted by factors such as their performance or the type of snaps they receive during the games.
Here’s a look at the stock report for the Colts following the Week 8 loss:
Chris Ballard had one reason why the Colts waived Darius Rush at roster cuts.
The Indianapolis Colts are going into the regular season with an extremely young cornerback room, one that won’t be featuring one of their fifth-round picks from the 2023 NFL draft.
In a mildly shocking move, the Colts wound up waiving fifth-round pick Darius Rush as a part of the moves to get the roster to 53 players before Tuesday’s deadline. Meanwhile, they opted to keep seventh-round pick Jaylon Jones.
When asked what went into cutting Rush, general manager Chris Ballard’s answer was pretty simple.
“That’s a good question, that was hard. Jaylon Jones,” Ballard said Wednesday of the reason that led the Colts to make that decision.
Jones was one of the true standouts for the Colts throughout training camp and the preseason. He worked his way up the depth chart while others in the room dealt with injuries, and he showed upside on both defense and special teams. If they had to choose one over the other, keeping Jones was the right call.
Physically, Rush fit the exact profile the Colts like in their cornerbacks. He’s physical, lengthy and has elite speed. But he struggled with consistent mirroring and made a poor habit of biting on double moves.
In theory, the Colts could have kept both players, but Ballard believes the roster mechanics would have made that difficult.
It became more about wanting other players more than they wanted to keep Rush, which is the harsh reality of life in the NFL.
“We’d had to of kept seven corners, so it would have been tough. It would have been tough. Kenny Moore (II) – we think has had a great camp. Tony Brown – I love Tony. Let me just make this known. I love Tony Brown. That dude competes. He’s a great teammate. He’s all-in,” Ballard said. “Then you have (Darrell) Baker (Jr.). We have Dallis (Flowers) – all these guys that have all come in and played really good football and have really good upside. And they’re all young. JuJu (Brents) is coming along.”
The emergence of Baker and Flowers, along with Brown’s abilities on special teams, made the room very crowded throughout camp and the preseason. Rush quickly found a new home, though, being claimed off waivers by the Kansas City Chiefs.
“Look, it just happened to be a group that’s young and talented. Nothing against Darius (Rush) – wish him the best. I know he was claimed. Wish him the best. I went back and forth with him earlier about it. He’s very talented, but it was a good group.”
The Colts are rolling with a young cornerback room, and it will be an interesting experiment to see down the road if the front office was correct in making this move.
