The Indianapolis Colts (1-1) were down a big asset on the offensive side of the ball in tight end Jack Doyle against the Minnesota Vikings (0-2), but Mo Alie-Cox stepped in immaculately on Sunday.
With the depth thin at tight end, the Colts relied on Alie-Cox in a big way. Despite the game script calling for the rushing attack to dominate the game, Alie-Cox led the offense with six targets, five receptions and 111 receiving yards.
The Colts offense leaned on the run game heavily on Sunday running 26 times to 25 pass attempts. But Alie-Cox had a big game getting huge chunks of yards on almost every reception.
Alie-Cox was part of the reason Philip Rivers had an interception in the first half but he bounced back to lead the Colts in the passing game.
The Colts aren’t sure how much longer Doyle will be out with the injury. He was ruled out for the game due to ankle and knee injuries.
All offseason, Alie-Cox has been the subject of praise with his development and he showed out when the Colts needed him greatly.
Reich has been impressed with Alie-Cox’s route running.
For the Indianapolis Colts offense, the tight end position is a crucial aspect of the entire unit. Head coach Frank Reich places a lot of emphasis on the position, which is why he’s elated to see the developments that Mo Alie-Cox has made entering 2020.
Used mostly as a blocker in his first season on the active roster in 2019, Alie-Cox wasn’t used much as a receiving threat. That part of his game has been coming along slowly, but Reich sees a different weapon with Alie-Cox coming into this season.
In fact, Reich believes the former VCU basketball standout is a vital part of the offensive game plan every week.
“I’m glad you asked me about him. This guy is so instrumental on our team. I see Mo (Alie-Cox) as a very important part of our roster whether he plays 10 plays in the game or 30 plays in the game,” Reich told the media Sunday. “He has really developed. He deserves a lot of that credit. He’s really worked at his game.”
Alie-Cox spent a majority of training camp on the PUP list but was activated last week.
While he will be working behind Jack Doyle, who is the unquestioned starter, Alie-Cox does possess the makings of being a potential mismatch play in the middle of the field and in the red zone.
But refining his route running abilities has been the top priority. The improvements Alie-Cox has made in that phase of his game isn’t something to be understated in the eyes of Reich.
“He’s become a much better route runner. When I tell you he’s improved in his route running, it’s very significant,” Reich said. “You feel Mo when he’s on the field and he makes a big impact for us. He’s a guy that we do not underestimate the importance of him being out there on the field for us. I think there is a lot of upside yet, I really do. I think there is a lot of upside for Mo. I think he’s just getting started.”
The tight end position is a vital spot for Reich’s offense. Whether it’s in-line blocking or being split out in the slot as a receiver, the position is a priority for the Colts.
If Alie-Cox can continue developing his game as a route-runner, that just gives the Colts another way to make their offense multiple and less predictive.
The Indianapolis Colts removed tight end Mo Alie-Cox from the active/PUP list, the team announced Friday.
This is good news for the Colts, who have been thin at tight end throughout training camp. Alie-Cox is expected to battle for the No. 2 role behind Jack Doyle alongside Trey Burton.
Known mostly for his blocking, the Colts are hoping that Alie-Cox can begin developing into a pass-catcher as well. His size and athleticism give him the potential to be a mismatch in the middle of the field if he can continue his growth in that phase of the game.
With Alie-Cox removed, the only player on the active/PUP list is defensive end Kemoko Turay.
The Indianapolis Colts placed defensive end Kemoko Turay, tight end Mo Alie-Cox and defensive end Jegs Jegede on the active/Physically Unable to Perform list, the team announced Tuesday.
The Colts also announced the release of TE Matt Lengel, which is the start of the organization bringing the roster down to the 80-player limit that goes into effect on Aug. 16.
The PUP list allows these players to stay at the facility and rehab but keeping them on the active roster. Once they are ready to return from their rehab and practice, they can be activated from the PUP list.
Turay and Alie-Cox are expected to have big roles on their respective sides of the ball while Jegede will be competing for a roster spot, though he’s a longshot to make it with the depth the Colts have at defensive end.
The Indianapolis Colts are expected to return from summer break on July 28 for training camp so we will be taking a look at each position group before the entire team reports.
Following the departure of Eric Ebron in free agency, the Colts tight end room looks slightly different than it did in 2019. However, the top of room should remain intact with Jack Doyle leading the way.
This group will be relied upon plenty as both head coach Frank Reich and quarterback Philip Rivers often utilize the position.
Expected Depth Chart
TE1
TE2
TE3
Jack Doyle
Trey Burton
Mo Alie-Cox
Player To Watch
Burton will be the one to watch in the tight end room throughout training camp. After he was released by the Bears just before the draft, the Colts scooped him up hoping he will take on the Ebron role as the move tight end.
Ebron showed just how much a tight end can flourish in that role and while the situation is much different now than it was in 2018, Burton still has the skill set to make an impact as a pass-catcher.
Even if Burton is the TE2 in the room, it is likely he’s playing no more than 40% of the snaps on a per-game basis. But that’s enough work in the passing game to make an impact.
Storyline To Watch
There isn’t a whole lot going on in the tight end room. It’s pretty straight forward. One thing to keep an eye out will be for the development of Alie-Cox. He’s proven to be a sufficient run blocker but is still working on refining the nuances of being a receiver. His size and length make him a mismatch for opposing defenses, but he has to fine-tune his route running.
Another smaller storyline to watch will simply be the usage of the room. We know Doyle will be on the field roughly 90% of the time, but will the Colts offense favor more 11 or 21 personnel? Or will Burton really be involved in the passing game to the point where 12 personnel becomes a common theme?
2020 Outlook
The Colts tight end room is a stable one being led by Doyle and while there are some question marks as to Burton’s potential impact, the outlook of this unit should be mostly positive.
Some starting roles up for grabs at training camp.
The Indianapolis Colts are expected to begin training camp on July 28 and if there are no hiccups with the coronavirus, then the competitions for starting roles will quickly be underway.
Training camp battles are always intense and while it includes players from the same team battling for the same goal, several of these players are fighting for their jobs. Even with the depth the Colts have, there are several starting roles up for grabs in all three phases of the game.
Here’s a look at six starting spots up for grabs at Colts training camp:
RB1
Main competitors: Marlon Mack, Jonathan Taylor
This one is a bit of a cop-out because even the player who winds up “losing” this battle will still have a significant role in the offense. Mack is the incumbent starter in the backfield coming off of a 1,091-yard, eight-touchdown season while Taylor is the shiny new draft pick.
Both players are talented enough to be the bellcow in an offense. Mack has proven that over the last two seasons while Taylor is the most productive three-year running back in college football history. The most likely outcome is that they will split time on early downs with Taylor likely seeing slightly more work in the passing game.
Regardless, both players are likely to have a role early on in the backfield. Whoever is proving to be more productive could get the hot hand in the second half of the regular season.
Prediction: Both split time in first half, Taylor takes over as lead back after Week 8.
The Indianapolis Colts are hoping to return from their summer break on July 28 for training camp, barring any changes. We will be previewing the majority of the roster as the summer progresses.
Name: Mo Alie-Cox Position: TE Height: 6-foot-5 Weight: 267 Age: 26 Free Agent Year: 2021 (RFA)
Background
The Colts took Alie-Cox from the hardwood at VCU hoping to transition him to a mismatch at tight end on the gridiron. He has made steady progress since joining the Colts during the 2018 offseason and now has a chance to carve out his role in the offense in 2020.
After sitting on the practice squad for most of 2018, Alie-Cox got his first taste of the field in 2019. He appeared in all 16 games while playing 33% of the offensive snaps. Used mostly as a run-blocker, the Colts are hoping Alie-Cox can take a step forward as a pass-catcher in 2020.
Expected Role
With Jack Doyle returning on a brand-new extension, Alie-Cox will be working likely as the TE3. That said, he can compete with Trey Burton for the TE2 role and given the latter is merely a pass-catcher, Alie-Cox could wind up seeing more snaps. It will all come down to how many 12 and 13 personnel packages the Colts implement, but Alie-Cox will see a decent amount of snaps during the 2020 season.
2020 Outlook
Alie-Cox has all the makings of being a mismatch tight end in the NFL. His run-blocking is his strength right now, but he is showing some improvements as a route runner. That area is where he must continue progressing if his role in the offense is to evolve. Despite playing on 354 snaps in 2019, Alie-Cox saw just 11 targets.
The former VCU basketball standout has the size, speed and athleticism to make an impact in the passing game. He can be a strong red-zone weapon as well, but he has to continue making strides as a route runner. It will also come down to how he fares in the competition against Burton.
Bottom Line
The Colts don’t need to rely on Alie-Cox as the starting tight end, but they want to get him involved. He can be a mismatch in the passing game if continues improving as a route runner and will have a big task ahead of him competing against Burton for the TE2 role.
The Indianapolis Colts will be seeing competition throughout the roster and while Jack Doyle will be leading the tight end room, there is still space for Mo Alie-Cox to show his development.
With Doyle entrenched as the starter, the Colts also brought in Trey Burton to fill in the move tight end role—the Eric Ebron role, if you will. But Alie-Cox is still in the mix to see more work, especially when the Colts go into their heavier packages.
Two years ago, Eric Ebron led all tight ends with 13 receiving touchdowns. His production took a serious downturn in 2019 with Andrew Luck’s retirement and Jack Doyle’s return to the lineup.
Ebron signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason, which will create more opportunities for another tight end with Philip Rivers now in place to lead the Indianapolis Colts offense.
Rivers has a long history of throwing to Antonio Gates and Hunter Henry.
Doyle will continue to be the starter, but Mo Alie-Cox should receive plenty of chances since the Colts used two or more tight ends on 33 percent of their offensive snaps last season, according to Sharp Football Stats.
The Colts signed Trey Burton this offseason, but he was a free-agent disappointment for the Chicago Bears, while Alie-Cox brings more size and athleticism to the position.
Alie-Cox has made some steady progress since joining the Colts before the 2018 season. The former VCU basketball standout is still refining his game as a pass-catcher but has immense promise given his attributes.
It will be interesting to see who sees more time on the field behind Doyle in the tight end room, but Alie-Cox shouldn’t be written off as a potential starter in the offense.
The Indianapolis Colts have their top tight ends set to lead the way in 2020, but head coach Frank Reich indicated Monday that the team has seen a lot of growth in the game of Mo Alie-Cox.
Though he’s currently behind Jack Doyle and Trey Burton on the tight end depth chart, Alie-Cox is continuing to grow his game through run-blocking and route running.
Asked about TE Mo Alie-Cox, Reich says he took a big step last year and is expected to be a huge key to the running game in 2020. Reich adds that Alie-Cox's biggest area of improvement last season was "route running." Perhaps that pays off this year?
There are a lot of mouths to feed in the Colts offense but adding another element to the unit that stems from the tight end room has to be intriguing for Reich.
Alie-Cox has seen just 24 targets in the last two seasons with the Colts so he won’t be expected to take up much of a target share in the offense. But improving his skills as a pass-catcher could be nice for the Colts, a team whose offensive game plan features tight ends heavily.
In his own room, Alie-Cox will have to work behind Doyle and Burton—both of which should see plenty more targets than the former. Then come the targets that will go to the wide receivers and running back Nyheim Hines. It’s tough to see Alie-Cox truly breaking through in a big way in terms of target share.
However, Alie-Cox has elite size, movement skills and power for the tight end position. He still has to refine his game, but he should be an interesting watch for 2020.
Thanksgiving Day started with a 75-yard touchdown pass from David Blough, watched the 622 sideline views of Jason Garrett looking progressively more nervous and ended with the Falcons not only recovering the ultra-rare onside kick but doing it twice in a row.
Dallas Cowboys head coach – They haven’t beaten a winning team this year and they were embarrassed at home in from of a national audience yesterday. As was mentioned during the telecast, the Cowboys are the only team with the same coach they had in 2011 and they have not been to a Super Bowl. They lost 26-15 in a game that they were favored by seven points. And naturally, the calls for HC Jason Garrett to be fired are no longer a low roar. In jumps Las Vegas with the odds of a new coach.
Urban Meyer already lobbied for the job. Josh McDaniels seems like a lock to step in and run the Patriots whenever Bill Belichick steps down. Lincoln Riley would be in the vein of hiring a successful college coach and that worked out pretty well with Jimmy Johnson. I doubt they change anything during the season and they are still atop the NFC East. But as Jerry Jones said, the Cowboys have too much talent to be a 6-6 team.
David Blough – The undrafted 24-year-old rookie was a four-year player at Purdue who was originally signed by the Browns but was traded to the Lions. He became the first quarterback since Matt Ryan (2008) to throw a touchdown on his first NFL pass. Blough was called to start when Jeff Driskel’s hamstring had not healed enough. The rookie threw for 280 yards and two scores with one interception on his final pass. But that was 205 yards and one touchdown after his first pass. He found Kenny Golladay for 158 yards on four catches with the opening-play touchdown. No other receivers did much.
Tight Ends to watch – Most tight ends do very little as a rookie but the better ones tend to break out in their second season. Here’s a quick list of the rookies drafted this year that are more likely to see a notable increase in 2020:
T.J. Hockenson (1.08 DET – Current stat line: 32-367-2) Noah Fant (1.20 DEN – Current stat line: 30-374-2) Irv Smith Jr. (2.18 MIN – Current stat line: 27-261-1) Dawson Knox (3.32 BUF – Current stat line: 25-307-2)
Their production is all close. All but Knox are playing in the first year of their offensive coordinator and that should help them grow with their offense. Each leads their team’s tight ends except for Smith and Kyle Rudolph.
Christian Blake – The undrafted second-year player from Northern Illinois was signed to the practice squad, released, re-signed and so on until October 23 when he was brought up to the active roster. He was only catching one or two passes per game after Mohamed Sany left. Justin Hardy and Russell Gage also saw more work. Yesterday, Blake ended with six catches for 57 yards in the loss to the Saints – more than either Hardy or Gage though he scored once on his five catches for 52 yards. The Falcons are trying out other players and that’ll make the unit harder to predict unless one of them steps up more. With Julio Jones gone, both Gare and Blake saw nine targets, only one less than Calvin Ridley.
Mo Ali-Cox – Eric Ebron landed on injured reserve and that leaves Doyle and Mo Alie-Cox as the starters. Ebron totals 31 catches for 375 yards and three scores this year after posting 13 touchdowns in 2018. He was catching four or five passes for the last three games so his absence will be felt. Alie-Cox is an undrafted third-year player who was a basketball player in college (6-5, 267 pounds). Chances are that Doyle will see an increase in work more than Alie-Cox becomes a common target. Watch this week when they play the Titans because, in Week 14, they face the Buccaneers No.31 defense versus tight ends.
Those Team Defenses – We all say defenses are too hard to call so why draft them early? Some of us don’t, some of us just cannot resist taking that first or second defense far earlier than everyone else. Last year – the Bears were the defense-I-have-to-have. Here’s where that stands between the top ten drafted defenses and where they currently rank.
The Bears are barely average and in a 12 team league haven’t been worth starting most of the time. The Rams did well though it never feels like it. Six of the top ten ended up below average.
And here is what we should have done.
Yeah, I’ll try to hold off on the Patriots next year. Bet someone else won’t.
