Tag: Quenton Nelson

Colts’ highlights from 2024 Pro Bowl Games

Check out the Colts’ highlights from the 2024 Pro Bowl Games.

A quartet of Indianapolis Colts players represented the organization at the 2024 Pro Bowl Games in Orlando over the weekend.

As the league continues to move further away from the traditional All-Star Game format, instead opting for a week of events and mini-games, the Colts were well-represented by some of the biggest leaders in the locker room.

Quarterback Gardner Minshew, left guard Quenton Nelson, center Ryan Kelly and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner all took part in the weekend events.

Minshew and Kelly were the only players to participate in Thursday’s skills showdown. Minshew competed in the Precision Passing event with the other Pro Bowl quarterbacks while Kelly competed in the snap shot event with the other centers.

From being mic’d up to shining in the flag football game to end the weekend, here are the highlights from the Colts players during the 2024 Pro Bowl Games.

2024 Pro Bowl Games: Date, time, how to watch, stream

Information on the 2024 Pro Bowl Games.

The Pro Bowl may not hold the same weight that it used to, but the NFL is still putting together an event for some of the best players around the league.

After the Pro Bowl skills showdown took place Thursday in Orlando, the games will take place Sunday afternoon.

The Colts have four players participating in the Pro Bowl Games. That includes left guard Quenton Nelson, center Ryan Kelly, defensive tackle DeForest Buckner and quarterback Gardner Minshew.

How to Watch

Date: Sunday, Feb. 4
Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
Location: Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL
Channel: ESPN/ABC
Streaming: fuboTV (try it free)

Games

  • Madden NFL head-to-head: A 2v2 matchup hosted by EA Sports.
  • Gridiron Gauntlet: A 6v6 obstacle course relay race (Buckner and Nelson participating)
  • Tug-of-War: A 5v5 competition (Buckner and Nelson participating)
  • Move the Chains: Each team of five players consisting only of offensive an defensive line must move 3,000 pounds of weights off a massive wall and be the first team to pull that 2,000-pound wall across the finish line.
  • Flag Football: (Minshew and Kelly participating)

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Colts’ biggest salary-cap hits entering 2024 offseason

Big Q and DeFo lead the Colts’ salary-cap hits entering the offseason.

The Indianapolis Colts are coming off an encouraging season in the first campaign under head coach Shane Steichen.

Though they narrowly missed out on the playoffs, the fact that they were in the hunt until the final game of the season with a backup quarterback proves how far this team has come since the disastrous 2022 season.

Most of the offseason attention will be spent on the 2024 NFL draft, in which the Colts hold the No. 15 overall pick. However, they also are among the leaders in salary-cap space entering the offseason.

When taking a look at some of these cap hits, they include roster bonuses that don’t go into effect until March but since they are on the roster as of this writing, we’ll assume they will be until something changes.

Though the Colts aren’t in desperate need to add more cap space, some of these contracts could be offloaded or restructured.

Before getting into those potential decisions, here’s a quick look at the biggest salary-cap hits for the Colts entering the 2024 offseason, via Over The Cap.

Colts’ Gardner Minshew named to 2024 Pro Bowl Games

Gardner Minshew is heading to the Pro Bowl.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew was named to the 2024 Pro Bowl Games as a replacement, the team announced Tuesday.

Considering Minshew wasn’t even voted as an alternate initially, this certainly comes as a surprise. It seems Minshew will be replacing Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who was not on the finalized Pro Bowl roster despite being voted in earlier in the season.

Minshew took over the starting role after rookie Anthony Richardson suffered a shoulder injury that required season-ending surgery in Week 5.

Over the course of the season, Minshew started 13 games, completing 62.2% of his passes for 3,305 yards, 15 touchdowns, nine interceptions and an 84.6 passer rating.

This is the first time in his career Minshew has been selected to the Pro Bowl, and he will join Houston Texans’ C.J. Stroud and Miami Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa on the AFC squad.

Minshew also will join three teammates in Orlando. Left guard Quenton Nelson was the only Colts player voted as a starter in December while center Ryan Kelly and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner also were added to the roster as replacements Tuesday.

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Colts’ Ryan Kelly, DeForest Buckner named to 2024 Pro Bowl Games

Two more Colts are heading to the 2024 Pro Bowl Games.

Indianapolis Colts center Ryan Kelly and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner were named to the 2024 Pro Bowl Games as replacements, the team announced Tuesday.

Both Kelly and Buckner will be joining left guard Quenton Nelson at the Pro Bowl Games in Orlando. Nelson was the only Colts player voted as a starter for the Pro Bowl.

Kelly is replacing Kansas City Chiefs center Creed Humphrey, who won’t be able to participate in the all-star weekend due to the Super Bowl being the following week.

Kelly enjoyed an incredible bounce-back campaign. Even though he missed three games due to two separate concussions, Kelly was one of the best centers in the entire league.

According to Pro Football Focus, Kelly’s seven total pressures allowed were the fewest among all NFL centers with at least 300 pass-blocking snaps. He also allowed just one sack on the season.

Buckner is likely replacing Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones. The veteran continued to be the engine of the entire Colts defense by putting together another stellar campaign.

A model of consistency, Buckner led the team in quarterback hits (21) and total pressures (52) while seeing the fourth-highest double-team rate among all NFL interior defensive linemen (66%), according to ESPN. He also finished the season with 8.0 sacks, the third time in the last four seasons he’s hit that mark.

This is Buckner’s third-career Pro Bowl selection (2018, 2021) and the fourth selection for Kelly (2019-2021).

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PFF ranks Colts offensive line among elite units

The Colts offensive line is back to being elite.

The Indianapolis Colts offensive line seems to have found its identity as a bullying unit once again, and Pro Football Focus placed them among the elites in their latest ranking.

Finalizing the offensive line rankings from the 2023 season, the Colts came in at No. 3 at the end of the campaign. They slotted in right behind the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions while sitting just ahead of the Atlanta Falcons.

3. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

Best lineup:
LT Bernhard Raimann
LG Quenton Nelson
C Ryan Kelly
RG Will Fries
RT Braden Smith

Injuries to center Ryan Kelly and right tackle Braden Smith weakened this unit, but when the Colts played all five of their starting offensive linemen — like in the first half against the Texans in Week 18 — it was one of the best and most improved front fives in the NFL.

The Colts’ offensive line allowed just 15 sacks all season, the third fewest in the NFL.

Best player: Bernhard Raimann
Raimann was one of the breakout players of the 2023 NFL season, ranking fifth among left tackles in PFF overall grade (82.3).

After a few seasons of mediocre to poor play from the offensive line, the unit stepped it up big time during the first season under head coach Shane Steichen and new offensive line coach Tony Sparano Jr.

The latter deserves a lot of credit for turning the unit around from where they were just one year ago, and it helps that Quenton Nelson and Ryan Kelly found their forms as tone setters on the interior.

Though the starting unit only played a handful of games together due to injuries, they were stellar when they were on the field at the same time.

The breakout campaign from Bernhard Raimann proved the Colts may have a cornerstone piece at left tackle for the next handful of seasons while right tackle Braden Smith was a strong option despite an extensively injured season.

At right guard, Will Fries proved worthy of being a starting option. He may not have blown the doors off the opposition, but he certainly provided the Colts with enough value to be trusted upon at right guard.

Adding depth to the unit is the main priority considering the starting five will return in 2024 so there’s a solid chance they will be able to build upon the foundation they set in 2023.

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Colts’ best and worst PFF grades from 2023 season

Checking out the Colts’ best and worst PFF grades from 2023.

Following a surprisingly successful but simultaneously disappointing end to the 2023 season for the Indianapolis Colts, it’s time to take a look back at the top grades from the campaign that was.

Courtesy of Pro Football Focus, the Colts’ highest overall grade on either side of the ball belonged to right tackle Braden Smith, who posted an offensive grade of 83.3. On defense, edge rusher Samson Ebukam led the unit with an overall grade of 84.4. This is using 170 snaps played as the minimum requirement.

The worst grade on offense was owned by offensive tackle Blake Freeland, who finished his rookie season with a 44.2 grade. Defensive tackle Eric Johnson II finished the season with a 30.5 overall grade, the lowest of any player meeting the 170-snap threshold.

Now, a look at the best and worst overall PFF grades for the Colts in 2023:

Colts had no All-Pro selections for 2023

The Colts had no All-Pro selections in 2023, but several players were close.

The Indianapolis Colts were not represented with any selections on the All-Pro First or Second Teams for the 2023 season, but several players were right on the cusp.

While the majority of the time the First-Team selections are what truly stick around, it’s notable when players are voted as Second-Team selections. It’s even noteworthy if a player fails to garner either selection but still receives votes.

The way the system works is the panel of 50 writers vote for each position. If a player is voted on the first team, that vote is worth three points. Second-team votes are worth one point. The players with the most points total get selected.

For the Colts, the following positions received no votes whatsoever for the 2023 AP All-Pro teams:

  • Quarterback
  • Running Back
  • Wide Receiver
  • Tight End
  • Left Tackle
  • Right Guard
  • Edge Rusher
  • Cornerback
  • Kick/Punt Returner
  • Special Teamer

Now, let’s take a look at the Colts players who did receive votes for the 2023 AP All-Pro teams, courtesy of the Associated Press’ Rob Maadi:

One voter’s 2023 AP First-Team All-Pro ballot

If you’ve ever wanted to see an official First-Team All-Pro ballot, we have you covered.

There are moments in your career where you think to yourself… “Yeah, this is a moment to remember.” Two years ago, when the Associated Press asked me to be one of the analysts responsible for voting for the First- and Second-Team All-Pro teams, as well as NFL Most Valuable Player and all other individual awards, that was certainly such a moment for me.

So, this is my second year of voting, and I wanted to share my first-team ballot with our readers. It’s an honor I take incredibly seriously, and this process involves a ton of advanced metrics, tape study, and reflections from a season of diving into both.

Some of these votes were easy; some were incredibly difficult. But it will give you a bit of insight into what happens with an All-Pro vote.

Colts vs. Texans: Final injury report for Week 18

The final injury report for the Colts and Texans in Week 18.

The Indianapolis Colts (9-7) and Houston Texans (9-7) released their final injury reports Thursday ahead of the Week 18 matchup at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Here’s a look at the final injury report for the Colts in Week 18:

Notes

  • C Ryan Kelly practiced in a limited fashion, giving him a chance to play this weekend. His status is still very much up in the air.
  • CB Chris Lammons didn’t practice all week and even though he’s questionable, it’s difficult to see him playing.
  • LG Quenton Nelson was a limited participant for the final two practices but is still listed as questionable.
  • RT Braden Smith, CB Kenny Moore II and RB Zack Moss are all questionable but should be expected to play considering they logged full practices twice this week.

Here’s a look at the final injury report for the Texans in Week 18:

Notes

  • DE Jonathan Greenard leads the Texans with 12.5 sacks and will not play.
  • With WR Noah Brown out, Nico Collins is the main wideout to focus on.

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