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Improvements: Quarterback
Even though you can not blame last season’s Week 18’s 26-11 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars solely on the shoulders of Carson Wentz, you can still put a lot of it. Wentz wasn’t all bad, with 27 touchdowns to 7 interceptions, but when it looked bad, it looked really bad and was extremely costly. The Colts shipped him off to Washington and traded for former MVP Matt Ryan from The Atlanta Falcons.
Matt Ryan to Parris Campbell for 6. Hope to be hearing that a lot this season #ForTheShoe pic.twitter.com/tbbxq3oXvC
— Barstool Indy (@barstoolindy) June 9, 2022
Ryan is almost the anti-Wentz, as he has been one of the most consistent and accurate quarterbacks over the last few seasons. His numbers have dipped since 2018, but the Falcons have had some weak rosters. His stats on a Colts team with a playoff-ready roster should improve.
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Stayed the Same: Offensive line
The Indianapolis Colts have consistently had one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, which should continue. The line is built around Quenton Nelson, Ryan Kelly, and Braden Smith, and they will all be back for next season. The Colts also re-signed Matt Pryor and drafted Bernhard Raimann to round out a solid offensive line.
They did lose Mark Glowinski in free agency, but with the core mainly intact and some replacements around that, the Colts’ offensive line will still be strong.
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Got worse: Wide Receiver
Last season the Colts’ receiving core was one of the team’s weaker possession groups, and this offseason, they did little to address that issue. There is still a chance they could sign a wide receiver left on the market, but what is left is not game-changing.
So far, they seem ready to part ways with T.Y. Hilton go, who is still a free agent, while Zach Pascal has signed with The Philadelphia Eagles. Despite the two combining for 61 receptions, they had the second- and third-,most receptions most receptions amongst wide receivers.
The Colts did draft Alec Pierce and Jelani Woods with a second- and third-round pick, but it could take some time for the rookies to make an impact.
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Grade: B+
The Colts added defensive talent by trading for defensive end Yannick Ngakoue and signing corner Stephon Gilmore. Both will bolster an already stellar defense. In addition to Ryan, the Colts add three much-needed game-changers to the roster.
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Schedule:
- Week 1: 9/11 vs Texans, 1 p.m., CBS
- Week 2: 9/18 vs Jaguars, 1 p.m., CBS
- Week 3: 9/25 vs Chiefs, 1 p.m., CBS
- Week 4: 10/2 vs Titans, 1 p.m., Fox
- Week 5: 10/6 vs Broncos (Thursday), 8:15 p.m., Amazon Prime Video
- Week 6: 10/16 vs Jaguars, 1 p.m., CBS
- Week 7: 10/23 vs Titans, 1 p.m., CBS
- Week 8: 10/30 vs Commanders, 4:25 p.m., Fox
- Week 9: 11/6 vs Patriots, 1 p.m., CBS
- Week 10: 11/13 vs Raiders, 4:05 p.m., CBS
- Week 11: 11/20 vs Eagles, 1 p.m., CBS
- Week 12: 11/28 vs Steelers (Monday), 8:15 p.m., ESPN
- Week 13: 12/4 vs Cowboys, 8:20 p.m., NBC
- Week 14: BYE
- Week 15: 12/18 vs Vikings, TBD, TBD
- Week 16: 12/26 vs Chargers (Monday), 8:15 p.m., ESPN
- Week 17: 1/1 vs Giants, 1 p.m., CBS
- Week 18: 1/7 or 1/8 vs Texans, TBS, TBS
