INDIANAPOLIS — Reggie Wayne has experienced this Tyler Warren Effect before.
In the early 2000s, he and Marvin Harrison were a prolific tandem for Peyton Manning. They were the driving forces behind the Indianapolis Colts’ offense.
“It was me and Marv on the outside and we’re fightin’ for action,’’ Wayne said Thursday.
But things were about to change.
“Then all of a sudden, we draft a first-round tight end,’’ Wayne said of Dallas Clark, the 24th overall pick in 2003. “That was less balls for us.
“But at the end of the day, in the grand scheme of things, it’s a better offense. They had it where teams couldn’t just focus on us.
“That’s what Tyler’s doing. He’s coming in, he’s put his footprint in there and we’ve gotta strike when the iron’s hot.’’
That would be Tyler Warren, the All-Everything tight end out of Penn State and the 14th overall pick in April.
Coach Shane Steichen has lacked a tight end capable of attacking the middle of the field the past two years, but no longer.
The Colts snapped the NFL’s longest active opening-game winless streak – 11, in case you had forgotten – by dominating the Miami Dolphins 33-8 Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Lou Anarumo’s defense limited the Dolphins to 211 total yards and the inconsequential fourth-quarter touchdown and generated three takeaways and two sacks.
Steichen’s offense was diverse – 272 passing yards and one TD from Daniel Jones, 156 on the ground – and Warren was a clear catalyst. He finished with seven catches, the most by a Colts tight end in his first start, and 76 yards, which trailed only Coby Fleener’s 82 in 2012.
As Wayne mentioned, Warren left an immediate footprint.
And that created an unavoidable, enviable situation moving forward.
“It gives us less opportunities, for sure,’’ Wayne said of his receivers’ room. “But that’s what you want.’’
The Colts’ set of skill players will force everyone to wait their turn.
While Warren led the team in targets (nine) and receptions, only Michael Pittman Jr. was kept similarly busy with six receptions and 80 yards, including a 27-yard TD, on eight targets.
No other receiver was targeted more than three times. It will be imperative for everyone to realize his time will come.
“Whenever your number gets called, make the play,’’ said Josh Downs, who had two catches for 12 yards on three targets. “But also, support your guys, cheering other people on when they make plays. It’s gonna come back to you eventually.’’
He speaks from experience. His 140 catches heading into this season are the most by a Colt in his first two years, three more than Harrison. Downs missed the first two games last season with an ankle injury, then had just three catches for 22 yards on five targets in the week 3 win over Chicago.
But over the three games, he had 24 catches and 217 yards on 30 targets.
“You have to be happy for other people when they’re making plays and support the team,’’ Downs said. “When we’re winning, that’s the most important thing.
“Can’t complain in those situations.’’
It will be incumbent on Wayne to monitor his room full of playmakers if the Colts lose a game or two and those playmakers believe they could have been more involved and made a difference.
“I always tell those guys, ‘We’ve got one football and we’ve got about five or six dudes that can go get it,’’’ Steichen said. “I thought Daniel did a good job of distributing the ball.
“I think all of those guys were involved. Obviously, we’ll have plays up for all those guys every week. Some week, it might be one guy that catches 12 and the next week he might catch two. It’s just how it plays out sometimes. And that’s why you’ve got to be selfless at that position for sure.”
You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51.