Quenton Nelson Vs. Aaron Donald
The Rams were really smart with their deployment of Aaron Donald on Sunday, as he was matched up a lot against Davenport or Glowinski, and very little against Nelson. I counted fewer than 10 snaps where the two were pitted against each other, and it was a sight to behold. Donald beat Nelson once, but other than that Big Q more than held his own against a once-in-a-generation type player. Not bad for someone with a bad back.
Michael Pittman Jr. Vs. Jalen Ramsey
I’ll acknowledge my mistake, as I said I would not be surprised if MPJ finished the game with no catches, and he was the Colts’ leading receiver catching 8 balls for 123 yards. Pittman looked like a true #1 receiver and a guy that can lead an offense. I really liked his ability to run routes to all three levels of the field, and he even beat Jalen Ramsey on a couple of routes. The most important play of his game was a beautiful 42-yard catch on 3rd and long after a Carson Wentz’ bomb.
Frank Reich Vs. Non-scripted play-calling
Another week, another poor outing from Frank Reich. The redzone offense looked atrocious, and with the talent and height the Colts have I put the blame for that solely on Reich. Having two first and goal situations inside the five-yard line, and coming up with zero points is inexcusable, even more so for a team with playoff aspirations. Reich needs to solve plenty of issues with this offense, and if Wentz is to miss any time then the season could be over rather soon.
Colts Vs. Injuries
On the plus side, Nelson looked really good despite lingering back issues, and Darius Leonard did not seem to limp as much, but he clearly is not healthy, and for a player that relies so much on his athleticism to make plays, not being at one-hundred percent is a big limitation. Davenport started in place of Braden Smith and he was once again atrocious, and the Colts are really missing cornerback Xavier Rhodes, who is still out. Now for some fresh injury news, quarterback Carson Wentz has not one, but two sprained ankles and his status for the next few weeks remains up in the air.
Kwity Paye Vs. Andrew Whitworth
The learning curve for edge rushers is really steep entering the NFL, especially for a guy as raw as Kwity Paye. In his first two games, he had to go against Duane Brown and now Andrew Whitworth, two of the most experienced tackles in the NFL, and he has justifiably struggled to kick off his career. Still, Paye has shown flashes of what made Ballard draft him in the first round, and he looks like a player that will develop into a quality edge rusher in the near future.
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