The Indianapolis Colts Are Going To Be A Problem | 2024 NFL Team Previews

the Indianapolis Colts finished the 2023 season with a 9-8 record and missed the playoffs for the third straight year despite missing the Playoffs it was a really solid year for them all things considered they had the rookie quarterback go down early in the year and anytime a team has their number one quarterback go down especially early on well more often than not it's a death sentence but even when the Colts backs were against the wall with a three and five record entering week nine their confidence never wavered they won six of their final nine games and were a week 18 loss against the Texans away from making the playoffs all with a backup quarterback what gets lost within the 2023 Colt season is they still finish 10th in points per game with a backup quarterback for most of the year and this is a big reason why I'm so high on Anthony Richardson and the Colts entering 2024 they have a good running back a good Trio of receivers a good offensive line and to me one of the most underrated coaches in the entire NFL and as long as the defense can be serviceable and not finish in the bottom five of the NFL in points allowed per game like they did last year well the Indianapolis Colts are going to be a problem and we're going to break everything down in today's video now let's begin the Indianapolis Colts overachieved in the 2023 season in a lot of ways their over under for wins before the season started was just 6 and a half which they demolished as they finished with nine wins they had a receiver go for over 1100 yards in Michael Pitman and a rookie play pretty well in Josh DS and they had every reason to quit several times throughout the 2023 season but they never did and they kept fighting and when you look at several of the losses the Cults suffered throughout last year like the Saints game like the Bengals game or like the Falcons game they gave up an enormous amount of points to teams that you wouldn't think would have beat Indie in the manner they did when these teams played I mean these games were all double digit losses for the Colts and the loss in Cincinnati was particularly bad as they were beat by 20 points on the road and that was also in a game where Indie could have improved to 8 and5 yet fell to 7- six and there's a big difference between 8 and5 and 7- six in the middle of December but even with those few frustrating losses throughout the year they still managed to have a winning record and for where they were in week 18 to where they are now well I thought the Colts improved quite a bit this offseason with what their goals were a lot of the Colts prioritization this offseason was to keep guys in house and they did as they brought back guys like Grover Stewart Kenny Moore taquon Lewis who quietly had a really productive year for the Colts last year and even Julian Blackman and there's a reason they wanted to bring a lot of guys back because individually the Colts have a lot of good players on this defense and they had four guys on the team have eight or more sacks last year which which was huge and believe it or not the Colts finished fifth in the NFL and sacks as a team with 51 on the year I am a big fan of the Colts defensive line and very much think how this unit plays in 2024 is more or less how their season will go defensively dores Buckner is one of the best defensive linemen in all of football and he has 50 or more pressures in three of his four years in Indie but aside from Buckner and Grover Stewart in the middle they also have Samson ukom on edge who came over from the 49ers during the 2023 off season and in his first year with the team Eon played really well for the Colts and had nearly 50 pressures along with a team leading n and a half sacks he also has 17 quarterback hits and 10 tackles for a loss and overall this was a tremendous signing for Indie and I give a huge tip of the cap to Chris Ballard for making this move ukom signed a three-year $24 million contract last off season with nearly 11 of it being guaranteed and anytime a player signs a contract like that it's not only a lowrisk high reward signing for the team but if in the scenario the player does not work out well the team can release them without suffering too much of a financial hit in the process but eukon played great in his first year with the Colts and I would expect much of the same in 2024 too and what's especially cred critical for not just the Colts but for every other team in this division is you have to get after the quarterback and often and having three players register 40 or more pressures last year like they did was huge the three of course were eom Buckner and taon Lewis and teams that have a good pass rush don't just have one player they have multiple guys who can get after the quarterback which again in the vaunted AFC is a prerequisite for any sort of Team success the other starting defensive lineman for the Colts is quiddy pay their 2021 first round pick from Michigan quiddy is not a typical NFL pass rusher and while that may sound bad initially it's really not he's just a very unique player quid is very Stout in the Run game which is a huge plus by the way but I have concerns with him as a long-term option for the Colts now I know they opted to pick up his fifth year option and I know he is on the team through the 2025 season but I think there's also a reason they selected latu latu in the first round of the draft this year and I really think it's because they believe latu is a better pass rushing option now than quiddy is entering year four we will break down latu more during the rookie impact part of the video but the point is the Colts have one of my favorite front fours in all of football and they are very solid up front what may surprise you is despite the Colts finishing 28th in points allowed per game last year is they were pretty solid on a downto down basis against the Run they finished 10th in yards per carry as a defense last year but finished 24th in rushing yards allowed as a team and I know that may seem contradicting to say they were good stopping the run on a down to- down basis but they finished 31st in rushing attempts against meaning they had a positive difference in rushing attempts against and rushing yards allowed it would be bad if a team had the opposite where teams did not run the ball as much against them but were absolutely gashing them when they did which would be a negative difference one of the biggest reasons we bring this up is because I think that's going to change in a big way in 2024 is how teams choose to attack the Colts during the months leading up to the draft I mocked the Colts a corner in several mock drafts most notably Toledo's quinan Mitchell because I thought Corner was the number one need for this team entering the 2024 draft as we know now they of course went with latu in the first round and there was even a viral video of Chris Ballard laughing in Joy saying we got the best pass rusher in the draft this point isn't to scold the latu pick because again I loved the selection and I think he is in a very very good situation to succeed but the Colts Corners aren't exactly great heading into the season their top three corners are second-year players Juju Brent Jaylen Jones and of course veteran Kenny Moore and there was a reason the Colts were continuously mocked Corners all throughout the draft process needless to say I was surprised they didn't address the corner position until late on day three of the 2024 draft I think that will inevitably lead to teams putting up a lot of points on Indie throughout the 2024 season especially when they play teams like the Texans Bills and Dolphins all of which like to throw the football now to be clear I'm not going to scold the Colts or be disappointed they walked out of the 2024 draft with latu and receiver ad Mitchell but I do worry about their Corner depth for the upcoming season and I would imagine most Colts fans feel the same way placing all of your faith in a second round and a seventh round corner from last year is very risky which is a tremendous understatement I know defensive coordinator Gus Bradley will play a lot of cover three and that's who he is as a play caller but the Colts are going to need their front sevens who really get after the quarterback this year linebacker zier Franklin has backto back Seasons with over 160 tackles and I expect him to be a beneficiary of the good defensive line play this year from a run game standpoint meaning defo Grover and the Gang take up blocks and play their gap which would then allow Franklin to stop running backs before they can hit the hole for a big gain the biggest thing with the 2024 Colts defense is they can't flat out lose games for the team like they did at times throughout the 2023 season I know Colts fans were upset with officiating in the Browns game specifically but they did lose other games by double digits in which opposing teams put up 30 or more points and they lost four of those games to be exact and if the Colts defense can play even a little bit better with how good I think the offense will be throughout the 2024 season then I really think this team can win a lot of games as for the Colts offense entering 2024 I don't know how you can be anything but optimistic for this team this was a team in 2023 that finished top 10 in points per game with a backup quarterback playing for most of the Year Jonathan Taylor I think will bounce back and Jonathan Taylor and Anthony Richardson only played one game together which was the Titans game and ultimately a game Anthony Richardson left early so when you factor in all of these things a good running back a good Trio of receivers a tight end who I think is a Tad underrated in gilani woods and a good offensive line to me I think that's going to be a recipe for Success oh and the fact that they have a really good play caller in Shane Sten now I really like Michael Pitman he went for over 1100 yards last year and as long as Anthony Richardson is competent as a quarterback this year which I more than think he will be I would be pretty surprised if Pitman doesn't have another 1,000 yard year lost within all of the success the 2023 rookies had whether it was CJ stra pukan nakua Jamir Gibbs hell even division rival tank Dell people forget Josh D still went for over 700 yards as a rookie and they also added ad Mitchell in the second round who I thought was one of the better value picks in all of the 2024 draft the Colts walked out of the 2024 draft with a top 20 player on my board in latu and the wide receiver five in this class in Mitchell who I also had as a top 25 player in this class Chris Balor did a phenomenal job job of letting the board come to him and still acquiring a great player in Mitchell without having to mortgage or sacrifice future draft capital for a falling draft pick the Colts offense in 2024 is going to be incredibly fun because when you break it down really what weakness do they have if you want to nitpick and say Michael Pitman isn't a top three or top four receiver in the NFL go for it be my guest but does that really matter in the grand scheme of things when they have one of if not the most athletic quarterback 2 ever play the position or when they have a good running back or when they have a good offensive line along with it to me the answer is no and again this is coming off of a year in which they had to Pivot in which they had to audible a lot because obviously Anthony Richardson and Gardner mchu do not have anywhere close to the same skill set so for Shane styken as a play caller to be able to audible from Anthony Richardson to Gardner muu and still have this offense finished in 10th in points per game last year I don't know how you can't be anything but optimistic for the the Colts heading into this year and to project them as one of the best offenses in the league entering 2024 the reality with the 2024 Colts is whether you think Anthony Richardson is going to be a pereno pro bowler and a guy that's going to be an MVP candidate for years or whether you think he's going to be a big draft bust nobody knows he threw just 84 passes last year and completed over 59% of those passes for me personally there's only one maybe two guys every offseason that I truly willing to buy in and to go all in on and this year it's Anthony Richardson when you factor in the good run game the Colts have led by Jonathan Taylor who I do believe will be back a good receiving Trio led by Michael Pitman an underrated tight end to me personally in galani woods a good offensive line and a good head coach that again which cannot be underemphasized finished 10th in points per game with a backup quarterback for most of the year I mean unless Anthony Richardson is a Monumental giraffe bust and a guy that simp simply cannot hit the broadside of a barn I refuse to believe with his athleticism that he's not going to be at minimum a serviceable quarterback for not just the 2024 season but for over the next few years now if I had to project a statistical statline for Richardson in 20124 I think it'll be around 3500 yards with 22 or 23 passing touchdowns with another 7 or 800 yards on the ground and another seven or eight rushing touchdowns I also don't think it's out of the question for him to have double- digit rushing touch Downs because remember Shane Sten came from Philly and what what is emphasized there of course the tush push now with leverage and Richardson being taller than Jaylen Herz the tush push probably wouldn't be as easy but you can also make the argument that with Richardson's strength that he could easily get behind Ryan Kelly and Quinton Nelson and just push his way into the end zone so for me I think a 35 total touchdown season is not out of the equation for Anthony Richardson in 2024 overall I was a really big fan of what the Colts did in the 2024 draft now I don't know if I agree with Chris Balor that latu was the best pass rusher in the draft but what I will say for latu is I absolutely love the situation he's entering in year 1 the reality is no team is going to say entering the week you know what we're going to send our right tackle and have our tight end chip latu and even our running back chip lat to every single play and we're going to leave dorest Buckner one-on-one that is not going to happen now could latu receive chips this year of course yes but it's not going to be as often as you think not only that but Samson ukcom is also a solid pass rusher on the other side and Grover Stewart can more than hold his own on the interior and I really like the situation latu is entering this year I think he can easily have a 45 or even 50 pressure year in year number one along with six or seven sacks I don't think Defensive Rookie of the Year is entirely out of the question for him either now for ad Mitchell their second round pick I absolutely loved the value here and I think ad will have anywhere from 6 to 800 yards as a rookie not because he can't produce more but you have to remember when predicting stat lines for rookies especially second round receivers that there's a lot of other mouths to feed in the same offense so think about how many times Anthony Richardson's going to carry the football how many times JT is going to get the football and then of course Michael and Josh Downs too ad will absolutely have a role this year and I can't wait to see how he plays in this offense and I really can't wait to see how Shane Sten utilizes him now for some of the other picks the Colts had I really liked Matt Gales from pit and I thought he was a really good swing tackle and I think a sixth offensive lineman in today's NFL with the 17th game and with what could potentially be an 18th game a couple of years from now I think having a viable sixth offensive lineman is invaluable in today's NFL I also like the selection of Tanner bortolini as a depth piece in the fourth round and honestly a player that the Colts at least you know a lot of people don't talk about with the Colts draft is Oregon State receiver Anthony gold now I don't expect gold to have 50 or 60 receptions as a rookie because like we said with ad Mitchell who I think is a better player than Anthony gold there's a lot of mouths to feed in the offense but I think Anthony gold will be a solid contributor in what he does for the Colts this year over over all I really really like the Colts 2024 class and it of course is highlighted by past rusher latu latu and to me one of the bigger Steals on day two in Texas receiver Adonai Mitchell pertaining to the 2024 Colt schedule yes they're going to have difficult games like everybody does but their schedule honestly isn't as bad as you may think they play teams like the Packers bills Jets and lions but fortunately for Indie they play the bills Jets and lions all at home and their schedule could be a lot worse than what it actually is now unlike a few other teams in the NFL I don't think there's going to be any game this year before it starts where you say you know what we're going to write the Colts off they don't stand any sort of chance in this game and they also have a very big beneficial part of their schedule that not a lot of other teams have and that is a very late buy as their buy is in week 14 and even coming out of their week 14 byy they play at Denver versus the Titans at the Giants and versus vers the Jags to end the season now it would be ignorant for me to sit here in July and say that the Colts are going to go 4-0 off of their week 14 byy but I do want to put it out there that that is well realistic for them this year are they going to I mean probably not but it wouldn't surprise me at all if the Colts go 3- one or 4-0 and enter the playoffs hot and if you have a team that's hot entering the postseason that is a team nobody wants to play yes they're going to be battle tested all throughout the 2024 Reg regular season and their schedule to start the year is not a picnic by any means they start the year home against the Texans then go to Green Bay then come home to play Chicago in their first three games I don't think they'll start out 0 and3 by any means but a one and two start wouldn't surprise me either for the Colts 2024 season the ceiling for them is very difficult to project because ultimately it depends how much you believe in Anthony Richardson I believe in him a lot but I think their ceiling this year is going to be a round loss I think they can win 10 maybe even 11 games but anything can happen in January and we know that and honestly for a lot of the AFC teams not just the Colts it's going to depend on a lot on how the seedings play out but I hope you enjoyed today's video and if you did please like And subscribe is only about 39% of people watching are subscribed and it helps the channel tremendously until next time please be safe and have a great day love you guys

Channel: Football Analysis

Views: 12,815

Keywords: football analysis, brett kollmann, Alex rollins nfl, thatsgoodsports, urinatingtree, tps, kto, football digest, tom grossi, the rich eisen show, pat mcafee show, nfl, New York jets, jets, bears, falcons, lions, chargers, raiders, dolphins, Miami dolphins, browns, pff, vikings, that franchise guy, bengal, Kansas City chiefs, football logic, Miami Dolphins, buffalo bills, steelers, ravens, colts, titans, texans, Houston texans, bootleg football, bills, jaguars, Jacksonville jaguars, Indianapolis colts

Id: hPK7PPBkPlQ

Length: 18min 54sec (1134 seconds)

Published: Sat Jul 13 2024