Week 5 Grade: Indianapolis Colts Offense vs 49ers
By Drew Koch
The Colts needed overtime to defeat the winless 49ers on Sunday, but the offense, while inconsistent, showed flashes of emergence.
Overall Grade: B-
Jacoby Brissett is gradually appearing more comfortable in the Colts’ offense. Brissett finished 22-34 for 314 yards passing with a rushing touchdown and an interception. However, he nearly cost the Colts the game with a terrible red zone interception in overtime. Luckily for Brissett, the Colts defense forced a punt on the ensuing 49ers possession.
Perhaps the biggest bright spot for the Indianapolis offense was the rise of rookie running back, Marlon Mack. Mack finished with 91 yards on 9 carries with a touchdown. Mack also ripped off a 35-yard gain in overtime, helping to set up the game winning field goal.
Entering the game only 3 yards shy of Eric Dickerson’s career rushing total of 13,259 yards, Frank Gore rushed 14 times for 48 yards. He has now passed the Hall of Fame running back for seventh place on the NFL’s all-time rushing list.
T.Y. Hilton had a big game. Hilton hauled in 7 passes for 177 yards, including a 63-yard hook up with Brissett. Both Kamar Aiken and Donte Moncrief had very pedestrian numbers.
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Center Ryan Kelly’s return to the offensive line no doubt helped the Colts running game, which gained 159 yards on 35 carries for an average of 4.5 yards per rush. However, the Indianapolis offensive line did surrender 4 sacks.
The Colts’ offense took some steps forward against the ‘Niners, but more consistent performances are necessary to defeat better competition in the future. Indianapolis has an opportunity to build on this performance next Monday night when they clash with the Tennessee Titans in Nashville.