Week 8 Grade: Indianapolis Colts Offense at Bengals
By Andrew Ites
The Colts’ offense was vastly improved on Sunday, and they’ve something to build on moving into the second half of the season.
After being shut out against the Jaguars in Week 7, fans didn’t know what to expect from the Colts’ offense heading into another tough matchup against the Bengals.
The offense was able to move the ball and put up points, but a costly turnover cost Indianapolis their third win of the season.
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If the Colts are in fact thinking of trading Frank Gore, his value definitely went up after his most productive performance of the season on Sunday.
The 34-year-old running back racked up a season-high 82 rushing yards and added 4 catches for 19 yards to top 100 yards from scrimmage for the first time this season. Gore has been the ultimate professional during his time with the Colts, and he continues to do his job at a high level each week regardless of the team’s success.
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Another player possibly on the trading block didn’t really show up on Sunday.
T.Y. Hilton was targeted 7 times, but only managed 2 catches for 15 yards. Hilton has been held to less than 30 yards receiving in each of the past 3 games, and his lackluster performance could encourage the Colts’ front office to trade him by Tuesday’s deadline.
Outside of an unlucky batted pass that ended up in a pick-six, Jacoby Brissett played well against a Cincinnati defense that ranked near the top-10 against the pass.
He threw for 233 yards and 2 touchdowns on the day, and he continued to show incredible toughness getting up from some vicious hits.