Colts: 3 big overreactions to Week 2 win over Vikings

Here are three overreactions from the Colts’ Week 2 Win over Minnesota.

To say the Indianapolis Colts were banged up heading into their huge Week 2 matchup against Minnesota would be an understatement, and things only worsened in that department leading up to kickoff and throughout the game.

Not only was top cornerback Rock Ya-Sin surprisingly scratched due to a stomach illness, but wideout Parris Campbell was carted off the field with what looked to be a serious knee injury following a low hit. Because when it rains it pours, safety Malik Hooker also left early with an apparent Achilles injury.

In an impressive display of resilience, however, the Colts didn’t let their injury woes impact their performance, as they steamrolled Minnesota en route to a 28-11 victory. The win really alleviated concerns and doubts fans in Indianapolis might have (understandably) had following the team’s brutal loss in Week 1.

Speaking of which, since we all had reactionary takeaways from the Colts loss to Jacksonville to open the season, it only seems right that we do the same for their huge, potentially season-saving win over the Vikings.

3. The Defense Will Be Just Fine

The Vikings mustered zero offense against Indianapolis on Sunday.

To be fair, we’re going to need to see how the Colts’ defense performs in Week 3 to know how good they can be, because it’s highly probable their first two games were anomalies. Assuming the unit regresses to the mean, they shouldn’t be as putrid as they were against Jacksonville to open the year, and they shouldn’t be as flawless as they were on Sunday versus Minnesota.

However, you could also say that the Jaguars don’t flaunt nearly as many stars as the Vikings do on offense, and Indy performed better against the latter. That leads us to believe the Colts defense, which received rave reviews throughout training camp, is much closer to the group we saw in Week 2 than Week 1, and that is great news.

For the game, Indianapolis conceded just 175 yards, forced three turnovers (all interceptions), registered three sacks, and hit Kirk Cousins seven times. Expect Matt Eberflus’ defense to continue its dominant ways next week against the New York Jets, who look like one of the worst teams in the NFL thus far.

2. Mo Alie-Cox Can Handle Starting TE Role

Colts TE Mo Alie-Cox was a stud against Minnesota in Week 2.

Say it with us, folks: The best ability a professional athlete can offer to his/her respective team is availability. That mantra is used regularly among media members while discussing oft-injured players, and it’s absolutely applicable when discussing the Colts’ current tight end situation.

With Jack Doyle (knee/ankle) and Trey Burton (hip) both sidelined for Sunday’s game, Indianapolis needed third-stringer Mo Alie-Cox to step up. In a pleasant surprise, he answered the call from head coach Frank Reich, tallying five receptions on six targets for a team-high 111 yards.

We all know Philip Rivers loves throwing to his tight ends, and Cox provided a security blanket in the middle of the field that simply wasn’t present in Week 1. We would have liked to see the third-year pro and his 6-foot-5, 267-pound frame targeted more in the red zone, but we don’t want to get too greedy following a big win.

The bottom line is that Alie-Cox proved that he can handle the pressure of being a starting TE, and he at least deserves a fair chance at taking the job from Doyle, assuming his injuries don’t keep him shelved for too long.

1. Jonathan Taylor is Ready to Be Three-Down RB

Colts rookie RB Jonathan Taylor turned a lot of heads with his performance against the Vikings.

Fans in Indianapolis held their collective breath in the second quarter of Week 1 when starting running back Marlon Mack went down with what was ultimately determined to be a season-ending Achilles injury.

Though the presence of Jonathan Taylor undoubtedly softened that blow, there were concerns about whether the 2020 second-round pick was capable of handling a full NFL workload as a rookie. Following his huge two-touchdown performance against Jacksonville, it was widely anticipated that Nyheim Hines would split carries with Taylor.

However, that was anything but the case in Week 2, as Taylor was the literal definition of a workhorse versus Minnesota, taking 26 carries for 101 yards and a touchdown. Those are superb numbers, but they truly don’t even begin to do justice to how elusive and bruising the Wisconsin product looked on Sunday.

Taylor smelled an opportunity to seize No. 1 RB duties and he jumped all over it. Hines, meanwhile, was a legitimate afterthought of the offensive game plan, as he failed to receive a single carry and managed just one reception for four yards in the passing game. We would obviously like to see Hines more heavily involved moving forward, but Taylor’s performance against Minnesota proved that he’s more than ready to be a three-down back in Year 1.

Colts WR Parris Campbell Jr. carted off field with nasty-looking knee injury

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Parris Campbell Jr. was carted off the field with a knee injury and it does not look good.