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Colts: First quarter-season report card for Indy offense

By Dennis J. Hassell

Philip Rivers #17 of the Indianapolis Colts calls a play during the fourth quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at TIAA Bank Field on September 13, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Philip Rivers #17 of the Indianapolis Colts calls a play during the fourth quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at TIAA Bank Field on September 13, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) /
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T.Y. Hilton #13 of the Indianapolis Colts makes a reception during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at TIAA Bank Field on September 13, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /

Receivers: B-
“Eugene Marquis Hilton requires remedial work.”

This Receivers grade would be a C+ if not for the emergence of tight end Antonio Gates — I mean TE Mo Alie-Cox, another tall beefy basketball player who can post up and box out. Of course, Gates was famously fed TDs by Philip Rivers, who can now toss up jump-balls to Cox, too, in the right circumstances.

T.Y. Hilton:  C-. Some fans were arguing in preseason that people were imagining the old Philip Rivers, not the real-time one. But Rivers has been much closer to expectations than T.Y. We were counting on good ol’ T.Y. as the clear No. 1 receiver. Not so far, and four games is a fair sample size for a veteran.

An unprejudiced eye would observe that Rivers had a more talented corps in the Chargers: three-time Pro-Bowler Keenan Allen (projecting 1,200 yards again in 2020),  jump-baller Mike Williams (No. 1 in NFL in yards per catch in 2019), and hard-charging tight end Hunter Henry (on track this season for 1,000 yards).  Also, their mighty mouse RB Austin Ekeler was the NFL’s No. 1 pass-catching RB, (last year, he nabbed 993 yards and 8 TDs from Rivers). Last season, three of these players totaled over 3,300 yards in receptions.

No WR with the Colts is on track for 1,000 yards in receptions — currently. It is encouraging, however, that T.Y. Hilton is starting to earn more targets, and they’ll get rookie Michael Pittman out of his pit stop as soon as his wheels are good to go.

Kickers:  A-

A- , it is. The punter and kickoff specialist are A. The field-goal kicker would get a B for two mid-range misses, but Rodrigo Blankenship manned up to playing with Lego, so a point for playfulness. Viva Rodrigo. Just stop missing mid-range kicks.

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