Colts must figure out how to balance all three stud tight ends
By Adam Weinrib
The Indianapolis Colts know they aren’t balancing their tight ends properly. That’s only half the battle.
We thought the Colts had figured this whole thing out.
After offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni set things up a little differently this offseason by anointing Trey Burton as the straw that stirs the drink, he was forced to improvise when Burton went down with a late preseason injury.
No matter; even without Jack Doyle, too, Mo Alie-Cox emerged as a bonafide receiving threat, embodying the “former basketball player turned security blanket” role once occupied by Antonio Gates in Philip Rivers’ old-timey offenses.
So, after Burton and Doyle both returned, and we were promised a three-headed monster, what the heck happened in Week 5? Was this just another false pledge that was poised to let us down the same way the backfield did when Marlon Mack disappeared for the year?
Hopefully not, as Sirianni made it clear that he’s well aware of his shortcomings.
Colts OC Nick Sirianni acknowledges they need to get all three tight ends more involved. Start with Mo Alie-Cox (1 target, 0 catches Sunday) and Jack Doyle (0 catches, 2 targets).
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) October 13, 2020
"We have to get our playmakers the football," Sirianni said.
That’s all well and good, but if a three-tight-end weave doesn’t float Sirianni’s boat, maybe he should just cut bait instead of trying to wedge them all into the action? It’s worth noting that, despite his hefty contract, Doyle is 30, and doesn’t have to be a part of the future in Indy.
But Alie-Cox was spectacular in the other tight ends’ stead, and at the very least, it should be imperative upon Sirianni to figure out how to get him involved like it’s the “old days” of Week 3 again.
Mike Gesicki is 2nd among NFL TEs this season is yards per reception at 15.6. (18 receptions)
— Jason Sarney (@Jason_Sarney) October 13, 2020
Mo Alie-Cox leads the league in that category at 17.6. (11 receptions)
Eleven receptions is … so few receptions for someone to have, especially after they’ve supposedly been unveiled as a real weapon.
This offense has to be difficult to construct right now. After all, it all stems from the running game. And why bother getting Rivers’ “favorite targets” involved while neglecting the RBs if he’s not going to be in Indianapolis for the long-term anyway?
To be successful in 2020, though, we have to see more innovation here. Doyle and Alie-Cox might as well have stayed on the sidelines in Week 5.
