Did everyone forget Zach Pascal is capable of being a top target in offense?
Zach Pascal is capable of picking up the slack for the Colts. Don’t you forget it.
When Zach Pascal broke out last season, Indianapolis Colts fans were thrilled to know they had another reliable target in the passing game. After all, nobody really saw him making much of an impact as an undrafted free agent out of Old Dominion in 2017. He was released by the Washington Football Team before the Colts signed him.
But then came 2019, when Pascal hauled in 41 receptions for 607 yards and five touchdowns with Indy sporting a (largely) putrid passing attack. Everyone seemed to have forgotten about that production heading into 2020 because of the additions of Michael Pittman Jr. and Trey Burton as well as the (brief) return of Parris Campbell.
Well, the Colts have been battered by injuries and Pascal was forced to step up against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, and he did. He caught four passes for 54 yards and a score in the 31-27 win.
#Colts WR snap counts:
— Kevin Bowen (@KBowen1070) October 19, 2020
-T.Y. Hilton: 59-of-63 snaps (5 targets, 1 catch)
-Zach Pascal: 58-of-63 (7 targets, 4 catches)
-Marcus Johnson: 40-of-63 (8 targets, 5 catches)
-DeMichael Harris 12-of-63 (3 targets, 3 catches)
-Ashton Dulin: 6-of-63
So before you start worrying about Indy missing a number of key players, don’t forget Pascal’s 2019 season was the perfect setup for him to step in and pick up the slack in 2020. This was just his second time this year getting more than four targets in a game and we’d like to think that’ll continue after what he showed Rivers.
On top of that, Pascal’s displayed the ability to do it all. He can play in the slot or line up on the outside. He’s a good contributor in terms of run blocking. How did Colts fans not say, “don’t worry, we’ve got Pascal” when all of these other guys went down with injuries?
https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1317898089873645568?s=20
Shouldn’t that kind of versatility be a hint for offensive coordinator Nick Siranni? Now is the time to get Pascal back atop his game. He proved himself last year with a lesser quarterback and fewer weapons around him. Now, he can be a safety blanket while the team weathers these injuries and then be a luxury when they all return.
The bottom line is that the 25-year-old needs more than 28 targets through the team’s first six games. He deserves more and, most importantly, he can be a key figure in keeping the offense afloat until all the reinforcements return.
