Colts: Don’t expect Mo Alie-Cox to explode vs Lions
By Adam Weinrib
The Colts might get Mo Alie-Cox back on Sunday against the Detroit Lions, but don’t expect him to have a huge impact.
The Colts are getting healthy at the right time, welcoming weapons back piece by piece as they enter a pressure-filled November stretch.
Michael Pittman Jr. returned on Saturday, giving Indy an additional downfield threat alongside emergent wideout Marcus Johnson. DE Kemoko Turay, though not activated this weekend, showed “flashes” in practice this week, and will help ensure that the team’s dominant pass rush gets a shot in the arm in the season’s second half.
One of the final pieces of the puzzle? Tight end Mo Alie-Cox, who looked like an emergent, Antonio Gates-esque star in the season’s first few weeks without Trey Burton and Jack Doyle, saw his role shrink once those two fought their way back to the field prior to his own injury.
Alie-Cox seems likely to make his way back to the field on Sunday against the Detroit Lions, but don’t be fooled — this won’t be the week he comes back to his full-throated early-season form.
#Colts TE Mo Alie-Cox (knee) will work out pre-game before facing the #Lions, but source said there is optimism that he’ll be out there against the #Lions.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 1, 2020
We’re not working off of pure speculation here — though Alie-Cox’s breakout Week 2 (111 yards on five receptions) was followed by a 50-yard, one-touchdown performance, his Week 4 already showed evidence of shrinking role. He was targeted only twice in the team’s comeback win over the Bears prior to coming down with his injury.
Of course, there’s also a matter of his opponent, the Lions. This is a team that doesn’t allow opposing tight ends much wiggle room, ranking as the fourth-stingiest defense in the NFL in terms of allowing fantasy points to opposing TEs.
The top team on that list? Your Indianapolis Colts.
https://twitter.com/MoAlie81/status/1322621485912072192?s=20
Getting Alie-Cox back to full strength gives the Colts an additional weapon down the stretch, and a potential return to the Week 2 wrinkles of their playbook.
But even if he suits up on Sunday, you won’t see much action.
