The Indianapolis Colts were finally able to pick up a win in Week 4, beating up on old friend Jacoby Brissett and a struggling Miami Dolphins team. Despite the victory, the win was not a perfect performance, and left tackle Eric Fisher was one of the main reasons why Indy needed to battle to secure it.
With Quenton Nelson and Braden Smith out, Fisher had a tough task ahead of him, as he needed to protect Carson Wentz against a motivated Miami defense that has invested a ton of time and resources into their front seven.
Wentz had some of his best raw numbers of the season, but his play was marred by the fact that he was sacked twice and constantly under pressure, preventing the offense from really taking off until the second half. Fisher’s poor play is one of the main reasons that Wentz was feeling the heat early.
Dolphins rookie Jaelan Phillips had minimal trouble getting to the quarterback consistently, with his best rep coming early in the game. Phillips pushed Fisher back several yards on contact, knocking him into Wentz and sweeping the QB off his feet. This is what a nine-year veteran, Super Bowl champion, and former No. 1 overall pick looks like?
Miami Edge Rusher Jaelan Phillips showing serious speed to power vs Colts. pic.twitter.com/Cy5qzOlFqe
— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) October 4, 2021
Colts lineman Eric Fisher didn’t improve in Week 4.
Coming off of an Achilles injury, it wouldn’t be outrageous to give Fisher a pass for his first two weeks. Playing Aaron Donald and a tough Rams defensive line is no easy task, and the Titans have splashed the cash to improve their front seven. Miami has plenty of young standouts, but that’s no excuse for a rookie to take Fisher to school like this.
Phillips, who had recorded just four pressures over the first three weeks, tallied an astounding six in just 22 pass-rushing snaps against the Colts. When paired with Harold Landry having a near record-setting day against this line, Fisher, who has a minuscule 41.8 PFF grade, is right in the crosshairs of legions of critics after such a slow start.
Who does Fisher have next? Oh … just the red-hot Baltimore Ravens. Not only will he have to contend with former Colt Justin Houston, but he’ll have yet another standout rookie on his hands in Odafe Oweh, who has already tallied two sacks. Look out.
The Colts don’t have much of a choice when it comes to replacing Fisher, as we’ve already seen that many of the potential alternatives haven’t been able to establish themselves as quality players this season. Indy just needs to hope that Fisher magically returns to form against a very tough Ravens pass rush this week or else it’s going to be a bloodbath.
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