Running back of the Indianapolis Colts, Nyheim Hines, made a recent comment that may have been a shot at his former quarterback Carson Wentz.
The stock for Nyheim Hines has been rising this offseason as the Indianapolis Colts are committed to getting the versatile running back more involved. Frank Reich has already urged fans to draft Hines in fantasy football and the team has been working him some at wide receiver.
The commitment to get Hines more touches is part of the reason his stock is rising but the other part is because of Indy’s new quarterback, Matt Ryan. Historically, Ryan has made a habit of getting his running backs involved in the passing game.
Recently, Hines took time to compliment Ryan, much like everyone else in Indianapolis has been doing. In an IndyStar article by Nate Atkins, Hines praises Matt Ryan’s physical and mental ability. He talks about how Ryan can consistently make the right play and tough throws when necessary and emphasizes that “He’s (Matt Ryan) not missing the layups.”
Overall, it seems like nice compliments for the team’s new quarterback, which it is. However, with some context, it kind of seems like Hines is slightly shading Carson Wentz.
Something Chris Ballard said to Carson Wentz in their season-ending meeting yesterday: "Make the layups. Just make the layups."
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) January 13, 2022
Unlike Carson Wentz, Matt Ryan is not missing the layups
Around the time that it was becoming a reality that Wentz wasn’t returning to Indy for a second season, Frank Reich shared with the media that some of his biggest advice to Wentz following last season was to “just make the layups.”
By layups, Reich meant the simple reads and passes that present themselves. At times, Wentz struggled to make those reads or passes even though he had a lot of talent. His talent was often displayed when he accomplished much more complicated feats. However, it was the layups that Indy needed from him.
So Hines’ decision to use the exact phrase to praise Ryan kind of seems like he was doing so in comparison to Wentz. This doesn’t mean that Hines wasn’t a fan of Wentz or anything, but it does show that Matt Ryan may be the better fit at quarterback for Hines and the Colts’ offense.
However, it’s still extremely early and the team has only been through the offseason program. Matt Ryan will have to continue to make the layups throughout training camp and the season and everyone will see how far Indy can go.
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