Colts receivers have accomplished something in 11 games that the team didn’t do at all last season
The improved wide receiver group for the Indianapolis Colts has already done something that last year’s receivers didn’t do over a full season.
Last season, the Indianapolis Colts had one of the worst wide receiver groups in all of the NFL. Between injuries and underwhelming performances, Michael Pittman Jr. was the team’s only consistent receiver throughout the season. That was a primary topic as the Colts entered the offseason, Indy needed to get better at wideout. However, Chris Ballard was a bit stubborn and didn’t make many moves at wide receiver.
Instead, he decided to bank on the guys on the roster and only added Alec Pierce to the group with Indianapolis’ first pick in the draft. A few games into the season, Ballard’s gamble started to pay off as the wide receivers were stepping up and making plays. Not just Pittman, but Pierce, Parris Campbell, Ashton Dulin, and even the tight ends were making plays.
Now, with 11 games played, the Colts have accomplished something that they didn’t even do over a full season last year. Following the 2021 season, much was made about how Indianapolis was the only team in the league that had just one wideout over 400 receiving yards. Now, with six games left in the season, Indy already has three receivers with more than 400 receiving yards.
Colts already have multiple receivers over 400 yards
Last season, Pittman led Indy with 1,082 receiving yards. After him, there were six players with over 300 receiving yards but the highest was Zach Pascal at just 384 yards. Now, after 11 games this season, Pittman is still the leader with 678 yards, but right behind him is Parris Campbell with 440 yards and Alec Pierce with 424 yards. With six games left, these numbers will only continue to grow.
It’s been pretty clear this season that weapons are no longer the biggest issue for this offense, they’ve been doing their part. Unfortunately, while the pass catchers were improving the offensive line was regressing, and that’s why despite having a better group of wideouts this season, Indy’s offense is worse. The Colts have been able to rack up a lot of yards through the air, but the run game has been a challenge, and protecting the quarterback has been a disaster.
However, the improvement from the receiving room should still be celebrated, even if it’s not leading to more points. This group of weapons is much better than last year and they’ve proven to have depth and consistency. The most promising part is that it’s all young guys and they should be around to help Indy for years to come.
