The Indianapolis Colts season has mostly been a brutal watch for fans. 2-7 might have been expected by some, but now the team is in full rebuild mode.
Some of the problem has been underperformance by players who were supposed to reach a high level of success. Here is looking at you, Sauce Gardner.
But not everything has been awful for Indy. Some players have outperformed expectations and should be long-term fixtures to help the team reach success faster than anticipated.
Ranking all 11 of the Indianapolis Colts' positional groups in the first half of the season from worst to best
11. Quarterback
Daniel Jones has been awful this season. He is the first quarterback since 1950 to have gone nine games without ever averaging at least seven yards per attempt or having a single game with more than one touchdown pass. Sure, Jones has been without his best receiver, but that isn't a good excuse for how poorly he has played.
10. Wide receiver
The Colts have obviously missed Alec Pierce for most of the season, but missing one guy should not affect an offense so negatively. The now-traded Josh Downs has dealt with bad drops recently, and no other wideout has made an impact every game.
Now, the group is the worst in the league, and Peyton Manning likely couldn't even be productive with what Indy has on the roster.
9. Cornerback
Sauce Gardner has been a disappointment, and Charvarius Ward has dropped off recently, too. Statistically, the cornerbacks aren't horrible, but they are ninth here because so much more was expected.
Gardner's quarterback rating allowed is 102.4, easily the worst of his career. Ward allowed 66 yards receiving on two catches in Week 9, and a touchdown.
8. Inside linebacker
This spot has been mostly a mess, but only because the Colts couldn't settle on starters or a rotation until recently. Thankfully, second-round pick CJ Allen has begun playing far better and is the green dot on defense. He should be a long-term starter at the position.
7. Tight end
This might be more a scheme than a fault with Tyler Warren, but Indianapolis could have gotten more out of Warren downfield when no other receiver was getting open consistently. He has 38 catches, but is averaging only 7.2 yards per catch. He hasn't caught a touchdown since Week 2. The other tight ends have been of little consequence.
6. Offensive line
Left guard Quenton Nelson was traded to the Seattle Seahawks, but the problem with this unit has been right tackle Jalen Travis. He is now hurt, but after taking longtime starter Braden Smith's place, Travis has allowed 30 pressures and seven sacks.
5. Edge rusher
At the onset of the season, this group was terrible. Laiatu Latu and Jaylahn Tuimoloau were getting very little pressure, and the defense was exposed. As the season has worn on, though, both have gotten better and gotten some help from rookie Caden Curry. Latu has had a hand in sacks in two straight games, and he had five pressures in Week 9.
4. Safety
Rookie AJ Haulcy has been inconsistent, but that is expected from a first-year player. Veteran Cam Bynum, though, has been quite good and very effective against the run. He has been one of the few true stars of the Colts' defense.
3. Defensive line
The defensive line might rank even higher, but DeForest Buckner has now been traded, lessening the brilliance of the position. Adetomiwa Adebawore has been terrific, though, and was recently extended because of his uptick in performance. Grover Stewart remains one of the better run-stoppers in the league.
2. Running back
This group is always going to rank high as long as Jonathan Taylor is healthy and still wearing a Colts uniform. He isn't leading the league in rushing yards or touchdowns, and he hasn't run for more than 100 yards in a game since Week 11 of last season, but that is less his fault and more due to the ineffectiveness of the overall offense.
Plus, rookie Seth McGowan has been quite good as an RB2. His future could include being Indianapolis RB1 if Taylor ever leaves.
1. Specialists
Punter Rigoberto Sanchez has long been one of the best in the NFL, but kicker Spencer Shrader might be the biggest happy surprise of the season. He has made 22 of 24 field goal attempts, including eight of nine beyond 50 yards. The return game has been meh, but the greatness of Shrader and Sanchez more than makes up for that.
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