The Off-Season – Early 2021-2022 Indianapolis Colts Outlook

Today may be the first day of the year where most people in NY turned on their air conditioner and went out with tank tops, but it’s still a Cole World. The album is absolutely fire, but following the theme, let’s get into the Off-season outlook. With most of free agency having passed and teams getting ready to get ready for training camp, let’s take a look at the Indianapolis Colts offseason transactions and outlook for the newly expanded 2021-2022 season. I’ll make my predictions on each game of the season, and let’s revisit this at the end of the season:

• Notable Additions: Carson Wentz, Eric Fisher, Malik Jefferson, Sam Tevi, Sean Davis, Issac Rochell

• Notable Re-signs: TY Hilton, Xavier Rhodes, Marlon Mack, Zach Pascal, Al-Quadin Muhammad, T.J. Carrie, George Odum, Mo Alie-Cox

• Notable Departures: Philip Rivers, Justin Houston, Malik Hooker, Anthony Walker, Trey Burton, Jacoby Brissett

• 2021 NFL Draft: Kwity Paye, Dayo Odeyingbo, Kylen Granson, Shawn Davis, Sam Ehlinger, Mike Strachan, Will Fries

Additions: I gave the Colts’ additions a B grade. The obvious big addition is the trade for Carson Wentz, which is a definite upgrade at the QB position from Philip Rivers if his magic with Frank Reich returns and he stays healthy. I was disappointed at the initial free agent wave, as we did not pick up players to improve our team, although it was highly expected. We had a lot of salary cap space but failed to add a difference maker such as Carl Lawson, Kenny Golladay, or Jonnu Smith. We did pick up former Kansas City Chiefs LT Eric Fisher, which is quite a gamble, but a gamble that will definitely pay off if he is healthy. We addressed 2 of the 3 biggest needs through offseason moves (QB, DE, LT), hence the B grade. There are still some questions as to whether Wentz will return to his Frank Reich-era form or if Eric Fisher will be back and playing at an elite level before we are out of contention. Making the playoffs will warrant a B+ grade and going deep into the playoffs will warrant an A grade.

Draft Analysis: I gave the Colts’ draft class a B+. We addressed the biggest need on defense with the addition of Paye and Odeyingbo, as well as other needs for depth at QB (Ehlinger), TE (Granson), and WR (Strachan). Of the later picks, I am very intrigued by Granson and Strachan. I think Granson will be a receiving threat for Wentz, possibly as high as the third option behind Pittman Jr. and TY Hilton and Strachan can be a difference maker if there are injuries at the top of the WR depth chart. Odeyingbo may not be a difference maker this season, but I think Paye will get some disruption with opponents’ offensive lines focusing on Buckner.

Schedule: Our schedule is the 23rd hardest in the NFL, but as they say, “any given Sunday”. We also do not have a bye week until week 14 (!), so it will definitely seem tough, especially if Fisher misses a significant amount of time or there are injuries.

WEEK | DATE | OPPONENT TIME (ET) | NETWORK
1 SEPTEMBER 12 VS SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 1:00 PM FOX
2 SEPTEMBER 19 VS LOS ANGELES RAMS 1:00 PM FOX
3 SEPTEMBER 26 AT TENNESSEE TITANS 1:00 PM CBS
4 OCTOBER 3 AT MIAMI DOLPHINS 1:00 PM CBS
5 OCTOBER 11 AT BALTIMORE RAVENS 8:15 PM ESPN
6 OCTOBER 17 VS HOUSTON TEXANS 1:00 PM CBS
7 OCTOBER 24 AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS 8:20 PM NBC
8 OCTOBER 31 VS TENNESSEE TITANS 1:00 PM CBS
9 NOVEMBER 4 VS NEW YORK JETS 8:20 PM FOX/NFLN/AMAZON
10 NOVEMBER 14 VS JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 1:00 PM CBS
11 NOVEMBER 21 AT BUFFALO BILLS 1:00 PM CBS
12 NOVEMBER 28 VS TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS 1:00 PM FOX
13 DECEMBER 5 AT HOUSTON TEXANS 1:00 PM CBS
14 BYE WEEK
15 DECEMBER 18/19 VS NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS TBD TBD
16 DECEMBER 25 AT ARIZONA CARDINALS 8:15 PM NFLN
17 JANUARY 2 VS LAS VEGAS RAIDERS 1:00 PM CBS
18 JANUARY 9 AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 1:00 PM CBS

Let’s move on to my predictions:

Week 1 – Seahawks 24 – Colts 17 – L – We have a reputation of always not being prepared for the season and dropping our first game of the season. I think we will continue that trend and not be prepared for Wilson and his aerial attack. It will also be new quarterback Carson Wentz’s first game with the team, and he will definitely be rusty, especially coming off his worst season in his career since his rookie season. Running the ball is a positive for us, but being one-dimension is a recipe for failure, especially with Eric Fisher most likely not ready for the season until at least October.

Week 2 – Rams 23 – Colts 27 – W – Carson Wentz will shake off the rust and get the Colts’ season going with their first win, exposing the Rams’ secondary even though they have the only interior lineman in the league better than Buckner in Aaron Donald. The Rams have a bunch of superstars on defense and newly acquired Stafford will still need to work with his receivers to develop a rapport, and I don’t believe they will be completely in sync by the second week of the season.

Week 3 – Colts 20 – Titans 14 – W – The Titans regressed this season by losing two major receiving threats in Corey Davis and Jonnu Smith. AJ Brown will still be a beast, but they will most likely rush much more this season. We will be ready for King Henry and persevere at a narrow margin in a huge division win.

Week 4 – Colts 38 – Dolphins 10 – W – Brissett revenge game? LOL. Taylor will tear through the defense, setting a career high in rushing yards and the Colts defense will stonewall the Miami offense, adding a pick 6 for good measure, to get their third win in a row even before new signee Eric Fisher returns to the stalwart offensive line.

Week 5 – Colts 17 – Ravens 20 – L – Last season at home, we completely contained Lamar Jackson in the first half, but went off in the second half and defeated us with his rushing. With Okereke as the new Mike to call the signals, we might still be struggling on linebacker communication unless we have a QB spy on Jackson at all times. I think Dobbins will be a threat to us this season and will do well with the Ravens’ revamped offensive line. We will still put up yards but fall in a close game with the loss.

Week 6 – Texans 14 – Colts 41 – W – Easy peasy with J.J. Watt now in Arizona. Will Watson even be their starting QB by Week 6? The Texans are as much of a mess as anyone and the Colts will win this game easily in a blowout at home. I think Wentz truly gets his rhythm in this game with Pittman, the running back group continues to shine, the defense gains confidence, and everyone in Colts’ country will be hyped.

Week 7 – Colts 13 – 49ers 20 – L – Will the signal caller still be Jimmy G or will Trey Lance start his tenure as the 49ers’ franchise QB? That has yet to be seen, but the 49ers defense is proven and will be a very tough test for us. I believe we will let our guard down after the Texans’ blowout and lose a winnable game to the 49ers this week.

Week 8 – Titans 17 – Colts 28 – W – We’ll continue our streak against the always tough-Titans. I don’t think this will be a close game because we will be hungry for a win after a heartbreaking loss to the 49ers. I see this game being a high offensive output with both starting RBs Derrick Henry and Jonathan Taylor doing well on the ground.

Week 9 – Jets 10 – Colts 20 – W – Primetime baby! We will actually have a primetime game and it will be broadcasted on Amazon?! Sweet. Jets’ new franchise QB Zach Wilson looks promising, but I think our interior will disrupt the pocket and Zach will be forced to make tough throws outside the pocket. From his highlights, he looks Mahomes-esque but I believe he will be make mistakes with these kind of throws against a real NFL defense. Our offense will dominate time of possession and do just enough to get the win surehandedly.

Week 10 – Jaguars 17 – Colts 24 – W – A division game that should be easy but we will make it harder than it is, as per usual. As bad as the franchise has been, the Glitter Kittens have always given us trouble and have played us tough in every game. I think this trend will continue. However, I believe Trevor Lawrence will experience more losing in his first few weeks of the season than in his whole football career, and with a new coach, their inexperience will be their downfall.

Week 11 – Bills 34 – Colts 17 – L – We were in a winnable close game against the Bills in the playoffs, but this may not be a close one. Josh Allen is a superstar and he might even win MVP this season. It will be a very tough matchup in an away game in freezing Buffalo, and we’ll leave New York with a loss after a three game winning streak.

Week 12 – Colts 20 – Buccaneers 24 – L – From facing one playoff team to facing the Super Bowl champions, this will be another tough matchup. The Buccaneers have Tom Brady, who seems to never decline as the years go on, but it is their defense that will take them deep into the playoffs again. The Colts will fight tooth and nail but will not have enough firepower to match up with Tampa Bay.

Week 13 – Texans 6 – Colts 31 – W – See week 6. The Colts will start out of the gate with a large lead and take their foot off the gas and cruise to an easy victory even in an away game in Houston.

Week 14 – BYE WEEK

Week 15 – Colts 27 – Patriots 24 – W – Fully recharged after the bye week, the cold will not affect Carson Wentz as he leads the Colts to victory over the revamped Patriots. The Patriots have a lot of potential, depending on Mac Jones’ game management. The Colts defense will stifle the rookie QB and escape New England with a 3-point victory.

Week 16 – Colts 20 – Cardinals 24 – L – From the cold northeast to the warm weather in Arizona in just one week, we won’t be ready for the improved Cardinals. Kyler Murray is a stud, and if J.J. Watt is healthy, the Cardinals have a lot of potential this season.

Week 17 – Raiders 17 – Colts 31 – W – The Raiders keep improving, but so do we. With Okereke in coverage, we can now at least contain tight ends. Darren Waller is a superstar, and if we can contain him or just slow him down with double teams (Moore/Jefferson), I believe we will win this game handily.

Week 18 – Colts 45 – Jaguars 24 – W – High off the win against the Raiders, we will take the last game of the season in a blowout on the Jaguars and have our team’s confidence on high going into our playoff run. Trevor Lawrence will do well in garbage time with Colts’ typical late game prevent defense, padding his stats and breaking all kinds of rookie QB records, mainly due to the extra game added to the NFL schedule.

Season Prediction – 11-6 First Place, AFC South

I believe we have a high ceiling, but also a semi-low floor. If players are hurt or regress, we may lose the division to the Titans. However, there is a good chance Carson Wentz regains confidence with our great offensive line and our running back tandem of Jonathan Taylor and Marlon Mack will carry our offense to at least 11 wins. The health of Eric Fisher, Parris Campbell, and the idea of Carson Wentz regaining his old form will be key to our success. Our team will bank on the arm of Wentz, and however he does, we will do. I have confidence he will be great for us and lead us deep into the playoffs this season.

My Colts Award Predictions:

Offense MVP: Jonathan Taylor. I believe Wentz will be good, but the team will rush more than run and JT will produce more per rush than Wentz does per pass.

Defensive MVP: DeForest Buckner. This is a no-brainer. He is the best defensive player on our team and arguably a top 2 interior lineman in the entire league. Leonard will produce his numbers and be a force on defense, but it starts with Buckner’s interior pressure.

Surprise Sleeper: Dezmon Patmon. I’ve been watching too many of Pittman’s YouTube videos, so I’m a bit biased. I think injuries at WR will elevate Patmon to a top 4 receiver on the Colts behind Pittman, Hilton, and Granson. Speaking of Granson, I believe he will make a difference as well, but as he may be starting the entire year and the top TE receiving threat, there is expectation he will do produce in that role.

Rookie of the Colts’ Year: Kylen Granson. The Colts’ version of Zach Ertz. He looks like a good receiving threat in his highlights, and I think he will be depended on on short stick/drag routes. I do hope Paye proves me wrong and completely outshines Granson, disrupting passers left and right.

May 16, 2021 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave a comment