Indianapolis Colts' General Manager Chris Ballard maintained all offseason that the team liked where they were at with their skill position players. Despite the constant outcry from fans to bring in a veteran receiver in free agency, the Colts stuck with their guns.
That faith is being rewarded so far in 2022.
The Colts' offense exploded for 34 points in a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars this past weekend, and the young skill position players played a major role in the victory. Today, I dive into the six young pass catchers that stepped up in week six.
Michael Pittman Jr is a WR1
Michael Pittman Jr was simply phenomenal on Sunday for the Colts, as he hauled in 13 receptions on 14 targets for 134 yards in the victory. The fascinating aspect of his play is that he did almost all of his work in the short-to-intermediate range, as he didn't have a target with a depth of over 20 yards.
Pittman Jr was the focal point of the Colts' gameplan, as he was used on short crossers and drags all game long. The Jaguars were unable to contain the big bodied receiver, as eight of his receptions went for first downs (including two third down conversions on the game-winning drive).
He may not be a complete, top 10 receiver in the league, but Michael Pittman Jr is a surefire number one wideout that has a major impact on the Colts' offense.
Alec Pierce Threatens Deep
Alec Pierce didn't have his most efficient day on Sunday, as he only hauled in three of his seven targets. He did, however, make things happen for the Colts' offense when he was targeted.
Pierce had two big third down conversions in this game, one of which being the game-winning 32-yard touchdown in the final seconds of the game. He also drew two pass interference calls that kept eventual touchdown drives alive for the team.
The aspect of his game that has impressed me the most is how he is winning against press coverage. He looks smooth and poised through contact, which is rare for a young receiver in their rookie season. The arrow is certainly pointing up on this promising rookie.
Parris Campbell RACability
Parris Campbell may not be having the greatest season statistically, but he has been an important part of the Colts' offense in 2022. On Sunday, the young pass catcher finally broke out for a strong game.
Campbell finished the day with seven receptions on nine targets for 57 yards and a touchdown. He did a lot of his work after the catch, with 30 of his 57 yards coming with the ball in his hands. He also forced three missed tackles on Sunday.
While he is far from a perfect slot receiver, Campbell has proved to be plenty capable when he has had his number called this season. Hopefully this big performance leads to many more in the upcoming weeks.
Two(!) Pass Catching Tight Ends
The Colts had not one, but two(!), strong performances at tight end this past weekend. Rookie Jelani Woods hauled in two of his three targets for 27 yards and a touchdown. Second-year tight end Kylen Granson also had four receptions on four targets for 38 yards on the day (including two big third down conversions near the end of the first half).
For Woods, he is emerging as a dominant redzone threat for the team. He looks fast (yet smooth) with his route running, and it seems to be just a matter of time before he truly emerges as the team's number one pass catcher at the position.
With Granson, the Colts have an outstanding route runner as their move tight end. He is quick and strong after the catch, and he has also shown a ton of consistency in recent weeks.
While this duo does struggle a bit in the blocking department, they are standing out in a big way as pass catchers in recent weeks.
Deon Jackson??
The final pass catcher to highlight in this game is a running back.. Deon Jackson was surprisingly phenomenal out of the backfield on Sunday. The Colts were peppering the quick game in this one, so Jackson saw a healthy dose of checkdowns out of the backfield.
He finished the day with 10 catches on 10 targets for 79 yards. His game was full of run after catch opportunities, as his average depth of target was 1.1 yards behind the line of scrimmage. He actually had 90 yards receiving after the catch against the Jaguars.
Jackson had a strong game and was a major reason why the Colts' passing offense was able to stay on track all afternoon long.
The Bottom Line
For all of the offseason chatter about the Colts' pass catchers not being good enough, these young skill position players are performing well in 2022. These players aren't stars (outside of Pittman Jr) but they all understand their role and are performing well within it.
If the Colts' offensive line can maintain the consistency that it found on Sunday, the team's passing offense should be in line for even more strong performances.
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