Colts' Nyheim Hines: QB Matt Ryan 'not missing the layups'

Indianapolis Colts running back Nyheim Hines has proven himself capable of serving as a dual-threat weapon who can torch defenses and also provide sparks for fantasy football lineups by catching passes out of the backfield. 

Hines finished the 2020 NFL regular season with 63 catches for 482 yards and four touchdowns, but those numbers dipped last fall as he played alongside quarterback Carson Wentz. In total, the 25-year-old recorded only 40 receptions for 310 yards and a single score for the 2021 campaign. 

The Colts moved on from Wentz after one unspectacular year and traded him to the Washington Commanders before they landed Matt Ryan from the Atlanta Falcons. While it's still early in Ryan's Indianapolis tenure, Hines let it be known he likes what he has thus far witnessed. 

"When we get a certain defense, we know Matt is going out there to try to kill," Hines explained, according to Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. "He makes the tight throws when he needs to. He’s not missing the layups." 

The Colts have All-Pro Jonathan Taylor atop their depth chart at running back, meaning Hines' best chances to impact games down the road could involve him catching balls tossed by Ryan beginning in September. 

"It’s all on the quarterback," Hines added during his comments. "Quarterback play is everything. We’re going to have great quarterback play this year. When the box is stacked, he’s going to see it and make the reads to get out of it. When it’s not stacked, he’s not going to be scared to hand the ball off.

"Matt has the keys, and we’re going to go as far as he goes." 

Hines didn't directly say so, but it sounds as if he agrees with those who said the Colts needed an upgrade at QB1 for 2022.