Toughest Matchups Remaining for Colts' Sauce Gardner

After serving a lengthy suspension at the start of the season, Rashee Rice is back on the gridiron, and you can tell. The Chiefs' offense looks completely different with a true WR1, and he's already becoming Patrick Mahomes' favorite target.

In three games played thus far, Rice has racked up 20 receptions for 215 yards and 3 touchdowns. He's rushed the ball 4 times for 18 yards and another touchdown.

The SMU product has dealt with injuries and off-the-field trouble to start his career, but when he is playing, he's a lethal weapon for Mahomes.

In 2023, Rice and the Chiefs played against Gardner's New York Jets. Rice finished that game with 3 receptions for 32 yards as Mahomes threw 2 interceptions.

If Gardner can use those same clamps in Week 12, the Colts should be able to hinder Kansas City's passing attack.

Nico Collins | Houston Texans

Over the past three seasons, there's not a single receiver who has torn apart the Colts' secondary as much as Nico Collins has. In his last three games against Indianapolis, Collins has racked up 22 receptions for 458 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Despite the Texans' poor offensive play in 2025, Collins has been a consistent target for C.J. Stroud and Davis Mills. Through 10 games played, Collins has 40 receptions for 550 yards and 3 touchdowns.

It seems that Collins comes alive most against AFC South opponents. In three games against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans this season, Collins has tallied 19 receptions for 325 yards and a touchdown.

Collins and the Texans faced the Jets in 2023, and Gardner helped limit the star receiver to only one catch for 13 yards. Once again, if he can replicate that for Indianapolis, the defense will be looking phenomenal.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba | Seattle Seahawks

Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Sam Darnold have emerged as a power duo in 2025. Smith-Njigba leads the league in receiving yards with 1,041, which is 210 more than the next closest player (Ja'Marr Chase).

JSN's lowest receiving total of the year is 79 yards against the Arizona Cardinals. In that game, he didn't even have a catch until the second half.

He has eclipsed the 100-yard mark in six of the Seahawks' nine games this season. No matter who's guarding him, Smith-Njigba finds the open space and hauls in perfect passes from Darnold.

In his lone game against the Jets in 2024, JSN hauled in 4 receptions for 74 yards. I'm not sure what his stats were when Gardner was guarding him one-on-one, but out of the three receivers I've listed, JSN has the most success against Gardner.