The Indianapolis Colts (7-6) were defeated 34-14 on Sunday by the Cincinnati Bengals (7-6) at Paycor Stadium.
In what was easily the worst game they’ve played all season, the Colts simply didn’t have it. They were outmatched in all three phases of the game, and their inability to limit the self-inflicting wounds buried any chances of pulling off a comeback.
Now, it’s time to take a look at whose stock was impacted from the team’s largest loss of the season.
When taking stock of a player’s performance, it’s best to be fluid. A player’s stock will fall and rise throughout the season so none of this is set in stone. However, it is important to take note of the narratives and storylines taking place as the campaign progresses.
A player’s stock can be impacted by factors such as their performance or the type of snaps they receive during the games.
Here’s a look at the stock report for the Colts following the Week 14 loss:
Stock Up: LB Ronnie Harrison Jr.
Harrison stepped in as the sole replacement for linebacker E.J. Speed, who was inactive due to a knee injury. His big play came on the pick-six, which helped tie the game after a successful two-point conversion just before halftime. He was also pretty solid coverage. According to Pro Football Focus, Harrison was targeted four times, allowing three receptions for 16 yards and a 41.7 passer rating.
Stock Down: RB Zack Moss
The Colts once again struggled to run the football and Moss gained just 28 rushing yards on 13 attempts. According to Next Gen Stats, Moss faced an eight-man box on just 7.7% of his carries. The offensive line is equally to blame, but Moss forced just one missed tackle. He’s been struggling to create on his own since Jonathan Taylor went down, and it was tough to see him struggle in what should have been a favorable matchup.
Stock Up: DT Grover Stewart
Boy was it nice to see Stewart back in the trenches. Even though the Colts struggled immensely to stop the screen game, they did a fair job stopping the run. Stewart was back to his typical ways with a team-high 17.4% run-stop percentage, according to Pro Football Focus. He helped limit the Bengals running backs to 95 rushing yards on 29 attempts (3.3 yards per carry).
Stock Down: Pass rush
The entire unit deserves to be called out here. The tape showed a pass-rushing unit that failed to generate any type of consistent pressure on a quarterback who has thrived in clean pockets. The numbers back up the tape as the Colts generated pressure on just 6-of-26 dropbacks (23.1%) and failed to record a sack for the first time this season. If the Colts want to make any sort of push over the next month, the pass rush cannot go dormant like this.
Stock Down: S Rodney Thomas II
Over the last two weeks, Thomas has seen his starting role diminish greatly. He played a season-low 55% of the snaps while fellow second-year safety Nick Cross played a season-high 48% of the snaps on defense. It’s a true timeshare in Gus Bradley’s defense right now.
