Indianapolis

Colts

Taylor-Britt is eligible to play in the Colts’ Week 2 game against the Chiefs after serving his one-game suspension in Week 1 against the Ravens. The 26-year-old corner signed a one-year deal with the Colts earlier this offseason and started two of the eight games he appeared in last season with the Bengals. Taylor-Britt totaled 21 tackles and five breakups for the Bengals last season and has spent three seasons in defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo’s scheme during their time with the Bengals, which could give him a chance to see meaningful work on game days.

Both of Downs’ catches came on the Colts’ opening drive. The fourth-year receiver looked explosive on his first reception when he turned a short catch into a 25-yard gain to move his team into Ravens territory, and he picked up another 12 yards through the air two plays later. Three of Downs’ four targets came on that drive, as he managed just one target the rest of the way. Downs’ drop-off after the opening possession largely stemmed from the Colts’ inability to move the ball. They averaged just 4.2 yards per play after that first drive and totaled only 107 passing yards over that span. The early targets were encouraging. Hopefully Downs will be in line for a better outing in Week 2 against the Chiefs. He shouldn’t be treated as anything more than a WR3 in next week’s game.

Warren’s underwhelming line can be blamed on the offense’s struggle to move the ball all afternoon. The second-year tight end tallied two receptions in the first half, both for two yards, with his longest play coming on a nine-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. His five targets were good for second-most on the team, but the Colts offense left a lot to be desired this week. The expected volume will keep Warren in the TE1 mix for Week 2 against the Chiefs.

Allen did all of his damage in the short area of the field, as the veteran receiver never totaled more than nine yards on any of his six catches. Allen averaged fewer than four air yards per target on the day. It’s far too early to say Allen can be dropped from fantasy rosters, even if this was just a PPR scam, but there’s no need to jam him into your lineups in Week 2 against the Chiefs.

Pierce hauled in a 13-yard pass on the Colts’ opening drive but didn’t log his second reception of the game until the third quarter. The speedster, who has made a name for himself as a deep threat, saw just one pass of 20-plus air yards in Sunday’s loss, with all of his receptions coming in the intermediate part of the field. With the game nearly out of reach in the fourth quarter, Pierce caught passes of 14 and 23 yards to get the Colts into scoring range before Tyler Warren capped the drive with a nine-yard receiving touchdown. Pierce’s six targets tied Keenan Allen for the team lead on Sunday, but we’ll need to see more volume before we can confidently project him as anything more than a WR3 for next week’s game against the Chiefs.

Taylor felt like the lone bright spot on Sunday for a Colts offense that struggled for much of the game. Taylor struggled at times on the ground, with nine of his 19 carries going for three or fewer yards, but he also broke free for five carries of 10-plus yards, with his longest run coming on a 21-yard burst in the third quarter. Taylor got the scoring started for the Colts in the first quarter when he plunged into the end zone for a one-yard score to give them the early lead, and found the end zone again in the second quarter on a three-yard score. Taylor was the only Colts running back to see a rush attempt in this one, and he saw four of the five running back targets. He’ll be firmly on the RB1 radar in next week’s game against the Chiefs.

Jones and the Colts got off to a strong start in this one. The Colts came out of the gate attempting seven straight passes, with Jones going 5-for-7 on the drive for 59 yards. Jonathan Taylor would cap the opening drive with a one-yard touchdown to give the Colts an early lead, but Jones and company struggled to get things going after that. He would muster just 29 passing yards for the remainder of the first half and was baited by Ravens LB Roquan Smith into throwing an interception on the Colts’ second possession. Jones would orchestrate a scoring drive early in the fourth quarter, connecting on passes of 14 and 23 yards to Alec Pierce before eventually finding Tyler Warren for a nine-yard score. Things won’t get any easier for Jones and the Colts next week as they travel to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs. Jones shouldn’t be trusted as anything more than a mid to low-end QB2 in that matchup.

There’s nothing too surprising here. Ajiake was the only player carrying an injury designation heading into the weekend, but after popping up as a DNP on Friday, it was assumed he would be sidelined for the season opener. The Colts are set to play host to the Ravens in what will be Daniel Jones’ first game back since he suffered a torn Achilles in Week 14 last season.

Pierce practiced for the first time this offseason on September 1st after undergoing ankle/heel surgery earlier this offseason. ESPN’s Stephen Holder said Pierce’s snap count is still to be determined, indicating that Pierce is unlikely to play a full complement of snaps. He can only be viewed as a boom-bust FLEX, but his field-stretching presence will trickle down to the pass-catching corps by keeping the safeties honest, which is good news.

Pierce is technically on track to play, but his continued practice limitations suggest he is still ramping up. If active on Sunday, he would be a boom-bust FLEX, though having him on the field would be a big boost for his teammates. Pierce’s downfield abilities help keep safeties honest, freeing up the short-to-intermediate field depths.