10 Things To Watch For After Colts Bye Week

INDIANAPOLIS:

The Colts are sneaking into the AFC playoff picture after returning from their bye week with a 5-5 record.

The Colts have avoided any serious 2024 Mock Draft attention by winning two straight. They will return from their bye week with a reasonable and advantageous schedule the remainder of the way.

As the Colts wrap up the season, I’ll be keeping an eye out for the following ten things:

1. Playoff Push

When you see the picture of the AFC playoffs, you know the Colts are back from their bye week as a team that is “in the hunt.”

The Colts have games remaining against the teams ranked sixth (Texans), seventh (Steelers), eleventh (Bengals), and twelfth (Raiders), with seven weeks remaining.

The Colts deserve praise for making the most of one of the league’s easiest schedules and for overcoming some offensive line issues to improve to a 5-5 football team that is competitive for a postseason run.

Reaching 10 wins (a 5-2 record) ought to be sufficient to qualify for the playoffs, based on the current state of the AFC standings. Reaching nine victories will most likely require some focus on tiebreakers.

The Colts’ 4-3 conference record is a favorable factor as it frequently serves as a crucial tiebreaker to determine Wild Card berths.

The Colts’ remaining seven games are as follows: Bucs(4-5), Bengals(5-4) at Steelers(6-3), Raiders(5-5) at Texans(5-4) and Buccaneers(4-5) at Titans (3-6).

Although it wasn’t necessarily anticipated at the beginning of the season, the Colts have an opportunity to produce playoff games that draw a lot of attention in December and January.

2. JuJu Brents Development

JuJu Brents could end up in a similar position to Bernhard Raimann’s transformation (or baptism by fire) in the latter part of the previous season.

Naturally, that presupposes Brents can recover from a three-game absence due to a quad injury and remain healthy for the remaining seven games of the season.

Brents plays a premium position and is a high draft pick.

His development would be crucial to the team’s future at a time when the Colts lack clear-cut solutions.

This season, Brents has suffered more injuries than any other Colts defender and has missed more practice time. In light of the few flashes he experienced earlier this year, it would be fantastic if he could demonstrate some consistency over the next seven weeks.

3. Kwity Paye Playing For More Money

Recall that Kwity Paye is in a pseudo-contract year during this 2023 season.

The Colts will have to decide in the spring regarding Paye’s fifth-year team option (for the 2025 campaign).

In the season’s first three games, Paye had a sack in each, and he had four straight with a quarterback hit.

However, he hasn’t said much since.

Paye had played 225 defensive snaps in his last 5 games, with 1 sack and 2 quarterback hits.

Paye is more capable on the defensive end as a run defender. However, despite being a former first-round pick, he hasn’t yet demonstrated the pass-rushing force you would like to see.

If this current streak of success continues, will the Colts pick up Paye’s fifth-year option?

4. Grover Stewart Return

Grover Stewart’s six-game suspension is still in effect for the Buccaneers and Titans games.

After that, Stewart can play in the final five games of the season, which are against the Steelers, Raiders, Bengals, and Texans, at home.

It goes without saying that people will be happy to see Stewart back, especially in light of what transpired against New England.

I wonder what impact Stewart’s play in the last few games will have, if any, on his impending free agency in the spring of 2024.

Stewart, who signed a one-year, multi-year contract with Chris Ballard (back in the fall of 2020), is the only player still with the Colts from the 2017 draft.

Will the Colts make any decisions regarding Stewart’s future in light of his return from suspension?

5. Minshew Resurrection

This season’s numbers for Gardner Minshew compared to his relief counterparts are concerning.

Minshew has performed admirably in his three games as Anthony Richardson’s backup: 30-of-39 (76.9%), 1 touchdown, 0 interceptions, 0 fumbles, 109.6 quarterback rating, and 8.4 yards per attempt.

Minshew has performed admirably in the six games that he has started for Richardson: 84-of-217 (61.3%), seven touchdowns, six interceptions, five fumbles, 79.2 quarterback rating, and 6.4 yards per attempt.

It is evident that teams with a full week to prepare for Minshew have had success rattling the seasoned quarterback.

Will Shane Steichen or Minshew be able to revive a passing game in any way during the bye week?

In the pocket, Minshew has appeared incredibly tense and nervous as things begin to fall apart around him.

Because Minshew is currently performing below his career standard, the Colts need him to start playing like the player listed on the back of his baseball card.

6. MPJ Contract + 2024 Free Agents

Anticipating the spring of 2024, the Colts will have a respectable amount of cap space (estimated to be over $60 million) in addition to a strong class of free agents.

The following pending free agents will be the subject of internal Colts decision-making: S-Julian Blackmon (25), RB-Zack Moss (25), DT-Grover Stewart (30), CB-Kenny Moore (28), DL-Tyquan Lewis (28), WR-Isaiah McKenzie (28), P-Rigoberto Sanchez (29), and WR-Michael Pittman Jr. (26).

There are good arguments to be made for the Colts to keep many of the aforementioned names. That implies, of course, that a number of those guys may—or will—also secure some robust free agency markets.

Which players fit into or don’t fit into the Colts’ current 2024 plans?

After the team extended Luke Rhodes and Jonathan Taylor since the conclusion of training camp, will we see any more late-season contracts, similar to the one signed by Grover Stewart in 2020?

7. Shaq Leonard Close

Gus Bradley stated earlier in the season that November is when you should really see Leonard step it up.

Well, November is almost over.

Leonard is obviously unhappy with the way the Colts are managing his playing time and role.

However, there is a ton of data to support the Colts’ decision to reduce Leonard’s role.

Leonard has a contract with the Colts through 2026, but it is for a ridiculously high amount that is out of proportion to the output he provides and the way Gus Bradley is using him. Recall that Matt Eberflus was the defensive coordinator at the time of the signing, not Bradley, and that was prior to Leonard requiring two back surgeries in a five-month period.

Considering everything, and especially if Chris Ballard is a man of his word when it comes to player value and how the Colts evaluate players, it’s very likely that we are witnessing Leonard’s final days in Indianapolis, especially at that price.

8. Any Pro Bowlers?

It’s likely that Quenton Nelson will resume his career as a Pro Bowl player. Even though the AFC has some nice depth on the interior defensive line, DeForest Buckner still needs to be a serious contender.

But after that, I’m a little lost for words.

Does Zaire Franklin’s name recognition warrant enough attention? A player, coach, and fan vote each account for one-third of the Pro Bowl vote.

Outside of the Carolina game, Kenny Moore has recovered well, but he lacks the turnover-type plays that propelled him to the Pro Bowl in 2021.

9. Shane Steichen’s Plate

Shane Steichen desires to take care of everything.

Additionally, Steichen has done a pretty good job managing the game and play calling for the most part.

What Steichen has demonstrated in his first season as head coach should inspire the Colts fan base.

Though some optimism for their season has been restored, it will be interesting to see how Steichen’s team reacts after the bye week.

Given that the Colts have recently played some very mediocre football, are we going to see a late-season surge?

10. Jelani Woods Sighting? Nick Cross Sighting?

Last year, the Colts had three third-round picks.

It appears that Bernhard Raimann will be successful.

However, issues with Nick Cross and Jelani Woods surface. Due to a hamstring injury that only occasionally flares up, Woods has not yet participated in any games in 2023. That’s really unfortunate because Woods showed some promise toward the end of last year. When asked if Woods will play this season, Shane Steichen’s only response has been, “We’ll see.”

Cross has been healthy for all 10 games this season, but he has only taken 18 defensive snaps overall.

As Woods and/or Cross near the end of the first half of their rookie contracts, it’s unclear what lies ahead for them.

Do we see anything from either to close out the season?