Winners & losers from Colts’ Week 6 loss against Jaguars

There were a few winners from Sunday’s loss, including Michael Pittman Jr.

Winners

Michael Pittman Jr.

No matter the game script, no matter the quarterback, no matter the location, MPJ is going to get his targets. Pittman ranks 4th in targets in the NFL, and got 14 yesterday, by far the most on the team. He caught 9 of those for over 100 yards, and was one of two Colts’ players I can say had a good game.

Josh Downs

Downs is the perfect receiver for Gardner Minshew, and he got his first NFL touchdown against the Jaguars as what can be considered the only positive moment the Colts will take away from this horrible game in Jacksonville. The rookie ranks second on the team in targets with 41, and I expect that trend to continue for the foreseeable future.

Matt Gay

Perfect on his kicks again, made another 50+ yarder. Matt Gay is fully worth the contract the Colts gave him this past off-season, and hopefully he retains this level of consistency for the next 7-10 years.

Losers

Gardner Minshew

Whan an ugly game for Minshew, as any notion that he should have been starting over Anthony Richardson was quickly put to bed on Sunday. I don’t want to make assumptions after just one game, and especially if that game was played in Jacksonvile, but Minshew was so bad that I entered that game thinking we could challenge for the division and I am now thinking about the possibility of adding Marvin Harrison Jr. to the mix.

Jonathan Taylor / Zack Moss

If this was a sign of things to come for the future, and who knows if for the rest of the season, then it is worrying for Taylor and Moss that the Jaguars manage to keep the Colts’ rushing offense as quiet as it was. The Colts have all the tools to rush the ball efficiently no matter what the defense puts in front of them, so as Jonathan Taylor gets up to speed I expect the running game to be matchup proof.

Rodney Thomas

Rodney Thomas has just one forced incompletion and no run stops through the first six games of the season, and yesterday he was somehow even worse. Thomas looks constantly out of position, takes poor angles in the running game, and has trouble shedding blocks. Now it might have something to do with the scheme the Colts are playing right now on defense, but Julian Blackmon has 8 run stops and an interception, and he has not been spectacular either.

Kwity Paye

Kwity has not taken the jump expected from him this season, and also suffered a concussion early on in the season causing him to miss two games. Now Paye is most definitely not a bad football player, his motor is always on, he is a good locker room presence, and he makes the occasional good play. This is just about his lack of impact on games. Dayo Odeyingbo, who was taken a round later, has already shown the ability to take over games, so it is definitely a bit worrying how Paye is doing. He was a force stopping the run last season, which kind of made up for his deficiencies rushing the passer, but this season it has just not been there.