The Indianapolis Colts (1-1) avoided the dreaded 0-2 start by winning their home opener on Sunday, 28-11, against the Minnesota Vikings (0-2) at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Colts dominated the game defensively and on offense, the rushing attack led the way to a victory. It was the type of blueprint the Colts envision for their team success. Even through some potentially significant injuries, the Colts pushed through and came out with a big win.
Here’s a look at the offensive snap counts from Sunday’s win:
Observations
- The backfield belonged to Jonathan Taylor. He led the way with 67% of the snaps while the closest to him was Jordan Wilkins at 23%. Taylor also took 65% of the team’s rushing attempts.
- While Wilkins was the clear backup, it was a surprise that Nyhiem Hines wasn’t in the game at all. He played just 12% of the snaps while receiving one target and zero carries. This was a bit odd given what we saw in Week 1.
- Following the injury to Parris Campbell, it was rookie Michael Pittman Jr. who saw the biggest bump. He played 92% of the snaps, leading the way followed by Zach Pascal, who finished at 81%
- T.Y. Hilton struggled with a bad drop in the end zone and subsequently only played 58% of the offensive snaps. The Colts seemingly wanted their blocking receivers on the field more.
Here’s a look at the defense and special teams snap counts:
Observations
- LB Bobby Okereke worked as the second linebacker next to Darius Leonard, playing 85% of the snaps. Anthony Walker’s snap count dropped to 57% on defense.
- After Malik Hooker suffered an Achilles injury, rookie Julian Blackmon was the one to step in. He saw 63% of the snaps alongside Khari Willis.
- DE Ben Banogu continues to be a non-factor in the gameplan, logging just 22% of the snaps.
- Zaire Franklin, George Odum and Jordan Glasgow all led the special teams unit again.
