The Indianapolis Colts (4-2) came out of the bye week hungry to take possession of first place in the division, and they did just that with a 30-23 win over the Houston Texans (4-3) on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
There were a number of players throughout the game that impacted their stock. Whether their performance or increased playing time helped their case or whether they have been pushed down the depth chart, there were a few Colts that saw a noticeable change in their stock.
Here is the stock up, stock down from the Week 7 win:
Stock Up: WR Zach Pascal
This really goes without saying. Clearly taking over the WR2 role for the time being, Pascal has been the one to answer the call in the vacated role opposite T.Y. Hilton. He had a career day on Sunday catching six of seven targets for 106 yards and two touchdowns.
It was a bit surprising to see Pascal play fewer snaps than Chester Rogers, but it was the former that made the impact. With Devin Funchess sidelined for a few more weeks and the timetable unclear for rookie Parris Campbell, Pascal can continue improving his stock with the team.
Stock Down: WR Deon Cain
When one player at a particular position sees their stock rise, it is typical that another player at the same position sees their stock drop. These are fluid from week to week, but Cain is enduring more of a trend with his downward stock.
Cain played 32 snaps during the Week 7 win, which was the fourth-most among Colts wide receivers. Of those 32 snaps, he didn’t get targeted once. It is clear that he is still working his way into being a part of the gameplan, but it has been disappointing given the opportunity that has been given.
There is still time for Cain to work his way into a role, but it is apparent he isn’t a major part of the game plan right now.
Stock Up: CB Shakial Taylor
The Colts knew they were going to be without starting cornerback Kenny Moore as he deals with a knee injury. This meant other players in the room would see an increased role, but it wasn’t clear who would see the biggest bump.
When the game was over, though, the undrafted rookie in Taylor saw his stock rise. Behind Rock Ya-Sin and Pierre Desir—both of which played 100% of the snaps—Taylor was on the field for 49% of the snaps, third-most among Colts cornerbacks.
It is clear the Colts have faith in Taylor, who was called up from the practice squad in Week 5. It will be interesting to see if he bumps a few players down the depth chart in the coming weeks.
Stock Down: CB Quincy Wilson
As the aforementioned Taylor saw his stock rise a little bit, Wilson’s usage in the Week 7 win was disappointing. The third-year cornerback has yet to break through the ceiling placed upon him as a second-round pick, and it appears he’s moving down the depth chart.
The Florida product was on the field for just 20 snaps (31%), which was fourth-most among cornerbacks and seventh-most among defensive backs. Wilson has had an up-and-down career, and it only continues to be more polarizing as the weeks continue.
It will be interesting to see if he’s truly fallen down the depth chart or whether it was simply due to the game plan.
Stock Up: TE Eric Ebron
In a contract year, it has been a rough go for Ebron. With new weapons in the offense and a switch to a run-first mentality, the explosive tight end hasn’t seen the same volume he did during his career campaign in 2018.
However, he flashed that excellence on Sunday by torching the Texans secondary. He finished the game recording four receptions on five targets for 70 yards and a touchdown. That touchdown catch was a ridiculous, one-handed snag in the back of the end zone
Ebron’s usage will continue to be game-script dependent. He’s a move tight end in a system that prefers to use run blockers, but it is nice to see that he can still have an impact in a pass-heavy game-script.
