The Indianapolis Colts (7-8) dominated their way to a 38-6 win over the Carolina Panthers (5-10) on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium, snapping a four-game losing streak.
Though it doesn’t matter because the Colts are already out of the playoffs, the win did have an impact on the team’s draft capital. It was a complete team win with the Colts dominating in all three phases of the game.
Here are four things we learned about the Colts in Week 16:
Draft capital takes a hit
Because the Colts won, their first-round pick moved down a few spots to No. 16 overall. Had they lost, they would have been near the No. 10 pick. The team isn’t going to tank and given the construction of the roster, they are still good enough to beat up on bad teams.
The Colts are also likely to stay toward the middle of the first round following the game against the Jagaurs in Week 17 to round out the season. In what is likely to be a win, the Colts are probably staring at a pick somewhere between 16–20.
Even if it is just a few picks difference from a win and a loss, that can make all the difference in who falls to the Colts in the first round of the draft.
Nyheim Hines is the punt returner
Of course, we mean for the 2020 offseason. Hines has shown in his small sample size that he has the upside to break off return touchdowns not once but twice in a game as he did on Sunday. Even if Chester Rogers is an above-average punt returner in terms of average gain, the job is Hines’ to lose.
The second-year running back has shown a wonderful blend of vision, acceleration and elusiveness over the few games he’s been the team’s return man. On Sunday, he returned three punts for 195 yards and two touchdowns.
The offseason should be interesting for the Colts, but Hines should have the punt return job as his to lose.
Defense made impact plays
The Colts defense had a day on Sunday. Not only were they strong in the red zone, they also made it a point to have some big impact plays. What we mean by that is taking advantage of turnovers and finishing pressure plays with sacks.
Cornerback Pierre Desir led the way with two interceptions and five passes defended, both of which were career-highs for the veteran. The Colts also racked up 5.0 sacks between Al-Quadin Muhammad (2.0), Justin Houston, Anthony Walker and Grover Stewart.
It was a strong day for the defensive unit, and they certainly made their money’s worth when it came to making impact plays.
There are still massive concerns about Jacoby Brissett
Can’t we just enjoy a win? Sorry, but even with the Colts putting on the Panthers in a manner they haven’t done before this season, the issues of Brissett have to be acknowledged.
Even though the Colts didn’t need to lean on the 27-year-old, his line was very depressing. He finished 14 of 27 (51.9%) for 119 passing yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions and a 63.7 passer rating. He did rush for a touchdown in the first quarter, but he averaged just 4.4 yards per attempt while showcasing his spotty accuracy yet again.
The Colts won the game so his issues were masked heavily, but Brissett hasn’t shown at all during the second half that the’s the future of the franchise.
