For the first time during the 2021 season, the Indianapolis Colts (1-3) came out on the winning end of a game, defeating the Miami Dolphins (1-3) on Sunday, 27-17, at Hard Rock Stadium.
Facing a familiar face in Jacoby Brissett, the Colts had an advantage knowing there was a good chance the defense would do its job after three concerning weeks. They were able to bottle up the Dolphins offense with relative ease.
Meanwhile, the Colts offense finally looked like a solid unit after a slow start against a Dolphins defense that is still trying to figure itself out.
As is the case every week, the stock report is fluid. Sometimes a player’s stock is the culmination of a trend while it could also be a new narrative we’re keeping an eye on.
Regardless, here’s the stock report from the Colts’ 27-17 win on Sunday:
Stock Up: QB Carson Wentz
AP Photo/WIlfredo Lee
The 28-year-old quarterback said before the game how much better he felt battling through two ankle sprains. It was clear he wasn’t lying. Wentz was extremely efficient on Sunday and even showed off that improved mobility escaping the pocket. Even if it was to simply avoid a rush, Wentz was noticeably more mobile.
Wentz had arguably his best game as the quarterback of the Colts. He completed 24-of-32 passes (75%) for 228 passing yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions and a 115.1 passer rating. He had a handful of throws he might want back and one of the sacks was his fault for holding the ball too long. But the Colts got some solid quarterback play from Wentz on Sunday.
Stock Down: LT Eric Fisher
AP Photo/John Amis
It seems long ago when Fisher gave the Colts a promising debut in Week 2 against a nasty Rams pass rush. The last two weeks haven’t been kind to the veteran left tackle, and Sunday’s win against the Dolphins may have been even worse.
Fisher struggled all day to keep his base against rookie Jaelan Phillips, who made the veteran look like the one who was the first-year player. Whether he was getting bullrushed into Wentz’s lap or giving up a pressure as Phillips ran the arc, it was a horrid day for Fisher.
The Colts were able to get away with it this time but if this continues to be a trend, the outcome of the game will be very different.
Stock Up: RB Jonathan Taylor
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
The breakout was inevitable for the budding star. He’s simply too talented to go this long without a big game. Taylor took a hold of the Colts offense with 16 carries for a season-high 103 rushing yards while scoring his first touchdown of the game. He helped the Colts control the line of scrimmage by churning out some chunk plays and even helped in the passing game with three receptions. This is what the Colts want their identity to be so it will be interesting to see if they continue to feature the run.
Stock Down: RT Julién Davenport
AP Photo/Zach Bolinger
Being a bad player going up against a good player typically doesn’t end well for the bad player. It’s hard to really fault Davenport for his struggles against Emmanuel Ogbah, who has been one of the best pass rushers in the game to open the season. However, it’s time for the Colts to end this experiment.
Davenport is simply too much of a liability at right tackle for the Colts to continue giving him starting snaps. He was part of the reason Wentz was under pressure from the edge constantly on Sunday. Hopefully, Braden Smith can come back soon.
Stock Up: TE Mo Alie-Cox
Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
Though he only saw three targets, Alie-Cox made the most of his work as he led the tight end room on Sunday. The Colts limited Jack Doyle to a season-low 21 snaps as he dealt with a back injury, which gave Alie-Cox the chance to prove his worth as the TE1.
The 6-foot-5 tight end led the tight end room in snaps while recording three receptions for 42 yards and two touchdowns. While T.Y. Hilton still works his way back from the injured reserve list, the Colts need other players to pick up the slack. Alie-Cox can be one of those players, especially in the red zone.
Stock Down: CB Xavier Rhodes
AP Photo/Lynne Sladky
Regression may be coming for the veteran cornerback. After a strong 2020 season, Rhodes doesn’t look like the same player over the last two weeks—his first games of the campaign. He had two egregious interference calls against him on Sunday and was responsible for the player who caught the late touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Maybe he’s still working his way back from the calf injury that forced him to miss the first two games, but Rhodes’ technique and ball skills have not looked anything close to what he gave the Colts in 2020.
Stock Up: LG Chris Reed
AP Photo/Stacy Bengs
Replacing an All-Pro guard isn’t easy, but Reed did so with grace on Sunday. While I do believe it was mere coincidence that the run game got going during the first missed game of Quenton Nelson’s career, it may also be a testament to Reed’s talent as an above-average replacement.
Jonathan Taylor will get a lot of love for his big game and deservedly so, but Reed was helping open those holes for the run game in a big way. Nelson is still set to miss the next two games, but Reed is proving to be the best depth player on the offensive line and was certainly the best player in the unit on Sunday.
Stock Down: WR Parris Campbell
AP Photo/Wade Payne
It’s tough because of how much I love his potential, but Campbell simply hasn’t been a factor for the Colts offense this season. His explosiveness is exactly what the offense needs and yet he still came away with just three targets and 22 receiving yards. Hopefully, he can get things going soon, but Campbell has been a pretty big disappointment thus far as the WR3 in the offense.
Stock Up: DE Kemoko Turay
Jenna Watson/IndyStar
With rookie Kwity Paye out, this gave others in the room a chance to shine. While Tyquan Lewis and Al-Quadin Muhammad had solid games themselves, it was Turay who came away with two sacks despite playing on just 46% of the snaps. If the Colts can get some extra juice in the pass rush from Turay moving forward, that would be a huge bonus while Paye finds his footing.
Stock Down: QB Jacob Eason
AP Photo/Zach Bolinger
A healthy scratch on Sunday, it’s clear the Colts don’t trust Eason as a player. Their backup quarterback, Brett Hundley, has been on the practice squad all season. They’ve elevated Hundley for game days without giving Eason much of a thought as the potential replacement for Wentz.
The problem for Eason gets even bigger now that rookie Sam Ehlinger appears ready to return from the injured reserve list. His skill set matches more closely to Wentz’s and it wouldn’t be a surprise at all if his returns gives Eason the boot.
