The Indianapolis Colts (6-6) suffered a tough loss at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday, falling 38-31 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-3).
Though this is a game the Colts could (and should) have won, a lack of a true consistent pass rush along with some ill-timed turnovers during the second half led to the disappearance of a 10-point lead coming out of halftime.
Even in the disappointing loss, there were some positive trends and negative trends on both sides of the ball.
Here’s the stock report from the Week 12 loss:
Stock Up: TE Jack Doyle
AP Photo/Jeff Lewis
There he is! After weeks of being used mostly as a blocker, Doyle came through in a big way against the Bucs defense. His six receptions for 81 yards were season-highs while his seven targets were the second-most of his season. Doyle was the main part of the passing offense as five of his six receptions went for a first down. It was fun to see Doyle turn back the clock against one of the best linebacker corps in the NFL.
Stock Down: LB Bobby Okereke
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Okereke had his moments here and there, but it was a rough outing overall for the third-year linebacker. He was a favorite target of Tom Brady, allowing eight receptions on nine targets for 54 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown came at the goal line where Okereke got lost in traffic trying to follow Leonard Fournette to the flat. Okereke was also credited with two missed tackles from Pro Football Focus.
Stock Up: QB Carson Wentz
AP Photo/Michael Conroy
The first quarter was a struggle for the starting quarterback, but Wentz really hit a groove after that. With the Bucs stacking the box to stop Jonathan Taylor, Wentz helped lead the offense to 24 points by halftime. He put up 197 passing yards and three passing touchdowns in the first half. He did have an interception on a deep ball to Michael Pittman Jr., but there was questionable contact, and it was a good time to take a shot against single coverage. The strip-sack didn’t help either but had Wentz been given one more second from Eric Fisher, he would have had a walk-in touchdown to Kylen Granson. It was a strong outing from Wentz who started to show he can carry the offense against a strong defense when the run game wasn’t effective.
Stock Down: S George Odum
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Odum has been a fine replacement at safety while the Colts dig into their depth amid the injuries at the position. But it was a struggle for the All-Pro special teamer on Sunday. Odum was credited with three missed tackles while allowing three receptions for 46 yards and a 112.5 passer rating, according to Pro Football Focus. I still believe he can be a solid rotational piece and he does deserve more work on defense but the Colts need Khari Willis to return soon.
Stock Up: CB Isaiah Rodgers
AP Photo/AJ Mast
Though he played the fourth-most snaps in the cornerback room, the second-year defender continues to make plays. Rodgers has shown he’s developing into so much more than a special teamer. He had a beautiful interception against a Tom Brady deep ball while allowing a 16.7 passer rating in coverage on his two targets. His stock continues to rise.
Stock Down: DE Kemoko Turay
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There’s officially a trend with Turay as the second half of the season has gotten underway. In the last two weeks, the fourth-year pass rusher has set season-lows in snap share. In Week 11, he played just nine snaps. In Week 12 against the Bucs, he played just three. Without any production in a dwindling role, it’s safe to say Turay will be hitting the market as a free agent following the season.
Stock Up: CB Rock Ya-Sin
Syndication: The Indianapolis Star
Outside of a questionable pass interference call in which Ya-Sin and Bucs wideout Scotty Miller were both fighting for the ball, the third-year cornerback continued his quasi-breakout season. He also had an interception fall through his hands after making a great break on a pass. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed just one reception on three targets for eight yards and a 42.4 passer rating. He also out-snapped Xavier Rhodes 56 to 38 after splitting snaps in Week 11.
Stock Down: Run Defense
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The Colts have one of the better run defenses in the NFL and have been so for the majority of the season. They struggled on Sunday, though, allowing Leonard Fournette to cruise to a 17-100-3 line on the ground. He also added seven receptions for 31 yards and a receiving touchdown, but the Colts simply couldn’t get a run stop when they needed to. I view this as more of an outlier performance and expect them to bounce back in Week 13.
