5 Colts who exceeded expectations in 2021
The Indianapolis Colts were one win away from competing in the playoffs but instead find themselves sitting at home with the majority of the league.
While the end of the season still leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of many fans, there were some bright spots to take away from the season. This is especially true when considering the players who exceeded expectations.
Here are five Colts who exceeded expectations during the 2021 season:
AP Photo/Darron Cummings
Starting with the most obvious, even the staunchest of supporters couldn’t have expected this. Taylor torched the league en route to a historic season. He took 332 carries for 1,811 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns. All three were a league-high while he set a franchise record for rushing yards and rushing touchdowns in a single season.
Taylor also became the youngest player to ever record 1,800 rushing yards in a season. The rushing king from the 2021 season will be looking to repeat in 2022 but even this kind of season wasn’t expected from the star running back.
AP Photo/AJ Mast
While many were hoping for a breakout season, it was hard to tell just what the offense would look like with Carson Wentz under center. If there was one positive from the passing game, it was that Pittman Jr. proved to be developing into an alpha.
Pittman Jr. became the first Colts wide receiver to reach 1,000 receiving yards since T.Y. Hilton (2018) and was the youngest Colts wide receiver to do so since Hilton (2013). The former second-round pick caught 88 of 129 targets for 1,082 yards and six receiving touchdowns.
C/G Danny Pinter
AP Photo/Darryl Webb
Though he spent most of the season working on special teams and filling in as a spot starter here and there, Colts fans should be excited about what they saw from Pinter during his second season. The athletic offensive lineman proved to be a versatile piece wherever he worked from and showed plenty of promise when stepping into a bigger role.
According to Pro Football Focus, Pinter allowed just four pressures on 79 pass-blocking snaps without allowing a quarterback hit or a sack. There’s a chance Pinter becomes a starter in 2022 depending on the return of Mark Glowinski, but the former proved he can hold his own.
CB Rock Ya-Sin
AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith
One of the pleasant surprises from the season came in the form of a third-year cornerback with a lot to prove. Ya-Sin essentially had his back against the wall needing to prove to the Colts that he can regularly handle a starting role on the boundary. He did that and more in 2021.
Like any cornerback, Ya-Sin had his share of lapses. But it was clear he was playing with more confidence. That led to the fewest penalties of his career (three) while allowing 26 receptions on 46 targets (56.5%) for 9.5 yards per reception and a 93.4 passer rating. All of those were career-low marks.
AP Photo/Darron Cummings
The other side of the coin comes with the emergence of Rodgers. It wasn’t expected that the second-year cornerback would be spending so much time on defense. But injuries played a role and Rodgers took advantage of his opportunities. He earned himself a bigger role in 2021.
Rodgers was targeted 61 times in 2021, according to PFF, but allowed just a 72.2 passer rating. That was the best mark in the entire cornerback room. The Colts should feel pretty good about the young talent in their secondary.
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