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Stock up, stock down in Colts’ 31-3 win over Texans

The Indianapolis Colts (2-4) entered this game hungry to show they still have what it takes to dominate bad teams in the NFL. They did just that with a commanding 31-3 win over the Houston Texans (1-5) at Lucas Oil Stadium.

It truly was a dominating performance on all fronts for the Colts. The offense moved the ball at will either with chunk plays through the air or with Jonathan Taylor on the ground in the second half.

After taking a look at the takeaways from the win and the studs and duds from the performance, it’s now time to take stock from the divisional victory.

Stock Up: WR T.Y. Hilton

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It’s October and the Ghost made his return in a big way. Despite only playing 50% of the snaps in his debut, Hilton led the team with four receptions on four targets for 80 yards—all team-highs. He looked like his old self with some big plays down the field, including a 52-yard bomb in the second quarter. It was nice to see Hilton back on the field having a quick rapport with Carson Wentz.

Stock Down: CB Xavier Rhodes

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It hasn’t been a fun time for Rhodes this season as the team’s CB1. The veteran has struggled to give that lock-down performance in the zone scheme this season. He allowed five receptions on seven targets for 42 yards, per Pro Football Focus. Three of those receptions allowed the Texans to convert on third down.

Stock Up: RT Matt Pryor

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It’s been two games since the Colts made the switch to Pryor as the starting right tackle over Julién Davenport. It’s worked out well so far. A dominating run blocker, Pryor is hard to move off his spot when he engages. He’s also been a solid pass protector and only allowed one pressure on Sunday, which came on a bullrush. Hopefully, Braden Smith returns in Week 7, but Pryor has been serviceable these last two games.

Stock Down: WR Zach Pascal

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This has less to do with Pascal’s performance and more to do about his usage. Though he still played 85% of the snaps, it’s clear he will move down the pecking order with Hilton’s return. Pascal saw just one target from Carson Wentz in a game where the receiving corps enjoyed chunk play after chunk play. That passing game is going to start with Hilton and Michael Pittman Jr., and it seems Pascal could be taking a back seat with those two working ahead.

Stock Up: CB Isaiah Rodgers

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The second-year cornerback continues to flash high-level ball skills. He had a strong day in coverage against the Texans and capped his day off with a beautiful diving interception—similar to the one he almost had in the playoff game against Buffalo last year. It might be time to get Rodgers more snaps in the secondary.

Stock Down: WR Parris Campbell

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This is tough. Just when it looked like we were seeing why the Colts drafted Campbell in 2018, he gets injured. The guy just can’t catch a break. He’s collecting injuries like Thanos collecting the Infinity Stones. His upside is immense, but it may be time for the Colts to realize they can’t rely on him to stay healthy. The 51-yard bomb touchdown was a thing of beauty, but those plays have come few and far between given all the injuries he’s dealt with. It isn’t clear how severe the foot injury is, and hopefully, he returns soon, but it’s not a good look for someone who can’t stay on the field.

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