Stock up, stock down from Colts’ 45-30 win over Jets
The Indianapolis Colts (4-5) were able to defeat the New York Jets (2-6) on Thursday night, 45-30, in their highest-scoring game of the season in Week 9.
The offense had several players improve their stock in the outing as almost everyone had a nearly flawless game on that side of the ball. The defense was up and down. There were some good performances and some discouraging outings against a Jets offense led by Mike White and Josh Johnson.
Here’s the stock report from the Colts’ win over the Jets in Week 9:
Stock Up: DE Kwity Paye
AP Photo/Zach Bolinger
No, Paye didn’t record a sack. That said, he was a menace the entire night. Paye showed the type of ceiling we thought he could have when the Colts drafted him at No. 21 overall back in April. He led the way with nine total pressures and two quarterback hits, per Pro Football Focus. Hopefully, this is the type of game he needed to jump-start the production.
Stock Down: CB Xavier Rhodes
AP Photo/AJ Mast
Yet again, Rhodes appears to be heading toward free agency in 2022. The veteran simply does not look to be approaching the form he had in 2020 when he turned his game around as a starter in the secondary. According to PFF, he allowed four receptions on six targets for 56 yards, one touchdown and a 136.1 passer rating. The touchdown seemed to be a blown coverage where Rhodes thought he had help over the top but given there was no one in the flat for him to worry about, he had to feel the boundary receiver getting vertical.
Stock Up: DT Taylor Stallworth
Hello! Talk about a performance coming out of nowhere. Stallworth only played 29% of the snaps on Thursday night but still wound up with four pressures, three quarterback hits and two sacks. Given that his game is more conducive to run-stopping, this shouldn’t be expected every week. But it’s nice to see he can flash some upside from time to time.
Stock Down: RB Marlon Mack
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The trade deadline passed with the Colts being quiet and now that they can’t trade him, Mack was a healthy scratch on Thursday night. The Colts opted to go with Jonathan Taylor, Nyheim Hines and undrafted rookie Deon Jackson, who has already proven himself to be a commodity on special teams. If this continues to be the case, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Mack asks for his release.
Stock Up: CB Isaiah Rodgers
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
It’s time for Rodgers to see more work on the defensive side of the ball. The second-year cornerback continues to show promise on his limited reps and almost came away with a pick-six had he survived the ground with the ball secure. According to PFF, Rodgers was targeted six times and while he allowed four receptions, he limited those receptions to 7.8 yards per catch while allowing a 79.2 passer rating when targeted.
Stock Down: DC Matt Eberflus
AP Photo/Zach Bolinger
Say what you want about the game script and the Colts being up by 32 points in the fourth quarter. The Jets shouldn’t have made this game as close as it was. Sure, maybe it felt closer than a 15-point lead because of the collapses this season, but Eberflus has to figure out something with his defense. The contain rushes aren’t allowing the edge rushers to use their skill sets fully while his defense allowed Josh Johnson—yes that Josh Johnson—to throw for a career-high 317 passing yards to go along with three touchdowns. The Jets offense shouldn’t have sniffed 30 points regardless of the game script. Even when good defenses have massive leads, they still show the ability to shut down bad offenses. Now, just imagine what Weeks 11 and 12 will be like against Josh Allen and Tom Brady.
Don’t get me wrong, I like Eberflus. He’s a strong motivator, a good coach and someone his players clearly love competing for. But his defense isn’t working and when they play much better competition down the stretch, it’s likely going to come at the cost of a victory.
Stock Up: LT Eric Fisher
AP Photo/Michael Conroy
We’ll end on a positive note because the Colts did, after all, come away with a prime-time win at home. Fisher looked much better on Thursday night even if was against a poor pass rush. Even when he would initially get beat, he recovered well enough to sustain a block. That’s something he wasn’t doing early in the season. According to PFF, Fisher didn’t allow a single pressure on 33 pass-blocking snaps. Baby steps.
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