The Indianapolis Colts have gotten very, very little from the tight end position in the passing game this season.
As we now enter Week 13, the combination of Mo Alie-Cox, Drew Ogletree, Kylen Granson, and Will Mallory have combined for 26 receptions for 299 yards and two touchdowns.
Alie-Cox leads that position group in both receptions and yards with nine for 117.
For some context around those numbers, there are 28 individual tight ends who have more receptions than the Colts entire tight end room does this season and 25 who have more receiving yards.
Now, of course, blocking is also a key component to the tight end position and another important way for that unit to contribute.
However–and while this certainly doesn’t all fall on the tight ends–it’s not as if the Colts are lighting things up in the run game right now, either. In fact, they’ve struggled in recent weeks.
Particularly for a team that uses two tight end sets as often as the Colts do, having essentially non-factors in the passing game at that position puts your offense at a numbers disadvantage.
If teams aren’t worried about the one or two tight ends on the field, yes of course, they still have to defend them, but it’s not as if those players are getting additional attention or dictating what the defense does coverage-wise.
On the flip side, a steady presence in the passing game from the tight end position can present a matchup problem for defenses with that combination of size and speed, which can also open up opportunities for others in the passing game.
Add in the ability to also contribute as a blocker, and this is a position group that can add a layer of unpredictability to the offense with their versatility and defenses not necessarily able to get a beat on what’s coming or what that player’s role is just based on where the tight end is lined up.
Right now, the Colts don’t have this element in their offense and it’s another limiting factor to contend with on a weekly basis.
During the offseason, this was another position group that could have been added to, but GM Chris Ballard chose not to. The play of Jaylon Jones and cornerback and Nick Cross at safety have rewarded Ballard for the similar decisions made at those positions, but it hasn’t worked out at tight end–or at least not in the passing game.
