The Indianapolis Colts were among the 10 teams selected by Gennaro Filice of NFL.com to have one of the best offenses in 2024.
Filice’s prediction was based off of which teams he believes will score the most points per game this upcoming season, and coming in at No. 10 on his list was the Colts.
The confidence that Filice has in the Colts’ offense stems from them scoring the 13th-most points last season with Gardner Minshew under center for 85 percent of the teams snaps. He also notes the “immense growth” that quarterback Jalen Hurts experienced with Shane Steichen as the offensive coordinator.
From 2021 to 2022, Hurts went from completing 60.6 percent of his passes to 66.5 percent. His average yards per pass went from 7.2 to 7.8, and Hurts threw eight more touchdowns with five fewer interceptions.
The sample size we saw from Anthony Richardson last season was small, but you could see his growth in the passing game taking place. He now has a full year of being in Steichen’s quarterback-friendly offense under his belt, and oftentimes it is that continuity that results in a big jump.
Richardson will also have a strong supporting cast around him. The Colts are returning all five starters from an offensive line unit that ranked top 10 last season in pressure rate and yards per carry.
Joining Richardson in the backfield will be a healthy Jonathan Taylor with his contract situation in order, and at receiver is the always-reliable Michael Pittman, Josh Downs, who ranked seventh in receiving yards from the slot in 2023, and Adonai Mitchell, who brings a new element to the offense.
“One of my favorite picks in the entire draft was AD Mitchell going to the Colts,” said ESPN’s Mina Kimes. “In part because of his upside as a true X receiver but also because of how he fits in with Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs. I view them as very complementary with Mitchell being the guy who can really take the top off a defense and win downfield. Everything is set up for Richardson.”
Now, on the flip side, Filice mentions the Colts’ “worrying weakness” is Richardson’s injury history, noting that in addition to missing most of his rookie season, Richardson also missed time in college and high school.
Richardson was asked about his play style during OTAs and doesn’t believe anything needs to change, adding that he knows when to get down in certain situations; he just has to do it.
“I don’t think there’s any way I could have avoided what happened to me,” Richardson said via NFL.com. “Just a regular, routine tackle. I tried to brace myself for the fall and just my shoulder did what it did. There’s nothing I could do about that.
“But necessarily changing my play? I don’t think I’m gonna change it,” Richardson added, “but being smart, knowing when to get extra yards and knowing when to get down, I feel like I know how to do that. It’s just I have to do it and do it at the right time, I guess. I don’t know if I’m gonna change my game, but being smarter for the team, of course.”
The recipe for the Colts’ offense to be successful in 2024 is certainly there. All that’s left is for the potential that this unit possesses to be fully recognized on Sundays.
