Bleacher Report Low on Colts' Offense Ahead of 2021 Season
On the same day that the Indianapolis Colts addressed their left tackle issue with the signing of veteran left tackle Eric Fisher to a one-year deal, Bleacher Report took a shot at power ranking all 32 NFL offenses and came in rather low on the Colts.
According to B/R's Kristopher Knox, the Colts' offense comes in at No. 20 overall in his power rankings and second-best offense in the AFC South.
In the division, the Houston Texans - without Deshaun Watson - come in at No. 32, while the Trevor Lawrence-led Jaguars crack the power rankings at No. 27 overall.
Indianapolis, after trading for Carson Wentz, re-signing T.Y. Hilton, drafting Kylen Granson and adding Fisher in free agency, seem a bit low at No. 20 overall on Knox's list. Here's what the Bleacher Report analyst had to say about the Colts' offense.
Which version of Carson Wentz will the Indianapolis Colts get in 2021? That's the biggest unknown for this team and why Indianapolis gets knocked down the rankings after fielding a top-10 offense in 2020. If the Colts get the pre-injury, Pro Bowl version of Wentz, they'll quickly rise through the rankings. If they get the disaster of a quarterback that was Wentz in 2020, though, they could struggle. The Colts do have weapons, including running backs Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines and wideouts Michael Pittman Jr. and T.Y. Hilton. However, Indianapolis lacks proven options at tight end and is in the process of replacing starting left tackle Anthony Castonzo, who retired in the offseason. Still, the biggest question mark is Wentz. Based on how he performed in 2020—he had a passer rating of 72.8—the Colts come out of the draft ranked lower than their overall talent might suggest.
Under new offensive coordinator Marcus Brady, the Colts return a number of pieces from a top 10 offense just one season ago. Sure, it's fair to question the Colts and how they'll look with Wentz running things under center, but going from Phillip Rivers to Wentz does not seem like a downgrade whatsoever, so it's very hard to understand Knox's stance here with the Colts, dropping them to No. 20 overall after they finished ninth in total points scored and 10th in total yards in 2020.
While Wentz struggled mightily in 2020 in Philadelphia, he's stepping into a much better situation in Indianapolis with a coach he's familiar with in head coach Frank Reich, and has a better offensive line and weapons around him than he had in Philadelphia the last two seasons.
Aside from the Colts' ranking at No. 20 overall, Knox has the Tennessee Titans at No. 9 in his offensive power rankings, rounding out the AFC South.
Have thoughts on the Colts' offensive ranking 20th in Bleacher Report's power rankings? Drop a line in the comments section below!
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