ESPN Reveals Indianapolis Colts' Unsung Heroes
The Indianapolis Colts are one-game away from earning an improbable spot in the AFC Playoffs. Their game on Saturday against the Houston Texans is a play-in game for the AFC South rivals.
That the Colts are in this position after a 3-5 start and a host of injuries means several players had to step up and fill key roles this season. ESPN's legion of beat writers came up with a player from each team who stepped up when they were needed most.
Stephen Holder, ESPN's Colts beat writer, cheated and picked two, and even narrowing it down to two had to be difficult.
Holder went with running back Zack Moss and linebacker E.J. Speed.
"Although Moss tailed off later in the season, he was a revelation early on," wrote Holder on ESPN. "After Week 5, Moss was third in the NFL in rushing behind only the San Francisco 49ers' Christian McCaffrey and the Miami Dolphins' De'Von Achane. Moss single-handedly made the Colts' running game viable while they waited for their top rusher to return, churning out tough yards with his patient and physical running style."
Moss's production may have dipped with the return of Taylor, but the ability to keep both backs fresh down the stretch helped revive the Colts' playoff hopes in November. The Colts are 6-2 since Halloween.
"Speed has had a significant impact since taking on the expanded role," wrote Holder. "He has averaged 10 tackles in the five games since Leonard's release, and he has provided the Colts with more range and more impact as a pass defender. He's also registered four tackles for loss in that span."
The Colts made headlines when they released Shaq Leonard on November 21st. Speed proved the Colts' faith in him was well placed.
It was probably tempting for ESPN to choose quarterback Gardner Minshew as a player who stepped up. Minshew was given the opportunity to compete for the starting position in the preseason, but head coach Shane Steichen went with rookie Anthony Richardson.
Richardson played in just four games before being lost for the season with a shoulder injury. Minshew revived his career with the Colts and Indianapolis wouldn't have a sniff at the playoffs without his good play this season.
Minshew's QBR is 11th in the NFL, ahead of players like Tua Tagovailoa, Trevor Lawrence, and Jared Goff.
He has 15 touchdowns against nine interceptions, and he's run for a career-high three scores. Minshew has thrown for 3,164 yards, just 107-yards shy of his career-high set in 2019 with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Minshew signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Colts before the season. It's safe to assume he'll at least double that next year. Indianapolis would be wise to bring him back in 2024 to compete with Richardson again.
He will have other options around a quarterback-starved league. However, he picked the Colts because of Steichen and the opportunity, and those factors, plus a hefty raise, might be enough to keep him in Indianapolis.
