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Colts' year-end awards from 2023 season

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Colts' year-end awards from 2023 season


The 2023 season ended in disappointing fashion for the Indianapolis Colts, but there are plenty of reasons to be excited for the future given what they showed throughout the campaign.

Considering where the Colts were just one year ago at this time, the outlook of the franchise is far more positive. They have a strong leader in Shane Steichen, a young quarterback in Anthony Richardson who shows promise, and some solid pieces to work off of this offseason.

But before we get into the thick of the offseason plans and predictions, it’s time to take a look back at the 2023 season and hand out some awards.

From MVP to the biggest disappointment, here are the Colts’ year-end awards from the 2023 campaign:

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Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

DT DeForest Buckner

There were a few players worthy of this nod, but Buckner’s presence made a huge difference for the entire team. Though the pass rush was stagnant at times, the Colts had four players with at least 8.0 sacks. Buckner was one of them while leading the team in quarterback hits (21) and total pressures (52) while seeing the fourth-highest double-team rate among all NFL interior defensive linemen (66%). This defense was shaky, but it’s a nightmare to imagine what it would be like without Buckner.

Other nominees: Zaire Franklin, Michael Pittman Jr., Quenton Nelson

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Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

WR Michael Pittman Jr.

There are a handful of worthy players, but Pittman is the selection here. All we have to do is look back at the brutal loss against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16. Pittman was out for that game due to a concussion, and the entire unit looked lost. The fourth-year wideout posted career-high marks with 109 receptions for 1,152 yards. As a pending free agent, re-signing Pittman should be of the utmost importance for Indy this offseason.

Other Nominees: Quenton Nelson, Ryan Kelly, Braden Smith

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Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

LB Zaire Franklin

Yes, DeForest Buckner was our MVP so it would make sense he should be the Defensive Player of the Year as well. But for diversity’s sake, we’re going with a different option. Franklin broke the single-season franchise record for tackles, a record he set just one season ago. He’s come a long way as a former seventh-round pick, and his evolution into a high-quality MIKE should not be overlooked.

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Other Nominees: Kenny Moore II, Samson Ebukam, Julian Blackmon

(AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

S Trevor Denbow

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Before the season, my guess would have been Matt Gay. However, he missed enough kicks this season to be taken out of the conversation. Denbow was third on the team with 325 special teams snaps, but he led the team with 12 special teams tackles (nine solo) while recording just one missed tackle, according to Pro Football Focus. He may not be a factor on defense, but he’s turned into a quality special teamer that the Colts can lean on.

Other Nominees: Grant Stuard, Luke Rhodes, Segun Olubi

(Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

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DE Tyquan Lewis

Though Lewis isn’t the first, second or even third name mentioned when discussing the defensive line, what he did in 2023 should be talked about more. Coming off his second patellar tendon tear, which he eerily suffered on nearly the same day one year apart, Lewis posted career-high marks in total pressures (44), quarterback hits (13) and tackles for loss (nine), all of which ranked fourth-best on the Colts defense.

Other Nominees: Kenny Moore II, Ryan Kelly, Rigoberto Sanchez

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(Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

LB E.J. Speed

We went with Dayo Odeyingbo last year, and he certainly made a case for it again. But we’re going with Speed here. Stepping into a starting role with the decline of Shaquille Leonard (more on him below), Speed led the team with 12 tackles for loss while posting career-high marks with 102 tackles (78 solo), three forced fumbles and four passes defended. He also ranked second on the team with 50 defensive stops and posted a solid 86.4 passer rating in coverage, which ranked 11th-best among qualified linebackers, per PFF.

Other Nominees: Dayo Odeyingbo, Nick Cross, Bernhard Raimann, Will Fries

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Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

WR Josh Downs

Through the first half of the season, it appeared Downs was trending toward a massive rookie campaign. Through the first eight games, he averaged five receptions and 59.1 yards per game. He was on pace for 1,005 yards. The second half of the season wasn’t as kind. From Weeks 9-18, he averaged just 3.1 receptions and 33.1 yards per game. How much the lingering knee injury had an impact isn’t all that clear considering he wasn’t on the injury report, and he played his typical allotment of snaps coming out of the Week 11 bye. Regardless, his 68 receptions set a single-season franchise record for a rookie campaign, and his future is still extremely bright given what he showed.

Other Nominees: Julius Brents, Jaylon Jones, Will Mallory

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(Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

LB Shaquille Leonard

We also could talk about the season-ending injury to Anthony Richardson. I won’t argue there. But the decline of Leonard was simply sad. He was on a Hall of Fame trajectory with the Colts before his back/nerve/calf injury came about. He simply wasn’t the same player on the field, and it led to the Colts just cutting ties halfway through the season. Leonard meant a lot to the locker room, the community and to the fanbase, but the Colts seemingly made the right call in parting ways. Hopefully, he bounces back. If anyone has the mentality to do it, it’s Leonard. But it was just disappointing to see his career unfold this way.

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Other Nominees: Anthony Richardson (injury), Week 18 finale

(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

OL coach Tony Sparano Jr.

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This one is pretty easy. While the defensive coaching staff remained on hand, Sparano was one of the many new additions on the offensive side of the ball under Shane Steichen. Sparano played a heavy part in getting this offensive line back to being a dominant unit despite the starting five dealing with injuries throughout the entire campaign.



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Winter weather advisory issued for Indianapolis, parts of central Indiana because of snow, ice

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Winter weather advisory issued for Indianapolis, parts of central Indiana because of snow, ice


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A winter weather advisory is in effect across parts of central Indiana until 10 a.m. Nov. 10 as bands of snow move across the state.

Snow accumulations could reach 2 inches in some areas, the National Weather Service in Indianapolis predicts.

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Drivers should expect slippery roads and lower visibility — especially between 3 a.m. and 10 a.m. — making morning commutes potentially hazardous. Be sure to plan extra travel time and drive cautiously.

Be mindful of stairs, sidewalks and driveways as the surfaces could be icy, causing falls, NWS cautions.

Counties included in the advisory are: Boone, Carroll, Clay, Clinton, Fountain, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Howard, Johnson, Madison, Marion, Montgomery, Morgan, Owen, Parke, Putnam, Shelby, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Vermillion, Vigo and Warren.

This includes the cities of Anderson, Attica, Brazil, Brownsburg, Carmel, Clinton, Covington, Crawfordsville, Danville, Delphi, Fairview Park, Fishers, Flora, Franklin, Frankfort, Gosport, Greenfield, Greencastle, Greenwood, Indianapolis, Kokomo, Lafayette, Lebanon, Martinsville, Mooresville, Montezuma, Noblesville, Plainfield, Rockville, Rosedale, Shelbyville, Spencer, Terre Haute, Tipton, Veedersburg, West Lafayette, West Lebanon, Williamsport and Zionsville

Indianapolis and Indiana road conditions

Check road conditions, including road closures, crashes and live webcams using Indiana’s online Trafficwise map at 511in.org, or visit our gridlock guide page for live traffic cams and more.

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INDOT’s CARS Program provides information about road conditions, closures and width and weight restrictions. The website has a color-coded map of Indiana’s highways and highlights hazardous road conditions and travel delays.

The interactive map also shows road work warnings, closures, roadway restrictions and other information helpful to drivers.

Weather travel advisories

Indianapolis weather radar

Weather info you need

🚨 Indiana Weather Alerts: Warnings, Watches and Advisories.

⚡ Indiana power outage map: How to check your status.

🐶 Your neighbor left their pet outside. Who you should call.

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How to report downed traffic signals or tree limbs blocking a road

If you encounter a downed traffic signal or a limb blocking a roadway, contact the Mayor’s Action Center at 317-327-4622 or online at RequestIndy.gov. When calling after hours, press “2” to be connected. 



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Indianapolis Colts vs. Atlanta Falcons prediction, pick for NFL Week 10 on Sunday 11/09/25

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Indianapolis Colts vs. Atlanta Falcons prediction, pick for NFL Week 10 on Sunday 11/09/25


Dan Johnson takes you through his preview, prediction, and pick for NFL Week 10’s game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Atlanta Falcons.

Berlin finally gets its first regular-season NFL game at Olympiastadion, with Indianapolis designated as the host for a true neutral-site theater. The kick lands at 3:30 p.m. local—a breakfast window here at home, crisply stamped for 9:30 a.m. ET—so coffee meets kickoff while two seasons ask to be defined. The place will pulse: at least 72,000 in the bowl after million-plus ticket requests turned the week into a citywide event. The surface won’t steal the script, either, because a stitched hybrid bluegrass field went in this summer to meet NFL specifications. Atlanta arrives having reset at kicker to steady late-game decisions, while Indianapolis leans into the “host” cadence and a stage designed to feel like January. Atlanta’s late-week pivot to Zane Gonzalez after Parker Romo’s missed extra point resets fourth-down calculus and red-zone nerve. Indianapolis arrives off a 27–20 defeat scarred by six turnovers and an utterly and horrifically human Daniel Jones, sharpening a ball-security mandate on Berlin’s fast, trustworthy surface. Below is my prediction for NFL Week 10’s game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Atlanta Falcons.

Here’s how I’ll play it. I’ll be pumping out these predictions for individual games all season, with plenty of coverage here on DraftKings Network. Follow my handle @dansby_edits for more betting plays.

The edges start where film meets math. Atlanta brings heat at 52.2% with a 39.9% pressure rate, a 53.5% pass-rush win rate, and twenty-four sacks. Indianapolis answers with 25.3% pressure allowed and nine sacks surrendered, so protection governs cadence before snap one. The Colts rank fourth in neutral pass rate and keep calling it if the score stays tight. Coverage tilts the route tree because Atlanta lives in 75.8% zone and only 21.0% man. Drake London punishes zone with 191 routes for forty and five-thirty-four, while man has yielded seven for fifty-three on fifty-six routes. Indianapolis toggles roughly one-quarter man and two-thirds zone and squeezes man explosives to 11.8% with a 37.0% first-down or touchdown clip.

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Alec Pierce led targets last week and owns a 20.4 aDOT, while other primary options sit below 9.0. That depth forces a safety to honor the roof and frees Michael Pittman Jr. to carve glance, dig, and deep out. Against man sprinkles, Pittman sits at eleven for one-oh-five on sixty-one routes, while Pierce owns six for one-twenty-two on fifty-four. Sauce Gardner’s arrival tightens third downs and red-zone leverage, letting Indianapolis keep a safety honest and choke stagnant isolations. Atlanta must earn releases through motion, stacks, and bunch, then pivot to crossers and backs underneath.

Jonathan Taylor carries an RB1 projection on a 113.5 total-yards baseline and fits duo and inside-zone into light boxes. Indianapolis sustains 383.3 yards per game and keeps second-and-manageable alive. Atlanta counters with Bijan Robinson’s outlet access because Indianapolis has allowed forty-one catches and two-seventy-three to backs. Availability trims ceilings both ways: DeForest Buckner sits out, while Matthew Bergeron and Storm Norton are out and Chris Lindstrom battled late-week limitations, with Kaleb McGary on injured reserve. Zane Gonzalez replaces the kicker after a one-point loss and brings an 80.0% career rate with a long of fifty-seven. Indianapolis arrives off six turnovers that should regress toward a cleaner sheet. In this exchange, third-and-four becomes the truth test, not third-and-ten.

Falcons vs. Colts pick, best bet

The counterargument wears pads and breathes fire. Atlanta can squeeze play-action depth and pull a premium projection down into the mid-twenties; a 43% pass-rush win rate (6th) attacking a line with a 57% pass-block win rate (25th), paired with −0.02 defensive EPA/play and a 44.69% success rate allowed, creates honest turbulence. Drake London keeps chains alive when coverages soften; Atlanta sits in zone on roughly 76% of snaps, and he leads the team with 10.13 targets per game and 587 receiving yards. A stable first swing from Zane Gonzalez can also calm the fringes; he carries an 80.0% career field-goal clip on 96 of 120 with a long of 57. Third-down defense lives in the top-ten band at about 36% allowed, which drags snap counts if first-down runs land. That path gains credibility with Indianapolis’ four-man rush trimmed by absences: the defense sits at −0.04 EPA/play with a 6.68% sack rate, and DeForest Buckner is out.

I still back Indianapolis because stability beats volatility on neutral grass. The Colts anchor the plan with 25.3% pressure allowed and only nine sacks; that protection marries to an offense at 0.18 EPA/play (1st) with a 50.09% success rate and a 4.29% sack rate. The coverage menu answers both zone spacing and man emergencies, and Sauce Gardner now erases the opponent’s best access point on money downs; the defense has allowed 45.63% success, posted a 2.57% interception rate, and historically held man-look explosives to 11.8%. Identity shows up everywhere: a top-tier neutral pass rate and a 27.5 team total, plus 32.2 points per game and 383.3 yards per game (2nd). Atlanta’s interior strain meets a defense comfortable heating pockets and spot-dropping behind it; with zone near 76%, a 43% rush win rate, and a 29.4 seconds-per-snap pace that suppresses volume when trailing, the Falcons must thread a thinner needle. Indianapolis can keep stacking second-and-manageable and win the possession math; the Colts’ third-down offense grades in the top-ten neighborhood and the red-zone touchdown rate sits at 71.4% (5th).

I’m laying the points with Indianapolis; a 25.3% pressure-allowed spine and Sauce Gardner’s clamps flip third downs and red-zone truth. A fourth-ranked neutral pass rate and 71.4% red-zone touchdowns sustain drives on neutral grass while Atlanta chases answers. Colts −6.5 is the bet, 27–19 on my card, with steady chains, fewer negative plays, and Alec Pierce’s depth keeping safeties stretched.

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Final: Colts 27, Falcons 19. Colts win big in Berlin.

Best bet: Colts -6.5 (-110) vs. Falcons

Tail it with me in the DKN Betting Group here!

For a prop lean, I’m playing Bijan Robinson 6+ receptions at +140 fits the geometry and the math. Indianapolis has allowed 41 running-back catches for 273 yards, about 5.1 targets per game to backs, and they toggle 23.8% man with 68.4% zone that encourages swings and arrows over stubborn boundary shots. Sauce Gardner’s arrival tightens outside access, so Atlanta should funnel early-down rhythm to Robinson and lean on designed screens when Indianapolis sits in shell. The morning stage rewards patience, and Atlanta’s 29.4 seconds per snap sustains outlet volume when chasing possessions. Robinson just drew 10 targets and caught 8 last week, a usage spike that matches this environment. With a spread hovering near Colts −6.5, two-minute sequences should add another look or two late. At 7–8 targets, last week’s 80% catch clip yields 5.6–6.4 receptions, which clears 6+ often enough to justify +140.

Best prop lean: Bijan Robinson 6+ receptions (+140)

Tail it with me in the DKN Betting Group here!



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Colts Get Adonai Mitchell Replacement, Elevate Two Others

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Colts Get Adonai Mitchell Replacement, Elevate Two Others


The Indianapolis Colts have made three roster moves ahead of a cross-conference matchup with the Atlanta Falcons.

Wide receiver Laquon Treadwell, defensive end Durell Nchami, and defensive tackle Tim Smith were all elevated from the practice squad to the active roster.

Nchami has seen very limited action, accumulating two tackles in as many games played. With Samson Ebukam and Tyquan Lewis out for this game, it makes perfect sense to bring more depth.

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We’ll see what kind of impact Nchami has on the defense and if he gets an opportunity to play in a rotation with Laiatu Latu, J.T. Tuimoloau, and Kwity Paye.

Next is Indy’s sixth-round selection (190th overall) from the 2025 NFL draft, former Alabama Crimson Tide defensive tackle Smith.

Colts defensive tackle Tim Smith (black and yellow outfit) works through a drill at the NFL combine.

Feb 27, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Alabama defensive lineman Tim Smith (DL33) participates in drills during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Smith had moments where he shined during the preseason but ultimately landed on the Colts’ practice squad.

After superstar defensive tackle DeForest Buckner was placed on injured reserve with a neck injury, elevating Smith is a smart move to keep the depth solid.

Smith will join Grover Stewart, Adetomiwa Adebawore, Neville Gallimore, and Eric Johnson II to try to control the inside gaps against a Falcons offense that will focus on attacking with the ground game.

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However, even with solid talent behind star Stewart, Buckner’s absence will leave a massive target on the Indy defensive line for the Falcons to try to exploit.

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Lastly, veteran Treadwell was elevated to fill the roster spot left behind by Adonai Mitchell. The former second-rounder was part of the blockbuster trade that brought cornerback Sauce Gardner to the team.

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Mitchell and two first-rounders (2026 and 2027) were dealt to the Jets to get the dynamic, All-Pro level cornerback to Lou Anarumo’s defense.

Treadwell hasn’t had the career that a first-rounder should (drafted in 2016 – 23rd overall pick), but at this point, he doesn’t need to be given what Indianapolis has offensively.

Colts wide receiver Laquon Treadwell (blue and white uniform) catches a big pass downfield.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Laquon Treadwell (13) makes a catch and runs in for a touchdown Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. / Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While Treadwell isn’t a game-changer, and doesn’t have the skills and explosiveness that Mitchell did, he far outpaces him in experience and reps.

Treadwell has played for a decade in the NFL and compiled 85 games (24 starts). During that time he’s secured 111 catches on 178 targets for 1,242 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

It will be interesting to see if the offense really changes much without Mitchell, and how he performs with a badly struggling Jets squad moving forward.

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Indianapolis is coming off a horrific offensive showing against the Pittsburgh Steelers, where quarterback Daniel Jones coughed up a whopping five turnovers.

This is a get-right game, but won’t be as easy without Buckner on the defensive side of the ball. Anarumo, yet again, must traverse key injuries. But, that hasnt’ slowed him down much this season.

Keep an eye on Nchami, Smith, and Treadwell, as with so many injuries and departures, they all might get some snaps in this one when kickoff occurs in Berlin tomorrow morning.

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