There were high hopes for Indianapolis coming into last year, but the team ultimately didn’t pan out, and people lost jobs. Matt Ryan was the primary reason they were one of the worst teams in the league last year. He was expected to be a quality starter and instead looked like a backup QB. The O-Line also didn’t play up to their billing, and overall, the team looked like a mess. The culture is at an all-time low in Indianapolis, but that could change fast with an exciting QB like Anthony Richardson and a new, highly touted coach.
Anthony Richardson is a total project, but if he’s going to succeed, it’s going to be here in Indianapolis. Gardner Minshew was brought in to bridge the gap for Richardson, which was wise. It’s still unclear who the week one starter will be, but it’s still lovely to have Minshew here for now. On top of drafting a potential Superstar at QB, they also nailed most of their remaining picks. While Chris Ballard was once on the hot seat, it’s now looking like his job is safe.
I watched all-22 footage on every team and reconciled it with advanced stats such as PFF. Based on film and stats, I develop grades for every position by using a formula that takes into account every player on the depth chart. Shout out to TFG for inspiring this kind of content. Please use code TREYSCHNEIDER on Underdog Fantasy to match your deposit up to $100. Gamble responsibly and leave your feedback on Twitter @FBIntellect.
Grading scale: 20-100.
(+): The player is expected to improve.
| Power Ranking – 28 | OVR Grade – 78.5 | Projected Wins – 6.7 |
| HC – Shane Steichen | OC – Jim Bob Cooter | DC – Gus Bradley |
Shane Steichen was an outstanding choice as head coach to turn this franchise around. What he did with Jalen Hurts was simply remarkable. Now he gets the chance to do it again with Richardson. His scheme utilized a lot of read options and designed QB runs that are perfect for Richardson. The passing game consists of quick and easy reads in the short-intermediate area of the field. The run game consists of various run schemes that throw defenses off balance.
Gus Bradley was brought in after Matt Eberflus left for Chicago and did a fine job in 2022. He runs a simple Seattle cover-three scheme that doesn’t blitz very often. His lack of aggressiveness in the blitz game showed up in the Colt’s PFF grades. This is a very manageable scheme for Corners to run, but it also has its downfalls. While he isn’t the greatest defensive mind, he’ll do the job for now.
| Playcalling – 88 |
| Scheme – Modern Spread |
| QB – 69.7 (+) |
| Anthony Richardson (+), Gardner Minshew, Sam Ehlinger |
| Receiving Options – 78.6 |
| WR1 – Michael Pittman Jr., Mike Strachan, Juwann Winfree WR2 – Alec Pierce (+), Ashton Dulin SWR – Josh Downs (+), Isaiah McKenzie TE – Jalani Woods (+), Mo Alie-Cox, Kylen Granson, Will Mallory HB – Jonathan Taylor, Zack Moss, Deon Jackson, Evan Hull |
| Pass-Pro – 74.7 |
| LT – Bernhard Raimann, Blake Freeland LG – Quenton Nelson, Arlington Hambright C – Ryan Kelly, French Wesley RG – Will Fries, Danny Pinter RT – Braden Smith, Jordan Murray HB – Jonathan Taylor, Zack Moss, Deon Jackson, Evan Hull |
| Run Blocking – 81.3 |
| LT – Bernhard Raimann, Blake Freeland LG – Quenton Nelson, Arlington Hambright C – Ryan Kelly, French Wesley RG – Will Fries, Danny Pinter RT – Braden Smith, Jordan Murray TE – Jalani Woods (+), Mo Alie-Cox, Kylen Granson, Will Mallory |
| Run Options – 92.7 |
| HB – Jonathan Taylor, Zack Moss, Deon Jackson, Evan Hull |
Whoever the starting QB is, there is enough talent on offense for them to run a functional unit. While the O-line was a disappointment last year, they picked it up near the end and, with better coaching, should perform much better. Michael Pittman is a decent number-one option, and Alec Pierce is an ascending stud. Drafting Josh Downs was incredible for this franchise, as he can potentially be the T.Y. Hilton replacement.
The run game should be an enormous strength for this team, as Quentin Nelson and Braden Smith are stellar impacts in that regard. Jonathan Taylor didn’t play like we all expected last year, but he’s still one of the best backs in football. The pass protection is worrisome, as Raimann is a liability in that area, but if the ball gets out quickly, it won’t dramatically affect this team. With one of the brightest young offensive minds in the game, it won’t be surprising to see this offense significantly improve this year.
| Coaching – 80 |
| Scheme – Seattle Cover Three |
| Secondary – 75.1 |
| CB1 – Isaiah Rodgers Sr., Darius Rush, Dallis Flowers CB2 – Julius Brents (+), Jaylon Jones SCB – Kenny Moore II, Tony Brown FS – Daniel Scott (+), Rodney Thomas II SS – Julian Blackmon, Nick Cross, Henry Black |
| Pass Rush – 83.5 |
| ED1 – Kwity Paye, Tyquan Lewis, Khalid Kareem ED2 – Samsum Ebukam, Dayo Odeyingbo IDL1 – DeForest Buckner, Grover Stewart, McTelvin Agim IDL2 – Adebawore Adetomiwa (+), Taven Bryan |
| Off-Ball Linebacker – 82.8 |
| LB1 – Shaquille Leonard, Zaire Franklin, Grant Stuard LB2 – E.J. Speed, Cameron McGrone |
| Run Defense – 80.0 |
| ED1 – Kwity Paye, Tyquan Lewis, Khalid Kareem ED2 – Samsum Ebukam, Dayo Odeyingbo IDL1 – Grover Stewart, McTelvin Agim IDL2 – DeForest Buckner, Adebawore Adetomiwa (+) , Taven Bryan |
Chris Ballard has done an exceptional job of building a core group of players on this defense. Two leaders on this unit stand out for being such incredible difference-makers in multiple facets of the game. Those two would be DeForest Buckner and Shaquille Leonard. Buckner is one of the best pass rushers on the interior in the NFL, and Leanord is a unique linebacker with a knack for forcing fumbles. Kwity Paye is also a very exciting up-and-comer who is an excellent two-way player.
Furthermore, Julian Blackmon is an underrated player who is very satisfactory in run defense. Daniel Scott has a ton of potential and suits well as an FS. The concern with this defense is the corner group, as Rodgers and Brents are the two outside corners. Rodgers is talented but isn’t the best press corner, and Brents could be very hit or miss in year one. They at least have Moore, one of the best slot Corners in the league. If development is seen out of these young guys in the secondary, this could be one of the most challenging defenses to compete against.
| Special Teams – 88 |
| K – Matt gay P – Rigoberto Sanchez LS – Luke Rhodes KR – Dallis Flowers, Isaiah Rodgers Sr. PR – Isaiah McKenzie |
Total Win Projection – 6.7
| WK | Indianapolis | Win % |
| 1 | vs. JAC | 43% |
| 2 | at HOU | 43% |
| 3 | at BAL | 20% |
| 4 | vs. LAR | 50% |
| 5 | vs. TEN | 50% |
| 6 | at JAC | 20% |
| 7 | vs. CLE | 33% |
| 8 | vs. NO | 43% |
| 9 | at CAR | 43% |
| 10 | at NE | 33% |
| 11 | BYE | |
| 12 | vs TB | 57% |
| 13 | at TEN | 33% |
| 14 | at CIN | 20% |
| 15 | vs. PIT | 43% |
| 16 | at ATL | 43% |
| 17 | vs. LV | 43% |
| 18 | vs. HOU | 57% |
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