The Colts had a very disappointing loss to the Jaguars on Sunday and the game was never within reach as the Colts fell 20-37. While it is easy to point out what went wrong and highlight the low points, there were several good moments and things to carry moving into next week.
There were 5 players in particular who had an outstanding performance and unfortunately, their performances will be overshadowed by the blow-out loss.
WR Michael Pittman Jr.
Once again, Michael Pittman Jr. leads his team in receptions and yards. He did not find the endzone of Sunday and has yet to find the endzone since week 1. That being said, his production on offense still remains to be a crucial element to the offense’s success. Unfortunately, QB Gardner Minshew just could not get anything goin down the field until late in the game and at that point, the game was practically out of reach.
A case could still be made that Pittman is not quite a true #1 receiver, but so far this season, he is playing like a guy ready to sign a big extension in 2024. Through 6 games, Pittman ranks 4th in targets (60), 7th in receptions (40), and 12th in yards after the catch (138). Ultimately, though, the production level of a quarterback highly influences a receiver’s production, but when he has been thrown to, good things happen.
WR Josh Downs
Rookie WR Josh Downs got his first NFL TD over the weekend and hopefully, this will be a sign of many more things to come for this young and talented receiver. Typically in the slot, Downs has been a speedster over the middle and has been able to make contested catches and gain yards after the catch.
So far in 2023, Downs is second on the team in receiving yards (276), receptions (28), and targets (41). All are second behind Michael Pittman Jr. and for a guy who was drafted in the second round, Downs is certainly becoming one of the steals from the 2023 NFL Draft.
CB JuJu Brents
Another rookie standout is CB JuJu Brents who held WR Calvin Ridley in check for most of the day. He was beaten over the top by WR Christian Kirk and this TD is completely on Brents as he froze with Evan Engram on the outside and essentially lost Kirk on the inside.
Aside from this blunder, Brents looked really good on the day as Calvin Ridley was held to only 4 catches for 30 yards and after the TD, Kirk had two other catches for 20 yards.
On top of keeping high-powered receivers in check, Brents also got his first NFL INT which brought some life back to the Colts although it was short-lived. On the team, Brents is tied for the lead in forced turnovers and tied for the lead in passes defended.
RT Blake Freeland
The last rookie we will showcase is Tackle Blake Freeland. Playing right tackle on Sunday to replace RT Braden Smith, Freeland did not and still has not committed a pre-snap penalty in three starts. He has also gone up against pro-bowl edge rushers in Aaron Donald, Denico Autry, and Josh Allen. Even in facing all three of those talented rushers, Freeland has only allowed 1 sack.
On Sunday, Pro Football Focus gave Freeland the highest rating amongst the team in overall blocking with 75.4 and also received the highest run-blocking grade of 87.4. Pass-blocking was a little more of a struggle with a grade of only 64.6. The good news and encouraging thing, though, for Freeland is that he is going up against some of the best pass rushers and being able to hold up. It will be nice to see his development in this offense.
DE Samson Ebukam
Veteran edge rusher Samson Ebukam was brought in from San Fransisco this offseason and he has been quietly productive this season and had a good day on Sunday. Ebukam had 3 solo tackles, 1 sack, and 2 QB hits last weekend and has continually made his presence known up front for this defense. His numbers are not eye popping this season, but having a player that can be productive on this defense is important for depth and consistency.
The Lucky Colt 
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