2021 Colts Mid Season Grades (deep stats, grades, & poll)

[EastStreet]

 

My Mid-Season grades, primarily based on stats. 

 

Please scan the stats before voting. 

 

• Offensive Grades
  • Rush: A
    • Great spot right now after a sluggish start.
    • Had we not ignored the run game a few times, the numbers would be better.
  • Pass: B+
    • I'm sure some will say the grade is a bit too high here, but the stats are the stats.
    • Wentz and Indy being top 10 in most stats despite the worst protection rate in the NFL, and overall mediocre WR play, is just pretty amazing. 
  • General/Overall: B+
    • Stats are good to great in most areas despite some head scratcher game plans, and a losing record.
    • If our OL continues to gel and get healthy, and TY can get back for the stretch, this O can be top 5. Already 7th in PPG, so not far to go. 
  • Coaching: C
    • Icing your best offensive weapon, not once, but twice, against the your biggest division opponent is egregious.
    • This would be a D if Reich didn't bring other good things to the table.
    • Other issues as well, but I think a C is more than fair.
• Defensive Grades
  • Rush: B
    • This could be an A if we missed less tackles.
  • Pass: F
    • We're bottom 5 in most stats here. It's not even close to a D. Giving up the most passing TDs in the league might deserve an F- alone lol.
    • It's just really bad, and it was really bad before Willis and Blackman went out, so that's no excuse.
    • INTs are the only bright spot if you want to be glass half full.
  • General/Overall: C
    • If it weren't for the run D, peanut punches, and INTs, this would be a D.
  • Coaching: D
    • Our pass D has been horrible since the 2nd half of last year. And it's only gotten worse.
    • Between lack of adjustments, lack of any creativity in the pass rush, and a scheme that gives more cushion than Charmin, I'm just not sure how to defend Flus anymore.
• Special Team Grades
  • FG/XP: C
  • Punt: C
  • Punt Return: D
  • KO Return: C

 

• Grading Scale: Alpha to Rank, pluses if high on the range
  • A: 1-6
  • B: 7-11
  • C: 12-20
  • D: 21-26
  • F: 27-32

 

Here's 1075 The Fan's mid season grades if interested

https://www.1075thefan.com/kevins-sports-news/colts/handing-out-mid-year-grades-to-the-2021-colts/

 

Top 10: Bold Blue

Bottom 10: Bold Red

Note: Some stats are informational (not necessarily good/bad, so top/bottom will not be color/bold.

 

• Rushing Offense: 
  • Rushing YPG: 5th
  • Rushing YPA: 2nd
  • Rushing 1D%: 14th
  • Rushing TD%: 14th
  • Rushing Play %: 11th
  • Rushing Yards %ofO: 7th
  • YBefCont/Att: 10th
  • YAftCont/Att: 2nd
  • Att/BrTack: 10th
• Passing Offense (if CW in (), it's CW's stat):
  • Passing YPG (CW): 16th
  • Total Yards (CW): 10th
  • EPA (CW): #6
  • INTs (CW): 2nd (best)
  • TDs (CW): 7th
  • QBR (CW): 9th
  • Passer Rating (CW): 11th
  • ANY/A (CW): 10th
  • Pass Play %: 22nd
  • Pass Yards %ofO: 26th
  • Pass TD %: 20th
  • OL Pressure %: 23rd
  • OL QB Hits: 32nd
  • OL Sack %: 14th
  • QB Protection Rate: #32
  • YAftCmp/Cmp: 10th
  • YACatch/R: 12th
  • CmpAirY/Cmp: 17th
  • Recept/BrokTack: 30th
  • Drop%: 19th
  • Interceptable Passes (least): 4th
  • Deep Ball Completion %: 11th
• Offense General
  • Total Pass Attempts: 15th
  • Total Run Attempts: 10th
  • RPO Plays: 7th
  • RPO Pass Plays: 5th
  • RPO Pass Yards: 6th
  • RPO Runs: 12th
  • RPO Run Yards: 12th
  • Play Action Pass Plays: 4th
  • Play Action Pass Yards: 2nd
  • Deep Ball Attempts (CW): 7th
  • Total YPG: 12th
  • Points PG: 7th
  • Points per Play: 6th
  • Yards per Play: 10th
  • RZ %: 25th
  • RZ Attempts PG: 7th
  • 3rd Down %: 13th
  • 4th Down %: 8th
  • Punts per Play: 15th
  • 1QPPG: 9th
  • 2QPPG: 16th
  • 3QPPG: 2nd
  • 4QPPG: 20th
  • Time Of Poss: 11th
  • 1QToP Share: 22nd
  • 2QToP Share: 8th
  • 3QToP Share: 9th
  • 4QToP Share: 11th
• Notable Good Individuals (offense)
  • Wentz is top 10 in a lot of stats (see pass sect)
  • Taylor is #4 in both YPG and AVG, just a tad off #3
  • Taylor is leading team in pass catch %
  • Pittman is #9 in total RCV yards
  • Mo is #5 in TE TDs, #4 in AVG, and #7 target premium
• Notable Bad
  • Pascal leads the team in drops (4)

 

 

• Rushing Defense
  • Opponent Rush Att PG: 19th
  • Rush YPGA: 13th
  • YP Rush A: 8th
  • Rush TD A %: 1st
  • Rush 1D A %: 11th
• Passing Defense
  • Comp%A: 30th
  • Pass YPGA: 23rd
  • Pass YPAA: 27th
  • Pass Rating A: 27th
  • TDs Allowed: 32nd
  • 1D%A: 31st
  • Sack%: 20th
  • Pressure%: 32nd
  • Blitz%: 30th
  • ANY/A Allowed: 25th
  • INT%: 6th
  • DADOT: 11th
• Defense General
  • Defensive PPG scored: 13th
  • PPG allowed: 16th
  • YPGA: 20th
  • Points PP allowed: 20th
  • 3rdD%A: 21st
  • 4thD%A: 30th
  • RZ %: 21st
  • TDs PGA: 22nd
  • TFLs: 15th
  • Missed Tackles: 15th
  • 1QPoinAllow: 21st
  • 2QPA: 4th
  • 3QPA: 5th
  • 4QPA: 30th
  • Penalties: 18th
  • Takeaways PG: 2nd
• Notable Good (individual)
  • Darius Leonard is tied (3 way) leading in ForFums
  • Oke is 9th in total tackles
  • Sendejo leads the team and DBs in passer rating allowed (66.2) and completion % allowed (50%)
• Notable Bad
  • Oke leads the team in missed tackles with 7 (only 4 total 2020) and LBs in passer rating allowed (108.8)
  • Willis leads the DBs in Comp% (92.3) and TDs allowed (4)
  • Blackmon led the team in passer rating allowed (134.7) and DBs in missed tackes (5)

 

• Special Teams
  • ST's PPG: 0
  • FG%: 17th
  • XP%: 12th
  • KO TB%: 22nd
  • Gross YPPunt: 18th
  • Net YPPunt: 15th
  • KO Return AVG: 16th
  • Punt Return AVG: 24th

 

 

https://www.teamrankings.com/nfl/team-stats/
https://www.espn.com/nfl/stats/player/_/table/passing/sort/passingYards/dir/desc
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2021/advanced.htm
https://www.playerprofiler.com/nfl/carson-wentz/
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2021/opp.htm

 

[EastStreet]

My grades were pretty close to Bowens, but overall I followed the preponderance of statistical results as the core of my grades. 

 

The coaching grades of course are subjective, but there's plenty of evidence there too, and I think I was more than fair.  

[GoColts8818]

I wasn’t thinking when I voted and when I saw rush defense I was thinking pass rush so I gave it a D then I realized it meant running defense.  I’d give that a B.  Honestly, I fall in line with what most of the numbers say.

 

The only thing I probably graded a little higher than most will is the offensive coaching.  I gave them a B.  For the most part the Colts are moving the ball at will vs whoever they are playing, the play design is there, they don’t turn it over often, they don’t commit a lot of penalties, they have juggled a lot of injuries without it slowing them down much, and they are putting up points.  It does get bogged down some in the redzone which is why I gave them a B and not an A.  
 

I honestly think the coaching on offense is better than most give it credit for.  I think we focus a lot on the play calling aspect of coaching the offense, which I admit could be a little better especially in the redzone, but really all the other parts of coaching the offense has been done really well.  

[EastStreet]

15 minutes ago, GoColts8818 said:

I wasn’t thinking when I voted and when I saw rush defense I was thinking pass rush so I gave it a D then I realized it meant running defense.  I’d give that a B.  Honestly, I fall in line with what most of the numbers say.

Sorry about that. I was just using terms from the stat sites, but I'm with you, it's easier and less confusing the other way.

15 minutes ago, GoColts8818 said:

 

The only thing I probably graded a little higher than most will is the offensive coaching.  I gave them a B.  For the most part the Colts are moving the ball at will vs whoever they are playing, the play design is there, they don’t turn it over often, they don’t commit a lot of penalties, they have juggled a lot of injuries without it slowing them down much, and they are putting up points.  It does get bogged down some in the redzone which is why I gave them a B and not an A.  
 

I honestly think the coaching on offense is better than most give it credit for.  I think we focus a lot on the play calling aspect of coaching the offense, which I admit could be a little better especially in the redzone, but really all the other parts of coaching the offense has been done really well.  

We have the 2nd highest paid OL. So we should move the ball well in general. I can't accept stuff like not running more in both TN games. Those aren't the first times we did the same thing. And then add in other general play calling head scratchers like throwing it twice on 3rd and 4th and short. I can understand coaching mistakes to an extent, but game plans that defy all logic I just can't accept when the exact same things have happened in the last 3 years. 

[John Waylon]

I can’t in good conscience vote an F for the pass defense. 
 

That’s simply too much credit, and I won’t give it. 

I won’t. 
 

[throwing BBZ]

9 hours ago, EastStreet said:

Sorry about that. I was just using terms from the stat sites, but I'm with you, it's easier and less confusing the other way.

We have the 2nd highest paid OL. So we should move the ball well in general. I can't accept stuff like not running more in both TN games. Those aren't the first times we did the same thing. And then add in other general play calling head scratchers like throwing it twice on 3rd and 4th and short. I can understand coaching mistakes to an extent, but game plans that defy all logic I just can't accept when the exact same things have happened in the last 3 years. 

 

 Good news, your acceptance, nor lack of understanding Why a coaching staff decides to mix up their plans of attack in any given game is not of any real importance.  

 The staff actually Knows tendencies, where we likely are clueless, and we use similar formations numerous times a game but run them differently.

 Perhaps that was the plan against Tenn. and we were to execute a new route package, from a formation used before,  just for the plays you can't comprehend. Like trying to surprise a defense that sees us twice a year and that we have already played once.

 Anyway, i guarantee if YOU had been coaching 20 years you also would be

picked apart at times for making head scratching, "unacceptable" decisions.

 Can you accept that? 

[EastStreet]

3 hours ago, throwing BBZ said:

 

 Good news, your acceptance, nor lack of understanding Why a coaching staff decides to mix up their plans of attack in any given game is not of any real importance.  

 The staff actually Knows tendencies, where we likely are clueless, and we use similar formations numerous times a game but run them differently.

 Perhaps that was the plan against Tenn. and we were to execute a new route package, from a formation used before,  just for the plays you can't comprehend. Like trying to surprise a defense that sees us twice a year and that we have already played once.

 Anyway, i guarantee if YOU had been coaching 20 years you also would be

picked apart at times for making head scratching, "unacceptable" decisions.

 Can you accept that? 

 

sorry, sometimes dumb is just dumb. Sometimes defying simple logic is just being to "cute"

 

can you accept that...

 

[Restinpeacesweetchloe]

Someone can tell me if this is a dumb thought but I think it has merit. I think teams think they need to stack the box against Taylor. But he is so good squeezing into holes and out the other side it’s almost gets teams in trouble. By stacking like they do he is getting some huge runs to the house. Almost is counter productive when they stack the box.just something I was thinking about and it actually can help this offense because once he finds that hole he is gone.

[BlackTiger]

Id say the team is average overall, and the record mostly reflects that.  We beat bad teams and lose to good ones

 

Frank is an average coach to me too, he does get production out of this offense but makes a lot of head scratchers during the games.  

 

I get that Carson is an RPO QB but they give him too much freedom with play calling at the line

[EastStreet]

20 minutes ago, Wentzszn said:

Someone can tell me if this is a dumb thought but I think it has merit. I think teams think they need to stack the box against Taylor. But he is so good squeezing into holes and out the other side it’s almost gets teams in trouble. By stacking like they do he is getting some huge runs to the house. Almost is counter productive when they stack the box.just something I was thinking about and it actually can help this offense because once he finds that hole he is gone.

nope. 

On average, he's only facing 6.5 defenders in the box. His stacked carry rate is 15th. So pretty average.

[runthepost]

6 hours ago, EastStreet said:

nope. 

On average, he's only facing 6.5 defenders in the box. His stacked carry rate is 15th. So pretty average.

Bring on the jet sweeps to Hines and bubble screens to Hines

[EastStreet]

1 minute ago, runthepost said:

Bring on the jet sweeps to Hines and bubble screens to Hines

No Hines up the gut?

[runthepost]

1 minute ago, EastStreet said:

No Hines up the gut?

Only when 10 defenders are in the box. They’ll never expect it.

[EastStreet]

33 minutes ago, runthepost said:

Only when 10 defenders are in the box. They’ll never expect it.

 

And how about we give Lawrence 10 yards of cushion tomorrow. They'll never freaking expect it lol.