What’s left to look at for over the last two video games of Colts’ 2024 marketing campaign?

With their playoff hopes realistically on life help (now having roughly a 15% of constructing the playoffs), the Indianapolis Colts nonetheless have two video games remaining within the 2024 common season towards a pair of the NFL’s present backside feeders.

These squads are the 2-13 New York Giants (who’ve misplaced 10 straight) and their divisional rival, the 3-12 Jacksonville Jaguars (with the common season finale fortunately being at residence!).

Whereas ‘draft SZN’ could already be the main focus now for Colts followers—as a playoff lengthy shot, there are nonetheless some issues to look at for over the following two video games because the 2024 marketing campaign wraps up:

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1. Anthony Richardson’s Progress and Growth

The long-term success of the Colts franchise nonetheless rests on the well being, progress, and improvement of their former 2023 4th general choose’s surgically repaired proper throwing shoulder, in addition to his legs—that includes elite dual-threat mobility.

The nonetheless 22-year-old Richardson has endured each little bit of a ‘rollercoaster’ season, having entered his 2nd-year with a lot helium after a powerful, but restricted rookie debut final yr earlier than it was sadly minimize means too brief because of a season-ending shoulder harm.

Whether or not it was rust, inexperience, or a ‘lack of attention to detail,’ Richardson was in a ‘sophomore slump’ with the boiling over level being his notorious ‘tap out’ throughout Week 8 on the street towards the Houston Texans. Richardson was surprisingly benched for 2 video games earlier than the Colts turned the beginning reins again over to him after he demonstrated higher management, maturity, and time dedication contained in the constructing and off-the-field.

To his credit score, it hasn’t been all lip service, as Richardson has backed up his newfound ‘CEO of W. 56th Street’ mantra onto the sector—with a lot improved play and manufacturing.

Richardson has all the time had the elite capacity, however is beginning to play extra inside himself—with higher poise and pocket composure by progressing via his reads, and never all the time searching for the ‘home run ball,’ as an alternative taking what the protection provides him to extra effectively transfer the sticks and maintain lengthy scoring drives.

It hasn’t been good, as there’s nonetheless the occasional throw he’d wish to have again—like all younger NFL passer, and main room for enchancment in his accuracy, however he’s proven sufficient flashes to dream upon—and actually nonetheless consider in because the New 12 months approaches.

Whether or not it’s been his slicing down on turnovers or spectacular late 4th quarter heroics, he’s demonstrated sufficient down the stretch the place the Colts ought to run it again for a minimum of yet one more full season to see what he can do, proper? An equally sturdy end would go a great distance.

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2. Jonathan Taylor’s ‘Redemption Tour’

Look, there’s no sugarcoating it.

The dropped fumble in celebration simply earlier than scoring an extended landing run that will’ve put the Colts up two scores in a pivotal street sport towards the Denver Broncos flat out sucked. We all know it. Jonathan Taylor is aware of it. His teammates comprehend it.

The Indy workforce captain can’t undo what was already completed, and that can seemingly be a second that haunts him for what might very effectively be a Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame, and on the very least, Colts ‘Ring of Honor’ profession.

Nonetheless, if final Sunday was any indication, Taylor was trying to atone a bit a minimum of in the course of the street that lies forward for Indianapolis. The Colts’ star workhorse ran like a person possessed final week towards the rival Tennessee Titans, speeding for a whopping 218 complete speeding yards on 29 carries and speeding for 3 speeding touchdowns (together with an extended rating of 70 yards).

Taylor is now safely over 1,000 yards with 1,129 complete speeding yards and two video games nonetheless left to play, however going up towards the league’s thirty first ranked run protection (the Giants) and twentieth ranked (the Titans) respectively, Taylor might nonetheless put up some fireworks to complete out 2024.

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3. Ryan Kelly’s ‘Last Colts Roundup’?

The longtime Indianapolis veteran heart has not too long ago been a little bit of a ‘point of contention’ amongst a minimum of some Colts followers together with his excessive wage, growing variety of soccer accidents, and publicly proclaiming holding sure youthful teammates (i.e, Anthony Richardson throughout his prior benching) to a ‘standard here’ that arguably hasn’t been met or been held for others so far as accountability is really involved.

That being mentioned, when taking a look at Kelly’s full physique of labor as a former Colts’ 2016 first spherical choose and having performed all 9 of his seasons in Indianapolis, with 119 profession begins, an NFL 2nd-team All-Professional accolade to his identify, and 4 Professional Bowl nods, and it’s time to provide the 31-year-old heart ‘his flowers.’

With a $14.625M cap hit in 2024 and as a soon-to-be free agent, and the Colts having the seemingly ‘heir apparent’ 2024 4th spherical choose Tanor Bortolini, within the fold on the roster, and it seems like these very effectively could possibly be Kelly’s final two begins as a member of the Horseshoe.

Hopefully, with one other one within the Massive Apple, after which the common season finale at residence towards the Jaguars, Colts followers can ship him out the proper means.

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4. Youth Motion

Along with the aforementioned Richardson and Bortolini, there’s a number of different younger gamers that I’d like to look at and see what they’ll do with prolonged taking part in time together with rookies resembling wideouts AD Mitchell and Anthony Gould; offensive deal with Matt Goncalves; edge Laitu Latu, linebacker Jaylon Carlies, and so on.

First-year gamers like Bortolini, Goncalves, and Latu have been unexpectedly entrusted into extra profitable roles in the course of the 2024 marketing campaign due to accidents, however right here’s hoping they’ll shut out the 2024 common season with a variety of momentum heading into their Years 2’s.