Wide receiver Josh Downs is a common solution for many of the Indianapolis Colts' offensive situations.
The Indianapolis Colts’ pass-catching room has gone through some turmoil in this young season. With Alec Pierce on Injured Reserve and Tyler Warren having to find new ways to win, the team has faced a dilemma at the start of the year. As always, though, the answer to any problem for the Colts is Josh Downs.
Downs has always been Mr. Reliable for the Colts, as his target share and overall usage on third down rivaled the best receivers in the NFL over the past three seasons. That was simply his role in the offense when Pierce and Michael Pittman Jr. were both healthy over the last few seasons. Downs took a backseat on early downs and then became the isolation threat on money downs.
That role had to change over the last two weeks with Pierce out of the lineup, however. Downs had to become more of a focal point of the offense, and the young pass catcher has delivered in a big way. He’s been targeted 20 times in the last two weeks against the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans, hauling in 12 receptions for 149 yards. His yards per catch is by far the highest it's been in his time with the Colts, and he’s starting to create more big plays for the offense.
Beyond his newfound success downfield, Downs has taken a major step forward in areas where he's already succeeded. For instance, Downs ranked 17th in target share and 14th in total Expected Points Added (EPA) gained when targeted on third down last season. This year, he’s up to ninth in target share and fifth in total EPA gained in such situations. The Colts are leaning on him even more on third down this season, and it has paid major dividends.
Downs has even become the Colts’ answer to one of their longest-standing concerns: converting against the blitz. The only metric where Daniel Jones ranked outside of the top 10 in EPA per play last season came against the blitz, where he plummeted to around 15th in the NFL. This was also an issue in Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens, as Jones completed just one of five pass attempts for six yards against the blitz in that loss.
The last two weeks, however, have seen a shift for the Colts’ offense and Jones in that regard. He has completed 19 of 23 for 189 yards and a touchdown against the blitz in that span, with Downs contributing to a decent chunk of that success. The answer to the blitz problem was so simple in retrospect: just stare down the best receiver on the field and know that he’s going to get open.
In a contract year, Downs has delivered in a big way for the Colts’ offense. He’s basically been the same reliable player he’s always been, but now the offense is naturally flowing through him as it should. He needs to see 10-plus targets per game going forward if the Colts want to continue finding success on offense, because he has simply been that good when targeted.
Offensive coaches can sometimes overcomplicate things when the answer is staring them right in the face. When in doubt, target Downs. He is the easy button for this Colts offense, and he will always be open somewhere down the field.
