You’re going to see a lot of Colts #2 jerseys with duct tape on the back of them at Lucas Oil Stadium this year.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing either. Out with the old, in with the new. Today is a good day. Matt Ryan is an Indianapolis Colt.
Are people about to start getting Iced in the stands at Lucas Oil Stadium in 2022? Will Smirnoff Ices be the number one seller at tailgates? Who will regulate the madness that’s about to occur?
All worthy questions. But here’s the big one.
Who are Chris Ballard and the Colts going to put around Ryan to help him succeed here?
Last year, Ryan somehow managed to win seven games when two of his top three receiving leaders weren’t even wide receivers. His top option, Calvin Ridley, was dropping 10-leg parlays from the sidelines, Cordarrelle Patterson came back from the dead to save your fantasy team from a last place punishment, and Kyle Pitts is now trapped in Atlanta with no help in sight like Tom Hanks in Cast Away.
It clear that specifically at skill positions, the Colts aren’t good enough.
But if Matt Ryan is winning you seven games with that disaster of a supporting cast in Atlanta, what will he give you with Jonathan Taylor out of the back field? Add in Michael Pittman Jr. and whomever else Ballard goes after this spring, and you’ve got yourself a team.
Ryan does exactly what I told you the Colts needed to find when I wrote about possibly inquiring on Kirk Cousins. The Blue and White need a guy that can hand the ball off to JT 25-30 times, find checkdowns consistently, and complete simple 10-15 yard passes, then going deep when necessary. It doesn’t have to be rocket science (or left handed shovel passes).
Ballard and crew do have some major things to take care of though. Now that Zach Pascal is officially gone, there must be a full revitalization of the wide receiver room. Now with Reggie Wayne leading the charge there, there are no excuses.
Who replaces Jack Doyle as the number one tight end option? Is Mo Alie-Cox ready to make that jump?
Still plenty of question marks, but today was certainly a big step. Let’s get icy.
