Colts 2022 Position Recap: Quarterbacks

Colts quarterbacks were not able to consistently push the ball downfield throughout the season, leading to the team having the second-lowest average depth of target (7.0 yards beyond the line of scrimmage) per pass in the NFL in 2022.

But the other teams in the Colts’ range – the Giants, Chargers, Cardinals and 49ers all had an average depth of target below 7.5 yards – were able to generate more than half their passing yardage after the catch. 47.8 percent of the Colts’ passing yards came after the catch, which was more in line with offenses that attacked downfield more frequently (the Philadelphia Eagles had a YAC rate of 48 percent but an average depth of target of 9.1 yards, for example).

It’s hard to isolate this issue, though, since even attempting a deep pass requires the right look from a defense and all 11 players executing their assignments. And it’s not like opposing defenses were loading the box because the Colts weren’t able to get to those deep balls – only the Los Angeles Rams faced fewer loaded boxes (8+ defenders) than the Colts (144 plays out of 1,148 total plays).

Still, defenses were able to play aggressively against the Colts without a consistent threat of being beat over the top, even if they weren’t dropping an extra defender in the box to stop the run. We’ll see what the Colts focus on to fix this issue heading into 2023 – whether it’s with more of an offensive emphasis on pushing the ball downfield, or scheming an offense oriented around generating yards after the catch.