Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, November 13th, 1:00 PM ET
Location: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
Betting Odds: PHI -6.5, 44.0 total via PFF.com
Network: CBS
Writer: Estevão Maximo (@estevao_maximo on Twitter)
Philadelphia Eagles
Quarterback
Jalen Hurts (Start QB1)
In recent discussions in our Discord server, which you should absolutely join, by the way, we came up with an interesting analogy. If you listen to Erik and Ryan’s podcast, you’re familiar with the otter designation to backs like Kenyan Drake and Tevin Coleman. Guys that show up in the backfield, and you no longer want any part of it.
We also came up with a designation for elite running QBs (Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson, and Justin Fields). These guys are piranhas, they’re that fish that you put in the aquarium and it looks awesome, but he’ll eat anything else that’s thrown in there. In the best-case scenario, it severely limits the upside of even good running backs like Miles Sanders has been, this season.
All of this served to fill up space because frankly, you don’t need me to tell you about Hurts being a QB1 against the Colts. The man is playing at a very high level and has seven rushing touchdowns on the year as Nick Sirianni seems to be blatantly ignoring the rules of a QB sneak, and no referee has called him out on it.
Running Backs
Miles Sanders (Start RB2) Kenneth Gainwell (Sit)
Miles Sanders is the victim of the piranha. The Eagles lead back certainly has distanced himself from a possible committee and loss of work to Kenneth Gainwell, a concept that looked plausible before the season, but the former Penn State back can’t quite escape the low-end rb2 status with Hurts stealing his thunder in the red zone, and also a lack of a passing game role.
If you take away the monsoon game against the Jags, Sanders has been solid, but unspectacular on the year, and even in games in which he runs well, he’s susceptible to lose that rushing TD to Hurts (the Eagles QB has 7 to Sanders’ 6).
Nevertheless, the Eagles have an attack prolific enough to provide Sanders with RB2 status.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
AJ Brown (Start, WR1), Devonta Smith (Start WR3), Quez Watkins (Sit), Jack Stoll (Sit)
AJ Brown rolled his ankle last Monday Night and was ultimately held to his worst game as an Eagle, catching only one ball on four targets, but everything checks out, and the former titan should be back out there on Sunday, retaining his WR1 status on the year.
Devonta Smith is extremely talented, but his bottom line becomes a little more volatile than most of his managers would like, considering all the mouths that Philly’s offense has to feed, particularly in the running game, and then playing second-fiddle to AJ Brown, but as long as the Eagles get pushed even a little bit like they were against Dallas and Houston, he should get enough looks to justify that WR3 status.
With Dallas Goedert out indefinitely, there is no one to really consider as a start-worthy piece as of right now.
Indianapolis Colts
Quarterbacks
Matt Ryan (Sit)
The Colts won a game. It was against the Raiders. Jeff Saturday was the head coach. Just felt like opening with those statements before addressing the fact it is very strange that Matt Ryan regained his starting role for a couple of reasons.
For starters, Ryan’s $10 MM bonus becomes guaranteed if he gets hurt while playing this year, and more importantly, it was pretty clear the coaching staff had no interest in playing Sam Ehlinger, which felt like an ownership call, and then Reich is let go, and just before game-time, we learn that Ryan will start.
The ‘ o-line hasn’t protected the QB well at all this year, and going against Philly’s pass rush, Ryan should have plenty of issues.
Running Backs
Jonathan Taylor (Start, RB1) Deon Jackson (Sit)
Even though all the dysfunctionality surrounds the Colts in 2022, there really was only one question regarding Jonathan Taylor in order to determine what could be realistically expected out of him in the second half of the year, and that was his health.
Taylor got 24 touches and ran for 147 yards against the Raiders. He is absolutely fine, and it seems like the Colts want to ride him through this Jeff Saturday-led stint.
Deon Jackson is dealing with some injury problems, and with Taylor fully healthy is a clear sit, but he is still one of the best handcuffs to have on your bench.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Michael Pittman (Start, WR3), Parris Campbell (Start, Flex), Alec Pierce (Sit), Kylen Granson (Sit)
In two of the last three games, Michael Pittman has had 7 catches on 9 targets for 53 yards, and that’s around what you should expect from the former USC Trojan, as the leading option in an offense that’s kind of mediocre. For context, Pittman hasn’t scored a touchdown since week 1,
Parris Campbell was certainly very pleased to see Ryan back out there, as the Colts wideout is now averaging roughly 10 targets per game in the last three times Matt Ryan was the QB, with three scores in that period as well. Campbell is a sneaky, solid flex play in a game the Colts should trail early and need to air it out quite a bit.
With Jelani Woods out, and Mo Alie-Cox dealing with lingering issues, Kylen Granson seems to be the guy you want out of this Colts’ TE committee, but even coming off a four-catch afternoon against Vegas, he hasn’t shown enough to be more than a desperations streamer.