Colts Urged to Give Rookie More Playing Time

Getty Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine argued that head coach Frank Reich and the Indianapolis Colts should give one of their rookies more snaps.

The Indianapolis Colts came into the season expecting to count on a lot from rookie wide receiver Alec Pierce.

Through 2 weeks, Pierce was a pretty big disappointment, getting off to a rough start in his NFL career. But after a strong Week 3, Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine argued the rookie wideout should receive more playing time for the Colts.

“The rookie experienced a mini-breakout game in Week 3,” Ballentine wrote. “He still only saw 45 percent of the offensive snaps, but he brought in three of his five targets for 61 yards, including a nice go route along the sideline in which he showcased his ability to win at the catch point.

“The Colts desperately need a second option to emerge in the passing game alongside Michael Pittman Jr. With Pierce offering a spark, Matt Ryan threw for 222 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions in a win over the Chiefs.

“That should be enough to get the Colts season back on track after starting 0-1-1 against the Texans and Jaguars. Pierce could play a big role in that moving forward.”

Pierce Makes Key Reception Against Chiefs

Not only was the final stat line for Pierce strong, he made a catch in an important part of the victory versus the Kansas City Chiefs.

On second-and-7 at the Chiefs 26-yard line, Pierce brought in a 14-yard reception to take the Colts to the 12. Indianapolis scored the game-winning touchdown in the 20-17 victory 2 plays later.

Quarterback Matt Ryan targeted the rookie again on the play after Pierce’s 14-yard catch, but they weren’t able to connect on that route.

Still, Ryan sending passes in Pierce’s direction with the game on the line is a terrific sign. Ryan appears to trust the rookie, which could mean Pierce is due for more playing time soon.

Pierce played 47 snaps (51% of the team’s offensive snaps) in his NFL debut against the Houston Texans in Week 1 but didn’t catch a pass on 2 targets. He sat out Week 2 because of a concussion and then played 32 snaps (45% of the offensive snaps), receiving 5 targets against the Chiefs.

All of Pierce’s catches in Week 3 went for long gains. His first NFL reception was a 17-yard grab. Late in the fourth quarter, Pierce recorded a 30-yard catch, which was Indianapolis’ longest play from scrimmage of the game.

At the University of Cincinnati, Pierce averaged 17.5 yards per catch in his college career.

What More Playing Time for Pierce Could Mean for Colts Receivers

Pierce is ranked fourth in snaps for Indianapolis wide receivers through 3 games, but he’s just behind Ashton Dulin for third (Dulin has 82 snaps, Pierce has 79). And that’s despite Dulin playing 1 extra game than Pierce.

So the rookie is already seeing a good amount of playing time. More snaps for Pierce, though, could still mean fewer for Parris Campbell and other Colts wideouts.

Campbell has been a disappointment through the first month of the season. He’s played 172 snaps, which is the most among the team’s pass catchers. Yet, Campbell has 5 catches for 47 yards.

Without Pierce and Colts top wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2, Campbell had an opportunity to prove what he can do in a game where he’s the team’s top weapon. But he didn’t have any catches in the game, as the offense sputtered to a shutout loss.

Campbell has only been targeted 8 times this season despite playing 172 snaps.

The Colts were hoping Pittman, Campbell and Pierce would be a formidable 3-wide receiver group with Pittman the leader of the pack. But Campbell isn’t contributing as hoped, and with Pierce’s breakout versus the Chiefs, the rookie could easily receive more playing time than Campbell very soon.