Call it recency bias. Call it a knee-jerk reaction. But whatever you call it, know that it's informed much of the decision-making for the Indianapolis Colts this offseason. After the Colts and general manager Ryan Grigson had their hearts ripped out by the New England Patriots in the 2014 AFC Championship Game - a game that will see a second round this weekend - Grigson and Co. reportedly took a long look in the mirror and decided they didn't like much of what they saw there. So they set out this offseason, Patriots beating fresh in their minds, and made move after move aimed at ensuring a loss like that never occurred again.
While the Colts were able to pull off much of their offseason plan via free agency - signing Frank Gore, Andre Johnson, Trent Cole and Todd Herremans - it seems other additions were simply beyond their reach. After watching Pats quarterback Tom Brady put together a workmanlike 23 of 35 passing day for 226 yards and three touchdowns only surrendering one interception and one sack, the Colts, per a report from Ross Jones of Fox Sports, decided they needed to beef up their pass rush. Per Jones, the franchise had their collective hearts set on former Missourri pass rusher Shane Ray with the 29th pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, but were, of course, beaten to the punch by the Denver Broncos.
Once Ray went off the board, Grigson and the Colts then shifted their attention to a receiver who could "take the tops off defenses." Why? Because the Pats were able to effectively lockdown de facto No. 1 wideout TY Hilton on that fateful day in Jan. 2014. Hilton finished the day with just a single catch for 36 yards.
"They took T.Y. out of the game by pressing him and having someone over the top," a source told Jones. "When they shut him down, it messed with the entire complexion of the offense."
In this context, the selection of speedy former Miami standout Phillip Dorsett makes more sense than it did at the time or after the team locked up Hilton with a long-term contract extension in August. Unfortunately, the move hasn't panned out thus far in the 2015 NFL season for the Colts. Of course, whatever lingering injury has been hampering Indianapolis quarterback Andrew Luck is a large part of that, as is the shoddy protection Luck has endured that likely led directly to the injury.
But through five weeks of the current NFL season, Ray has four tackles and two sacks, while Dorsett has managed just eight receptions for 17 yards, one of which went for a touchdown. Ray's production for the Broncos hasn't been stellar, but playing behind All Pro's Von Miller and Demarcus Ware certainly limits his opportunities - though Ware's recent injury may open the door for the rookie to see more time in the coming weeks.
In the end, Dorsett could very well become the consistent deep threat Grigson hoped he would be when he selected him this past April, and Ray's potential development in Denver, while it would sting Colts fans, would really only indicate that Grigson was actually right to want to draft him in the first place.
But with the team reeling, Dorsett providing little impact, the Colts defense struggling to create a pass rush, and a tough matchup against the Patriots looming, things certainly don't look particularly rosy in Indianapolis. If Luck can't reacquire his Pro Bowl form quickly, things could really come off the rails for the Colts quickly and the already-extensive finger pointing going on in the Indy front office would likely only increase.
