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ShoeStats: Week 3 at Philadelphia

September 23, 2018

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Sep 16, 2018; Landover, MD, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) celebrates while running off the field after the Colts' game against the Washington Redskins game at FedEx Field. The Colts won 21-9. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

The Colts come off their big win at the nation’s capital and are flying high. Now they head due north the city of brotherly love to face off against reigning champion Philadelphia Eagles. The FPC Colts team will look into some key stats headings into this Sunday’s 1:00 pm game.

1. 61%

The Colts may not be perfect, but they are the league leaders in third-down conversion percentage in the NFL. The Indy offense is a whopping 9% higher than the second place team Tampa Bay. This efficiency was critical to their long sustained drives against Washington and Cincinnati. A testament to the team’s creative scheme, they rarely face many third and longs, a huge advantage.

2. 0

You’ve heard, I’ve listened to it, and I’m sure the Indy locker room heard it, the Colts defense stinks! Oh, wait, maybe not? After so much was made on the Colts porous defense this offseason, they made a statement on Sunday holding the Washington offense to no touchdowns and only one red zone trip (off an interception). The Jay Gruden offense was coming off a huge week against Arizona where they dropped over 400 yards on the road. This showing from the Colts defense, holding them to only three field goals, was no small feat.

3. 27

The number of tackles for the NFL leader, Colts second-round pick Darius Leonard. Yes, tackles out of contexts are an iffy statistic, but Leonard was a force on the field, flying around the middle of the field like a missile. The FCS product has some work to do on play actions and inside run stops, but his ability in coverage and on outside runs is exceptional. The more experience athletic Colts linebacker gets, the better he is going to be, and that’s an excellent sign for the Indy faithful

The Eagles are a tough opponent, and the return of Carson Wentz from his ACL/MCL tear in November in front of his home crowd is expected to be a tough test for the young Indy squad. However, this Colts team is feeling good and a perfect upset candidate for the Super Bowl Champions. The Colts boast speed across their defense that can make life difficult for opposing offenses. Their opportunistic defense paired with a fast pace and highly efficient offense run by Andrew Luck and former Eagles OC Frank Reich. Both of these could take advantage of a rusty Wentz and send shockwaves through the NFL that the Colts are back.

Article by: Maxx Hotton

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