Indianapolis Colts Week 5 Stock Report

For the second week in a row, the Indianapolis Colts are trending up. 

Even without superstar quarterback Andrew Luck, the Colts managed to squeeze a win out of the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, 16-13 in overtime. 

It was an ugly game all around, but with Luck sitting out, the Colts will take whatever they can get in the win column. After this huge divisional win for the Colts, they now have a 15-game winning streak in the AFC South, the longest inter-division streak in the NFL. 

But the Colts have still yet to get on track—at least in the way that was expected of them before the season began. 

The Colts are looking to get a dominant win under their belt sooner rather than later, and a trip to Houston is their best shot at doing so in the near future. The Jaguars game didn't tell us anything new about the team as it's constructed now, but what did it tell us? 

Stock Up: Andrew Luck's Health

R Brent Smith/Associated Press

The most important thing for the Colts, no matter what happened on Sunday, is the status of Andrew Luck's shoulder. 

The Colts don't have a chance at their aspirations without Luck being healthy (and playing at his best), so getting him back to full strength as quickly as possible was always the top priority.

Fortunately, it sounds like Luck is trending toward playing in Thursday night's matchup in Houston.

On Monday, Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star said it seemed pretty clear that Luck would be the starting quarterback on Thursday night. That still seemed to be the case on Tuesday: 

"

Andrew Luck missed his 1st football game in 6 years Sunday. He doesn't expect to miss another http://t.co/HugXD1yY6i pic.twitter.com/gdpLlAe0Bp

— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) October 6, 2015"

This, of course, would be great news for Indianapolis. Luck gives the offense many more options than Hasselbeck does in his limited, aging state, and the Colts will need all the options they can get against a talented Houston defense. 

Luck still hasn't gone through a full practice since the injury, though, so there is still a chance he could sit on Thursday. 

Stock Down: Veteran Offensive Weapons

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

The Colts veteran offseason acquisitions were supposed to give them a boost in experience and consistency this season, but so far, they've contributed to the problem more than they've helped to solve it. 

Todd Herremans was benched after two games, and Andre Johnson has all but disappeared from the offense.

Even Frank Gore, who has looked great as a runner, has fumbled twice on the goal line, directly costing the Colts 14 points and significantly stalling the offense. 

That's not to say that all is lost for these players. 

Sure, Herremans is probably not going to be a positive player for Indianapolis. But Johnson still has a shot at contributing as a possession receiver, something he'll have one more decent chance to do in Houston on Thursday. And Gore looks to be a key part of the offense moving forward, especially if his injured hand heals up and he can catch the football. 

But overall, the inconsistencies of these veteran additions have hurt the Colts offense as a whole this season. If they can get on track, the offense will look much better. 

Stock Up: Pep Hamilton

AJ Mast/Associated Press

After three weeks of very similar game plans that resulted in sluggish, inconsistent offensive production (at best), Pep Hamilton shifted the offense in a huge way on Sunday. 

The Colts installed a quick-passing offense that got the ball out and into the hands of playmakers earlier and under more favorable circumstances. It alleviated some of the pressure on the offensive line, which resulted in a much better performance from the men in the trenches. 

That doesn't mean everything was perfect, of course. The Colts scored just 16 points on a bad Jaguars defense and averaged just 4.4 yards per play. 

It was, in the end, a game plan designed around a limited quarterback in Matt Hasselbeck, but it still showed that the Colts can adjust. It's not a perfect game plan for Andrew Luck, but there were certainly elements that the Colts should and likely will use more of when Luck returns. 

If Luck was in Hasselbeck's place on Sunday, the Colts probably would have scored 30 points with that game plan. There were a few deep passes to be had if the quarterback-receiver timing was more consistent, and Luck would have commanded more respect from the defense, leaving more room for the running game. 

They didn't light the world on fire with Hasselbeck running the show, but they were good enough to make it down the field a few times and mount a game-winning drive in overtime. If Hamilton can strike a balance between the line and Luck for Thursday's game, we could see our first signs of offensive rhythm. 

Stock Down: Jonathan Newsome

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

We haven't talked about Jonathan Newsome yet this year, and it's high time we do. 

We need to talk about why we're not talking about him: He's disappeared. 

Newsome was the Colts' leading pass-rusher last season, and he was primed to take a big step forward in his second year—or so we thought. The Colts have a few veteran pass-rushers in Trent Cole and Robert Mathis, but Newsome represented the best option as a young edge-rusher. 

Fast-forward to today, and Newsome has just one quarterback hurry and the second-lowest grade from Pro Football Focus on the entire defense. Newsome was especially bad Sunday, especially against the run. 

The Colts desperately need a pass rush, and Newsome was supposed to be a major contributor. If he doesn't develop into something, the team will be hurting as Mathis and Cole fade away.

Stock Up: Special Teams

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

The Colts special teams units have been iffy, to say the least, to start the season. 

Rookie Phillip Dorsett muffed two punts in the season-opening loss to Buffalo. Normally dependable kicker Adam Vinatieri missed two kicks in the first three weeks. 

But in Week 4, everything came together for the Colts. 

Pat McAfee punted six times and was brilliant, averaging 47.8 yards per punt and consistently flipping the field. Adam Vinatieri connected on three of his three field goals, including the game-winner in overtime, after the Jaguars missed two game-winning opportunities. 

Even Indy's returners got a little bit of action, as Griff Whalen picked up 16 yards on punt returns and averaged 30 yards per kick return. 

The Colts special teams unit was one of the league's best last season. If they play like that again this year, it could help boost the Colts back to the level of play we expected from them this year.