Indianapolis Colts Week 8 Stock Report

The Indianapolis Colts' team stock continues to plummet. 

In what should have been the Colts' easiest game in a month, the franchise got off to a horrible start against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, going down 27-0 before even getting points on the board. 

The Colts still have a shot at the playoffs, of course, thanks to a horrific AFC South, but their season outlook has changed dramatically over the last few weeks. Where there was once optimism and realistic hope in a season turnaround, there is now cynicism and distrust. 

It is still possible for the Colts to get it together this season, however, no matter what fans on the outside think. The Colts were 3-4 in 2008 before rattling off eight straight wins, and that included a 34-14 loss to the Green Bay Packers and a 31-21 loss to the Tennessee Titans. 

How do some of the Colts' key figures fare after Week 7? Is there light at the end of the tunnel, or is this team-wide slump something we can expect to continue? That's what we are looking at in this week's stock report.

Stock Down: Andrew Luck

R Brent Smith/Associated Press

Andrew Luck and the offense were supposed to bounce back last Sunday. 

The Colts were going up against the New Orleans Saints, owners of the worst defense in the league, including the worst secondary. They were at home, and the Saints have traditionally struggled to go on the road and win games (0-3 on the road prior to Week 7). 

While the Saints did hold the high-flying Atlanta offense to 21 points in Week 6, the Falcons had managed to move the ball quite well, with a few key turnovers marring the final score. 

But for the first two-and-a-half quarters in Indianapolis, Luck was completely stymied. Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan had him dazed and confused. A quick deficit, exaggerated by an interception and fumble inside of the Colts' 30-yard line, made the Colts' effective run game obsolete. Better-than-expected coverage from the Saints cornerbacks had Luck holding the ball too long and struggling with the timing of his reads. 

The Colts did manage to move the ball a bit in the second half, with Luck throwing two quick-strike touchdowns to T.Y. Hilton at the end of the third quarter. The team scored three touchdowns in its final six drives, although five of those six drives were still four or less plays; sustaining drives was never a consistent occurrence for Indianapolis. 

It was an incredibly disappointing performance from the offense, and particularly from Luck. His final, raw stats look decent at first glance (23-of-44, 333 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions), but this was a winnable game with a better performance from him. If he can't revert to the baseline of play we've seen from him, this Colts team will continue to lose. 

Stock Up: T.Y. Hilton's Vertical Threat

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Last year, the Colts had 30 plays that gained 30 yards or more, the fifth-highest total in the league. Explosive plays, even in an offense that wasn't the most efficient, was their calling card. 

Apparently, defenses figured that out, because through six games, the Colts had just five such plays in 2015, tied for the lowest total in the league. They had just two plays of 40 yards or more.

But down big against the Saints on Sunday, the Colts were able to add three more of those plays, two of which were deep shots to T.Y. Hilton, who managed to get wide-open for touchdowns of 87 and 46 yards. 

Some will decry such touchdowns, as New Orleans cornerback Delvin Breaux tripped and fell on each. But the corner was already beat in each situation, and give some credit to Hilton for being able to fight through contact and stay on course in his route, giving Luck an advantageous one-on-one matchup to throw to. 

Hilton hadn't scored a single touchdown in the first five weeks of the season, and his yards-per-reception average was less than 15. He was still making catches and gaining yards (76 yards per game would have put him in the top 20 in the league, ahead of guys like Odell Beckham Jr.), but he hadn't had as many of the explosive plays as we'd seen in the past. 

Though the opponent was certainly a factor here, one can hope that this is a sign of more explosive plays to come. 

Stock Down: Tight Ends

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Where have the Indianapolis Colts tight ends gone? 

Once a staple of the Colts offense, the tight ends have all but disappeared from the Colts' game plan over the last few weeks. 

Last season, Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen combined for 16 touchdowns, the most ever between tight end teammates. Through seven games this year, they have just one each. 

Coby Fleener is averaging 3.1 catches per game (buoyed significantly from a nine-catch game against the Jacksonville Jaguars), which is similar to his career average, but he averages just 30.7 yards per game, nearly 18 less than the 48.4 he averaged last year. Dwayne Allen is averaging just 1.6 catches and 14.2 yards per game, easily the lowest of his career. 

Part of it is a snaps issue: The increase in large deficits early in games has led to more spread formations, and the two tight ends have played 70 percent of the snaps or more in just four games (out of 14 opportunities between the two of them), according to Football Outsiders.

But even when they are playing, the young tight ends simply do not seem to be a key part of the game plan. Dwayne Allen, in particular, has been effective when thrown to, as his 25.1 percent DVOA from Football Outsiders would place him eighth among starting tight ends, just behind Rob Gronkowski. 

The Colts have to get their tight ends more involved in the passing game if they want to sustain more drives, plain and simple. 

Stock Up: Vontae Davis

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The Colts don't have many superstars on defense. 

Really, they have just one. 

So when Vontae Davis picked up concussion and foot injuries earlier this season, there was significant reason for concern. Though Davis didn't miss any games, his play was certainly affected, and the Colts' pass defense suffered as a result. 

Davis gave up three touchdowns in four games, including allowing 50 receiving yards for three consecutive games, a total he allowed just once all of last season, per Pro Football Focus. 

But the corner has rebounded over the last few weeks, allowing just seven receptions for 65 total yards in the last three games. His longest reception allowed was 12 yards, and he's allowed just 18 yards after the catch in those three games. 

On Sunday, Davis helped shut down the Saints receivers not named Brandin Cooks, who was rarely in his coverage. Drew Brees was just 5-of-11 for 71 yards when throwing to his other wide receivers, including Davis' first interception of the year in the end zone, ending a New Orleans scoring opportunity. 

It seems that Davis is getting healthy, which is much-needed for an Indianapolis defense that lacks top-end talent. 

Stock Down: Chuck Pagano

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Things continue to get worse for fourth-year head coach Chuck Pagano. 

For the fourth time this season, the Colts faced a double-digit deficit in the first half, as the team continues to look unprepared. For the fifth time this season, the Colts had seven penalties or more, as the team with the fifth-most penalties in the league, per NFLpenalties.com, continues to look undisciplined. 

For the fourth time in seven games, the Colts lost, the most losses the team has endured in the first seven weeks of the season with Andrew Luck at quarterback and twice as many as it's had in each of the last two seasons' first seven games. 

Part of the problem is a significant slump from Andrew Luck, but Luck's struggles have simply magnified the Colts' coaching problems that have festered for years.

Not showing up to start big games, getting outcoached at halftime, a lack of player development, inconsistent play-calling and personnel decisions—these are all things that we've seen before, but stellar play from Luck in key situations has often masked the team's larger issues.

With Luck struggling, these things have been on display for the world to see, and Pagano's job is not just being questioned, but openly dismissed because of it. 

Pagano is still the head coach in Indianapolis, but a midseason firing is not out of the question, especially if the Colts enter the bye week at 3-6 after the next two weeks. According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, that's a serious consideration for owner Jim Irsay at this point, and it's understandable. 

While firing Pagano might not result in a complete turnaround this season, it would give the Colts a chance to see how the locker room responds to a change in leadership, something that could be invaluable as the team figures out how to move forward.