I’ve said some nasty things about the Indianapolis Colts, but it’s possible that I may have been wrong. (I know...I know, stranger things have happened.) With a Week 7 victory over the San Francisco 49ers, the Colts improved to 3-4 but the narrative seems to be just how bad they are. 

It was a sloppy game in San Francisco thanks to what’s known as an atmospheric river and quarterback Carson Wentz played ridiculously poorly. That’s been a common refrain this season about Wentz and his poor play has been pointed to as one of the (if not the) biggest reasons the Colts have been hanging around .500. 

Here’s the thing...Wentz hasn’t been that bad. Has he been worse than he was when he was frequently bandied about as an MVP candidate? Absolutely. Is he playing up to the expectation of a former top pick? No, absolutely not. Yet, the idea that he’s been one of the worst quarterbacks in the league just isn’t supported by the data. 

In ESPN’s QBR metric, Wentz’s 58.7 ranks 14th among QBs. That’s one spot below Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow and two spots above Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott. Pro Football Focus has Wentz ranked 22nd, just below Kansas City Chiefs passer Patrick Mahomes (20) and above New Orleans Saints QB Jameis Winston (23), Cleveland Browns passer Baker Mayfield (24) and more. 

My own personal favorite QB metric is passing yards per attempt. It’s the best shorthand, widely accepted analytical way to mesh a passer’s efficiency with his effectiveness in the offense. Wentz’s YPA? It’s 7.7, which is ninth in the league and tied with Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers. 

Yeah, not exactly shabby…

It’s time for another look at the Colts. They’re above .500 now and their losses—to the Los Angeles Rams (by 3 points), to the Tennessee Titans (by 9 points) and to the Baltimore Ravens (by 6 points)—aren’t exactly disqualifying. Meanwhile, they’ve got the 11th-ranked scoring defense and the NFL’s best young (and second-best overall) running back, Jonathan Taylor. 

No one is saying that the Colts are going to be worldbeaters all of a sudden...especially in a very competitive AFC. Yet, heading to the halfway point in the season, we’re looking at a Colts team that should be able to compete each and every week. For every tough opponent on their schedule, there are two teams that the Colts should handle easily. This is a playoff team and a team that should be an absolutely tough out once they get there. 

What We Got Wrong...But Should’ve Gotten Right

As the Chiefs and the Titans faced off, only 27 percent of the experts and fans polled by Pickwatch believed in the Titans. Instead, two storylines we’ve been watching over the course of the 2021 season collided and continued to be true. The Kansas City Chiefs are completely listless on both sides of the ball and seem content to rest on their laurels for the entirety of the year. The Titans, meanwhile, continue to punch up and are (ignoring the inexplicable loss to the New York Jets) one of the best teams in football. 

It’s no secret that I really dislike just about everything the New York Giants do from both a team building and coaching perspective, but the Carolina Panthers are even worse. The Giants, even at their worst, have some bonafide offensive talent and the Panthers do not. The Quarterback Sam Darnold experiment should officially be over, and the 13 percent of people who picked the Giants saw it coming more than the rest of us. 

What None of us Could’ve Saw Coming

What a difference a week makes. The Baltimore Ravens were the darlings of the NFL and considered invincible after taking down the Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers. So, when Cincinnati came up on the schedule, only 8 percent of experts and fans thought Burrow’s crew had a chance. Now, the Bengals are 5-2 and between Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, it’s difficult to see exactly who is going to stop this passing attack. 

The Schottey Six: Up and Coming Coordinators and Assistants

1. Kellen Moore (OC, Cowboys)—At 33, Moore is running one of the top offenses in the league and doing so creatively enough to make minds around the NFL believe that he could run his own team sooner rather than later. 

2. Cam Turner (QB Coach, Cardinals)—The nephew of legendary coach Norv Turner, the 34-year-old Cam doesn’t get a ton of credit for what’s happening with the Cardinals offense, but he’s had some great maturation with some great NFL offenses. 

3. Brian Callahan (OC, Bengals)—Son of Browns offensive line coach Bill Callahan, the 37-year-old has been doing good work this season and might end up being a package deal with his father. 

4. Joe Brady (OC, Panthers )—Maybe this isn’t the week to talk about how good Brady has been, but the 32-year-old will have a head coaching job this offseason or the next. 

5. Thomas Brown (RB Coach, Rams)—Another year, another Rams assistant should get a head coaching gig. Put my money on the 35-year-old who has helped develop a diverse and talented backfield. 

6. Aubrey Pleasant (DB Coach, Lions)—Don’t know who Pleasant is? You’re not alone. It’s difficult to even find the actual age of (maybe 34-year-old) Lions assistant. No coach has done more with less this season, and some team is going to want to poach him as a defensive coordinator awfully quick. 

Cleaning Out the Notebook

— Call me crazy, but shouldn’t we find out if Houston Texans QB DeShaun Watson can actually play football this season before we trade multiple picks for him?

— I did not foresee the success that Browns RB D’Ernest Johnson would have on the ground last Thursday night. Credit the aforementioned Bill Callahan who was never much of a head coach but is absolutely the dean of positional coaches in today’s NFL. 

— For as much as we’re talking about Chase, and deservedly so, there’s a real chance Falcons TE Kyle Pitts ends up being the best player from this draft class. He’s already the best rookie tight end in history. 

— Speaking of historical sidenotes, kudos to Buccaneers QB Tom Brady on his 600th touchdown pass. It makes Rams QB Matthew Stafford’s 300th touchdown seem paltry in comparison (it is not). 

— Lots more of those Stafford touchdowns will be heading to WR Cooper Kupp over the next few years. Kupp is one of the leading receivers in the league in 2021, and his mixture of size, speed and razor sharp route running means that isn’t likely to change anytime soon. 

— Kupp is a good example of why the Detroit Lions can’t win games like they played on Sunday (or, at all). The Lions played as hard as possible and have been remarkably competitive playing one of the league’s toughest schedules but, in the end, they don’t have any players like Kupp who can win one-on-one battles. The Rams have a handful. 

— Think the Jets need to finally prioritize having a backup quarterback? 

— We’ll know more about the Las Vegas Raiders soon. They play the Giants this week in what should be another win, but then the Chiefs, Bengals and Cowboys are on the docket. As nice as the Raiders sudden resurgence has been, how many of those three games can they conceivably win?

— Maybe it’s the OL coach in me, but Justin Fields taking a lot of sacks says more about his quarterback play and the offensive scheme/play calling than it does about the (admittedly terrible) offensive line.

— Speaking of the offensive line, my high school football team took its first loss in a few weeks against one of the top programs in the area, St. Augustine High School. I’m not a moral victory type of guy, but there are some moments in life where you can be absolutely prepared, battle hard and still lose. That’s life. It sucks, but it doesn’t mean you’ve failed. 

— About a decade late, but why didn’t ya’ll tell me Friday Night Lights was so addicting? The show was on when I was in college and starting my own coaching/media career, so I certainly didn’t have time then. But, man oh man, is it a bingeable time now. 

Parting Schot

— “Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others.”—Brian Tracy