Top 5 Graded Colts From Week 4 Loss to Rams

Mo Alie-Cox has taken a back seat in the tight end rotation in 2023 to Kylen Granson and Drew Ogletree. With that in mind, it was nice to see Alie-Cox get in on the action. The veteran tight end pulled in his only target of the day for a 35-yard touchdown that sparked the beginning of the Colts' rally.

Alie-Cox received the highest grade of any Colt at 91.2 overall. His touchdown helped spurn a 92.3 receiving grade, which also ranked the highest on the team in Week 4. Alie-Cox also put in solid grades as a run blocker (66.4) and pass blocker (75.4) as the Colts' primary blocking tight end.

Alie-Cox may not receive the lion's share of the snaps at tight end anymore for the Colts, but the veteran made the most of his opportunities on Sunday.

The Colts' highest-rated defender on the day was a third-year pass rusher who had arguably the best day of his career. Dayo Odeyingbo was a wrecking ball on Sunday and the most consistent pass rusher on the team. Odeyingbo finished with seven tackles, 1.5 sacks, a tackle for loss, and four quarterback hits.

The overall grade of 89.6 by "Hurricane Dayo" was the highest grade of any Colts defender by a wide margin. Odeyingbo's 90.1 grade in run defense was also the highest mark for a Colts defender, aided by seven defensive stops. His 69.3 pass rushing grade ranked third on the team after he led the Colts with six pressures on Rams' quarterback Matthew Stafford.

The Colts hope to see this type of performance from Odeyingbo on a more regular basis. If Odeyingbo begins to have this type of impact on a routine basis, he could be a building block for Indy's defense for years to come.

The second offensive player to make this week's list is also the second tight end. Ogletree has become a trusted weapon for quarterback Anthony Richardson and is beginning to carve out a bigger role on the Colts' offense. Ogletree was the leading receiver for the Colts on Sunday, racking up three catches for 48 yards and his first career touchdown.

Ogletree finished just behind Alie-Cox with an 89.1 overall grade. Like his fellow tight end, Ogletree had an elite receiving grade of 91.4 as he continued to give the Rams defense problems. Although the second-year tight end is not known for his blocking ability, he received the third-highest pass blocking grade (76.2) to go along with a 57.9 run blocking grade.

A decreased role for Alie-Cox combined with Jelani Woods starting the season on injured reserved has allowed Ogletree to receive an increase in his snaps. It may just be the opportunity he needs to become a mainstay on the Colts' offense.

While he received the fourth-highest grade on the team this week, Braden Smith was the only Colts player to make it on PFF's Team of the Week. Smith came into Sunday's matchup dealing with a wrist injury, but it did not slow him down as the right tackle played all 64 offensive snaps.

Smith registered an 83.7 overall grade on the day, easily the best mark for a Colts' offensive lineman. His 84.6 pass blocking grade was also the best among all offensive linemen, as Smith did not allow a single pressure in 30 pass blocking reps. An 80.0 run blocking grade led the team as the Colts rushed for 133 yards on the day.

Smith has had his struggles in 2023, but Sunday could signal the veteran tackle is getting back on track and beginning to play at a high level.

With a rookie filling in at left tackle and a third-string center getting the start, former All-Pro Quenton Nelson had to pick up the slack on the left side of the offensive line. Not to mention, Nelson would have to deal with Aaron Donald, one of the greatest defensive players of all time. His performance was not perfect, but Nelson more than held his own on Sunday.

The Colts' Pro Bowl guard finished with a 76.8 overall day, the fifth-highest on the day and the second-highest offensive lineman. Nelson's 56.5 pass blocking grade ranked sixth overall after allowing two pressures and two hurries. However, Nelson excelled with a 78.5 run blocking grade as he opened holes for the Colts on the ground.

Nelson has looked like his old self for much of the 2023 season, and it has had a positive impact on the Colts' offensive line. Another Pro Bowl season is not out of the question for Big Q.

Want more Colts content? Check out the latest episode of the Horseshoe Huddle Podcast!