Regardless of who has been under center for the Indianapolis Colts, Josh Downs has been a steady presence for this offense and the passing game. But during the 2024 season, one area where Downs made his biggest impact was on those critical, must-have-it third and fourth down situations.
On these crucial downs, Downs was a go-to option in the passing game. According to Pro Football Reference, Downs had 39 targets last season on third or fourth downs. He would catch 23 of those passes, with an impressive 19 of them picking up the first down.
So, not only was Downs a reliable option in these situations, but there was a high probability that if the pass was completed, the first down was going to be picked up.
Downs would also catch two touchdowns on third and fourth downs and averaged over 12.0 yards per catch.
Being able to move the chains and stay on the field is obviously vital to success for any offense. While Downs was successful in that regard, the Colts’ offense overall struggled on third downs, ranking 19th in success rate, which contributed to them also ranking near the bottom in time of possession.
Getting better on third downs begins with what takes place on first and second downs, with the Colts offense putting themselves in more manageable down-and-distance situations because when operating regularly in third-and-longs, the defense has the upper hand.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Indianapolis Colts WR Josh Downs was reliable and efficient in this key situation in 2024
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Colts Wire / Colts Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
