Indianapolis Colts DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs led his team's receiving corps in catches and yards in Sunday's 23-20 loss to the Texans, reeling in four for 109 yards and a score. Downs was the only Colt to amass more than one reception in the contest with quarterback Anthony Richardson completing just 10 of 32 passes, and he nearly scored another touchdown but was down just shy of the end zone. The 23-year-old was also credited with 13 rush yards. Despite the solid effort, the former third-round draft pick will be volatile with such poor quarterback play and hard to trust on a weekly basis. In Week 9, the Colts will face the Vikings who have had seven wideouts record 78 or more receiving yards through seven games, so there's a chance he could have some Flex appeal, especially if Joe Flacco happened to be under center instead of Richardson.

After missing three weeks due to injury, Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (ankle) looked like his old self on Sunday, rushing 20 times for 105 yards (5.3 YPC) and a score while adding one catch for 12 yards in the 23-20 loss to the Texans. Neither Tyler Goodson nor Trey Sermon received a single carry in the contest as Taylor monopolized the rushing duties. The 25-year-old now has five touchdowns in five games played and has gone over 100 total yards rushing and receiving in four straight games he's participated in. The former second-round draft pick will probably be an RB1 again in Week 9, although Minnesota has limited backs to just three rushing touchdowns (two through the air as well) thus far.

It was another rough afternoon for Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson, completing just 10 of 32 passes for 175 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. The 22-year-old also fumbled twice, losing one of them, and was sacked five times, while 69 of his total passing yards came on a single play to Josh Downs. If not for that one play and Richardson gaining 45 yards on the ground, it would have been an even more forgettable performance. The former first-round draft pick also left the game briefly, which seemed concerning at the time, but after the game he said he just "needed a break." Now with a 44.4% completion rate on the year with a 4:7 TD:INT, it is hard to imagine things will get better in Week 9 on the road versus a Vikings defense that is top three in the league in interceptions and sacks.

Chicago Bears running back Khalil Herbert (coach's decision) is a healthy scratch for Sunday's game against the Washington Commanders. The 26-year-old has seen his role essentially disappear this season. He hasn't registered a touch since Week 3, logging only a few snaps during that span. Now, with Travis Homer active, Herbert is the odd man out. Despite his decreasing role, Herbert could be an intriguing name on the trade market as other teams look to solidify their running back down the stretch. Even if traded, though, Herbert won't be a reliable fantasy option.

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones heads into a challenging Monday Night Football matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers' top-tier defense in Week 8. Jones, averaging 13.2 fantasy points per game with six passing touchdowns and zero rushing scores on the season, has yet to break 300 passing yards in any game. Coming off a 28-3 loss to the Eagles where he completed 66.7% of his passes but failed to reach the end zone, Jones faces a Steelers unit that allows only 12.18 fantasy points to QBs, ranking fourth-best in the league. Although the Giants are healthy at the skill positions, the loss of All-Pro LT Andrew Thomas compounds Jones's struggles against Pittsburgh's eighth-ranked defense, which has held opposing passers to just eight touchdowns and limits teams to 298.4 total yards per game.