The Colts' loss to the Bengals was demoralizing, but that doesn't mean there weren't positives to take from the game.
As noted in Josh Wilson's game recap, the play of former Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Da'Rick Rogers is one of a few things that Colts fans could smile about. Having never caught a pass in an NFL game prior to Sunday, Rogers snagged 6 balls for 107 yards and 2 touchdowns on 9 targets in Indy's 42-28 loss to Cincinnati.
Not bad, kid. Not bad at all.
Rogers' impressive play stood in stark contrast to veteran receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, whose drops in critical moments have gotten so bad that it is probably time for the Colts to part ways with the former Maryland product. Don't wait until the offseason, Ryan Grigson. Just do it now and get it over with.
Since all-world wideout Reggie Wayne went down in the Colts' Week 7 victory over the Broncos, Indianapolis has been desperate to find someone, ANYONE, who can make plays. We've seen flashes from Coby Fleener, but he's simply too inconsistent and too soft to perform at a high level each game. Heyward-Bey has been a mess, dropping critical third downs game after game. T.Y. Hilton is talented, but he's not big enough to fight off double teams.
If playmakers are to emerge, it will have to come from Rogers and, potentially, LaVon Brazill, who himself had an impressive game at Cincy. Brazill caught 3 passes for 53 yards and 2 scores.
If Rogers and/or Brazill step up, that could go a long way to helping a Colts offense that has looked completely lost since Week 7. It could also mean that head coach Chuck Pagano and offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton could finally ditch their "power running" game plan that hasn't produced much in 2013.