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This week, SB Nation asked NFL blogs to answer: “What are you thankful for?” This story focuses on 3 players the Colts should be thankful for.
The Indianapolis Colts have not had a good season. With a record of 3-7 it’s easy to point out the negatives but the team does have a few players to be thankful for. Let’s take a look at three men Chuck Pagano should be happy to have while he’s finishing up his Thanksgiving spaghetti.
.@Colts coach Chuck Pagano on his favorite Thanksgiving dish: "Spaghetti and meatballs."
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) November 22, 2017
Jacoby Brissett
Brissett has had some growing pains this season but he’s been the best available quarterback on the roster. It’s hard to look back at the schedule and see any wins with Scott Tolzien at the helm. General manager Chris Ballard should also be happy that his early season swap of Phillip Dorsett has worked out in the best way possible.
Brissett has shown promise and helped the Colts win a few games, while Dorsett has continued to underwhelm with the New England Patriots.
Adam Vinatieri
Mr. Clutch is arguably the best player on the Colts roster this season. The 44 year-old has converted 18 of 19 field goals this season, including one game winning kick against the San Fransisco 49ers.
Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri makes this 51-yard field goal to hand the #49ers their fifth straight loss. #SFvsIND pic.twitter.com/uQJSVnTBvP
— Rob Lowder (@Rob_Lowder) October 8, 2017
The Colts offense has struggled to get in the end zone but Vinatieri adds a peace of mind that the team can be thankful for. As long as the offense can get into field goal range, it is almost a guarantee that there will be three points added to the score board.
Rashaan Melvin
With question marks to the secondary heading into the season the Colts needed a young cornerback to step up. Now, past the half way point in the season, the team has their clear cut number one cornerback.
Rashaan Melvin shadowed Antonio Brown on 88% of his routes. Brown had 2 catches on 4 targets for 42 yards in Melvin's coverage.
— Jeff Ratcliffe (@JeffRatcliffe) November 13, 2017
The organization was so confident in the 28 year-old corner that they allowed him to shadow Antonio Brown, the NFL’s leader in receiving yards. Thanks mainly in part to Melvin, Brown was a basically a non-factor.
It has been a tough season for the Colts. Despite all of this, they still have things to be thankful for. Disagree? Share who you think the team should be thankful for in the comments below!