The Indianapolis Colts have had a revolving door at the quarterback position since Andrew Luck announced his retirement ahead of the 2019 season. They have had a different player start at the position for three consecutive seasons and 2022 will make it four straight.
After trading for Carson Wentz to be the starter last season, the Colts traded him to the Washington Commanders earlier this offseason. To replace him, they acquired veteran Matt Ryan from the Atlanta Falcons for a third-round pick.
Ryan should provide a boost to a Colts team that was on the cusp of the postseason in 2021. Needing to just beat the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 18 to earn a spot, Indianapolis choked and lost the game 25-11, ending their season.
The team is hoping that Ryan will provide enough of an upgrade under center to help get them over the hump. Even at 36-years old, he has shown that he can still produce at a good clip.
Here are three bold predictions for Ryan in the 2022 season with the Colts.
3. Near Career-High In Touchdowns
In his heyday, Ryan oversaw some explosive Falcons’ offenses. With Julio Jones as a No. 1 target, Ryan had some gaudy statistics, even taking home the MVP award for the 2016 season.
Ryan was consistently good, averaging 269.1 yards per game in his career. But, he has reached 30 passing touchdowns only three times in his 14 season career. This season, he will reach that plateau for the fourth time.
Michael Pittman Jr. is an emerging wide receiver and Ryan will get the ball into his hands early and often. Pittman was emerging as a legitimate No. 1 option in the passing game last season despite some of Wentz’s shortcomings.
2. Ryan Earns Pro Bowl Nod
Ryan hasn’t made a Pro Bowl since 2016 when he won the MVP award. He has only four Pro Bowl nods in his career, but he will add one more to the resume this season.
Last season there were times that opponents dared the Colts to throw the ball, stacking the box against breakout running back Jonathan Taylor. Wentz was unable to consistently take advantage of the looks defenses gave him, but that is something Ryan will pick apart.
Last season Ryan completed 67 percent of his passes for 3,968 yards and 20 touchdowns despite underwhelming options in the passing game. Having Pittman to get the ball to and Taylor’s run game to play off of, Ryan will find plenty of success in this Colts offense.
Ryan will throw for at least 4,200 yards in addition to his 30+ touchdowns, garnering a Pro Bowl nomination in the process.
1. Colts Win AFC South
The AFC South looks like it will be a two-horse race for the foreseeable future. The Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars are both in the early stages of a rebuild, leaving the Colts with the Tennessee Titans to compete with.
Tennessee was the division winner in 2021, earning the No. 1 overall seed in the conference. That won’t happen this season as Ryan will help lead the Colts to an AFC South divisional crown in 2022.
It will be the team’s first division title since the 2014 season, which ended with a loss in the AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots.
