INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts (4-2) on Sunday travel to take on the the Detroit Lions (3-3) in their 2020 Week 8 matchup at Ford Field — and, accordingly, it's time to take a look at the team's unofficial depth chart for the game.
Here is a position-by-position look for the Lions matchup, with some notes for each unit:
OFFENSE
» WR: T.Y. Hilton, Daurice Fountain, Dezmon Patmon
» LT: Anthony Castonzo, Chaz Green
» LG: Quenton Nelson
» C: Ryan Kelly, Danny Pinter
» RG: Mark Glowinski
» RT: Braden Smith, Le'Raven Clark
» TE: Jack Doyle, Trey Burton
» TE: Mo Alie-Cox, Noah Togiai
» WR: Zach Pascal
» WR: Marcus Johnson, Ashton Dulin
» QB: Philip Rivers, Jacoby Brissett, Jacob Eason
» RB: Jonathan Taylor, Nyheim Hines, Jordan Wilkins
Notes:
» There are a couple changes this week at the wide receiver position compared to the unofficial depth chart heading into the Week 6 win over the Cincinnati Bengals (and the subsequent bye week for Indy). Marcus Johnson, who had been moved up and down from the practice squad to the active roster in Weeks 4 and 5, is now officially on the 53-man roster and listed as the top player at the third wide receiver spot; that moves Daurice Fountain to the second-listed player at the first wide receiver spot, behind T.Y. Hilton
» Johnson, by the way, just continues to impress on a weekly basis, hauling in big play after big play. He had five receptions for 108 yards — his second-career 100-yard performance — in Indy's Week 6 win over the Bengals, averaging almost 22 yards per reception as a major target for quarterback Philip Rivers in the 21-point come-from-behind effort.
» If the Colts can get Mo Alie-Cox back this Sunday against the Lions, it'll be interesting to see how the team shakes things out at the tight end position. Alie-Cox, of course, missed the Week 6 win over the Bengals with a knee injury, and it was Jack Doyle (39 offensive snaps) and Trey Burton (35 offensive snaps) leading the way at tight end, with undrafted rookie Noah Togiai playing four offensive snaps in all. Will Frank Reich be inclined to utilize a few more three-tight end sets if Alie-Cox is good to go against Detroit? Will Burton continue to be targeted the most at the position?
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DEFENSE
» DE: Justin Houston, Ben Banogu
» DT: DeForest Buckner, Tyquan Lewis, Sheldon Day
» NT: Grover Stewart, Taylor Stallworth
» DE: Denico Autry, Al-Quadin Muhammad, Ron'Dell Carter
» WLB: Darius Leonard, Jordan Glasgow
» MLB: Anthony Walker, Zaire Franklin
» SAM: Bobby Okereke, E.J. Speed
» CB: Rock Ya-Sin, T.J. Carrie
» FS: Julian Blackmon, George Odum
» SS: Khari Willis, Tavon Wilson
» N: Kenny Moore II, Isaiah Rodgers
» CB: Xavier Rhodes, Tremon Smith
Notes:
» A couple roster moves have caused just a little bit of shuffling for the Colts' defense in this week's unofficial depth chart. Sheldon Day, who was on injured reserve the first five weeks of the season with a knee injury, was activated just before the Week 6 win over the Bengals, and makes his first appearance of the year at defensive tackle. Day played 15 defensive snaps in his Colts debut against Cincinnati, finishing with one tackle.
» At defensive end, the team moved undrafted rookie Ron'Dell Carter from the third player listed at one DE spot to the other; now he's behind Denico Autry and Al-Quadin Muhammad. Carter is yet to be active on gameday since he was signed by the Colts off the Dallas Cowboys' practice squad on Sept. 30.
» The Colts now have just four players listed at safety after the team released safety Ibraheim Campbell the day before the Bengals game; Campbell has since been re-signed to the practice squad.
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SPECIALISTS
» P: Rigoberto Sanchez
» PK: Rodrigo Blankenship
» H: Rigoberto Sanchez
» LS: Luke Rhodes
» KR: Isaiah Rodgers, Ashton Dulin
» PR: Nyheim Hines, Isaiah Rodgers
Notes:
» No changes this week compared to Week 6.
