Is Alec Pierce on the Verge of a Breakout Season?
Photo by Michael Hickey
Colts rookie wide receiver Alec Pierce has performed increasingly well in his last three games.
Pierce was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the second round with the 53rd overall pick in the 2022 draft. Because he is part of a very talented draft class of wide receivers, Pierce has been overlooked up until this point.
Rough Start
Pierce’s season had a rocky start as he dropped a would-be touchdown and had no catches in the Colts’ first game against the Houston Texans.
Furthermore, he took a hit that sent him into the concussion protocol, which made him miss the Colts’ game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in week two.
Photo by Isaiah J. Downing
The Ascension
However, since week three, the arrow has only pointed up for Alec Pierce.
When Pierce returned for the Colts’ game against the Kansas City Chiefs, he finished with three catches for 61 yards. He put up this production while only playing 45 percent of the snaps in the offense.
In the following game in week four against the Titans, Pierce caught four catches for 80 yards. Once again, his playing time was relatively low as he only played 44 percent of the snaps in the offense.
In comparison, Michael Pittman Jr., the Colts’ top receiver, played 89 percent of the snaps and had three catches for 31 yards in this game.
Recently, in week five against the Denver Broncos, Pierce finished with eight catches for 81 yards while playing 59 percent of the offensive snaps.
His playing time increased from the prior week, but there’s no reason why he shouldn’t have been on the field more.
Pierce had three of his catches on the Colts’ drive that allowed them to tie the game and lead to an overtime victory.
Despite his production and clutch catches, Pierce rarely saw the field in overtime and had no targets in the period.
Fellow Colts receivers Pittman Jr. and Parris Campbell each played over 90 percent of the offensive snaps, and yet, Pierce had more catches and as many yards as them combined.
Photo by Isaiah J. Downing
The Sky is the Limit
Pierce’s production has gone up from week to week, and seemingly, his snap count will increase as well.
The Broncos even respected him enough to have their top cornerback, Patrick Surtain II, cover him instead of Pittman Jr. at the end of the fourth quarter in week five.
Alec Pierce has showcased the ability to make plays and contested catches in a limited amount of playing time, and he has earned Matt Ryan’s trust as a reliable playmaker in this offense.
If he is given more offensive snaps and targets, a true breakout season could be on the horizon.