INDIANAPOLIS — The Colts offense has made so many plays this season that players who were prime targets in past seasons have become unsung heroes.
Players like Josh Downs.
Downs led Indianapolis in catches last season, following up an impressive rookie season with a 72-catch campaign that cemented him as one of the better slot receivers in the NFL.
The Tyler Warren draft pick and the return of a healthy Michael Pittman Jr. have altered the opportunities over the middle in 2025, forcing Downs to play more of a complementary role through the first five games.
“I mean as a receiver, definitely got to be selfless, but everybody I’ve talked to always says, ‘If you’re a receiver and don’t have a little bit of selfishness and want the ball, then that’s not a receiver you want on your team,’” Downs said. “I feel like it’s just about taking advantage of any opportunity you can get.”
Downs played an overlooked but critical role against the Raiders last week.
Facing off against a Las Vegas team that sat back and forced Indianapolis quarterback Daniel Jones to make short, accurate throws over the middle and trust his receivers to make plays after the catch.
The kind of play Downs makes all the time.
Downs caught six passes for 54 yards against Las Vegas.
Four of those catches picked up first downs. The other two catches picked up nine yards in second-and-10 situations, putting Indianapolis in excellent position to keep the chains moving.
“Downs is, like we’ve said since he’s been here, just so crafty,” Indianapolis head coach Shane Steichen said. “Route runner, creates a lot of space with the things he can do and make you miss in the open field.”
Downs gave the Raiders fits with his ability in the open field on Sunday.
Nearly all of his catches required Downs to create more yardage, even though he makes a lot of catches with his back to the secondary, forcing him to make a move without a full picture of where the defenders might be.
“Born and blessed with natural instinct for different areas of the field,” Downs said. “Understanding where you last saw somebody, or sometimes as a football player, you can just feel people around you, and you can kind of go off that.”
Downs has also long been considered a wide receiver who understands coverages better than most.
Pairing Downs with a quarterback like Jones, who has done a good job placing the ball in a spot where the slot receiver can make a move, has been a good fit.
“He’s been really, really good in those situations over the years with a variety of different routes – route types, route concepts, route depths, man, zone, whatever it takes,” Colts offensive coordinator Jim BoB Cooter said. “Josh puts in the work to prepare himself to get open in those situations, and not only get open, but sometimes you’re catching a four-yard pass and you got to find a way to make 13 yards. Josh is really kind of special at those situations.”
Downs has been quietly productive this season, catching 20 passes for 175 yards this season. The 8.8 yards per catch is far lower than the 11.3 he averaged in his first two seasons, partly because the Colts have made Warren the featured downfield threat over the middle.
A chance to get down the field might be coming.
For the moment, though, Downs is making an impact underneath, playing a critical role that can often get overlooked.
“Josh has been really good for us, really on all downs, but we know third down has been a money down in this league, where you’re able to stay on the field or you got to run the punt team out there and punt,” Cooter said. “Josh has been a big part of our success there over the last three years, and look forward to him doing more of that.”
Joel A. Erickson covers the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Josh Downs has been one of Colts’ unsung heroes on offense this season
