INDIANAPOLIS – The post-play comment was a stinging indictment of a player still trying to find his way as a much-hyped rookie.
Joe Flacco faced a second-and-6 from his own 15 early in the third quarter of Sunday’s loss at Jacksonville. Working out of the shotgun, he took a short drop, looked to his right and targeted AD Mitchell.
The Indianapolis Colts prized second-round draft pick ran a 5-yard route, turned and looked for Flacco’s pass. When it pulled him slightly inside and on a likely collision course with linebacker Ventrell Miller, Mitchell pulled up and reached out with his right hand as the football zipped past.
CBS’ Spero Dedes wasn’t kind.
Mitchell with those alligator arms felt the potential hit coming.
There might not be a stronger condemnation of a receiver. It indicates an unwillingness of someone to go after a pass if that might result in significant contact.
Was that a fair assessment on this occasion?
“The way it looks, I’d say that’s pretty fair to the naked eye,’’ Mitchell said Thursday. “But details matter in everything.
“If you’re thinking one thing as a receiver and your quarterback’s thinking another thing, the only thing that matters is the result.’’
Watch the replay often enough and it appears Mitchell was sitting down for a quick pass from Flacco and Flacco’s pass took him inside instead.
But that doesn’t erase the image of an incompletion and the latest situation where Mitchell seemed to shy away from contact. There have been two or three other occasions during the first month of his career.
Mitchell wasn’t buying into the shies-away-from-contact criticism.
“I mean, nah,’’ he said Thursday. “Just like I said, I’m young (and have) a lot to learn, a lot to grow from.
“Ain’t nobody in the Hall of Fame from their rookie year. So, we’re five games in and we’re going to keep going and we’re going to look back at this moment and speak about things a lot differently.’’
Position coach Reggie Wayne has heard the criticism directed at his youngest receiver – Mitchell turned 22 on Tuesday – and quickly came to his defense.
“I don’t know, man,’’ he said. “Everybody’s got something to say all the time. The dude is a rookie. That’s what rookies do. I was there before. I mean, let him play. Let him play.
“Everybody wants to sit and watch NFL Red Zone. Just let him play. You know what I mean? If he catches half the balls that’s been underthrown or overthrown or whatever that he’s had so far, you’ll find something else.
“That’s the world we live in.’’
Wayne attended Mitchell’s Pro Day at Texas and immediately was struck by the big-play potential.
“He was a player and he’s a player now,’’ he said. “That’s why we drafted him.
“We got the steal of the draft. I mean, just keep watching.’’
Then, Wayne fired a shot in the direction of the proverbial Monday morning quarterbacks.
“If you got something to say, you put the helmet on and run into those animals out there,’’ he said.
Mitchell’s first five games have been lackluster at best: six receptions for 70 yards despite 20 targets. Miscommunication has been an issue whether it’s been with Flacco or Anthony Richardson.
Wayne insisted Mitchell gets “the most separation of anyone in this league.’’
The problem has been finishing plays. Which means catching the football.
“The next step in finishing is the ball in his hands,’’ Wayne said. “Just catch the ball and be a football player. Until you have the ball in your hands, there’s not much you can do.
“When the ball is thrown his way, he’s gotta finish the route and finish the catch and finish the run.’’
Sunday’s loss at Jacksonville was Mitchell’s most productive game. Despite being on the field for just 19 of 70 plays, he had four catches for 38 yards on seven targets. All were season highs.
Mitchell also was the triggerman on a gadget play. He took a lateral from Flacco late in the second quarter and delivered a strike back to the left to running back Tyler Goodson for a 24-yard gain.
What has he learned after five games?
“That I’m young,’’ Mitchell said. “I just look at it like my freshman year all over again. It’s a lot of things that I do well and a lot of things that I’m still working on as a young player.
“I kind of looked at the fifth game this past week like my first game being the first time I really got a chance to touch the ball and be a little more involved.
“Just working with the staff every day, working with the players every day. We’re just going to keep improving.’’
More from Mitchell, Pierce
Mitchell and others must elevate their game in a hurry.
Michael Pittman Jr. is dealing with a back injury that will sideline him for at least a few games, beginning with Sunday’s test in Nashville against the Tennessee Titans.
The Colts have not ruled out placing their leading receiver on injured reserve, which would mean Pittman missing at least four games.
Also, Josh Downs has missed Wednesday and Thursday practices with a toe injury. His status won’t be known until Friday at the earliest.
Pittman and Downs have accounted for 42 of the team’s 89 receptions.
If the 12th-ranked passing game is going to remain vibrant, a pair of second-round picks – Pierce in 2022, Mitchell in April – need to be heavily involved.
Wayne’s support of Mitchell was clear, and he’s been a staunch Pierce advocate since attending his Pro Day at Cincinnati before the ’22 draft.
“My first year coaching was Alec’s first year in the league,’’ he said. “That was the only pro workout I went to. I have all the confidence in Alec.
“Y’all was ready to shut down on Alec. All of y’all. I was in the battlefield with him. Now, everybody wants to buy him cake.’’
Pierce entered year 3 with untapped potential. He always has been a deep threat with his 4.41 speed, but the Colts lacked quarterbacks willing or able to get him the football down the field until this season with Richardson and Flacco.
“The dude runs,’’ Wayne said. “He’s a baby deer.’’
That baby deer is off to an explosive start, literally.
Despite ranking fourth on the team with 17 targets, Pierce had 13 catches for 368 yards and three touchdowns. His 28.5 yards per catch lead the league as do his five receptions of at least 40 yards: 65- and 60-yard TDs to go along with catches that have covered 57, 45 and 44 yards.
After not being targeted for the first three-and-a-half quarters at Jacksonville, Pierce caught three passes for 134 yards and a 65-yard touchdown from Flacco.
His 44.7 average/catch tied for the second-highest in a game in team history.
“He’s starting to be the Alec I saw in Cincinnati,’’ Wayne said.
Pierce credited his emergence to “just being more consistent, more confident in myself. Just knowing I can make the plays.
“Playing with that swagger, playing with that confidence that I’ve had all my life.’’
Pittman eventually erased the line of political correctness as he discussed Pierce’s ability to get deep with regularity.
“He’s deceptively fast. People don’t know,’’ he said. “Alec is like a 4.3-speed guy and nobody knows that.
“I think they underestimate him because of how he looks.’’
How he looks?
“Maybe because he’s white or something,’’ Pittman said with a laugh. “He has that long speed and he doesn’t necessarily look like his arms and limbs are moving that fast, but he just pulls away and DBs can’t read that until it’s too late and he’s built up that 21 miles an hour and he’s running down the sideline.’’
One of Wayne’s nicknames for Pierce: White chocolate.
“He busts his ass every day,’’ he said. “No complaints. No nothing. He’s been the ultimate pro. Does everything right.
“He gives it his all and now we’re starting to see the fruit. Everybody’s not going to be Jerry Rice on the first year. Maybe not even the second year, right?’’
You can follow Mike Chappell on Twitter at @mchappell51.
