3 Colts players to watch out for against the Cowboys on SNF

Thanksgiving has come and gone and it’s time for the Dallas Cowboys to begin their four games against the AFC South.

First up is the Indianapolis Colts, who have had quite a tumultuous season. From head coach Frank Reich getting fired only to be replaced by broadcaster and former high school football coach Jeff Saturday to temporarily benching Matt Ryan for Sam Ehlinger, this team has had quite a dramatic year so far.

Right now, they sit at 4-6-1, which shockingly means they are in second place in a dismal AFC South conference.

One positive for Dallas is that they will get far more rest than the Colts will ahead of this game. Dallas played on Thanksgiving (dub!) and will have a full 10 days of rest before this matchup, whereas Indy still has to play their Week 12 game on Monday Night Football against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

While this team certainly isn’t as strong as people thought they could be, there are still players worth noting as the Cowboys prepare to take Indy on in this week’s Sunday Night Football matchup.

Let’s take a look at those Colts.

3 Colts players to watch out for against the Cowboys on SNF

3. Stephon Gilmore, CB

Although he may not be Trevon Diggs (yes, that is a biased statement), Gilmore has been one of the most consistent cornerbacks in the league for quite some time. He’s a 5x Pro Bowler, 2x All-Pro, and a Super Bowl Champion who brings 11 years of experience to the field.

Despite an overall tumultuous season, he has been an impactful piece of the puzzle for the Colts. After joining the team as a free agent this offseason, Gilmore seems to make an important play in nearly every game.

In their upset victory over the Chiefs in Week 3, the cornerback had a big stop against TE Travis Kelce on third down helped lead Indy to victory. His first interception of the season came at a perfect time in Week 5, allowing the Colts to force overtime against the Broncos. A pass deflection in OT sealed the game for Indy.

Once again, he saved the day in Week 11 against the Las Vegas Raiders. On a 4th down attempt that would make or break the game, Gilmore was all over the play to make sure the Raiders didn’t go up by one.

When asked about his game-winning pass breakup, this is what the 32-year-old said:

"I’ve been in this league for a long time. I’ve made a lot of those plays at the end of the game. Whether it’s in Super Bowl moments, AFC championships — I live for these moments. I wouldn’t say it’s disrespectful for them to try me in those moments, but I like those moments for myself."

Gilmore knows how to stop big plays, and Dak Prescott needs to prepare to be careful when throwing his direction.

2. Grover Stewart, DT

Grover Stewart may have six seasons under his belt with the Colts, but this has arguably been his best one yet.

As one of the best defensive tackles, he makes the running game hard for opponents, which will be a big deal for the Cowboys. He is a massive presence for Indy, and even had 12 tackles in a game against the Tennessee Titans.

In fact, stellar RB Derrick Henry even told the nose tackle that “people need to start talking about” him after that game.

As a nose tackle, he may not get Pro Bowl or All-Pro nods, but he is certainly playing that way. For a team that relies on the 1-2 punch of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard, Stewart could be a serious threat.

Right now, Stewart is playing his best football. The DT has a career-best eight TFL, has already tied his career-high with 3.0 sacks, and has 53 tackles, which ties his career-best for a season in which he played 16 games.

Just because the Colts aren’t dominating as a team does not mean that this DT isn’t having one of the best possible seasons for a defensive lineman.

1. Parris Campbell, WR

A lot of people counted Parris Campbell out. In his first three seasons, he only played 15 games due to multiple severe injuries to the foot, PCL, MCL, and hand. Because of that, this was a make-or-break year for the receiver and he’s certainly made the most of it.

For the Colts, he’s second in receiving yards with 440 on just 44 receptions. He also has two more touchdowns (3) than Michael Pittman Jr., who is Indy’s leading receiver. All of those, including his 10.0 yards per reception, are career bests.

Despite Pittman Jr. being the known name, Campbell has quietly been one of the most consistent receivers in the last few games for Indianapolis. He’s also a versatile threat. They use him in the slot, with sneaky handoffs, and his impressive speed can turn any play into a big one.

Plus, he clearly gels with Matt Ryan under center. In Ryan’s starts before Ehlinger subbed in, Campbell had 24 receptions for 203 receiving yards and three touchdowns. With the young QB at the helm, the WR only had 58 receiving yards.

The Colts WR knows that people will always talk about the games he missed, but he remains focused on the task at hand:

"“From the outside looking in, people say, ‘Oh, he can’t stay healthy.’ Excuse my language, but to hell with that. I know who I am at the end of the day, I know what type of player I am. I know why I was drafted here, and the (coaching) staff room, they know. They know I’ve been through a lot, but they know the type of player I am as well. “So, just when it all comes together, people on the outside stay on the outside.”"

If the former second-rounder can continue on this path, he will be making a lot of money in 2023, whether that paycheck comes from Jim Irsay or elsewhere.

Even though their record and internal chaos may show a struggling team, the Colts do have serious weapons that can cause trouble for the Cowboys this weekend.

Ranking the 5 toughest WRs Trevon Diggs will have to face in 2022

Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs will have to face some of the best receivers in the league in 2022. Let's look at five of those top WRs.