Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman had career-highs of 109 catches for 1,152 yards last season, but his average of 10.6 yards per catch is not what he was hoping for. This year, he thinks things will be different.
Pittman said that with Gardner Minshew at quarterback for most of the season, the offense had to play to Minshew’s strengths, which meant more short passes. With Anthony Richardson healthy and poised to start this year, Pittman thinks he’s going to get lots of deep balls thrown his way.
“Anthony’s strength right now is throwing deep passes,” Pittman said on the Colts’ official podcast.
Pittman averaged 12.6 yards per catch as a rookie and 12.3 in Year Two, and he thinks he can be back at that level this year.
“I’m hoping it goes back up to where it was in Year 1 and Year 2,” Pittman said. “That’s where I’m expecting it to go back to. It’s not bad to get those [shorter] passes because any time I’m getting a target, there’s always a chance that I break one and score. Whether it’s a two-yard pass, a 20-yard pass or a 50-yard pass, I’ll take it all.”
If Richardson and Pittman become one of the best deep connections in the NFL, that would justify all the Colts have invested in both of them. That’s what they’re hoping to see.